Tag Archives: Frank Ocean

Weekly Gems 181

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Midnight Pool Party – DON’T KILL MY VIBE

Midnight Pool Party

The Australian duo Midnight Pool Party are back doing what they do best – bringing classic disco to the fore.

The new single – influenced by PNAU‘s remix of Elton John and Dua Lipa‘s ‘Cold Heart’ – is a heavy dose of pop, making even the weariest of heads feel undefeated.

Sounds like: Fenech-Soler, Goldroom, Tourist, Roosevelt, Cosmos Midnight, Dua Lipa, Pnau, The Knocks, LIZZO

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George Gretton – Morning Feat theMIND

George Gretton

George Gretton

London-based multi-instrumentalist and singer George Gretton takes a turn in genre in ‘Morning’ featuring theMIND, ahead of his new EP, ‘Ordinary Life’ out in August.

Made during “a bit of a 90s boom-bap phase,” ‘Morning’ is about the predictability of taking some time out which ultimately leads to becoming a bit of a recluse.

Sounds like: Ben Khan, James Blake, Bon Iver, Easy Life, Frank Ocean, Mura Masa, Ratatat

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Black Pines – SAINT

Black Pines

Black Pines

Essex band Black Pines shares ‘SAINT,’ a hugely personal song about grief and loss.

Used as a therapy for the band, it is jam-packed with raw and passionate emotion and continues that rich and shimmering alt-rock direction the band have cultivated for themselves.

Expect their eagerly-awaited new EP ‘Talk Of The Devil’ on 29 July.

Sounds like: Biffy Clyro, Twin Atlantic

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WEEKLY GEMS 177

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Milky Chance – Synchronize

Milky Chance by Anthony Molina

Milky Chance by Anthony Molina

Returning from their sold-out US & Canadian tour, German duo Milky Chance share their brand new single ‘Synchronize’.

The nostalgic indie-dance number takes us back to better times and the video exudes joy, to match. It’s out now through their independent label Muggelig Records.

Sounds like: Will Heard, KYKO, Paul Simon, Jagwar Ma

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36Birds – BOY

36Birds

Queer artist 36Birds wants us to fall in love with rave again, and his new single ‘BOY’ does just that.

Interpolating Underworld’s iconic ‘Born Slippy’ and underscoring it with a tough kickdrum while also referencing Bronski Beat’s ‘Hit That Perfect Beat’, his vocals, seduced in autotune, fuse heart-on-sleeve R&B with rave. In a bid to give something back, 36birds wanted his fans to receive it as a free download, which you can get below.

Sounds like: LSDXOXO, serpentwithfeet, Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, Britney Spears

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Phoebe Green – Make It Easy

Phoebe Green

24 year-old Manchester rock chic Phoebe Green releases ‘Make It Easy’ on Chess Club Records. Bang on trend, Green is establishing herself as one of the UK’s leading contemporary lyricists.

The video, directed by Lillie Eiger, showcases the lighthearted theme behind the song, and lends more towards darker electronic pop than previous guitar heavy endeavours from Green.

Sounds like: Billie Eilish, Self Esteem, Baby Queen

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The Ology’s – IJWICHTY (I Just Wish I Could Have Told You)

The Ology’s

Introducing The Ology’s, a five-piece indie pop/rock band from the UK.

Echoes of 60’s sentiments, their hazy new single ‘IJWICHTY (I Just Wish I Could Have Told You)’ is a psychedelic journey to a slow-rock, retro world.

Sounds like: Fleetwood Mac, Kings of Leon, The Libertines

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Weekly Gems 135

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milk. – I Hate the Way You’re Looking at Me (Lately)

milk.

Hot on the heels of The 1975 is Dublin-born alt-pop quartet, milk.. Their bright new offering, ‘I Hate the Way You’re Looking at Me (Lately)’ is full of looping synths, catchy riffs and lulling vocals that immediately lure you in for more.

Sounds like: The 1975, The Japanese House, No Rome

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Benji Lewis – Stay Around

Benji Lewis

Benji Lewis has been busy songwriting during 2020. Written with his new friend Tom Eggert and bonding over their love of home-made smoothies, ‘Stay Around’ is about the progression of love in every subsequent relationship.

Sounds like: The 1975, The Kite String Tangle, Antony Hegarty, Active Child, Gallant, Sam Smith, Solomon Grey, James Blake, Yazz, Jack Garratt, Disclosure, Lauv, Boy In Space, Zachary Knowles

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Asha Gold – Oscar

Asha Gold

UK R&B artist Asha Gold shares new single ‘Oscar’. It’s written about award-winning liars and cheats who deserve to be called out for their deception and good-for-nothing behaviour.

Sounds like: Nakala, Frank Ocean, Rosalia

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Solå – B Mine

Solå

Norwegian songwriter Solå strongly encourages us to value ourselves in new single ‘B Mine’. It’s a hazy piece of electro-pop that perfectly showcases her talent as both a intricate songwriter and performer.

Sounds like: Shura, Dagny, Chvrches, Empress Of, MUNA

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whatshisface – Magic Disaster

whatshisface

Intriguing newcomer whatshisface is on the precipice of jumping into our hearts. His new single ‘Magic Disaster’ is a gloriously melancholic invitation, brimming with dense and warming aesthetics, creating an altogether sweeping atmosphere.

Sounds like: James Blake, George Gretton, Billie Eilish

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Mungbean – Slow Motion

Mungbean

Introducing eclectic Ohio-based outfit Mungbean. Performed as only seasoned performers would, new single ‘Slow Motion’ has layered and heavy synths to accelerate the track’s dreamy and kaleidoscopic intention.

Sounds like: Snarls, The Naked And Famous

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Playlist: Golden Vessel

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Golden Vessel

Our fav Australian artist Golden Vessel has just released his wonderful 11-track “road-trip” album, ‘colt’.

Led by a bass guitar, it’s a collection of genres and collabs spanning from indie, alternative, electro and pop, influenced by some songs shared in his playlist below:

Alex G – Gretel
This song blew my mind when it came out. I love the video too, it’s so sweet. It’s this really clever mix of light and dark, electronic and acoustic.

Big Thief – Black diamonds
I started listening to big thief just as I started making my album and they instantly became my favourite band. I got to see them play in Cambridge, UK and I had the worst hay fever but it was the best night.

Blood Orange – Smoke (Remix)
I love the mix of hip hop / guitar / sound design on this song. And the vocals are so dry and bolt it’s great.

Porches – Country
It’s such a sparse simple song but it also feels so powerful and that really intrigued me.

Mount Kimbie – Marilyn
A beautiful song, I love how it flows and evolves. Mount Kimbie’s recent use of bass guitar was influential on me, even just to see the way they incorporate it into an electronic composition.

The Nicholas – Addict
I found this song on a Spotify playlist and hit him up to see whether he would want to do a songwriting session. He quickly became one of my closest friends and really influenced the direction of colt (contributing to 6/11 of the songs).

Frank Ocean – Close To You
Blonde was so influential on me when I was making my first record but I found I kept coming back to listen through his entire catalogue whilst making colt.

Ross From Friends – Pale Blue Dot
This was actually my most listened to song of 2018. On colt I finally found ways to implement my love of house music into what I do (on midwest & blinker) and I love the sound design that Ross From Friends brings.

Toro Y Moi – New House
On tour in America we played this album on repeat and so it really feels like long drives and that period of time.

Adrianne Lenker – 10 miles
This is the lead singer from Big Thief (who I’ve already included) but Adrianne’s songwriting really shaped me and so I love her solo music also which is just to focus on the songs.

Sounds like: Akurei, GRAE, Alice Jemima

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Weekly Gems 128

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ÄTNA – Grinding

ÄTNA

Looking incredibly familiar in their press picture, with a glint of political satire, the Avante-Garde German duo ÄTNA releases their dark and rebellious new single, ‘Grinding’.

Sounds like: Grimes, Fever Ray, Vök, Kllo, Christine & The Queens, I Break Horses

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Benji Lewis – Everything’s Alright

Benji Lewis - Everything's Alright

Australian artist Benji Lewis shares the result of his recent lockdown songwriting, with ‘Everything’s Alright’. Written with Golden Vessel, the track touches on the importantness of freedom.

Sounds like: The 1975, The Kite String Tangle, Antony Hegarty, Active Child, Gallant, Sam Smith, Solomon Grey, James Blake, Yazz, Jack Garratt, Disclosure, Jeremy Zucker, Shallou, Emmit Fenn

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Alex Frew – Antisocial Love Song Feat. A Is for Arrows

Alex Frew

Alex Frew touches on the difficulties of being alone with new song, ‘Antisocial Love Song’, featuring the delicate tones of A Is for Arrows. A pop ballad at heart with harder hitting lyrics.

Sounds like: Gaspar Narby

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Nicole Chambers – Warm Body

Nicole Chambers

Nicole Chambers is confidence setting in her single ‘Warm Body’, taken from her debut album, ‘Voice of a Virgo’. A new voice on the R&B and neo-soul scene, with a killer falsetto that demands attention.

Sounds like: Caswell, Jorja Smith

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Asha Gold – Debut

Asha Gold

Showing how you can make music regardless of a lockdown, rising UK artist Asha Gold shares her sweet new single ‘Debut’, written on Zoom with producer Mitch Jones.

Sounds like: Nakala, Frank Ocean, Rosalia

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Ryan Jantz – Real

Ryan Jantz

Authentic artist Ryan Jantz faces the ‘Real’ in the new self-produced single. Taking cues from the psych-pop world, ‘Real’ is both fun and quirky.

Sounds like: Glass Animals, Toro Y Moi, Mac DeMarco

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Joe Parsons – Repair

Joe Parsons

Gay comedian and musician Joe Parsons shows a vulnerable and serious side in his new single, ‘Repair’. With tinges of folktronica and alt-pop, the shimmering track is written about toxic masculinity.

Sounds like: Yoke Lore, Fleet Foxes

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Webmoms – Pasta Bake Feat. Maddy

Webmoms

Cornwall-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Karum Cooper has a new lo-fi jazz/soul project called Webmoms. The new single ‘Summer Salad’ is a tasty selection of rich, audible treats with jazzy licks and organic grooves.

Sounds like: Jorja Smith, Loyle Carner, Oscar Jerome

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Shango SK – Sleeping On My Own

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Shango SK

Brit-pop meets R&B isn’t a combination of genres that we usually come across, but we’re so glad that we have. Shango SK has a lot to answer for.

Raised in Stockport, the fast-rising prodigious talent takes cues from the melting pot of sounds that he’s been surrounded with growing-up. Citing Manchester legends Oasis as one of his main influences, he’s also quick to list Future and Bon Iver as guiding forces too.

Fusing his love of alternative rock, emotive balladry, experimental hip hop and pop melodies Shango SK’s sound is hard to pin down. Speaking about new single, ‘Sleeping On My Own’, he explains,

“SOMO is about getting cold feet basically. Having my own time and space to think is vital for my happiness, unfortunately in this case I felt smothered. This is the aftermath of being innocent, going from being crazy in love with someone and having to constantly chase them for gratification, to the roles being flipped and them now chasing you and it being overwhelming.”

He also released ‘The Rush’, which you can listen to below:

Sounds like: Hazlett, Bon Iver, The Weeknd, Frank Ocean, Childish Gambino

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Noga Erez – NO news on TV

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Noga Erez by Omri Rosengart

Noga Erez by Omri Rosengart

Superstar in the making Noga Erez shares her bright and bubbly new video for ‘NO news on TV’.

Written during the COVID-19 lockdown with her partner Ori Rousso, the slick, eye-opener of a track imagines “what it would be like to live in a world with no politics, money, grit, racism or violence.”

Noga further explains,

“I call this song ‘A children’s song for adults’ because it shows a naive, utopian reflection of reality. I just needed to have a song like that. An escape song.”

Sounds like: Harry, M.I.A, Björk, FKA Twigs, Flying Lotus, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean

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Cal Maro – Juliet

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Cal Maro

Brooklyn-bred creator Cal Maro takes inspiration from Baz Luhrman’s Romeo + Juliet in new single.

A self-taught guitarist from a young age, Cal grew up experimenting with his sound whilst playing in many bands, dabbling in hardcore, rock, folk and indie before finally stepping into his true love for groove and melody, namely soul and R&B. In 2015, he began developing his Cal Maro project.

‘Juliet’ has plenty of sliced up electronic vocal effects as it weaves between genres, whilst beating percussion and pulsating synths bring darkness to the moody track.

Sounds like: D’Angelo, Frank Ocean, James Blake

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Weekly Gems 113

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Asha Gold – Passenger

Asha Gold

Classically trained London-based Asha Gold releases her new single ‘Passenger’, one of the first songs she ever wrote during her travels in Europe.

It’s a freedom inspiring release, full of escapism, as Asha keeps on travelling forward in a bid to grow as an individual.

Sounds like: Nakala, Frank Ocean

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The Endorphins – Parachute

The Endorphines

Stockholm siblings The Endorphins shares ‘Parachute’.

A more soulful change in direction to their previous single, ‘Dead or Alive‘, the ’90s inspired R&B breaker was written about intensely falling head over heals for someone.

Sounds like: The Magnettes, Banks, Fabich, Pastel, Midnight Pool Party, Keljet, Caswell

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Junípero – Want To

Junípero

Continuing their quest to musicalise experiences and connect deepest desires, Mexican duo Junípero shares ‘Want To’.

Mixing dream-like melodies in a way that play with every sense, the well balanced folktronica-styled track is both multi-dimensional and atmospheric.

Sounds like: Beach House, Explosions In the Sky, Mogwai, Band of Horses

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Maude Latour – Furniture

Maude Latour

New York City-based Maude Latour‘s bubbly new single ‘Furniture’ is unapologetic as ever.

Written at the lowest point of a breakup, the song oozes bravery with an ounce of playfulness. This is her joyous breakup song, that she now shares with the world!

Sounds like: Caro, Chloe Lilac, Claud

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Urchin – Break In

Urchin

London-based jazz turned indie musician Urchin (aka Leo Appleyard) shares ‘Break In’, taken from his ‘Night Light’ EP.

Making his vocal debut on the left of the centre track, it features gorgeous, heavy vocal melodies that pick up some plucky UK-influenced electronica.

Sounds like: Kudu Blue, Kllo, Two Door Cinema Club, Von Sell, Ratatat

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TALU – Take You Home

Talu

Local Crawley band TALU share their new single ‘Take You Home’.

Recording the drums in a warehouse and everything else in their living room and kitchen, the band captures the joy in everyday moments, offering a delightful slither of nostalgia that you’d desire from a modern day indie-pop band.

Sounds like: The Wombats, Two Door Cinema Club, Sea Girls, Bombay Bicycle Club, Hoofa

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Alice MC – My Love

Alice MC

South London’s Alice MC shares her new single ‘My Love’, taken from her debut EP, ‘Storyteller’.

Despite her music fitting best within the jazz, soul and folk genres, Alice MC started by studying Opera at the Guildhall School. She soon realised her destiny was within the jazz worlds.

Sounds like: Laura Marling, PJ Harvey, Lianne La Havas, Beyoncé, Kate Bush

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Alara – Demons

Alara

Accomplished singer Alara shares the beautiful, ‘Demons’, a perfect antidote to current times.

Despite being heavily influenced by the power of Grimes, Alara’s music is also soft and hazy, with a soul-healing quality. Her new single is about finding solace in the idea that everyone is going through something, and we’re not so different after all.

Sounds like: VÉRITÉ, Skott, Ryn Weaver

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Chris Wills – Pyro

Chris Wills - Pyro

Los Angeles-based artist Chris Wills shares the addictive ‘Pyro’.

Finally in a place to accept himself, Wills decided to write music and just give it a go. The result is a quirky inner reflective track, which he uses to find the answers he’s been craving.

Sounds like: Myylo, Michael Medrano

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GRAE – Slow Down

GRAE - Slow Down

Introducing Toronto artist GRAE.

Delivering powerful and mystical R&B leaning pop, her new single ‘Slow Down’ touches on the topic of feminism and empowerment, and considers the topic of women finding difficulty in expressing their wants and desires.

Sounds like: RALPH, Willa, ASHS, Louise Burns

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Mt. Wolf – Tayrona

Mt. Wolf

After a long hiatus, dream pop band Mt. Wolf returns with their misty new single ‘Tayrona’ featuring Tamsin Wilson from Wilsen.

This is the first single from a forthcoming collaborative project, to be released via Akira Records, and is complete with hazy, layered soundscapes that ebb and flow into a folktronica masterpiece.

Sounds like: Daughter, Phoria, Still Parade, Vancouver Sleep Clinic, Active Child, Bon Iver

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Ernest – Never Leaving

Ernest - Never Leaving

Despite the inflicted isolation, Copenhagen-based Ernest keeps us moving with their smooth and funk-tinged single, ‘Never Leaving’.

A story conjured up following the band’s encounter with a beautiful cashier during a recent visit to the supermarket, the guys manage to dig up and present big emotions from everyday situations.

Sounds like: Liss, School of X, Frank Ocean, SILQUE

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Aaron Smith – Brother

Aaron Smith

Scottish singer/songwriter Aaron Smith shares his new single ‘Brother’, which touches on the topic of addiction.

A subject close to his heart, this release once again penetrates to the core of your emotions, fuled by experiences of both love and trauma.

Sounds like: Frightened Rabbit, Ed Prosek, Amber Run, Novo Amor, Talos

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Love You Later – Blindfolded

Love You Later

Love You Later is the brainchild of US-based 21-year-old singer/songwriter Lexi Aviles.

‘Blindfolded’, the final song on her latest EP, ‘Heaven Is Without You’, is the perfect crescendo to the lush and dreamy collection of songs, and pushes for self-realisation and liberation after shedding old skin from a recent breakup.

Sounds like: Imogen Heap, Broods, The Japanese House

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Syd Silvair – The Moth

Syd Silvair - The Moth

Syd Silvair is endlessly inspired by the rich visual narratives of the deck, and the ways in which their divine messages manifest in our physical realm.

Using The Magician tarot card as her guide, her single ‘Moth’ encourages to reclaim the power on your own terms, and is equally as fierce in its presentation.

Sounds like: Lana Del Rey, Harry, Stevie Nicks

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Raven Artson – Notice Me

Raven Artson

Ever-evolving LA-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Raven Artson releases his single, ‘Notice Me’.

It’s a lofty not-so-classic love song that takes an otherworldly opinion with eerily sweet vocals and piano-led composition.

Sounds like: How To Dress Well, ANOHNI

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OCTAVIO – Nineteen (Sad For No Reason)

OCTAVIO

Born in Monterrey, Mexico, Octavio Herrera aka OCTAVIO is a 19-year-old artist making a unique concoction of hip-hop and indie music.

Whilst in his new song ‘Nineteen (Sad For No Reason)’, there are plenty of reasons to be feeling glum at this moment in time (and he’s by no means alone), we should join Octavio in celebrating his past year.

Sounds like: Rex Orange County, Mac Demarco

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Jillian Steele – New Orleans

Jillian Steele - New Orleans

Nashville-based pop artist Jillian Steele‘s new single is written about unexpectedly falling in love in New Orleans.

But this isn’t her first crush, Steele has been performing from a young age, having formed an early love for performing, including singing and acting in commercials. Listen below.

Sounds like: Savannah Sgro, Violet Skies, Charlotte Sands

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