El-Paso based outfit Sparta release their newest single “Empty Houses” off their upcoming album Trust the River set to drop April 10. This is Sparta’s release since their 2006 album Three’s.
This electrified post-hardcore track is accompanied with an animation music video. The track centers around the lasting effects of the market crash, playing with the emotions of fear and anxiety of that time.
The video depicts a body with a house as a head running through destruction, trying to find solace while the house is also on fire. The idea of “Empty Houses” looks out how those affected coped with the upheaval and what became of those houses that were left vacant because of it.
French-Israeli singer-songwriter Yael Naim returns with a mystical new single and video for “Shine” off her upcoming album NightSongs, out March 20th. The video showcases Naim moving on a BOSU ball in a striking ballet-like style. Choreographed by performance artist and acrobat Yoann Bourgeois, Naim’s movements make her look as if she is defying gravity. This movement is accompanied by the use of shadows and sporadic lighting, created by Director of Photography Martim Vian.
The upcoming album centers around acceptance – of circumstance, self, relationships, and life. Naim process for writing the album was a look inward and writing at night – “when no one sees you, you can do things that aren’t allowed. I had what I called ‘night feelings’, and songs that I eventually called NightSongs.”
Australian artist Jamie-Lee Dimes released her latest single “Release Me”. This track wrestles with the complexity of trying to fit in as a response to discrimination. “Release Me” is a cathartic track that blends 60’s rock with dreamy melancholic folk.
Dimes also released a video to accompany the track. The music video is a tribute to the beauty of Australia’s natural life in wake of the brush fires that have burned millions of acres of land.
Dimes, a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, draws inspiration from artists like Patti Smith, PJ Harvey and Kim Gordon. Dimes writes music for the purpose of igniting conversations and change in order to provide a voice for those who may not have one. Her music style tackles the global perspective with writing fueled by wanderlust.
February is turning out to be one helluva ride, especially in the music video sphere. Eclectic pop act Elliot Lee is coming at us hot with some newness, Vanessa Carlton is still proving to “Be Not Nobody” with her new music video for “The Only Way”, and Mara Connor is bringing down the house with “Wildfire”. And that’s only the tip of the iceberg. So check out our favorite videos of February 2020, and let us know what you want us to check out on our Facebook page!
Keep up with us all month long by checking back for new video additions!
Politically charged music is still prominent in rock and roll, and New York band Lower Power ride its wave in new album One Planet at a Time. The album collectively addresses issues impacting our society like the increasing gun violence, mental health, war, inequality, and much more.
The lead track “All About Me” has a main focus on narcissism that affects our society. This track kicks down the door and introduces listeners to the impact Lower Power is trying to create.
The video for “All About Me” are clips of money being transformed into different shapes, and being warped through snapchat filters. As well as home video using similar snapchat filters. The idea here is capturing through silly filters, obscuring the view of normal, with a very “me-centered” persona. The narcissistic tendencies being pointed out in the song and the video go beyond everyday people, but the economy and government themselves.
This in-your-face, pay attention, mentality One Planet at a Time has makes listeners think about these heavy topics. It forces listeners to face these hard-hitting issues, charging them up.
Swedish musician Robin Lundbäck, musically known as Boy In Space, has released a new single called “Caroline”. The single has been highly anticipated by fans since Boy in Space teased it on tour last year.
The name Boy in Space itself is highly symbolic to Lundbäck, who uses his musical alter ego as a place to express his darker feelings. Of the moniker, he says “to be “In Space” is to exist in the in-between. It’s not quite the beginning but it’s so far from the end. It’s standing apart from those who’ve found their conventional fit in this world, and recognizing that to be different is special. It’s the courage to depart the familiar to a destination unknown. The “space” is the intensity of youth. The cold sting of heartbreak. The suffocation of betrayal. And the fiery passion of young love”.
The release of “Caroline” is Boy in Space’s first release in 2020 following up a big year in 2019 as he surpassed 35 million streams on Spotify. Of the single, Lundbäck says, “Caroline is that girl that you’re crushing on but is completely out of your league and untouchable,” Robin said noting that, “we all knew a Caroline growing up.”
“Caroline” is the first of three singles set to be released in spring of 2020 and tour dates are to be announced soon.
Today, indie pop sensation Beabadoobee released the official music video for her track “Sun More Often.” Animated by Elliot Bech, the entirety of the video is a gorgeous black and white cartoon with images alluding to the Space Cadet EP. While she soulfully sings, her words breathe life into your day as she implores you to look at the bright side of things, with lyrics like: “If you try/You’ll see/That the world’s/Not scary as it seems.”
Check out the video below, and let us know what your thoughts are over on Facebook!
TOUR
3/23 – Atlanta, GA – Aisle 5 *
3/25 – Washington, DC – Union Stage *
3/26 – Philadelphia, PA – Foundry *
3/27 – Toronto, ON – Velvet Underground *
3/29 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom *
3/31 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues – Cambridge Room *
4/02 – St. Paul, MN – Amsterdam *
4/03 – Kansas City, MO – Encore @ Uptown #
4/04 – Denver, CO – Moon Room @ Summit Hall #
4/05 – Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court #
4/07 – Seattle, WA – Crocodile #
4/08 – Portland, WA – Holocene #
4/10 – San Francisco, CA – Rickshaw Stop #
4/14 – Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar #
4/27 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Pavilion ^
4/29 – Austin, TX – Austin360 Amphitheater ^
5/2 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion ^
5/3 – El Paso, TX – Don Haskins Center ^
5/5 – Glendale, AZ – vGila River Arena ^
5/7 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum ^
5/8 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre ^
5/11 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre ^
5/13 – Omaha, NE – Baxter Arena ^
5/14 – St Louis, MO – Enterprise Center ^
5/16 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center ^
5/18 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum ^
5/19 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center ^
5/21 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage ^
5/23 – Washington, DC – The Anthem ^
5/26 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden ^
5/29 – Hanover, MD – The Hall Live! Casino and Hotel ^
5/30 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavillion %
6/1 – Pittsburgh, PA – Petersen Events Center ^
6/3 – Cleveland, OH – Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse ^
6/5 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater ^
6/6 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center ^
6/8 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place ^
6/9 – Miami, FL – Bayfront Park Amphitheatre ^
6/11 – Duluth, GA – Infinite Energy Center ^
* w/ support from Eliza & The Delusionals
# w/ support from Taylor Janzen
^ In support of The 1975
% 104.5 Birthday Celebration
Festivals:
3/16 – 3/22 – SXSW – Austin, TX
4/11 – Coachella – Indigo, CA
4/18 – Coachella – Indigo, CA
5/24 – Boston Calling – Boston, MA
Musical newcomer Finlay has just released “Evolution”, an unflinchingly honest track that comes just in time for my second quarter-life crisis of the week. The song is the young artist’s second release following his debut single, “A Million Places” and premieres alongside a refreshingly simple music video. The song itself navigates the tricky gray area that many (and by many I mean all) feel as they try to transition from childhood to adulthood and the struggles that accompany that.
The video starts out with a shaky shot of Finlay himself laughing candidly before the music starts, at which point he appears to have a sobering moment. Twinkly piano reminiscent of childhood lullabies opens the track and, accompanied alongside the visual of the young artist laughing, serve to provide us with both auditory and visual evidence of what being young and carefree feels like.
Right off the bat Finlay’s voice is aching and the piano is thoughtful. The Yorkshire-based singer is both raw and genuine and possesses an encapsulating quality that listeners are sure to immediately feel. We witness the young artist experience a rollercoaster of emotions as he does something that most artists these days wouldn’t dream of attempting for a music video; He just stands there and sings to the camera. I know, I know. Crazy. The simplicity and honesty of the whole thing in a time where music videos are more often than not expected to be highly-produced, over-the-top artistic feats is a breath of fresh air. As the song progresses, Finlay backs away from the camera and into metaphorical uncertainty, and as the shot widens we start to see the vast (and might I add, stunning) landscape that is waiting beyond him. When he finishes singing, he walks off into the unknown, fading out of focus as his voice echoes behind him. He might be new to the scene, but what Finlay lacks in experience, he makes up for with his brave vulnerability and raw talent.
Indie group Hello Forever release video for newest track “I Want to Marry You”. Hailing from hippie-esque Topanga County, Calif., those same vibes are present in the song and the video.
Hello Forever, are shot at multiple locations in Topanga County. The look of the video is an off-shoot of their hippie style, seemingly recorded or mimicked to look like it was recorded on 35mm film.
“I Want to Marry You” is lead by ukulele with percussion used to keep the steady rhythm. The ukulele created melody give the song a light feeling. A feeling a listener can find themselves relaxing to or dancing along with.
Hello Forever’s style of music falls somewhere between the indie-rock powerhouse Vampire Weekend and psychedelic POND. This varied marker gives them the space to create and innovate in spaces that seem far apart. What Hello Forever are able to create in this space is a warped indie style that is highly enjoyable.
