In this weekly feature we’ll compile our top 10 most viewed pieces of new music from the week preceding. These can be anything from completely new songs to live versions of new songs to new remixes of slightly older songs to covers that have just surfaced. Stay up to date wit the week’s most talked about music and vote in our “Best of the Best” vote after our rundown.
10.
I Come To Shanghai
“Another Holiday”
[Self-released]
Although this week saw the official change of seasons from winter to spring (if you’re in the northern hemisphere) the majority of tracks on this week’s list still seem to be winter-oriented. I Come To Shanghai’s fantastic new single is not one of those, and is instead representing the sunny vibes that are hopefully well on their way in new music over the next few months. The psych-pop song glistens and oozes around the vocals and although there’s plenty of weight to the song, it glides effortlessly and enjoyably by.
(For the record, my real favourite summer jam from this week, Deep Sea Arcade’s “Girls,” didn’t make the list, but I thought I’d give it a shout out anyway).
– Rob Hakimian
Track Review | Full Album Stream: I Come to Shanghai – Eternal Life Vol. 2
09.
S. Carey
“Two Angles”
[Jagjaguwar]
Though Sean Carey’s day job has gotten quite a bit cushier in the past year, it hasn’t affected the quality of his solo output in the slightest. Carey, a drummer and keyboard player in Bon Iver, released an album of similarly-minded moody indie folk in 2010 entitled All We Grow. It was a mostly sparse affair built around piano loops and his typically intricate drum patterns, and “Two Angles,” from his forthcoming EP Hoyas continues mostly in the same vein, though a bit more lush and full. If nothing else, it’s exciting to hear Carey developing his own creative voice outside the Bon Iver realm.
– Colin Joyce
08.
Norah Jones
“Travelin’ On”
[Blue Note]
The second song released from Norah Jones’ forthcoming album Little Broken Hearts is also her second to make this top 10 list. Jones is already a big name in the mainstream, but with her choice of collaborators and being an undoubtedly talented musician and songwriter keeps her popular amongst indie music fans too. Her decision to get Danger Mouse in to produce this album has also piqued interest too, and with the quality of the singles released so far, that interest is likely to be maintained right up until we finally get to hear the album, and hopefully beyond.
– Rob Hakimian
07.
Lower Dens
“Propagation”
[Ribbon Music]
As Baltimore quintet Lower Dens prepares to release another batch of woozy, hypnotic rock with their new album Nootropics, they’ve been dropping a couple of satisfying songs in the interim. The first, “Brains,” showcases the band sweating out a tune that both jangles and soars. The second, “Propagation,” notably contrasts the former as a spacey, slow-churning ballad that drifts along in its atmospherics while retaining a tense mood. The track revels in its sedated, low-key state, floating around a smooth rhythm section and Jana Hunter’s smoky vocal. Although the track doesn’t exactly get the adrenaline rushing, “Propagation” is a reason to get psyched for the LP, slated for release on May 1st.
– Jay Lancaster
06.
Hip Hatchet
“Sing Me A Reprise”
[Gravitation Records]
Hip Hatchet is the moniker of one Phillippe Bronchtein, and this week we posted his new single “Sing Me A Reprise,” which has come out just ahead of the release of his new album Joy and Better Days. When I heard the song I was entranced by it and felt compelled to tell everyone about it. We put out a call for all folk and acoustic fans to listen and share the track and it seems to have worked a treat, as it appears at #6 on this week’s chart.
– Rob Hakimian
