@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope
UK singer/songwriter ROSE BETTS follows Justice League single with “Recovery”
Rose describes “Recovery” as her most personal song to date, inspired by the messy end of a relationship. She says, “This song came from an experience that changed me and changed the way I write and sing songs.”
Alt-pop/folk duo HARLOR have released their new single “Heart Games”
Rising alt-pop/folk duo HARLOR have released their new single “Heart Games”. The introspective single immerses the listener in the relatable tale of falling hard for someone when you know it won’t end well. It’s the latest track from the genre-bending act ahead of their forthcoming EP, Letters To An X – arriving May 14.
Matthew E. White + Lonnie Holley’s “Broken Mirror, A Selfie Reflection,” is out today on Spacebomb!
“This album is about me connecting the dots between what I have been doing in these last few years of art-making since Big Inner and what I was doing before that (improvised music). I’m trying to find common ground between songwriting, improvisation and composition. And sometimes you just get an idea where 1 + 1 equals 10, you feel less like you’re creating it and more as if you’re just transcribing it, you’re transcribing fate. That’s what this whole thing felt like.” – Matthew E. White
Equal parts jazzy lo-fi beats and awfultune’s signature bedroom pop roots, the laidback release explores growth and discovery in its most intimate form. “sunflower” comes as the third chapter in awfultune’s color story, a six-part creative venture that examines emotional themes underscoring red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and so on. awfultune’s last two singles “lovesick” and “SICK OF U” have respectively relished in being head-over-heels-in-love versus the thin line between love and hate, pulling inspiration from red and orange. Meanwhile “sunflower” soaks in sentiments surrounding yellow to craft a narrative of an eye-opening realization of self-worth. Each song alongside each color tackles the unique highs and lows of Layla’s coming-of-age journey, finding herself and existing as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Critically-acclaimed Samantha Crain ‘I Guess We Live Here Now’ EP out today
Crain is currently nominated for the Artist of the Year at the 2021 International Folk Music Awards. Her latest LP, A Small Death, was released last year to critical acclaim from NPR Music, The New York Times, Uncut Magazine, MOJO and more. The album marked the first release and artist signing for Real Kind Records, a new label founded by UK-based artist Lucy Rose.
CHARLOTTE LAWRENCE REVEALS ACOUSTIC VERSION OF NEW EP ‘CHARLOTTE’ // LISTEN HERE
Released in March, Charlotte is led by single ‘Talk You Down,’ an addictive percussion-driven electronic pop number about Charlotte’s own struggle with anxiety, which she is remarkably open about. She explores fear and struggle through a relationship on ‘Sin x Secret’, a sense of feeling lost on ‘Cowboys’, aching heartbreak on ‘Slow Motion’, the perils of love on ‘You’, addiction & dependence on ‘RX’, and payback on closing song ‘Why Do You Love Me.’
Prado Doesn’t Play in the Eye-Popping “Gucci Store” Video
Combining a blend of pop, rap, electronic, and more into a sound that is uniquely her own, Prado is on a mission to turn heads. Providing a jolt of energy with her latest bit of bubblegum trap, Prado shares “Gucci Store,” her new song, which she wrote with her sister Zuleyyma Prado and co-produced with Franco Maravilla & Xander Miller. Ever since she started uploading songs to SoundCloud under the moniker AlienKanye, Prado has carved her own path through the music industry, never trying to be anything other than her own unapologetic self. Built around an insistent and infectious synth riff, “Gucci Store” is packed with melodic flows and lyrics purpose-built for Instagram captions: “I’m not gonna play with n****s anymore/Just gonna go buy myself the Gucci store.”
Ade shares “Another Weekend” ahead of debut album
DIY auteur Ade has just released “Another Weekend,” the second single from his forthcoming debut album Midnight Pizza (out April 23rd). The song began its life as a series of vinyl pops sampled from an old Mother Goose storytime record, whimsically and paradoxically transformed into a dance anthem about staying in. “It’s something of an outlier on the album, but it was such a flow-y unfiltered account of my life at the time that I felt I had to include it,” states Ade. “Plus I get a kick out of the idea of a four-on-the-floor club track about being tired of going out.”
POP-RAP NEWCOMER DAMIEN IS OFF “TO THE MOON”
Consistently keeping his rapidly growing fanbase fed with new music, Damien dropped his debut track “Catch Me” last November and has since released “Monsters,” “Here’s ur chance,” “i can’t stop,” “Ride,” “Ashes,” and most recently “Insecurities” Releasing his music as fast as he experiences his emotions, Damien over 200k monthly listeners on Spotify in four months.
THE BLIPS DROP THEIR NEW SELF-TITLED LP TODAY!
The group formed after Will Stewart – an accomplished songwriter and guitar player who has released several acclaimed records under his own name and with the Birmingham-based group Timber – sent a few curious text messages inviting a group of friends and collaborators to convene and write some tunes together. That group included: Taylor Hollingsworth, Wes McDonald, Eric Wallace, and Chris McCauley.
SeepeopleS release NEW single/animated video!
Genre-Bending Spanish Rapper Yung Beef Shares Wavy “Problemas Musicales” from El Plugg 2 Mixtape
Garnering 70M+ total streams worldwide on four projects in 2020, Yung Beef has become one of Spain’s biggest rappers without ever pandering to the mainstream. Coming through with a room-enveloping trap banger, Yung Beef shares “Problemas Musicales,” his latest single. Produced by SoundCloud sound architect DP Beats, known for producing wavy bangers for artists like Lil Uzi Vert and Chief Keef, “Problemas Musicales” is an immersive bit of cloud trap, as Yung Beef and his La Venedicion artist Uzii Gaang toe tag seismic blasts of 808s with effortlessly fly flows. Together, the two rappers demonstrate why they’re a problem whenever they connect on a track, projecting a DGAF attitude that transcends language barriers. “Problemas Musicales” is the second standout track from Yung Beef to emerge in recent weeks, following the reggaeton-influenced, Dragonball Z-referencing single and video “Majin Vegeta,” which reached over one million views on YouTube in less than a week.
Fly Wizard Fly!
“Fly Wizard Fly” is meant to take you on a journey. U.S. election night and the classic film, Pulp Fiction, were the main inspirations for our new track, which envisions a wizard trying to magically change peoples minds.
Neo-glam rocker Art d’Ecco shares new single “Desires” w/official video
“A tale born inside the dark underbelly of old Hollywood, then repackaged and reimagined as a rock and roll tragedy,” d’Ecco says “’Desires’ is about the entertainer at the end of their career — soon to be phased out by the next wave of rising talent, and shifting audience tastes. For the old guard, this spectre of change is a constant existential threat that will challenge their ability to keep up with the times and to remain relevant in this brutal industry of show business.”
Dub Aura – Everyday – *New* Video
SHAED Releases New Single & Music Video “Osaka” | Debut LP Out 5/14 via Photo Finish
“Osaka” was inspired by our trip to Japan in 2019. We spent two glorious weeks hopping around the island and playing massive festivals in Tokyo and Osaka. We fell in love with the culture, landscape, food and people, and had the best time of our lives. We left Japan with a confidence we never knew existed within ourselves. “Osaka” is an expression of that feeling. – SHAED
Grammy Award-Winning Gramps Morgan Releases New Track “A Woman Like You”
After an unprecedented year of civil unrest amidst a global pandemic that left so many isolated and suffering devastating losses, Nashville based reggae artist Gramps Morgan wants to spread more love in 2021. Offering a unique voice to Music City’s increasingly diverse sounds, the soulful GRAMMY award-winning crooner releases his latest track “A Woman Like You” as well as an accompanying video.
DARREN CRISS RELEASES NEW SINGLE “F*KN AROUND”
An ode to his garage band upbringing, “F*KN AROUND” is an unapologetic alt-pop head-nod anthem, highlighting Darren’s musicianship with his driving dirty bassline groove and even dirtier lead guitar counterparts. This is his first of several upcoming new songs, which Darren describes as “character-driven singles.”
Mark Mallman shares new album ‘Happiness’ today, video for title track out now
Mallman says, “A happy video feels like a hyperpop sugar rush or a birthday cake. The video has folks moving in the street from all over the world to celebrate through music and dancing. This is the funky merger. It’s a bop!”
New Signing Hein Cooper Shares “Pretend” Video
Immense change has been at the forefront of Cooper’s life for a minute now. With his debut album The Art of Escape, Cooper has toured tirelessly, supporting James Bay and Lukas Graham. A couple of years back, the multi-instrumentalist recorded new music with producer Jarryd Shuker in Montreal, where Cooper also met his wife. Meeting the love of his life has been a transformative experience that informs his latest recordings. In addition to themes around commitment, references to Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn show Cooper’s love of classic literature. Musically, Cooper – who’s been compulsively listening to Bon Iver, Frank Ocean, RY X – has delivered songs framed in folk with a clear pop sensibility and, this time around, a bit of RnB vibe mixed into the ensemble.
BROOKLYN’S SARAH CICERO SPILLS HER SOUL ON HER DEBUT EP COLD IMMACULATE OPPOSITE OUT TODAY
Brooklyn’s Sarah Cicero has released her breathtaking debut EP Cold Immaculate Opposite out today on all digital services. The EP tackles the uncertainty of being a twenty-something and those in-between years, stepping out of childhood, yet not yet completely knowing how to navigate adulthood. This EP was a collaborative effort between Cicero, her producer Sahil Ansari, and a number of peers from the richly creative Brooklyn DIY scene who worked to help bring the songs to life, all while in isolation. The collaborative effort put into the music during a year of solitude is further proof of how important community is especially, during times of transition.
Texas Taliban Releases ‘Runs On Hate’ EP and “Tu Rey Muerto” Music Video
Emerging five-piece metal band Texas Taliban releases its debut EP Runs On Hate via Pavement Entertainment. Written by vocalist Chris Kidwell and lead guitarist Erich King, the EP contains five diverse tracks of hardcore thrash that showcases what the band is all about. “This is our gift of gritty Texas murder thrash to you,” says Kidwell.
POUTYFACE RELEASES BRAND NEW TRACK “NEVER FUCKIN KNOW”
19-year-old Poutyface confesses that she will “Never Fuckin Know” how she arrived at the raucous and messy aftermath of her wasted day (or was it a wasted night?). She delivers the same graphic detail that her loyal fanbase has come to appreciate ever since her self-released “Deathwish” arrived last year, and she began to garner critical acclaim and millions of streams.
CHARLOTTE CARDIN SEEKS REVENGE WITH “SAD GIRL”
Globally-acclaimed singer/songwriter Charlotte Cardin has unveiled “Sad Girl,” the latest track off her highly anticipated debut full-length album Phoenix (arriving April 23rd via Atlantic Records). Arriving alongside a mesmerizing video directed by Norman Wong (Drake, Halsey), “Sad Girl” follows stand-out singles “Passive Aggressive,” “Daddy” & “Meaningless” – all of which marked the first music in nearly two years from the Montreal-based artist.
Jo Mersa Marley Showcase His Lyrical Style on His New Single ‘Yo Dawg’ Feat. Busy Signal
The “Yo Dawg” track produced by Grammy award winning producer, musician and composer Jazzwad, captures a fresh dancehall sound, which will leave listeners compelled to dance. Jo Mersa play on word stimulates the ear of the listener as Jo has a lyrical conversation with his ‘dawg’ Busy Signal. The conversation is reciprocal, as Busy Signal also shares his million things he is handling, while giving thanks for all his success.
Adam Lanceley Fights Back with New Album
A promising sportsman and a high-achiever academically, Adam Lanceley’s world was turned upside-down when a catastrophic car accident left him with life-changing injuries.
Doctors advised him he was unlikely to walk or talk again, should he survive. Against all odds, Adam not only proved them wrong but has taken his remarkable recovery to the extreme, running marathons and carving out a career as a singer-songwriter.
BEBELUNA REVEALS STUNNING SECOND EP ‘CAVITY’// LISTEN HERE
Having established themselves as an artist to watch this year with stand out debut project Ecdysis, genre free newcomer BEBELUNA continues to pick up steam with the reveal of stellar new project, Cavity. Arriving alongside a vibrant visual for recently revealed new single Watermelon, the project cements newcomer BEBELUNA as a proud gender fluid artist creating vital new music.
The acclaimed Canadian artist, Justin Nozuka is today sharing his new EP, then, now & again, out via Post 1988/Black Box. Complex featured the EP, dubbing it “the perfect project to spin whether you’re feeling good, bad, or comme ci comme ça.” The full EP follows the release of recent singles, “summer night o8” (tipped at Clash and Ones To Watch) and the Mahalia-featuring track, “No One But You”, which amassed over 3.6 million streams late last year, as well as support from Complex and SPIN.
CT Rock Band + Punk Flavored Anthem “What Are You Waiting For”
“What Are You Waiting For” is anthemic and uplifting, delivering a message of optimism and hope while encouraging fans to fearlessly pursue their dreams no matter the challenges that may stand in their way. The band created the music video despite the limitations caused by the pandemic, and their drive to film and complete it not only reflects the song’s theme but also the band’s mission to set forth a positive message in everything they create.
boyband – “fooly cooly”
The vibrant music video for “fooly cooly” features the spacious and abstract aesthetic of the anime that inspired it. Highlighting the personality, mentality and psyche of Mamimi Samejima, a despondent and troubled character from Kazuya Tsurumaki’s FLCL series, boyband uses the emotionally charged “fooly cooly” as a platform to highlight the complicated feelings that are associated with growing up. Zooming in on the intricate details of her character arch, the song navigates Samejima’s depression and the manner in which she shoulders the heartbreak she frequents from her toxic home life and the rejection she feels when her ex-boyfriend Tasuku Nandaba, abandons her to chase his dreams of professional baseball.
Motorbike James Drops Debut ‘VIISIONS’ LP
Motorbike James is the musical brainchild and artist alias of Michael Werbicki, a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and producer from Edmonton, Alberta. MBJ’s natural prerogative is to live a life in the moment, for the moment. That emotion comes out in all sides of his life – chasing adrenaline highs, riding motorbikes, exploring the world, and most of all through music.
“Common Sensei,” the latest single from MBJ’s debut album, VIISIONS, is an analysis of a character – someone going through their days with blinders on. Someone choosing to live inside a box, only believing what they can see. Ignoring any notion of a deeper meaning. Someone not in tune with themselves or their surroundings.
iogi convinces us ‘everything’s worth it,’ out now via Raw Tapes (Tel Aviv’s leading beat label)
Tel Aviv-based artist, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, iogi, today shares his album everything’s worth it via Raw Tapes Records (Tel Avi’s leading beat label & collective co-founded by Stones Throw artist, Rejoicer). For such a seriously talented & classically trained (since the age of 5) musician, iogi has made a record that does not take itself too seriously, it’s an effortless listen.
Lisel + Booker Stardrum Premiere “Stalls” Video with FLOOD Magazine
The video for “Stalls” was made in collaboration with dancer/choreographer Gwendolyn Gussman (like many of the videos for Mycelial Echo). “It begins in a dimly lit barn, a horse’s stall, with a solo dancer in a minimal blue bodysuit completing small and repeated movements, which over time become larger and more physical, her body digitally layered on top of itself,” says Bagg. “Finally, at the end of the video we get the freedom and release that the music builds towards as its complex rhythmic patterns dissolve into a bed of lush synths: we land in a surreal, magical landscape of snow and aspen trees — the natural world. The dancer in her blue unitard is now just a small, uncanny, spot of color in the sunlit, bright expanse.”
Lisel + Booker Stardrum’s “Stalls” Is an Exuberant, Sleek Pop Experiment
ANONYMOUS DUO NEWSPOKE RELEASE NEW SINGLE “SLEEP WELL”
“Sleep Well” follows the release of “Clean”, which came out in March 2021, and upholds familiar tones of acoustic guitars and catchy melodies while the lyrics tell candid stories of love and the ups and downs that can come with it. The song is an intimate look into the mind of Newspoke’s lead singer and songwriter M and touches on personal experiences that he’s gone through over the past few years.
