You know when life just runs you over, don’t you? We’ve been a bit of feeling like that lately. Time feels short, and short time feels even shorter. We don’t manage to do half the things we wanted, and even when we want to do something that still feels heavy. You know that feeling? Well we’ve been in it for a bit too long, and music – even though always in the back – has been left to second plan. And there is so much good music left in second plan and out of everybody ears that deserve to be listened that this TGIF features some of those great new tracks we’ve still been able to discover for the last two weeks. Only great tracks that we feel should be left in the background. So please do yourself a favor, and add these to your playlists. Even if you feel time is too short. You’ll thank us later.
Aaron Percy – Bold
From acts like Nick Drake to Joni Mitchell and Sufjan Stevens, the influences of Aaron Percy are among our favourite ever singer-songwriters. For that reason the goal he proposes on: captivating us with his music – is probably one of the most difficult ones to achieve. Well. He actually does. It took him only one track. Entitled “Bold” this track that talks about the soften chaos within, and about piercing inner demons with stillness, features almost every element of intensity that we love so much in his references. There is a gorgeous vocalist in this that always drives us as listeners right into his words and lyrics, there is intensity in the songwriting that leaves us on the verge of every of its changes. And there is humanity and power. Everything about “Bold” works so well that its only downside is sounding short. Well, I guess we will hit the play button again, won’t we?
“I need a lover, someone to hold / I need an anchor, someone to make life bold / I’m terrified of being alone.”
Big Spoon – Cat Call
Big Spoon delivers a fresh hypnotic sound from her second single “Cat Call“. Hitting that sweet spot between dreamy R&B and chillout, with an eerie pitched up vocal, telling a story about a little girl who’s scared that she is only loved for her youth and beauty, while the bass-heavy production sets a hard-hitting foundation on this alluring track. This Copenhagen based artist is also known for her artist project Kinck that has been stirring on the indie-pop scene the last few years. Now taking the leap as a producer there is no doubt that Big Spoon is someone to watch out for in 2022. “This project is really about me just making the kind of tracks that I listen to at home when I want to chill. I have always loved really dark electronic music like Burial and Bonobo and wanted to make my own version of that sound“.
DEADLETTER – Hero
“Hero” is DEADLETTER‘s most narrative track to date, and recounts the completely fictionalised tale of a man desperate for some recognition and accomplishment in life, and decides the best way to go about this is by causing a disaster to save his sense of self-worth. The story takes inspiration from cases of firefighters in the United States starting fires only to answer the calls themselves in a flurry of self-fabricated valour. The b-side to previous single ‘Pop Culture Connoisseur’, we find the band on their most furiously concise form yet.
“The fictional story of ‘Hero’ raises the question of how far a human would go to prove their worth in a world crammed with difficult expectations and ever mounting pressure. It’s an extreme example, but we hope there’s a level of reliability.“
Grimson – Good Dreams
Grimson latest single “Good Dreams” was released about two weeks ago, and is described as an” honest and adept emulation of the 1960s more elaborately arranged psychedelia, conjuring impressions of The Zombies, Beach Boys and Os Mutantes, without losing those twisted elements that make it feel like my own“. Reflecting on real experiences of insomnia the track truly emanates the retro Beach Boys feel he talks about both in the melodies and in the apparent simplicity of its evolution. Until it actually does vary much more and goes more into a soft indie rock track filled with poetry catchy elements. That poetry and generosity of simple melodies is culminated by the superb guitar solo in the end, making it a track so easy to get back to multiple times.
Jon Bell – Teen
“Teen” is one of the latest tracks to have been release by Jon Bell. Part of his upcoming EP “Something Behind” the track perfectly showcases one of the most original new acts we’ve had the pleasure to listen to. Somewhere between the lo-fi pop, the Americana, and the soft rock and pop, this is a dreamy earthy track that always sounds exploratory but earth-grounded, simple but defying, and very much focused around his distinct capability of whisper-singing. And of course, the instrumental variations (and the freaking awesome guitar solo) and the unpredictable ways to where the track grows. Everything together makes “Teen” an unmissable new track from an unmissable new act.
Michael Sanders – Rinding On The Valley
From our point of view “Rinding On The Valley” sounds like It feels like Steely Dan meets Tame Impala in the best possible way. The song talks about sex, or the feeling of losing two years of life to a pandemic, and about making changes and moving somewhere else. “I’ll let you decide which lines apply to which topic. It’s the third and final single promoting my debut solo record ‘While I’m Still Young‘”. There is a groovy Summer like vibe that never tries to sound too big or too spectacular while there is also a groovy and honest combination of vibes that feel as relaxing as high. And as the song progresses it pushes us out of our comfort zone without ever loosing a sort of focus on reaching an exctasic nirvana in the melody.
Oh Bummer! – Beautiful Day
Teaming up with seasoned producer The KickDrums (50 Cent, Kid Cudi, Freddie Gibbs), Oh Bummer! keeps constant themes of vulnerability and humility in his music. His second single, “Beautiful Day” features horns by Kelly Pratt (David Byrne, Arcade Fire, Beirut) and Tanner goes on to explain it:
“The first verse and chorus of “Beautiful Day” were originally written as an acoustic-guitar driven song for another musical project of mine, Follies and Vices. After deciding not to use it there, I brought it to my producer The KickDrums. He put a completely fresh coat of paint on it with an entirely different beat, and the rest of my verses came effortlessly. Struggling with mental illness tends to have me answering the question “How are you?” with “I feel strange” more often than not, but that doesn’t mean I can’t recognize a beautiful day when I see one. Whether or not it’s a beautiful day is entirely up to you“.
pantology – Dragonfly
With his new single “Dragonfly 44”, pantology instantly grabs listeners into a rippling, virtuosic space, evoking with an almost cinematic flair the galaxy for which it is named. Containing equal elements jazz, hip-hop, fusion and electronic, the track was composed while he was living abroad in Ireland amid strict COVID-19 lockdowns, and grooves in a way that feels fiery and energetic within a spacious solitude. A newer artist to the scene, pantology has nonetheless begun earning success in the the world of post-lo-fi and electronic beat productions. While building on his previous work, this track stands apart, pushing his boundaries into fresh fusion territory.
Pesky – An Elemental Masquerade
“It’s funky, it’s freaky, and it has a kazoo solo“. Just like that, Pesky introduce one of their latest tracks, the super engaging “An Elemental Masquerade“. From an indie rock sonority to a clear pop evolution and a very indie and almost underground feel there is as much of DYI in this as there is originality and retro feel. All together we have a gorgeous track that not even once sounds less than entertaining and surprising. Freaky might be the word that best describes it for sure, but it’s also in the more ordered and regular moments we find the true colors of its honesty.
Vök – Lose Control
Icelandic trio Vök has shared their bold, candid, and euphoric new single and video “Lose Control” which follows their recent release “Stadium” and is out now via Nettwerk Records. “Lose Control” is a forward-thinking alt-pop song that incongruously blends a buoyant melody with profound lyrics. The track continues the personal story of lead singer Margrét, as told across the whole of the band’s recent EP, with the short film style video portraying a character losing her grip on life and allowing the distraction of partying to give a false sense of security. Margrét says,“’Lose Control’ was one of those songs that just came to me in an instant. It was so much fun writing it because I was stuck in a total fantasy world while creating it. This song is originally just me fantasizing about my girlfriend. Being with a woman is an extraordinary thing. But diving deeper into the story with Einar we found a bit of a darker road so we took it. It’s my ultimate lesbian appreciation song and may all of you sexual beings find it enjoyable.”