With the Olympics still raging on in Rio it’s important there be inspiring music being made back home for watching the show unfold. And while there’s no Call Me Maybe or Philip Phillip’s Home that marked the occasion back in London in 2012 (Katy Perry’s Rise made a play for it but lacks the repetition on the nighttime broadcasts) we turn to new music that will be carrying us through our next workout session. This week we heard from PARTYNEXTDOOR pleading the fifth on ‘Don’t Know How,’ Ms. Britney Jean Spears can’t help that she’s oh so ‘Clumsy’ and E-40 lets you know he’s not above calling you ‘Petty.’
It’s another jam-packed week in Newmusicland with 60 songs to sift through on New Music Friday’s playlist; head over to Spotify and check it all out. We’ve tallied up our own playlist so you can hang out with the new jams longer than a week; visit Busted Wallet’s New Music Friday All-Star for the best since April.
10. Nothing Personal by Dinosaur Pile Up
Three pieces are all you need to compromise a fast paced alt rock back these days, as Dinosaur Pile Up so brilliantly shows on their latest Nothing Personal. All too often it’s easy for the takeaway vibe of alt rock these days to fall under the category of ‘meh,’ but the band from the UK rocks out all track long. Not to mention they happen to be catchy too, with lines like “Sitting in the grass on holidaaaays, you are like me in a lot of waaaaays.” Put this one on to get you up in the morning.
9. Out of My Head by The Griswolds
Good luck getting this one out of your head, with the poppy lyrics and melody oozing out at you from the opening riff, unable to stop. The alternative pop band from Australia have given something for fans to celebrate, announcing that a second album is imminent, after they made a splash in 2014 with Be Impressive (taking a cue from the Chevy Chase Vacation movies with their moniker). Out of My Head reads like a request list for someone you want nothing to do with – don’t call my phone, don’t complain, you don’t have anyone to blame, etc. When you’re ready for the song to get stuck in your head, press play.
8. Lies by Felix Snow, SZA
Your EDM fix this week comes from well known producer Felix Snow, who throws one on to help you dance out your troubles and shake off the gunk of the week. No stranger to working with heavyweight pop stars and emerging talent alike, his big contribution this year was producing Kiiara’s runaway hit ‘Gold.’ On Lies he’s recruited R&B temptress Solana Rowe, or SZA, who makes it hurt so good, as lines “Let’s pretend that we’re more than passing ships in the night,” don’t come out so easy, drenched in strained and pained emotion.
7. Broken by Tritonal feat. Adam Lambert, Jenaux
It’s always good news when Adam Lambert comes in to town to help bolster a track, and on Broken it’s emotion packed in between modulating EDM beats. Not only is it Lambert, but fellow DJ Jenaux is along for the ride to the dance charts as well. For Lambert fans the song marks a departure from the Nihilistic undertones on his last album The Original High; this one is ONLY about good vibes, tying to the two together with lines like “Only you could make me forget that my heart was ever broken.”
6. Flight Mode by Mr. Sanka
There’s something that feels very ‘underdog’ on Mr. Sanka’s debut of Flight Mode, the little song that could worm its way into your hearts, along with being the perfect song for take off (literally, as the band wails “I took fliiiiight.”) The song starts out slow and quickly escalates to lovable, heartwarming, and dance-provoking. Mr. Sanka is a new venture for London based producers of Nick van Hofwegen and Mustafa and James, not yet very well known, but showing here it’s all the about the music and making you feel good.
5. Girls Talk Boys Strafford Remix by 5 Seconds of Summer
5 Seconds of Summer may be all we have left on the clock of Summer 2016, but no reason for stopping the party, when there’s a reboot of the Ghostbuster’s theme with a Strafford remix. And what exactly does a Stafford remix mean for the song? Well for starters it heightens the 80s throwback vibe, and gives it a trop-house feel on the verses. Truth be told it’s not amazingly different from the original, but perhaps we felt a little guilty overlooking the song when it first came out. It’s ready for your Labor Day barbecue playlist.
4. Spoonman Steve Aoki Remix by Soundgarden
An unlikely pairing in any case, but leave it to Steve Aoki to make an EDM take on a grunge classic go down so smooth. The song is much like the news of The Crow reboot; it’s bound to piss off a core group of cult followers, but those open to a new experience of it are likely to be nodding head-banging in appreciation. The new release comes on the heels of the announcement of Temple of the Dog tour fronted by Chris Cornell; you can imagine this track being played to warm up the crowd.
3. City Lights by The White Stripes
Do our eyes deceive us? Since the bands announcement of no-more back in 2011, fans have long since given up hope to find The White Stripes amongst a playlist of NEW music. As a treat that we really don’t deserve, Jack White (and Meg too) put forth a previously unreleased track that got axed from 2005’s Get Behind Me Satan, just in time for Jack White’s release of Acoustic Recordings from 1998-2016. City Lights is as gentle as the band gets, giving off a As Ugly As I Seem vibe. Fans rejoice.
2. Move by Saint Motel
If only this track was released sooner in the year, it would have seemed destined find its home nestled amongst corporate sponsorship as the Rio Olympics aired. The appropriateness abounds in the ‘Gotta get up, gotta get up, MOVE’ rah-rah vibes of the chorus, and breaks it down as the track moves to ‘heads, shoulders, knees, toes; look alive it’s time to go” you could envision any track athlete at the starting line or gymnast preparing for their vault. Missed opportunity, for sure, but we can keep this one in play for the rest of the year.
1. Bang Bang by Green Day
Always keeping the pulse on the political climate of the time, (was there anything more scathing than 2004’s American Idiot?) it’s only fitting that we here from them again as we enter into full election mode of 2016, and hurrah, hurrah, the hero of the hour is now Green Day. Rather than discussing politics point blank, the song’s thesis attacks those who pursue fame outright (bang bang give me fame shoot me up to entertain) and the ever present violence in every faction of life (i’m a semi automatic lonely boy). In addition to its meaty lyrics, this track does. not. stop. It gives and gives and gives, and we can’t wait to hear what’s next.
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