The Aquadolls have released new single and video ‘Sneaky,’ the freshest cut off of their upcoming record, Charmed. Produced by Chris Szczech (Goo Goo Dolls) in Los Angeles, the new song puts the angst surrounding the uncertainty of a relationship directly under a microscope; this close study fueled by a gritty sound that juxtaposes the heaviness of bands like The Breeders and Veruca Salt, and the hopeful dreaminess of shoegaze bands like Cocteau Twins and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Instead of attempting to escape these simmering feelings of doubt, the self-coined “mermaid rock and rollers” lean into them, opening the floodgates and letting all of their inhibitions pour into this bombastic cascade of sound. Daydreams about tender nights spent tangled under sheets must cease —there is only room for these anxiety-ridden intrusive thoughts. “Am I just your late night sneaky little thing?” lead vocalist Melissa Brooks questions; though, she’s not entirely sure if she wants to know the answer. Further expanding on the single, Brooks said, “’Sneaky’ tells the story of the uncertainties of what could come from a late-night hookup. Unsure if the other person is growing feelings or only physical attraction, this song shows the struggle of being someone’s dirty little secret.” Bassist Keilah Nina continues, “A nostalgic tune about that sickly sweet feeling you get in your gut when you start feeling a little more than lust for that late night hookup. For when you’re stuck in a state of wondering if they feel the same way, or if you’re just wasting time fantasizing about what could be.” The release also arrives alongside an official video directed by Jenna Houchin. Starring the band in all their femme fatale glory, the storyline glides through performance footage, smashed cakes and burning dollhouses as The Aquadolls question their relationship circumstances.
SPIDER has dropped a new track, ‘America’s Next Top Model’. Following her debut mixtape C.O.A, she explains: “I started ‘America’s Next Top Model’ after a conversation with my friend Earl Saga about how safe music can feel right now. We found it really interesting that in a time where artists have the most freedom to make the most opinionated art, it sometimes feels as a collective like we are shying away from it. The video is about my own experiences online, and accepting the fact that if people already feel the need to get rid of me, that means that I’m doing something right. I’m asking the people who target the content of minority creators, “why the fuck are you so scared?” People don’t feel the need to silence something that’s not making an impact. So while it hurts and it’s confusing and it’s scary and slightly scarring, it’s only an indication that the message is being received. I hope ‘America’s Next Top Model’ stirs that revolutionary spirit, and is a big hit of confidence for those who need it.” [via Dork]
Back in December, Angel Deradoorian and Kate NV, both estimable artists on their own, announced that they’d gotten together to form a new duo called Decisive Pink, and they also shared their hugely promising debut track ‘Haffmilch Holiday.’ Kate NV has her own solo album WOW out, and now Decisive Pink have also announced their own debut LP. The Decisive Pink album comes with the presumably-ironic title Ticket To Fame, and it’s coming out later this year. New single ‘Destiny’ is a woozy, pretty art-pop track that builds a serious feeling and uses Angel Deradoorian and Kate NV’s overlapping voices in cool ways. In director Sasha Kulak‘s ‘Destiny’ video, the two artists appear as moving paintings. [via Stereogum]
Sophie Ellis-Bextor has shared the official video for her recent single ‘Breaking The Circle’, which is taken from her seventh studio album HANA released on June 2 via Cooking Vinyl. She has also announced an intimate London album launch show on June 30 at Lafayette. Filmed in London by Remi Laudat, the video flits between reality and fantasy and sees Sophie both awake and in a lucid dream performing in different rooms within a house, ending in an angular dance routine finale.
LA-via-Gainesville-via-Paris duo Pearl & the Oysters revealed last fall that they were signing with Stones Throw Records, and now Juliette Pearl Davis and Joachim Polack are revealing their plans for their first release through the label: Coast 2 Coast will arrive April 21, followed by a headlining tour of the US the following month. The space-age pop duo’s third album notably features contributions from Stereolab’s Lætitia Sadier, Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Riley Geare, and Mild High Club’s Alex Brettin, as well as Neon Indian and Dent May. Following the release of ‘Pacific Ave’ in November and ‘Konami’ in January, their latest single ‘Paraiso’ is the third we’ve heard from the upcoming project, this one seeing Davis addressing our surroundings in relation to how advertisers see them. “[It’s] a song pondering on our own eco-anxiety by skeptically conjuring paradisiacal images as presented in classic California tourism ads of the last century, when the idea of the Endless Summer felt more like a luxury commodity and less like a looming menace,” the band shares. “We had a lot of fun stepping out of our maximalist comfort zone and experimenting with a more sparse and intimate (for us, that is) arrangement approach on this track.” The song also arrives with a grainy video directed by Nikki Milan Houston which depicts more edenic images of paradise than those often sold to us, with the duo spending a day in unpopulated spots across the West Coast, from beaches to deserts—all embellished with a bit of animation and stop-motion imagery. [via Flood]
After a year of touring and hobnobbing with NYC’s cool kids, lighting up the underground circuits in Brooklyn and Manhattan, May Rio is releasing the single ‘Need You Like.’ The fairy-synthed, indie-pop single and troll-filled video is Rio’s first release after a banner year of features (The Dare’s ‘Girls’ and Blaketheman1000’s ‘Blake 2,’ to name a few). The whimsical video, co-directed by Arjun Ram Srivatsa and Lena Greene and choreographed by Sharleen Cidiac, features a handful of buzzy NYC musicians and artists including Marcus Maddox, Owen Drum, Lulu Frost of the Frost Children, and EJ O’Hara. While May Rio’s dreamworld guest list might be less fantasy and more… exactly who you would expect to attend this kind of artsy outing, the offbeat humor and oddball love story are sure to pull you in. In the fairytale book of ‘Need You Like,’ romance is as ghastly as braced teeth and prosthetic noses, and social media influencers touting make-up are instead witches crafting love potions. May Rio, the pop project of May Sembera, has an ever-growing music catalog of quirky and lovable head-boppers. Learning from the streets of Ableton and time spent in her bedroom during quarantine, her off-kilter pop songs about ’20s hedonism are only getting weirder and better. [via PAPER]
piri & Tommy Villiers have shared a new video for ‘updown’. The first new track to come from the pair in 2023, it follows up on last year’s mixtape froge.mp3. Both piri and Tommy are said to be currently working on solo, collaborative and brand new piri & Tommy Villiers music, following on from recent MJ Cole collab ‘Feel It’. [via Dork]
News of ALMA‘s new album Time Machine arrives alongside a Miikka Lommi-directed video for her January single ‘Hey Mom Hey Dad’, which will appear on ALMA’s new album with last year’s ‘Everything Beautiful’, ‘I Forgive Me’ and ‘Summer Really Hurt Us’. [via Line Of Best Fit]
LA-based dark pop duo Boy Deluxe (Hope and True Murra) return with a brand new music video for last year’s single ‘Left Behind.’ The track is a moody, mid-tempo electronic ballad that examines the complex emotions of feeling special yet overlooked. Originally written on a Fender Rhodes, it came to life with True’s signature production and Hope’s brooding vocals. Of ‘Left Behind,’ Hope wrote: “The song’s haunting synths, shimmering soundscapes, and introspective lyrics paint a vivid picture of the struggle to find one’s place in a world that often overlooks what makes us special. ‘Left Behind’ conveys a sense of hope and resilience, reminding listeners to never give up on the pursuit of their true selves. ‘Left Behind’ is a powerful meditation on the beauty of individuality and the strength it takes to shine in a world that often fails to see our true worth.”
Vosh is here to darken your day up big time with their latest single ‘Bleed As One.’ The single draws from early Ministry and Depeche Mode as much as it does Sisters Of Mercy and Killing Joke, drawing an overall blood-soaked and monochrome picture. “‘Bleed As One’ changed its shape many times,” said Vosh frontwoman Josephine Olivia. “For a while we weren’t sure if it would make the cut of the album, but it ultimately became one of our favorites. Carson Cox worked with us on this one, so it’s obviously a winner. It’s a ballad, a love song, but it’s up to the listener to decide how it speaks to them. Instrumentally, we wanted it to rise and fall. It feels more epic than the other songs, a real storyline that the listener can follow sonically.” [via Metal Injection]
Hailing from Tallinn, Estonia, Alexandra Elizabeth Ljadov has been in fierce pursuit of her creative dreams since she moved to New York at age 16 to work as a model. A year later, her stunning looks and poise landed her over 80 fashion shows and the title of “Victoria Beckham’s Muse”. Shortly after this ordeal, and not content with just dominating the world of fashion via the runways, Alexandra created the Pop Diva persona Majorlilkween to give her an outlet for all of her talent and creativity not limited to fashion and modeling. The thing nobody tells you about following your wild dreams, is that reality and the past don’t stop hurting, and Alexandra’s pain turned into a fire that both kept her motivated and tempered her character into the badass chica that is now Majorlilkween. While she readies for her upcoming EP, ‘kween has released a brand new single with an awesome music video to boot. ‘Karma’ is the name and it is an honest-to-God pop-punk anthem like those of its early 2000s heyday. Filled with spunky riffs, the vigorous and upbeat track is about finding the inner strength to move away from past toxic relationships and becoming your own person. The music video draws heavy inspiration from the beloved 90s Spooktacular Halloween film Hocus Pocus. With a direct hand in its creation and look, Majorlilkween stylized the visuals by drawing inspiration from Quentin Tarantino and the many early 2000s pop videos that no doubt were a huge part of her formation into the powerhouse pop star she’s shaping up to be nowadays. [via Flaunt]
The multi-media project of Nashville-based Aotearoa artist Kelly Sherrod, Proteins Of Magic has returned to her homeland for a release tour this month, celebrating immaculate new single / video ‘Divine Physics’. Sherrod handed the reins for the song’s video component over to filmmaker / director Rory White — who also directed the clip for P.O.M.’s ’22 single ‘Lethal’ — complementing the ballad with fog-enshrined, monochromatic imagery, evocative outfit details and a powerful expressive performance by Sherrod. The singer / producer’s astounding vocals achieve an almost religious fervour, while delicate piano arrangements and pounding percussion keep the song semi-grounded on earthly soil. The first official release from P.O.M.’s forthcoming Angel Hieroglyphics EP via Particle Recordings, Sherrod explained how the creation of ‘Divine Physics’ felt like a personal breakthrough… “I started peeling away under the moss in my brain pieces of where I wanted to be. Through that struggle it felt like a divine moment when I wrote the first section of the song. It was like something telling me what to do to have access to my new world. It’s the first song where I felt like this was really me.” [via Under The Radar]
Bristol-based trio Grandmas House have dropped a new video. ‘Who Am I’ is a cut from their EP of the same name, with both out now via Brace Yourself Records. The EP also features the singles ‘How Does It Feel?’, ‘Body’, which the three-piece describe as “an anthem for anyone that’s ever felt uncomfortable in their own skin”, and ‘Desire’. Discussing the title-track, the group comment: “‘Who Am I’ is about being judged by someone without them really knowing you. Written from the point of view of someone being judged for the negative stereotypes of their zodiac sign, it’s an anthem by gemini’s, for all the other gemini’s out there.” [via Dork]
Critically acclaimed alt pop phenomenon Skott has released Roses N Guns via Cosmos Music, her anticipated sophomore album featuring her new single ‘Roses N Guns.’ Skott has also unveiled the mesmerizing, self-directed video for ‘Roses N Guns,’ an emotionally charged synth-pop ballad that explores destructive, all-consuming love that is as incredible as it is intense through shimmering synths and breathy hooks.
Finding humour in self-loathing, award-winning Vera Ellen is back with the second guitar driven single, ‘Lenny Says’ from her upcoming album, Ideal Home Noise, which is out digitally and on both red or black vinyl and CD on Friday March 31 via Flying Nun Records. “I wrote ‘Lenny Says’ to make fun of myself at rock bottom. It was actually initially for my album Beat Yr Name (2018) but I felt it was too cheesy at the time. Now, I can see the humour in it. The two verses were genuinely written three years apart — though clearly the angst did not dwindle. It’s a track for us whining broke losers with unattainable dreams; having a laugh and a moan at the same time.” The video for ‘Lenny Says’ is the second instalment in the three-part series was directed and produced by Sports Team, and made with the support of NZ on Air. About the video, Vera Ellen says “If you cried in Carpenter, you will scream in Lenny Says. My band joins me for some diabolical plotting and scheming… but what exactly are we planning?? What we do best of course. And, listen, I won’t have any of your judgement. We all do crazy things to maintain our youth and glory!” [via Flying Nun]
If you’re in the mood for some heart-racing, soul-stirring beats, then look no further than Salt Ashes’ latest single, ‘Heart Attack.’ This London-based singer-songwriter has returned with an intoxicating track that showcases her expert ability to blend dream-like vocal melodies with electronic dance rhythms that are sure to leave you wanting more. Salt Ashes has always been one to fuse together a variety of influences to create something unique, and ‘Heart Attack’ is no different. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Bjork, Depeche Mode, and Change, she has honed her craft to produce introspective electronic music that boasts a dark, disco-esque flair. [via Wonderland]
Breakout singer-songwriter Mimi Webb has released her debut album Amelia via RCA Records UK. The release is accompanied by the music video for ‘Freezing,’ one of the new tracks off the record. Directed by Drew Kirsch, the stunning visual brings the lyrics to life as Mimi journeys through the process of leaving her past relationship, rediscovering her happiness, and moving forward with confidence.
Birdy returns with new single ‘Raincatchers’. Incoming LP Portraits shakes it up once more, transforming her music into something more theatrical, more pop, but no less communicative. New single ‘Raincatchers’ is out now, reminiscent of Kate Bush in her Imperial phase – profoundly English, but also timeless, continually reaching outwards. A sign of what lies ahead, there’s a gothic streak to ‘Raincatchers’, a darkness coupled with enigmatic appeal. As ever, her bold, vivacious delivery takes the song to the next level, something she’ll echo onstage at an upcoming European tour. [via Clash]
Loren Gray has released her dance-pop single ‘Told You So’ — and revealed that she’ll be dropping her debut album Guilty on April 21. “This is my first album, and there isn’t a single song on it that I’m not incredibly proud of. It’s a reflection of my journey coming into my own, and learning how to be my truest self through music,” she tells Rolling Stone. “It’s been such a long process, but a very therapeutic and healing one. I hope it gives people the opportunity to connect with me, and I’m beyond excited to share it with the world.” The new album is named after the single Gray released last year, which she says “changed the course” of the debut project. “I felt my most open, and that was my goal from the beginning of the writing process,” she says of the track which touched on her struggles with depression. [via Rolling Stone]
Mckenna Grace has just debuted her very first EP Bittersweet 16. The 16-year-old actress and budding singer released her first body of work on Friday, which features eight songs, including five brand new tracks. In addition, Mckenna dropped the music video for her new single ‘Buzzkill Baby.’ “I’m so happy to finally be releasing this ep! I’m excited for everyone to finally hear them. Getting into music has really been a dream. It’s been a lot of fun and I’ve learned a lot about myself,” Mckenna shared in a statement. “Music has been a different type of creative outlet for me. It’s way more personal. Writing has been therapy, it’s been really heart breaking and I’ve cried writing and listening to songs, but it has also been fun and has brought me so much joy. I hope ya’ll love this project as much as I do and dance around your house. ’Buzzkill Baby’ is definitely one of my favorite songs on here, and I’m really excited for people to be able to jam out to it,” she adds of her latest single. “I hope anyone who listens to my music and can relate to the darker feelings will know that eventually it passes and it’s normal and okay to feel things- happy, sad, angry, lonely, frustrated…just don’t give up.” [via Just Jared Jr]
Giving in to demands of fans across social media, London-via-Türkiye pop force Selin comes through with the theatrical ‘sad girl’ anthem ‘LOVERS HURRICANE’ – her second official English single under Warner Music Türkiye. With highly personal yet relatable lyrics written by Selin with Gil Lewis (Blithe, BEKA, Aleyna Tilki) and acclaimed singer-songwriter Sarah Close, ‘LOVERS HURRICANE’ takes shape as a powerfully emotive, sweeping ballad about a lost love affair which didn’t get the fairy-tale ending it perhaps deserved, as well as the maturity of having to learn from the past and move on – further realized in the music video’s stormy, dramatic visuals. Artistically off-setting with the pop-rock vibrancy of last August’s ‘cool’, the cinematic production on ‘LOVERS HURRICANE’ is the perfect backdrop for Selin’s rich and full-bodied powerhouse vocals to take centre stage in a truly spectacular vocal performance – delivering the poignant, heartfelt lyrics with candour, which have already begun resonating with fans on TikTok, who have organically started creating POV videos using the track. Speaking about ‘LOVERS HURRICANE’, Selin said the following: “I had been wanting to write about a specific situation playing on my mind; as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realised that I needed to come face-to-face with what those feelings were. The song talks about that feeling of ‘what could have been’ with somebody; on the day I wrote about it with Sarah and Gil, it all just sort of came out. I didn’t want to fully forget about it, so I think writing this was almost like finishing a book, and now it’s ready to be shelved – but who knows, maybe one day this book will be revisited… I hope you can sing, scream, cry, and laugh to this song.”
Purple is the color of imagination and creativity and is associated with the transformation of the soul. Purple is bold, unique, independent, and introspective. Purple is a way of life. Embodying these qualities, purple- haired rock goddess Anastasia Elliot is a trailblazer in the Indie Art Rock world as she debuts the latest single ‘Bones’ and accompanying video from her highly anticipated full length visual album La Petite Mort. On the inspiration behind ‘Bones’ and the debut album, Nashville-based artist states, “La Petite Mort (‘The Little Death’) explores my relationship with the phases of trauma and rebirth following my plane crash in 2013. I wrote ‘Bones’ as a snapshot into the bandaid trauma bonding type of relationship that we often seek after going through something cataclysmic. The kind of childish love that makes us chase the red flags while also becoming the red flags. ‘Bones’ is the ultimate distraction of fun, the comic relief of La Petite Mort if you will. The part of the story where I started seeking to control others since I couldn’t control my insides or my situation. It can be easier that way sometimes, but it never ends well. This song came from my first misguided attempts to take back my personal power, looking for it in the wrong places that came easy to me and devouring many innocent hearts in the process. With the violence that is weaved into the more carefree and playful soundscape of this song, it shows the internal knowledge that at this time, there was no happy ending in a relationship with me. When you are searching for a partner from a broken place, it will always end in another little death.”
