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."
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."
