Loving this remix! Another goodie from Win and Woo! Check it out below!
Newest Love: The Royal Concept – “Fashion”
The Royal Concept’s highly anticipated new EP, Smile is available today! (Click here to get it!)
Check out the first single “Fashion” from the critically acclaimed Swedish alternative pop outfit. The track shimmies back and forth from bright synths into a robust pop hook.
To record the EP, the quartet— David Larson [vocals], Filip Bekic [guitar], Magnus Robert [bass], and Frans Povel [drums]—hit a Los Angeles studio earlier this year with producer Tony Hoffer [M83, Phoenix, Depeche Mode, The Kooks] behind the board. Now, the collection’s five tracks bristle with an unshakable energy and swaggering charm.
The Royal Concept ignited an international buzz with their 2013 smash “D-D-Dance.” It soared to #2 on Hype Machine, as follow-up songs “Gimme Twice” and “World on Fire” landed at #3 on #1. Their debut The Royal EP also saw them receive coverage from Rolling Stone, Billboard, FILTER Magazine, Alternative Addiction!, and more. Meanwhile, Examiner predicted, “there are big things ahead of this group” and Glamour proclaimed “Gimme Twice” “one of this summer’s big hit songs.” “On Our Way” became their biggest hit, landing over 25 syncs including Glee, FIFA 14, and more. Online, combined video views exceed 10.5 million.
TRACKLISTING
1. Smile
2. Fashion
3. Higher Than Love
4. Hurricane
5. Just Wanna Be Loved By U
Filed under Awesome, listen, Newest Love
Listen/download: Night Drive – “Queen” (Perfume Genius Cover)
“The psychedelic original is revamped into an electro-pop monster that recalls U2 as much as it does On An On‘s synthier side. Listen below.” – All Things Go
It’s summer time again and Night Drive is releasing the second installment of their “Summer Covers Series”. Following last years dark disco Radiohead cover (“Where I End and You Begin”), they’ve now filtered the Perfume Genius track, “Queen” through a dancier electronic lens.
Listen: Night Drive – “Queen” (Perfume Genius Cover)
Filed under Awesome, downloads, listen, Newest Love, remixes
Listen: Sharer – “Body Tonight”
Today, Sharer are pleased to reveal their debut song “Body Tonight” to the world. SHARER is Young & Sick (Nick van Hofwegen) and JD Samson (MEN / Le Tigre). Alongside Nick and JD, the vocals on “Body Tonight” are by Jo Lampert (Tune-Yards, AVAN LAVA) and Xavier Smith. The single will come out on August 21st, with remixes from Midnight Magic and LEFTI.
Stereogum premiered the debut and says: “…could host a variety of dances from the Cha-Cha to the Tango — it’s just that diverse in its sound, from jazz to soul to EDM. The harmonies in the chorus (“Bring me closer to your body tonight / Bring me closer to your lovin’ all right”) are just phenomenal.”
“I used to go see JD simply as a fan while living in London. Her live shows were always absolutely fantastic, leaving me a sweaty mess. When the opportunity arose for me to work with her, I jumped at it. A few months later, here is the beginning of our new friendship. I couldn’t be more excited to share it.” – Nick van Hofwegen (Young & Sick)
“Nick and I were matched up to write songs for other people, but after about two seconds of sharing, we knew what we had was something completely and utterly ours. Love and respect for your collaborators is so important, and working with Nick is such a beautiful expression of our mutual admiration. I love our process and can’t wait until the world gets to share the joy.” – JD Samson
Listen: Sharer – “Body Tonight”
Filed under Check 'em Out!, listen
Video: Iglomat – “King Of The Sun”
“There are deep, medicated grooves and purposefully rough patches. It’s the sort of record that reveals something different every time—circumstantial, temperamental, and yet somehow definitive.” – NME
To coincide with the release of Iglomat’s 3rd album the band have produced a new video for the track “King Of The Sun”.
“King Of The Sun” features haunting vocal performances from Rachel Sermanni and Jennifer Austin. Rachel is one of the UK’s most respected young singer songwriters and Iglomat are thrilled that she could be involved in the album. Rachel and Jennifer contributed vocals to “King Of The Sun” and to “No Place Like Home” with Jennifer also contributing piano on the aptly named “Jen 68”.
Produced by the band the video is a portrait of loss of innocence and regret. A melancholic reflection on growing up and what it means to come to terms with the realities of life.
“He stood at the window of the empty cafe and watched the activities in the square and he said that it was good that God kept the truths of life from the young as they were starting out or else they’d have no heart to start at all.”
― Cormac McCarthy
Filed under Uncategorized
Newest Love: Tongues
Meet Tongues, the budding electronic artist out of Glasgow, Scotland. New track, “Religion” is his latest slice of storming synthetic pop, full of driving rhythm and modulated vocals, and is a taste of his fantastic debut EP, due September.
Listen: Tongues – “Religion”
Check out their previously released song, “Colours In The Dark” below:
Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, listen
Watch: Video from Myami – “Soldier”
Melbourne singer-songwriter Myami has released her official film clip for debut single “Soldier“. The track, produced by beatmaker and collaborator Wayfarer//, has enjoyed nods of approval from online publications including Complex, Pigeons and Planes, and other internationally reaching blogs. The single, and subsequent video is largely based on themes of being a female going into the music industry, communicating the weight of the fears and expectations she has, as well as working out how to navigate the ins and outs of the industry.
It begins in a white pristine room, paying reference to a new beginning and clean fresh start. The black paint symbolises the entrance of her own, and other people’s expectations, contributions, opinions and rules. Through the clip MYAMI is very aware of their presence and grapples with the combination of her own vision and the constant flood and permanency of black.
Progressively, she is able to figure out how to make the industry and her vision work together (as shown in the neon scenes) – thus forming the branding of MYAMI.
Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, listen, video
Check ‘Em Out: Cavemouth
“Guaranteed to get you up and out of your seat and sweating, Cavemouth are the aural equivalent to a night on a stairmaster, drinking Jack Daniels through a pair of fishnet tights.”
Cavemouth are a primal lo-fi funk four-piece who sound as though they live on the wilds of Exmoor (UK) on a strict diet of roadkill, making music to keep the neighbors away and lure the foxes in. Their gritty original sound blends blues, funk and hip-hop with African-influenced tunes and mind-altering lyrics.
Fronted by Sketchy Lex on filthy guitar and vocals, Wreckless Richie on drums, Ms. Mo on funked-up bass and vocals and Mr. Duncan ‘The Hook’ Hook on saxophone, the band have known each other for years. Growing up in rural Devon, they had to make their own entertainment by putting on their own raves and free parties, a past that has certainly helped to shape their sound.
Inspired by everything around them from politics and religion to nature, Cavemouth are influenced by Prince, ESG, Busta Rhymes, Leadbelly, Jack White, Queens of the Stone Age and Jethro Tull.
Check them out on Souncloud HERE.
Filed under Awesome, Check 'em Out!, listen
Mixtape From Mystery Skulls + Tour Dates
“some of the most addictive, hypnotizing disco-pop jams you’ll hear” –COMPLEX
“Skulls’ tunes are one part electro, another indie-pop, and a whole lotta soul all wrapped into one package”- THUMP
“He sings, he DJs, he produces, he stuns… Tantalizing disco-inspired harmonies will no-doubt get you dancing”. –VIBE
“Every live Mystery Skulls show maintains a juxtaposition between the energy and grittiness of a DIY show with his infectious and dance-worthy productions and vocals. Forever is a disco house and funk-infused album” – DJ MAG USA
Following some time off after two tours with Cherub, spot dates around the globe, and commissioned remixes, sound architect Mystery Skulls will hit the road in August for a 7 day, 7-city tour run that begins Friday August 21st in Brooklyn and ends Friday August 28th in his former stomping grounds of Toronto.
Routing and ticket links are as follows:
DATE CITY VENUE
FRI 8/21 Brooklyn, NY Baby’s All Night TICKETS
SAT 8/22 New York, NY Mercury Lounge TICKETS
SUN 8/23 Baltimore, MD The Metro Gallery TICKETS
TUE 8/25 Philadelphia, PA Ortlieb’s Lounge TICKETS
WED 8/26 Cambridge, MA Brighton Music Hall TICKETS
THU 8/27 Pittsburgh, PA Brillobox TICKETS
FRI 8/28 Toronto, ON Drake Hotel TICKETS
To coincide with the tour, Mystery Skulls takes his eclectic ear and genre-bending stylings to produce a specially curated mix to hold over fans while (re)introducing the sounds popularized in his Forever debut last year which featured appearances from Nile Rodgers, Brandy and Snowblood.
Listen: Mystery Skulls Summer 2015 Mixtape
Must Listen: Foals – “Mountain At My Gates”
Produced by James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Florence + the Machine), “Mountain At My Gates” builds from the leftfield grooves and angular art-rock that characterized previous Foals’ anthems such as “My Number” and “Miami”. This time, however, the quintet subverts expectations by twisting the track into a frenzied finale with a cacophony of sound.
“I’d recorded the beginning riff on my phone ages ago,” explained vocalist/guitarist Yannis Philippakis in a track-by-track interview with NME. “At the beginning it had a baggy feel, but became less so with more work. The central image – “I see a mountain at my gates” was from me getting more interested in seeing what would come out lyrically where there wasn’t a pre-conceived idea. Normally I write voraciously in books and journals, then harvest a lot of that for the record. This, though, came out instantaneously in the room.”
Foals’ thrillingly visceral return with title track ‘What Went Down’ earned a flurry of Radio 1 support (Hottest Record in the World, Tune of the Week and Track of the Day) as it accelerated past the million views mark at YouTube. The album is now available to pre-order on digital, CD, CD/DVD and vinyl formats, as well as a limited edition box set, which is available exclusively from Foals’ online store. Fans who pre-order the album will receive instant downloads of “Mountain At My Gates” and “What Went Down”.
As with the rest of the What Went Down album, Foals – completed by Jimmy Smith (guitar/keys), Walter Gervers (bass), Jack Bevan (drums) and Edwin Congreave (keys) – recorded “Mountain At My Gates” at the studio La Fabrique which is located in the same village in the south of France in which Van Gogh was hospitalised after savaging his own ear.
What Went Down is an album that grapples with questions that are a world away from the bland bleatings of homogenised pop: permanence and impermanence; life and death; solitude; vulnerability; intimacy; passion; rage; humanity – weighty issues that make demands of the people creating that music, and of all those who listen to it, too.
Sonically, it’s an album that precariously seesaws between primal aggression and naked vulnerability. It’s an approach that delivers a contrast of muscular shocks with the fiery central riff of “Snake Oil” and the menacing percussive march of “Albatross” set against some of the band’s most openly experimentally moments to date such as cocktail of afrobeat and drum machines that underpins “Night Swimmers” and the stripped-back, vocal-led “Give It All”.
The album closes on an astonishingly beautiful note with “A Knife in the Ocean”, akin to both the calm before the storm, but also the stillness and silence after it has passed.
Foals have released three top ten albums to date: Antidotes (2007, album chart no 3), Total Life Forever (2010, no 8) and Holy Fire (2013, no 2). 2013 was the year that Foals broke through (even though I’ve loved them since 2007). Appearing high up the bill at festivals around the world, Foals became festival headliners in the UK, headlining Bestival, Latitude and Parklife, drawing the biggest crowds of the weekends. By the end of 2013 Foals had won another slew of awards: Best Live Act at the Q awards, Best Live Act at The Sun Bizarre awards, Best Single (Inhaler) at the NME awards and a Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize nomination (the band’s second in a row).
Filed under Awesome, Highly Anticipated, listen, new albums
Musically Amusing 