Spring is finally here and that usually heralds a fresh flood of new album releases, which is always a good thing. This week's Tune-Up dives into some material from some lesser known indie bands. Let's go!
This Friday marks the release of Dame Fortune, the new record from RJD2. Latest single "We Come Alive" gets a dose of soul thanks in part to fellow Philadelphian and frequent collaborator Son Little, aka Aaron Livingston, currently a rising star of the R&B/post-soul scene, and you can hear why here. The track is littered with twinkling pianos, horns and jazzy percussion, and has a heavier funk persuasion than previous RJD2 efforts, which is perfectly fine with me.
London duo Ten Fe's "Elodie" is a modern love song evoking The War On Drugs, but with a little more polish. Warm pianos, digital laser gun blips and a catchy hook all come packaged with heartfelt, vaguely joyful lyrics despite "Elodie" stirring up some melancholic moments as well.
Bent Shapes dropped a fresh LP on March 11 called Wolves Of Want. New single "What We Do Is Public" is a punkified pop tune that's a lot of fun, but also has a message about something that's becoming a huge issue —social media overload — and pokes fun at those who relish the 24-7 connective addiction and lack of privacy.
Indie UK trio HAELOS are relatively unknown in the U.S., for now. The group's debut full-length Full Circle was released this past Fri., March 18, and in my humble opinion, it's very good, and deserves at least a spin of your time. They take clear influence from acts like The XX, Massive Attack and Tricky, but offer more versatility. Selecting a tune off their album proved difficult, but I feel confident "Alone" should give you an idea of what these guys are all about — and it's probably my favorite selection on this week's playlist, a chilled-out tune about confessing love set to floating harmonies and a singular guitar hook that stands alongside the deep rhythmic basslines. It's music that fits into most evening situations, especially post-nightclub down time…
1. RJD2 Feat. Son Little, "We Come Alive"
2. Empress Of, "Woman Is a Word"
3. Franky Flowers, "Corpse"
4. Wet, "Weak" (AKOUO Remix)
5. Andrew Bird, "Roma Fade"
6. Joey Bada$$, "Ready"
7. Mew, "Count To Ten"
8. Ten Fe, "Elodie"
9. Samiyam Feat. Jeremiah Jae and Oliver The 2nd, "Lord of the Rings"
10. Lust For Youth, "Sudden Ambitions"
11. Bent Shapes, "What We Do Is Public"
12. HAELOS, "Alone"
13. Brothers In Law, "No More Tears"
14. Mothers, "Lockjaw"
15. Prince Rama, "Your Life In The End"
https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify:user:leilanipolk:playlist:0NQuGIsE0q2QkeeaGISv7D
This article appears in Mar 17-23, 2016.