Nada Surf and Dr. Dog return for a third week, along with other well-desereved reappearances from The The and Anna Erhard, on the A List this week. We welcome multiple new artists to our list, such as Phantogram and more!
Make sure to stay up to date with the latest and greatest songs carefully curated by your fellow music aficionados and delivered to you directly by our very own music director, Nils Illokken. Join Nils every Friday from 3 - 7p EST to hear this list and so much more.
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10. "Lithium (Nirvana Cover)" - Aloe Blacc
Aloe Blacc impresses us with his cover of Nirvana's hit track "Lithium", the second single off of his new EP, "Rock My Soul: Volume I", that recently released on June 7. It is filled with fresh, re-envisioned takes on timeless rock hits we all know and love. A memorable quote from Aloe's "Lithium" music video bio states: "although my artistic expression originated in hip-hop and soul, Nirvana has had as much of an influence on me as any other music from the '90s."
Aloe Blacc has been making music all his life, starting with rap songs at the age of 9. When he finally landed his deal with label Stones Throw, he released his first albums Shine Through (2006) and Good Things (2010). He later released Lift Your Spirit in 2014 and received a Grammy award nomination for Best R&B Album.
While Aloe does not have any upcoming shows listed, they can be requested here.
9. "Brain Freeze" - Everyone Says Hi
Everyone Says Hi grabs spot #9 this week with their very first single "Brain Freeze", released on April 29.
Nick Hodgson, former drummer and songwriter for indie rock band Kaiser Chiefs, is only a portion of the new group, joined by Pete Denton, Glenn Moule, Ben Gordon, and Tom Dawson. Hodgson left Kaiser Chiefs in 2012 and has been anything but bored, collaborating with other musicians like Dua Lipa and Mark Ronson. Everyone Says Hi also performed their first shows together at the beginning of June in Leeds, Hodgson's hometown, and London.
Everyone Says Hi released their latest single "Somebody Somewhere" on June 5, alongside a secondary release of "Brain Freeze." Both tracks go hand-in-hand, following the groove and flow of the guitar and vocals.
8. "Payback" - Aaron Frazer
Aaron Frazer is back again at #8, first appearing in the same spot just two short weeks ago with his new beat-heavy tune, "Payback". "Payback" was released on April 10 alongside another track, "Into The Blue". His upcoming and second album, Into The Blue, will release on June 28. His first album, Introducing..., was released in 2021.
Aaron Frazer begins his Into the Blue tour in September, playing shows in both the U.S. and Europe. His closest show will be in Indianapolis at HI-FI on September 21, a few short weeks before touring in his native city of Baltimore on October 8 at Ottobar. Other tour dates can be found here.
7. "U Should Not Be Doing That" - Amyl and The Sniffers
Amyl and The Sniffers has us rocking out for the second week in a row with "U Should Not Be Doing That", their newest music since 2021. The single, released on May 21, is paired with partnering track, "Facts".
Their music video features an appearance from Steven Ogg. You may be wondering why he looks vaguely familiar. If you're a video game fan, you already know - he's the voice and motion picture actor of Trevor Phillips from GTA V (2013). While it is unclear how Ogg and the band know each other, he tells Rage in a recent article that he is, “inspired by and grateful to be involved with the beautiful fire energy of Amy and the beautiful band”.
Amyl and The Sniffers are scheduled to play in Louisville on July 31 at Mercury Ballroom and Indianapolis on August 1 at HI-FI. While no album has been announced yet, be sure to follow their socials to keep up to date with the latest info.
6. "Talk Is Cheap" - Dr. Dog
Dr. Dog's "Talk Is Cheap" is back for a third time after taking spot #1 last week. Other tracks from their latest single released on April 24 include "Tell Your Friends" and "Still Can't Believe", previewing their upcoming and self-titled album that is scheduled to release on July 19.
You may know them a bit extra from their track that exploded in popularity on Tiktok, "Where'd All the Time Go?", released in 2010. Dr. Dog is no stranger to the well-deserved attention, currently having over 5 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
Dr. Dog has two upcoming shows listed: their native city of Philadelphia on July 13 with Kevin Morby and The Teeth, and a sold out show on July 18 with Fruit Bats in Morrison, CO. It's likely more shows are to come after the album's release.
5. "Contact High (Feat. Miki & Faux Real)" - Metronomy
Metronomy mesmerizes us with "Contact High", featuring Miki and Faux Real. This fast-paced track is the first single off of their new EP that is scheduled to release on July 12. With their last album being from 2022, Posse EP Volume 2 is sure to be a treat.
"Contact High" is paired with two other tracks, "With Balance (feat. Naima Bock and Joshua Idehen)" and "Nice Town (feat. Pan Amsterdam). With all of the features in Metronomy's latest tracks, every song has a unique and special sound, showcasing the raw talent of every musician invovled.
4. "Botanical Garden" - Anna Erhard
Anna Erhard reserves spot #4 again this week with "Botanical Garden", released on March 29. She has since come out with more new music, releasing another single Spa on May 31, which includes tracks "Spa", "Botanical Garden" again, and a second new addition "170". All tracks sound vastly different, with "Botanical Garden" being the most up-beat and catchy.
Anna Erhard unfortunately does not have any U.S. dates scheduled for this year, but will be making her way around Europe from July through November, stopping in cities such as: Hamburg, Amsterdam, Leeds, Paris, and more.
3. "Cognitive Dissident" - The The
The The reels us in with their mysterious new track that released on May 17. This track is exceptionally important, giving a sneak peek into their latest album of new songs in a quarter of a century. Ensoulment is scheduled to release on September 6. The The goes into production details and the track listings here, while pre-ordering a physical copy of their new album is already available and can be found here.
The The will be on the Ensoulment Tour later this year, starting out strong with 3 straight sold out shows in England. They will be making their way to the U.S. in October, playing their first show in Atlanta on the 11th at Tabernacle. They will also be stopping in Detroit on October 23 and Chicago on October 25. Various other dates can be found here.
2. "In Front of Me Now" - Nada Surf
Nada Surf holds strong at #2 for the third week in a row with their persevering and hopeful track, "In Front of Me Now". This is the first single from their upcoming album Moon Mirror, scheduled to release on September 13. Moon Mirror will be their first album since 2021's release, Cycle Through. Active since the 1990s, their sound has lightened over the years, but the feelings their lyrics evoke has remained.
Nada Surf (Matthew Caws, Daniel Lorca, and Ira Elliot) will be on the Moon Mirror tour this fall with special guest Office Dog, playing shows in their native city of New York City, Detroit, Chicago, Minneapolis, and more.
1. "All A Mystery" - Phantogram
Showing up at #1 on the A List is Phantogram's "All A Mystery", released on May 31. This catchy tune is the latest song from the band, with 4 years passing since their album, Ceremony, came out in 2020. Phantogram (Sarah Barthel and Josh Carter) have not yet announced any more singles or a new album, but we will be sure to let you know if they do!
The Greenwich-native duo will tag along for the North American portion of Kings of Leon's Can We Please Have Fun tour starting in August. They make their way to Cincinnnati on September 14 at The Andrew J Brady Music Center. Other stops include Nashville, Chicago, St. Louis, Cleveland and more!
Same time next week? Thanks for joining us for this week's A List!
Groovy! I love Dr.Dog