Tuesday Tracks: Your Weekly New Music Discovery – Nov. 10
Every week brings a plethora of new music to our ears.
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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Eric Bazilian, “Heaven Ain’t Gonna Save Us” — It was a relatively light week for new music, perhaps as everyone waited (braced, more like) for the results of the U.S. presidential election. But Eric Bazilian (The Hooters) took the opposite approach. He wrote this song the day after the first day of the election, using his 20 years in the music industry to recruit a drummer, bassist and producer. Catchy percussion, steady guitar riffs and groovy bass lines back up the lyrics about climate change and other current issues. To a divided, reeling country, Bazilian’s message remains clear: “We’ve got some heavy weather/ Gotta stick together… There ain’t no right or wrong wing/ On a plane that’s gotta fly through a sky that’s got/ Room for all of us.”
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Rudie Edwards, “Young” — After Kelly Clarkson won the first season of “American Idol,” she didn’t fade into obscurity—largely because her soaring vocals could carry the National Anthem and many a-ballad to new levels. Rudie Edwards’ voice has that quality, emphasized in this song with simple melodies and unflinching delivery. The song centers on young love that didn’t last, but still changed Edwards’ life. The London singer-songwriter, who has worked with CeeLo Green, grew up on indie rock and her grandfather’s jazz. She eventually became a fan of The Smiths, thanks to that aforementioned first love. Considering how Rudie Edwards has progressed since we highlighted one of her songs in 2017, it will be interesting to hear her new record when it drops next year.
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ARMNHMR, “Fragile” — This duo is back for another spotlight on Tuesday Tracks. Since we last featured it in last year, ARMNHMR hasn’t stopped writing and recording. “Fragile” sticks with its established sound, but the meaning goes a bit deeper. The song refers to a fragile person who builds the strength to find his or her own power. “Hold your breath, start counting backwards/ We’re all fighting quiet battles,” they sing near the end of the song. It becomes a personal anthem about finding a way to fight for one’s own happiness during times of overwhelming unrest.
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Tatum Lynn, “Let Down Your Hair” — In a time when Taylor Swift dominates pop, is there room for another such artist? Tatum Lynn’s clear, strong voice proves that the answer is is emphatic “yes.” She found success last year when her first single cracked Billboard’s Top 40, and this is Lynn’s second single ahead of her first album, set for release in January. This peppy, danceable anthem aims to encourage victims of bullying. As the title indicates, she tells listeners to let down their hair, ignore the negativity and dance, whether they fall or not. It’s something she also demonstrates in the video.
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James Yorkston & The Second Hand Orchestra, “Struggle” — Sometimes, all we need is an eight-member group telling us that it’s OK for life to be hard. Yorkston does just that as he croons “sometimes I’ve struggled” while his bandmates chime in. They play various instruments, but while recording the song in Sweden, Yorkston put microphones in front of everyone so they could all occasionally lend a vocal or two. This results in a natural harmony, acknowledging that sometimes we struggle, but music can still be beautiful. This video is also worth a watch. It shows the artists playing their instruments in a real, down-to-earth setting, sometimes laughing and sometimes so absorbed in their craft that the world melts away.
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Angelina Jordan, “Million Miles” — This 14-year-old is won “Norway’s Got Talent” when she was 8. Since then she’s performed around the world, including the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. No, I didn’t write the age wrong. Angelina Jordan started singing as a 1-year-old and has kept it up ever since. Her voice combines the best parts of Norah Jones, Amy Winehouse and Mariah Carey—with an operatic undertone. There’s something indescribable about Jordan’s talent that allows her to stand as her own artist at such a young age. Her solo debut is an ode to her late grandfather, recalling memories of him while wishing they weren’t “a million miles apart.” It’s a feeling most can relate to but couldn’t even attempt to sing about. Luckily, Jordan does it for us.
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Layla’s Pick: Maybe it would surprise my friends and co-workers, as I don’t talk publicly about politics very often, but Eric Bazilian’s election-themed song tops my list this week. The beat is simple yet catchy, complete with a lyrical reminder that each of us are in this struggle together. That said, my favorite music video is definitely by James Yorkston & The Second Hand Orchestra. It’s always gratifying to watch musicians in their own element. It’s not like we’re getting concerts these days.
Follow Layla Bohm at Twitter.com/laylabohm.