It’s time for Your First Listen, where we show you songs you need to discover this week!
This Indie88 feature is presented with Bay Bloor Radio.
Each week we feature five remarkable songs that you need to hear on Your First Listen on air. In case you miss them on air, you can catch up on the weekly tracks right here. Your First Listen airs every day on Indie88 beginning at 10 a.m.
Online, we expand the list with a couple more tunes. This week, we’ve gotten some amazing fresh cuts from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soccer Mommy and Magdalena Bay, Sloan, Daphni, and more.
Check out 10 songs you need to discover this week below.
Red Hot Chili Peppers – “Tippa My Tongue”
Red Hot Chili Peppers have shared a video for their new single, “Tippa My Tongue.” The track serves as the first single from their forthcoming album, Return of the Dream Canteen, out October 14th. The track is a funk-rock anthem with some classic guitar riffs. Lyrically, frontman Anthony Kiedis delivers lines like, “We’ve only just begun/ Funky monks are on the run/ Gonna, gonna, gonna get you with the tippa my tongue.”
Soccer Mommy – “Shotgun (Magdalena Bay remix)”
Magdalena Bay has remixed Soccer Mommy’s Sometimes, Forever track, “Shotgun.” While the original version of “Shotgun” was a soft ballad, Magdalena Bay have transformed it into a glitchy, pulsing anthem. Offering up their quintessential hyperpop sound to the tune, the Los Angeles Duo have turned the single into an hypnotizing, otherworldy electronic bop.
Sloan – “Scratch The Surface”
Canadian indie-rockers Sloan have shared their first music video in ten years, which is for their new track, “Scratch The Surface.” “We haven’t done a video per se since ‘Unkind’ from The Double Cross, which was over 10 years ago and we thought it was time we came up with some new visuals because, let’s face it, we look pretty good,” Chris Murphy explains. “Sloan crew and friend that requires I pay him, Haris Cehajic was bringing his drown to Sloan shows and taking this great footage and I insisted we could make a cool video for ‘Scratch the Surface’ using the drone.”
Daphni – “Mania”
Caribou’s Dan Snaith is back with a new single as Daphni called “Mania.” The track comes from his forthcoming album, Cherry, out October 7th via Jiaolong. “Mania” is a driven house jam, with pulsing, gritty electronics. Throughout the song, Daphni offers up some propulsive techno melodies and gurgling synths. With funky sensibilities and dance-worthy instrumentals, the track is definitely a must-listen.
The Beths – “Knees Deep”
The Beths are back with a video for their new single, “Knees Deep.” The track comes from their forthcoming album, Expert In A Dying Field, out September 16th via Carpark Records. “Knees Deep” was actually a last-minute contribution to the album, but it features a pretty killer guitar line from guitarist Jonathan Pearce. The accompanying video follows the band heading to band practice, as members sneak out to jump off of a bridge.
The Interrupters – “Raised By Wolves”
Earlier this month, The Interrupters returned with their empowering new single, “Raised By Wolves.” “In my formative years, I grew up with a lot of turmoil and abuse in the house,” Aimee Interrupter explains. “I had no consistent parental figures to turn to and I couldn’t trust anyone. I ended up in a foster home and moved around a lot throughout my childhood. This set the stage for many missteps in my life. I truly feel that I was raised by wolves… in the wild. This song is me coming to terms with that and forgiving those who I expected to be there for me, while also forgiving myself.”
Coin – “Brad Pitt”
Nashville synth-pop outfit Coin have made our Your First Listen rotation with “Brad Pitt.” The track comes from their most recent album, Uncanny Valley. “‘Brad Pitt’ was definitely one of the songs that felt uncomfortable at first,” guitarist Joe Memmel explains. “But then we just kept massaging and trying different things, and eventually what seemed risky turned into something that felt so right.”
JAWNY feat. Beck – “take it back”
JAWNY recruited Beck for a new collaborative version of “take it back.” “I think it’s no secret that Beck has been a giant influence on me,” JAWNY says. “Getting to work with him on this record was nothing short of a full circle moment. Having him on the song and being able to play it live together was more than I could have ever imagined.”
Steve Lacy – “Bad Habit”
Steve Lacy’s Gemini Rights track “Bad Habit” has taken the internet by storm. It’s a dreamy tune with rollicking instrumentals, as Steve Lacy laments over not making a move with someone. With hazy guitars, catchy vocal lines, and driven percussion, you’ll find yourself revisiting this laidback tune again and again. Lyrically, Lacy delivers lines like, “I bite my tongue, it’s a bad habit/ Kinda mad that I didn’t take a stab at it/ Thought you were too good for me, my dear/ Never gave me time of day, my dear/ It’s okay, things happen for reasons that I think are sure.”
Bishop Briggs – “Revolution”
Singer-songwriter Bishop Briggs shared an explosive single, “Revolution,” this summer. “‘Revolution’ is the answer to my feverish desire to find strength wherever I can amidst this painful time,” Briggs explains. “I have found it deeply healing to project power into my music even if I’m feeling powerless in my own life. My goal is for someone out there to hear this song and feel not only capable but invincible!””