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![[Watch] Anoraak - "Heart Out (Official Video)"](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61cb91c18cbd5c31ee4ab0fd/1671498527051-09HTVRN06B0DMBHVLG8C/image-asset.png)
[Watch] Anoraak - "Heart Out (Official Video)"
Happy Monday everyone!
If you're like me, you're back behind a desk trying to contribute to society in exchange for a paycheck. If you wish you were dancing instead of working, take a quick break and watch some talented folks bust a move in French producer Anoraak's new video for "Heart Out", from his Figure EP, which was one of my favorites from 2016. I didn't elaborate then about how much I love this EP, but if you haven't given this EP a spin you are truly missing out. It's funny because for how chill this EP is it ends up warming you straight through to your core. This works out quite well today given how stupid cold it is in New York, so I was happy to stumble across this.
From the looks of his Facebook page this isn't the last video we'll be getting from this EP, which pleases me greatly because it gives me more chances to convert you all. If you like what you hear and think he's worth me hunting down for an interview make sure to drop me a comment, mkay?
Ugh why are you still reading go watch + listen!
Befriend Anoraak on:
Twitter | Facebook | Youtube | Soundcloud | Spotify
![[Listen] San Scout - "In/Balance"](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61cb91c18cbd5c31ee4ab0fd/1671498532216-CHI5CJA8XTXPZ0OD3Y74/image-asset.jpeg)
[Listen] San Scout - "In/Balance"
HAPPY #NEWMUSICFRIDAY FAM!
FIRST BABY BAND OF THE YEAR GUYS!
YOU READY?
GET HYPE!
So I don't know how you Spotify, but since I accepted that Rdio (RIP) wasn't going to reign supreme I figured I would try to see if there were more interesting ways to use Spotify than what they primarily suggest you do.
You may occasionally peruse your Discover Weekly playlist, but one of the many things I do to take advantage of The Algorithm™ is follow some of my friends' playlists whose taste I trust to see what gets sent their way.
Enter: London duo San Scout, who I stumbled across a couple of days ago amidst my scavenging. I'm bummed I missed out on supporting the launch of their latest track, "In/Balance", which I have since tested on my commute to and from work as well in the shower which I danced happily to. This dropped back in November complete with a fun little activation over on their website that they made themselves (#respect). If you feel like killing some time, upon heading to the site you can create your own "bootleg" of the song simply by typing whatever you feel like into the text box. It's fairly limited in terms of what you can do, but still a fun minute or two.
Right so back to the track lol. This song is absolutely my new obsession. I love how their lush vocals glide along the playfully punchy synths. We know how I feel about harmonies so this was a no brainer. Also they manage to make a dog bark sample seem like it's completely normal to be there. Love love love that.
The band also released an EP last year with some tasty tracks on it called EP1. Definitely worth a listen as well.
Ooo from the looks of things recently they've trying to get people to text them:
UK fam - who wants to text them nice things and tell me how it goes? Wait, does T-Mobile charge for international texts? I'll check later and if not maybe I'll see if they'll do an impromptu interview haha.
Once you fall in love with "In/Balance" be sure to befriend these fine fellows:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud | Spotify
[2016 Recap] A Few Of My Favorite Things
bless Topsters for assembling this graphic infinitely easier than prior years
Surpriiiiseee!! I'm going to do my year end wrap up differently than most of the ones I've seen. Mostly because I have so many to share, but mostly because I like to let the music do the talking and help you get better connected to the artists themselves. Instead of recaps of each record, I'm going to point you to my favorite tracks so if any of these are new to your ears you'll have the best starting point I can give you.
Personal Observations for 2016
This was a weird year for me in terms of listening/discovery habits. Instead of fighting against music consumption trends, I decided to play along. I dove head first into my Discover Weekly playlist. I even followed some of my friends' in order to see what I would find and set up an IFTTT recipe to archive everything recommended to me so I could go back and reference it later if I wanted. I barely touched my SKOA inbox, which probably upset a lot of publicists. Anyway, according to Last.FM's data (since Spotify never ended up sending me mine), I listened to 1,919 new artists this year, which is ABSOLUTELY INSANE. But really when you think about how much music Discover Weekly puts in front of you, it's really less than what everyone had the potential to check out (which is 1,560 if you figure we get 30 new tracks a week for a year). I am in the 98th percentile in music listening per Last.FM (meaning I listen to more music than 98% of people who still scrobble to Last.FM) and I found myself panicky and overwhelmed by the sheer volume of music that Spotify thinks I can get through on TOP of the music I already love and want to enjoy, or the random rabbit holes I end up falling into that typically bring me great new baby bands. I guess most people approach Discover Weekly differently than I do, letting artists come and go as they please, but knowing the transformative power that music possesses, I'm always wary of passing on an opportunity to be affected and share those experiences with others.
It's crazy to think that 20% of what stuck with me this year was randomly generated by The Algorithm and not delivered to me by humans. I almost said that the human delivery was through cosmic forces, but really, if music finds its way to your ears/hearts by friend or by Algorithm, both are cosmic in a way, no?
This is my struggle at present. I value the connection that happens when a humans experience music together, whether it be by recommendation or attending shows together. I worry this experience will continue to be diminished the more we silo ourselves into our algorithm-based echo chambers. I really hope I'm just out of touch and someone will point me to where this is the opposite, but I can't ignore how self-serving shows feel now every time I treat myself to a Night Out. This has been on my heart/mind too much lately to ignore it, so expect some changes to how things go down on the site (starting with making more time for this now that my new job isn't crazy busy for awhile).
What music moved you this year? Did you like some of these records but different tracks? I'd honestly love to know so please drop me a comment. Also if you want more than favorite tracks out of me for these records, feel free to bug me on Twitter I am happy to share!
My Favorite Things Of 2016
![[Night Out] Monarchy, Her @ Highline Ballroom (11/06/2016)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61cb91c18cbd5c31ee4ab0fd/1671499179398-Z1QE8TE7K6Z0BX3502EI/image-asset.jpeg)
[Night Out] Monarchy, Her @ Highline Ballroom (11/06/2016)
Monarchy @ Highline Ballroom 11/06/2016
🎶 Finally it has happened to me right in front of my face. 🎶
I
SAW
LIVEEEE!
Yes I know they played at Highline Ballroom in 2012 let's not get into the reason why I was not in attendance for that or this update will get weird really quickly.
ANYWAY. This has been a long time coming for me. I remember back in July 2010 getting my watermarked copy of Around The Sun. I've been enamored ever since, anxiously awaiting the day that I would finally get to experience such amazingness live.
You'd think with that kind of buildup that I was setting myself up for failure, but y'all know I don't invest an insane amount of energy into bands that don't deserve it. Every second was electrifying. I couldn't keep my eyes off of them because I was so excited this was finally happening. I probably shouldn't have spent so much time snapping photos, but this is an unfortunate side effe of trying to pass along to the internet why a band is worthy of more than just a few stray micropennies.
I hope Monarchy can come back to the states more often. It sounds like their little tour over ehre went well. After that experience I'm now going to daydream of what their performance would be like in Beacon Theatre, which has officially become my benchmark of when I'll stop incessantly trying to "make Monarchy happen" in the US. You have been warned. #sorrynotsorry
Oh oh! A pleasant surprise was French duo Her opening for Monarchy that night. Their single, "5 Minutes" was delivered to me by The Algorithm™️ (Discover Weekly) a few months ago and I quite enjoyed their set. Part of me would love to see them collaborate with Mayer Hawthorne or someone of that funkability. I think they definitely have something to offer audiences in the US.
Gotta say, I'm kind of glad I'm just getting to writing about this show because the past month has been kind of rough from a personal standpoint and reliving this night is taking me from ❤️ back to 💖, which is how I'd best describe how my heart feels after seeing a band I love live.
What was the last show you saw that really moved you?
![[Watch] SIVIK - "High" (Official Video)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61cb91c18cbd5c31ee4ab0fd/1671499181854-KMHFBBRMBOLYASZ8X7SJ/image-asset.png)
[Watch] SIVIK - "High" (Official Video)
Here is another photograph of the side of SIVIK's face....
After over a year of playing this song in unhealthy amounts, Nashville/LA artist SIVIK has finally unveiled a video for his addictive (pun intended obviously) single, "High". The video is...fine. It's your standard "here is a pretty girl dancing in slow motion against a crisp background" for the majority of it. The only payoff for the video in my opinion is I KNOW WHAT MORE THAN PART OF THE SIDE OF HIS HEAD LOOKS LIKE NOW.
Hooded almost the entire time, SIVIK hints that he might actually be ready to step out into the spotlight and take what should rightfully be his if he were aggressive enough. I get that opting to go the mysterious route sounds nice, but if after a year of elusive press/EP photos you decide to appear in your own video and you're being spliced in hooded and poorly lit, it comes off less mysterious and more self conscious. This makes no sense to me because HE'S COMPLETELY ADORABLE.
You can't hide from me, SIVIK. I am an OG nerd so I ripped your video in order to get the best possible screenshot of your cute little face:
Poorly lit but THERE HE IS! Shy SIVIK??
I know this is a weird thing to be critical of, but folks who are committed to being mysterious wear masks, use animations as representations of themselves, etc. They really lean into it.
I think SIVIK wants to be seen.
I think SIVIK needs to be seen.
And heard.
...by lots and lots of people.
It has definitely been awhile since he released anything new so I'm excited that next month he's slated to release a new single, "All Day All Night".
Until then, please feel free to re-watch this video as many times as you need to so you can get the image of the side of his head replaced with his cute little face.
![[Watch] Wrabel - "11 Blocks" (Lyric Video)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61cb91c18cbd5c31ee4ab0fd/1671499183651-W4PZCSPDI9UO14U5LJJM/image-asset.jpeg)
[Watch] Wrabel - "11 Blocks" (Lyric Video)
stolen from Wrabel's Instagram, taken by the also incredibly talented Mr. Hudson
I was honestly getting worried for a moment there that we'd never hear from Wrabel again after his debut EP. Turns out fam just needed a moment to find himself.
As you recall from my live encounter with him almost 2 years ago, the kid's pipes and overall presence stuck with me more so than the EP I stumbled across on Rdio (RIP) on a random New Music Tuesday. That said, it's important to remember that just because you have excellent songwriting skills and a powerful voice doesn't mean you're a qualified producer, arranger, etc. Kid had to find the sound that was the most himself.
"I Want You" clearly taught him that he doesn't want his fans to sit still, but our friend with his small tuff of curly goldie locks knew that it wasn't *just right* yet.
Enter: "11 Blocks", which just dropped today. Not an EDM anthem, but not solely a piano pounder either. It's just right because it's finally him, all the way down to the hand written lyric video complete with his signature doodles one could find on his Instagram (or his body for that matter) at any given moment.
No more auto tune or chest rattling bass, just an authentic representation of his talents carefully crafted together with the help of some people who took the time to invest in his talents the way that we should be doing with every single artist we choose to get behind.
Every artist should be able to say, "it's me. it feels like me." with every single thing they put out. I'm very excited that you all are able to finally see what I was able to see for myself on September 10th, 2014 at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2.
💖YAY WRABEL!💖
Now that you've fallen in love DON'T FORGET TO, YOU KNOW...
GO BUY IT.
(Also, you should follow him on Snapchat because his #content is 🔥🔥🔥🔥 I am just saying.)
![[Listen] Special Q - Play A Part EP (Full Album Stream)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61cb91c18cbd5c31ee4ab0fd/1671499201583-IVLCSA6QI4GSZXPAC4X3/image-asset.jpeg)
[Listen] Special Q - Play A Part EP (Full Album Stream)
Soundcloud submissions are always a crapshoot, but man did I hit the jackpot with Special Q!!! Yes, I just used three exclamation points! That's how excited I am about this!
When I was in college I have this distinct memory browsing around the Tower Records in downtown Nashville when I came across the first VHS or Beta record, Le Funk. The packaging was fairly low-key except for this sticker on the jewel case that said, "The French stole our disco and we stole it back."
That sticker is what came to mind the second I hit play on Special Q. It's been a hot minute since I've given anything nu disco a shot, but this Venice, Italy-based producer has sure as hell stolen my attention.
AND HE'S GINGER!
That feels like a unicorn to me. I can't think of any Italian redheaded producer/DJs off the top of my head, can you? I mean that's not relevant to the fact that there are some serious ass vibey disco jams going on here. I will likely follow up with more selects from his current catalog, but for now, you definitely need to check out his Play A Part EP that dropped earlier this month on So French Records. "Summer Love" is just BEGGING for Poolside to give it their own retouch. I am going to be spending some quality time with Special Q and I hope you do the same.
![[Night Out] Jesse Ruben @ Gramercy Theatre (04/18/2016)](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/61cb91c18cbd5c31ee4ab0fd/1671499203685-9399BGWJ94KHS165X4WA/image-asset.jpeg)
[Night Out] Jesse Ruben @ Gramercy Theatre (04/18/2016)
Holy crap, I know what Jesse Ruben looks like not performing at any of the multiple Rockwood Music Hall stages now! After releasing his latest single, "This Is Why I Need You" late last year, the homey is gaining momentum at a nice pace. In addition to hopping about on The Hype Machine charts, he's also been romping around in Europe over the past couple of months playing shows.
Last week, I got to see him charm the pants off of a crowd in Gramercy Theatre that was very eagerly waiting to see American Idol season 8 winner Kris Allen. Jesse is charming as fuck, let's be very clear on this. Fortunately he's as talented as he is charming. Dude had that crowd wrapped around his little finger by the end of his set. There was even a nice swarm of fans, presumably old and new, lined up to meet him after the show. I guess I'm normally navigating to one of the bars to get more wine when this part happens at Rockwood, so it was adorable to finally witness.
Don't worry though, I know how to make sure to keep Jesse feeling humble. All I had to do was pretend to be one of the overzealous future #teen fans that will inevitably fall for him and want to add him to their Snap stories. He did not know how to handle that at all, lolol. Fam is a little skittish around social media, but I will break him into it, best know.