Every once in a while, it’s always good to take a step back and admire all of the amazing music that’s being created as these words are being written. We have the honor of listening and advocating for all of the great music being crafted by our roster of working musicians, and we wanted to share some recent tracks that have been blowing our minds. We went around and asked our staff what they we’re currently listening to and compiled a list of 5 tracks that you should check out today. Enjoy.
1. “Metal Masks” by Key Losers
Packed with fun flutters of saxophone, there’s bongo, there’s light and pretty “oohs” in the back. Diverse song, and fun. Pretty laid back and calming, atmospheric. Gives the imagery of hanging out at a party, where the music isn’t really the focus but really sets the vibe.
“‘Metal Masks‘ has the most mystical use of saxophone I’ve heard in years,” says Artist Relations, Brandon Day. “Key Losers nailed it with this one.”
2. “Cocoon” by XOLO
Dreamy, surfy. Soft billowing riffs, hazy + whispery vocals female vocals. Very simple and melodic, catchy but not upbeat, pretty laid back and calm. Vocals are kind of soft and vulnerable, but the riff is pretty bright. Brings montages to mind and also water, like the beach or the poolside. There are little flecks of detail that show up in the layers–the repetitive synthesizer line that just runs up and down under everything at random times.
“‘Cocoon‘ mixes shoegaze and dream-pop elements that bring to mind golden hour at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park in Big Sur,” says Artist Relations, Brandon Day. “The melodies cascade onto a dreamy beach made of synth shimmers – not unlike the McWay waterfall does in Big Sur.”
3. “Warehouse Fire” by True Ripper
Slick and well-arranged. Perfect for some computer hacker montage during an 80s film, or a slow motion video of a spider creeping up on something. There’s something kind of mysterious about it, but it’s also very upbeat with building and driving beats.
“I love “Warehouse Fire” for its dark, menacing, industrial vibes,” says Jr. Producer, Katy Davidson. “Dystopia never sounded so fun.”
4. “Setting Up Time” by The Weather
Super youthful and rebellious feeling with handclaps, fuzzy, and grungy riffs. Very, very driving and fast-paced. Love the shakers and the background “hey!”s. Anthemic track all around.
“’Setting Up Time‘ blends the immediacy and cadence of ‘Life’s Rich Pageant’-era REM with the intensity of an indie-rock pep-rally,” says Music Supervisor, Ron Lewis.
5. “Toad Lick” by East Forest
Bright and curious, it’s all harp and beats and some light strings. The harp is really out at the forefront and there’s an intricate beauty to it. Lots of layers to check out with floating melodies. Frog ribbits at the end keep the curious/kind of goofiness/fun vibes going on.
“‘Toad Lick’ by East Forest is a totally enchanting track with a fascinating balance of delicate instrumentation and smooth electronic elements,” Community Ambassador, Bob Werner says. “It’s catchy and texturally interesting enough to hold it’s own, but also has a sort of perfect locomotion and tiny revelatory moments that are great for working with picture. For any film that evokes a sense of curiosity or wonder but still maintains a high degree of refinement ‘Toad Lick’ could be a perfect fit.”