Bounce out off work today, it’s Friday! Keeping you geared up for the weekend, here at Speaker TV we’re kicking off a weekly mix to share the best new music we’re currently listening to. Tailored by those who hangout in the office, our Week In Review is a quick and punchy shortlist for songs you should be listening to, as recommended by our team. A short and sweet mix this week, watch this space as we collate the best new music week by week.
DMA’S – ‘Too Soon’
‘Too Soon’ is the second release from DMA’s debut Hills End and if it’s any indication of what’s to come, we’re all in for a damn treat. The track carries the distinct nostalgic garage pop sound that boosted the Sydney trio to fame in 2014 with debut single, ‘Delete’. The three-frontman band wrote the track together in what they describe as “a Frankenstein kind of thing“. With the lyrics, “why did you leave me lonely, to wait on the likes of you“; they’ve created another ex-type ballad, but not in a pathetic kind of way. Their debut album is set for release on Friday, February 26th and you can catch them at St Jerome’s Laneway Festival in March. Stay up to date with Sophie’s music tastes here.
MUTO. – ‘This Girl ft. M. Maggie’
Sydney producer Muto. has come a long way since wowing us with his remix of Justin Timberlake’s ‘What Goes Around…’. as he returns in his own right with another carefully crafted and produced single, giving fans a taste of his upcoming EP. If his latest track ‘This Girl’ is anything to go by, Muto’s long awaited EP looks to be one of the most promising releases of the new year. Flanked with the support of New York-based singer/songwriter M. Maggie, ‘This Girl’ harnesses the atmospheric house inspired synths, which characterise Muto’s polished production. Citing the likes of Flume and Jamie XX as influences, the tracks arrangement is couched in heavy synths that blend effortlessly with the silky vocals of M. Maggie, filled out with choppy layered loops against the records ambient and varied instrumentation. Get down to Kristina’s favourites here.
Close Counters – ‘Picture Me’
Tasmanian duo Close Counters have provided the world with a new track and yeah, it’s a banger. It’s the first song to be released off their upcoming EP and it’s jam-packed with good vibes. The song features sounds very reminiscent of artists such as Disclosure and Jamiroquai. It’s pretty fair to say that the boys have concocted an ultra smooth club track that’ll fit perfectly on your summer playlist and brighten up your mood. It’s a little bit of synth-funk and a little bit of house that also features the likes of BINI on vocals and DJ Grotesque on turntables. It’s straight up energetic and consistently upbeat. Close Counters have really set the standard for their new EP which will be reaching ears very soon. If you dig Elle’s picks, check here.
Smile – ‘Holiday’
Melbourne indie lads Smile released a new track this week ‘Holiday’ and it’s the perfect accompaniment to a dreary summers day. The track starts out like most of us start our day, a phone alarm waking you up ready for a day of mediocrity. The despondent feeling continues through the track, but not in an uncomfortable way; it perfectly sums up those days that pass you in an uneventful blur. The vocals of Pete Baxter lull you into a hazy daydream of plastic palm trees and badly made mojitos, while reality checking you every now and then. It makes me think of a cheap sixties motel on Route 66 with pastel tiling throughout, a questionably green pool and percolated coffee on tap. The last minute or so of the track is this weird reverb, white noise, distorted concoction that definitely snaps you out of your blissful daydream. I don’t really get why they have added it in and it could definitely do without it, but hey that’s not my place to say! For more of Tegan’s recomendations, click here.
Panic! At The Disco – ‘Impossible Year’
Lead vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and now all but solo recording artist Brendon Urie, from Panic! At The Disco recently released the band’s fifth studio album, Death Of A Bachelor. While the album itself is mostly a tangled assortment of tracks with varying styles and genres, it is not without its sublime highlights. In particular, album closer ‘Impossible Year’ sees Urie once again paying tribute to his idol Frank Sinatra, who posthumously celebrated his 100th birthday last year. “His music has been a major player in the soundtrack of my life, so it’s only right that I return the favour,” Urie, who sports a large tattoo of Ol’ Blue Eyes on his left forearm, explains. The track itself, a piano ballad complete with an accompanying horn section, showcases not only Urie’s vocal performance, but also his adaptable songwriting ability. Stylistically, yet uncharacteristically simplistic in it’s lyrical content, the song is a refreshing departure from the band’s often long-winded, tongue-twisting trait that on occasion extends through to their choice of song titles. Jump on James’ tastes here.
Georgia Kay – ‘More Than This’
After changing genre directions in 2015 with the drop of ‘God Of A Girl’, Perth-based Georgi Kay has cemented herself as an electro-pop artist with a definite dark side. Georgi’s latest release, ‘More Than This’, is a slow-burning electro tune with a kick to kill. Opening with growing electronic keys, the alluring vocals slip into the track with seamless ease. With a subtle yet soulful sound reminiscent of New Zealand’s Lorde, Georgi’s voice soaks straight into the listener’s body. The local talent’s lyrics, “your love is all I need, show me something real, cause you and I, we are more than this” is a heartbreaking yet beautiful emotional appeal to her unnamed lover. With electronic clap drumbeats and static keyboard notes dispersed throughout, the new single features a mellow melody stuck in a state of euphoria. Origins is out February 6th 2016. In the meantime, you can listen to more of Phoebe’s tastes here.
