So chuffed to be sharing this unbelievably strong spotify playlist of 30 brand new independently released pop/rock tracks with our readers today. Every couple of weeks or so we share an update of each one of our seven New Music playlists giving the artists the recognition and respect they deserve. The new tracks have been coming thick and fast and a number of tracks have been in and out since the last update on March 10. So in that light we extend recognition to the following artists whose tracks we had to remove today without mentioning. Read about them at the end of this update.
We kick off proceedings with the perfect start to the Northern Hemisphere spring with ‘Two Diamonds’ a light sun-kissed jangle and power pop hybrid from Norway’s Beezewax who we bet cannot wait for warmer climes. Immediately following that is Foxygen, the Los Angeles-based duo of Sam France and Jonathan Rado with their pull no punches guitar and synth dominant ‘Face The Facts’ off their new album Seeing Other People, which is basically a fuck you kiss off to all the shitty aspects of living the music cliche. It may or may not be but Read France’s acerbic goodbye here. Next is Australian artist Gena Rose Bruce with the rhythmically insistent and perfectly paced ‘Angel Face’, the new single off her newly announced debut album Can’t Make You Love Me. The lush and exquisite ‘Coca Cola’ follows from Chicago via Bogota outfit Divino Ninö and is lifted from their upcoming full length Foam out June 21 on Winspear. Swedish du Wy follow with the huge cathartic release that is their new single ‘Tired II’ before Rotterdam quartet Goodnight Moon join the fray with their purposeful yet nostalgic new single ‘Better Person’. The guitar pop project of multi-instrumentalist Jon Searles, Jonathan Something follows with the 2nd bonus track on his re-released record from last year Outlandish Poetica. Long standing Seattle quartet Tacocat are back with a new single ‘Hologram’, a 90s homage to feeling self-consciously jaded. It’s the second single from their upcoming album This Mess Is A Place out in May. Next is Philadelphia outfit Son Step with their inventive form of tropical maths in the form of new single ‘Saucy’. Bologna psych duo Alice Tambourine Lover then follow with the hushed tones and resonant guitar of ‘Down Below’, the title track from their new album released last week before Melbourne’s Ali Barter appears with her new single, the upbeat and musically familiar yet super self aware and reverentially irreverent ‘Ur A Piece Of Shit’.
London based artist JW Ridley then restores a little decorum (haha) to proceedings with the dramatic ‘Homesick (Out Of The Blue)’ a melancholy ode to the process of transition. That ushers in Liverpool trio Oya Paya with the noir like skip of ‘New You’ off their new 6 track EP Som before Washington D.C. outfit Teen Body, who we featured a few weeks back here, feature with the glistening shoegaze inspired circumspection of the title track ‘Dreamo’ off their forthcoming full length set for release on the 12th April. The delicately driven retro laden ‘Kathleen Says’, originally an album cut on Parallel Universe Blues, the 2018 album from San Francisco songwriter/producer Jason Robert Quever’s Papercuts is up next before Stockholm outfit Melby join them with the dreamy expansive psych tinged ballad ‘Dancer’ off their upcoming debut album ‘None of this makes me worry’, out April 12 via Rama Lama and Sinnbus. Ben Rubinstein aka Benedict Benjamin follows with the heartfelt observations of his new single ‘The Way You Talk To Waiters’, while the ultra consistent English outfit Swimming Tapes deliver another piece of jangle pop precision with the golden hues of ‘Passing Ships’. Fellow English band Sleeper are next with the psych rocker ‘The Sun Also Rises’ off their new album The Modern Age. The London outfit are followed by the jaunty Brit-pop/north western psych rock ‘Mile High Lady’ from Portland trio The Hugs.
Another London band, the art pop inspired trio Organised Scum have a lightfooted new single out called ‘Fotograph’ and that precedes the delightfully left field New York City duo Buke & Gase. The fascinating turns of new single ‘Flock’ is from their latest and third album Scholars released back in January. Legendary Canadian collective Broken Social Scene follow that up with the epic ‘Can’t Find My Heart’ from the second volume of their double EP set for release April 12. Montevideo born and New York City based artist Juan Wauters announced the release date for his new album Introducing Juan Pablo last week and the 60s inspired ‘Letter’ was released as a single to coincide with it. The album set down for May 31 on Captured Tracks. Sydney psych rockers The Laurels return with the half angst ridden, half celebratory ‘Monkey On My Back’, their first new music since 2016’s Sonicology. The gorgeous ‘Seems Like You’ve Made Up Your Mind’ is the new single from Melbourne’s Sunbeam Sound Machine, the project of Nick Somersby. His second album Talking Distance will be out via Dot Dash Recordings on May 3. Gold Coast artist Angie Farr aka Old Sault released the subtle slow burn of single ‘Melbourne’ earlier this month and she precedes former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus with the familiar ring off the offbeat ‘Ocean Of Revenge’ off his diverse and smartly named new record Groove Denied. Den Haag post-psych outfit The Hazzah provide the penultimate track of this current lot with the retro fuelled ‘Where To Go’ off their recently released new album Post. The wistful and earnest beauty of ‘God Natts Søvn’ from Bergen melodic math rock outfit Kongle completes proceedings in the best possible way. It comes from their upcoming new full length record Skogen out April 5 on Blanca Records
To remind you of where good songs go to live, you can now find the five tracks removed without reference in the Pop/Rock edition of our Tracks of 2019 Series here. Kudos to the hi-octane ‘Sorry I’m Busy’ from Nashville duo Haley Grant and Kaylee Jasperson aka The Harmaleighs. Their new album She Won’t Make Sense is available August 2. That’s followed by the openly introspective ‘i need to be alone’ from Oslo based artist Marie Ulven aka girl in red. Maryland’s Michael Nau, the Cotton Jones frontman is there too with the retro feel of ‘No Quit’ as is Jonatan Westh’s solo project Holy Ship with the cerebral and celebratory ‘Mind Safari. Things are rounded out nicely by the return of Silver Lake Los Angeles vets Local Natives with the gorgeous harmonies of the super catchy ode to the inevitability of lost love ‘When Am I Gonna To Lose You’ off their forthcoming album Violet Street.
Access this latest edition of our New Independent Pop/Rock playlist below or if you prefer to use the Spotify web player go here. And Remember Every track removed from this 30 track playlist can be found with 208 other in our Tracks of 2019 Series: Pop/Rock here.