Last Week’s Jams, Today (11.14 – 11.18)

It’s that time of year when songs begin to dry up for some reason, as we’re all just expected to put our lives on hold to gather some lists for you to browse. Still, we managed to get some new tunes out your way, hoping to keep your eyes on the prize. I loved the new Spice World tune, and was fortunate to be able to run a video premiere for the latest from Shaki Tavi. We’ll likely still have a handful of tunes for you this week, but will likely take a little break ourselves to kick it with our families.

Elison Share Fruit Flies Single

I love the way the music Elison creates feels like its stuck between two worlds, which is often where I find myself as a listener. Their latest single toys with the more ethereal edges of dream pop, though only in the chorus, allowing the song’s clarity and pop affection to shine in the bubbly verses. You can’t stop tapping your feet, letting your toes dance inside your shoes, lost in the swirling hooks of the melodies here. Still, walking that fine line is where the band seem able to perfect their sound, flirting with listeners who love the dark corners just as much as we love an anthemic hook.

Last Week’s Jams, Today (1.3 – 1.7)

Well, we’re back at it folks, scrambling back into the new year, which feels an awful lot like the last year, except, well, there are new tunes. I didn’t go too overboard, as I was trying to get my feet underneath me for another semester, so we only had about 10 news jams, but unfortunately, only 9 are available via everyone’s least favorite streaming service. Most of these are brand new singles, with a heavy focus on the forthcoming Slumberland catalog, courtesy of Artsick and Kids on a Crime Spree, plus some of our favorites like Modern Nature, Nah… and Husbands reminded us what they’re all about. So, have it. Stream on!

Elison Release Hopes & Horoscopes Single

Last year everyone was raving about the Sharon/Angle single, and it definitely was a good jam; that same vibe of nostalgic radio pop comes into play when listening to Des Moines’ Elison…but with a twist. Elison, led by Marissa Kephart turn away from the expansive chorus and go for immediacy, dropping in a pure burst of pop rock, that takes the band closer towards a sound akin to Alvvays. So you get the best of both worlds by turning this one up; you can hold onto the broader brush strokes of indie rock and turn over to flirt with the indie pop side…and no matter what, you’ll be rewarded with this killer new single.