[SONG OF THE DAY] Electric Youth - "The Life"

photo credit: SECRETSECRET

Toronto synthpop duo Electric Youth have returned with a dazzling new single, “The Life”, which comes from their forthcoming sophomore album Memory Emotion, which is out on August 9th courtesy of Watts Arcade Inc./Last Gang Records. Speaking on the track, multi-instrumentalist Austin Garrick shares, “‘The Life’ encapsulates the spectrum of that experience, from the dark to the light, the birth and rebirth, the destruction, degeneration and regeneration of living things on our planet, the home to all greedy megalomaniacs and generous martyrs alike.”

The announcement for Memory Emotion comes a whopping four years after the release of their critically acclaimed debut, Innerworld and is meant to offer an alternative perspective to the themes explored throughout their debut “Innerworld was finding that sense of self, developing and establishing a viewpoint, and Memory Emotion is us taking that viewpoint with us out into the world,” Garrick explains, "Memory Emotion is much more outer-world, an album focused on the external world we live in and the way in which we interact with the world as a result of the emotions attached to our memories.”

In addition to the album announcement the band also unveiled a gorgeous music video for “The Life” along with the news of an album release show at Music Hall of Williamsburg on August 17th. If you remember way back when, yer girl was at their first show at MHoW so bet your buns imma be back there for round two snapping photos and sighing dreamily.

Lotta people coming back to the party this week it seems. Here. For. It.

Memory Emotion Tracklist:

1. The Life

2. ARAWA

3. Breathless

4. Real Ones

5. On My Own

6. Higher

7. thirteen

8. Evergreen 143

9. Now Now

10. Through the same eyes

11. Memory Emotion (Outro)

[SONG OF THE DAY] Miro Shot - "Are We Closer"

Last week digital utopian global artist collective Miro Shot shared their latest track, “Are We Closer” taken from their forthcoming debut EP, Servers, which is out on June 28th. Following tracks, “Leaders In A Long Lost World” and “Boston Dynamic”, this new song and its accompanying music video is all rooted around the exploring the way that technology has dramatically transformed how we communicate with one another and how that has also impacted our concept of what we consider to be real.

The music video was intentionally made vertical to further demonstrate the band’s perspective with on our association with technology by encouraging fans to experience it on their mobile devices, which are the very thing that we all seem to currently be in a complicated relationship with. Speaking on the video, frontman Roman Rappak explained, “It’s an attempt to capture the feeling of what being alive in a world with streaming walls of content and images that we are saturated with, and the way it is all thrown together: a cat gif next to rioters, a photo of someones lunch next to a devastated rainforest.” Furthering their reputation for creating a barrage of dazzling mixed media to compliment their genre bending sound, "Are We Closer” leaves viewers completely engrossed to the point where you almost feel exhausted after trying to consume the onslaught of visuals and catch everything on the first play. Which, by the way, isn’t gonna happen lol. I’ve probably watched this 10 times now and I’m still picking up little bits and pieces here and there.

The band has some of their groundbreaking VR performances coming up, starting with their residency during VRHAM Festival in Germany this Friday, before making stops in London and Paris.

Miro Shot - Are We Closer (vertical video, best viewed on mobile) from MIRO SHOT on Vimeo.

[WATCH] Garçons - "Pedigree (Official Video)"

photo credit: Edmund Green​​​​​​​

Ottawa duo Garçons have shared, “Pedigree”, the first song from their forthcoming sophomore EP, out on August 28th, along with an accompanying super fun video. The track follows their 2018 debut EP Body Language, which was a happy accident of sorts. "There wasn't a goal, we just wanted to make good music," recounted producer Julian Strangelove of their month-long writing session.  

For “Pedigree”, singer/songwriter Deelo Avery draws from his background as an immigrant. The singer grew up in Nigeria and was a huge fan of Afrobeat music pioneer and human rights activist Fela Kuti. “His music constantly played in my house, on the TV and everywhere on the radio," Deelo said of Kuti. "It runs in his blood, hence the name 'Pedigree.'" Following Kuti’s lead, who sang in both English and Yoruba, throughout the track Deelo alternates between English and Igbo.

The video for the song features Deelo as a night janitor at a school who goes around getting into all sorts of shenanigans throughout campus.

[WATCH] BAUM - "Fuckboy (Official Video)"

photo credit: Sabrina Santiago

Alt-pop singer/songwriter BAUM (née Sabrina Teitelbaum) has unveiled the no fucks given self-loving anthem, “Fuckboy”, on the heels of the announcement that she’ll be releasing her sophomore EP Curve, which will follow up her 2018 debut Ungodly. Speaking on the meaning behind the track, Teitelbaum shared, "I feel like the narrative people are always putting on women is the “boy meets girl, girl falls in love instantly, boy breaks girls heart” story. I wanted to sing about something different. It’s obviously not good to be a fuckboy, but women aren’t emotional wrecks running around searching for love, looking to be saved, yet I feel like that identity is constantly being placed on us." ​​​​​

In addition to the track, she’s also shared an accompanying video directed by Marcella Cytrynowicz, who's worked creating videos for Snoop Dogg, JOYRICH, Capitol Records, Yellow Claw, Happy Socks, and Nike. ​It centers around two dancers and their interaction with one another, first mirroring each other's movements to eventually dancing independently at the end. "This is meant to mimic how we interact with people we are involved with, the games we sometimes play, and how we can ultimately find power in independence," Teitelbaum said of the video. "The storyline, particularly that of the female dancer, is meant to offer an alternate narrative to that of the “overly emotional woman” we frequently see in the media and mainstream entertainment." 

[SONG OF THE DAY] Tuxedo - "The Tuxedo Way"

TUXEDO ARE BACK!

I’ll toast to that.

The dopest dapper dudes are back to make sure you know that the funk is here to stay with their brand new track, “The Tuxedo Way”. It’s the perfect return for the duo, full of retro funk and boogie vibes. I’m a little obsessed with the glass clinking at the opening of the song as their little heads up that we’ll soon be toasting to the Tuxedo way of life.

“Tuxedo is music for celebrating,” the duo shared about the new song. “Yet, as we were working on new music, we realized, much to our surprise, that we didn’t actually have a quintessential celebration song in our catalog. ‘The Tuxedo Way’ is the answer to that problem.”

I love that Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One have this project to escape to when they need a breather from their respective solo efforts. Speaking of solo efforts, Hawthorne hinted in an update to fans that we can expect some new solo music from him as well.

I’ll toast to that.

If you’re looking to “dust your shoulders off and let your hair down” anytime soon, the Tuxedo fellas will be hitting the road for a North American tour starting in late July. Pre-sale tickets go on sale for the tour today (5/15) for those who subscribe to the Mayer Hawthorne or Tuxedo mailing lists, while tickets go on sale to the casuals/ general public on Friday the 17th. You can grab tickets over on their website.

7/20       Santa Ana, CA    The Observatory
7/26       Las Vegas, NV    NoMad Pool (DJ SET)
7/28       Denver, CO    The UMS
7/30       Austin, TX    Empire
7/31       Dallas, TX    Trees
8/2         Atlanta, GA    Masquerade
8/4         Washington, DC    9:30 Club
8/5         Philadelphia, PA    The Foundry
8/6         New York, NY    Webster Hall
8/7         Boston, MA    Brighton Music Hall
8/9         Toronto, ON    Danforth Music Hall
8/11       Detroit, MI    El Club
8/13       Chicago, IL    Thalia Hall
8/14       Minneapolis, MN    Cedar Cultural Center
8/17       Seattle, WA    The Showbox
8/18       Vancouver, BC    Fortune Sound Club
8/19       Portland, OR    Wonder Ballroom
8/21       San Francisco, CA    Regency Ballroom
8/22       Santa Cruz, CA    The Catalyst
8/23       Los Angeles, CA    The Globe Theater
8/24       San Diego, CA    The Observatory

[SONG OF THE DAY] Tycho - "Pink & Blue"

photo credit: Scott Hansen

Earlier today the band that can temporarily induce synesthesia to basically anyone, the Grammy nominated Tycho unveiled the details of their forthcoming studio album Weather, which is slated for a July 12th release on new home Mom + Pop/Ninja Tune. Pre-orders are live todayyyyyy!!!! Go getchu a bundle fam!

✨✨✨✨ ✨✨✨ ✨✨✨✨ ✨✨✨✨ ✨✨

✨✨ A C H I E V E M E N T U N L O C K E D ✨✨

✨✨✨✨ ✨✨✨ ✨✨✨✨ ✨✨✨✨ ✨✨

Tycho has songs you can look up the lyrics to now and I ain’t even mad tbh.

That’s right!

On the heels of the album announcement, the band has shared a brand new track, “Pink & Blue”, along with an accompanying video. Following up what we now know as the lead track on the album, “Easy”, this new track features what Tycho brainchild Scott Hansen refers to as, “the most organic instrument of all, the human voice”, better known to the world as Saint Sinner (born Hannah Cottrell).

As he explained, "It has been inspiring working with Hannah's voice and hearing Tycho evolve into something that I had always hoped it someday would. [….] Our initial sessions were incredibly productive and I strongly identified with the imagery in her lyrics. Her vision folded effortlessly into mine and her voice integrated seamlessly into the sonic landscape opening new spaces for me as a songwriter and producer.”

I’ll admit, it’s going to take a little getting used to with this new “'instrument” in play, but mostly because I’m so used to getting lost in all of the delicate synth movements. With Saint Sinner being added to the mix, the focus is shifting ever so slightly, but int he best possible way.

Offering some insight behind the lyrics to the song, Saint Sinner shared, "The lines, ‘Oh, pink and blue, you know I look good on you’, originally stemmed from when I was romantically involved with a man and a woman simultaneously, for the first time in my life." She continued, "It was a defining moment for me. I went from being a young religious kid who thought she would marry a man to a young woman who realized her love for women. I now found myself, somewhere in the middle, leaning more closely to women. 'Pink & Blue' is a love song to no one, to everyone, and to myself. It's a sweet reminder to all lovers to hold onto their love with open arms; to be fearless about any type of love and to be fearless about losing their love. Love is never lost."

Hansen added, “Looking back, it's clear that every step of the past 18 years has lead to this moment and I couldn't be happier with the result."

OH AND THERE’S A TOUR ON THE HORIZON! The Weather World Tour kicks off in July on the other side of the world before heading to North America in September, and then finally making their way through Europe.

Are y’all hype for this? I’M SO FUCKING HYPE FOR THIS!

TYCHO

"WEATHER WORLD TOUR"

2019

JULY

21 - Byron Bay, Australia - Splendour In The Grass *

23 - Melbourne, Australia - Forum Melbourne

24 - Sydney, Australia - Sydney Opera House

26 - Niigata Prefecture, Japan - Fuji Rock Festival '19 *

SEPTEMBER

5 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre **

6 - Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre #

7 - Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall #

8 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre #

11 - Denver, CO - The Mission Ballroom #

13 - Minneapolis, MN - Palace Theatre #

15 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom #

16 - Toronto, ON - Sony Centre for the Performing Arts #

18 - Boston, MA - Wang Theatre - Boch Center #

19 - New York, NY - Summerstage #

20 - Philadelphia, PA - Franklin Music Hall #

21 - Slippery Rock, PA - Resonance Music & Arts Festival *

23 - Detroit, MI - The Masonic #

24 - Columbus, OH - Express Live #

26 - St Louis, MO - The Pageant #

27 - Kansas City, MO - CrossroadsKC #

2020

FEBRUARY

9 - Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller #

10 - Stockholm, Sweden - Vasteatern #

11 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega Main Hall #

13 - Hamburg, Germany - Uebel & Gefahrlich #

14 - Cologne, Germany - Live Music Hall #

15 - Paris, France - Elyse Montmartre #

17 - Brussels, Belgium - AB Ballroom @ Ancienne Belgique #

18 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Paradiso #

19 - Berlin, Germany - Huxley's #

21 - Warsaw, Poland - Praga Centrum #

23 - Prague, Czech Republic - Roxy #

24 - Budapest, Hungary - Akvarium #

25 - Vienna, Austria - WUK #

27 - Milan, Italy - Fabrique #

28 - Bologna, Italy - Estragon #

MARCH

1 - Barcelona, Spain - Sala Apolo #

5 - London, UK - Printworks #

* Festival Performance

** Chrome Sparks

# Poolside

Tycho - Weather Tracklist

1. Easy

2. Pink & Blue

3. Japan

4. Into The Woods

5. Skate

6. For How Long

7. No Stress

8. Weather

Pre-Order

[SONG OF THE DAY] Bene - "Evil Spider"

Kiwi alt-pop powerhouse Bene is about to lure her way into your heart with her catchy web full of silky vocals and chill throwback vibes in her latest track, “Evil Spider”. The track follows up the Auckland, New Zealand native’s earlier earworm, “Soaked” and is about longing for someone who’s already taken.

Speaking on the track, Bene explained, “When writing the song, I didn’t wanna make the lyrics too obviously evil, so I thought I’d turn myself into the spider, making it a lil lighter and making the song revolve around me weaving webs to lure the person, catch ‘em like a spider then reel them in. I remember humming ‘Incy Wincy Spider’ in the studio, which inspired the playful vibe of the song.”

In addition to the new track, Bene has also revealed that she’ll be dropping her debut EP on June 28th. Oh! And she’ll also be gracing us NYers with her presence on June 17th at Mercury Lounge. You can grab tickets now and join me for what will most likely be a bopfest.

[SONG OF THE DAY] Timi Temple x Doc Merlin - "No Where"

Sydney sweetie Timi Temple hasn’t slowed down since dropping his delightful gateway drug of an EP, Phuzz Boy, that I fell in love with late last year. Since then, he’s partnered up with his friend Doc Merlin, whom I’ve come to learn from prelim research is the moniker for his literal PhD wielding friend who is also a magician. Obviously I can’t get enough of that whole vibe because honestly it sounds like I invented his backstory. At any rate, the dynamic duo dropped a double single, “No Where” and “Get Away”.

Earlier in the week, the duo shared a super fun video for “No Where”, which will make retro video game enthusiasts get all up in their feels. I def am going to watch this a few more times to make sure I caught all the references in it.