JUNGLE - 'Keep Moving'

JUNGLE continues to release some of my favorite music videos.  

The London-based group's laid-back falsetto funk first caught on with 2014's hit, "Busy Earnin'".

Translating their electronic dance sounds into a seven-piece live band also gained the band considerable acclaim and a following on the concert circuit.  But for me, it's their straightforward but original choreographed videos that keep me coming back.  Seriously, I could just go to the group's YouTube channel now and get stuck watching their videos all afternoon.

And no exception is JUNGLE's latest single, "Keep Moving".  The song itself isn't a departure from the sound that the group's fans have come to expect, mixing string arrangements, relaxed grooves and a funky bassline into a mix that's equally as suitable for the dancefloor as it is for chilling out afterwards.

The video enters with a single woman and an abandoned prison, building up to a full on choreographed group dance.  The plot needn't go any deeper from there, as the joy is in the movement and atmosphere itself.  So, take a 5:21 break from your day and watch the latest from JUNGLE below:

JUNGLE's forthcoming album, Loving In Stereo, is set for release in August 2021.  You can preorder it today, at junglejunglejungle.com

Royal Blood - 'Limbo'

Royal Blood returned this past week with a funky new blues-rocker, called "Limbo".

The Brighton, UK-based duo have made a name for themselves over the past decade by combining heavily-distorted bass guitar and drum arrangements with catchy pop sensibilities.  It's heavy, it's bluesy, but it's melodic--in a similar vein to other two-piece bands like Death from Above 1979, the White Stripes, and the Black Keys.

I've long been a fan of two-piece bands--it's always cool to see how much noise and different dynamics a minimal setup can still crank out.

When Royal Blood's single, "Trouble's Coming" came out this past autumn, it became a regular rotator on my playlists.  It still had the hard-hitting groove of past songs, but with more danceable elements and electronic flourishes than I'd heard from them previously. 

On "Limbo", the duo continues in this direction--bringing in a disco-like chorus and a magnetism reminiscent of mainstream rock contemporaries like the Arctic Monkeys and Muse.  

The dance beat, paired with the helmeted motorcyclists in the video, also feels like a reference to the recently defunct Daft Punk.

It's a big, boisterous song with plenty of pedal effects, riffs and an undeniable hook.  Royal Blood have continued their trajectory, with enough creativity and energy for mass appeal.   Unlike the song's title, I'm not stuck in limbo on my feelings here -- I dig it.

You can watch the official YouTube video to Royal Blood's "Limbo" below.  The band's forthcoming album, Typhoons, is set for release at the end of the month on April 30th, 2021.  They have some super cool vinyl bundles and options available for preorder on the Royal Blood website.