Look, we know we throw a lot of new music at you. We also know that not everyone who comes to this site has the time to be as involved with or informed about the local scene as maybe they’d like to be. So for those casual readers who either can’t or have no interest in keeping up with the parade of artists we try to cover, who may not know the difference between Bitter and Biters, we have created our TRIPLE THREAT feature. The premise is simple: Every Friday our writers will put their heads together and come up with three tracks that grabbed our attention over that week. Then we tell you why the songs are great and worth listening to. That’s it. Maybe some weeks we’ll have a guest commentator come in and share their favorites, but the format will always remain the same: three songs, some words, and we out. Enjoy.
Credit: Jimmy Johnston
Ruby Velle & the Soulphonics – “Broken Woman”
From the upcoming LP, State of All Things
The new track from Ruby Velle & the Soulphonics will still get the requisite number of Amy Winehouse comparisons, but the ensemble chart new territory on “Broken Woman” while making studio collaboration look like child’s play. Throughout the track, Velle and company augment their trademark slinky R&B with futuristic psychedelia. The result is a funk-laden cosmic tune which, rather than obscure the emotional tenderness of the song, frames the intense poeticism of the lyrics front and center. – Russell Rockwell
More Info
Web: rubyvelleandthesoulphonics.com
Facebook: @Soulphonics
Instagram: @rubyvelleandthesoulphonics
SoundCloud: @ruby-velle
Twitter: @TheSoulphonics
Credit: Casey Instagram
Casey – “Another Day”
From the standalone single
I’m down for a good mystery, sure. No, don’t send an unsolved murder case, or anything involving gore and blood. What concerns me now is the commonplace, the domestic, the gaps between opposite genders that we still can’t quite articulate. Unwarranted glares, eyes that undress, the paralyzing anxiety to prove our self-worth outside of what others see in us—the questions lie in not why do men corner women in these ways, but how to speak up about them. There’s also the mystery of how singers that loosely slot into R&B can somehow address and elevate those incommunicable interstices, so that they exist as more than invisible qualms. And that, ladies and gents, is how I’ve fallen in with Casey, an enigmatic singer who’s sunk herself in decisively soulful territory. With the woozy midnight vibes of ABRA, but the sultry sexual politics of FKA Twigs, “Another Day” compels us to empathize with the woman who feels less like a woman and more like an object to dress and undress. No doubt, Casey’s cool demeanor in the light of such internal turmoil is utterly intoxicating, and you bet I’d be keen to read more about this mystery, if she plots to drop a proper set of songs soon. – Lee Adcock
More Info
Instagram: @13casey
SoundCloud: @casenasty
Wieuca – “Friendster” (feat. Faye Webster)
From the upcoming EP, Local Celebrity
While Athens’ Wieuca have proven themselves adept at mining abstract gems out of hazy psych rock and glimmering pop, it’s the music’s underlying melancholy and palpable sense of dread that I find most compelling. Considering their hometown, it’s only natural the band would focus on the existential when so much of the population is transient and growing up usually means growing apart. And “Friendster,” while replete with sparkling synths, euphoric grooves, and Faye Webster’s beguiling vocals, pushes that anxious fear and longing to the forefront before sweeping it aside with soothing promises and affirmations of loyalty. Despite the many obstacles and difficulties life throws at you, Wieuca assures you: “we’ll still be your friends.” – Guillermo Castro
Wieuca will perform on Sun., Dec. 31 at the 40 Watt alongside Monsoon and Mighty. Doors open at 8 p.m. Admission is $5. All Ages.
More Info
Web: wieucamusic.com
Bandcamp: wieuca.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @wieucaband
Instagram: @wieucaath
SoundCloud: @wieuca
Twitter: @WieucaATH