Lemonade Baby releases his new single, ‘i blocked ur account’.
Discussing toxic relationships and how easy (or sometimes hard) to cut someone out with a click of a button, the sugary sweet distorted pop track is young and playful, taking production inspiration from Charlie Puth’s Tiktok and Julian Casablancas’ solo album, ‘Phrazes For The Young’.
Sounds like: BAYNK, Aluna George, SG Lewis, Pnau, Máni Orrason, Julian Casablancas
Self-confessed emo kid Máni Orrason shares his latest ruminatory offering that captures his vulnerabilities through a frivolous lens in which he recounts the fascination of molding a new identity and the idea of erasing yourself to create something better: an untouchable Romeo wrapped in leather or a ghostly fabrication of effervescent cool.
We asked Máni to put together a playlist, which you can listen to below:
Francis and The Lights – You Still Take Me To The Light
A couple days ago I read this NYT interview with him from 2020. It’s a really moving article that gave me a new window into his music. I’ve been listening a lot to him the last few days. I love this song with Kanye, Bon Iver, Chance The Rapper and him.
Nicholas Britell – Agape
I always say that it’s really difficult to be anxious floating in the ocean. That’s kind of how I feel about listening this song. It forces me to breathe. It’s like dawn in spring. I listen to this all the time
Björk – I Remember You
I don’t need to fall in love as long as this song exists. Björk transcended the physical realm with this one. I get goosebumps every time. I feel one step closer to god when Björk belts like that.
Madlib – Slim’s Return
This song is on the “Shades Of Blue: Madlib Invades Blue Note” album. I found it randomly a couple weeks ago. Madlib was given access to the whole Blue Note discography and he made this album. It’s really brilliant. I just want to play chess and drink cognac by a fireplace when I hear it.
Yeat – Sorry Bout That
My 16 year old brother has been trying to get me into Yeat for a while. I kind of just got into him but it’s so good. Stylistically so on point. Insane heat.
Black Country, New Road – Good Will Hunting
An amazing song from an amazing album. This song feels like if Funeral and Arcade Fire made an album in 2022. Also feels like Cap’ n Jazz and those emo bands a bit.
Moondog – Pastoral II
I think most of the music I’ve been listening to has just been to get me through the winter. This song is so soothing. Harp music. Listen to this and tell me you don’t feel a bit better.
Clairo – Bambi
I think first of all this album sounds so incredible. These songs, the arrangements, the production is just so inspiring to me. I really love it.
Samaris – Góða Tungl
Samaris is an amazing Icelandic band. I bought the EP this song is on when it came out almost 10 years ago. I was recently going through my records at my parents house a few days ago and put this on. It’s so interesting listening to something you haven’t heard for 10 years and how differently you respond to it. It such a good song.
A$AP NAST, D33J – Designer Boi
I listen to this song on loop all the time. It’s perfect.
Overmono – Bby
I was in a trance with this song for a few days. I didn’t listen to anything else.
FKA twigs – meta angel
This new FKA twigs album fills the void of PC music Charli XCX. It feels like Pop 2 in some ways. This song is great.
George Jones – I’ve Aged Twenty Years In Five
I recently finished listening to season 2 of Cocaine and Rhinestones. It’s a podcast about country music and the new season focuses on George Jones. I really recommend it wether you like country or not. When you hear George Jones sing “I’ve seen the dark side of life”, he means it. It’s really heartbreaking music.
The Smile – The Smoke
I love that the most subversive thing Jonny Greenwood and Thom Yorke could do right now is start a rock band. I also love this song cause it fills the void of the Sault album not being on streaming platforms anymore.
Död Mark – Paranoid schizofren
I love Yung Lean. His project as jonatan leandoer96 is really inspiring to me. I really like this album too from his punk band.
Elliot Smith – Ballad Of Big Nothing
I was always scared of Elliot Smith, when I was young I heard how he died and it made me really scared of his music. Like there was a darkness to it I couldn’t handle. But I don’t think there’s an album I’ve listened to more the last year than Either/Or.
The Weeknd feat. Tyler, The Creator – Here We Go… Again
I get really emotional every time I hear the weekend sing “my new girl, she a movie star”. Don’t know why. Love this song.
Sounds like: Jesse, SUM41, The 1975, Neon Indian, Toro y Moi
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Julia Church – Marionette
One of our favs of 2020, South-African born songwriter-producer Julia Church, unveils her breezy new cut ‘Marionette’. A catchy track with clear intentions that showcase her stunning vocal range and innate ability to create a wonderful pop earworm.
Sounds like: London Grammar, Emma McGrath, Violet Days, Birdy, GRACEY, Harlequin Gold, Millie Turner, Louise Burns, Tom Odell
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Jimi Somewhere – Jesus Feat. Kacy Hill
Jimi Somewhere by Dev Dhunsi
Jimi Somewhere combines unique Christian rock and modern, sheeny emo. Inspired by Christian summer camps and his frustration & feeling of loss growing up as a Christian, the track features the angelic vocals of Kacy Hill.
Sounds like: Owen, Máni Orrason
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Lucky Idiot – Mud
Lucky Idiot is an exciting new project from Maxwell Byrne (Golden Vessel), Kalem Woo (Rei So La) and Rei Sakakibara (Sweater Curse). Expect an upcoming debut EP, ‘Low Ceiling’, to be released in October via sumoclic.
Sounds like: Good Morning, Loving, Big Thief, Golden Vessel
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Dr Orange – Take
Liverpool’s Dr Orange – aka Chas Moody – draws on indie alt-rock. His new single, ‘Take’, is luscious, high-frequency rock n roll with authentic nuances of a leftfield nature.
Sounds like: Attawalpa, The Last Shadow Puppets, The Libertines
School of X (aka Rasmus Littauer) shares the visuals for new single, ‘Forgot Me on the Moon’.
What starts off as a sombre beginning, soon turns into an uplifting slice of pop.
Ten years ago, a much younger Littauer first wrote the chorus to an unfinished song out of anger, unable to take the initiative of moving on from a fading love. However, the song now shows a newfound sense of resolve in the face of heartbreak and confusion.
His debut album ‘Armlock’ is out next week.
Sounds like: Augustine, MØ, Máni Orrason, Soleima, Goss, Mura Masa, Clairo, Röyksopp, Lo Moon, Mew, Thomas Azier
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Ant Antic – Good News
We’re all dealing with the overload of impressions and information we’re all exposed to, which often leaves us numb.
Woozy-R&B auteur, Ant Antic interrogates the onslaught of clickbait in his Rupert Höller-directed visuals for ‘Good News’
Sounds like: Ben Khan, Moderat, Jai Paul, 5K HD, Sega Bodega
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Beth Duck – Nomophobia
British pop singer Beth Duck shares her cyber-inspired electro-pop single, ‘Nomophobia’, inspired by a realisation of our generation’s phone obsession.
With a clear European influence – the track is produced and co-written by One by One, a songwriter and producer duo from Berlin.
Sounds like: Ralph, Dagny, Tove Lo, ALMA
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Opus Vitae – Carry The Weight
“Love isn’t perfect, and neither is life, and that’s the real fairy tale” says Los Angeles-based songwriter Banah Winn, aka Opus Vitae. Ain’t that the truth.
His new single ‘Carry The Weight’ is driven by the fired up angst about the current political climate of the world.
Sounds like: Empire Of The Sun, Sufjan Stevens, Porches
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Future Jr. – Back To You
Inspired by missing home, Australian-born, pizza-loving, Los Angeles-based Future Jr. shares ‘Back To You’.
Conjuring all the nu-disco, dream-pop vibes one could ever wish for, the song was written by Future Jr. and a friend after attending a cliche house party in the Hollywood Hills.
Sounds like: joan, XY&O, Colouring, EXES, Akurei, Nightly
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School of X – Bad Love
Following the extremely well-received release with Lord Silva, School of X releases ‘Bad Love’.
Inspired by Eks-skolen – an anti-establishment art collective that was based in Copenhagen in the 1960s – the emo-tinged song by School of X’s Rasmus Littauer (MØ, Liss, Clairo) is about the loss of trust or faith.
Sounds like: MØ, Máni Orrason, Soleima, Goss, Mura Masa, Clairo, Röyksopp, Lo Moon, Mew
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Tigerpunsh – Shade
Born from a remote connection via Instagram and a mutual love of big cats, London-based Welsh/Finnish electro-pop duo Rochelle and Vee are Tigerpunsh.
Brand new onto the scene, their single ‘Shade’ holds a bursting energy throughout, with delicate Eastern synths and experimental pop elements. A great start to what could be a very exciting future for the girls!
Sounds like: Broods, EXES, MS MR, Vera Blue, RAINDEAR, Nova Club, Georgia
Alex O’aiza – Out Of My Mind
Alt-pop whizzkid Alex O’aiza shares the Instagram video for ‘Out Of My Mind’, produced by Austin Bello from Dallas pop-punks Forever The Sickest Kids.
Combining snappy pop melodies with gritty rock riffs and layered samples, the visuals show a fun side to O’aiza, whilst still conveying a timely message of pushing through adversity and hard times.
Sounds like: Kasabian
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juuku – healing Feat. wilo wilde
Commencing with delicate piano keys and leading to chill electronic production, juuku‘s new single ‘healing’ does just that.
Raw and unfiltered – like the body of his work – his collaborative single with wilo wilde is both angelic and moody.
Sounds like: Madnap, yetep
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Olivia Lunny – Think of Me
Canadian singer/songwriter Olivia Lunny shares the catchy and radio-ready ‘Think of Me’.
Channelling pure pop vibes with vibrant electronic production, this post breakup anthem is one for all the broken hearts out there.
Sounds like: Halsey, TESSA
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HUDSUN – Shutdown
Having entered the music scene from the early age of 17, this rising star has already received national recognition within the UK.
In his signature soul-infused, pop sound, HUDSUN’s latest offering ‘Shutdown’ speaks of the frustration in attempting to break someone out of an emotional prison they have created for themselves wrapped up.
Sounds like: Imagine Dragons
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Last Youth – Violent Ends
Last Youth has returned following their debut album release with new single ‘Violent Ends’ – an array of genre-bending vibrant pop and alt-rock.
Full of emotional angst, the track portrays the violent ends that the human race faces.
Sounds like: Imagine Draons, Bring Me The Horizon, Thirty Seconds To Mars
In a 360° side step of musical direction, Icelandic-born, Berlin-based Máni Orrason stuns us with his off-kilter new single, ‘I Go Up’.
The visuals for the bold new single features an angst-fueled Máni in a pink boiler suit, standing on a car that is about to be smashed up to ****. It’s a bombastic anthem full of self-belief.
Riddled with fidgety energy, the track is the first to be revealed from an ambitious project by the enigmatic artist. It follows in the wake of Orrason’s 2019 EP ‘BABY ANGEL’ and preceding the arrival of his new collection ‘BABY ANGEL LOVES YOU’, out this year.
Sounds like: Jesse, SUM41, The 1975
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REYNA – The Way I Loved You
Starting off this week’s gems is yet another banger of a song from REYNA, called ‘The Way I Loved You’.
With echoes of Tegan & Sara, the Milwaukee siblings keep making delectable tunes that edge on the cooler side of pop. Click play below.
Sounds like: Haim, Tegan & Sara, Lorde, MUNA, Powers, The Aces
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Lyves – Faded
British R&B singer Lyves (aka Francesca Bergami) shares her beautifully crafted new single, ‘Faded’.
In the track, Lyves invites us to join her on a bittersweet journey of faded love, complete with a disco-soul fusion and sweet bass lines.
Sounds like: Jesse Ware, Rhye, London Grammar, James Blake, SOHN, The Weeknd, Banks, Jamie XX, Shura, Seal
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The Bliss – Shiny Days
The Bliss by Zach Gray
Elecro-pop duo The Bliss (aka pop songstress TYSM (Chelsea Davenport) and hip-hop/electronic producer/guitarist Felix Snow) shares new track, ‘Shiny Days’.
Described by Felix as the “dining room table anthem,” ‘Shiny Days’ is a true charmer that encapsulates a summertime love.
Their EP, ‘Heaven If You Want It,’ is out now.
Sounds like: Du Tonc, Joe Goddard, Le Youth, ADAL
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Máni Orrason – Numb
Máni Orrason by Yannic Pöpperling
We are huge fans of quirky Icelandic electro-pop provacateur Máni Orrason‘s new single ‘Numb’. In fact, we are slightly obsessed with all of the visuals for his last few releases, portraying a broken yet endearing persona of desperation and a need for love.
The visuals for ‘Numb’ flashback to straying and emotional neglect, “I had this desperate need to be seen and to be comforted. I guess i was really lonely at the time”, Máni recalls.
The EP ‘BABY ANGEL’ is out now via Humming Records.
Sounds like: The 1975, Shy Luv
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TriOrca – Ghost
TriOrca by Preston King
It’s time to end this week’s gems on a funky number from cross Atlantic trio, TriOrca.
Comprised of multi-instrumentalists and writers, who between them have an ecclectic array of work connections – including Jessie J, Sam Henshaw, Empire of the Sun – their modern, yet nostalgic music fuses neo-soul, hip hop and 70’s psychedelica.
Sounds like: Lauryn Hill, Myo, Kudu Blue, Yakul
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