Music you may have missed
March 2019
Photo via Wikimedia Commons (Ileana n) under Creative Commons license
On March 28, alternative rock band Cage the Elephant released their first single since 2015, “Night Running.” The song features ‘90s alternative singer Beck and is very different than previous Cage the Elephant as it focuses more on electronic music rather than live instruments.
April 1, 2019
The month of March marks the start of spring and fortunately for us all, another month jam-packed full of music releases. With relatively few good releases in January and early February, new music is coming in full force with the warming of the temperatures. With a wide variety of genres, there are many amazing releases this month to kick off the spring season.
Early this March, alternative rock band Foster The People dropped yet another single with the release of “Style.” This song is very similar to previous Foster The People music and uses the same musical formula that earned them renown.
“Death Race For Love” – Juice WRLD (explicit)
On March 8, Chicago rap star Juice WRLD released his third album, “Death Race For Love.” Juice WRLD was the rap breakout star of 2018 with his debut album, “Armed and Dangerous.” After the popularity of this debut album, he quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the most listened to artists of last year, releasing multiple singles, one solo album, and one collab album with Atlanta rapper Future.
Combining dark, sad beats with deep, introspective lyrics about sadness and drugs, the music of Juice WRLD is not the happiest music to listen to. However, the profound metaphors behind his music are one of the reasons he’s become so popular over the last year. With this newest album, he continues this same style that gave him his popularity with his debut album early last year.
With a 22 song track list, there are many great songs on the new album. From the more upbeat songs “ON GOD” featuring Atlanta rap star Young Thug and “Out My Way” to the slower songs such as “Robbery,” there are a wide variety of songs on the album and the entire work is worth a listen.
“Night Running” – Cage the Elephant
On March 28, alternative rock band Cage the Elephant released their newest single “Night Running,” collaborating with legendary singer Beck. This release, along with two others this year are the first music releases since 2015 from the band out of Kentucky. With over five albums going back to 2009, Cage the Elephant is one of the most successful alternative rock groups of the 2010s. This new track proves their era is not yet over.
[T]he relaxed vocals of both Beck and Matt Shultz, the singer for Cage the Elephant, create a happy, feel-good song perfect for this spring.
— Staff Writer Luke Bennett
This newest single is much different than some of the bands previous music. Rather than relying on traditional rock instruments, such as guitar drums and keys, “Night Running” uses a lot more electronic background music and almost sounds more like a Beck song rather than one by Cage the Elephant. However, this change does not ruin the song, as the relaxed vocals of both Beck and Matt Shultz, the singer for Cage the Elephant, create a happy, feel-good song perfect for this spring.
“Style” – Foster the People
Early this month, alternative rock band Foster the People released their newest single “Style.” After gaining monumental success with their breakout hit “Pumped Up Kicks,” the band gained a lot of popularity, especially in the alternative rock world. While they may not have had many smashing radio successes since “Pumped Up Kicks,” they have gone on to release multiple singles and two full-length albums since their debut in 2011.
Much like their earlier works, this single features a catchy background beat with drums, keys, and guitar creating the music. Foster the People has always excelled at creating fun pop music with their quirky, edgy twist on it, and “Style” reflects this continuing tradition in their music. While the song is similar to previous Foster the People songs, they still provide listeners with a fresh tune that has them eagerly awaiting the next release.
