Tuesday Tracks: Your weekly new music discovery
Every week, there’s a plethora of new music at our fingertips.
Artists on platforms such as Spotify and Bandcamp are plentiful, and the radio offers a steady deluge of new singles, but who has time to sort through all that? RIFF does!
We pooled our resources to find some of the best new singles from all genres and backgrounds, so you can find your newest earworm without all the drama. Enjoy this week’s hidden gems:
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Lily Kershaw, “Party Meds”—Haunting and beautiful with a touch of soul, Lily Kershaw’s “Party Meds” is leading us off this week. The song is catchy and lingers well after your first listen. The SoCal native mixes pop and folk music seamlessly. “Party Meds” is pulled from her upcoming EP Lost Angeles, which is due out in early October.
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Joan, “Love Somebody Like You”—We are all going to be channeling our inner 80s-boy-band fan for this song. Joan has magic on its hands with “Love Somebody Like You.” The duo captured the vibe of New Kids on the Block but updated it to something a little more 2017 with a great hook and big choruses. The duo sounds like it’s pure California but is straight out of Arkansas. There is no word on when Joan’s full album is out, but if you find yourself on holiday across the pond in September, Joan will be playing three shows.
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Toyko, “Golden Ones”—I have one question: When a song is this catchy, how is it that no one has signed Toyko to a label? “Golden Ones” grabs you from the first drum strike and doesn’t let you go until the final synth. The song is about wanting the best of everything but having the responsibility to be careful with what you have. It will have you cruising your favorite street all summer long, blasting the song with the windows down.
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Walter Etc., “Stumptown Summer Heartthrob”—With a pop punk sound straight out of one of the cities they call home, Walter Etc.’s “Stumptown Summer Heartthrob” feels like a fun summer song. The band splits time between Portland and Los Angeles, and it shows in its style. The backing music is pure sunshine and L.A., while the lyrics have their own dreary-winter-in-Portland feel to them. “Stumptown Summer Heartthrob” has everything you could want from an up and coming pop punk band. It’s catchy, jangly and fun.
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Michael Blume. “I Am Not a Trend” – With a huge sound, Michael Blume is set to take on the worlds of rap and R&B with his smooth voice and a full 11-piece band backing him. “I Am Not a Trend,” is a pretty straight-forward song about being who you are from the New York City artist who’s playing Lollapalooza this week in Chicago. The song’s groove and horns will have you bopping along the entire time.
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Jessie Ware “Midnight” – Armed with a big voice and smooth track, Jessie Ware is back with “Midnight.” Ware is showing more maturity on this track that will be part of her third album. She’s able to take her voice to a new level of sexiness on this explosive and sensual track.
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Shane’s pick: I found myself listening to Toyko’s “Golden Ones” all week long. This one just gets me in a good mood and groove. I still find it hard to believe these guys aren’t signed to a major label. I expect big things out of this L.A. duo really soon.
Follow reporter Shane Johnson at Twitter.com/shanejohnson14 and Instagram.com/thehurra.