It's March Madness! The NCAA tourney kept me busy this week. I've managed to watch several games with the TV muted, which kept my ears free to delve into this week's new tunes. As usual so many songs, not enough space on the playlist. Let's scan over a few of my favs below.

When Frank Ocean gives us new material the internet blows up. He did just that this week when he released his surprise single titled "Chanel." Is this a stand-alone track or maybe a sneak peak of an upcoming project? Ocean is always keeping us in the dark, but I think we secretly like it that way. "Chanel" sounds like it could've been off of his recent LP Blonde, and that's certainly not a bad thing. The duplicity of "Chanel" may not be very obvious to the casual listener, but after a few plays I heard it as a blunt attempt to open up about his bisexuality. On the chorus he exposes himself with lines like: "I see both sides like Chanel/See on both sides like Chanel." Take a minute to hear what Ocean is painting here, it's well worth it. Another superb song, Frank (try reading the lyrics on Tumblr).

The second most listened to track from this week's Tune-Up is "Petals' from TOPS. "Petals" is laid back tune with funk driven guitars (check out that buttery intro). Vocalist Jane Penny is singing a lovesick indie pop tune that tells a story of a lonely night and haunting memories, maybe a familiar theme but damn catchy. Look for TOPS to drop their new record, Sugar At The Gate, due out in June.

Ahhhh……Spoon's brand new album, Hot Thoughts is finally here, and it's really good. It still packs Spoon's excellent songwriting, which we've come to expect from the Austin, Texas natives, but they've definitely tinkered with their sound a bit. Make no mistake, Hot Thoughts is still a very Spoon record, but you can hear the experimentation with electronics and I love it. "Tear It Down" is a standout for me, and with those pianos and stomping percussion, it possesses some of the older Spoon collection.

Weekly Tune-Up LV – stream / download

01. Frank Ocean, "Chanel"

02. Tender, "Erode"

03. TOPS, "Petals"

04. Tei Shi, "How Far"

05. Day Wave, "Untitled"

06. Oddisee, "Rain Dance"

07. Ryan Playground, "Pull the Trigger"

08. Porter Ray, "Sacred Geometry" (Feat. The Palaceer, Shabazz Palaces, Cashtro)

09. GEMS, "Peacefully"

10. Hater, "Common Way"

11. Chrome Sparks, "Wake"