Category Archives: Awesome

Listen: Ella Eyre – “Comeback”

Ella Eyre

Listen: Ella Eyre – “Comeback”

London soul songstress, Ella Eyre’s rapid rise continues. Since proving herself to be one of the UK’s most enthralling and captivating debut female singers, Ella has been wowing the crowds throughout the UK having sold out a headline tour as well as performing prolific slots at this summer’s festivals.

Now the BRIT award winner announces new single “Comeback”, a thrilling, horn-led smash with a whole heap of attitude. The song is based on a break-up when Ella was 17, but written from the point of view of speaking to a troubled best friend. ‘We’ve all been played, we’ve all been hurt, just take the pain, let that motherfucker burn… you will find in time, that they always come back.

Fierce, bold and brash, it’s a euphoric feel good song about empowerment, independence and strength. Ella says of the track, “ifIf I Go was about whether or not I should leave a relationship, then “Comeback” is the aftermath. There’s no more vulnerability, it’s a very defiant ‘fuck you.'”

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Awesome, listen

Newest Love: High Ends

Photo Credit: Mandy-Lyn

Photo Credit: Mandy-Lyn

” …more akin to American weirdos of various unseemliness from Ariel Pink to Jim James, tapping into a bygone era of retro-futurism and resulting in something so out-of-time that it sounds timeless.” Pitchfork

” …retro-futuristic sound that’s hard to pin down but easy to enjoy — similar in spirit to fellow Vancouver resident Dan Bejar’s Destroyer.” Stereogum

“…  a futuristic, psychedelic rock track that has put us in a trance.” Refinery29

The new solo project High Ends from Yukon Blonde frontman Jeffrey Innes is titled Super Class and will be released October 7th via Dine Alone Records. Having previously revealed lush album cut “The Weight” and the psych-rock single “Intoxicated,” NYLON has revealed the video for infectious album track “Downtown” today. Filled with irresistible, ‘80s-inspired analogue synths & an infectious refrain, the video is an artistic interpretation about relationships and detachment in the modern age.

Innes explains, “Downtown” is a song I wrote about internet dating. It’s actually more about a conversation I had with a friend regarding dating in general. She was finding internet dating hard to escape because less and less people try to meet people the old way now. She explained that in the old days she felt like a club was like a jungle and people behaved like animals. She used to hate being gawked at and treated like an object, but the internet thing doesn’t feel like anything at all. I feel like the video interpretation that Sabre has made for the song somewhat fits the modern feel of what it’s like to be single and detached from the new way of dating. The girl goes Downtown and still ends up by herself. It looks like she has a clear mind though, which is always nice.

The ten-song LP was recorded with producer Colin Stewart (Dan Mangan, The New Pornographers) at his Vancouver Island facility. During the sessions, Gold & Youth drummer Jeff Mitchelmore handled percussion, Louise Burns and The New Pornographers’ Kathryn Calder contributed backing vocals, and Ladyhawk’s Darcy Hancock laid down guitar. Fans not able to wait until album release can grab the 2-track single featuring “Downtown” and “Intoxicated” available now.
High Ends
Super Class Tracklist
1) Downtown
2) The Weight
3) Intoxicated
4) I’m Gonna Keep On Dancing
5) Cappuccino
6) The Believer
7) River Cruise
8) Ocean Song
9) Feel/Sleep/Aliens
10) Working Man’s Blues

Leave a comment

Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, listen, Lists, new albums, Newest Love, video

Listen: The Knocks – “Classic” (feat. Powers)

the knocks classic

Listen: The Knocks – “Classic” (feat. Powers)

“…a straight up summer smash, the kind of dance track that hangs in an era-less vacuum; the kind of tune makes you feel like you’re in a movie montage, that begins in the hazy magic hour and splices together every amazing moment till dawn.” VICE’s Noisey
“…the pair lands a sound timeless enough to conjure, via those perky guitar licks, catchiness ranging from modern Daft Punk, to old-school Sugar Ray, to that Len song, ‘Steal My Sunshine.’”
SPIN

NYC’s The Knocks are a distinctly 21st century duo, declared by NME as one of the “20 hottest producers in music” & by The Guardian as “cred-pop’s answers to The Neptunes.” Now one of the most buzzed-about duos on the electronic circuit, the blog world darlings recently announced the release of their debut full-length album, Endisco – set to drop October 7th. Endisco will feature collaborations with a wide range of superstar talent, including St. Lucia, Wes Miles (Ra Ra Riot), Adeline Michele (Escort), X Ambassadors, Sneaky Sound System & more.

Endisco album single “Classic” ft. Powers is a funk-infused dance anthem punctuated with The Knocks’ signature party-starting guitar loops, infectious keys & sultry vocals- the consummate summer anthem.

Having spent the last three years jet-setting around the globe for DJ gig, sharing stages with Grouplove, M.I.A., Chromeo & others, the duo will be on the road once again this summer- taking their ecstatic live show to college towns across the country as well as stints at New York’s Full Moon & Montreal’s ÎleSoniq festivals.

The Knocks consists of B-Roc & J-Patt, who moved in together after dropping out of music school in NYC. J-Patt’s background in soul & funk, and B-Roc’s years spent immersed in trip-hop & hip-hop beats, has allowed them to quickly ascend the production ranks. Initially gaining recognition for their remixes for artists including HAIM, Santigold, Foster the People, Two Door Cinema Club, Ellie Goulding & more, they eventually found themselves experimenting with sounds of their own. The guys didn’t think much would come of a nearly five-minute track they’d been building, all tense beats & tingling synths: “it kind of started out as a joke,” stated B-Roc. “But people were liking that more than the stuff we produced for other people. It felt right.” The duo quickly discovered a newfound freedom in creating their own songs: “it’s better because it’s our own, and we can do whatever we want with it,” explained J-Patt.

The Knocks

Endisco tracklist:

1. Endisco
2. Classic ft. Powers
3. Comfortable ft. X Ambassadors
4. Dancing With The DJ
5. The One ft. Sneaky Sound System
6. Collect My Love ft. Rozzi Crane
7. Magic
8. Modern Hearts ft. St. Lucia
9. Again ft. Mitzi
10. Flow ft. Adeline Michele
11. Hit The Spot
12. Savior ft. Wes Miles (Ra Ra Riot)

Leave a comment

Filed under Awesome, Highly Anticipated, listen, Lists, new albums, Whoa!

Stream Intergalactix’s Debut EP!

unnamed

Recently I posted about my newest love, Intergalactix. Now, you can stream their debut EP, IWSOM before it’s out on the 12th!

Stream: Intergalactix – IWSOM (via Red Bull Music)

“Tuesday” was my favorite previously (mostly because it was their only song I’d heard), but now my new favorite is “The New Sound”!

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, listen, new albums, Newest Love

Check ‘Em Out: [Belarbi]

belarbi

Hot off the press!!!

Check out this new remix from Belarbi.

Listen: SBTRKT – “New Dorp. New York” (feat. Ezra Koenig [Belarbi] Remix))

He writes: (sic)

Hi guys,

This one is special, tricky I would say as I’m such a fan of sbtrkt and Vampire week end.
I humbly tried to give a personal twist to their great song.
Since they released it, it seemed I had to drop everything else and only do that
I’m happy to share it fresh with you guys
[Belarbi]

Freshly out in the limelight, [Belarbi] has already received a warm welcome on social networks. His debut remix, a version of Nonono’s “Pumpin Blood”, has promptly gathered a half million plays on Soundcloud. His first original track, “Paradise” was an airy yet catchy display of his rich and diverse influences. Add a stream of well-polished productions bringing a unique touch to tracks such as Yuna’s “I Wanna Go” or Two Door Cinema Club’s “Changing Of The Seasons”. Forward-thinking label Kitsune got it right, releasing [Belarbi]’s remix “Kyllan” by BeatauCue. And Lykke Li “No Rest For the Wicked” last month.

Listen to all of [Belarbi]’s remixes on Soundclound HERE.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, remixes

Video: Favored Nations – “The Setup”

unnamed

The record features sounds as diverse as the bouncy basslines and disco vibes of the title-track to the gentle acoustic guitar strumming and mellifluous vocals found on “That’s Not Who We Are.” – Spin

“Amazon explores a diverse range of style and beats within three tracks while managing not to disrupt the flow of the album as a whole.” – In Your Speakers

Back in June, I posted about my newest love, Favored Nations. And I am thrilled to share the music video for another one of their tracks. Check out “The Setup” below.

“The Setup” will be familiar to anyone who made it to the end of Grand Theft Auto V. Where GTA is all sun, people, and action, the music video for the game’s finale track is foggy, dazed, and striking. However, what the two have in common is powerful, memorable visuals of fantasy.

The product of a night out in the city of angels, Favored Nations has accomplished quite a bit since they cut their first demos in early 2012. Their accomplishments thus far aren’t too surprising since the trio is made up of some very familiar and beloved men on the dance music scene. James Curd is one of the most sought after remixers in the genre and he founded the group with singer Morgan Phalen, whose voice was featured on Justice’s psychy second LP Audio Video Disco. Curd then added Surahn Sidhu, touring bass and guitar player for Empire of the Sun, to the mix.


On July 1st Favored Nations released their second EP Amazon via Jupiter Clique.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awesome, listen, Newest Love, video

Check ‘Em Out: Kiev

Photo credit: Murphy Karges

Photo credit: Murphy Karges

“The sun sets in the background as the band plays on, masterfully achieving an organic sound…” Elmore Magazine

“Sharing their funk and psychedelic rock influences through visuals that reinforce its sound, the hypnotic track is set to a magical journey that sees the band’s members riding on bongo drums while coming in contact with electrified lily pads” NYLON Guys

“Kiev’s genre-transcending full-length […] exudes a powerful otherworldly quality, as if Orange County-based band of sophisticates give in at times to the urge to simply space out.” Buzzbands.LA

Orange County alt-rockers Kiev released their debut full-length album, Falling Bough Wisdom Teeth, in October of last year. In support of the record, the band is kicking off a west coast tour today with fellow Californians Bad Suns.

Having recently unveiled their otherworldly video for Falling Bough Wisdom Teeth album cut “Be Gone Dull Cage,” the band has now dropped an incredible live video of “Solving and Running”- shot in a stunningly picturesque desert locale.

Falling Bough Wisdom Teeth was produced & engineered by Chris Shaw (Wilco, Phish, Super Furry Animals), and pays homage to collective band influences & minimalist pioneer Steve Reich. The members of Kiev have strong connections to the world of visual art, and have orchestrated & added a multi-faceted 3D element to their live performances. Additionally, the LP art was originally a band favorite by renowned contemporary artist Walton Ford, who gave the band his blessing to use it as the cover for Falling Bough Wisdom Teeth upon hearing the record & how it spoke to his painting.

Full West Coast Tour w/ Bad Suns Kicks Off Today:

8/1: Bakersfield, CA @ B Ryders
8/3: Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s
8/4: San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
8/5: Reno, NV @ Cargo Reno
8/6: Eugene, OR @ Cozmic
8/7: Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
8/10: Boise, ID @ Reef
8/12: Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
8/13: Las Vegas, NV @ Container Park
8/15: Santa Barbara, CA @ Velvet Jones

Leave a comment

Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, listen, Shows, video

Lorde To Curate Soundtrack For The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1

Photo Credit: Andrew Whitton

Photo Credit: Andrew Whitton

Multiplatinum GRAMMY® Award-winning recording star Lorde will curate the soundtrack album for the upcoming third installment of the global blockbuster The Hunger Games franchise, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1.  In addition to hand-picking the artists for The Mockingjay – Part 1 soundtrack, Lorde will provide the first single for the highly anticipated film and album. The soundtrack will be available via Republic Records this fall.

The 17-year-old New Zealand native –who will embark on her third national North American tour this fall– exploded onto the scene with her Number One global hit “Royals,” and has taken the music world by storm since the release of her critically acclaimed platinum debut album Pure Heroine.

Her quadruple platinum selling single “Royals” helped earn two Billboard Music Awards for ‘Best New Artist’ and ‘Best Rock Song,’ and two GRAMMY® Awards for ‘Song of the Year’ and ‘Best Pop Solo Performance.’ She currently holds the record for ‘Longest #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 by a Female Artist in 2013’ and longest standing #1 for any female artist in the Billboard Alternative Chart history.

“Curating the soundtrack for such a hotly-anticipated film was a challenge, but I jumped at the chance,” said Lorde.  “The cast and story are an inspiration for all musicians participating and, as someone with cinematic leanings, being privy to a different creative process has been a unique experience. I think the soundtrack is definitely going to surprise people.”

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1, directed by Francis Lawrence and starring Academy Award winner Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth and Woody Harrelson, is the latest installment in Lionsgate’s global box office phenomenon based on Suzanne Collins’ bestselling “Hunger Games” trilogy and will be released in theaters worldwide on November 21, 2014.

In other news, 17 year old Ella Yelich-O’Connor was recently nominated for two Video Music Awards for her debut single and accompanying video “Royals”, placing her in the “Best Rock Video” category amongst Arctic Monkeys, Black Keys, Imagine Dragons and Linkin Park, and in the “Best Female Video” category alongside Ariana, Beyonce, Iggy Azalea, and Katy Perry.

Lorde will be performing at this years Lollapalooza Festival on Friday, August 1st on the Bud Light Stage at 6:45PM and will be embarking on her third national North American tour on September, 5th in Philadelphia (dates below).

NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
08/01 – Lollapalooza – Chicago, IL
08/03 – Osheaga – Montreal, QC
09/05 – Mann Center – Philadelphia, PA
09/06 – Boston Calling Festival – Boston, MA
09/07 – Artpark – Lewiston, NY
09/11 – Ottawa Folk Festival – Ottawa, ON
09/12 – TD Echo Beach – Toronto, ON
09/14 – JBL Live at Pier 97 – New York, NY
09/15 – United Palace – New York, NY
09/16 – United Palace – New York, NY
09/18 – The Red Hat Amphitheater – Raleigh, NC
09/19 – Music Midtown Atlanta, GA – NEW DATE
09/20 – iHeartRadio Music Festival – MGM Garden Arena – Las Vegas, NV – NEW DATE
09/22 – Grand Ole Opry House – Nashville, TN
09/23 – LC Pavilion – Columbus, OH
09/24 – Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica – Cleveland, OH
09/26 – BMO Harris Pavilion – Milwaukee, WI
09/27 – Harrah’s Casino, Stir Grove – Council Bluffs, IA
09/28 – 1STBANK Center – Broomfield, CO
09/30 – The Joint – Las Vegas, NV
10/02 – Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA
10/03 – Greek Theatre – Berkeley, CA – NEW DATE
10/06 – Greek Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
10/07 – Greek Theatre – Los Angeles, CA – NEW DATE
10/09 – Santa Barbara Bowl – Santa Barbara, CA
10/10 – Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theater – San Diego, CA
10/10 – 10/12 @ Austin City Limits – Austin, TX (Weekend 2 only)

Leave a comment

Filed under Awesome, Holy Freaking Crap!, Shows, Whoa!

Video: Mystery Skulls – Paralyzed

Mystery Skulls

Today, Mystery Skulls producer Luis Dubuc announces his single and video for his electro-funk tune “Paralyzed”, out today on Warner Bros. Records. Directed by Bo Mirosseni (Disclosure, Block Moth Super Rainbow), the clip features a number ghoulish figures who show off their extraordinary basketball skills complete with plenty of tricks and dunks like some spooky Harlem Globe Trotters, until we find a pleasant twist at the end. “Paralyzed” will come on Dubuc’s debut album out this fall, also on Warner Bros. and will also feature a collaboration with disco legend Niles Rogers.

Leave a comment

Filed under Awesome, listen, video

Listen: Salme Dahlstrom – “Pop Ur Heart Out”

Salme Dahlstrom

“Music licensing queen.” – Wall Street Journal

“Relentlessly hooky and ridiculously accessible.” – Entertainment Weekly

The Wall Street Journal dubbed musician Salme Dahlstrom a “music licensing queen” when, like Moby before her, she managed to license every track from her 2008 album The Acid Cowgirl Audio Trade to various corporations and television programs.

At the time, Dahlstrom, who produces, performs, edits, and mixes all of her tracks herself, was not only just getting noticed, she was just getting started. “C’mon Y’All,” one of catchiest numbers on an album of catchy numbers, climbed Billboard’s Dance Chart and eventually received prominent placements in major ad campaigns for CoverGirl, Suave, and Kellogg’s that ran on primetime network television for months.

While managing what inevitably became a highly successful licensing business, Dahlstrom continued to do the work that got her there, and will now release “Pop Propaganda Volume 2: Retro Funk Soul Junction” on September 16th, 2014.  The new six-song collection is preceded by the single “Pop Ur Heart Out” – streaming now via Entertainment Weekly which calls the song “relentlessly hooky and ridiculously accessible.”

About “Pop Ur Heart Out,” Dahlstrom says, “I felt like bringing some soul and poetry to the party.  I used organic instruments – piano and acoustic guitar – and mixed them with glitch effects and Kaoss Pad to give it an electronic edge. It’s one of my new favorites!”

“Pop Propaganda Volume 2: Retro Funk Soul Junction” by Salme Dahlstrom is scheduled for release on September 16th, 2014 via Kontainer Music.  The first single “Pop Ur Heart Out” arrives on August 5th, 2014, accompanied by a trio of remixes of the track by SpekrFreks, DJ Phunkae, and Quadrat Beat on August 26th, 2014.

Pop Ur Heart Out

Listen: Salme Dahlstrom – “Pop Ur Heart Out”

Leave a comment

Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, listen, new albums, remixes