Los Angeles-based artist and songwriter iamnotshane has released a new single titled, “Don’t Say That,” out now via Snafu Records. Listen to the song everywhere now here + watch the official video here.
An 80s-inspired synth-pop ode to shedding insecurities and embracing your inner weirdo, “Don’t Say That” comes alongside another knockout self-directed video from iamnotshane. A wink to Britney Spears’ iconic “…Baby One More Time” schoolhouse visual, the video embodies imnotshane’s not-so-subtle rallying cry to, “dance weird, have fun, fall in love, and not worry about what anybody thinks.”
Today’s release and iamnotshane’s additional 2021 output is an addendum to his early 2021 debut album, One Less Year Alive, and serve as a precursor to a forthcoming European + U.S. headline tour, which will traverse 18 cities over January / February 2022. Full date listing below. Tickets on sale now here.
Jan 18 // Manchester, UK @ YES
Jan 19 // London, UK @ Omeara
Jan 21 // Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso
Jan 22 // Berlin, Germany @ Badehaus
Jan 23 // Warsaw, Poland @ Hydrozagadka
Jan 25 // Hamburg, Germany @ Hakken
Jan 26 // Cologne, Germany @ Yuca
Jan 27 // Dublin, Ireland @ Whelan’s Upstairs
Jan 31 // Brooklyn, NY @ Knitting Factory
Feb 2 // Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl
Feb 3 // Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall Upstairs
Feb 5 // Dallas, TX @ HOB Cambridge Room
Feb 6 // Austin, TX @ Antones
Feb 8 // Chicago, IL @ Chop Shop
Feb 10 // Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
Feb 12 // Seattle, WA @ Vera Project
Feb 16 // Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
Feb 17 // Los Angeles, CA @ The Echo
“Don’t Say That” comes on the heels of recent single “Punch Me In The Face,” an airy slice of indie/electro pop putting iamnotshane’s alluring vocal and sticky-sweet melodies front and center. The song saw love from outlets like EUPHORIA., who called the track “one of his most infectious to date,” while Tongue Tied Magazine proclaimed, “iamnotshane is quirky and ironic in all the best ways.” The video brought the song full-circle in a rather painful way that you’ll just have to see to believe.
Coming up this October, iamnotshane is set to reveal a partnership with everyone’s favorite seasonal pop-up shop Spirit Halloween, featuring brand new lyric videos for songs from One Less Year Alive, with some spooky, costume-cloaked twists.
Originally from Paterson, NJ – Nick Cozine grew up in the Hudson Valley playing in bands and writing songs with his friends. At age 14, he simply typed “emo music” into Limewire after hearing a band in Hot Topic which led him down a rabbit hole, discovering the world of pop-punk. Fixated on the raw lyrics and huge production, he was an instant fan. For over a decade, Cozine has been writing and producing while working countless jobs – from a coffee shop to a hedge fund. While balancing sessions and “work”, his solo project hit the back-burner when he lost sight of his own identity. Nick moved to Los Angeles in 2019 and experienced a severe panic attack which pushed him to quit his job and spend a year in the studio with some of his closest friends. This led to the rebirth of the MNYS project.
MNYS is an acronym paying homage to an old MySpace project Nick started in 2010 – My New York Summer. Realizing it now, the anxiety that stirred within Nick was a true blessing in disguise. It allowed the project to come to life by allowing him to tell his own story for once, even if that involves staring at his most vulnerable self in the mirror
Teezandos continues her journey into the male dominated Drill scene as she releases her 2nd single of the year, ‘Uh’ a serious street banger. With her signature energetic flows across this well produced original Drill style.
The ‘Princess of Drill’ is coming off the back of single ‘Page 45’ where Tee teamed up with Midas The Jagaban who also is innovating in the UK scene. The East Londoner featured as COMPLEX’s UK rappers to watch this year, and everyone is watching. Her presence on social media is building with 50k followers on Instagram alongside her 57,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Her hit ‘Phone Call’ has amassed over a million streams, and with further growth of her talent, ‘Uh’ is expected to smash her own records.
Harnessing her playful style, this track is energetic with busy drums keeping a rhythm. Wasting no time, the tenacious lyricist jumps into the chorus, “I know that the man don’t like me”, she delivers in the chorus amidst lots of “Uh’s”. With the more laid-back approach on the chorus, Tee really picks up the attitude in the verses. Operating over a top-quality beat made up of strings and melodic 808’s that was made by the scenes finest, ‘Gotcha’ who recently produced smash hit ‘Body’.
A drill style video but with its own individual stamp, it has vintage effect with the way that it has been filmed. It has casted a dreamy and retro vibe on the lens of the camera, alongside the timeworn cars and antique outfits, it makes for a very imaginative Drill video in its own lane. With a large cast of characters vibing alongside Teezandos, they really help to illustrate the dynamism from the track.
The development of Teezandos is shaking the drill scene up and with fun tracks such as ‘Uh’ she is going to remain one to watch throughout this year. Up there with the top female rappers in the UK boasting over 7 million views across YouTube alone. The ‘Princess of Drill’ is aiming for Queen.
Following a string of single releases tipped by key tastemaker names including DIY and Atwood Magazine, Aylesbury-based alt-pop newcomer Boy! Racer today unveils his anticipated debut EP ‘Cutting Corners’ & the brand new single, ‘If That’s Not Love’.
Taking notes from the likes of Her’s, Blood Orange and Porches, Conor Richards has become familiar for creating relaxed indie-pop offerings which effortlessly capture the hazy bliss of youth.
Following the debut singles ‘People Walk In Circles’ and ‘Don’t Know What You’re Missing’, new cut ‘If That’s Not Love’ finds Richards at his most candid. The sentimental new ballad finds him pondering the reality of relationships via shimmering synth-arpeggios and breezy guitar licks.
The track is taken from Boy! Racer’s debut EP, ‘Cutting Corners’ – released today. Serving as an introduction to Richard’s impactful sound, the EP’s four-tracks meld seamlessly into each, whisking the listener away to a world of Richards’ very own volition.
“The repetition of life in lockdown over the past year made me reflect on the rhythm of my own life, and the people around me, before all of this happened,” tells Richards. “What I came to realise is that ultimately, your life is what you make it. If what you want is to change, only one person can make that happen.
‘Cutting Corners’ is, for me, a perfect introduction to Boy! Racer. I was really keen when developing this project to release a body of work early on – not just singles – to give people something to get their teeth into and really get a feel for what my music is about. Each song differs just slightly in style, in feeling, but I feel like they really represent the different facets of my sound nicely. Hopefully people enjoy it as much as I did writing it.”
Dripping in electronic, upbeat ambience – the EP’s four tracks begin with debut single ‘People Walk In Circles’ – effortlessly capturing the mundane of daily life via looping melodies and diligent drum beats combined to create an endless, mind-melting soundscape. Following is ‘‘Don’t Know What You’re Missing’, which contains bursts of synths and an infectious drumbeat reminiscent of hazy summer evenings, where the mood is high, and the morning is miles away.
Ending the EP on a high is ‘Aquarius / I Need You’, a club inspired anthem which utilises guitar licks and pumping drum beats to create a track you can’t help but dance to. Each track is distinctive in style, but still manages to be interconnected; a testament to Richards’ ability to create.
‘Cutting Corners’, the debut EP from Boy! Racer is available now via all digital streaming platforms.
LA-based dark-synth pop artist, L’FREAQ, shares her sophomore EP, Showgirl, today via Position Music. The 5-track release is full of powerhouse vocals, deeply personal lyrics and a fire-in-belly passion for a lifestyle of performance that isn’t performative. Steadied by unapologetic realness, L’FREAQ shows the shadows that the lime light tends to eclipse. On the new EP, L’FREAQ says:
“This EP is one of strength, courage, and tenacity. I wrote it about some of my darkest times (Showgirl, Gimmick) and also some of my most empowering times (LOUD, Nothing On Me). I wanted an EP that really showcased my vocals and I was able to stretch myself on. This was that EP for me. I love the idea of an artist growing, morphing, shifting with each musical offering and I wanted to do that with this. The concept of the showgirl is a fascinating one to me — showgirls are traditionally women draped in gorgeous fabric and jewels, but what happens when you take a deeper look? What lies beneath that surface? I wanted to answer some of those questions and play with the duality of the colorful drama while nodding to my deeper authenticity.”
After the postponement of their sold-out headlining shows due to ongoing lockdowns on their home turf this month, Rest For The Wicked have dropped a new tune for their ever-growing international fan base. With positive praise around their dynamic new sound—including The Guardian who called it “one of the best, and weirdest, debut singles that has been released in Australia for a long time”—anticipation has been building for the Aussie duo’s next steps. Instead of diving deeper into the dark isolation akin to their debut offering, Rest For The Wicked catch feelings in a “love limbo” and search for more on new single “Feel The Same Way” and tap Melbourne producer Tough Break to unleash a dystopian future / cyberpunk inspired remix out now via EMI Music Australia / Universal.
“Feel The Same Way” is a relatable indie-pop-rock track with an all out ‘90s vibe about indecisive love. Filled with warm and woozy synths, it captures the uncontrollable freefall of a burgeoning romance. The overwhelming feelings of lust and love inevitably take control, only to be held back by timid insecurities: “Do they feel the same way I do?” or “What if I’m just embarrassing myself?” On the song, Ben Townsend and Tasker beg for a sign, a semblance of validation that they’re not alone in wanting to take the next step with their crushes.
On the remix, Tough Break says, “This feels like that moment in a dystopian future/cyberpunk movie where everything works out and they drive off into the sunset together. The hook just felt so uplifting so I wanted that to be where the emotion for the remix came from.”
Last month, Villagers released their fifth album Fever Dreams; a paean to human connection, the transporting and hypnotic record hit the Top 20 in the UK charts and garnered praise from across the board. Villagers’ Conor O’Brien saw Fever Dreams as a way of bringing the real and the surreal together.
Ahead of Villagers’ UK & Irish tour next month, O’ Brien is happy to share a very special new video for “Circles In The Firing Line”. The 6-and-a-half-minute track is the perfect showcase of the music found on Fever Dreams, songs that twist and turn with the magical ambivalence of dreams. The accompanying video for “Circles In The Firing Line” is an animated odyssey that nods to surrealistic collage and retro computer games before dissolving into a more liminal, abstract space. It is at once playful whilst filled with a sense of foreboding.
On “Circles In The Firing Line” Conor says: “I like Keats’ concept of ‘negative capability’ which he defines as ‘when a man is capable of being in uncertainties, mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason’. This is a song about when our negative capability fails us. I think the internet has a lot to answer for.”
Post Modern Connection is an indie-band that defies norms. By constantly showcasing eclectic inspirations, the band keeps you anticipating what’s next.
Their soundscape varies, the music paired with thoughtful and carefully crafted songwriting. Soulful R&B infused vocals meet catchy indie-pop riffs – electronic synths pair with classical violin – Post-Modern Connection’s ability to play with dynamics is apparent. They describe their sound best as Indie-rock meets Neo-Soul & Jazz. The Strokes meets Leon Bridges. Inspiration comes from artists like King Krule, The Strokes, Alabama Shakes, Early Eyes, Leon Bridges, Hiatus Kaiyote, and Hippocampus.
Post Modern Connections inspirations are so diverse because that’s who they are as a band. Lead singer and guitarist Tega comes from Nigeria, lead guitarist Georges: Lebanon. Their bassist Steven from Taiwan. Drummer Cam and synth player and violinist Mitch call Canada their birthplace.
PMC draws on their unique backgrounds and experiences, personal histories and upbringing to create their emotionally charged music, captivating listeners.
neillfrazer@hotmail.com
