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Fresh Music Friday: 5 New Songs For Your Weekend

New music from Bonobo, JGrrey, Sam Fender, Elliot Lee, and Spirits Having Fun!

Bonobo

BBC

Fresh Music Friday is here to give you a breakdown of new singles, EPs, and albums to check out as you make your way into the weekend. Get ready to jam out with some of our favorite up-and-coming artists, plus celebrate new releases from those you already know and love.

1. Bonobo - "Linked"

Bonobo returns with a slow-burning, melodic single called "Linked" marking his first new music since "Ibrik," which he released back in January. "Linked" glows with a cosmic undercurrent, slowly colored in by flashes of vocal flourishes as it elevates into a deeply euphoric house beat. The UK producer's latest track comes alongside a tour announcement for a Summer/Fall run.

2. Sam Fender - "Will We Talk?"

English singer-songwriter Sam Fender released a raucous new cut from his upcoming debut LP, Hypersonic Missiles, due out in September. The new song,"Will We Talk?", is a relentlessly full-bodied rock'n'roll jam that's high-energy from the jump and doesn't let up any time throughout its nearly 3 minutes run time.

3. JGrrey - "Better Off"

Coming off the heels of her BBC Introducing Stage performance at Glastonbury, London singer JGrrey is back this week to drop another gorgeous single: "Better Off." Earlier this year JGrrey dropped her debut EP Grreydaze––a dazzling showcase of her unique brand of neo-soul, characterized by her South London-tinged vocals and dreamy, swirling instrumentation. This week, the rising star continued her streak with the silky Jarreau Vandal and Ed Thomas-produced track, and it looks like JGrrey is poised to become one of the most distinctive voices in neo-soul and R&B.

4. Elliot Lee - "Dirt"

Brooklyn-based Elliot Lee brings together stormy pop melodies, gritty vocals, and electronic instrumentation filled with dark energy to create her unique brand of bold, fearless homespun pop. Her latest single "Dirt," is propulsive and unpredictable and tracks the singer's frustration and disillusionment with the music industry's disillusioning tendencies.

5. Spirits Having Fun - "Gift Shopping"

Chicago-via-NYC post-punk outfit Spirits Having Fun features Katie McShane and members Jesse Heasly, Andrew Clinkman, and Phil Sudderber. Their debut LP Auto-Portrait (out via Ramp Local) melds together aspects of jazz, punk, ska, and synth pop to create wonky art rock that rattles with freneticism and belies conventional melodies in favor of wonderfully deconstructed ones, pushing and pulling against the confines of genre and structure alike. Today's lead single "Gift Shopping" taps into the same start-and-stop dynamics that mark much of the album's sound, but also spends some time stretching into the mellowed out in-between moments, too.

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Fresh Music Friday: 8 New Releases You Should Know

New music from Clairo, Lucy Dacus, Summer Cannibals, Chela, Plastic Picnic, and more!

Fresh Music Friday is here to give you a breakdown of new singles, EPs, and albums to check out as you make your way into the weekend.

Get ready to jam out with some of our favorite up-and-coming artists, plus celebrate new releases from those you already know and love.

1. Clairo - "Closer To You"

Pop Juggernaut and Flamin' Hot Cheetos enthusiast Clairo announced her forthcoming debut album, Immunity, back in May by sharing a luminous lead single called "Bags." This week, the Boston artist's second offering comes in the form of a new track called, "Closer To You," co-produced by former Vampire Weekend member, Rostam Batmanglij. "Closer To You" marks a departure from the twee sensibility of 2018's Diary 001 EP with a new sound wherein Clairo's voice is filtered through layers of syrupy autotune and punctuated by a moody, synthesized beat.

2. Lucy Dacus - "Forever Half Mast"

Over the past year, Lucy Dacus has been releasing songs that coincide with particular holidays––each equally or more poignant than the last––that will come together in an EP titled 2019, due out this Fall. For Valentine's Day, she put out "La Vie En Rose"; for Mother's Day, it was "My Mother & I." Her third single, "Forever Half Mast," is out this week and tackles America's fraught relationship with patriotism through the lens of the Fourth of July. Dacus adopts soft touches of Americana, bringing together a rootsy pedal steel guitar with a folksy melody, to drive home her point about the duality of shame and pride in the American experience on Independence Day.

3. Summer Cannibals - "Behave"

Portland's Summer Cannibals are putting out their anticipated fourth album, Can't Tell Me No, today via Tiny Engines. Ahead of the new LP, the band shared the album's third single, "Behave," a defiant reminder that no relationship should have you bend to fit another person's unrealistic expectations. Aligning with the album's theme of taking back power from manipulative situations, frontperson Jessica Boudreaux asserts: "Stop telling me to change / What if I can't behave / For you." Can't Tell Me No is out now via Tiny Engines.

4. Chela - "Losing Belief" Video

Melbourne's Chela (Chelsea Wheatley) recently announced an upcoming EP with a new gem of a synth-pop track called "Losing Belief" accompanied by wonderfully weird visuals. Built on a plinth of frenetic synths, "Losing Belief" is a heart-racing electro journey turned transcendent epiphany about regaining faith in yourself when you feel like you've lost hope in your artistic passions. The video––directed by Chela and produced by Tulay Dincel and Anthony Iacomella––invites the viewer into Chela's infectiously eccentric universe of workouts, surrealist costumes, and dance routines that fall somewhere in the intersection between Suspiria and Napolean Dynamite.

Chela says of the music video: "I wanted to convey the message of the song through the video and represent it in the form of religion. So I created an imaginary religion based on my logo and conceived the story of a friendship group losing belief/realizing the power of self together."

5. Plastic Picnic - "After You" Video

On Plastic Picnic's new single "After You," the band pairs glassy washes of '80s synth with breezy melodies and a heart-on-your-sleeve approach to lyricism. It only makes sense that the Hunter Airheart-directed visuals for the energetic yet melancholic track take place on a grey day at Rockaway Beach, interspersed with dramatic shots of crashing waves, sweeps of wind, and slow-motion close-ups. "After You" is the first in what is sure to be a string of beatific synth-pop tracks from Plastic Picnic's upcoming sophomore EP, Vistalite.

6. Little Slugger - "Impossible"

Brooklyn-via-Burlington powerpop duo, Little Slugger, is gearing up to put out a big, unabashed record, I Want To Live Here Forever, that tackles some of life's toughest existential transitions––from breakups to moving to a new city––and all of the ennui and excitement that trails along with it. Following the release of their first single "You're On Your Own," Little Slugger's second offering takes shape in a new, roomy track out this week called "Impossible." Their latest offering brings together sweeping vocal harmonies and crunchy guitars and showcases a killer ear for writing catchy hooks. I Want To Live Here Forever is out July 19th.


7. Jadu Heart - "Wanderlife"

UK Creative duo, Jadu Heart, is announcing a new album called Melt Away with the release of a dreamy new single, "Wanderlust." Jadu Heart––the moniker of masked twosome Dina and Faro––are melding together touches of electronica, folk, and soul to concoct incomparable and intoxicating ethereal sounds, at times reminiscent of the best of the early Beach House catalog. Their forthcoming LP was co-produced with Guy Sigworth (Bjork, Robyn), and it's the follow-up to their stunning 2016 debut EP, Wanderflower.

8. John Van Deusen - "Social Sucker"

Singer/songwriter John Van Deusen announced his new album (I Am) Origami Pt. 3 - A Catacomb Hymn with the new energetically honest song, "Whatever Makes You Mine," followed up by "Social Sucker." The latter is a bouncy power-pop anthem warning against the ills of social climbers looking for validation online; it's helmed by a sticky hook and fuses together the charms of '90s slacker rock with Van Deusen's easygoing vocal delivery. (I Am) Origami Pt. 3 - A Catacomb Hymn is out July 19th via Tooth & Nail Records.

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Fresh Music Friday: 10 New Songs To Beat Summertime Sadness

Photo by Ethan Robertson on UnsplashPhoto by Ethan Robertson on UnsplashNew releases to heat up your weekend!

Sunglasses

Photo by Ethan Robertson on Unsplash

Fresh Music Friday is here to give you a breakdown of new singles, EPs, and albums to check out as you make your way into the weekend.

Get ready to jam out with some of our favorite up-and-coming artists, plus celebrate new releases from those you already know and love.

1. Lil Nas X - "Panini"

Lil Nas X isn't stopping anytime soon. In anticipation of his forthcoming EP, the country-rap pop sensation released a new single called "Panini," which incorporates Nirvana's "In Bloom."

2. Mark Ronson - "Pieces Of Us" Feat. King Princess

Mark Ronson's new album, Late Night Feelings, is out this week and features an impressive list of features from artists like Camila Cabello, Lykke Li, and Miley Cyrus. The legendary producer tapped singer/songwriter King Princess for the soulful, atmospheric single "Pieces of Us."

3. Spoon - "No Bullets Spent"

Everyone's favorite indie rock band, Spoon, is gearing up to put out an album of greatest hits called Everything Hits At Once that will feature 12 classics, plus a new song entitled "No Bullet Spent." The new track harnesses much of the same laid back, melodic energy that made the early Spoon records so lovable and compliments the early Spoon catalog well.

4. Devendra Banhart - "Kantory Ongaku"

Devendra Banhart recently announced that he has a new album in the works entitled Ma, and this week he shared the first single from the new collection, "Kantori Ongaku." It's a quintessentially mellow Banhart track with lackadaisical vocals to match and, according to the singer, it's an homage to Japanese musician Haruomi Horsono. Ma is out September 13th on Nonesuch.

5. Sheer Mag - "Blood From A Stone"

Philadelphia shredders Sheer Mag are back with the first glimpse of their upcoming sophomore album, A Distant Call, by sharing a blistering new single called "Blood From A Stone." Relentless and riff-heavy as always, "Blood From A Stone" is a promising glimpse of Sheer Mag tapping into their unbridled potential on the forthcoming record to secure their status as one of the most exciting rock bands in the game. A Distant Call is out August 23rd on Wilsuns RC.

6. Caroline Polachek- "Door"

For the first time, Caroline Polachek (formerly of Chairlift) has released a new solo song under her full name. The new track is called "Door" and showcases Polachek's signature airy falsetto, which floats through a bright, chirpy hook uplifted by scuttling synthesized beats. The song is accompanied by a seriously enchanting music video co-directed by Polachek and Matt Copson.

7. Beeef - "I'm So Sorry" (featuring Sidney Gish)

Allston indie rock quartet, Beeef, teamed up with DIY juggernaut Sidney Gish to put out a new single called "I'm So Sorry." It's a breezy but heartfelt coming-of-age track helmed by Beeef's jangly melodic sound and Gish's bittersweet vocal delivery. "I'm So Sorry" is Beeef's lead single from their upcoming sophomore LP entitled Bull in the Shade, due out July 26th.

8. The Ocean Blue - "It Takes So Long"

Dream pop legends The Ocean Blue are back with their first new album in six years––Kings and Queens / Knaves and Thieves. "It Takes So Long" is the last single from the LP and it hearkens back to the band's '80s new wave sound while presenting a fresh spin on nostalgic indie pop. "It Takes So Long" weaves Schlezel's effortlessly emotive vocals with the band's jangly guitar melodies awash in warm tones; the result is a dreamy, seraphic tune. Kings and Queens / Knaves and Thieves is out now via Korda records.

9. HUNJIYA - "give it/what i get"

HUNJIYA aka Alice Kim's latest offering comes in the form of a new single called "give it/what i get," the follow-up to her 2017 EP, Lineage. On the new song, the 21-year-old artist deftly creates an atmospheric soundscape by combining soulful vocals with her enticing production skills.

10. REYNA - "The Way I Loved You"

If you're craving some more sugar rush pop and have exhausted listening to the latest Carly Rae Jepsen album, you might want to look to REYNA. The Milwaukee-based Mexican-American sister-duo is back with another glossy, '80s-inspired electro-pop song. Their new track "The Way I Loved You" continues their string of infectious, glimmering pop following previously released singles "Cool With It," "Baby Forget It" and "Heartbeat." Here's what Reyna had to say about the song: "TWILY is about wanting to love someone new with that same intensity, without caution or fear. But it's almost impossible because every new relationship you're more and more guarded. It's almost like you're protecting your heart instead of letting yourself fall in love."


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All the Best New Music for the Weekend of June 7th

New music from Jay Som, Whitney, GoldLink, (Sandy) Alex G, and more!

Fresh Music Friday is here to give you a breakdown of new singles, EPs, and albums to check out as you make your way into the weekend.

Get ready to jam out with some of our favorite up-and-coming artists, plus celebrate new releases from those you already know and love.

Singles

1. Jay Som - "Superbike"

Jay Som (a.k.a Melina Duterte) announced her sophomore album, Anak Ko, by sharing a new single. On "Superbike," Jay Som channels '80s dream-pop into a shoegazey tune swirled together with fuzzy guitar work and a bittersweet chorus. Plus, the accompanying visuals feature nostalgic shots of the open road to match the song's nostalgic atmosphere. About "Superbike," Duterte explained that she hoped to harness the sounds of "Cocteau Twins and Alanis Morisette," and it's safe to say she succeeded. Anak Ko is out August 23rd via Polyvinyl.

2. Whitney - "Giving Up"

Chicago's indie-folk-rock outfit, Whitney, are gearing up to put out a new record, Forever Turned Around, the follow up to 2016's acclaimed Light Upon A Lake. This week, they shared a new, cozy single called "Giving Up." On the new song, Whitney rounds out their warm, folksy sound with a bright horn section, soulful vocals, and a big, jammy breakdown. Despite its wistful lyrics, "Giving Up" feels like a deep exhale, the perfect musical accompaniment to a sunny morning or a summer storm. Forever Turned Around is out August 30th via Secretly Canadian.

3. GoldLink - "U Say" (featuring Tyler, The Creator and Jay Prince)

GoldLink announced his forthcoming album Diaspora, and this week he teamed up with Tyler, The Creator and Jay Prince in a new track called "U Say." Diaspora is out June 12th via Squaaash Club/RCA Records.

4. Tei Shi - "A Kiss Goodbye"

Tei Shi (real name: Valerie Teicher) returns with a new song called "A Kiss Goodbye," the first single from her forthcoming LP. She melds together Latin influences and modern trap beats, breathing life into a gently-shuffling, Brazilian-inspired rhythm. This is her first music since appearing on Blood Orange's "Hope" and marks her first solo project since 2017's Crawl Space.

5. (Sandy) Alex G - "Gretel"

Alex G introduced his newest album, House of Sugar, with a new song and video for "Gretel." He layers sped-up vocals, gnarled guitars and off-kilter strings over one another to create a track that is––in typical Alex G fashion––equal parts eerie and charming. House of Sugar is out September 13th via Domino.

6. Arthur Moon - "Homonormo"

"Homonormo" is the latest offering from the experimental electro-pop group, Arthur Moon. On their new song, the Brooklyn group (fronted by Lora-Faye Åshuvud alongside collaborators Cale Hawkins and Martin D. Fowler) strikes the perfect balance between eccentricity and infectious avant-pop. Foll owing the deconstructed pop sound of "I Feel Better," "Homonorno" is gorgeous and expansive, leaving plenty of room for Åshuvud's loping vocals to color in the song's spaced-out melody. The new single comes ahead of their debut self-titled, out in July via Vinyl Me, Please.

7. Yung Bae - "Must Be Love"

Portland-based producer Yung Bae has a new album in the works, and today he shares his new luminous single "Must Be Love." With nods to disco and funk, "Must Be Love" swirls together a palette of colorful synths and 70's vocal samples. The song builds up to a vibrant peak and then transforms into a euphoric drop, making it the perfect summertime jam.

8. Wild Mercury - "Orange County"

This week, Montreal-based rockers Wild Mercury shared a new track called "Orange County." Though initially starting as a folk group, Wild Mercury adopt a grittier edge in their new song, combining euphoric pop energy with a full-bodied blues-rock sound.

EPs

9. The Bliss - Heaven If You Want It

Vocalist Chelsea Davenport and producer Felix Snow came together in a new venture called The Bliss, and together they created hook-driven electro-pop that pushes sonic boundaries. Their songs are ultra-catchy and feel radio-ready thanks to Snow's crisp production skills and Davenport's captivating vocals. Vibrant singles, like " Shiny Days," dazzle and complement one another when heard in succession on their debut EP, Heaven If You Want It.

Video

10. Stef Chura - "Scream"

Detroit's Stef Chura is sure to be the angsty cheerleader of your dreams in her new video for "Scream." The visuals find the Detroit indie-rocker shredding in a high school gymnasium decked out in a Bring-It-On-approved outfit, as she channels the sound of early Liz Phair in her riff-heavy rocker "Scream." Chura's new record, Midnight, is out now via Saddle Creek.

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Fresh Music Friday: A Week of Pop Gems in Psychedelic Colors

New singles from Kim Petras, Sleater-Kinney, Mark Ronson, and Camila Cabello. Plus new videos from Charli XCX & Diplo and Rosalia.

We didn't deserve all the new music we got this week.

The last seven days were full of gems from this generation's pop royalty: Kim Petras put out her sixth single in a matter of weeks; Rosalía continued to one-up her music video game; Mark Ronson teamed up with Camila Cabello on a song written by Tame Impala; and Charli XCX met up with Diplo to ride psychedelic dolphins into the cosmos on their reimagined version of a Spice Girls track.

As if that wasn't enough, Sleater-Kinney joined forces with St. Vincent to release their first new music in four years. Plus, Palehound shared the new title track from their upcoming album, Black Friday. Nots and Deb Never put out surreal new visuals for their respective songs, "Persona" and "Ugly." And finally, emerging artists like Miss June and EVRWNDR released promising new tracks. Are you out of breath yet?

Fresh Music Friday is here to give you a breakdown of new singles, EPs, and albums to check out as you make your way into the weekend. Get ready to jam out with some of our favorite up-and-coming artists, plus celebrate new releases from those you already know and love.

Singles

1. Mark Ronson — "Find U Again" (feat. Camila Cabello)

Mark Ronson teamed up with Camila Cabello on a new crying-in-the-club-meets-a-vocoder-type single called "Find U Again," built around a melody written by Tame Impala's Kevin Parker.

2. Sleater-Kinney — "Hurry on Home"

Sleater-Kinney just released their first single in four years, and it's a sonic embodiment of "chaotic good." For some background, S-K recently joined forces with St. Vincent's Annie Clark, who is going to produce the band's forthcoming record (out sometime next year). "Hurry on Home" is the first glimpse of the new album, and it's about as big, brash, urgent, and wholly awesome as what you'd expect from a St. Vincent and Sleater-Kinney crossover. Oh, and the lyric video for "Hurry on Home" is directed by Miranda July, because: of course.

3. Kim Petras — "Do Me"

Kim Petras cannot and will not stop. The reigning pop queen maintains her sparkly status with her SIXTH single in a matter of weeks. "Do Me" is a racy, energetic track that maintains all the poppy glitter and gloss showcased in the bevy of singles she's put out recently: "All I Do Is Cry," "Sweet Spot," "Blow It All," "Got My Number," and "Broken." I'm sweating.


4. Palehound — "Black Friday"

Palehound writes songs that will wreck you, very softly. This week, Ellen Kempner's Boston-based band shared the title track from their upcoming record, Black Friday (due out next week on Polyvinyl). Following the release of the western-tinged single "Killer," Kempner explored a touching story of partnership on "Aaron" and confronted struggles around body image on "Worthy." This fourth single, "Black Friday," is mellow and sincere, but tempered by the tension felt from an unbalanced friendship.

5. Miss June — "Best Girl"

Auckland's punk four-piece, Miss June, have just signed to NYC imprint FrenchKiss records, and they're bringing much of their signature unbridled energy on their raucous new single "Best Girl." On "Best Girl," Miss June channels their post punk/noise-punk roots by pairing a weighty baseline with fast, jagged guitar riffs that erupt into a catchy-as-hell chorus.


6. Kid Bloom —"EVRWNDR"

LA's Kid Bloom makes us long for the glory days of chill wave on his latest psych-tinged single. On "EVRWNDR," Lennon Koser's rich vocals swirl into mellow synths while layers of psych-y instrumentation ripple outwards. Towards the end of the song there's a spacey guitar breakdown. "EVRWNDR" finds Kid Bloom tapping into their lushest, dreamiest potential, to create a track that practically brims over the surface with prismatic color and sound.

EVRWNDR


Videos

7. Rosalía — "Aute Cuture"

In a stunning display of intricate nail art, hand claps, and Tarantino-approved imagery, Rosalia intoxicates us again in her latest video for new song "Aute Cuture." Rosalia continues to reshape the pop landscape and the standards for music videos with each and every staggering visual she drops, somehow one-upping herself every time. In typical Rosalia fashion, the video for the brassy, headrush of a song features the 25-year-old sensation sporting a series of jaw-dropping outfits that should all be featured in the Met one day.

8. Herve Pagez, Diplo, Charli XCX — "Spicy"

Watch out Kacey Musgraves, there's a new hallucinogenic animated dolphin in the cosmos. Diplo, Charli XCX, and French producer Herve Pagez teamed up to reimagine the Spice Girls' hit "Wannabe" into a psychedelic trip in the video for their new song "Spicy." Literally no one asked for this, but upon watching, it's clear that we all needed to see Charli XCX and Diplo ride dolphins into the space-time continuum.


9. Nots - "Persona"

Memphis powerhouse Nots unveils how easily the fabric of our social perception is frayed through the visuals of their spacey, punky song "Person." Much like the song itself, the video for "Person" (a collaboration with Memphis-based arts collective WWW) has a hallucinatory effect–layering faraway vocals over nervy bass-lines and distorted, post-punk textures.

10. Deb Never - "Ugly"

Deb Never's "Ugly" may be a melancholic look into the end of a relationship, but you wouldn't be able to tell that from the look of her goofy music video. In "Ugly," the L.A.-based artist sports a fuzzy dog onesie as she wistfully sings "You don't want me, I don't want you / You don't want me, but I need you." Along the way, she encounters a whole motley crew of skaters and weird neighbors clad in splashy yellow bathrobes. The video features her group of friends dressed in the same furry attire, including her pal Matt Champion of Brockhampton.

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