Having established herself as one of Australia’s most important voices and striking songwriters of recent years, Melbourne-based artist Eliza Hull has proven the longevity of her art, and continued evolution. With the release of her new single ‘Running Underwater’, the songwriter and musician embraces a beautiful new chapter of creative and personal expression; the threads of experiences from both sides of her being knitting together beautifully in creating a gorgeous piece of new music. ‘Running Underwater’ saw Hull work with ARIA Award-winning producer Pip Norman (Baker Boy, Missy Higgins) on production, recording the track at BIGBANG Studio. Mixed by Simon Lam (Woodes, Cub Sport) and mastered by Idania Valencia (Sam Smith), ‘Running Underwater’ – in its final form – lets the dynamism of Hull’s vocals and arrangement take prominence, flourishing with each sonic swell. ‘Running Underwater’ is the first song Hull has written about being disabled and living with a condition called ‘Charcot Marie Tooth’. The condition, a degenerative nerve disorder, has affected Hull’s walking for a long time; it was a disability that she kept hidden, specifically in the music industry. In recent years however, Hull has emerged as an accessibility advocate within the industry; her determinism and approach to educating and spurring on change in perspective and structure, when it comes to the way disabled musicians are treated within the industry, has been incredibly influential. ‘Running Underwater’ is a powerful musical representation of Hull’s strength, and an example of the artist coming further into her own.“For a long time I hid my disability, especially in the music industry. This was due to under-representation of disabled musicians and I was constantly shown that disability was a deficit or something that should be feared and hidden. It was such a heavy weight holding onto these beliefs, it was exhausting to constantly hide. This song is about pushing up against society’s view of disability, it’s about letting go of the fear and being authentic and true to myself and showing that it’s ok to be different.“ Working with director Keiran Watson-Bounce, Hull has also produced a moving music video for ‘Running Underwater’, filmed at The Goods Shed in Castlemaine. Featuring the talents of dancer ‘roya the destroya’, the experience allowed Hull to bring the song to life in a beautifully unique way onscreen. And in doing so, has represented disability onscreen in a way not generally seen. “The music video features my very good friend ‘roya the destroya’. She is a brilliant disabled dancer who moves like nobody I know. She actually started busking with an early version of the song and sent me a video of her performing with it. When I watched that video I knew I had to collaborate with her on the official music video. She has a beautiful ability to inhibit what I am feeling in my music and then express that through movement. In the music video she is like my alter-ego, almost like the spirit part of what I am feeling in the lyrics. Keiran Watson-Bonnice is the director of the music video. We have worked together in the past on the ABC Kids TV show And Then Something Changed, which I produced and wrote the music for. We shot the clip in one day, in mostly one take in the Goods Shed on a freezing winter’s day.“

Next month, Christine And The Queens are releasing a new album, PARANOÏA, ANGELS, TRUE LOVE, recorded with super-producer Mike Dean. We’ve heard ‘To Be Honest’ and the 070 Shake-featuring ‘True Love’ from it so far, and now Chris is sharing another new one, ‘Tears Can Be So Soft.’ “Tears can be so soft was born out of the marriage of a Marvin Gaye sample that caught my attention, this intoxicating, elegant, almost poised in its melancholy string arrangement,” Chris said in a statement, adding that they wanted to create “this deep sense of almost womb-like, hypnotic space where the voice could soar in its loneliness, [an] interplay between the suffering that motivates tears and the gentle healing effect they can have.” [via Stereogum]

In June, This Is The Kit will release a new album, Careful Of Your Keepers, which follows 2020’s Off Off On and is produced by Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys. We’ve already heard lead single ‘Inside Outside,’ and now they’re back with another album track, ‘More Change,’ which comes with an animated video created by Benjamin Jones. Jones explains of the video: “With this video I wanted to create something that felt homemade, organic and very much alive. Using very simple puppetry with some old coat hangers and some basic stop motion (and some surprisingly willing neighbors who lent me their faces) I’ve tried to create a few characters and scenarios which are connected in some ways, but also reflect the themes I picked up from the music – sadness, compromise, exploring new ground, and finding new ways to help each other move forward.” [via Stereogum]

Water From Your Eyes have released a new single and video ’14’, the latest preview from their forthcoming album and Matador debut Everyone’s Crushed, out May 26. A crescendo of swelling strings, pizzicato and electronic drone moving around a cyclical vocal refrain of “How many is 14?,” the band describe the song as “a quasi-serial inkblot signifying submission to personal demons and the realization that change is both necessary and inevitable.” Watch the widescreen black & white video directed by the band’s Rachel Brown below. On the video, Brown says: “I was largely inspired by Meshes of the Afternoon, Last Year in Marienbad, and Spirited Away, as well as the painting The Triumph of Baccus by Diego Velázquez, a favorite of Nate’s. I wanted to capture the feeling of being haunted by one’s own inner turmoils and the act of letting those conflicts go.”

Late last year, art-pop masterminds Kate NV and Angel Deradoorian announced that they’d joined forces to form a duo called Decisive Pink. Next month, they’ll release their debut album Ticket To Fame. Now, they’ve also shared a joyous piece of spiky weirdness called ‘Dopamine.’ ‘Dopamine’ is a six-minute piece of deadpan art-funk about the emptiness of consumerism. Kate NV and Angel Deradoorian chant the names of products with arch, sarcastic glee as their music mechanistically tics away. In the video, director JJ Stratford films the two of them in theatrical makeup as they work in a warehouse full of boxes. Both musically and visually, ‘Dopamine’ recalls some of the artiest post-punk of the late ’70s and early ’80s. [via Stereogum]

Ashnikko has unveiled the official video for her single ‘WEEDKILLER’, directed by Furmaan and Vasso. It follows the release of her other recent singles ‘You Make Me Sick!’ and ‘Worms’, which will appear on her highly anticipated debut album of the same name, due to arrive imminently via Parlophone Records. “This song is the one that gave birth to the whole album,” stated Ashnikko. “It’s the climax of the record, the epic fight scene in the wasteland. Swords drawn, roots deep into the ground, I have come here to photosynthesise and eliminate the weedkillers. It is a violent fantastical storytelling set in my realm.” [via Dork]

Louise Post – of seminal band Veruca Salt – is sharing the video for her first debut solo track ‘Guilty,’ a perfect reverie of guitar haze. Directed by Meeno and written and produced by Post, the video showcases a married couple’s relationship on the fritz with no one person more guilty than the other in their wrongdoings. About the song, Post reflected, “I wrote this on a Tuesday and recorded it on Thursday, writing most of the lyrics on the drive from my house over to the studio. This song literally poured out of me. I was sleeping when it woke me up and demanded to be written. The first verse and chorus landed as an accusation, but then I realized it was far more interesting, and much more true to life, to have everyone in the song be guilty of something. To have the narrator own up to her own guilt, and then acknowledge the universality of it all. I mean, what would we be without our secrets? The song is ultimately about not taking ourselves so seriously.” [via AntiMusic]

Singapore-born, London-based artist Yeule has released a new single, ‘Sulky Baby’, alongside news of new US and UK headlining shows later this year and their signing with Ninja Tune. ‘Sulky Baby’, which is accompanied by a visually stunning music video directed by Yeule themselves and Jaxon Whittington, is a melancholic tune that blends 2000s alt-rock and shoegaze. Yeule said of the newly released track via a press statement: “‘Sulky Baby’ was like a 2000s alt-rock shoegaze hybrid tinted in sad satire. I felt like I was talking to a younger version of me, stopping her from crying, looking back at the ways I betrayed and neglected that innocence from myself. I failed to protect her and I felt like I needed to go back in time and fulfil what she was starved of. So that she could return to my side. So that I can smile like a little kid again.” They continued: “The song gives quite vivid descriptions of a depression I felt with almost a burning passion, yet I tried to give it a light-hearted tone. I think romanticizing is not always that bad. It helps to do it sometimes when you’re dealing with a repressed memory. I think it is called an advantaged delusion? Sometimes, that’s the only way I can remember parts of me I don’t want to remember, so that I can lay her to rest and heal. My mother used to tell me as a child, not to sulk all the time. I guess that’s why sulking is so special to me.” [via NME]

Lana Del Rey has released the 10-minute music video for ‘Candy Necklace’ featuring Jon Batiste from her new album Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd. The video, directed by Rich Lee and shot in Los Angeles, sees the singer take on the role of numerous Hollywood starlets throughout history like Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Short, also known as the The Black Dahlia. The black and white video features behind the scenes shots of Del Rey through the camera finder, in the make-up chair and alongside collaborator Batiste at the piano. “The whole thing about the video — why it was all supposed to be behind the scenes — was because all these women who changed their names and changed their hair, like me,” Del Rey tells the crew at one point in the video. “It’s like they all fell into these different snake holes. So the whole point is like, how do you learn from that and not fall into your own thing?” [via NME]

‘The Most Wanted Person In The United States’ — the recently released 100 gecs track — has finally received the goofy visuals to match its irreverent sonics. The new video finds Laura Les and Dylan Brady masking up to steal packages off of porches, brandish plastic swords at Ring doorbell cameras, kick a life-sized plastic horse, and hold up a convenience store with automatic weapons made of Monster Energy cans, among other misadventures. [via The FADER]

Borderline Toxic have made their long awaited return, releasing latest single ‘Sir Satan’. The band’s desire to explore emotive, personal lyricism paired with a raucous background of scuzzy riffs is exhibited in full. Featuring another flamboyantly crafted video, Borderline Toxic continue to illustrate why their sound has struck a chord with press both at home and abroad. ‘Sir Satan’ delves into themes about our own character, our flaws, our strengths, our relationships and how these individual traits are influenced by both positive and negative experiences that have shaped us. Hypnotic front-woman Kerry Glass delivers the line, “…nothing is A-Ok, said Sir Satan…” with stinging aplomb. Kerry is telling the listener that our demon is always in the back of our mind causing doubt and, ultimately, sabotaging the healthy relationships we create. Kerry’s own personal rebuke to the paternal issues she has faced growing up are laced throughout the song and are cocooned by filthy, face melting guitar riffs, biting drum beats and a grooving baseline.

Sweden’s Hot Breath returns with the new hot single and visually stunning music video ‘Keep On Calling’. The track is a highly energetic rock explosion with powerful vocals and thrilling riffs, of which the band comments: ”’Keep On Calling’ is a song about trying to break free from forbidden duets – even though your body is as tense as a bow-string”.

Ukrainian refugee and pop singer-songwriter Natisa Gogol has shared the video for her latest single entitled ‘Aesthetics’. The disco-infused dance pop anthem is a love letter to the LGBTQ+ community, especially those in Russian occupation who are further discriminated against. Natisa confides, the song “is a tale of love that is more powerful than life itself, overcoming injustice, prejudice, and any obstacles it may encounter.” The futuristic video is a dedication to the LGBTQ+ community, portraying a love affair between two women that transcends space and time. ‘Aesthetics’ further highlights many people’s concerns that if Russia occupies Ukraine, the LGBTQ+ population will have their current rights taken away. Natisa’s music delivers a powerful message about holding onto strength and hope, even in the most disastrous and dark of times, as she herself was forced to flee her home in Ukraine to begin a new life.

Toronto–based songstress Sam Casey wears her authenticity like your favourite pair of well–worn jeans. Her unfiltered and unapologetic songs are inspired by the past two years of her life: all the breakups, the makeups, the drugs, the dancing, the crying, the anxiety and the love. Her passive aggressive song, ‘7 Second Superstar,’ was inspired by TikTok fame. It comes off as judgmental because it is. Sam and her co-writers, Julianna Eye and Chloe Kay, felt critical of social media – TikTok in particular – and how it promotes a culture of one hit wonders. “Julianna, Chloe, and I wrote this song over Zoom in 2021 with TikTok reaching its height of popularity and all of us being quite literally forced to participate on the app,” Sam explains. “After a conversation regarding our experiences in the early-2000’s and late 90’s (before social media existed), we decided to try a blink-182 vibe and about 2 hours later we had a song.”

Grace Potter is gearing up to release her fifth studio LP Mother Road via Fantasy Records on August 18. An audacious and heart-pounding map of the soul, Mother Road finds Grace deconstructing her deepest fears and darkest regrets, charting the fallout with brutal honesty and emotional daring. To celebrate the release, Potter has shared the inviting, irresistibly twangy title track. The single comes alongside an endearing Pulp Fiction meets Thelma and Louise styled video. Grace Potter reflected on the meaning of Mother Road, saying, “In Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck called Route 66 the ‘The Mother of all roads…the road of flight.’ As I zeroed out my odometer and started west on my road trip across the US, I hoped that driving the road of flight would give me a bird’s eye view of my life. But it didn’t take long to realize that I was not flying; I was running away. In the solitude, I found myself smashing open the piggy bank of deeply-buried memories. Those gems of my real-life exploits spilled into my creative consciousness and emboldened me to write an album that reaches far beyond what actually happened–launching me down the alternate-reality roads of what could have happened.” [via uDiscoverMusic]

Grammy-nominated Nigerian dance-pop vocalist Kah-Lo releases her new single ‘fund$’ on Epic Records. Spinning a tale of greed and glory, Kah-Lo’s latest single sees her fierce vocals cut with a darker edge. A powerful anthem that flaunts Kah-Lo’s intrinsic ability to seamlessly blend genres at her will, ‘fund$’ commands attention with its shiny synth stabs, punchy basslines, and rhythmic percussion. Kah-Lo’s playfully audacious lyrics add a feminist flare to the track as she sings, “Girls just wanna have funds, can’t have fun if you don’t have funds”. As with all of Kah-Lo’s originals, her vibrant persona shines through on ‘fund$’ as she teases her more rebellious side. ‘fund$’ arrives with an official music video that sees Kah-Lo take a murderous turn to enact revenge on those who have done her wrong. Portraying a femme fatale in this Kill Bill-esque music video, ‘fund$’ is an enticing introduction into Kah-Lo’s villain era. [via Find Your Sounds]

Madeline Kenney has announced her fourth album, A New Reality Mind, arriving July 28 via Carpark Records. Following 2021’s Summer Quarter EP, A New Reality Mind was produced and recorded by Kenney in her basement and processes the abrupt end of a long-term relationship. Along with the album news is a lead single, ‘Superficial Conversation,’ which also has a self-directed video. “‘Superficial Conversation’ is my way of looking back at the ways I shrunk myself or ignored my own needs in favor of the needs and desires of others,” Kenney explains. “While I wish I had acted differently, I want to be kind and forgiving to my past self and be able to grow and move forward with more power and love.” Of the video, Kenney says: “I wanted the video to show a forced transformation, from the inside and out. Jess Bozzo’s choreography really captured what I wanted to evoke; a painful change that becomes a pretty joyous opening with room for desire and play.” [via Stereogum]

Australia’s acclaimed alternative dance trio Haiku Hands have returned with a new single and music video. Claire Nakazawa, Beatrice Lewis and Mie Nakazawa are on fiery form on their new track, titled ‘Nunchucka’. A dancefloor cut with punk energy, the addictive track offers an instant sonic adrenaline rush. “A super charged high energy self affirmation anthem for anyone who wants to wipe off the patriarchal stain of self-loathing,” the band says about their single. “A song to listen to before you go out, when you’re out, and when you get home. Enjoy your life.” The accompanying music video, directed by Triana Hernandez, sees Haiku Hands and a set of mysterious characters matching the rebellious spirit of the track. [via The Brag]

Up next from LA’s resident femme-punk royalty, The Aquadolls, comes ‘Far Far Away,’ the final single before the June 2 release of their album Charmed. A slice of upbeat summer optimism, the song featuring production by Chris Szczech (The Goo Goo Dolls), is a call to arms for anyone looking to ferociously take back their independence. In the single’s official video directed by longtime creative collaborator Jenna Houchin, the band is drenched in a retro malaise as they attempt to bust out of the norm. Lead singer Melissa Brooks said, “’Far Far Away’ is a fairytale twist on the working class, discussing that the only person who can truly save you is yourself. Recorded by Chris Szcech, this up-tempo track features surfy guitar licks reminiscent of early Vampire Weekend and hand claps to ensure that anyone can clap and chant along to this modern self-love fairytale.” Bassist Keilah Nina chimed in saying that this is, “A tune about struggling with work-life balance. The painful reality of getting trapped in the same 9-5 routine and feeling blocked or detached from personal growth, success, and/or love as a result. It’s also a tale of acceptance, sometimes you have to pull yourself out of the dirt, and that’s okay!”

Sarah Kinsley is pleased to share details of a new EP, Ascension, for release next month via Verve Forecast/Decca Records UK. The EP is released on June 9, and previewed with ‘Lovegod’ and accompanying music video. The video is produced by Sarah who also hand-crafted the ‘Lovegod’ character who features throughout the video. The song itself was written, performed, recorded, produced, and mixed by Sarah. Sarah Kinsley on the new track: “’Lovegod’ is the most devious I think I’ve been in my writing, My own ‘lovegod’ is a perfect lover, an answer to a prayer, an antidote for romantic pessimism. Where can one find love these days? Why do we need it? Why do I find myself begging for some spiritual deliverance?”

Berlin-based, Belgium-raised rising pop icon MOLI returns with her dreamy new single ‘It’s Not My Fault’. Produced by JUNGLE’s Tom McFarland, this nostalgic new cut evokes the 80s with its shimmering electro-pop leanings, wavy synths and MOLI’s signature delicate, soulful vocals. Speaking on the single, MOLI said – “‘It’s Not My Fault’ is about coming to the realisation that you need to leave something that is bad for you and finally feeling a glimpse of that sense of freedom you were missing after feeling pulled down and heavy for so long. I personally felt like certain romantic situations I was in really weighed me down. They felt very one sided. Always chasing people, putting them on a pedestal and putting so much of myself and emotions into it only to end up feeling like I was never enough for them. I would feel so vulnerable and susceptible to being taken advantage of. I didn’t feel like being my true self was okay as I was so focused on pleasing the other person. Making it to the other side of that and experiencing healthier relationship dynamics made me feel so much lighter, confident and independent. It is so freeing to be unapologetically me. At the same time, I have been learning to navigate a very male dominated industry. I feel a lot of growth has happened for me over the last few years. I have my own opinions and I am confident in what I do which has made such a big difference if ever I do end up in a room with someone who I do not feel respected by. It is a very liberating feeling to not be so dependent on someone else’s validation, opinion and it’s that sense of freedom and confidence that I hope ‘It’s Not My Fault’ portrays.” The single arrives with a slick and sumptuous video shot by director Marek Partyš and inspired by the drama and hijinks of old films. Transporting viewers back to the 80s, the visual is set in a casino following a host of glamorous con-men manipulate a roulette wheel, before MOLI in her most baddass, empowering performance yet, unexpectedly swoops in and steals the final riches. Speaking on the video, Partys said -“The first time I listened to the song It is not my fault, I got a whiff of the 80s. The mysterious club, the strange characters, the detective, the casino, the smoke, all popped into my mind while listening to the song. It was a fun ride to piece all these elements together into a story where the singer Moli herself plays one of the main roles. And I’m convinced that she did it perfectly. The whole crew deserves a lot of thanks and respect for helping us with the whole production process.”

Sydney Sprague has released ‘smiley face’ via Rude Records. The video, which was done entirely through CGI and a phone app called “in3D”, which takes viewers through an metaverse driven, wild world of Sydney and her band as avatars, complete with dancing and an epic ending of Sydney flying into the sun. “The visual parts of making music can be really stressful for me,” explains Sydney” “… so going into the making of this video the most important thing to me was that everyone involved was having a good time. That’s why I really love this video, because every part of it was us going “what’s the dumbest thing that could happen” and doing that.” “smiley face: dance-y indie pop/rock. I wrote ‘smiley face’ about this dream I had that made me wake myself up because I was laughing really hard out loud, ” she continues.

Turning the page to a new chapter, multi-platinum singer-songwriter Bishop Briggs shares a confessional new single entitled ‘Baggage’. Bishop also announces the arrival of her highly anticipated new EP, When Everything Went Dark – out June 23. On the track, Bishop embraces her stark humanity like never before. She adds, “I am not perfect. In fact, I’m quite messy. I could say life is messy, which it is, but part of becoming an adult has been acknowledging the messiness that I have too. ‘Baggage’ is the first song where I stand in the mud and triumphantly stomp my feet in it. I can only hope that others feel empowered to own their version of messy and know that they aren’t alone in it. I have found that when I unabashedly show my imperfections and my wounds I am growing. So, there you have it, that’s my baggage.” Re: the striking accompanying music video for the track, Bishop comments: “I didn’t know how well I could hide my sorrow until I did it. Outwardly I would have fleeting moments of socially acceptable niceties and then the minute I was alone I would dissociate, completely unable to function. How could these two extremities exist in one body? It was and is exhausting. I wanted this music video for ‘Baggage’ to show that our blue circles aka our trauma can be meticulously hidden even if someone appears okay on the outside. I hope that whoever watches knows that they are not alone and that there’s a community of people waiting to be supportive.”

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Manchester based talent Freak Slug has shared details of her new EP. The songwriter dips into 80s indie pop tropes, adding something surrealistic, hazy, and somnambulist. New EP Viva la Vulva – an excellent title – lands on May 3, and it finds Freak Slug moving into a fresh space. Informed by the roots of her adopted city Manchester – think The Smiths, Durutti Column – Freak Slug also adds something startling, and new. Lead single ’27 Club’ is online now, and it’s the perfect fusion of light and shade. She comments: “’27 Club’ juxtaposes happy melodies with sharp sarcastic lyrics about losing somebody you loved to suicide and wishing you’d have known how to be there for them before the age of suicide awareness, reminiscing about how you met, and who they could have been if depression didn’t take over.” [via Clash]

Scene Queen has released a new single, ’18+’. With the song calling out sexual abuse and grooming in the music industry, a portion of the single’s net profits will be donated to anti-sexual violence organisation RAINN. Scene Queen says of the track: “I wrote ’18+’ to be controversial and I hope that’s what I’ve achieved. When I wrote the song I made it my mission to make something that sounds like an intense personal call out but also broad enough that it covers an entire epidemic within the scene. Having people arguing over which band I might be upset with, arguing over security measures taken place in the scene, or even arguing whether the lyrics are good or just borderline unsettling is the exact point of the song: to get people talking about what we’ve refused to talk about in the scene the last ten years. When I left the scene around 2015, because it no longer felt like a safe space for women, I swore that if I ever came back I would make it my mission to set fires until it was safe. I alluded to this heavily on Bimbocore Vol. 2 with my song ‘The Rapture (but it’s Pink)’ featuring Mothica, but ’18+’ is me finally making the first step into that. Predatory behavior is something that has been happening in the scene for years and still happens now. If I waited for the perfect time and the easiest way to start the conversation, I would never get the chance.” [via Upset]

Bristol-based post-punk grungers Peach release their second single ‘I’m Scared’, along with an enjoyably sinister video produced and directed by members of Holding Hands With Horses collective Lee Kiernan of fellow Bristolians Idles and artist Charlotte Gosch. The vid emits serious Wicker Man vibes as the four-piece cavort uncertainly in the countryside with a group of masked and be-ribboned figures. The song alternates between a fierce wall of sludgy guitars and wailing from singer Ellie Godwin and quieter, more spacious interludes with gasped, whimpered vocals. Written by all four members, the band say the song is: “about having that fear to do something completely out of our comfort zone, and the continuous battle of excitement and fear in making good or bad choices.” Godwin’s impressive, versatile voice takes us on a whole trip through to that dark side and back again, at times recalling (for this listener) Jennifer Finch, Kat Bjelland, Mitski, early PJ Harvey and perhaps Katie Jane Garside. [via Loud Women]

Thai multidimensional songwriter and creator Roskamala has just unleashed the latest single and visuals from her upcoming EP. Called ‘Loving Mess’, the upbeat pop anthem features singer Lia Apa and is an intoxicating listen. ‘Loving Mess’ is a song all about self acceptance and trying again and again with love even if you fail. The autobiographical narrative was written as a self reflective look at Roskamala’s own issues and flaws but in a lens of acceptance, knowing that she is always trying to improve herself. Lyrics including,”Let’s be fools / break the rules / if you make me fall for you / see what this loving mess can do,” show that Roskamala is ready to make herself vulnerable for the one she desires. ‘Loving Mess’ reminds us all that while we have baggage, we can still be brave and open to experiencing love in all of its forms, even if we are afraid. Sonically, the single features bright hip-hop drenched landscapes, decadent soul-drenched vocals and cathartic melodies full of fervor and heart. In the accompanying visuals, Roskamala plays a barbie like doll figure in a colorful ice cream parlor where she is brought together with a ken like doll by three mysterious figures for an interesting and thought-provoking watch. [via Earmilk]

100 gecs have unveiled the video for their new single ‘Dumbest Girl Alive’, taken from their just dropped album 10,000 gecs. The electro-punk duo, comprised of Dylan Brady and Laura Les, have been teasing the release of 10,000 gecs since December last year, when they released the surprise Snake Eyes EP. They followed this up with the release of singles ‘MeMeMe’, ‘Hollywood Baby’ and ‘Doritos & Fritos’. [via Dork]

The Ghanaian-American singer Amaarae impressed a lot of people with 2020’s The Angel You Don’t Know. She’s popped up here and there in the two and a half years since, but now she’s ready to start rolling out a new album. It’s called Fountain Baby, and its lead single ‘Reckless And Sweet’ is out now. The song brings an eerie, almost PinkPantheress-like quality to booming, cinematic African pop production founded in drum programming but laced with acoustic guitar. [via Stereogum]

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100 gecs have shared a new video for latest single ‘Doritos & Fritos’, lifted from their forthcoming second album 10000 gecs. Directed by Chris Maggio, the accompanying clip sees the duo – Laura Les and Dylan Brady – flying through the skies in wizard robes, much to the confusion of bystanders. A local news channel tracks their movements, as they attempt to escape potential captors. [via NME]

Bringing back more of that raw and pulsing alt-rock-inspired aesthetic she is cultivating for herself, ‘Scared’ sees Gali Gavon deliver a fresh and alluring new delight. Accompanied by a tongue-in-cheek horror movie-inspired official video, she is once again breaking down the preconceptions about her sound, and delivering something bold and compelling from start to finish. Speaking about ‘Scared’, she said, “‘Scared’ was written at a time when I felt like I had two very contradicting sides within me. The one being soft and empathic, and the other- borderline dangerous. It helped me accept what I’ve been feeling for a long time.”

Back in March, Sudan Archives returned with a great new song called ‘Home Maker’. Now, she’s back with another new song, and this one’s a banger too. Sudan Archives’ latest is called ‘Selfish Soul,’ a song she describes as being “about women and the celebration of hair. It’s about representation of different hair textures and embracing all colors and textures of it.” She offered more detail in a statement: “I feel like there’s an American standard of what beautiful hair is, and I wanted to show in this video that’s not what all beauty is; to showcase different hairstyles and different types of women and their hair. I was inspired by India Arie’s ‘I Am Not My Hair,’ one of the first songs I heard about this subject. She talks about extensions and weaves and natural hair and nappy hair, and that she’s not her hair; she won’t conform to the comparisons that would come up if you had a weave or sew-in or natural hair or Afro — that doesn’t represent her.” ‘Selfish Soul’ comes with a video directed by Trey Lyons. [via Stereogum]

Having recently announced her new album Arkhon is now due to be released on June 24 via Sacred Bones Records, Zola Jesus has shared the third single and video from the album, entitled ‘The Fall’. Following previous singles ‘Lost’ and ‘Desire’, Nika Roza Danilova comments on latest cut ‘The Fall’ saying: “I wrote ‘The Fall’ for myself. It was an exercise in using music as a tool for the sake of my own inner catharsis. I had a lot of turmoil and complicated emotions that I couldn’t process in any other way. I suppose some feelings require you to write a pop song in order to fully understand them. For that reason, this song is very precious to me.” Speaking on the track’s accompanying video, she adds: “Working with Jenni Hensler as a director was such a soul-feeding experience. She’s someone I’ve been collaborating with for ten years, and a dear friend to me. I value her own artistic perspective so much that at some point I realized there was no one else I could trust with my vision. We connected on an emotional and spiritual level regarding the intent of the song, and then I handed it over and let her make her magic. I’ve never felt so freed by a collaboration. And working with choreographer Sigrid Lauren was such an empowering experience. She was able to interpret and support my idiosyncratic movements in a way that allowed me to feel free in the moment.” Director Jenni Hensler comments: “When we fall, we have the inner strength to pick ourselves up again. We sometimes have to struggle to find that strength, but it is there within all of us. The journey Nika goes through within the video, including confronting her reflection, removing her mask and the symbolic choreographed dance that follows are my way of expressing that. I’ve debated whether to write a heartfelt statement speaking of the long-standing collaboration and friendship I’ve had over the years with Nika, about how she has touched my life and how we have both grown. Or to only speak about the meaning of this current collaboration. The two are connected, intertwined. This video is about the feeling of being stuck in a position or way of thinking about yourself and of the world around you, including the pressures to conform to a certain way of expression. It’s about the mask we wear, and the ways artists are forced to comply in order to succeed. This oftentimes makes us forget that creating art is one of the most transcendent forms of expression and that fully feeling, being in the present and enjoying the process while creating is at the core of who we are and the art we create. It is about change and coming into the power of our creativity. We need to wholly feel and release the magic within. When we make ourselves vulnerable and find the strength to do that, the art has a deeper meaning. The unspoken feeling when we truly feel connected and in the present moment of ecstatic joy or pain as we create is palpable. When Nika and I spoke about the vision for the song, we discussed a yearning for something better, a breakthrough of creative potential, and learning along the way. And then a sort of enlightenment when you realize that you are in control and do not need to conform to external standards. There is power and magic in knowing that. There is power in the desire for something better, the feeling within that desire including the drive and excitement it brings. There is strength in the feeling of expressing the sensuality simultaneously brewing and fully releasing that inner fire. This is an expression of all of that and reflects the journey of our collaboration and metamorphosis over many years.”

Montreal duo Mayfly have shared their stunning indie ballad ‘Black Water’ along with its accompanying music video. The track will be featured on the group’s debut album, due out later in 2022 via Duprince. The surreal video follows the pair as they each navigate the repercussions of deteriorating mental health. Although it continues to evoke the melancholy and emotional vulnerability that we are used to hearing from the duo, ‘Black Water’ marks the evolution toward a more mature and darker sound. The song expresses a moment of deep suffering and fear of never being seen or heard by those around in a moment of pain. It features raw sounding, heart wrenching vocal performances from Charlie and Emma, and a string arrangement that achieves this feeling of distress while giving the song a cinematic finish. ‘“‘Black Water’ is one of our most honest and vulnerable works to date,” says Mayfly. “We are opening up on some of the darkest moments that both of us have gone through mentally. Through the video that we shot for this track, we tried to illustrate in the most visually striking and realest way possible, how someone can be feeling so unwell without anyone noticing or reaching out. We are so happy and proud to have this single open the door to a new chapter for us as artists, especially since it encapsulates the essence of the album that we will be releasing.”

New Orleans no wave/disco group Special Interest signed to Rough Trade last year, and have finally released their first single for the label. ‘(Herman’s) House’ is indeed a house jam, very early-’90s style by way of industrial party starters My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult. The title, however, has another meaning. Rough Trade notes that the song “is centered around the story of Herman Wallace, one of the Angola Three – three Black revolutionaries who were held for decades in solitary confinement while imprisoned at Louisiana State Penitentiary. Two of them, Wallace and Albert Woodfox, were held in solitary confinement for over 40 years. During Wallace’s imprisonment, he became close with an artist, Jackie Sumell, and the two collaborated to create Wallace’s dream house, taking four years and hundreds of letters to design it.” Special Interest vocalist Alli Logout and guitarist Maria Elena say, “Despite the sadistic torture they endured, they continued their fight towards Black liberation behind the prison walls. This song bears witness to our wonder and desire to dismantle the oppressive systems that hinder our possibilities towards true liberation, to annihilate, to destroy and to rebuild with one another. It’s a battle cry for dreamers who persist in spite of and because. This song moves us and it grooves us towards this end, may we go forward but not by ourselves.” You can watch the video for ‘(Herman’s) House,’ which was co-directed by Special Interest and Juicebox Burton, above. [via Brooklyn Vegan]

Last month, Laura Veirs announced a new album, Found Light, and shared its lead single ‘Winter Windows.’ Now, she’s sharing another new track, ‘Seaside Haiku,’ a simmering one which is made up of some haikus that Veirs wrote while on a not so seasonally appropriate beach trip. “This song captures the feeling I had of my emerging independence as a solo woman in the world during that wintry time,” Veirs said in a statement. “It’s been a learning curve for me to figure out how not to give too much of myself in relationships at the expense of my own needs. This is a song to remind myself of that, and also to remind all women who are socialized to give so much to others. It’s a call to hold onto our strength and power and to share it reciprocally instead of blithely giving it away.” [via Stereogum]

Subversive pop trailblazer UPSAHL unveils her latest single ‘Monica Lewinsky’ via Arista. The brazen bop arrives with a provocative accompanying music video. Of her newest single, UPSAHL shared, “On first listen, ‘Monica Lewinsky’ feels like a playful song about people who have made a massive impact on pop culture, and it is that type of song, but writing this song was much more than that for me. In the 90’s and the early 2000’s, women like Monica, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and Miley Cyrus were all dragged down by the media under a microscopic spotlight and the court of public opinion simply for living their lives. One of the main reasons I get to feel free existing in a creative industry is because of the bullsh*t that they had to deal with early on in their careers. ‘Monica Lewinsky’ is my ode to them. Thank you for making history.” Directed by George Gallardo Kattah, the ‘Monica Lewinsky’ music video sees UPSAHL dodging frenzied paparazzi and navigating the caveats that come with rising stardom. Instead of shying from the limelight, the singer embraces it flaunting her billboard advertisements and bold red carpet look. With a storied history of female artists being maligned in media, this video sends the powerful message that UPSAHL isn’t afraid to stay true to who she is in spite of it all.

If you’ve been dazzled by the entire world of Supertropicali, you’re not alone. Nashville singer-songwriter, Fleurie, has unveiled the purple era of her bedazzled new world and first offering, ‘Let Them Eat Cake’ is one we cannot refuse. Though there’s not much lavender in the track’s accompanying video, it sure is a head-turner. By far the singer’s best video yet, viewers are taken back to the early 2000’s when Avril Lavigne sk8er grrl style was all the rage while a classic Marie Antoinette theme runs rampant in honor of the song’s title and overall theme. ‘Let Them Eat Cake’ is the follow up to Chapter 1 of the Supertropicali story. Needless to say, this next chapter going to be an exciting ride. [via the Daily Listening]

Los Angeles riot grrrl-adjacent trio Lost Cat is back with the final single off their forthcoming debut EP, out next week via Lolipop Records. The single, ‘Losers Beware,’ is yet another brazen and head-strong track establishing the group’s confidently spunky energy in the vein of girl groups of decades past. If one thing’s for sure, it’s that this group know their way around edgy, psychedelic chords, and aren’t afraid to use them. Speaking on their brand new track, the band wrote: “‘Losers Beware’ was recorded at Lolipop’s Savannah Studios. Produced by Ignacio Gonzalez, the single was penned as a warning to the losers of the world that the strong always prevail. Accompanying this song is the final installment of the mini video series, bringing the dramatic timeline to an end.” [via Spill Mag]

Following last month’s ‘Double Standard’, Foushee is back in action with ‘I’m Fine.’ The record finds the singer in a reassuring space as she convinces both listeners and the person she speaks to on the song that all is well in her world. It’s another message-focused song from Foushee, just like ‘Double Standard,’ which she spoke about in a press release for the song. In it, she said the song addresses “outdated gender roles that I have experienced in past relationships and rebelling against them.” Foushee adds, “The imbalance frustrates me. Don’t expect anything from me that you wouldn’t give me, including respect and loyalty. I match energy.” [via UPROXX]

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