NEW Singles & Videos + Release Announcements + Brand New Signings
Asbury Parks' BEACH RATS (Ft. Members of Bouncing Souls, Bad Religion and Lifetime) share new single
What do you get when you mix The Bouncing Souls, Lifetime, Minor Threat and Bad Religion? It's Asbury Park super punk group the Beach Rats with their new single 'Blown To Bits.' It's the third and final teaser single from their upcoming debut Rat Beat. The DIY spirit of punk music is very much alive in Beach Rats.
4 time Oscar nominee, LA's DANNY ELFMAN announces Bigger. Messier
Danny Elfman has announced Bigger. Messier. – a brand new genre-defying album of remixed and reimagined versions of songs from his acclaimed 2021 record Big Mess. Alongside the announcement today, Elfman has debuted a new version of 'Kick Me' re-envisioned by punk legend Iggy Pop. Click on through to watch!
New Jersey virtuoso songwriter DELICATE STEVE shares new song 'I Can Fly Away'
He’s recorded with Paul Simon, been sampled by Kanye West, toured in the Black Keys, and released four critically acclaimed albums of genre-bending instrumental music. **“'I Can Fly Away'* was inspired by Helado Negro, Funkadelic, Pharoah Sanders, Marion Williams and The Clash,” *Marion** explained. It features the voices of Tall Juan and Breanna Barbara, the percussion of Mauro Refosco and the drumming of Austin Vaughn along with keys by Jake Sherman.
New Jerseys' anti-pop hero Dolo Tonight - releases 'Party Favours' to celebrate his new EP
To celebrate the release of his EP Life's A Party And Then You're Dead, Jonah Rindner aka Dolo Tonight also shared the dance ready-single 'Party Favors' and its music video which depicts the 24-year-old as an old man who just wants to party and celebrate life. “Anti-pop is all about messing around with structure and sounds and being a little more experimental,” the 24-year-old explains. “When we were putting this EP together, we would ask ourselves, ‘What would someone normally do in this situation?’ Then we would do the exact opposite.”
Prolific Chicago-based percussionist, composer and producer MAKAYA MCCRAVEN releases new single + announces album
The artist, who has been aptly called a “cultural synthesizer”, has a unique gift for collapsing space, destroying borders and blending past, present, and future into poly-textural arrangements of post-genre, jazz-rooted 21st century folk music. His new album, In These Times, is the triumphant finale of a project 7+ years in the making and features the new single ‘Seventh String,’ which encapsulates the various musical dimensions present on the record.
Philadelphia poet MOOR MOTHER releases 'BARELY WOKE' (feat. Wolf Weston)
Camae Ayewa, better known by her stage name Moor Mother, is an American poet, musician, and activist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is one half of the collective Black Quantum Futurism, along with Rasheedah Phillips, and co-leads the group Irreversible Entanglements. Picking up where her critically acclaimed Anti debut Black Encyclopedia Of The Air ** (Pitchfork 7.9 rating)** left off, 'Barely Woke' comes off the new Moor Mother album Jazz Codes and features the dynamo singer of the restless New York pop quartet Saint Mela.
MOANA & THE TRIBE released new song with Megan Henderson (Breabach)
**"Maiea* was written with Paddy Free, Scotty Morrison and our friend Megan Henderson (Scotland). It's a song to calm the mind with a video beautifully shot by director/producer Vinnie Carter. I love this track, hope you do too. It's the 5th song from our upcoming album Ono".* - Moana Maniapoto | Mānawatia a matariki
Chicago producer and multi-instrumentalist NNAMDÏ announces 6th album 'Please Have A Seat'
NNAMDÏ has never been able to stay in one place. The Chicago multi-instrumentalist and songwriter set a blistering pace in 2020 with his critically acclaimed genre-fusing LP Brat, a punk EP Black Plight, and Krazy Karl, a full-length tribute to Looney Tunes composer Carl Stalling. Add in his role as co-owner of label Sooper Records, as well as recent tours with Wilco, Sleater-Kinney, and black midi.
Baltimore/D.C. post-hardcore PIANOS BECOME THE TEETH share new single 'Skiv'
Consistently expanding their sound - innovation and experimentation are themes that Pianos Become The Teeth have embraced liberally since their inception in 2006, leading up to their most masterful work yet. Many of the tracks within their forthcoming record Drift were recorded through to a 1960’s Echoplex analog tape echo and at moments throughout the album, it was physically manipulated and warped to produce unique sonics that seamlessly elevates the listening experience. The band’s new single, 'Skiv', builds on Pianos Become The Teeth’s expert moody sound in a whole new way.
NYC's Snail Mail releases a cover of Superdrag + Headlock for Spotify singles
Snail Mail, the project of New York by way of Maryland singer-songwriter Lindsey Jordan, is bringing some newfound attention to alternative rock group Superdrag with a cover of the band’s 2002 track 'Feeling Like I Do' for Spotify Singles. The cover is also accompanied by a reworked version of 'Headlock,' which appeared on Snail Mail’s critically acclaimed 2021 album, her second full-length, Valentine.
Philly soul/blues singer Son Little announces 5th album & shares new music
Aaron Earl Livingston, also known by his stage name Son Little, is an American rhythm & blues musician from Philadelphia. Conceived in a cabin overlooking the Delaware River in upstate New York, Son Little’s latest album, Like Neptune, trades in the existential dread permeating previous work for unbridled joy and self-acceptance. In conjunction with the album announcement, he shares two lead singles, 'deeper' and 'stoned love,' continuing to revolutionize the modern understanding and expectation of R&B.
Colorado singer/songwriter SOPHIE MEIERS shares gritty new single
meiers’ dedication has surely paid off in recent years; since she started recording in her basement and uploading the results to Soundcloud, the artist has put out two albums, several popular singles and currently has over one million monthly listeners on Spotify. They blend genres effortlessly and purposefully, creating a sound that defies labels, but remains uniquely theirs. New single ‘untangle me.’ takes cues from 90’s alternative and grunge, channeling feelings of “deep emptiness” during a dark time in their past.
SPOON release 'My Babe' remix with Adrien Sherwood
Legendary Texas rockers Spoon recently released their critically praised 10th album Lucifer On The Sofa ("Best album ever" - Rolling Stone.) They’re sharing the music video for the track 'My Babe', as well as a dub remix by Adrian Sherwood. The video, produced by Jamie-James Medina, stars “Cowboy” Jack Clement as a host of a ’70s variety show as well as Brad Leland from Friday Night Lights.
LA punk/ska revivalists THE INTERRUPTERS' release new power-punk track 'Jailbird'
The Interrupters hit it big in 2018 with 'She’s Kerosene.' The breakthrough track that helped their 3rd record Fight the Good Fight crack the Billboard 200. The 3 Bivona brothers along with Aimee Allen (aka Aimee Interrupter) now return with their new album In The Wild. Third single 'Jailbird' is a quintessential Interrupters track. All the hallmarks of their sound are present, including driving guitar and impassioned vocals courtesy of Aimee Interrupter.
Upbeat NYC melodic punk trio THICK announce new album 'Happy Now'
Born from the DIY/all-ages scene in New York, THICK make music with the raw defiance of punk and addictive melodies of pop, punchy and catchy and wildly tongue-in-cheek. With their live show typically spawning a mosh pit described by Stereogum as “more like an aggressive hug.” Since first forming in 2014, the Brookyln trio have triumphed at turning the harshest truths into wildly exhilarating punk songs, today they announce their 2nd album and share the title track 'Happy Now.'
New Albums & EPs Out Now
Dolo Tonight - Life's A Party Then You're Dead streaming now!
The six tracks on Life’s A Party Then You’re Dead trade in the hip-hop-heavy sound Dolo Tonight cultivated on in his 2021 debut EP Back To Earth, in favor of what he calls “anti-pop;” rooted in the fundamentals of popular music but subverted in all the right ways. Assisted by his Baggage Claim collective of writers and producers, Dolo twists convention and catchy choruses into an intoxicating, sun-soaked blend of indie, alternative, rock, and hip-hop. Listen to Life’s A Party Then You’re Dead now available on all streaming services
FLEET FOXES - A Very Lonely Solstice now available on vinyl & CD
Robin Pecknold brings light to the bleakest of winters with Fleet Foxes’ A Very Lonely Solstice, a 13-track career-spanning collection recorded in December 2020, at Brooklyn, NY’s St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church. Now being released for the first time on vinyl, CD and digital formats, A Very Lonely Solstice captures a poignant moment in time.
MOOR MOTHER - Jazz Codes - Streaming now!
Called “the poet laureate of the apocalypse” by Pitchfork, Moor Mother - aka the songwriter, composer, vocalist, poet, and visual artist Camae Ayewa today releases Jazz Codes. It is her second album for ANTI- and a companion to her celebrated 2021 release Black Encyclopedia of the Air.
MUNA release self-titled third album on Saddest Factory Records
”the California trio emerge with a euphoric third album of stomping pop, country and ambient pulses” – The Guardian
“The Los Angeles trio steps fully into their role as pop stars and mentors, offering gentle instructions for falling in love, dusting yourself off, and joyfully living your truth.” – Pitchfork
“By now, it should be clear that this lot know how to pen a whopper of a pop anthem – that remains apparent here – but more crucially ‘MUNA’ also serves as solid evidence of a band with many more chapters of evolution up their sleeves yet.” – NME
Now available (and highly recommended) online and on vinyl and CD at your local indie retailer.
Two Shell - Icons - now streaming!
The UK production duo Two Shell have spent the past couple years rising in the UK electronic underground, releasing a series of EPs and vinyl-only singles that established a subtle and twitchy sound built around well-executed samples and hypnotic, looping beats. Today, they’re back with a new EP called Icons, which was preceded by the singles 'Dust' and 'Pods,' that feels like the most cohesive collection of tracks that they’ve cobbled together yet.
Heads Up!
Women about Sound Songwriting Mentoring Programme Info 2022 - Google Docs
Women about Sound are excited to announce their songwriting mentoring programme for women and gender-diverse songwriters for 2022. The aim is to develop your capability in songwriting and production in a safe and supportive space led by women and gender-diverse mentors and audio engineers. The programme is based in Tāmaki Makaurau. LEARN MORE BY CLICKING THE LINK!
Attention Aotearoa Artistes / Creatives! EVERY VOICE is an initiative to support creatives with diverse and distinct voices to develop content exclusively for TikTok.
New Zealand and Australian applicants will be eligible to apply for approximately NZD $83,000 / AUD $75,000 per project, with up to 10 successful projects set to receive funding. Projects must comprise of episodic content designed to be told in 6 to 15 episodes of no more than one minute each, aimed at audiences aged between 16 and 35. To participate in the initiative this year, applicants must first submit a short one minute pitch video and post the video on their public TikTok account, between 27 June and 21 July, including the hashtag #everyvoice, as well as providing their contact details via an online entry form. Full eligibility and assessment criteria for New Zealand applicants is available in the guidelines here. Go on! Give it a go!
25th Anniversary of THE PRODIGY’s ‘The Fat of the Land’
XL Recordings today announces two-anniversary releases including a limited edition 2LP silver 12” vinyl package of the original album with a reimagined version of Alex Jenkin’s artwork, and a brand-new remix of 'Firestarter' by drum and bass pioneer Andy C. Available to pre-order from today, both get a full release on 4 November.
ICYMI - Curated by The Label
Check out Belle and Sebastian - Live on KEXP session
KEXP.ORG presents Belle and Sebastian performing live in the KEXP studio.
The Gospel According to Mavis Staples | The New Yorker
A legendary singer on faith, loss, and a family legacy.
Love It Live
MILES CALDER - Live in Tāmaki Makaurau this weekend!
Miles Calder plays an intimate solo set this Saturday in Auckland at The Wine Cellar. The Pōneke songwriter will be performing songs off his lush 2021 album Autopilot Life, along with his brand new single ‘Pushing and Pulling’. Tickets at Milescalder.com and door sales avaliable on the night. Catch Miles for pre-show chats on RNZ Music 101 with Charlotte Ryan at 1.40pm on Saturday.
700 Bliss (Moor Mother & DJ Haram) live in Tāmaki Makaurau
700 Bliss are the dream crew: Moor Mother and DJ Haram - teamed up to guide us through the ultimate crumbling and blooming of our era. CATCH THEM LIVE @ TĀMAKAI MAKAURAUS' WHAMMY BAR!
We Made You A Mix Tape
We Made You A Mix Tape!
Genius-ness from the amazing and wonderful artists we get to work with ... xx