vintage pop

Jane Leo: “Goldmine”

Song of the Day has returned from vacation, and I can’t think of a better way to come back than with my favorite dance-pop group this city has to offer. We’ve been following the rise of Jane Leo since its origins, and since the last time we checked in with the duo, they supported indie group Cannons on what was Jane Leo’s first national tour; played a ton of music fests; and their single “Wow” landed in ads for both Google Pixel and Michael Kors.

Over the last year or so, they’ve breadcrumbed a few bangers, many leading to the release of their sophomore album Creature of Destruction, out September 19th. “Goldmine” is our last nugget before the album, and while it may be among the more subdued songs Jane Leo has released, it is still dripping with energy and that funky “Imma dance here in my own little circle, in my own little world” energy. Bouncy, sexy, and more vintage than much of what we’ve heard in the past, “Goldmine” is a cheeky reminder that even if you go to Jane Leo show to dance with one foot in the future, they’ve got plenty of tricks up their sleeve to subvert expectations without losing an ounce of their allure.

Jane Leo is hitting the road with indie duo New Constellations. That tour lands at Empire Control Room on Thursday, November 6th, and Jane Leo will return to Studio 1A on Thursday, September 11th.

Mae Powell: “Contact High”

Bay Area singer-songwriter Mae Powell‘s debut album on Karma Chief Records, Making Room for the Light, serves up a West-coast brand of vintage, pastel-colored, jazz-meets-indie-pop beauty akin to Atlanta’s Faye Webster. Her latest single “Contact High” has origins in conversations with Powell’s elderly neighbor about a song with the spirit of being high socially, but not outrightly about weed. A soundtrack to the get-together. Jazzy, groovy, and effortless, Powell does this faithfully, taking a step back in time to the days of sunken living rooms and flitting about in kaftans while you sip from that new exotic tiki drink that’s been all the rave.

“Contact High” is out now. Making Room for the Light is out August 15th.

M. Ross Perkins: “Spiritual Kick”

Dayton, Ohio’s M. Ross Perkins has an affinity for blending 60’s British Invasion music with the sounds of American pop standards with just enough of a contemporary veneer to let you know the sound is an homage to the time, not a hint to its release date.

His third album What’s the Matter, M Ross? Takes the introspective look the album title implies, making it his most existential and transcendental album to date. The album blends cosmic psych pop into the mix, sounding a bit like a Harry Nilsson-Gram Parsons-sometimes King Gizzard collaboration made for a nostalgic drive through Laurel Canyon.

What’s the Matter, M Ross? Is out May 2^nd.