Welcome to “Underrated Artists,” an entertainment column from the St. Louis Park Echo covering unpopular and unknown artists. Every week, a different Echo staffer takes on the role of a writer, reviewing single releases and albums from four underrated artists.
Magdalena Bay is an artist I’ve been listening to on repeat these past few months. Since the release of their newest full-length album, “Imaginal Disk,” they have become a favorite of mine. The pop duo consists of Matthew Lewin and Mica Tenenbaum. The two are a couple and have been making music together since high school. Magdalena Bay have a very distinct sound with a wide array of different instrumentations and sounds, giving all their songs a layered and synth-heavy sound. “The Ballad of Matt and Mica” is one of the best examples of what they do so well. The layered production includes some synth-heavy portions of the song and an insanely addictive baseline. The catchy and upbeat lyrics from singer Mica Tenenbaum are also a great part of this track, and I often find myself humming the chorus of this song throughout the day. Other songs such as “You Lose!” and “Tunnel Vision” are straight-up earworms that will burrow themselves into your consciousness after the first listen. Magdalena Bay’s ability to make such electrifying and memorable pieces is what sets them apart from their peers. Their music stretches the boundaries of what you can make with the tools they have, and that’s what makes their music so special.
Horsegirl is a Chicago-based rock trio that has been one of my go to’s for a while now. Their music is often characterized as “slacker rock,” which is exactly what it sounds like, featuring Lo-Fiproduction with laid back vocals and some heavy distortion on the guitars and bass. “Anti Glory” is my favorite track of theirs, as the backing vocals that go along with the change in verses is such a cool part of the song. I find this song sounds best on a nighttime winter walk. It encapsulates the sad and melancholic winter days in a way I can’t describe in words. Their newest single, “Julie,” is a slow ballad that keeps the low effort production from their previous works. Their other single, “2468,” has a much faster pace that catches you and drags you along from the moment you press play. Both of these singles were released in anticipation for their upcoming album: “Phonetics On And On.” This new project is a big step in production quality for the band because the new songs have much less distortion incorporated into the sound. The album releases next month and I hope that comes with many new fans who can appreciate the great music Horsegirl makes. I think that Horsegirl does so much with what is a limiting genre. Even with the DIY Lo-Fi aesthetic, Horsegirl’s talent and musicality sticks out like no other. If you are into the homemade garage band style of rock music, Horsegirl is definitely for you.
An artist that I’ve only gotten into recently is Geordie Greep. Immediately after the splitting up of his former group, “Black Midi,” Geordie Greep released his debut single, “Holy Holy.” The song starts out with blaring guitars that burst out at you immediately as if to let everyone know that Greep is here and he’s about to blow your socks off. This was the lead single off his first album, “The New Sound,” released in Oct., 2024. The debut album features many parallels to the progressive rock and avant-garde style of Greeps’ former group, but it has a few stark differences that set it apart. One major difference was the variety of influences included, such as the heavy incorporation of jazz sounds. Another influence on the album’s sound was Spanish and Brazilian music. A large portion of the album was recorded in Sao Paulo. This influence is most clear in “Terra.” The song takes inspiration from salsa music as well as Brazilian Samba. It’s a combination of sounds that works surprisingly well, and it was a high point on the album. The production and composition of the entire album is masterfully crafted. Geordie Greep is not an artist for everyone, as his vocal style and lyricism are best described as “odd”. It certainly didn’t click on the first listen for me, but I’ve grown to appreciate Greeps attention to detail and the expertise in his craft. If you are looking to hear something unlike anything else, give “The New Sound” a listen.
Racing Mount Pleasant is a group I came across by complete accident. I was looking through some playlists on Spotify, and I noticed a song I had never seen before called “Reichenbach Falls.” When I pressed play, I was hit with a gust of different horns that immediately caught my attention. The song features a variety of different instrumentation but is mostly led by the aforementioned horns. After listening to this song, I tried my best to find any information on the group to no avail. Racing Mount Pleasant only has one album and it’s great, much like “Reichenbach Falls.” The other songs on the album feature an assortment of horns and some beautiful string arrangements. “Holy Hell” is a piece that starts out sounding a lot like it’s going to be a soft Lo-Fi track, but it quickly changes course. When the loud and distorted synth melody absorbs the sound of the song, it shifts into a more chaotic and layered sound. The final track on the album, “Do You Think I’m Pretty,” is a return to form, being a much slower and softer track that ties off the record neatly. I hope that Racing Mount Pleasant gets a lot more recognition. Had I not clicked on the random song, I wouldn’t have ever found this group and their unique music.
