Spring has officially sprung, so take off that dusty old jumper, suck in that delicious pollen and groove your way through that hayfever haze with some killer tunes that are sure to put a SPRING in your step. Yep, we said that. This warm weather has got us feeling so good that bad puns can’t even bring us down.
If it’s bright, jangly, toe tapping and sparkly, then we want it in our ears as the flowers start to bloom and the birds start to sing. New and old with everything from The Beatles to Porter Robinson to the smooth vibes of reggae queens Althea and Donna: this spring sounds like laying in the grass with a girl in a cute floral dress.
Go and enjoy it for approximately four days before the stifling heat of summer hits for real. If sunshine and lollipops and rainbows everywhere aren’t exactly your idea of a fun time and you want to relive the bitter chill of the last three months again, you can check out our icy cold winter playlist.
Image: Reddit
2016 has flown by and it is already almost time for the best event on Brisbane’s musical calendar; BIGSOUND. It seems like the happy, hazy buzz of last year’s event has only just worn off, with many of the bands coming up through the festival’s ranks and rising to success in recent months. Remember when Tiny Little Houses were still just a blip on the indie radar? Or before Baro burrowed his way into your head for days?
The three day music industry conference and showcase will take place from the 7th-9th of September and is this year spanning across a mammoth fifteen venues, with over 150 bands creating an orchestra of mid-week madness for professionals and music lovers alike. Not to mention the pre/post/lunch time parties that promise around the clock frivolity throughout the entire week.
We know as well as anyone how hard it is to break out those highlighters and commit to a schedule dictated only by your inability to clone yourself, the disappointing lack of technology to speed up or slow down time, and the lack of super human speed to transport you between stages. To help you along the way we have compiled our list of ten moments that are not to be missed at this year’s event if you want any bragging rights for the next twelve months.
BIGSOUND is where the world discovers Australian music and in case you haven’t noticed, we are a little bit excited about what this year is going to bring.
Get all your ticket info here.
Mushroom Free For All
Tuesday 6th September, 8pm – The Flying Cock (Free entry)
In the pre-event to make the next few festival days a guaranteed struggle, Mushroom are again throwing their free and fabulous party to kick off BIGSOUND on Tuesday night. Featuring the likes of ALTA, Kyle Lionhearted, The Belligerents, Tiny Little Houses, I OH YOU DJ’s and Soothsayer DJ’s, RSVP’s are essential so be sure to register here.
https://youtu.be/CjWIakdCWzc
Secret Sounds ‘The Night Before BIGSOUND’
Tuesday 6th September, 7pm – The Foundry (Free entry)
Remember how we already decided cloning isn’t a thing? It will be a tough call to decide how to divide the time between these two epic Tuesday night shindigs. Another free event with an even bigger lineup including A.D.K.O.B, Alice Ivy, Austen, Ayla, Born Joy Dead, Braille Face, Coda Conduct, Confidence Man, Leena, Gideon Bensen, Ivan Ooze, Mid Ayr, Naations (US), Robbie Mill, Verge Collection, WAAX, Woodes and a bucket load of DJ sets, register your space on the dance floor here.
https://youtu.be/0iNf-1Gfq_s
Mallrat
Wednesday 7th September, 8:50-9:20pm – The Elephant Hotel
Described as the Hannah Montana of the rap game, sixteen year old Mallrat will make you lament your wasted youth with a slew of tracks that are creating hype worldwide. With stunning production and lovely lyrical insights, she’ll make you feel like the most unsuccessful adult around, but it’s worth it.
https://youtu.be/PqlGSQgcL7I
Flowertruck
Wednesday 7th September, 9:40-10:10pm – New Globe Theatre
Hailing from Sydney, this throwback four piece bring a powerhouse of emotions evoking Morrissey or Brisbane’s own The Go-Betweens. Poignant and sway-worthy with plenty of audience banter, cracking single Sunshower is a damn near religious experience live. Be sure to catch them on their way to greater heights and check out their debut EP Dirt here.
https://youtu.be/yvT1J4-H_Wo
Polish Club
Wednesday 7th September, 10:40-11:10pm – Woolly Mammoth Alehouse Stage
Polish Club sound like the cassette you found in your dad’s shoebox and played twenty years later marvelling at the excellent taste he had before he tortured you with Shannon Noll. Their scuzzy haze has all the charm of a pop song and all the vitriol of a late night brawl. Catching these guys live for the first time might be a bit like drinking the first beer on a Friday; unparalleled satisfaction.
https://youtu.be/E-iy8ns0CLg
Kučka
Wednesday 7th September, 10:50-11:20pm – The Flying Cock
It’s a voice that you couldn’t have possibly escaped this year, featuring on Flume’s smash hit track Smoke And Retribution alongside Vince Staples. This singer also has plenty of her own to offer. Get a taste of those angelic sounds and R&B stylings before Kučka heads overseas for the remainder of the year.
https://youtu.be/ZoiBN8QdDu0
Pandora Lunch Party
Thursday 8th September, 2:30pm – Ric’s Big Back Yard
Featuring APES, Young Tapz and Ecca Vandal, this promises to be an afternoon of raw energy. From the hard hitting guitar rock of APES, to the smooth flow of Young Tapz to the infectious raucousness of Ecca Vandal, this will get your final BIGSOUND night off to the right kind of start.
https://youtu.be/wbkJsg9w4hU
B Wise
Thursday 8th September, 8:50-9:20pm – The Elephant Hotel
B Wise has broken out on the local MC circuit in 2016, scoring supporting slots for huge names like Tuka (Thundamentals), Vince Staples, Yelawolf and Freddie Gibbs. The Sydney-based rapper lays his slow swagger atop luscious production and is sure to bring a glow to The Elephant stage.
https://youtu.be/WEs_jPyORDc
Terrible Truths
Thursday 8th September, 9:40-10:10pm – The New Globe Theatre
Our calendar couldn’t be complete without some DIY bedroom jams, and Terrible Truths bring just that in spades. The Melbourne three piece ooze 70’s post punk and riot grrl charm on their self titled debut and will bring all that fuzzy goodness to the stage on Thursday night.
https://youtu.be/sHX_r1oXn4s
Sampa The Great
Thursday 8th September, 11:20-11:50pm – Oh Hello!
Undoubtedly one of the most exciting voices in Australian hip-hop, Sampa The Great will be bringing her fusion of poetry and rhyme to the stage, transcending definition and connecting on every level. Off the back of her debut release The Great Mixtape, this might be the most anticipated set at this year’s event.
https://youtu.be/lHoE43gcB1A
Well that was extremely difficult and we’ve only just scratched the surface! Pumped yet? 7 days and counting!
Image: Sampa The Great
This week in the world of music videos feels like a walk down nostalgia lane. The collection of clips we are have for you are at times raw, fuzzy, frenzied, colourful and full of feeling. With directors taking us everywhere from inside the machine to the depths of the ocean, there’s a whole journey to be had, so get clicking below and bring the weekend in with some solid viewing.
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard – Robot Stop
In search of a face melter? King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard have got your back with their video for track Robot Stop. These guys have been busy, playing a slew of sold out shows across the country, and it’s easy to see why.
The video is the next installment in their Nonagon Infinity series and comes to us via director Jason Galea. “It’s about wear and tear. Its also about lazer beams, plagues, computers, cogs, endurance and reincarnation,” he says of the 8 bit seizure inducer. The band are just about to embark on a UK/Europe tour, and the full Nonagan Infinity film is set for completion before the end of 2016. These guys don’t believe in breathers, and that’s just fine with us.
https://youtu.be/9p_Si21ig7c
James Vincent McMorrow – Rising Water
More short film than video clip, the visuals to accompany James Vincent McMorrow’s Rising Water have surfaced and taken us into the deep. The clip tells a story of love found and lost at the edge of a dark, swirling and infinite sea. Stunning choreography, so many pensive stares and McMorrow’s delicate lyricism is sure to make you feel all the feelings.
The clip comes as part of Tidal’s exclusive content, where full album We Move will be released in the near future. Check it out here.
Mild High Club – Skiptracing
Jilted jangles of reverberated sunshine sound like a cassette tape played so many times the sounds warp. Frontman Alexander Brettin transports listeners to another era, like a washed out polaroid of a day at the beach, with the clip to accompany taking all those throwback vibes and bringing them to life with a collection of snapshots that could easily be stolen from the memory of your parents.
It’s nostalgia for something you’ve never had at it’s very best. As the title track off upcoming record due out August 26th, we look forward to some more time travel shortly.
https://youtu.be/n7SJM6o-RJ4
Sa-Roc – NSFW (Not Safe For Weak Rappers)
This clip is not the usual NSFW that you’re used to, so no need to swivel that monitor away from the gaze of unwanted eyes. Sa-Roc‘s energetic rhymes are definitely not safe for weak rappers, and she slays them accordingly with her lyrical ammunition. There are stunning visuals to accompany from Sol Messiah, showcasing the goddess MC in all her colourful beauty.
In case you weren’t sure that you need to get up on this now, the track features a cameo from Sway In The Morning hosts Tracy G and Sway Calloway. Do yourself a favour and be ahead of the game.
https://youtu.be/-8FQ24Cxyc4
Dom Zilla – Tonight
Newcastle based producer Dom Zilla started making tracks in his bedroom at the age of 12, and by 19 his beats were being used by the likes of Raekwon, Skinnyman and Fallacy. It is no surprise then that his luscious and textured soundscapes are now earning him critical acclaim. Track Tonight is lovely and understated with a video that traces the moment when two paths converge with an electric connection.
Dom is one to watch in 2016 and is further proof that Aus soil is fertile breeding grounds for the best electronic talent.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQQefgU5dX4
It’s cold this week and if you can’t tell, we’re not happy about it! To shake off those blues, we’re getting lost in some clips that emanate those good old summer vibes. Put your bikinis and budgee smugglers on in preparation and get clicking below!
Hockey Dad – Jump the Gun
Sit back and take a tour of the beach side suburb of Windang as the latest clip from Hockey Dad treats us to a behind the scenes look into the town that the foursome call home. A little patch of coastline on the Southern tip of the Wollongong peninsula, its suddenly very apparent where the lads lazy, sun drenched vibes originate. Inspired by surf classic Endless Summer II, drummer Billy Fleming says he started to pen lyrics when he heard the line: “on any day of the year, it’s summer somewhere in the world.” Radiating all that warmth, Jump The Gun is a scorcher, with plenty more to come from album Boronia, out August 12th.
https://youtu.be/mtNK4EI2XN8
Mac Miller– Dang! Feat Anderson Paak
The pairing of Mac Miller and Anderson Paak is about as smooth and splendid as you could imagine. The video for single Dang! off the upcoming album The Divine Feminine laments the struggles of holding on to that special girl, with Miller following his love interest across the city while .Paak forlornly watches as his counterpart packs her bags. But it’s not all doom and heartbreak, there is dancing that would make Pharrell Williams smile with the force of a thousand Happy videos and a hint at a happy ending after all. I think we’ll be seeing a whole lot more of this one.
https://youtu.be/LR3GQfryp9M
Spookyland – Discipline
I’m not even sure if this is cheating, but it was hard not to include the official lyric video released by Spookyland this week for track Discipline, because the track itself is just so captivating. If affected lyrics and anthemic builds are your thing, then your going to be all over this. Think Gang Of Youths and DMA’s and you’re on the right track. Once you’re done memorising the lyrics with the video on repeat, you can grab their debut Beauty Already Beautiful here or check them out at their upcoming shows.
https://youtu.be/OlMmeWNj0G8
NAO – Girlfriend
Soaring and ethereal, the voice of London’s NAO is like being wrapped in a cocoon made up of the night sky. Single Girlfriend has been doing the rounds and making waves and the video to accompany is appropriately divine. The spacious, soulful funk of the track overlays visuals of feminine diversity and those little moments of domestic bliss that can twang even the most cynical heartstrings. NAO is a stand out new kid on the block of 2016 and you’d be doing yourself a favour to hear more from her 18 track mega debut For All We Know here.
https://youtu.be/sisOw0Y822U
Hanni El Khatib – Mondo and His Makeup
Shot in a Mexican restaurant that looks like a strip club with a mariachi player and some sequined dancers, how could we not watch this one through? It’s the kind of place you just wish you could stumble in after a few sneaky tequila shots before slithering into a booth for some solid people watching. The rocking track comes from El Khatib’s THIRD collection of tracks this year, but don’t fear, he’s got both the quality and the quantity boxes ticked. I’ll be spinning this to start off my weekend, thank you very much.
https://youtu.be/TGUFw4yo_YI
Phia – Open/Closed
A song for everyone who needs to check that the stove is off and the door is locked three times each before leaving the house, Open/Closed an anthem for the perpetually uncertain. The sweetness and fragility of Phia’s vocal sentiment is touching and when coupled with an African beat it’s infectious as hell. The singer/songwriter wears her heart on her sleeve as she swirls across a central Australian landscape with clouds spinning overhead. Stay tuned for news of her debut album!
https://youtu.be/nJE5zJm6xHw
Photo credit: Daniel Radburn
It has been a week of quality not quantity on the video front, and we have hand picked a short line up of clips that are just about as good as it gets from some world class acts at the top of their game. If you are looking for killer tracks backed by the highest quality visuals, we have got you covered. Check em out below!
Phantogram – You Don’t Get Me High Anymore
Shot on the vast and desolate landscapes of the Salton Sea, the clip for latest single from Phantogram’s upcoming album Three is a visual assault that romps through destruction like it’s a walk in the park. Guitarist/vocalist Josh Carter says You Don’t Get Me High Anymore is about “the loneliness in superficial relationships and that feeling of not being able to find happiness in places that were once so easy to come across.” We already fell in love with the amazing Big Grams collaboration with Outkast’s Big Boi in 2015, so we are counting the days until September 2nd when we will be treated to more genre defying walls of sound from these guys.
https://youtu.be/jryzEU7WAlg
Clipping – Baby Don’t Sleep
Experimental Californian hip-hoppers, Clipping, are back with a vortex of noise and light that is guaranteed to leave your head spinning. In the clip for track Baby Don’t Sleep the screen flashes with black and white bars like a TV stuck between frequencies providing a chaotic backdrop for the incredible flow of rapper Daveed Diggs. The visuals from artist Christopher Cichocki are the result of experiments with interference static, oscilloscopic wavelengths, and flicker-frame animation and compliment the spliced and jolted sounds of the trio’s producers, William Hutson and Jonathan Snipes. Baby don’t sleep? There is no way you will be able to after watching this. Album Splendor & Misery is out September 9th, you can pre-order here.
https://youtu.be/jkVIRXPG7oY
Banks & Steelz – Giant
If someone told my teenage self that in ten years I would see a collaboration between Interpol’s Paul Banks and Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA I would have laughed and told them that we’d sooner see Elton John pairing up with Ghostface Killah. But, here we are and the result, Banks & Steelz, is just about as insane as it sounds. In the clip to accompany track Giant we see RZA spitting his flawless brand of aggressive verse with Banks lingering in the background, interjecting at intervals with his affected new wave indie Brit vocals that carry the anthemic chorus. According to RZA the pair bonded over playing chess and vibing in the studio and the result is both confounding and catchy. Album Anything But Words is set to land on August 28th.
https://youtu.be/Jtf5isao73E
How to Dress Well – Lost Youth/Lost You
In the week’s LEAST safe for work video, How to Dress Well aka Tom Krell takes us on a sensual alt-pop journey with track Lost Youth/Lost You. An entanglement of bodies writhe across the scene in a hazy choreographed love-in, syncing to the smooth and sultry vocal track. Off upcoming album Care, it is an intimate exploration that isn’t afraid to mix tenderness with scale, soaring at times with euphoric and gigantic sound. The album isn’t due out until September 23 but you can pop this one on repeat for now and pre-order here.
https://youtu.be/_6kGupEINJg
Check out the NSFW version here.
Urthboy – The Arrow feat. Timberwolf
Aussie favourite Urthboy this week treats us to a new clip made by long time fan and animator Dominic Aldis. With nothing but lead and paper he has created a stunning four minute journey that is made up of over 2,700 images and a whole lot of love. The autobiographical track recounts the ups and downs of the MC’s experience with label Elefant Traks and his quest to find purpose in an intense landscape. It is heartfelt and raw, with Timberwolf shining in his guest appearance. Great to see a gem like this surfacing in our own backyard. Show it some love and give it a spin.
https://youtu.be/_6kGupEINJg
Let it be known that we here at Howl & Echoes are not just a bunch of hardened, arrogant cynics. Sure, there has been some terrible music in 2016, and we were recently quite happy to tell you all about our deep loathing of it, but we consider that to be our one-time exception. The reason we do what we do is because we’re fans. We’re obsessed with listening to music, with loving music, with finding feeling in it.
2016 has been a wild musical soiree of hedonistic proportions. We have been shamelessly gorging on all the amazing sonic ambrosia that has been bestowed upon us over the last six months, so much so that any attempt at a top ten list would be not only unfair, but impossible. So in our best interest and yours, we narrowed it down to a scorching playlist of 100 tracks instead.
This pretty much sums it up
It has certainly been a year of girl power. With a force that makes the mother of dragons look like Mother Theresa the queens of pop unleashed albums that will be battling for the top spot on many end of year lists. We are of course talking about Rihanna (Anti) and Beyonce (Lemonade) who packaged up raw emotional honesty with flawless production and exceeded all already towering expectations. Then we are supposed to pick just one song from each? Please.
The males certainly haven’t been slouching either. 2016 has been spearheaded by ridiculous album from Kendrick Lamar, Chance the Rapper, James Blake, Drake, Radiohead and David Bowie among others. Any day in 2016 could be like Christmas day, and we haven’t even got to the Australian releases yet. You might just wake up to an album from your favourite artist sneakily dropped in the middle of the night like a gift down the chimney from a sonically gifted Santa. The rules have changed, and while the era of the surprise release might just be another marketing ploy in some cases, it has opened the door for a time when you can be subjected to three albums from the biggest names in music in a single week and no one bats an eyelid.
Then there was Kanye, let’s not forget Kanye. So Help Me God, Swish, Waves, The Life of Pablo got more media attention than if every celebrity sex tape ever was broadcast in the Play School time slot. I have cultural fatigue even reliving those tumultuous weeks of tweets and memes. Despite a very mixed critical reception and solidification of the widespread suspicion that West is actually insane, there was still some Yeezy magic among the wreckage.
While there was enough going on in the international the limelight to distract us all, there was also plenty of gems coming from home. The Avalanches finally appeared from a sixteen year long hiatus with two singles and album Wildflower due out July 8 in the lead up to their much anticipated Splendour in the Grass performance. Flume also flexed his production muscles with a vast and eclectic release, Skin.
Without further ado, Howl & Echoes is proud to present our top 100 songs of the year so far.
This is brought to you as a collaborative effort from our entire editorial team. Also, as this list has been made on Spotify, there’s a whole bunch of tracks we love that we couldn’t include, but we’ve done what we can. Enjoy!
Image: Pixabay
Musical nostalgia; it’s an inescapable phenomenon backed by science, that makes sure pretty much any song we fell in love with in the hyperreal years of our late teens and early twenties are etched into our souls like tattoos, constant reminders of the tumultuous inner lives of our younger selves. Hear one of these mementos come up in shuffle and you might smile, or cry, or frantically search to delete your ex’s phone number to avoid suppressing the urge to text them after all this time. Undoubtedly you will feel something. Just the sound of the familiar Band of Horses twang and Ben Bridwell’s strained and choral voice is enough to send me spiraling into those 2006 late night listen on repeat sessions of debut Everything All The Time. It’s enough to make you want to buy a moleskin journal, don a vintage dress and flounce your away around the indie clubs you once haunted like a manic pixie dream ghost.
The difference between Band of Horses and their many musical counterparts of my youth is that they became a band to grow up with. The fans who latched on to the crooning refrain of The Funeral are mostly now functioning adults. They have clothes that they brought at a real store to go to a real job to perhaps support their real children, and are more likely listening to the band’s music while cleaning the house on Saturday morning rather than on the first train home with a killer hangover, still wearing last night’s outfit. The band has done a lot of growing sonically in the last decade, but the essence of longing that burrowed their sound deep into the hearts of those who found them early on is still present on latest release Why Are You Ok, albeit a little hidden away.
For someone hearing the heavily country-laden hooks and folky ideals for the first time on this record, it could be forgiven for brushing over the glossy finish and filing the release away in the “dad rock” folder. This time, production is at the hands of Grandaddy’s Jason Lytle, and while it is certainly edgier than last effort Mirage Rock with i’s analog synths and voicemail samples, there are still moments that feel lacking in verve. For those who have followed along through the years, there is still plenty of reflective raw emotion to dwell on and enough soft pools of sound to float in to warrant a few solid listens.
Opener Dull Times/The Moon meanders through a slow ballad about separation (“home is where the heart is… home is where you are”) and is a deceptively languid introduction to the record, until the guitars kick in around the five minute mark. From here the fuller sound is much more representative of what we have come to expect. Solemn Oath has a foot stomping melody that injects a contagious element into the first half of the album, mirrored in the back end by the Johnny Cash-esque rock n roll hook of Country Teen. J Mascis makes an appearance for the chorus of standout In A Drawer with his sleepy drawl complementing Bridwell’s endearing croon. Then there are moments of sheer disarming beauty with tracks Whatever, Wherever and Lying Under Oak showing that even a decade later, Band Of Horses’ biggest strength is their ability to make us feel.
While the record may not be ground breaking, it is a tall challenge to expect a release to stand up against the nostalgic force of songs forged in memory, and there is still plenty here to build new bonds with. These songs might not be the old friends you grew up with, but like acquaintances you meet occasionally in the grocery store, they can still be pleasant all the same.
Be sure to check these guys out at Splendour in the Grass or their sideshows in Sydney and Melbourne.
Image: The Guardian
In our video round up this week we have more up and coming talent than you can poke a stick at. So much so that it would be remiss not to pull up a chair in front of your laptop and get lost in this stellar selection of clips for a while. Not to mention, majority of these gems come from some of our favourite Australian acts of the moment. Get behind them and get clicking below.
Gussy – Looking at Myself
A slow languid drawl propped against a gender transcendent figure pirouetting in a black room, pensive and introspective, harnessing an undercurrent of aching that seems to be contained just beneath the surface but never quite breaks through. Such are the feels of Sydney based artist Gussy’s self produced and directed single Looking at Myself. The hypnotic track deconstructs normative ideas of gender and sexuality, while exploring the existentialism of a modern break up. It is just the beginning for these chiseled cheekbones and we look forward to hearing a lot more.
You check Gussy out in the flesh at Heaps Gay x VIVID at the Factory Theatre on June 12th, or at Oscar Key Sung’s Single Launch at Plan B, June 24th
https://youtu.be/_zJI0mdLq0M
City Calm Down – Border on Control
The latest single from City Calm Down’s acclaimed debut In A Restless House continues the anthemic and synth driven throwback sound that has propelled the band to such great heights in recent times. In the accompanying video, the metronomic drumbeat falls in time with the scene of a geriatric table tennis match, with the seemingly endless rally meditative in its repetition. The game provides an apt metaphor to accompany the themes of stagnation sung in Jack Bourke’s signature baritone vocals. The clip is not only a notable showcase of this rising act, but also of A-grade table tennis at its very best. One way or another, you will be impressed.
https://youtu.be/mUgzOlK0nC4
Coops – Frankincense & Myrhh
UK rapper Coops has just this week released his debut LP God Complex with a gritty black and white video to accompany single Frankincense & Myrrh. The track was produced by up and comer Ollie Twist, and has a moody antique vibe aided by jazz sampling and pensive lyricism. The clip, directed by Chas Appeti, builds on these themes with scratchy transitions and noir shadows at every turn. Coops provides some stellar verses and if this offering is anything to go by, the LP has lots of promise.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My3k6vsQi6Y
Alex Cameron – Take Care of Business
Sydney’s Alex Cameron has given us a taste of his upcoming album Jumping The Shark with a surreal, mesmerising clip for single Take Care of Business. At a time when a plethora of videos released are self-describing their aesthetic as obscure or Lynchian, while kind of missing the mark, this one actually achieves the label. With Cameron’s surreal, aged performance invoking avant-garde eeriness in a remarkably endearing way, Cameron’s onstage writhing and droning vocals are reminiscent of a Birthday Party-era Nick Cave in slow motion. The introduction of keys and an increase in tempo around the three minute mark is an unexpected joyous injection, making this already loveable track all the more so. You can pre-order the album due out August 19th here.
https://youtu.be/6tGqK8_6hL4
Third Floor – Falling
The luscious beats of Third Floor’s Falling provide a palette of sounds to paint with, the accompanying clip bringing them to life with explosive movement. Figures contort in dance against a black backdrop with 3am nightclub vigor as the track ebbs and flows through the grooves. This is the last of four clips in the cinematic Dream State EP story arc, so if you want to enjoy the full experience, make sure to check out the first three instalments here.
https://youtu.be/B2xwuML2NX0
Venus II – Inside Your Sun
You might have never heard of upcoming act Venus II, but the duo that make up the band are no newcomers. Jarrad Brown (Eagle & The Worm / Dorsal Fins) and Ryan Grieve (Canyons) manage to create a fusion of layers that sounds like the perfectly combined sum of their parts, and the results are wondrous. The sundrenched infectious hooks remind me of that time when Midnight Jugganauts released 44 and Rising and I had it stuck in my head for months, driving me blissfully insane. Check out the clip, shake off the winter blues, and get psychedelic. It doesn’t get much better.
https://youtu.be/9GQHonquaqY
Banoffee – I’m Not Sorry
Banoffee makes no apologies with her latest clip, a track she says is: “a push back to all the things we’ve been told so many times we now tell them to ourselves. Woman are brought up bound and gagged in shame for being different, for giving a shit, for being ambitious—all because we’re powerful. We can’t be accused of black magic anymore, but it’s so entrenched we’re now killing ourselves to try and mentally survive. I guess I’m saying I’m done saying sorry.” It’s a strong statement with strong imagery to match from a genre defying and promising young artist.
https://youtu.be/skY9qtRIMP0
Homeboy Sandman – Eyes
Still fresh after the release of wonderful album Kindness For Weakness and subsequent videos for Nonbelievers and Talking (Bleep), comes the Stones Throw rapper’s new video for Eyes. The first thing to note is how vastly different each of his videos is stylistically. This one, directed by Pace Rivers, sees the rapper tell a spooky story, with the narrator at home – in the bath, with a woman, on the couch – spliced between ominous outdoor scenes where you see him followed and spied on at every turn. The motif of the eye carries throughout each character, scene and scenery, while the clip grows more paranoid, surreal and suspenseful as it progresses.
https://youtu.be/qkg-OMDiyG4
Image: Venus II
travel: the act or a means of journeying from one place to another
Wanderlust is a magnificent thing. A passion for travel is something that many proclaim, but more often than not it is the act of arriving or being in a new location that people enjoy the most. While most stories and photos come from the destination, there is a lot to be said for the act of travelling itself. Transformations and lessons most often come in the process of getting from A to B, or in the unplanned waiting late night in airports or sweaty, dirty bus stations. There is a certain meditative state that is reached in the places we go between the places we plan.
Sometimes the enjoyment of a location is heightened by the effort taken to get there: 12 hours on a bus, three plane rides, an overnight boat. The sand between your toes and the sun on your face is somehow more pure in these instances than if you just hopped on a one-hour flight that departed and arrived on schedule. Your shoulders might sag beneath the weight of your pack and your neck might cramp from the awkward angles of sleeping on benches, but you also might find comfort in the best companions a traveller can hope for. Provided you can locate a stray power point tucked behind a seat and charge your devices, a quality playlist of dependable tracks can get you through just about anything.
When my passport got stolen in Malaysia, or when the smell of boiling blood sausage made me gag at 2am at a roadside cafeteria in Thailand, or when the air-conditioner broke in the cramped mini-van on a forty degree day in Laos, or when my flight flashed down and down the screen with seemingly endless delays in the Philippines, there have been songs that have held the threads of my sanity together.
Wherever you might find yourself, waking or sleeping, lost or found, happy or sad, excited or homesick, here are some friends to accompany you along the way.
IMAGE: Wikimedia
Bryan Sledge aka BJ The Chicago Kid is no stranger in the world of soulful hip-hop. Already demanding attention with self-released PINEAPPLE NOW-LATERS, and mixtapes The Life of Love’s Cupid and M.A.F.E Project, his instantly recognisable voice has also featured on tracks for old and new school magnates alike including Dr. Dre, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, SchoolBoy Q, Chance the Rapper, Joey Bada$$ and many more. At the age of 19 he was already performing as a backup singer for gospel stars Mary Mary and Stevie Wonder and penning tracks for gospel and R&B artists in L.A.
This week, the son of a couple of church choir directors from south side Chicago is dropping his first studio album with Motown Records, In My Mind, and it is as smooth as some fine Egyptian cotton sheets (which will no doubt also be a prime listening ground for its fifteen sultry tracks.) At the top end, already released single Church featuring long time collaborator Chance the Rapper sets the tone for the record with it’s swaggering gospel funk and laments the divide between purity and pleasure: “She wants to drink, do drugs, have sex tonight, but I got church in the morning.” Its addictive slow groove revisits the common theme of struggles with faith among young rappers, but undoubtedly tops the game with a stellar production and vulnerable relatability.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAE52TBtVrc
The Resume sits on the upper end of the spectrum of songs to make you hot under the collar, wedged right between L$D by A$AP Rocky and Coffee by Miguel on a bedroom mixtape, with saucy hook “I wanna work that body like it’s a 9-5,” aided by a killer appearance from Mississippian Big K.R.I.T. Sensuality and romance run throughout the record, with Shine capturing all the feels of a Boys II Men ballad minus the kitsch, carried by exquisite harmonies and lyrics that will probably see it accompanying many weddings of the future. The New Cupid, featuring Kendrick Lamar, takes a more cynical approach, telling the story of a cupid gone AWOL, too busy in the club to make people fall in love. It’s not Kendrick’s finest verse, with a total focus on “skirts” a little below his aptitude, and the song is one of a very few on the record that falls flat.
Gospel elements reach the greatest heights on Jeremiah/World Needs More Love, complete with a spoken bridge about the tale of the titled prophet. The epic track that transitions into a repeated call for more love in the world is another clear standout. The juxtapositions across the album between the spiritual and material worlds strike the perfect balance and work on a deep level, with perfect shades of light and dark, and vocal tug of wars between power and subtlety. Two tracks feature female vocals – Love Inside features a restrained verse in french from Isabella, while Isa performs on Wait Til The Morning. With the slinky female tone paired so well against the potent voice of Sledge, perhaps more dual sex collabs will be in his future.
The fifteen tracks of In My Mind float by with easy elegance, cementing BJ’s place as one of the slickest voice in modern R&B, rivaled only in recent time’s by Miguel’s Wildheart.
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