Tuesday Tracks: Your Weekly New Music Discovery – Jan. 14
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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Six60, “Never Enough” — This New Zealand band doesn’t yet have a big international following, but it’s no wonder it has a loyal fan base at home. Six60’s catchy pop feel is reflected in the universal appeal of this single’s lyrical content: “There was a time when you would’ve gave me every thing that you owned/ The only thing you left me was alone, at home.” Questionable grammar aside, the song is catchy, especially lead singer Maitu Walters’ clear falsetto.
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Celeste, “Stop This Flame” — If Celeste keeps singing the way she has been, she will deserve a place among the R&B greats like Beyonce and the Lauryn Hill. She adds a bit more jazz pop to her style, so she’s not just another charming voice. Celeste’s new single sports memorable piano chords, in contrast to the strength and purity of her voice. She started the year by winning the BBC Sound of 2020 award, and that serves as an omen of what’s to come.
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Frazey Ford, “Azad” — If the New York Times calls an artist a mix of Dolly Parton and Feist, it can mean only one thing: the artist can sing. Frazey Ford belts out her new lyrics in earnest, invoking Parton while also appealing to those seeking more contemporary music. The Vancouver artist—who describes herself as a beekeeper and mother as well as a musician—includes a carefree, earnest vibe in her singing. She invites the audience to cast away cares and just lean into the music.
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Lilly Hiatt, “Brightest Star” — While Lilly Hiatt is happy to brag about having singer-songwriter John Hiatt as a father, she can certainly stand on her own with her newest single. The full album, called Walking Proof, comes out in March with a tour to follow. Hiatt’s earnest rock style will surely set crowds ablaze if it maintains this level of energy. She pushes her vocal range to the perfect limit, but she doesn’t overshadow the intense guitar riffs in the process.
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Georgia, “24 Hours” — How do you follow up a year of three top U.K. singles, multiple top song lists, playing the Glastonbury Festival and a U.S. tour in 2019? For Georgia Rose Harriet Barnes, it means releasing another album 10 days into the new year. This single continues her danceable pop rock feel with lyrics about “the crowded floor” and “talkin’ ’bout the party people.” It seems to pay homage to last year’s big hit, “About Work the Dancefloor.” For those who want an upbeat but mature version of stereotypical pop artists, Georgia finds strikes a compelling balance.
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Other Lives, “Lost Day” — Four years after this Oklahoma band’s previous album, they’ve finally got a new release out, this time made in an Oregon cabin. Other Lives don’t really fit in most stereotypes, unless “modern hippy” is a genre. They combine vocals, synthesizers, brass, strings, drums, piano and guitars without becoming overwhelming in the music’s splendor. Rather, the result is soulful and easy on the ears while developing beautiful arrangements .
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Layla’s Pick: Though hard rock is my favorite genre, for some reason Georgia’s song was my most played of this week’s new music. I found myself moving my head in time to the music. The lyrics themselves aren’t particularly complicated, but the chorus is a certified ear-worm.
Follow Layla Bohm at https://twitter.com/laylabohm.