Tuesday Tunes--January 19, 2016
Shaun Cordingley
This week is a little more laid-back that last week's Tuesday Tunes, featuring some great new indie rock, and dance songs.
The Guys From do not hold the rights to any of these songs, it is more our hope to expose our readers to new and different music, or re-expose them to things they may have forgotten about.
At the top of each section, will be the song name, followed by the artists' name linked to their website, so you can fall down the rabbit hole, finding and supporting what you like.
Water - Ra Ra Riot
Syracuse, New York's Ra Ra Riot will celebrate their tenth year as a band this year with the release of Need Your Light 2016-02-19, and the first single 'Water', which is a collaboration with Rostam Batmanglij (of Vampire Weekend). This is a little bit less of the "baroque pop' that Ra Ra Riot had been known for as they move more into the realms of synthpop, and this soft, enjoyable song is an interesting introduction to what RRR's fourth studio album could be.
Plus it's an indie rock band that has a violinist; which is just awesome to begin with.
Temporary Love - The Brinks
Looking for something even a little more mellow? Check out The Brinks' 'Temporary Love',which was released late last year as the title track of their debut EP. This duo Los Angeles based duo, really let their strengths shine on 'Temporary Love', a song whose simple melody really allows the chill vocals to ripple out of this great indie song. This is a song that I think I would really like to sit in the window of a coffee shop and listen to as the world passes by and I am having a London Fog.
The Surgeon's Knife - The Parlor
Upstate New York's The Parlor are hard to describe; but this would not be a very interesting introduction if I did not at least try. They are something of an indie folk rock band, who draw heavy influences from sounds that vary incredibly widely--in 'The Surgeon's Knife', you will get something a of a blend of folk and...disco...rock?
Look, 'The Surgeon's Knife', and The Parlor are just a good time, and if you are looking for one hell of an indie album, check out the dreamy (and sometimes a little psychedelic) Wahzu Wahzu
Top - Hoonch
Hoonch (stylized as HØØNCH, and not to be confused with Moon Hoonch) is a new indie-electronic pop duo from Los Angeles, featuring musicians/producers Jonathan Kim and Gabriel Rodrigues. This is one of the happiest, most summer ready songs that you will hear about moving on from relationships, and getting forward in life (you know, with a lyric like 'I wish I didn't know you' never sounding so upbeat).
Featuring a great clap-whistle-synth combination, 'Top' is one of those Tuesday Tunes tracks that I will probably have stuck in my head for months.
Amerika - Wintersleep
Halifax, Nova Scotia's Wintersleep returns with a new, sixth album 2016-03-4 in The Great Detachment, and just this past week they released their first single 'Amerika', which is (in true Wintersleep fashion) inspired by Walt Whitman's 1888 poem 'America', and trying to push in to find those feelings that inspired Whitman to write the poem (about a very, very different America' than we see now).
If you are a fan of Wintersleep, I am sure you will be pleased by the steady and thoughtful Paul Murphy vocals, big, bombastic guitars, and the deliberate and strong percussion that combines into yet another great track by this band.
If you're new to Wintersleep, welcome to one of the best indie rock bands Eastern Canada has to offer, and you probably should hear this track too.
Here is the November Tuesday Tunes Apple Music Playlist, with all the tunes from the month built together into a set list (as if I was spinning them for you somewhere, just without being able to talk your through hard transitions). Remember, I am going to put December and January into a list together, to accommodate my vacation, and make sure you are not just getting a few songs.
The October Apple Music Playlist is still available of course as well, in case you have not caught that one yet (or just need more theguysfrom.com in your life).
Support what you dig! It's soooo much cheaper than anything else out there. You cannot even buy a set of dice for what one of the songs listed here would cost you....stupid economy.
-S (@Shauncord