This week’s supply of new music was so jammed packed it made whittling the field down to 10 extra difficult, particularly with some great tracks released by Surfer Blood, Jamie xx, The Vaccines, and The Japanese House.
While the world of streaming music services is abuzz and expanding this week, there still is only one place to get this particular set of fresh new music, and that’s on Spotify. Head over before the week is through to make sure the next big thing isn’t going unnoticed.
10. Landmine by Three Days Grace
Since the inception of Three Days Grace their signature sound made popular by I Hate Everything About You is easy to identify. Does Landmine contain a similar sound from the hard rocking Canadians? Sure, but it doesn’t make it any less enjoyable. The style of turned up angst within the song is perfectly paired with a workout after a tough day.
9. The Ghost of Beverly Drive by Death Cab for Cutie
Finally having released their long-awaited album, The Ghost of Beverly Drive is one of the stronger singles from Kintsugi, both in its arrangements and lyrically. It’s rare to *not* describe a DCFC song as haunting, and it proves true on this track, but without feeling overdone. The poetry like verses over breathy coos while Ben Gibbard harmonizes ‘I don’t know why, I don’t know why” leads to the perfect blend of what makes Death Cab so great.
8. Woodstock (Psychedelic Fiction) by Jon Bellion
From the opening ‘She fell asleep at Coachella, and woke up here,’ Woodstock is an enthralling piece of lyrical fiction rich in detail with an intriguing plot, making you want to see it through to the end, if nothing else to see how things for turn out for the girl. Jon Bellion creates a his own kind of trippiness while using his silky smooth voice over hip-hopesque beats.
7. Bad Dream by The Mowglis
Bad Dream takes off quickly, full of high energy West Coast sound. Accompanying the sound are West Coast optimistic lyrics – ‘When you got this open road and the sun is shining, how can anybody be leaving in a bad dream?’ (Actually sounds more like someone who survived a Midwestern winter and is seeing the sun for the first time in four months, but I digress). Super likable and dance worthy, Bad Dream will have you asking How can anybody not like The Mowglis?
6. A Little More by MGK
Bad Boy Record’s own wunderkind Machine Gun Kelly has released A Little More Love in anticipation of his (soon?) To Be Announced record. A Little More dives deep into the lack of love in all types of collectives – the business world, personal lives, communities, etc. The track gains momentum as it goes on, and the inclusion of the soulful but light Victoria Monet couples beautifully with the song’s message.
5. Bloodstream by Ed Sheeran with Rudimental
Upon first listen both the original Bloodline and the new Bloodline with Rudimental sound surprisingly similar; begging the question, why bother recreating such a similar song? Well for one it gives fans of the uber popular ‘X’ another taste of Sheeran while he’s on his world tour. The two songs diverge at its chorus, where drum n bass roar through the background, leaving the listener feeling as if they can feel whatever ‘it’ is ‘kickin in’ as well. Expanding on his own material with well planted simplicity shows the growth Ed Sheeran has experienced while rising to superstar status, and hints at good things to come.
4. Yoga by Janelle Monáe, Jidenna
Yoga is one of those songs that carries such a powerful groove that it will trick the listener into thinking they’re a really good at dancing, despite how inflexible or rigid their movements might be. As Janelle sings ‘Party at the beach down at the Copacabana’ its bass lines will probably make you wish you were on a beach rather than a yoga mat. The chorus ‘baby bend over, let me see you do that yoga’ is purely silly, but by the time it hits you will already be in the song’s trance.
3. Something Good by Dead Sara
At first take of Dead Sara’s latest album many of the tracks titles are somewhat off-putting: Suicidal, Love Sick, L.A. City Slum. But the band is particularly good at creating illusions, as it specializes in creating high energy songs that will make you more likely to get up and dance than feel depressed. Even the name Dead Sara isn’t as morbid as it sounds, but rather is a nod to the often misheard lyrics in the Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Sara.’ (“Said Sara, you’re the poet in my heart.”) Something Good highlights every thing good about the band – Emily Armstrong’s raspy and powerful vocals, a catchy sound that isn’t done the cheesy way, but rather in the style that makes you want to hang around and listen through the song’s end.
2. The Day Is My Enemy by The Prodigy
As the percussion lead in breaks open it took us only 3 seconds to emit a feeling of yaaaasss, as the heavy, hard pounding riffs of The Prodigy have been absent for too long. While Spotify took its time getting the singles onto the New Music playlist – this week’s marks the album release, but already three singles have been released – there’s no hard feelings, as it was worth the wait. According to the band’s Wikipedia page “violent is the word that keeps coming up while describing the album” though the lyrics speak nothing to encourage it. But heavy as it is, it could be the best song to use in a kickboxing class to be ever created.
1. Sirens by Lola Marsh
Leave Sirens in a playlist of female singer/songwriters and you risk drawing the easy comparison to Lana del Rey. But peel back its layers and you will find a mystical folk anthem with hints of middle eastern guitars. The band, formed by Gil Landau and Yael Shosanna Cohen (the former who bares a striking resemblance to Penelope Cruz) hail not from folk dominated cities like Austin or Portland, but rather from the other side of the world in Tel Aviv. With so many surprises surrounding their first and only single, can’t wait to see what’s in store on their EP out later in the year.
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