Tag Archives: Abel Tesfaye

Sia – Elastic Heart (feat. The Weeknd and Diplo)

SIA

SIA

Australian singer/songwriter, Sia teams with The Weeknd and Diplo for ‘Elastic Heart’.

‘Elastic Heart’ is your usual catchy track from Sia with a bit of added soul from The Weeknd (aka Abel Tesfaye) and some neat production from Diplo.

The video is pretty querky and follows a Sia impersonator recovering from a breakup, and eventually climaxes with the ultimate f-you at the end.

‘Elastic Heart’ appears on the soundtrack for ‘Hunger Games: Catching Fire’, due out on 19 November 2013.

Sounds like: Ellie Goulding, Air, Zero 7, The Weeknd, Doll and the Kicks

Sia:
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The Weeknd:
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Diplo:
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An Indietronica Collaboration With Indieverse

An Indietronica first! A collaboration with Indieverse.

Indieverse has kindly set up a mixtape of 10 hot indietronica tunes for you to listen to at your heart’s content. Here’s a lowdown on each track:

1. The Chain Gang of 1974 – ‘Miko’

The Chain Gang of 1974

The Chain Gang of 1974

The Chain Gang of 1974 is an indietronica project that is the moniker of L.A. based, multi-instrumentalist and DJ Kamtin Mohage.

His track, ‘Miko’ initially has a reflective and heartfelt melody similar to a production that would be displayed by The Postal Service, but it quickly and frantically switches up a notch with a darker and punchier beat.

His upcoming LP is due for release next year.

Sounds like: The Postal Service

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2. Mons Montis – ‘Swept’

Mons Montis

Mons Montis

Mons Montis are Viktor Paulsrud, Herman Båverud Olsson and Julia Hjertström. Forming the band was a 2013 summer project that they decided to share with their friends and families via Soundcloud.

Read more on the track here.

Sounds like: College

Facebook | Soundcloud

3. The Weeknd – ‘The Party’ (Chi Duly Remix)

The Weeknd

The Weeknd

Slightly more R&B based now.

Abel Tesfaye (aka The Weeknd) has been dubbed ‘the songbird of our generation’, despite breaking some of the most accepted rules in the music industry.

The Chi Duly remix of ‘The Party’ has a more energetic feel, without disguising Tesfaye’s smooth vocals.

Sounds like: James Blake, Alex Clare, Jamie Woon, Josef Salvat, SOHN, Gent Mason

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4. Lina Fouro – ‘Bang Bang Baby’

Lina Fouro

Lina Fouro

Lina Fouro is a street smart Afghan-Canadian singer. Her super catchy track, ‘Bang Bang Baby’ is expected to be on her upcoming album ‘The Love Cycle’, which explores the highs and lows of love.

‘Bang Bang Baby’ sounds like it has been produced in Ibiza, but don’t be fooled into thinking this is just another Balearic-sounding summer hit from an artist across the pond because 1 minute in, ‘Bang Bang Baby’ is flipped on its head and turns into a molten of dubstep inspired bass.

Sounds like: Lady Gaga, Madonna

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5. The New Division – ‘Pride’

The New Division

The New Division

‘Pride’ is the first track on the The New Division‘s four-song digital EP ‘Night Escape’, which is out now on The New Division’s own label, Division 87 Records.

The track immediately engulfs us with weightless and dreamy synths. Then John Kunkel’s vocals start and we are immediately grounded. Close your eyes and imagine a love story unravel just like in an 80’s movie.

Sounds like: New Order, Depeche Mode, Suzuki Method, Delphic, Joy Division

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6. KYLIAN – ‘Remind Me’

KYLIAN

KYLIAN

Violin-trained Emily Holden (aka KYLIAN) has impressed us with her classical twist on electronica. Her first ballad is subtle, yet it gives us a snippet of what is to come from the singer. The primitive synths and towering drums definitely intrigue us.

Sounds like: Death Rattle, OH Land, College, I BREAK HORSES, Us Baby Bear Bones

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7. Futurecop! – ‘Living in a Daydream’

Futurecop!

Futurecop!

British Futurecop! are full impact, disney-loaded electronica. Growing up together, the nostalgic Futurecop! boys, Manzur Iqbal and Peter Carrol, listened to punk pop, but always had an interest in 80’s and early 90’s pop culture.

‘Living in a Daydream’ is no exception with its emo nostalgia.

Sounds like: KAVINSKY, Justice, Daft Punk, Owl City, Hellogoodbye

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8. Stop Drop Robot – ‘Sugar Weep’

Stop Drop Robot

Stop Drop Robot

Stop Drop Robot are an electronic rock band from Sheffield. The band are yet to be signed, but are known for their impressive live shows.

Their track ‘Sugar Weep’ is guitar heavy with echoey vocals and a touch of synths.

Sounds like: Suzuki Method

Bandcamp | Facebook | Soundcloud

9. Cosmonaut Grechko – ‘Singin” (feat. Joywave)

Cosmonaut Grechko

Cosmonaut Grechko

Cosmonaut Grechko is Russian electro wunderkind. His track, ‘Singin” serves up superb synth and pop electro. Grechko constantly mixes the track up so that it doesn’t get tiring. We want more from Greschko!

Sounds like: Joywave, RAC, Cut Copy, Owl City, ROOSEVELT, Goldroom

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10. No Doubt – ‘Don’t Speak’ (cover by Computer Magic)

Computer Magic

Computer Magic

Computer Magic are Brooklyn-based Danielle Johnson (vocals, keyboards), James Morley (guitar), Justin Coles (bass), and Chris Egan (drums).

Sci-fi obsessed Johnson’s vocals are logical and delicate.

For a bit more of an idea about the band, have a listen and a free download of their awesome track ‘Time to Decide’:

As far as we know, there have been no official releases yet.

Sounds like: No Doubt, OH Land, Still Corners, MGMT, Best Coast

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The mixtape is available for free download here, but hurry it’s only limited to 200 downloads a month!

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BANKS – Waiting Game

BANKS

BANKS

Straight talking L.A. based BANKS claims influences from the likes of Fiona Apple, Lauryn Hill and Tracy Chapman, to name a few.

She is a self-taught pianist, vocalist, and songwriter and has been particularly open towards her fans, stating on her Facebook page: “Hello world! I like making connections outside of a computer screen. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram have never really been my thing. So my manager is going to run the Social Media stuff. If you ever want to talk call me – (323) 362-2658 – BANKS”.

She has seriously underestimated how many calls she is going to be expecting over these next few months.

The official video for ‘Waiting Game’ was released today and is taken from her forthcoming EP ‘London’, which will be released on 10 September 2013 on IAMSOUND.

There is no denying that the video showcases BANKS’s aesthetic beauty, but this is soon outcasted by her dulcet tone as a drowsy bass line mimics a beating heart. The grayscale shots by Francesco Corrizini set the scene as BANKS wanders the night streets, with a lover on tow.

Despite BANKS’s voice not being particularly indietronica of nature, the track was produced by the enigmatically superb SOHN, and follows on from ‘Warm Water‘, which was produced by one of our favourites,Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (aka TEED).

We’ve found something beautiful and ‘Waiting Game’ is going to be a hit.

BANKS is the main support for the Weeknd on his September-October US tour dates.

Sounds like: Fiona Apple, Jessie Ware, Phlo Finister, Lana Del Rey, SZA, Weeknd, SOHN

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Lorde – Royals

Lorde

Lorde

Sultry 16 year old New Zealand-born Lorde (aka Ella Yelich-O’Connor) has been making waves across the internet since the release of her debut EP ‘The Love Club EP’ in March 2013 via Universal Music NZ. The EP was put out with plenty of mystery but no marketing or publicity. It paid off with first single ‘Royals’ occupying the top spot in the iTunes singles chart, both in New Zealand and in Australia.

Fans of Lorde include Grimes and Sky Ferreira and there has been great enthusiasm and endorsement from influential blogs sharing the understatedly true-to-life video for the track, with its stark echoes of Larry Clarke’s cult film ‘Kids’. We especially love the subtle plug at the end of the video for her second single from the EP, ‘Tennis Court’.

Label buddy, The Weeknd is the latest to give ‘Royals’ the remix treatment.

Lorde will release her debut album, ‘Pure Heroine’, on September 30th 2013. The Weeknd will release his sophomore album, ‘Kiss Land’, on September 10th 2013.

Sounds like: The Knife, Marina & The Diamonds, Sky Ferreira, Grimes

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