Twenty-two-year-old powerhouse performer Gretel (FKA Gretel Hänlyn) returns with her brand new single ‘Far Out’, co-produced by long-term collaborator Mura Masa and out now via her own imprint Breadcrumb Records, in partnership with AWAL Recordings. Gretel’s aesthetic can be felt in everything she touches. This new era feels more physical and visceral than ever, launching today with cinematic new single ‘Far Out’, it’s yet another example of her exceptional worldbuilding and a huge step up in terms of her range and prowess as a young artist. Directed by Maisy Banks and produced by creative director duo The Reids, the stylishly surreal video pays homage to Bob Fosse’s legendary dance hall scene in ‘Sweet Charity’. Gretel gives a spellbinding choreographed performance – it’s exaggerated yet strangely alluring, and depicts Gretel in the spotlight in a way we haven’t yet seen from the rising talent. Speaking on the single, Gretel explains: “’Far Out’ is a big window into my personality and my favourite bits of the writing process; it’s aloof and came from a kinda sarcastic, rebellious place. There’s elements in the song that I never thought would make the Final Cut, like the loud, constant beeping, but once I started conceptualising the deadpan dancing in the music video, I realised those elements only added more personality. I had an idea a long time ago that I wanted to do a weird dance for a music video but I was waiting for a suitable song to whip out my moves. Alex was actually the one to show me the iconic Bob Fosse club dance scene in his film ‘Sweet Charity’, said it looked like something I’d do, and I was dazzled. The music video pays homage to that scene, and I used styling as a direct nod to Suzanne Charny’s character. This song is the first of many more.”

GRAMMY-nominated, genre-defying dance duo SOFI TUKKER have dropped ‘Spiral’ – the second irresistible banger from their anticipated forthcoming album BREAD to be released on August 23. ‘Spiral’ immediately hooks the listener with its 90’s Euro-dance throwback vibe, guitar hook and seductive vocals. Lyrically, Sophie Hawley-Weld explains, “it’s about coming to terms with the end of a relationship, but it sounds hopeful, dancey and energetic.” Tucker Halpern adds, “I’ve always loved ‘90s, early-2000s dance music and Eurodance kind of genres. We made this song with a nostalgic sound. It’s a club banger that brings you back to 2002 and the video is perfect with Heidi.” The music video for ‘Spiral’ combines nostalgia from 00’s chick flicks and memories from childhood sleepovers. Co-starring iconic model Heidi Klum, directed by Aerin Moreno and produced by Scheme Engine – who were also behind SOFI TUKKER’S previous single ‘Throw Some Ass’ – it follows Sophie and Heidi over the course of one night as they let go of their past relationships, capturing the fun and therapeutic magic of spending a night with your best friend. The song feels both retro and modern, with a timeless aesthetic in both design and cinematography. Heidi Klum comments, “As a huge music fan, I have loved SOFI TUKKER’s infectious energy and sound for quite some time. When they invited me to be part of the ‘Spiral’ music video, I didn’t hesitate for a second as I knew that we would have so much fun and probably be dancing all day. The song is contagious and fun, and I loved spending time with Sophie and Tuck, who are not only talented and full of ideas but also super interesting people. Most importantly, I love that this video is all about leaning on great friendships during hard times.” Sophie adds, “Heidi is one of the most contagiously fun people I’ve ever met. She is a vibe elevator and she’s so good at being excellent at what she does while not taking life too seriously. She made me shine brighter just by being in her presence.”

Tove Lo and SG Lewis have unveiled their new Heat EP in full. The pop queen is an old friend of the UK producer, with the two having met on the dancefloor. Staying in touch as they navigated the industry, Tove Lo and SG Lewis recently decided to go back to basics on a scintillating new EP. Out now, Heat leans on some formative club tropes, ranging from filthy house music through to electro and beyond. Take Millennially-charged ‘Let Me Go OH OH’ with its filthy vocals, with Tove Lo commenting: “We wanted to make something with a similar temperature as Kylie’s ‘Can’t get you out of my head’… sexy, cool and hypnotic.” ‘Busy Girl’ channels raucous 2000s electro-house, with added production from TEED; ‘Desire’ meanwhile it all-out trance, with SG Lewis explaining: “I wanted it to be really emotional, something that could be played at the end of the night. It felt like the perfect way to close off the EP.” [via Clash]

Remi Wolf has released a new single, ‘Motorcycle’. It’s the latest track from her upcoming new album. The follow-up to 2021’s Juno, she will release Big Ideas on July 12, after her UK support tour with Olivia Rodrigo. “Lyrically the song dives into this internal dichotomy I experience a lot in my life,” Remi explains. “One side of me is always wanting to slow down and settle down and be in love and be normal and have babies and shit, while the other, very forceful, part of me needs to be restlessly independent and stubborn and free. The song is essentially a fantasy about me living in a reality where both sides of me can exist simultaneously… Secret lives of the wives of Harley Davidson type…” [via Dork]

Aotearoa’s mega-heavy psych-fuzz troubadours Earth Tongue are clearly in the zone right now, launching their second studio album Great Haunting in the midst of monstrous tour of Europe and the UK, currently supporting Ty Segall. Written during the pandemic lockdown era while holed up bingeing on spooky movies in their Tāmaki Makaurau hausu, the now Berlin-based duo of Gussie Larkin (Mermaidens) and Ezra Simons’ (Soft Bait, Troy Kingi) self-described “horrifying rock opera” is a doom-soaked nine track overload — conjuring vast sonics from just guitar, drums and yowls. Maintaining a dark tradition of Aotearoa occult metal tracing back to Timberjack’s iconic 1971 version of Black Widow’s ‘Come To The Sabbat’, Earth Tongue’s new narratives feel akin to flipping through the yellowed pages of ancient Charlton horror comic anthologies, nine tales dripping with unpitying dread. A feeling only reinforced by their video for lead single ‘Nightmare’, an electrifying montage of poltergeists in the kitchen, bloody body on the bed, rural ritualism — directed by Levi Strauss Cranston, shot by Ezra Simons on 16mm Kodak motion picture film, and made with support from NZ On Air. “Being in a relationship brings an extra element of trust to the ban. There is a kind of telepathy that goes on between us when we are playing live, especially with tricky starts and stops. When we record we sing together, on opposite sides of the room. It helps us lock in and makes it a way more fun to record – especially when we got to scream “DEAAAAAATH!!!” to each other during the recording of the song ‘Nightmare’,” says Gussie. [via Under The Radar]

Last month, Hinds announced Viva Hinds and released the extremely groovy tune ‘Boom Boom Back’ featuring Beck, which followed February’s ‘Coffee’. Now, the Spanish rock duo is unveiling ‘En Forma.’ “My boyfriend broke up with me and I turned 30 years old in the same week. This was the first song I could write after months of feeling absolutely devastated, immobile and pathetic,” Carlotta Cosials said. “I just wanted to get better but I just couldn’t, I couldn’t cope with this eternal race of being happier and better and cleaner and healthier.” Ana Perrote added, “When I talk with my girlfriends, in the same afternoon we can chat about wars, philosophy, love and clothes. I tried to reflect on this song the chaos and huge spectrum of what it’s like to be a young woman these days. How overwhelming it can be to juggle the news, politics, our bodies, relationships and laundry.” ‘En Forma’ is their first-ever Spanish language song. Although it’s inspired by difficult circumstances, it’s a blast. Below, watch the ‘En Forma’ video, directed by Cosials and Perrote themselves. [via Stereogum]

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Tove Lo has unveiled the official music video for her latest single, ‘I like u’. Made in collaboration with innovative Tokyo-based anime project, Shinsei Galverse, the video features hand-drawn anime artwork and original character design by the video’s director, Japanese storyboard artist Ayaka Ohira. The video was produced by Shinsei Galverse and ARCH Inc, and animated by SoK LLC. The creative fusion offers up the perfect pairing. Tove’s summer smash is a sonic nod to 90s dance music, while Galverse Director Ayaka Ohira brings her ‘nostalgic x futuristic’ visuals to life, combining the aesthetic of classic sci-fi anime with cutting-edge techniques and technology. The video finds Tove’s anime persona stepping beyond her own creative world into the style and story of Shinsei Galverse. Her robot lover, Annie from her seminal ‘No One Dies From Love’ and ‘Borderline’ videos returns in flashbacks. Even as Tove’s planet comes under attack from hostile aliens, she pines for her lost lover. Awakening to her true form, as a badass scorpion-tailed Gal, we learn the dark secret at the core of her new powers – Scorpions consume their mate to survive in harsh conditions. Speaking about the music video, Tove Lo reveals, “I’m so excited for all of you to enter GALVERSE; a powerful and beautiful creation by Ayaka Ohira. I’m so honored to have the final chapter of me and Annie take place in this Universe. It’s been such an amazing experience watching this come to life by Ayaka and her team, and the fact that my character gets to be a part of the heroines in Galverse is so god damn cool. I hope you love this video and feel all the creativity and hard work that went into it <3 R.I.P Annie.” The director adds, “I wanted to create something like a science fiction spectacle. I thought a lot about how to combine the sadness of love and a story on a cosmic scale. Tove and I talked about how we wanted to express the insecurity, vulnerability, and powerful strength of women, as well as the intense and bizarre side of Tove’s character.” [via Prelude Press]

Brisbane/Meanjin duo WIIGZ (Hannah Brydon and Zoë Hilditch) return with their new single ‘French Tips’ and announce their debut EP is on the way. A dreamy, beat heavy banger that fuses electronic pop with the spacey strut of 1990s house, it’s primal beat compels you to move and is nothing short of hypnotic. “We are so hyped for you guys to hear our new single ‘French Tips’,” WIIGZ say. “From playing lots of live shows and growing as artists, we’ve got so much new shit to give to you all. Buckle up because we’re going to take you to a new WIIGZ universe.” Also out is the music video for ‘French Tips’. With a storyline created by WIIGZ, it was directed by Charles Buxton-Leslie with cinematographer Brianna Da Silva and sees the duo go on a crime spree from the inner city to a rural church. “We are known for running around, being wild and chaotic, so we wanted to show this in the music video,” they say. “The concept is tongue n cheek, it’s silly but it even gets a little gruesome at the end. That’s WIIGZ it feels like, taking things a little less serious, silly, fuck you pay us, spotlight in the room pop-star energy. Lol. Come join the party.” [via Women In Pop]

Annie Hart (formerly of Au Revoir Simone) releases her fourth full-length studio album, The Weight of A Wave, via Uninhabitable Mansions. The album arrives with this slightly disturbing video featuring album opener ‘Boy You Got Me Good’.

Phoenix-based singer-songwriter Sydney Sprague has shared a brand new track following the announcement of her highly anticipated sophomore album – somebody in hell loves you (due out September 15 via Rude Records) last month. “I wrote ‘nobody knows anything’ during lockdown in 2020 when everyone became an expert on infectious disease and government response to disaster ,” explains Sydney on the song out now. “Everything sucked and being trapped at home, all that pent-up anxiety had nowhere to go but social media. When you’re face to face with someone, it’s a lot easier to find common ground in normal interactions, but since all of that communication was happening online we lost the filter of social awareness and all hell broke loose. It was all extremes. I felt like I was seeing a different side of people I’d know my whole life and it was shocking. So many people I know severed friendships and even relationships with their families during that time because they just couldn’t reconcile their differences. The internet/world is so full of conflicting information and at this point I don’t really feel like there’s a reliable source in the world,” Sydney continues. “The only thing I know for sure is that I don’t know anything for sure, and I don’t think anybody else does either. I don’t see the point in arguing.”

Korea-based multinational girl group XG have released their new single called ‘TGIF’. The music video for XG’s ‘TGIF’ feature trippy imagery, form floating blobs of slime to mystical creatures the girl group ride on. “VVS’s got nothing on me / Want it, got it, flaunt it, I am queen / Pleased with blessings, look at my body / Wake up, look up in the mirror / T-G-I-F,” they sing on the chorus. ‘TGIF’ will appear on XG’s upcoming debut mini-album New DNA, which is set to be released in September. The project will also feature the previously released single ‘GRL GVNG’. [via NME]

Mckenna Grace has shared a new single, ‘Casual Kisser’. The track marks the first to be taken from the Los Angeles-based actor/singer-songwriter’s debut album, due next year. “‘Casual Kisser’ is about how for me, kissing and dating is a really big deal!” she explains. “It’s about trusting someone enough to venture out of your comfort zone and going along with them, just to have that trust betrayed. Telling them how what you’re doing and the relationship you’re in is important to you and you don’t just kiss anyone, just for them to not take it seriously in the end. In the song I say, “did you hear what I said?” because I’m genuinely asking, “did you hear what I said?!” because if you did, how could you treat my feelings and my boundaries so carelessly? It’s a bit of a bitter song as well – that feeling of being love bombed into feeling safe, only to have that pulled out from under you. I’m truly so excited for all my new music to come, I think I’m really starting to find my sound and space as a songwriter and artist. I’ve had a lot of new life experiences that I’ve funneled into this music, and I can’t wait to share it.” [via Dork]

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Singer-songwriter Harriette announces that she has signed to AWAL Recordings. The Texas-born but Brooklyn-based artist has also announced the April 27 release of her debut EP, I Heart The Internet and shares the first taste via the single ‘Goodbye Texas’ which embraces a Western dancefloor glow as she ironically examines her lack of place in her home state—a concern that hit close to home after the political contests of the last few years drove friends and families apart. She says, “I wrote ‘Goodbye Texas’ two years ago as I was driving out of Texas after Christmas. I lived there for 18 years and always felt like I stuck out. As I got older it seemed like everything I wanted to achieve was going to happen elsewhere. It came to a point where I really needed to take some space from being home and this song was my key to the door out.” She continues, “The song was surprisingly easy to write, it felt like everything I wanted to say came out so naturally. It was easy to recall what I have always admired about the state – the sunsets, wide open spaces, bluebonnets and yellow roses. But just like the song explains, the sunsets became too hot, the spaces weren’t green anymore and I felt like the bluebonnets had forgotten my name.” Watch the video, directed by Jacqueline Justice & Muriel Margaret below.

Maisie Peters has dropped a new video for her latest single, ‘Body Better’. The first cut from her soon-to-be-announced second album, it was penned alongside Ines Dunn (Griff, Mimi Webb) and producer Matias Téllez (girl in red, AURORA). “’Body Better’ is one of the most honest songs I’ve ever released, and definitely the most personal,” Maisie explains. “I wrote it after a breakup and it deals with the ugly things you think to yourself in the aftermath, when you’re painstakingly going through everything small thing you did and were and wondering what you could have changed. It’s a song about insecurity and vulnerability, about giving a lot of yourself away to someone who decides they don’t want it anymore and knowing where to go from there.” [via Dork]

Ailbhe Reddy is sharing the video for ‘Last To Leave’, the latest single to be taken from her forthcoming second album Endless Affair, which arrives on March 17. ‘Last To Leave’ is a beautiful and dreamy lo-fi journey of love, romance and embarrassment. Ailbhe says: “It’s about having an infatuation with someone who you find frustrating and watching as they make a fool of themselves at a party, while knowing you might be doing the same thing.” Of the video, she continues: “I sent the album onto Mark Logan & Collective Dublin a few months after it was finished in August 2021, Mark immediately connected to Last to Leave and we decided to work on something together. He had so many amazing ideas for it and was so passionate about bringing them all to life! Shooting with the crew and cast over 2 days was incredible, especially Danielle Galligan who managed to help me act as well as being the emotional driving force behind the narrative! Big thanks to Elton the pig for playing me in the final shots too!”

Kicksie, the project of Toronto musician Giuliana Mormile, has been home-recording and self-releasing since 2018, and they’ve been very prolific. Her last album, 2020’s All My Friends, was given a wider re-release by Get Better Records, and now she’s got a new album called Slouch–her fifth LP overall–due April 14 via Counter Intuitive Records. Alongside the announcement, they’re premiering single and music video ‘You’re On.’ The song rings with fun, guitar-forward emo-pop, taking cues from the early 2000s. [via Brooklyn Vegan]

Amber Arcades has shared the suitably moody music video for her latest single ‘True Love’, from her new album Barefoot on Diamond Road out now. [via Dork]

The Santa Cruz rock band Scowl are about to head out on a massive North American tour with Show Me The Body, Jesus Piece, Zulu, and TrippJones. Now, they’ve announced the Psychic Dance Routine EP, their follow-up to their 2021 debut album How Flowers Grow. It was produced by Will Yip, and they’re introducing it with the fearsomely catchy ‘Opening Night.’ “‘Opening Night’ is a song I’m particularly excited about because I really worked on this song’s structure with the boys in the band,” Scowl’s Kat Moss said in a statement. “I felt inspired by early 2000’s indie rock songs written by bands like The Strokes and Vampire Weekend.” Moss continued: “Lyrically this song takes a pretty literal stab at my experience of feeling jolted from stage to van, and back again, every single night. I also had experiences on tour where I was seeing faces in the crowd that belonged to people from my past, and it was pretty shocking.” [via Stereogum]

Ashnikko is back with her first new single since 2021, ‘You Make Me Sick!’. ‘You Make Me Sick!’ is their first outing since covering ‘Carol of the Bells’ for Spotify in November 2021, and is accompanied by a Saam Farahmand-directed video. Ashnikko says of the track, which was written with longtime collaborators Slinger and Oscar Scheller, “I’ve decided to come back with my angriest, most cathartic song to date. My own personal rage room for me to smash my plates.” [via Line Of Best Fit]

While physically thousands of miles apart, the partnership between Greek pop artist KID MOXIE and German pop artist NINA came organically. Upon connecting, it was instantly clear the two were “synth sisters” destined to make music together. The result is a 5-track EP collection titled Lust set for release on March 24 via Italians Do It Better. The title track ‘Lust’ is out now alongside an edgy and seductive neo-noir music visual shot in Athens by director Paige Von Bank. The Lust project first began as a desire by KID MOXIE, the musical moniker of Greek born, LA-based composer and musician Elena Charbila, to recreate the Jennifer Lopez hit ‘Waiting For Tonight.’ After connecting with synthwave doyenne NINA (Nina Boldt) via Zoom, the idea emerged that a sultry female duet is exactly what this track needed. The notion of a duet-driven project was very appealing to both artists who’ve firmly established themselves with successful solo releases, and notable past collaborations. It was clear both pop/synth songstresses shared a similar headspace and bonded over their affection towards dark cinematic scores such as Blade Runner, Twin Peaks, and Drive.

Georgia Mooney reveals her stunning debut offering ‘War Romance’. Cinematic and full of emotion, ‘War Romance’ is here as an incredible debut solo moment from Georgia Mooney. Offering dreamy escapism and fantastical romance, the Australian musical polymath has put her best foot forward and proves to be a one-of-a-kind artist to watch. Georgia Mooney is an ARIA-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Sydney. Her music is ornate and hand-crafted, sculpted by a strong mind and a delicate heart. ‘War Romance’ is the first taste to be taken from her upcoming debut album, coming later this year via Nettwerk. Taking inspiration from the beauty and potency of vulnerability, and the complexities of connection and perception, Mooney’s talent for songwriting is showcased by her soaring ethereal voice and lush soundscapes. Influences from every member of the Wainwright family, Laura Marling, Joni Mitchell, the sophistication of the Great American Songbook and even classical composers sift through her songs seamlessly, alongside fuzzed out guitars and production that evoke the unsettling genius of Kate Bush – both her idiosyncratic wall of sound instrumentation and unexpected turns of chords and melodies. ‘War Romance’ is born out of the maelstrom of the contemporary world – climate change, covid, political unrest and relentless waves of global tragedy. When life is beyond your control and the world seems to be slipping beyond the bounds of repair, we cling to the clarity and desperation of love. On the single, Georgia Mooney shares, “I have always loved wartime films & novels for the way they portray relationships. When life is fragile and we are faced with our mortality on a daily basis, we cling to one another for comfort. Superficial problems fall away and the bonds of love feel extraordinarily strong and vital. It’s a bit melodramatic, but romantic and earnest too. Like standing on a cliff, clutching a letter, staring out to sea.” The ‘War Romance’ music video stars award-winning comedian and guest judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under Rhys Nicholson (they/them) making their drag debut as Georgia Mooney, and Mooney herself as Nicholson. Romantic and fantastical, the clip sees them move and sing around a beautiful old hotel in a time and place that is impossible to define.

Tove Lo is already following up her 2022 album Dirt Femme with a funky new single called ‘Borderline.’ If you’re thinking that ‘Borderline’ sounds like it could’ve been pulled from Dua Lipa’s latest album, there’s good reason: “Tons of love to @DUALIPA for trusting me with this baby,” Tove Lo wrote of the track on Twitter. “This is the very first song we wrote together and the very start of our friendship so this feels extra special.” But like many of Tove Lo’s best hits, ‘Borderline’ is a love song with an air of darkness: “I like to feel my bones when they crash into my heart/ I like the taste of blood when you’re tearin’ me apart,” she sings against the song’s heavy, thumping bass line. Watch the Nogari-directied video for the track below. [via Consequence]

With her trademark hot-pink hair, brassy London belt and punky electro-pop, girli is hard to miss — but in ‘Imposter Syndrome,’ the artist is unrecognizable to herself. “I’m so paranoid that everybody hates me/ Wear a big smile when it’s in style,” girli sings in the single’s music video over a breakfast of eggs, toast and ketchup reading ‘Fraud’ as a circus ensemble of diner characters steal glances at the superstar. Becoming more surreal by the second, the crowd of eccentric on-lookers jeer and scowl at girli, pushing her from the trippy diner into a dark alley, where she dodges the spotlight, finding herself swarmed by a crowd of real-life fans protesting the pop star. Signs reading ‘FAKE’ push against girli as the mob grows volatile, silently mouthing “fake,” “fraud” and intelligible screams under girli’s anthem. As the visual closes, the crowd dissipates in a cloud of smoke and girli finds herself alone, begging the question of how much of the raucous scene was imagined by the singer herself, creating characters of her intrusive thoughts as if building her reality from smoke. Milly Toomey (AKA girli) has been on a journey of self-discovery, which comes out through ‘Imposter Syndrome’ and previous single ‘I Really F**ked It Up,’ arriving at the conclusion that she will always surprise herself — and it’s okay to not know what comes next. “I was overthinking everything, feeling like a fake, scared that I was an underachiever and that everybody knew it and was laughed behind my back about it,” girli says. “I kind of go through life feeling like everybody else has a guidebook, and I’m just making it up as I go and getting it wrong. This song is about wanting to run away because of that feeling and being so unsure of yourself it scares you.” [via PAPER]

Bite Me Bambi have released a new single, just in time for Valentine’s Day, ‘Let Me Love You’. Along with the song comes a new video, a veritable special effects extravaganza. Just watch out for Cupid’s arrow! [via that’s good enough for me]

Athens, GA psych-folk group Immaterial Possession, who are led by Cooper Holmes and Madeline Polites and include Kiran Fernandes (son of Olivia Tremor Control’s John Kiran Fernandes), will release their second album, Mercy of the Crane Folk, on May 5 via Fire. They’ve just shared ‘To The Fete,’ which should appeal to fans of Syd Barrett, Broadcast, and the places in between. The video, shot and directed by the band, feels like a lost short from the silent film era. [via Brooklyn Vegan]

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SOMEONE is the moniker for Dutch/British composer, producer, and visual artist Tessa Rose Jackson. Through her art and music, she tells science-fiction inspired stories combined with stunning, cinematic music videos in collaboration with Hollywood’s rising star director David Spearing. Following its premiere by Cerys Matthews, BBC 6 Music, SOMEONE shares new single ‘In Your Arms’, the third to be taken from her forthcoming second album Owls. It describes love and joy in a burning world wrapped in the beguiling song writing craft of Feist and the expansive electronics of Air, whilst musically hitting an emotional, synth-fuelled high reminiscent of festival bombshells such as MGMT’s ‘Kids’ and Tame Impala’s ‘Let It Happen’. The accompanying ‘In Your Arms’ visual, created by the LA Film Award winning duo SOMEONE and David Spearing, is a bittersweet sci-fi vignette which evokes the mysticism and atmospheric pull of Chernobyl’s wasteland. It follows two young girls as they emerge from their subterranean bunkers for a day of adventure in what SOMEONE describes as “A post-apocalyptic world, where the air is toxic and terrifying six-legged creatures prowl the land.” As SOMEONE expands “What follows is a day filled with fun and play, because no matter what the world may throw at them, kids will always find a way to just simply… be kids. It’s a celebration of the power of joyfulness and love against all odds”.

Tāmaki Makaurau electro-pop whiz kids Brother Sister have reemerged with a power-packed new video for their anthem ‘Breakdown’, which first surfaced on their 2019 EP SSDD. Gleefully piling up ’80s throwback signifiers to such an extent we suspect they must have access to the very best op shops in the super city, the trio of Taz (formerly of Master Blaster and Club Stupid), Dave and Ben (both of Alex the Kid) extoll the dubious virtues of a stay-at-home life away from workaday stress in their MTV-ready synth-pop banger. Channeling Brother Sister’s love for the sound and visuals of near-forgotten Saturday morning cartoons, director / editor Dave Thomson’s (Imaginary Friends) clip for ‘Breakdown’ walks a pastel-hued line between cute, stylish and intensely over-caffeinated. [via Under The Radar]

Tove Lo is back with a vengeance. She may have made her name as an indie sleaze trailblazer, but with each taste of her forthcoming album, DIRT FEMME (October 14, Pretty Swede Records/mtheory), Tove Lo gives us something new to chew on. The visual for her last single, ‘2 Die 4,’ recalls her early party girl days through a distinct artistic lens. The video, directed by Anna-Lisa Himma, takes the best parts of Y2K to the extreme. In blue, green and pink hues, Tove Lo resurrects the Europop club scene that brought her fame in the early 2010s. ‘2 Die 4’ is all the best bits of the early 2000s club scene, and less of the mess. It is calculated chaos. The visual makes a splash with polished choreography, high-glam looks and lots and lots of wet t-shirts. Tove Lo’s entourage gets wet and wild in a giant pool a la Le Bain, leaving sequins and sweat in their wake. “We wanted to make a pop bitch Y2K experience,” Tove Lo said in a statement about the video. “With all the choreo, the outfits, the wetness. I think we more than delivered.” Tove Lo understood the assignment. Playing up the camp elements of Euro party scenes by cosplaying as a garnish in a giant martini glass, and elevating tropes of the genre by transforming strobes into moody spotlights, ‘2 Die 4’ brings Y2K to 2022. ‘2 Die 4’ doesn’t simply glamorize and replicate the past — as Y2K nostalgia often falls victim to — but creates new icons from timeless relics. Noting the sample of Hot Butter’s 1972 classic ‘Popcorn’ which became a club anthem in the early 2000s with a techno remix, Tove Lo speaks to the legacy of her newest work. “With ‘2 Die 4’ I wanted ‘instantly iconic’ energy. I’ve never sampled anything before, and this feels like the perfect first moment. Lyrically I wanted it to be that ‘pick me up when I’m feeling down’ song. At first, it’s like a warm hug, then you shake it off, let out a scream and start dancing!” This visual did leave us doing all of the above. [via Paper]

London based songwriter Molly Payton has shared new single ‘Do It All The Same’. The songwriter was raised in New Zealand, before making her way to the UK. 2022 has become something of a banner year, with Molly Payton playing a slew of high profile festivals, alongside support slots with Arlo Parks, TomOdell, Oscar Lang, and Wallice. Set to hit the road with Beabadoobee shortly, those dates are Down Under – with Molly returning to New Zealand in the process. Alongside this, she’s set to release new EP Compromise on October 28, with lead single ‘Do It All The Same’ online now. Her first new music in 12 months, ‘Do It All The Same’ is a moment of acceptance, with Molly Payton honing in on what delivers true happiness. A song about moving past difficulties in your life, writing it allowed Molly to locate some light amid the darkness. She comments… “This song came about after I’d had a particularly bad run of things. I was out of money and about to start a tour I couldn’t afford and really doubting my future. When you’re living that way it makes you really appreciate any consistency you can get your hands on, and for me that was my partner. ‘Do It All The Same’ isn’t anything profound or groundbreaking, it’s just me thanking another person for being there for me.” [via Clash]

Hamburg trio Roller Derby have shared shimmering new single ‘Only You’. The three-piece formed back in 2020, a trio of friends with hugely disparate influences. Philine Meyer (vocals, keys), Manuel Romero Soria (guitar) and Max Nielsen (bass) craft dreamily evocative pop music, melding together superb tapestries of sound with dynamic songwriting. Lyrically astute, the way Roller Derby interlock seems to suggest three voices working in tandem, informing their music with a real sense of emotional pull. Freshly signed to independent label Practise Music, Roller Derby’s new single ‘Only You’ glides back into view. A succinct alt-pop song, the somnambulist tapestries of sound come together to craft something potent and direct. Out now, it’s accompanied by a full video. Roller Derby explain: “In the video we have been trying to create an ambiguous atmosphere, where strong feelings for a person lead to something rather surreal and quirky…” [via Clash]

In 2021, Alex Lahey released a couple new songs, ‘On My Way’ and ‘Spike The Punch.’ They were her first singles since 2019 sophomore LP The Best Of Luck Club, but apparently both were interstitial tracks not attached to any larger project. ‘Congratulations,’ Lahey’s new single out today, is billed as the launch of a new chapter. It is not a MGMT or Post Malone cover, but rather an original that finds Lahey telling off an ex: “So happy for your perfect life/ There’s something in my eye/ I’m doin’ just fine without you.” Actually, according to Lahey’s statement, those lines are directed at more than one former partner: “Two of my exes got engaged within an improbably short space of time of one another. What are the odds? I couldn’t not write a song inspired by it.” In a video directed by Jon Danovic described by Lahey as “unhinged,” she makes out with herself: “It felt like the perfect time to execute a long standing concept I had of making out with myself on camera. Now both the song and the video feel like a message about choosing yourself over anyone else.” [via Stereogum]

Doechii and SZA release the much-anticipated video for ‘Persuasive.’ Directed by Sara Lacombe, the club-ready collaboration of Top Dawg Entertainment’s two female powerhouses makes the song and sultry video next-level intoxicating. The song is featured on Doechii’s acclaimed EP she / her / black bitch. The upbeat R&B anthem showcases Doechii’s impressive ability to flex her signature versatile flows into Grammy-winner SZA’s immaculate vibes. “I created ‘Persuasive’ to uplift people and bring communities together, so having SZA jump on the song was a perfect fit because I’ve always connected with others over her music,” says Doechii. “Knowing that SZA is with TDE was what originally got me most excited about being on this label, so now that we have a song together it’s a full-circle moment. She really ATE! This collaboration is everything I always imagined it to be.” [via Broadway World]

Ava Max is making a play to take over the pop stratosphere. The 28-year old star’s 2020 debut album, Heaven & Hell, is officially a platinum certified release and now her follow-up album, Diamonds & Dancefloors, is on deck. The album’s original October release date has been pushed back to next January 27, but that just gives the singer more time to work with in the lead up. Enter ‘Million Dollar Baby,’ her latest single which is out now along with an opulent video. “When I was creating this record, I was going through a really hard time in my life – heartbreak and just a lot of sadness,” Max said in a statement. “I titled it ‘Million Dollar Baby’ to remind myself of my self-worth and wrote the lyrics to show that you can overcome and achieve anything when you put your mind to it. The line ‘She broke out of her chains, turned the fire into rain’ shows the journey this song took me through – from feeling weighed down by sadness to breaking free and feeling like myself again.” [via UPROXX]

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Creating a dreamy and chic soundscape, Gorgeous Dyke’s latest offering is a noticeable shift from their post-punk roots. Still running off the energy of a catchy, Bauhaus-esque bass line, ‘No Approval,’ differs in its more obvious house direction. The lyrics paint a picture of an unflappable woman heading steadfast wherever life may take her – despite whatever criticisms or judgments that may come her way – ultimately finding refuge in outward self-expression. Their accompanying music video brings this philosophy into motion as the two get ready to make the world their runway alongside their pup. There’s also a pizza in the oven, which may or may not represent more than just a case of the munchies. Fans can still expect the grooviness of Deee-Lite, the sleek, understated vocals of Gina X Performance, and the commanding bass lines of ESG but with a new synth sound that switches things up from their previous releases.

Deep within The Stolen Moans HQ, on the top shelf of an antique bookcase, lives a turquoise-colored hard drive marked “experimental”. This is the Mad Kingdom, a surrealist laboratory, where tunes deemed too reckless for mainstream consumption, remain locked in lead-lined boxes like Madame Curie’s notebooks. Oddities with unknown half-lives, pieces to a still-undiscovered puzzle, sitting, waiting. However, before we can talk about how one of these “experiments” escaped, we first must tell the story of the person who always supported the bands pursuit of the weird and wonderful, Micheal (MP) Peters, their beloved friend, and the “best-dressed roadie in show business”. “MP was a true child of the sixties and grew up at a time when cults and mayhem found fertile soil in sunny California,” say the band. “The recounting of his storied misadventures never failed to astound and entertain. We were always delighted when he drove up (in his veggie oil-powered Mercedes hearse) wearing impeccably tailored 3-piece suits, to help out at shows. He was the epitome of the saying “it’s the journey, not the destination that matters”, and encouraged us to always stay open to the crazy magic that happens along the way. Loud Rock & Roll was one of his passions but he especially loved it when songs got weird! The first time we first played ‘Pu Num Tu’ for MP, his response was, “Whoa, Mondo!”, which was pretty much the highest compliment you could receive from him. The story of how the companion music video came to be is another bizarre tale of happenstance but the abridged version is, we spent a weekend having messy fun in the dark with fellow artist-adventurers. This of course brings us back to the music and why we’ve dedicated the song a video to MP. Tragically he caught the coronavirus in 2020 and passed away within days of becoming sick. He was with us for so much of the journey and would be absolutely delighted that ‘Pu Num Tu’ is finally getting released. If Surrealism’s goal was to revolutionize the human experience by attempting to find magic and beauty in the unexpected than ‘Pu Num Tu’, is a Surrealist Affirmation in the pursuit of joy and freedom. MP buddy, the lunatics are now running the asylum, and YES, this Pu is for you… Rest in peace Michael XO, SM.” The music video was shot and directed (including the stop motion animation) by female director Hannz Mulligan. The band found her student reel online and really clicked in person. “The video was as much fun to make as it is to watch.”

The joyous, experimental Japanese group CHAI recently released their single ‘WHOLE’ and collaborated with Sondre Lerche on his song ‘Summer In Reverse.’ Now, CHAI have come out with a new single called ‘SURPRISE.’ It’s a giddy song that manages to be soothing and explosive in equal measures, and it’s got an extremely colorful music video that the band shot with director Yoshio Nakaiso in Los Angeles. In a press release, CHAI say that the ‘SURPRISE’ video is based on the band’s experience of having their tour trailer stolen in America but still playing all their shows thanks to the support and generosity of other people. In the clip, the members of the band go on a magical quest to find the instruments that they’ll need to play shows. Here’s what CHAI say about the song itself: “We all have that precious “something” that we can’t express in words. But sometimes those things happen to make it out as words, and we want to feel and love that “surprise”. Those become the surprises of our lives, and I become a brand new me♡. That’s what we had in mind when we wrote ‘SURPRISE’. Check it out♡” [via Stereogum]

Vancouver’s Kamikaze Nurse shares ‘Come From Wood’, the second single from Stimuloso which arrives June 3 on Mint Records. Of the song, Kamikaze Nurse said, “’Come From Wood’ wrote itself after KC pondered the simplistic mystery of the Pixies’ b-side ‘Into the White’ on repeat for many months. The song unfolds like a dream, as the archetypal apple and an enchanted forest stage a familiar scene with unfamiliar imagery in the mind of the listener.” Along with the single, the band shares an imaginative music video, the concept of which was realized in collaboration between director Jaewoo Kang and Kamikaze Nurse’s KC Wei. About the video – Director’s quote from Jaewoo Kang: “’Come From Wood’ includes motifs from fairy tales – red apple, forest, moss fields – and re-imagines the idea of sensuality, closeness, entanglement and passion from the perspective of worms and an apple. Visual elements of the video have been inspired by the lyrics, which came to life with an incredible performance by the band members and the dancers. Vibrant set design and gelatine mould of the main character’s body is decomposing, juxtaposed with the animated, visceral movement of the dancers. The video attempts to capture the feeling of familiarity mixed with the uncanniness of the decomposing body to create a more nuanced expression of intimacy and pleasure.”

Desire release their first album since their self-titled debut in 2009 with new record Escape, which is out now via Italians Do It Better. To coincide with the release, the band have also shared a new video for their single ‘Black Latex’ from the record.

Tove Lo returns with a brand-new track and official music video, titled ‘No One Dies From Love’. Co-written with long-time collaborator Ludvig Söderberg, neon keys illuminate a runway to the centre of the dancefloor as her voice resounds over a disco break, “No one dies from love, guess I’ll be the first.” The song signifies a new and exciting chapter for the Sweden-born, Los Angeles-based artist. Tove recalls on making the song, “when you’re with someone for a long time and it ends all of a sudden, it’s like a part of you has died. This person is now a stranger to you. All of the memories are tainted. For the first part of the breakup, you believe you’re not supposed to feel good about anything you had together. What I believe I do best is ‘heartbreak you can dance to.’ The song is that.” The video for ‘No One Dies From Love’ was filmed in Mexico City and was directed by the Brazilian duo Alaska, whom Tove previously collaborated with on the video for ‘Are U gonna tell her?’ Speaking about the video, Tove reveals, “All the songs on the album are very cinematic, dramatic and grand, so for the visual story I want to attach a character to each song. For No One Dies From Love it’s the classic vulnerable, lonely starlet looking for connection. This mini movie is a different kind of love story.”

Aldous Harding has shared the animated video for ‘Tick Tock’. The song is taken from her new album Warm Chris. ‘Tick Tock’ gains a neat visualiser which transforms its narrative. Aldous Harding steered the clip, working alongside animator and film-maker Chris McD. Colourful, cute, and lackadaisical, ‘Tick Tock’ taps into an alternative side of Aldous Harding’s psyche. [via Clash]

Maryam Qudus is a producer and studio engineer based in the Bay Area, and she’s worked with artists like Toro Y Moi, Tune-Yards, and Speedy Ortiz’s Sadie Dupuis. Qudus also makes her own music under the alias Spacemoth, and she’s just signed with Dupuis’ Wax Nine label. This summer, she’ll release her debut album No Past No Future. As Spacemoth, Qudus makes synthy, fizzy indie-pop. It’s got a deadpan catchiness that reminds me of ’90s vintage-synth explorers like Stereolab and the Rentals. Qudus has just shared her new single ‘Pipe And Pistol,’ and she’d already released one called ‘This Shit.’ Both songs are driving pop songs with all sorts of historical currents flowing through them. In a press release, Qudus explains ‘Pipe And Pistol’: “’Pipe and Pistol’ revolves around a wobbly synth and distorted drum loop, played with and processed by a Korg MS-20. The song was inspired by my parents, who immigrated from Afghanistan in the late ’70s, and explores the challenges faced when building a new life in America.” Interweaving colorful psychedelic visuals and blue collar employment, Ambar Navarro’s video for ‘Pipe and Pistol’ speaks to the surreal and confusing experience of navigating a new life in America in the late 1970s. [via Stereogum]

Indie-pop cover stars Beach Bunny are currently anticipating the release of their sophomore album, Emotional Creature, out in July. Ahead of the release, the Chicago group, led by Lili Trifilio, have shared lead single ‘Oxygen’ and ‘Fire Escape.’ Now, they’re sharing a new video for ‘Karaoke,’ which features a cameo from Bob Odenkirk and is very much in line with the band’s previously explained “full-blown sci-fi aesthetic” for Emotional Creature. As a press release lays out, ‘Karaoke’ is just part one of Beach Bunny’s Star Wars-meets-Star Trek “galactic adventure” visual series, though one character in the video certainly resembles Dr. Manhattan from Watchmen. As for Odenkirk, the Better Call Saul star plays the band’s “Star Captain.” “‘Karaoke’ is a song about having a crush — it’s about infatuation, fleeting feelings, and the bittersweet nature of uncertainty,” Trifilio explains. “It’s about learning pieces of who someone is and liking them before even knowing the whole story.” [via Stereogum]

Placing perfectly next to her previous single ‘Best of Luck’, ‘Heart Emoji’ is the latest pop release in the signature style of Sukie. ‘Heart Emoji’ is Sukie’s gently grasping hand as she guides her listener down memory lane. Dealing with change, loss and moving on, Sukie opens upon another of her personal experiences whilst using her alt-pop tendencies to bed her honest narrative. Glancing into her good old times of ‘going out with the girls’ whilst being young and reckless, Sukie reminds herself of what she cherished the most. Layered with love, nostalgia and topped with colourful synths, ‘Heart Emoji’ is as wistful as it is an endearing single. In Sukie’s own words, she explains; “Covid hit when I was in my last year of uni and I ended up moving away from all my friends in the midst of lockdown. Most people I didn’t get to say goodbye to. It was such a crazy contrast going from being surrounded by all my best friends to moving to a city where I knew no-one. It took me a year to make any new friends and I was really really lonely – that’s where heart emoji came from. I missed my friends so much! I missed feeling sexy and getting ready with my girl friends, helping each other do our hair and makeup. I missed the silly drama and getting too drunk and stupid dancing in a club with a sticky floor. I even missed the hangovers. I wrote the song about mourning the loss of that carefree life, knowing that I’d never get it back. I feel like this was such a universal feeling at the time, when we were all stuck inside for months on end, and I wanted the music video to capture that lonely experience.”

Manchester’s Abbie Ozard releases new single ‘Rose Tinted’ – the final preview of new EP Water Based Lullabies, out July 1 via House Anxiety (WOOM,Carpetgarden; formerly King Krule, Courtney Barnett, Vagabon). Slowly coming into focus, ‘Rose Tinted’ blends a blurry intro into a commanding rhythm. Sonically, it occupies a glistening dream-pop space, over which Abbie delivers restrained, authentic spoken word before a freeing earworm of a chorus takes hold. Talking about the song, Abbiesays: “’Rose Tinted’ was a poem I wrote a few years back when I realised all my friends were growing up and I felt kinda left behind. I found myself covering up these feelings with clothes and messing with the way I looked. I even tried meditating, which I hated because it made me think way too much. It’s an observation on how 20 somethings cope with transitioning into adulthood, how they share their morning routines online, meditate to stay calm, buy new outfits -that whole ‘don’t get depression vibe’. I want to be able to soundtrack my generation.”

girlcrush write songs about lives that don’t meet the heteronormative ideal. They portray their own feelings and experiences as non-monogamist, queer and transgender with a mutual vision to lend their voices to those who can’t be heard and create a feeling of recognition and community for queer and marginalized people. This Spring, girlcrush are ready with the brand new single, ‘Dysphoria! At the Psych Ward’ – a song that criticizes the gender normativity inherent in the medical system. The feelings of alienation and loneliness of being a trans person in a rigid society are delivered with both anger and irony by guitarist Nat. “Being in a mentally vulnerable place while being met by a lack of understanding of gender diversity by medical personnel is an incredibly difficult position to navigate in. A simple thing like asking for help can be hard to do. While trauma and mental illness can affect anyone, trans people are at a higher risk of developing depression, anxiety, eating disorders, PTSDand of committing suicide. We wanted to write a song addressing this theme,” Nat says. The title is a reference to the emo band Panic! At the Disco – a nod to the music of Nat’s own troubled teenage years. ‘Dysphoria! At the Psych Ward’ is the sound of girlcrush and their distinct style of catchy melodies delivered with honesty and fragility, backed by unrelenting drums and good amounts of distortion. ‘Dysphoria! At the Psych Ward’is one of twelve tracks on the album, I don’t feel so good, all of which show different colors of mental illness as experienced by the band members. girlcrush are drummer and vocalist Andrea (all pronouns), bass player and vocalist Marie (she/her) and guitarist and vocalist Nat (they/them and he/him).

Taiwanese-Australian singer, producer, songwriter, and multimedia artist Jaguar Jonze is thrilled to unveil her latest single ‘PUNCHLINE,’ the final track to be shared ahead of the release of her debut album BUNNY MODE out June 3 via Nettwerk. ‘PUNCHLINE’ is a playful diary entry about navigating the industry as a woman of colour, while also wanting to authentically represent her culture. Her sharp-edged humour shines through in its lyrics (“Can’t remember if it’s east or west or in the tropics;” “We love culture but make sure it’s to our very liking / Make it milky, make it plain and not too spicy”), cheekily sung through the many eye rolls that come with the turf when making art as a marginalised person. The video, which was directed, edited and produced by Jaguar Jonze, welcomes back the Asian women and non-binary folk who featured in the visuals for ‘WHO DIED AND MADE YOU KING?,’ as they all related strongly to the message behind ‘PUNCHLINE’ and wanted to make their voices heard.

Astralwerks has released Alison Wonderland’s new album, Loner – the follow-up to 2018’s Awake. Loner captures the triple threat producer-singer-songwriter at her best; an exhilarating juxtaposition of lyrics and sound, it’s as bright as it is brash. “My life was going a certain way before something pulled everything out from under me,” Alison Wonderland explains. “I felt like I had hit my rock bottom.” Throughout her career, Alison has been a courageous advocate for mental health discussions and honest about her own struggles with depression. Staying true to her message with Loner, she writes with a captivating new assuredness in the light that comes after the storm. “It’s the most positive, hopeful album I have ever written,” she says. “It acknowledges the darkness but creates its own euphoria through it.” That sense of triumph and euphoria shines brightly in the official video for ‘Something Real’. Working with a 3-D scan of Alison, director Tyler Lampe (who has created stunning visuals for her projects and live shows over the past year), immerses her in a vibrant, surreal world. As she journeys from total darkness to sunshine to sunset, Alison travels through trippy portals that encompass and transcend her previous realities and experiences the sense of weightless the song describes.

Los Angeles trio Lost Cat share a music video for ‘L.O.S.T.,’ the first single off their upcoming self-titled debut album, Lost Cat, due May 27 via Lolipop Records. Mixing classic riot grrrl and the flair of a 60s girl group a la The Dick Clark show, Lost Cat exists at the crossroads between old and new. On the track’s accompanying music video: “Brought to you by the minds of Expo Aktuel & Lolipop Records. In this first mystery driven episode of Lost Cat’s upcoming video mini series, the group gets caught between the claws of an evil villainess who aims to take down the rockin’ band of Femme Fatales. However, Lost Cat is not going down without a fight! ‘L.O.S.T.’ is the first of three action packed video/episodes which feature their upcoming singles out this month on Lolipop Records! Tune in this month to find out the fate of Los Angeles’ favorite new girl group Lost Cat!”

Carly Rae Jepsen shares her highly anticipated new single ‘Western Wind.’ Produced by Rostam Batmanglij ‘Western Wind’ is available now at all digital retailers via 604 Records. ‘Western Wind’ inhabits a warm and hypnotic atmosphere achieved through a delicate tapestry of elements: sunlit guitar tones, soulful piano melodies, the luminous textures of Hammond B3 organ, an elegant patchwork of percussion. Graced with Jepsen’s radiant vocal work, the result is a spellbinding backdrop to her lyrical storytelling, infusing the song’s mood of nostalgia and longing with a lovely euphoria. Like all her output to date — such as her critically lauded and culture-shaping 2015 album EMOTION — ‘Western Wind’ embodies a charmed quality that invites a certain daydreaming on the part of the listener. As Jepsen reveals, the song emerged from the deep solitude of quarantine, a period of time that compelled her toward her most introspective songwriting yet. Complementing the beauty of the song is an equally stunning video shot in the natural elements of Southern California by Taylor Fauntleroy.

Indie-pop artist Cody Frost has unleashed her debut mixtape TEETH. Following her debut EP, 2021’s IT’S NOT REAL, TEETH has a considerably sharper edge than Frost’s previous work, clearly influenced by heavier music and the current wave of hyper-pop. To accompany the mixtape’s release, Frost has also dropped a video for the mixtape cut ‘Redundant’. Like the rest of TEETH, ‘Redundant’ sheds the relatively stripped-back emotionality of Frost’s early singles to reveal a beautifully abrasive, happily aggressive set of sounds. Instead of the easy-on-the-ears aesthetic that helped her reach the finale of BBC’s version of The Voice, ‘Redundant’ sounds like a cross between Billie Eilish’s neo-gothic pop and Yves Tumor’s dancy experimentalism. It’s a track you’d imagine playing at London’s most intimidatingly hip club. Juxtaposing party visuals with sequences of a Bowie-esque Frost alone on a soundstage, the video embodies the new stylings of TEETH. Frost is quite literally in your face for a majority of the song’s runtime, as she rushes the fisheye camera to sing of seedy attention-seekers common in the British party scene. “I work in a bar and the lyrics are really about the type of customers I have served in the past,” she tells Consequence. “I wrote the line ‘and with every bit I feel the dirty napkin they dropped on the floor crumple in my fist’ in the back room whilst seething over a rude customer.” With TEETH’s change of pace, it’s exciting to think of what Frost may have in store for future projects. Will she continue to embrace her “heavy roots” or switch up the sounds once again? “I’m super excited for what is coming next for me musically,” she says, before stopping herself from revealing too much. “I can’t say much but I will say that some of my biggest dreams [are] becoming true in the works!” [via Consequence]

The Haunt are a South Florida band helmed by a sibling duo of vocalist Anastasia Haunt and her guitar-wielding older brother, Max. Last week, they dropped their latest single, the gnashing, bombastic and wildly catchy ‘I’M NOT YOURS,’ which was produced by Escape the Fate’s Kevin Thrasher, and now they’ve shared its accompanying music video. The black-and-white visual features alternating shots of Anastasia running and struggling to emerge while tied to a chair, as well as footage of the band jamming out cathartically in a small space. “‘I’M NOT YOURS’ is about being done with the bullshit and taking back your power from someone who tried to rip it out of your soul,” Max says. “I was in a relationship that made me feel very small, so when it was finally over, I had a lot of work to do to build myself back up again. And writing this song was really the biggest ‘fuck you’ I could think of. PSA: Your feelings are fucking valid and if you have a feeling about something or someone, you’re probably right, trust your Mf instincts!” [via Revolver]

Cape Town-based duo Emerger deliver a shimmering, hook-filled Alt-Pop gem with the release of their latest single ‘Aeroplane Park,’ a nostalgic fever dream about love and longing, set at the turn of the millennium. The track, produced and mixed by co-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Gerry Matthee, is a meticulously crafted mid-tempo affair that drapes Emma de Goede’s intimate and pristine vocals in lush soundscapes backed by a percolating beat. “I think it’s safe to say it’s one of our favorites so far,” says Matthee, who recorded and mixed the track at the duo’s recently launched SoundBorough Studios. He also mixed the track in Dolby Atmos, the spatial audio technology that creates a fully immersive listening experience, which can be streamed on Apple Music. ‘Aeroplane Park’ speaks to universal feelings about the innocence of youth, the longing for connection and the pain of separation; a meditation on the roads we travel and the choices we make. De Goede, keyboardist and chief lyricist of the duo, does not shy away from how personal the song is for her. In fact, ‘Aeroplane Park’ is a real place – a playground near the singer’s childhood home – and the song reflects the early days of the relationship between the two band members, who are life partners as well as musical ones. “Memory is fleeting, and I wanted to capture some of what I remember from my childhood,” says De Goede. “This song is a bit of time travel for me – to reflect on a specific time, place and person. How I recall feeling about it then and what it means today when seen through the eyes of an adult.” Matthee agrees: “We can never truly appreciate the points in time that accumulate as a lifetime of experience. We often need to do more living to give it all context. We have a few more miles on us since those days at the playground – it’s nice to reflect on how we’ve both grown since then.” Emerger remembers with great fondness the days when MTV played music videos 24/7. For ‘Aeroplane Park,’ the duo set out to tell a story about first love blooming at the turn of the millennium while also paying homage to the favourite network of their formative years. The video, written, directed and edited by the duo, finds the adult De Goede cavorting in a mid-20th century home with her younger self (played by Stella van Zyl) and replaying her memories of the special connection that formed with her childhood friend Matthee (played by Michail Etsebeth) while spending time in the aeroplane-themed playground near her home. ‘Aeroplane Park’ was shot on location in Cape Town, lensed by cinematographer/director of photography Kyle Wesson and with technical and design support from Divan Putter and Pascale de Brandt. [via PR Newswire]

Los Angeles alt-pop artist, MOTHICA has shared her latest single, ‘Last Cigarette’ featuring Antiguan-German singer-songwriter Au/Ra. The track is taken from MOTHICA’s forthcoming album, Nocturnal, alongside previously released singles, ‘Sensitive’ and ‘Casualty’. “I wrote ‘Last Cigarette’ about someone I met who reminded me of myself in a toxic way,” shares MOTHICA. “We shared a lot of pessimistic tendencies, and it reminded me of trying to quit cigarettes, something that we all know is bad for you, but there’s still this allure to be caught in a negative cycle.” [via Prelude Press]

Great Time has dropped a new video for their single ‘I could Be.’ The track is off the Philadelphia band’s forthcoming release Was I Right, scheduled to drop on June 9. Singer/multi-instrumentalist Jill Ryan has been the touring saxophonist with Cassandra Jenkins, Japanese Breakfast and Kristine Leschper. This video was directed by lead singer of Mannequin Pussy, Marisa Dabice Quote from Jill Ryan: “Filming the music video for ‘I Could Be’ was a really special experience. It was incredible to be directed by Marisa Dabice. I felt so comfortable in her presence. She commands a room not only on stage performing with Mannequin Pussy but also on set. Getting direction from her was empowering. You really have to trust the person that’s telling you what to do and how to move in order for you to perform your best and most authentically and I felt very connected and safe with her to do that. This song is a reaction to traditionality, patriarchy, “the man” and everyone that wants to make me feel small.” [via Northern Transmissions]

Sir Chloe‘s new single and accompanying music video, ‘Company,’ consummates camp and kink, latex and leather. The visual, which follows ‘Mercy’ and their 2020 Party Favors EP, opens inside a seedy hotel room that adds an absurd sensuality to the alt-rock band’s latest release. Filtered through yellow lighting, frontwoman Dana Foote stands alone at the beginning, before turning her gaze to the camera and revealing a handful of leather-clad baddies who stand opposite her. Tension builds so thick it could be cut with a knife — perhaps even one of Sir Chloe’s, from her past life as a “knife salesman.” Best described by Foote as “a song to flex your muscles to,” Sir Chloe’s single makes listeners beg for release. “I want to hear you want it,” she sings on the chorus. “I want to hear you ask for more.” Whether walking her “dog” to the bank or making them crawl to her, Foote languishes in the lewd — and makes us want to, too. [via PAPER]

The Linda Lindas have released a music video for ‘Why.’ The track comes from their debut album, Growing Up. The visual was directed by Elizabeth Ito and Suzie Vlček and features punk legend Kathleen Hanna as the voice of an interviewer. The punk quartet spoke about the video in a press release. “The ‘Why’ music video is a tribute to The Decline of Western Civilization, the legendary 1981 documentary about LA punk by Penelope Spheeris, and Spirited Away, one of our favorite Miyazaki movies,” the band say. “It is set at an imaginary Save Music In Chinatown show, part of the series of all-ages matinee fundraisers for music education at Eloise’s school, where we played some of our earliest gigs with some of the musicians from Decline — Alice Bag, Phranc, Keith Morris, Chuck Dukowski — who are now our friends. The art was drawn by Eloise, the flyers are real and no dessert was wasted!” [via Alt Press]

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