Every couple of years, my twin sister and I would look at each other in a moment of confusion and wonder out loud, “Where the f*ck is Fefe Dobson?” And I’m not saying this just to say it. It’s been getting even more bothersome over time. Her albums Joy and Sunday Love dropped a decade ago, and it seemed to us that the Canadian wunderkind went even more underground after that. How did such an incredible, edgy songstress who helped lead the femme pop/punk world into what it is today, just kind of vanish? The world deserved her energy. The world needed her art.
Flash forward to a few weeks ago. My sister noticed Fefe’s IG changing a bit first. Once word of a new single dropped, she was all over it. So, you know we had to weigh in on the first single drop in ten years. “FCKN IN LOVE” is out now, and it’s honestly a new staple in the music library. Bringing her quintessential Fefe attitude and vulnerability, she attacks the topic of true love in a way that most can relate to. The song packs a punch, a love anthem if you will, and is inherently joyous to listen to.
Ever felt just blissfully in love? Feeling it now? Give the track a listen. (Especially if the person you’re in love with is yourself, quite honestly.)
Alt-pop entertainer Maude Latour is certainly making a name for herself in the industry. Her sold-out North American tour kicks off next month, a result of the popularity of her sound on streaming platforms. Latest track “Headphones” is no different. The song is a testament to her talent, letting her play with autotune around natural vocals that are no less than entrancing. Explains Latour of the track:
“Headphones” starts exactly after where the “Strangers Forever” EP left us — heartbroken and experiencing loss, but slowly finding strength, as we say goodbye to a person of our past. “Headphones” is an opening of a new world; it is the first ray of light as the storm begins to end. I was lying on a hardwood floor, realizing I was truly alone in my head, no more romantic partner to lean on, when I first heard a voice in my head. It was my own. I wanted to learn to love myself, I wanted to grow within. “Headphones” is that terrifying leap into our future, and into our deeper selves.
Latour released a video accompanying the new song. Latour gallivants around New York City in good spirits, driven by her own beautiful words and the track in her headphones. The idea that words or a song could set the tone for your day – or be the underlying soundtrack to your incredible life – is reason enough to get through the tough shit.
We understand the allure, and are excited to see what her live performance entails.
Athens-based indie rock outfit Monsoon – expertly comprised of Sienna Chandler and Joey Kegel – has proven its propensity for balancing delicate harmonies with hard-hitting lines. The duo’s dynamic is energetic, edgy, and self-aware in a way that we haven’t exactly experienced before. And their new album Ghost Party is more evidence of all of that.
The first track “Walking Legs” seems to get you on your feet in just that way, starting out slow and careful and building into a cacophony of epic sound. “Third Voice” brings in more pop elements, an introspective track about change and hope at its core. The title track delves into the brokenness Chandler felt during a particularly dark time, ending with Haunted Mansion-esque energy. (If you can’t quite relate even now, having lived during an insufferable pandemic, then kudos.)
The meandering nature of “Don’t Move” is almost a palate cleanser sound-wise, though the lyrics seem to question preconceived notions in a less-than-subliminal way. “O Brother” continues with morbid metaphors, while the one-minute-long “Dark Colossus” discusses a unique love, laced with the same darkness as its predecessors.
The soundscape of “Submission” feels like it hopped right out of an indie film like 500 Days of Summer, while “Nightshop” has more of an underground, pop-punk sound to it. Ninth track “Red Blood” keeps that punk spirit alive, at times akin to the haunting chant of “red rum, red rum” from that quintessential horror flick we all know and love. The composition sounds more like a spell being cast, but that doesn’t vary much from many of the tracks on this release.
While “Pig Pen” is not about our favorite Peanuts character, it does introduce whirring guitar parts that make us want to headbang all day. The album rounds everything out perfectly with the eleventh track “Beetlebee,” which starts with a whisper and ends with an absolute bang. In fact, the song feels much like the progression of the album as a whole. We’re particularly fond of it, and can’t wait to see the live performance.
Walking Legs
Third Voice
Ghost Party
Don’t Move
O Brother
Dark Colossus
Submission
Nightshop
Red Blood
Pig Pen
Beetlebee
Get your first listen to Ghost Party on February 18th.
Polymathic artist extraordinaire Miles Francis released a new single and its accompanying music video, and we’re absolutely intoxicated by the light as a feather soundscape that carries it all. “Nature” – at its core – is a song of acknowledgment and acceptance. Seeing the darkness in ourselves and addressing it, but not necessarily trying to change it. Embracing inescapable flaws, and learning to make them into art.
LYRICS Wave up ahead, all that I see I go red and let it wash over me In just a moment, I submit I cannot own it, I cannot quit Ego inflated, intoxicated Loaded with pride, must be my
Nature Something in my nature Governs my behavior And I can’t see it through Until I’ve hurt you
Swimming with my father I feel the current bring me closer to him Something in the water Has turned these clean hands into phantom limbs Ego inflated, emasculated Loaded with pride, please forgive my
Nature Something in my nature Governs my behavior And I can’t see it through Until I’ve hurt you
Miles Francis dances in a field in an oversized suit, softened colors creating a dream sequence unlike any other. Take a gander for yourself!
SOFI TUKKER – a high-energy pop duo that infuses their upbeat anthems and party songs with deep channels of thought and acceptance – is back with the video for their latest dance track “Original Sin.”
“Original Sin” is the perfect way to introduce the world of WET TENNIS and it’s very emblematic of “the freak fam”, our community. It says: we aren’t meant to be saints. We aren’t born sinners. We’re just a bunch of freaks who make mistakes and keep trying to do our best. WET TENNIS is an acronym that stands for: “when everyone tries to evolve, nothing negative is safe” and that’s what this song is all about. We live in a troubled world, it’s not our fault if we have trouble sometimes. That’s part of what makes us human. But when we evolve together and celebrate instead of judge each other, we can move through negativity into a more optimistic way of life.
The music video – which is thrilling and dynamic in its own right – is a jolting burst of vibrance – in both color scheme and subject matter. Playing tennis in all-white garb leads to an abandonment of purity. Skin-to-skin contact, implied trysts against the backdrop of stained glass, a brief but duly noted nod to religious restrictions over the ages. It’s far more nuanced than one could expect to take in in just one watch. Explained the duo of the music video:
The “Original Sin” video is the Garden of Eden of the WET TENNIS world. It’s a place beaming with sexual freedom and colorful possibilities. At first, we see everybody in their traditional roles, wearing all white, clapping politely, acting as one “should” during a tennis match, but as the world unfolds, we see that everyone is a freak. At the end of the video, that freakiness is liberated as we all look up to the WET TENNIS statue in the sky.
We’re wearing custom tennis outfits we designed with Johnny Wujek, that have the WET TENNIS gradient scheme from orange to purple. We wanted to take the traditional aspects of the tennis aesthetic and flip it on its head to make it more colorful and wild. We have a moment of Sophie in a headdress made of tennis balls. And of course–an orgy in the confessional booth, set in front of the lush Hawaiian mountains. It was so much fun to shoot this video and create this world from our bizarre imaginations into real life. We hope it invites people to take a step away from the path they think they’re supposed to be on towards one where all their desires and colors are welcomed. And we hope it puts people into a sexy state of mind.
Country artist Ashley Ray brings many core thoughts and memories from her youth in Kansas to her unique and beautiful music. “Just a House” was inspired by her father’s memory. Her family lost him 15 years ago, but grief is not linear. Allowing it to move through her music, Ray has developed a heartwrenching take on the world, a melancholic feel to her art that helps the listener empathize deeply.
The music video – which depicts a young boy trying to raise money to support his dying grandmother – is an absolute treasure of a short film. Stephen and Alexa Kinigopoulos heard the song, and chose to pull from their own feelings and memories of loss for the video’s concept. Explains Stephen:
When I first heard this song, it triggered me in the best way. I re-lived my family’s loss. It triggered me to think of the loss and the whole process in a montage sort of way… I could see and feel what Ashley’s mom was feeling. That dug up some skeletons for me.
The video may stir up some emotions, so be aware of the company you keep while you enjoy it. 😉
Consider yourself a bit of a culture buff? Into the sounds of the 60’s, the feeling of independence and celebration of people living on the fringe? The Bad Signs might just be your jam. A band comprised of powerhouse twin musicians Nat and Rob Rufus and alt-country extraordinaire Samantha Harlow, The Bad Signs are turning out to be the good sign 2022 needs.
Says Nat of the project, “I got the idea from this old black and white photograph. It was from ’67, just two teenagers on a motorcycle, but I wanted to start a band that sounded the way that photo looked, you know? Like vintage rebel youth.”
We’re thrilled she saw the photograph… and even more pleased with how the video turned out. Gorgeous black and white footage of the band performing gives you a unique look into their performance style… and what we may come to expect from this artful project.
We’re not sure what is behind the vintage-esque music videos and clips of footage that are making the rounds in the industry, but we’re big, big fans. Retro indie-pop artist Buster Baer’s entire newly-released EP, Mock Twang, and the accompanying music video for single “Get Deeper” are certainly no exception. A bit of beautiful nostalgia, the music video follows our protagonist musician and a dog… or, rather, a human in a dog costume. Beautiful views, brief violence, a baseball bat, and some marijuana are all seen under psychedelic magentas that will absolutely take you back in time.
A meandering, beautiful piano intro? Check. An ethereal, intense voice dancing along staccato notes in an endearing and almost haunting way? Check! Teghan Devon has pulled out all the stops in new single “V.I.P.,” for which we have the exclusive premiere right here. Let yourself get lost in the building momentum of a song that feels like a warm hug. Singing of engaging with true, genuine friendship and “Good vibes only,” this is a song we can absolutely get on board with in 2022. Get your first listen below, and be sure to let Teghan know how much you love her over on Facebook!
