[SONG OF THE DAY] Miro Shot - "Are We Closer"

Last week digital utopian global artist collective Miro Shot shared their latest track, “Are We Closer” taken from their forthcoming debut EP, Servers, which is out on June 28th. Following tracks, “Leaders In A Long Lost World” and “Boston Dynamic”, this new song and its accompanying music video is all rooted around the exploring the way that technology has dramatically transformed how we communicate with one another and how that has also impacted our concept of what we consider to be real.

The music video was intentionally made vertical to further demonstrate the band’s perspective with on our association with technology by encouraging fans to experience it on their mobile devices, which are the very thing that we all seem to currently be in a complicated relationship with. Speaking on the video, frontman Roman Rappak explained, “It’s an attempt to capture the feeling of what being alive in a world with streaming walls of content and images that we are saturated with, and the way it is all thrown together: a cat gif next to rioters, a photo of someones lunch next to a devastated rainforest.” Furthering their reputation for creating a barrage of dazzling mixed media to compliment their genre bending sound, "Are We Closer” leaves viewers completely engrossed to the point where you almost feel exhausted after trying to consume the onslaught of visuals and catch everything on the first play. Which, by the way, isn’t gonna happen lol. I’ve probably watched this 10 times now and I’m still picking up little bits and pieces here and there.

The band has some of their groundbreaking VR performances coming up, starting with their residency during VRHAM Festival in Germany this Friday, before making stops in London and Paris.

Miro Shot - Are We Closer (vertical video, best viewed on mobile) from MIRO SHOT on Vimeo.

[WATCH] Garçons - "Pedigree (Official Video)"

photo credit: Edmund Green​​​​​​​

Ottawa duo Garçons have shared, “Pedigree”, the first song from their forthcoming sophomore EP, out on August 28th, along with an accompanying super fun video. The track follows their 2018 debut EP Body Language, which was a happy accident of sorts. "There wasn't a goal, we just wanted to make good music," recounted producer Julian Strangelove of their month-long writing session.  

For “Pedigree”, singer/songwriter Deelo Avery draws from his background as an immigrant. The singer grew up in Nigeria and was a huge fan of Afrobeat music pioneer and human rights activist Fela Kuti. “His music constantly played in my house, on the TV and everywhere on the radio," Deelo said of Kuti. "It runs in his blood, hence the name 'Pedigree.'" Following Kuti’s lead, who sang in both English and Yoruba, throughout the track Deelo alternates between English and Igbo.

The video for the song features Deelo as a night janitor at a school who goes around getting into all sorts of shenanigans throughout campus.

[WATCH] BAUM - "Fuckboy (Official Video)"

photo credit: Sabrina Santiago

Alt-pop singer/songwriter BAUM (née Sabrina Teitelbaum) has unveiled the no fucks given self-loving anthem, “Fuckboy”, on the heels of the announcement that she’ll be releasing her sophomore EP Curve, which will follow up her 2018 debut Ungodly. Speaking on the meaning behind the track, Teitelbaum shared, "I feel like the narrative people are always putting on women is the “boy meets girl, girl falls in love instantly, boy breaks girls heart” story. I wanted to sing about something different. It’s obviously not good to be a fuckboy, but women aren’t emotional wrecks running around searching for love, looking to be saved, yet I feel like that identity is constantly being placed on us." ​​​​​

In addition to the track, she’s also shared an accompanying video directed by Marcella Cytrynowicz, who's worked creating videos for Snoop Dogg, JOYRICH, Capitol Records, Yellow Claw, Happy Socks, and Nike. ​It centers around two dancers and their interaction with one another, first mirroring each other's movements to eventually dancing independently at the end. "This is meant to mimic how we interact with people we are involved with, the games we sometimes play, and how we can ultimately find power in independence," Teitelbaum said of the video. "The storyline, particularly that of the female dancer, is meant to offer an alternate narrative to that of the “overly emotional woman” we frequently see in the media and mainstream entertainment." 

[SONG OF THE DAY] Tycho - "Pink & Blue"

photo credit: Scott Hansen

Earlier today the band that can temporarily induce synesthesia to basically anyone, the Grammy nominated Tycho unveiled the details of their forthcoming studio album Weather, which is slated for a July 12th release on new home Mom + Pop/Ninja Tune. Pre-orders are live todayyyyyy!!!! Go getchu a bundle fam!

✨✨✨✨ ✨✨✨ ✨✨✨✨ ✨✨✨✨ ✨✨

✨✨ A C H I E V E M E N T U N L O C K E D ✨✨

✨✨✨✨ ✨✨✨ ✨✨✨✨ ✨✨✨✨ ✨✨

Tycho has songs you can look up the lyrics to now and I ain’t even mad tbh.

That’s right!

On the heels of the album announcement, the band has shared a brand new track, “Pink & Blue”, along with an accompanying video. Following up what we now know as the lead track on the album, “Easy”, this new track features what Tycho brainchild Scott Hansen refers to as, “the most organic instrument of all, the human voice”, better known to the world as Saint Sinner (born Hannah Cottrell).

As he explained, "It has been inspiring working with Hannah's voice and hearing Tycho evolve into something that I had always hoped it someday would. [….] Our initial sessions were incredibly productive and I strongly identified with the imagery in her lyrics. Her vision folded effortlessly into mine and her voice integrated seamlessly into the sonic landscape opening new spaces for me as a songwriter and producer.”

I’ll admit, it’s going to take a little getting used to with this new “'instrument” in play, but mostly because I’m so used to getting lost in all of the delicate synth movements. With Saint Sinner being added to the mix, the focus is shifting ever so slightly, but int he best possible way.

Offering some insight behind the lyrics to the song, Saint Sinner shared, "The lines, ‘Oh, pink and blue, you know I look good on you’, originally stemmed from when I was romantically involved with a man and a woman simultaneously, for the first time in my life." She continued, "It was a defining moment for me. I went from being a young religious kid who thought she would marry a man to a young woman who realized her love for women. I now found myself, somewhere in the middle, leaning more closely to women. 'Pink & Blue' is a love song to no one, to everyone, and to myself. It's a sweet reminder to all lovers to hold onto their love with open arms; to be fearless about any type of love and to be fearless about losing their love. Love is never lost."

Hansen added, “Looking back, it's clear that every step of the past 18 years has lead to this moment and I couldn't be happier with the result."

OH AND THERE’S A TOUR ON THE HORIZON! The Weather World Tour kicks off in July on the other side of the world before heading to North America in September, and then finally making their way through Europe.

Are y’all hype for this? I’M SO FUCKING HYPE FOR THIS!

TYCHO

"WEATHER WORLD TOUR"

2019

JULY

21 - Byron Bay, Australia - Splendour In The Grass *

23 - Melbourne, Australia - Forum Melbourne

24 - Sydney, Australia - Sydney Opera House

26 - Niigata Prefecture, Japan - Fuji Rock Festival '19 *

SEPTEMBER

5 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre **

6 - Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre #

7 - Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall #

8 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre #

11 - Denver, CO - The Mission Ballroom #

13 - Minneapolis, MN - Palace Theatre #

15 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom #

16 - Toronto, ON - Sony Centre for the Performing Arts #

18 - Boston, MA - Wang Theatre - Boch Center #

19 - New York, NY - Summerstage #

20 - Philadelphia, PA - Franklin Music Hall #

21 - Slippery Rock, PA - Resonance Music & Arts Festival *

23 - Detroit, MI - The Masonic #

24 - Columbus, OH - Express Live #

26 - St Louis, MO - The Pageant #

27 - Kansas City, MO - CrossroadsKC #

2020

FEBRUARY

9 - Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller #

10 - Stockholm, Sweden - Vasteatern #

11 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega Main Hall #

13 - Hamburg, Germany - Uebel & Gefahrlich #

14 - Cologne, Germany - Live Music Hall #

15 - Paris, France - Elyse Montmartre #

17 - Brussels, Belgium - AB Ballroom @ Ancienne Belgique #

18 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso #

19 - Berlin, Germany - Huxley's #

21 - Warsaw, Poland - Praga Centrum #

23 - Prague, Czech Republic - Roxy #

24 - Budapest, Hungary - Akvarium #

25 - Vienna, Austria - WUK #

27 - Milan, Italy - Fabrique #

28 - Bologna, Italy - Estragon #

MARCH

1 - Barcelona, Spain - Sala Apolo #

5 - London, UK - Printworks #

* Festival Performance

** Chrome Sparks

# Poolside

Tycho - Weather Tracklist

1. Easy

2. Pink & Blue

3. Japan

4. Into The Woods

5. Skate

6. For How Long

7. No Stress

8. Weather

Pre-Order

[WATCH] Husky Loops - "Everyone Is Having Fun Fun Fun But Me (Official Video)"

still from the “Everyone Is Having Fun Fun Fun But Me” music video

Husky hunnies have returned to share the video for their latest single, “Everyone Is Having Fun Fun Fun But Me”, from their forthcoming debut full-length, I Can’t Even Speak English, arriving on August 16th. The video is a blatant nod to The Verve’s 1997 classic, “Bittersweet Symphony”, a personal all-time favorite of Danio Forni. Whereas with “Bittersweet Symphony” singer Richard Ashcroft defiantly stomps down the street with people on the street reacting to being bodychecked by him, in the Husky Loops update Danio is met with an onslaught of resistance as he attempts to stroll down Peckham High Street in the middle of the night. Shot in one take, the video features collaborators and old friends including Joy Anonymous, MEI and niceboy. We also eventually see the rest of the band make an appearance near the end of the video.

I’ll admit, it’s mildly upsetting to watch people give Danio so much shit. Eventually you’re like, “Damn leave the dude alone already!” 😂

Oh PS - if you follow the band on Instagram they’ve been sharing some behind the scenes footage as they wrap up I Can’t Even Speak English. Yer girl got her ears on like 10 seconds of the previously mentioned track, “Fuck Me Naturally” and I am all the more eager to get my ears on this record.

[SONG OF THE DAY] Bene - "Evil Spider"

Kiwi alt-pop powerhouse Bene is about to lure her way into your heart with her catchy web full of silky vocals and chill throwback vibes in her latest track, “Evil Spider”. The track follows up the Auckland, New Zealand native’s earlier earworm, “Soaked” and is about longing for someone who’s already taken.

Speaking on the track, Bene explained, “When writing the song, I didn’t wanna make the lyrics too obviously evil, so I thought I’d turn myself into the spider, making it a lil lighter and making the song revolve around me weaving webs to lure the person, catch ‘em like a spider then reel them in. I remember humming ‘Incy Wincy Spider’ in the studio, which inspired the playful vibe of the song.”

In addition to the new track, Bene has also revealed that she’ll be dropping her debut EP on June 28th. Oh! And she’ll also be gracing us NYers with her presence on June 17th at Mercury Lounge. You can grab tickets now and join me for what will most likely be a bopfest.

[SONG OF THE DAY] Holy Ghost! - "Do This"

photo credit: Harry McNally

On Friday NYC duo Holy Ghost! dropped another taste from their forthcoming LP, Work, which is out June 21st via the legendary West End Records. Their new track, “Do This”, is as candid and incredibly thoughtful as it is the kind of glimmering low-key vibe that one would want to put on to savor the last few hours of the weekend.

In making this album NY natives Alex Frankel and Nick Millhiser decided that for this record in particular that they were going to focus their efforts on the same creative process that resulted in their 2011 debut self-titled album. An album free of any sort of expectations and really returning to crafting a vibe for the sake of vibing out vs. chasing trends that we see in dance music today, especially as it’s related to likes, stream counts, etc. “Do It” is their way of making their intentions for the album as blatantly obvious as possible.

How blatantly obvious? Here are the lyrics to the first verse:

You must think I’m stupid / For chasing a sound / For running it down / For holding my ground.

You must think I’m ruthless / Impeccably mean / But I know what i want / It means something to me.

And I don't usually do this / But that data has shown, I should probably go home

Yep. That. Obvious.

"There's a data epidemic in the music industry. Everyone is obsessed with likes, stream counts, ‘the algorithm’ etc...,” frontman Alex Frankel explained while speaking on the track, “For a band like us, who like to take our time in the studio  and perform with a live band and make actual records from scratch, it starts to really bum you out when people around you are more focused on Instagram stats and ‘reactions’ than the music.”

Def not wrong there, my dude. While we know how much I love #thedata and The Algorithm™, my ass knows better than to believe that’s the only thing that’s gonna fix the mountain of still unsolved problems the music industry had prior to the Napster era, MySpace music, etc.

Either way, I sort of always had this inkling that Holy Ghost! were ✨my people✨, but this jam absolutely confirmed that. Definitely intend to go on record to discuss this at greater length as we get closer to the album’s release.

Speaking of June 21st, ICYMI NY fam the album release show at Bowery Ballroom has sold out and the fellas have just added a second show on the following night, so now you have no excuse to not come out and dance your ass off with me.

Upcoming Holy Ghost! Live Shows:

05-09: Guadalajara, México - Corona Capital at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez

06-21: New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom (Album Release Show / SOLD OUT)

06-22: New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom (Just Added!)

06-29: Washington, DC - U Street Music Hall

10-31: San Francisco, CA - The Independent

11-1: San Francisco, CA - The Independent

11-2: Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom

11-3: Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom

[SONG OF THE DAY] Bastille - "Joy"

IT IS VIBE THE FUCK O CLOCK THIS FRIDAY 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

THIS NEW MUSIC FRIDAY IS LIT 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

YER GIRL IS LIT 🔥✨⚡️💖

We’re all feeling the joy today, but them Bastille fellas are clearly feeling it the most because those sweeties just announced that they’re releasing a new album, Doom Days, which will drop on June 14th. In addition to the album announcement, of COURSE they shared a first taste and it is just oozing in the glitter and lightning ✨⚡️💖. I was singing along to this bop that won’t stop on the street earlier today and I swear for a second that despite it being overcast and nasty in Brooklyn that the sun peeked out from behind the clouds and was shinning on my face. I don’t think my feet were touching the ground either?

Yeah, it’s one of those jams. Also. Dan’s falsettos in this joint tho…. *chef’s kiss*

In addition to all of this joyous news, the band have also announced that they’ll be hitting the road in North America in September. Some fine print that you should know about snagging tix:

Every online ticket order purchased for the U.S. dates on the fall tour will include a CD of the new album. The pre-sale code will be revealed on the band’s Instagram Stories the morning of the pre-sale launch. The artist ticket pre-sale begins on Friday, May 3, at 10:00 AM local time. Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, May 10, starting at 10:00 AM local time.

Tour dates, tracklisting for Doom Days, and the GORGEOUS visualizer for “Joy” are all below.

Off you go!

Track Listing – Doom Days

1.    Quarter Past Midnight

2.    Bad Decisions

3.    The Waves

4.    Divide

5.    Million Pieces

6.    Doom Days

7.    Nocturnal Creatures

8.    4AM

9.    Another Place

10. Those Nights

11. Joy

Bastille – North American Tour

9/16 | Philadelphia, PA | The Met

9/17 | Boston, MA | Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion

9/18 | Laval, QC | Place Bell ^

9/20 | Toronto, ON | Budweiser Stage ^

9/21 | Washington, DC | The Anthem

9/22 | Pittsburgh, PA | Stage AE

9/24 | New York, NY | Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden***

9/27 | Uncasville, CT | Mohegan Sun Arena

9/28 | Richmond, VA | Virginia Credit Union LIVE!

9/29 | Columbus, OH | Express Live!

10/1 | Detroit, MI | Masonic Temple Theatre

10/2 | Chicago, IL | Chicago Theatre***

10/4 | Denver, CO | The Mission Ballroom

10/5 | Salt Lake City, UT | Saltair Pavilion

10/7 |Portland, OR | Theatre of The Clouds @ Moda Center

10/8 | Vancouver, BC | Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre

10/9 | Seattle, WA | WAMU Theater

10/11 | Berkeley, CA | Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley

10/12 | Los Angeles, CA | Greek Theatre

10/13 | San Diego, CA | CalCoast Credit Union Open Air Theatre

10/15 | Phoenix, AZ | Comerica Theatre

10/17 | Dallas, TX | South Side Ballroom

10/18 | Houston, TX | White Oak Music Hall Lawn

10/19 | Austin, TX | Austin360 Amphitheater

10/21 | Birmingham, AL | BJCC Concert Hall

10/22 | Nashville, TN | Municipal Auditorium

10/23 | Atlanta, GA | Coca-Cola Roxy

10/25 | Raleigh, NC | Red Hat Amphitheater

10/26 | Jacksonville, FL | Daily’s Place*

10/27 | Miami, FL | Bayfront Park Amphitheater*

10/29 | Mexico City, MX | Pepsi Center ^**

^ Doom Days album not included with online ticket purchase

*Jacksonville and Miami will go on sale to the public on Friday, May 17 at 10am local time

**Mexico City will go on sale to the public on Wednesday, May 15 at 10am local time

***New York and Chicago will go on sale to the public on Friday, May 10 at 11am local time

****Philadelphia will go on sale to the public on Friday, May 10 at 12pm local time