Here’s five tracks as chosen by Josh Stewart, frontman of Australian Sunshine Coast garage pop outfit High Tropics.
[powerkit_row cols_nr=”2″][powerkit_col size=”7″]Sharon Van Etten – Our LoveOh man, this song tugs at the heartstrings. Her delivery is so delicate and the lyrics really fit perfectly with the overall instrumentation. Being so involved in recording and writing my own stuff it’s really changed the way I listen to music. A lot of the time I’m too competitive to enjoy anything in a similar vein to the music I make, but the first time I heard this song it was just so beautiful I couldn’t help but listen to it from any other position than a mega fan.
Foxygen – Shuggie
(Jonathan) Rado is one of my favourite producers, he’s worked on The Lemon Twigs’ and our boy Al Cam’s albums and a bunch of other gems, and I really hope I get to get in the studio with him someday. In an age where there are not many songs in the top 40 that have a note out of key or time, Foxygen are keeping it real.
Cage the Elephant – Ready To Let Go
Probably my favourite band kicking around at the moment. This song came out a couple of weeks ago so it’s pretty fresh in the playlist. It’s got all the usual Cage quirks to make you fall in love with it, hooks aplenty, and I can’t wait for their new album.
Parquet Courts – Wide Awake
This is my go-to jam for getting pumped up. It’s definitely more rhythmic than melodic and just radiates fun. The whole album is epic but this song in particular is a stand out for me… they actually played it on Ellen and it’s about as much fun as anyone can have playing live. A. Savage has always kind of reminded me of the singer from The Chocolate Watchband; they’ve got a similar vocal register and delivery; the comparisons shine through particularly brightly in this album.
The Dig – Nothing in This Town
When I first started High Tropics I licensed out some songs to this indie label in LA, I didn’t really know much about them at all except for The Dig were on their roster, and well, that was good enough for me. If you’re thinking about packing up shop and getting the heck outta dodge, this song is for you, but let me warn you, it’s highly infectious, so be careful.
