Tag Archives: Refs

Weekly Gems 97

Jinka – U Bit My <3

Jinka by Yannic Pöpperling

Jinka by Yannic Pöpperling

German artist Jinka shares her explosive new single ‘U Bit My <3'. Channelling emo and urban vibes with a playful way with wonky arpeggios of synthesized steel drums and piano samples that intertwine with a trap-leaning beat.

Sounds like: Kate Boy, I BREAK HORSES, Sigrid

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DAD – Fresher

DAD - Fresher

DAD (aka bedroom pop singer/songwriter Kei Wells) shares her new single ‘Fresher’.

DAD has teamed up with Grammy-nominated Austrian producer, artist and pianist Yakob. Our favourite of hers to date, this declaration of independence is the ultimate single girl’s anthem, with electrified pop sequences infused with synth-pop juice.

Wrabel and Gallant will feature on her forthcoming EP.

Sounds Like: Lolo Zouaï, Doja Cat, Snow Tha Product, Lil Miquela, Clairo, Beabadoobie

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Emerson Leif – Next2

Emerson Leif

Brisbane-based Emerson Leif gives us a taste of his upcoming debut EP, ‘Bad Company’ with ‘Next2’.

It’s a soothing number and effortlessly cool (we wouldn’t expect anything less from Leif). Speaking about the track, he explains,

“It’s about realising you are valuable and loved. It’s about overcoming the fear of not being enough and embracing vulnerability through the process.”

Sounds like: Brolin, Bon Iver, Alex Vargas, TENDER, REFS

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Jon Olav – I Am The Thing

Jon Olav - I Am The Thing

We’re super excited about the sounds of Norwegian artist Jon Olav.

His new single ‘I Am The Thing’ opens with sparse piano chords (we instantly think James Blake), and bubbles into itself with deliciously sinister pop hooks and crystalline vocals as Olav looks inward to contemplate the pluses and minuses of attention.

Sounds like: James Blake, Sampha

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Approachable Members Of Your Local Community – Small Change

Approachable Members Of Your Local Community

With the best name we’ve seen for a long while, Approachable Members Of Your Local Community (let’s call them AMOYLC for short) releases the catchy ‘Small Change’.

The quartet – who met at school – fuse elements of indie, electro, funk and disco into their unapologetically spirited sound. But their new single ‘Small Change’ has a serious message. Dedicated to the firefighters and communities affected by the Australian fires, “it’s clear that small change can have a big impact.”

Sounds like: APRE, Vampire Weekend

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Molina – Vanilla Shell

Molina

Self-made art creator and songwriter Molina shares her bold single, ‘Vanilla Shell’, the title track taken from her new EP.

The sparse and inventive song weaves textured vocals with a fluttering flute and fretless bass into a psychedlic trip about love and youth, with captivating nods to the eras of 1960, 70 and 80.

Sounds like: IDER, Talking Heads, Cocteau Twins, Pink Floyd

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Gold Member – Stay On

Gold Member

Gold Member is a three-piece of producers and singer/songwriters.

Crossing genres between funk, soul and pop, their new single ‘Stay On’ is an easy, breezy piece of charge-soaked, soulful pop with a topical headline about Indigenous identity in white Australia, and the struggles of living in a system of cultural oppression.

Sounds like: Jungle, Michael Kiwanuka, TENDER

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Chaz Cardigan – Not Ok!

Chaz Cardigan - Not Ok!

What an anthem – ‘Not Ok!’ by Nashville based pop lothario Chaz Cardigan, released on Capitol Records/Loud Robot.

The track is an infectious tune about human imperfection, which sees Cardigan laid bare, both lyrically and visually. The Al Kalyk-directed video also features an astonishing number of gummy bears…

Sounds like: Harry Styles, Declan McKenna

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argonaut&wasp – TVS

argonaut&wasp

Wonderful duo argonaut&wasp is back with ‘TVS’.

A daydream about endless summer days, it’s the perfect antidote for a wet and cold January. The song was crafted early one morning using a drum loop and an oberheim synthesizer and is a call to a honeycoated time of romance and yearning.

Sounds like: MGMT, CHAPPO, Modest Mouse, Talking Heads, Phoenix, Pistol Shrimp, VHS Collection

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Emerson Leif – Wake Up With You

Emerson Leif

Emerson Leif once again teams up with Golden Vessel on blissed-out new single ‘Wake Up With You’.

This time, Golden Vessel is on production & mixing duties, perfectly encompassing Leif’s smooth and enchanting vocals as he describes a period of lonliness where he wished for nothing more than to share these moments with someone special.

Sounds like: Brolin, Bon Iver, Alex Vargas, TENDER, REFS

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Weekly Gems 49

Sasha – Ouch!

Sasha

Self-described “tragic” songstress Sasha is speaking a lyrical frankness in her new single, ‘Ouch!’, written about foreseeing being stung in a relationship.

The single blends unique and interesting soundscapes with sweet pop production and has elements of ‘Pure Imagination’ featured in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Tasty.

Sounds like: Billie Eilish, VÉRITÉ, Rae Morris, The Japanese House

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Bohnes – Raging On A Sunday

Bohnes

Introducing the new project called Bohnes by Alex DeLeon from the band The Cab.

His new single ‘Raging On A Sunday’ is a frenetic two middle fingers to religion, caught up with an anthemic rock backdrop, glitches of grungy electronica and a retro-inspired, R&B-tipped vocal range.

Get yourself to the mosh pit this Sunday.

Sounds like: The Weeknd, Twenty One Pilots

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The Beamish Boys – Don’t Flatter Yourself (Acoustic Version)

The Beamish Boys

The Beamish Boys are two brothers from Australia who combine uplifting songwriting with harmonious elements of folk, pop and soul.

What started out as jamming sessions in their garage soon turned out to working with international artists and labels, and tours.

The acoustic version of ‘Don’t Flatter Yourself’ is a generous nod to the Ed Sheerans and Emma McGraths of this world.

Sounds like: Ed Sheeran, Emma McGrath

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Maeve – Eden

Maeve

Caymanian-born, London-based R&B newcomer Maeve shares the striking visuals for her new single ‘Eden’.

Directed by Black Dog Films‘ filmmaker Jade Jackman, choreographed by Liv Lockwood and styled by designer Asai (Dazed 100), the hallucinogenic and bestial video borders between what is real and what is not, conveying a sense of abandonment and isolation found in a toxic relationship.

The song is taken from her debut EP ‘Beasts’, out now.

Sounds like: AuRa, The 1975, FKA Twigs, Daughter

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Katy Tiz – Life Feat. Ed Drewett

Katy Tiz

Katy Tiz has teamed up with esteemed songwriter Ed Drewett on new single, ‘Life’, which has a Bonnie & Clyde context.

Recorded whilst suffering with laryngitis, this is a testament to Katy Tiz’s determination, and the result is a raw and enchanting song that is upfront and honest.

Sounds like: Ella Eyre, Meghan Trainor, Aly & AJ, Bonnie McKee

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Golden Vessel – MOONSTONE Feat. Elkkle & Akurei

Golden Vessel

Golden Vessel (aka Max Byrne) returns with ‘Moonstone’, featuring friends Elkkle and Akurei.

The upbeat track once again incorporates Byrne’s signature cross-genre style, and futuristic production.

‘Moonstone’ is inspired by the historical investigation of missing moon rocks from NASA trips into space on Apollo 11. Legend has it that the specimens once brought back to earth in 1969 were distributed across the world in the famous Goodwill Moon Rocks initiative, only to, nearly 30 years later, have mostly vanished or become untraceable.

Sounds like: MØ, Brolin, The National, Gang of Youths, Bon Iver, Alex Vargas, TENDER, Kanyon, REFS

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Lincoln Jesser – Undone

Lincoln Jesser - Undone

American producer Lincoln Jesser produces indie synth-pop with sky-high aspirations.

Growing up at school, Jesser would often play in jazz sessions during the breaks, but it wasn’t until he listened to The Strokes that his passion for music was spiked.

Moving slowly into the electronic realms of production brings us to Jesser’s release today, called ‘Undone’, which you can listen to below:

Sounds like: Summer Heart, Joe Goddard, Goldroom

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Emerson Leif x Golden Vessel – Hesitate

Emerson Leif x Golden Vessel

Brisbane-based Emerson Leif shares the beautiful ‘Hesitate’, which was co-written with his good friend (and frequent collaborator) Golden Vessel.

Despite a satisfying life at the time of writing ‘Hesitate’, the notion of an elusive state of unhappiness continue to nag at Emerson,

“I found myself feeling very alone and without purpose. I could not accept that we just exist: eat, sleep, work, repeat. We are sold a kind of ‘happiness’ like it’s something we can work towards but what’s on offer is fleeting, if at all… had many questions about life but the greatest question was one of God. Or better yet, one for God. “Are you there?” Honestly, religion just felt so tired and insular. I wanted something tangible. I wanted to find truth. The idea of searching is perhaps most terrifying, because what if one finds nothing.”

This religious undertone can be found in the vocal and guitar loops that have been manipulated to sound like an organ.

Listen below.

Sounds like: Brolin, The National, Gang of Youths, Bon Iver, Alex Vargas, TENDER, Kanyon, REFS

Emerson Leif
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Golden Vessel
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Weekly SubmitHub Gems 13

Rae Isla – Mexico

Rae Isla

Our hearts go out to those in Mexico at the moment. This one is for them.

‘Mexico’ is a debut song by Seattle-born Rae Isla, who has a family interest in South America. It features guitarist Lito de la Isla and was produced by Gianluca Buccellati (Tei Shi, Yellerkin).

Rae is donating all of her profits from the sale of the song to Cruz Roja Mexicana (Mexican Red Cross).

Sounds like: Lana Del Rey, Laurel

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Motion Trap – The Movement

Motion Trap

Denver duo, Motion Trap (aka Kyle Williams and Nathan Rogers) release spirited new single, ‘The Movement’, and the synth-rock-pop number does just that. Make you move.

Expect their sophomore album ‘Heavenly Bodies’ out soon.

Sounds like: Depeche Mode, OMD, Future Islands, Roosevelt, Cut Copy

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REFS – Fool

Refs

REFS is the project of Brooklyn-based producer, Zach Lipkins.

Pure emotion and intimacy oozes from his R&B hit ‘Fool’, all perfectly enveloped with fervorous production.

Sounds like: John Legend, Jack Garratt, Klyne

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Nocturnal Tapes – All I Need

Nocturnal Tapes - All I Need

Wow, Nocturnal Tapes have arrived and aren’t we happy they have!

Their new single ‘All I Need’ takes you on a spacial journey of floaty dreamscapes and psychedelia attitudes. It is about that moment when you realise you have everything you need and suddenly the pressure you’ve been putting on yourself can lift.

Sounds like: Kasabian, Tame Impala, Du Tonc, Cut Copy

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Kendall Morgan – Undertow

Kendall Morgan- Undertow

If Lorde decided to dabble in hip hop, this might be the result – ‘Undertow’ by Kendall Morgan.

Kendall grew up in Nashville, and started writing songs as early as she can remember. Her experience in songwriting has led her to working on tracks with Kendrick Lamar and Yo Gotti.

Listen to ‘Undertow’ below.

Sounds like: Lorde, Kacy Hill

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Refs – Turn Around

Refs

Refs

Refreshingly new sounds from Refs, the musical outlet of Brooklyn-based producer, Zach Lipkins.

‘Turn Around’ is a groovy number with euphoric synths and soulful vocals, and follows on from the equally as intriguing ‘Pain Goes Away’.

Sounds like: John Legend, Jack Garratt, Klyne

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