Taylor Momsen, of The Pretty Reckless has a great bio in the new Nylon issue. The feature promos her new album. The album, 'Who You Selling For' is out now, and Momsen suggests paying attention to the track order. She tells Nylon that when played front to back, the album will tell a continuous story. Stream the album below via Spotify
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The entirety of this newly released video is Mac wriggling around with his traditional floppy dance moves on a sandbar. The location is either unbelievably beautiful, or a green screen. It is very difficult to tell if this is an actual location and the video quality is outstanding, or it is simply a fabricated background. Regardless, this song is great and Mac is his silly self dancing around. Between Arianna, and his revived playful style, Malcolm seems to be in a good place, it just warms middle school me’s heart (and present me too!).
Saba just released a new album, titled 'Bucket List Project.' My favorite new track is 'Church / Liquor Store,' which features Noname Gypsy, a fersonal Chicago favorite, and the track takes on gentrification and, according to The Fader, 'the danger and humanity contained within their city's neighborhood.' Stream below via Spotify.
Earlier this year, Chet Faker decided to start releasing music under his own name, Nick Murphy. So far, he's released 'Fear Less' and 'Stop Me (Stop You.)' You can stream both below Check out his upcoming tour dates via Pitchfork: 11-09 London, England - O2 Academy Brixton 11-26 New York, NY - Flash Factory * 11-28 New York, NY - Webster Hall 11-30 Los Angeles, CA - The Theatre at Ace Hotel 12-01 Los Angeles, CA - Sound Nightclub * 12-03 Miami, FL - Magic City Warehouse @ Art Basel 12-17 Houston, TX - Day For Night Music & Arts Festival 01-21 Singapore - The Meadow, Gardens by the Bay 01-26 Brisbane, AU - Brisbane Showgrounds, Bowen Hills 01-28 Melbourne, AU - Footscray Community Arts Centre (FCAC) and the River’s Edge 01-30 Auckland, NZ - Albert Park Precinct 02-03 Adelaide, AU - Hart's Mill, Port Adelaide 02-04 Sydney, AU - Sydney College of the Arts (SCA), Rozelle 02-05 Fremantle, AU - Esplanade Reserve and West End 05-12 Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre ^ * DJ Set with Dave Harrington and Marcus Marr ^ with Bonobo What do you think? Has his music changed since the name change? Leave it in a comment below.
I was recently introduced to From Indian Lakes, who released their new album, “Everything Feels Better Now,” in October. According to the group’s Facebook page, Joey Vannucchi, the genius behind the band, recorded “Everything Feels Better Now” in the basement of a coffee shop using only vintage analog equipment. This technique definitely shows in the album, creating the perfect vintage atmosphere.
When recording the actual music for the album, Vannucchi writes, “Delays were made using tape machines and other effects were made using various vintage equipment leftover from sound city studios. We used vintage synth equipment and vintage drums and guitar amps. When writing and recording this album, I was really trying to capture a lo-fi aesthetic, while still retaining a sense of thoughtfulness.” You can read more about the process of making the album here.
“Everything Feels Better Now” is the auditory embodiment of a low-key 80s-inspired indie-pop masterpiece. It’s vibrant and lively, but also very calming and intuitive. Vannucchi creates a romantic vintage aesthetic, reminiscent of neon burger signs and California palm trees. Each song blends perfectly into the next, although each offers a notably different experience to the listener.
My personal favorites are “Blank Tapes,” “Hello” (which reminds me of the “Stranger Things” theme song), and “Nome.” You can listen to the entire album through YouTube (also below).
Make sure to check out From Indian Lakes on Facebook, Triple Crown Records (their merch is awesome!), their website, and their bandcamp.
Hey Violet just released a music video (below) for their song “Guys My Age.” “Guys My Age” is filled with angst, bass drops, and lyrical repetition; everything you would expect from a teenage breakup. The music video offers a glimpse into the soul of a teenage girl, filled with lots of neon greens and pinks. The style is similar to Halsey’s “Ghost (Room 93 Edition),” which I adore. You can watch the video below or here.
“Fake Love"
Drake is really feeling the island, Caribbean, steel drum influence. I can only hope that this is at least in part due to Rihanna. But rumor has it they aren’t an item, at least not this week. Regardless I really enjoy this island influence, it keeps things light and playful compared to Drake’s notoriously sad boy-esque lyrics. The moral of this single is definitely that Drake thinks everyone is fake, and this is most likely a lowkey diss track, so you know who you are. This track is definitely my personal favorite out of the recent releases, and I hope it has a leading influence in his upcoming work.
“Sneakin’” (feat. 21 Savage)
Seeing that both “Sneakin’” and “Fake Love” were released together, as a duo of singles, along with the same cover art. The cover features his father, Dennis Graham, who is rumored to begin a rap career? So keep an eye out for that. This track is darker and more methodical, with tasteful sirens (never thought I’d say that) and eerie fading yelps. The lyrics mention the Titanic, Satan/Devil, Drake referring to himself as a “goat” (true) and of course women. 21 Savage is a new name for me, he is an American rapper from Atlanta. He has a good rhythm, maybe there will be more from 21 Savage in More Life.
“Two Birds, One Stone”
Drake seems to be into releasing multiple extremely long episodes of audio on his OVO website/store/blog combination. I’m not sure if this is a cool progressive idea, or just an annoyance to those of us who are lazy and want to see everything new magically pop up on Spotify. I’m leaning toward the lazy latter. This track has multiple comments on family, and Drake’s dad Dennis Graham. It has a cool beat and the usual Drake flow, but the lyrics aren’t particularly memorable. Maybe this was a purposeful choice, to keep this track less easily accessible, and keep “Fake Love” and “Sneakin’” as the prominent singles for Drake’s upcoming project entitled More Life. Read more here and here.
I was recently introduced to OnCue, a local Connecticut rapper who just released a music video for his single “3AM”. The video showcases the Olympia Diner, a Connecticut landmark, and it looks extremely clean despite one’s traditional predispositions of classic diners. The malfunctioning neon sign is indicative to its natural state, and makes for some great shadows and fall-off. The vintage corvette does not exactly fit in with the neon, eclectic vibe, but the Maple Motel sign ties the video back to the original theme.
As far as lyrics, OnCue seems to have his own hip-hop/alternative style. He is able to rap on a solid beat, but still keep it slow and lowkey. Seeing that OnCue is still fairly underground, there is no clear confirmation that this video signals an upcoming album, but we shall see. Touché Amoré released their newest album, “Stage Four,” in September, so I’m listening to it a little later than I should be. I’ve always been a fan of Touché Amoré’s unique sound, and was fortunate to see them at a small show a few years ago when they played in upstate New York. Touché Amoré is one of those bands whose lyrics stick with me, much like La Dispute or Pianos Become The Teeth. I expected no less from this album, despite some warnings on YouTube and Twitter from fans critical of the release. “Stage Four” is dedicated to frontman Jeremy Bolm’s mother who passed away from cancer in 2014. Similar to other releases from the band, the album is full of emotional lyrics and rhythmic guitar riffs. The death of Bolm’s mother is the overarching theme, evident in every song, especially “Displacement,” “Eight Seconds,” “Palm Dreams,” and “Skyscraper.” I applaud you if you can listen to the entire tracklist and not feel emotionally vulnerable when you finish. It’s not something you can listen to on the way to class or driving through town with your friends. “Stage Four” is honest, heavy, and full of corporeal distress. The first song, “Flowers and You” (my personal favorite from the album), draws you in and keeps you listening through each brutally honest (but relatable) track after, finally ending with “Skyscraper.” I read it best in a review from Stereogum by Tom Breihan: “The concrete details in ‘Stage Four’ are what sticks with me. There’s that line about avoiding the voicemail, or the one about needing to skip track two every time he listens to ‘Benji’ because it hits too close to home.” “Stage Four” will leaving you sunken in your bed, too weak to move as Bolm spills his guts in your ears. This album is everything we’re too afraid to share when we grieve, so it’s comforting to hear it from someone else. You can listen to (and purchase) “Stage Four” through Touché Amoré’s bandcamp or website, and check out the music video for “Skyscraper” below (or here).
Pity Sex just released the video for 'Burden You' and announced an indefinite hiatus. Though the video is super cool, I'm incredibly salty about the hiatus, as Pity Sex is such a great band and was releasing such consistently good content. Watch below via YouTube.
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April 2019
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