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INsiders Guide: Gyakie x JBEE, Fake A Smile, So Gaudy, Middle Part, Lost In Japan, Yarin Glam, Banji Alexander, STRANGE DREAM…

Rising Ghanaian afro-fusion artist Gyakie has teamed up with North London’s rap riser JBEE with newest single ‘Scar’.

‘Scar’ is a powerful and emotionally charged R&B cut laced with Hip-Hop brought to life by Gyakie’s fierce flow over a Sosa-crafted drill beat featuring JBEE. Gyakie tells the story of a love gone wrong from both sides – hers representing pain, and his centering on doubts and insecurities. ‘Scar’ features ominous production underscored by heavy 808s with both artists providing hard-hitting lyrics juxtaposed by softer melodies showcased throughout JBEE’s verse.

The juxtaposition on ‘Scar’ continues into the visuals which see Gyakie and JBEE both telling their sides of the love story before coming together in the final scenes with red tones used throughout, representing the love and pain in the story that features throughout ‘Scar’ directed by Craig Capone who has worked with artists such as Headie One, Sarkodie, Chip and Ms Banks on their visuals as well as Romara Blake who is known for her work with Eva Lazarus. 

Gyakie has been rising through the ranks since bursting onto the scene with her debut single ‘Love is Pretty’ in 2019. Since then she has collaborated with the likes of AKA, Diplo, Blaq Jerzee, Major League DJz, and Mayorkun. Her breakout single ‘Forever’ gained international recognition and has amassed over 150m streams across platforms.

North London’s JBEE is one of the go to fresh faces in British Rap paving a lane of his own. In 2021 he released ‘4AM’ gaining over 77 million streams, going onto currently reaching 3.7 million monthly Spotify listeners. It’s no surprise he picked up a MOBO nomination for Best Newcomer at the end of last year.

Gyakie spoke on working with London’s JBEE saying “Working with JBEE brought a different dimension to Scar, for me this was such a great experience to bring our two sounds together to create a deep, yet catchy single that is relatable to audiences across the continents”.

Speaking on the release JBEE said “I was in Ghana for New Year, even though it was the holiday season when Gyakie calls, you answer! We linked up in Ghana and ‘Scar’ was born. Even though I am London born and raised, I’m Ghanaian myself and I’m so happy we got to collaborate and make this track. I hope the fans love this one seeing two worlds collide!”

The collaborative track provides heart wrenching insight into contemporary relationships laced with authenticity that is sure to resonate with music fans across continents.

Having gained acclaim from areas such as The Line Of Best Fit, 10 Magazine, Fashionably Early and more on sunbleached debut single Prom Dress, rising Bouremouth based trio Fake A Smile once again stand out from the pack with attention grabbing second single, Don’t Stop. Taken from their upcoming debut EP Shoot Me To The Moon, the track sees them connect again with Mercury Award winning producer Gianluca Buccellati ( Arlo Parks,Biig Piig) on a grit-pop offering showcasing a more sombre tone than their summer ready debut. Speaking on the track, the band state:

“Don’t Stop” delves into the less breezy and more dark, grittier sound of our record collection. Topically current, the single channels new fangled cross-atlantic inspirations from the likes of early Verve and BRMC to the early aughts scenes of ‘meet me in the bathroom’.

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Las Vegas-based recording artist and entrepreneur So Gaudy is back with a new single that is set to take the scene by storm. 

Titled In the Crowd, the song is a high-energy, party-ready banger that will get listeners moving around to its beat. As a seasoned artist with a loyal following, So Gaudy is known for his unique sound and ability to put together a hit. “In the Crowd” is no exception, as it features a blend of catchy hooks, infectious beats, and lyrics that define reality. 

So Gaudy himself refers to “In the Crowd” as “Moshpit music,” a nod to its energetic, party-rocking vibe that is sure to get fans excited. The song was produced by the talented 44youmadethis and released through Sony’s The Orchard, which is available on all major streaming platforms. 

Fans of So Gaudy can expect even more music from the artist in the coming months. With his energy and undeniable talent, So Gaudy is a force to be reckoned with in the industry, and “In the Crowd” is just a testament to what is yet to come. Listeners can expect to see So Gaudy live in concert in the near future, as he brings his high-energy performances to the fans.

Follow So Gaudy on Instagram and Twitter. Listen to “In the Crowd” on Apple Music and Spotify.

Brooklyn-based indie pop artist Middle Part creates synth-laden music in the hopes of making you feel something. Composed with honesty and sincerity, the music takes inspiration from both 90’s and early Millenium alternative bands. Middle Part was born when singer Andrew Selkōw found himself in a serious depression and had to escape his current reality. Moving from Nashville to Alaska – not just to “find himself”, but to figure out how to live with himself – Andrew spent months folding boxes at a local pizza shop. It was in this monotonous and lonely state that he began writing songs simply as a way to get by. After moving to Brooklyn, those same songs – written in a dark time – have found a new light since beginning to work with producer and collaborator, Brian Zaremba. Middle Part’s six-track debut EP I Wish I Was Alive is heavily driven by his personal experiences, his shortcomings, his struggle with depression, dissociation and overall loss. It’s about grasping the concept of death, getting older, mental instability and self-reflection. Selkōw confides, “I wanted to make sure and let go of my ego before I pursued music again so that’s a big theme in this record as well as the inability to connect especially when you’re compartmentalizing everything all of the time. I wanted to be really honest and vulnerable in this batch of songs. I’m so goddamn sensitive and hate to show it, but it just bleeds through all of my music.” Listening to Middle Part is like reading one of Selkōw’s journal entries and uncovering all the back and forth he has in his head on a daily basis. Selkōw admits, “I just want people to relate. I so desperately want to connect and that might be the message…art is important, no matter how you decide to approach it. There’s no age or formula, so just create. It’s the most healing form of therapy I’ve ever experienced.”

Lost in Japan hits the ground running for 2023 following the release of their first half of sophomore LP “Night Talks”. Lost in Japan strives to secure a position as one of Canada’s top Pop Rock bands. In their 5 years young of being a band they have opened for Canadian powerhouses such as Born Ruffians, Hollerado & Yukon Blonde to name a few. They have also won major contests such as Top Pop Artist by London Music Awards (2022), Fan Favourite by City of London (2021), 98.1 Classic Rock Contest (2020), and Jim Beam Talent Search (2019), the band has proven their ability to entertain through their songs and live performances.

Born and raised in Israel, up and coming singer/songwriter Yarin Glam moved to LA at the age of 14. Yarin’s middle eastern background shines through her music as she brings her authentic self into each project she pursues. Her songwriting is a perfect blend of Pop and R&B and is heavily influenced by a wide range of artists such as Rihanna, Lana Del Rey, and Billie Eilish. 

In 2020, Yarin dropped “Free” which celebrates diversity and Yarin’s personal journey toward self-acceptance. In early 2021, Yarin’s electric EP Realness was released, followed by an acoustic version of the EP later that summer. Upbeat and dreamy with notes of Middle-Eastern pop, her debut EP drew in a captivated audience. With more than 88K followers on instagram, fans are patiently waiting for her next release.

Yarin writes about topics such as female empowerment and self love. She notes… “I’ve shared my journey of self acceptance. I opened up about my struggles with mental health issues and an eating disorder. I’ve been so real and honest with my lyrics hoping that they’ll help anyone out there who’s been going through what I have, or something similar. ‘Realness’ has very empowering songs about embracing yourself regardless of what society portrays as “ideal.”

Tour Dates!

5/23 – Brick & Mortar, San Francisco

5/24 –  The Roxy, Denver

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5/27 –  Martyrs’, Chicago

5/29 – The Garrison, Toronto 

5/30 – The Middle East, Boston

5/31-  The Mercury Lounge, NYC

6/2 – El Club, Detroit

6/5 – Sound Bar, Orlando

6/6  – Vinyl Atlanta

London based children’s author and teacher Banji Alexander has composed the single ‘New King’ following King Charles III accession to the throne, to celebrate this historic moment, written from a child’s perspective. ‘New King’ explores what they would do if they suddenly became King. 

‘New King’ is a fun song with a catchy pop hook, hip hop groove and funk bass line, blended with string and horn sections reminiscent of 70s disco/soul. Banji Alexander’s surprisingly soulful vocal mixed with the youthful and playful voices of his young, all singing and dancing protégés makes for a hit record, very fitting for a coronation song!

Speaking on ‘New King’ Banji said ‘Having a new monarch ascend to the throne is such a historic moment, and I wanted to mark that in a fun and engaging way for my primary aged audience. It is also the first song to be taken from my next book, which is a musical, also titled, ‘New King’.

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Banji’s work has previously been praised by Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan and Shadow Minister for Schools, Stephen Morgan MP, As part of his very popular book tour touring primary schools, sharing the splendour of his first title, ‘Lockdown Looms: Reggie’s Birthday Party’ a vocabulary-rich, fictional text, written specifically to help children conceptualise everything they have experienced during the pandemic. 

Banji Alexander has visited over 75 schools in the last 7 months.  When HM Charles III became King last year, Banji posed the question to the children, “If you were king from today, how would you celebrate?” and that sparked the conversation/idea for the song. He has enlisted a group of children from across some of these schools to record the fun, child-friendly coronation song. The collective is now known as ‘Banji’s Class’.

The children are very excited about having a new king, as for them, kings and queens only usually exist in fairy tales. 

Hailing from the dark corners of some of Manchesters dingiest bars, Strange Dream are the cities most exciting new two piece psych-rock experience. Off the back of their instrumental debut ‘Orange’ the band release ‘Miss Annie’, a soaring guitar track with melodic riffs and driving vocals packed with jangly guitars and shimmering beats just in time for the coming summer. 

‘Miss Annie’ started as a word game for guitarist and vocalist Vincent Strange, seeing how many coded narcotics he could fit into the songs verses, “So miss Annie and her pet are fiends (amphetamines) coco & dean lost in their dreams (codeine) St.Mary’s at the harbour (marijuana) Like she does (LSD) there’s no harm in her”. This second single was also the bands first real song writing collaboration, “Virgil already had the instrumental & never really intended to make anything more of it but I thought it could be a full song so I wrote three different versions and we picked them apart used the bits we liked. The chorus was from a song I wrote years ago but it seemed to fit right. For ages we really didn’t like how it turned out but we tweaked the music and words until we cracked the code.”

The Gulps have unleashed a warped official video for new single “Surrender” (out now, via Guindilla).

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE || STREAM ON ALL SERVICESHERE

Filmed against the sprawling expanse of a gnarled and overgrown country home, the new video features shots of an anarchic outdoor performance peppered with cameos from a series of curious and uncanny actors.

Directed by Brody Salmon, the new video is as offbeat and exhilarating as the track itself. A song about first loves and the fragility of youth, and the vital part they play in the narrative of life, “Surrender” stands as one of The Gulps’ most poetic, poignant, and punchy cuts yet.

Produced by Tim Wheeler of Ash and thriving with the energy of anything he’s put his name on, “Surrender” writhes with the urgency and unpredictability of an electric livewire and jolts with the kind of passion that can only be wrought from pure heartbreak.

Amidst the chaos of its feedback-fried guitars and heart-stopping rhythmic clatter, its vo-coded vocals mask an all-or-nothing tale of romance and regrets, sung bilingually in English and French.

Speaking about this personal new track, frontman Javier Sola expresses:

A moment of uncertainty and internal rebellion in which resistance to the present moment, to the now, no longer makes sense.  The only thing left is to join eternity, an infinite youth that knows no quantifiable age.  Like the Steppenwolf we live in an internal battle in which we neither win nor lose, we only suffer until the moment we accept it and let the current carry us gently into the portal of not perishing.  In the midst of the storm the surrender to the present without resistance leads to eternal youth, a youth that disregards quantifiable age in material form but rather the spirit that never perishes, eternity. We are made of light and darkness, of mud and diamonds, of laughter and tears. Accept them, surrender without resistance and fly free.”

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Acclaimed Multi-Platinum, Bilingual Vocalist Gitit Shoval is thrilled to announce her YouTube Live Stream Event, 555, to take place from May 30-June 3.
 
The 5-day live event  will be running 24/7 while fans get to watch Gitit Shoval record  an entire EP of original music. 5 songs will be recorded over 5 days to celebrate Gitit’s 5th decade in music. Opening up the process of recording music  is raw, transparent, exciting, and rarely done in this manner.
 
555 is a one of a kind event in which Gitit will showcase her immense talent as well as her vulnerability as an artist to the entire world.
 
Gitit says, “This will be an intense and immersive experience. You will get the behind the scenes of the creation process by seeing the highs and lows of making a record. But more importantly you will be able to chat with me in real time and be a part of the process. For me, 555 is an experience of rebirth.”
 
At the end of the 5-day live stream, fans will be able to listen to the EP in its entirety. 

All the details for the event can be found here – https://www.gititshovalmusic.com/blog/555-live-stream/

YOUTH FOUNTAIN have announced new EP ‘Keepsakes & Reminders Acoustic‘ out the 19th May 2023 via Pure Noise Records. To celebrate they have released two new songs ‘Speaking In Tongues’ and ‘Gut Feeling’. Which you can listen to HERE.

Speaking about the new EP Tyler Zanon said, “This acoustic EP is the second volume to the first one I did myself, but this time I got to work with my good friend and producer/engineer from Keepsakes & Reminders; Tim Creviston. He really helped everything shine and brought the EP to life and I’m grateful we got to tackle the whole thing together through 2022.”

 the Hudson Valley, NY based indie rock-folk band Setting Sun reflect on change, both internally and externally, with video “Same Face” out everywhere now. The video examines the various parts of one’s self and the multitudes that exist in one person. The band’s self-produced first album in ten years, The Feelings Cure is due out May 19 via Young Love Records and is available for pre-order now.

In celebration of “Same Face,” Setting Sun invites listeners to join a contest to remix the newest track. Download the MicSwap MultiTrack app here for mobile and desktop and access the seven stem tracks of the complete song. From there, users can then make their own mix of the song, and enter the remix contest by posting it to Instagram and tagging @SettingSunTheBand for a chance to win all ‘Pro’ apps from Future Moments,

Plus, join Setting Sun live in Woodstock, NY for their official album release show on May 18. Tickets are on sale now via settingsuntheband.com.

The “Same Face” video, out today, allows Levitt to embrace all parts of himself. Directed by Lawton Meyer, it sees Levitt observe himself in various settings around his hometown as he embodies the various personas held within him. Here, he’s forced to reckon with his past, his growth, and who he has become. Levitt adds about the video, “Returning to a familiar place can be a journey of rediscovery. The surroundings haven’t changed, but the person now sees them through different eyes.” Levitt continues, “Every detail carries a new significance, every context a new perspective, and every step a reminder of how much we have grown and evolved. This video shows the song’s narrator and his younger self, and other selves all returning to that same place being forced to look at themselves through this new lens.” It was shot in New Paltz, NY where Levitt has lived at 3 different formational parts of his life. 

Fans of her last single L.S.D (Love So Damaged) will be happy to learn today’s new single is somewhat of a sequel. Speaking about the song, Charlotte explains “It’s a very special song to me and is close to my heart. It’s about being stuck in a cycle with someone who constantly uses the same excuses for their behaviour/actions and who never take responsibility for anything. We all know somebody like this, right? It’s the  ones who always say it’s someone else’s fault/issue. Eventually, all those excuses and arguments eventually becomes WHITE NOISE.”

Charlotte only launched with her debut song “Hate Me” late last year and has since released two tunes “Lost Boys” and “L.S.D (Love So Damaged)” via Black Butter Records.  Despite being early days into her career among various tastemaker press, Charlotte has already been tipped by NME, Independent & Dummy in their Tip lists going into 2023. On the airwaves, Charlotte has already picked-up support from the likes of  BBC Radio 1 DJ’s Greg James and Jack Saunders.  Alongside acts such as Venbee, Piri and Willow Kayne, Charlotte is part of a collective called LOUD LDN, a group of female and non-binary musicians on the rise.

Aged just 21, Charlotte Plank is a singer-songwriter-producer who is inspired by an eclectic array of artists that range from Amy Winehouse to Nirvana, and within the dance space Fourtet to Prodigy.  Her impressive online aesthetic (IG) is heavily directed by her love of fashion.

Following the release of his highly anticipated record “KILL,” emerging artist Benjamin Lewis is excited to announce the release of his captivating new single, “Broken Hearted.” Guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings, “Broken Hearted” is the third release from Lewis’s upcoming EP, “High in the Sky.”

“Broken Hearted” demonstrates Lewis’s ability to quickly translate his emotions into beautiful, harmonic melodies. The song captures the helpless feeling of heartbreak from toxic relationships, and the suffering, self doubt and self blame that comes with and after it. With poignant lyrics that cut to the core of the human experience, Lewis’s latest single is a testament to his ability to create music that resonates with listeners on a deep, emotional level.

The song’s lyrics can easily translate across different life circumstances and scenarios, as Lewis taps into universal emotions relatable to anyone who has experienced heartbreak.

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Last month, Lewis’s single, “KILL,” a powerful track about self-expression, garnered favorable reviews from the media and fans alike. A real showcase of his unique musical style, Lewis uses his songwriting gift as a therapeutic outlet for himself and his listeners.

Inspired by the honest feelings of frustration, vulnerability, and rage, “Broken Hearted” opens the door for his authenticity to shine through. As he puts pen to pad, he allowed his thoughts to translate his emotions into the rawness and sincerity of his lyrics. The visual for “Broken Hearted” is equally expressive as Lewis further pushes the narrative of suffering from the mental pain and anguish. 

Following the release of her whimsical album, All That I Know, internet darling Kinneret reveals a glowing video “All That I Know” (Sun Version) reflecting the shimmering synths and magical harmonies of the project. 

The visual journey, which she dedicates to the sun, showcases a beaming Kinneret celebrating iconic Southern California landmarks like the LA River, Palm Desert, Runyon Canyon and Venice Beach.

Coming off a 5-date US tour with support from okayceci, the psychedelic indie space cowgirl feels rejuvenated and inspired for the future ahead. 

“I go through phases like the sun and moon. For a while it’s been dark and moody… a moon phase. But getting on the road and meeting my fans was the most moving part of my artistic journey so far. I’m energized, I’m inspired, and everything’s getting brighter… a sun phase! This video is the perfect way to share that with the world.” – Kinneret

Kinneret exudes a unique, magnetic aura. She stands as a beacon of positivity, radiating love with her sonic palette and lyrical themes. Her brand is one of inclusivity and creativity, and those who love her, love her. Her single “No Wind Resistance!” hits its 3rd viral moment, collecting over 4 million views on YouTube and amassing over 150 million streams to date, featuring shimmery synths and soaring vocals over trunk-rattling 808’s and trap drums, hitting a niche previously untapped. With 350K followers on TikTok and 2 million monthly listeners on Spotify, Kinneret’s fanbase gets bigger by the hour. 

Singer-songwriter and activist iskwē (pronounced iss-kway) has released the music video for her latest single “I Get High” featuring Nina Hagen. Praised by CBC Radio for its ability to “transport listeners to a new reality, to open them to new possibilities, and in that, iskwē’s quest for escapism,” the eccentric and eerie track reminds listeners the importance of supporting each other through the challenges we experience in life. As “I Get High” encapsulates listeners sonically with its driving beat and playful coos, the accompanying visual brings you on a trip with its vivid brushwork and geometric effects leaving you entranced by its psychedelic colors. 

“When Elena (Vazintaris, Director) and I started talking about the direction of this video, we immediately arrived at a place of euphoria and release,” shares iskwē“‘I Get High’ is a song about letting go, and freeing oneself from the grips of others’ reality to a place of peace within, and we both wanted to find a way to convey those feelings. Each of us envisioned what could be described as another dimension – a space between reality and dreams, bringing with it a kaleidoscope of light and the blending of realism with animation.”

Nashville-based singer and songwriter Caroline Romano shares her new single, “Mississippi Air,” out on all streaming platforms today. 

“Mississippi Air” follows the release of her recent single, “Guts,” which kicked open the door for the next chapter in Caroline Romano’s already very impressive career. Propelled by indie-rock guitar and her tender vocals, “Mississippi Air” is a nostalgic and heartfelt ballad that pays homage to her home state of Mississippi and the kaleidoscope of memories attached to certain places. 

She adds, “’Mississippi Air’ is really just a longing for something, or a feeling, that once was. It’s driving past a blur of trees spinning into a film reel, playing a movie of something you used to know, and briefly you are able to breathe. You’re able to know the love you once had without the pain associated with it. I think we all have those moments as we drive through familiar grounds that take us back to when something you’ve lost wasn’t lost at all. It is a deep surrounding type of breath you take in those moments. That’s ‘Mississippi Air’ — lavender bikinis, button downs, silver trucks, pools, and Harry Styles songs.”

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HANNAH ROSE PLATT and ED HARCOURT are very pleased to present: “The Mermaid & The Sailor”. 

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE || STREAM ON ALL SERVICES HERE

A devilish duet hauled from the deep blue sea and inspired by the darkest of impulses that haunt humanity, Hannah and Ed come together for a nautical folk tale that explores the “siren call” of addiction.

As Hannah explains:

“The Mermaid and the Sailor is a hypnotic ‘Sailor’s Lament’ framed as a conversation exploring addiction, between the Sailor (the addict) and the mermaid (his addiction) whose siren song constantly tempts him back into the water. Featuring bewitching vocals from the magnificent Ed Harcourt!”

Like a maritime twist on the Nick Cave & Kylie classic “Where The Wild Roses Grow”, “The Mermaid & The Sailor” is a sensational murder ballad to rival the very best. The song is the final track to emerge from Hannah Rose Platt’s new album ‘Deathbed Confessions’ ahead of its release, which Harcourt also produced and played on. In praise of the new record, Harcourt says:

“Hannah is a consummate storyteller and as soon as I heard her songs I was happily bewitched…  I think we’re both very similar in the fact that we are obsessive film aficionados & therefore think in a more visual way in our approach to the music and the sounds. What I love about working with Hannah is that she is very free and totally open to my delusional bouts of grandeur and hopefully you, the listener, will hear the love and the pathos and the dark humour that we have managed to commit to tape in equal measure. Congratulations Hannah and I can’t wait for the world to hear this dazzling humdinger.”

The new single arrives with a fantastical CGI animated video, which plays out the tale of “The Mermaid & The Sailor” in vivid detail.

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In 2023, IAN DONALDSON, former frontman of the Scottish new wave band H2O, is celebrating 40 years of the classic single “I Dream To Sleep”. 


In commemoration of this landmark anniversary, Donaldson has reconfigured the band’s breakthrough hit with fresh arrangements to create a new version of the song that’s as nuanced as it is nostalgic. 

STREAM “I DREAM TO SLEEP” REIMAGINED ON YOUTUBE || SPOTIFY || APPLE 

Speaking about “I Dream To Sleep” reaching this significant milestone and on returning to the track all these years later, Ian Donaldson says:

It would be a shame not to celebrate I Dream to Sleep’s birthday. The song has become an old friend, not only to me, but to many other people over the last 40 years. A re-release or remix would have been the easy options. I felt it deserved more. A new recording using different colours. So … I experimented with harps, acoustic guitar, piano, cello and a fresh vocal. I’m happy with how it turned out. I hope listeners old and new will like it too.”

 

The debut single from H2O, ‘I Dream To Sleep’ became a smash-hit upon its release in 1983. Transforming them from Glasgow scene dreamers to Top of the Pops-starring household names, the track would peak at number 17 in the Official Singles Chart and spend a total of 16 weeks in the UK Top 40. Reflecting on those times and their iconic TOTP performance, Donaldson adds:

“I remember when H20 were invited by the BBC to perform I Dream to Sleep on Top of The Pops. The biggest Music TV show in the world at the time. A programme I had watched religiously since I was a child. Thrilled doesn’t come close. Just before the show went out live I went to the makeup department to have my face freshened up only to find Elton John already there. He said Hello and told me he loved I Dream to Sleep … then … he sang the first line of the chorus to me. As memories go, it doesn’t get much better.”

Paris-born creative artist and producer Aime Simone delivers his hotly anticipated new album Oh Glory on 5th May, including the singles “Baby Don’t Quit” and “New World”, as well as new single “Give Me Love or Give Me Nothing”.

An introspective and emotional body of work set across eleven tracks, Oh Glory captures core moments and emotions from Aime’s travels between Berlin, Los Angeles, Vienna and Paris. With a career nurtured by decisive artistic encounters (notably with the American artist Sonja Fix, his partner and alter ego) and his close relationship with Berlin – a city he called home for several years – Aime has distilled it into an album that combines his brand of subtle pop with a thoughtful and flamboyant DIY ethos.

Opening the album with the raw and emotive “Never Far” – delicate, shrilling synths bed Aime’s vulnerability as he demonstrates his impressive vocal range. Written about

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an experience after the passing of his grandmother, Aime’s innate empathy and deep-rooted connection to those close to him forms a thematic thread across the album.

The first release from the project “Baby Don’t Quit” blends guitar flecks from Aime’s Fender Stratocaster with more digital production, forming a notable juxtaposition of organic pop songwriting with powerful, trap-influenced instrumentals – the message a captivating and powerful ode to hope, written as a gift to his partner during a difficult period in her life.

Lead track “Give Me Love or Give Me Nothing” emerges as a significant peak – a testament to Aime’s ability to merge genres in referencing indie guitar, trap-infused drum loops and signature pop melodies. In a stunning accompanying music video, we see Aime through deserted landscapes with visually impeccable sweeping panoramic shots. Showing light and dark, night and day, Aime moves effortlessly through uninterrupted space as he performs the track.

Talking on the track Aime tells us: “This song was written in reaction to feeling emotionally stripped down by other people’s opinions, by those who don’t accept me the way I am, and who always have something to say. Whether it’s in the music industry or a family, this piece of music pays tribute to the idea of being true to yourself, as well as to freeing yourself from those who can’t bring themselves to love you the way you are. Musically, it’s a typically up-tempo, folk song. You can hear urban bass sounds and sound effects in the background – tires screeching, a car engine running – which give a sense of an artist “on the road”. There’s a Route 66 vibe to it all. It’s a kind of “statement song” about choosing to chase my dreams and doing it my way”.

Love You Later – the project of Nashville-based singer and songwriter Lexi Aviles – presents her highly-anticipated EP, ‘From the Window Seat,’ out on all streaming platforms today. The 7-track EP includes past hit singles like “Keepintouch,” “Girl With Headphones,” “Are You Gonna Care When I Die?,” and “Long Sleeves,” as well as 3 brand new tracks: “Mars,” “Not Done,” and “Someday, Today Will Be Long Ago.”

Pairing electric melodies and honest lyrics with shimmery guitar riffs and euphoric synths, Love You Later creates a dreamy world across the EP’s 7-tracks. Veering from introspective ballads like “Long Sleeves” to energetic pop anthems like “Keepintouch,” ‘From the Window Seat’ is a masterful and cohesive collection of alt-pop gems. 

Love You Later elaborates on the EP: “The past couple years of my life, I feel like I’ve been viewing my life from a bird’s eye view. I’ve been diving into my thoughts and my soul and self-reflecting more than ever. It’s a scary thing to do but I’ve learned more about myself. The title of the EP comes from a lyric in the chorus of ‘Girl With Headphones’ – ‘From the window seat, I feel so out of control, so I’ll be the girl with the headphones on.’ And lately, whenever I’m sitting at the window seat of a car, train, or a plane, I take a step back and think about where I’ve been and how far I’ve come. Each of these songs on the EP represent a thought or feeling I have from the window seat.”

To celebrate the EP release, Love You Later will be embarking on a mini tour with shows in Los Angeles, New York, and Nashville. Tickets are available here

Canadian electronic music powerhouses, Zeds Dead and Juno Award-winning producer HNTR, join forces on their latest collaboration, “Aftertaste ft. AIDN.” Set to release on May 5th, the track showcases the best of both artists and will premiere on Zeds Dead’s rising sub-label label, Altered States. This innovative platform for house, techno, and downtempo music has already been drawing attention across North America, and “Aftertaste ft. AIDN” is poised to further solidify its reputation.

HNTR, the first to receive a Juno Award in the new category ‘Best Underground Dance Single,’ has been making waves in the Canadian music scene, from owning his own record label, No Neon, to throwing label-curated events across the nation. Toronto’s HNTR recently performed on select dates of Deadmau5’s North American tour and played the 8th anniversary of his No Neon event at Coda Nightclub in Toronto, where he performed an open-to-close 6+ hour set.

Meanwhile, Zeds Dead has been instrumental in defining the vintage dubstep sound in America, popularizing the genre in the late ’00s out of Toronto. With their Deadbeats and Altered States labels, the duo has inspired generations of artists and showcased a diverse range of bass music styles. The mission of Altered States remains the same as with Deadbeats – to showcase showstopping talent, inspirational stories, and accessible music to grow the electronic community worldwide. Last year, the label released tracks from Nostalgix, Mary Droppinz, AYYBO, Mz Worthy, and more.

Edmonton singer-songwriter Rebecca Lappa unveils her glimmering new EP Tales of a Taurus, featuring the new single ‘Your One’.

Opening the EP, ‘Your One’ sets the stage for Rebecca’s bold new indie-pop direction with its multitude of beautifully layered harmonies and captivating chorus. Be sure to watch the epically frozen video here – a striking visual of an icy landscape set against the swathe of understated synths.

“‘Your One’ is a love song written about holding up a mirror so that your partner can see what you truly mean to them,” says Rebecca. “This song came together really fast with co-writer Dana Blayone. During the production in the studio we had fun adding brassy synths to the song to really capture the feeling of the chorus lyric ‘I don’t want to be your one in a million, I just want to be your one’”

Recent single Blue Lips uses ice-cold imagery in a sprightly pop song about unrequited love – fun and rich in sound, and the much darker Lolita takes inspiration from the 1955 novel of the same name. Here Rebecca dares to explore the forbidden relationship in the book, one of lust and desire in a sinister situation. And don’t miss the atmospheric standout ‘Forecast’. A very tender and sweet song, with expertly used weather analogies, Rebecca’s vocals shine on top of soaring guitars shimmering in reverb. 

For all the gorgeous layered soundscapes Rebecca creates in her new found sound, she still manages a nod to her previous folkier releases, as demonstrated on ‘Witch’s Way’, staying true to her acoustic singer-songwriter roots and her accomplished skills as a storyteller. In contrast to the rest of the EP it opens with a gently plucked guitar line, building to a rootsy stomp that feels contemporary and classic at the same time. The EP’s journey ends with ‘Brick by Brick’, a modern country sounding song with subtle slide guitar and several vocal lines floating in and out.

seminal Detroit DJ/Producer DJ Minx releases her new two-track EP, The Throne, via Diplo’s tastemaking house and techno label, Higher Ground. One of Detroit’s most beloved figures in house and techno, Minx’s reign as Detroit’s First Lady of Wax has lasted more than three decades.

Despite her longevity and integral role in Detroit, only recently has she started to receive the widespread international recognition that her talent and contribution deserve. For DJ Minx, she is taking a well-deserved seat on the throne of global electronic music culture and truly hitting her sonic stride. Her vocal on “The Throne” reflects her current period of productivity and ongoing passion:

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Go big or go home / I was on the grind, but now I’m on the throne / Can’t touch me when I’m in the zone / Berlin to D-town / I just stay goin

alt-electronic artist Crywolf and experimental producer AWAY announce their new collaborative project ANTAGONÏZER with their debut single ‘STATIC’. The single serves as the first off their forthcoming EP due out this year on Rezz’s label HypnoVizion. 

A dark and enticing introduction to ANTAGONÏZER, ‘STATIC’ is an exhilarating first taste of what’s to come from the ominous bass duo. Enraptured with gritty basslines and distorted percussion, ‘STATIC’ is an eerie, hair-raising sonic experience that analyzes the primitive nature of the human condition. The foreboding tone of the track is omnipresent throughout, with AWAY’s perilous production and Crywolf’s spine-tingling vocals coalescing for a maniacal and rebellious sound. A tantalizing track from start to finish, ‘STATIC’ offers a glimpse into the twisted world Crywolf and AWAY have created with ANTAGONÏZER.

Describing the track, ANTAGONÏZER said, “‘STATIC’ delves into the primordial archetypes of our psyches, the cold, furious, primal drives within all of us that terrify us with their alien ways. Remnants of our scaled ancestors still present in our brainstems. Watching, waiting… hungry.

ANTAGONÏZER, the brainchild of Crywolf and AWAY, is not for the faint of heart. After a period of intense incubation, ANTAGONÏZER was born. The music of ANTAGONÏZER is a sonic dive into the darkest depths of the human psyche. AWAY’s striking production combined with Crywolf’s raw, poetically ruthless lyricism unleashes a visceral musical assault seething with a brutal energy rarely found in the world of electronic music. Unearthing the buried primal side of the listener’s mind, it is a musical experience as unsettling as it is liberating.

HUNTER DAILY
“Karaoke Star”

• “‘Karaoke Star’ takes place in the moments when you are first falling in love, where even just going for a drive with that person and singing along to your favorite music can feel so special and make you feel so seen.” – Hunter Daily

• “Karaoke Star” is the most recent single from Hunter Daily leading into her Die in LA EP.

• Hunter Daily wrote this song with Danny Spadaro (Lexi Jayde) and Jenna Andrews, the hitmaker behind BTS’s “Butter” and “Dynamite” and Benee’s “Supalonely”.

Queer|Art, NYC’s hub for connecting and empowering generations of LGBTQ+ artists, is pleased to announce the 2023 edition of Queer|Art|Pride—the 7th annual summer festival celebrating work by the organization’s vibrant community of more than 200 LGBTQ+ artists. This year, the organization partners with Body Hack, a collectively run party and mutual aid project that serves both as a community space and decentralized fundraising platform for trans and nonbinary BIPOC groups.

Kicking off New York City’s Pride weekend from 3–11 PM on Friday, June 23rd, Queer|Art and Body Hack will transform Nowadays’ 16,000-square-foot space located in Ridgewood along the Brooklyn/Queens border into an extravaganza of both indoor/outdoor festivities. This two-part public event will feature a daytime queer vendor fair (3-8PM) and an evening happy hour and dance party (8PM-6AM). The event will fundraise for three BIPOC trans-led organizations fighting to protect trans people in the states most impacted by anti-trans violence and new legislation: InTRANSitive (Little Rock, AK), The McKenzie Project (Miami, FL) and TKO Society (Selma, AL).

In the afternoon, the sprawling backyard will feature a queer vendor fair featuring work by local artisans and small queer and trans owned brands, where guests can browse clothing, zines, original artworks, on-site tattoo services, jewelry, tarot/astrology readings, and more from 3-8 PM. Indoor programming will include queer speed dating, where participants rotate through three minute dates and find some special matches! Black queer feminist scholar Alexis De Veaux will launch her new book, JesusDevil: The Parables, an anti-fiction work forthcoming within adrienne maree brown’s Emergent Strategy Series this summer. The book launch will entail a live reading, a short discussion, and a special book signing. 

Queer|Art also spotlights a collaboration with Clit Club—the queer nightclub and performance venue founded in 1990 and Julie Tolentino and Jaguar Mary that for twelve years championed sex-positivity and lesbian, gay, and trans belonging, blending nightlife with sex, art, and activism in a manner far ahead of its time. In addition, inaugural Illuminations Grant Winner Keioui Keijaun Thomas will deliver a live performance, and sensational DJ sets will be led by Critical Hit, Battyjack, Zolita, and more.

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To close out the night, the event will transition into Body Hack’s hallmark happy hour and a late night party guaranteed to burn until daybreak. Organized through a mindset of abundance over scarcity, Body Hack seeks to model a world where trans communities can thrive interdependently. Hosted monthly at Nowadays, Body Hack creates dedicated spaces for trans people to gather, celebrate, and support one another. Each party doubles as a fundraiser for a trans-related initiative, raising over $300k since its formation in 2018.

Save the date here.
Donate to support our beneficiaries across the South here.
More event details, performers, and DJs to be announced soon at queer-art.org/pride.

BELLA DOSE is the world’s first bilingual, Latin girl-group. Originating in Miami, Florida, all members sing, dance, and write in both English and Spanish. The ladies embody many Latin flavors with heritages from Cuba, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Colombia, and Chile. BELLA DOSE is ready to take on the world with their charisma, chemistry, and passion for the art of music. 

Their latest single “Manifest” is an upbeat, feel-good, sunshine-drenched banger all about the power of manifesting someone new into your life for the better. The hook “manifest a new man” will be the summer anthem for everyone who can relate to the challenges that come along with a romantic relationship.  

Performance Dates5/7 Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix 
Sorry Papi 

5/19 New York City, NY 

5/27 Chicago, IL

6/02 Louisville, KY

6/03 Indianapolis, IN

6/09  Nashville, TN

6/17 Orlando, FL

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6/24 Miami, FL 

6/30 Myrtle Beach, SC

Email: neill@outloudculture.com

Socials: @neillfrazer

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