The Burning Ear’s October 2017 Spotify Playlist

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Fall is in the air – the nights are getting longer, the air is getting cooler, and holiday parties are officially underway. Which means you’re in dire need of great playlists to wow your friends and family with the newest & best music around. We’re happy to take some of that stress away by collecting our favorite tracks from the month and putting them in one handy Spotify playlist.

As always, don’t forget to follow The Burning Ear on Spotify to stay current with our picks from this month and months past. Bundle up and enjoy!

PREMIERE – Dr. Doctor – “Seventeen (Say The Words)”

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This may only be Dr. Doctor’s second single, but they’re already proving themselves as masters of the musical bait-and-switch. Everything about “Seventeen” is silky – the guitars, the gentle splash of the cymbals, and especially Ralph Torrefranca’s vocals. All those plush vibes make the heavy grooves of the instrumental bridge that much more powerful, like the not-unpelasant rush of someone nudging you just as you start to drift off. Paired with lyrics that bear repeat listens and contemplation, Dr. Doctor is primed to be your newest on-repeat band.

“Seventeen (Say The Words)” is available on iTunes, Spotify, and Bandcamp on October 17th. If you’re in Los Angeles, come out to Dr. Doctor’s single release show at The Hi Hat that night, presented by the mighty KROQ. Also playing are Royaljag, Sleeplust, and Young Creatures. Tickets available HERE.

 

PREMIERE – Shiffley – “Up & Down”

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It can be hard for bands without massive budgets to properly capture their live energy into recorded works. But this doesn’t seem to be a problem for Shiffley, whose single “Up & Down” is bursting with intensity. Shaune Killough’s toothy bass is a mechanical bull barely in your control as Alex Ganes’ vocal lines gallop along with indie-rock bluster, and Bryan Contreras locks it all together with tight, peppy drumming. Which is great, because it gives the synths (by Alex Jenks) a chance to get truly galactic, particularly in the final chorus before a well-deserved jam-out instrumental break. Be sure to finish your drink before this one comes on – you’ll want both hands free as you jump around like a maniac.

Some words from the band about the song:

“For us, “Up & Down” is about tension and release. It’s a song with patience that, at times, goes sinister. It came very naturally from a place of false indifference. The lyrics innocently inform themselves ultimately arriving at the conclusion, “I’m better off alone.” The instrumental build up at the end serves as a meditation on that thought.”

The Burning Ear’s September 2017 Spotify Playlist

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September’s a busy month – the start of school, the start of the fourth quarter, and the last big push before the year begins wrapping up in earnest. Vacation season is over, making it even harder to keep up with all the new music out there in the world. But never fear! We’re here to save the day with our comprehensive Spotify playlist, which collects nearly all of our choice tracks from the month in one convenient place. Share it with friends, family, coworkers, and anyone who appreciates great new music.

Remember that you don’t have to wait for us to post these – you can follow The Burning Ear on Spotify to listen to these playlists grow in real time.

PREMIERE – Shoffy – “Fake Friends (feat. Sidizen King)”

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We’re launched right into “Fake Friends” with an opening salvo from Sidizen King, whose blistering verse keeps up with the breakneck drum fill that accents the rest of the track. But when Shoffy grabs the mic, he’s no slouch – spitting lines like “I’ve got no more friends from L.A. / They just hang around to get paid”. What really works with “Fake Friends” is we can hear the hurt that these toxic relations have caused. There’s a tenderness, found in both the childlike chimes of the beat and also lyrics like “Rollin’ with my old crew, leave if I don’t know you”. Unfortunately for Shoffy, if he keeps releasing great songs like this, it might only encourage the fakes to keep coming out of the woodwork. But at least he’ll have a go-to anthem to shut them down.

The Burning Ear’s August 2017 Spotify Playlist

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I don’t know about you, but here in sunny California, it’s brutally hot. Lately, all I’ve been wanting to do is camp out by my air conditioner and listen to the coolest jams around. To minimize any lag-time between your icy-cold beats, why not queue up our collection of August’s frostiest tunes on Spotify? Then you can get back to thinking refreshing of places, like the beach or the freezer section at the grocery store.

Don’t forget to follow The Burning Ear on Spotify to stay up-to-date with all our chill picks.

The Burning Ear’s July 2017 Spotify Playlist

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I’m often guilty of listening to a song, loving it – and then forgetting it completely in the shuffle of everyday life. Sometimes I wonder how many potential new favorite songs I’ve lost this way. Here at The Burning Ear, we combat this entropy by collecting all our favorite tracks that are available on Spotify and  making a monthly playlist. Listen again to find the gems you may have missed and the anthems you forgot.

Stay current by following The Burning Ear on Spotify. Listen to past months and what we’re digging in the first days of August.

[PREMIERE] Rival Cavves – “Sauced”

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We’re big fans of Magic Bronson, so when we were sent the latest track by Rival Cavves – consisting of Magic Bronson’s Matthew Lieberman and Marissa Longstreet of SLUGS – we were intrigued. After a few listens, we were hooked. It’s hard to use The xx blueprint of male/female vocals atop guitar-laden electronic beats while managing to sound nothing like the indie behemoths. But Rival Cavves imbue their brand of indie-dance with plenty of Southern California sun, carving out their own unique corner of the spectrum. “Sauced” blurs the line between the intoxicating obsessions and miseries of a troubled romance as Longstreet’s distinctive vocals give edge to Lieberman’s dynamic production.

Get lost in “Sauced”.