Summer is finally here! Fire up the barbie and get out those picnic
blankets, along with this playlist of new tunes from recent releasesto provide
the perfect soundtrack. This compilation
of seventeen songs is culled from a bounty of new music out of the West Coast,
especially San Francisco (Waters, Papercuts and Fresh & Onlys), plus an
international mix from across the pond, especially the U.K. (Eno*Hyde, The Horrors, Damon Albarn and Jimi
Goodwin). Listen up here and see what catches
your ear, enjoy!
1. “Inspector Norse” – Todd Terje
Danish producer Terje Olse (a.k.a. Todd Terje)
recently released a debut album called It’s
Album Time. This closing track, “Inspector Norse” exudes fun,
over-the-top electronic nu disco.
2. “Got to My Head” – Waters
This new five-piece band from San Francisco is
gaining notice with the strength of the punchy power pop found in this single,
“Got to My Head.”
3. “Daddy’s Car” – Eno*Hyde
Legendary producer/composer Brian Eno channels yet another
musical vision, this time with U.K. group Underworld’s singer Karl Hyde for an album called Someday World. The layers of synths, vocals and Hyde’s
guitar present a full band approach for a song about paternal protection.
4. “Keys” – Hooray For Earth
This lush electronic rock track is a teaser single
for the upcoming second studio album from NYC based quartet Hooray For
Earth. Singer and multi-instrumentalist
Noel Heroux creates a sonic world bordering on noise-pop with an anthem-like
approach.
5. “Coming Down (featuring Matt Berninger)” – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Philadelphia based indie rock band Clap Your Hands
Say Yeah (CYHSY) is back with a new lineup, which includes singer Alec
Ounsworth and bassist/producer Matt Wong plus an added emphasis on electronics.
“Coming Down” is a highlight of the fourth album, Only Run, enlisting the distinctive vocals of Matt Berninger from The
National punctuating the tune.
6. “So Now You Know” – The Horrors
Veteran English indie rock band The Horrors returns with a fourth studio album aptly called Luminous. The five-piece embraces a shimmering, lush
sound with full-on production under the guidance of frontman/lead vocalist
Faris Badwan.
7. “I’m Not Ready” – Chappo
Brooklyn based quartet Chappo released an infectious
single, “I’m Not Ready,” ahead of its sophomore album, Future Former Self. With Baton Rouge native Alex Chappo as lead singer/songwriter and guitarist, this psych rock band gamely incorporates a danceable beat with synth pop flourishes.
8. “Still Knocking at the Door” – Papercuts
Papercuts is the musical project of San Francisco
singer/songwriter Jason Quever since 2000, with a sixth album called Life Among the Savages. The signature baroque pop is fleshed out with studio musicians and a touring band as some of the new songs require a team approach.
9. “Moments” – De Lux
The duo De Lux is clearly inspired by the New
Wave music scene of the late 70s and early 80s in this song off the debut album
Voyage. Sean Guerin and Isaac
Franco embrace it so eagerly that it’d be a shame not to join in this
post-disco dance-punk party.
10. “No Rest for the Wicked” – Lykke Li
Swedish singer/songwriter Lykke Li has released a
third studio album, I Never Learn.
Her powerhouse vocals soar over a synth foundation in this solid single for the
collection, “No Rest for the Wicked.”
11. “Moving to the Left” – Woods
Brooklyn based folk rock band Woods finds a
psychedelic twist for the laid back vibe in “Moving to the Left.” This latest
jam via singer/songwriter Jeremy Earl is off of the sixth album, With Light and With Love.
12. “Oh! Whiskey” – Jimi Goodwin
U.K. band Doves is on hiatus, so frontman/singer
Jimi Goodwin has released a debut solo album called Odludek. With his sage vocal renderings resurfacing in
“Oh! Whiskey,” this song veers through similar style transitions with guest
musicians filling in as a backing band.
13. “Alexandra” – Hamilton Leithauser
Hamilton Leithauser is another frontman/singer
finding new solo musical waters in a debut album, Black Hours, as NYC based indie stalwart The Walkmen has dispersed. There’s an emotional urgency in “Alexandra,”
with a stomping beat and Leithauser’s pleading vocals.
14. “Hundreds of Ways” – Conor Oberst
Inexhaustible singer/songwriter Conor Oberst
recently released a sixth solo album (not to mention others since 1994 with
Bright Eyes, Monsters of Folk and Desparecidos), Upside Down Mountain. “Hundreds of Ways” is an upbeat tune in this
new collection full of adult themes
as Oberst makes his way into new territory, which now includes married
life.
15. “Animal of One” – The Fresh & Onlys
San Francisco garage rock band The Fresh & Onlys
is back with a fourth album, House of
Spirits. The quartet mixes psych
rock with a Californian aesthetic in this song, “Animal of One.”
16. “Supernova” – Ray LaMontagne
“Supernova” is the lead single and title track of a
fifth album from singer/songwriter and New Hampshire native Ray LaMontagne. His
earthy vocals and acoustic attitude infuse this lighthearted tune, along with other new offerings.
17. “Lonely Press Play” – Damon Albarn
Best known for his musical past with Blur and The
Gorrillaz, British singer/songwriter Damon Albarn is released his first
solo album, Everyday Robots. “Lonely
Press Play” is a single for this definitive release, with his signature vocals
contemplating a life on the road over a slow jam.
