Welcome to 2021.
We may have taken a brief hiatus from New Music Friday for the holidays, but now that we are officially into 2021 we are back and ready to bless your ears with some of the hottest new tunes of the new year.
So while the news may be hectic and the year is already feeling overwhelming, take a moment to sit back, relax, and allow yourself to get lost in the music.
You can check out our full list of picks for the first 8 days of 2021 now below, and be sure to check out our growing January playlist, linked at the bottom.
Stay safe and Happy New Year, everyone!
“Focus Up” by The Neighbourhood Watch
The Neighbourhood Watch are kicking 2021 off with a brand new single that is reminding us to “Focus Up.”
Following the band’s sophomore album Goodbye Childhood, which helped gain the Canadian natives quite some traction in 2019, this week’s “Focus Up” gives fans a much needed escape from reality while also validating their “selfish” life choices.
An indie rock track about growing up and battling the hardships that come with making the right choices for yourself- especially when they aren’t always the easiest- the new single is an upbeat lesson in setting goals, following through, and learning how to put yourself first.
Show casing the band’s growth since their fast paced beginnings, “Focus Up” is the perfect look into what’s to come from The Neighbourhood Watch-providing us with their first single from the upcoming LP Lost in Bloom, out February 4th.
“Flames” by MOD SUN (feat. Avril Lavigne)
One of the most recognizable voices of our generation has collaborated with one of the industry’s rising icons and it could not be a better end to our week. You read that right everyone, MOD SUN and the mother f*cking princess Avril Lavigne have officially united for the brand new single “Flames.”
A pop meets rock soaked in hip-hop influence, “Flames” navigates the emotions that come with being fully invested in someone- even though the relationship has pattered out. With powerful, harmonic vocals coming from both artists adding an extra emotional layer to the already potent lyrics, the new song showcases the best of both MOD SUN and Lavigne.
And as happy as we are for this duo to be collaborating, MOD SUN is just as stoked.
“Avril Lavigne has one of my favorite voices in music. It’s so strong and confident, yet filled with emotion and one-of-a-kind inflections that only her voice can do,” the musician shared. “This song holds a lot more weight than meets the eye. There’s a very deep message within it.”
California based indie band Carpool Tunnel are giving us both a new single and a good chuckle with the release of their new music video and song “Flora.”
Channeling the cool California surfer vibes of the 60s and 70s, along with a well melded mix of modern rock elements, Carpool Tunnel have brought some much needed feel good vibes into 2021- helping us shake off the 2020 blues and take some much needed time to recharge.
Through “Flora,” which is the latest single from the band’s upcoming album Bloom, Carpool Tunnel use gentle vocals and repetitive lyrics to remind listener’s to be easy on themselves and to go with the flow. With a very soft but driving guitar keeping the track moving, the song makes you want to put the best intentions into the year and helps us feel a bit refreshed, which is much needed after this past week.
“Flora is here to remind you that no matter how grim life may seem, there will always be sparks of light, love, and hope as long as we are open to them…then it is up to us to decide how large that spark grows,” the band shared.
And if that isn’t enough reason to check “Flora” out, the song also debuted alongside a new music video that showcases the band and their comedic struggle to avoid getting a dreaded parking ticket. A very relatable mishap.
A new track that sounds like it came straight from an 80s film, “Minus Nine,” is the latest single by solo artist Michael Gilbride- best known by his stage name, telco.
A lighter and more optimistic track than telco’s previous releases, “Minus Nine” is about taking a look at your life and beginning to figure out where you want to go from your current point. With a soft, pulsing keyboard and fluctuating instrumentals that leave you feeling as though you’re on the path to success, the track makes listener’s reevaluate their own paths and those who may be in the way of their goals. Including places or people you may need to leave behind in order to pursue your passions, telco channels his own experiences with personal growth after quitting his previous work to work on music full time.
“‘Minus Nine’ struggles with the loneliness that often accompanies the pursuit of your dreams,” the artist shared. “[The song] takes the same themes of love and loneliness [from my last release] and places it in a completely new sonic environment that is open and optimistic.”
Perhaps the cutest release of the week, “Raina” is the newest single by indie darlings The Vaughns.
Created as an ode to love and partnership, “Raina” was written by frontwoman Anna Lies about her partner, Raina, and the impact she has had on her life.
With smooth acoustic strumming, a light but steady percussion beat and an orchestral section that takes this track to the full indie rom-com soundtrack level towards the end, “Raina” showcases the band’s musicianship as well as Lie’s elegant vocals. Soft and delicate yet full of emotion and ready to serenade you whenever you need.
A perfect “glimpse of sun” for this less than ideal week, this single also marks the second single from the band’s upcoming EP rom-coms & take-out, and leaves us even more excited to hear the rest.
“I Don’t Wanna” (Live) by America Part Two
We have all experienced situations where we just don’t want to do something. Whether it’s going out with someone, being friends with someone, or simply not wanting to be objectified by strangers- we can all relate to the ideas behind America Part Two’s single “I Don’t Wanna.”
The band’s first release of the year, “I Don’t Wanna” is a punchy rock track that will hype you up and make you ready to fight off anyone you “don’t wanna” be around.
Heavily inspired by the idea of objectification and social pressures that come with being a young adult, America Part Two wrote the track to remind listeners that it’s okay to say no and that they’ve been there with them.
“The harsh beams of a predatory gaze are dehumanizing,” the band shared. “’I Don’t Wanna’ questions consent, self-worth & a sick culture of abuse. It is the every day story of someone who simply does not want to fuck you.”
You should never be forced into a situation you don’t want to be in, but this song will help you feel heard if you ever are.
One of our favorite and the most distinct vocal styling of the week comes from solo artist Devan, who is giving us another look into her upcoming EP with the debut of today’s single “Night Drives.”
The fourth song to come off of next month’s Pink Noise, “Night Drives” is a smooth pop meets R&B sound that follows the singer on a long nighttime drive through the city where she finds herself rethinking every part of her life.
Using the song to share her experience losing track of time while being out on the road- something nearly all drivers can relate to- the track transports listener’s back to their own days of new relationships or love turned bad that makes you want to hit the open road and drive for hours to clear your head.
With a dream-like aesthetic, “Night Drives” is the perfect song for your own aimless voyages and leaves us even more ready for the full Pink Noise debut.
If there is one thing that we deeply miss that we lost in 2020, it is the presence of live events. Whether that be going to concerts, attending sporting events, or getting down at a club- 2020 lacked some of the best parts of being alive and relieving stress. So now, going into 2021- we are amped and ready to get any assemblance of that feeling back, which luckily for us, is present in the latest single by Slic.
Released today, “Party Music,” is a pulsing nightclub anthem that is all about letting loose and dancing your heart out as your favorite song comes on at a club. Inspired by Slic’s love of dancing and Djing, the track is heavily influenced by the musician’s upbringing in the South Beach club scene.
With simplistic but unique vocals, and a heavy electronic presence- the track transports us right back to being in a dark club with the music turned up louder than our inner thoughts, “Party Music” is our first glimpse at a hopefully better 2021, and we are ready to play it all weekend long.
You can stream all of our New Music Friday picks now, and be sure to check out our ever-growing January 2021 playlist, linked below.
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