Pen pals are people who regularly write to each other, particularly via postal mail. Pen pals are usually strangers whose relationship is based primarily, or even solely, on their exchange of letters. Occasionally, pen pals may already have a relationship that is not regularly conducted in person.
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea is the second studio album by American rock band Neutral Milk Hotel, released on February 10, 1998, by Merge Records. The music is predominantly indie rock and psychedelic folk, and is characterized by an intentionally low-quality sound. Traditional rock instruments like the guitar and drums are paired with less conventional instruments such as a singing saw, uilleann pipes, and "zanzithophone". The lyrics are surrealistic and opaque, with themes ranging from nostalgia to love, and were partially inspired by The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.
Jeremy Thomas McRae Blackall, better known by his stage name Tom McRae, is an English singer-songwriter.
Corinne Jacqueline Bailey Rae is an English singer and songwriter. She is best known for her 2006 single "Put Your Records On". Bailey Rae was named the number-one predicted breakthrough act of 2006 in an annual BBC poll of music critics, Sound of 2006. She released her debut album, Corinne Bailey Rae, in February 2006, and became the fourth female British act in history to have her first album debut at number one. In 2007, Bailey Rae was nominated for three Grammy Awards and three Brit Awards, and won two MOBO Awards. In 2008, she won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
Rae Spoon is a Canadian musician and writer. Their musical style has varied from country to electronic-influenced indie rock and folk punk.
Ezra Michael Koenig is an American musician, singer-songwriter, producer, and internet radio personality. He is best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of indie rock band Vampire Weekend. Additionally, Koenig is the creator of the Netflix animated comedy series Neo Yokio and also hosts the Apple Music radio talk show Time Crisis with Ezra Koenig. Time Crisis is airing its ninth season, as of 2023.
Amber Rubarth is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She has toured extensively throughout Europe, North America, Japan, South Korea and South Africa.
Rostam Batmanglij, known mononymously as Rostam, is an American record producer, musician, singer, songwriter, and composer. He was a founding member of the band Vampire Weekend, whose first three albums he produced. He has been described by Stereogum as one of the greatest pop and indie-rock producers of his generation. Rostam also works as a solo artist and is a member of electro-soul group Discovery. He produced his first number-one album, Vampire Weekend's Contra, when he was 27 years old.
Ariel Rechtshaid is an American record producer, audio engineer, mixing engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter. His accolades include three Grammy Awards for music production.
Jetty Rae is an unsigned American indie folk singer-songwriter whose career began in Kona, Hawaii, but now resides in Michigan. Notable appearances include Lilith Fair 2010, CMJ Music Festival, Ann Arbor Summer Festival, The Red Jacket Jamboree, and a number of CFA festivals including Agapefest, Big Ticket, and Fandana Festival. Jetty Rae's music has been used by companies such as Microsoft, Petco, Amazon.com, and Ben and Jerry's to promote their brands. She is known for "taking lyrics and adding a depth that few artists can.". Jetty Rae's album Drowning in Grain peaked at No. 130 on the CMJ Top 200 Radio charts.
San Fermin is an American indie rock collective, led by Brooklyn-based composer and songwriter Ellis Ludwig-Leone. Known for combining indie rock, pop, and classical influences into lush compositions, they released their self-titled debut album on Downtown Records in 2013. This was followed by the records Jackrabbit and Belong in 2015 and 2017, respectively. Their fourth album, a double album titled The Cormorant I & II, was released in full in March 2020.
Rachel Anne "Rae" Morris is an English singer and songwriter. She released her debut album, Unguarded, in 2015. Her second album, Someone Out There, was released in January 2018.
Rae Sremmurd is an American hip hop duo originating from Tupelo, Mississippi, formed by brothers Slim Jxmmi and Swae Lee. In 2013, they signed a record deal with Mike WiLL Made-It's EarDrummers imprint. In January 2015, the duo released their debut album, SremmLife, which was certified platinum by the RIAA. In August 2016, the duo released their second album, SremmLife 2. During that same year, the duo also created their own record label, called SremmLife Crew Records. The duo is best known for their single "Black Beatles" from SremmLife 2, which topped the US Billboard Hot 100, while also charting internationally in the top ten in many countries. The duo also released other platinum-certified singles such as "No Type", "No Flex Zone", and "Swang". Their third studio album, SR3MM, was released on May 4, 2018, and served as a triple album. Their fourth studio album, Sremm 4 Life, was released on April 7, 2023.
Emotion is the third studio album by Canadian singer and songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen. It was released on June 24, 2015, in Japan and on August 21, 2015, worldwide through 604, School Boy, and Interscope Records. Looking to transition from the bubblegum pop-oriented nature of her second studio album, Kiss (2012), Jepsen found inspiration in 1980s music and alternative styles. She enlisted a team of mainstream and indie collaborators, including Sia, Mattman & Robin, Dev Hynes, Ariel Rechtshaid, Rostam Batmanglij, Greg Kurstin, and Peter Svensson of the Cardigans, culminating in a largely synth-pop-centric effort.
Heath Daniel McNease is an American Christian hip hop and folk rock musician who is primarily a worship musician in the Christian music movement. He released four albums with 7Spin Music, two of those hip hop releases, The Heath McNease Fanclub Meets in 2007 and The Gun Show in 2010, while he released two folk rock roots releases, The House Always Wins in 2010 and Shine On in 2010. The remainder of his albums have been released independently. He released four hip hop albums, Straight Outta Console: The Nintendo Thumb Mixtape in 2011, Thrift Store Jesus in 2012, Jesus Shuttlesworth: The Mixtape and The Weight of Glory: Second Edition in 2013, and Among Thieves in 2014, while two were folk rock roots releases, The Weight of Glory - Songs Inspired by the Works of C.S. Lewis in 2012, and Fort Wayne in 2014.
Lemonade is the sixth studio album by American singer Beyoncé. It was released on April 23, 2016, by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records, accompanied by a 65-minute film of the same title. It is Beyoncé's second visual album, following her self-titled fifth studio album (2013), and a concept album with a song cycle that relates Beyoncé's emotional journey after her husband's infidelity in a generational and racial context. Primarily an R&B and art pop album, Lemonade encompasses a variety of genres, including reggae, blues, rock, hip hop, soul, funk, Americana, country, gospel, electronic, and trap. It features guest vocals from James Blake, Kendrick Lamar, the Weeknd, and Jack White, and contains samples and interpolations of a number of hip hop and rock songs.
Blue Mountain is the third solo album by former Grateful Dead singer and guitarist Bob Weir, released on September 30, 2016. The album was inspired by his time working as a ranch hand in Wyoming when he was fifteen years old. It is Weir's first solo studio album since Heaven Help the Fool, released in 1978 and first studio album since recording Evening Moods as the leader of RatDog in 2000.
"Through the Night" is a song by South Korean singer-songwriter IU for her fourth studio album Palette (2017). Written by IU and composed and produced by Kim Je-hwi and Kim Hee-won, the song served as the lead single of Palette, released on March 24, 2017. Marking her return to music, the stripped-down song offers a sharp departure from her previous single "Twenty-Three".
Kelc Galluzzo, known by the stage name Jetty Bones, is an American indie pop singer-songwriter from Urbana, Ohio. Galluzzo released a series of EPs in the 2010s before signing to Rise Records and releasing her debut album, Push Back, in 2021. Her backing band over the years has included Katie Cole of DangerKids, RB Roe of Save Face, and Dylan Mattheisen of Tiny Moving Parts.
The Shrubbies were an English pop group from Wallington, London, active from 1996 to 1998. Vocalist and guitarist Craig Fortnam, vocalist and bassist Sharron Saddington and former Cardiacs members Sarah Smith and Dominic Luckman (drums) formed the band as Shrubby Veronica. They gigged enthusiastically in London for several years and then split up as Fortnam was disillusioned with playing the traditional indie rock toilet circuit.
