[Listen] Synkro - "Changes"

Manchester producer Synkro has unveiled the title track from his forthcoming debut full length Changes, which drops on September 19th courtesy of Apollo Records. It's been awhile since a song has managed to get under my skin like "Changes" has.  Even hours after playing it the first time I kept thinking about all of the subtle textures that are lurking within this track. The soothing tones that are woven throughout this ambient little number will envelop your eardrums and coat you in chills faster than any commercial grade air conditioner in a department can after being outside on a hot summer day.

Did I mention it's hot as hell in NYC today? 

Anyway. 

You can join me in pre-ordering Changes over on Bandcamp. Yes, it has been a long time since a single song has compelled me to pre-order, so that speaks volumes about how on board I am with this. 

Be sure to dig around in his Soundcloud as well, there's a LOT of goodies there as well. 

[Watch] VOWWS - "The Great Sun" (Official Video)

Fresh from the 'Better Late Than Never' pile is the latest from SKOA's favorite dark angels VOWWS *now with 2 Ws if you're following along!*. Their latest track, "The Great Sun”, which was released back in May, is as dreary and dancey as ever but with a bit more boom and gloom than their previous track, "Losing Myself In You". As we've continue to follow the evolution of the (now) LA-duo since their WAZU days, it's evident that the only direction these guys are heading is onward and upward to bigger and better things. 

"The Great Sun" is the title track of their forthcoming debut full length which will likely drop sometime this fall. For now, enjoy the video above complete with karaoke-style Japanese lyrics (at least I hope they're the lyrics in Japanese anyway). 

The band is currently on a mini-tour of sorts and will be making a stop in NYC at our new favorite venue AVIV. Peep tour dates below.

A photo posted by VOWWS (@vowwsband) on Jul 14, 2015 at 2:57pm PDT

[Listen] Kenna - "Sleep When We Die"

The musical journey that Kenna has taken fans on in the past 12 years has been a long and winding road. There have been sharp turns, dips, and even a bit of off roading along the way. For those of us who have managed to stick it out and not rage quit when things like leaks, switching labels, or hard drive failures have deterred the success he rightfully deserves, it appears that the tides are turning and our favorite underdog may finally find his place in the sun. 

After releasing a series of videos that detail the story behind his EP series, Land 2 Air Chronicles, Kenna unveiled a brand new track, "Sleep When We Die"  from his long anticipated third full-length, Songs For Flight, which premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show last week. In a message to fans on Facebook regarding SWWD, "This song was meant for you to rally, be happy. And take on the adventure ahead."

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to rally on to the next phase of this adventure. 

Word on the street is that he has more in the works in the coming weeks, so be on the lookout for updates. 

#SKOARADIO 07/18/2015

me going through all the new music this week

Oof. Really stoked for this show and because I submitted it late it was a little borked airing. You didn't even get to hear the last two segments. :( All good though! There's always next week (not to mention the podcast that will be attached to this show shortly). But yeah, trying to get back to digging out those little diamonds in the rough that I enjoy supporting. Plus HELLO NEW KENNA!! *praise hands emoji* A lot to be excited about. Expect more posts in between this show and the next with more info on the bands we're featuring.

As always feel free to let me know what you thought of this week's show either by dropping a comment here or hitting me up on Twitter.

Until next week!

<3

@kibbe!

• Breakbot (feat. Ruckazoid) - "Fantasy" 
  • DID YOU SEE GUYS!? We're getting SO CLOSE to a new Breakbot record! We've hit the mastering stage of the process per his post on Instagram. Eeeeee! 
• Miami Horror - "Love Like Mine" 
  • North American tour now. August = Australia dates. 
• Big Black Delta - "It's Ok" 
  • Pledge your life and hard earned money away. If you need convincing that BBD is worth the money always and forever we have not one but two interviews with him. 
• Rainer - "Marry" 
  • Grab dat album doe.
• Gothic Tropic - "Puppet Master"
  • Playing a couple of dates with Surfer Blood. Debut album Fast or Feast slated for early 2016 release. 
• Madeon - "Pay No Mind" 
  • Heading out on tour with Zedd and Dillon Francis. Snapchat won't know what hit it tbh. 
• Tame Impala - "'Cause I'm A Man" 
  • Go buy Currents! It's so good! Hopefully you made it out to one of their listening parties like I did!
  • Tour is in full swing and dates are selling out fast so GRAB THEM WHILE YOU CAN. 
• Death In The Afternoon - "'82" 
  • Available to purchase everywhere August 28. Until then, obsessively listen over on Soundcloud. 
• Phases - "I'm In Love With My Life" 
  • Can't believe I have to miss them on Tuesday (7/21) At The Studio at Webster Hall. 
  • On tour now if that wasn't obvious from the above. 
  • Someone we love at SKOA did a fun remix of this song. Any guesses? It was our broadband buddy Big Data! 
• ARRWS (feat. FEM FEL)  - "The Dark" 
  • From his upcoming EP Motionless For Hours. 
• VOWWS - "The Great Sun" 
  • Debut full length The Great Sun expected to drop this fall!! ON TOUR NOW!
• Boots - "I Run Roulette" 
  • Playing the Lollapalooza after show with some other dates. Supporting Run The Jewels this fall. More over on his site. 
• On An On - "It's Not Over" 
  • And The Wave Has Two Sides out on July 24th! Check out the cool game on their website that they used to unlock their next single, "You Can't Escape It". 
• Example - "Whisky Story" 
  • HE DID THE WHOLE BLOODY MUSIC VIDEO IN ONE TAKE ON THE LONDON UNDERGROUND! WHAT!!!?!??! 
  • Oh yeah I interviewed him back in 2012 at his first show in NYC. Is he ever going to break in the US? I sure hope so.
• HEALTH - "STONEFIST"
  • DEATH MAGIC is out on August 7th and it is AMAZING (trust me) so pre-order it. 
  • Like every smart band they're hitting the road to support their new album. Dates over on Facebook.
  • PS you can get STONEFIST for free over on their website.
• Ratatat - "Cream on Chrome" 
  • Magnifique is out now, too! GO GET IT! 
  • "Guess who's on tour?" "I guess Ratatat!" "YOU GUESSED RIGHT!" 
• Sivik - "U Got" 
  • There are some fun remixes of this song on Soundcloud. 
• SEØUEL - "Subtle" 
  • Reykavik EP drops on July 24th. I'm into it. 
• Galantis - "Call If You Need Me" 
  • On tour now. 
• Kid Cudi (feat. MGMT & Ratatat) - "Pursuit of Happiness"
  • Playing a couple of festivals this summer. 
  • Man on the Moon III expected to drop sometime this year. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
• Monarchy - "Black Widow"
  • ReVision out now. 
  • Earlier this week they released a video for their Blur cover of "Girls And Boys" featuring Dita Von Teese that's a bit trippy.
• Kenna - "Sleep When We Die" 
  • Something must be coming because Kenna has been posting a lot of videos on Facebook lately. (Spoilers: something is, but I can't say because I've been sworn to secrecy).
• Tropics - "Hunger" 
• Big Data (feat. Bear Hands) - "Sick For Me" 
  • On tour basically forever. Dates with RAC coming soon so that's cool! 
• Too Many Ts (feat. Great Scott) - "Same Thing"
  • You know you can get their latest EP with this song on it for free, right? 
  • Fair amount of shows this summer. None near me for Too Many Hugs tho. :/ 

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THE MUSIC BIZ STUFF I TALKED ABOUT:

What Really Happened With Taylor Swift and Apple Music

Soundscan's 2015 Half-Year Report

Concerts and Festivals Create Passion Fans (Who Spend) Says Study

NOW ONTO THE MUSIC!

[Listen] SEØUEL -"Subtle"

Feast your ears on the aptly titled track "Subtle", which is the latest from London-based Scottish producer SEØUEL. The tune comes from his forthcoming EP Reykjavik, which is due on July 24th courtesy of Disorder Recordings. As the EP name would suggest, the EP was inspired by sights and sounds of Iceland's capital. The EP is a followup to last year's EP, Prague (which you can stream tracks from over on Soundcloud), so clearly we are getting a feel for the mysterious beatmaker's ability to absorb the world around him and create on the go.

Gotta say, it's impressive how transformative he is from EP to EP and track to track. It's very easy to get lost in a trippy electronic record, but in the case of Reykavik SEØUEL takes you on a journey through the icy dark countryside of one of Europe's most isolated and dramatic countries all the while keeping your full attention throughout the experience. 

Once you've enjoyed "Subtle" below, be sure to dig through his Soundcloud for more dark delectable delights. 

[Watch] Phases - "I'm In Love With My Life" (Official Video)

I am a sucker for electro-pop so it's no shocker here that I took to LA quartet Phases baaaasically immediately. This was especially the case with their track, "I'm In Love With My Life", which is one of three that the band have unveiled from their forthcoming album. Honestly, if you're not in love with your life after the first spin of this tune, then maybe you need to book an intense partying session with Andrew WK to work through your issues. Seriously (well, sort of anyway). It's as bright and bubblegumtastic as it is infectious. At any rate, if anyone from the foursome looks familiar to you at all that's because peppered amongst the lineup are former members of Rilo Kiley, Phantom Planet, and The Like. You may have also known them in their former incarnation as JJAMZ. 

I am heartbroken to say that I won't be able to make it out next Tuesday (7/21) to their show at The Studio at Webster Hall. If I could clone myself so I could be there AND at Prospect Park Bandshell for Interpol with Sprout I would be all over this. If you're in the NYC area you should definitely come out.  If you're not in the greater NYC area, the band is on the road in North America through mid-August, so head over to their website and see if they're coming soon to a town near you. 

You should check out their other two tracks as well: "Betty Blue" and "Cooler".

[Watch] Mew - "Witness"

Mew have released their official video for, "Witness", which features a group of devoted fans that the band invited to take part in the filming. The track comes from their latest album, + -, which is out now. 

In addition to recently confirming a late appearance at this summer's Green Man Festival the band has announced that they will host two very special nights at London's Village Underground called "An Evening With Mew" this December. Dates are below. 

21.08.15  - POWYS  Green Man Festival

14.12.15 - LONDON  Village Underground

15.12.15  -  LONDON Village Underground

Some Kind of Awesome Radio - 07/11/2015

Typing up all the show notes this week for once because I love you, fam. 

YES! I'M ACTUALLY DOING SHOW NOTES FOR THIS WEEK! #sorrynotsorry but like I said in this week's episode I've been dealing with a bit of blogger burnout and even though doing the show is very therapeutic for me when you see how thorough I intend to be moving forward you will understand why I put this off for as long as I could. Again, I really appreciate those of you who listen and never get the promised show notes. NO MORE BROKEN PROMISES! Just quality #content in addition to a bunch of other new things in the works right now. 

Hope you enjoyed this weeks show! Feel free to drop a comment here or hit me up on Twitter. I'd love to hear what you thought of this week's picks!

Until next week!

<3

@kibbe!

• Tuxedo - "Do It"
  • Hitting the road for a mini tour this month! You can check out tour dates over on their site.
• Studio Killers - "Eros & Apollo"
• Ain't No Love - "Cry In The Rain" 
• Dillon Francis - "Bruk Bruk (I Need Yo Lovin)" 
  • Hitting the road this month! Tour dates over on his site. 
  • This Mixtape Is Fire drops on August 14. You can pre-order it if you're into that. 
• Vowws - "The Great Sun" 
  • Shows in July and August.  More info over on Songkick. 
• Ratatat - "Club Amnesia" 
  • Magnifique is out July 14th. You can stream the album in full via NPR.
• The Kickdrums - "Breathe Again" 
• Monarchy (feat. Dita Von Teese) - "Girls & Boys (Blur cover)" 
  • Few shows lined up in the next month or so. 
  • ReVision out now. As is Abnocto. 
• Caribou - "Silver" 
  • On tour now so get on it! Tour dates here. 
• Interpol - "My Desire" 
  • On tour now! Sprout and I will be heading to the show in Broooklyn at the Prospect Park Bandshell. Will we see you there? 
• Tame Impala - "Cause I'm A Man" 
  • The video for this song is super fun and full of puppets. 
  • Currents drops on July 17 - CAN YOU EVEN HANDLE IT BECAUSE I CAN'T. #zerochill
  • Tour is in full swing and dates are selling out fast so GRAB THEM WHILE YOU CAN. 
• Hot Chip - "Love Is The Future" 
  • They just upped these really fun Peanuts shirts in their merch store. I think I want the Snoopy one? idk
  • Very much on tour right now. 
• The Streets - "Two Nations" 
  • Fairly quiet in the Mike Skinner camp other than that single he did as The D.O.T. last year. Sigh. 
• VHS or Beta - "Can't Believe A Single Word" 
• Weaves - "Tick" 
• Kenna - "Karma Is Coming" 
  • Things are in the works in Kenna camp! He just posted a series of videos on Facebook explaining his Land 2 Air Chronicles series. I know more because I'm awesome but can't say just yet. KEEP YOU'RE EYES PEELED FOLKS! 
• Maiday - "Wish You'd Met Me First" 
  • More on Maiday in the coming weeks as I get to the bottom of this woman and her bru-tiful jams. Also getting into one of the producers on this track. More on that next week. :) 
• Big Black Delta - "It's Ok" 
  • NEW ALBUM COMING SOON. Open your hearts and wallets and PLEDGE YOUR BRAINS OUT. (hey buddyyy!) Dude deserves this to get the crap funded out if it considering all his gear got stolen and his dad passed away. Rough year for Jonathan Bates but It's Ok. 
  • For now you can grab "It's Ok" over on Soundcloud. 
• Kate Boy - "Midnight Sun" 
  • Do not ask me why you cannot buy this yet in the United States of America. I don't get it either. Take it away, UK! 
  • Few random tour dates if you're in other parts of the world. 
• Don Diablo (feat. Emeni) - "Universe" 
  • I can't keep up with this dude. He's already gearing up to release another single called "On My Mind" which drops on July 27. This teaser for it has got me wanting to dance in space. 
  • Voting is open for Top 100 DJs so get to voting so my chocolate chip cookie recipe can have more street cred since they're Don Diablo (and Mama Diablo) approved. 
• Lily Allen - "Close Your Eyes" 
• Animal Kingdom - "The Art of Tuning Out" 
• ANAMAI - "Lucia" 
  • Few shows coming up. 
• Dangermouse & Sparklehorse / Dark Night Of The Soul (feat. Julian Casablancas) - "Little Girl"
• Until The Ribbon Breaks - "Taste of Silver" 
• Biffy Clyro - "Stingin' Belle" 

BONUS JUST FOR YOU FAM! I'm also making playlists on Spotify for every single show. NO SHUFFLE THO BECAUSE THAT'S CHEATING! Additionally, as the shows become available on iTunes I will update each post with a link to the show for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!