This February was one of the biggest months for music. It had the Grammy’s, new Florence and The Machine music and some standout performances from the Oscars. Even with all of that going on, I was able to find and listen to a lot of really cool new music outside of the mainstream sphere. Some new artists crossed my radar that are innovating in classic genres and even covering huge pop songs with their own twist. Without further ado, here are my music recommendations from the month of February.
The first is Australian native Oliver Perry, better known by the moniker D.D Dumbo. His music is simply infused with looped sounds, guitar and his voice. But there is a large amount of complexity in his music, too. He pulls ideas from blues, like his cover of classic artist Roy Orbison’s “Crying,” while also incorporating a largely experimental aspect. His songs “Tropical Oceans” and “Alihukwe” truly encompass that experimental vibe while also feeling almost tribal. He currently has one EP out titled Tropical Oceans and I can’t wait for more.
Around the middle of this month, Passion Pit released two songs from their upcoming studio album, Kindred. I wouldn’t say I’m a huge Passion Pit fan, but their new stuff is great. “Lifted Up (1985)” definitely embodies the typical Passion Pit song, fun and energetic with loads of high-pitched vocals and celestial melodies. The real stand out is “Where The Sky Hangs.” Funky is the best way to describe it. It has a really groovy bass line that just makes me want to dance. These songs may just turn me into a huge Passion Pit fan.
On sort of a similar funky note, MisterWives released their first full-length album, Our Own House, featuring their hit, “Reflections.” It’s a pretty solid first album for them and I would have to say the title track, “Our Own House,” is my favorite. This big band style song has fun trumpet and saxophone licks, all with an upbeat and groovy guitar. They have a cool alternative rock, jazz vibe that helps them shine through. Lead singer Mandy Lee Duffy’s blowout voice helps this style immensely; she has a sort of spunky grit that makes for a really unique sound. I would highly recommend checking them out.
Overall, the coolest thing to happen this month in music was Third Story’s cover of Taylor Swift’s “Style.” If you haven’t heard of Third Story, they are a trio of some of the most amazing singers I’ve ever heard. They started out with their cover of Sam Smith’s “Not The Only One,” and luckily, we got a new video this month. They have extremely clean harmonies and great ideas in their remix of these popular songs. Their soulful rendition of “Style” feels like a completely different song than Swift’s original. And I hate to say it, but I like it better. Their voices mesh so well together, all they need is a guitar player and they make beautiful music. After hearing “Style” and “Not the Only One,” I’m antsy for more from Third Story.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uj26D-bZ4oo
On another note, Oh Wonder, a group I spoke about in last month’s recommendations, is pulling a cool promotional stunt. They are releasing a new song every month for a year, ending in September when they will release their first full-length album. This month, they released “Lose It,” a piano driven and snappy anthem to letting go and just feeling the music. Similarly, Marina and The Diamonds, who is doing the same promotional stunt dropped, “I’m A Ruin,” her ethereal hit that is the best Froot of The Month, which is the title of the monthly song release, thus far.
With that, I’m looking forward to next month’s singles from the both of them as well as all the other amazing music to come. I’m also still waiting to hear more about Florence and The Machine’s new music, and hopefully we get some sort of idea of Rihanna’s new work after her folk-like return in January. This month was pretty big, but I have a feeling March may top it.
http://open.spotify.com/user/dutastyjams/playlist/4ga1ga67e8ppp0fNMad277
