Spring, dare I say it, has finally sprung and who better to get a bunch of wholesome springtime essential tracks from a band that literally put out a song called ‘Bloom‘? Enter, The Paper Kites.
PEDESTRIAN.TV had a chat with guitarist Dave Powys (a man who once had a moustache that you can set your watch to) about his favourite music for a season that’s all about reemergence, regeneration, and renewal. Check ’em out below and maybe you’ll find yourself a new fave.
Queens Of The Breakers – Barr Brothers
Perfect for the start of your road trip playlist. The Barr Brothers scratch me where right where I itch. This song sounds full of hope and possibility to me, with a side serve of ‘good to be alive’.
One Trick Ponies – Kurt Vile
I fell in love with this song, listening to Kurt’s rough mixes while playing shuffleboard on lazy spring afternoons in Bridgeport. Sound like sunshine, beer and in-jokes to me.
IDGAF – Sam Evian
This song is sun-soaked and playful to me. Forget your worries, laze in a park and look up at the sky and the birds the trees.
Tell Me – Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
Miss Sharon Jones left us too early, but this song still puts a smile on my face and makes any situation better. So much feel and sass, that it rubs off and makes me feel like such a groovy cat.
Sun’s Out – Hoops
I recall walking through Central Park in New York listening to this song and watching baseball amongst the blossom trees. So many people full of expectation for the spring. This song sounds like new things and sunshine.
As always, I just had to check in with the PTV team to see what they’re blasting in their headphones day in day out, and tbh I’ve been listening to l,ittle else but Queen and ASMR videos for the last two weeks so good lord this is refreshing.
What The Devil – Easy Street
I saw Easy Street at the King St Crawl by accident – they absolutely blitzed the front bar of Bank Hotel with an amazing set and really tight harmonies. Honestly the crowd grew to the point where I thought I might suffocate – they’re one to watch if you’re ~that guy~ who likes to be onto the next big thing before they’re the next big thing. Also, they’re all unequivocally hot babes, so…
Melissa Mason, Senior Style & Features Editor
Ocean Breeze – Kbit
Hailing from Melbourne, Kbit produces some of the smoothest, silkiest synthwave tunes getting around at the moment. The standout track, ‘Ocean Breeze‘, brings a modern feel to a sound that’s absolutely dripping with 80s nostalgia.
If you’re into artists like Timecop1983, Com Truise, or just like to bop along to cruisy electronic beats, please do yourself a favour and give Kbit a whirl.
Matt Hopkins, Tech & Gaming Editor
Bringing The House Down – CLOVES
This 22 y/o babe was a contestant on The Voice Australia. She didn’t win reckon rekon that did her some good. She seems to have honed in on her style and has made some great tracks since. Her new album, One Big Nothing, is fantastic. She reminds me a bit of Lana Del Ray, a bit Meg Mac, Leon-esque. She’s great. Give her some love.
Georgia Turner, Office Manager
Grub – Totally Unicorn
If you’re into super thrashy hardcore that just sounds like it’d be a sweaty party, mate how are you not already into Totally Unicorn? Their live shows are notoriously riotous – the one that’s seared into my memory was in the front bar at Vic On The Park, which included band members scaling the walls, confetti canons, and lead singer Drew in tie-dyed y-front undies.
‘Grub‘ is their newest single and while it maintains that classic TU sound of a hundred cats fighting or maybe a rat king or something equally as fucked and chaotic, it’s got this underlying groove that weevils into your brain and festers there, like a grub.
Courtney Fry, Music & Culture Editor
MIA – Drake & Bad Bunny
If it’s not in Spanish well it’s not a summer BOP. Move over Mi Gente feat. Yonce, MIA is the new latin flava we all need. Good for pretending you can salsa dance, acting like it’s not raining heavily in the middle of spring, or for lovers of singing Drake and Reggaeton.
Alessandro Zotti, Junior Producer
Invisible Cities – Planéte
I found this a couple of weeks ago doing some digging for a radio show I do and immediately fell in love with it. For the faint of heart there’s a 4-minute radio edit of the same piece, but to properly experience this thing I would recommend going the full 18 minutes.
It’s both incredibly relaxed and really danceable at the same time, so good for whether you’re sitting at work or hitting the end of an evening. Dude’s from Melbourne too, so you get a lil extra karma for supporting ya local.
Jack Colquhoun, Project Coordinator
Washing Machine Heart – Mitski
Honestly, I’ve been listening to the entire new Mitski album, Be the Cowboy, on repeat since it dropped back in August. ‘Washing Machine Heart‘ and ‘Old Friend‘ are real highlights for me, putting aside the dynamic singles like ‘Nobody‘. ‘Washing Machine Heart‘ in particular takes everything I really like about the Japanese-American Mitski from her 2016 breakout Puberty 2 and condenses it into two minutes of catchy af feels.
The synth line makes it just weird enough, and danceable enough, but with an emotional backbone – the feeling of being single and a bit lonely in your mid-20s: “Why not me?” Too real. “Toss your dirty shoes in my washing machine heart, baby, bang it up inside. I’m not wearing my usual lipstick, I thought maybe we would kiss tonight.” What a fkn evocative image.
Hannah Story, Freelance Writer
