Tuesday Tracks: Your Weekly New Music Discovery – Sept. 17
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.
***
DEYO, “Overlapping” — Christopher Deyo Braun conceptualized “Overlapping” on a fateful bike ride through San Francisco. He re-contextualizes the flood of lights, sounds and rushing wind to illustrate the joy experienced during a new romance. Though originally written and recorded with a full band, DEYO dialed the song in with a more electronic indie-pop approach. This gives his voice more room to drive the arrangement, while still providing dynamic diversity.
***
Puma Blue, “A Dream Is A Wish” — Walt Disney Pictures’ legendary songs kept coming during its “Silver Era,” as shown by “A Dream Is A Wish” from 1950’s Cinderella. Jacob Allen handles the song’s timeless melody with care, providing an emotive R&B cover. The live recording has no bells or whistles to get in the way of Allen’s raw expression. With nostalgic weight and spirited musicianship, Puma Blue proves why Cinderella became Disney’s iconic “Silver Era” princess.
***
Ricky Remedy featuring Smokepurpp and Zay27, “Body Bag” — Could you really expect something different from No Jumper? Ricky “Remedy” Duran embraces cloud rap debauchery, and he has the crew to pull it off. With Smokepurpp remaining as unfiltered as ever and Zay27 also delivering some choice lines, this single hits hard with hooks to spare. With a Latin Grammy nomination under his belt, Duran tactfully incorporates his diverse background into this sound. It’s easy to see why Adam22 and company jumped on this, but there seems to be more at play here than a tough beat.
***
Claire George, “Alone, Together” — Claire George‘s haunting piano ballad speaks to hopeless romanticism with arresting dynamics. Her words paint a picture of lovers realizing no amount of effort will salvage their relationship. Chilling crescendos coincide with George’s extended vocal range as her romantic tragedy rises to the climax—only to fall back to reality with plodding piano chords. Her sincerity and emotion develops alongside her intuitive songwriting, with her vivid plot following a sweeping arrangement. If you want to know why the former Heartwatch frontwoman is making her record third appearance in Tuesday Tracks, this is why.
***
Jez Dior, “Please Don’t Go” — It’s easy to roll your eyes at rap-rock, but Jez Dior proves you can do it right. Not that anyone should try to copy his style, as “Please Don’t Go” is as idiosyncratic as it is accessible. Blending modern hip-hop and soft rock, the song’s funky rhythm section provides the perfect foundation for poppy acoustic guitars and multilayered vocal harmonies. Dior expertly combines versatile flow with memorable melody, without sacrificing on either end of the spectrum. His creativity is on full display within this accessible format, driving home his lyrics as he pleads his lover to remain the light of his life.
***
Caitlyn Smith, “Put Me Back Together” — Following her acclaimed 2018 LP Starfire, Caitlyn Smith shows no sign of slowing down with this single. While certainly traceable to her personal experiences, Smith is able to expand her words to a universal question: Can you really expect an imperfect partner to mend your broken heart? Her versatile vocal chops work against a lush arrangement of powerful synths and punchy beats, continuing earn her high regard within pop and rock circles. It’s hard to pin down stylistically, but “Put Me Back Together” spotlights Smith’s way with both words and instrumentation.
***
Max’s Pick: I’ll always show support to those who break rap-rock out of the Limp Bizkit stigma. Jez Dior could easily make it as a jazz-rap artist or a coffee-house crooner, so why not do both? He absolutely kills it on both ends of the spectrum, where both his rap and rock side can flourish and complement each other.
Follow editor Max Heilman at Twitter.com/madmaxx1995 and Instagram.com/maxlikessound.