Welcome back to 5 Tracks ‘Til Friday. Hand picked jams just for you.
1. “Weight In Gold” – Gallant
With only an EP and a handful of singles on his resume, now is your chance to hop on the Gallant hype train. By infusing dark electronics into deep R&B soundscapes, Gallant stands shoulder to shoulder with other rising alt-R&B artists like FKA Twigs and The Weeknd. “Weight In Gold” reimagines classic soul song-craft with a foundation of drum machines and synthesizers and his sound is irresistible.
Sharing the name with his forthcoming debut album, “Lonely Roller” brilliantly surrounds post-punk guitar sounds with a modern pop R&B architecture. Steven A. Clark has a handmade style that is accessible enough to be radio friendly but mysterious and intriguing enough to win over critics. Clark’s debut album The Lonely Roller will be released on September 18 on Secretly Canadian.
3. “Toes” – Glass Animals
I’m a little tardy for the party on this one. Glass Animals have been on the fringes of my radar since their debut album Zaba dropped last June but I just never got around to it. On a recent vacation, I had some time go back through some recent albums that I’ve missed and Zaba is a damn good time. The electric downtempo groove of “Toes” is as sexy as contemporary indie rock gets.
4. “Need You Tonight” – INXS
I have a tendency to get briefly and intensely addicted to bands. Earlier this summer I had a three day stretch where I became entirely and unreasonably obsessed with 80s new wave band INXS. It’s always challenge to trace the source of these little stints of obsession but my guess is that I probably heard the riff of “Need You Tonight” somewhere in public and my brain latched on and refuesed to let go. PS I saw Justin Timberlake cover this song for a crowd of about 3,000 people at the Roseland Ballroom in NYC just weeks before he kicked off his tour in support of The 20/20 Experience and it rocked my world.
5. “Figure It Out” – Royal Blood
I’m not quick to throw out these comparisons but Royal Blood sounds like red hot mix of Death From Above 1979, Queens of the Stone Age, and Jack White. This gritty UK duo churns out an incredible amount of noise for just two dudes. “Careless” comes from their 2014 self titled debut album and if you are a fan of heavy rock n roll, Royal Blood deserve some time in your rotation.
Check back next week for another installment of 5 Tracks ‘Til Friday.
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