“Simply the perfect tropi-pop party soundtrack” – VICE’s Noisey “There is nothing more alive or energetic than Crystal Fighters” – Dazed
Following the release of their third studio album Everything Is My Family which garnered acclaim from the likes of NPR and Noisey, London-based Crystal Fightersshare the virtual reality inspired, disco-flecked video for “Good Girls.”
Everything Is My Family embodies the band’s ecstatic lust for life and as singer Sebastian ‘Bast’ Pringle says, the album is “more dance-floor, more psychedelic, more tropical, more rave, more sunshine, more pretty much everything” than anything they have done before.
Since the release of acclaimed second album Cave Rave in 2013, Bast has spent time living in the Basque Country, The Canary Islands, and Central America – a field recording of tropical wise-men in conversation from Costa Rica opens the album – and says his time away from the overpowering buzz of modern civilization has given him a new perspective.
Meanwhile, bandmate Graham lived “up a mountain” in Maine before traveling down to Peru in a modern life-provoked quest for otherness. He says that the time they each individually spent exploring the world has helped them come to terms with some of the highs and tragic lows the band has already experienced. Stay tuned for U.S. tour news coming soon!
Everything Is My Family LP Out Now via Play It Again Sam
Oslo based duo Anna of the North unveil a new take on their latest single “Us” – a self-recorded visual accompaniment to a delicate, acoustic rendition of the original, which has been streamed over 2 million times.
The fascinatingly fragmented, synth-driven follow up to previous singles “Sway”, “The Dreamer” and “Baby”; “Us” delves deeper into Anna of the North’s lore and emotion, dusk into evening and all the promise — good and bad — that night brings.
Speaking of the track the duo, consisting of Anna Lotterud and Brady Daniell-Smith, say: “It’s about a relationship between two people with a really strong connection. When it’s so good it’s bad for you. All of us have had that special person you’ll never forget where the timing wasn’t right”
The duo’s songs have been streamed over 32 million times, and caught the attention from tastemakers like Fader, NYLON, Noisey, Pigeons and Planes and Gorilla Vs Bear and have risen to the top of the Hype Machine charts. “Sway” also garnered an official remix from certified hit makers, The Chainsmokers.
Anna Of The North has recently completed a tour with Kygo, as well as run of UK dates including The Great Escape and shows with Liss. Further news of live shows coming soon. “Us” is out now via Honeymoon.
Epic, swooning and ethereal, Oslo based act Anna of the North recently arrivedwith the new single, “Baby,” exclusively on Noisey. Now, Vancouver native, Felix Cartal premieres his shimmering re-work of the track, streaming on Mr. Suicide Sheep.
A relentless touring schedule and tireless work ethic have led to Cartal’s continued rise as one of dance music’s premier producers. Never content to reproduce the same sound, his artistic evolution has resulted in a unique style defined by memorable melodies, beautiful vocals, and driving bass. 2016 has seen the release of multiple remixes by Felix, all of which have topped the Hype Machine charts, including Kiiara’s “Feels” and Wafia’s “Heartburn”. The JUNO nominated artist has performed on the stages of Tomorrowland, EDC, Electric Zoo, and HARD, as well as clubs around the world.
Anna of the North’s “Baby” is the highly anticipated follow up to previous releases, “The Dreamer” and “Sway,” which were streamed over 30 million times, and caught the attention from tastemakers like Fader, NYLON, Pigeons and Planes, and rose to number three in the Hype Machine charts. “Sway” also garnered an official remix from certified hit makers, The Chainsmokers.
“The four piece pop band from Vancouver are upbeat and undoubtedly having lighthearted fun with their music, and the song is layered in sugary harmonic vocals and melodies for you and your friends to get dark (or drunk) to.” – VICE’s Noisey
“a danceable exploration into experimental indie pop” – Culture Collide
Vancouver indie-pop darlings The Zolas have released a cutting-edge video for their fuzzed-out, guitar-driven pop anthem “Swooner”, which just reached #2 on the Canadian Alternative Chart this year. The interactive live video was shot on four GoPro cameras mounted in a special 360° tripod that allows the viewer to pan around the room and explore different viewpoints. Make sure to watch on Chrome or Firefox!
The Zolas’ Swooner LP, released this year via Light Organ Records, dives headlong into vibrant, experimental pop, showcased by stirring modern production, highlighted by flashes of grungy hard-panned guitars, Prince-like synth flourishes, eurodance vocals and electric pianos. The band is heading out on a North American tour in June, including a stop at NXNE Festival and Pemberton Music Festival.
Tour Dates:
6/13: San Diego, CA @ The Casbah
6/14: Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
6/15: Santa Barbara, CA @ Velvet Jones
6/16: San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
6/18: Toronto, ON, Canada @ NXNE Festival
6/20: Portland, OR @ Doug Fir Lounge
6/21: Seattle, WA @ Sunset Tavern
6/22: Spokane, WA @ The Bartlett
7/14-17: Pemberton, BC, Canada @ Pemberton Music Festival
“Sounds like heaven” – Stereogum “Retro-soul that feels totally refreshing.” – NYLON “Shades of blues, jazz and even electronic music without missing a beat.” – Noisey “Makes you want to channel all of your frustrations into dancing the night away.” – Teen Vogue “Intense and uninhibited” – Billboard
Following the release of her critically acclaimed album Blood To Bone, New Zealand-born/Los Angeles-based Gin Wigmore is set to kick off her largest North American tour yet next week in D.C. on March 27th. A unique breed of soul infused rock ‘n’ roll with a fierce attitude to match, Gin’s latest work was an international success that saw Top-40 airplay in both Australia and New Zealand + over 23 million streams across platforms worldwide.
Gin’s latest single “Willing To Die” featuring Suffa and Hilltop Hoods’ Logic is accompanied by a captivating and empowering video in which the artist lays bare her own vulnerabilities. Gin explains:
“‘Willing To Die’ warranted a strong, bare-all (literally!) approach. I wanted to have a go at breaking down the false sense of security, acceptance, and short-lived happiness we, as humans, feel will come from indulging in materialism. It’s not the things we buy, the big house we dream of or the expense of the clothes we wear. It is about taking that scary first step in figuring out who we truly are. Figuring out our insecurities and downfalls to accept and change or just to own and be aware of. It is about finding what you love about yourself so you can be a positive footprint in this world for you and others. By no means have I mastered this yet, but I guess that’s why we get a lifetime to try figure ourselves out. 🙂 Be brave, be you, and take a look at the video – you just might like it.”
Blood To Bone follows 2013’s Gravel & Wine, which spawned hit singles including “Man Like That”, synced to a Skyfall-themed Heineken advertisement, in which Gin appeared alongside Daniel Craig’s James Bond and Wigmore’s 2009 debut album Holy Smoke. Both albums reached #1 and multi-platinum status back home in New Zealand. Revered for her spellbinding and strikingly raw live performance, be sure to catch Gin Wigmore in a city near you!
Gin Wigmore Tour Dates
3/27: Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall
3/29: New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom – SOLD OUT
4/1: Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts
4/2: Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
4/5: South Burlington, VT @ Showcase Lounge
4/8: Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground
4/9: Buffalo, NY @ Studio at Waiting Room
4/12: Ferndale, MI @ The Magic Bag
4/13: Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club
4/16: Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
4/19: Austin, TX @ The Parish
4/20: Dallas, TX @ Trees
4/23: Denver, CO @ Marquis Theatre
4/26: Vancouver, BC @ Venue
4/27: Seattle, WA @ Neumos
4/29: Portland, OR @ Star Theater
5/1: San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
5/3: San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
5/5: Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
“With a summer soundtrack like this, we don’t want it to end either.” – The Line of Best Fit
“Light, airy, and a little bit surreal, it’s like a synthpop radio single that’s been put through a taffy pull.” – Noisey
“…captures the lazy, romanticized days of summer with pensive synthesizer loops and heartbeat drums.” – Consequence of Sound
Ennui is the brainchild of renowned Pittsburgh-based musician and producer Jim Doutrich, and has been around in various incarnations since 2004.
The songs that comprise the new album, Telepathic Beat, stand out in style and substance, as roller-beats immersed in a bath of shimmering neo-shoegaze, creating a widescreen backdrop to act as home for brain-embedding melodies and subtly haunting lyrics.
With its sun-drenched feel, the album plays as the soundtrack to a summer spent balancing a narcotic life in clubs, with the possibilities that await when you skip work and head to the beach. It’s destined to be the album to reach for when you don’t want to admit that summer is over.
Telepathic Beat is Ennui’s debut for Mush Records and is nothing short of a rebirth for the band, with mastermind Jim Doutrich honing his infectious brand of synth-pop. The playfully yearning vocals, syncopated synth patterns, and distorted Euro-dance grooves bring to mind both ’80s new wave pop, and the youthful nostalgia of recent releases by glo-fi re-originators.
“…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.
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)
The Cold and Lovely is the brainchild of indie-rock goddesses, Meghan Toohey (The Weepies, Lenka, Schuyler Fisk) and Nicole Fiorentino (The Smashing Pumpkins,Veruca Salt, Spinnerette). The duo came together to form The Cold And Lovely with a singular sonic vision. The deceivingly moody yet bold new Ellis Bell Deluxe EP will be released on June 17.
Mastered by Dave Cooley (M83, The Silversun Pickups), the release features driving rock tunes that are as heartbreaking as they are anthemic. Upon discussing their influences, Toohey explains, “I dug deep into albums that changed my life, such as My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless, PJ Harvey’s entire catalog, and the work of bands like The Cure and U2. But it was Nicole who really helped me shake out the sound and pinpoint what I loved about the guitar tones and production.”
Shoegaze masterpiece “Oh, My Love” is a brooding lovesong strapped with melancholy lyrics and a bass line that commands listeners to move. Infectious title track “Ellis Bell” blends the duo’s slightly distorted vocals over lush instrumentation and dramatic, driving bass. With celestial backing vocals and hard-hitting lyrics, the percussive nature of “Radio” at once lends itself to road trip mixtapes and late-night ragers. “Radio” was released with VICE’s Noisey and you can check it out here.
The Cold And Lovely have launched begun aPledge Music campaign, offering backers behind-the-scenes video snippets as well as a variety of brand new exclusive merchandise. The duo will hit the road this spring with their first ever East Coast run, launching in NYC:
6/10: New York, NY @ Pianos NYC (New Music Seminar)
6/11: Long Branch, NJ @ The Brighton Bar
6/12: Washington, DC @ Black Cat
6/13: Columbus, OH @ Rumba Cafe
6/14: Pittsburgh, PA @ Howlers Coyote Cafe
6/16: Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands
6/17: Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
6/18: Cambridge, MA @ T.T. the Bear’s Place
6/19: Easthampton, MA @ Flywheel Arts Collective
“…a smoky, uplifting sound that fuses blues, rock, country and pretty much every genre in between.” – USA Today
“…we’re digging her combination of raw, bluesy vocals and glitchy electronics.” – NYLON
“…sultry cyber-soul.” – SPIN
Brooklyn’s captivating modern day siren Arum Rae is gearing up to self-release her Warranted Queen EP next Tuesday, and in advance, she’s rolled out her dynamic new single “Something’s Happening To Me” with Noisey. “Something’s Happening To Me” is symbolic of Arum’s recent transformation from shedding her traditional singer-songwriter roots, to her entrancing new endeavor under her given name.
Her new single follows closely on the heels of her previous stand-out singles “Warranted Queen” and “2001”. Arum’s ability to transcend styles allows the music to resurrect the soul, feel the blues, and then re-invent rock through her deeply rooted foundation as a songwriter. After relocating to Brooklyn from Austin, Arum shed the White Dress moniker and teamed up with producer Sanford Livingston for this new EP (and forthcoming album). Everything Arum has lived through and all of the songs that have been born from it are not meant to impress, they’re meant to lead.
Although being a new endeavor, Arum Rae is no stranger to the stage. She’s toured extensively over the past several years, opening up for and sharing stages with artists like Willie Nelson, Rodriguez, The Kills, Gary Clark Jr., Dan Auerbach, BB King, The Civil Wars, and Peter Bjorn & John, to name a few. With a renewed energy and passion, Arum looks to 2014 to embolden artists and singers like herself to pursue their passions with pause, regret or fear.
“Ghost Beach are the Venn diagram of their influences—Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, The Police, and Daft Punk—and then some, thanks to a shitload of synths, some nostalgic 80s sonics and even the occasional reggae groove. The sound is unmistakably their own.” – VICE’s Noisey
“If you can get people dancing as early as noon. You’re good. They did.”–NPR’s All Songs Considered
“…a radiant and catchy cut fit for a tropical island dance party.” – Consequence of Sound
VICE’s Noiseyjust unleashed another unmistakable Ghost Beach hit in the form of Blonde album cut, “Without You.”Showcasing their love for influences Ace of Base & UB40, the track features a full-on reggae vibe complemented perfectly by the duo’s distinctive, cutting-edge contemporary touch.
Ghost Beach, consisting of Josh Ocean & Eric “Doc” Mendelsohn, has set the Internet ablaze with upbeat anthems, a preference for ’80s synth, and consistent number ones on Hype Machine. The band has performed alongside The 1975, ASTR, Betty Who & St. Lucia. They have just announced a Firefly Festival appearance and national tour dates supporting RAC & The Sounds, teaming up to command dance floors across the continent! Full dates below:
Tour Dates w/ RAC
3/27: Montreal, QC @ Theatre Corona
3/28: Toronto, ON @ The Hoxton
3/29: Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig
3/31: Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
4/1: Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theater
4/4: Seattle, WA @ Neumos Ballroom
4/5: Vancouver, BC @ Celebrities
4/6: Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
4/8: San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
4/9: Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
Tour Dates w/ The Sounds & Blondfire
4/10: New York, NY @ Webster Hall
4/11: Providence, RI @ Fete Ballroom
4/12: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
4/14: Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
4/15: Tampa, FL @ State Theatre
4/16: Miami, FL @ Grand Central
4/18: Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
4/19: Austin, TX @ Emo’s
4/21: Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s
6-19-22: Dover, DE @ Firefly Festival
Musically Amusing 