@skopemag News For September 27, 2018 @ 2 PM EST

Filipino singer Jess Connelly shares new video + tour

Manila-based R&B singer / songwriter Jess Connelly shares her dreamy new video for her song “On My Way Up” from her JCON mixtape out now. Half Filipino & half Australian, the classically trained vocalist has quickly amassed millions of plays online and a large following in the Philippines as a leader of its underground R&B scene. Directed by Paco Raterta who also directed her first video, this video features a stunning collage of ethereal scenes that perfectly accompany the song’s message of attraction and change. Jess will also be jumping on tour with Bay Area DJ Noodles this fall – full dates below.

Mark Sultan (BBQ) Shares New Video, New LP ‘Let Me Out’ Out 10/12 & On Tour Now

Mark Sultan (King Khan & BBQ show, The Ding-Dongs, Almighty Defenders) will release his new album, Let Me Out, on October 12th via Modern Sky USA (US/Canada), Dirty Water Records (Europe), and Burger Records (cassette worldwide.) Written, recorded, and produced at his own Sound Imperfection studio in Germany, it features thirteen tracks of Sultan’s signature ’60s-inspired garage rock.

AVRIL LAVIGNE RELEASES OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO FOR “HEAD ABOVE WATER” ON HER BIRTHDAY

On the heels of a massive debut that saw Avril Lavigne’s newest song “Head Above Water” reaching #1 on iTunes in 20 countries, the singer unveiled the song’s official music video today. The stunning video shot between Iceland and Los Angeles this summer was filmed by renowned music video, film and television director Elliott Lester. “Head Above Water” marks the first new music from Avril in five years and details the personal side of her journey through a life-changing battle with Lyme Disease. “Head Above Water” was written by Avril Lavigne, Travis Clark and Stephan Moccio and produced by Stephan Moccio. The song also received its world broadcast premiere performance on last night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC and its video is receiving its broadcast premiere from MTV Live and MTVu.

Blow_Flyy New Video “Bleed 4 You’

This is a single release for 2018 written and Performed by Canadian artist BLOW_FLYY from his soon to be released 3rd studio album called “BLOOD N HONEY” which will be released late 2018 digitally world wide on all Major Streaming Platforms.

Daniel Romano To Release “Finally Free” November 30th Via New West Records

Daniel Romano is set to release Finally Free on November 30th via New West Records. The 9-song set is Romano’s eighth long playing album in the last eight years. Recording, producing, designing his album art, and directing their accompanying videos, Romano has had what understatedly would be considered a prolific output of entrancing, poignant and creative work in this span of time. Finally Free follows his acclaimed 2017 album Modern Pressure, which received outstandingly high acclaim and praise from every notable publication out there and was acknowledged by most reputable “for-profit-prize-corporations” as well as a plethora of voguish “music-as-competitive-sport” year-end lists. Despite being the bronze placeholder in most of these dogfights, he is most often noted as a person of astounding influence on all of his musically economic successors. Of Modern Pressure, Noisey praised, “It’s sonically spiritual to 2016’s Mosey, and shows Romano continuing to sharpen his signature sound, combining elements of retro-tinged rock ‘n’ roll, country, and psychedelia to create a vibrant tapestry of tunes that feel just as at home in 2017 as they might in 1965” while an unnamed subjugate exclaimed, “No matter what he does, everything he puts out is better than anything else being put out by anyone else.”

ALEC BENJAMIN TELLS A HAUNTING TALE IN “OUTRUNNING KARMA”

Today, rising singer-songwriter Alec Benjamin dropped a brand-new song “Outrunning Karma,” available now at all DSPs and streaming services (Listen HERE). On his latest release, Benjamin continues to pull listeners in with his unparalleled and wise-beyond-his-years knack for storytelling.

Nef The Pharaoh Gives Thanks in the Heartfelt “That Was God” Video

Graduating from an upstart to a respected member of his Bay Area community, Nef The Pharaoh made strides as an artist and a human being in the past year. In his latest video “That Was God,” Nef gives thanks for his numerous successes and equally numerous lucky breaks: “None of my n****s got killed last night/N**** that was God, my n**** that was god/Made it home safe from a six-hour flight/N**** that was God, my n**** that was god/I just had a baby and it changed my life/N**** that was God, my n**** that was god.” Trading bars over a triumphant piano-laden instrumental with Toronto emcee Jay Brown, Nef moves from the church, to the cemetery, to his living room, gathering the people he cares about most in a benedictory celebration. Premiered by Noisey, who said “while the church can be a somber site, Nef’s energy throughout the video turns it into a site where we can all get high off the Lord’s spiritual healing,” “That Was God” is the fitting closing track from The Big Chang Theory, Nef’s debut studio album, which released in August, and the latest video from the project following the playalistic and HYPEBEAST-premiered “Boostin’.”

INTERNATIONAL BLACK FILM FESTIVAL RETURNS TO NASHVILLE OCTOBER 5-7

Now in its 12th consecutive year, the International Black Film Festival (IBFF) takes over Nashville, TN on October 5 through October 7.

A full slate of powerful features from influential and award-winning filmmakers throughout the African-American creative community will play throughout the weekend at Watkins College of Art at Belmont University in addition to master classes, panels, discussions, activities, and more. Among a stacked lineup, the premiere of director Steve McQueen’s Widows starring Viola Davis kicks off the festivities. Meanwhile, The Hate U Give starring Amanda Stenberg, Regina Hall, Issa Rae, and Common remains another highlight.

Michael Bublé Announces New Album: ❤

Global superstar Michael Bublé is scheduled to release ❤️(pronounced love), his first studio album in two years, on November 16th following a two year break from public life to spend time with his family. The announcement was officially confirmed by Reprise Records who will be releasing the multi-Grammy Award winning artist’s 8th album for the label. ❤️ is his most romantic record to date.

TNT Tez & wifisfuneral Burn Dro and Pay Tribute to T.I. in a New Single

Brimming with swagger, TNT Tez has the confidence of a veteran. Armed with his firm belief that he’s the best rapper in his city of Birmingham, Alabama, Tez broke out earlier in 2018, sharing infectious bangers like “Cropped Out,” which has over 750k streams on all platforms, and the ferocious “Coca Cola,” which recently surfaced in the Season 3 premiere of HBO’s Insecure. With only a small number of tracks released to the public, TNT Tez prepares to close out a massive 2018 as he shares more standout tracks.

New Release from The Japanese House “Lilo” On Dirty Hit / Interscope

Describing the creation of the serene synth-pop track, The Japanese House explains it was inspired by one of her best friends encouraging her to begin a new relationship that turned out to be “everything I needed.” “Lilo,” she continues, is about “how, to me, her every moment – paired with her approach for life – seemed as serene as the image of a lilo floating across the swimming pool… it is a reminder to me that I am good at falling in love and I can survive falling out of it. I’m good at falling.”

DAFFODILS shine on new 80’s-tinged indie pop single ‘A Leo Underwater’

Auckland, New Zealand based band Daffodils release their new single ‘A Leo Underwater’. A potent blend of influences, the band weld together touches of 80’s synth pop with guitar-driven indie rock to create a stunning wall of sound.