New Year, New Playlist. We try to keep up with all the latest indie singles released everyday on our Spotify playlist, the daily updated OE: Buzzworthy New Indie Singles, for an easy way to find that new new music. That can be hard to keep up with for even the crazed new music fan. Perhaps though, you just are looking for some strong recommendations in a shorter form. So for the new year, we will pair it down to at most 10 songs that we are really digging from the prior week’s newly released singles (Monday-Sunday) on our new Spotify playlist – The Weekly.
This week it seemed like it wouldn’t be as difficult to narrow this down to 10 songs. Sure there were new worthy tunes from Foals, Weyes Blood, Swimming Tapes, Jenny Lewis and more, but this week it came down to 11 songs that really captured attention. And well, there just wasn’t a song from those 11 to take off. They all deserve your ears each in their own way, so for this week there is a bonus addition.
Caroline Spence released a beautiful folk ballad, Claud (fka Toast) came in with the smooth indie pop, Damien Jurado and Julia Jacklin (how good is her new album Crushing, due out Friday 2/22, going to be?) each released a minimalist track where their vocals and songwriting will stop you in your tracks alone, Drugdealer brings the AM Gold, while Hand Habits released another stunner, then there is Michelle Blades with a transcending, post punk / new wave song that will get the bodies moving, while Pixel Grip officially released their darkwave “Diamonds” that will do the same. Wye Oak’s Adult Swim Single “Evergreen” feels like another classic for the duo. You also can’t look past the collaboration between Nashville’s Okey Dokey and Liz Cooper (Liz Cooper and the Stampede), whom seem like the perfect pairing to explore modern day love. Of course the big one that was one heck of a welcome surprise this week comes from the collab between Rain Phoenix (yes, River Phoenix’s sister) and the Michael Stipe, a bittersweet, slow burning ballad that is just pure magic. So much goodness.
As always, leave in our comments here or on socials with your recs from last week’s releases, any that we missed, gripes, comments on how much you hate the picks, or just general life changing moments experienced through a new tune. Heck even if you think it’s all wrong, subscribe to the playlist to see if we do better next week. Update with all new songs, coming each Monday. With love, it’s The Weekly:
- Caroline Spence – “Sit Here And Love Me“
- Claud – “Easy“
- Damien Jurado – “South“
- Drugdealer – “Fools“
- Hand Habits – “what lovers do“
- Julia Jacklin – “Comfort“
- Michelle Blades – “Politic!“
- Okey Dokey & Liz Cooper – “Modern Chemistry“
- Pixel Grip – “Diamonds“
- Rain Phoenix & Michael Stipe – “Time is the Killer”
- Wye Oak – “Evergreen“
As always, if you find something new you dig, help spread the word, add to your playlists, buy their albums, go see the artist live, buy merch, help support the arts. And find some good local music to support.
