New Song Releases
Andrew Bird Shares COVID-19-Inspired Holiday Song “Christmas in April”: Stream
Hark! is the forthcoming holiday album from Andrew Bird, due out next week. An expansion of his 2019 EP of the same name, the project features covers of John Prine and John Cale, as well as original numbers like today’s newly unveiled “Christmas in April”. As you may have guessed by its title, this seasonal offering was inspired by and written during quarantine. On it, the indie troubadour wonders what the holidays will look like amidst the coronavirus pandemic. “When will we know if we can meet under the mistletoe?” Birds asks with a sobering melancholy in his voice, echoing our very same anxieties and fears as the global health crisis stretches into fall and winter. (Remember when we thought it would only last through spring?) Editors’ Picks In a statement, Bird further explained h...
Oneohtrix Point Never Shares Five-Song “Midday Suite” Featuring The Weeknd: Stream
Oneohtrix Point Never (photo by David Brandon Geeting) and The Weeknd (photo by Natalie Somekh) The latest album from Daniel Lopatin’s Oneohtrix Point Never project is set to drop this Friday — just in time for Halloween. Entitled Magic Oneohtrix Point Never, the album was first teased with the three-song “Drive Time Suite”, which included the Caroline Polachek-featuring track “Long Road Home”. Today, OPN has unveiled another block of songs, the “Midday Suite”, which boasts another major guest collaborator in The Weeknd. The five individual tracks that make up “Midday Suite” are entitled “Cross Talk II”, “I Don’t Love Me Anymore”, “Bow Ecco”, “The Whether Channel”, and “No Nightmares”. It’s on that latter song, a dreamy power ballad fit for an ’80s cinematic romance, where The Weeknd provi...
Xenia Rubinos Shares New Song “Who Shot Ya?”: Stream
Xenia Rubinos has returned with a new song called “Who Shot Ya?”. Following last year’s singles “Diosa” and “Bugeisha”, and this past April’s collaboration with Helado Negro, “Who Shot Ya?” serves as only Rubinos’ third release since dropping her Black Terry Cat album back in 2016. “Who Shot Ya?” includes stark yet glistening production, fluttering Auto-tune, and a choppy chorus that features the phrase “Get it”, delivered like a righteous demand. Our former CoSign definitely has her own unique style, but artists like FKA twigs and Empress Of are reasonable reference points for her artful yet enveloping breed of experimental R&B. Lyrically, the new single touches on a number of racial justice topics that have dominated the discourse throughout 2020 — from police brutality and our ...
Storefront Church Shares Chilling New Song “The Gift”: Stream
Los Angeles based singer-songwriter Lukas Frank, aka Storefront Church, makes the kind of rock music that blurs the line between dark hymn, brooding folk, and gothic/alt-rock. It’s no surprise, then, that he’s settled in with new label home Sargent House, known for acts like Chelsea Wolfe, Daughters, and Deafheaven. To celebrate the signing, Storefront Church is sharing his debut single for the label, “The Gift”. A chilling yet stunning piece, at times both minimal and flushed with lush strings and piano, it sounds like the ideal haunting piece to play in an abandoned church. It’s certainly starker than his past material, with hints of early Yellow House-era Grizzly Bear and James Blake in the mix, but something tells me this could be the calm before the storm — the melodic, ambient intro ...
Odette Announces New Album Herald, Shares New Song “Dwell”: Stream
Australian art-pop artist Odette has announced a new album called Herald. While it’s not expected to surface until early next year, today she’s giving fans a preview with a new song, “Dwell”. Herald is the follow-up to her 2018 debut To A Stranger, which earned her two nominations at the Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards. For this record, the Sydney-based singer-songwriter once again worked with producer Damian Taylor (Björk, Arcade Fire, The Killers) to help bring her theatrical art-pop to life. Technically, Odette already shared a preview of this album in the form of her April single “Feverbreak” (Feat. Hermitude), which sounded sort of like an avant-garde musical poem. “Dwell” is a lot more mighty and bombastic: a triumphant pop song that falls somewh...
Bright Eyes Share Planned Parenthood Benefit Single “Miracle of Life” featuring Phoebe Bridgers: Stream
This weekend, Bright Eyes are set to take part in “Village of Love”, a livestream concert supporting Planned Parenthood. Ahead of Sunday’s virtual event, the band has shared a new, guest-heavy benefit single for the nonprofit called “Miracle of Life”. The song is a dark country mosey, courtesy of drumming from Queens of the Stone Age’s Jon Theodore and bass from Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea. Better Oblivion Community Center collaborator Phoebe Bridgers also contributes, her vocals echoing alongside Conor Oberst’s with the unholiness of the lyrics’ narrative. They sing of a couple who try to drive out of state for a legal abortion, only to find themselves forced into a dangerous situation. Of course, the immorality isn’t in their goal, but in the roadblocks in their way. “Lay down on th...
Ariana Grande Premieres New Single “Positions”: Stream
Ariana Grande is set to release a new album at the end of the month. In anticipation, the powerhouse singer has let loose a first preview in “Positions”. In keeping with the theme of the season, the song’s accompanying video imagines an all-female White House, with Ariana herself serving as commander-in-chief. Watch it below. Update: Grande has confirmed that her new album, also titled Positions, will arrive on October 30th. She’s also shared the 14-song tracklist which includes collaborations with The Weeknd, Doja Cat, and Ty Dolla $ign. Grande has enjoyed keeping fans in suspense over her new music. She previously teased “Positions” with a video of herself spelling out the word on a keyboard with green backlighting. Meanwhile, her official website placed a countdown clock on the ho...
Hot Chip Recruit Jarvis Cocker for New Single “Straight to the Morning”: Stream
Friday night bar-hopping may not be a thing these days, but that doesn’t mean ya can’t have a festive evening indoors. Cue: Hot Chip and Jarvis Cocker, who’ve just joined forces on a new disco-inflected song called “Straight to the Morning”. As its name implies, the track is guaranteed to spark an all-night living room dance party. According to a statement, the collaborative single was originally written with disco-pop princess Dua Lipa in mind. However, after crossing paths while DJing at Paris club Les Bains-Douches, Hot Chip and the Pulp frontman decided to make it all their own. “‘Straight To The Morning’ is a disco anthem about going out, for a time when people really can’t, and it features our friend Jarvis Cocker urging us to go ‘straight through until the break of dawn,’” Hot...
The War on Drugs Debut New Song “Ocean of Darkness” on Fallon: Watch
During the early months of the pandemic, The War on Drugs revealed they were working on a new album. Now, some of the fruits of their labor have arrived: the indie rockers debuted a new song called “Ocean of Darkness” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Friday. The group’s first offering since 2017’s A Deeper Understanding was both propulsive and pastoral, and soaked in wistfulness not unlike their past material. Donning a cap that said “VOTE”, frontman Adam Granduciel could be heard singing, “You’re just a poor boy/ Your blood rushes through me/ Alone in the great divide/ To love and understanding.” “Once I was eight years old/ I’d stare at the ceiling/ Get lost in a memory,” he continued, his voice faded like a ghost half-materialized. “Remember the feeling/ I was tire...
Italians Do It Better Release New Compilation After Dark 3: Stream
Italians Do It Better, the cult-favorite record label by Johnny Jewel, has released a new installment in its After Dark compilation series called After Dark 3. Stream it below via Apple Music or Spotify. After Dark 3 spans 17 previously unreleased tracks in total that run the gamut of synth possibilities. Alongside music from Jewel’s various projects, including Chromatics, Glass Candy, and Desire, there’s selections from newcomers such as Orion, Joon, MOTHERMARY, Double Mixte, and more. Today’s release follows 2013’s After Dark 2 and the original After Dark compilation, which surfaced way back in 2007. Editors’ Picks Speaking of Chromatics, the group is still teasing their long-awaited new album Dear Tommy, which they initially announced back in 2014. To tide fans over, the band...
Kim Petras Shares New Halloween Single “Party Till I Die”: Stream
“Boo! Bitch!” In keeping with her Halloween tradition, Kim Petras is back with a spooky new single called “Party Till I Die”. Here, the German pop star is willing to do just about anything for the sake of a good time — as long as the terrifyingly fun festivities take place after the sun goes down. “Only time I come alive/ Is in the middle of the night/ Looking for another high,” sings Petras. “Don’t care if it’s killing me/ This is all I really need/ My body’s in ecstasy.” Is she a vampire? Hungry for a bedroom romp? Both? It’s easy to fall for her temptations and the lure of a “dark paradise”, especially with the song’s stabbing percussion and manipulated vocals. Tune in below if you dare. According to an Instagram Live video posted by Petras yesterday, “Party Till I Die” is taken from th...
Briston Maroney Unveils Sweeping New Single “Freeway”: Stream
Indie folk singer-songwriter Briston Maroney has released new single “Freeway” and its video, and it’s a breath of fresh air in these dark timelines. The 22-year-old artist takes us on a dazzling journey down the Maine coastline, with caving expeditions and a blissful boat ride from a first-person POV. For a few precious minutes, we can pretend like we’re not locked in our apartments! The clip was directed by Joey Brodnax, who has worked with Maroney in the past. In it, Maroney is every bit the young, curious twentysomething, exploring the gorgeous scenery with dynamic enthusiasm that can’t help but uplift. There are witty moments, too, like when he can’t can’t a hitchhiking ride, and you feel his humor in his lyrics. “Consider this my confession/ Your love’s my obsession/ Go ahead and sen...
