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 Arctic Monkeys, The 1975, Gorillaz, The Beaches, and more.
Check out 7 songs you need to discover this week below.
Arctic Monkeys – “There’d Better Be a Mirrorball”
Arctic Monkeys will release their seventh studio album, The Car, on October 21, 2022. Earlier this week, the band shared the record’s opening cut, “There’d Better Be a Mirrorball,” and an accompanying video directed by frontman Alex Turner.
“The Car finds Arctic Monkeys running wild in a new and sumptuous musical landscape and contains some of the richest and most rewarding vocal performances of Alex Turner’s career,” reads an official release.
Gorillaz – “New Gold” (Feat. Tame Impala & Bootie Brown)
This week we welcomed news of a new Gorillaz album called Cracker Island, arriving February 24 via Parlophone. The record announcement arrived with a new single, “New Gold,” featuring Tame Impala and the Pharcyde’s Bootie Brown. The forthcoming album will also feature collaborations with Beck, Stevie Nicks, Bad Bunny, and Adeleye Omotayo.
LOONY – “First Thing Smokin'”
LOONY, aka Toronto’s Kira Huszar, today follows her 2021 debut releasee, soft thing, with “First Thing Smokin'”. The track blends elements of pop and RnB.
“I always get antsy when I’m away from home for too long,” the singer-songwriter said in a release. “I guess I get comfort out of being in close proximity to my family and friends. The day this song was written, a close friend of mine had found out that one of his family friends had just passed away back home. We were in LA. He hadn’t even known she was sick. It was heartbreaking. He was like ‘I would’ve done anything, I would’ve flown back in an instant, if I had known.. I had been meaning to go back home sometime soon just because, why didn’t I?’ And there was this chill in the room, ‘cause every single person in the studio that day resonated with that.”
The Beaches – “Orpheus”
Toronto’s The Beaches have returned with a new single, “Orpheus,” following their summer hit “Grow Up Tomorrow.” The new cut features dreamy synths and an uplifting beat, continuing a theme of the band embracing an indie-pop vibe to their sound. Similar to their previously-released single, The Beaches have incorporated new elements into their sound, drawing inspiration from the likes of Wet Leg, The Strokes, Olivia Rodrigo, and Wolf Alice.
“We’re not abandoning our rock ‘n ’roll roots, but for this next chapter of our career we wanted to take ourselves less seriously, have fun, and be less precious with the musical ideas we pursue,” the band said in a release.
The National – “Weird Goodbyes (featuring Bon Iver)”
The National and Bon Iver are certainly not strangers when it comes to collaboration, not to mention a heavily-lauded Taylor Swift connection. These two indie titans have teamed up once again for The National’s new single “Weird Goodbyes (featuring Bon Iver)”.
The 1975 – “I’m In Love With You”
The 1975 have shared a third song from their forthcoming release, Being Funny In A Foreign Language. “I’m In Love With You” is fairly straightforward, if not instantly catchy, poppy effort. The video, which features mimes portrayed by Matt Healy, also includes a cameo from the band’s friend Phoebe Bridgers at the end.
Titus Andronicus – “An Anomaly”
New Jersey punk rockers Titus Andronicus have shared yet another song from their upcoming album The Will To Live. Frontman Patrick Stickles had previously hinted at an approach described as Eliminator-era ZZ Top covering Silver Jews, and we gotta say they appear to be delivering on that. “An Anomaly” is an epic track, stretching out to a 7-minute runtime.
