As far as indie duos go, Stalgia is at the top of our list. They haven’t put out a bad song yet, or even a mediocre one. Their latest lands itself in either the awesome or incredible category. “Talk To My Skin” will give you goosebumps all over your body from start to finish.
Perennial UK-rock instigator Liam Gallagher has released the second single from his upcoming debut solo album As You Were, a title which is also the way he signs most of his tweets. “Chinatown” is a number driven by acoustic guitars and a thumping bass drum, drenched in monolithic reverb.
London’s Trailer Trash Tracys are releasing their first album in five years as Althaea comes out August 11th on Double Six Records. Lead singer Susanne Aztoria’s vocals are dreamy and gorgeous, underpinned by delicate, shuffling beats and shimmering little bursts of bright sounds on their new single “Siebenkäs”. Meanwhile, the Latin percussion gives the tune its forward motion and makes this music stand way out from the rest of the dream pop pack.
Since coming together in 2010, HUMANS has established itself through creating sounds that successfully fuse experimental electronic elements with catchy indie-pop hooks. Focusing on performance and production styles of both the past and present, HUMANS has consistently impressed upon audiophiles with their technical and compositional skills. Using a combination of synthesizers and instruments, the sound has a certain way of being very unique, while not tied down to one specific genre.
Tomorrow marks the official release of Boo Boo, the latest album from Toro Y Moi. In advance, the synthpop musician has shared the LP in full via a short film. Directed and produced by Company Studio, it follows Toro Y Moi as he’s driven around the beautiful Bay Area. Stream/watch it up above.
Alex Cameron – Candy May
A while back, after having caught Australian musician Alex Cameron as an opener for Angel Olsen, I was pretty enamored of his performance, and the assuredness of its shtickyness (and yes, it is shticky). If you can appreciate Lana Del Rey for her mellifluous lists of hollowed signifiers and decoupaged images of millennial-imagined withering Americana, you might likewise find it easy to appreciate elements of Cameron’s aesthetic (though perhaps there’s some withering Austral..iana there, too).
De La Soul’s contributions to hip-hop over the past three decades are mighty, but the Long Island trio has often been challenged by its own creativity. In an era where music is becoming increasingly accessible, De La’s catalogue has been noticeably absent from iTunes, Spotify, and other free and subscription-based platforms due to issues with sample clearances. It’s a war Posdnuos, Dave, and Maseo have been waging for years: How do we make music on our own terms without interference from lawyers, labels, and other industry gatekeepers?
DJ Khaled might not actually do anything, but whatever he’s doing, or not, it’s working. He’s still the best famous-person-wrangler around, and he’s managed to round up a truly absurd posse of superstars on his upcoming album Grateful. You’ve already heard the #1 Justin Bieber/Quavo/Chance The Rapper/Lil Wayne team-up “I’m The One” everywhere on the radio, and you’ve probably already heard the Drake collab “To The Max” and the post-Grammys Beyoncé/Jay Z duet “Shining” too. Now, Khaled is sharing “Wild Thoughts,” which features Rihanna and Bryson Tiller and samples Santana’s “Maria Maria” guitar riff.”
Bonobo is one of my top-three favorite artists of all time, so it goes without saying that I’m pretty much losing my shit at the prospect of a new album coming out early next year.
As if that news wasn’t good enough, there’s a new single called “Kerala” to come along with it, and it doesn’t disappoint. In fact, it’s pretty darn amazing — at least to my ears. Hopefully you’ll find the same.
Ah, yes, there’s nothing quite like the interplay of a minimal bass line and a reverb-heavy guitar over some wistful vocals to get you in the mood for summer.
Later this month, Soulwax will return with From Deewee, their first album in more than a decade. The 12-track effort was recorded in early February in just 48 hours at the electronic outfit’s Belgian studio. It’s said to be based on Soulwax’s Transient Program For Drums and Machinery show, which they took out on the road last year.
