@skopemag news – friday – march 6, 2020 @ 10 am est

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LIL BABY + LIL WAYNE: “FOREVER” video out today!

Today Lil Baby releases the video for his song “Forever” featuring Lil Wayne. Directed by Jon J, the record is off Lil Baby’s newly-released album, My Turn (Quality Control Music / Wolfpack Global / Motown Records / Capitol Music Group).

My Turn landed as the #1 album and #1 playlist on Apple Music within 24 hours, holding all 10 songs on iTunes’ Top 10. All signs point to the album topping the Billboard charts next week.

DATURA4 PREMIERES NEW SINGLE FROM THEIR FOURTH & LATEST LP “WEST COAST HIGHWAY COSMIC”!

Hot on the heels of their critically acclaimed third album, Blessed is the Boogie, Australian rockers Datura4 have hit the motorway running for another sonic journey through burning boogie, dirty blues and rock & roll soundscapes on their follow-up opus West Coast Highway Cosmic. The title was inspired by the highways that the band has traveled to get to the recording studios they’ve been using over the four albums they’ve done so far. The two studios are 200 kilometres [124 miles] apart and situated along the southwest coast of Western Australia. The long and sometimes lonely drives back and forth along these routes have definitely played its part in the band’s creative process, and whether it be new ideas or just listening back to what they’ve done in a previous session the ‘West Coast Highway Cosmic,’ as they like to call it, has been a constant spirit over all of Datura4’s studio recordings.

TVD Premiere: Datura4, “You Be The Fool”

Seth Anderson shares focus track “Take Away The Sad” + new album!

According to Seth Anderson: “Most of these songs are reminders to myself about how I want to live, and the kind of person that I want to be, but I hope they inspire other people as well, or help others, to live the life that they would love to have.

Cancelled – Important Update Regarding SXSW from TuneCore CEO

Due to growing concerns regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19), TuneCore has decided to cancel our events at the SXSW Festival including the Music Made Me Mixer and our participation in the AMF Homebrew Coffee Chat. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this may cause. The health and safety of our team, artists, and partners is our highest priority. We’d like to thank the TuneCore community for their support and understanding. We look forward to seeing you next year. Regards, Scott Ackerman – CEO, TuneCore

Our Team

1349 Announce Run of Headlining U.S. Dates

Norwegian black metal formation 1349 have announced a small run of headlining U.S. dates, in which they will be supported by PULCHRA MORTE. The band will hit four U.S. cities this May, including Dark Lord Day Festival in Munster, IN; all dates can be found below. Tickets are on sale now!

1349 Headlining U.S. Dates (w/ PULCHRA MORTE):
05/13: Greenville, SC @ The Radio Room
05/14: Nashville, TN @ Little Harpeth Brewing *
05/15: Lexington, KY @ Cosmic Charlie’s *
05/16: Munster, IN @ Dark Lord Day Festival

ARMAND VAN HELDEN TEAMS UP WITH LORNE FOR HUGE NEW TUNE ‘GIVE ME YOUR LOVING’

Infusing rhythmic drums with a staunched groove that artfully underpins the warped, yet funky vocal, Give Me Your Loving is a stellar combination of production wizz at work coupled with ear-pricking vocals set to dominate dancefloors worldwide.

Veridian Announces UK Tour Supporting Courage My Love

UK-based rock outfit, Veridian, have announced they will be joining Courage My Love as support on the Spectra Tour. The spring UK tour begins on May 9th in Bridgwater and runs through May 20th where it concludes in London. When discussing the excitement around the tour, keyboardist James Marshall Stack stated, “We can’t wait to get back out on the road again straight after Canada. We’re hitting a few venues that we played earlier in the year on our ‘NoVella’ release tour and getting out to some new locations. We’re looking forward to seeing people across the UK as well as getting to know the guys in Courage My Love. We said this would be a big year for Veridian and after this tour we’ll have nearly doubled the amount of shows we played in 2019.”

TEAMARRR LEARNS THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A PERFECT MAN IN HER NEW VIDEO FOR “KINDA LOVE FEAT. D SMOKE”

Raedio / Atlantic Recording artist TeaMarrr has just released a companion video for her vibrant “Kinda Love feat. D Smoke.” The R&B songstress and Rhythm + Flow winner star in a creative visual, directed by James Bland. TeaMarrr receives a seemingly perfect package but quickly learns her lesson when she calls up D Smoke for some helpful reinforcement; watch the entertaining new visual HERE.

OTF’s Latest Signee MK Separates From the Pack in “Better” Video

Leading a wave of melodic Chicago rappers, Lil Durk is proud to put on a generation of honest and emotional rap songwriters with his Only The Family label. Making his case to be the next South Side star, recent OTF signee MK shares “Better,” his new video. Over a glistening piano-led instrumental from Yenn Beats, MK seeks to separate himself from his peers, tunefully touting his superior skills and long bankroll: “I’m tryna shine, this is the beginning/Being rich on a island, that’s how I’ll be ending/Me and you not the same, n****, I’m different/I don’t carry little change, n****, I carry Benjamins.” In the video, directed by Young Will, MK stunts in the South Side, spending bands at a jewelry store, mobbing on the block, and having a CGI-aided conversation with himself. “Better” is a highlight track from Family Over Everything, OTF’s December 2019 mixtape, which showcased the talents of the whole crew.

Evan Uhlmann shares second single “Prime”

“Prime is a song about moving on from past relationships that didn’t work out, but at the same time being able to remember some of the good times that were had. In some ways, it’s a goodbye song. I talk about how good it feels to be out of a relationship, while also saying that I appreciated the person even though it wasn’t a good fit. I also wrote it to process how I was a feeling, and as a way to move on from what was happening in my life. The chorus reflects on a younger and more naive version of myself that was in a relationship. In a way, it’s kind of an ode to young love and the euphoria that we feel, even if things weren’t meant to last.”

Premiere: Evan Uhlmann’s second single “Prime”

BAZZI RELEASES NEW SINGLE AND MUSIC VIDEO FOR “YOUNG & ALIVE”

Of the single, Bazzi says “‘Young & Alive’ was really me just getting back to my roots and looking for that youth in myself again. It’s interesting because this song has such a bright, full of life type energy to it, but when making it I didn’t feel that way. When making it I was in a darker place and while making it, I was almost opening myself up back to that and going back to that pure kid-like state which we all chase, and that’s where the magic was, that present-ness. ‘Young & Alive’ is me trying to capture that feeling and give it to people, so we can share it and find warmth in it. I hope the world enjoys.”

SoulNidus – Hear ‘OPENING SCENE’ – our first single of 2020

““Opening Scene,” our new single, is a pure distillation of how I feel about love and the superpowers it possesses. My brother and bandmate Sal and I self-produced the song, recording it at Revolution Studios, our go-to studio when we are in Toronto. We developed an intimacy within the music which celebrates the love between two people.”

Charming Liars capture the spirit of California in ‘Golden State’ video

Having just toured the UK with Palaye Royale, Los Angeles alt-rock outfit Charming Liars have shared the video for their new single ‘Golden State’, which premiered with Substream Magazine.

The video is a montage of clips of the band exploring the ‘Golden State’, perfectly capturing the true spirit of California. Co-founder, guitarist and producer Karnig Manoukian told Substream, “For the video we wanted to show the world what we see in California and LA on a daily basis. We didn’t want to present anything in an unnatural state so we spent a week just capturing different moments throughout the day.

PREMIERE: Charming Liars debut new video, “Golden State”

Garage Rock Duo, THE DODIES, Premiere Video for Their Single “Boiling Point”

THE DODIES are a young garage rock duo from the southern desert of Israel. Yoni Avittan fronts the band as lead vocalist and guitarist, as Ran Aronson sings backing vocals while simultaneously playing bass lines on keyboard with one hand and playing the entire drum kit with the other.

The Sonic Dawn Debuts New Video “Hits of Acid”

Danish psych rock band The Sonic Dawn will release its new LP, ‘Enter the Mirage’, on March 27 via Heavy Psych Sounds Records. Captured on tape at The Village Recording studios (The Beach Boys) and skillfully mastered by Hans Olsson Brookes (Graveyard), ‘Enter the Mirage’ is the follow-up to the group’s 2019 album, ‘Eclipse’, a record hailed as a “mixture of psychedelic, heavy acid rock and pop” by Ghettoblaster and “a wonderful representation of how similar the ’60s and ’70s are to now” by MXDWN.

ALEC BENJAMIN UNVEILS HEART WRENCHING SINGLE “THE BOOK OF YOU & I”

Platinum-certified artist Alec Benjamin has released his new honest and emotional single from his highly-anticipated debut album, These Two Windows, out May 29th. “The Book of You & I” arrives today following the previously released critically acclaimed tracks “Oh My God,” “Demons,” “Mind Is A Prison,” “Must Have Been The Wind,” and “Jesus in L.A.” The honest songsmith shares a story of a lost love who left the relationship before it was finished. The personal track arrives alongside a moving music video streaming now on Alec’s official YouTube channel HERE.

BETCHA UNVEIL INFECTIOUS NEW SINGLE, “IF THAT’S ALRIGHT”

Betcha has quickly drawn the attention of critics and fans alike with their idiosyncratic fusion of sweetly stoned rock, alternative electronica, and punchy pop anthems. “Betcha is one of those bands you should get to know,” raved Baeble. “They are carving their own path and have a distinctness to their sound.” Ones To Watch hailed “Lucy Lucy” as an “alternative rock banger with vintage vibes,” while further commending the band for “a dynamic sound that spans across alternative rock and pop.”

French Melodic punk-rockers Nightwatchers release a Music Video for their single “Fellah’s Temptation”

After a few EP´s French Punkrock band Nightwatchers releases their album debut. “La Paix ou le Sable” deals with the decolonization wars of the French Colonial Empire, highlighting a side of French History that sometimes remains unknown, poorly known, or even denied. Includes booklet with lyrics, explanations and references. The album contains 14 tracks of highly energetic and melodically punk rock filled with influences from proto-punk, post-punk and dark-wave. FFO: Radio Birdman, The Observers, The Vicious and The Wipers.

YAEL NAIM SHARES THE NEW TRACK ‘SHE’ AHEAD OF NEW ALBUM RELEASE

Yael Naim’s recent singles ‘How Will I Know’ and ‘Shine’. introduced a new era in the career of the Parisian-born, Franco-Israeli singer-songwriter. New single ‘She’ builds on that compelling return, further showing Yael’s fresh evolution as an artist.

In ‘She’, Yael projects her own emotions in the third person and reflects on her own desire to escape from herself.

“She is really the part of myself that started to pull in the direction that I went in eventually. There was a part of me saying ‘Don’t go there!’,” Yael admits. “But in the end I had to do what felt right for me.”

Scottish Indie-Pop Duo CLUB BEIRUT Share Video For New Single

Based in Fife, Scotland, the members of indie-pop duo Club Beirut are no strangers to success. In previous bands they have had plays on Radio X and BBC Radio 1 as well as getting support slots for the likes of Catfish and the Bottlemen, Circa Waves, We Are Scientists, Pigeon Detectives and Lewis Capaldi.

Their debut single, Something New, could scarcely have been hatched further away. Written over 8,000 miles away from Fife in the Falkland Islands where Craig was then deployed with the Royal Air Force, the joyous, gleeful bounce of the resulting track was actually a period which saw him dealing with incredibly fraught circumstances.

Press Club share video for new single “Insecurities”

With their biggest UK and EU tour now in the rear-view mirror – a triumphant victory lap after the release of their critically lauded new album Wasted Energy last summer – Australian indie-punk hopes Press Club return with a video for their new single Insecurities, just as they begin a run of AUS dates in support of The Menzingers.

Motive Black unveils its dark duality on new video ‘Broken’

Los Angeles-based Motive Black is the creative phoenix born of singer Elana Justin’s pain, tenacity, and resilience. The New York raised rocker pulled up roots in 2018 and moved to the West Coast for a fresh perspective in her life and art. This would ultimately lead to dynamic new relationships and the formation of Motive Black.

Elana connected with Grammy-winning producer Nick Rowe who has worked with everyone from Vampire Weekend and Lamb of God to Madonna and Snoop Dogg. The duo wrote all the tracks for the band’s upcoming debut EP due out later this year. Together they have created music that is inspired by life’s tragedies, and the strength and fortitude it takes to move past them and embrace life again. They have released the video for “Broken”, with the single due to be released everywhere on March 20th.

Healy Releases New Track “Nikes On” Today

Memphis based singer/songwriter/producer Healy releases his new track, “Nikes On” today (listen here). The track continues to embody Healy’s signature sound which consists of a unique blend of R&B, hip-hop and pop.

“I hadn’t lived the life I needed to live to finish writing Nikes On until august of 2019. The song centers around the feeling of time running away from you,” says Healy. “It serves as a reminder to be self-aware and present because time never stops, and fighting it is wasting it. I wanted to pair this stern, surreal personification of time with promising and uplifting production to convey a sense of harmony and acceptance of time. Time is yours for the taking, not the other way around.”

BEAM Releases “UNDA ARMOR” Video

About the song, BEAM says, “‘UNDA ARMOR’ is about the Holy Spirit to me, but it can mean anything to anyone who listens to the song. It can be what you feel literally protects you when you walk outside of your house. Every day is a battlefield.”

Minneapolis noise rap trans artist Moodie Black announce ‘FUZZ’ LP

Moodie Black, the cosmic punk rock witch dream of rapper/producer/poetess K-Death and guitarist/sound warlock Sean Lindhal, isn’t out to push rap’s boundaries– no, they are in fact lighting a barbed-wire and nails infused molotov cocktail at the gates and slow-mo walking away as the towers of rap’s perceptions crumble into ash, leaving ancient sigils and totems in the wake of the destruction. Moodie Black’s music is a swirling blast of both chaos and calm, where sonic entropy and stasis meet in the warp of a black hole. They’re a rap band infused with gothic shamanism; they’re a noise band that eschews the hedonistic pathology of so-called noise music when they conjure darkness and not so much through the expected nihilism but in celebration and catharsis.

Vic Mensa added to Sam Spiegel’s upcoming album “Random Shit From The Internet Era,” out 4/3 on Spectrophonic Sound

Critically acclaimed rapper, singer, record producer and activist Vic Mensa is joining Grammy-nominated DJ, music producer, composer and music/film director Sam Spiegel’s upcoming album Random Shit from the Internet Era, out April 3 via Spectrophonic Sound. Mensa is featured on the album track “Don’t Give Up” alongside Sia and Busta Rhymes; see below for a complete track list.

Sam Spiegel Collaborates With Vic Mensa

Dash Radio launches Coronavirus information pop-up station

Dash Radio has launched the first dedicated Coronavirus Information station to keep the world up to date with the latest intelligence and breaking news on the CCV-19 outbreak. Powered by the leading intelligence firm Ergo and featuring content from Providence St. Joseph Health and its clinical experts, listeners can check in 24/7 to get facts from leading sources in the space.

“Our team at Dash Radio believe it is in the best interest for the world to create a real-time hub for knowledge and information around CCV-19. There is misinformation, stories, & rumors going around, and with a situation as fluid as this, feel like a central source that is always up to date is crucial,” said Dash CEO Scott “DJ Skee” Keeney. “By partnering with the leading intelligence and health services companies in the world who are graciously lending us their knowledge, our team is determined to help provide facts and spread knowledge around CCV-19.”

Judah & the Lion’s High Five Squad Shares Resources for Middle Tennessee Tornado Relief

In response to the devastating tornadoes in Middle Tennessee, Judah & the Lion has put together an extensive list of resources for those wanting to help from close and afar via the High Five Squad, the band’s non-profit organization. Areas in need include Nashville, where the band is based, and Cookeville, TN, lead singer Judah Akers’ hometown among many other communities throughout Middle Tennessee.

Twin Brother Act NITE Announce New Album on Cleopatra Records Release New Music Video

Dallas, TX-Dream Pop/Electronic Rock twin duo NITE announce the release of their third album Sleepless.

Sleepless is a collection of stories about the twins and how they were experiencing different seasons of life. For Kyle, his songs are based around his sense of identity and past experiences that have formed him into who he is now. Myles’s songs focus more on the pursuit of something to come, rather than reflecting on what has passed.
The twins were heavily inspired by classic songwriting and vibes from bands that not only programmed synths but were also more organic in their approach, artists such as Roxy Music, The Blue Nile and The Style Council