Essex-based four piece She’s In Parties are back with their first single of the year ‘Puppet Show’ via Submarine Cat Records. The energetic single acts as a commentary on overwhelming societal expectations surrounding image and performance, and comes paired with a theatrical Eli Hart directed video, featuring the band posed as marionettes and clowns being played as pawns in an unseen master puppeteer’s game. The single additionally comes with the exciting announcement of their second EP Puppet Show out October 25. Produced by Stephen Street (The Cranberries & The Smiths), the EP sees the band explore their love for 80s music with quirky synth riffs and experimental guitar sounds. In our current social media society, there’s a certain expectation to always be “on”, to be present online, to look and be your best – to be in a constant performative state, regardless of the events occurring behind the scenes in your personal life, especially as a musician or someone in the public eye. Vocalist Katie Dillon felt these burdens immensely, stating, “In the past I’ve felt pressure to have an online presence and I wasn’t always confident and these were the times where I felt I just wanted to ignore all my problems and procrastinate. Pushing music through my online image isn’t something I find easy and this song reflects this psychological battle. Being present online isn’t really a choice anymore for musicians and it’s not easy for those who struggle with their image but I’m learning to love myself more, accepting my insecurities and how I look, without fear of judgement.” Ultimately, however, the song’s main inspiration was sparked from a stressful dream about losing teeth at a drastic rate in a more than unfavourable situation. “My teeth were decaying and falling out and I knew I had to go on stage and perform, which was absolutely terrifying.” Katie shares. “The song was written around this narrative, with me having to “smile” and perform, whilst also delving into a psychological battle.”
Goat Girl have released a new single, ‘words fell out’. The trio’s third record, Below The Waste is set for release on June 7 via Rough Trade Records, and has already been teased by early singles ‘ride around’ and ‘motorway’. Singer/guitarist Lottie Pendlebury wrote the track while watching drummer Rosy Jones struggle with addiction, she explains: “The song is about the helplessness felt amongst our friends as we attempted to nurture Rosy, a time that felt really hard to find words for. “I wrote it to sort through the emotions that are pushed aside in the midst of dealing with a crisis. The opening line ‘I only want the best for you’ is the central theme, not only of the song but also our friendship.” [via Dork]
Canadian singer/songwriter Goldie Boutilier has released ‘The Actress’, the first track from her upcoming EP of the same name for release later this year via ONErpm. It features Goldie exuding her unique cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour and melancholia. The accompanying video, shot in Montréal, QC with Kevin Calero and Wynn Holmes can be seen below. “This song is my triumphant return,” states Goldie. “I’ve grown, conquered my demons, and now stand confident. It’s a sassy statement to men and anyone who believes they hold control over me. I used to claim I was a great actress due to a life spent pretending. Now, I am in the driver’s seat. I am The Actress, and everyone is an extra in my movie.” [via Broadway World]
ATARASHII GAKKO! dropped its new music video accompanying ‘Fly High,’ a track off the four-member group’s first full album in five years entitled AG! Calling. The first song on the group’s third full-length project, ‘Fly High’ is being featured as the opening theme song of the recently released animated Netflix movie Hanma Baki VS Kengan Ashura. The four women perform their latest dance moves in a boxing ring in this new video, and hyper-muscular versions of the members transformed through hard training in the gym also appear. [via Billboard]
French pop and nu-disco group L’Impératrice have released their new album Pulsar and also sharednew video ‘Any Way,’ a collaboration with Maggie Rogers. “L’Impératrice has been one of my favorite bands for a few years now, so when we started talking about working together on some music, I jumped at the opportunity to travel to Paris and create with them,” Rogers said in a statement. “The song came together really naturally and effortlessly in one afternoon and I really think it represents this perfect hybrid of what we both do. I’m so happy it’s out in the world.” “The French way is that we are pretty slow people,” the band’s founder, Charles de Boisseguin, added. “We really take time to make things good. But Maggie Rogers showed up and showed us her skills and the American way. It was a magical moment.” ‘Any Way’ comes with a music video directed by Zite and Léo. Pulsar also has guests Erick The Architect and Fabiana Martone. [via Stereogum]
Picture Parlour are back with news of a new EP. The London-based foursome will release Face In The Picture next week, on June 14, teased by the title-track and accompanied by an intimate release party at London’s Third Man Records on June 18. Of the release – which will follow their early singles ‘Norwegian Wood’ and ‘Judgement Day’ – singer and guitarist Katherine Parlour says: “The face in the picture represents the haunting of the past. The song confronts turbulent relationships with the things we have seen or experienced. Our track is a portal to remind the listener that the faces, feelings, and wounds which fade as time progresses never truly leave us.” [via Dork]
Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan hard launched their relationship at this year’s Met Gala and now they’re following in the time-honored Hollywood couple tradition of making a music video together. Keoghan starred as the bad boy to Carpenter’s (semi) good girl in the video for her new Jack Antonoff-produced single, ‘Please Please Please.’ The four-minute video begins with a nod to Carpenter’s currently inescapable hit, ‘Espresso’. The video for that earworm ends with her being arrested, and ‘Please, Please, Please’ picks up with Carpenter and Keoghan meeting in jail. Carpenter, rocking her signature fluffy curtain bangs, gets out, but returns to visit Keoghan in a Bonnie and Clyde-era Faye Dunaway look by way of 2024. Later, she greets him outside the jail yard atop a vintage car in a luxe pink fur coat, where they embrace. Things quickly go awry, though, as Keoghan’s character fails to get on the straight and narrow. As the song, which has a Kacey Musgraves twang to it, continues, Carpenter begs her love to “please, please, please” not embarrass her. “Heartbreak is one thing, my ego’s another,” she croons, voicing the concerns of any woman who’s ever bragged about a man only to be thoroughly humiliated by him. In the end, she chooses herself over him, handcuffing Keoghan and planting a kiss over his duct-taped lips to say goodbye. [via W Magazine]
Ariana Grande has released a new music video for her Eternal Sunshine cut ‘The Boy Is Mine.’ Directed by Christian Breslauer, the clip shows Grande tuning in for a TV press conference from the city’s mayor, played by Gossip Girl and You actor Penn Badgley, and concocting a love potion in her kitchen to win his heart. Once finished, she dons a Catwoman suit and breaks into his apartment to stalk him. Brandy and Monica also star as news reporters. Watch it below. [via Pitchfork]
