Doves - “Carousels”

“Carousels” is the newest single from Manchester, England’s, Doves, and what they consider to be a “Mission Statement” representing where the band is today after an 11-year hiatus. The instrumentation combines an array of sounds which collectively deliver a sonic symphony, all based around the amazing drum sample by the late Tony Allen. The band calls it “a reminiscence of times we’d go to places like North Wales on holiday as kids. Places where you had your first experience of sound systems and music being played really loud.”

The Go! Team - “Cookie Scene”

The Go! Team’s new track is a playfully breezy call back to children’s playground songs like double dutch or paddy cake that utilized rhythm and synergy, and a nod to female-fronted groups from two different eras. “The stripped back swinging percussion of ‘Iko Iko’ by the Dixie Cups and the loud crunchy shaker in Salt-n-Pepa’s ‘Push It’ were both inspirations,” according to vocalist Ian Parton. “I wanted to mix the street corner with the intergalactic, to take Detroit to outer space.” The additions of Detroit rapper Indigo Yaj and the joyful sounds of the flute hook courtesy of Sarah Hayes tie the song together. It’ll be included on a 7″ limited edition vinyl release from Memphis Industries in October.

Janelle Monáe - “Turntables”

Janelle Monáe comes at us with a new single that hits hard with a message of revolutionary change.

The track was made for the documentary on voter suppression called “All In: The Fight for Democracy”, which features Stacy Abrams and is being released from Amazon Studios. “We are changing things. The tables are turning. The rooster has come home to roost. So this song is capturing direction,” according to Monáe. In this song, she’s stripped down her multi-layered approach and ops for a marching rhythm as a back beat. This sound of an approaching army and her confident vocals deliver a statement of what some may see as rage but in reality reflects the inevitability of change, saying “we aren’t asking for anything, we’re taking it.”