Tuesday Tracks: Your Weekly New Music Discovery – April 9
Clockwise from top left: Knocked Loose, CYN, Good Kid, Ex Hex, Yuna, Amber Mark.
Every week, there’s a plethora of new music at our fingertips.
Artists on platforms like 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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CYN, “Terrible Ideas”— CYN completely shifts her sound on “Terrible Ideas.” The song explores darker indie pop, while still spotlighting the airy, dynamic vocals for which CYN is known. The song focuses on diving into a relationship without really thinking about the possible repercussions. The vocals are layered over a heavy bass line, creating stark contrasts and allow you to pick different aspects of the song to focus on with each listen.
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Knocked Loose, “Mistakes Like Fractures” — Kentucky’s Knocked Loose managed to stay true to its raw, heavy sound after exploding out of the Oldham County scene. “Mistakes Like Fractures” won’t exactly surprise those who dug the band’s debut LP, but the song packs in more catchy riffs between thuggish breakdowns. Considering it’s the first track on an EP consisting of a cover and a re-recording, the more dense arrangement proves a welcome surprise. It’s mad and primitive, yet still tight and angular—a lethal combo for these metallic hardcore upstarts.
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Amber Mark, “Mixer”— “Mixer” throws you back to ’70s funk swagger with a funky bass line and the aesthetic of the song’s video. Amber Mark has a groovy, infectious voice, providing a fresh timbre for the pop and R&B spheres. It’s nice to hear a song that’s more concerned with authenticity that simplistic trend chasing. The visuals of the video pair perfectly with the song’s old-school funk stylings with vintage-inspired outfits and cars. It allows you to feel nostalgia for a time of which you might have no memory.
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Good Kid, “Slingshot”— What Good Kid creates on “Slingshot” feels like Panic! At The Disco meets half•alive. The video follows a video game storyline that goes with the 8-bit sonics of the song itself. It combines the feelings of distinct childhood memories: breakups, inseparable friendships and the inevitable first relationship. The catchy beat and cheesy synth drives overlapping vocals, incorporating lo-fi electronica into a relatable and infectious pop tune.
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Yuna, “Forevermore”— Malaysian artist Yuna artfully depicts some of her childhood memories in the video for “Forevermore.” Shot in Kuala Lumpur, it contrasts the two sides of Malaysia—the old gas station and the modern building shown immediately after. Yuna embraces the changes that have occurred, while still maintaining what makes Malaysia at its core. The song’s minimalist electro pop allows the listener to focus on the compelling story of coming from a small country. She couldn’t wait to leave her hometown, but now she reminisces about her childhood and all the memories she made while growing up.
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Ex Hex, “Rainbow Shiner”— Ex Hex has been known to bring back rock performances that have long been pushed aside with the rise of synthetic pop. “Rainbow Shiner” doesn’t disappoint. The video’s neon bursts can only be described as a psychedelic trip, but the music tells a more direct story through crunchy riffs and anthemic singing. The band has a Joan Jett & the Blackhearts vibe through its classic rock sound, but its songwriting and visuals are distinct.
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Aarushi’s Pick: I love songs that balance pop’s catchiness and alternative’s deviance, and CYN’s “Terrible Ideas” strikes that balance perfectly. CYN’s unique voice matches the memorable music and the two lend themselves to a cohesive listening experience. It also has a sort of self-awareness that pop music is missing these days. CYN knows that her idea isn’t a good one, but she still goes for it. She’s unapologetically herself, and the song reflects that perfectly.
Follow reporter Aarushi Nanda at Instagram.com/aarushi_nanda and at Twitter.com/aarushi_nanda.