[SONG OF THE DAY] Touch Sensitive - "G.A.L. (feat. Daniel Wilson)"

This week on Fuck My Actual Life Stop Tryna Get Me To Move To Australia: one of my favorite finds of the year so far, Sydney’s own Touch Sensitive has unveiled a new single to follow up his 2017 debut full-length, Visions. Just as I have come to know and adore from Visions, this new single, “G.A.L.”, featuring Ypsilanti, MI vocalist Daniel Wilson, is a straight up glittery funk-house force to be reckoned with.

While there’s no indication of album #2 or any sort of tour other than some dates at the Falls Music and Arts Festival in Australia, I’m really hoping this means 2019 will continue its trend of just being filthy with bomb ass records. Let us pray 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻.

[SONG OF THE DAY] SAKIMA - "Virtus Domum"

As things have been winding down and I’ve taken time to reflect on the year in music we’ve had, I can honestly say that without a doubt SAKIMA is the most important thing that happened to music this year. With every single he’s released he continues to share carefully crafted narratives that are universally relatable but are still deeply rooted in his perspective as a gay musician.

In his latest, “Virtus Domum”, he addresses personal experience of being taken advantage of and being the subject of unwanted advances. Throughout the song you hear him working through the experience, complete with brief victim blaming and what I assume are things he wishes he’d said during the specific encounter he’s speaking to.

With every song he’s released in the past year I can’t help but think about the New York Times interview with Jay-Z where he says something that I’m sure he’s repeating from a therapy session: “What you reveal, you heal.” In every day life it can be incredibly difficult to expose our emotional wounds and begin the healing process. The fact that SAKIMA is very directly slaying his demons so openly will undoubtedly help a lot of people with theirs and even possibly prevent some trauma from happening altogether.

As he told Paper in an interview about the track, “I really hope that for anyone who relates to the track, that it gives them a sense of control over their own experiences, and reminds them that they are in charge of what happens to them. Even when something happens to you outside of your physical control, you still own your story and what becomes of it.”

[SONG OF THE DAY] Mystery Skulls - "Don't Fuck With My Money"

Yooooo 2019 'bout to be so 🔥🔥🔥 tho good LORDE.

Hi yes I know it’s been a minute but I got one hell of a vibe to make up for it today.

After laying low for some time now LA’s Mystery Skulls has resurfaced with a brand new aptly titled single, “Don’t Fuck With My Money”, to launch crowdfunding efforts for his forthcoming album, Back To Life. The record is scheduled to drop they day before yer girl gets another year older (which is April 12th if y’all aren’t stalking me).

The Pledge Music campaign features a variety of goodies in exchange for being a dedicated fan, so I suggest getting in while the getting’s good.

[SONG OF THE DAY] Monad - "Turning Wheels"

photo credit: Tamir Moosh

Last week, Israeli artist Monad (born Eshchar Nachmany) unveiled the accompanying music video for his single, “Turning Wheels”, which is off of his latest EP of the same name. The visuals for the video were shot in Tel-Aviv’s central bus station, the free-form nature of the video allows Esh to curate an authentic representation of the human experience through improvised performances. Whereas the upper floors of the brutalist structure play host to half a million daily commuters, the basement levels have become an underground haven – with artists transforming the abandoned space into a creative workshop.  

Speaking on the single, Esh shared over email, “'Turning Wheels' is a chronicle of introspection, which you could also say is the narrative thread that runs throughout the EP - a slow movement or transformation from beginning to end. Pacing through different moods, textures and rhythms.”

Pretty sure this is a SKOA first in terms of falling for an Israeli baby band! I’m pretty pumped

[SONG OF THE DAY] Wrabel - "First Winter"

photo courtesy of Yazz Alali via Billboard

Oh my beloved bae-bel it is so good to see you finally releasing some of your own material this year. That’s not to say the beloved Wrabel hasn’t been cranking out any hits, Kesha stans know that the homey co-wrote her inspirational anthem for equality, “Here Comes The Change”. In addition to co-writes, the sweetest soul in the music industry also launched a collection of sketches for purchase through UK collective Landmark Street Art (spoiler alert: I want all of them).

At any rate, his new song, “First Winter” is a subtle but super sweet winter-themed love song that dropped last week. Yesterday, Billboard unveiled the accompanying video featuring a winter holiday-themed scavenger hunt so his partner can find him. Apparently this song is very personal for Wrabel because it will be the first time 11 years of living in LA that he’s going to spend the holidays with someone that he’s in love with and now my heart is so very very very full. 💖🎄

[SKOA PREMIERE] Patient Hands - "The Poisoner"

Today I am very honored to share the happy news that Montreal based ambient solo project Patient Hands (born Alex Stooshinoff) will be releasing his debut full-length, Stoic, on February 15th, 2019. Along with the announcement comes the goosebumps-inducing single, “The Poisoner”, which is available for your streaming pleasure below.

The story behind Stoic is nothing short of moving. After battling a yearlong sickness and experiencing a brush with cancer, Stooshinoff felt compelled to pour himself into writing and recording the album with the ambition that he would make a record that he would be content with if he were never to record anything ever again. 

As you’ll hear in, “The Poisoner”, the result is nothing short of breathtaking. The snapshot of earnest emotion heard in Stoooshinof’s soothe strumming as his gently sings, “I am my own murderer / The ‘poisoner’/ It's that story I know / It's me / I'm holding onto shadows”, is sure to send shivers down your spine. Speaking on the album Stooshinoff says, “Stoic is a love record. It’s about enduring the dark night, and finding the courage to live with an open heart.”

Tracklisting:

1. At Parting

2. I Shaved My Father’s Face

3. Anaesthetic

4. Envelopment

5. Say Stay 

6. The Poisoner

7. The Pale

8. Something Vanishing

9. Calm

[SONG OF THE DAY] San Scout - "Soap"

After laying low for far too long (imo), San Scout have resurfaced and there is a fair amount to make you aware of so strap in.

Earlier this week, the London duo launched an update to their website in the form of their immersive VR world that they’re referring to as “The Pharmacy”. This wild expanse of pixels is soon to be home to all of their forthcoming releases in addition to showcasing other artist friends of theirs in additional rooms. If you venture about the world in its present state you can click around to find all sorts of San Scout goodies, including links out to their social media accounts and unreleased demos. Spoiler alert: if you click on the pill bottles it will take you to their Spotify artist page. This is because the guys have actually based the concept of The Pharmacy on the topical concept of music as a prescription drug.

I mean, they’re not wrong.

In addition to The Pharmacy, today they released their latest single, “Soap”, which features their signature glitchy melancholic melodies and brooding airy vocals. As I excitedly expressed to the band via DM, these guys always know how to throw a vibe. The way that Freddy’s vocals overlay each track these guys make does often come off like drugs to me if I’m being honest, so I suppose the whole Pharmacy thing is a match made in musical heaven.

More updates from these sweet sweeties soon! In the meantime, if you happen to have free time on your hands, I know on good authority that the band has casually dropped their phone number inside the Pharmacy if you want to dial up these dudes and tell them that I sent you their way. 😘

HAPPY WEEKEND! <💖

[SKOA PREMIERE] Alae - "Home" (Official Music Video)

Friday Friday Friday Friday Friday Friday Fridayyyyyyyy!!!

Fam I am happy to premiere the latest video from Auckland four-piece Alae. On its own, their latest single from their debut full-length, Henry St, “Home”, is a delicate track that speaks to loss and belonging. Today, as you’ll soon see for yourself, the newly unveiled accompanying video will challenge you to reflect on how you present yourself to the world versus who you know yourself to truly be.

There are many takeaways from the video for “Home”, but according to singer Alex Farrell-Davey, it aims to create discussions around what it is to have a life outside of your sexuality. “In my mind the idea of breaking out of jail hand cuffed to your cell mate represents leaving work,” he explained, “chained to the version of yourself that you are when you're there. To then come home and to dedicate your night to trying to break free of how uncomfortable it makes you (in an environment that's loving and comfortable).” He adds, “To ultimately be arrested by the red and blue police sirens that represent waking up to an ominous alarm, knowing you have to do it all over again.”

As you’ll see as the video progresses that the prisoner who is taken along the heartwarming reunion (played by Farrell-Davey) that there’s this slow build of loneliness and isolation that’s portrayed being unable to escape how beautiful and heartwarming the love that exists between the fellow convict, partner, and baby is. The pain in his face as he looks away, unable to embrace this other part of him as one in the same. The underlying powerful message in “Home” is that of self-acceptance and if anything, having this reminder gifted to us from a marginalized voice makes it all the more deeply meaningful.