British R&B singer Pip Millett pays homage to Otis Redding with her newest single, “Try a Little Tenderness.” The cover retains the soul and spunk of the original while bringing in modern sonic elements that nestle it firmly in the 21st century. Millett swaps Redding’s horns and piano for a heavy bass line and a soft, clapping hi-hat that groove behind her vocals. Smooth and sure, Millet’s voice is the standout element of this song. It’s got a soul-appropriate swing that feels effortless as it carries you from one verse to the next, and her crooning, lo-fi cadence, which feels a little bit indie, hooks you onto her every word. The lyrics stay true to the original, though the fact that they’re being sung by a young woman — the subject of the song — turns the meaning on its head in a great way. “Try a Little Tenderness” is beautiful and deceptive in its simplicity, and it’s only the sixth song Millett has ever released. We can’t wait to see what’s next from her.

Before you even hit play, the title of "Come By Sunday" will accurately give away the essence of this song. Easy like a Sunday morning and twinged with the nostalgic sound Major Murphy has come to master, this love song bares semblance to the folk classics. "Come By Sunday" shows us a side of a slow, down-beat song that's more picturesque and loving than sad, much like Simon & Garfunkel's legendary tunes. "I think we can go a whole long way together / Remember where we've been," frontman Jacob Bullard sings. After their debut album released this year, the band decided to pay homage to their past by releasing an EP of bedroom recordings from a time where Bullard was still honing his sound and songwriting craft. Named after the house the EP was written and recorded at, the Lafayette EP holds warmth and history within it, which is beautifully seen in its first single.

"Labor Fruit" by NYC-based indie-pop duo, Birch is out today! Listening to "Labor Fruit" feels like one insanely gratifying deep breath. The etherial quality to the music production and to singer-songwriter Michelle Birsky's voice creates a very calm inquisitive approach to a very noteworthy subject matter. We've stood here once before / It didn't go so well / We stood at the door / Knocked down the door/ Let's push down the door. / The song looks back on the feminist movement of the past and reflects on where we are today. It's about coming up against adversity and questioning whether or not you can keep on fighting. Be on the look out for Birch's debut LP femme.one coming early 2019. In the meantime see Birch live with Eyal Hai & Friend Roulette at Elsewhere on 11/17!

Nashville's Frances Cone recently released their new and noteworthy single, "Wide Awake" off of their upcoming album Late Riser. The song mixes different elements from soft-pop to electro and infuses it into one synth-filled emotional track. As Christina Cone sings the chorus the breathy echos and harmonies fill up the airwaves and resemble a mosaic, each separate piece beautifully fitting together to make a work of art. It's no doubt that her vast musical background expanding from classical music to popular music has helped her create a clear vision for her own music. Together Christina Cone and Andrew Doherty create Frances Cone's enchanting and innovative soul pop sound. Be sure to check out our Buzzsession with them from back in March and stay tuned for their new album Late Riser out early next year!

We all have an imaginary place of escape. A setting that lies somewhere in between make-believe and a place we’ve actually been. It’s nearly impossible to jot down or sketch on paper. This perfect place exists nowhere besides in our own heads. French producer, Zimmer, and Sydney-based singer Panama’s recent collaboration, “Wildflowers” takes a different approach to this very concept. Instead of aiming to tell us exactly what each of their made-up settings might look like, they tell us what it feels like to enter that abstract space. The track seethes with astral textures, layered synths and lavish yet earthy percussion. It cultivates an ideal balance between rich, maximalist production and a stripped-down sound that evolves organically with each passing moment. “Wildflowers” is feeling like you’re walking barefoot on a warm, cloud-like surface only to look down and realize you’ve been walking on cold concrete with heavy boots. It’s racing towards a feeling of deep exhilaration while sitting still. Have a listen and re-enter that place.

Ginger Root, aka Cameron Lew, released his third album Mahjong Room this past June. The last track on the work, "Ohio," is a nod to the oldies which initially inspired Lew to begin making music. Although the work can be defined as indie bedroom pop, what largely sets the album apart is the soul influence heard throughout each of the songs. "Ohio" manages to compress all of these songs into two and a half minutes of indie soul pop, with a sound similar to a mix between Vulfpeck and Stevie Wonder. Lew, a film major turned rock star, performs the majority of the instruments on the track, while also doing the engineering, mixing, and mastering. For an artists so clearly dedicated to precision, “Ohio” is a laid back song with a vocal hook that seems to float over the sounds that he is creating.

Even during the most illogically cold autumn days, Elujay knows how to warm the soul. "Little Thangs" is a classic display of funk and soul, driven by a deep bass line and the Oakland, CA singer’s definitive swagger. The song’s ear worm bridge and hook — a shameless declaration to coming over late to chill — would sound right at home on the latest albums of other modern R&B hybrids such as The Internet or Buddy. There’s a familiarity in Elujay's romanticism and warm vocals that is immediately inviting. But it’s the verses in between that add a refreshing depth to the number, as Elujay details an imperfect relationship full of escalated moods, outside temptations and late night reconciliations over voicemail. He makes it known that there are no lasting, euphoric proclamations of love without also learning to celebrate the tiny, sometimes infuriating human details that define who we are...the little things.

Certain performers possess a kind of earnest delivery — one that meets our ears in a deeply harmonious manner and allows us to better understand both the world and ourselves. Portland musician, Katherine Paul aka Black Belt Eagle Scout is one of those artists, and her debut album, Mother of My Children belongs to that rare breed. The record is a reflection of self/identity, loss, and what it means to belong to a place and a people whose face has been tainted over time. What does it mean to grow up within a group that so genially protects Mother Earth, when society has inflicted so much harm onto it? How do you identify as a member of this community when you too are constantly evolving? 

The third single off the album, “Indians Never Die,” probes these kinds of questions. Paul transforms anguish into something powerfully eternal. When she cries out, “Do you ever notice what’s around you? / When it’s all there, in the wake of you,” she is declaring the immortality of her people. Even though her ancestors don’t physically live forever, the customs and teachings they passed down are boundless. “Indians Never Die” works to reshape the way many of us think of heritage, identity, and human connection. The track is anchored by one ceaselessly repeated phrase, “wastin’ away.” It is through the unfeigned repetition of these two words that we can begin to understand why Indians never die.

COTE, the project of Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Taryn Randall, has released a new single bound to leave you feeling warmer on these cold fall days. “Meet Me in the Morning” is a song which we have given the responsibility of holding onto warmer weather sweetness. The work begins with a soft acoustic guitar, low bass and a sharp drum beat, and is later picked up with the plucking of an electric guitar accompanied by Randall's witty lyrics. As her voice gets higher and more instruments begin to enter the song, the tune becomes increasingly popp-y. In this way, Randall is rocking us into a very catchy and uplifting indie bop, taking over the room with a happy go lucky nature. The songs is soft and jovial in nature, putting a smile on our faces during these dreary late fall days.

The Vernes aren’t growing up without a fight. The Philadelphia band's newest album, Maybe I’ll Feel Better When I’m Dead, is practically a coming-of-age tale — filled with lyrics about still living at home, fond moments of nostalgia and panic at the fact that things just aren’t as good as they used to be. The opening title track sets the stage immediately, as it only takes a minute for the band to confess: “Some things never change / But I don’t feel the same / And I don’t feel a thing,” before coming to the conclusion that “maybe I’ll feel better when I’m dead.” Although there lyrics lean towards the melancholy and even morbid, the track's arrangement betrays the band's words. The guitars are soaring and insanely catchy; these are the sounds of an indie band prepared to fill stadiums. If their newest project is any indication, they aren’t far off.

In “Unravel,” Los Angeles husband-and-wife folk duo Jim and Sam imagine an ancient drum machine and put to it the words of their deepest insecurities. “I’ve got secrets / Too big / To hide under floorboards in my head,” they worry together, placing these skeletons, too large for their floor, firmly in their closet. In a panicky chorus, we see Jim and Sam “unraveling, unraveling,” and we expect the song to swing in the same direction, but the locomotive of a beat never lets up. And it is this unrelenting normalcy of the outside world that makes our inner quirks seem so irreconcilable in the first place. “But I / Convinced / Myself of this,” they sing, an admission that maybe it isn’t so strange to be so strange. When they ignore the rest of the world and all of its external pressures and definitions and expectations, as they do in the striking final chorus, there is a magic that just the two of them share. It's clear that each of them has found someone just as broken as themself, and it’s not strange, it’s beautiful.