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CocoRosie – Smoke ’em Out (ft. ANOHNI)

Posted on January 17, 2017January 17, 2017 by poetryinanemptycokecan

We’ve got an invigoratingly fresh tune for all the Future Feminists out there. French duo Bianca & Sierra Casady, better known as CocoRosie have unleashed a new protest song for crestfallen citizens and bleeding hearts everywhere, featuring fellow Future Feminist ANOHNI on vox.

While in the beginning stages of writing a new album, they were inspired to release “Smoke ’em Out” as a means of ‘welcoming’ the newest occupant of the White House. They wrote in a statement: “In the wake of this unnatural disaster, we feel a call to rise, shout, and burn the house down. The future is female.”

In addition to the share, they’ve also written a poem to accompany the politically charged anthem. Peruse it as you stream “Smoke ’em Out” below.

Zola Blood – Islands

Posted on January 15, 2017 by poetryinanemptycokecan

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London electropop outfit Zola Blood seem to be able to do no wrong. They’ve got a number of ethereal electronica singles under the belt, and their latest effort “Islands” is equally immersive. Shrouded in atmospheric synths, staccato claps and alluring vocals from lead singer Matt, the song is about getting lost with a significant other in what feels like your own personal enclave.

Matt explained: “A friend of mine was telling me about an evening she spent with her boyfriend of the time, getting rained on all night in a tent and said in passing that they felt like an island. That imagery just stuck in my head.”

The track has an excellent progression– and just as the sun is getting in the eyes of the song’s paramour, the melody is sure to get in the ears of the listener. The London four-piece will release their debut full-length, Infinite Games in early 2017. Meantime, stream “Islands” below.

XMeKate – Cigarettes

Posted on January 4, 2017January 4, 2017 by poetryinanemptycokecan

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There’s a new female voice in music, and she goes by the name of XMeKate. Of Italian and Greek descent, Katharine Kadenacy’s bicultural upbringing had a significant influence on her aesthetic, which draws from Greek mythology and classic literature. In fact, shrewd listeners will recognize the LA singer’s pseudonym as a reference from Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew. Kadenacy takes inspiration from Kate, who much like herself is a strong female character that rises above hardship, having lost her mother to cancer last year.

Despite this tragic narrative, pain leads to power, and now XMeKate has transformed her grief into a potent couple of EPs that are due for release this year. Produced by Andrés Rebellón (Marina & The Diamonds), part one of the EP, Expectation (out February) explores intimacy and heartbreak, while part two, Too Much (out late summer) tells the story of life after loss.

Her first single “Cigarettes” documents a story of betrayal — by way of a catchy vocal hook, melodious synth lines and and warm, hopeful horns. ‘No more lies, not even if they’re white,’ XMeKate pleads from the perspective of the transgressor on the track. The urgency is apparent in her vocal, and you can’t help but root for the resilient young artist. Hear “Cigarettes” below and keep an eye out for the accompanying EP in February.

TEN FÉ – Make Me Better

Posted on December 30, 2016December 31, 2016 by poetryinanemptycokecan

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‘Tis the season for resolutions, and Ten Fé is here to remind us that those lofty goals we set for ourselves are not always feasible. Irrespective of their name (which means “have faith”), the band’s anthemic single “Make Me Better” marries a grand string section, shoegaze guitar line and sizable dose of reality. The London act, comprised of Ben Moorhouse and Leon Duncan harmonize on the chorus: ‘Way before you’d come / I knew that you would run / So don’t tell me you’ll change / No, don’t tell me you’ll change.’ It could be construed as cynical, but the duo sound calmly resigned to their fate.

Ten Fé spent the last year or so recording their “darkly romantic” debut record in Berlin with mega producer Ewan Pearson (Jagwar Ma, M83). The LP, Hit The Light is slated to drop February 3, 2017 and is reportedly centered around the thematic tie of moving from darkness to light, of renewal and new beginnings. So maybe there’s hope for change after all.

Get a taste of the album by tuning in to “Make Me Better” below, and check out the more electronic-focused reconstruction from UNKLE as well.

CCP’S TOP 20 TRACKS OF 2016

Posted on December 26, 2016December 26, 2016 by poetryinanemptycokecan

In years past, the challenge of compiling CokeCanPoetry‘s top tracks was in the distillation of songs. This year, however, the difficulty was in the inverse. Although 2016 certainly had its crowning moments, we struggled to assemble a list of inarguable top 20 tracks that were not only solid as a standalone effort, but indicative of an artist’s output in 2016 as a whole.

That was not always possible, but from Thom Yorke‘s breakup album to Blood Orange‘s political referendum and Leonard Cohen‘s final poesy, 2016 was not without merit. A potentially glaring omission is the lack of Lemonade, but in fairness, Bey — who is famously uncatalogued on Spotify is doing just fine without our backing. So without further ado, enjoy our collated playlist on Spotify below and click on the individual entries for further reading.

As always, thanks for following along with CCP this year. We fully realize this is not a comprehensive list, so feel free to leave your faves in the comments.

1. Holy Fuck – Xed Eyes
2. Mt. Si – Either / Or
3. Porches – Hour
4. Young Summer – Alright
5. Frank Ocean – Ivy
6. Flock of Dimes – Semaphore
7. Field Music – Disappointed
8. Phantogram – You Don’t Get Me High Anymore
9. Rihanna & Drake – Work
10. D.D Dumbo – Walrus
11. Radiation City – Milky White
12. Andrew Bird – Roma Fade
13. FKA Twigs – Good to Love
14. Nicolas Jaar – No
15. Poliça – Lime Habit
16. James Blake – I Hope My Life (1-800 Mix)
17. Blood Orange – Hands Up
18. Von Sell – Stay
19. Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker
20. Radiohead – Ful Stop

HONORABLE MENTIONS

1. Highasakite – Golden Ticket

2. Bon Iver – 22 (OVER S∞∞N)

3. The Staves – Sleeping In A Car

4. Moses Sumney – Lonely World

5. Warpaint – So Good

filous – Let It Snow

Posted on December 17, 2016December 28, 2016 by poetryinanemptycokecan

With snow on the way in many parts of the country today, what better time to check out a modern twist on a Christmas classic from 19-year-old producer filous. A rising star in electronic music, the Austrian artist’s debut EP Dawn was a commercial success — with the lead single “How Hard I Try” (featuring James Hershey) amassing over 50 million plays on Spotify.

On his reinterpretation of “Let It Snow,” filous deconstructs the warm tones of the original, using electronics to create a chilled out, downtempo edit with a cool and enticing vocal from Florence Arman. Let it snow, indeed.

The Golden Peppers – If You Don’t Love Me

Posted on December 13, 2016December 13, 2016 by poetryinanemptycokecan

When he isn’t working on his main musical project Bad Wave, Patrick Hart spends his time tinkering around with his side passion and solo gig, The Golden Peppers. “Think of Patrick Hart’s project title The Golden Peppers as The Mothers Of Invention to his Zappa, the E Street Band to his Boss, The Shadows to his Cliff Richard…just without the physical presence of an actual band,” explains a press release. “Patrick’s is the kind of dry humour that’s encouraged him to call a solo project after a would-be ensemble that doesn’t exist. The Golden Peppers is an homage to all the Daptones and King Khan songs Patrick was listening to before he took a trip from his LA base to Miami in June 2015 to work with an old musician friend, an expert in horns.” Inspired by such soul acts and armed with his brass-savvy compatriot, Hart set to work on an EP and The Golden Peppers was born.

While Hart’s solo music tends to be tongue-in-cheek, his latest effort, “If You Don’t Love Me” accesses a darker and more personal place in the songwriter’s arsenal after a purportedly rough year. Harnessing those feelings, Hart infuses bluesy keys, questioning lyrics, and of course a blazing horn section into the stirring new threnody. Hear it below.

RMX ROUNDUP: Mark Ronson & Kevin Parker + Amtrac & Blu Jemz / Grapell + Blue Hawaii / French Horn Rebellion + Bee’s Knees

Posted on December 10, 2016December 11, 2016 by poetryinanemptycokecan

In what will probably be the last installment of the year, we’ve got a new RMX Roundup for you this week — a bimonthly segment in which we deliver the freshest mixes and electronic beats on the blogosphere. First up is the new ‘night’ mix of Mark Ronson’s hit track “Daffodils” (featuring Kevin Parker of Tame Impala) by Amtrac and Blu Jemz, commissioned by Ronson himself. Speeding up the tempo, Amtrac and Blu Jemz sprinkle some late-night vibes and heavy bass on the nu-disco track, making for a perfect after-hours groove.

Earlier this fall we featured the soulful, slow-burning duet “Some Places” from Swedish act Grapell — now, we’re sharing the fantastic new rework from Canadian duo Blue Hawaii. The Montreal producers have put their own unique spin on the track with their ‘Chop-n-Screw’ edit, trading in the lounge vibes for a palette of bright synths and basslines. Originally off Grapell’s EP Love Chambers, the Blue Hawaii version shakes things up in the best way possible.

And finally, we close out this year in RMX Roundup with the delightfully upbeat Bee’s Knees rework of French Horn Rebellion‘s “Second Opinion.” Off their recent album Classically Trained, the electropop piece gets an energetic facelift from Bee’s Knees producer duo Adam Novodor and Aaron Spiro. This one is being offered as a free download, so pick it up on Soundcloud today. And with that said, we’ll see all you remix lovers in the new year!

Amethysts – Stones

Posted on December 7, 2016December 7, 2016 by poetryinanemptycokecan

England continues to be a steady purveyor of solid electronic dreampop, as evidenced yet again with new Suffolk act Amethysts. The duo, who’ve received support from tastemakers such as BBC Radio 1‘s Huw Stephens, caught our attention with their latest and second single, “Stones.”

Curtains of synth and hazy guitar atop sub-bass drums set the foundation for the group’s ethereal sound. The capstone of their music though is vocalist Clarice Parrot — when she goes into her upper register around 1:15, “Stones” reaches a seraphic state and the group’s potential seems to know no bounds.

Much like the stone their namesake represents, Amethyst’s music exudes inner strength and spiritual growth, so we’re looking forward to seeing what 2017 has in store for them. Enjoy this gem below.

Bruno Major – Easily

Posted on December 5, 2016December 5, 2016 by poetryinanemptycokecan

British artist Bruno Major considers himself a jazz musician at heart. “I learnt how songs work through learning the American Songbook. Cole Porter, Jimmy Van Heusen, Chet Baker and Ella Fitzgerald and later on Randy Newman and Rufus Wainright. Those are my heroes,” explains Major.

His latest offering, “Easily” is the 4th release of his current 12-month project, and is reflective of his penchant for nonchalant, jazz-inflected chord progressions — blended with bursts of modernity. Written on a hazy August afternoon with singer-songwriter Emily Elbert, and an assist from Phairo on production, the track showcases the London-based artist’s talent for crafting classic, minimal and melody-focused compositions.

With soulful vox and universally relatable lyrics such as ‘Just because it won’t come easily, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try,‘ Major’s music is certainly easy on the ears. Listen below.