[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

MONARCHY

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)

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)

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.) 

#NewMusicFriday Guide - 04/29/2016

You Wont - Revolutionaries

My two new favorite goofballs put out an album today! You Won't isn't officially #SKOAfam yet, but don't worry, it will happen soon enough. Maybe at one of their two shows in NYC next week? Talk about being #blessed! Anyway, this record could not have come out at a better time. The winter is finally leaving us, it's getting warm out, and you'll find yourself reaching for this record when the sun is sittin' pretty on your face. It's got the right amount of twang that will make you shake your groove thang just like this: 

Aesop Rock - The Impossible Kid

I have been thoroughly looking forward to this album since the second I heard "Rings" a few months back. The payoff for patiently waiting was certainly worth it, especially with last week's album stream, which was the most excellent of previews/"spoilers". ICYMI, it's a shot by shot recreation of The Shining and you absolutely have to see it for yourself if you haven't already because it's amazing. 

I will be counting down the minutes till I get to hear this live at Irving Plaza on June 13th, that's for sure. Nice work, Aesop! 

Brian Eno - The Ship

Our electro-lord has released more music today. Do I really need to tell you about this? You should know about this already. I am just making sure because our, um, Views are a little obstructed right now on the internet...if you know what I mean. 

I really liked Ghost Culture's self-titled album from last year so I was pleasantly surprised to learn that he had a couple of new tracks out today. These just further confirm that I need to own the self-titled on vinyl. I thought micropennies were enough love for this record, but his craftsmanship on both releases shines through enough that this is worth the shelf space for me. 

Calvin Harris - "This Is What You Came For" 

The jury is still out for me as to whether or not this is going to be *The Song Of The Summer*. This is subtly very awesome. It's really quite lovely. Rihanna's vocal is great. There is a reason why Calvin has a messload of sales plaques on his walls and it shows in the production value for this track. People will certainly listen to this a lot this summer.

All that said, it just... ehhhhhhh. I don't think lightning is going to strike twice for him + Rihanna. I will probably listen to this to get ready to go out, but not trip over myself to make sure I dance to it. 

Zedd (feat. Kesha) - "True Colors"

Okay we need to have a discussion about this. I have seen too many people say that they're disappointed by this track considering this is Kesha's big return post- Dr. Luke drama. 

Seriously? Shame on you. That just further shows how real the struggle is going to continue to be for Kesha because she was launched into stardom courtesy of some party anthems. You really think she was going to step out with a banger the second she was able to legally open her mouth?

Sit. Down. 

Please take a moment to reflect on what she is saying and be grateful that she was able to create her way through a lot of pain. Also, let us be thankful that Zedd knew better than to try to make this about him by going big on the production. Sure, her return is more understated than was anticipated, but she even says so herself: "I've escaped my captor and I have no master." 

Kesha, I'm glad you're back, bb. 

Man Power - Planet Cock EP

You should know by now that in addition to trying to not be completely crushed under the weight of what goes through my inbox that I also just like skimming AllMusic to see what might look interesting. The pairing of an artist called Man Power with an EP called Planet Cock... I am clearly a grown up who did not laugh to myself at all...heh. That's a lie, obviously. 

Clearly I had to give this a spin just for the sake of my sanity and it's actually pretty great. I've since had a look around at his catalog and intend to check out more of it in the weeks to come. I will probably start with his 2014 EP, Flacid Trax.... 

Sorry, it's Friday. I can't be an adult today to save my life. lmao 

Magic Sword - The Legend EP

Holy shit I forgot this was even happening and now it's happened and I'm just a wreck. Apparently there was a little bit of darkness in me because The Seeker and The Keeper aka Magic Sword just SLAYED ME with this EP. Wow. Wow. Wow. I really have zero chill about this right now, jfc. This is the first of a series of EPs that also will have a correlating comic to continue to tell the Magic Sword saga. You can find the first one for their debut album, Volume I over on their website. 

Holy good #Sheezus in heaven the guitar solos on "The Curse" quite literally have me unable to do anything other than shout, "GOOD LORD!" at the moment. WOW.

These guys were still one of the most fun interviews I ever did for #SKOARadio (not to mention the most hysterical meetup arrangements for an interview). I should probably not leave that committed to audio indefinitely. 

Matt Lange - Patchwork

#SKOAfam Matt Lange has followed up last year's Emphemera LP with another gorgeous heady string of dark dancey tunes. It would appear the mau5trap has continued to be good for Lange from the sounds of this EP. This is *ABSOLUTELY* a record you listen to first with your good headphones because the homey has very meticulously pieced this all together, so this is me looking out for your your first play through to be the best it can be. 

(This is terribly awkward that I'm realizing that I just featured two artists back to back with interviews that I aired on #SKOARADIO but never transcribed and shared through. I guess I know what I'm doing over the weekend....)

Holy Ghost! - Crime Cuts

Holy! Ghost!! is! back! I almost forgot this EP was coming out today but Twitter fam is always lookin' out for my ears, which I guess means they're looking out for yours, too. Anyway, YAY Brooklyn bands! This EP is solid. I really wish that Panorama weren't their only upcoming show in NYC at present. That is kind of like saying you can only have hot dogs inside Yankees Stadium in the summer or something imo. I'm sure more dates will be announced soon. Fingers crossed anyway. 

Panty Raid - After Glow

lol I know why this record is called After Glow. It's because the album is pure sex and by the end of it you will be feeling the afterglow of what it did to you. I guess you could say the overall theme that Panty Raid is going for is being executed well. 

[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)

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. 

[Night Out] VOWWS, Night Club, & Winkie @ Baby's All Right (04/16/2016)

OUR DARKLING CHILDREN CAME TO VISIT US!

As you may or may not know, SKOA has been long time supporters of the glorious gloomy duo that is VOWWS. We've endured all the name changes. We reluctantly watched them pack their bags and head to LA, where they finally hit a nice streak of luck that they rightfully deserve. Now we also make sure to show up every time they're in NYC and wave our figurative pom-poms in support. This time I even brought home made chocolate chip cookies for them. Gotta make sure the kids are eating on tour even if it's just cookies!

Swear to god, the day this all finally comes together for them (which it most certainly will), I'm going to be that mother in every movie ever dabbing her eyes with with a handkerchief blubbering about how proud I am of them. It hasn't even been that long since the last time we saw them and already they're infinitely tighter than I've ever seen them. They also managed to look even more like they just left the after after party in hell. I mean this in the most loving way possible, obviously. 

Not only did our prodigal children come home to Baby's, but they brought a couple of their fun friends from LA with them! Night Club were super retro-dancetastic and fun, although I do worry about singer Emily Kavanaugh's knees from all that sliding around. Hopefully she took her own advice and got some knee pads. 

It was also very nice of Brooklyn's Winkie to spend some time out of the graveyard that it seems they've been living in to come open the show. Sprout was particularly enamored with singer Gina's black veil, which we learned courtesy of Instagram that it was made possible by Brooklyn designer Amy Lehfeldt. I forget that all the gloomy kids didn't abandon us for Los Angeles. I will have to make it a point to see Winkie again very soon. 

VOWWS ARE COMING BACK THROUGH BROOKLYN THIS SATURDAY AT AVIV SO LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE AND COME DANCE IN THE DARK WITH US. 

[Night Out] The Kills @ Warsaw (04/13/2016)

Ugh. Alison Mosshart, please be my best friend. Like, don't listen to anyone else on the internet who wants you to be their best friend. I mean, you played a show on my birthday, so clearly you are already being a thoughtful future best friend. (Thanks bb!)

Gotta say, there's a very specific type of stylish person that likes The Kills and I was awkwardly not in that majority. I can't imagine wearing a leather jacket to a show, let alone wearing a leather jacket to a show full of people who are also all wearing leather jackets. It was very warm in there, but also very...cool? You get what I mean. 

I have now seen my future best friend in both of the active bands that she's in. Not gonna lie, as badass as The Kills are, I like the energy that Jackie White can pull out of her when she's working her Dead Weather magic. I think it's mostly because when you watch her and White singing/shouting in each other's faces you can't tell if they're about to punch each other or make out. The Kills are just more subtle with their awesomeness, I suppose.

Speaking of awesomeness, I spotted so many fantastic humans at this show. Almost immediately once I was through the doors at Warsaw I practically knocked over Jimmy Gnecco from Ours. I also had the pleasure of observing Josh Homme playfully booty dancing with some gal pals of his before accidentally tripping Anthony Bourdain as he exited VIP. If my memory serves correctly they all adhered to the leathered dress code that I didn't know about. *Sigh* Whatever. 

Friendly reminder to one and all that The Kills are dropping a new record in just a few months. If "Doing It To Death" and "Heart Of A Dog" are any indication of what's to come, Ash & Ice is going to slayyy forrr dayssss. June 3rd hurry up already!