SKOPE NEWS FOR JANUARY 5, 2017

Governors Ball Music Festival Announces 2017 Lineup

Founders Entertainment is proud to announce the lineup for the 2017 Governors Ball Music Festival. The seventh annual edition of New York City’s very own homegrown fest will take place from Friday, June 2nd through Sunday, June 4th on beautiful Randall’s Island Park. Featuring performances from Tool (the band’s first NYC performance in 11 years will be a full-length set with complete tour production), Chance The Rapper, Phoenix, Childish Gambino (a rare live performance for the artist in 2017), Lorde, Flume, Wu-Tang Clan, Logic, Wiz Khalifa, Beach House, Air, The Avalanches, The Head And The Heart, Tove Lo, and many more, Governors Ball will play host to 65+ artists throughout the weekend. 3-day GA and VIP tickets (including payment plan options) are available starting Friday, January 6th at 12 noon EST via GovBall.com.

Music Lessons at Ray’s Guitars N Gear

Looking for an enriching New Year’s resolution? Ray’s Guitars N Gear offers vocal and instrumental lessons for those eager to learn. For a limited time, the first lesson is free when you purchase four. The store’s talented team of teachers offers instruction on guitar, bass, piano, violin, drums and vocals. Lessons are available Monday through Friday between the hours of noon and 7 p.m. and Saturdays, 1 to 5 p.m. For more information and to schedule your lesson, call 305.526.1990 or email raysguitars305@gmail.com.

“Learning an instrument isn’t like losing a few pounds, or getting a new job – it can provide a lifetime of fulfillment,” says owner Ray Anton. “We’re proud to offer something that will last more than just a few weeks.” Anton is himself a semi-professional musician, so he intuitively knows how to cater to clientele, and is always friendly and helpful. He carries himself with a wonderful sense of humor. The store’s official mascot is Stevie, a Chihuahua mix who faithfully watches over the comings and goings from one of the venue’s comfy couches.

Swiss hip-hop/rock power-trio Fensta debuted official music video

A few weeks after unveilling a first live excerpt with the song “The Party Is Ending”, Swiss hip-hop/rock power-trio Fensta just debuted on YouTube its first official music video illustrating the single “School Dropout”, extracted from its upcoming full-length effort ‘APOCALIPSTICK’ coming out early 2017 through Cold Smoke Records (Das Röckt, Hey Satan!, Hubris., Lilium Sova, Ogmasun…).

The Doors 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Available March 31 From Rhino

50 years ago today in 1967, The Doors broke through to the other side for the first time with its eponymous debut on Elektra Records. The Doors would go on to sell millions of copies and made stars of John Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek, and Jim Morrison. Today, the album is widely considered to be one of the all-time-classic rock and roll debuts.

To celebrate this landmark recording’s 50th anniversary, the band will release THE DOORS: 50TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION. This 3CD/LP set will be available on March 31 for a list price of $64.98. In addition, the music will also be available digitally.

To coincide with this, today (January 4) will be proclaimed “Day Of The Doors” in the city of Los Angeles. The proclamation will be made this afternoon by Los Angeles Councilmember Mike Bonin during a public event at the intersection of Pacific and Windward Avenues, the location of the iconic “Venice” sign. Founding Doors members John Densmore and Robby Krieger will be on hand at the event as will family members of the late Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison.

Louisville’s Frederick The Younger share captivating new single

Human Child is a bigger and more exploratory progression of their debut EP Warm Front, which established their identity as a female-led five-piece with a perfect balance of psych rock energy and vintage pop melody. The band wanted to create a more textured, riskier sound… on top of the tracks are Cochran’s lush vocals that harken back to the powerful female voices of the 1960s.

Audio Fidelity To Release Grand Funk’s Shinin’ On in Original 3-D Art Package on Limited Edition Hybrid SACD

Marshall Blonstein’s Audio Fidelity will be releasing Grand Funk’s widely popular classic rock album Shinin’ On on limited edition hybrid SACD. Riding high off the success of their 1973 We’re An American Band hit album and tour Grand Funk retained the extraordinary Todd Rundgren to produce Shinin’ On, the band’s eighth album.

Don Brewer, Mark Farner, Mel Schacher and Craig Frost took the band to another level. The songs are tight, the vocals are excellent and the group is in top form. Shinin’ On is pure Grand Funk and considered a favorite among many fans and critics.

Shinin’ On’s best songs are the tracks that became the hit single releases: the SACD opens with the dynamic title track augmented by Craig Frost’s keyboard work and pumped-up behind Don Brewer’s aggressive vocals the track infuses its hard-driving, spacey rock groove with some surprisingly ethereal vocal harmonies. The cover of the Carole King and Gerry Goffin penned “The Loco-Motion” turned this dance classic on its ear with a stomping beat and a screeching guitar lead from Mark Farner that shot the chuggin’ pop remake straight to #1 on the Billboard singles chart and helped drive gigantic album sales.

Nominee Partner with Hope For The Day to Tackle Mental Illness with “Retrospect”

Sitting at the center of the post-hardcore revival Nominee, consisting of I Call Fives former member, Chris Mclelland, Thieves former member, Andrew Exchavarria, Cameron Kisel and Stephen Flynn drew influences from past hardships, personal stories, and triumphant battles to showcase their relentless ambition to create an alternative sound that is as dynamic as infectious. With their passion to tell personal stories, the 4-piece developed a gritty, battered-and-worn style to their music that exudes energy, dedication, and triumph. After years of hard work the band are thrilled to be releasing Drag Me Out (due out January 26th), the band’s most personal record to date, a concept album that displays hardship and struggle with mental illness. What fans soon find out is the EP is a telling of tales by Chris Mclelland and his personal triumph with bipolar disease.

New music from Electric Floor and from Joel Gion (The Brian Jonestown Massacre)

New wave synth-gaze outfit Electric Floor have announced they will release their forthcoming ‘Fader’ EP in March via the Vipchoyo Sound Factory label. The Italian trio now presents ‘Bluedive’, the first single from this album, which exhibits clear underpinnings from Psychedelic Furs, Echo & The Bunnymen and Modern English and will appeal to fans of Interpol, Kasabian and The Wombats.

“Bluedive is like a surge – it was born during a bad period for us. Initially it was only messy ideas, but we gradually gave it form. The lyrics are suspended between romance and sadness, anger and exhortation,” explains Emanuele Chiarelli. “Just like the other songs, our lyrics in this one are very emotional and tidal.”

Composer Molly Joyce announces debut EP “Lean Back and Release”

Composer Molly Joyce will release her debut recording Lean Back and Release January 27 on New Amsterdam Records. The work is a digital EP featuring two tracks for solo violin with live and pre-recorded electronics performed by violinists Adrianna Mateo and Monica Germino. The EP is available for download now — three weeks ahead of its release — exclusively through the New Amsterdam Records Bandcamp Subscription.

The title track of the EP, “Lean Back and Release”, acclaimed for being written to “superb effect” by The Wire, was first performed professionally at the 2014 Bang on a Can Marathon by violinist Adrianna Mateo, for which Mateo was praised as “triumphant” by Time Out New York. The piece is driven by a very gradual descent for the violin in range, imagining the violinist steadily “leaning back” and finally “releasing” the distinct low register of the violin. Two accompanying pre-recorded violin tracks accompany the live violin in order to propel this descent. The recording was engineered and mixed by Andrew McKenna Lee, and mastered by Greg Kalember.

ROB $TONE’S “CHILL BILL” IS CERTIFIED PLATINUM BY THE RIAA

“Chill Bill” laces its central hook around a deep bass intonation, punctuating the star’s lolling raps. To mirror its weed-friendly lyrics, $tone’s flow has a blissed-out ease…With so much juice behind a novelty single, $tone could well become the Fetty Wap of 2017.” – Yahoo! Music

SIGALA & DIGITAL FARM ANIMALS OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO FOR ‘ONLY ONE’

Sigala and Digital Farm Animals released the official music video for their new single, “Only One,” filmed in Taiwan. Directed by Henry & Ssong, the video beautifully captures the transformative power of pop music, as the main character and friends swap the trials and tribulations of high school life for the inclusive party paradise that is ‘Sigalaland’. Watch the video here: smarturl.it/SigalaOnlyOneVid

SHAMBHU TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM + LISTEN TO “GAIA SWEET DIVINE”

In the wake of arguably one of the most contentious US Presidential elections in history, acclaimed guitarist and composer, Shambhu, is poised to release a new album to help soothe the masses. His third full-length album, Soothe, is set to release in February 2017. The album is the follow-up to his Dreaming Now CD, which won Best Contemporary Instrumental CD at the 2013 ZMR Music Awards. His first single, “Gaia Sweet Divine,” features singer Kristin Hoffmann, Grammy nominated percussionist Jeff Haynes (Pat Metheny), world-renowned Indian flutist Ravichandra Kulur (Jethro Tull & Ian Anderson), and keyboardist Frank Martin (Lady Gaga, Elton John, Stevie Wonder).

Incase Announces Incase x Kaskade Capsule Collection

Incase, design-driven bag and accessory brand for today’s creatives, today announces their partnership with Grammy® nominated and world-renowned artist, Kaksade, on a travel-focused capsule collection. The first-ever Incase x Kaskade capsule collection is now available on Incase.com.

The exclusive Incase x Kaskade capsule collection features design direction from one of the world’s top artists and most well-versed travelers, Kaskade. Over the course of a 20-plus year career as a world-renowned DJ, singer, songwriter, producer, and musician, Kaskade (Ryan Raddon) has flown the equivalent of the earth’s circumference 161 times – all equating to spending a full year of life in the air. Accumulating over 6 million frequent flier miles, Kaskade’s achievements in music production are rivaled by the unprecedented travel prowess subsequent of his global, fast-paced career.

New Single By Jadu Dala

Jadu Dala releases some of the best and most unique tracks and we aim to put the spotlight on these talented artists. With releases on Trap Nation, Ouroboros, Hybrid Trap, Darker Than Wax, and much more here is our latest release from Vaydr called The Chronic.

Ursae – “So Green Her Eyes” via Pancakes and Whiskey

“‘So Green Her Eyes’ imagines Death as this girl I had a crush on in high school, but was way out of my league,” Ursae told Pancakes and Whiskey about the new track. He continued saying, “The song looks at depression and loneliness and says, ‘You might fantasize about Death but it’s not right for you. Be with someone you deserve.'” Pancakes and Whiskey remarked that, “Combining smart lyrics and an uncanny ability to create lush arrangements surrounding the words, Ursae creates a world where the listener can fully submerge themselves without pretense.”

SONG PREMIERE: “SO GREEN HER EYES” BY URSAE

Song: Marty Grimes – “All Good”

Though he works hard on rapping and his various business ventures, Berkeley’s Marty Grimes knows how to have fun. On the breezy, Kush & OJ-flavored “All Good,” Grimes shouts out his family, complete with five younger brothers, plugs his weed business, and represents the Bay Area. Gliding over the never-ending summer vibes of producer KDE’s beat, Marty rides a drawly flow, alternately singing and rapping and showcasing his easy charm. “All Good” is the latest single from Marty’s upcoming mixtape Martyjuana, following the woozy, weeded-out, Mass Appeal-premiered “Doin’ Thangs.” Named after the company behind his line of designer marijuana strains, the 12-track Martyjuana comes out on January 20th, 2017.

WHY? Shares “This Ole King” Via Stereogum

WHY? will release its sixth album, Moh Lhean, on March 3rd via Joyful Noise Recordings. A follow-up to 2012’s Mumps, Etc., it’s the first fully home-recorded WHY? album since the project’s 2003 debut, made mostly in Yoni Wolf’s studio and co-produced by his brother Josiah.

The album opens with lead single “This Ole King,” which finds Wolf’s fragile voice and emotionally-charged lyrics accompanied by acoustic guitar and upright bass, before the song morphs into a sea of shimmering, kaleidoscopic pop.

WHY? – “This Ole King”

Buffalo’s Del Paxton announces ‘All Day, Every Day, All Night’ out March 3 via Topshelf Records

Del Paxton is a fuckin’ band. Active since winter 2013, they self-released their first EP, a collection of six songs titled Worst. Summer. Ever. later that year. In April 2014, Worst. Summer. Ever. was released as a 12″ EP by the now defunct upstate NY indie label Secret Audio Club. Shortly thereafter, Del Paxton paired up with Topshelf Records to release a split 7″ with their far more talented Canadian friends in Gulfer.

All Day, Every Day, All Night, the Buffalo band’s debut album, is a collection of material written between 2013-2015, a reflection on their upstate NY punk scene upbringing, drawing nostalgic influence from bands they grew up watching like Polar Bear Club and Fire When Ready while still retaining a contemporary feel. Today, Del Paxton shares the album’s lead single, “Koolwink,” taken from the name of a rather sketchy motel Dylan England (vocals, guitar) stayed at on the way to visit family for a vacation.

A-TRAK UNWRAPS 2017 WITH NEW MIX

A-Trak has continuously redefined the role of the modern DJ, with an ever-expanding job description that has come to include: record label head, in-demand remixer (as illustrated by the recent compilation In The Loop: A Decade Of Remixes), Grammy-nominated producer, festival curator, cultural commentator, and more. But the central node of his identity has always been DJing. A twenty year veteran, the #RealDJing advocate remains a force like no other anytime he jumps behind the decks.

“Cut It Out!” A-Trak drops a new 54-tracks-in-74 minutes mix

WHEN WE TEAM UP RELEASING ‘SHUT UP AND FLY’ EP ON JANUARY 20TH!

Portland, OR pop punk five-piece When We Team Up will release their debut EP “Shut Up and Fly” on January 20, 2017.

From the rainy mountains of the Pacific Northwest, When We Team Up are a fast-paced pop-punk band. Bassist Brenden McBrayer has worked in the music industry for over a decade as a band manager for acts like I Am Abomination and Forever Came Calling, tour manager for Attack Attack!, and as a music journalist for publications such as New Noise and AMP Magazines. Now he has teamed up with some of the best musicians in the Portland OR area to bring back the fun of catchy riff-centric pop-punk to an isolated area lacking in the genre for some years now. #PacificNorthwestPopPunk

EONS shares their new single “See You Soon”

The Miami based Synth popers are back with a dreamy, upbeat song. “See You Soon” is a somewhat nostalgic track, with lyrics talking about retaking or rekindling a companionship that separated. The song also features the voice of Ariel Morer, who recently joined the band as part of their live act.

Tickets for the Virginia Key Grassroots Festival of Music & Dance Now Available Online

The sixth installment of the Virginia Key Grassroots Festival of Music & Dance is scheduled to take place February 21-28, 2017. This year, the event will not only take place on its traditional Key Biscayne home, but will also feature mainland satellite happenings in Wynwood and Midtown, and on North Beach. Grassroots festival mainstays Donna the Buffalo, The Blind Spots, and Big Mean Sound Machine join Miami’s Locos Por Juana and FABI as early headliners announced; more acts are soon to be revealed.

So far, there are official events planned at The Wynwood Yard (56 NW 29th St, Miami, FL 33127), Concrete Beach Social Hall (325 NW 24th St, Miami, FL 33127), Lagniappe House (3425 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, FL 33137), and the North Beach Bandshell (7275 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33141).

TICKETS

JOAN OF ARC PREMIERE NEW VIDEO FOR “TWO-TOOTHED TROLL”

Today, NPR Music ‘Songs We Love’ (LINK) premiered Joan of Arc’s new video for “Two-Toothed Troll,” the Chicago band’s fourth song from their anticipated first new album in five years, ‘He’s Got The Whole This Land Is Your Land In His Hands,’ out January 20th on Joyful Noise Recordings. Shot by Jess Price and Joan of Arc’s Bobby Burg on July 3rd and 4th, 2016 in Chicago, IL, the video stars Joan of Arc’s Melina Ausikaitis (who sings lead on this song); all fireworks are natural accidents. Tim Kinsella says, “Because we conceptualized our album as a collage, “Two-Toothed Troll” is the light counterpoint to a much darker song (“Grange Hex Stream”) made from a few of the same elements. It’s the “911 is a Joke” of our album, the pop song on which the other singer takes the lead to comment on the same recurring themes. And the video testifies to the fact that a couple of us spend an inordinate amount of time on skateboards for people hovering around 40 years old.”

Said The Whale unveil new single

As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide, out on March 31 via Hidden Pony Records, was recorded during a time of significant change. Previously operating as a five-piece, the current trio – made up of frontmen Tyler Bancroft and Ben Worcester and keyboardist Jaycelyn Brown – entered the studio with no preconceptions and no concrete plan. With the help of We Are The City’s Cayne McKenzie on production duties, the finished product is Said The Whale’s most collaborative, focused album to date. Previous records highlighted the contrast between the two founders’ eclectic rock influences and salt-of-the-earth folksiness. Here, their styles become one.

Irish Alt-Pop Artist Ódú Premieres “Different” via IMPOSE

Born in New York and raised in the seaside Irish town of Bray, Singer-songwriter Ódú, better known to her friends as Sally Ó Dúnlaing, was always destined to be a curator of colourful pop.

“I’ve always been drawn to people who make balls out pop; people who have personality and something to say like Marina and The Diamonds, Tove Lo and Susanne Sundfør; credible artists who have made their mark by being vulnerable and telling their story without ever dulling their pop sheen.”

REBEKAH TODD ANNOUNCES SOPHOMORE ALBUM

Following a successful kickstarter campaign that raised over $30,000, North Carolina’s alternative blues/soul artist Rebekah Todd is thrilled to announce the release of her sophomore full-length album, Crooked Lines, set for 2/17/17. This past year, Rebekah put her entrepreneurial spirit to work and and took the initiative to help fund her second full-length album. For the Kickstarter, Todd crafted 30 original fine art paintings for the campaign and with the help of 450 fans, the campaign was completed with over $32K raised to fund her sophomore album, Crooked Lines. Celebrating the announcement, Rebekah Todd released the debut track off Crooked Lines, titled “Hustle,” via Spotify today which can be streamed here. The horns on “Hustle” are played by notable horn player Marcus Anderson (Prince). Crooked Lines features 10 soulful tracks which was produced by Dick Hodgin and Chad Lister (Osceola Productions), recorded and mixed by Dick Hodgin, and mastered by Brent Lambert (Kitchen Mastering).

Watch Powerhouse Indie-Soul Artist Ray Hodge Cover Katy Perry’s “Rise”

The powerful indie soul-pop artist Ray Hodge has been making waves with the release of his debut EP Braveheart in October 2016 and unveiling the inspiring music video for “I Am King,” blindsiding new and old fans with his powerhouse vocals and uplifting, emotive lyrics. As a follow up to the inspirational EP release, Ray Hodge is thrilled to be partnering with Cliché Magazine to unveil an official music video for his cover of Katy Perry’s “Rise,” laden with his soaring powerhouse vocals which are sure to give you chills. The video, which can be viewed here, was directed by Alexa San Roman (HEIRSOUND, Love, Robot) and instrumentation of the track was produced by Mikey Cross. This is what Ray had to say about the video and why he chose to cover “Rise:”

“I chose to cover ‘Rise’ by Katy Perry was because it resonates with my EP ‘Braveheart’ The song is like a new chapter to me, when you’re rising from the feeling of loneliness and hurt, and down for the fight for oneself and rising from the ground after pushing and falling for so long. I chose it because it’s about not giving up.” – Ray Hodge

Video Premiere: Ray Hodge Covers ‘Rise’ by Katy Perry

I AM: Texas Metal/Hardcore Outfit To Release Life Through Torment In February

Dallas, Texas-based brutal metallic hardcore quintet I AM is preparing to unleash the pulverizing juggernaut that is their Life Through Torment debut album in late February. An early preview of the album’s crushing “Sacred Cries” is now playing through an exclusive premiere at MetalSucks, as the band issues preorders for the record.

Following a two-year void since the early 2015 release of their Memento Mori debut EP, I AM now prepares to inundate the masses with their maiden full-length, Life Through Torment. An unquestionably brutalizing, by-the-throat album without a second of filler, consuming twenty-eight minutes through ten unrelenting tracks, Life Through Torment was recorded, produced, and mixed by Ryan Harvey at Red Oak Collective, mastered by Jacob Pouttu, and bears artwork by Grayson Altom and design by Benjamin Hoagland.

Exclusive Track Premiere: I Am, “Sacred Cries”

Detroit’s Bonny Doon announce their s/t debut album!

Bonny Doon’s mastery of restraint and melodically vulnerable songwriting comes into its own on their self-titled debut full length (Salinas). Previous homespun EP releases introduced a band residing in an unusual territory between songcraft and atmosphere. This record ventures further down that path, but comes together with a disarming timelessness, making even the stranger moments feel familiar. Its essence is floating, folk-ish rock that summons the tossed-off grandeur of early Smog or the Silver Jews boombox tapes, and the dead-eyed poignancy of Neil Young’s gloriously unhinged Ditch Trilogy. In Detroit, they have become a beloved experience, with three years of live sets that teeter between a gentle intimacy and almost transcendent looseness. And though it took three years, the band has finally succeeded in capturing the complete spirit of Bonny Doon, creating a breathing web of sound that feels equally sublime and accidental.

Bonny Doon – “I See You”

WHO HELPED JUSTIN BIEBER TURN FUTURE HOUSE?

While Jounce’s remix of Twenty One Pilots ‘Ride’ just broke through the 100,000 views mark, he decided to take you for another ride.

Leaving the more alternative sound, this time pop phenomenon Justin Bieber and DJ Snake are subject to his remix skills and the result is an epic blend of Future House and complementary squeeze of Tropical.

Jounce makes a powerful statement with these remixes showcasing his vast versatility and impeccable production skills.

Interview: DJ Jounce

The Stone Soul “Rising High”

A Montreal native of South American descent, The Stone Soul (aka) Jason Stone has been dancing, singing and rapping on big stages since he was nine years old.

He works with top engineers to get the same magic touch they gave to Michael Jackson and Alicia Keys (Tony Black), P Diddy and Outkast (Dave Kutch), and Britney Spears and Janet Jackson(Chris Trevett).

French Fast & Dirty Rockers Iron Bastards unleashed new music video

A few days afer the official release of its second full-length album, French Fast & Dirty Rock’n’roll power trio Iron Bastards just unleashed a brand new music video illustrating the song “Vintage Riders” from their filthy ‘Fast & Dangerous’ still avaialble for physical / digital formats through FDA Rekotz (The End).

Video premiere: Revenience “Revenant”

Italian group Revenience release their new video today for the track Revenant taken from the album Daedalum released earlier in the year on Sliptrick Records. The video has been an ambitious undertaking for the band, shooting in difficult and exotic locations to provide a portentous, epic, movie-like feel. The song itself is a moody, sumptuous ballad featuring lead vocalists Debora Ceneri’s soaring vocals and the band in reflective yet powerful mode perfectly embodying the feel of the visuals.

Video: Mad Preacher – ‘Soul Fire’

London based Hip Hop / Reggae artists Mad Preacher releases the visuals for “Soul Fire”, the first release off his upcoming EP “Celestial Kingz Pt 2”.

The track “Soul Fire” was produced by Soulah Re and written by Mad Preacher.
This uplifting track brings back an oldskool flavour with a new lick of blues displayed via the wordsmith Mad Preacher.