It hardly seems right to call this Late Spring 2015 New
Music Playlist when here in the Northeast, we're still waking up from the crazy,
record-breaking winter. Thankfully there are just piles of new
1. “Run” – COIN
“Run” is the first single off the self-titled debut album from
the Nashville quartet COIN. The song is full of indie pop swagger, with a sing-along
intro and smooth vocals that build to a catchy chorus.
2. “Lifted Up (1985)”
– Passion Pit
Michael Angelakos has another collection of synth
pop anthems for his band’s third album since 2007, Kindred. “Lifted Up” is the lead single – all polished
indietronica to complement his falsetto delivery.
3.
“The Sunshine of Your Youth” – Cheerleader
Cheerleader is a five piece from Philly that uses
lyrics to delve beneath the optimistically named songs and moniker. This is the
title track to its debut album, with a power pop wall of sound that complements
the low-fi vocals.
4.
“10,000 Emerald Pools” – BØRNS
Singer/songwriter Garrett Borns has glam-rock looks
ready made for the move from his Michigan hometown to L.A. to front a
band. The quintet just released a debut
EP, Candy, full of electro rock
influences and solid pop hooks.
5.
“Stoic Resemblance” – The Helio Sequence
The Helio Sequence is an alt rock duo from
Beaverton, Oregon formed in 1999 by Brandon Summers (vocals, guitars) and
Benjamin Weikel (drums, keyboards). “Stoic Resemblance” is the lead-off track
from the self-titled sixth album, with a fuzzy psychedelic laid-back vibe over
a kicky beat.
6.
“To Die in L.A.” – Lower Dens
Baltimore indie rock band Lower Dens has just
released its third album since 2010, produced by lead singer Jana Hunter and
Chris Coady (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Grizzly Bear, Beach House and TV on the
Radio). “To Die in L.A.” is the first
single from the album, showcasing the quartet’s taut musical structure around
Hunter’s evocative voice.
7.
“Big Decisions” – My Morning Jacket
“Big Decisions” is a soaring anthem from the
upcoming seventh release from My Morning Jacket, the rock band from Louisville,
Kentucky formed in 1998 by singer/songwriter and guitarist Jim James. The
quintet recently created enough songs to fill two future releases; the first (due
in May) is titled The Waterfall.
8.
“Let It Happen” – Tame Impala
This eight-minute single by Australian band Tame Impala
features the indulgences of mastermind Kevin Parker, all psych rock and hip
indie cool as the musical thread drops out and builds back up. “Let It Happen”
was released as a free download and may also appear on an upcoming third album,
Currents.
9.
“Pedestrian at Best” – Courtney Barnett
Australian Courtney Barnett has just released her
debut album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and
Sometimes I Just Sit, after garnering attention with a few EPs. “Pedestrian
at Best” is the single from the record, featuring her stream of consciousness
style of deadpan delivery over the band, a bare bones quartet.
10.
“All This Wandering Around” – Ivan & Alyosha
Ivan & Alyosha (known as I & A) is a five-piece
folk pop band from Seattle, formed in 2007 by Tim Wilson and Ryan Carbary. “All
This Wandering Around” is a wildly infectious song off the sophomore album, It’s All Just Pretend.
11.
“Sparks” – The Dø
French/Finnish indie pop band The Dø was founded in
Paris in 2005 by Olivia Merilahti (singer and musician) and Dan Levy
(multi-instrumentalist). “Sparks” –
a pop-laden tune getting plenty of airplay in the U.S. –is on its third
album, Shake Shook Shaken.
12.
“Push Pull” – Purity Ring
Canadian electronic duo Purity Ring is back with its
sophomore album, Another Eternity,
embracing a dream pop credo since 2010. “Push Pull” highlights the sweet
singing of Megan James amid the swaying synths curated by Corin Roddick.
13.
“Rock & Roll Is Cold” – Matthew E. White
Mathew E. White is a songwriter, producer/arranger
and founder of Spacebomb Records based in Richmond, Virginia. This song is off
his second solo album, Fresh Blood,
featuring White’s wry singing and low-key guitar work.
14.
“Morning” – Au.Ra
Sydney’s new duo Au.Ra (Tim Jenkins and Tom Crandle)
composes hazy soundscapes from improvised jams, as witnessed in “Morning” from
the debut album, Jane’s Lament.
15.
“I Don’t Mind” – Twerps
Twerps is a psych-pop quartet from Melbourne formed
in 2008. This easy-going tune, “I Don’t
Mind,” hails from the group’s second album, Range
Anxiety.
16.
“Should Have Known Better” – Sufjan Stevens
Brooklyn-based musician Sufjan Stevens returns to
his indie folk roots for Carrie &
Lowell, his seventh studio album. “Should Have Known Better” is a plaintive
exploration into past memories with a sparse arrangement highlighting Stevens’
wistful tenor.
17.
“Last Light” (featuring José González) – Zero 7
British producers Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker
formed the duo Zero 7 in 1997. They enlist the moody vocals of Swedish singer
José González for
“Last Light,” a melancholy song off the latest release, EP 3.
18.
“Drifting” – ON AN ON
Midwestern indie rock trio ON AN ON returns with a
second album, And the Wave Has Two Sides.
The heartfelt single “Drifting”
tackles relationship woes with a restraint that becomes unraveled in song.