Los Angeles alt-pop trio lovelytheband take the first step towards their third album with their emphatic new single “sail away”. Dubbed iHeartRadio’s “Best New Rock/Alternative Artist” in 2019 on the heels of the Billboard-nominated hit “broken”, lovelytheband have continued blazing ahead, delivering “sail away” as the first peek into their highly-anticipated third studio album.
Frontman Mitchy Collins delivers an instantly memorable hook, both sung and whistled, over punctuated percussion. The aquatic-themed trio groove effortlessly over a bassline that sways like a lapsing wave, rising and falling in a sea of layered chant vocals. While clocking in at just under three minutes, lovelytheband switch-up “sail away” with a bridge that harmoniously pairs the track’s powerful hooks together via bright organs and alluring vocal backings.
The up track’s upbeat reverie is like a mirage on the horizon – the type of seeking-elsewhere that can only happen in the vastness of the open sea, as the band explains,
“The song is a daydream. It’s a fantasy of escaping the overwhelming pressures and anxieties of everyday life. In those moments it would be easier to just drop everything and sail away. Even from your own mind. Leave everything as is with no goodbyes.”
– Mitchy Collins
In addition to their late 2021 North American tour supporting their sophomore album ‘conversations with myself about you’, the trio also notched collaborations “Miss You A Little” with Bryce Vine, “games” with Tessa Violet and Matt Squire and more. lovelytheband also recently rocked coast-to-coast shows in New York for The Bowery Presents’ Summer Concert Series at Hudson Yards and Switchfoot’s BRO-AM in San Diego, which “[gives] back to the San Diego community by heightening the profile of and providing grants to nonprofit organizations that provide services to homeless, at-risk and disadvantaged youth, with a special focus on programs related to music, art and surfing.”
Adding to a string of hits dating back to their debut smash “broken”, which broke the record for longest running entry on the Billboard Music Alternative Charts at 76 weeks, and lush sad-pop anthem “loneliness for love”, “sail away” is the first hint of what’s to come from the group’s third studio album, due later this year.
Florence + the Machine unveiled a new single, “Free,” yesterday with a video starring acclaimed actor Bill Nighy as Florence’s anxiety and directed by Autumn de Wilde. The track is the latest from Florence’s forthcoming fifth LP Dance Fever, out May 13.
Florence has shared three songs from Dance Fever thus far—“My Love” (plus remixes from co-producer Dave Bayley of Glass Animals and Meduza), “King” and “Heaven is Here”—all of which arrived alongside videos by the acclaimed director de Wilde featuring choreography by Ryan Heffington.
Tickets for Florence’s North American headline dates this year are on sale now. The tour kicks off September 2 in Montreal with further stops at New York’s Madison Square Garden, Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl and many more. Arlo Parks, Sam Fender, King Princess, Yves Tumor, Japanese Breakfast and Wet Leg will join as support on select dates. One dollar from every ticket sold will benefit Choose Love to aid refugees worldwide. See full routing below and visit florenceandthemachine.net for more information.
Additionally, Florence will play two very special, intimate shows this spring: April 29 in Los Angeles at the Los Angeles Theatre and May 6 at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall in New York—both shows sold out in seconds.
Dance Fever was recorded in London over the course of the pandemic in anticipation of the world’s reopening. It conjures up what Florence missed most in the midst of lockdown—clubs, dancing at festivals, being in the whirl of movement and togetherness—and the hope of reunions to come.
The image and concept of choreomania—a Renaissance phenomenon in which groups of people danced wildly to the point of exhaustion, collapse and death—became a focal point of inspiration. Forced off the road for the first time in more than a decade, dance offered Florence propulsion, energy and a way of looking at music more choreographically.
Starting, as ever, armed with a notebook of poems and ideas, Florence had just arrived to New York in March 2020 to begin recording when Covid-19 forced a retreat to London. Holed up at home, the songs she had begun started to transform, ultimately arriving somewhere that Florence describes as “Nick Cave at the club.”
Dance Fever is an album that sees Florence at the peak of her powers, coming into a fully realized self-knowledge, poking sly fun at her own self-created persona, playing with ideas of identity, masculinity and femininity, redemption and celebration.
Dance Fever was produced by Florence, Jack Antonoff and Dave Bayley of Glass Animals.
Alex Frankel (Holy Ghost!) released his Still Got It EP with two remixes by France’s Breakbot (La Fiesta Remix and Club des Vedettes Remix), a Choices Remix and the instrumental version of the single. Earlier Alex Frankel shared the video for “Still Got It”, an anthem for embracing the next step whatever it may be, all out now on CASUAL / Ed Banger. Alex celebrates everybody’s return to the dancefloor with a wildly fun video that finds him dancing outside some of France’s iconic dance clubs and reveling in front of party flyers. The photos of French club exteriors featured in the video were pulled from Prost’s book After Party. He teamed up with motion designer Dixsaut to turn them into the dance party on the streets the video invites us to join.
“Still Got It” is a glimpse into Alex’s world as he works towards a full length in 2022.
“Still Got It” finds joy in resilience and celebrates the personal spark each of us has that fortifies our optimism even in hardship. It’s a quick glance back while dancing into the future that invites everyone, “Let’s have a toast to staying young as we get old”. The song plays with some of the hallmarks of classic 80s pop and reimagines them for this moment, with a wave of euphoria that keeps rising as it builds from just Alex’s voice to a choral arrangement performed by the East Coast Inspirational Singers choir.
The Breakbot remix of “Still Got It” (Breakbot Club des Vedettes Remix) was shared by Adult Swim Singles as part of their 2021 program, and puts a playful and synthy spin on the single. The rework, by French electronic mainstay Breakbot, is especially fitting as the original single marked Alex’s initial release for Ed Banger, rendering him the first American signee to the legendary European label. Listen to it here. Alex also shared a celebratory new DJ mix last week on Magnetic Magazine to kick off the summer with his blend of house, funk and disco.
Alex says of the songs origins, “I played the demo for Thibaut ( Breakbot) one night at Bernie’s Restaurant while we were outside on a smoke break (back when, you know… people still ate dinner out) and on the spot he demanded we go try it on the audience at his gig that night. The response was great and after that, I knew I had to finish it. I called the East Coast Inspirational Singers, my favorite gospel group in NYC and they came by to help me get it there.”
Alex Frankel first emerged as one half of beloved NYC duo Holy Ghost! whose hybrid of synth pop, disco, and a range of electronic music made them an international dancefloor and festival staple. Along with their own albums and EPs for DFA and West End, the group have been in demand remixers sought out by their peers like LCD Soundsystem, Phoenix, and Cut Copy. Alex has also done remixes for US Girls, Naeem, Neon Indian and Moby.
In a surprise move, Grammy Award-winning multiplatinum artist Lorde released new song “Solar Power.” The song, which appropriately dropped timed to the only solar eclipse of the year, came alongside the announcement of her highly anticipated third studio album of the same name, Solar Power. Today the artist additionally revealed the album release date as August 20th and announced her 2022 World tour dates. Tickets go on-sale to the general public starting Friday, June 25, 2021. Fans can sign up for Lorde’s email list for first access to pre-sale tickets and for more info on tour dates HERE.
The song is the first single from Lorde’s forthcoming third studio album which will be released via Universal Music New Zealand on August 20th. The album includes 12 tracks and is produced by Jack Antonoff who she collaborated with on her chart-topping last album, Melodrama.
Of the album Lorde says, “The album is a celebration of the natural world, an attempt at immortalizing the deep, transcendent feelings I have when I’m outdoors. In times of heartache, grief, deep love, or confusion, I look to the natural world for answers. I’ve learned to breathe out, and tune in. This is what came through.”
Of the single she adds, “The first song, also called SOLAR POWER and written and produced by myself and Jack, is the first of the rays. It’s about that infectious, flirtatious summer energy that takes hold of us all, come June…”
To honor the natural world the artist is presenting the album in a first-of-its kind, discless format. An eco-conscious Music Box will be available for purchase as an alternative to a CD. This innovative offering will contain extra visual content, handwritten notes, exclusive photos, and a download card. The card will give purchasers a high-quality download of the music, two exclusive bonus tracks, and access to some special surprises along the way.
When talking about the concept Lorde says, “I decided early on in the process of making this album that I also wanted to create an environmentally kind, forward-thinking alternative to the CD. I wanted this Music Box product to be similar in size, shape and price to a CD, to live alongside it in a retail environment, but be something which stands apart and that’s committed to the evolving nature of a modern album.”
Solar Power Tracklist:
1. The Path 2. Solar Power 3. California 4. Stoned in the Nail Salon 5. Fallen Fruit 6. Secrets From a Girl (Who’s Seen It All) 7. The Man with An Axe 8. Dominoes 9. Big Star 10. Leader of a New Regime 11. Mood Ring 12. Oceanic Feeling
Good stories and good music are two things everyone wants more of, especially in their podcast feeds. With their extensive experience in music and podcasting, Nevermind Media, led by Peabody Award-winner Sean Cannon (Striped: The Story Of The White Stripes, The Guestlist) and music journalist Melissa Locker, set out to give the people what they want. Nevermind Media combines the emotional power of music with irresistible storytelling and immersive audio experiences that take a deep dive into music history and fandom. On June 16, Nevermind Media will launch its latest podcast, Songs in the Key of Death,a historiography that combines music, true crime, history, and edge-of-your-seat storytelling.
Hosted by music critic and author Courtney Smith (Refinery29, MTV, Record Collecting For Girls), Songs in the Key of Death looks at the historic true crimes that inspired a selection of murder ballads, with season- one exploring some of the most notorious and well-known crimes of the early 20th century. Each episode focuses on a single murder ballad that has been passed down by scores of singers, with each generation telling their own version of events and putting a new spin on stories of very real, often gruesome slaughters. After being told and retold, these songs and the murders that inspired them have become legends. The show looks at the violent criminals we can’t stop singing about, the grisly history they reflect, and the underrepresented voices of victims who didn’t get to tell their own stories.
Brilliant artists SAD13 and Will Oldham (Bonnie “Prince” Billy) take turns creating new versions of the songs featured in each episode. Episode 1 of Songs in the Key of Death focuses on “Delia,” written about the Christmas night killing of a 13-year-old Black girl in Georgia — although you wouldn’t guess that from the version popularized by Johnny Cash. Today, fans can hear SAD13’s updated take titled “Delia ”, debuted with Rolling Stone, in which Delia gets her revenge on the boy who killed her, ahead of the episode’s launch on June 16.
Subscribe now to get season 1 of Songs in the Key of Death everywhere you listen to podcasts.
18 year old rising star Alfie Templeman has released his brand new mini-album Forever Isn’t Long Enough on Chess Club Records (MØ, Mumford and Sons, Jungle etc). Previous EP Happiness In Liquid Form followed Templeman’s trio of rapturously received EP’s – 2018’s Like An Animal, and 2019’s Sunday Morning Cereal and Don’t Go Wasting Time – in introducing the world to a prodigiously talented young musician, songwriter, producer, and performer. The Bedfordshire-born teen, self-taught on 10 different instruments, has enjoyed a meteoric rise and cemented his place as one of UK indie’s brightest lights.
Templeman’s latest single “Everybody’s Gonna Love Somebody” is currently on the B List at BBC Radio 1, following his fourth consecutive Hottest Record in the World with Annie Mac. Templeman has also shared the music video for mini-album track “Wait, I Lied”, directed by Thomas Davis.
Speaking about the new video Alfie says: “We filmed “Wait, I Lied” in a couple hours. The thing that I love about it is that the whole video was just ideas myself and Thomas came up with on the spot, it’s totally spontaneous, we didn’t plan anything and just went for it. I hope people appreciate my amazing dance moves, I think it’ll be my next career if this music thing doesn’t work out!!”
Alfie Templeman will also embark on a Spring 2022 headline tour – including his biggest show to date at London’s O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on Mar 16 – as well as supporting Declan McKenna in the UK and heading out on a maiden US headline tour, alongside shows with Chloe Moriondo later this year. Full list of live dates below.
Featuring rapturous singles “Forever Isn’t Long Enough”and the aforementioned “Everybody’s Gonna Love Somebody”, the new mini-album is Templeman’s final and most substantial body of work before recording starts on his proper debut album. Templeman explains: “I wanted to make a refined and focused pop record – something more widescreen than an EP but more concise than a full-length album -with a feel somewhere between Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours and Tame Impala’s Currents. In making Forever Isn’t Long Enough I realised that I needed to slow down a little and work on things carefully. The songs took anywhere from one day to 4 months to 2 years to finish for this record, but I made sure each one was perfect and I’ve never been more proud of how they all came out.”
With an impressive 106k Instagram followers since his first post in 2019, over 1 million monthly Spotify listeners, and a cumulative streaming figure of over 60 million, Alfie Templeman has come a long way since the release of debut track “Like An Animal”. At one point in 2020, Templeman had three songs in the Music Moves Europe Talent Chart Top 20; was featured as the cover star of Dork Magazine; was included in the FIFA 21 soundtrack; in February, was H&M Artist of the Month in the UK, with accompanying store visuals and playlist support. Templeman was previously handpicked by Apple from a global shortlist of rising artists to front their #shotoniphone campaign and was chosen by YouTube Music to be a worldwide ‘Foundry Artist’ in 2020, following in the footsteps of artists such as Dua Lipa and Rosalia, featuring on 90-foot billboards in Times Square in NYC and Central LA.
See Alfie Templeman live in 2021/22: July 22 | Truck Festival, Steventon July 29 | Kendal Calling Festival, Penrith Aug 12 | 110 Above Festival, Atherstone Aug 25 | O2 Academy, Bournemouth (with Declan McKenna) Aug 27-29 | Reading & Leeds Festival Sep 3 | Neighbourhood Weekender Festival, Warrington Sep 9 | O2 Academy, Leicester (with Declan McKenna) Sep 18 | Brixton O2 Academy, London (with Declan McKenna)
Nov 23 | Bowery Ballroom, New York (with Chloe Moriondo) Nov 24 | Brighton Music Hall, Boston (with Chloe Moriondo) Nov 26 | Velvet Underground, Toronto (with Chloe Moriondo) Nov 28 | The Crocodile, Seattle Nov 29 | Holocene, Portland Dec 1 | Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco Dec 3 | The Roxy Theatre, Los Angeles Dec 4 | Voodoo Room, San Diego
Mar 2 | The Cluny, Newcastle Mar 3 | Saint Luke’s, Glasgow Mar 4| Brudenell Social Club, Leeds Mar 5 | Gorilla, Manchester Mar 8 | Leadmill, Sheffield Mar 9 | Rescue Rooms, Nottingham Mar 10 | O2 Institute, Birmingham Mar 11 | Thekla, Bristol Mar 12 | Patterns, Brighton Mar 16 | O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, London Mar 18 | The Academy, Dublin
Legendary electronic music pioneers The Chemical Brothers return with new single “The Darkness That You Fear”. The six-time GRAMMY® Award-winning duo —Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons— release the brand-new song today via Republic Records, the first new music since 2019’s critically acclaimed No Geography.
A limited 12” of the single will be available for Record Store Day on RSD Weekend June 12, 2021 with artwork by the late Cornwall-based abstract artist Sir Terry Frost.
Built around two distinct and disparate vocal samples and a woozy swirl of psychedelic sound, The Darkness That You Fear is the sonic equivalent of light at the end of the tunnel – a rush of hope and a pointer towards a brighter, more open future.
About the new track, Tom Rowlands commented, “’The Darkness That You Fear’ is a hopeful piece of music. When we found the combination of the different voices worked set to the flow of the music, it made us feel optimistic—like it was something we wanted to share.”
A wildly hallucinogenic and beautifully evocative video for the track has been made by Ruffmercy, the Bristol based director who has previously worked with artists such as Thom Yorke, Run The Jewels and DJ Shadow.
Ruffmercy comments, “When I first heard the song I immediately connected with the theme and the overall positive vibe. New government rules for relaxing lockdown had been announced and combined with the sun shining, it left me feeling positive about the forthcoming summer. It also triggered a strong sense of nostalgia that led to me going back to look for visual inspiration from the period in time when I first discovered The Chemical Brothers in the mid ’90’s. The video combines archive rave footage from the mid to late 90’s with hand painted Super 8 film textures and hand drawn animation. I love using colour to create chaos and evoke emotions and this was the perfect project to do that.”
Republic Record’s executive Glenn Mendlinger, who brought the duo to the label comments, “The Darkness You Fear marks the return of the mighty Chemical Brothers. It is a classic Chemical Brothers opus that is psychedelic, lush and full of optimism. Tom and Ed once again prove they are pioneers of the genre with this uplifting track that is perfectly timed as the world comes out of darkness into light and color.”
Gearing up to hit the stage later this year, The Chemical Brothers have also been confirmed as Friday night headliners at this year’s Creamfields festival in Daresbury, Cheshire (26th – 29th August – the event has already sold out) and Sunday night headliners at TRNSMT in Glasgow.
Columbus, Ohio five-some Clubhouse reveal “Heartbroke,” the follow up to “Weekend”, which Billboard described as: “a happy couple-filled video for “Weekend,” the singsong chorus of which evokes the dream pop stylings of Absofacto and Half Alive.”
“Heartbroke”’s accompanying music video was directed by Hunter Lyon and depicts a dramatically, haunting vision that mesmerizes throughout the entire journey.
The song is about the waves of emotions one goes through while dealing with a breakup, not necessarily the breakup itself. Judging by the upbeat instrumental, it’s not all sad and gloomy, but let’s take a look at our emotions and see if a breakup can be turned into an energizing experience.
Clubhouse says: “For us, “Heartbroke” isn’t just about one of our experiences with someone we loved. It’s a combined reflection from all five of us on those relationships that drove us absolutely nuts. When you love someone so much, but you know you’re going crazy trying to make it all work.”
After an unexpected yearlong pause from Max Reichert’s battle with bone cancer, these new songs mark soil for the band Clubhouse after his recovery. They wrote these anthemic pieces while home in Ohio during the winter holidays, reflecting on the stepping stones in new relationships that one naturally experience. While falling in love, we tend to excite ourselves and overshare, whereas Clubhouse takes the alternative route, “You know that we can do it / every weekend / but you just wanna talk on the low”. The nonchalant story of keeping it casual juxtaposes the up-tempo and jazz-filled production, welcoming the listener to experience this timeless summertime tale.
Five best friends forged from the middle school garage band made of Max Reichert, and twin brothers Ari & Zak Blumer in the suburbs of Columbus, Ohio. Through grade school, the three neighborhood friends developed their styles from the paradigms of Coldplay, John Mayer, The Killers, Green Day, and many more. Come university, they embraced two new members, Michael Berthold and Forrest Taylor, by the laws of serendipitous action and collaboration. The five formed the eclectic band Clubhouse, discovering early success in the greater Midwest territory, garnering millions of streams, and performing sold-out shows across the tri-state area.
Four years and five college degrees later, Clubhouse set forth on pursuing their dream to release greater records and perform around the world. Three months into this journey, the band was halted with harrowing, unforeseen news…Max Reichert had been diagnosed with stage 2 osteosarcoma in the left thigh. Max entered immediate surgeries, removing and replacing his femur & knee cap and undergoing countless chemotherapy treatments. However, with the collective strength and positivity from his best friends, they rose to the occasion through life’s most brutal and unforgiving hardships.
This genesis of new life established a collective vision for the band explained by Max best, “Make the most of the life you were given, because you only have one life to live.” Clubhouse is an invitation to come for the music and stay for the genuine gatherings of best friends that lift you from the lowest of lows and show you the highest of highs. Clubhouse makes music for when we need it most.
There’s something quite inspiring about being able to find happiness during times of immense struggle. In recent years, live yoga bass group Drishti Beats has developed a solid reputation for their beautiful downtempo music, exhilarating live performances, and uplifting yoga classes. Motivated by the many difficulties of 2020, Drishti Beats turned to music as a form of healing. The results of their efforts can be experienced on their latest single titled “Find Joy,” out now. Fusing glossy synths and catchy vocal samples, Drishti Beats creates a blissful, euphoric, and buoyant sonic experience that reminds us of the true meaning of joy. Through their radiant production, Drishti Beats makes us hopeful for a brighter future and better days ahead.
“‘Find Joy’ was inspired by the need for a shift in attitude during some confusing months when our creativity stopped due to COVID. We were craving to develop something that just made us feel good and allow us to step into an inner and outer smile that was simple, easy, and had a vibe that inspired us to more and create our yoga flows with happiness.” -Drishti Beats
About Drishti Beats:
Drishti Beats is a live band yoga class experience. The band produces live downtempo electronic chill music for their signature yoga classes and sheer listening pleasure. Found on all music platforms, including their own Pandora Station, Drishti Beats continues to build momentum in both the downtempo chill and world music genres. With the Lowell family at its core, Lori and Jeremy (husband and wife) are the co-founders and creators of Drishti Beats who provide the class experience and are accompanied by an esteemed group of musicians including their daughter vocalist Ariel, their son Alec (beatboxing/rapper/producer), saxophonist Ricardo Branco, and violinist Carol Carlson. Their collaboration has resulted in a beautiful singular sound and one of a kind yoga class experience that celebrates positivity and the joy of being alive. At times,
Drishti Beats provides one of a kind dynamic yoga classes but their live music set can also stand alone to deliver a radiant and electrifying set to eagerly enthralled audiences. Watching the musicians perform on stage while Lori and Jeremy mindfully and expertly guide participants through yoga flows, speaks loudly to the celebration of music to a movement experience. Drishti Beats has brought their dynamic stage performance replete with skillful musician collaboration to festivals around the globe such as EDC Las Vegas and Mysteryland. Drishti Beats is now offering virtual yoga teacher training on their website.
of Montreal is back, and on UR FUN, Kevin Barnes is more candid than ever. The public diary that started with classic album Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? and earned love from The Guardian, Pitchfork, NME, SPIN, etc. has continued into a growing string of increasingly personal works. After several albums recorded with collaborators and various band members, Barnes opted to record this one completely alone. In his home studio in Athens, Georgia, Barnes isolated himself in creative hibernation, working obsessive 12-plus hour days arranging manic synth and drum machine maps on a computer screen with bouncy, melodic basslines, glam guitars and layered vocal harmonies. The result is ten concise electro-pop songs that expose the depths of his current life, his private thoughts (both optimistic and brooding) and his passionate relationship with songwriter Christina Schnieder. Check out the new track “Peace To All Freaks” below.