Edmonton-based Métis artist Kaeley Jade is back with another indie pop gem! Her powerful new single ‘Ego’ is out today on all digital platforms. Listen here. Produced by the JUNO-nominated team at Velveteen Music, Kaeley’s latest single, ‘Ego’, is a compelling examination of the ways in which unhealthy relationships can affect our emotional well-being. Reminiscent of artists like Maggie Rogers and Olivia Rodrigo, ‘Ego’ is a raw and affecting anthem for those struggling to heal.
“I wrote ‘Ego’ after a particularly rough night at a party, and I wanted to explore how toxic relationships can impact our mental health,” says Kaeley. “This one goes out to all those struggling to find closure.”
A vibrant presence with a voice like velvet, singer-songwriter Kaeley Jade weaves lush imagery and hooky melodic lines to craft music that is both poignant and playful. Kaeley’s music has received radio play across North America with her previous single ‘Painless’ (released April 2021) climbing to the #1 spot on the Indigenous Music Countdown. She’s been featured on editorial playlists across streaming platforms, including New Music Friday and Fresh Finds on Spotify and Indigenous Now on Apple Music, and in numerous publications such as Tinnitist, SAY Magazine and The GATE.
Kaeley Jade’s new single ‘Ego’ is available now on Spotify, Apple Music/iTunes, and other digital retailers and streaming services worldwide. For more info, please visit kaeleyjade.com.
KiNG MALA is an alternative pop artist based in Los Angeles. AKA Areli Castro, the El Paso born musician is not afraid to spill her guts. Setting out with the hopes to spark confidence in both herself and her listeners, she creates music that will make you walk taller and speak louder. Both her music and visuals experiment with masculine tropes, sharing “There’s something about taking something traditionally masculine and wearing it as a woman that makes me feel really powerful.” These masculine threads weave throughout everything she does, hence King rather than Queen and “MALA” which roughly translates to “bad bitch” in Spanish. Sharing her feelings from the bottom of her heart KiNG MALA encourages you to dig deep and connect with your inner-self. Life is messy and we shouldn’t feel ashamed to show our emotions and speak our mind.
Dark, provocative and perhaps a little twisted, the new single “cult leader” has an empowering and confident disposition. Manifested with a ‘fake it till you make it’ mindset, the track was actually written when her confidence had taken a hit, though the song writer decided that instead of leaning into the sadness, she would be overly confident and a bit narcissistic to try and boost her self-esteem. Reverberating with a distorted driving beat and haunting vocals, the track oozes with a bold and daring energy.
In pure KiNG MALA style, the song is a display of her fearless character, with the artist revealing, “I want this song to be two minutes of pure unabashed confidence. I want people to let themselves get lost in the fantasy of the most confident version of themselves (even if it’s a bit toxic). I want this to be a song people turn to when they want to feel like a badass!”
KiNG MALA has a significant and dedicated following across her social media, with over half a million followers on TikTok. Having amassed millions of streams, she has been featured in Showtime’s The L Word and has garnered praise from the likes of Billboard, PAPER Magazine, SPIN, Live Nation’s Ones to Watch, Wonderland Magazine, V Magazine, Refinery 29, Flaunt Magazine, The Line of Best Fit, LADYGUNN and American Songwriter to name a few.
MICROWAVE have released new single ‘Circling The Drain’ which is the perfect soundtrack to a lazy Summer day with those familiar Weezer and Pavement style melodies.
Speaking about the new single the band said “Circling the Drain is about living in a society. It’s about losing respect for people that you’re close with because they’re acting a fool. It’s about liberating yourself by choosing not to identify with thoughts, actions, ideals, and virtues that aren’t serving you or anyone else. It’s about choosing your battles and loving people despite your differences. It was written amid speculation about the viability of a career as a traveling performing artist after Microwave’s “Death is a World Tour” was ironically eclipsed by a global pandemic and somewhat apocalyptic unraveling of society.”
Bass legend B Live is back with more fired up goodness following his recent huge smash ‘Don’t Know About You’ alongside Becky Hill and JME. This time he teams up with Durrty Goodz for the release of the bouncing number ‘Foundation’.
STREAM/DOWNLOAD: B LIVE FT DURRTY GOODZ
From his discovery by the legendary DJ EZ to working with Skepta, Skibadee, Craig David, Harry Shotta, Newham Generals and Kele Le Roc (to name a few), B Live aka Evil B is the insanely skilled emcee that has shut down every rave and festival you can think of. Smashing bass filled sets of garage, grime, dubstep, baseline and DnB, his split artistry manifests as either B Live or Evil B, depending on how he executes his contribution to each record.
For the latest single, B Live is out to play and, alongside Durrty Goodz, the duo lyrically explore their legacy and lay claim to their expansive roots within the British Black Music scene. Bringing with them their seasoned emcee skill and distinctive styles for ‘Foundation’, the track features a simplistic, elegant and skittering beat that almost fades to the background as the professionals get to work. With a myriad of self-sewn ad-libs peppered along the track, B Live rattles off an opening verse with gusto and his distinct, guttural tones. Switching up the flow as he weaves through his bars, the pace of the record ricochets alongside him as he owns the track. Back-to-back on the hook, Durrty Goodz leads the charge on a clear message that this duo are the ‘Foundation’ of the scene and won’t take any nonsense that suggests otherwise, before B Live reiterates the point on his own terms. Making way for Durrty Goodz to come through on the second verse, the respected emcee whips into Jamaican patois to slap down a quick fired flow which takes the track in a whole new direction before snapping back to into London grime flows at lightning speed.
NOLA fantasy-folk troupe Tiny Dinosaur today share their debut album Songs For The Mass Extinction Event; A record loving-crafted over two years and which zealously embraces a diverse range of influences. These bayou fables on Songs For The Mass Extinction Event are a sonic melting pot of sounds that extend far beyond the band’s Crescent City home. Amongst the interplay of guitars, banjo, viola, double bass and percussion, keen-eared listeners will hear snatches of eastern-European harmonies, 60s psychedelic pop textures, college rock quirks, and prog ambitions. “Captain’s Ritual” echoes later Beatles material, “Who Put the Wu-tang Next to Sgt. Pepper” was directly inspired by Gogol Bordello, and the lyrical weirdness of Peter Gabriel is on display in “Brother Robin.”
Rising Inglewood, CA creative Brandon Banks returns with the refreshing new single “Tryin’” – following on from the deeply personal track “Get On”.
The second release from his upcoming EP Natural Progressions, Brandon continues to explore his signature laid-back style as “Tryin’” bounces through reverberating basslines and sweet-tone melodies. Produced by lophiile (Alina Baraz, Hope Tala, Gallant), ”Tryin’” reaches a new golden era in alternative R&B, with Brandon’s blend of timeless smooth vocals, synth laden electronics and hip-hop beats perfectly intersecting contemporary lo-fi and easy-listening sounds. The mastery of his genre mark him as one of the leading talents rising up in the scene.
An artist through and through, writing, editing, co-producing and creative directing everything he works on, Brandon’s rare talent and consideration for his craft shine through each release. Despite the elusive nature of his drops and through only a handful of releases, Brandon has built a significant reputation as one of the hottest emerging talents in the US: early collaborations with Mereba and Umi have led to recent credits on Drake’s Certified Lover Boy, with critical attention coming from the likes of Pigeons&Planes, GQ and V Magazine, amongst others, and racking up millions of streams on Spotify.
Morcheeba release a brand new remix from in-demand New Zealand-based producer Race Banyon, who flips ‘Oh Oh Yeah’ into a multi-pronged, contemplative electronic groover that oozes class and musicality, but never holds back on its feet-shuffling rhythmics – STREAM ‘OH OH YEAH’ (RACE BANYON REMIX) HERE.
Here, Race Banyon showcases the same suave artistic prowess that has seen him draw a wide range of plaudits from the likes of Clash, FAZEmag, Dummy and This Song Is Sick, with the former hailing his “experimental take on melody and structure”. Manipulating the silky smooth vocals from Morcheeba’s stellar original cut, the NZ artist makes smart use of that spellbinding looped vocal, mesmerisingly fused together with a wide range of digitised instrumentation and core elements from ‘Oh Oh Yeah’.
As it gradually builds from its euphoric beginnings, Race Banyon slowly layers and teases more and more electronic gold, growing into a crescendo of sunlit vocals and raw, glowing synthetics, really taking pride in its intro as those marching kick drums begin to take hold. Poolside, beachside or clubside, this one’s an absolute winner across the board, and is sure to go down a treat in all settings upon release.
Following on from an explosive start to the year with his ‘Graphene, Vol 2’ project, grime veteran D Power Diesle teases the release of ‘Graphene, Vol 3’ with his latest charged-up street heater ‘Cold As Ice’ alongside fellow London MC Kyze. STREAM/DOWNLOAD: D POWER DIESLE FT KYZE – COLD AS ICEEnriched with nothing but straight greaze and an unapologetic tone throughout, piercing synths and a heavy bass courtesy of Efflex, build to create a fiery backdrop that enables Dielse to pierce through with the up-most ease. Showering the beat with infectious bars and an effortless swagger the pioneers gruff tone adds that extra punch to the already booming track, “Cold as ice / Gal tell me i taste nice / They want cake so I give them a slice / But that don’t make you wife / Can’t call me Bounty like Mr Price”, he spits. Setting the tone for what’s yet to appear on the highly anticipated ‘Graphene, Vol 3’ project, ‘Cold As Ice’ is a slice of nostalgia mixed in with a contemporary feel that’s reminiscent of a hazy night out with your friends. Calling on Kyze for an assisting verse the pair mirrors each other’s energy and in turn create a wheel-up worthy riddim!
The game is about to change again. Always one to make an entrance, GRAMMY® Award-winning chart-dominating multiplatinum force of nature Lil Baby returns with two new records today entitled “Right On” and “In A Minute” via Quality Control Music Group/Wolfpack Global Music/Motown Records. He also unleashes music videos to accompany each respective track. Listen to “Right On” HERE and watch the music video HERE. Listen to “In A Minute” HERE and watch the music video HERE.
Following a series of mega chart-topping collaborations, these two songs mark his first new solo music of 2022. During “Right On,” he rips through bars with infectious intensity, tearing up the orchestral production and punchy 808s. Affirming his place in the culture, he promises, “I ain’t about that fake shit, I’d rather keep it real,” as he urges, “Tell the police I don’t do nothing, I been selling these songs.” In many ways, one statement sums it up, “I’m way better than last time.” This confidence and charisma carry over to the music video where he cruises in the Rolls Royce in the very same neighborhood of Oakland City, Atlanta, GA where he grew up. He mentions at the beginning of the track and raps from the backseat before turning up in a parking lot as fleet of luxury cars surround him.
Photo Credit: Edgar Daniel
Peach Tree Rascals share their new single “Good Advice” via 10K Projects. Get it HERE.
Champions of misfits and underdogs alike, Peach Tree Rascals stay true to their own on the funky track, urging listeners to adhere to their intuition. “Good Advice” is a collaborative effort between Peach Tree Rascals and producers Boyco (Carlie Hanson, Daya), Goldspace (Dominic Fike, Red Hot Chili Peppers), and Donn Robb (The Kid Laroi).
The latest effort is a sonic rush accompanied by an uplifting message: believe in yourself wholeheartedly. The track opens with a bluesy piano melody that pulls the listener into The Rascals’ warm, sunshine filled world. The lyrical hook “If I take my own advice, I know I’ll be okay / On my own side, Me I won’t fade away” is sure to become a passage for those who advocate for self-love and care. Augmented by an endearingly catchy bass line and fresh, comforting drum beat, “Good Advice” becomes the perfect track for cruising by the coast with your friends; volume up, windows down.
Love at first sight – that’s the feeling I was trying to capture when I wrote my new single, “Next To You.” It’s those first butterflies; those first innocent – maybe even naive – feelings of wonder and joy. Those feelings we get when we first fall for someone, and just want to be near them, even if we’re just sitting next to them.
I could hear the words sail past your lips / A siren calling me astray
It’ll set me free, christen a thousand ships / baby, when you say my name
You can listen to “Next To You” on streaming platforms everywhere now.
Watch the lyric video here.
During the song, it’s revealed in the lyrics that all of it is in my head. Although the song seems to be about a real love, it’s actually about an imagined love – which can sometimes feel just as real.
“Next To You” is the second single off my upcoming self-titled album, set to release on June 10, 2022.
Thank you for listening,Kim Ho of Apollo Lovely
neillfrazer@hotmail.com
