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Showing posts from September, 2020

"Come Over" - Kowloon

This mellow pop song just appeared on my Instagram the other day, but I'm into it. It's a somewhat bouncy, relaxed piece of synthpop accompanied by a smooth voice - a nice contrast to the heavier songs I posted earlier (death, anyone?) Kowloon is an L.A.-based filmmaker and musician, and this is the title track off his self-produced debut album. Will be interested to see what he comes out with in the future: 

"Husk" - Keaton Henson

Keaton Henson is a singer-songwriter who crafts delicate, beautiful melodies in a way that is reminiscent of a folkier Perfume Genius. Compared to the likes of Bon Iver and Jeff Buckley, you can hear quite vividly how Keaton earns such lofty comparisons.  His newest album, "Monument," ( preorder here ) is slated for release October 23rd and is themed around that most uplifting of topics, death. His single "Husk" deals with aging - and I'm the same age as Keaton, so I understand why his mind is there - but particularly "waking up and realising that you’ve aged. That time, the traitor, has taken from you your best years, the ones where your bones didn’t ache and you could make it through the day without questioning existence." Which is, yep. Feel that.  This also must be the year of musicians ("LA, WHO AM I TO LOVE YOU?") releasing poetry collections, as Keaton also is set to release one, "Accident Dancing."

"One More Second" - Matt Berninger

As a decade-long fan of The National, I had mixed feelings about Matt Berninger's solo project. In the end, I'm much more open to it than I originally was. I think the last two National albums were kind of clunky for me, and so far I like Matt's solo stuff much better. They are still my favorite band, but the more experimental stuff just does not sit that well with me.  "Serpentine Prison," Matt's first full-length solo album, will be out on October 2nd. It's produced by the legendary Booker T. Jones, and features appearances from Gail Ann Dorsey, Phoebe Bridgers, and Andrew Bird among others. "One More Second" really hits the feels, almost like a distant cousin of "Carin At the Liquor Store" (my favorite off "Sleep Well Beast.")  Here's a song by Booker T. Jones I quite like:

"Boomerang" - Body Language

Brooklyn-based Body Language has been making lush music that's like stepping into a bath or walking out of a warm shower since 2008. Their latest album, "Travel Guide," looks to continue to drive that vibe home.  If you're looking for a fun, relaxed tune to chill out to, I would suggest their latest single, "Boomerang."  "Travel Guide" will be out on October 9th on Om Records. 

"how will i rest in peace if i'm buried by a highway?//" - KennyHoopla

My friend Erica just turned me on to this singer/songwriter/rapper, and WOW. This reminds me so much of the music I enjoyed like a decade or so ago (honestly when this song initially started I was vaguely reminded of Interpol, but it becomes clear he's truly one of a kind). This is some incredibly infectious post-punk stuff; I'm really impressed with KennyHoopla (and I love the title of this song, which is neither here nor there).  Also, look at KennyHoopla's live performance of this track - makes me wish live music wasn't such a far-off dream right now, because I LOVE his energy. Definitely would keep an eye on KennyHoopla. Sometimes I get a little pessimistic about the state of modern mainstream music (prob cuz I'm old), but people like him give me hope. 

"goodtimes" - deryk

  Up-and-coming artist deryk (from Auckland, based out of the UK) is preparing to release her debut on October 2nd, "WOMb." And from the sounds of her singles released so far - especially "goodtimes" ( listen here ) - this proves to be a very promising debut. A melancholic, easy-to-listen-to track, this quiet stunner merges a singer-songwriter mindset with a Top 40 savvy. Another single - "Call You Out" - is hypnotic but intriguing. Her voice is light and inviting, but there's an enthralling darkness to the sound.  Honestly, I'm looking forward to hearing the rest of her debut album next month. Deryk has stated she draws inspiration from artists like "PJ Harvey, Fiona Apple, Esperanza Spalding, Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell, and Bjork" - which you can definitely hear influences of in her music. On "WOMb," she partnered with Justyn Pilbrow, who has previously worked with the likes of Halsey and The Neighbourhood. And it seems like it

New Stuff From Still Corners (Dream Pop FTW)

Photo by Bernard Bur Hi all, One of my favorite contemporary dream pop bands is putting out new music, which I'm pumped about. Still Corners, if you've never listened to them, is like entering another world - one presided by the likes of Da vid Lynch and such. I've only been listening to them for a few years, but I'm very smitten. "The Last Exit" is due on in January 2021, and here's a glimpse at what that album is going to sound like via the title track. Themes of isolation (bcs of COVID, thanks COVID) and the need for intimacy make their way into the album. And there's no better place to express isolation than the desert, is there? Says Greg Hughes of the two-piece band, " We found something out there in the desert – something in the vast landscapes that went on forever." The video for "The Last Exit" is inspired by "Picnic at Hanging Rock." Said singer Tessa Murray of this creative choice, "In a world where everyon

Some New Music - Jadu Heart + Annie

Dropping in with some (relatively) new music for you this Saturday. The first comes from a recommendation from one of my work friends. The band is Jadu Heart, and they make magical indie pop - slightly somewhere between folk and synthpop. It's good stuff. Their tracking "The Burning Hour" came out last month, and I meant to post about it, but of course I slept on it. Check out "The Burning Hour" below and if you're not converted like I was, IDK man.  Their album "Hyper Romance" is due out September 25th. And for our second part, my girl Annie has released her latest single off her upcoming album "Dark Hearts." It's called "The Streets Where I Belong," and if you can't sense the synthwave Bruce Springsteen homage from that title alone, WELL.  Seriously though - it's her best single (so far) from the album, and one of the best cuts in her catalog, which says a lot. Annie has a really stellar catalog, very few duds to b

You Need to Hear This: John Duff

So because of the magic of the internet and my inability to actually get real sleep some nights, I've gotten very into Instagram the past two years. I would say I was a casual user of the platform UNTIL this pivotal time - which led to me becoming the active Instagram story creator I am today (TM).  Well it was because of this newfound "hobby" I discovered the music of John Duff, which is really fun, well-done, terrifically produced pop music with a slightly retro feel at times. His music videos for "Girly" and "Rich" are worth watching just because they are slightly satirical takes on pop culture. Early this year he was featured in the Lithuanian DJ Jovani's song "Stop the Show," which is an absolute BANGER. Listen below: Yesterday, John Duff released the song "The Sex" which I fullheartedly recommended. It's another outstanding pop song, and available on music streaming services. Check it out!