Cassandra Jenkins has shared new song ‘Delphinium Blue’. The songwriter’s stunning 2021 breakout album An Overview On Phenomenal Nature was a very special release, one that was followed by an extensive two-year period of touring. Returning to the studio, Cassandra Jenkins was tasked with following up an album that had virtually consumed her. Follow-up My Light, My Destroyer is out on July 12, sculpted with a close cast of collaborators, including producer, engineer, and mixer Andrew Lappin (L’Rain, Slauson Malone 1). New single ‘Delphinium Blue’ is a beautiful offering – opulent in its approach to sound, it moves from wistful, almost Enya-esque layers of gossamer synths to something distorted, feral, and noisy. Remarkable in its 3D rendering, ‘Delphinium Blue’ seems to encapsulate Cassandra Jenkins as a builder of worlds. In a note about the making of the song, she says… “Sometimes when I don’t know where to turn, I look for something reliably beautiful. Applying for a job at my local flower shop felt like survival instinct kicking in, and that job got me through one of the bluest periods in my life– being surrounded by flowers didn’t just make the weight easier to bear– it helped me understand it and myself better. I began to dream in technicolour; flowers became the language of my subconscious. At times I felt like I was surrounded by a Greek Chorus while I went about my menial tasks– they took on an all knowing quality, like they held the keys if I was willing to listen, like they were porters of my grief, and delicate portals to awareness.” [via Clash]
October And The Eyes return with new single ‘Public Image’. The songwriter is prepping her new Certificate Of Participation EP, another display of artful creativity. Constructed on her own terms, it’s an art-pop song cycle, one that frames her relentless ambitions and urge towards expression. Take new single ‘Public Image’. Out now, it’s driven forwards by October’s intense grasp of musicality, with sessions absorbing the assistance of Yves Rothman as co-producer. Over-layering different perspectives, the lyrics analyse our social media selves, and the myriad ways our identity is explored through technology. October comments… “‘Public Image’ in its simplest form is inspired by the idea of the digital panopticon. It’s about my relationship with social media and the incessant pressure to constantly be seen and be seen doing well, but also the relationship between surveillance (CCTV) and voluntary self surveillance (social media) and the lack of actual autonomy we have over our public image.” The striking video was shot by revered visual artist Rei Nadal, a former student of the famed British fashion photographer, Nick Knight. Of the video, October adds… “While inspired by a current reality, I think ‘Public Image’ sets the tone and foreshadows the apocalyptic and science fiction based themes that are presented later in the EP.” [via Clash]
British-Brazilian artist Liana Flores details the release of her debut album, titled Flower of the soul, out June 28 via Verve/Fiction Records. Flower of the soul is described as a transportive release, with Flores painting “vivid pictures of nature, fantasy, love and loss” with a clarity in vocal that imports the the listener right into her inner sanctum. Last month, she shared the bossa-inspired single ‘i wish for the rain‘. With the album announce Flores shares new single, ‘Nightvisions’, a folky lamentation building to a string-laden crescendo, painting evocations of a first love influenced by her favourite gothic romances. Of the album, Flores says: “Flower of the soul wanders through many stylistic influences, from sunshine pop, to bossa nova, to 60s psych folk, evoking the changing seasons of life and nature, and the core emotions that persist throughout.” [via Clash]
Queen of girlie pop and bisexual TikTok sensation Chrissy Chlapecka releases cheeky new single ’10 Boyfriends’ ahead of her highly anticipated debut EP Girlie Pop out June 5. An explosion of fun synthy pop with 80’s sitcom visuals, the boppy track is quintessential Chrissy. The tongue in cheek lyricism is all about having fun, being hot and living by the absolute truth that “a pretty girl should never have just one guy.”
Beth Gibbons releases ‘Lost Changes’, heralding the release of her debut solo album Lives Outgrown on Friday. The evocative video for ‘Lost Changes’ is the directorial debut by acclaimed British photographer Juno Calypso, known for her hyper-feminine, humour-filled and deeply sinister art.
Sacramento punks Destroy Boys have dropped a new song, ‘Plucked,’ produced by Carlos De La Garza (Paramore, The Linda Linda’s, Best Coast, etc). Their first music of the year, ‘Plucked,’ is a tenacious piece of shimmering pop-rock that slowly veers into post-punk territory. On ‘Plucked’, the band notes: “’Plucked’ is an entry to a new era. It’s focused on freedom of expression & learning how to embrace your quirks. It’s ultimately just a little pop-rock banger. It’s super fun to play – we’re excited to play it live in future shows!”
Aotearoa’s Earth Tongue elevate our week with the lurid riff-worship of their new single ‘Out of this Hell’. Gussie Larkin and Ezra Simons go full mondo horror mode with this one, sounding not unlike a pair of town criers possessed as they spread dark word of the hooved one’s mighty return, with cheeky nods to Claudio Simonetti’s classic squelching synth work. Directed by Levi Strauss Cranston, shot on 16mm film by Simons, produced by the group and made with support from NZ On Air, the accompanying clip is a spine-chilling, blood-drenched cinematic masterwork, starring a glamorous Larkin wandering a remote west coast landscape overwhelmed by cult dread. “I couldn’t wait to unleash some screams like a wannabe scream queen. I even cried real tears for this! There’s something a little spooky about the west coast, particularly at night when you’re standing in the cold wielding a knife for the camera. It’s such a wild, remote coastline and there weren’t any houses or people around for miles. I think that helped me with channelling that sense of isolation and turmoil,” says Gussie Larkin [via Under The Radar]
Night In Athens is a dark synth project that was formed in East London in 2020. Unsettling vocals pierce their music with whispers, cajoles, and screams. They delve into the shadows, unearthing the murk and sociopolitical decay of what were once brave societies. Their haunting tunes are dynamic dirges that expose the corruption festering within the human condition. Their latest single, ‘Words Unspoken’, delves into the profound serenity of silence amidst the cacophony of modern existence. Initially, it may seem like a dark wave tune, yet it reveals silence as unsettling, odd, and even frightening. The lyrics portray silence as a sanctuary, a place of wisdom and peace, standing in stark contrast to the world’s turmoil. Through hushed whispers and unspoken words, the song underscores how silence offers true freedom and respite from constant demands, highlighting the modern struggle to communicate emotionally and love genuinely. Silence is often more than just a lack of sound. The haunting video for ‘Words Unspoken,’ a performance piece, was filmed in a North London industrial warehouse, under the direction of Simone Pellegrini. The stark, eerie setting perfectly complements the song’s exploration of silence and its unsettling power, creating a visual counterpart to the song’s theme of finding sanctuary amidst chaos. [via Post Punk]
Melbourne post punk/new wave/art pop band Kosmetika have announced the release of their third studio album Luxury. The announcement comes with the release of lead single ‘Pictures Are Gone’ and its accompanying video. The 10-track record will be out on July 12 via Spoilsport Records. Following their impressive DIY home-recorded effort in their sophomore album Illustration, Kosmetika turn to a more studio focused record featuring engineering from Erik Scerba. They also depart from the more duo focused sounds, to a band heavy approach featuring all five members inputing vocals, song ideas and creating a diverse and detailed 10 tracks channeling a combination of their two previous releases. The new single is a first taste of a more collaborative endeavour from Kosmetika, sitting somewhere between the 80’s melancholic new-wave of the last record and some of the faster paced pop songs yet to come on Luxury. The track settles into a psych-tinged shoegaze slow burner, featuring Eno-like melodic bass lines and washed out distorted guitars. It features Veeka Nazarova, the sole vocalist of ‘Illustration’, and maintains her usual new-wave tinged pop, also found in album hits ‘Automobile’ and ‘Halp’. [via Kool Rock Radio]
Alt-pop sensation Girli has unveiled her latest album, Matriarchy. The new album showcases Girli’s unique blend of electro-pop and introspective lyrics, cementing her status as a leading figure in the alt-pop genre and an advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community. Girli described the new album: “Matriarchy is an album of honest, authentic, confident but also painfully self-aware songs. It’s a story of the pain of growing up and healing from experiences that diminish your self-worth to nothingness. It’s about building yourself back up again after pain, setting boundaries and becoming a queen of your own queendom. It’s about the pain and joy of the queer experience, the rollercoaster of adulthood and mental illness, setting boundaries and learning to love yourself and ultimately finding your people, your community, your matriarchy.” The album release is accompanied by a new single, ‘Feel My Feelings’, which Girli describes as a song about being “an oversensitive, overemotional, over-reactive person.” She adds, “It’s an apology to a partner who’s getting frustrated with how emotional and dramatic I am. It’s about not being able to control my emotions and mood swings and complicating my relationships beyond my control.” The music video for ‘Feel My Feelings’ enhances the emotive themes, depicting a modern Renaissance banquet where Girli and her love interest convey their overwhelming emotions through surrealist imagery. Girli notes, “This video captures the love and hate embodied in toxic relationships. We see Girli submerged in a water tank, drowning in her emotions, while her lover stands on the other side of the glass unable to hear her.” [via whynow]
Virginia-based singer/songwriter/producer Ryan Wright creates songs that don’t make sense on paper–an ethereal voice singing angsty lyrics over confectionary synth-driven hooks. Her lyrics–at times profane, often tongue-in-cheek, occasionally devastating–reveal a searing wit and a sensitive heart. Her arresting voice embodies the kind of teenage heartache that is deeply personal and yet universal and timeless. Her latest single, ‘Quarter Life Crisis’ marks a new direction for Wright, as she ventures from clean indie guitars and crunchy production, married with a Roy Orbison-esque melody, into a bubble grunge sound with punky production and an edge that cuts deep. Heavily influenced by female artists like Mitski, Momma, Veruca Salt, and Blondshell, the result is a crossover between the grunge production of the 90s and the very female led category of bubblegum pop. Wright confides, “‘Quarter Life Crisis’ is the very essence of what it feels like to be in your early 20s to mid thirties. Although the age gap is vast, the feelings are mutual because in reality it’s not easy to become an independent adult. The song nurtures the very real feelings of the fear of becoming an adult and falling further and further away from youth. The song has a bit of longing that still clings to the urge to act young and dumb like you did as a teenager, but you’re stuck in your twenties feeling like your life is maturing way faster than you are. Quarter Life Crisis is the anthem for the trials and tribulations of aging.”
Irish songwriter Orla Gartland has shared new single ‘Little Chaos’. The artist has been working as one-quarter of bedroom pop supergroup FIZZ, playing some huge dates across the land. Next week she gets back to solo duties, kicking off an intimate tour of the UK and Ireland. Alongside this, Orla has shared solo single ‘Little Chaos’. Out now, the lyrics deal with the struggle of trying to show-up in a relationship, and her desire for emotional truth. As ever, Orla’s magical way with melody makes for enchanting listening, as she sings: “I struggle saying just how much I really love you / You can thank my mom for that”. Out now on her own New Friends imprint, the Dublin-born songwriter comments: “I think a lot about how to move through the world alongside a partner and for a long time I wanted to show up in relationships as easy-going & palatable, never taking up too much space – now I can’t think of anything worse. I can be loud, funny, clumsy, loyal, intelligent, annoying, caring, angry; this song is about showing up as all of it, all at once. I think dropping the act and showing your true self feels like the most vulnerable thing you can do.” The video for ‘Little Chaos’ is out now, shot by emerging Danish director Anne-Sofie Lindgaard. [via Clash]
