“Pancake” by London production trio Jaded is a catchy, club-ready tune destined for success. With minimalist instrumental presence throughout the verses, the song ascends to a keyed-up climax after the “let me bake” line. For anyone crazy about the Black Eyes Peas or the Far East Movement, this should serve as a worthwhile find indeed. Check out the video, featuring a head-bobbing panther, below:
If the title “Concrete Murder” isn’t enough to draw you into this new song from Utah alternative pop group OKKAH, perhaps its bursting rhythm will do the trick. OKKAH’s sound possesses noticeable influence from eastern cultures, a touch derived from their time spent in East Asia and sculpted with the universal appeal of amorous vocals and a catchy, electronica-like melody. Check out the track below:
“With Me,” a new track from Canadian art pop duo Language Arts, is pleasing beyond belief. The song is a full-bodied, engrossing concoction. The deep-seated bass, sparkling keyboards and gentle vocals make for a delightful four-minute listening endeavor that will relax and energize you at the same time. The music video for “With Me,” which can be viewed below, is a dazzling visual that arouses psychedelia and the stylings but not the downfalls of the rave scene. The band is currently on a small tour and in the process of putting together their third album.
Ringing in their new track “Good Times” with charging drums and an ensuing melody similar in the coolest way to the Law & Order theme song, Los Angeles brother-sister duo The Fontaines are a breath of fresh air. The simultaneously sultry and powerful vocals of Charlotte Fontaine are put through an amp here, giving the song a gritty and unique appeal. The brief instrumental solo in the latter half of the track is like a surge of high voltage, and the following breakdown shows the band’s mastery of different dynamics. Fresh off a sold-out gig at The Troubadour in Hollywood, The Fontaines will also be appearing at South by Southwest in March.
The new tune “Lost” from the Idaho-based recording artist assuming the pseudonym Hear the Taste is a mesmerizing and memorable stab at experimentation. Recorded in the artist’s practice space at the Boise Bomb Shelter from the middle portion of 2017 and this newly welcomed year, “Lost” opens with a thumping rhythm joined with a heavenly aura of instruments. Then, in come layered fresh and passionate vocals hurdling over perfectly jittery piano. Midway through, on the final utterance of the chorus, we get a climactic rise in the song before the instruments take it from there. A barrage of quickened percussion leads into a somewhat murky melody guided by piano and analog synth. The track fades off with a more upbeat and funky batch of classic rock guitar riffage. Check out Hear the Taste’s “Lost” down below.
Breaking in the exuberant new track “50 mg” with a nifty bassline, the Rochester-based project Boy Jr., which finds music conservatory-studying collegiate Erica Allen at the helm, adopts a punk-type verve while keeping things light and easy on anyone’s ears. The fast pace is matched with a delicate guitar presence and crooning vocals fir for tackling the Great American Songbook. Everything remains playful but cool at the same time, such as in extemporaneous-sounding lines like “another round, please.” Such a mold was carved out by The Strokes in their prime, and Boy Jr. certainly nails it here on this fresh offering. The recent two-song effort from Boy Jr. titled Some More Tunes (a continuation of December’s Some Tunes) is available through bandcamp. Some More Tunes by Boy Jr.
Western Scene wastes no time getting things going on their self-produced new track “Strange but True.” It’s a hit right on the mark from this Los Angeles-based quintet, a true gem packed with immediacy and power. This exertion of energy is contained well enough during the verses and then bursts out like a rush of water cascading from a failed dam. Check it out below:
Emerging from Athens, Greece, rock band Afformance cook up a tune for the ages with “Perspectivism,” an instrumental put out this past fall in accordance with the release of their record Pop Nihilism. “Perspectivism” is a display of sensational rhythm and chemistry among gifted performers. The beginning of the track possesses all the suspense of a Hitchcock film, as it sets in slowly but surely with the guidance of pounding drums and an atmospheric backdrop. Around a minute into the track, a lively melody encased in beautiful tones picks up. The music video below emphasizes how layered and coordinated the track is. The band separately unveiled the album Music For Imaginary Film #1 at the same time as Pop Nihilism.
Montreal-based alternative rock group The Moonlight Club have presented quite the treat with their new single “Are You Up?” The track conjoins folk undertones with the marvels of new wave and pop. This engagement of sounds has all the hallmarks of certain top-shelf acts of decades past, like The Go-Betweens or Echo & The Bunnymen. Listen to “Are You Up?” below.
The latest offering from Car Seat Headrest’s reputable catalog is more pop-oriented than most anything Will Toledo and the band have put out in past years. Whereas a good amount of their surrounding output has a foundational punk edge or overarching touch of influence from whimsical indie rock precursors like The Kinks, “Nervous Young Inhumans” has a dancefloor-ready sheen. Nonetheless, the essence of Car Seat Headrest–the thought-provoking lyrics, the energy–is still perfectly intact. The song will appear on the group’s upcoming album Twin Fantasy (Face to Face), a re-recording of their similarly titled 2011 album. The record is the follow-up to Car Seat Headrest’s critically acclaimed 2016 release Teens of Denial.
Massachusetts-centered indie post-hardcore trio Idle Pilot present musical expression in full force on their new tune “So-So Sam,” released through Head vs. Heart Records. The band expertly mixes elements of Built to Spill’s melodic propensity with Slint’s calculated abrasiveness labeled a part of their pioneering “math rock” style. Idle Pilot delivers this engrossing sound in economical form, this new single lasting just over two minutes, which seems to fly by even faster, surely a result of the fun listening to it provides. The band’s impending album Animals & People, on which “So-So Sam” will appear, is due out on Jan. 26.
With their high-level energy and expertly crafted melodies at the ready, alternative rock three-piece Cooler will be performing tonight to a hometown crowd at Buffalo’s historic venue Mohawk Place on 47 Mohawk St., heralding in the release of the band’s new EP entitled Buried. Over the course of the show’s suspected five-hour runtime, Cooler will be joined by fellow Buffalo-based rock acts Post Prom, Into the Wake and Honey COMA. The show starts at 8 p.m. It will allow entry for those 18 or above with proper identification and parental guidance if younger. The cover is $10, a cost that includes a copy of Cooler’s new cassette, which includes a digital download. Check out the eponymous single off the trio’s new release below:
“Little Lost,” a new track from indie-electronic trio Gold Koa, sounds like an excursion without reservations.The core group consists of Cammy Enaharo providing heartfelt vocals, Oh Manitou member Kamara Robideau laying down sensuous bass and workhorse Matt Battle as drummer, engineer, producer and credited songwriter. Chris Potter and Andrew Links join in on guitar and keyboards, respectively. The song partially resembles the late ’80s Edie Brickell 7 New Bohemians tune “What I Am” in regards to its vocal stylings and steadied, bass-driven melody. Check out Gold Koa’s first single below.
“PAINT,” a new track from STUDENT 1 & PSYMUN, is topsy-turvy in the best way possible. Its beat switches between moments of minimalism and sections of overwhelming, rattled intensity. STUDENT 1 comes off as confident and cold-blooded on the basis of this offering’s lyrics. His unique delivery strings his words together in a thoroughly lively way. Even the music video, which can be seen below, is vibrant and entertaining.
Catnip Cloud’s “Places” is a mind-altering diorama of layered sound trickery, not to mention the gentle, touching and slightly permuted vocals provided by Tiril Hognestad. The unpredictable direction of the beat served up by Norwegian producer Kiartan Thirkildsen (otherwise known as Catnip Cloud) will surely and tightly clutch the attention of any listener fond of electronic music, especially such a stirring exemplification of the genre. Check it out below: