PUBLIC – “One That I Want”: If you read the title of that track and you thought of the track from Grease, you might be too old for this track. I kid… but have you glanced at the predominant age group of fans of twenty one pilots and Walk the Moon (two bands PUBLIC has a lengthy history with). I don’t see PUBLIC ever truly abandoning their rock roots though, as their chemistry and groove truly thrives the most in that context. “One That I Want” marries pop and rock at its best, staying hip with what the young (and old—but mostly young) masses want.

Same Girls – “Domino”: This is the sort of gritty fuzz rock track I love—noisy and not at all polished, yet really cohesive at the same time. The bit of mystery in the track as a whole, combined with the rapid-fire approach the song takes with all of its elements is really enjoyable. This band is probably coming to a basement or dive bar near you—I have a hard time imagining this music working elsewhere, to be honest. And that’s not a bad thing.

Far Shores – “Shade”: If Fever Fever went dream-pop, this might be the result. The vibe is dancey, dreamy, cinematic, and even a bit tropical at times—shout out to the unexpected, but entirely appropriate appearance of djembe drums (or maybe they’re bongos) around the time of the bridge. This feels like one of those tracks from the late 80s/early 90s popularized in dance clubs and sports arenas, only modernized and made less corny.

EELIZAA – “First”: The YEP (Young Entertainment Professionals) group of Nashville has introduced me, an Ohioan, to many quality people over the past year and a half. We have yet to cross paths in IRL, but one cyber-connection was a certain Emily Hefta, who has impressed me with her willingness to share vulnerability and discuss tough topics in a straightforward yet classy way. “First” is the debut single of her pop alter ego EELIZAA. It’s a heavy hitter. It’s not the pop single you’re used to hearing from the Nashville scene. The song is easy to digest, but the structure is complex. It’s an interesting juxtaposition of beats and vocal declaration that serve to bring the listener to a conclusion that EELIZAA isn’t to be messed with.

The Secret featuring Louise Vertigo – “A L’écoute”: This is the sort of track where I wish I was driving on the outskirts of the city in my car, in the dark, instead of listening through earbuds. Virtually nothing is known publicly about the artist known as The Secret. This artist’s music is a good candidate for placement in a movie, possibly in a scene like the one I set a few sentences ago. The protagonist sits in his car, blue hues of a highway lights briefly lighting up his face in regular intervals as he pensively ponders events perhaps earlier in the evening. The vocalist Louise Vertigo brings further personality to the song, adding emphasis to the ideas brought forth by The Secret. You may listen to the song here.

All of these songs and more are in our “New and Nifty” playlist, which can be seen below. Follow it!