10 songs that shaped his indie-pop sound

Yot Club, the project of Brooklyn-based musician Ryan Kaiser, creates uplifting indie-pop songs that worm their way into your brain. For a time, that sound was best heard on his lo-fi debut LP, off the grid, but now he’s following it up with his second studio album, Rufus, out March 29 via Amuse. He also shared the album’s first single, “Pixel,” along with a music video, that reflects his bright, blissful MO, which continues to juxtapose retro-minded smarts and sleek futurism into an intriguing genre mash. 

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In honor of the album announcement, Kaiser told us about the handful of musicians and songs that helped build the sound of Yot Club.

Lower Dens – “To Die in L.A.”

I’ve loved this song for many years. It’s hard for me to make something so minimal — I’m always wanting to add and layer. But this synth is too nice to cover up with anything, and they knew it. There’s a sense of patience with the arrangement. It doesn’t rush to get to the big chorus, which makes it more satisfying when it does.

Pure X – “Every Tomorrow”

This is another song I was obsessed with in high school and still am. There’s so much I love about it — the hard-panned, crispy acoustic guitars, the subtle filtered drums you barely hear, the string section, the little bass melodies high on the neck, and then like two minutes in, there’s this lead synth that is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.

Glaze – “Wave Runner”

Glaze is so cool. I like them a lot.  The drums on this one really stand out to me because they’re busy but so tasteful. The chorus is iconic with the thick vocal harmonies and floaty guitar. Any song that talks about jet skis is cool, too.

Galaxie 500 – “Tugboat”

I’m realizing now that I may have some sort of nautical bias when it comes to music. I seem to really lean toward songs that talk about modes of water transportation. I don’t know why that is.  So many Galaxie 500 songs are just two chords played slowly, which is something I would normally be scared to do because it feels too simple. But the way they layer it with nice bass melodies and spacey drums makes it fun. I also like the hyperspecificity of “I just want to be your tugboat captain.” 

Hotline TNT – “Stampede”

This band is like a musical weighted blanket for me. They’re so thick and fuzzy, and it’s confusing how 12 distorted guitars on top of each other can be so comforting, but it is. It feels like every instrument in this song is fighting for its right to be heard, in the best way.

Swim Camp – “Dougie (For Sharyl)”

Everything about this song is so fun and wholesome, but it also has a little undertone of sadness to it. I also love how stripped the verses are and how big the chorus is. 

Water From Your Eyes – “Adeleine”

This song is similar to the Lower Dens one. It’s a nice and minimal vocal melody centered around a really satisfying instrumental. I am a sucker for quantization, and this song is so tight and perfectly produced in my opinion.

Bleary Eyed – “Wreck”

Bleary Eyed has this feeling of computery glitchiness that reminds me of bands like Grandaddy and Broken Social Scene. I love the chaos in the chorus with the crazy feedback and how it contrasts with the clean and simple verses.  

Wavves – “The Blame”

I honestly thought my Wavves phase was behind me, but that Hideaway record was so good.  “The Blame” just feels made for me, and I can’t even listen to it without a guitar because it’s too frustrating to not be able to play along. Any song with 220 BPM cowboy chords instantly makes me feel like I could wrestle a horse. I don’t know how else to describe it. 

Nuclear Daisies – “Heaven in Your Head”

I don’t even know how to describe the sound of this band. It’s like chill Rob Zombie? It feels like organized and cohesive chaos, and I just think everything was really well thought out and produced.