lists Archives | Page 2 of 9 • The Interns

10 Songs You Need To Hear: Years & Years, Drake, Alessia Cara And More

10Songs_10July

This week, Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick broke up confirming that real love doesn't exist. In light of that, we've tried to eradicate all love songs from this week's 10 songs. There are a few that are late to the news and have gone ahead and released a love song this week so we've forgiven them but this is the last week. Love is dead. RIP.

Alessia Cara
Bad Blood

When you cover Tay Tay and then Tay Tay tweets that she loves it, you're basically one below God (God being Tay Tay). Alessia Cara who might have caught your ears earlier this year with the excellent Here, took on the track, Kendrick Lamar-verses and all with a soulful, nuanced rendition. The tone in Cara's voice is remarkable and this performance really solidifies her as one of the most important new artists this year.

Peking Duk
Say My Name (Feat. Benjamin Joseph)

Well this is a bit of a curve-ball from the Aussie duo. Say My Name is not the dancefloor winner you were imagining but instead it's a rock-inspired cruncher that's more Black Keys than Calvin Harris. In a weird way the boys manage to make it a banger that will no doubt light up the Splendour stage when they drop it in a fortnight. It may take a little time for everyone to come around but it looks like they have another hit on their hands.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/pekingduk/saymyname[/soundcloud]

Espa.
Rodney (Feat. Erick Arc Elliot)

We frothed over Espa.'s debut Pray For Me and now she's gone and done it again with the follow-up Rodney. This introduces us to a much more sensual side of the singer complete with sex sounds and steaming vocals. On top of that there's a rap planted firmly in the bedroom. It's daring but it's damn sexy.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/espamusic/espa-rodney-feat-erick-arc-elliott[/soundcloud]

HANA
Avalanche

HANA was introduced to many as Grimes' mate on her debut track Clay, but know she's got two brilliant tracks out there I think she's earned the right to be known for more than just that. Avalanche, the second track, is a twisted pop song that drips with icy beats and a melancholic melody. It's more delicate and personal than Clay and shows she's carving out a nice musical identity.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/hanamusic-1/avalanche[/soundcloud]

Yung Lean
Crystal Clear Ice

Whatever your opinion on Yung Lean, it's hard not to be swayed by the watery opulence of Crystal Clear Ice. The song is drunk and/or high but it channels that moment when everything is beautiful before it all inevitably goes wrong. It's not going to appeal to the masses but it's actually Yung Lean's most accessible song yet.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/adultswimsingles/yung-lean[/soundcloud]

Daphni
Vikram

If you've ever seen a Caribou show you'll know that the song's take on a much bassier, club aesthetic than they do on record. Dan Snaith's side project Daphni captures that feeling on tape. Vikram is pure beat candy. The basis of the track is a throbbing instrumental that barely uses synth-work to create a melody. It sounds like the kind of track that would be used to extend a Caribou song and send it into the stratosphere live but as a standalone it's also intricately interesting.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/caribouband/daphni-vikram[/soundcloud]

Majid Jordan
My Love (Feat. Drake)

You may best remember Majid Jordan as the Canadian duo that featured on Drake's Hold On, We're Going Home. They have been silent for a little while but they have finally returned with My Love featuring none other than fellow Canadian Drake. It's a down-trodden, muted dance track that sees Drake sing rather than rap alongside Majid Jordan's caramel vocals.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/majidjordan/mylove[/soundcloud]

Gilligan Moss
Choreography

Once you get over the brilliant video clip for this you'll start really falling in love with this track. Choreography is by New York newcomer Gilligan Moss and it's a crystalline, happy-go-lucky track that effortlessly sets its self apart from anything electronic around at the moment. It feels frantic and confused like the inner-workings of a teenage mind but somehow it amounts to something captivating and actually really accessible.

Sable
One And Only

Perth producer Sable has gone 100 percent with the PC Music vibes on his latest One And Only. it's a sweet, hyperhuman love song full of delicious ear candy. Stylistically, it's probably the biggest risk Sable has taken but it pays of completely. It's hard to use the chipmunk vocal without sounding like a gimmick - here, it actually sounds heartwarming.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/sablemusic/one-and-only[/soundcloud]

Years & Years
Gold

Years & Years are about to bag their second number one in the UK with Shine and they have just dropped their debut LP Communion which will most likely scale the same heights. Gold is Communion's golden moment, if you like. It's a throbbing, gospel-tinted pop song full of impossibly delicious melodies. Vocalist Olly Alexander is a phenomenal popstar with the goods to make your heart melt every time he completes a vocal run.

lists / new music07/11/2015

12 Times Rihanna's 'Bitch Better Have My Money' Video Applies To Real Life

Screen Shot 2015-07-02 at 4.28.14 pm

When Rihanna today debuted her massive new music video for Bitch Better Have My Money, we couldn't help but relate to the storyline. Here are 12 times RiRi was just like us in BBHMM <3

When your Mum refuses to bring your lunch to school.

ezgif.com-video-to-gif (9)

When you pack too many toiletries.

ezgif.com-video-to-gif (11)

When the festival crowd gets all up in your grill. ezgif.com-video-to-gif (10)

When your squad's game is weak.

ezgif.com-video-to-gif (7)

When your parents catch you and your friends watching an R-rated movie and you act all chill like...

ezgif.com-video-to-gif (6)

When your friend asks you to do her makeup and you've got no idea.

ezgif.com-video-to-gif (5)

When your phone turns off at 20% battery.

ezgif.com-video-to-gif (8)

When you can't find a shower cap so wear your undies instead.

ezgif.com-video-to-gif (4)

When festival security asks if you're carrying any alcohol.

ezgif.com-video-to-gif (2)

When you find $10 in your pocket.

10dolla

When it's your turn to cook dinner.

ezgif.com-video-to-gif (1)

When you finish a long, gruelling day at work.

ezgif.com-video-to-gif (12)

Watch the full BBHMM video here.

lists07/02/2015

The Best Songs Of 2015 So Far...

[notdevice]

After half a year of solid listening, we gathered together a list of thirty songs that most made their mark on us to this point in 2015.

Illustrations by Bianca Bosso.

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

WhatSoNot
30. What So Not
Gemini (Feat. George Maple)

Amidst all the tears and tantrums that followed the news that your boy Flume was 2kewl4skewwwl and had departed duo What So Not, the boys released one (probably final) absolute banger. Mysterious songstress and all round babe-town George Maple lent herself to the track and produced some seriously entrancing vocals. Literally cannot think of another team-up in the world of Electronic this year that could have been as explosive as this. The song has cemented itself in the sets of every Future Classic/OWSLA DJ…for like…ever. If that doesn’t talk of its staying power, I don’t know what will. - Meshell Webb

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

TkayMaidza

29. Tkay Maidza
M.O.B.

Catchy is one word to describe this song, and it’s probably also the most apt. It’s infectiously up-beat and easily Tkay Maidza’s most polished work to date. It’s a gorgeous cross between electro and hip-hop, and not only showcases the irrepressible Maidza’s ability to both sing and rap but also her awesome knack of transitioning seamlessly between the two. Not hard to guess why it’s already been one of triple j’s most played songs this year, and when you take into account the relatable topic material, ‘money over bitches’, now who can’t relate to that? - Zanda Wilson

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

HotChip

28. Hot Chip
Need You Now

Hot Chip are the definition of an act that understand the importance of texture and layering. These guys are masters at hiding complexity in simplicity, especially with regards to the enveloping individual rhythms, instrumental lines and samples that cascade in and out of prominence throughout Need You Now. The addition of vocal counter-melodic lines gives the track another level of polish and professionalism. Need You Now is a deceptively diverse sectionally-perfect banger. - Zanda Wilson

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

Elliphant

27. Elliphant
Love Me Badder

Elliphant is known for her bad bitch personality, take no prisoners, middle fingers up whilst driving into the sunset vibes, but with Love Me Badder she’s showing some vulnerability. The track sees the singer open up a whole new world in her music. She’s at her rawest and most vulnerable but still packing a powerhouse whallop into that chorus. If versatility is the key to longevity in an artist career then Elliphant is showing that she’s got what it’s got to keep fans interested for years to come with this change up. - Alexander Wilkinson

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

Nao

26. Nao
Apple Cherry

Nao properly arrived in 2015 as one of those artists you can’t help but fall hopelessly in love with from the first listen. Her use of harmony, play with rhythm and rhyme, and the minimal instrumentation playing off heavy synths in Apple Cherry make it a compelling track, which continually moves and evolves. Of course, one can draw many similarities to FKA twigs, but that’s more a sign of the times than anything else. Like twigs, Nao is one of the rare few standout artists that are nailing the future RnB genre. - Donna Maria Arendse

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

TheWeeknd

25. The Weeknd
I Can't Feel My Face

If there’s anything surprising about The Weeknd's new single, it’s the departure from his usual dark, hazy efforts to this radio-friendly yet overtly capturing track. What’s unsurprising, however, is that it hits every mark that a good single should. Abel Tesfaye has been on the radar for some time now, progressing strongly since 2011’s House of Balloons. But if he wasn’t well regarded before, he will be now. This is one of the better (or best) examples of a song that explores the relationship between love and drugs. The lyrics are transparent, but there’s really no need for them to be anything but. Carrying an irresistible bassline and Michael Jackson-esque vocals, this song is an explosion waiting to happen. - Annie Cooper

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

Eves

24. Eves The Behavior
Electrical

Eves The Behavior’s next move following the brilliant TV was always going to be anticipated and she didn’t disappoint with Electrical. The track and its subsequent Warpaint remix has seen Hannah skyrocket into headphones of the general public. Comparisons to female artists like Lorde, Lauren Mayberry (CHVRCHES) are common among the bloggers but Eves The Behavior’s distinguishes herself with icy synths and hushed yet anthemic-in-feeling vocals that wash through the chorus - “I’m nothing more than skin and bone, with wires that make me tremble”. Splendour In The Grass will mark her proper arrival as one of Australia’s best assets right now. - Alexander Wilkinson

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

TameImpala_Eventually

23. Tame Impala
Eventually

In a Reddit AMA earlier this year Kevin Parker noted that Eventually was “still very moving” for him to listen to. And that’s seems to have translated to the rest of the public as well. Eventually has two modes - those expansive, crunching guitars that elevate the verses and the crystalline, stillness that illuminates the bridge and the chorus. “I know that I’ll be happier and I know you will too,” Parker sings, giving us both his most personal and fragile moment yet. Lonerism had its sweet, introspective moments but never did it break down the walls as much as Eventually does. Tame Impala have a break-up song and it’s not jaded nor is it angry, it’s hopeful. - Sam Murphy

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

FourFiveSeconds

22. Rihanna, Kanye West & Paul McCartney
FourFiveSeconds

Rihanna has always come out all-guns-blazing on lead-singles from new albums so it’s an understatement to say FourFiveSeconds was a surprise. It’s no Only Girl, We Found Love or Diamonds, it’s not even Russian Roulette. Instead it’s an acoustic number featuring music royalty of young and old. That initial shock stumped people at first but the song eventually gained momentum and that’s because it’s got an undeniably brilliant melody that only took one instrument to orchestrate it. Rihanna’s voice is at its grittiest and even Kanye sounds like a crooner. One of the few risks in pop music this year and it turns out all that was needed was a little simplicity.

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

Grimes

21. Grimes
REALiTi

After a clear division between fans over Go, Grimes shot back earlier this year with a forgotten off-cut from the fabled “lost-album” that she began and canned in 2013. The song rode the fine line between her sounds from Oblivion and something new and exciting. It didn’t matter what your thoughts on Go were…Grimes fans worldwide rejoiced at the release of the amazing single (and totally tumblr-worthy film-clip). The real baffler was that Grimes herself thought that this song wasn’t album worthy in the first place, reminding us all that she is a superior being. - Meshell Webb

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

CourtneyBarnett

20. Courtney Barnett
Depreston

It’s hard to argue now that Courtney Barnett isn’t one of the greatest songwriter is the world. She manages to take the mundane and amplify the emotions surrounding it. It’s never more clear than on Depreston - a song about looking for suburban real-estate in Melbourne. Instrumentally Depreston is her most solemn sounding track with Barnett gently spilling out her thoughts over a simple but effective arrangement. In the song’s latter parts she manages to create a stirring hook out of the line, “If you’ve got a spare half a million/You could knock it down and start rebuilding.” Not many, if any, could do that. - Sam Murphy

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

Florence

19. Florence + The Machine
Ship To Wreck

The expectation for Florence + The Machine’s third LP was that they would continue aiming for the grandiose like, the at times overwhelming, Ceremonials. But they didn’t. They reigned it right in and delivered a career best with Ship To Wreck being the hallmark of that. At first it sounded limp but as time when on Ship To Wreck flourished into a loose-limbed masterpiece that evoked something freeing inside all of us. It’ll bring out the interpretive dancer in all of us and that seems to be exactly what Flo and co would’ve wanted. - Alexander Wilkinson

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

TobiasJessoJr

18. Tobias Jesso Jr.
How Could You Babe

We all keep saying it but how goddamn refreshing is it to hear a plain old great ballad in a market that is saturated with overproduction? For all the bells and whistles in the world won’t write you a song as great as this one. One listen and you’re hooked. The retro recording techniques only lend to the charm of Jesso Jr. The baby-faced singer teeters on the edge of a sound that could be cheesy but the sincerity of the lyrics along with the no-bullshit presentation give this song the kind of timeless appeal that means you can totally rock out to it in the car and your grandma will love it too. How cool is that? - Meshell Webb

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

Jamiexx_Gosh

17. Jamie xx
Gosh

When Jamie xx debuted this song on BBC Radio 1, Annie Mac compared it to Orbital’s Belfast. While they’re are distinct differences in terms of tempo, she was spot on. The two songs correlate because they both find their euphoria in a finessed melody that runs underneath a club-ready beat. Gosh is Jamie xx’s love letter to the British club-scene. His kisses are blown in the form an alarm-like synth that sweetens a frenetic, industrial beat. When the synth comes out at the midway points its as if the lights are completely blurring out club-goers vision. They can’t see a thing but they know they’re in good company. It even translated to Glastonbury over the weekend where you could see hearts melting. - Sam Murphy

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

FatherJohnMisty

16. Father John Misty
Bored In The USA

Father John Misty arrived back on the scene with an unusual piano ballad that that darkly scrutinises the societal problems afflicting the US of A. Different from his trademark folk, it’s a treatise on White America and its disillusionment. But hey, don’t let that deter you - the gentle piano melody is arresting paired with his voice echoing the vacant melancholy of Americans who find themselves “bored” with their lives. While downbeat, the acutely-written lyrics strike at the heart of Middle America making it both a humorous and unnerving listen. - Michelle He

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

KanyeWest

15. Kanye West
All Day

Even sans flamethrowers, All Day is one of the finest gifts Kanye has blessed us with for a long while. It’s angry, substantial, and subverts any preconceived ideas as to what his next album will sound like. This is Kanye showing us what he is capable of as a rap artist, this is Kanye rapping harder, faster, sharper, so it is clear that his war waged against those running radio is not yet done, and far from. Allan Kingdom and Theophilus London both contribute vocals to the track, which glide well with Kanye’s verses, however, they are incapable of detracting any attention from the real monster here. If this track is any indication of what the bulk of his album will sound like, there's something very exciting in store for us. - Annie Cooper

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

Drake

14. Drake
Energy

Try as hard as you might, there’s no avoiding Drake. In 2015 he's been everywhere - from Coachella to Apple Music to dropping a surprise mixtape outta nowhere. However, coming from someone that typically feels nothing but ambivalence for Drake, this track is an objective standout. What’s so attractive about Energy is that it’s a big fuck you to pretty much everyone. That is, everyone that uses the internet. Drake disregards us all by spitting "I got bitches askin me for the code for the wi-fi/ so they can talk about they timeline/ and show me pictures of they friends/ just to tell me they ain’t really friends". It’s tongue in cheek, it’s hard hitting, and it’s beguiling because essentially, he’s speaking about you. - Annie Cooper

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

Miguel

13. Miguel
Coffee (Fucking)

It’s no surprise that Miguel can write an acutely sexy song. Kaleidoscope Dream was full of them but he’s returned with something that gives us a little more than the usual RnB sextalk. Coffee, the first single from WildHeart, is a love song centred around sex. But rather than portraying it as cheap and fleeting like so many of his contemporaries he’s tender and respectful with the same smooth charm as a song like D’Angelo’s Untitled. “Wordplay, turns in to gun play/And gun play turns into pillow talk/Pillow talk turns into sweet dreams/Sweet dreams turns into fucking in the morning,” he sings, giving us the most poetic turn of events we’re likely to hear this year. - Sam Murphy

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

HudsonMohawke

12. Hudson Mohawke
Ryderz

Ryderz is part of a new but pleasing direction for Hudson Mohawke, known affectionately to those who’ve been listening to his stuff for a while as HudMo. The new side of HudMo increasingly features vocal collaborators after an early career focussed on bizarre sounds and a genre loosely known as Wonky. His production is smooth as ever though, whilst being definitely more melodic. Ryderz features some old school HudMo samples, especially in its conclusion which draws on sounds from an earlier track of his called Hummus. - Zanda Wilson

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

ActionBronson

11. Action Bronson
Baby Blue (Feat. Chance The Rapper)

The “go f**k yourself” lyrics, the production from an on fire Mark Ronson, a team up with another leader of the pack rapper and of course the ultimate coolness that drips off anything Bronson does. Baby Blue was going to be a winner even if you just looked at this shit on paper. It’s great to hear Bronson singing in the choruses-something about his drawl and tone makes me love him even more. I cannot fault Ronson’s instrumentation and production chops on this either. Top that all off with a “Coming to America” rip-off music video and you have Hip Hop gold. Also props to Chance The Rappers' contribution, featuring the most sharp-tongued quips heard this year - "I hope you never get off Fridays, And you always work at Friday's, That's always busy on Fridays." Burn. - Meshell Webb

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

Years&Years

10. Years & Years
King

Crowned as the Kings of the coveted BBC Sound Of...award this year, an honour that boasts graduates such as Adele, 50 Cent and Sam Smith, British trio Years & Years had big, big shoes to fill. And fill it they did. It was a slow start but their massive single King skyrocketed to the top of the charts and, soon enough, the once relatively unknown boys from Britain (and one from Australia) firmly made their mark on the international music scene. The reasoning behind the brassy synth-driven King's popularity isn't hard to put a finger on. With a sound that's best described as radio-ready pop, transformed by elements of RnB, pop and deep-house, and impossibly smooth vocals courtesy of lead vocalist Olly Alexander, Years & Years are the much-needed breath of fresh air we've all been waiting for. Watch this space. - Bianca

Read: Years & Years And The Pressure of Being The World's Most Hyped Band

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

Kelela

9. Kelela
A Message

Venezuelan producer Arca did masterful work on Bjork’s return-to-form Vulnicura this year and it only continued with Kelela’s A Message. With both artists he managed to make the use of space more important than what’s in between. The breath-halting pauses are what makes A Message spectacular. “If I was your ex,” Kelela sings before briefly coming to a stop and then continuing, “girlfriend.” It’s that moment that energises the song, builds its sensuality and distorts its use of time. There are definite recollections of Aaliyah here but it’s also Kelela pushing the future RnB envelope even further. - Sam Murphy

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

Kendrick

8. Kendrick Lamar
King Kunta

King Kunta is To Pimp A Butterfly’s most accessible moment. It’s funky with ‘70s boogie and where The Blacker The Berry was an angry, fierce Kendrick Lamar, King Kunta is a chest-puff. Like he did on Big Sean’s Control last year Lamar gives us a rare ego - “Now I run the game got the who world talking.” He even amplifies his own voice adding a call and response between him and his back-up singers. When he raps “I’m mad”, they reasset “he mad”. It’s Lamar mocking the rap-game to a certain point, but you also get the feeling he enjoys stirring things sometimes. - Sam Murphy

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

Skepta

7. Skepta
Shutdown

2015 arrived with a promise of being the year grime finally got his break. And it hasn’t really let us down this far. Kanye’s BRIT Awards performance of All Day with Skepta, Novelist, Stormzy and more was a big hallmark but a lot should be owed to Skepta’s Shutdown. Skepta beats out any MC on this monster of a song, centreing it around the British government's shutdown of grime gigs with a cool confidence rather than anger. With the video assisting, it also has a distinct group-mentality that demonstrates to all those who didn’t know already that grime is all about its community, and as the audio snapshot in the track proves certain people find that “intimidating.” It’s more so empowering. - Sam Murphy

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

TameImpala_CauseImAMan

6. Tame Impala
'Cause I'm A Man

Tame Impala are proving time over that psychedelic music still has a prominent place in Australia’s burgeoning music scene. ‘Cause I’m A Man drives forward in a relaxed way, but also in a manner where the instrumental line establishes a deep groove so early on means that it’s impossible not to be caught up in the depth of the funk. The chorus is undeniably the star, along with some gloriously affected vocals. The other highlight has to be the incredible and seamless shifting between conventional bass playing to the more gorgeous bass harmonics which creates undeniable diversity in both the melodic and bass layers of sound. - Zanda Wilson

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

UMO

5. Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Multi-Love

The title track of Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s 2015 LP illustrates why these guys are one of the most diverse and unique acts going around at the moment. Multi-Love is a melodic and rhythmic exploration in subtle psychedelic sounds, with gorgeous echoey vocals at its epicentre. Instrumental sounds range from mandolin-style guitars to more conventional strumming, all backed by instrumental and vocal sound effects and heavy use of delay. Part of the intrigue of the track actually lies in that some of the effects are so heavy in places that it’s hard to establish what precisely is going on in terms of vocal and melodic harmonies. - Zanda Wilson

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

Tink

4. Tink
Ratchet Commandments

Timbaland has reinvented himself a few times now. He rose to fame with Aaliyah in his hey-day and then returned with Justin Timberlake, only to also assist with Nelly Furtado’s rebirth. 20 year-old Tink is his third-coming but Tink’s not going to let Timbaland play the star in this story. Ratchet Commandments beat is unmistakably Tims but everything else is Tink - a quick-fire feminist ready to call out fake shit. “I thought we had some young Queens what you mean?” she raps as she deconstructs “phoney hoes.” A socially conscious, highly intelligent track that also manages to double as a banger. - Sam Murphy

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

Kendrick_BlackerBerry

3. Kendrick Lamar
The Blacker The Berry

Kendrick Lamar has always been an eloquent speaker when it comes to social issues but never has he been as potent as he is on The Blacker The Berry. The Blacker The Berry came after i, a track criticised by many for being too fleeting and light for Lamar. This is the opposite. Lamar is angry but he’s also totally is control. “You hate me don’t you? You hate my people, your plan is to terminate my culture?” he raps, digging to the depths of his vocal grunt. It’s without a doubt the most powerful song of 2015 and yet he still manages to add a fire Assassin hook and convert it to one of his most musically successful tracks. It’s also his lyrical peak, at this point. - Sam Murphy

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

TameImpala_LetItHappen

2. Tame Impala
Let It Happen

The first track to be released off their still unreleased forthcoming album Currents, Let It Happen needed to be remarkable to set the tone for Tame Impala in 2015. Remarkable indeed, sitting at a cool seven and a half minutes, yet somehow not feeling long or overdone. This epic is a journey of exploration into psychedelic layering and texture. Typically, expressive vocal and guitar techniques are used to substantial effect, but the sectional interplay is where Let It Happen really gives a glimpse into the soul of the band and showcases the fact that Kevin Parker is one of the most talented songwriters of his time. - Zanda Wilson

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

Jamiexx_LoudPlaces

1. Jamie xx
Loud PLaces (Feat. Romy)

“I go to loud places to search for someone to be quiet with,” Romy sings on Loud Places, the standout moment from Jamie xx’s club-nostalgic debut solo album. Loud Places is a song caught between two emotions - sadness and joy. Romy’s verses are melancholic and beautiful while the Idris Muhammad sample is euphoric and ready for the masses.

Loud Places is that moment in the club where everyone’s moving in slow-motion and you’ve for a moment remembered some of the problems you entered with and are brought down for a split second. If you watch Jamie xx drop this song during a live set and watch the crowd’s reaction you’ll see their heart in their throat but they’ll still have their arms in the air. The dancefloor's most potent moments have always traded in heartbreak and Jamie xx understands that flurry of emotion better than anyone. A beautiful and fragile moment that’s going to be incredibly hard to beat this year. - Sam Murphy

[/full_width]

[full_width padding="0 150px 0 150px"]

[/notdevice]

[device]

After half a year of solid listening, we gathered together a list of thirty songs that most made their mark on us to this point in 2015.

Illustrations by Bianca Bosso.

WhatSoNot
30. What So Not
Gemini (Feat. George Maple)

TkayMaidza

29. Tkay Maidza
M.O.B.

HotChip

28. Hot Chip
Need You Now

Elliphant

27. Elliphant
Love Me Badder

Nao

26. Nao
Apple Cherry

TheWeeknd

25. The Weeknd
I Can't Feel My Face

Eves

24. Eves The Behavior
Electrical

TameImpala_Eventually

23. Tame Impala
Eventually

FourFiveSeconds

22. Rihanna, Kanye West & Paul McCartney
FourFiveSeconds

Grimes

21. Grimes
REALiTi

CourtneyBarnett

20. Courtney Barnett
Depreston

Florence

19. Florence + The Machine
Ship To Wreck

TobiasJessoJr

18. Tobias Jesso Jr.
How Could You Babe

Jamiexx_Gosh

17. Jamie xx
Gosh

FatherJohnMisty

16. Father John Misty
Bored In The USA

KanyeWest

15. Kanye West
All Day

Drake

14. Drake
Energy

Miguel

13. Miguel
Coffee (Fucking)

HudsonMohawke

12. Hudson Mohawke
Ryderz

ActionBronson

11. Action Bronson
Baby Blue (Feat. Chance The Rapper)

Years&Years

10. Years & Years
King

Read: Years & Years And The Pressure of Being The World's Most Hyped Band

Kelela

9. Kelela
A Message

Kendrick

8. Kendrick Lamar
King Kunta

Skepta

7. Skepta
Shutdown

TameImpala_CauseImAMan

6. Tame Impala
'Cause I'm A Man

UMO

5. Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Multi-Love

Tink

4. Tink
Ratchet Commandments

Kendrick_BlackerBerry

3. Kendrick Lamar
The Blacker The Berry

TameImpala_LetItHappen

2. Tame Impala
Let It Happen

Jamiexx_LoudPlaces

1. Jamie xx
Loud PLaces (Feat. Romy)

[/device]

features / lists07/01/2015

10 Songs You Need To Hear This Week: Janet Jackson, Years & Years, Lianne La Havas And More

10Songs_26June

If you're reading this it's a harsh reminder that you're not at Glastonbury and no matter what you do you're not going to have the best weekend of your life this weekend. But that's ok because you're housed and clean and don't have to listen to Brits bitch about how Kanye West is no Oasis. Also, you're reading this. That's another positive. Here's the best goodies we received this week.

Read: How To Stream Glastonbury From The Comfort Of Your Couch

Lianne La Havas
What You Don't Do

Lianne La Havas is such a class act every time she releases a track it feels like she's got nothing to prove. She's got effortless, honey-soaked vocals that feel easy but probably aren't really. What You Don't Do is a far more slinky, slender tune that its predecessor Unstoppable. It's armed with a radio-friendly tempo and a few doo-wops to please casual fans, but even for the avid LLH fans there's plenty here to like. She absolutely slays it vocally at the end, all the while remaining calm, cool and collected. What a gal.

Years & Years
Foundation

We're used to hearing radio-friendly bangers from Years & Years but they took a slight left turn this week, dropping a moody, haunting number. The vocals, as always, are sweet but the instrumental is dark. The accompanying video goes for the same kind of vibe, showing frontman Olly come back to life in the middle of his own funeral. Funnily enough, everyone seems to be rather confused about the whole thing.

Yeo
Quiet Achiever

Its been said a number of times but it's so apt we need to say it again - Quiet Achiever is the most perfect name for a Yeo song ever. The track has picked up an add on triple j this week and with a Peking Duk feature on the way, Yeo seems to be poised for major popularity after chipping away quietly for plenty of years. Quiet Achiever gives the people exactly what they want. There's tropical steel drums, trap elements and delectable vocal samples. It's by far his most accessible thing yet, but it's also undeniably a Yeo song which is a major win.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/snackswithyeo/quiet-achiever[/soundcloud]

Nero
Two Minds

Disco crossed with EDM and electronica sounds like a devil of a genre-baby but Nero gave birth to one this week and it actually is pretty pleasing. Two Minds is taken from their forthcoming LP Between II Worlds and is by far their most melodically rich track from the album yet. We reckon this will be the track to really stand out on radio and return them to the chart-heights of UK number one Promises.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/nero/two-minds[/soundcloud]

Black Vanilla
Slug

We heard this a few months ago when Black Vanilla burnt the Sydney's Civic Underground down (not literally obviously, it's still very much in tact) and were instantly in a trance. Slug is a violent monster of a song driven by thumping bass and demonic vocals. It's the kind of song that goes wasted if it doesn't draw sweat from its listener - a track that's heavy and yet full of space to weave in thrashing dance moves. There's not enough violent dance music out there. Kudos Black Vanilla - we feel violated but pleased.

Read our interview with Black Vanilla here.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/factmag/black-vanilla-slug[/soundcloud]

Ngaiire
Once

Ngaiire was actually in the first season of Australian Idol but as people do in the space of XX years she's flourished into one of Australia's finest soul vocalists. Once is a track that doesn't throw itself in your face. Rather it just slowly walks closer and closer until it sinks into you. It occupies a space somewhere between Solange and Erykah Badu with a coolness matched by a fine mastery. She's worked with everyone from Paul Mac to Kilter but this feels like her defining track as an artist.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/ngaiire/once-blastoma-edit[/soundcloud]

Jack Grace
Hills

There are a lot of Australian males crooning over electronic beats at the moment but Jack Grace stands out from the rest. Hills is an experiment in colliding electronic elements. There are sweet pop hooks, industrial beats and auto-tuned vocals are thrown into the mix and the result is thrilling, actually. The hook sounds a little Andy Bull but then the auto-tune is unashamedly Kanye and the production tips its hat to Hudson Mohawke. It's a song that didn't go unnoticed this week and that's because its an artistic risk. It's paying of if you ask us.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/jackgraceofficial/hills[/soundcloud]

Petite Noir
Down

Not many South African artists have been able to cross over into the Western music spectrum but things are about to change with the introduction of Petite Noir. Yannick Ilunga possesses the voice of an old soul and on Down he melds that with a feel for organic rhythm into something that feels summery and cheery without a hint of gimmick. It's taken from his debut album La Vie Est Belle / Life Is Beautiful which is due for release in September. Last time we wrote about Petite Noir we said we get naked to his music. We still feel that way.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/petitenoir/petite-noir-down[/soundcloud]

Anne-Marie
Gemini

London vocalist Anne-Marie has toured with Rudimental as their live vocalist and this week she popped up on their latest track Rumour Mill but, dare we say, this one might be better. Gemini is taken from her debut EP and features production by Two Inch Punch who's produced for Sam Smith and Jessie Ware. It's a breezy, beautifully robust track centring around her airy, delicate vocals. Anne-Marie and Two Inch Punch are a dream team and if more stuff of this quality comes through she'll be making Rudimental her support act.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/iamannemarie/anne-marie-gemini[/soundcloud]

Janet Jackson
No Sleeep

This is all you need to know. Janet Jackson is back, she's spelling sleep with three e's and she really couldn't care less what you think because she's in her fourth decade as a superstar and at the point you become immortal.

lists / new music06/26/2015

8 Other Reasons Why Taylor Swift Has Beef With Apple

Taylor_Beef

Taylor Swift used her powerful voice this week to bring a corporate giant to the bargaining table, and set a standard that can be nothing but a force for good in the music industry. The youngest woman ever on Forbes’ 100 most powerful people list, and a damn good songwriter if we’re being honest. But our LA correspondent, Rei Barker, has his ears to the gold-paved streets - and there’s more than meets the eye to this little fandango.

She's a descendant of Isaac Newton. When that Apple fell on his head, the consequent theory of gravity was a huge leap for Sir Newton himself, as well as theoretical physics. But children can be oh so cruel. The memories of children taunting a young Taylor with ‘hey smart person,’ and ‘what’s up gravity girl’ in primary school haunt her to this day.

Swift, a Shania Twain fan from a young age, holds her idol in high regard. Unbeknownst to many, Steve Jobs and Ms Twain dated briefly. He callously broke up with her via iMessage, and whilst the turtlenecked-one is no longer with us, Taylor has a long memory.

She was a celebrity Beta tester for the iWatch, and a faulty device gave her a mild electrical shock. She keeps the watch to this day under her bed, and says mean things to it before she goes to sleep at night.

apple-watch-6_1

She ‘fucking hates turtlenecks and every fuckwit that wears them.’ She has flat refused to comment any further on this. JOURNALISTS! Do *NOT* bring up turtlenecks if Tay Tay is in the room.

While she has publicly stated that she bears no ill will towards Kanye West for ‘Kanye’ing her,’ he is well known for having a full back piece tattoo of Steve Jobs’ face. "It is kinda smiling, in a smug way, but it also has this wink. It’s literally the worst." 'Nuff said, T Swift.

tattoo

Taylor is famously allergic to apples. I think this one is a little petty, but I am allergic to K, and I don’t go near K-mart, so more power to her!

Apple CEO Tim Cook (or ‘Tim Cooked’ as he’s known on Sunset Boulevard) was getting a selfie with Rob Schneider, Michelle Obama and one of the lesser-known Baldwins as Taylor was walking past at the Grammys. Not even a sideways glance or invitation. She fired her iPhone into the sun the very next day and bought two Samsung Galaxys out of spite.

Image Source: http://facebook.com/coolaccidents

She’s going to hate me for spilling the beans on this one, but Taylor has never been able to get the ‘Pie Scene’ from American Pie out of her head. She refuses to even speak Jason Biggs’ name, she just calls him Pie Boy and refuses to watch the scenes he’s in in Orange is the New Black, and the natural progression of this thorn in her side extents to the company that bears the namesake of said pie’s contents.

lists / OMG Music06/23/2015

8 Songs You Didn’t Know Were About Drugs

SongsDrugs

Music tells many stories and conveys many positive emotions – love, happiness, the joy of partying, but there’s a no less important darker side too. For better or worse – our LA correspondent has compiled this list of forgotten songs when journalists plumb the annals of drug-related music.

Nine Inch Nails
Hurt

Arguably Reznor’s magnus opus, later given an unforgettable reworking by Johnny Cash is actually about this one time that Trent stubbed his big toe. It chronicles the agony of bandaging it up, and subsequent use of antibiotics and paracetamol to manage pain and infection – not to mention the self-doubt and existential crises that accompany it.

Cat Stevens
The First Cut is the Deepest

Cat Stevens, pre conversion to Islam, was a heavy intravenous drug user. Lauded for his skillful work hiding cryptic lyrics within the rigid framework of ABAB rhyming couplets, Stevens shares the relatable experience of romanticising one’s first use of a needle, and the endless chase to find that feeling again.

Wheatus
Teenage Dirtbag

An ode to the teenage experience so skillfully written that Wheatus themselves couldn’t even help me properly decode it. ‘We remember that it’s about only being able to get shit weed when you’re young, but the 90s are kind of a haze to be honest with you,’ said the group’s frontman, Brendan B. Brown. That just goes to show that the creative process can sometimes be so intense that the artists themselves sometimes can’t explain it, but perhaps some things are better left as mysteries.

Peter Dodds McCormick
Advance Australia Fair

Australia’s beloved national anthem, first composed in 1878, isn’t most people’s go-to when they need an example of drug music, but in a diary entry in 1895 McCormick wrote – ‘I dinnae the wee bairns down there, it was about a dream I had when I aff my heid on swoop, but whit’s fur ye’ll no go by ye!’ I don’t quite know what this means or what swoop is, but I’ve been assured by Scottish people that it is indeed a drug reference.

Enya
Orinoco Flow/Sail Away

Enya’s finest work to date, or at least most well known. What isn’t well known is that instead of being an homage to her beautiful homeland of Ireland, the woman of 1000 voices composed this masterpiece in memoriam of her long relationship with Ketamine. ‘Sail Away’ refers to being so deep in a K-Hole that you really aren’t sure if you’ll ever get out, while the verses are just gibberish she came up with that sounded cool at the time.

The Wiggles
Pretty much all their songs

The Wiggles are loved by children and parents alike, but it’s an industry secret that behind closed doors, The Wiggles were having issues coping with fame. Jeff had struggled with Heroin use since his days in The Cockroaches, as evidenced in Wake up Jeff. The classic singalong is actually a plea from his bandmates to stop showing up to practice high as a kite, then falling asleep as soon as no one was looking. Dorothy the Dinosaur was penned by Greg in reference to his alter ego when high on cocaine, and let’s just say it’s no coincidence that Big Red Car dropped around the same time that red Mitsubishis were tearing up clubs from Darwin to St Kilda.

Elvis Presley
Blue Suede Shoes

Even The King of Rock n Roll had his vices. Blue Suede Shoes, which he implores the listener to not take from him, and asserts that they are more important than any of his other possessions, is actual a metaphor for the prescription painkillers he was addicted to at the time. They happened to be a blue colour, and the rest is history. Luckily he kicked the habit and everything turned out completely fine!

Michael Jackson
Bad

Jackson wrote the song from the first person perspective of a shitty batch of acid that him and his mates got a hold of. It was no secret at the time that MJ was a space cadet from day dot, and the simple, catchy chorus really nails the point.

Because I'm bad, I'm bad - come on
(Bad bad - really, really bad)
You know I'm bad, I'm bad - you know it
(Bad bad - really, really bad)
You know I'm bad, I'm bad - come on, you know
(Bad bad - really, really bad)

lists / OMG Music06/22/2015

10 Songs You Need To Hear This Week: Robyn, Foals, Miguel And More

10Songs_19June

Bitch, these are the 10 tracks that you should be all over this week with 100 percent less Madonna, Beyonce and Kanye. However, we would've been happy to have them on board if we knew how to get in contact with them :/

Robyn & La Bagatelle Magique
Love Is Free

We're always waiting on new Robyn material and we're yet to be disappointed by anything she's churned out. Her latest project is Robyn & La Bagatelle Magique and the first single is Love Is Free - a '90s house-inspired tune. Robyn half-raps the whole thing, in control and bringing the cool as always. It's a stylish track but it's also designed for those inclined to get down and dirty on the dance floor. The production may be clean but there's nothing clean about what will happen when this drops after midnight in a club.

Little Boots
No Pressure

Little Boots is killing it at the moment with her Ariel Rechtshaid-produced work from her upcoming Working Girl LP. It feels like she's finally found away to entertain her pop sensibilities while also bringing a point of difference and operating in the dance world. No Pressure is far less breezy than the first single Better In The Morning, sounding more closely aligned to the sublime pop on her debut Hands. There are twinkling synths, heavy beats and a pop-laden chorus. It's her biggest shot at a radio-pleaser in a long time.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/littleboots/no-pressure[/soundcloud]

Tashka
Taken (Dugong Jr Remix)

Tashka's Taken was already a throwback RnB winner but now Melbourne producer and Moving Castle-affiliate Dugong Jr has turned those original vibes up even more. Dugong Jr has given the track a slight renovation, moving it into a dream-like realm where airy RnB vocals circulate the atmosphere. Now we're starting to hear Ciara and Aaliyah in Tashka's vocals, giving the tune a second life at the interns' office.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/dugongjr/tashka-taken-dugong-jr-remix[/soundcloud]

Little May
Home

Little May are finally prepping the release of their debut album and Home is the first taste from that. They're one of Australia's finest exports at the moment, even managing to catch the attention of The National's Aaron Brooking Dessner who produced the single. It's a slightly more haunting style for the three girls who have generally traded in lighter folk music but it's a great direction to go in. The track was filmed in New York, offering up a few of the city's most iconic themes while the girls jam it out in a church.

R.W. Grace
Shell

There's been a little confusion surrounding this Aussie artist lately. She was previously known as Grace, however, there is now another Grace tearing up the charts with her cover of You Don't Own Me, meaning that the first Grace has had to add an R and a W to the beginning of her name to distinguish herself. Luckily, it hasn't affected her music at all as she's effortlessly followed up 2014's beautiful Pluto with Shell. Her smokey vocal sinks into a part organic, part electronic instrumental-arrangement. She sounds like an artist who's completely in charge of her artistic path and as such she sounds confident and in control on this track.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/rwgrace/shell[/soundcloud]

Charles Murdoch
Straws

Future Classic have turned ten this year and while the label is known for Flume and Chet Faker, every week we're reminded of the wealth of other talent they have. Sydney producer Charles Murdoch is an example of one of those talents and he's getting ready to release his debut album this year. Straws is the first single from that LP and it's a heavenly slice of electronica that's both melancholic and uplifting. The track is bound by a hushed vocal sample which wanders around the delicate synths. Stick around for the subtle drop at the end - not much bass but plenty of bliss.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/futureclassic/charles-murdoch-straws[/soundcloud]

Miguel
face the sun

We've had plenty of great album releases this year but Miguel's WildHeart looks set to rival them all. Coffee was a sure-fire winner and this week he dropped three other album tracks just to prove there's plenty more where that came from. The Lenny Kravitz featuring face the sun is the one that stood out to us the most. Despite its big-name feature the focus is completely on Miguel who blitzes his way through a sleek, electric guitar-driven track. "I belong to you," is the general notion of the song and Miguel uses those four words to lead the song straight into a full-force climax.

Raury
Devil's Whisper

Atlanta rapper Raury is a hard one to work out. He's got this folk-side never explored before in hip-hop and then he's got a more traditional rap side. Somehow he brings the two together effortlessly and his latest Devil's Whisper is an example of that. It begins as a dark, spiritually-twisted track and then detours into strobing-synths and rapping. He's a damn good rapper and we have to admit we're keener on the second half of the song than the first, but the whole thing is killer.

ABRA
Roses

Awful Records have released some of the year's more challenging electronic tracks but ABRA's output is perhaps their most accessible yet. She's just dropped a brilliant lo-fi RnB album Rose and with it launched a video for Roses. The track is bound by a sweet melody and bounces along with hollow beats which create a certain DIY charm. Sweet as the melody may be, ABRA's image is strong. "I'm young and I'll waste you away," she sings, suddenly making it very clear why she's dropping from Awful Records.

Foals
What Went Down

It's hard to believe this is the same band that released songs like Cassius and Two Steps, Twice. It's not that Foals are unrecognisable now, it's just that they have bolstered up their sound and puffed out their chests, evolving into a fully-fledged rock band. What Went Down, the title track from their forthcoming fourth LP is a foot-hard-on-the-accelerator type track with frontman Yannis Philippakis howling throughout. It feels anxious and chaotic yet in control. This is a band ready to become a festival headliner.

lists / new music06/19/2015

8 Songs By New Artists That Will Hook You Right Away

8NewArtists_18June

So much music from established artists comes our way each day that it’s easy to get distracted from the vast amount of gold that’s being churned out by new artists. This is a collection of eight songs that are brilliant in their own right but also introduced us to the artist and mark them as ones to watch in 2015.

Only Girl
Remains

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/onlygirlmusic/remains-1[/soundcloud]

London singer-songwriter Ellen Murphy, going by the name of Only Girl, has a pretty interesting story behind this track Remains. As she told The Fader, it was written after her boyfriend had spent two years recovering from a brain injury. It’s about getting back to her old self and learning to love her boyfriend again and as such it has this beautiful feeling of regrowth to it. It’s like London Grammar have been taken to church, with the stunning lyric “I will rebuild this heart, with what remains of me.” Her voice coupled with those lyrics hit you right in the heart, exactly where it should.

Kranium
Can’t Give A Fuck

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/kranium1/kranium-give-a-fuck-raw-prod-by-lmr[/soundcloud]

Kranium is a New York-based, Jamaican-born reggae-dancehall artist who has been gaining momentum in the US this year. In January he signed a major label deal with Atlantic Records and last month Ty Dolla $ign jumped on his single Nobody Has To Know. He has arrived at exactly the right time with Popcaan making waves stateside and Rihanna looking for dancehall artists to work with. Can’t Give A Fuck is his latest drop and it’s a breezy, easy tune with an effortless flow.

Espa.
Pray For Me

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/espamusic/pray-for-me[/soundcloud]

London-based Espa. has been popping songs on her Souncloud for the better part of a year but she’s really struck gold with this latest one. Pray For Me treads a careful line between kooky pop and throwback RnB stringing us along for the stellar chorus which shimmers. Her voice carries some serious wait but it’s also textured enough to some sweetness to her runs. It’s as if BANKS has come out of the darkness and re-emerged wearing crystals.

Noire
Just Like Honey

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/noireband/just-like-honey[/soundcloud]

Sydney has its fair-share of happy-go-lucky alt-bands but it has a dark, underbelly that is often unexplored musically. Thank goodness for four-piece NOIRE who are crafting haunting, brooding tunes that sounds so far away from a soundtrack-to-summer song. The Just Like Honey basically describes the song with a simile that’s hard to beat. It’s rich and smooth but also steeped in black and white tones which make it dark but also classy.

Vigilantes
Elasticity

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/vvvigilantes/elasticity-1[/soundcloud]

As soon as you hear a song has live saxophone on it, you press play straight away, no questions asked. That’s exactly how we hooked onto Elasticity by Sydney duo Angela and David who go under the moniker of Vigilantes. Elasticity is born from ‘80s pop but it still manages to sound completely current with RnB undertones finding their way into the melody. That saxophone solo we were talking about comes in at the end and elevates the track to another level, one that could define the festival season if Vigilantes play their cards right.

Rytmeklubben
Girlfriend

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/rytmeklubben/girlfriend[/soundcloud]

A Norwegian four-man producer-club Rytmeklubben may confuse you a bit but don’t let that put you off this track Girlfriend. Rytmeklubben consists of producers Henrik The Artist, Hi Tom, Torjus and DJ Karaoke who have all come together for a collaborative EP which will feature this track and their own solo tracks. Girlfriend is a saccharine, pop-drenched club track which follows closely in the footsteps of PC Music. It’s so sweet and full of melody that it’s hard to believe that it came out of a country that spends basically six months of the year without sun. Whatever the climate of their country suggests, the climate of this song is hot, hot, hot.

Bosco
Seventh

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/foolsgoldrecs/bosco-seventh?in=foolsgoldrecs/sets/bosco-boy[/soundcloud]

If you’ve been living under a rock for the past two years, allow us to let you know that the electronica/RnB crossover genre is hot right now (heck, even Daniel Johns is doing it), but only a few are really nailing it. Here’s one of those arists that’s really nailing it - Atlanta-based singer BOSCO. She’s just realised her BOY via risk-takers Fool’s Gold Records and it’s a refined, daring collection of songs which established her as a real force to be reckoned with. Seventh is one of the finest songs from that collection. It’s a breathy, slow-burner that draws comparisons to FKA twigs and Kelela yet still manages to portray her as an artist in her own right.

Jacob Banks
Grace

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/mr-jacob/grace[/soundcloud]

We’ve become overly used to hearing soulful electronic songs but none like this. London-based singer Jacob Banks’ voice goes deeper than that. He channels Muddy Waters territory (the singer, not the terrain) as he grunts over an organic instrumental that adopts beats in the second verse. It may take you a few listens to get your head around it but once you do it’s rewarding. It feels like there’s a real density to the track and at the same time it’s a spiritual listen.

Here are all the songs in a handy Soundcloud playlist:

lists / new music06/18/2015

10 Songs You Need To Hear This Week: The Weeknd, Hudson Mohawke, Basenji And More

10Songs_12June

This week Apple finally announced its streaming service Apple Music. While in most weeks this would've been the headline-of-the-week they were beaten to the post by a homophobic Ten Walls and the fact that Nicki Minaj's arse was plastered 1,000 times over a Helsinki cathedral. Oh, what a weird world we live in.

In celebration, we've combined all these news items by presenting to you ten songs that you can stream (for free), that aren't homophobic and also feature no mention of Nicki Minaj's derriere.

Basenji
Petals

The top dawg is back with his first single of 2015 and what a cracker it is. Sydney producer Basenji struck gold with his 2014 single Heirloom but it feels like he's even one-upped that track with Petals. Petals is a floating daydream built around glassy beats and airy synths. It's beautifully delicate and helped-along by the gentle, windy vocals of Scenic. This is just begging to be in a baby powder ad just as it is ready to be the most euphoric moment of a night out.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/officialbasenji/basenji-petals-featuring-scenic[/soundcloud]

Hudson Mohawke
Warriors

Ah HudMo just cannot stop going bigger and better with his Lanterns singles. This latest one Warriors featuring Ruckazoid and Devaeux is an absolute monster of a song. It sounds like it's been made for the lighting of the Olympic torch - it just aims to be so damn euphoric and triumphant and it succeeds in every way. Can it really be anything other than huge when your main lyrics are "warriors", "war" and "battle." Them are fighting words.

The Weeknd
I Can't Feel My Face

He's done it. He's gone pop. It's not as big a transformation as country Tay Tay to Kendrick Lamar-featuring Tay Tay but it's a slight departure from The Weeknd's normal material. For one, there's no mention of pussy once in the song. It's a Max Martin-produced hit-in-waiting with a funky baseline and MJ-esque vocals. It's obviously been made for radio but it doesn't mean that it's unenjoyable for previous The Weeknd fans. If anything, it's just an extension of his already large sonic cannon - yes, I understand you could imply other things from that.

Kira Puru
All Dulled Out

Melbourned-based singer Kira Puru used to go by the name Kira Puru & The Bruises but it seems that those bruises have finally cleared-up because she's going it alone this time around. All Dulled Out is her return track and it's a bold statement track that sits somewhere between Megan Washington and Kimbra. Her voice is just far too good to be ignored with jazzy undertones and grand extensions but it's her songwriting on All Dulled Out that really sticks out.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/kirapuru/all-dulled-out[/soundcloud]

Kehlani & Mr. Carmack
All In

Yours Truly and Adidas' Songs From Scratch series has seen How To Dress Well team up with TALA and Jeremih and Shlohmo realise their invaluable musical connection. The latest pair to craft something rad together are US RnB singer Kehlani and all-encompassing producer Mr. Carmack, delivering All In. All In is about that point in a relationship when you either walk away or go for it completely. Alternatively it's about the moment you reach the halfway point of a BBQ Shapes packet and have to decide if you can swallow your pride and finish the packet. Different interpretations aside, it's a beautifully dim, soulful track that makes Kehlani's smokey vocals the star.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/mr_carmack/all-in-with-kehlani[/soundcloud]

Melé
Ambience

If you don't want to get-up and go-hard the minute you hear this then there is something clinically wrong with you. Ambience, the latest track by UK producer Melé is an absolute dancefloor-stomper taking cues from Jersey club tracks. "You can do it baby, c'mon," howls a booming voice as the percussion fires-up and leads into a carnivale-inspired party. This is fierce and it will no doubt make you work your arse off if you're serious about paying it the respect it deserves.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/mixmag-1/premiere-mele-ambience[/soundcloud]

D?WN
Running From Sane

Adult Swim does this thing where they release amazing singles all through summer from an array of artists. This year they have promised tracks by SOPHIE, Chromatics and Run The Jewels but this week they have delivered on the first single of 19. Running From Sane is by D?WN who rose to fame in Diddy's girl-group Danity Kane. She's come along way from that trading pop songs for experimental electronic tracks. This one's a stunner crafting a mind-blowing soundscape alongside D?WN's otherworldly vocals. If you like this, it's worth checking out her brilliant album from this year Blackheart.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/adultswimsingles/dawn-richard[/soundcloud]

Mura Masa & Nao
Thinking Bout You (Frank Ocean cover)

We're big fans of both 18 year-old producer Mura Masa and British songstress Nao so we didn't even need to do the math to figure out that we'd be digging this one. The pair have just collaborated on Mura Masa's Firefly but here they have stripped everything back for a gorgeous cover of Frank Ocean's Thinking Bout You on Radio 1's Live Lounge. There are no bells and whistles, just Nao's voice wafting through the genius melody of the song.

Gravez & ELHAE
Call Me Back

Allow us to introduce you to Atlanta artists Gravez and ELHAE. Gravez is the beatmaker while ELHAE is the vocalist and together they have made one fine RnB scorcher. ELHAE switches between signing and rapping, with both modes as strong as each other. As such, he's able to deliver a stellar hook and then bring a sharp edge to the track simultaneously. That alongside Gravez sparse but hard-hitting beats is a match made in heaven.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/gravez/call-me-back-with-elhae[/soundcloud]

GoldLink
Dance On Me

US rapper GoldLink is tipped to do big things in 2015. He was included on XXL's iconic 2015 Freshman Class alongside Fetty Wap, Dej Loaf and OG Maco and now he's dropped his first track since. Goldlink differs to the rest of the artists on the list because he seems to be more open to more electronic, Kaytranada-esque beats and it's really working in his favour. Dance On Me is energetic, vibrant and in parts sensual making the perfect soundtrack for love-making and dancing - simultaneously or separately, it's up to you.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/goldlink/dance-on-me[/soundcloud]

lists / new music06/12/2015

10 Songs You Need To Hear This Week: Tink, Golden Features, Shura And More

TSYNTH: The most important Friday-related acronym, closely followed by TGIF. Here are the most important songs from the week.

10Songs_5JUNE

Shura
White Light

Shura has churned out a number of flawless tracks over the last year or so but before this week she'd yet to take a big risk. White Light feels like it will be her defining track. It runs for over seven minutes and is an after-dark disco-tune that is perky but also beautifully melancholic. Through instrumental twists and turns she easily holds attention for the length of the song and by the end confirms that she's more than just a hyped-name.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/shura/shura-white-light[/soundcloud]

Metric
Cascades

Canadian band Metric are now up to their sixth record which I guess makes them veterans. The LP is called Pagans In Vegas and they're kicking off the campaign with the synth-driven Cascades. Cascades sees Emily Haines' voice receive the vocoder treatment adding a touch of experimentalism to an otherwise bare-boned melody. Metric have always had a knack for delivering subtle melodies that get under your skin and it's no different here.

Carly Rae Jepsen
Emotions

Look we didn't think we'd give two shits about the new Carly Rae Jepsen album but Dev Hynes' name was thrown in the mix and our ears pricked up. Since then we've been delighted with her output from the sugary hooks of I Really Like You to the more sombre, sweetness of All That. Now we have the title track of the forthcoming record Emotion and we're once again intrigued. It's an '80s-tinged, rainbow-coloured track that retains her teeny-charm but adds some sophistication with a funky-guitar line. Keep em' coming Jeps, we're listening now.

Natalie La Rose
Around The World (Feat. Fetty Wap)

Danish newcomer Natalie La Rose bagged herself a huge hit with the Jeremih-featuring Somebody and now she's attempting to back-it up with Around The World. The track sits more firmly in the pop/EDM world than its predecessor but it still has an RnB-tinge that gives it a Ciara-like edge. It was produced by mega-hit-maker Max Martin and is definitely has success written all over it.

Halsey
Hold Me Down

US songstress Halsey is going to make a huge splash this year. This week she announced the release of her debut album Badlands and it shot into the top ten on the US iTunes on pre-orders alone, so it will more than likely be in the upper-echelons of the chart when it's officially released. Hold Me Down is set to feature on the LP. It's a tough-as-guts alt-pop tune that presents Halsey as a ballsy singer. The beats stomp hard and her voice growls, showing she ain't afraid to deliver the big tunes.

Elizabeth Rose
Division

Elizabeth Rose may be small herself but her music is making a big impact. We're used to hearing perfectly-polished pop tunes from her but this week she used her music to make a poignant statement about marriage equality. It couldn't have come at a better time as Labor, only this week, introduced a marriage equality bill into parliament. "It's the division hurting you and me, time to change it," Rose sings on new track Division. It's well-considered lyrically but it's also a bit of a dance-floor banger which always helps.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/elizabethrose/division[/soundcloud]

Golden Features
No One (Feat. Thelma Plum)

Everyone's losing their nut over enigmatic Aussie producer Golden Features and it seems to be with good reason. His latest No One is plucked from a forthcoming EP XXIV and is a dark yet crystalline stomper featuring the haunting vocals of songstress Thelma Plum. We're used to hearing Plum over mostly acoustic numbers so it's impressive to see her transform into a full-on popstar equipped with Golden Features' dirty af dance-beat.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/golden-features/no-one-ft-thelma-plum[/soundcloud]

The Internet
Special Affair

Odd Future's The Internet have released two albums and made a slight splash but they're yet to deliver something truly-defining...until now. This week the six-piece RnB outfit announced the release of a new album Ego Death and dropped with it Special Affair which has to be one of their most focussed, sonically tight releases. It's got an effortless groove to it that can only eventuate from a band who are effortlessly linked and vibing off each other. It feels intimate but at the same time it's a jam made by musicians just hangin' out.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/internet-band/special-affair[/soundcloud]

Dux Content
Snow Globe

It's hard to get your sugar-fix in a week without a PC Music release so luckily we've been gifted with another saccharine track this week. Dux Content is an A.G. Cook side-project but it doesn't really use a different formula to what we're used to. There are still rushing synths, high-pitched vocals and impossibly catchy melodies but Snow Globe has a distinctive Mystic Meg vibe to it. "We'll be shining, shining you and I together," sings a chipmunk voice channelling the now trademark lyrics of euphoria that all PC Music centres around.

[soundcloud width="750" height="200"]https://soundcloud.com/pcmus/snow-globe[/soundcloud]

Tazer x Tink
Wet Dollars

This one's an absolute blazer to finish the week with. Much like vic Mensa did with Down On My Luck, Tink has taken a short detour from American hip-hop into UK dance-styles dropping Wet Dollars. It's firmly planted in the UK club scene but Tink is such an accomplished rapper she could rap over Beethoven so it's not surprising that she nails a different genre. Get down to this one this weekend.

lists / new music06/05/2015