Kevin Bronson on June 2nd, 2017

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“Keep Workin,” the sleek new single from L.A. duo Isle & Fever (stylized isle&fever), has oh-so-many uses. Three spins could soundtrack a solid 15-minute aerobic workout. Roll down the car windows, crank to 11, and you’ll feel like you’re flying, not driving. Use that bass line to help you through some moribund household chores. Heck, the percussive breakdown might even make a cool ringtone.

The dash of disco is the latest from the duo of Donald Eley and Tiger Smith, who previously played together in the indie-rock outfits the Sea of Cortez and Black& and who now mine ’70s and ’80s pop for hidden gold, or at least nuggets that don’t sound cut-and-paste. “‘Keep Workin’ started as a jam that evolved into two distinct songs: ‘Far Away’ and ‘Keep Workin,’” they say. “What once was a 7-minute kaleidoscope of rough ideas was forged into two separate mini-voyages thru vintage synths, driving bass lines and tasteful funk guitars. … The end is a dive into a jazzy Rhodes groove, with Pinback-esque vocal chants and plenty of live percussion.”

The song, the follow-up to Hype Machine-hit “Far Away,” is the first of three singles Isle & Fever plan to release this summer. Live, they are augmented by Antoine Diligent (bass/guitar/keys) and Thomas Bowden (drums).

||| Stream: “Keep Workin”

||| Previously: Ears Wide Open