New Music
Fiona Apple Pens New Song “New York Doesn’t Like Your Face” For Apple TV’s Central Park: Stream
As reported in May, Apple TV’s new animated series Central Park features music from Fiona Apple, Cyndi Lauper, Aimee Mann, Sara Bareilles, and more. Apple specifically contributed to the show’s upcoming season one finale, “A Fish Called Snakehead”. In anticipation of that episode, her song, titled “New York Doesn’t Like Your Face”, is being shared today. Apple co-wrote the piece with David Lucky, a friend, composer, and collaborator whom she’s previously described as “one of my favorite people in the world.” The track itself is sung by Central Park character Ashley, voiced by the six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald. Watch a clip of Ashley singing Apple’s “New York Doesn’t Like Your Face” below. The full episode airs July 24th, which is the same day the entire soundtrack arrives. Editors...
Smino Teams with J.I.D and Kenny Beats on New Song “Baguetti”: Stream
J.I.D. (photo via artist’s Instagram/@jidsv), Smino (photo by Heather Kaplan), and Kenny Beats (photo by Aris Chatman) Three months after dropping his surprise mixtape She Already Decided, Smino is back with a new single called “Baguetti”. And this time around, the Chicago MC is joined by rising Atlanta rapper J.I.D and social media star/producer extraordinaire Kenny Beats. “Baguetti” is the sound of three artists working together with ease — not just because they so smoothly align with each other, but because the whole thing has a breezy, laid-back feel. While barely seeming to struggle for speed, the two vocalists layer lines atop of lines over Kenny Beats’ bluesy, sparse production. Speaker-vibrating bass pounds on the chorus like another vocalist, emphasizing lines likes, “I...
Baroness and Windhand Members Form New Band Darling, Unveil First Single “Baptists”: Stream
Baroness guitarist Gina Gleason, Windhand singer Dorthia Cottrell, and guitarist Leanne Martz have joined forces for a new project called Darling. The trio also shared their debut single, the haunting “Baptists”. Fans of both Baroness and Windhand should find something to like about the new song. The deep bass pulses and shimmering electric guitars recall the soft interludes and segues of Baroness’ 2019 album, Gold & Grey. Meanwhile, Cottrell recites cryptic poetry through her inimitable sultry croon. In an acoustic form, the song could have worked well on one of Cottrell’s folk-based solo work. But Gleason and Martz color out a lush soundscape, offering yet another viable sonic palette for Cottrell’s words and voice. “Baptists” will be “the first of many more to come,” according to Co...
The Avalanches Drop Two New Songs “Wherever You Go” and “Reflecting Light”: Stream
The Avalanches are keeping up the momentum for their upcoming third album, bringing us not one, but two new surprise songs. “Wherever You Go” boasts contributions by Jamie xx, Neneh Cherry, Mick Jones of The Clash, and CLYPSO, while “Reflecting Light” includes a cameo from Sananda Maitreya and a Vashti Bunyan sample. Stream both down below via their respective visualizers. “Wherever You Go” is a wild, raucous party with co-production from Jamie xx. The song includes samples from the Voyager Golden Record, which was launched into space aboard the Voyager crafts in 1977, and contains music and sounds that represent life on Earth. Cherry provides backing vocals here, while Jones and CLYPSO round out the festive instrumentation. In a statement (shared ahead as an image per the artist’s request...
Rituals of Mine Announces New Album Hype Nostalgia, Shares Futuristic Single “Free Throw”: Stream
Rituals of Mine, the solo project from experimental R&B musician and activist Terra Lopez, has announced her second full-length album: Hype Nostalgia is due out September 25th on Carpark Records. It’s the newest offering from the Los Angeles-based act since 2019’s Sleeper Hold EP, which was given the remix treatment in February 2020. As a title, Hype Nostalgia places a futuristic radiance on its difficult subject matter. Lopez recently dealt with the deaths of her father and her best friend, and poured those emotions into her songwriting, choosing instead to focus mainly on their lives. “[I wanted to] create an album that was not centered solely on grief but that carried the duality in which grief and joy could co-exist,” said Lopez on Instagram. She doesn’t shy away from playing with ...
Emerging Songwriter McCall Shares New Single “One Eye Open”: Stream
Rising Los Angeles songwriter McCall has shared the dreamy new single “One Eye Open”. It’s off her upcoming EP, On Self Loathing, due out sometime later this summer. McCall first began to break out with her 2019 EP Under the Reign. She specializes in what she calls “sad bops with spice,” and that certainly applies to her new offering. “One Eye Open” is fashioned around achingly personal lyrics and pared-back piano. Meanwhile, the studio effects — or her “spicy” ingredient — find McCall sounding like a kid in a candy store. The SoCal native arranges her own voice into a grand chorus, at times evoking Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek”. But she uses this technique sparingly, and as often as she builds out the top line, she demolishes it back to simplicity. She also worked a series of breaks...
Sylvan Esso Announce Free Love, Drop ‘Ferris Wheel’
Sylvan Esso are back with new material. Not only have they announced their forthcoming studio album, Free Love, they’ve also shared the first single off it — “Ferris Wheel.” Directed by Supercollider, the video follows Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn having a great time at a carnival, complete with all the lights, games, and of course, a ride on the Ferris wheel. “This first single, Ferris Wheel, is about discovering your power and awkwardly figuring out how to wield it,” Meath said in a statement. “It’s for the summer, it’s for you, we hope you like it.” Prior to “Ferris Wheel,” Sylvan Esso released a visual for “What If,” the LP opener, last week. [embedded content] Free Love is the studio follow-up to 2017’s What Now and recently released live record, WITH, which dropped in April. “I...
Ben Harper and Rhiannon Giddens Team for Nick Drake Cover
As of this morning, blues stars Ben Harper and Rhiannon Giddens are officially collaborators. Harper and Giddens’ Tuesday release, a cover of Nick Drake’s 1974 “Black Eyed Dog,” sees Harper on lap steel and Giddens on banjo as they harmonize on the punchy American roots cut. Harper says he and his latest collaborator share many of the same influences, which is also quite evident in the soothing cover. “Rhiannon and I are both Black purveyors of American roots music, and while this is not an anomaly, it is an exception within a subculture,” Harper said in a statement. “We have unquestionably tapped into the same creative well of influence, carrying on the tradition through our own individual instincts and perspectives.” While the pair knew of each other before recording the track, Gidd...
Travis Scott Shares New Songs With Big Sean, Young Thug, Chase B, and More: Stream
Travis Scott has more new music on the way. As Stereogum points out, the Houston rapper and producer Chase B teased a new collaborative album on the latest installment of their .WAV Radio show on Monday. They’re calling it Escapism and they’ve already dropped a bunch of tracks from it. Here’s a rundown of the new songs: “Zen” and “Lithuania” featuring Big Sean; “Cafeteria” featuring Don Toliver and Chase B; “Picky” featuring Nav and Wheezy; “Scrooge” featuring Swae Lee; “The Parables” featuring YBN Cordae; “White Tee” featuring Young Thug; and “MAYDAY” featuring Sheck Wes. Who knows when we’ll hear the full album, but you can stream a replay of .WAV Radio here via Apple Music. The new material begins around the hour and a half mark, shortly after they have a pretty great chat abo...
Sylvan Esso Announce New Album Free Love, Share “Ferris Wheel”: Stream
At last, Sylvan Esso have finally announced a new album. The record, titled Ferris Wheel, is due out September 25th via Loma Vista. To celebrate the news, Sylvan Esso have shared the title track as well as a dizzying music video to go with it. This is Sylvan Esso’s third full-length album to date, following 2017’s What Now and their 2014 self-titled debut. Ferris Wheel spans 10 tracks in total, including the new song they shared today as well as the previously released single “What If” — which, according to the tracklist, serves as the album opener, too. “It’s a record about being increasingly terrified of the world around you and looking inward to remember all the times when loving other people seemed so easy, so that you can find your way back to that place,” the band said in a statement...
Drake Teams Up With Headie One for New Song “Only You Freestyle”: Stream
Drake has teamed up with British rapper Headie One for a new collaborative track called “Only You Freestyle”. The standalone single sees both artists splitting the song in half, with each getting just under two minutes to freestyle nonstop. “I had to go hard, especially on a track with one of the best drill artists in the world,” says Drake in a press release. “Scratch that — the best drill artist in the world.” Produced by M1onthebeat, “Only You Freestyle” wastes no time letting Drake and Headie One lay down some new thoughts. While the Scorpion star’s verses see him charging forward with a tight speed, even speaking in Arabic for a spell, he eventually trips over his own tongue and begins to fall off tempo — a cringeworthy moment for anyone who can keep time. Meanwhile, Headie One k...
Gorillaz Recruit ScHoolboy Q For New Collaborative Song “PAC-MAN”: Stream
Gorillaz continue to dole out hit after hit with their ongoing audiovisual series, Song Machine. For the latest entry, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s animated alternative outfit has teamed up with ScHoolboy Q for a song called “PAC-MAN” that celebrates the beloved arcade game’s 40th birthday. The bouncy, upbeat track features actual sound effects from Pac-Man the game, which makes for a particularly playful setting compared to ScHoolboy’s usual breed of grim West Coast rap. Check out “PAC-MAN” in full below along with its accompanying visual, which features ScHoolboy and the virtual band in both their normal and Pac-Man-ized forms. The track is the fifth edition of Gorillaz’s Song Machine singles series, following “Friday 13th” (feat. French-British rapper/singer Octa...
