The last weekend in October is upon us, which means that Halloween is upon us as well. There's nothing scary about this week's Tune-Up, just 15 fresh tracks primed and ready for you to blare during your Halloween festivities. I dug a little deeper for the October 30 edition and found some gems from some new indie groups that you need to know about (or re-familiarize yourself with). The Tune-Up launches with the lovely Grimes and her new appropriately-titled-for-the-spooky-holiday single "Flesh Without Blood" off a long-awaited fourth album, Art Angel, which finally sees the light of day when it's released digitally on November 6. It's been three years since the Canadian synth-pop songstress issued her breakout, Visions, an album I still jam. Majical Cloudz delivered a new LP, Are You Alone, a deeply intimate and emotive work I've listened to several times and definitely worthy of some attention. It's the sort of album that needs to heard in its entirety to be fully appreciated. I chose "So Blue," a minimalist tune that sprinkles electronic keys in the shadows of Devon Welsh's earnest lyrics. Highly recommended. We have a Miike Snow sighting! The Swedish avant-pop trio has been in deep hibernation, and to be honest, I thought possibly disbanded. Thankfully they're back with "Heart Is Full," their first new material in three years. It's an ambitious song with soulful samples and hip-hop-style beat-hawking that pairs well with Andrew Wyatt's earnest crooning. Lookout for their new record, III, dropping sometime in 2016.
A new downtempo track, "Melt," from London duo Tender has sleeper tune written all over it. This little known group released a stellar EP, Armour, over a month ago. "Melt" is a smooth, sexy plea for loving with breathy-sighing vocals delivering verses like "I can show the way your body, body should be touched / Should be loved, let me watch your body melt into mine, down the line..." If you need something to soundtrack your late nights, Tender delivers electro-downtempo music with the best of them.
1. Grimes, "Flesh Without Blood"
2. Mutemath, "Used To"
3. Strange Talk, "Somthing's Bout to Change"
4. Majical Cloudz, "So Blue"
5. Neon Indian, "Dear Skorpio Magazine"
6. Duck House, "Closer"
7. Shabaam Sahdeeq, "Be About It"
8. The Code, "Azure"
9. Tender, "Melt"
10. Givers, "Sleeper Hold"
11. British Sea Power, "Once More Now"
12. Car Seat Headrest, "Something Soon"
13. Miike Snow, "Heart Is Full"
14. TOPS, "The Hollow Sound of the Morning Chimes"
15. EL VY, "Sad Case"