@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope
Bedroom-pop experts ROSEHIP TEAHOUSE share sprawling new cut ‘A Million Times’
Speaking ahead of the release, Rogers revealed: “‘A Million Times’ is a lot of my anxiety manifesting in a song. I was finding that I would try and mould myself into what I thought everyone else wanted from me, not realising that I was losing more and more of myself in the process. And even then, what I thought people wanted from me was usually wrong. So it was all a bit of a mess, hiding my feelings, feeling like I was ‘too much’ for anyone else in my life. It was hard to break out of the cycle, but I’m finding it easier to be myself now. ‘A Million Times’ is a little reminder to myself that I don’t need to be that way anymore”.
The Lumineers’ Jeremiah Fraites Announces Solo Debut Album of Piano-Centric Instrumental Songs // Lead Singles Out Now
The Lumineers co-founder, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jeremiah Fraites today announced his solo debut album Piano Piano will release on January 22nd through Dualtone Records (an Entertainment One Company) in the U.S. and Canada and Mercury KX for the rest of the world. A collection of songs that’s been in the works for the better part of a decade, Piano Piano features gorgeous, intimate piano-centric instrumental songs capturing Fraites’ reflective moments from his Denver home. Two singles from the album were also unveiled today: “Tokyo,” a brisk string-swathed portrait of the titular city, and “Maggie” an elegiac dedication to his wife’s beloved dog who passed away during the recording process.
Brandy releases “No Tomorrow Part 2” ft. Ty Dolla $ign Today
Brandy’s first studio album in 8 years, b7, was released on July 31st to critical and fan acclaim, and debuted at #1 on the Independent and Current R&B Charts. Executive produced by Brandy along with DJ Camper and LaShawn Daniels, this 15-track confessional is her most personal to date as she debuts her writing skills for the first time in her career. The album features Daniel Caesar, Chance The Rapper, and her daughter Sy’rai Smith. Other featured producers and writers include Hit Boy, Cory Rooney, Victoria Monét, Antonio “Tony” Dixon, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk among others. NPR Music called b7, “The best album…since 2002’s Full Moon,” while Rolling Stone wrote, “[b7]… is Brandy Norwood at her purest: an eclectic mix of modern and classic R&B sounds strung together by her distinctive, powerful voice.”
Brandy Releases New Single “No Tomorrow Part 2” ft. Ty Dolla $ign
Kristeen Young ft. David Bowie Share “American Landfill” Via Flood On KRO/Sony
The latter, “American Landfill,” also happens to be the name of her latest single. “It’s a reproduction of ‘Saviour,’ a song I wrote in the aughts intended to be a duet between David Bowie and myself. And it surprisingly happened,” Young says, of the midtempo indie-pop song. It was produced by Tony Visconti—a frequent Bowie collaborator—and appeared on her third album, 2003’s Breasticles. (Her self-released last album, 2019’s The SubSet, was her tenth full-length.)
Kristeen Young Unearths David Bowie Collaboration for Her Forthcoming Record Store Day Release
Cuushe shares night-driving single “Magic”
Cuushe has always been in constant motion. Raised in Kyoto, growing up in Osaka and later moving to Japan’s over-stimulating capital, Tokyo, the Japanese artist would go on to make London, then Berlin, her home. Now based in Tokyo, and with three albums, multiple singles and EPs to her name, Cuushe starts a new chapter of her music career having lived what could be described as a reverie-like life, changing residences between different global cities around the world: Kyoto, Osaka,Tokyo, London and Berlin. But after the traumatic experience of harassment, as detailed by Resident Advisor, the dream seemed to have ended. She became keenly aware of feeling powerless. But, rediscovering herself during this period, and following a hospitalization, Cuushe has shed the fog of her previously dream-pop creations and put the clear outlines of reality on her music.
V**GRA BOYS ANNOUNCE NEW LP WELFARE JAZZ
Murphy, who has established himself as a drunken yet conscious stumbler in past videos, reprises the role for the new video “Ain’t Nice,” but this time wreaking havoc along with way. Stealing scooters, jackets, disrupting otherwise leisurely picnics, Murphy leaves no innocent bystander left unbothered. He then time travels to the 18th century, surrounded by servants donning powdered wigs. The track and video coyly mock the patriarchal macho relationship drama of “classic” post-punk via a full-throated snarl, cement-cracking bass lines, and pinprick synths.
Aus indie-electronic, cinematic producer Ukiyo releases single ‘Make It Better’ feat. Bajillionaire + Brewer
Make It Better is a supremely moving track, one which puts a beautiful, poignant frame around the writers’ personal struggles. The soft, sparse feature vocals from Bajillionaire and Brewer float amongst a pulsing, glittery bed of rotating synthesisers and a infectious beat. Produced by Ukiyo on the road, mixed by Tim Watt (Golden Features, MUTO, Hermitude, Crooked Colours) and mastered by Wayne Sutherland (What So Not, Motez, Willaris K), Make It Better is quite possibly Ukiyo’s strongest track to date, and a thrilling taste of what his debut album will entail.
NEEDTOBREATHE UNVEILS “WHO AM I” (FEAT. ELLE KING)
“It’s been amazing watching ‘Who Am I’ take on a life of its own. Our fans have a way of making that happen,” the band shared. “We have been big admirers of Elle King for some time and are thrilled to have her voice and spirit on this new version of the song. Elle came in and crushed it. Thank you to everyone for all the love on this song!”
Vân Scott Premieres ’80s Inspired Video For “Starry Eyed” Today – Watch It Now!
Filmed during the pandemic in and around his parent’s neighborhood as well as in the shadow of Boney Mountain, the video follows Vân Scott heading out of his parent’s garage on his 10-speed, apple red-colored Schwinn taking to the street where he joins friends on a bike ride. Watch it HERE. The video was inspired by such classic ’80s films as The Goonies (if you look closely you will see Scott dressed like Mikey), Back To The Future, and E.T. (remember the epic bike chase?) and hearkens back to the days where people went on neighborhood walks joining with family and friends. “I came up with the concept one day while walking back to my parent’s house from the park down the street when it just dawned on me that I’ve seen more families walking and biking around the neighborhood in the last six months than I have in the last fifteen years,” says Scott. “Everyone seemed to take to the street in order to help maintain sanity and balance during this time, and so there’s a strange kind of unity I’ve felt with everyone knowing we’re all going through the know the same thing.”
KUČKA releases new single “Ascension” via LuckyMe
Beautiful and jagged, “Ascension” continues to explore KUČKA’s singular brand of digital soul, a synthesis of percussion-heavy R&B and avant-electronica, all centered around her fragile vocals. Building a soundscape that’s both minimal and constantly threatening to subsume her within its textural heft at the same time, “Ascension” is yet another exemplary display of the producer’s delicate musical balancing act. Beneath choppy vocal samples, brittle, distorted percussion, hollowed-out synths, and heavenly layers of pads, KUČKA buries one of her most emphatic pop excursions to date, overridden by a vocal performance that exchanges her signature airiness for a breathtaking dynamism.
HARMONIZE – single “Warrior in the night”
Nicosia, Cyprus based band Harmonize was formed in 2012 by George Constantinou. While the band started off playing thrash metal, they gradually incorporated some power metal elements, as well as some darker elements which have shaped their signature sound to its current form.
Ben Brown Drops Invigorating R&B Infused Single, “What You’re Leaving For”
Los Angeles, CA – Singer-songwriter Ben Brown has released the R&B influenced single “What You’re Leaving For,” a unique view of the typical party scene. Brown combines high tempo jazzy baselines with soulful, disco-infused melodies for this high energy single. “What You’re Leaving For” is now available to stream and download on digital music platforms worldwide.
new grouptherapy. video for “watercolor”
Watch the new song/video from grouptherapy. for “watercolor,” the first R&B cut to be dropped from their upcoming mixtape, there goes the neighborhood. available 10/30. The video, staring Jadagrace from the group, toes the line between fantasy and reality when you’re alone. Skillfully choreographed yet clearly vibing in her own world Jada dances like nobody is watching while making her way through an armoire of wardrobes. Blank stares at the end of the video from Koi and TJW, though show that she was, in fact, not the only person in the room.
FL Riser Brickboy Dior Recruits TOKYO’S REVENGE For Demonic “Talk My Sh*t” Single
Brickboydior rhymes with demonic intensity, delivering hedonistic bars in a hoarse stage whisper. Flexing his lyrical muscles atop a horror movie instrumental, Brick shares “Talk My Sh*t,” his fiery new single. Produced by Hollo, “Talk My Sh*t” is a ferocious statement of purpose, as a raspy-voiced Brick elaborates on his insatiable appetite for sex, cash, cars, and automatic weapons: “I’m finna talk my sh*t, gonna pop my sh*t/Just bought a new glock, it’s over/All in your spot, gonna take everything/Got the neighbors thinking I’m a new home owner.” The song features an equally energetic verse from rising rapper TOKYO’S REVENGE, a previous collaborator who appeared on Brick’s 2019 single “Fresh Offa Route,” who mimics Brick’s signature croak as he talks some smack of his own.
Watch Downtown Boys’ official video for “L’Internationale” from ‘Miss Marx’
Downtown Boys have contributed their arrangement of the communist anthem “L’Internationale” to the Italian film Miss Marx. Directed by Susanna Nicchiarelli, Miss Marx is a biopic about Karl Marx’s daughter, who was an important but often overlooked organizer and writer. She led many women to take up their/our rightful power in socialism. The band recorded this version of “L’Internationale,” as an ode to the global struggle and passion for a freedom bigger than themselves.
BLACKENED PROGRESSIVE METAL GROUP VINTERSEA REVEALS “THE HOLY PROCESSION” MUSIC VIDEO
To celebrate Friday’s reissue of their 2017 debut full-length, “The Gravity of Fall,” Pacific Northwestern phenoms VINTERSEA – whose unique fusion of majestic progressive metal, harsh blackened death and post-metal beauty has received extensive critical acclaim – have unveiled an appropriately ambitious new music video for the album’s epic centerpiece, “The Holy Procession.” The clip – produced, edited, and directed by bassist Karl Whinnery – premiered yesterday on Knotfest.com
Premiere: Progressive blackened metal outfit Vintersea share epic visual for “The Holy Procession”
Langhorne Slim To Release His Most Personal Album with STRAWBERRY MANSION on January 29th
On January 29th, venerated singer/songwriter Langhorne Slim will release his most personal and revealing work to date with Strawberry Mansion (Dualtone Music). Over the course of 19 songs (45 minutes), the celebrated artist shares his struggles with debilitating anxiety and depression, while also discovering the beauty and clarity that came through his journey to recovery. Strawberry Mansion is not about sobriety or self-pity; it is an album of hope, healing and the belief that we are all connected. If we just block out all the noise and take a deep look within ourselves, we can see it. That sentiment is firmly set forth in opening track “Mighty Soul”. He sings, “Someday the world might come and blow your house down / First a tornado then a plague / Let us use our hands to help and hold / Let us pour love into the Mighty Soul.”
YFN Lucci – “Man Down”
Think it’s A Game presents the latest single and video “Man Down” by YFN Lucci, the lead single off the forthcoming mixtape “Wish Me Well 3”. Although this record is quite different production and lyric wise, we see YFN Lucci in the same headspace as we saw when he dropped “Patience”. “Man Down” brings in smooth hard-hitting production by Black Ice & Dasda Beats, which fits perfectly with the sentiment felt as YFN Lucci tells us about the disappointments that cause him to act the way he acts. A perfect open letter to everyone that likes to judge his actions without knowing his reasoning.
Son Lux announce new album ‘Tomorrows II’ out 12/4 via City Slang
Today Son Lux announce Tomorrows II, the second album in a far-reaching three-volume body of work. This second volume sees a more introspective, stripped back facet to the Tomorrows body of work and is to be released December 4th via City Slang, with physical editions of all three volumes to be released together in 2021.
Alaina Castillo Continues To Showcase Versatility With New Spanish Single “¡Párate!”
About the song, Alaina Castillo says, “párate is a song about feeling so weak, mentally and physically, that you eventually just get fed up with it and decide to say, enough, get up & start moving towards the life you want to live and the growth that you desire. It’s talking about a change or a movement that is started by trying to overcome those challenges.”
New > Listen to new Commodo track, ‘Transit’
Out October 23, ‘Stakeout’ picks up where previous EP ‘Loan Shark’ left off, tapping back into the conceptual, crime-ridden Wild West first imagined across tracks like ‘Contraband’ and ‘Hot Pursuit’; “If anyone is working on a 22nd century film noir at the moment, this would make the perfect soundtrack” wrote Bandcamp back in June.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah announces new album, shares double A-side
“These songs are politically motivated, which is unusual for me,” Ounsworth says of “Hesitating Nation” and “Thousand Oaks.” “The only other song I’ve written about the failed democracy that is the United States is ‘Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood’.” That track helped launch their landmark self-titled debut back in 2005. And now, after 15 years, six further records, and numerous other side projects, Ounsworth felt compelled to once again tackle politics, and what’s happening in the US indicates how serious he believes the situation to be.
Watch Oneohtrix Point Never “Long Road Home” video + new album out October 30th on WARP
Oneohtrix Point Never recently announced the October 30th arrival of new studio album, Magic Oneohtrix Point Never, with a preview of his first new music since 2018’s critically lauded Age Of and 2019’s Uncut Gems soundtrack. The opening trilogy of songs, aptly named “Drive Time Suite”, spotlight OPN’s incredible propensity for maximalist detail but here with a refreshingly earnest and enlightened approach, with tracks “Cross Talk I,” “Auto & Allo,” and the first single “Long Road Home”, which finds Lopatin singing front and center, backed by vocal contributions from Caroline Polachek.