Award-winning country soul singer-songwriter Tami Neilson has shared ‘Careless Woman,’ available now via Outside Music. The rebellious country-blues anthem is accompanied by a spectacular official music video – co-starring New Zealand-based actress Olivia Tennet (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Power Rangers RPM) and Ling Zhang of Parris Goebel’s esteemed Royal Family Dance Crew. “‘Careless Woman’ was inspired by a 1938 collection of ‘Dating Tips’ in Parade Magazine,” says Neilson, “one of which read, ‘Careless Women never appeal to gentlemen. Don’t talk while dancing, for when a man dances, he wants to dance.’ Director Abe Mora was inspired to bring this era to life and built an amazing coin-operated music box for me and my band of Careless Women to perform in, like a human jukebox. As the song plays, the women in the bar are empowered and begin to dance and throw off the oppressive rules of propriety.”
Beija Flo is back with a spectacular new video for her latest single ‘Waiting for the Sun’. The new visuals directed by Sam O’Leary (notable for his work with hit BBC series ‘Inside No.9’ and supernatural videos for the likes of Witch Fever and Bleach Boy) are as surreal as they are sublime and bring a whole new dimension to Beija’s latest release. Bearing witness to the day the laughter dies, the viewer is drawn into the back streets of Liverpool to the most unusual of murder scenes. Starring Beija herself, along with a cast of clowns and a sprinkling of psychedelic animation from the mind of Sam O’Leary, the results are a lysergic blend of tragedy and comedy that make for an engrossing watch. Speaking about the new video, its director Sam O’leary says: “I’m so grateful that Beija doesn’t say no to silly ideas. Because silly doesn’t mean you’re not taking it seriously. I think we’ve walked the tightrope between drama and comedy well. The clowns were fantastic and INCREDIBLY patient as we were shooting this in one take over and over again until there was no more sunlight left. And as the whole video is in slow motion, we had to do everything in one go at twice the speed. I always love making music videos for Beija, and ‘Waiting for the Sun’ is such a fantastic song to work from, especially in terms of getting to subvert expectations.” The video offers a fitting companion to ‘Waiting for the Sun’, a track which fuses a Sharon van Etten-esque sense for drama with a climactic orchestral bombast born for the widescreen. Initially written shortly after Beija was diagnosed with MRKH syndrome and experienced heartbreak for the first time, it’s a track born from under the darkest of clouds. Having lived with Beija almost her entire adult life until its release this year, the song has taken on many meanings and guises for her as an artist, but that sense of raw emotion is as vivid and palpable now as it was when she first penned it. Opening-up about the release, Beija says: “I suppose I find talking about ‘Waiting For The Sun’ so difficult because it’s a medal. It’s a big medal I wear across my chest, day in, day out. It was born in the middle of a war, and is now a growing series of very precious battle scars. It’s hope…. It feels like such a milestone in my life to finally be releasing it.”
Following the release of her March debut album If My Wife New I’d Be Dead, CMAT is sharing the video for ‘Peter Bogdanovich’. “I wrote the song Peter Bogdanovich after listening to a podcast about the making of the film The Last Picture Show,” CMAT explains. “To cut a long story short, Peter ran away and left his wife for yungwan (the lead actress in the film, Cybill Shepherd). I was taken by this particular story because I love his early films, and I loved finding out that his wife, Polly Platt, was the player who was actually responsible for what I love most about his films. I was really interested in everyone’s motivations – Peter for acting so selfishly, Cybill for throwing a bomb on a marriage and her work, and most of all Polly, for staying to work on the film even after the affair came out. I think it is a great allegory for the role that the construct of gender plays in all of our decisions, and how if gender and sexuality wasn’t really seen as such a rigid ‘thing’, our lives would be very different. I approached director Jake Passmore with the idea of doing a video where I was in Boy Drag because a) it worked with the theme of the song b) I thought it would be really fun. Himself and Sam Brautigan, who co-directed, then came up with a brilliant abstract treatment around me playing Peter Bogdanovich that involved choreography, Orson Welles and a puppet. What more could I possibly want? These are all my favourite things, and all of the actors and crew were wildly talented and so pulled it off, which I don’t think was easy given how weird the joint is.” [via DIY]
Following her outstanding debut EP far from home, Swedish singer and songwriter Mimi Bay shares a tender moment on the emotive track ‘helium cowgirl’. This lush return from the artist sees us entering the world of heartbreak with grace, charming our way through the pain with a dose of Bay’s incredible vocal range. On the new single, Bay strips back any bold instrumentation to allow her vocals to float gently over a minimalistic piano melody. A subdued moment in Bay’s catalogue, ‘helium cowgirl’ is a transcendent offering from an artist that has already impressed with previous releases. Resisting the urge to return with an outlandish statement, Bay’s calming, hazy and soft-in-the-centre single provides the goods without losing its impact. “‘helium cowgirl’ is about trying and failing to keep someone around and realizing there’s nothing you can say or do to change their mind,” Bay says. “Like gravity having no effect on helium.” The single comes paired with a silky 50s-inpsired visual that sees Bay in all her minimalistic glory. An evocative visual that pulls on the heartstrings, ‘helium cowgirl’ promises the recovery of heartbreak will be sad but short, an important moment in life where we truly find ourselves questioning our next move. Bay honestly confronts the notions of wanting to keep that person in your life because you believe you’d be lost without them. But in a few months time? You’ll be back out in the world, shining brightly with a new lease of life. [via Earmilk]
Kynsy has returned with a new single, ‘Point Of You’. “’Point Of You’ is me trying to work my way through the different sides of romance, happiness and disappointment,” she explains. “It’s about being stuck in the same cycle of falling in love with people who don’t or will never love you back and the feeling of tiredness that comes from attempting to have romantic relationships with people that never go your way. It’s about being love hungry for an honest and pure connection but being so fed up and dissatisfied by trying and trying that you start to ask yourself, ‘what’s the point’?” The new track comes alongside an accompanying video, of which she reveals: “We wanted to try and portray the pain and mental chaos that comes with rejection. We focused on the idea of a patient in therapy trying to unravel a failed relationship and slowly losing her mind as she analyses the relationship and herself. We wanted to try and create a visual representation of the chaos of an overactive mind by strange movement within a singular space.” [via Dork]
Ailbhe Reddy has a disarming sense of honesty. Lyrically, she’s an over-sharer – funny, astute, and always on-point, the Irish artist pours her feelings into her music, and let’s the world listen on their own terms. Her debut album Personal History landed back in 2020, was amid widespread acclaim it climbed to the shortlist of the Choice Music Prize. Surging into fresh areas, Ailbhe Reddy returns with fuzzy-buzzy new single ‘A Mess’ and it’s a riotous ear-worm. A helter-skelter pop song, ‘A Mess’ tries to pin down why those old patterns of behaviour forever shine through, a kind of self-analytical blast of guitar pop energy. She comments: “‘A Mess’ is about not feeling good enough in a relationship and examining old patterns and habits. It’s about feeling fed up of going around in circles, while focusing on a throw away comment that ‘no wonder it was such a mess’.” Georgia Kelly of CLTV directed the super-fun visuals, which match both the exuberance of the arrangement and the quiet melancholy of the lyric. Ailbhe adds: “I wanted to keep the playfulness of the music alive in the video and make sure it was tongue and cheek rather than very serious. Georgia came up with a few scenarios that were funny representations of feeling ‘not good enough’ and giving up.” [via Clash]
A few years ago, Becca Kauffman started performing as the alter ego Jennifer Vanilla while they were still in the art-rock band Ava Luna. JV has become Kauffman’s main concern over the past couple years, resulting in a lot of stray singles and 2019’s J.E.N.N.I.F.E.R. EP. Last month, they shared a single, ‘Body Music,’ and now they’re announcing a whole Jennifer Vanilla album, Castle In The Sky, out in August. Kauffman wrote and produced it with their longtime collaborator Brian Abelson. “That’s what the process of living inside of an alias has been for me, a way to identify the vision, see where you’re at, and close the gap,” Kauffman explained of the project. “I started Jennifer Vanilla so I could learn in front of people, and display a kind of curiosity and openness which I would probably be far too fearful to do without the cover of an alternate identity. It’s a distinctly Jennifer kind of courage to be curious out loud in this exhibitionistic way.” Jennifer Vanilla is sharing a video for new single ‘Take Me For A Ride.’ [via Stereogum]
Brooklyn-based musician and songwriter Grace Ives’ new album Janky Star is out now via True Panther/Harvest. Grace also has a new video for Janky Star track ‘On The Ground,’ directed by Sara Magenheimer. “Grace was one of my students who eventually became my assistant and friend,” Sara says. “I have been rooting for her for years, so in a way this video is a love letter to her, a way of showing how much I see in her and how truly incredible I believe she is. This video is also a celebration of music videos as an art form. I referenced Warhol’s work for MTV and Deee-Lite’s videos to honor the way in which this humble form has acted as a Trojan Horse, bringing experimental moving image art into homes across the world. I love the punk vibe of this medium and this video embraces its young wild history.” [via Brooklyn Vegan]
New York-based audiovisual project Sound of Ceres are sharing their new single and visual ‘The Fawn’ taken from their new album Emerald Sea. The remarkable visual (directed by Jacob Graham and cinematography by Michael Vanderpool) includes an appearance by conceptual performance artist Marina Abramović, who also provides narration across the record. Speaking about new track ‘The Fawn’, project member Ryan Hover says: “Venus Physica, Universe incarnate, completes their transformation into Venus Verticordia, changer of hearts. This is the final struggle of the human mind, a defiant creation of meaning within the cloud-tides of entropy, a last fever rage against the slow but unstoppable hand of time.”
Rina Sawayama has shared the visuals for her recent single, ‘This Hell’. Sticking to the country theme of her recent live performances, we see Rina making her way to wedding featuring cowboy boots, a stretch limo and a dance routine. The video was directed by Ali Kurr. Speaking about the filming, Rina shared: “It was amazing to get back together with director Ali Kurr (‘XS’, ‘Bad Friend’) for the video for ‘This Hell.’ We always like to tell engaging stories through film together so this one was about love and community in the face of hatred and dissent.” [via Dork]
Nova Twins have shared their new single and video, ‘Choose Your Fighter’. The song is taken from their 5* second album Supernova, out now via Marshall Records. They explain: “‘Choose Your Fighter’ is a motivational track. It’s got that go-get attitude that you need! There will always be obstacles thrown at you but this tune is about powering through, no matter what!” [via Dork]
Queer whimsical ethereal alt pop artist Summy has shared a new otherwordly video. Entitled ‘Said It After’, Summy confides that “this is a song about being in love with someone whose words can put you into a deep trance by saying all the things you want to hear. Only to realize that it was all a cover up for their demons and battles that were placed on you and ultimately, broke you. So when their words come out again, they mean nothing anymore because they ‘Said It After’ struck the heart for the last time.” The fantastical video is an immersive cinematic fairy dreamland. Watch above.
Burgeoning young singer-songwriter Maddie Zahm unveils the single and video, ‘You Might Not Like Her,’ taken from her forthcoming debut EP of the same name out later this summer on August 12 via AWAL. ‘You Might Not Like Her’ is a deeply personal track that highlights Maddie’s emotive vocals and allows her powerful storytelling abilities to shine. The release is accompanied by an equally moving video, directed by Gus Black, that acts as a tribute to her past and sees her current self reflecting on some of her most vulnerable moments. On the track, Maddie shares “‘You Might Not Like Her’ was the easiest song I wrote on the EP. Most of my past work has been about my relationships with other people and never about my relationship with myself. This was the first time I allowed myself to be truly vulnerable in my music and it kickstarted my project. It means the world to me because it’s how I came out to myself and my family.” [via Broadway World]
Maddy Jane has released her new EP Island Time, marking its arrival with a music video for the lead single ‘Eddie’. ‘Eddie’ is an anthemic cut from the Tasmanian singer, who screams “I don’t give a fuck, then I think too much / I’d rather be a woman than just keep my mouth shut” through the song’s chorus. Its accompanying clip was directed by Tas Wilson, and features Jane in a variety of settings, including a small bedroom, a tiger-striped chair, and a room with “Eddie” written all over the walls. [via NME]
From Naarm/ Melbourne comes the soaring melodies of art-pop singer-songwriter Georgia Fields. Making her debut in 2009, Georgia has an impressive collection of releases under her belt, as she introduces us to a new era with her latest single ‘Holding My Hands Out’, a vulnerable and fearless taste of what’s to come on a forthcoming album. With a steady foundation built by warm and wobbly key’s chords and intricate yet minimalistic beats, ‘Holding My Hands Out’s swirling synth melodies and layers of strings steadily build to a climax, Georgia’s vocals taking the lead dynamically as they dance between sincere and soft to powerful and soul-moving. Beautifully composed and delivered between gritty and dainty moments, the release is a testament to Georgia’s abilities as a songwriter and a vocalist. [via Pilerats]
Amidst a fast-paced world where social media likes and follow counts define our self-worth more than anything else, it can be all too easy to lose sight of what is really important in life. Having experienced this herself, LA-based indie pop artist Jazzie Young turned towards her tune-crafting to create ‘wallflower’ — a spellbinding tale of a woman clawing her way back to herself. Released alongside a moving music video, Jazzie buries herself in fallen petals as she reminds herself of the times she has spread herself too thin to please others. Under a blanket of sombre notes and uplifting synthesisers, ‘wallflower’ builds a narrative that is not only relatable to all but also has reassurance baked the whole way through it. As the track draws to a close, when the rising melody reaches a point of triumph, Jazzie regains her wings and learns to be there for herself in times of loneliness — a welcomed departure from the usual boy-saves-lonely-girl narrative. Elaborating further on the track, Jazzie explains, “‘wallflower’ is a song I wrote about the pieces of myself I had lost or changed in my attempt to please the people around me. It’s an intimately produced song that tells the story of how I ended up disconnected from myself and through that admission, how I was slowly returning to a more authentic and whole place. The accompanying music video reflects the ups and downs of this process through imagery of loneliness, coinciding with metamorphosis and a heavy emphasis on shadows vs light.” [via Wonderland]
There’s a cold, unfeeling place where young entrepreneurs enter as the “World’s Best Entry Level Employees” and exit as cash-chasing nightmare bosses. And Automatic just captured that hell in a lone, shiny ‘Skyscraper.’ The Los Angeles band dropped a video to accompany their single ahead of their forthcoming album Excess, due out June 24 via Stone’s Throw. The Alex Thurmond-directed vid conveys a detached corporate dystopia where morale plummets with the stock market and “every dollar gets you off.” Her carefully-place visual gags — such as a “please no crying the lobby” bulletin — match the caustic bite of lyrics like “No country or cause / You’re lost in the fog / Your skin is so tight now / You can’t move at all.” “’The pitfalls of capitalism and corporate life can be easy to fall into,” shares Thurmond. “American Psycho and Office Space were both points of reference, the glorification of monotonous tasks and success measured by climbing the corporate ladder. Those movies have such an over-the-top, satirical quality that really matches the tone of the song, and it was fun to play that up.” [via Vanyaland]
