With all the crazy weather
adding unnecessary drama to the national elections this fall, at least music
fans could be thankful for all the fresh offerings available, presenting a much
needed distraction (as long as there was electricity!) New releases from indie stalwarts Deerhoof,
Stars and Cat Power complemented repeats from Two Door Cinema Club, the xx and
Freelance Whales along with debuts from Django Django and Melody’s Echo
Chamber. Ready for another playlist
with background notes below and link to listen here!
1. “From Nowhere” – Dan Croll
“From Nowhere” is the first
official single is from an upcoming debut album from Liverpudlian and MBF
Songwriter Award winner Dan Croll. This
spunky tune provides a fun introduction to what is to come.
2. “Presence Of Mind” – The Fresh And Onlys
San Francisco indie rock
quartet The Fresh And Onlys recently released their fourth album in four years,
Long Slow Dance. “Presence of Mind” embodies their accessible
yet quirky pop vibe.
3. “Sleep Alone” – Two Door Cinema Club
Irish indie trio Two Door
Cinema Club returns to the music scene with their sophomore album, Beacon.
“Sleep Alone” demonstrates their brash confidence in pop hooks.
4. “Fête d’adieu” – Deerhoof
Since 1994, this prolific
Brooklyn quartet (originally from San Francisco) has created twelve
self-produced albums. Singer Saromi Matsuzaki
embraces a more melodic approach for this animated song about a romantic split
– a fitting highlight of the latest album, Breakup
Song.
5. “Ruin” – Cat Power
Singer/songwriter Cat Power (neé Charlyn Marie Marshall) has
been performing for over fifteen years with her powerful, unique voice. Marshall plays all the instrumentals on her
ninth album, Sun, even incorporating
electronic elements this time around.
6. “Angels” – The xx
Dubbed a “miseralist” band by
The New York Times, The xx resume
their extremely laid back, low-fi approach to songwriting. “Angels” is the single off the sophomore
album, Coexist.
7. “Hail Bop” – Django Django
8. “Default” – Django Django
Scottish quartet Django
Django creates full blown guitar romps with psychedelic undertones, as
witnessed in these two songs from their self-titled debut album.
9. “I’m Not
Talking” – A.C. Newman
Canadian musician and
singer/songwriter Carl Newman (a.k.a. founding member of The New Pornographers)
has released a third solo album, Shut
Down the Streets. This captivating single, “I’m Not Talking,” features the
familiar vocals of band member Neko Case.
10. “Halls Of the Summer” – Caspian
Massachusetts post-rock
quintet Caspian released their third studio album of epic instrumentals called Walking Season. “Halls of Summer” is more of a musical journey than a song.
11.”Cali in a Cup” – Woods
Brooklyn trio Woods channels
a sunny West coast ambiance for this single off their seventh album, Bend Beyond.
12. “Activity 3” – Sun Airway
Philadelphia-based
singer/songwriter Jon Bauthmus creates music under the moniker Sun Airway, with
a second album called Soft Fall.
Bauthmus takes the extra step
of recording strings live after heavy sample manipulation, resulting in a
unique texture.
13. “97 Heart Attack” – Earlimart
L.A. indie rock duo Aaron
Espinoza and Ariana Murray have been blending their voices since 1999 as
Earlimart. This simple, lilting tune is
off their seventh album, System
Preferences.
14. “Locked Out” – Freelance Whales
NYC-based Freelance Whales
expand their organic blend of acoustic chamber pop with electronic embellishments
for their sophomore release, Diluvia.
Frontman Judah Dadone continues to lead the way with his airy tenor, which
slips easily into an ethereal falsetto.
15. “Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Get
It” – Stars
Indie pop band Stars was
formed by vocalist Torquil Campbell and keyboardist Chris Seligman in Montreal
back in 2001, but they are now living in NYC.
This elegantly sweet offering is off their sixth album, The North.
16. “Endless Shore” – Melody’s Echo Chamber
Parisian songstress Melody
Prochet relinquished the musical reigns to Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker to
produce her self-titled debut album.
“Endless Shore” is packed with psychedelic distortion to complement
Prochet’s self-assured vocals.
17. “Magic Kids” – Indians
Søren Løkke Juul has pre-released a few tracks off a debut album due in
January, Somewhere Else. This
Copenhagen musician’s latest project has already toured extensively with
intriguing, atmospheric compositions such as “Magic Kids.”
18. “Drift Drive” – The Antlers
The Antlers is another
bedroom project brought to life on stage as a band. Vocalist and guitarist Peter Silberman formed
the Brooklyn trio with Drummer Michael Lerner and multi-instrumentalist Darby
Cicci completing the sound. “Drift Dive”
is the single off a recent EP with an aquatic theme, Undersea.