April was a busy month, not just with schoolwork (at least for me) but also with a lot of new exciting music coming out. Like I said in March, the year is getting started and keeps on getting better. Here are five of my favorite songs released this month.
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“Descent” by Fear of Men
UK romantic pop-rock band Fear of Men play a glossy and delicate melody in “Descent” that makes my heart swoon. Underneath it all, singer Jessica Weiss provides a greyer edge as she sings about lovers and their downfall. The combination makes “Descent” a sweet surrender that’s treacherous as it is blissful. If you’re a sucker for this sort of pop-rock, you can catch Fear of Men play at Soda Bar on May 9.
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“Girl” by Jamie xx
The last official single from Jamie xx, member of the indie slow-jam band The xx, was the walking-on-clouds steel-drum house track, “Far Nearer,” from 2011. Now, Jamie turns in an even more glorious house single, “Girl,” with drums hitting more crisp and the overall beat sounding edgier than before. The flip side of the single, “Sleep Sound,” is another cloudy head-banger worth your money.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIG7PVa8SS8]
“Do It Again” by Royksopp & Robyn
It’s been way too long since Robyn had a proper single out, not since her incredible “Body Talk” mini-albums from 2010. The Swedish pop star Robyn returns with Norwegian producer duo and fellow collaborator Royksopp for a new joint mini-album titled “Do It Again”. The two released the title track this month, and Robyn sings her heart out on some mighty electro-pop beat, not that far off from her great “Dancing on My Own”.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jSdTBGhDSg]
“Oxygen” by Swans
“Oxygen” might be the only Swans song I heard with a recognizable and, dare I say, catchy riff; the Swans songs I know beat a lone guitar chord to a pulp. But as usual, Swans play music on their own exciting terms, flailing about with some dissonant noise and putting it together just enough so you might recognize it as “rock music.” Swans release their new album “To Be Kind” later in May, and it’s going to blow minds, physically and mentally.
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“Don’t Tell Nobody” by Tink (ft. Jeremih)
Chicago rapper/singer Tink started the year well with her great January mixtape, “Winter’s Diary 2”, and she continues her hot streak with “Don’t Tell Nobody,” featuring Jeremih. In the new song, the two work well together as Tink confronts Jeremih about being unfaithful, while the latter tries to mend things to no avail. Tink also put out the collaborative track, “Want It,” with singer Kelela and producer DJ Dahi that you should check out.
Cool April albums as a bonus: “Quack” by Duck Sauce; “Becs” by Fennesz; “Loom” by Fear of Men; “Young Thugga Man LaFlare” by Gucci Mane & Young Thug; “Yahoo or the Highway” by Lockah; “Salad Days” by Mac DeMarco; “It’s Album Time” by Todd Terje; “With Light and With Love” by Woods
Photo courtesy of The Windish Agency
