Now that summer is in full swing, here’s another compilation
of new tunes curated into a personal listening session.
There are singles from anticipated albums by
Arcade Fire, The National, and Grizzly Bear, along with Mondo Cozmo, The War on
Drugs and Rostam’s debut. Stand alone songs by Alex Ebert, Declan McKenna and liv round out the list with unreleased music by Gorillaz, Beach House and
Daphni plus more. Listen on
Spotify or as a
YouTube Playlist.
1. “Everything Now” –
Arcade Fire
“Everything Now” is a swirling, musical ride and title track for
the upcoming fifth studio album since 2001 by North American indie juggernaut
Arcade Fire. While lyrically skewering materialism, the band seems eager to
dance with the help of co-producer Thomas Bangalter of Daft Punk.
2. “The System Only
Dreams in Total Darkness” – The National
“The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness” serves as a
vigorous reintroduction to The National, the indie rock band from Cincinnati
formed in 1999. This is the first single
for Sleep Well Beast, the seventh
studio album from the group. Guitarist twins Aaron and Bryce Dessner develop
the musical structure for each song, then singer Matt Berninger adds a melody
and lyrics to fit the composition, as the creative collaboration continues.
3. “Automatic” –
Mondo Cozmo
Mondo Cozmo, a.k.a. Josh Ostander, is ready to release his
debut album in August, Plastic Soul.
“Automatic” features his gritty vocals and rock anthem leanings, that have
quickly found a solid fan base for this new musical project (during the 2017
tour the backing band is Illinois).
4. “Dancing is the
Best Revenge” – !!!
“Dancing is the Best Revenge” sums up the credo for this dance
punk band out of Sacramento, CA. It is a funky, fun single for the group’s seventh album
since 1996, Shake the Shudder, which
was formed out of jam sessions during a week in Barcelona.
5. “Hard To Say
Goodbye” – Washed Out
Georgia native Ernest Greene has released a third album, Mister Mellow, full of quirky tunes and
studio wizardry. “Hard to Say Goodbye”
boasts an infectious melody over Greene’s signature chillwave sonic foundation
formulated in 2009.
6. “Three Rings” –
Grizzly Bear
“Three Rings” is the first single from Painted Ruins, the fifth album since 2002 by indie quartet Grizzly
Bear, which is due in August. The group is now split between coasts, so
recording took place in both NYC and LA studios using the usual mix of
traditional and electronic instruments for this elegant soundscape.
7. “Broken Record” –
Alex Ebert
L.A. based singer/songwriter Alex Ebert is best known as the
frontman of Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros and Ima Robot. His distinctive
vocals highlight the jumpy flow of “Broken Record,” a single for the follow up
to his solo debut, 2011’s Alexander.
8. “Chariot” – Beach
House
The sumptuous opening organ chords and majestic singing in “Chariot” herald a new Beach House song on a compilation album of
unreleased cuts and one other new song, B-Sides
and Rarities. Baltimore duo Victoria
Legrand (vocalist/organist) and Alex Scally (guitarist) decided to release
every song that did not exist on an album elsewhere for the band’s dedicated
fans.
9. “Humongous” – Declan
McKenna
Young English singer/songwriter Declan McKenna is ready to
release his debut album, What Do You
Think About the Car? “Humongous” is yet another solid pop single from the collection. After a breakout year in 2016, McKenna is now confidently playing festivals.
10. “Ultralife” – Oh
Wonder
Josephine Vander Gucht and Anthony West record as Oh Wonder,
a London based alt-pop duo. “Ultralife” is the title track to their second
album since 2014, a melodic romp sweetened by synth riffs.
11. “Bike Dream” – Rostam
Multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij will soon release a
debut solo album after years with Vampire Weekend and collaborating with
Hamilton Leithauser, among others. The single “Bike Dream” is a sweet tune that
genuinely expresses joy over life’s little moments.
12. “Heaven” – liv
Swedish indie band collective liv released another single,
“Heaven,” a hopeful, hazy, pop gem flaunting the powerhouse vocals of Lykke Li
and Andrew Watt of Miike Snow.
13. “Tin” – Daphni
Canadian electronic mastermind Dan Snaith (who also records
under Caribou) returns to his Daphni alter ego for another album since 2012 of
unreleased tracks. The dance music whirl of “Tin” fits in with the title, fabriclive93, which honors the venerable
London nightclub.
14. “City Music” – Kevin
Morby
L.A. based musician Kevin Morby, former bass player of the folk rock band Woods, just released his fourth solo album, City Music. This title track, with Woods’ husky, soulful voice on
full display, refers to the idea that cities have singular identities of
musical style.
15. “Holding On” – The
War on Drugs
“Holding On” is the second single for the fourth album since
2005, A Deeper Understanding, by Philly band The War on Drugs due out in August. Adam Granduciel’s gritty singing and guitar wailing is the
backbone for the group’s sumptuous, expansive sound.
16. “Sleeping Powder”
– Gorillaz
This previously unreleased track seems more emblematic of this
U.K. cartoon band, with its cheeky harpsichord intro and melodious dance spin
with synths galore. “Sleeping Powder” is reportedly one of over 40 unused
songs from the group’s fifth album since 2001, last year’s Humanz, so fans can hope for many more singles ahead.
Filled ALMOST completely with songs from the past year or so! (Can you spot the slightly older song?) Give a listen to my Romantic Songs Playlist for Valentine's Day 2020 on Spotify here. 
Another round up with my fave songs of 2018 listed not by preference but how best to order them for the optimal listening experience – although I have to admit that David Byrne's "Everybody's Coming To My House" has to be my #1(along with the euphoric concert experience of seeing him in non-stop motion with band members at Forest Hills in September during his American Utopia tour.) Here's to the year that was and the one that will be! Listen as a Spotify playlist here.
Listen on Spotify or as a YouTube Playlist (except Jmmy & Ocean Cat). Enjoy!
Listen on Spotify or as a YouTube Playlist (with glorious live versions by Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Dr. Dog and Washed Out!) 
Listen on Spotify or as a YouTube Playlist (except "Find a Way to Keep Me" by Field Music and bonus tracks "Shades of Blue," "You Are Here," and "She May She Might" by Yo La Tengo).
