Words by Ryan Getz

Iolite – “Sapphire”: You can’t turn around in Nashville, TN without bumping into a member of the city’s emerging alternative pop movement. One young member is Iolite, a transplant from Denver who has made a name for herself with a dark pop sound. While dark pop is definitely trendy, Iolite’s distinctive vocals paired with a haunting melody hanging around in a minor key deliver a trifecta-punch in “Sapphire,” the singer’s most recent single. The eerie melodies jump out at me throughout the song, though not in a startling way. Just in a slightly off kilter way. What could have been a very straightforward moody pop track is full of nuances to make Iolite stand out.

Noiseheads – “Homecoming”: On the off chance you were wondering what a Florida power rock trio sounds like, here’s a song for ya. The song is a dichotomy of soft melody and vocals and all-cynliders-firing, LOUD rock and roll. This song takes no prisoners and offers no apologies. Dig.

SomeKindaWonderful – “Lion”: The Cleveland based alternative pop group has released a firey new single that bangs, pops, and takes you on a sonic journey so diverse it seems to reflect a whole bunch of different geographical regions along the way. This band isn’t a purveyor of appropriation though, don’t get it twisted! I actually have no idea where the all the sonic inspirations hidden in this song orginated, but it’s so colorful and diverse that it demands my attention.

The Rural Alberta Advantage – “Brother”: The folk rock outfit is putting out a record called The Wild soon, and they’re choosing to express their energy in a way that’s a little more subtle than the other tracks featured above. Yet, there’s an underlying broodiness that permeates “Brother,” the lead single from the record. The song is angsty and wistful. I’ve always associated these sorts of bands with the autumn months in my mind, and this song does nothing to deviate that pattern.

Check out our “New and Nifty” playlist on Spotify to enjoy these songs amongst a sample of other music Tuned Up is digging right now! And don’t forget to smash that follow button.