Category: FEATURES

Feature stories and artist interviews

Alternative hip-hop band Toad and the Stooligans drops new and energetic soul infused single “Stevie Sees”

Providence, RI based alternative hip-hop band Toad and the Stooligans have dropped the first single from their forthcoming sophomore album Jesus Juice, due to be released Friday September 25th 2020. “Stevie Sees” is an energetic and soul infused tune, featuring hooky horns, smooth instrumental backing and the group’s established dual emcee delivery. The Stooligans bounce…

Thunder Jackson releases new single “Institution”

Today, Thunder Jackson announces his much-anticipated self-titled debut album Thunder Jackson, due for release October 1st via VERO Music/ADA. Along with the announcement he today releases new single “Institution”. Arriving as part of a double-single alongside a re-recorded version of viral debut single “Guilty Party”, the self-directed video for “Institution” features Thunder Jackson in a…

Courtney Cole Announces New EP ‘Earthquake’ Out August 21

Singer-songwriter Courtney Cole is announcing the release of her new EP, Earthquake. The EP is available for pre-order on iTunes and will be available on all streaming platforms on August 21st. The 4-track EP includes 3 previously released singles — “New Eyes,” “Right Direction,” “Spiritual” — and the brand new title track, “Earthquake.” The EP…

Bikini Test Failure asks, “Are We Having A Good Time Yet?” Well, are we?

More life-affirming, post-lockdown, pre-Second-Wave, melodious, dark, 
humorous, classy Prog Alt. Rock Britpop from the fevered mind of Manchester UK’s one-man-band, ego-maniac, control-freak James Hill, with all the hallmarks of a Dark-Side-Of-The-Moon Pink Floyd, fronted by the acid wit and humour of a Queen-Is-Dead Smiths. Hammond organ and Rhodes piano, clanging, chiming guitars, Neil Young’s distorted…

Ras Minano & The Hope of Africa Present ‘My Love’ Video

Coming from Ghana West Africa, Founder of The Hope of Africa Band, Ras Minano, is recognised internationally as a renowned Reggae and Afrobeats artist. ​ A gifted musician, drummer, percussionist, singer, songwriter, composer and producer, Ras shares his talent and worldly visions openly through heart and music. His deeply honest, rich and earthy lyrics, infectious…

@skopemag news – monday – august 10, 2020 @ 9 am est

@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope Fliptrix announces his 8th solo album Light Work High Focus Records’ Fliptrix announces his 8th solo album ‘Light Work’ alongside the first single, ‘Powerizm’. The 16-track project – which is due out in October – is a complete representation of Fliptrix as both an artist as well as reflecting the person…

New Collaboration Video Of Rachel Eckroth ft. Sy Smith “Perfect Love”

Some collaborations are irresistible. Take the reigning queen of underground soul and match her with a synthesizer wizard and exquisite soundscaper – how could that go wrong? Well, set your expectations aside, because “Perfect Love,” which matches the visionary producer and songwriter Rachel Eckroth with vocalist Sy Smith, is far more than the sum of…

LÉON Announces Sophomore Album “Apart” with New Single

Building off the success of her self-titled debut album, Swedish act LÉON announces her sophomore album Apart, out everywhere October 30th via LÉON Recordings, her imprint partnership with BMG. With the announcement, the songstress releases her newest single “Chasing A Feeling,” out everywhere now. The stunning visual accompanies the track, premiering now on Refinery29. Sometimes…

Gabe drops new visuals for “True”

GABE is an American singer, songwriter, and actor who hails from New Orleans, LA. At a very young age, GABE was involved in several regional talent-shows where we wowed the crowds with a stellar vocal delivery. Coined as a musical genius, GABE has been privy to perform on MTV’s Top Pop Group, The Late Late…

@skopemag news – weekend / sunday – august 9, 2020 @ 5 pm est

@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope Atlanta Artist 5AM Is Back With His Latest Track “Automatic” Today Today marks the release of artist and producer 5AM’s latest track, “Automatic” on 1865/Interscope Records. On the ethereal yet pop forward track the Atlanta-based rapper/singer shows off his eclectic and ever-growing sound – he showcases his buttery smooth voice that…

Nigerian superstar Yemi Alade shares new track “True Love”

“True Love” follows “BOYZ,” an uptempo Afropop track, which Okayafrica praised for its “booming production” courtesy of frequent collaborator Vtek. “BOYZ” marked the first new music from her this year. Poised for a U.S. breakthrough year, Yemi Alade is an artist, actress and entertainer of Yoruba and Igbo descent who has released four albums: King…

Tobacco shares Trent Reznor collaboration “Babysitter”

It’s been four years since Sweatbox Dynasty, the fourth solo LP from Pennsylvanian experimentalist TOBACCO. In that time, Tom Fec’s project has toured with Nine Inch Nails, provided the theme song to HBO series Silicon Valley, and teamed with Aesop Rock for a collaborative album as Malibu Ken. He now returns to Ghostly International for…

Madeline – “On a Different Wave!”

“”On a Different Wave!” is my classy way of saying “fuck you” to the people who dragged me down, and that I’m doing better than ever without them. When I was younger, I worked with incredibly controlling and suffocating men in music who wanted to keep me low to hold power over me. They were…

@skopemag news – weekend / sunday – august 9, 2020 @ 2 pm est

@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope Supergroup The Wheelblocks (Feat. Members of Fozzy, Avenged Sevenfold, Alice Cooper, Ex-Machinehead) Release Cover of Iron Maiden’s “Aces High” “Once again in the middle of a pandemic, I had the honor of getting together with some amazing musicians to play a cover of one of my favorite band’s best songs!” exclaims…

Kate Bollinger Shares Video for New Single “Feel Like Doing Nothing”

Charlottesville, VA-based musician Kate Bollinger has shared a video for “Feel Like Doing Nothing,” the latest single from her forthcoming EP, A word becomes a sound. Of the dream pop-inspired “Feel Like Doing Nothing,” Bollinger says “By now I know that I am happiest when I’m keeping myself as busy as possible, but with that…

LIGHTS SHARES “DEAD END” REMIX LP

Alt-pop artist Lights has shared new remix LP Dead End. Available now on all streaming platforms, Dead End boasts three original tracks and five remixes (co-produced by Lights and MYTH) that completely reimagine fan favorites, including a new take on Lights’ platinum smash “Up We Go” (see attached tracklisting). Fans will recognize the dance-infused interpretations…

@skopemag news – weekend / sunday – august 9, 2020 @ 11 am est

@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope Galimatias Announces ‘Renaissance Boy’ ft Bas, Xavier Omar + Shares “Let Go” Following lead single “Redeye,” “Let Go” is another track submerged in Galimatias’s exquisite late-night, blurry-eyed feelings, bringing the sensuous and pensive palette of his upcoming debut LP into sharper focus. The opening half of “Let Go” foregrounds Galimatias’s fragile…

Armand Van Helden remixes Jonas Blue & MAX’s new single ‘Naked’

House music legend Armand Van Helden is the latest artist to remix the Jonas Blue & MAX smash ‘Naked’, out now. A ferociously high-energy club track, Van Helden’s remix announces itself with pumping kick drums and rave sirens, before making way for the smoothest of breakdowns – an ode to the New York house sound…

New Galya Bisengalieva video “Kantubek”

Galya Bisengalieva shares single and video “Kantubek” off of her debut album Aralkum, a work centered on the disastrous shrinking of the Aral Sea, due September 4 through One Little Independent Records (Björk, Poppy Ackroyd). The shrinking of the Aral Sea has been called one of the worst environmental disasters on the planet. Situated in…

Thierry Wone & Maggie Tra Rediscover Their Roots On New Lo-Fi Single ‘Le Poids D’une Larme’

Mixing his Senegal/Vietnamese roots with a multi-cultured French up-bringing rapper Thierry Wone teams up with Australian born Cambodian/Vietnamese DJ/Producer Maggie Tra for ‘Le Poids D’une Larme’. The single is a collaborative effort, produced by Maggie Tra along with Thierry Wone which features stunning French lyrics that resonate without translation. Oozing with emotive feels, and wobbly…

Introducing The Buzzworthy Sounds of Modern Leisure’s New Single

Modern Leisure is the musical project of Denver native, Casey Banker. The project began in 2016 as a vehicle for Banker’s personal songwriting after departing from his former band, Shady Elders. The songs of Modern Leisure take personal stories and weaves them into ebullient indie-pop. After the 2018 debut release of “Super Sad Rom Com,”…

Komanda Releases Their Latest Single “Begin Again”

“Begin Again” is about the final exhales of a relationship, the kind where both parties are reluctant to move on. The verses represent the intimate moments in the couple’s life while the chorus opens up into the self-reflective, healing stage that each individual hopefully achieves after wounds have calloused. https://www.instagram.com/komandamusica

@skopemag news – weekend / sunday – august 9, 2020 @ 7 am est

@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope NAPOLI VIOLENTA: Neapolitan crime syndicate’s grinders sign to Time To Kill Records Southern Italian grinders NAPOLI VIOLENTA are proud to announce that they have signed a worldwide contract with Time To Kill Records, joining the label’s growing roster of premier talent. NAPOLI VIOLENTA was born in the Neapolitan hinterland in 2018.…

Eric Anders’ and Mark O’Bitz’s collaborate via ‘Impressive LP’

Surreally bound to a hazy harmony in “Holding Will,” lush and full of color that translates into pure vitality in “Bardo Cons,” the string play afforded to most every track in Eric Anders’ and Mark O’Bitz’s collaborative album American Bardo is spellbinding and often as postmodern as any of the lyrical poetry in the record is. The…

Introducing Seint Monet: Debut Single “Bloom” Out Now

Introducing new artist Seint Monet, whose old-soul inspired music captures pop in a whole new way. Today, she unveils her debut single “Bloom,” written by Camden Mueller (Prince Fox), Mia Shelton, Miette Hope and Johnluke Lewis (LANY), who also produced the track, as well as Chris Gehringer (Selena Gomez, Dua Lipa, Lizzo) who mastered. Bloom…

Elliphant Debuts New Single “Had Enough”

American-Swedish Recording artist Elliphant has officially debuted her new single “Had Enough” today, marking the first taste from her forthcoming album produced by Grammy-Award winner Mark Rankin (Adele, Florence and the Machine) and due out this year via Create Music Group. The track is an inspiring pop anthem that finds the singer-songwriter embracing self-reflection and…

@skopemag news – weekend / saturday – august 8, 2020 @ 12 pm est

@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope BLACK EYED PEAS & ARTIST JACK COULTER SUPPORT COLOR OF CHANGE WITH SUCCESSFUL ORIGINAL TRANSLATION ART AUCTION ON CHARITY BUZZ Black Eyed Peas recently joined forces with renowned abstract expressionist painter Jack Coulter in order to support Color of Change—the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. Idol creator Simon Fuller and…

Kat Saul Releases New Single “Monsters”

Today, alt-pop darling Kat Saul is releasing her intoxicating new single, “Monsters.” Co-written by Kat, Alex Venegas, and Alex Koste, and produced by Max Weinik, “Monsters” sees Kat diving deep into her psyche and confronting the fears and unknowns of life. “When you’re a little kid, you’re afraid of things like the Boogie Man, Dracula,…

Claire Frazier Drops New Single Following Debut Buzz Track “I Want You Bad”

After making a declarative debut with her single, “I Want You Bad,” singer, songwriter, and recent high school grad, Claire Frazier has dropped her latest track, “Thrills.” Produced by Dave Cappa and mixed by Erik Madrid and Dylan McDougle, “Thrills” is available everywhere now. “This song encapsulates high school,” shares Claire Frazier. “I think teens…

@skopemag news – weekend / saturday – august 8, 2020 @ 8 am est

@skopemag HQ – http://smarturl.it/skope STEVEN MOSES MERGES UNDENIABLE HOOKS AND A LONER SENSIBILITY IN ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE OF DEBUT SINGLE “LOSE IT” Steven Moses always felt like an outsider. The 20-year-old rapper from Blair County, Pennsylvania remembers his small-town, middle-American upbringing as both liberating and confining. At home, where he and his sister were homeschooled for…

New Video By Proper Einstein “Like This”

Seek out that which inspires you. Never mind the artform, genre, or generation – embrace it all. That’s the true artist’s path, and it’s the path that’s gotten Proper Einstein where he is today. He’s created a singular musical output built upon a foundation that stretches far and wide across the last four decades of…

Greg Hoy and The Boys “Leaving While You Stay”

Leaving While You Stay, the new single/video from California dreamers Greg Hoy and the Boys is now available on Spotify, YouTube and all the major services. The band is thrilled to be able to offer this little piece of summer ear candy to help stave off the live music hunger pains we are all experiencing.…

RATINOFF RELEASES NEW SINGLE “I NEED IT”

Ratinoff releases new song “I Need It” filled with new wave shimmer and infectious melody. Stream it here – https://orcd.co/oyyvrx9 “The inspiration for the song came from an experience I had when I kept crossing paths with a girl I went to middle school with and always had a crush on. I avoided making eye…