Winter has been hard, Good People. I know. I know. Well, I would if I didn’t live in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Don’t hate me.

The world has been blanketed in white, which was pretty at first. But, it got old real fast.  Some of you have had to tunnel your way to the car, or from it, sometimes using nothing but your ice-crusted mittens to do so. You have suffered that thing when you step into deep snow and it gets in your boots and soaks your socks.

Old Man Winter is a jerk.

Things (hopefully!) are getting green where you are, and a new and lush season of spring has by now sprung in your neck of the desert. If not, then maybe all you need are some new tunes to warm up your world while you wait! Well, as is becoming a custom around here at The ‘Bin, I have just the thing; a list of new songs from acts across the musical spectrum and the world.

New music is like the sunshine and April-ish showers for the soul. Drink it in, Good People!

Take a look! Or more accurately – a listen!

“Love Me Now I’m Dead” by Dan Peters & The Volatyles

Starting things off is a blast of vintage-style garage punk from Western Australia – Dan Peters & The Volatyles. This single is sourced from their newest record Everything Is Calmer Underwater. The song touches on a common theme – trying to become someone for someone else, and losing yourself in the process. Any chance of that theme being a drippy and sensitive ballad is banished here, folks. The record will be launched at the end of the month.

You can join other fans at the Dan Peters & The Volatyles Facebook page.

“Extra Day” by The Living Statues

The Living Statues hail from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, trading in a brand of punk pop that is packed with raw energy while also being mindful of pop hooks. The song is featured on the band’s Knockin’ EP, listed as the “darkest” sounding track, and full of “sexual motivations and feverish undertones”. No wonder the band have been listed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel as one of “6 Wisconsin Bands to Watch for 2015”.

Learn more about them at longlivethestatues.com

“Voodoo” by Double Lined Minority

Power pop dynamics with grungey punk wattage are the immediate forces that you’ll notice at work in this song by Gold Coast, Australia’s Double Lined Minority. This one is the follow-up single to last year’s “White Flag” single, also featured on their sophomore EP Caught In The Ceasefire. The EP is a five track overview of the band’s capacity for layered and hook-laden tunes made for live crowds and radio play. As things get warmer here in this hemisphere, this tune from the other one could define your spring soundtrack.

For more information, check out the Double Lined Minority profile on Australia’s Triple J.

“Kings & Queens” by Grace Hartrey

Grace Hartrey of Cardiff in Wales brings together the energy of pop and the seasoned texture of folk into one appealing package. Hartrey is late of LIPA, that’s Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts co-founded by one Paul McCartney. Hartrey had been writing songs for a while in Cardiff before honing her craft in Liverpool. This tune is bursting with pop hooks, yet also characterized by organic and warm textures found in the best of folk traditions. This is Hartrey’s debut single, the first of many I’m guessing.

You can follow Grace Hartrey on Twitter for upcoming recordings and dates.

“Something I Said” by Side Saddle

Continung in the traditions of pop music that carries that organic appeal that also deals in appealing hooks, New York based folk-indie pop band Side Saddle presents this single as taken from their recent album The Astorian, their debut full length. The band are inspired by classic singer-songwriter traditions as presented in an ensemble format, with vocal harmonies and instrumental interplay up front. This song is full of jangly energy making the whole thing that much more fun, down to earth, and yet expansive at the same time.

You can learn more about the band at sidesaddlemusic.tumblr.com

“Addicted” by Jesse Malin

D Generation singer, solo artist, and seasoned collaborator other artists that include Ryan Adams, Jesse Malin presents a new song here with a roots rock feel imbued with the spirit of late ’70s Stiff Records somewhere in there, too. His easy hand with songwriting and dynamic presentation underpins music that demands your attention, fully evident here. The song is taken from his newest album New York Before The War, his first solo record in five years, not including his stints with other outfits. You can expect that record on March 31, 2015.

Learn more about Jesse Malin and about the new record at jessemalin.com.

“All You Do” by The Highway

If stoner rock and gritty and greasy jam rock is your thing, Brooklyn NY-based The Highway brings it. This track is sourced from their most recent effort Enter To Exit, their second. The group formed a decade ago, brought together by their mutual love of psychedelic rock music and pioneering roots rock, as well as an affinity for a James Brown-inspired interlocked groove. Listen to them stretch out on this one as the buds begin to blossom.

Join other fans for discussion and info on The Highway Facebook page.

“Shine Like Lightning” Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors 

When a new season begins, it’s often time for some anthemic roots rock to help us get a jump on a new season. This is what you’re getting with Nashville Tennessee-based ensemble Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors with this track which is featured on their newest record, Medicine. This song is full of optimism, designed for flowing out of car radios, and making understandable headway on the Billboard charts. The band has been on tour, including a date at the legendary Ryman Theatre in their home town of Nashville, with dates stretching into April.

Make sure and keep up to date by visiting drewholcomb.com.

“Criminal” by The Division Men

If your tastes range more toward the spookier, murder ballad folk end of the Americana spectrum ala Nick Cave and  Johnny Cash, then this tune by Berlin, Germany formed, and now Austin Texas-based outfit The Division Men is right up your alley. This song is taken from their album Under The Gun, a work described as darkly romantic and ethereal. The band is made up of a husband and wife team, both hailing from Texas, and with collaborators in many locales – hence the band name.

You can learn more about them at divisionmen.com.

“Stitches” by Language Of Shapes

All the way from South Korea comes Language of Shapes, dealing in a unique brand of avant-psych “neo-futuristic folk pop”. This song is their new single as featured on their latest record Mother Mountain. The band use western and eastern instruments to create an amalgam of world beat meets post punk atmospheres. Their sound reflects the backgrounds and influences of the members, some of whom are ex-pat teachers, with an attempt to break through musical barriers to create a wholly original 21st century musical form.

You can learn more about Language of Shapes on Facebook.

“Stars” by SeaWitches

Liverpool’s SeaWitches carry the torch of that subterranean post punk guitar sound that made the North West of Britain such a rich region for exciting and innovative pop music across the decades. This song is their newest single which carries that echoey and atmospheric quality that makes that post-punk jangle such a timeless pop ingredient. Formed in 2007 as a duo, the SeaWitches is now a quartet, hailed as one of the most exciting bands on the scene in Liverpool.

You can follow SeaWitches on Twitter.

“Safety” by Jasia

For more post-punk atmosphere with the feel of an expansive film soundtrack, Jasia has created a haunting and textured treat. Based in Australia, Jasia is a 23-year old producer, trained in violin, guitar, and voice, and interested in bringing the worlds of real instruments together with production and electronics. The result is an accessible and densely layered excursion that touches on ambient and indie rock all at once.

You can follow Jasia on Twitter.

“City On An Island” by The Bright Smoke

Into every spring day, a night must fall. When that happens, turn to the moody minimalist noir-rock of duo The Bright Smoke. This is a single to anticipate their upcoming LP Terrible Towns, bringing together the talents of  vocalist, pianist, and guitarist Mia Wilson, and her musical partner Quincy Ledbetter on guitar, bass, and piano. The song is a lament of late night conversations of art, money, and luck that has drawn comparisons to Cat Power, PJ Harvey, and Patti Smith, to which I’d add a dash of Cowboy Junkies. The new album is due out on May 5, 2015.

Get caught up with the band at thebrightsmoke.com

“Sunday” by I Us & We

For some luxuriant dream pop for spring, here’s a slice from the three Doverspike brothers, travelling under the name I Us & We. This is a single as taken from the upcoming EP Mono which is due out on April 6, 2015. Based in California, the band deals in chilled synthpop aesthetics with a touch of R&B just under the surface, all coming out of the collaboration between the three brothers and recorded in their home studio to affect an ethereal and impressionistic aural imprint.

For more information, check out I Us & We on Twitter.

“Wait” by Wyland

 

To end this list of spring-worthy tunefulness comes the radio friendly indie-pop of New Jersey’s Wyland. This song, full of hope and grandeur that it is and bursting with youthful optimism, is taken from the band’s recent EP You’re In The World Get Off Your Feet. Wyland are set to begin touring as spring commences, leading up to their presence at SXSW this year. Meanwhile, if you’re looking for an anthem to a better season, then this is it.

For more information, check out this article about Wyland.

***

As the flowers find  their way to the surface this spring, I hope the above will provide you with the soundtrack for a fruitful time of year. In the meantime, which of the above are your favourites? What new bands and artists are rocking your world right now that should have made this list?

Tell me about it in the comments section, Good People!

And as always,

Enjoy!