Young Magic – Lucien

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New York experimental-pop duo Young Magic, comprised of Melati Malay and Isaac Emmanuel are getting ready to drop their new album Still Life as they head out on tour to support Yeasayer. Inspired by the native culture of Malay’s birthplace of Indonesia, the new record is a cultural tribute to the singer’s roots. Take for example the LP’s lead single “Lucien” — the video for which was based on the Balinese holiday known as Nyepi.

In Malay’s words: “There is a day called Nyepi or ‘Day of Silence’ where no one leaves the house because it’s believed bad spirits fly over the island. They burn effigies of their monsters (Ogoh Ogoh) and then everyone hides indoors for 24 hours. It’s incredible, the streets are completely empty. I’m not sure if these ghosts still follow me in New York, but making ‘Lucien’ was my way to make an effigy of my own Ogoh Ogoh, and then burn it to the ground.”

Symbolic, to say the least. Still Life will be out May 13 on Carpark Records, and is available for pre-order here. If you’re planning on seeing Yeasayer at 9:30 Club May 16, make sure you get there early enough to see Young Magic cast their incantations in person.

WEIRDO – BUTTER

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WEIRDO made their enigmatic debut on the internet a couple months ago with the delightfully weird track, “BUTTER.” The mysterious man behind the project is a British songwriter/producer based in Germany, who’s been involved in various other projects and as a result is choosing to remain below the fold for now. On the name choice, WEIRDO says, “I’ve always been weird, I’ve always been told I’m a strange one, and I think within my coming of age I’ve learnt to embrace it and project it with my art.” We’re for one glad he’s found an avenue for his singularity, as “BUTTER” is an ultra fresh sounding pop number — glowing with ’80s synths, playful vocals and even a xylophone solo.

Get down with this groove below and look out for a future WEIRDO EP.

Billie Marten – Milk & Honey

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At the tender age of eight, Billie Marten was given her first guitar and wrote her first ‘proper’ song after having learned four chords from her father. Eight years later — upon being bred on influences such as Laura Marling, David Bowie, Portishead and Loudon Wainwright — the young singer-songwriter from Yorkshire has already made her debut appearance at SXSW and been lauded for her musical abilities. Her new single “Milk & Honey,” released on Chess Club Records is a beatific ballad about greed — specifically, “the thoughts that we’re all sort of stuck in this consumerist frame of mind” explains Marten. Stream via Spotify below.

RMX Roundup: Childish Gambino + Oliver Nelson / RÜFÜS DU SOL + What So Not / CHVRCHES + Gryffin

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The last couple of weeks have seen the release of some enterprising remixes, which means it’s time for a new Remix Roundup — a semi biweekly segment in which we bring you the latest and greatest mixes circulating the interwebs. First up comes courtesy of Oliver Nelson, who’s reworked Childish Gambino‘s hit track “Sober.” Nelson’s rendition is an infectious, funk-infused feel-good track that will leave you as high as Gambino avows. Nelson is giving this one away for free on Soundcloud, so make sure to add it to your summer playlist.

Next, RÜFÜS DU SOL‘s transcendent track “Innerbloom” gets a bright future sound rework by Sydney producer What So Not. Keeping the melancholic vibe of the original, What So Not ups the bass and tempo, rendering it dance-floor ready. Listen below.

And finally, LA producer Gryffin has done outdone himself with this official new mix of CHVRCHES‘ “Clearest Blue.” Already a standout track on CHVRCHES’ latest LP Every Open Eye, Gryffin transforms the pop number into a euphoric, electronic house anthem, making this a contender for best remix we’ve heard all year.

DC LIVE: Maryjo Mattea / The Thermals / Vetiver

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So many great live shows in DC every week it’s hard to keep track; thus we’re starting a new segment in which we highlight some noteworthy upcoming acts — both local and national — that you won’t want to miss.

First up in this new series we’re calling DC Live is our very own Maryjo Mattea, the folk-pop-punk-rock songstress and local fixture on the DC circuit. Mattea performs regularly in the District on any given night of the week with any of her many bands, which currently include synthpop collective Color Palette and the Beatles tribute act Doctor Robert and Penny Lane. This Thursday, April 28 she’ll be performing with A Pile of Dudes at Songbyrd Music House in celebration of the release of her new solo EP, Four Minute Symphonies. Listen to the sultry new single and torch track “Getting Over You,” replete with a sliding guitar solo from DC blues rocker Jonny Grave below.

Next up, Portland punk act The Thermals are currently on tour in support of their seventh album, We Disappear. With a solid fan base, the trio have been going strong for over a decade and continue to please fans with their signature lo-fi and distortion effects. The LP — out on Saddle Creek was produced by their longtime collaborator Chris Walla (formerly of Death Cab For Cutie). Hear the new track”My Heart Went Cold” below and catch them playing Black Cat April 30.

Longtime folk rockers Vetiver put out a new record last year called Complete Strangers and released on Easy Sound. The San Francisco-based outlet fronted by Andy Cabic exude an accessible affability on their sixth full-length, the follow up to 2011’s The Errant Charm. Check out their breezy, new Jack Johnson-esque track “Current Carry” below.

Vetiver will be playing The Hamilton on May 4.

Elohim – Sensations

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This is our first time covering LA artist Elohim, but she’s racked up quite a following with the few tracks that she’s released thus far. The new one, premiered yesterday on Complex is called “Sensations” and is the lead single off her forthcoming self-titled debut EP. The mysterious singer is a classically-trained pianist who prefers preservation of musical artistry to the merits of frivolous fame. Her new song “Sensations” is a synth-driven ode to love, sex, and vulnerability. Elohim explains, “That unbelievable uninhibited-can’t breathe-is this a dream-I love you moment, where nothing exists or matters but the person next to you. That’s what sensations is to me.”

Elohim’s EP is out May 20 via B3SCI Records — available for pre-order here.

Nearly Oratorio – Occlude

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If Simon Lam’s lulling falsetto sounds familiar, that’s because he’s also an elemental part of groups I’lls and Kllo. His solo project, Nearly Oratorio is a distinctly personal endeavor that blends soft acoustics with more discordant electronic sounds grounded in deeper meaning. In fact, an oratorio is “an extended musical composition with a text more or less dramatic in character and usually based upon a religious theme, for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra, and performed without action, costume, or scenery.” With music of such magnitude as his inspiration, it’s no surprise that the contemplative muso tackles abstruse subjects on his new EP Tin. The Melbourne-based artist’s aerial and alarmingly beautiful vocals recall those of Rhye‘s Milosh or Bon Iver‘s Justin Vernon. Stream the EP’s exquisite single “Occlude” below.

Kllo – Bolide

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Ascendant Australian duo Kllo (formerly Klo), made up of cousins Simon Lam and Chloe Kaul have announced the release date of their new EP Well Worn. This week they unveiled the lead single “Bolide,” a glitchy dance track written in Lam’s bungalow and inspired by Caribou‘s most recent album as well as the early work of Machinedrum. Sharing their thoughts on the track, the duo said: “The lyrics behind ‘Bolide’ are about unconditional love — caring about the happiness of another person without any thought of what we might get for ourselves. The ones we love can have a tendency to react to things unfairly and blow situations way out of proportion, but we love them just the same.”

Well Worn is out August 5 on Ghostly International (North America), Different Recordings // PIAS (UK/Europe/Japan) and Good Manners Records (AU/NZ/ROW). Hear the lead single below.

So Much Light – The Barrel Keeps Rolling Forever

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Video game nerds, take heed. Sacramento’s So Much Light (aka Damien Verrett) has reinterpreted an instrumental track from the celebrated game Donkey Kong Country into a “sad boy R&B jam,” and it is a beguiling beaut.

Explaining the inspiration for the revision, Verrett says: “The song is originally called ‘Stickerbrush Symphony‘ by the composer for all of the Donkey Kong Country games David Wise. This song in particular is really popular among people who are into video game music — it’s kind of the magnum opus as far as songs from Donkey Kong Country go. Growing up with video games I was always fascinated with the soundtracks and their ability to transport the player into different environments.”

Verrett’s reimagining, entitled “The Barrel Keeps Rolling Forever” will certainly transfix the listener with its stunningly smooth vocals and R&B intonations. Signed to Anti- Records, the singer released his debut EP Idiot Soul on the label late last year. Anti- Records is killing it right now with their roster, so you know he’s doing something right. Look out for more from this burgeoning artist on the horizon and stream below.

Nadia Nair – Blow

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You can almost see the smoke emanating from Nadia Nair‘s breathy vocals as she sings on “Blow,” the third single from the Swedish singer’s upcoming debut album. “Blow” is an empowering, galvanizing pop number about emitting the bad from your life: “It’s about letting go with passion – smoke it out,” states Nair. Aiming to blend modern sounds as showcased here amongst ancient themes on her forthcoming debut, Beautiful Poetry will be self-released on April 29 via Nair’s label, Naboobia Records. Stream “Blow” below.