@skopemag news – tuesday – february 10, 2021 @ 10 pm est

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

Brighton alt-pop trio CIEL share dreamy single ‘Pretty Face’ | released February 10th

Brighton-based alt-pop outfit CIEL ready the release of nostalgic new single ‘Pretty Face’, set to drop February 10th.

Building on their previous offering ‘All My Life’, CIEL’s ‘Pretty Face’ offers a cutesy and wistful dream-pop experience masking the sinister story of a man that lost his wife to a cult. Frontwoman Michelle Hindriks’ alluring and ethereal vocals are complimented by spritely guitar and electronic synth melodies interweaved with driven basslines and pounding drums.

ELDER ISLAND Announce Sophomore Album, Share New Single “Purely Educational”

Following the release of 2019’s acclaimed debut album The Omnitone Collection, Elder Island’s upcoming new ten-track album Swimming Static sees the band meld genres with effortless precision. Flitting between the surreal dream-state of electronica and the storytelling-esque lyricisms of indie, the new record tempers introspection with a coveted taste of feel-good pop, offering dashes of neo-soul at the core.

Nous Alpha feat. famed producer Gareth Jones announce new LP ‘A Walk In the Woods’ out 5/7 on Our Silent Canvas; “Fibonacci Failure” video & single out today

Nous Alpha is a partnership almost five years in the making, beginning when Christopher asked Gareth to help mix two tracks for his project Ghost Against Ghost in 2015. “It was a huge task,” recalls Gareth, “but out of that intense experience Chris and I forged a spiritual bond and a musical relationship.”

Lia Kay Reveals “Walk Away”

Lia Kay is a Canadian musician, singer & songwriter based out of Southern Ontario. A classically-trained pianist since age seven and a songwriter by 12, Lia went on to compete all over Russia, winning various competitions and festivals before relocating with her family to Canada where she continued her musical education through the Royal Conservatory of Music.

New > Yoshinori Hayashi > new album > Pulse Of Defiance > hear single

Tokyo-based producer Yoshinori Hayashi announces his new album, Pulse of Defiance, out April 9th on Smalltown Supersound. The album is an outstanding statement, expanding Hayashi’s ever-growing world of sound and showcasing his musical versatility in the process. Spanning ecstatic jungle breaks, club-ready techno, and free jazz’s unpredictable gait, Pulse of Defiance is a sonic journey through Hayashi’s marvelous mind that provides new surprises at every turn, and with every successive listen. Jockeying lead single “Touch” oscillates with floating synth and a danceable beat, presenting a first taste of his expansive and addicting sound.

Life of Agony’s ALAN ROBERT Pays Homage To Rock Royalty with Newest “Beauty of Horror” – ‘Haunt of Fame’

“It’s like a twisted wax museum filled with all of my favorite pop culture stars,” explains Beauty of Horror creator Alan Robert. “Similar to how Ghouliana took on horror icons in the last book, this time she tackles rock royalty, sports heroes, and famous faces from TV and film. It’s a bizarre mash-up that’s equally horrific as it is hilarious. I really can’t wait to see what coloring fans do with these freaky designs!”

Nigeria’s psiv delivers a tight triplet drill flow on his new track ‘234’

In the warm up to his official debut project – ‘Welcome to the 234’, psiv strengthens his claim to Nigeria’s brewing Drill scene with follow up single, ‘234’. Following the success of his debut single, ‘Gangland’, psiv returns on ‘234’ with upbeat energy and catchy lyrics. The track is produced by Canadian producer, Be Young aka Russian Mafia.

Kolby Knickerbocker Releases “Over and Over” Single Feb 10

A modern take on the 50’s doowop of Otis Redding and Ben King, the song is dedicated to his wife as a reminder that his love will not waiver. Mixed by Sean Moffitt (Mat Kearney, Josh Groban, Ingrid Michaelson), it’s the title track off the upcoming mixed EP due out April 2.

Fruit Bats and friends star in the music video for new song “The Balcony” from The Pet Parade

Feast your eyes and ears on Eric D. Johnson’s latest offering from his new Fruit Bats record The Pet Parade, out March 5! “The Balcony” is upbeat and sprightly, complete with warm drum machines and melodica. It arrives today with a charming music video, co-directed by Annie Beedy, which Johnson says was “inspired by Cabaret (the film version) mixed with the Star Wars cantina scene and a dash of The Mighty Boosh, with a storyline inspired by Dirty Dancing and Steve McQueen’s ‘Lovers Rock.’” Behold!

Watch Ya Tseen’s official video for “Close the Distance” from Indian Yard, the group’s Sub Pop debut

On April 30th, 2021, Sub Pop will release Indian Yard, the debut record from Sitka, Alaska project Ya Tseen. Band founder, Nicholas Galanin is one of the most vital voices in contemporary art. His work spans sculpture, video, installation, photography, jewelry and music; advocating for Indigenous sovereignty, racial, social and environmental justice, for present, and future generations.

Elektragaaz to Release “The Synaesthetic Picture Show Now Playing Part 1”

As an introduction to the world of Elektragaaz, here’s “Cabin Fever”, a salute to all of us who are hanging tough and sheltering in place despite the madness of the plague years with a special shout-out to all the front-line workers keeping us all afloat.

ORSON WILDS SHARE STRIPPED-BACK ACOUSTIC VERSIONS OF “STAND UP” & “MOTHERS DAUGHTERS”

In its original form, “Stand Up” was called “the kind of song that sounds like it’s trying to get a whole amphitheater’s worth of people on their feet” by The Alternative, while FLOOD Magazine said that the “Mothers Daughters” video finds “the Canadian duo is doing everything they can to be added to your must-see list once venues start opening back up.”

Elephant Micah Announces New Album ‘Vague Tidings’ Out 4/9/21 (Western Vinyl), Listen to First Single “Glacier Advisors”

Elephant Micah—the prolific project of songwriter-producer Joseph O’Connell—today announced his new album Vague Tidings will be released on April 9th, 2021, via Western Vinyl. He has also shared the first single, “Glacier Advisors,” a gorgeous, slow burning song that builds to an aching, clattering close. The track sounds a warning for the anthropocene, describing environmental pillagers that “encircle the earth and then dive for her prize.” “In this song, strange human powers have taken the ‘stars in their arms.’ They’ve wrested them from the sky,” says O’Connell. “It’s broadly about hubris, but arctic drilling was the thing on my mind.” Vague Tidings follows 2018’s Genericana, which saw praise from outlets including Pitchfork (“…an elegant study of life’s circularity set against a backdrop of slowcore folk and woozy rock”), Rolling Stone, and Aquarium Drunkard, among others.

LIVINGSTON SHARES NEW SINGLE “HERCULES”

Livingston expanded on the track, “‘Hercules’ is a song about fearing change and not wanting to lose myself due to the shifts in the scenery and people around me. My first EP was written around experiences in my youth and my identity struggles as a teenager; this song is about looking forward and toward a message of self-acceptance and embracing my vulnerability as an eighteen-year-old artist. I loved writing this song that jumps between pure confidence and true insecurity – trying to display everything we wish we were to others but being unsure about who we are to ourselves. Working with Jorgen and Chloe on this song opened my eyes to a new writing and production space that felt really inspiring to take this next step with my music.”

Hey, King! Say “Sorry” In Time For Valentine’s Day – Watch The Track’s New Video Now

Songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Natalie London and her partner, vocalist and percussionist Taylor Plecity, approach music with a childlike curiosity and adventurous spirit—fitting for a band named Hey, King! – a phrase from the children’s book Where the Wild Things Are.

Today, ANTI- Records releases Hey, King!’s new track “Sorry.” With energy reminiscent of Front Bottoms and orchestration evoking Florence and the Machine, “Sorry” is a humorous, up-tempo, romp that turns an argument into a love song. In the song’s new music video, an aggravated yet adorable elderly couple rediscovers their love for each other.

ALTARAGE Reveals New Album Details, Shares First Single

Enigmatic Spanish metal extremists ALTARAGE will be releasing their next full-length, ‘Succumb,’ on April 23, 2021 via Season of Mist Underground Activists! The album artwork, tracklist, and additional details can be found below. In conjunction, ALTARAGE has dropped the first chaotic single, “Magno Evento,” –

Fleetwood Mac Live Super Deluxe Edition To Be Released On April 9 From Rhino

When Fleetwood Mac released its first live album in December 1980, it captured the legendary band’s most iconic lineup on stage demonstrating the full scope of their collective, creative powers. Recorded mostly during the world tour for Tusk, Fleetwood Mac Live delivered a double-album’s worth of exhilarating performances that included massive hits like “Dreams” and “Go Your Own Way,” “Rhiannon,” and “Don’t Stop.”

Rhino gives the band’s live debut a much-deserved encore with a new 3-CD/2-LP collection that features a remastered version of the original release on both 180-gram vinyl and CD, plus more than an hour of unreleased live music recorded between 1977 and 1982 on the third CD. The set also includes a bonus 7-inch single featuring previously unreleased demos for “Fireflies” and “One More Night.”

Watch: PRETTYMUCH Share Heartfelt New Video for “Free”

The group explains, “‘Free’ is one of the sweeter breakup songs we have ever written. It’s about having to let someone go because that’s what’s ultimately best for the relationship. We all have had those moments where sometimes the only solution is to leave something you love behind. We actually made this song completely from the comfort of our own home and got to record real violin to add some extra emotion to it. It’s a different but tasteful approach for a ballad.”

Pino Palladino and Blake Mills share live recording of “Man from Molise” today

“Man from Molise” began with a composition by Palladino that both musicians slowed down to half-speed and rebuilt: “What you hear now has none of the original music in it,” says Palladino. “It definitely had an influence on us hearing that stuff slowed down, how it syncopates and swings, in a way that we couldn’t possibly come up with.” That innovative approach touches every song on the record, which typically began with Palladino’s own melodic and rhythmic language and developed outward with references shared by the two musicians from West African and Cuban music, funk, jazz, and American pop.

BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT to Release “Paint The Sky With Blood” EP on April 23, 2021

“Like ourselves, Alexi was beyond stoked about these songs and anxious to get these out so we are happy that we can fulfill his wish. Needless to say that we are honored and proud to be a part of his very last creative work and unleash it the way he wanted it to. It’s time to let the beast out of the cage one more time as a celebration of Alexi’s music, legacy and the man himself.” – BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT

iogi shares ‘you\me\everyone’ via Raw Tapes; home of Tel Aviv’s modern beat movement

On “you\me\everyone,” between crunchy-crisp strumming, iogi sings percussively and with a euphoric calm, “Tell it like it is, tell us what you see boy”…. “I want to make a mess,” before ascending effortlessly into an earworm of a chorus laced with falsetto. It’s city pop meets quirky psych-rock, akin to artists like Benny Sings, Mk. Gee, or Jerry Paper.

Lil Durk jumps on Kevo Muney’s smash hit “Leave Some Day” for new cut

“‘Leave Some Day” (produced by Real Red) means coming to reality and accepting and understanding that we, unfortunately, all have to leave here at some point,” says Kevo. “It’s not just another pain record, it’s a story about people out there who may think that life is always great and that they’ll be here forever. But that’s far from the truth- we all must prepare ourselves to ‘Leave Some Day.'”

Kalbells Debut New Track “Pickles”(feat Miss Eaves) via FLOOD — ‘Max Heart’ LP Out 3/26 (NNA Tapes)

Kalbells—the collaborative art-pop project of Kalmia Traver, Angelica Bess, Sarah Pedinotti, and Zoë Brecher—today shared their new single “Pickles,” a fun and buoyant track featuring multimedia artist/rapper Miss Eaves off the upcoming full-length, Max Heart, releasing March 26 via NNA Tapes.

Kalbells and Miss Eaves Open Up the Discourse on Fuckbois for New Single “Pickles”

Ukraine’s Melodic Death Metal Band Wolfanger Release Lyric Video For “Hunter&Prey”

“We came up with a final vision of the song concept a long time ago. The song is about the concept of hunt. There’s a hunter and there’s a prey but no one knows who will prevail until the final moment, the chances of both are equal and prey can turn the tide and become a hunter, or nobody can survive in this stand. The song’s message is about how much a tiny random chance can do with every situation we face during our whole lives but none of us notices that.

Jacob Banks Premieres Powerful New Single & Video “Parade”

A gritty but triumphant anthem built on the UK-based alt-R&B/soul artist’s spellbinding vocals, “Parade” was inspired by the unrest Banks felt upon attending a protest in the UK. “I hoped to experience a sense of pride or whatever, but I didn’t experience any of that,” says Banks. “I felt defeated by the fact we still have to do this after all of these years. We’re all risking our lives with the pandemic out there. However, it turned around in my head. No matter how hard it gets for the oppressed, civilization still doesn’t move without our consent. It was fascinating to me. I found power in it. Society requires those who stand up on the frontline and march. It needs all of the marginalized and disenfranchised groups, so get on board or get used to it.”

James Alphonse Drops “Crazy For You”

It’s tough to know you’re ready for a real relationship – to find someone you think is your person, and to know they’re just not there with you. “Crazy For You,” the newest single from James, a bit like a cooking recipe. It’s one part “hey, I’m sorry. I was ignorant and couldn’t empathize with you” and another part “this sucks, now I understand.”

Pop Evil premieres music video for “Breathe Again”, new album in Spring 2021

Michigan’s own, POP EVIL, debuted the official music video for their latest hit single “Breathe Again”, from a string of hit singles the band has dropped during the turbulent year of 2020, including “Let The Chaos Reign” and “Work”, which rose to one of their fastest Top 10 hits yet. The video marks the first set of visuals from their sixth full-length, Versatile, that’s expected this spring via Entertainment One (eOne). The futuristic and partly animated video, directed by Johan Carlén captures Pop Evil in a new light as they dive into their greatest stylistic shift to date, striking on some of their heaviest moments as a band while still balancing their unflinching groove with cinematic melody.

Hanalei (ex-The Ghost/Great Apes) “Bristlecone Queen”

When Brian Moss (ex-The Ghost / Great Apes) began writing Black Snow he never could have imagined that when he finished making the album that we would be in the midst of a global pandemic. The record is a non-linear, fictional collage, set in the not-so-distant future, following the destruction of our climate and the subsequent disintegration of modern society. “Bristlecone Queen” is the second single from the album and is narrated from the perspective of a tree that has lived for millennia and seen the rise and fall of indigenous populations, manifest destiny, and “civilized” industrial society.

Track Premiere: Hanalei – ‘Bristlecone Queen’

Clever Girls Stream “Saturn” via Flood Magazine

Quote from Diane Jean (they/them pronouns):
When you flip a tarot card to unveil the Tower of the Major Arcana, those who practice often associate the draw with a tumultuous fulcrum- a moment characterized by uncertainty or a future that will be constructed on false premises. In a green room of a Burlington concert venue, I drew the Tower card (among some other cards that were arguably pretty negative) with a friend named Lee who was performing my reading. Lee saw my nervousness and wracked their brain for the words that would spin this reading into something positive I️ could take with me on stage; I began to sweat and writhe with discomfort as the tarot cards stared up at me. We spoke about my return of Saturn, or the rebirth we as humans experience as we leave our youth behind and enter adulthood. It was late November and I️ was about to enter my twenty-eighth year on earth. I️ wrote Saturn shortly after this night, as I️ thought about the challenge of forging a future for myself that I️ could desire and be proud of. What structures from my adolescence could I️ part with? What towers am I️ able to condemn, destroy, and rebuild in favor of something lovelier, something more sturdy

Austin, TX Indie Rockers Gentlemen Rogues Debut Music Video for Latest Single “Do The Resurrection!”

“Do The Resurrection!” has also been handpicked by Stevie Van Zandt as this week’s “The Coolest Song In The World” on his SiriusXM channel and terrestrial radio show Little Steven’s Underground Garage, and is garnering heavy airplay throughout the week and months ahead. An interview conducted by THE MIGHTY MANFRED will air on the channel this Friday, February 12th in the 2pm est hour and again in their ‘Coolest Conversations’ Podcast on Monday, Feb 15.

Jude Gwynaire New Single ‘King Sol and the Merwoman’

A sprawling, lush symphonic work Jude Gwynaire deftly weaves together a whole slew of influences on “King Sol and the Merwoman”. The whole of the piece has an extremely tactile quality to it for the percussion helps to give the grooves an elastic cadence, with the rhythms further emphasizing a spirit of togetherness. Melodies here go for a true touch of beauty, effortlessly weaving Eastern and Western traditions in a way that is respectful to both. By opting for this sort of spirit the whole of the piece teems with so much life. Volume is an absolute must for his is a feeling even more than a sound, meaning it should be felt on a physical level.

Michael Brun ‘Melanin’ EP out now, ft. Kah Lo, Shirazee, Shay Lia…

In spite of the global pandemic, 2020 saw Haitian artist Michael Brun expand his influence as one of Haiti’s most prominent cultural figures and musicians. He became a Grammy winner for his contributions to international superstar J. Balvin’s Colores album, spearheaded a music-industry first geofenced digital live tour in three cities, lent his voice to the campaign to remove the term World Music from the Grammys, and debuted three original singles with Nigerian artist Kah Lo, Benin’s Shirazee, and fellow Haitian singer/songwriter Naika.