WATCH: Montauk Hotel – ‘White Billboards’

Dublin four-piece Montauk Hotel have shared visuals to accompany their shimmering single ‘White Billboards’ released via Reckless Records earlier this year. The track is a reflection on the power of advertising in society and how the models featured within these adverts influence our choices, happiness and feelings of adequacy.

Through a montage of vintage advertising footage, the video gently questions whether a society with empty billboards would give people more freedom, or whether it would leave them lost and unable to regain a personal identity. Montauk Hotel’s luscious soundscape makes these poignant themes easier to reflect on.

Watch the video below and follow Montauk Hotel on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Julia Shapiro – ‘A Couple Highs’

“When the rest of my life felt out of control, I felt like this was my chance to be in control of everything” explains Julia Shapiro about her upcoming debut solo album Perfect Version, which is set for release on June 14th via Hardly Art. Having taken a step back from life as Chastity Belt’s vocalist & guitarist after a difficult year, Shapiro has returned with the second single from her new record titled ‘A Couple Highs’; and it’s a breezy, soothing drop of aural medicine.

The track is accompanied by a set of visuals directed by Claire Buss, and is a subtle homage to Kelly Reichardt’s 2008 film Wendy and Lucy, showing Shapiro and her canine doppelganger explore the quiet beauty of suburban Seattle. Shimmering guitars and Shapiro’s gentle voice make the track a real tonic for the ears, and the knowledge that Shapiro played all the instruments herself makes for extra listening satisfaction.

Over the course of a tumultuous year of trying to find stability amidst depression and surgery, Shapiro ultimately rediscovered the parts of music that she loved through the process, and it shines through on her latest single. Watch the video for ‘A Couple Highs’ below and follow Julia on Twitter for more updates.

Pre-order your copy of Julia Shapiro’s Perfect Vision here.

Photo Credit: Eleanor Petry

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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VIDEO PREMIERE: Valeska Rautenberg – ‘Berliner Morgen’

Berlin based musician Valeska Rautenberg has shared visuals for her new track ‘Berliner Morgen’ and they’re as cinematic as the soundscape that accompanies it. Taken from her most recent EP Veins: Songs for Piano, Wind & Water, the single is one of four songs that form a collection of “memories, favorite places, and forgotten tales” for the artist.

Valeska’s ambient soundscapes and minimal piano music takes listeners on a journey through her hometown, experiencing and concentrating on thoughts and feelings both she and the listener may not have noticed before. Speaking about her new music, she explains: “Sometimes there’s no need for words. You can let the wind whisper, the water roar, the birds talk, and the streets of Berlin tell their stories”.

‘Berliner Morgen’ in particular captures the beauty and solitude of a walk through Berlin at 5.30 in the morning. Valeska extrapolates: “Imagine coming out of a club (possibly slightly drunk) into the peaceful Berlin drenched in blue. With your blurry night-tainted vision you hardly see the dirt, only the serenity and sweet melancholy of the big B”.

Watch the video for Valeska’s new track below and listen to the Veins EP in its entirety here.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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WATCH: Thallo – ‘I dy Boced’

Gentle, soothing sounds and startling visuals come together on ‘I Dy Boced’, the latest release from Welsh artist Thallo. Premiered on Welsh blog Y.Selar last week, the songwriter’s talent for creating sounds that are easy on the ear shines through on her new single.

Roughly translated as ‘In Your Pocket’, Thallo’s new song is a fusion of archaic lore and personal experience, mixing elements of jazz, folk and electronica. Accompanied by a six-piece band and their celestial instrumentation, Thallo sings her pretty lyrics in both the Welsh and English language.

“Described as “a paradoxically bittersweet rose-tinted fantasy” ‘I Dy Boced’ is an intriguing release from an intriguing newcomer. Watch the video for the single below, and follow Thallo on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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