Tag Archives: Miguel

Weekly Gems 106

Zachary Knowles – Cherry Wine

Zachary Knowles

Fresh rising artist Zachary Knowles quenches our thirst for love with ‘Cherry Wine’, a song written about the girl he loved before she even realised (and don’t worry, it all worked out fine – they are very happy together as far as we know!)

Signed to the prestigious FADER Label (home to Clairo, Matt & Kim), The Texas-bred songwriter/instrumentalist crafts addictive R&B with silky flair.

Sounds like: The Weeknd, Alec Benjamin, Kayden, ASTN

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Latir – Wallflower

Latir - Wallflower

London-based, alt-RnB artist, Latir, loves to fuse the sounds of hip hop, old school jazz, indie and electronica. Glistens of his old soul expresses itself through his younger-leaning music.

Created with Leeds-based producer Luvian, ‘Wallflower’ shows a truly romantic side.

Sounds like: Miller Blue, Ayelle, Joe Hertz, Tom Misch, Miguel

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Mokita – Take It Back Feat. Ella Vos

Mokita

The project of multi-instrumentalist John-Luke Carter – aka Mokita – is growing from strength to strength.

His new song, in which has teamed up with the rising star Ella Vos, deals with some of the complexities of relationships.

Sounds like: EXES, Handsome Ghost, joan, FRND

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FARR – Wildflowers

FARR

Transatlantic alt-pop duo FARR – aka Roméo and producer Linden Jay – shares ‘Wildflowers’.

An almost eerie rendition that steps outside genre lines, with sultry vocals exposing the truth about someone’s actions. Listen below.

Sounds like: RKCB, Jadu Heart, Dan D’Lion, James Vickery, Rudimental

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Laura Hyde – Bliss

Laura Hyde - Bliss

Laura Hyde shares her third single, ‘Bliss’.

Using an old voice recording of Hyde’s, the electro-pop number is about distracting yourself from the mess of life, until finally letting someone in to see the mess and accepting their offer to help.

Sounds like: Sigrid, Billie Marten, Emilie Nicolas, Skott

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TENDER – Living

TENDER - Living

Originally planned to be released in this month, UK duo TENDER has made the decision to still share ‘Living’, inspite of the fact it serves a well recognised backdrop to these “unprecedented times”.

Speaking about the track, they explain,

“It’s about inspired by isolation, before we were isolating. It’s a song about locking yourself away with sadness. Hiding your emotions, in fear of showing how you feel to the world. The segregation only pushing you further into despair.”

Sounds like: MOTHXR, Jungle, Glass Animals, HUNTAR, Caribou, Air, The National, Tame Impala, Boxed In, Honne

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Chris James – Melancholy

Half American, half German songwriter-producer turned YouTuber Chris James shares his new single ‘Melancholy’.

Growing up in California, but moving to Germany at a young age, James is on a journey to showcase positivity and fun through his upbeat lyrics and melodies.

Sounds like: Ed Sheeran, Shawn Mendes, Calum Scott, Liam Payne

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Briskey – Don’t Want To Talk About It

Briskey - Don't Want To Talk About It

It may only be April, but the summer-tinged tracks are making their way out of the studios. Or maybe we’ve got this completely upside down, as Australian artists are coming out of summer and moving into their winter.

Anyway, cue Briskey and his new single ‘Don’t Want To Talk About It’. An emotionally-driven song that tinkes with alt-pop, dance, electronica, and even includes a cheeky sax solo.

Sounds like: Hayden James, Goldroom, Bag Raiders

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Playlist: Captain Kidd

Captain Kidd

Ohio based psychedelic pop quartet Captain Kidd share their new single called ‘Wild’, which is a blissful tune full of calming harmonies and shining production.

Lucky for you lot, Captain Kidd put together a playlist for us.

Blood Orange – Best to You

The hardest part about making this list might have been picking the right Dev Hynes track, but we would be lying if we said we’ve been jamming any other more than this one. The man truly is a genius, especially when it comes to writing parts for female vocalists, which is clearly shown in “Best to You.”

McFabulous – I Live Above the Hobby Shop

We were shuffling through discover weekly once and came across this track and thought maybe this was a live version of Glass Animals. We looked it up and realized they had sampled McFabulous for “Season 2 Episode 3,” and we absolutely loved this jam. Plus, McFabulous is an incredible name.

Ariel Pink – Another Weekend

Ariel Pink is the epitome of an artist pushing the boundaries of their sound. In fact, he has no boundaries. He does whatever he wants. Not many people can make experimental music catchy. This track off his new album is no different.

Porches – Find Me

One of our favorite current artists, still unknown to some. We fell in love with his last album Pool. It’s such a progression from his debut release. His latest, “Find Me,” combines that retro 90s house sound with modern day indie pop. We can’t wait for more from his upcoming full length.

TENDER – Machine

We discovered this U.K. based duo on a sub Reddit a few years back. They had one track out called “Armour.” We immediately fell in love with their production and the low and high vocal melody combo, which seems to have become their signature sound. Nate and Eric had a chance to see them live a few months back in Philadelphia.

La Poré – Sad Girl

La Poré is the fast rising solo project of our drummer, Nick Samson, started about a year ago now. If you’re into anything 80s or Foster the People then check out this track, and keep a look out for more of this tasteful pop coming from our percussionist!

Kanye West – Lost in the World

Kanye has been a favorite artist of ours for a long time, and has accompanied us on many road trips back and forth to Cleveland, so a playlist without him just wouldn’t feel right. Between the Bon Iver intro sample and the heavy driving beat, we have always felt this epic album closer is an underrated banger.

Frank Ocean – Self Control

Frank Ocean released Blonde in August 2016, and we instantly fell in love. His raw, emotive vocal style and minimalistic production caught our attention, and the album as a whole continues to get better with every listen. We like this track in particular because it starts out small and simple, but slowly transforms into one of the most moving songs on the album.

Jamie XX – Girl

Jamie XX has been a huge influence on us as self producers, especially with our percussion. We were obsessed with his album In Colour our last year of college. We lived in this enormous house with 9 people total, constantly jamming “Girl” and other accompanying tracks. The people we lived with that year are still some of our best friends, so the combination of nostalgia and the mark Jamie XX has had on us with our production makes this an important track.

Miguel – waves (Tame Impala Remix)

Kevin Parker of Tame Impala continues to amaze us with his progression as a producer and song writer. I mean, who saw Currents coming when Parker first released Innerspeaker? It seams as though he gets poppier with each release, but somehow still maintains that other worldly psychedelic goodness that many fans initially fell in love with. The “waves” remix isn’t what one would normally think of when thinking about a “remix.” It sounds like Miguel and Parker just teamed up to make a banger psych pop track, with those warm drum tones, luscious synths, and of course, lots of flanger.

Sounds like: RÜFÜS, SAMA

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Playlist: Chelsea Lankes

Chelsea Lankes

It’s not long until the end of the year, and what better way to see 2017 through with a playlist from Chelsea Lankes. This one goes out to all the ladies, and is probably one of the best playlists we’ve ever had! Lucky you!

“Here are some favorites over the last couple months including songs from favorite albums this year: SZA, Phoebe Bridgers, YOUTH, Lorde and Wolf Alice. Also I put a few singles from female pop artists I love and respect! To be enjoyed while driving at night, at low key parties, showering or anywhere you might sing really loud alone. 🙂”

…And whilst we have you, give Chelsea’s new track a spin too.

Sounds like: MUNA, Wet, Evvy, Ghost Beach, Kyla La Grange, Ji Nilsson, Tove Styrke, Carousel, Kitten, Nina, Mikky Ekko, Remmi, Cappa

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Bianca Gisselle – You

Bianca Gissellle by Anna Maria Lopez

Bianca Gissellle by Anna Maria Lopez

Try stop yourself singing along to Bianca Gisselle’s newest single, ‘You’. Go on, we dare you.

Los Angeles-based Gisselle has collaborated with Grammy nominated engineer/producer Steve Rusch (Solange, Miguel) and co-writer Rocco DellaNeve on the track. Fusing electronic production with soulful melodies, ‘You’ is about a relationship coming to an end, but we have no doubt that this is just the start for Gisselle.

‘You’ is the first single off her upcoming ‘Get Back to Love: Side B’ EP which will be released later this year.

Sounds like: Caswell, Nina Yasmineh,

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Playlist: Young Summer

Young Summer

Young Summer

Young Summer is a talented artist from Washington, US.

The tracks on her upcoming EP give us a glimpse into the many facets of her music, and with that in mind, we asked Young Summer to put together a playlist for us, featuring the artists that influence her the most.

Björk – Stonemilker

This song is such a work of art and stretches the traditional framework of song structure. I revisit her and this song whenever I feel I need inspiration.

Unknown Mortal Orchestra – Multi-Love

I love the lyrics in the beginning, “checked into my heart and trashed it like a hotel room”. The vocals and how they’re layered and affected are perfection. The drum fills are brilliant, I love how they punctuate and separate sections of the song.

Miguel – Waves

This song has one of the best bridges and falls in line with that old songwriting rule that you don’t put an active bridge in a song if it isn’t better than the entire song, otherwise it can ruin it, and this song and its bridge are incredible!

Niki & The Dove – So Much It Hurts

The title alone had me the moment I read it. The song is so emotional but has a groove that doesn’t quit. I am a huge fan of theirs and loved their record “Instinct.” This song and their new album are amazing. Malin Dahlström’s voice has elements of Stevie Nicks but is still all her own and I could listen to it all day long.

Anohni – 4 Degrees

She’s incredible for a myriad of reasons and this song is one of them. There’s a delicate synth and a menacing brass section, which make it so beautifully dynamic. And of course, her vocal is so mesmerizing.

Father John Misty – Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings

I love this song’s gritty, raw guitar tone. His lyrics are direct and unambiguous which is one of many reasons to love him. He brings a direct narrative to his songwriting which I haven’t loved this much since Johnny Cash did it. I have mountains of respect for him and if you get a chance to see him live, do it.

Caribou – Can’t Do Without You

This is a song that feels like you’re living inside a lush breeze for three minutes and 56 seconds. The sentiment is explained immediately and washes over you. It is perfect and beautiful. If you’re paying attention and listen to the entire song you get the reward of a confession at the very end, “And you’re the only thing I think about. It’s all that I can still do. And you know you’re the one I dream about. I couldn’t do without you.”

Maybird – Turning into Water

They’ve got a psychedelic sound and I am so down with that. The guitar tones and ambient vocals are on point. It feels classic but new all at the same time.

Radiohead – No Surprises

It wouldn’t be a playlist without Radiohead. I am a massive fan of theirs. This song is beautifully dark just the way I like ‘em. He [Thom Yorke] sneaks the most desperate of lyrics into a beautiful, shiny almost childlike sounding song. I love to disguise sadness with melody.

Spoon – Inside Out

I love the percussive undercurrent of this song and how it feels as though it dictates its movement and evolution. Britt Daniel’s vocals are just perfection as always.

Listen to the jazzed-out and laid back ‘Paused Parade’ below.

Sounds like: HAIM, MUNA, Wet, VÉRITÉ, Jorja Smith

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The KickDrums – Better

The KickDrums

The KickDrums

Producer and writer-come-solo artist, Alex Fitts has released ‘Better’ under the moniker, The KickDrums.

‘Better’ sounds like an ode to obscure late-70’s indie rock with its simplistic, yet catchy lyrics. Further still, to be able to create a song that also includes elements of hip hop and electronica takes a lot of talent, and it is clear that Alex is one talented guy.

‘Better’ is the second single from the new ‘Breathe Again EP’, which is out on 24 July via 24west Records. Pre-order on iTunes or Vinyl.

Sounds like: I AM DYNAMITE, Miike Snow, The Walkmen, Miguel, Atlas Genius, Goldroom, RAC

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