1. HIT EM WHERE IT HURTS by PawPaw Rod
An artist’s debut track is one of the most defining releases of their careers, and it's been a while since I've heard one as intriguing as PawPaw Rod’s first single HIT EM WHERE IT HURTS. The LA-based artist released the song via Godmode (an artist development company) as a part of the their Hot Sauce series, which showcases the “outer limits of pop, rap, and crossover music.”
There’s such an addictive, funky flow to the wobbly bass and beat of the song, and PawPaw Rod's unique vocal delivery completes the package.
2. Anywhere by BabyJake
In my few weeks of exploring BabyJake’s music so far, my biggest takeaway is how impressively he's able to bounce between genres. From emotionally-wound ballads like Blue Cellophane to electro dance beats like MadHappySad and Confidant, he’s got quite a few standalone tunes that quickly got stuck in my head.
A little off the beaten track is Anywhere, the firework of a closer on his debut EP Don’t give me problems, give me wine, which arrived this past summer. When asked once about his favourite song on the project, he said: “Anywhere is fucking crazy, I can’t believe it’s me. Still to this day, wow. This would’ve slapped if it dropped in the 70’s. It’s more of a sleeper nowadays because it’s not upbeat, but it’s all live instruments and I really fuck with the sound.” I really fuck with it too.
3. Happy Sad by Ocean Alley
Praised as some of Australia’s finest, Ocean Alley has racked up an impressive anthology of memorable hits in the 9 years since their debut. The 6-piece band makes music in some genre sphere between psych-surf rock and reggae, never failing to deliver intense vocals and powerful guitar solos.
My most recent favourite of theirs is Happy Sad, described by the band as one of the “backbone songs” of their 2018 album Chiaroscuro. It has all of the slow build and passionate outburst that I love of Ocean Alley's sound, with the cherry on top of perfectly existential bits of humour. “Well I’m happy, but I’m also sad / ‘Cause I liked her smile, but the sex was bad” – how could you not get hooked by that kind of opening line?
4. Feet Off The Ground by Brent Cobb, Jade Bird
I’ve never been a fan of country music (quite the opposite to be honest) but Jade Bird’s voice has made for an exception here and there. The U.K. singer always brings such a unique fire to her songs, and the story behind this particular new discovery – her 2019 duet with Brent Cobb, Feet Off The Ground – is especially cool.
In 2017 around the time that Cobb was writing with Bird, he was approached by none other than Bradley Cooper, who himself was hard at work on his 2018 film A Star is Born and looking for a host of artists to collaborate with on the project. As Cooper explained his ideas for the movie and characters, Cobb knew that Feet Off The Ground and its sentiment of all-consuming love would be a perfect fit.
The rest is history – and of course Feet Off The Ground was ultimately not chosen as one of the film’s few duets. Still, it’s a gorgeous song.
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