@skopemag news – thursday – may 20, 2021 @ 12 am est
@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope
“Inescapably beautiful” new single from Gawain and the Green Knight // New EP coming soon
“Fingers” is “a love song for my soon-to-be husband [bandmate Mike O’Malley], simple as that,” says singer/guitarist Alexia Antoniou, and one of her only auto-biographical songs. She found inspiration in an unusual place – on an airplane, when they were unable to get seats together. “I had been reading Madeline Miller’s Song of Achilles and finished it mid-flight and was just completely emotionally devastated. I wasn’t just teary-eyed, I was outright weeping- so much so that the woman next to me took one look at me and started turning up the volume on her little headrest TV,” Antoniou recalls. “I managed to make meaningful eye contact with Mike across the aisle, and with a few gestures of the head, he agreed to meet me near the airplane toilets so I could cry some more on him. ‘Fingers’ was inspired by that whispered conversation.”
Yung Mal Embraces His Boss Status with 1.5 Way Or No Way Mixtape, Ft. G Herbo, Pooh Shiesty & More
1.5 Way Or No Way is home to recent singles like “Walkin,” an ominous banger with a standout verse from Pooh Shiesty, and the title track “1.5 Way Or No Way,” a new anthem that serves as the mission statement for the project. Featuring additional appearances from G Herbo, Lil Gotit, BIG30, and Slimelife Shawty, 1.5 Way Or No Way is available everywhere via Alamo Records.
ALABAMA RAPPER LI HEAT IGNITES WITH NEW MIXTAPE HEATIN UP
After racking up millions of views and streams independently and attracting cosigns from the likes of Young Thug, Gucci Mane, and more, viral rap phenomenon Li Heat unleashes his new mixtape, Heatin Up, today. Along with the full project, an official video for “Victim” with Li Heat and Big 30 is out now. The Niles Bryant directed visual, is a high-energy showcase of the duo’s combined lyrical skills.
2KBABY RELEASES CINEMATIC “GREAT WHITE” VIDEO
Emerging rapper 2KBABY unleashes a gritty new video for recent single “Great White” which was released last week Friday on Masked Records / Warner Records. Giving insight into the perils of life in the streets in the captivating visual, the Louisville hitmaker moves with menacing precision.
Sons of Raphael release “Yeah Yeah Yeah” video
Sons of Raphael – the duo of brothers Loral and Ronnel Raphael – have released “Yeah Yeah Yeah,” the latest video/single from their debut album Full-Throated Messianic Homage, out this Friday via Because Music (Christine and the Queens, Shygirl, Metronomy). The album was seven years in the making, beginning its life in London before being mixed by the late Phillipe Zdar (Phoenix, The Beastie Boys & Cat Power) at Motorbass in Paris – and manifests as a four-part hymn to life, death, sin, love and resurrection. “Yeah Yeah Yeah” is a pivotal moment on the album, representing the sound of Sons of Raphael hitting a moment of clarity after years of hard work.
MARINA RELEASES TITLE TRACK FROM UPCOMING ALBUM, “ANCIENT DREAMS IN A MODERN LAND”
“You don’t have to fit into the norm, you are not here to conform” she sings on the track that ponders all we can be as beings on Earth. A vibrant VHS-inspired visualizer accompanying the song is streaming now via YouTube HERE. The new song comes as the title track from MARINA’s upcoming album, Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land; due out June 11th, with pre-orders available now.
Garbage premiere new single “Wolves” on “The Zane Lowe Show”
“This song reminds me of my younger self, when there were two sides to my personality,” says Manson, recalling the old folklore tale about dueling inner wolves. “I hurt so many people in my life, both knowingly and unknowingly, I’m sure. But when you’re young and in self-survival mode, much like a baby rattlesnake, you have no idea how strong your venom is. But it has the power to kill. You’re just out there having fun. This song is an ode to that idea of: Who are you going to be? Are you going to be a cunt, or are you going to be a good force in the world? This is the pop song off the record.”
Led by Josh Graham — visual artist, multi- instrumentalist, and electro-acoustic composer best known for his work with Neurosis, Red Sparowes, Battle Of Mice, and A Storm Of Light — IIVII focuses on enigmatic cinematic atmospheres, exploring elements of electronica, classical, ambient, drone, and vaporwave that ultimately culminate to a fully immersive listening experience.
Grubby Little Hands share new single on Side Hustle Records
“For many songs, the writing and the production are tedious, laborious processes,” the band says. “But with ‘Surf Lullaby’ everything was pleasantly effortless and organic. We started playing our instruments, and the music happened. We sat down with a notepad and the words came right away. Even the title was a temporary description at first, but it just stuck. We wish we could say every song we made was this easy, but this was pretty rare.”
The Color Forty Nine Share First Single/Video from Summer Release, “String Ladder”
The music is cinematic, it’s an open road drive to the proverbial west. With violins etching the movement of clouds, pianos spelling out the rain, the haunt of synthesizers adding a unique element to the gothic Americana ballads. There’s a hint of gypsy and barrio, roots reaching outward into new terrain. It’s the music of the Mojave sunset.
Portland indie r&b band Night Heron share gorgeous “Dreamz” video
Portland indie r&b band Night Heron (featuring former frontman Cameron Spies of Radiation City along with members of Y La Bamba, Black Belt Eagle Scout & Aan) share the gorgeous new video for “Dreamz” with Northern Transmissions. They collaborated with La Musa Fea (Comala, MX).
Mereba Releases Official Music Video For “Rider”
“This year has shown us that that is actually more of us than many people thought.,” says the singer. “I want to remind people of love, too. The very thing we deserve the right to do, and to be.” In her latest record, “Rider,” Mereba aims to be the ultimate partner for her beau by cultivating true love in its purest form. The record recently peaked at No. 5 on the SoundCloud Top 50: R&B & Soul chart. Fans can pre-order AZEB now.
LIL MOE 6BLOCKA RELEASES NEW RAMBUNCTIOUS SINGLE AND VIDEO “NOTHIN”
The bass-heavy anthem is another example of Moe’s verbal dexterity and ability to turn witty phrases into stylish storytelling. He again takes aim at his opps, warning them to stay out of the way because he isn’t slowing down any time soon. The track is hypnotic and succinct, with Moe letting loose a barrage of bars before the beat fades. “Nothin” offers another view of Moe’s post-drill style, bruising but effortlessly floating with the practiced flow of a seasoned veteran.
Big Jade Follows Her Dreams in BeatKing-Produced “I Tell You What”
Armed with blunt force bars and a fierce attitude, Big Jade always puts forward her authentic self in her music videos. Sharing her latest slice-of-life clip from her day-to-day in Beaumont, Texas (a small city 1.5 hours east of Houston), Big Jade shares “I Tell You What.” Produced by her mentor, Houston club god BeatKing, “I Tell You What” adds Texas-sized 808s to a sample of Jerry Butler’s “No Money Down,” which Kanye West famously sampled for The Game’s “Dreams.” Rhyming with a flow that ranges conversational to rapid fire, Jade lays down her operating philosophy in forceful bursts of syllables: “Get it by any means necessary, never put your trust in a man.” In the video, Jade mobs outside of a Beaumont liquor store, holding a bottle of dirty Faygo in her immaculately manicured hands while she spits her fire. “I Tell You What” is the latest video from Pressure, Jade’s hard-hitting debut album.
Lil Poppa Charts on Billboard Top 200 | New Video for “Halo”
Florida rapper Lil Poppa has released music video for fan favorite track “Halo” which is off his recently released debut album, Blessed, I Guess. The album is currently charting in Billboard’s Top 200 charts, a new record for the 21 year old artist who signed to Rule #1/Interscope Records two years ago. Pitchfork, who reviewed the album this week, praised Poppa for his meditative style on the project, touting that, “he can be explosive without losing any of the depth of his slower songs.”
Tim Ayre says “So Long” to former self on new indie rock track inspired by Todd Rundgren and The Beach Boys
Today, Sydney based musician, composer and vocalist Tim Ayre shares his new single “So Long”, taken from his upcoming EP Modern Life out June 16 via Kitsuné Musique. “So Long” is one of the more reflective moments on the EP – the lyrics, depicting Tim’s farewell to his former self, are juxtaposed with bubbly-edged guitar riffs. “So Long”, alongside previous singles “Miami Drive” and “Mexican Holiday” will be featured on the upcoming EP.
NUCLEAR WINTER STREAM NEW ALBUM IN FULL
NUCLEAR WINTER, the solo project of Zimbabwean metal artist Gary Stautmeister has teamed up with Metal Bite to stream the entirety of his new album Greystone. The album will be released this Friday via MMD Records.
Gary commented “”I’m very happy to have completed this new album titled Greystone. I was aiming to produce something heavy but also more electronic than my previous EP. It was quite challenging mix-wise because each song uses a slightly different sound on the drums/bass/guitars, but I feel the overall production is an improvement from my previous work, and the songs are now hopefully more distinct from each other. I especially like Corridor of Shells – which is about a battle in which the surrendering army brings shame to their country.”
CANYON STREAM “STATIC” IN FULL
Australia’s CANYON are streaming the entirety of their new EP “Static” in full via Sleeping Village Reviews. The album is set to be released this Friday.
The site commented “While Static presents five tracks that are each undeniably unique in their own right, the EP as a whole carries itself with a tasteful nostalgic swagger. As aforementioned, there’s a strong 90’s-esque grunge-by-way-of-alternative-metal vibe at play; imagine, if ye please, an alternate universe in which Rubin recruited Chris Cornell for Manmade God rather than Audioslave. If you’re a fan of 90’s rock in general, I’m quite confident–insistent, even–that there is something here worth sinking your teeth into.”
