Tag Archives: X&Y

Weekly Gems 120

Jude the Obscure – Strong Enough

Jude The Obscure

Manchester-based musician Jude The Obscure shows resilience in the face of adversity in jazz, hip-hop and soul-inspired track, ‘Strong Enough’.

Sounds like: Loyle Carner

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James Blake – Are You Even Real?

James Blake

James Blake releases the atmospheric ‘Are You Even Real?’, in partnership with Apple’s Behind The Mac campaign. Another contender to the evergrowing back catalogue of comforting masterpieces from the British producer and multi-instrumentalist.

Sounds like: Jamie Woon, Jamie XX, The Weeknd, SOHN

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Declan McKenna – Daniel, You’re Still A Child

Declan McKenna

We all know a Daniel, or perhaps we even are one – the one that gets “lost in the sauce, stoned, lost in some existential fear or lost his way in some VR game”, yet has so much to prove. Declan McKenna gives us a delicious taste of his forthcoming album, ‘Zeros’.

Sounds like: HUNNY, Sea Girls, Peach Pit, The Night Café, Chaz Cardigan, The Beatles, Circa Waves, The Magic Gang, Vistas, Love Fame Tragedy

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Connie Constance – James

Connie Constance

Refreshing alt-pop artist Connie Constance bares all and dives into “an ocean of narcotics” in new single ‘James’, summing up how we all want to feel and act right now – to get a bit squiffy and then crawl back to bed.

Sounds like: Kate Nash, Laura Misch, Joy Crookes, Rosie Lowe, Poppy Adjudha, Arlo Parks, Cleo Sol, Moses Sumney

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NZCA Lines – Prisoner Of Love

NZCA Lines by Aleksandra Kingo

NZCA Lines by Aleksandra Kingo

Time to get sweet and funky with NZCA Line‘s ‘Prisoner of Love’. We surrender to its smooth and delectable slice of opulent disco.

Sounds like: Metronomy, Gold Panda, New Order, Ronika, Thor Rixon, Hot Chip, Prince, Roosevelt

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Aquilo – Moving On

Aquilo by Morgan Hill-Murphy

Aquilo by Morgan Hill-Murphy

Sounding particularly Glass Animals, and more instrumentally upbeat than previous releases, duo Tom Higham and Ben Fletcher – aka Aquilo – return after a two-year hiatus with the ‘Sober’ EP, featuring ‘Moving On’.

Sounds like: SOHN, Great Good Fine Ok, Hurts, X&Y, Young Empires, Fenech Soler, Glass Animals

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MAX RAD – It’ll All Be Fine

MAX RAD

Singer and producer MAX RAD takes a positive stance with new single ‘It’ll All Be Fine’. Comparing the track to an out-of-body experience, he advises to look at the bigger picture, and stop internalising. Wise words.

Sounds like: Tash Sultana, Foals, Chet Faker, Honne, Ben Khan

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Apsley – Fear

Apsley - Fear

We wrote about Idaho-based Apsley (aka Jacob Apsley) earlier this year and we’re excited to share his latest release, ‘Fear’.

The track has more of an demanding tone than Sold, reminding us of an early The 1975 with its muted guitar riffs and echoey, falsetto vocals.

Sounds like: Fenech-Soler, SOHN, Aquilo, The 1975, Friendly Fires, Delphic, The Chain Gang of 1974, The Naked and Famous, H A R T E B E E S T, Tourist, Bastille, Great Good Fine Ok, Hurts, X&Y, Young Empires

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Aquilo – Almost Over (Silhouettes Trilogy : Part 3)

Aquilo

Aquilo

UK production duo, Aquilo, are back this week with ‘Almost Over’.

The gritty short film – directed by Eoin Glaister and part of Aquilo’s Silhouettes Trilogy – finalises here…or does it?

Watch below.

Aquilo’s highly anticipated album, ‘Silhouettes’, is out today on Island Records.

Sounds like: SOHN, Great Good Fine Ok, Hurts, X&Y, Young Empires, Fenech Soler

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Apsley – Sold

Apsley - Sold

Apsley – Sold

Idaho-based Apsley (aka Jacob Apsley) releases his debut track, ‘Sold’, and it’s a stunner.

Originally a drummer (he started at the tender age of six), Jacob later picked up the piano, guitar and singing skills that we today witness on ‘Sold’.

‘Sold’ is about seeing life as it really is, and not being shackled to the conforms of society. With that in mind, we recommend you whack this song on your headphones and go for a walk outside.

Sounds like: Fenech-Soler, SOHN, Aquilo, Friendly Fires, Delphic, The Chain Gang of 1974, The Naked and Famous, H A R T E B E E S T, Tourist, Bastille, Great Good Fine Ok, Hurts, X&Y, Young Empires

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Aquilo – Silhouette (Silhouettes Trilogy : Part 2)

Aquilo

Aquilo

UK production duo, Aquilo, share the video for ‘Silhouette’, the lead single from their upcoming debut album, released on 27 January via Island Records.

The video, directed by Eoin Glaister, forms part of Aquilo’s ‘Silhouettes’ video trilogy.

The short film focuses on Perry Benson (This Is England, Sid & Nancy) and continues from Part 1.

Sounds like: SOHN, Great Good Fine Ok, Hurts, X&Y, Young Empires, Fenech Soler

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Aquilo – You Won’t Know Where You Stand (Silhouettes Trilogy : Part I)

Aquilo

Aquilo

UK production duo, Aquilo, kick off 2017 with a video for their new single ‘You Won’t Know Where You Stand’.

The video, directed by Eoin Glaister, forms part of Aquilo’s ‘Silhouettes’ video trilogy, taken from their debut album of the same name released on 27 January via Island Records.

You may recognise some of the actors in the video – it stars Perry Benson (This Is England, Sid & Nancy), Ruairi O’Connor (What Richard Did, Handsome Devil) and Emily Reid, and follows the inter-connected lives of three characters (an olympic skater, her dad and a young football coach), coming together to a poignant narrative whole.

Sounds like: SOHN, Great Good Fine Ok, Hurts, X&Y, Young Empires, Fenech Soler

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Ryder – Fade Away

Ryder

Ryder

NYC electronic artist, Ryder, is back with ‘Fade Away’.

Growing up in New York, Ryder was exposed to a melting pot of culture. This has lead to an eclectic musical style of a wide variety of genres such as classical, urban, and world music.

Sounds like: X&Y, MØ, Lana Del Rey, Hurts, Santigold, MS MR, Linney

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Youth Club – DTLA

Youth Club

Youth Club

We’ve been supporting Youth Club on our monthly playlists for a while now, but it’s about time for a post.

The Southend-on-Sea lads return with ‘DTLA’ (aka ‘Downtown LA’), which has been released as an AA-side with ‘Pressure’ via Lab Records.

Keeping the sun shining, their music mixes guitar licks, electronic keys and R’n’B vocals to create crisp, dance orientated pop.

Sounds like: MOTHXR, VYNCE, X&Y

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Hurts – Wings

Hurts

Hurts

Following on from the brilliant video for ‘Lights‘ is another dramatic performance from Hurts in their new video for ‘Wings’.

It was directed by renowned music video director, Dawn Shadforth (Björk, Florence + the Machine, Goldfrapp).

It has been taken from the ‘Surrender’ album, out on 11 December through Columbia Records.

Pre-sale tickets for upcoming European tour available here.

Sounds like: Depeche Mode, Brandon Flowers, X&Y, Young Empires, Polyna, Kylie Minogue, Florence + the Machine

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Ryder – Pretty Little Gangster

Ryder

Ryder

EDM NYC-born but now Los Angeles-based Ryder re-releases ‘Pretty Little Gangster’ for our listening delight.

The track, which has been produced by Cali Cleve, is a spiritual number. Get immersed in Ryder’s vibe now.

Sounds like: X&Y, MØ, Lana Del Rey, Hurts, Santigold, MS MR, Linney

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