Tag Archives: Mac Miller

Playlist: LOVER

LOVER

Rising Australian artist LOVER has just released his genre-bending EP, ‘It’s A Wild World’.

A body of work he’s been working on since late 2019, it reflects the time in LOVER’s life, as well as in the world around us.

To coincide with the release, LOVER has kindly put together a “Headrush” themed playlist for us. Listen below.

“Headrush” – Like a rush of blood

Dijon – CRYBABY :*(
Damn. I really wish I wrote this song. The video is beautiful too – one of my favourite songs of ALL TIME.

Jean Dawson – BRUISEBOY
My parents had me when they were young, so I remember my Dad mainly listening to early 90’s music – The Smashing Pumpkins, Third Eye Blind etc. This has the perfect combo of the influence of this generation of music w a modern twist.

Porches – PFB
I love short songs. Looking around, it is all “Pretty Fucking Bad” too. Thank you Porches and thank you Golden Vessel for showing me this song.

daste. – Telephone (What’s Your Name?)
These guys are my mates from Australia, who I met from being a fan of their music and now we’re indie label mates! They have a lot of versatility and all three of them are great songwriters. I’m a big fan of this track from their latest EP ‘Same As It Ever Was’.

Ryan Beatty – Evergreen
Dreaming Of David, the second album by Ryan Beatty at the start of this year is the most slept on record. I cannot believe that after his HIT ‘Sugar’ with Brockhampton it doesn’t have as many streams as his older work. The songwriting is strong, his voice is something else and the production on this album, and particularly Evergreen, is fresh and inventive. Ryan, if you’re out there, I’m sorry they’re sleeping on this !!!

Phoebe Bridgers – Garden Song
Phoebe Bridgers is a phenomenon. Her lyricism across her catalogue is inspiring. Love the production on this track particular track, definitely was a big influence for the ending of my own track ‘Last Puzzle Piece’. I’ve read that down-tuned sounding voice in the chorus is actually her tour managers real voice haha.

Jon Brion – Phone Call – Score
Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind is one of my favourite movies. The soundtrack is immaculate too, and once I learned more about Jon Brion I realised he scored multiple of my favourite 90’s / early 00’s movies as well as the latest Mac Miller records (RIP). This track is a short lofi dream, about 20 years ahead of its time!

Oneohtrix Point Never, (Sandy) Alex G – Babylon
This song is what happens when you get a versatile producer in the room with a legendary songwriter. It transcends your usual soft acoustic track with the electronic elements, strings and the vocal layering. I really want to see (Sandy) Alex G live with a band someday and cry quietly in the back corner.

Kllo – Insomnia
Really tight, lush production paired with the singer Chloe’s glass vocals. I love them and they’re from Melbourne – basically my backyard! (if my backyard was a 10 and a half-hour drive away).

18YOMAN – Fireflies
Another Aussie. When I first heard this song on Triple J Unearthed I was like, fuck, ok, do I still release my EP? lol. It’s sooo good and the songwriting / production (which I believe he did himself) raised the bar for all Australian acts releasing in 2020 .. in my opinion!

Dijon – Rock n Roll
Had to put two Dijon songs in, I’m sorry! He’s too good. This is from his new project, the breakdown at the end takes me somewhere else.

Roland Faunte – Happy Life
One of the only songs I legit cry to. Roland Faunte’s story over the whole ‘Sewing Kit’ project is cohesive, honest, raw, poetic. It has a classic sound that I think is above ageing All the lyrics are perfect but I lose it at:

“Give me heartache if that means a reason
That I would continue; Please, I need them
Because you mattered, when nothing mattered
If I need something let me have her”

Radiohead – True Love Waits
I tried to keep this playlist as new as I could, but I couldn’t resist putting a Radiohead song in there. They’re probably my favourite band and different eras of their music has been in consistent rotation since day dot. This track was actually written in the mid-90’s, and from the live versions from that time that I’ve watched it was originally kind of uptempo and pop leaning like “High and Dry”. It didn’t get released until 2016, in a very different form. Imagine sitting and reworking a song for TWENTY years lmao. It’s that good.

‘It’s A Wild World’ is available everywhere now via Mammal Sounds Records.

Sounds like: Golden Vessel, daste., Emerson Leif, Akurei, JVLY, CLN, George Gretton, Luna Pines

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Weekly Gems 109

Joshua Worden – Easy to Say Feat. Casey Harper

Joshua Worden

Joshua Worden recently hit a deeply introspective period and his new selection of releases shows this.

With an educational background in Jazz Guitar and English Literature, his music is stripped back and takes a slower pace these days, dabbling in R&B, pop, trip-hop, and chillwave. Listen to ‘Easy To Say’ featuring Casey Harper.

Sounds like: Kllo, Kudu Blue, Rhye, Blood Orange, Moses Sumney, The Internet

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Logan Prescott – How We Wanted

Logan Prescott

Dallas-based Indie Pop artist Logan Prescott shares the uber dreamy pop single ‘How We Wanted’.

Tender guitars, dreamy synths and an all encompassing 80’s boyband vibe. Perfect for fans of LANY and joan.

Sounds lik: LANY, The 1975, COIN, joan

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Junípero – New Beginnings

Junípero

The Mexican dream-pop scene is bubbling away like a reactive volcano.

Junípero is the project of Joán Melendrez and Janelle Saucedo, who enjoy experimenting with transcendent thunderous and melodic sounds. Listen to their debut single ‘New Beginnings’ below.

Sounds like: Beach House, Explosions In the Sky, Mogwai

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DiRTY RADiO x Jafunk – The Baddest

DiRTY RADiO x Jafunk

From dreampop to nu-disco tinged funk, DiRTY RADiO team up with Jafunk on ultra smooth new track, ‘The Baddest’.

Despite never meeting, the two worlds have somehow collided into a kaleidoscope of sounds. With summer written all over it, click play right now.

Sounds like: Pat Lok, Jean Tonique, Keljet, Gigamesh, Moon Boots, Tobtok, Moullinex, Pomo, Anderson Paak, Mac Miller

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Blu DeTiger – Figure It Out

Blu DeTiger

Meet Blu DeTiger, touring bassist for Caroline Polachek, The Knocks, and Fletcher, and a credible artist in her own right.

Her art-pop single ‘Figure It Out’ is so bright and colourful that you need to put on those sunnies sharpsih.

Sounds like: Kitten, Sofi Tukker, The Knocks

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Far West – Can’t Let Go

Far West - Can't Let Go

Far West is, as you’ve guessed it, from the West Coast of the US, in California.

They have a unique take on bellowing indie/synthpop, reminiscent of the early ’00s. The new single ‘Can’t Let Go’ has big synth leads with a poppy vibe, and is written about trying to let go of something that isn’t good for you.

Sounds like: Passion Pit, Bombay Bicycle Club

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Night Tales – Feel Nothing

Night Tales

Australian electronic duo Night Tales – aka amaliza (Australian-born Kamaliza Salamba, formerly of Olympic Ayres) and Third Floor (UK-born/Aussie-based Aaron Bannie) drop their 3rd single of 2020 titled ‘Feel Nothing.’

It’s a positively-led dance number with a tender touch, written about a relationship that is emotionally spent.

Sounds like: Duke Dumont, Just Kiddin, The Magician, The Aston Shuffle, Hayden James

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Makk Mikkael – fear

Makk Mikkael

Montreal based artist Makk Mikkael (MacKenzie Michael) has been writing music from a young age. Since then, she has explored different cities in her home country of Canada, to finally settle in Montréal.

The heartbeat of her new single is a minimalistic down-tempo electro track with ethereal vocals and driving rhythm, which soon goes off-kilter as the ‘fear’ takes over.

Sounds like: BABii, Men I Trust

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Bronze Whale – Hold. Wait. Fall. Feat Poles

Bronze Whale - Hold. Wait. Fall. Feat Poles

First Bronze Whale are walking, next they are stopping.

Stripped right back, the minimal electronic track features fellow label mate and longtime friend, Poles. It’s about being dragged back into a relationship even when you know it’s toxic. Needing to see it through regardless of what it takes from you.

Sounds like: James Blake, Chet Faker, Flume, Droeloe, Weeknd, OTR, CLN

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Nao Yoshioka – Up and Away feat. PHER

Nao Yoshioka

Rising Japanese star Nao Yoshioka is showcasing her modern R&B and soul.

Born in Japan, now living in the US, Nao has been perfecting her craft and working alongside legendary musicians in the scene to create an authentic & powerful new album ‘Undeniable’, out now. Listen to her slow and sensual single, ‘Up And Away’ featuring PHER.

Sounds like: Aaliyah, Solange, H.E.R, Marie Dahlstrom, Oscar Jerome, Ella Mai, Alicia Keys

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Madnap – Silhouettes Feat. Little Shadows

Madnap

After relocating to Los Angeles in 2017, producer/songwriter/remixer Madnap – aka Kyle Fitzgibbons – shares ‘Silhouettes’ featuring Little Shadows.

The emo-tinged, trap-pop track is his favourite to date, and perfectly captures the Madnap sound in 2020.

Sounds like: yetep, Rome In Silver, Manila Killa, LIONE, juuku

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SamYell – Lose Yourself

SAMYELL

California native Samyell has a creative superpower that he is meant to share with the world.

Produced by Osinachi Nwaneri (T.I., Ciara, Black Eyed Peas), ‘Lose Yourself’ will make you do just that.

An infectious nighttime, jazz infused R&B anthem, it urges you to “get lost through temptations of money drugs and false promises.”

Sounds like: The Weeknd, Babyface, Timbaland, Ginuwine, Pharrell

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Mona Vale – All This Time

Mona Vale

Songwriter/producer and multi-instrumentalist Jamie Hoddle – aka Mona Vale – has created an altogether chilled track called ‘All This Time’.

Starting in the pop realms and soon developing into an indie form of ambient electronica, the song is about the early stages of a relationship, setting nostalgic emotions on fire.

Sounds like: XY&O, Nightly, Great Good Fine Ok, Maribou State

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Melyz – Bad Together

Melyz

Swiss artist Melyz shares her provactive new single ‘Bad Together’.

with a hint of R&B club vibes, the song takes a darker approach than previous releases, as it considers how toxic and destructive a relationship can become when it gets too passionate.

Sounds like: Banks

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Playlist: Alfie Neale

Alfie Neale

Neo-soul artist Alfie Neale has just released his ‘If My World Falls Apart’ EP, written about the topic of reliance.

He’s put together an awesome playlist of music together, something we can all count on at some point during these testing times.

J Felix – Mind Up
I picked this tune because it’s a breath of fresh air for everything we’re going through at the minute, we need all the positive vibes we can get at the minute.

King Krule – Easy Easy
I know this tune was released years ago, but I was pretty late to jump aboard the King Krule bandwagon. I’m well and truly on it now though, and as this is the first tune on his most famous record it was the first I heard, so it’s kind of become my favourite.

Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles
Wanted to pick this one because it’s an absolute anthem, I listen to a lot of funky music but wanted to switch things up with this one because the build-up to the solo is absolutely unreal!

Pip Millett – Fancy
This one is such a class tune about just being in love and the way someone can make you feel on top of the world. It’s so bare, laid back and such a sick tune to listen to any time of day.

Greentea Peng – Downers
This is one of the hardest beats I’ve heard in a while, my girlfriend put me on to Greentea Peng and I’ve been absolutely rinsing her tunes since.

Mac Miller – Blue World
I’m pretty sure this was produced by one half of Disclosure, and is one of my favourite Mac Miller tunes ever, this one IS the hardest beat I’ve heard in a while haha.

Sticky Fingers – Cool & Calm
These guys have been one of my biggest inspirations for a long time, and I only got to see them live for the first time last year. Hands down one of my favourite gigs ever, their newest album is full of regret but this tune is so positive.

Jarki Monno – Fade Up
Included this one because I live with Jarki and also play guitar for him in his band, so there’s not a day that goes by where I’m not listening to something Jarki Monno related!

Yakul – Getting Late
James Berkeley (lead singer and keyboardist in this band) produced my debut EP, he’s such a ridiculously talented and hardest working guy I know, also makes ridiculously good tunes!

Sounds like: Yakul, Tom Misch, Jordan Rakei

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Elley Duhé – Can You Touch

Elley Duhé - Can You Touch

Think of every single female pop star who has positively impacted your life. Now take a listen to Elley Duhé.

An Alabama-native, growing up Elley always felt like different to other kids her age and used music as a form of creative escapism after receiving a guitar from her father.

It wasn’t long after, that Elley found herself writing for artists like Usher and working with Grammy-Award winning producer Illangelo (The Weeknd).

‘Can You Touch’ is an empowering number, written by Elley and produced by Rahki (Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Mac Miller).

The track is out now on A Creative Music Group / Columbia Records.

Sounds like: Charlie XCX, CHLØË BLACK, ALMA, Dua Lipa, Sigrid, Natasha Bedingfield, Sia

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