little horse

Feeble Little Horse

In most ways, feeble little horse — Lydia Slocum (vocals, bass), Sebastian Kinsler (guitar), Jacob Kelly (drums), and Ryan Walchonski (guitar) — is an outlier on this list. They’ve existed as a band for about two years now, are signed to Saddle Creek Records — making them labelmates with Indigo de Souza, Spirit of the Beehive, and Big Thief’s early work — and leave for a country-spanning tour in June in support of their upcoming album Girl with Fish

While they may have more hype than the others on this list, any mention of the local indie music scene must include name-dropping the distortion-pop quartet, the music of which has come to define the Pittsburgh shoegaze-adjacent scene, even if they might have surpassed it.

Don’t worry — despite the NPR shoutouts and Pitchfork praise, feeble little horse remains a Pittsburgh band through and through. Guitarist Sebastian Kinsler produces the majority of their songs out of a South Oakland apartment, and they record in a South Side studio.

The band’s approach to song production is notable for its spontaneity — any open spots are filled in with sonic scraps, such as hot-mic studio dialogue, an Alex G-esque “huh!” sound effect, and other internet finds (early fans will remember the Pi’erre Bourne producer tag that used to open “Termites” before copyright issues forced them to change it).

Most songs on Girl with Fish were conceived around the same time as their first album, Hayday , though drummer

Kelly tells City Paper that the release has a distinct style to it. “Hayday was recorded in the span of, like, one week, maybe less than that. We literally thought it was gonna be the last time we were all gonna be together, so it was like a big send-off. But we got to take our time with this record. The production’s a lot cleaner.”

Judging from Girl with Fish ’s first single “Tin Man,” featuring Slocum’s quotable lyrics and sludgy backing guitars, there’s nothing feeble about this sophomore album.

Eyewash

eyewash, a new dream-pop five-piece consisting of Rachel Hines (bass, vocals), Jack Wells (drums), Alex Walsh (guitar, vocals), Gin Garner (synthesizer), and Jake Yencik (guitar, vocals), draws from the beloved pop bands of its members’ youths to create a reverb-filled soundscape of faraway vocals and rueful, longing lyrics. Amongst Pittsburgh’s multitude of hardcore acts — some of which, such as Shin Guard and Hazing Over, claim eyewash bandmates as members — eyewash’s self-titled EP, released March 20, introduces the band as a slower, but equally angsty alternative.

The first track, “Spinning,” starts with Hines despairing in overindulgence above a flighty keyboard trail and steady drumbeat: “I’m wasted, I’m alone, it’s all good.” If “Spinning” is eyewash’s dream-pop side, then the EP’s single, “Kaleidoscope,” showcases the

Eyewash

band’s pop-punk skills as well. Patchy drums and a snaking guitar underscore Hines' voice, singing of young-adulthood malaise and fury: “I do not owe an explanation / For the things I feel and the way I deal / Guess I wake up on the wrong side sometimes.”

Hines, who studied neuroscience and psychology in college and now does clinical research into sleep apnea, says that the dream-focused aspects of her job make their way into her music. Check out the jargon-filled lyrics of “Somnium” (Latin for “dream”), which look like a mouthful on the page but roll unhurriedly through the song’s melodies: “Hypnagogic tones unravel sopor I can’t shake / Blank eyes dart back and forth, the soul’s window‘s opaque.” It’s this kind of casualness that defines eyewash’s sound — ambivalently sad and disruptively PO’d when need be.

Dyspheric

It might take out-of-towners by surprise, but Pittsburgh boasts an underground electronic music scene of surprising force. Chief amongst the scene is Dyspheric, a DJ collective consisting of founder Stephanie Alona, Samira Mendoza, and Yessi. The collective organizes events for the often-underserved Black trans community.

Alona, who DJs under the name XC-17, started the collective to unite the community in a communal spot — the dancefloor.

Dyspheric originated in 2020 when the pandemic shut down Alona’s upcoming DJ gigs, forcing them to creatively share their music. Alona turned to livestreaming DJ sets on Instagram, eventually joining forces with Mendoza and Yessi, the three of which began creating consistent Dyspheric shows on Verge F.M., a former independent radio platform. As clubs started to reopen, the three hosted shows at Hot Mass, Spirit, and other venues around the city.

Now, three years later, their consistent online content and shows have made them a hot ticket.

Dyspheric’s live sets and streams range from schmaltzy remixes of pop hits to unsparing dark techno. Recently, the collective has used its SoundCloud to spotlight fellow DJs such as Naeem, a member of Pittsburgh’s techno crew Detour, and a to-be-announced Seattle DJ for an upcoming episode.

Though its event programming slowed down this winter, Dyspheric is gearing up for a music-filled summer. The members plan on delivering more energetic club shows that fans have come to expect, as well as expanding into more DIY venues, according to Alona. Show your support on the dancefloor at their fundraiser event at P Town on Sat., April 8, where XC-17 will perform alongside Rojo, Yessi, Indigooov, and Gusto.