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Small-town Indiana keeps producing surprising pop songs. Kellen Baker’s Good Flying Birds has quietly become a 2025 must-hear, and his cassette-only debut has just reached a larger audience after a co-reissue. The record glows with homemade charm, jangly hooks, and a lo-fi spirit that feels both nostalgic and new.
How a cassette from Indianapolis found a wider audience
Kellen Baker self-recorded a batch of home demos between 2021 and 2024. Rotten Apple released the collection as a limited cassette on January 2, 2025. That initial run of 300 copies sold out fast.
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Now the tape has been reissued by Carpark Records and Smoking Room. The wider release makes Talulah’s Tape available beyond the cassette community. Critics and fans alike have treated it as one of the year’s standout indie records.
Where Talulah’s Tape sits in the lo-fi indie map
Good Flying Birds lives in the same lo-fi neighborhood as other DIY projects. There’s a clear kinship with the experimental pop of Elephant 6-era bands.
- Guitar-driven melodies that stay with you.
- Deliberate tape hiss and fuzz used as texture.
- Short, catchy songs that favor hooks over studio polish.
Listeners will hear echoes of the Apples in Stereo’s bright pop and Olivia Tremor Control’s more psychedelic textures. But Baker folds those influences into his own concise songwriting style.
Tracks that define the tape
- “Down On Me” — Opens with a looping chord movement that’s instantly hummable.
- “Dynamic” — Packs several distinct hooks into under three minutes.
- “I Care For You” — Twin guitars push a taut, melodic line with a barbed edge.
- “Everyday Is Another” — Sweetly psychedelic and twee, it drifts in pleasantly.
- “Eric’s Eyes” — A paisley-tinged churn that nods to 90s neo-psych.
- “Golfball” — Laid-back and melodic, it recalls the warmth of indie mainstays.
- “Wallace” — One of the most energized, punk-leaning moments.
- “Last Straw” — Nearly five minutes of layered guitars and fractured relationship lyrics.
Short experiments and sonic flourishes
The tape intersperses full songs with brief, curious pieces. Expect a drum break layered with animal sounds, a short noisy guitar freakout, and a six-second sound sketch. These moments add texture and a sense of playful creative mischief.
Performance and production: mostly one person
Baker handled nearly everything on Talulah’s Tape. He wrote the songs and recorded most instruments at home.
- One-man recording — Baker performs the bulk of the music.
- Guest spots — Nina Pitchkites and Kevin Krauter add vocals and drums on a song.
- Sax — Simon Poromer appears on one track.
The folded cassette insert lists Baker’s credits in his own handwriting. On it he notes the DIY nature of the project and invites new listeners to get to know his music.
Regional links and musical neighbors
Indiana’s scene has a few interlocking threads. Mark Winter, known for projects like D.L.I.M.C. and Coneheads, helped define a squirmy, synth-friendly strain of punk often labeled “egg punk.”
Although Baker hasn’t publicly listed those acts as direct influences, the proximity—geographic and aesthetic—creates a shared atmosphere. Both artists embrace short songs, fuzzy edges, and a homespun palette.
Why Talulah’s Tape resonates now
The record’s charm comes from its economy. Hooks arrive quickly and refuse to let go. Production choices—intimate, slightly rough—make the melodies feel immediate.
In an era of glossy streaming singles, Talulah’s Tape stands out because it wears its imperfections proudly. The reissue helps that uncompromising, personal approach reach new listeners.
