PLAYLIST: July 2019

Whilst we’re still in the midst of a mind-melting heatwave here in the UK, we’ve thrown together some fresh new music on our July playlist that promises to soothe your sunburned ears. Take some time to scroll through our track choices and make sure you hit play on the Spotify playlist link at the bottom of the page…

BEA1991 – ‘Loser Wins’
Amsterdam-based artist and musical polymath BEA1991 has swept me away with this track, taken from her debut album Brand New Adult which is out now. I love her subtle, soaring vocals and there’s a beautiful accompanying video to this track that I recommend you check out. Bliss. (Kate Crudgington)

Grawl!x – ‘Epicene’
The new single from Derby-based artist James Machin – aka Grawl!x – ‘Epicene’ is a collaboration with Umbilica’s Jo Lewis, A soaring, cinematic soundscape that sends shivers down the spine, it explores discussions of gender, sexuality, feminism and the role of allies. Identifying as non binary themselves, Machin explains: “… [gender] is an issue I’ve wanted to explore in a musical dialogue for quite some time. It’s quite alarming when you realise how great the gender disparity is and how our culture is divided in binary terms.” (Mari Lane)

Noga Erez & ECHO – ‘Chin Chin’
A dizzy, laid-back take on the links between sex and money; Noga Erez’s latest collaboration with Israeli MC and producer ECHO brims with off-kilter beats and tongue-in-cheek lyrics. Erez combines intimidatingly cool vocals with her trademark defiant flair on this new release. (KC)

King Hannah – ‘Crème Brûlée’
The impressive debut single from King Hannah, ‘Crème Brûlée’ is as utterly moreish as the dessert it’s named after. With its sweeping ethereal power, majestic twinkling musicality, and the longing, impassioned vocals of front woman Hannah Merrick, it’s a stunning introduction to a band who I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot more from very soon. (ML)

Elliot Lee – ‘Dirt’
‘Dirt’ is the latest single from Brooklyn based Elliot Lee – a big slice of dirty pop which narrates the frustration towards those who don’t understand how much music means to people. (Tash Walker)

Kitzl – ‘Wizard Girls’
‘Wizard Girls’ is the latest release from Canadian producer and composer Kitzl, described as a shining offering, combining elements of ambient-electronic-pop, art-pop and experimental shoe-gaze. I’m into it. (TW)

Jenny Hval – ‘Ashes To Ashes’
Sacred Bones signee Jenny Hval’s new single is an enchanting, uplifting electronic affair. The track is taken from her upcoming album, The Practice of Love, which is set for release on 13th September and I can’t wait to listen to the record in full.(KC)

Sui Zhen – ‘Perfect Place’
Inspired by how we exist in the digital age, ‘Perfect Place’ flows with glitchy beats and twinkling, ‘80s-inspired hooks alongside Sui Zhen’s quirky, honey-sweet vocals. An instantly infectious slice of sparkling alt-pop. Zhen recently contributed a Five Favourites feature for the website, and because she couldn’t narrow it down to five, we also put together a banger-filled playlist of all her favourites – check it out! Sui Zhen’s upcoming new album, Losing, Linda, is out 27th September. (ML)

Arthur Moon – ‘Reverse Conversion Therapy’ 
Fronted by Lora-Faye Åshuvud, Brooklyn avant-pop group Arthur Moon are set to release their self-titled debut album on 2nd August via Vinyl Me, Please. ‘Reverse Conversion Therapy’ is another example of Lora-Faye’s “deconstructed pop music” which celebrates the queer impulse, and takes ownership when it comes to “breaking the rules” and doing things wrong – something we should all embrace a little more. (KC)

ZAMILSKA – ‘Hollow’
Polish Producer ZAMILSKA released her third album Uncovered this month, and it’s a densely hypnotic record permeated by her fascination with levitation. The result is thirteen richly textured tracks that seethe with “the anxiety of what we want vs what we get”. If you’re a fan of industrial or electronic music I recommend a listen. She’s my new music obsession. (KC)

Deep Deep Water – ‘Something In The Water’
Having recently wowed crowds at Glastonbury, London-based four piece Deep Deep Water have now shared blissful new single ‘Something In The Water’, and we can’t get enough of it. Flowing with whirring soundscapes and soaring, harmonising vocals, it’s an utterly euphoric creation, twinkling with a majestic splendour. Of the track, the band explain: “‘Something in the Water’ is about change… Something is making you act differently, strangely, in a way you can’t explain. It is change out of your control, you are rendered powerless.” (ML)

Daniella Mason – ‘Deepest of Wells’
Deep, synth-based melodies from Nashville-based Daniella Mason, taken from her EP Mental State – it’s so hauntingly addictive, once you’ve heard there is no going back. (TW)

Greentea Peng – ‘Downers’
The new single from South-East London’s Greentea Peng, described as “A disillusioned confession to self, my London city blues. A tune for us hedonistic youths searching to feel nothing, but who actually feel everything. Instead of getting you to sleep – I’m tryna wake ya up.” (TW)

Anna Wiebe – ‘I Felt It In The Wind’
‘I Felt In In The Wind’ is the latest release from Anna Wiebe taken from her recently released album All I Do Is Move, and I can’t stop listening to this emotionally evocative track. (TW)

Salad – ‘Under The Wrapping Paper’
Taken from their upcoming new album, Salad’s ‘Under The Wrapper’ is about exposing what we are sticking in the sand, and shoving under the carpet. With its gritty, post-punk energy and tongue-in-cheek deadpan vocals, it’s a unique euphonic delight, proving that the ‘90s band have still got it and are still capable of pushing boundaries with a distinct, vibrant spirit. Salad’s upcoming new album, The Salad Way, is out 30th August on Three Bean Records. (ML)

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Get In Her Ears w/ Kate & Katie 25.07.19

Kate was back in the studio this week with journalist and music magpie Katie playing all the latest new music from the likes of Noga Erez, King Princess, Jemma Freeman and the Cosmic Something, BEA1991, Velvet Volume & TWEN.

Listen back:

@KCBobCut
@katiemux
@getinherears

Tracklist
Amy Winehouse – Tears Dry On Their Own
Noga Erez x Echo – Chin Chin
Ilgen Nur – Easy Way Out
Slaves – The Velvet Ditch
Fever Ray – Wanna Sip
Banks – Gimme
Taffy – Inner Nerd
Tokyo Tea Room – Always Tomorrow
Sam Fender – Will We Talk?
Velvet Volume – Pretty In Black
Free Love – Playing as Punks
Orville Peck – Dead of Night
Salvation Jayne – Jayne Doe
BEA1991 – Loser Wins
King Princess – Prophet
Jemma Freeman and The Cosmic Something – Find A Place
Shura – The Stage
Brittany Howard – Stay High
TWEN – Damsel
Luke Burr – what You Won’t Do For Love
Charlotte Carpenter – Follow You Down
Emily Breeze – Work
Mystic Braves – I can’t grow peaches on a cherry tree
Charli XCX & Christine & The Queens – Gone
Queen Zee – Boy
Lizzo – Boys
Amy Winehouse – Rehab
Tame Impala – Feels Like We Only Go Backwards
Wolf Alice – Yuk Foo

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FIVE FAVOURITES: Velvet Volume

Sibling trio Velvet Volume have turned a DIY attitude and the power of sisterhood in to riotous sounds reminiscent of Veruca Salt, The Donnas and Sleater-Kinney. Comprised of twins Noa (guitar) and Naomi (bass), drummer sister Nataja, the Denmark-based band released their debut album Look Look Look! back in 2017 to crticial acclaim in their homeland, and are set to re-release the record via Nettwerk internationally. 

We think one of the best ways to get to know a band is to ask them what music inspired them to write in the first place. We caught up with the Velvet Volume sisters to ask them about their “Five Favourites” – five songs which have influenced their songwriting techniques. Check out their choices below, and make sure you watch the video for their track ‘Pretty In Black’ at the end of this post.

Last Shadow Puppets – ‘My Mistakes Were Made For You’
Nataja:​ I always get very emotional when I hear this song. I almost always play it when we sit in the tour-bus, it sets the mood when we have been driving through Switzerland. The composition of this song is absolutely perfect, and I adore the way they manage to use such romantic strings alongside such extreme western guitar sounds. I don’t think that anybody can pull off such a sound, mixing so many different moods and genres together. Which is why I have so much respect for their songwriting skills, and I always try to pull it into our own songwriting process.

Grace Jones – ‘Walking In The Rain’
Noa: Grace Jones is one of the most important artists in my development as an artist. I remember watching her for the first time on Vh1, performing ‘walking in the rain’, wearing a dark suit illuminated by a spotlight. I was so persuaded by her energy and character and how she almost appeared like an alien-like creature. She had so much power and confidence that it almost confused her audience. I had never seen a female artist like that before! And then I just really started digging her whole career as a musical artist, actor, and model.

David Bowie – ‘Starman’
Nataja: Again, a professor in brilliant songwriting. Starman is one of my all-time favorite songs, mostly because it has the best chorus ever written… Period. In general, we actually have a saying, that comes from some of the more “epic” Bowie songs which we call “higher than life – feeling”. Especially on songs like ‘Heroes’ and ‘Space Oddity’. It’s the very emotional and sad but at the same time, happy and uplifting feeling you get when you listen to it. It’s is the “everything is sad right now, but it’s gonna be alright” – feeling, hahah… if you don’t get it, then just listen to the songs, and the feeling you get is THE “higher than life – feeling”. And it’s something we’re trying to incorporate into some of our own songs. It could be cool to give people that same feeling by listening to our songs.

The White Stripes – ‘Blue Orchid’
Naomi: I remember when my father played The White Stripes for me as a little kid, and I immediately fell in love with the energy and the power of just two instruments. It blew my mind! It was a huge inspiration for me. To experience how you can make two instruments sound like many, and make the music sound big, but yet minimalistic at the same time! I loved Jacks simple and powerful riffs like this one in Blue Orchid, and I definitely wanted to write riffs like that as well!

Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood – ‘Some Velvet Morning’
Noa: okay the whole album is just a true masterpiece. But especially this song. It really captures the thing I love the most about the album. The very romantic and dreamy/dramatic vibe, in the lyrics and the grandeur compositions, – and then the very traditional female/masculine dividing in the melody and the responding/conversation between them, which we use a lot in our own songs. I really like to use both the masculine and feminine side, which kind of symbolizes the fact that we all carry both around in oneself, and we use it in both singing and playing our instruments!

Thanks to Velvet Volume for sharing their favourite songs with us! Follow the band on Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: Daniel Aude

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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FIVE FAVOURITES: Emma Frank

Toying with themes of love, lust, self-doubt, commitment and sadness; New York based songwriter Emma Frank is set to release her new album Come Back on 6th September. After spending time studying literature at McGill University in Montreal and performing vocals & brass with art-pop ensembles She’s Got a Habit and Malcolm Sailor’s Songs – she returned to Brooklyn to write more of her own music, having recently signed to Justin Time/Nettwerk Music Group.

We think one of the best ways to get to know an artist is to ask them what music inspired them to write in the first place. We caught up with Emma to ask her about her “Five Favourites” – five albums that have influenced her songwriting techniques. Check out her choices below, and make sure you watch the video for her track ‘I Thought’ (directed by visual artist Ay Tsalithaba) at the end of this post.

 

1. Lauryn Hill – The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
I’ve always loved singers – singers where the music was happening but you could fully believe in every word the singer was saying. I grew up mainly on Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone, and then a little bit of Simon and Garfunkel. Towards the end of high school, and for all of college, I found Lauryn Hill and I listened to this record on repeat. The tone of her voice, the way she uses it – Lauryn Hill’s voice was just utter perfection to me and I tried so hard to sound like her (I couldn’t really, without trying too hard.). And that album. The production on those songs. The songs themselves. My sixteen year old self that had just gotten broken up with for the first time really needed all of these songs.

2. Hanne Hukkelberg – Little Things
This album came to me during a very lonely period when I was either nineteen or twenty and just blew my mind. To me, it was such a complete sound universe, that cast a very dark Montreal winter in a magical new light. I grew up doing musical theater so I was accustomed to lyrics and music pairing up to tell a story and advance some action. I really loved how Hanne built her compositions so that the musical changes reflect the lyrical story in a really playful, immersive way and how she used found sounds and objects as instruments. Her song ‘Balloon’ is told from the perspective of someone holding onto a balloon and floating high above the world, and uses the squeak of a blown up balloon throughout. The narrator eventually let’s go of the balloon and as she falls, what had been a more contained song expands into a lush, dreamlike fall. Or ‘True Love’ which alternates between free, almost demented sounding improvisation, and very beautiful, romantic, gestures.

3. Bernice – Puff: In the Air Without a Shape
These guys are so good and this album is so fun. Robin Dann has an approach to songwriting and singing that I find really calming. It feels cerebral in the best ways, and also really embodied and relaxed. Each person in this band is so talented and does all sorts of amazing things, but this project is especially great. I really love how they all come from improvisatory backgrounds, and it’s clear in how they interact, and also in this very wide but specific sound palette. Also they’re all besties and really silly and funny and smart. They’ve created a unique and immersive sound world that’s really nice to hang out in.

4. Tawk Tomahawk – Hiatus Kaiyote
A friend recommended this album to me right before I went on cruise ships as a lounge singer for six months when I was 24. It was the absolute strangest experience, and this album really helped me have a joyous, grounded space to escape to. I listened to it for the first time in Hawaii – we were doing a cruise around Hawaii before we went to Alaska. I’m from Boston and I had never been to Hawaii before. I’m so used to all of these cool greys and blues, some green, but mostly colors are muted. Hawaii was so vibrant. I just remember listening to this record while running underneath these brilliant magenta flowers with the ocean to the right of me. That’s how this record sounds to me. Just so lush and alive.

5. Andy Shauf – The Party
Each song is such a good complete story. And then the whole album paints such an empathetic portrait of a few different, interconnected characters at this one party. Sonically, it honestly reminds me of The Beatles, these beautifully orchestrated, fun songs, but then with these aching, sometimes very uncomfortable lyrics. Also, Andy Shauf plays all the instruments on it, so I am also blown away by it on that level.

Thanks to Emma for sharing her favourites with us! Follow Emma Frank on Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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