Tuesday Tracks: Your Weekly New Music Discovery – Nov. 17
Clockwise from top left: Jimi Somewhere, Joan of Arc, The Lighthouse and the Whaler, The Dirty Nil, Little Hurt, Justice Carradine and Jayla Darden.
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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The Dirty Nil, “Blunt Force Concussion” — This punk-infused anthem immediately bursts with frenzied electric guitar playing and smashing percussion. Luke Betham’s vocals provide the icing on the cake as he accentuates a blend of Blink-182 and Secondhand Serenade. This head-banger is a go-to for anyone so fed up with a relationship that a “half dozen blunt force concussions” can’t compare with the pain of having to sit through another evening with that person. “It’s getting pretty late, yeah that’s what I’ll say/ When I leave you with the check to pay,” Betham not-so-sarcastically exclaims.
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Justice Carradine, “I Can’t Feel A Thing” — Filled with hypnotic, dreamy waves of electronic beats and heavy sub-bass, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Justice Carradine takes off during the chorus to create a dance club banger. Carradine puts a unique touch on the poppy vocal styles of modern icons like Harry Styles. He vulnerably shares a time in his life where he hit a personal “dead end,” feeling detached from his own self and craving the “taste of euphoria.” Nevertheless, he turns a dark moment into an uplifting journey with this repeat bop.
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Little Hurt, “My Head Hurts” — Feeling like your head has been spinning nonstop throughout this year? Little Hurt‘s Colin Dieden, Robert Ellmore and Cameron Walker-Wright of TWIN XL are here to tell you that you’re not alone. This relatable pop-rock track has high-energy riffs, crashing percussion and powerhouse vocals to help exorcise all that negative energy, as the trio cries, “Why can’t I just catch a break?” while scraping by toward the light at the end of the tunnel.
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The Lighthouse and the Whaler, “Say What It Is You Believe In” — Beginning with humming echoes and light acoustics, this rock song blends explosive keys and light percussion from Ryan Walker and Mark Porostosky, while Michael LoPresti’s powerful singing recalls Coldplay’s more grounded songs. He calls on all people to stay true to who they are and what they believe in. Unlike songs encouraging you to rebel against tradition, “Say What It Is You Believe In” instead suggests you follow your heart.
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Jayla Darden, “Let You Go” — Opening with electronically processed fingerpicking, Jayla Darden enters with a powerful voice that recalls both Ariana Grande and Missy Elliot, but with her own unique flair. This danceable track brings back classic 2000s R&B as Darden fights internal urges to maintain a relationship that she knows is doing her no good.
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Joan of Arc, “Karma Repair Kit” — The song starts out with a folky acoustic guitar melody before echoing synths and deliberate glitches create a mysterious, dreamlike feel. Underlying drumbeats and electric guitar riffs steadily develop the rock feel. Vocalist Tim Kinsella (brother of Mike Kinsella and also member of Cap’n Jazz), who wrote the song, contributes a sultry, powerful style with lines like, “We each agree our dreams define us/ You demonstrate that restraint/ I demonstrate that envy.” While looking back on past decisions, thoughts and life experiences, this song remains a strong symbol to bookend a 25-year career the band is closing out.
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Jimi Somewhere, “In My Car” — Take a drive and get lost in Jimi Somewhere’s dreamlike state as he looks back on his own drive with someone he was crushing on. Hypnotic snares and auto growling recreate the moment and the rush of intense emotion as he remains unsure of how to share his feelings. Percussion pump sup the groove on the chorus and Jimi Somewhere’s vocals become more processed as the song presses on, thanks to sound mixing by Milo Orchis.
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Amelia’s pick: My overall pick goes to Jayla Darden’s “Let You Go.” This bop is not only extremely catchy but brings me back to the early 2000s, when R&B took over my entire musical taste. Not only that, but Darden’s theme remains totally relatable. Most people have, at one time or another, struggled while trying to move on from a toxic relationship. All the while, something about that unsavory person keeps stringing us along in an unending emotional seesaw.
Follow writer Amelia Parreira at Twitter.com/AmeliaParreira.