Summer 2018 New Music Playlist

Listen on Spotify or as a YouTube Playlist (with glorious live versions by Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Dr. Dog and Washed Out!) 


1. "Magnetism" – Vacationer
2. "SGL" – Now, Now
3. "Back Seat Driver (Spirit Guide)" Bear Hands
4. "Wide Awake" – Parquet Courts
5. "Transhumanity" – JB Dunckel
6. "Once In My Life" – The Decemberists
7. "Quiero Otoño de Nuevo" – Mint Field
8. "Cranberry" – Hovvdy
9. "It Was Not Natural" – Wye Oak
10. "It's Late" – A Beacon School
11. "These Falling Arms" – The Sea and Cake
12. "It You're Going to Break Yourself" – Unknown Mortal Orchestra
13. "Human Being Song" – Okkervil River
14. "Buzzing In the Light" – Dr. Dog
15. "Black Car" – Beach House
16. "Pirates" – Brazilian Girls
17. "Juicy Socks" – Cherry Glazer
18. "Face Up" – Washed Out

Top 20+ Songs of 2016 With Spotify and YouTube Playlist

It's always a nice exercise to review all the gifts of music encountered over the course of twelve months. This year was especially easy to go over the twenty song allotment for this end of year recap of top tunes. It's such a diverse group of artists but the list contains some of my very favorite voices on the music scene: Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Beck, Ben Bridwell of Band of Horses, Hamilton Leithauser, Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips, Fran Healy of Travis, Will Sheff of Okkervil River, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, The Avett Brothers and Santigold. Plus I was so thankful for plenty of soaring melodies to carry me away from the neverending stress of daily news during this election year, for example The Boxer Rebellion, Wye Oak and Ra Ra Riot + Rostam.

Listen on Spotify or as a YouTube Playlist below.

1. "Can't Get Enough of Myself" – Santigold
2. "Burn the Witch" – Radiohead
3. "The Industry" – Okkervil River
4. "If You Should See" – Wye Oak
5. "Wow" – Beck
6. "2AM" – Bear Hands
7. "They Want More" – Ages and Ages
8. "Casual Party" – Band of Horses 
9. "Selectallcopy" – Autolux
10. "Magnificent Time" – Travis
11. "In These Fine Times" (featuring De Lux) – Classixx
12. "Hey Lion" – Sofi Tukker
13. "Trouble" – Cage the Elephant
14. "Never Ever" – STRFKR
15. "Summer Was a Day"  – Pete Yorn
16. "Water" – Ra Ra Riot & Rostam
17. "Beneath the Black Sea" – LNZNDRF
18. "Big Ideas" – The Boxer Rebellion
19. "If I Ever Was a Child" – Wilco
20. "The Castle" – The Flaming Lips
21. "No Hard Feelings" – The Avett Brothers
22. "In a Black Out" – Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam
23. "In My Car" – Gold Panda

Spring 2016 New Music Playlist

Since I recently learned that March 1st is the meteorological start of spring, I won’t hesitate to share this playlist as the official one for the next season. Besides, there are plenty of new albums to check out – from faves like Santigold, Peter Yorn, Wild Nothing and Bibio to new bands such as James Supercave and Bob Moses. And check out teaser singles from upcoming releases by Andrew Bird, Bear Hands, Caveman, The Boxer Rebellion and Woods.  Listen via Spotify or as a YouTube playlist.

1. “Can’t Get Enough of Myself” – Santigold

Santigold is the stage name of Santi White, a Philly singer and producer whose artistry extends into costumes and choreography for her live shows. This bouncy pop single lambasting our self-absorbed culture is off her third studio album since 2003, 99¢.

2. “Burn” – James Supercave

L.A. trio James Supercave recorded its debut album Better Strange, with a solid psych-pop credo. According to singer Joaquin Pastor, this song “Burn” was “born from a bass line and wants to suck you in.” Done.

3. “Nobody Dies” – Thao & The Get Down Stay Down

San Francisco based Thao & The Get Down Stay Down is an alt folk group that just released a fourth album since 2003, A Man Alive. The new collection was produced by Merrill Garbus of Tune-Yards with a focus on accentuating the playful percussive textures.

4. “Hour” – Porches

Porches is the musical project of Aaron Maine, who has released a second album called Pool after four years on the scene. “Hour” is a lush synth reverie with sweet backing vocals by his life partner, Frankie Cosmos.

5. “Never Ever” – STRFKR

Portland’s indie rock band STRFKR has released this stand-alone single, “Never Ever,” with a trademark danceable groove.  The group is gearing up for a fifth album since the band formed in 2007.

6. “Feeling” – Bibio

Bibio, a.k.a. Stephen Wilkinson, is an English music producer with a love for mixing new and retro sounds with gusto. He just released his eighth studio album since 2005, A Mineral Love.

7. “Tearing Me Up” – Bob Moses

Bob Moses is an electronic duo from Vancouver but now based in Brooklyn.  Singer/songwriter Tom Howie and Berlin-style techno geek Jimmy Vallance joined their skills for a post-club aesthetic, creating pop melodies over cool house music.

8. “Capsized” – Andrew Bird

Chicago’s prolific songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird will soon release his thirteenth album since 1996, Are You Serious. The single “Capsized” serves as the opening track with a typical timeless musicality but more personal lyrics that open up about marriage and parenthood.

9. “To Know You” – Wild Nothing

Virginia based musician Jack Tatum steps out of the bedroom recordings vibe for his third studio album since 2009 as Wild Nothing, Life of Pause. Tatum admits “there’s a different kind of ‘self’ this time around,” by using a full band in production and it shows.

10. “Voices in My Head” – Bob Mould

San Francisco alt rocker Bob Mould (best known as the vocalist for Hüsker Dü and Sugar) is ready with his twelfth solo album since 1989, Patch the Sky. He confidently returns with a straightforward, storytelling style in “Voices in My Head.”

11. “2AM” – Bear Hands

Brooklyn’s raucous indie rock quartet Bear Hands will release its third album since 2006, You’ll Pay for This. The catchy tune “2AM” extols the world of late night partying with a tongue-in-cheek wit.

12. “Spirits” – The Strumbellas

Canadian indie rock/alt country six-piece The Strumbellas is releasing a third album since 2008, Hope. The collective mindset of the song’s sing-along style complements the band’s fake family moniker.

13. “Never Going Back” – Caveman

The sweeping composition “Never Going Back,” serves as the first single from the upcoming album by Brooklyn indie rock/pop quintet Caveman. It is the band’s third release since 2010, called Otero War.

14. “Cold Light” – Operators

The driving force behind “Cold Light” is the gritty vocals of Montreal’s Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs, and Divine Fits). His latest band will soon release a debut album, Blue Wave.

15. “Big Ideas” – The Boxer Rebellion

London indie rock quartet The Boxer Rebellion brings its lush, dreamy sound to the new song “Big Ideas.” It is the single for an upcoming fifth album since 2001, Ocean by Ocean.

16. “Exit 353” – Damien Jurado

Seattle’s indie rock singer/songwriter Damien Jurado will release the final album of a trilogy, Visions of Us on the Land. This is Jurado’s twelfth album since 1995, and the majestic song “Exit 353” revolves around the character being left behind on a vacant earth. 

17. I’m Not the One” – Pete Yorn

New Jersey raised now L.A. based singer/songwriter Pete Yorn is ready with his seventh solo album since 2010, Arranging Time. After The Olms side project, Yorn returns to his roots – an outpouring of personal emotions as evidenced in “I’m Not the One.”

18. “Can’t See at All” – Woods

Brooklyn folk rock band Woods will release its ninth studio album, City Sun Eater in the River of Light. The single “Can’t See at All” is imbedded with the group’s distinctive laidback musicality.

New Song by Bear Hands, "2 AM" (New Album Out April 15)

Bear Hands (photo via BearHandsBand.com)

The new kicky tune "2 AM" by Brooklyn-based Bear Hands was an easy pick for my next playlist. Filled with the yore of house parties and a chorus with the parental admonishment of "Nothing good happens after 2 AM," this witty song extols the longing of the ageless. It will appear on the upcoming release You'll Pay for This, due April 15 via Cantora Records.

Self described as both post-punk and indie rock, Bear Hands was formed in 2006 and have two albums plus two EPs to date. The early days began after Dylan Rau and Ted Feldman met at Wesleyan University, forming the band with Val Loper and TJ Orscher. College classmates (and label compadres) MGMT provided a few opening slots which quickly brought the attention of a wider audience. Their song "Giants," from the last album Distraction, appeared on my Winter 2014 Playlist and I can't wait to give a listen to the new album. Check out the video for "2 AM" below as directed by Sami Jano and Steve Meierding, technically a "lyric video" with signage displayed appropriately throughout the scene.

YouTube Playlist of Winter 2014 New Music Playlist Songs

In this YouTube playlist of my latest collection, there were few actual videos produced by the artists.  New music is now just being slapped up on the site as simple promotional previews, but I wish we'd be able to glimpse the band in action instead (whether hanging out or performing?)  In a basic fan to band marketing tool, it'd allow another connection to the people checking out the new tune and wouldn't even cost much by using found footage spliced together.  Ah well.

Link to listen and watch the montage here or click video below.

Winter 2014 New Music Playlist

The ground hog seems to have definitely gotten things right – winter continues with a vengeance for those who are accustomed to such weather or not (looking at you Southeast!)  Why not use the time indoors to check out new bands like Temples, Big Data and Jamestown Revival, along with new releases from Fanfarlo, Cut Copy, Gardens & Villa, Bombay Bicycle Club and more.  As always, the playlist ends in a chill out mode thanks to tracks from Caspian and Hammock.  

Link to listen here, enjoy!

1. "Free Your Mind" – Cut Copy

Australian synth pop quartet Cut Copy has released its fourth album since 2001, with songs promoting the concept of individual freedom. “Free Your Mind” is the title track and single for the collection, using swirling layers to connect the power of positivity embedded in this dance tune.

2. "Colony Glen" – Gardens & Villa

Santa Barbara indie rock quintet Gardens & Villa is back with a sophomore album, Dunes.  Working with DFA producer, Tim Goldsworthy, the song “Colony Glen” relies on a solid synth backbone for a more extroverted sound.

3. “Shelter Song” – Temples
English pysch rock band Temples was formed in 2012 by singer-guitarist James Edward Bagshaw and bassist Thomas Edison Warmsley.  The “Shelter Song” shows this new group’s taste for heavy reverb with a tuneful take on songwriting.

4. "Dangerous"  – Big Data
Big Data is an electronic pop duo (Daniel Armbruster and Alan Wilkis) that uses music as a message to rail against user privacy and other perils of the internet age.  “Dangerous” is a solid pop single from the debut EP, I.O. – EP.

5. “Landlocked” – Fanfarlo
London based indie pop quintet Fanfarlo released its third album since 2006, Let’s Go Extinct. With influences of folk, indie rock and post-punk, the song “Landlocked” highlights Swedish musician Simon Balthazar’s warm baritone over a busy mix of electronic and acoustic instruments.

6. "Tourniquet" – Jeremy Messersmith
Messersmith is a prolific singer/songwriter based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. With an unusual analogy for a love song, “Tourniquet” is a quirky but catchy tune off Murmurs, his fifth album since 
2006.

7. "Shake" – The Head and the Heart
Seattle indie folk rock band The Head and the Heart recently released its second album, Let’s Be Still. The single “Shake” is emblematic of the group’s aesthetic of sunny male/female harmonies over acoustic guitars.

8. "Red Eyes"  – The War On Drugs 
“Red Eyes” is the single off the third album since 2005, Lost In the Dream, by Philly indie rock quintet The War On Drugs. The band’s signature wall of sound via guitars brings an epic jam, for almost five minutes of group swagger.

9. "Forever" – Painted Palms

San Francisco based cousins Reese Donohue and Christopher Prudhomme recently released their debut full album as Painted Palms.  “Forever” is the title track, a multi-sectioned paean to 60s psych pop utilizing the tools of modern electronic production.

10. "Giants"  – Bear Hands

This Brooklyn indie electro quartet released “Giants” as a stand alone single. With the wavering synths, melodic guitar lines and punchy vocal delivery, the song is instantly memorable yet ready for many a replay.

11. "The Letterbomb"  – Milagres

Brooklyn’s indie rock band Milagres relies on the sweeping, artistic vision of singer and songwriter Kyle Wilson.  “The Letterbomb” combines explosive percussion and Wilson’s storytelling vocals as a teaser single for the upcoming sophomore album, Violent Light.

12. "Step Out" – José González

José González of the Swedish band Junip contributed three songs to the soundtrack of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  For “Step Out” he embraces a cinematic approach to his indie folk songwriting, expanding the music palette with orchestral instrumentation and multi-generational vocals.

13. "Luna" – Bombay Bicycle Club

“Luna” is the single from So Long, See You Tomorrow, the fourth album by England’s indie rock band Bombay Bicycle Club since 2005.  The song features singer Rae Morris as a female counterpoint to Jack Steadman’s vocals, amid a swirling soundscape over tabla and mallets in a worldview of percussion.

14. "California (Cast Iron Soul)" – Jamestown Revival

New band Jamestown Revival joins childhood friends Jonathan Clay and Zach Chance flaunting their Texan roots in this song about moving to L.A. Their harmonies and acoustic instruments blend in an easy jam, clearly demonstrating that all ties to home clearly remain intact.

15. "Pulaski at Night" – Andrew Bird

Singer and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird recently released a seven song EP, I Want To See, based on this wistful tune referencing his home base of Chicago.  His distinctive, laid back vocals float easily over the eclectic musical arrangement.

16. "Hymn for the Greatest Generation" – Caspian

Caspian, an instrumental post-rock band since 2004 from Beverly, Massachusetts, had to regroup after the sudden, unexpected death of bass player Chris Friedrich last summer. The group went on with the tour in supporting a new EP, Hymn for the Greatest Generation. This title track opens the collection that now has even more depths of emotion.

17. "Then the Quiet Explosion" – Hammock

Hammock is an ambient post-rock band from Nashville, Tennessee, formed by two guitarists in 2005, Marc Byrd and Andrew Thompson.  They craft larger-than-life songs with live instruments, electronic beats and haunting electric guitar lines, such in “Then the Quiet Explosion” from a sixth album, Oblivion Hymns.