With the long weekend coming up, how about some fresh tunes for the playlists you’re already probably creating? Here’s what the Five Songs list recommends this week.
1. Wisp, Pandora
Pandora EP (Interscope)
Recommended If You Like: Shoegaze
Shoegaze, the loud, fuzzy, and buzzy melodic sound that first appeared in the UK in the late 80s/early 90s was initially wiped off the map by the emergence of Madchester and Britpop. But it never really went away, living in the margins hoping for a revival. Given the sorts of songs I’m being pitched these days, that time might be now. Wisp, a 19-year-old TikToker (real name: Natalie Lu from San Franscico) has been embraced by a sizeable number of Gen Zers, as are other shoegazers. Let’s make it happen!
2. Mirador, Feels Like Gold
Single (Independent)
RIYL: Intriguing Greta Van Fleet news
Jake Kiszka, the guitarist for Greta Van Fleet, has formed a new band—or “collective,” as he prefers—with Chris Turpin of a duo called Ida Mae. Although they haven’t formally released anything yet, they’ve been opening for Greta Van Fleet on the current tour and fans have been posting songs like this one, which seems to be called Feels Like Gold. This all sounds quite promising.
3. Cage the Elephant, Metaverse
Neon Pill (RCA Records)
RIYL: Well, it’s Cage the Elephant, innit?
With a 45-date North American tour about to start June 20 (Canadian dates in Vancouver, Edmonton, Montreal, and Toronto), Cage the Elephant is ready with a new album that’s already given up two advance singles. The band considers this the first album that’s influence-free, a chance for the band to try new things. This one is over in a hair over two minutes.
4. Scenic Route to Alaska, Lasts Forever
Love Lasts Forever (Independent)
RIYL: Edmonton rock
This Edmonton trio has been working since 2011, winning a ton of local and national awards along the way. They’re now up to seven albums with this one recorded mostly live off the floor using the studio at the National Music Centre in Calgary while the vocals were recorded in the basement of one of the bandmembers.
5. Straightjacket, Bad Start
Single (Edgeout/Universal)
RIYL: Pandemic bands
With nothing to do in 2020 during the depths of the pandemic, these three guys formed a band to see if they could make anything happen. The result is something that sounds somewhere between blink-182 and Green Day with a touch of The Killers, Arctic Monkeys, and Third Eye Blind thrown in.
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