[News] BBC Sound of 2014 Winner Announced

Each year, the BBC rounds up a list of who they think are going to be the big names in the year. They do this by asking a vast range of 170 UK tastemakers including DJs, critics and bloggers to choose just three acts they believe will leave a big mark on the year to come. Previous winners include Adele, Haim, Ellie Goulding, Little Boots and 50 Cent. This year I was kindly asked to take part, and the list put forward by myself and the other pundits was an eclectic mix of genres and artists across the board. The longlist can be seen over here, but today, the winner was announced as the 21-year-old singer, Sam Smith. He made his mark on 2013, when in May, he appeared on Naughty Boy's huge number 1 single "La La La" along with Disclosure on their track, "Latch". I've got to say I've been excited by him since I first heard his voice. It's damn unique and oh so soulful. 

He's set to release his debut album, In The Lonely Hour later in the year but for now, props to him and let's see if his year is as big as expected. You can pick up his EP Nirvana on iTunes now.

The full top five:

1.      Sam Smith

2.      Ella Eyre

3.      BANKS

4.      Sampha

5.      George Ezra

In the coming weeks, myself and Kibbe will be picking our personal top picks of who to look out for in 2014 and why we're pretty damn excited for the year ahead in music. Watch this space.

[News] Beck Signs To Capitol, Announces New Album 'Morning Phase'

Apparently good things come to those who wait because WE'RE GETTING A NEW BECK ALBUM IN FEBRUARY, Y'ALL!! FINALLYYYY!! It was just announced that Beck has signed to Capitol Records and will be releasing his first album since 2008. According to the press release, "The new record, titled Morning Phase, has been described as a companion piece of sorts to Beck's 2002 classic Sea Change. Featuring many of the same musicians who played on that record (who are also currently accompanying him live) -Justin Meldal-Johnsen, Joey Waronker, Smokey Hormel, Roger Joseph Manning Jr., and Jason Falkner -- Morning Phase harkens back to the stunning harmonies, song craft and staggering emotional impact of that record, while surging forward with infectious optimism."

No more details have been announced yet, but you better believe the second it hits our inbox you all will be the first to know.

ARE YOU EXCITED OR WHAT!?!?!

[Watch] Breton - "Got Well Soon" (Official Video)

Just this past weekend as Liz and I were hanging out I half joked, "We should totally train up in the gym so that when Breton comes to town we are in tip top shape to dance super hard all night long at the show." 

That was prior to experiencing that which is the new Breton single, "Got Well Soon". 

Now I think we should have been training since the day the band first Vined a snippet from the studio around the beginning of the summer. I had a ballpark idea of how much I thought the band had matured and progressed in the year-ish that Team SKOA has been following the artist, but now I regret underestimating them like that. This first single is a compilation of the things that I have always celebrated about the band: it's dark, showcases a lot of depth and complexity, and is semi-gloomy yet electrifyingly bassy so there's no chance in hell that, at the bare minimum, your hips won't be swaying back and forth juuuuust a little once it hits your eardrums. On top of this solid initial offering from a musical standpoint, the accompanying video unveiled yesterday is yet another powerful visual that the band is well-known for. What they've managed to capture in under 5 minutes is so striking that I was invested immediately in the story and pretty much had my jaw on the floor by the time it ended. To date, I would say this is their best work overall.  

Per the song's premiere on BBC 6 Music yesterday on Mary Anne Hobbs' show, the album is slated for a February 2014 release and was recorded in Berlin. From what I can tell from the several videos and Vines that the band has teased throughout the past few months on top of this first single, it is going to be one doozy of a followup to their 2012 debut, Other People's Problems. 

The band will be heading out on a small string of dates starting next Wednesday (10/16) in support of Local Natives before playing a small handful of festival and North American gigs. Team SKOA will be training up for their Glasslands show on December 13th, so look for us there. We'll be the ones dancing the hardest, obviously. 

Enough yapping, check out "Got Well Soon" below: 

Breton Tour Dates

16/10 - Waterfront, Norwich, UK - w/ Local Natives
20/10 - Sage 2, Newcastle, UK - w/ Local Natives
21/10 - Arches, Glasgow, UK - w/ Local Natives
22/10 - Limelight, Belfast, UK - w/ Local Natives
24/10 - Olympia, Dublin, Ireland - w/ Local Natives
25/10 - Leadmill, Sheffield, UK - w/ Local Natives
26/10 - The Ritz, Manchester, UK - w/ Local Natives
27/10 - O2 Academy, Bristol, UK - w/ Local Natives
29/10 - University, Southampton, UK - w/ Local Natives
30/10 - Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands - w/ Local Natives
31/10 - AB Club, Brussels. Belgium - w/ Local Natives
12/11 - Zenith, Paris, France - w/ Foals
23/11 - Goodgod, Sydney, Australia
05/12 - The Lexington, London, UK
13/12 - Glasslands Gallery, Brooklyn, US
14/12 - Il Motore, Montreal, Canada

[News] Chromeo Announce Fourth LP, Titled 'White Women'

Yes. Yes. Yes. Chromeo is back and they're ready to unleash their follow-up to 2010's fantastic Business Casual, the questionably titled White Women.

It was great hearing Chromeo team up with Oliver a few weeks back, as their cover of Donna Summer's "Love Is In Control (Finger On The Trigger)" really reminded me how good this Montreal duo is. I've since revisited their discography and god damn, all three of their albums are amazing. Hell, nine years after their debut album She's in Control was released, "You're So Gangsta" still sounds fucking incredible. These guys have a timeless sound, and that's why today's news was so exciting.

While all we know is that the album is "coming soon," Dave 1 and P-Thugg have provided us with a humorous teaser trailer directed by Jérémie Rozan. And how aobut that song? The new jam is called "Over Your Shoulder" and boasts one hell of a guitar riff. Watch it below and check back for more on White Women!

[News] Arcade Fire's New Album 'Reflektor' Detailed, Listen to the Titular Single

9pm on September 9th. Today is the big day. Arcade Fire has hinted about and teased it for months now, and fans and bloggers alike have speculated, ruminated and hunted for details, but it's finally here. The band has officially unveiled their fourth album Reflektor.

For those living in countries with access to the 9pm availability of the album's titular single on iTunes (it's still only 12 noon where I currently am), some tantalizing details were provided. First, Reflektor will be released on October 29th, as we already knew. Second, that's the artwork posted above—it is inspired by the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice. Third, it will feature thirteen songs, one of which is "Reflektor." The running times and titles of the other twelve have yet to be revealed.

Now, on to the most exciting part! While you may not yet be able to purchase "Reflektor" on iTunes, Arcade Fire have shared an interactive video featuring the song. Teaming up with Google Chrome and frequent collaborator Vincent Morisset, the video "follows a young woman who travels between her world and our own." You can view the interactive piece, filmed in Jacmel, Haiti, here, and below you can watch a behind the scenes look at the making of the video.

"Reflektor" was produced by LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy and features vocals from David Bowie. It is available to buy digitally today at 9pm—yes, it is time zone specific—and will also come as a 12" vinyl at select record stores. Arcade Fire will also be performing on the season premiere of Saturday Night Live on September 28th.

UPDATE: Arcade Fire have released an official video for "Reflektor," this time featuring the band members themselves. Directed by Anton Corbijn, it's simply fantastic from start to finish, full of dark touches and charming oddities. Arcade Fire are owning this day. Replay the video below.

[News] Ryan Hemsworth Announces New LP, Streams First Single "Against A Wall"

Canadian producer extraordinaire Ryan Hemsworth casually slipped in some exciting news last week, revealing that on October 22nd he would be releasing a new full-length album titled Guilt Trips. The LP will see Hemsworth digging deeper into his musical inspirations, going "beyond the hip hop, r&b and dance music world to inspirations that sprout from a time before he made the type of music that people have come to expect." For an initial taste of the upcoming release he has shared the first single, titled "Against A Wall." Check out the track below, featuring vocals from Miami rapper Lofty305.

Hemsworth shared his thoughts on "Against A Wall" and on Guilt Trips as a whole, saying:

I reached out to friends and people I admire really. I wanted kind of unexpected collaborations and people with a uniqueness to them, instead of just reaching out to random top-liners. Someone like Lofty305, who has a weird, certainly not trained voice, made sense for "Against A Wall" because I wanted it to match the mood of the track. That's so much more important to me than making a perfect song. I just wanted to flesh out that charming imperfection on a lot of the tracks. When I asked the people on it to do their parts, I didn't direct them too much but just asked them to think of a breakup or a time when they felt weird or shitty from love. All of my music is sparked from love in some form or another I think, so this album is kind of just a capsule of different moods caused by love."

[News] The xx to Start Recording New Album After New Year's

It seems we'll be getting new music from The xx sooner than we expected. Exactly one year removed from their stunning sophomore album Coexist, news arrived that the band will start recording LP #3 in early 2014. This comes from the mouth of Jamie xx, who was recently interviewed by Swedish festival blog Festivalrykten. While the band is currently on tour, including numerous festival slots, Jamie said:

We are working on some new songs right now, we have a couple of demos and some sounds. After finishing this tour, we will be doing some separate things, I'll produce and DJ, but we will get back together after New Year’s and start recording our third album."

Let the wait begin. For now, why not indulge in some of The xx's current affairs?

[Listen] Odesza Release Single "My Friends Never Die" from New EP

Seattle duo Odesza absolutely won me over earlier this summer at Sasquatch!. Their debut album Summer's Gone is an inescapable stream of bright production and captivating rhythms, exemplifying why these guys should be listened to. That doesn't change with "My Friends Never Die," the new single from their upcoming EP of the same name. If anything, the song is bigger and better than everything that came before it.

"My Friends Never Die" explodes with turbulent synths, a whirlwind of hip-hop drum beats and chopped-up vocal samples. It simply grabs hold of your collar and never lets go. Give it a try below.

My Friends Never Die EP is out on September 17th. Odesza is also on tour starting next week. Check out their dates with Pretty Lights and Michael Menert after the jump.

Odesza 2013 Tour Dates:

Sat. Sept. 7 - Portland, OR @ Branx (MusicfestNW)

Sat. Sept. 21 - Oakdale, CA @ Symbiosis Gathering

Sat. Sept. 28 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos (Decibel Festival)

Mon. Sept. 30 - Orlando, FL @ The Social *

Tue. Oct. 1 - Miami, FI @ The Stage *

Wed. Oct. 2 - Tampa, FL @ Crowbar *

Thu. Oct. 3 - Atlanta, GA @ The Basement *

Fri. Oct. 4 - Knoxville, TN @ NV Nightclub *

Sat. Oct. 5 - Charleston, SC @ The Pour House *

Tue. Oct. 8 - Washington, DC @ U Street Music Hall *

Wed. Oct. 9 - Charlottesville, VA @ The Southern *

Thu. Oct. 10 - Richmond, VA @ Canal Club *

Fri. Oct. 11 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Bowl *

Sat. Oct. 12 - Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East *

Sun. Oct. 13 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground *

Wed. Oct. 16 - Grand Rapids, MI @ The Stache *

Thu. Oct. 17 - Chicago, IL @ Park West *

Fri. Oct. 18 - Madison, WI @ High Noon Saloon *

Sat. Oct. 19 - Milwaukee, WI @ Miramar Theatre *

Sun. Oct. 20 - Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theatre *

Wed. Oct. 23 - Bozeman, MT @ Zebra Cocktail Lounge *

Wed. Nov. 20 - Missoula, MT @ Adams Center #

Thu. Nov. 21 - Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory #

Wed. Nov. 27 - Reno, NV @ Silver State Pavilion #

* w/ Michael Menert

 # w/ Pretty Lights