After a two-week long hiatus, Tuesday Tunes is back to enrich your ears with glorious new music. Today’s edition includes a remastered old fan favorite by Shakey Graves, indie pop duo Sylvan Esso‘s latest, and an Alicia Keys track off of the soundtrack for Mira Nair’s upcoming film, “Queen of Katwe”.
Sylvan Esso – “Radio”
Sylvan Esso released “Radio” as a single shortly after announcing that they have a sophomore album on the way, to be coming out in 2017. Last year their hit song, “Coffee”, put them on indie-lovers’ radar due to the combination of its minimalistic, yet infectious, beat and Meath’s unique vocals. The juxtaposition of their bouncy, electronic instrumentals and her Americana voice works to create a blend of wonderful sounds that oddly complement each other very nicely. If you’re like pretty much everyone else on the planet and are fan of the “Stranger Things” soundtrack you’ll appreciate the intro sequence, which is infused with 80s inspired musical elements.
Shakey Graves – “Tomorrow”
If you’ve yet to listen to Alejandro Rose-Garcia (most commonly known as Shakey Graves), do yourself a favor and hop on that train right now. The fact that he’s from Austin, Texas is reason enough to check his stuff out! Although this isn’t necessarily a new song – it was actually released on Rose-Garcia’s 2013 album, Story of My Life – it was included in Dualtone’s recent 15 Years of Dualtone sampler alongside hits by The Lumineers, Ivan & Alyosha, and Drew Holocombe & The Neighbors. This soft tune highlights his croony voice and his knack for composing a set of some seriously powerful lyrics.
Alicia Keys – “Back to Life”
It is an indisputable fact that Alicia Keys is a queen and that anything her voice touches, by default, is gold. “Back to Life” is part of the soundtrack for the forthcoming Disney movie, Queen of Katwe. It starts off slow with a melancholic sound and takes an unexpected turn at around the 2 minute mark, where we’re immersed into a more upbeat, electronic feel. Keys’ vocals are outstanding, as per usual, but it’s refreshing to hear them paired with an instrumental that is a bit different from what she usually sings over. It goes to show that this woman can truly pull off anything.
The film, which is based on a true story, is the vibrant true story of a young girl from the streets of Uganda whose world rapidly changes when she is introduced to the game of chess starring David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong’o and newcomer Madina Nalwanga. Check out a cool featurette here and head over to the movies on September 23rd to experience Queen of Katwe!
Glass Animals – “Season 2 Episode 3”
This is definitely the groovy, dance-friendly pick of the week. The British babes from Glass Animals finally satisfied their fans’ cry for new material. The result, How to be a Human Being, is packed with eargasmic songs that don’t fall short of peanut butter vibes. This track is laced with funky video game loops that make you feel like you’re navigating through an 8-bit universe. It’s somewhat of an endearingly peculiar track with lyrics that are relatable to coming-of-age individuals worldwide:
“Leftover breakfast, cereal for lunch
She’s broken but she’s fun
My girl eats mayonnaise
From a jar while she’s gettin’ blazed”
Make sure to check out the rest of their album and if you have time to spare, get a load of the art direction of their music videos – it’s stellar.
