These days the music industry pumps such a continuous flow of new music that even the hippest of hipsters can have trouble keeping up. To stay off your phone for a day is to risk falling behind on the latest album release, the fire mixtape or the dopest music video featuring such and such, and such and such’s booty.
With the load of content that becomes available to consumers several times a day, it’s easy to forget the artists we used to jam to on repeat back when iPod’s were just music devices. For a trip back a few years, here’s a list of the newest releases from the past few months from musicians you completely forgot about.
Bastille – “Fake It”
Also known as “Not Pompeii,” Bastille’s newest single was released on July 27 and has already drawn close to two million plays on Spotify. An impressive start for being on the market for two weeks, but a failure when compared to the 376.6 million “Pompeii” plays.
It’s hard not to laugh during their newest song, as the lyrics read like Bastille’s acceptance of their fate as a One Hit Wonder.
“We can only do our best to recreate, don’t turn over, turn over the page, we should rip it straight out, then let’s try our very best to fake it.”
Fake it they did. The same tribal drums introduce the chorus and backup singers echo like ghosts as the front man, Dan Smith, wails his British wail to vague sentences that could be mistaken for poetry.
Norah Jones – “Carry On”
The single comes as a sweet taste from her forthcoming “Day Breaks” LP, set to release this October. It’s been three years since her last production–a team up with Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong – which is a necessary listen in itself.
Since that experiment in the folk genre, Jones returns with “Carry On” as most remember her: petting the keys of a grand piano and singing us into love, heartbreak and longing. The single was released with an accompanying music video, a three-minute cry fest of an aging couple slow dancing to Jones’ playing.
Relient K – “Air For Free”
Is everyone done crying? At least enough to read through the tears? Fair enough. The Christian rock band released their eighth studio album this past July, their first production since their last album, “Collapsible Lung” in 2013. The three-year gap between the two albums is forgivable since “Air For Free” contains a massive track list of 16 songs.
Set yourself a few breaks, however, as each song blends into the other with the same church choir piano, steady–if not boring–tempo and straightedge drum beats.
Between this album and the almost 75 songs that precede it, their 2004 album “Mmhmm” still reigns as the most energetic with their most popular songs “Be My Escape,” “My Girl’s Ex-Boyfriend” and “Who I am Hates Who I’ve Been.”
Third Eye Blind – “Cop vs. Phone Girl”
”Cop vs. Phone Girl” is Third Eye Blind’s first song in a year since the “Dopamine” album, and seven years since “Ursa Major” and is nothing less than a commentary on the current political issues of the country. The song tells the story of black student, Shakara, who pulls her phone out in class and suffers some serious consequence. “The teacher said get out of the class, ‘come on can I stay?’ To his shame, he said the call’s been made, I hear footsteps sounding eager of a cop that’s about to beat her”.
Singer Stephen Jenkins’ trademark tight, fluctuating rhyme scheme and contrasting backbeats serve as a more entertaining, emotional address to the issue of police protection (or lack thereof) than any talking head on a corporate news network can attempt to provide.
Honorable Mentions: Mana’s single “De Pies a Cabeza,” Shaggy’s single “That Love,” and as much surprise to you as it is to me, Kidz Bop is still a thing, releasing their 32nd pop music collection.
As a final note, Frank Ocean has yet to release his newest “Boys Don’t Cry” album.
Eric Vasquez may be reached at [email protected]
