@skopemag news – friday – january 8, 2021 @ 2 pm est

@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope

SA.MAY embraces the New Year and delivers another hit of dreamy pop in ‘Something’

Turning heads in 2020 with her single ‘Easier’, Sydney songwriter and producer SA.MAY is back to deliver the next instalment of what’s becoming a strong new body of work.

In her new track ‘Something’, SA.MAY is back at her hazy, captivating best as she navigates lyrical territory centred on new relationships, new possibilities and new experiences still to come. The song is a fitting release for the New Year, as SA.MAY (as well as the rest of us) look forward to an infinitely better 12 months ahead, with 2020 well in the rearview.

Emo band Four Stars respond to systematic racism with “Fool’s Gold”

Chicago emo quartet Four Stars has released “Fool’s Gold,” the result of years of witnessing systemic oppression and being lied to in their lives. There are many who would like to paint this as an issue of political relevance, but the band believes politics go out the window when Americans die at the hands of those sworn to protect them.

“I am African,” says vocalist Aida Ahmed. “Born in Kenya to Somalian parents. I am Brown, but I cry for my Black brothers and sisters I see on the news. How can we be free when we live in fear of those tasked with ‘protecting’ our freedoms?”

LIL UZI VERT AND FUTURE UNVEIL THE OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO FOR “DRANKIN N SMOKIN” CO-DIRECTED BY DJ ESCO, FROM THEIR ACCLAIMED JOINT PROJECT, PLUTO X BABY PLUTO

Shortly after the unveiling of their long-rumored joint project, PLUTO X BABY PLUTO, multi-platinum superstars Lil Uzi Vert and Future are kicking off the new year with an official music video for one of the standout tracks, “Drankin N Smokin.” The fiery new visual, directed by DJ ESCO & Sam Lecca, features both Lil Uzi Vert and Future, along with witty cameos from Lil Duval and Casino;

Sydney indie pop artist Sarah Yagki releases her first single for 2021 in ‘This Won’t Hurt’

Sydney’s Sarah Yagki returns for a brand new year of music with another hit of addictive indie pop music in ‘This Won’t Hurt’.

Emerging re-energised and ready to introduce a fresh facet of her songwriting and performance skill to audiences, ‘This Won’t Hurt’ is as much of a beginning of a new era for Yagki, as it will be a jump off single for newcomers.

New Year, New TikTok Trends: Alicia Keys, Remembering MF DOOM & More

After emerging as a major force in music and culture in 2020, TikTok is showing no signs of slowing down at the dawn of the New Year. The past week brought fascinating new trends, featuring contributions from A-list stars, emerging artists, and talented creators.

L.A. PSYCH-POP BAND TRIPTIDES TO DROP THEIR NEW LP “ALTER ECHOES” 3/19 | SHARES NEW SINGLE

With a sound oscillating between psychedelic pop and space rock, Triptides’ album Alter Echoes channels both The Byrds at their most hallucinogenic and Floyd at their most cosmically composed while creating something immediate and new.

The band has established itself as a preeminent part of the new wave of L.A. psych music. With Alter Echoes they pull away from the pack, thanks to the quality of their songwriting, performance and production.

SONG PREMIERE: LA Psych Rockers Triptides Explore Sonic Terrain on “It Won’t Hurt You”

Justin Moses To Release Eclectic New Album Fall Like Rain On January 22nd

For the last three-quarters of a century, in the world of bluegrass music, one thing has always been certain; the cream rises to the top. And it didn’t take long for International Bluegrass Music Association Award-winner Justin Moses to rise to his now prestigious status as one of the finest multi-instrumentalists in acoustic music. On January 22nd, Moses’s pickin’ prowess and songwriting skills will be on full display with his release of Fall Like Rain, a new self-produced full-length album on Mountain Fever Records. Featuring Moses on vocals and a slew of stringed instruments—from flat-top six-string and Weissenborn guitar to mandolin and banjo—Fall Like Rain not only sheds light on his many talents, but on the skill and perseverance it takes to piece them all together to create the final product.

Track Premiere: Between The Lightning & The Thunder from Justin Moses featuring Dan Tyminski

CANNONS ENLIST KING HENRY FOR A FUTURISTIC REMIX OF THEIR HIT SONG “FIRE FOR YOU”

In speaking about the remix, CANNONS says: “We feel so excited about this collaboration with King Henry and how he reimagined and made something new out of a very special song of ours. Next time you’re cruising around the galaxy in your rocket ship, be sure to put on this remix of ‘Fire For You’ by King Henry, we think you’ll enjoy it!”

King Henry adds: “I don’t work on remixes often, but when I was approached to do ‘Fire For You,’ I couldn’t pass it up. The record is one of a kind, and I had a great time playing with the vocals and putting my own twist on the production. The music video is also one of my favorites of the year… pumped to get this remix out and loved working with CANNONS!”

Olivia Rodrigo Releases “drivers license” on Geffen Records

Penned by Rodrigo, she first shared a clip of the piano-driven, alt-pop song on Instagram in the summer of 2020 to incredible fan reaction, which inspired her to go into the studio with producer and co-writer Dan Nigro (Conan Gray, Lewis Capaldi, Carly Rae Jepsen) to finish the track. With its radiant harmonies and kinetic percussion, “drivers license” is a brilliant balance of unfiltered outpouring and graceful specificity. – (Photo credit: Erica Hernandez)

FEATURED ARTIST : CHRIS WATRIN

Chris Watrin is one of those artists that will instantly captivate your attention the second he steps on the stage. His voice is definitely his main asset, however it is not the only one. Dancing, song writing and playing musical instruments are a few of the many talents in his possession. Despite his young age, Chris has a vast experience of performing in front of large audiences, always leaving an unforgettable impact on his viewers.

In 2005, Chris became one of the members of the band ” US5″ created by the boyband guru Lou Perlman. This project was a huge success in Germany, with countless hits and platinum records.

SAWEETIE JOINS FORCES WITH DOJA CAT ON THE BANGING CLUB ANTHEM ‘BEST FRIEND’ – WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

The multi-platinum artist and global trendsetter Saweetie returns with her club-ready banger ‘Best Friend’, featuring the Grammy-nominated Doja Cat. An empowering anthem, ‘Best Friend’ is primed for the wildest girls’ night out (or in). The chemistry and confidence of these two rising superstars pumping each other up is undeniable, making for a perfect prelude to Saweetie’s forthcoming debut album ‘Pretty B*tch Music’ which will be released on ICY / Warner Records.

Over slapping drums, Saweetie and Doja Cat trade bars that celebrate the other’s success, beauty and independence. Saweetie spits clever lines throughout, including the catchy hook: “That’s my best friend, she a real bad b*tch / Drive her own car, she don’t need no Lyft.” Doja Cat matches her with equally sharp rhymes: “If she ride for me, she don’t need a key.”

ALPHA BOYS Start Off The New Year ‘Too Smart To Be Sober’ – Official Video

Swedish rockers Alpha Boys have released their second official video taken from their forthcoming full-length release Saviours Of Rock ‘N’ Roll, out via Sliptrick Records on January 21st. The band describe the track as “a fast party song about making the right priorities in life, party more instead of working! Life’s too short to be sober, do the smart thing.”

Shotgun Revolution present their new single ‘Black Angel’

With more than a million streams across major streaming platforms and the very successful releases of their first singles – being placed in rotation on national and international radio-stations, as well as playlisted on multiple official playlists such as Most Wanted Rock, Rock Hard, New Music Daily, 100% Rock and more, SHOTGUN REVOLUTION have once again proven that they’re a force to be reckoned with. Today the band presents their 6th and final single ‘Black Angel’, before releasing their fourth studio album ‘IV’ on February 5th.

Mark Höffen and Patrice Bäumel feature on newWorakls remix package

French DJ and producer Mark Höffen steps up first, delivering an emotion-tinged, deeply atmospheric dancefloor journey that merges intense grooves and rich melodies with the orchestral elements of the original. Amsterdam-based Patrice Bäumel follows with his fizzing, slow-burning take on ‘Detached Motion’, one that builds in tension and club energy across its six-and-a-half minutes. The remix package follows Berlin DJ and producer Ben Böhmer’s similarly club-ready rework of the WorakIs and Eivør single ‘Red Dressed’, released at the tail-end of 2020. Not forgetting also Worakls collaborative single ‘Storm’ with classical musician Rusanda Panfili, an intelligent mixture of emotive electronic sounds paired with orchestral and cinematic elements which came out on his own label Sonate.

FALSE HEADS Announce Debut Album Physical Rerelease + Reveal ‘Twenty Nothing’ Video

FALSE HEADS are pleased to announce that they will give their debut album It’s All There But You’re Dreaming a physical re-release on 21st January 2021 via Lovers Music / Riff Factory.

With over 1 million streams on Spotify and over 500K on Apple Music and plaudits aplenty right in the middle of a global pandemic, False Heads now re-release their debut album with a limited edition ‘Vinyl Effect CD’ containing 2 additional tracks, plus the limited-edition Silver vinyl LP.

Planet K Records set release date for Deep Space Mask debut full-length

Deep Space Mask is the solo project of Raymz (ex Fiinky Pie, hard rock band who produced three albums with Brennus Music Records between 2003 and 2009). It is an “one man band”, created in February 2020.

On the 1st album “Songs From The Dark Light” Raymz composed and played all the instruments (guitars, bass, drums, keyboards), all the voices, the sound recording and the mixing.

Sub Focus & Wilkinson team up with High Contrast.

Combining inspirational lyrics and the stunning vocals of British-Irish singer-songwriter Empara Mi, this new version of ‘Freedom’ ramps up the club energy of the original, delivering a powerful yet emotion-tinged dancefloor weapon. With stuttered vocals drenching the record in that vintage High Contrast sound, Sub Focus & Wilkinson keep things cutting edge with their exquisite amalgamation of each artist’s signature sonics, ensuring a devastatingly potent dancefloor record. A versus remix that whole heartedly ensures a levelled up version of their Portals anthem, this record will no doubt be a staple across dance floors, festivals and raves globally.

GEORGIE – Releases ”Simple Things” Single || ‘At Home’ Album out Today

The track is taken from her acclaimed debut album ‘At Home’, which receives its official physical release today (8 January 2021).

Like much of the new album, “Simple Things” was written at the beginning of the first UK nationwide lockdown. Finding a new resonance as the country braces in lockdown once again, the track sees Georgie searching for silver linings in the darkest of times and learning to love life’s less-complicated aspects.

“It’s about how important those simple things are” says Georgie, “I felt through lockdown it was only the simple things that we could enjoy like watching TV or playing Fifa.”

Skinshape – Behind The Sun single out now (Lewis Recordings)

Another laid back classic from Will Dorey aka Skinshape. ‘Behind The Sun’ is an instrumental track with a few backing vocals peppered to add layers of harmony.

As the track suggests there’s a warm feel throughout and harks back to the Laurel Canyon music scene made famous by Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, the Mamas and the Papas, Carole King and the Eagles.

POSTDATA (ffo: Wintersleep, Frightened Rabbit, The National) | Shares New Single, “Nobody Knows”

The track was tipped last week by The Guardian who described it as “a song that sounds as if it’s surfing an avalanche on a copy of Rumours”; it’s the second to be taken from the new record called Twin Flames (out via on Paper Bag Records on March 5) which comes produced by Ali Chant – best known for his work producing Portishead, PJ Harvey, Perfume Genius, etc – and features Andy Monaghan of Frightened Rabbit (on the track, “Inside Out”) and Paul’s Wintersleep bandmate, Tim D’Eon.

ALPHA BOYS Start Off The New Year ‘Too Smart To Be Sober’ – Official Video

Swedish rockers Alpha Boys have released their second official video taken from their forthcoming full-length release Saviours Of Rock ‘N’ Roll, out via Sliptrick Records on January 21st. The band describe the track as “a fast party song about making the right priorities in life, party more instead of working! Life’s too short to be sober, do the smart thing.”

Route 94 and L Devine unveil ‘stripped’ version of ‘Sad Songs’

Route 94 and L Devine have unveiled the stripped version of their collaborative single ‘Sad Songs’, out on Friday 8th January.

Filmed at Tottenham based warehouse club The Cause, the stripped version of ‘Sad Songs’ removes the electronic elements, allowing L Devine’s emotion packed vocals to take centre stage amidst subtle piano chords. A certified hit, the original has racked up over 4 million streams and counting and was featured as BBC Radio 1’s Scott Mills’ Tune of the Week, with dance music icon Skream also dropping a club-ready remix.

JC STEWART SHARES THE NEW SINGLE ‘BREAK MY HEART’

Over the course of the last year, JC Stewart has made the kind of progress that makes him a hot tip for 2021. He has already achieved a growing following of 3.1 million monthly listeners at Spotify, plus extensive airplay across Radio 1, Radio 2, Capital and Kiss. And he’s set to make an immediate impact on the year ahead as she shares his new single ‘Break My Heart’, which he co-wrote with Niall Horan. It’s accompanied by an official video which was directed by Charlie Sarsfield (Stormzy, Dermot Kennedy), who also directed the video for JC’s previous single ‘I Need You To Hate Me’.

FERAL GHOST Announce New Single ‘Say It’s Not Too Late’, Video Teaser Posted

This superbly crafted song captures the moment and sudden realisation that, if you don’t come to your senses, you may lose the one good thing you have in life. Written by lead singer Danny Warwick and produced by the band, this uplifting and hook laden composition grabs you by the throat from the very first bar and doesn’t let go.

Jay Das – Stitches – VIDEO