It’s video roundup time! Once again, Howl And Echoes are coming in hot with the freshest, most eyeball stimulating music videos to be dropped by the artists you love and some of the artists you don’t know you love yet, of this week. We do all the dirty work and herd them all into one convenient web-based location for you to enjoy every Friday so that you don’t have to. Have yourself a good old gander at the latest offerings from:
Fascinator – The Traveller
Johnny Mackay, the artist otherwise known as Fascinator is at it again with the second track off of his much-anticipated debut album Man and its music video. The track is titled The Traveller, and is deliciously off-beat, layers of funk and dream pop punctuated by haunting vocals and regal trumpets befitting of the subject of the video, which is excellent in its simplicity.
It’s a day in the life of your average New York City dwelling, decked in full battle armour knight. Eating his morning serve of Special K, riding the subway to and from New York’s Renaissance Fair (where of course nobody bats an eyelid, because New York) and going medieval on everybody’s ass getting in on all the fun.
Man is due out early 2016 via Spinning Top Records.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7C7-eV0wDs&feature=youtu.be
Manor – Grand Mal
Melbourne duo Manor have been on our watchlist of late. They just last week released a new tune, Grand Mal, and this week released its music video counterpart. The track itself is an odd and spinetingling hybrid of psychedelic and industrial, vocalist Caitlin Duff’s ghostly vocals wrapped up in some jarring instrumentation from Manor’s other half Nathaniel Morse.
The video is a kaleidoscope of colours and shapes interposed with overlapping shots of Duff, it fits the sonic appeal of Grand Mal perfectly. The track is from their upcoming EP, and if this and previous single Can You Hear Me Talking At You are anything to go by it should be a solid bedrock of a debut release upon which the duo can build bigger things.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVcsnnhAviM&feature=youtu.be
Daughter – Numbers
London-based trio Daughter have an album of their own due out in the waking light of 2016, their sophomore LP Not To Disappear. They’re getting all kinds of ambitious with it as well, this week releasing the second installment in a cinematic trilogy they’ve commissioned for the album. The first was Doing The Right Thing earlier in the year and now we have a sequel in Numbers.
The tune kicks off with some minimalistic instrumentation surrounding the gorgeous vocals of frontwoman Elena Tonra before taking flight via the aid of an unrelenting drumbeat that dances around some nifty low-key guitars, and from there it doesn’t touch the ground again. The kind of song made for late nights and loneliness, Daughter do a wonderful job of bringing the listener all but to their knees. The journey of the woman in red around a neon-drenched after dark urban wonderland is beautifully shot and only enhances a wonderful song.
Not To Disappear is out January 15th, 2016 via 4AD/Remote Control Records.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-fD3PIRSO8
Tindersticks – Lucinda
Nottingham rockers Tindersticks have been plugging away for more than two decades, putting out ten albums in total so far and just a few months shy of releasing their 11th, The Waiting Room, in January of next year. It’s set to be an ambitious record both sonically and visually, with each song to be accompanied by a short film.
Hey Lucinda is one of those songs and it’s absolutely bone-chilling in both sound and context. It’s a duet between Tindersticks frontman Stuart Staples and Lhasa De Sela, a friend of his who tragically lost her life after recording the track. It burns slowly and builds beautifully throughout, the video a dusky wander through the seen-better-days nightlife of an English town.
The Waiting Room is out January 22nd, 2016 via Inertia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxZS7uXSvEU
Plaitum – LMHY
Another London-based act, this time a duo, is Plaitum. They’re another one we’ve had our eye on for quite a while and their latest single and video for LMHY, from their forthcoming and eponymous debut EP, are keeping them glued firmly there. It’s electro-pop gone through a grimy shredder, urgent vocals that alternate between ethereal and screaming, twisting and writhing around stark and shuddering synths and off-kilter trap beats.
The video is a mesmerising lo-fi light show, shots of the duo filtered through all manner of clashing greens and oranges that arrests your eyes as much as the sound does your ears.
Plaitum is out December 4th via Wolf Tone/Caroline Australia
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KKuHOuHLTU
Here We Go Magic – Be Small
Brooklyn indie rock trio Here We Go Magic recently released their newest LP Be Small, their first since 2012s A Different Ship. Critically acclaimed as an album, the band have since released the eponymous first single from it as well as a video to go with it.
I loved it, a contemporary grim reaper who wears uh… sandals and wheels around a suitcase along with the traditional tattered black robes and hood, wandering around the pedestrian parks and streets of Hudson New York like it ain’t a thing.
Be Small is out now via Secretly Canadian on Inertia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2Ab4_3OgWM&feature=youtu.be
Ivan Ooze – Fire
Ivan Ooze, apart from sharing the name of that evil purple motherfucker who brainwashed all the parents in the Power Rangers movie, is a Melbourne MC who continues to drop jaws everywhere. His latest single is FIRE, both in title and in general sonic terms.
The video is awash with scuzz and sleaze, featuring burning dictionaries, tables, laptops, spliffs (you name it, he’ll burn it) and an array of 0ther pyrotechnics around an orange-jumpsuited Ooze, whose snarling machine gun flow never once hints at relenting. The production is fittingly industrial and stomps along wonderfully as Ooze shrieks over the chorus ‘I bring the fuckin’ fire’ (pronounced ‘fiyahhh’ of course).
Not your conventional Aussie hip hop by any means, refreshingly bizarre and masterfully crafted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2zdtDj2AAE&app=desktop
Elizabeth Rose – Shoulda Coulda Woulda
I’m not someone who thoroughly enjoys pop music usually, but Sydney songstress Elizabeth Rose has really captured me with latest single Shoulda Coulda Woulda. Co-produced by M-Phazes, the track has been spun like a spiderweb on Australian airwaves since its release, hypnotic and warped synths the driving force behind Rose’s sugary (but never saccharine) pop voice.
That’s what ensnared me, the sound is sonically pleasing pop but not in the traditional sense. Everything about the track, the lyricism and the production in particular, are highly intelligent and deftly-crafted. The video is mesmerising too, featuring Rose trapped in a 360 degree mirror room, alternating neon lights and rhythmic dancing all but chokeholding the attention of your eyeballs.
The track is from her upcoming debut LP Intra, all indications thus far suggesting Australia has produced yet another wonderfully talented pop artist in Elizabeth Rose.
Intra is out March 4th via Midnight Feature/Inertia.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HhL0V_EnRE
MS MR – Criminals
Heading back to the Big Apple for the next video, we’ve got the latest from much-acclaimed duo MS MR. Their latest offering is for single Criminals. It’s nothing short of infectious, each verse guided along by the heavenly vocals of singer Lizzy Plapinger until the driving chorus drops in and grabs you by the collar. The production from the MR of MS MR, Max Hershenow, is nothing short of stellar. Criminals is multi-layered dream pop with lashings of darkness and its thumping chorus will have you hitting the repeat button to no end.
The video landing with it is a neon dream, directed by Charlotte Rutherford, who has previously worked with artists like Charlie XCX and Marina And The Diamonds. Like the song it visualises, the video is full of glitzy neon lights but with a shadowy vibe throughout. Watch it and be enthralled.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1jI774ZWF8
Polish Club – Beeping
Having dropped their debut EP just last month and winning over damn near everyone, Sydney power-duo Polish Club are set for a massive breakout very soon. Their raucous old time rock and roll sound, driven by the raw and guttural vocals of frontman Novak that are damn near inimitable, is catchier than the clap and few new releases from an Australian band have grabbed me the way theirs did.
Beeping, their third single from their eponymous debut, was one of those tracks. Two and a half minutes of raw, foot-tapping rock and roll straight out of the garage. The video is lo-fi renaissance art in itself, made using a fucking photocopier. I don’t even want to know how many hours this took to put together, just watch and appreciate and tell everybody you got on the bandwagon while there were still seats.
Polish Club is out now via MGM Distribution.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-iy8ns0CLg
Words by Lauren Ziegler and Emma Jones
Australia’s summer is officially here, which means everyone has finally shed their winter coats and are gearing up for the festive season that lies ahead. This also means lots of fresh, new music to fuel the festivities. What a convenience it is then, that your trusted Howl & Echoes has once again delivered a playlist of this week’s best songs to get you through the weekend. All wrapped up in a neat little playlist, this week has once again brought the goods in all different shapes and sizes, and we’ve narrowed down the best of the best for your aural pleasure.
Cleopold, Scarlet
When he’s not busy working with Cassian or Miami Horror, Cleopold is actually hard at work on his own solo material. He caught our attention with his debut, Down In Flames a few months ago, and now he’s set to do it all again with the release of Scarlet. Passionate, catchy, groovy and warm, Scarlet has come just in time for summer and that is very good news indeed. He’s linked with Chet Faker‘s record label Detail Co., and if there were any questions remaining about who he is and what he’s about, Scarlet well and truly answers them. We’re predicting really big things from this guy.
High-Tails, My Heart
There’s something utterly refreshing about the clean, bouncy guitars and melody that carry High-Tails’ dreamy new track. The simple and effective track has a way about it, it’s catchy, it puts a smile on your face, it’s incredibly easy to slip and out of the groove. Blending elements from pop, rock, ska and more in a way that allows the track to feel frozen in time, it’s a reminder that you don’t always need gushing atmospheres and intricate layers to creat something really fun.
Just A Gent, Heavy As A Heartbreak (ft. LANKS)
Our favourite freshly-18-years-old Newcastle producer has made his long-awaited return, with a wonderful new single featuring Lanks on vocal duties. Written, produced, mixed and mastered in his own bedroom (as if you’d expect any less), this expansive track is overflowing with energy from the moment the beat kicks in. I love the sheer tonal diversity throughout, as if every percussive input splashes a new colour onto the canvas. Lanks’ vocals complement it so well, adding a rich, earthy tone to the steely beats and backing chords.
Aquilo, Never Seen You Get So Low
Aquilo was brought to my attention a few months ago, and they’ve stuck in my memory since. Their new self-produced track comes ahead of their debut album, due for release next year. The mellow, understated rhythms and breathy melody is soothing and invigorating at once, with a watery, introspective atmosphere. It’s easy to hear the influences of their collaborators SOGN and Olfaur Arnalds, both of whom are slated to feature on the album.
Manor, Grand Mal
Melbourne duo Manor had us hooked a few months back with their previous single Can You Hear Me Talking At You, so we were REALLY excited to see they had more new music for us to undoubtedly love as well. Grand Mal is an intense, sparse, dark track with brooding lyrics and pensive instrumentation. It’s distorted, industrial, dull but never boring and a hugely exciting step up for the duo. We can’t be too sure just yet where they’re headed, but we can’t wait to go along for the ride!
Golden Vessel, Can’t Stay (ft. Allthingslost)
Brisbane producer Golden Vessel has a knack for making really good songs, and another knack for teaming up with really good vocalists. First it was the stunning Tiana Khasi for his track Borrowed Time, and now it’s fellow Brisbanite Allthingslost for Can’t Stay. Careful, precise and considered, Golden Vessel keeps it light and restrained whilst Allthingslost breathes soul and emotion into the song. The duo are a match made in heaven, and we can only hope this is the start of something really exciting.
Asdasfr Bawd, Negative Energy
This is the second single taken from Asdasfr Bawd’s forthcoming EP out early next year, and once again it has us counting down the days until we can jam that straight into our ears. Creating some of the most unconventional, innovative and exciting music to come from Australia’s continuing electronic boom, Asdasfr Bawd does things on his own terms, and we love every single second of it. Minimal but still so full and complete, he melds his classical training with his electronic side to create something you probably haven’t heard before. Keep an eye out for his Underpass EP out March 7th!
CANVAS, Another Time (ft. Andrew Montgomery)
Swedish duo CANVAS have made a name for themselves with their beautiful brand of electro pop, delicate and soft but packing more than a few punches. Now, they’re set to remind us all once again just who they are, by teaming up with vocalist Andrew Montgomery for Another Time. Featuring some modern flutters and flourishes, the track ebbs and flows with gentle synths and crisp beats, whilst Montgomery’s voice soars soft but strong over the glittery bed of electronica. Said to be taken from their forthcoming EP out next year, Another Time is an example of what to do to make a great electro pop song. Producers, take note.
UV Boi فوق بنفسجي, If She, If He (ft. EASTGHOST)
Brisbane’s UV Boi returns with a lush, explorative new track, with a slow building atmosphere, and a really unique blend of jungle-inspired beats, auto-tuned vocals, and stringy, melodic backing beats loops. There’s a lot going on in this murky, yet totally enjoyable track, to the point where listening to it actually feels like a journey – you never know what you’re going to hear next. It’s a really unusual track. but there’s something quite beautiful about it.
World Champion, Shakes
World Champion have been on everybody’s lips for some time now, and with every release, that reason only grows clearer. The Sydney duo today return with Shakes, a blissfully hazy, summery, catchy new offering, just in time for Summer. The combination of bright chords, a shuffling rhythm and crunchy bass create a unique and really interesting, psychedelic soundscape. I can hear the Tame Impala and Revolver-era Beatles influences already knocking down the door.
This week’s playlist is one that will chill you out more than the harsh Australian winter. It’s made up of absolutely sublime songs from a great mix of artists, from the sophisticated to the soulful. Happy Friday!
Airling – Stallin’
Brisbane singer Hannah Shepherd, also known as Airling released her EP Ouroboros last year, but has had a bit of time off recently. However, that all changed this week with the release of a new track, Stallin’. Featuring a VERY different sound for the artist, this track is smooth, sexy and sophisticated, drawing influence from the R&B greats. Although it may have come as a surprise to the Airling faithful, there is no denying her voice is perfectly suited to this style. Let’s hope we hear more of this in the very near future!
Leo Kalyan – Golden Age
Leo Kalyan has been on my radar for a few months, and if he’s not on yours yet this song will surely change that! The London singer is about to drop a new EP titled Silver Linings at the end of this month, and his incredibly smooth voice is on full display with Golden Age. The layering and dynamics in the song are powerful, emotive and so strong, but also conducted in a way that is calming in the way it floats along. Sublime.
Slow Turismo – I Sit Down As Soon As I Get Up
I’m not easily impressed when it comes to indie rock, but something about the Slow Turismo guys just gets me. Maybe it’s the way they fit about four songs in one, maybe it’s that lead vocal, or the way they work seamlessly together to let their songs grow and breathe, but there is definitely something about them that does it for me and their new single, I Sit Down As Soon As I Get Up is another excellent example of this!
Roseau – New Glass
Roseau has already worked with Lapalux, been included on Bonobo‘s Late Night Tales, has toured with Lianne La Havas, and has been featured on Grey’s Anatomy. Not too bad for someone who is still yet to release their debut album! However, the wait for that is soon to be over, with the release of New Glass and the confirmation that her album, Salt is on the way! If you’ve not heard of her, New Glass is a perfect way to be introduced. Unpredictable, alive and packed with enough party vibes that it could get any dancefloor going, I was hooked from about 10 seconds in.
Gypsy & The Cat + Client Liaison – Evolution
Two of Australia’s greatest acts of the last 10 years have teamed up and, after teasing fans for a while, they have finally released their first collaborative track. Heralding their return to the scene, Gypsy & The Cat have found perfect musical harmony in Client Liaision, and Evolution is all I thought it would be and more. Showcasing both duos great strengths (they both have many), the track is predictably high energy, powerful and so much fun, but now all it’s got me doing is hoping for a joint tour! (Hint, hint).
Cleopold – Down In Flames
You might recognise Cleopold’s voice from Cassian‘s Running or Miami Horror‘s Love Like Mine, but now it’s time for this singer/songwriter to go it alone with the release of his debut single, Down In Flames. Having signed to Chet Faker‘s label Details Co., he has definitely taken some influence from his labelhead when it comes to this song, but has done enough to distance himself and create a sound entirely his own. He is set to record his debut album later this year, and that is one record I can’t wait to hear!
I’lls – Keep
I’lls are one of those groups that continually, without fail, out do themselves with every release. Keep is the latest addition in this trend, and once again the boys have stepped up even further. This is the second single from their forthcoming EP Can I Go With You To Go Back To My Country (out next week via Solitaire Recordings), and has only added to our anticipation of it’s release. Totally lush, this beautiful track caresses you and makes you feel okay. We cannot wait to see these three in action at Splendour later this month!
Safia – Embracing Me
It’s no secret that Safia are onto something really good, and have had a huge last few months. Now, with the release of their new single, Embracing Me, they can probably expect even more. The kaleidoscopic breakdown, the warm chorus that has come just in time for the Australian winter, the infectious melody – Safia have once again flexed their musical skills and remain forerunners in the electronic/indie game.
Statik Selektah – All You Need Ft. Action Bronson, Ab-Soul & Elle Varner
Yes, we covered this track already, but it’s so damn good it can’t not be in this week’s playlist. Bronson and Ab-Soul shine through with their verses, and the beautiful, swelling, jazzy, soulful vibes from Selektah are like a dream. Elle Varner’s electrifying voice gives the track even more life, but it really comes down to Selektah’s flawless production that makes the track what it really is.
Manor – Can You Hear Me Talking At You
Melbourne duo Manor released this bad boy just yesterday, and we are so glad they did. Enchanting and soft vocals, hypnotic melodies and searing guitars, Can You Hear Me Talking At You is one of the more beautiful tracks I’ve heard in quite some time. Mixed by Gareth Jones (Grizzly Bear, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds) in Shoreditch, London and mastered by Joe Lambert (Animal Collective, Unknown Mortal Orchestra) in Brooklyn, NYC, that would probably explain the worldly feel to the song – mature, self-assured and although seemingly tough, quite sweet and gentle as well.