Five Songs You Should Hear Right Now: Hinds, Holly Miranda, Ivan & Alyosha, Boxed In, Matthew E White

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Hinds – “Between Cans”

Last summer, I wrote about a couple ladies from Spain with a catchy lo-fi pop sound.

They’ve since changed their name from Deers to Hinds and expanded to a quartet.

I heard great things about their SXSW appearances and recently saw a quote from Primal Scream’s Bobby Gilespie about their live show, saying “it’s like The Pastels meets Mink De Ville and has a real ramshackle joy to it.”

They recently played the Echo, a great double bill with Sonny and the Sunsets.

Highly recommended.

Ivan & Alyosha – “All This Wandering Around”

The first single from Seattle’s Ivan & Alyosha’s forthcoming record “It’s All Just Pretend” (May 5) is a stunner.

It was written in Nashville in just a few hours and they knew they had something special. A folk-pop jam about looking for connection and deeper meaning amidst our fast-paced existence.

Holly Miranda – “All I Want is To Be Your Girl”

LA singer Holly Miranda will have her next record released by local label Dangerbird Records and has unleashed a first single that starts with the head-turning lyrics “The days are shorter, but the nights are long. We could fuck in the sun and dance till dawn. All I want is to be your girl.”

Stereogum says the track is “a fascinating balance of country determination and lusty pop,” a description I love.

She’s been making music for 17 years and took off to Joshua Tree to write this record, which she calls “ the most honest thing I’ve ever made.”

Boxed In – “All Your Love Is Gone”

DJ Chris Muckley put Boxed In on my radar last fall. London’s Oli Bayston is a one-man band with a self-titled debut out at the end of March.

New Order immediately came to mind when I heard “All Your Love is Gone”, as it’s a synth pop number that manages to be hypnotic, danceable and pull on my heart strings.

Even though this is his first release, Bayston has been around the biz, working as an engineer for producer Dan Carey (Franz Ferdinand, Hot Chip) and playing keyboards on Willy Mason’s most recent LP. He also has his own studio where he’s worked on new material for Lianne La Havas and more.

Matthew E. White – “Rock & Roll Is Cold”

Anne Litt gave this track a spin during her live broadcast from SXSW and, as a fan of the Rolling Stones’ more country-fied songs, this is right up my alley.

The Richmond-based singer-songwriter infuses this ditty with a lot of boogie and swing, taking a bit from gospel, R&B and rock – all while singing his musings about each genre. It’s playful and fun.

His new album is out now on Domino.

RR