Welcome to The Soundtrack, a column where we plumb the depths of our musical knowledge to bring you the best* (subjective) music to listen to for very specific life situations. In our first column of the year and on International Women’s Day, we bring you tunes to celebrate and appreciate the women, femmes & non-binary lovelies in your life.
Miss Blanks – Fuck Real Slow
Miss Blanks is not on Spotify, but she is one of the most important voices in Australian music right now. Her crowd-pleasing tunes are a combination relentless and wholly justified bravado and sticky, sweaty beats. Miss Blanks doesn’t just put sexuality & sexual expression on display, she struts confidently all over it with a wry grin to the camera. In a political and social climate where women – particularly WOC, and more particularly trans women – are consistently shamed, degraded and much worse for daring to be sexual, Fuck Real Slow bears a timely and important message. That being said, it’s entirely possible you’ll be too busy grinding to this to reflect on that too hard because it’s a CERTIFIED GOLD BANGER.
Crime Mob – Stilettos (Pumps) feat Miss Aisha
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that women are consistently made to feel that they are lesser if they have interests that line up with what some consider to be “feminine”. We are constantly made to feel like we are worth nothing unless we decry things like manicures and high heels with gusto, declaring ourselves to be “not like the other girls”, when in reality there is nothing wrong with other girls or being like them. Miss Aisha & ex-Crime Mob member Diamond do not give a fuck. They gets their nails and hair done, they wear stilettos, they go out to the club with their girls, and they know they look damn good doing it. If you’re someone who enjoys these things, you deserve to feel good about that, so this is for you. If you’re someone who loves pizza and video games, that’s awesome too, because it’s what you like! Of course, it is very possible and very common to enjoy ALL these things, but don’t anyone tell cis men that. Their heads might explode. (Just kidding, PLEASE TELL THEM)
Rachel Maria Cox – A Phone I Can’t Use
Rachel Maria Cox is the founder of the wonderful Sad Grrrls Club, a DIY record label/bookings agency that began in 2015 and has a commitment to working with non-male artists. Their songs are intimate, anecdotal and cuttingly relatable – perfect for when you really need to have a good cry (which we all do, sometimes). There’s some really lovely guitar work here, all clean and chime-y, but it’s the raw, honest exploration of longing that really draws you in. Being vulnerable is a radical action in a society that aims to stamp it out, and it’s easy to forget to nurture that side of you when the goings-on of the world call so consistently for armour and biting your tongue.
Sampa the Great – F E M A L E
How many modern, local tracks boast a bloody upright bass? That is cool as heccc, and that’s to say nothing of Sampa The Great and what she unpacks on this track. Sampa is a certified badass and she’s all about shouting out to empower others. This song will help anyone who identifies as female celebrate on all the things that make you such an untouchable boss. The adversity you’ve overcome (and keep overcoming every day)? I can’t speak for everyone, but that shit feels like water off a duck’s back while I’m mouthing along with Sampa: F E M A L E, F E M A L EEEE. Would recommend screaming the same at anyone who ever gives you grief over the course of your life, honestly (please do not do this in a TERF-y way, gender and sex are social constructs).
Grimes ft Aristophanes – SCREAM
This collaboration, off Grimes‘ objectively perfect LP Art Angels (yes, objectively – fight me) features kick-ass Taiwanese artist Aristophanes, who spits dark, gory bars in Mandarin over the top of heaving production. It does not even matter a little bit if you don’t speak or understand Mandarin. What makes this track so cathartic is its ability to be completely unapologetic about being loud, messy, and angry; three things women & femmes are historically Not Allowed To Be. The release comes in the chorus, made up of piercing, prolonged screams that culminate in guttural growls – and what a release it is. Have you ever been spoken over by a man? Have you been cat called or otherwise objectified? Does your boss constantly undervalue you? Do you watch men get showered with praise for things you never get recognition for? Are you carrying trauma with you? It’s not my place to tell you how to deal with any of these things, but personally I find it very therapeutic to SCREAM.
Image: The Odyssey Online
Welcome to The Soundtrack, a column where we plumb the depths of our musical knowledge to bring you the best* (subjective) music to listen to for very specific life situations. This week, we help you walk home alone at night with a touch more confidence.
There’s really nothing quite like a solo stroll. Calming, good for the environment and introspective – even cathartic – we wholeheartedly endorse walking as a mode of personal transportation. However, walking alone at night can bring its own set of issues. Of course, violence can occur at any time of day, and let’s dispel the myth of “a stranger hiding in the bushes” being the primary cause of it right off the bat. But that doesn’t mean that most of us don’t feel a little uneasy when trotting home under cover of darkness by ourselves. That goes double for those who identify as women/non-binary/LGBTQ. I’m not saying we’re fragile lil kittens who need constant reassurance we’re going to be okay (altho that does sound pretty nice tbh), but the reality is that these groups are by and large the most targeted by this particular brand of assailant. Of course, listening to music isn’t going to assure physical safety, but what it can do is provide a much needed confidence boost when you’re thinking about recent incidents in your area and flinching at every shadow or cicada noise. We gotchu.
friendships – When I Feel Like Killing, I Murder
I’ve always felt unreservedly intrigued by friendships. The Melbourne duo are more of an art project than a band, pairing Nic’s audio with Mischa’s visual to hypnotic effect. This cut, driven by dark, skittering synths and a monster-esque pitched-down vocal, is positively horror movie worthy. BUT you’re the one listening to it, so guess who the big bad wolf is that everyone within five suburbs should be terrified of? You. You’re a force to be reckoned with, and friendships are gonna make sure you don’t forget it. Ignore every passerby with a steely glare. They scatter to the sides of the pathway as you cleave through the streets to your dwelling with only one thing on your mind: that really great book you’ve been reading and a cup of herbal tea.
Sleigh Bells – Rule Number One
Pretty much any song in Sleigh Bells’ discography would be right at home on this week’s The Soundtrack. But this track – which I’ve already sung the praises of – honestly takes the cake. Pop rocks and coke make your head explode, according to Alexis Krauss, but we beg to differ. It’s this song that really puts you in danger of cranial combustion. And we mean that in the best way possible. Rule Number One marks the part of your journey were you really start to get your strut on; the strut of a person who could burn their enemies to the ground with a snap of their fingers. Nobody is a match for you and your immense power. May god have mercy on the souls of all who’ve wronged you, because you won’t. You’ll just unhinge your jaw, eat their souls, and launch them into the sun.
Grimes – Kill V. Maim [Little Jimmy Urine remix]
One of our favourite things about the endlessly talented producer is that she flat-out refuses to write about romantic relationships, preferring to mine more unorthodox premises for her art. According to the almighty Grimes herself, this track is basically about The Godfather if all of the mobsters were vampires. How fantastically batshit is that? Anyone familiar with this song will know it’s already as ferocious as a rabid jaguar, the sort of song that threatens to throw the earth off its axis. Maybe invest in some anti-gravity boots to wear on your walk, or something, because this remix takes it to a level we didn’t actually know existed. Personally, when I’m feeling a little anxious walking home alone, I like to take one earbud out for maximum awareness of my surroundings, but like I’m not rly sure that’d even make much of a difference with this one cos it’s so ~hectic~.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Heads Will Roll [A-Trak remix]
Ahhhh what a classic – except – different? If you saw that (imho) very dumb movie Project X a couple years back you’ll recognise this from the soundtrack of that. Erase that memory and from this day forward, only recognise it as being from The Soundtrack Of This. This is equal parts threatening and bouncy, so you can kind of get your walk-dance on while you give the mental middle finger to the world for being so awful that the simple act of walking home is troubling. There’s enough of a blatant party vibe here to get lost in that hopefully you won’t have the energy to freak yourself out over whether that white car is the same as the other white car that passed you ten minutes ago. That is *not* to say don’t be alert and safe. It’s just to say, take care of yourself, babe.
Sampa the Great – F E M A L E
This is definitely the most chill track on this playlist, sonically speaking. How many tracks in your collection boast a bloody upright bass? Hell yessss, that is cool as heck, and that’s to say nothing of Sampa The Great and what she unpacks on this track. Sampa is a certified badass and she’s all about shouting out to empower others. This song will help you focus on all the things that make you such an untouchable boss. The adversity you’ve overcome (and keep overcoming every day)? I can’t speak for everyone, but that shit feels like water off a duck’s back while I’m mouthing along with Sampa: F E M A L E, F E M A L EEEE. Would recommend screaming the same at anyone who ever gives you grief over the course of your life, honestly.
Image: The Mary Sue/A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night
Last week Erykah Badu and Nas dropped their cinematic collaboration called This Bitter Land, composed to be featured in the movie The Land. Now Grimes is getting in on the movie action, releasing a dark new cut called Medieval Warfare, set to feature in the forthcoming Suicide Squad movie.
The song leans back towards her electronic roots, opening with a busy percussion sample and overlaid with a threatening hook that builds into a vintage Grimes chorus: sneering yet anthemic.
Unfortunately a verse and a chorus are all that has been released of the track on the internet world thus-far, much like the Mark Ronson, Action Bronson and Dan Auerbach (of The Black Keys fame) snippet released yesterday, but it’s enough to make us very excited about how the rest of the song will turn out. Listen below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErBWGL5TYZg
Speaking to Zane Lowe after the preview, the singer noted that she was a fearful of entering the film scoring world because “everyone who has done it has hated it and brutally recommended against it…when you’re doing something that every second is costing hundreds of thousands of dollars…there’s no room for chill vibes.”
However, despite reservations about the film industry, the singer noted that when she got the call she was openly weeping, assuring listeners that she was “very, very stoked.”
Medieval Warfare joins a growing list of exclusive releases set to be featured on the Suicide Squad soundtrack, with the likes of Skrillex, Panic! At The Disco and Kevin Gates being some of the names featured in the list.
See the full track listing for the soundtrack below.
1. Purple Lamborghini – Skrillex & Rick Ross
2. Sucker For Pain – Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons (with Logic, Ty Dolla $ign & X Ambassadors)
3. Heathens – Twenty One Pilots
4. Standing In The Rain – Action Bronson & Dan Auerbach (of The Black Keys) (ft. Mark Ronson)
5. Gangsta – Kehlani
6. Know Better – Kevin Gates
7. You Don’t Own Me – Grace (ft. G-Eazy)
8. Without Me – Eminem
9. Wreak Havoc – Skylar Grey
10. Medieval Warfare – Grimes
11. Bohemian Rhapsody – Panic! At The Disco
12. Slippin’ Into Darkness – War
13. Fortunate Son – Creedence Clearwater Revival
14. I Started A Joke– ConfidentialMX (feat. Becky Hanson)
Image: Factmag
Following on from the dystopic Harajuku antics of Kill V. Maim, Grimes has dropped a third video from Art Angels.
In a similar vein to Flesh Without Blood there’s no shortage of cowgirl motifs, elaborate neo-rococo attire and, of course, dancing. Co-directed with brother Mac Boucher, the clip bounces between a dazzling succession of scenes, sets and costume switches. Providing a visual backdrop to her summery west coast anti-anthem, the singer adopts the role of gymnast and dances throughout a pottery classroom. Also appearing are a number of musical contemporaries including Purity Ring‘s Megan James, HANA and Born Gold. Brother Mac and male model Eric Cheng also make an appearance.
Keen-eared fans might notice that it’s a slightly different mix than the album version of the track. Taking to Twitter, Boucher explained that the reasoning behind the reworked track, noting that the footage was “dissonant” with the album version. The Canadian producer/singer/multi-instrumentalist also contended that the original didn’t naturally lend itself to any mental visuals. The end result is a slower building introduction, and an overall dreamier pop veneer with a hefty synth rework.
https://twitter.com/Grimezsz/status/729783028076019712
It’s not the first time the diminutive pop star has reworked a track for a video clip. Inversely, Boucher included a reworked version of pre-Art Angels single REALiTi on the latest album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsCfufAp2tM
Image source: Pitchfork
Canadian producer Grimes brought her neon surreality to this week’s episode of The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, where she performed Flesh Without Blood. Introduced by Fallon, he pointed out that as writer and producer, she is as the sole creator of her own work. Accompanied by dancers and a hectic lighting show, Grimes took to the stage with a smile and her sticker covered Stratocaster.
Grimes’ performance showcased her guitar playing skills, having turned her attention to the instrument whil writing for Art Angels, on which the single appeared. Putting on an energetic show, the singer bounced between her vocal duties, strumming and synths. She even joined her dancers for an interlude before dropping her synth line at full throttle.
Her appearance comes just a few weeks before Grimes heads out on a US tour, where she will be opening for Florence + The Machine. She is also scheduled to appear at a number of festivals, including Lollapalooza, Hangout, Sasquatch, Outside Lands and FYF. Recent interviews have also suggested that Grimes has begun work on the follow up release to Art Angels. Describing the material she is working on as “more chill vibes, downtempos, synth-y shit” compared to her last album, but she has assured fans that it won’t be as boring as it sounds.
Image: DIY
Grimes is the star of the new advertisement for POP, a new fragrance developed with Stella McCartney. The perfume is described as “environmentally friendly,” with its packaging created from sustainable trees. Their project was announced a month ago with an Instagram post shared by Grimes:
McCartney’s website shows that Grimes isn’t the only collaborator on the job. Others include animal activist and model Kenya Kinski-Jones, actress Amandla Stenberg and Madonna’s daughter Lourdes ‘Lola’ Leon.
The sustainable nature of the product is one of the themes of the commercial, which opens with Grimes at a photoshoot. “Sustainability in fashion stuff is something I really care about. That’s one of the reasons I like Stella so much. Not something that sort of exists for the sake of aesthetics but something that exists because someone cares about it,” she says in the voiceover.
As we continue watching the advertisement, the conversation changes as the theme of friendship is discussed. Over images of Grimes putting on the perfume, posing for each photo and laughing with some of the other collaborators, we hear her say:
“I actually feel like my friends are the best cuz they always tell me when my shit sucks. I take what they say into consideration more than anyone else probably. I mean I think friendship is important to all non-sociopaths. I guess humans needs friendship to live. It’s interesting to watch anything executed with confidence. I think it can be beautiful.”
Grimes will embark on a huge tour that will include shows in the US, Canada and Europe from May 14th. See the dates and get your tickets here. Read our review of Grimes’ performance at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre. See the photos here.
Watch the colourful advertisement below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kix4IiHDol0
Image: Amy Heycock/Howl & Echoes
Grimes dropped by Annie Mac’s BBC Radio 1 show yesterday to perform a 30 minute set which also saw her cover Franz Schubert’s Ave Maria.
The Canadian instrumentalist performed two tracks from her newly released Art Angels album before she dropped in the cover which she has regularly done over the years during her own gigs.
The intimate performance was backed by just her friend HANA in the studio as Flesh Without Blood was aired first before she ripped into REALiTi, and ended the short session with her cover of the classic Schubert song.
The pop star also had time to have a brief chat in between with Mac where she discussed everything from her voice, her upcoming plans and her song writing processes. She admitted beforehand that she was unwell but that her voice would hold out for the session.
“Sometimes in my show I go from screaming to singing a little bit of Schubert but I should be fine,” she joked.
She then explained the differences in how she recorded her latest album as opposed to 2012’s Visions.
“It took me about a year to finish this one… I didn’t eat or see daylight during Visions to help the creative process. But this time when I went into the studio I was going to do that again but then I realised I was really hungry, and tired.”
Recently, Grimes has been in the news when she spoke out against the music industry and detailed her own experiences in what she described as a “hostile environment” for women.
“I’ve been in numerous situations where male producers would literally be like, ‘We won’t finish the song unless you come back to my hotel room,'” she told Rolling Stone.
“If I was younger or in a more financially desperate situation, maybe I would have done that. I don’t think there are few female producers because women aren’t interested. It’s difficult for women to get in.”
You can also read our review of Grime’s live show here.
Image: Village Voice
In a recent interview, Canadian producer Grimes (aka Claire Boucher) spoke to Rolling Stone about her recent album and her position as a female producer in the music industry. Touching on her influences and inspiration for Art Angels, and her talents as a multi-instrumentalist, the interview also mentioned Grimes’ outspoken views on sexism within the industry.
Asked to comment on the recent lawsuit between Kesha and Dr Luke, as a woman in music, Boucher declined to speak in depth on such a complex case. But she commented, “I will say that I’ve been in numerous situations where male producers would literally be like, ‘We won’t finish the song unless you come back to my hotel room.’ If I was younger or in a more financially desperate situation, maybe I would have done that.”
It’s not that I don’t want to know about Grimes’ return to making music, or which tattoo she now regrets, I really do. But I also want to say, hold up?! There is nothing about that statement that is okay. There is nothing about that situation – in any context, any industry or involving any two people – that is okay. Boucher may not wish to be the poster girl for sexism in music, and rightly so. But is this a moment for ‘moving swiftly on…’?
Kesha after court ruling. Image via Mashable
As recent events involving Kesha, Amber Coffman, and many others have shown, speaking out against these issues is not simple. Grimes is later quoted as describing her fame in terms of, “You’re successful, but you’re not successful enough that you can afford to totally piss off the fans.” Hovering at this juncture in her career, a certain reticence to become publicly involved in a naming and shaming game is understandable. As an artist, Grimes has been consistently vocal and clear in her disgust at the sexism inherent in the music industry.
She continued her comments with, “I don’t think there are few female producers because women aren’t interested. It’s difficult for women to get in. It’s a pretty hostile environment.” But the most worrying aspect of this environment is the apparent network that has so far seemingly shielded the industry from scrutiny or outcry.
As more and more women open up about these kinds of experiences, you have to wonder who is protecting the perpetrators. With artists and producer held accountable to management and record labels, no one person should be helpless against blackmail or harassment. However, at the cost of product and profit, the industry still appears to turn a blind eye.
Image via The Guardian
The current culture does little to protect anyone; victims can, at best, attempt to sever ties with those who abused them, and watch as offenders find success in an industry that allowed their offences to pass. We can hope that such experiences as Grimes may have met with have been addressed, even if not publicly.
It is not enough to hope that women who find themselves in that situation will rely on strength of character alone. They should be able to rely on the industry at large to take a zero tolerance approach to any one person taking this kind of advantage in what is, after all, a professional environment like any other.
Image: FADER
In a match made in some kind of geeky heaven, Grimes will become the first ever musician to headline a comic convention.
The world first is happening at The Philadelphia Wizard World Comic Con in June, and is being billed as the New Music Concert Series – aka first ever music concert series to tie in with a comic convention. Grimes (Claire Boucher) will headline the event with support from recent tour mate Hana.
Thinking about the shape of comic cons (much more than simply comics as it turns out, featuring things like television show discussion panels and celebrity meet-and-greets), it is actually kind of a wonder that no one has thought to include live music as part of the experience before. Other promoters must be kicking themselves that they didn’t beat Wizard World to it.
In a statement sent to Billboard, COO of Wizard World Randy Malinoff said that, “Wizard World Comic Con already presents the best in celebrity meet and greets, movies, television, science fiction and comics and we believe that including music is the next logical progression to provide a great experience for our fans… These live music events are a key component to the continued growth of our brand.”
With Boucher already discussing her follow up to 2015’s Art Angels, there are murmurs that Grimes will be road testing new music at the convention. However, it would hardly be unexpected if she also used the opportunity to launch a comic. After all, she as well as being an experimental pop extraordinaire, her self-created Art Angels artwork is just the most recent evidence of the fact that Grimes has some mad visual art skills to.
The tie-in shows are set to continue with New York singer and songwriter Melanie Martinez, though there is not a date or location specified for her performance as of yet. Your move, literally every other convention.
Image: Amy Heycock for Howl & Echoes. See the full gallery here.
Grimes, aka Claire Boucher, has always stood up for herself and the people around her. Refusing to accept the bullshit that is sometimes peddled in the music industry, she has accumulated a mass, cult-like following around the world thanks to her real as fuck persona- and her awesome music. As she has gone along in her career, she has only become more outspoken, and now serves as a source of inspiration for many people all over the world.
She was just here in Australia for St Jerome’s Laneway Festival and a string of sideshows, and is now set to head to the UK to continue her Art Angels tour, so ahead of that, she gave an interview with TimeOff, and it’s one of her most real interviews yet.
She was asked about everything from asserting herself in all the roles she plays in her career (writer, singer, producer, video director and more), what it meant for her career to be so openly feminist, and the way she sees the music industry working, Grimes’ frank discussion paints a picture of a woman fed up with the way her world works so much she literally doesn’t care anymore. She is now the master of her surroundings, and she is prepare to call out anything and everything.
Interestingly, Grimes also weighed in on the ongoing saga that is the legal battle surrounding Kesha and her recording contract. Having had her request for an injunction denied last week, the world has opened their proverbial hearts to her and have poured out lots and lots of support as she now has to remain in her contract with Sony Music and create another six albums alongside Dr Luke, her producer who she accuses of various degrees of abuse.
“You shouldn’t be allowed to sign a human being, regardless of what the allegations are or what anyone said or did. It’s basically like slavery. She should be allowed to record [with other people]. It’s a deeply fucked situation.”
You can check out the whole interview here. It is definitely worth your time, even if just for the fact that Grimes states Beyoncé as the greatest pop star of all time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2EJMd7ZN7w
Image by Amy Heycock for Howl & Echoes. See our full gallery here.