No Woman

You know, you can't always be the first to hear everything and I'm totally okay with that. That's what makes songs and sharing music worthwhile and an awesome experience. That being said, "No Woman" has been out for a few months but, boy, does it make me feel good. I love the slow chords of the chorus with the brass mixed in and the milky vocals are really something special. Whitney's album is due out later this year and I will be waiting patiently.

Whitney - No Woman

Crystals

How about a little otherworldly tune to take you away from your hectic thoughts. I'm loving this super toned down beat by Ardency and the delicate snowflake vocals by Icelandia sprinkled on top. This one is just lovely, enjoy!

Ardency - Crystals (feat. Icelandia)

Hightimes

It's funny when I haven't seen work from someone in awhile I find myself wondering if it's just another new group.. but no, I knew The Big Pink looked familiar. I have a few songs of theirs from about 5 years ago like "Dominos" and "Velvet." Their latest "Hightimes" continues their previous vibes in the best sense. I love the slow vocals in their songs; they give you enough time to process and really think about the music. A perfect track to unwind to, listen here:

The Big Pink - Hightimes

Tip Pit

So I first heard this song as I was dozing off on the train (daily routine, etc.) and it was just perfect for that soothing vibe I was seeking. The vocals reminded me a bit of Passion Pit but I love the contrasting slow and dreamy instrumentals! I really love the line "'Cuz what I really want and what I really need is something that'll make me feel good" because uh, yeah, same. Super chill, good vibes ahead.

World Champion - Tip Pit

Way to be Loved

I haven't stopped listening to this track since I heard it a few weeks ago. The stellar lo-fi vibes emitted from the whispery vocals of Jane Penny speak volumes for this one and have a way of putting the listener at an unanticipated ease when combined with the light and airy instrumentals, particularly the guitar riffs. After hearing "Way to be Loved," I was of course compelled to explore previous releases by Tops, specifically from their latest album Picture You Staring. It's fascinating to me to see how musicians today pull inspiration from totally different decades to create something that we deem "modern." Check out the slow "Outside" below "Way to be Loved" to see what I mean (lots of 80s-like influences, but with modern-day indie stuff combined). I am a huge fan and would love to hear more from Tops in the future.

Tops - Way to be Loved

Tops - Outside

Left Hand Free // Every Other Freckle

Alt-J has slowly been trickling out new singles from their upcoming album, This Is All Yours, which is due out September 22. These two are the latest, but leave me wanting to hear more! I love how upbeat "Left Hand Free" is. The vocals are distinctly alt-J, but the beat seems to me a bit more Black Keys-esque, which I absolutely love. Side note: does anyone know what N-E-O-O-M-G-G is supposed to mean? Am I stupid? (Just answer the first question..) I like the new direction of this tune and hopefully hints at a more rock-ish album. Moreover, "Every Other Freckle" seems to suggest somewhat the same, although it is a little more alternative-y sounding, but I still like it. Give both a listen below:

alt-J - Left Hand Free

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alt-J - Every Other Freckle

Smokestacks

This seemingly dark track somehow manages to find a way to feel empowering with its steadily building rhythm. Layla's exceptional voice is super calming and the layering of the chant-like vocals really add some mystery to the mix that I can't stop listening to.

Layla - Smokestacks

My Silver Lining

I first heard of First Aid Kit when they covered Fever Ray's "When I Grow Up" flawlessly with their smooth angelic voices (see below; the accompanying stop motion video that someone did for it is pretty cool too). Anyways these Swedish beauties/Free People poster children are back, this time with a very folkish/almost 70s sounding country western track, "My Silver Lining." Their sound is so refreshingly unique especially in today's standards of pop and what not. The lyrics of this track are pretty inspirational and powerfully positive to reinforce any trickle of hope you may have to just keep on keeping on. I'm excited to hear their upcoming album, Stay Gold, due out June 10 (also curious about the silver/gold combo...?).

First Aid Kit - My Silver Lining

First Aid Kid - When I Grow Up (Fever Ray Cover)

"Too much time spent on nothing, waiting for a moment to arise..."

I love this little stop-motion video!

***Bonus: You are probably already familiar with this track because it's pretty old but I still love it. Beautiful remix.

First Aid Kit - Winter Is All Over You (Baauer Remix)

Southern Sun

Totally switching gears on you here, Boy & Bear comes at me like a smooth blend between the sounds of Fleet Foxes and The Shins. This song is the first solid acoustic one that I've heard in awhile and makes me want to soak up the southern sun even more than I already did before.

Boy & Bear - Southern Sun

Now You Know My Name

Any relatively good tune with whistling involved: count me in. The Derevolutions bring us the cute and catchy "Now You Know My Name" with positively benevolent feel-good vibes... absolutely perfect for springtime. The out of tune sounding guitar in the background instrumentals give it a little bit of quirk but somehow manages to blend together very well.

The Derevolutions - Now You Know My Name

This Time

After discovering Prinze George just last week and finding myself entirely enchanted by their song "Victor," I had to share their latest: "This Time." The tempo of this song has picked up a bit but, once again, the electronics in the background really do it for me as they softly contrast the silky, almost jazzy vocals. They do an excellent job of building up the beat to the chorus and just letting it go after the fact. This song leaves me wanting more Prinze George!

Prinze George - This Time