[SONG OF THE DAY] Kyan Palmer x nicopop. - "Antisocial Socialites (feat. Yuri Joness)"

LA poptastic newcomers Kyan Palmer and nicopop. are slowly rolling out the fruits spawning from their fateful first-time songwriting session set up by their managers. "We have a similar work ethic and taste pallets that compliment each other really nicely in the studio." nicopop. explained, "I truly feel that when Kyan and I work together, we make the music we’ve always wanted to be making.” While a lot of the songs that the two collaborated on ended up being mostly pitches for other artists, the duo saved some of their faves to release on their own throughout the year.

Following up the launch of their collab, “Unofficial Lover”, their latest track, “Antisocial Socialites” is the anthem for occasionally blowing off going out on the weekends and staying home to relax. The pressure to go out 24/7 a la “work hard, play hard(er)” is honestly really annoying, especially if part of it entails interacting with people who drain the life out of you. Sometimes it’s better to just stay in, especially if there’s the potential to just Netflix and chill instead as the song casually hints to.

[SONG OF THE DAY] tiLLie - "whole wide world"

photo credit: Gina Canavan

IT’S VIBE O CLOCK ON FRIDAY HAVE YOU HUGGED YOUR FAVORITE BAD BITCHES AND WISHED THEM A HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY YET!!!?!?!?!?!?!?

Today marks the release of glitter gang leader tiLLie’s LOUD MOUTH EP and y’all…. *chef’s kiss*. This was a match made in New Music Friday heaven for it to be dropping today. As we saw from the first taste of the EP, “faith”, tiLLie intends to stand defiantly in her truth from here on out and if you can’t accept that then you can see your way to the door. This is a sentiment that she does not shy away from for a single second throughout the EP, with tracks like “mood swings” and title track “loud mouth” showcasing different aspects of her personality.

And then there’s "whole wide world” closing out the EP. The sheer amount of vulnerability and relatability… y’all I am so deeply grateful we’re finally getting to this place in music where women feel empowered to make songs like this. It’s songs like “whole wide world” that make me sit and think about the girls and young women who are able to enter the music industry as musicians, producers, engineers, publishers, songwriters, journalists, publicists, tour managers, or whatever facet of the industry they so desire knowing that those of us already here have been working so hard to make sure they don’t have to feel the way that tiLLie and the rest of us have all of our lives.

When I first started working in music I was so frustrated that I wasn’t born a man because it felt like it was going to be impossible to make any headway otherwise. These days I couldn’t be more proud to be a woman in music, not because I think women are necessarily better than men, but because I know that as a human person I have a lot to contribute and a good deal of that is informed by being a woman human person. Feeling like you have permission to take up space and being treated as a person of equal, not lesser, value, is something everyone deserves. I’m excited to see how love, empathy, and compassion continues to grow in the world as we continue to make space for women in music and all the other industries of the world.

[SONG OF THE DAY] Husky Loops - "Let Go For Nothing"

Husky Loops at Elsewhere (zone one) on 3/5/2019

Back in November I casually evangelized the wonders of London trio Husky Loops courtesy of some diSKOAver weekly loving. Since then some cool shit has happened for the fellas. On Friday the band has released a new offering unto us, “Let Go For Nothing”, a first taste of their forthcoming debut full-length Music That Makes the World Better, which is due out this summer. The piano-forward track showcases a softer side to the band than we’ve previously seen, all the while maintaining their experimental sound.

Earlier in the week the band also made their North American debut appearance at Elsewhere on Tuesday, which yours truly was in attendance and therefore can confirm for the rest of y’all that these dudes fucking slap. Their energy is insanely infectious. It was sort of impossible for anyone to sit still for too long.

In summary, if you don’t like Husky Loops then you’re dead wrong.

I’m not sorry, these are the rules.

If you happen to be heading to SXSW next week (unlike me who will be attending couch by couch west), please do yourself a favor and make it a point to go see these guys. You absolutely won’t be disappointed.

Also buy them some BBQ and margaritas on my behalf.

[SONG OF THE DAY] MID CITY - "No Surrender"

Hold on to your fucking eardrums, fam. The thunder from down under is back!!!

Before I dive into this, I would like to file a formal complaint against time zones. I had to wait 16 additional hours than I feel like I should have to get my hands on this new nugget from Melbourne four-piece MID CITY and I’m SO OFFENDED BY TIME.

Anyway.

Before MID CITY came into my life I was kind of starting to get worried that I was *over* rock/indie rock, but it turns out everything I was coming in contact with was just boring me to tears. Leave it to Australia to show us how it’s done yet AGAIN.

The latest offering from the band, “No Surrender”, comes with the wondrous news that the band will be releasing their debut EP on April 5th, appropriately titled Die Waiting cause that’s definitely me now that I’ve heard their followup to "Old Habits”. Easing up just a tad on the gas, the four-piece continue to barrel along, guitars blazing, this time with a song about the impact of losing yourself in your online persona.

As lead singer Joel Griffith shared,

“’No Surrender’ is about the true impact of the digital age we find ourselves living in, making it too easy to lose yourself trying to impress. So, our digital reflection is our only concern. Now every day is for wrenching the spotlight. People become twisted, nightmarish versions of themselves catapulting through that rabbit hole. It's so easy and so indispensable that we become addicts not just to platforms but to a way of acting and portraying ourselves. We say shit we’d never say, we do shit we’d never do, we start to believe shit we’d never believe… “

[SONG OF THE DAY] The Scribes - "Righteous (feat. Leon Rhymes of Too Many Ts)"

still taken from The Scribes - “Righteous” video

It’s VIBE O’CLOCK ON FRIDAY FAM AND HERE WE GOOOOOO.

Hot off the presses comes the lead single from Bristol hip-hop trio The Scribes. “Righteous” is our first taste from their forthcoming LP, Quill Equipped Villainy, and features one of our bruvs from another mum, Mr Leon Rhymes of Too Many Ts.

Along with the bouncy single full of throwback vibes the band has shared an accompanying video which features the group (and Leon) as various characters of “righteousness” *best Stefon voice I can muster* this video has everything. A shamanic medicine man wandering the woods and healing the infirm, a door-to-door preacher passionately preaching the gospel of hip hop, a voodoo witch doctor exorcising demons, and even a vicar presiding over a wedding ceremony with an unusual amount of swagger.

Quill Equipped Villainy drops later this year.

[SONG OF THE DAY] Christinna O - "Lay It Down"

Photo Credit: Shabnam Ferdows

Philly-based poet-turned-singer Christinna O has shared the second offering from her upcoming EP, Girl In Passing. “Lay It Down” is about intimacy. Speaking on the song, she explained, “It's a choice and a permission, to let someone else know that they are welcome and they are the one I’m ready to lay down my burdens with. To feel valid in my vulnerability but ultimately, love." The song follows her debut single, “Shelter”, which focused on the complicated pain of a passion of love being taken for granted.

A rare queer voice in R&B, the 19-year-old is also a rising spoken-word poet who's competed in the NAACP's national slam poetry competition and leads Temple University’s poetry collective Babel, a tight-knit group of poets, rappers and musicians at the school where she’s a sophomore.

Girl In Passing is due this spring.

[SONG OF THE DAY] La Bouquet - "Sad People Dancing"

Earlier this week LA trio La Bouquet shared the video for their latest single, “Sad People Dancing”, which is also the title track from their forthcoming debut LP that drops on March 29th. The band consists of Bryan Sammis (formerly of The Neighbourhood), Jake Lopez and Drew Bruchs. Following “Names Like Songs”, this new track is a beautifully sad synth-pop number that will have you dancing it out, tears and all.

The band is slated to perform on March 30, 2019, in Santa Barbara, CA @ Velvet Jones to celebrate their album release. They’re also confirmed to perform at The Hi Hat in LA on April 4th. Additional tour dates are forthcoming.

[SONG OF THE DAY] Royal Teeth - "Show You What I Can Do"

Today synth rockers Royal Teeth unveil their dopest flex to date, “Show You What I Can Do” along with the accompanying video. If we’re to interpret the the momentum that we’re seeing from the band, I feel like we all need to brace ourselves for what they’ll release next. Last year the band released tracks, “Never Gonna Quit” and “It’s Just The Start”, which build from determined to reassuring. This new track is explosively assertive and has the chops to back up that the band clearly has some tricks up their sleeves that they haven’t shared with us yet. The track also features the sensational NPR darling and Flint-native Tunde Olaniran, who brings his signature flavor to the song. 

Speaking on the track, singer and guitarist Gary Larsen of Royal Teeth shared, "The song is about showing the world what you're made of. We tend to hide pieces of ourselves because we are afraid of negativity, and I've noticed from my own experiences that it only holds me back from truly being myself and achieving my goals in life. This song is saying that it's time to be brave and be yourself."

The aforementioned accompanying video itself is reflective of the band’s current energy. With singer Nora Patterson staring as an aspiring race car driver and bandmates cheering her every step of the way, Patterson trains in her “Underdog” car before *spoiler alert* crushing her competition.

Larsen added, "My Dad is a race car driver and I used to go a lot as a kid. When we started thinking of ideas for the music video, I became obsessed with using the race track as the location, and from there, we brought the idea to life with the help of Solar Cabin, Tunde Olaniran, and the Whitlow family. My dad is even in the video as Nora's coach, and Nora is driving his car "Underdog". A fitting name for the song and for this band."

ROYAL TEETH LIVE

4.13 New Orleans, LA - French Quarter Festival

4.28 New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival