New music is a constant, with premium and exclusive-baiting streaming services popping up left and right (hear about the new SoundCloud ‘Go’ service?), and social media is a blizzard of mixtape-pushing indie kids and would-be superstars. But sorting through it all is madness, a time-sucking aural minefield.
We’re here to help. We’ve pulled contributions from our music writers from around the world to bring you a killer weekly mixtape playlist. Here’s how it works – each week we’ll deliver a handful of must-listen tracks, most of them new, some of them classics, all of them awesome. This week’s compilation brings new tracks from Moonface, Atlas Bound, The Dandy Warhols, Fantastic Negrito and more.
As always, keep up with our weekly new music finds as they arrive by subscribing to the Crave New Music Playlist on Spotify – and check out our killer New Music mixtapes from previous weeks.
Moonface, Sinaii – ‘Risto’s Riff’
Moonface, the moniker assumed by Canadian singer-songwriter Spencer Krug, has yet again collaborated with Finnish rock band Sinaii for the album My Best Human Face, with ‘Risto’s Riff’ being the first cut from the upcoming LP.
The track moves along at a blistering pace, its titular riff remaining unimpeded while Krug lays his best Ian McCulloch falsetto atop it. There is really no better way to kickstart your week than to put on a piece of music that feels like a sustained attack on your eardrums, and ‘Risto’s Riff’ fits that bill nicely.
– Paul Tamburro, UK Editor
The Dandy Warhols – ‘STYGGO’
You may have left The Dandy Warhols behind way back around the early 2000s, but even though the band never quite managed to replicate the breakthrough success of “Bohemian Like You,” their latest LP Distortland highlights how the passing of time has scarcely affected Courtney Taylor-Taylor & co.
This is either comforting or marginally depressing, depending upon your point of view, but the album’s standout track “STYGGO” is indicative of how eminently listenable they continue to be. A gentle, blissful journey back to the advent of the 21st century, “STYGGO” makes me thankful that 15 years of drastic and often troubling evolution in the music industry have slipped by the Warhols unnoticed.
– Paul Tamburro, UK Editor
Atlas Bound – ‘Lullaby’
Atlas Bound have taken a smooth direction on their latest release. Not that there wasn’t an inherent smoothness in their previous releases, it’s just that there’s an newfound silkiness to Lullaby, that showcases Adrian Kalic and Will Taylor’s knack for crafting soulful, electronic sounds with heartwarming melodies. The production is light and warm, and Taylor manages somehow to make mumbling damn sexy with his gentle crooning. I guess it was all in the song name.
Highly suggested for your make out playlist. It’s already at the top of mine.
– Nastassia Baroni, Crave Australia Editor
Fantastic Negrito – ‘In The Pines’
Crave was proud to exclusively premiere Fantastic Negrito’s “In The Pines” performance this week, a spine-tingling taste from the next “Transmissions” installment ahead of its official 4/12 release. It’s a new way to skin the beloved old folk staple from the 1870s, made famous by blues legend Leadbelly, who recorded several versions in the 1940s. Kurt Cobain took that ball and ran like hell with it during Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged performance in 1993.
The tremendously skilled Oakland native slips a knife into a beautiful classic and twists it perfectly to his own flavor. This one requires attention and full volume.
– Johnny Firecloud, Crave Music Editor
Dominic Talarico – ‘Mystery’
Another fresh slice of neon sensuality from Sydney’s own Dominic Talarico, with the singer/songwriter exploring some more Sebastian and Kavinsky-esque sounds harking back to the amazing soundtrack for Drive and leaving behind his new age r’n’b sensibilities. Dreamy synth stabs and driving percussion underscore Dominic’s effortless crooning and emotive inflections.
Once again teaming with production wunderkind Tyler James Burrows and sounding like some strange middle ground between Sebastien Tellier and Antony & The Johnstons, Mystery along with Seeds Of Doubt see Talarico striking out in a bold new direction that’s as exciting as it is nostalgic.
– Micheal Carr, Crave Australia Writer
Bonus: Gone is Gone – ‘Violescent’ (tease)
Mastodon singer/bassist Troy Sanders, QOTSA guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen, At the Drive-In drummer Tony Hajjar and multi-instrumentalist Mike Zarin have started a new project called Gone is Gone. By the sound of the first track-tease we’ve heard, this one’s going to be a mighty blast.
The first Gone is Gone show takes place April 27 at the Dragonfly in Los Angeles, with an EP slated to arrive in the summer via Rise/BMG.
