With a new year upon us and the holidays in the rear view, the new tracks are rolling in left and right. There's quite a bit of new singles out that are making waves as they say. Here's a short list of them:
Crystal Castles featuring Robert Smith - "Not In Love"
What an eerie, amazing, dancy track featuring The Cure's frontman Robert Smith! It first popped up on the blogs a couple months ago. The original album version, however does not include the vocal stylings of Robert Smith. The recently redone single version you're hearing on certain alternative radio stations, does. IMO the best material I've heard Robert Smith involved in, in years! Crystal Castles, a duo from Toronto, provide the perfect electronic soundscape for Robert's cold and brooding vocals. It's a new classic. I'm pleased at the amount of stations spinning this: WFNX Boston, CD102.5 Columbus, Radio 104.5 Philly, 91x & FM 94/9 San Diego, 107.7 The End Seattle, Radio 104 Hartford, 96.5 The Buzz KC, 94/7 Portland, WEQX Manchester/Albany, and Channel 92.3 San Jose all playing this excellent track!
The Black Keys - Howlin' For You
After a HUGE 2010, with great performances on shows like Letterman and SNL, as well as thanks to the success of the song "Tighten Up", Akron, Ohio's Black Keys release their second single from their highly acclaimed album Brothers, entitled "Howling For You". With a bluesy vibe, the track is already getting added all across the country, including KROQ in LA. The success continues for this great duo. About time!
Cage the Elephant - Shake Me Down
Cage are back with a new album and more great music for us. Thank You, Happy Birthday was released last week to positive reviews. Their last album was among the best releases in alternative rock in the past couple of years, and the new release looks to be no different. I saw this band live in summer of 2009, and they were amazing! The energy they convey in their music came through in their live performance, and they truly loved working the crowd. This single looks to be another hit for Cage, sitting pretty at #3 on the Alternative chart. 2011 should be big for them!
OK Go - White Knuckles
What a funky tune here. Another single from OK Go, with yet another amazing video to go with it! This band is just pushing the envelope for entertaining and ground breaking videos. Check it out if you haven't seen it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHlJODYBLKs
Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work
This very talented and highly entertaining Nothern Irish group released their debut album, Tourist History, last year. The record was mixed by Phillipe Zdar, who also ran the boards for Phoenix on their smash hit 2009 album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix; so if you hear a similarity thats where it comes from! If you liked that awesome record, you'll love this one by Two Door Cinema Club! This next single is starting to get the ball rolling for them hopefully, picking up moderate rotation around the country. It's catchy vocals and jangling guitars are like candy to the ears. I hope this band catches on! Matter of fact, I'm going to see them tomorrow night here in Boston with Tokyo Police Club. To say I'm excited would be an understatement!
Hugo - 99 Problems
A hilarious, yet catchy and earnest cover of Jay-Z's "99 Problems" is making lots of noise on the alternative rock scene, who knew? The folky guitar with the folk singing of the Jay-Z lyrics makes for a breakout hit.
Middle Class Rut - New Low
One of my favorite singles right now! I can listen to this one over and over. The punk rock-influenced guitars and blue collar attitude really put this one over the edge. An equally inspiring video to go with it, too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5GYOsKLp6o
This Sacramento duo I feel I need to check out more from, this is great! This track is in high rotation on KROQ Los Angeles right now, among many other stations. Also climbing the charts right now sitting this week at #16.
Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks
One person on here (I believe it was Radiojomo) made a post about him hearing this song on KROQ. I hadn't heard it yet, so I went to check it out on youtube. I was then promptly blown away. This song rocks! "All the other kids with the pumped up kicks / You better run, better run, faster than my bullet!" ;D KROQ is all over this one, as noted before and on the youtube page. Good to see they are pushing this Los Angeles band, like they used to with others in their heydey. I assume other stations will follow suit with this track.
My Chemical Romance - Sing
Second single from the new album. While I felt the first single, "Na Na Na" was fun in itself, I also feel "Sing" may do a lot better than the former did. It's currently at number 6 on the Alternative Billboard charts this week. With a light piano intro, along with a few synth notes here and there, along with Gerard Way's massive vocals on the powerful chorus, this could almost be mistaken for a Muse single! Very different from their other material. I do like.
Fitz & the Tantrums - MoneyGrabber
Like something out of 60's Motown! The Los Angeles band Fitz & the Tantrums call their music "soul-influenced indie pop". You can certainly hear that on "MoneyGrabber", this one is an uplifting, funky, dance floor ready tune. You will find yourself singing it once you hear it! Of course, the more adventurous alt stations are all over it. WFNX, CD 102.5, Radio 94.7, 96.5 The Buzz, Radio 104.5 and WEQX all have it in rotation.
Crystal Castles featuring Robert Smith - "Not In Love"
What an eerie, amazing, dancy track featuring The Cure's frontman Robert Smith! It first popped up on the blogs a couple months ago. The original album version, however does not include the vocal stylings of Robert Smith. The recently redone single version you're hearing on certain alternative radio stations, does. IMO the best material I've heard Robert Smith involved in, in years! Crystal Castles, a duo from Toronto, provide the perfect electronic soundscape for Robert's cold and brooding vocals. It's a new classic. I'm pleased at the amount of stations spinning this: WFNX Boston, CD102.5 Columbus, Radio 104.5 Philly, 91x & FM 94/9 San Diego, 107.7 The End Seattle, Radio 104 Hartford, 96.5 The Buzz KC, 94/7 Portland, WEQX Manchester/Albany, and Channel 92.3 San Jose all playing this excellent track!
The Black Keys - Howlin' For You
After a HUGE 2010, with great performances on shows like Letterman and SNL, as well as thanks to the success of the song "Tighten Up", Akron, Ohio's Black Keys release their second single from their highly acclaimed album Brothers, entitled "Howling For You". With a bluesy vibe, the track is already getting added all across the country, including KROQ in LA. The success continues for this great duo. About time!
Cage the Elephant - Shake Me Down
Cage are back with a new album and more great music for us. Thank You, Happy Birthday was released last week to positive reviews. Their last album was among the best releases in alternative rock in the past couple of years, and the new release looks to be no different. I saw this band live in summer of 2009, and they were amazing! The energy they convey in their music came through in their live performance, and they truly loved working the crowd. This single looks to be another hit for Cage, sitting pretty at #3 on the Alternative chart. 2011 should be big for them!
OK Go - White Knuckles
What a funky tune here. Another single from OK Go, with yet another amazing video to go with it! This band is just pushing the envelope for entertaining and ground breaking videos. Check it out if you haven't seen it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHlJODYBLKs
Two Door Cinema Club - Something Good Can Work
This very talented and highly entertaining Nothern Irish group released their debut album, Tourist History, last year. The record was mixed by Phillipe Zdar, who also ran the boards for Phoenix on their smash hit 2009 album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix; so if you hear a similarity thats where it comes from! If you liked that awesome record, you'll love this one by Two Door Cinema Club! This next single is starting to get the ball rolling for them hopefully, picking up moderate rotation around the country. It's catchy vocals and jangling guitars are like candy to the ears. I hope this band catches on! Matter of fact, I'm going to see them tomorrow night here in Boston with Tokyo Police Club. To say I'm excited would be an understatement!
Hugo - 99 Problems
A hilarious, yet catchy and earnest cover of Jay-Z's "99 Problems" is making lots of noise on the alternative rock scene, who knew? The folky guitar with the folk singing of the Jay-Z lyrics makes for a breakout hit.
Middle Class Rut - New Low
One of my favorite singles right now! I can listen to this one over and over. The punk rock-influenced guitars and blue collar attitude really put this one over the edge. An equally inspiring video to go with it, too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5GYOsKLp6o
This Sacramento duo I feel I need to check out more from, this is great! This track is in high rotation on KROQ Los Angeles right now, among many other stations. Also climbing the charts right now sitting this week at #16.
Foster the People - Pumped Up Kicks
One person on here (I believe it was Radiojomo) made a post about him hearing this song on KROQ. I hadn't heard it yet, so I went to check it out on youtube. I was then promptly blown away. This song rocks! "All the other kids with the pumped up kicks / You better run, better run, faster than my bullet!" ;D KROQ is all over this one, as noted before and on the youtube page. Good to see they are pushing this Los Angeles band, like they used to with others in their heydey. I assume other stations will follow suit with this track.
My Chemical Romance - Sing
Second single from the new album. While I felt the first single, "Na Na Na" was fun in itself, I also feel "Sing" may do a lot better than the former did. It's currently at number 6 on the Alternative Billboard charts this week. With a light piano intro, along with a few synth notes here and there, along with Gerard Way's massive vocals on the powerful chorus, this could almost be mistaken for a Muse single! Very different from their other material. I do like.
Fitz & the Tantrums - MoneyGrabber
Like something out of 60's Motown! The Los Angeles band Fitz & the Tantrums call their music "soul-influenced indie pop". You can certainly hear that on "MoneyGrabber", this one is an uplifting, funky, dance floor ready tune. You will find yourself singing it once you hear it! Of course, the more adventurous alt stations are all over it. WFNX, CD 102.5, Radio 94.7, 96.5 The Buzz, Radio 104.5 and WEQX all have it in rotation.