Late Fall 2017 New Music Playlist

Listen on Spotify or as a YouTube Playlist (except Wye Oak's "Wave Is Not the Water," not found there!)

1. "875 Dollars" – De Lux
2. "Plimsoll Punks" – Alvvays
3. "Wave Is Not the Water" – Wye Oak
4. "Hurts to Liv" – liv
5. "All About Waiting" – Dhani Harrison (featuring Camila Gray)
6. "Los Ageless" – St. Vincent
7. "Soul and Cigarette" – Daniele Luppi & Parquet Courts
8. "Feels Like Heaven" – Ariel Pink
9. "Tic Tac Toe" – Django Django
10. "Deadly Valentine" – Charlotte Gainsburg
11. "Tinseltown Swimming in Blood" – Destroyer
12. "How It Feels" – Ages and Ages
13. "Little Dark Age" – MGMT
14. "Wallowa Lake Monster" – Sufjan Stevens
15. "Sleeping and Falling" – Jonti
16. "North" – Yotto
17. "Redlining" – Dan Deacon

Summer 2017 New Music Playlist

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.

Winter 2017 New Music Playlist

Here’s a playlist to get caught up on recent releases as well as others on the horizon. Check out new tunes from The Shins, Elbow, the xx, and Animal Collective along with up and coming bands like Day Wave and the latest collab of artists called LIV. There are also tunes from new musical projects by Michael Nau, Peter Silberman and Joshua Ostrander plus a cover by Nada Surf. Listen up on Spotify or as a YouTubePlaylist.

1. “Name For You” – The Shins

Songwriter James Mercer confidently returns to earlier Shins form with this swinging single “Name for You” appearing on an upcoming album, Heartworms.  This is the fifth album for the Albuquerque band since 1996.

2. “Here in Spirit” – Jim James

“Here in Spirit” features the plaintive vocal stylings of Jim James, the primary songwriter of Louisville band My Morning Jacket.  The song is off his second solo album since 2010, Eternally Even.

3. “Wasting Time” – Day Wave

Day Wave is the musical project of Jackson Phillips in Oakland, California, enlisting touring musicians as needed. “Wasting Time” is a lush indie pop tune off his second EP, Headcase.

4. “Follow the Leader” – Foxygen

“Follow the Leader” is another overblown but irresistible song by L.A. band Foxygen, created by Sam France and Jonathan Rado in 2005. It serves as the single for their third album of psych pop, Hang.

5. “On Hold” – the xx

London band the xx is back with a third album since 2009. It veers away from what The New York Times once called "miserabilist," thanks to band member/producer Jamie xx’s infusion of beats to up the mood. Co-members Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft coo the lyrics back and forth in this single “On Hold” from the new release Trio.

6. “Noise Pollution (featuring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Zoe Manville)” – Portugal. The Man.

Portland based band Portugal. The Man. is ready with its eighth album since 2004, Gloomin + Doomin, with Mike D of the Beastie Boys producing.  This explains the new sound for the group, as a gritty dance groove permeates the single “Noise Pollution.”

7. “Sweep Me Off My Feet” – Pond

Australian psych rock band Pond, a collaborative music project, shares members with fellow Aussies Tame Impala. This stand alone single, “Sweep Me Off My Feet,” begins in a buzz of synths to expand into a meandering sonic journey of wavering melodies over a percussive landline.

8. “Shine” – Mondo Cozmo

Mondo Cozmo (a.k.a. Joshua Ostrander) is an L.A. based musician, visual artist and human rights activist who has released a series of songs. This cathartic single “Shine” imagines a worry-free world, complete with an uplifting sing along chorus.

9. “Dream Awake” – liv

Liv is the Swedish word for life, and this supergroup of musicians from the country (Lykke Li, Bjorn Yttling of Peter Bjorn and John, and Pontus Winnberg, along with Andrew Wyatt, of Miike Snow) churn out a grand vision for pop songs like “Dream Awake.” Li has described the vibe as a lovechild of ABBA and Fleetwood Mac.

10. “Love Survive” – Michael Nau

Guitarist Michael Nau, formerly of the Cumberland, Maryland, indie folk outfit Cotton Jones, has embarked on a new solo project writing songs like the lilting “Love Survive.”

11. “One Eye Open” – Trentemøller

Trentemøller is the musical moniker of Danish producer and multi-instrumentalist Anders Trentmøller, based in Copenhagen. “One Eye Open” showcases the haunting vocals of singer Marie Fisker – the first track Trentemøller worked on for the fourth album since 2006, Fixion.

12. “Mountain Game” – Animal Collective

Animal Collective was formed in Baltimore as an experimental pop quartet that would eagerly crisscross genres and bend many rules. After ten albums since 2003, the atmospheric “Mountain Game” was released as a single after somehow being rejected for a video game.

13. “Laura Lee” ­– The Besnard Lakes

Montreal’s six-piece The Besnard Lakes recently released its sixth studio album since 2003, when it was formed by the husband and wife musical team of Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas. “Laura Lee” is a prime example of the ambitious sound of the band’s expansive songs.

14. “Magnificent (She Says)” – Elbow

English alt rock band Elbow will soon release its seventh studio album since 1997, Little Fiction. The elegant comfort of Guy Garvey’s vocals return in full force for the single “Magnificent (She Says).”

15. “Distant Shore” – Porcelain Raft

NYC- based Italian musician and producer Mauro Remiddi is releasing the third album of his solo career, Microclimate. The gauzy sonic structure of “Distant Shore” is emblematic of Remiddi’s alluring compositions.

16. “Where Is My Mind” ­– Nada Surf

Nada Surf singer Matthew Caws brings an enigmatic yet casual take on this cover of The Pixie’s “Where Is My Mind,” which was recently snagged to soundtrack a Samsung ad. The NYC indie band has released eight albums since 1992.

17. “Slips Away” – Peter Silberman
Peter Silberman of The Antlers has a new solo project with a debut album called Impermanence. He has brought the same restraint to songwriting after dealing with severe hearing problems, displayed here in the single "Slips Away."