How’s the summer going so far? Need something new to make the drive/joy/workout/dog walk? Try these recommendations.
1. Lovelytheband, Sail Away
Single (Happy Accident/The Orchard)
Recommended If You Like: Breezy alt-pop
A couple of weeks back at a music conference in Cleveland called The Gathering, I had a chance to see lovelytheband perform this single in front of a crowd for the very first time. Some members of the audience got a t-shirt that read “I saw lovelytheband perform ‘sail away’ for the first time and all I got was this t-shirt.” Clever marketing, no? Happy Accident is the band’s new indie label and has a partnership with a music tech company called Vydia. Sounds like there’s more interesting stuff to come.
2. The Happy Fits, Do Your Worst
Under the Shade of Green (AWAL)
RIYL: Bands with electric cellos
Speaking of that same conference in Cleveland, this band played a most-midnight set for us from which everyone walked away saying “These guys are really good!” The use of an electric cello (played by lead singer, the classically-trained Calvin Langman) really made them stand out both sonically and visually. Watch these guys.
3. POESY, Multiply
I Exist (RPM/Big Machine)
RIYL: Rock goddesses from the 80s and 90s
I’ve been an enthusiastic supporter of POESY since her Strange Little Girl single was released before the pandemic. POESY spent the last couple of years writing songs—more than a hundred, apparently—but when the organizers of the 2022 Canada Games asked if she’d write something for this year’s gathering, she went back and wrote this. The track was produced by Stephen Lipson, a guy who has worked with Billie Eilish.
4. Headstones, Tangled
Single (Known Accomplice/Cadence Recordings)
RIYL: When a band strips things down
After teasing new music for a while, The Headstones have returned with a track that takes things down a notch without losing any ferocity. Hugh Dillion—who has been busy with acting and producing gigs—still can’t figure out why people insist on making the same mistakes over and over again. Watch for more of the band throughout the rest of the year.
5. MONOWHALES, StuckintheMiddle
Tunnel Vision (LAB)
RIYL: Frustration and confusion
The world has been a weird place since the first COVID lockdowns in March 2020. Like everyone else, MONOWHALES was trapped in this weird world. This song—featuring lines like “I’m stuck in the middle/I’m chained like an animal.” This might be the darkest thing the band has ever done. Tunnel Vision, the band’s third album, will be out this fall.