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A round-up of the best music released during the first quarter (Jan 1-Mar 31):
Meltt – “Up All Night”
The rollout to their June album Pathways has been fruitful, but this is the best of the bunch. Most of their catalogue could be described as Tame Impala melancholia, which makes this their “Is It True?” moment. Doesn’t totally leave their atmosphere, but it’s groovy and bouncy and should complement plenty of rooftop parties this Spring
Slippers – “Wants For Everyone”
The first time I saw an old video of Levon Helm singing lead from behind the drums, it kinda broke my brain. Slippers tap into that magic while leaning into the simple charm of jangly pop. It’s like they’re practicing for Battle of the Bands in the garage, and probably about to win
Inner Wave – “BIG FOOT”
SEE YOU WHEN I GET BACK felt like a swaggy rebirth. Big riffs, boastful hooks, crystal clear melodies. I’m a big fan of their usual hazy reflections floating through a muted megaphone, but they excelled with a more direct approach to indie rock as well
elmjack – “JOUR”
My favorite follow right now: 2 middle aged dudes in Young Thug Sp5der jackets pouring out Clase Azul, blowing hookah and asking “Am I too old to be making music like this?” The comment section is a war between “Unc snappin” and “AI.” Neither camp is right, it’s just NYC 20-somethings with a PhD in marketing, but the gimmick hits because the music does. A slick blend of pop and acid-washed R&B
Yeek – “Sleeping In My Car”
Zodiac pushed the limits of how many genres you can touch while still making a cohesive body of work, and this was the star of the show. It sounds like it could be a sequel to the 2017 indie hit “Only in the West” as he nonchalantly flows over a big, funky pop beat
Barney Cortez – “Stupid Man”
This is gritty and blown out like it’s rattling out of a Sony boombox, while also being some of the catchiest shit coming out of Philly. It takes me back to discovering The Replacements in the movie Adventureland, which defined my personality for a stretch
Mt. Joy – “Is Joy Easy”
For a while it felt like they were destined to succeed Mumford and Sons in the arena folk rock lane (derogatory). That might still be the case, and that’d be good for them financially, but this 70s Doors-esque jam is a more enjoyable type of summer anthem
Marlon Funaki – “Let You In”
He’s always had a genre-bending style… in the top songs of 2024 blog I noted a blend of surfy guitars and pain rock… but this is some smooth soul shit that I didn’t know he had in his bag. Then again, I just discovered his 2021 house song “himno de verano” so I guess there’s no limit to what sounds he can pull off
Jake Burns – “Sun Flakes”
Popped up out of nowhere with a legit song-of-the summer contender. You can tell he’s given Two Star and the Dream Police a few listens, but the pop crooning and sunny sensibility lean more toward the Bieber SWAG tracks Mk.gee helped shape, than Mk.gee himself
Brad stank – “You Caught My Eye”
“Hypnotise Me” and “Chenchi” off All is Well accentuate his signature jazzy, drowsy sound, but this one follows the “Natty Wine” path that shows some of his best music is made when he leans into breezy indie pop
Edwin Raphael – “First Time On Earth”
I Know A Garden is folk, but he pushes it toward both pop and that slick late-night cool lane David Gray used to occupy. This one goes even further into an upbeat, glitchiness that hits like a folk-pop flip of “The Difference” by Flume and Toro y Moi
The Jungle Giants – “Is It Love?”
I can’t really explain why, but their song “Used To Be In Love” has a near perfect hit rate with people who don’t usually like indie stuff. I haven’t aux-tested this one in the same way yet, but it’s just as hooky, if not more
Bill Waters – “Would You Believe”
I’m a simple man… If I see Emmett Kai produced, I press play. Sounds like a cool, modern rework of that “You’re My Best Friend” song you hear in the movies. For the artist’s sake, I hope this song lands as many sync deals
Charlie Whitton – “Statement”
Sounds like a cross between My Morning Jacket and Michael Nau with the softly delivered blend of folk, psych and groove
Beach Vacation – “No Contact”
This is the type of shit I used to disassociate to when I was younger and wanted all my problems to feel real. Shimmering guitar work with washed out vocals that proves nonchalance is cool
SSAANN – “Above It”
Feels like Beach House ascending even further into the clouds. From now on when I see that meme of SpongeBob floating with corded headphones in, this is the song I’m going to assume he’s listening to
Hotel – “Casa Del Disco (Jazz Antidote Remix)”
The remix put me onto the original and now both are in rotation. In this case, the remix doesn’t stray too far, just slows it down and makes it more lounge-ready
Serebii – “Even In The Quiet”
I take a lot of pride in authentic music discovery but sometimes you just have to accept an alley-oop from the algorithm. This one showed up in my Release Radar and immediately entered my late-night rotation. Driving and downtempo at the same time. A scrunched face head nodder
Pink Skies – “Capri Club”
Lately he’s been treating genres like hats. You don’t overthink it, you just grab one on your way out the door. If “Tame Impala melancholia” caught your eye earlier, this one is worth a try
Jaco Jaco – “Charade”
There hasn’t been any shortage of Jaco Jaco coverage on the site lately (keep reading this), but this is probably my most played song of the year so far, so it felt like a fitting finale to the new music round up
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