After skipping April and bringing back this post in full swing in May, it is again back in June, but not without difficulty. I have had so little time to actually be listening to music, yet again, that most of the picks I am showing you today are a) not that new and b) very subconscious discoveries. Some I found while listening to my playlists on shuffle and others I found or rediscovered because of 2 festival I visited in the last month.
Alpine – Foolish
Summer in a song? I have a few song every year that seem to do bottle that summer feeling into a track and this song is the first one I’ve come across so far. From the catchy guitar riff to the relaxed vocals, a catchy chorus that you can sing along to within minutes: this song as all the ingredients to become that earwurm you won’t get out of your head for the next few weeks to come.
Beyonce – Crazy In Love (2014 Remix)
Yes, this track is from the Fifty Shades of Grey soundtrack. And yes, this track came on on shuffle one random day on the train. But once it did, I listened to it continuously for 3 days straight. On repeat. Over and over and over again. I don’t do that very often or quickly. Songs really have to hit a chord with me for me to become obsessed with them. And obsessed I became. I choreographed about 100 routines to this already in my head. Love the build up in this.
Gallant – Open Up
You know I like my chillwave/ indie electro type tracks. This track easily falls into the line of Chet Faker, SOHN, Cloudboat and the like. Which means it has intense vocals, droning beats, but a bit of a strange distortion to the song at the same time that leads to this song needing a few attempts to grow on you before you can fully appreciate it.
Great Good Fine OK – Something To Believe In (Ft. St Lucia)
A hint of catchy pop always lifts my spirits when I’m busy. And that’s exactly what this is. Catchy chorus, sunny vibes = good times. One of those tracks you can have on repeat all summer and attach it to any memories you might make. The sax solo near the end of the track also give a bit of that 80s vibe in a way too, which gives this song a bit more body than your average indie pop track.
In Zaire – Sun
Friends convinced me earlier this year to come along to Psych Lab in Eindhoven. A music festival which is dedicated to psychedelic music. I liked a few sets there (The Soft Moon, Mdou Moctar, etc), but one set that still reverberates in my brain is In Zaire. This thumping track gives you a good idea of what this set was like.
RAIGN – Don’t Let Me Go
This song is haunting and intense. Those two words are the only ways to describe this. Apparently there is a ton of controversy surrounding this lady due to a UK X Factor audition a while ago. But I am not phased by that: this is a brilliant song.
Royal Blood – Figure It Out
For a little influx of good ole Rock N Roll, I present to you: Royal Blood. The sole reason for the inclusion of this song is the fact that I pretty much went to my second music festival this month to see this band (along with a few other artists, truth be told). Their set rocked, but not as much as I had hoped. Still, this song remains a goodie if you like a bit of good old fashioned rock music.
St. Paul & The Broken Bones – Like a Mighty River
I told you I visited two festivals and apart from Psych Lab, I also visited Best Kept Secret: three days filled with music. Some of it I knew, some it I didn’t and this was one of those hidden gems. I went to see this band thinking: ah, a fun soul set to break up the guitar bands. And this was so much more than that. The audience was overwhelmed by this performance, as well as the band themselves with the response from the crowd.
The Pop Group – She is beyond good and evil
Surprise of Best Kept Secret festival was The Pop Group. Started in the late 70s they initiated a come back a few years ago and I loved their late night mix of new wave, post punk, free jazz, funk and general screaming. Their debut album (‘Y’) was one of the first things I listened to once I got home and I have had it on repeat since.
Weval – Detian (Original Mix)
Another Best Kept Secret discovery was a duo of DJs from Amsterdam. Their set slowly built into a thumping climax of house music. A little different from the rest I’ve shared with you today, but I love myself a bit of a dance and this song resembles nicely what the majority of their set sounded like.