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George Harrison – “Sunshine Life For Me (Sail Away Raymond)”
New month, original Beatle (or two). Written by George Harrison and first recorded by Ringo Starr in 1973, this shanty-style song is largely informed by Irish folk music. This should come as no surprise; it was written in the Irish countryside where Harrison was staying with fellow megastar Donovan over one Easter holiday. The toe-tapping track made it onto Harrison’s 1973 release Living in the Material World, which has been re-mixed and re-released this year to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Click play for a familiar track with new warmth and depth. Plus, enjoy the delightful video visualizer to light your way.
SASAMI – “Just Be Friends”
Get personal with this will-she-or-won’t-she track from LA musician SASAMI. With confessional lyrics debating restarting a relationship that’s already imploded once, this indie-pop style track plays like a diary entry with a beat. And that seems to be the idea… SASAMI added captions to the visualizer video to ensure the lyrics are front and center. More solo music from the former Cherry Glazerr bandmate is on the way, with her third LP Blood On the Silver Screen set for release on Mar. 7, 2025.
Al-Qasar – “Kişisel İsa (Personal Jesus) (Feat. Sibel)”
Click into the unique pleasure of hearing a beloved classic track uniquely covered in an enlivening fresh take. Middle-eastern music collective Al-Qasar plucked Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus” out of the universal smash-single catalog and added their psychedelic “Arabian-fuzz” flair — performing the track’s iconic guitar notes on an electric saz and offering the lyrics in Turkish. Enjoy sensual vocals from Turkish folk-pop singer Sibel along with the evocative video for this excellently-rendered cover track.
Xeno & Oaklander – “VIA NEGATIVA (in the doorway light)”
The holiday spirit may have taken over at your local CVS, but for plenty of us, it’s still goth season. Lean in with this dark electronic track from cold-wave revivalists Xeno & Oaklander. The duo go hard with the holy trinity of synths, sequencers, and drum machines to create a sharp-edged musical experience that’s impossible to ignore. Coupled with the low-res/high-effects video visualizer — this track’s your moody escape from too much early-onset “merry and bright.”
Dorian Concept – “Cuchaule”
Did somebody say synths? This single from producer-composer Dorian Concept is practically a love-letter to them. As Dorian Concept, Oliver Thomas Johnson has played synth-keys with the likes of Flying Lotus, Kenny Beats, and Thundercat. Click play on this track to enjoy an elegant mishmash of keyboard taps and electronic wah-wahs that showcase the artist’s love for the machine(s). It’s no surprise then that the album, out this Friday Dec. 6, is titled Music From A Room Full Of Synths.