audio – Page 4 – poetry in an empty coke can

Salt Cathedral – Unraveling (ft. Matisyahu)

Posted on November 10, 2016November 10, 2016 by poetryinanemptycokecan

saltcathedral

While we try to stay away from politics on CokeCanPoetry, we can’t help but think that Salt Cathedral‘s new single, “Unraveling” is an apt allegory for the general disposition and discord that has enveloped the United States this past week. The New York based Colombian duo, comprised of Juliana Ronderos and Nicolas Losada collaborated with acclaimed reggae artist Matisyahu on their new pop track that intermixes dancehall and Caribbean influences from their Colombian heritage with an upbeat and hopeful synthpop arrangement.

Interestingly enough, the effort marks Matis’ first collab with a woman — in defiance of one of his previously held Hassidic traditions. It’s a nice, inclusive message, the coming together of two different cultural backgrounds to create a harmonious and uplifting track. Ronderos sings: ‘And if you’re looking to fight me, intermittently / All I got for you is bread and flowers / And if you’re sitting beside me / Then let’s embrace the love and live for each other.‘ It’s a beautiful directive that would do the country well to consider during these divisive times.

Listen to the single below and look out for Salt Cathedral’s first full-length to release in 2017.

DC LIVE: Wild Beasts / Sam Evian / K.Flay

Posted on November 8, 2016November 8, 2016 by poetryinanemptycokecan

On any given night of the week in the DMV there are myriad options for live music, which is why we’ve started the segment DC LIVE to call out our picks. On the short list is UK’s Wild Beasts, who will be performing at Black Cat with Porcelain Raft November 11. Wild Beasts, who take their name from fauvism — the early 20th-century art movement have carved out an impressive space in the indie landscape in the last ten years they’ve been around, releasing their fifth LP Boy King this August. Check out their recent single “Woebegone Wanderers II” below and be sure to head out to the show this Friday.

Next on our list of upcoming show recs is Sam Evian, who will be playing at Songbyrd with SAD13 November 18. The solo moniker of Sam Owens, the frontman of Brooklyn indie rockers Celestial Shore, released his debut album on Saddle Creek this September. His track “I Need A Man” is a reference to the Serge Gainsbourg record Histoire de Melody Nelson.

Frustrated with all of the violence and political turmoil brewing in his home state of North Carolina, Owens relayed to Stereogum: “With all of that going on and ‘Melody Nelson’ in my head, I latched onto Gainsbourg the provocateur and made my voice a twisted version of his story. I imagined part of me was Melody, the naive teenager in Serge’s strange story of love and innocence lost. ‘I need a man I can trust.‘ It’s more of a conversation starter…is there such a thing? My hope is that people in my community and abroad will start to look out for each other more, and take more action in preventing abuse and violence.”

The politically-informed track is a compelling listen, owing to Owen’s delicate falsetto and dreamy guitar work.

Finally, Californian rhyme queen and much buzzed about artist K.Flay will be playing at Rock & Roll Hotel November 20. This August, K.Flay, otherwise known as Kristine Flaherty released her new EP Crush Me, which builds off her hip-hop background and showcases her flare for angsty punk. On lead single “Blood In The Cut,” Flay spins emotional devastation into something celebratory through breakbeats and buzzy guitars, peppered with confessional quips like ‘reading through your messages / my favorite way to die.‘ Listen below and come out for K.Flay’s rousing live show later this month.

Vessels – Had A Love (ft. Anna of the North)

Posted on November 3, 2016November 3, 2016 by poetryinanemptycokecan

UK electronic act Vessels have a new single on their hands that’s a marked departure from previous efforts — and likely a preview of what’s to come on their upcoming LP arriving next year. Soliciting Scandinavian dreampop duo Anna of the North to supplement their new song, “Had A Love” is a hypnotic house track with warm melodies and a beautiful, euphoric build. The bright vocals of Anna Lotterud add a lot to the effort, thawing the intricate tech-focused and bass-heavy sounds that Vessels have executed prior.

Hear “Had A Love” below — out now via [PIAS] imprint Different Recordings.

Brompton Collective – Collide

Posted on November 2, 2016November 2, 2016 by poetryinanemptycokecan

We love supporting local outfits, especially when they prick our ears with electronic earworms such as this. Meet Brompton Collective, an experimental electronic band based out of D.C. comprised of Julian Nienaber and Andrei Mamonau. The duo formed after Mamonau declined his return flight to Russia, endeavoring to pursue his musical proclivities stateside instead. Since their inception, the collective have amassed an underground following through mixtapes, homemade lo-fi melancholic productions, and their unruly live shows. Their debut single “Collide,” freshly released via Admirable Traits Records is a pulsing, electric guitar driven dance track with an alluring vocal.

The guys are currently in the studio working on their debut EP, so look out for more soon. Hear “Collide” below.

LEISURE – Got It Bad

Posted on October 31, 2016October 31, 2016 by poetryinanemptycokecan

‘Keep things leisure’ — a variation on ‘living the good life’ is the manifesto of new New Zealand act LEISURE. The Auckland-based RnB collective released their self-titled debut LP this October and have already enjoyed a taste of international critical acclaim. The five-man band bring together a diverse confluence of styles ranging from ’70s funk, ’90s rap and R&B, to dance music of the early aughts. The result of their eclectic efforts is a treasure trove of psychedelic, vaguely unsettling funked-out electronica. Get this band on your radar and get their song “Got It Bad” in your ears below.

THE COVERUP: Tierney Sutton Band – Every Little Thing He Does Is Magic

Posted on October 28, 2016October 28, 2016 by poetryinanemptycokecan

As a seven-time Grammy nominee, jazz artist Tierney Sutton is more than qualified to be featured on this installment of THE COVERUP — a segment in which we feature a fresh take on a classic. Still, jazz is an underrated modality so we couldn’t help but share. Sutton’s latest project, The Sting Variations is an ode to Gordon Sumner, recorded with her longtime ensemble the Tierney Sutton Band. “The challenge was to uncover something about these songs that wasn’t obvious before,” says Sutton. “And I think we’ve done that.”

With their rendition of the legendary Police song “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” the Tierney Sutton Band showcase their mastery of improvisation and ability to push the boundaries of the jazz repertoire. Adding to their list of impressive accolades, the band also recently collaborated with Clint Eastwood to create the score for his new film Sully. Stream the bewitching cover below.

Laurel – Hurricane

Posted on October 27, 2016October 27, 2016 by poetryinanemptycokecan

London-via-Southampton singer Laurel writes, records, produces and mixes all of her own music in the comfort of her East London bedroom studio. Recently signed to Ninja Tune imprint Counter Records, the young artist has announced her debut EP Park which will arrive on November 18.

In “Hurricane,” the first single off the effort — Laurel plunges right in to the pith of the song as she sings — ‘Baby bring the weather with you, rage it / Driving down the south coast after dark / And I wonder if I’ll ever see you again.’ The immediacy of Laurel’s vocals coupled with the driving bassline and sinuous soundscape, which mimic the singer’s subject render this pop-rock track a wonderfully raw and powerful piece of music. Hear “Hurricane” below and look for her debut album to drop sometime next year.

We The Dreamers – Parasol

Posted on October 25, 2016October 27, 2016 by poetryinanemptycokecan

If you, like us, consider yourself fans of early Coldplay, this one from LA-based artist We The Dreamers is for you. Comprised of frontman Myke Wilken and guitarist Ethan Rose, “Parasol” marks the second single for the indie outfit. From the opening Chinese gong to the romantic imagery and silky vocals laced throughout, this simple and melodious piece — written for Wilken’s girlfriend at the time — is sure to send you into a blissed out state. The cover art for the dreamy track was painted by Wilken, atop a landscape that his ex-girlfriend had painted previously. Stream it below.

RMX ROUNDUP: TLC + Casino Gold / Tanis + Memoryy / Frank Ocean + Jacques Green

Posted on October 21, 2016 by poetryinanemptycokecan

Been a minute since we posted a RMX Roundup, a semi-bimonthly segment in which we bring you the freshest mixes and electronic beats on the blogosphere. To begin this installment we have the LA brotherly duo Casino Gold‘s recast of TLC‘s ’99 hit “No Scrubs.” Upping the tempo and supplanting the original TLC vocals with a smooth male tenor, this modern house rendition gives the listener a whole new reason to enjoy the anthemic melody of the original in 2016. Listen below and pick up a free DL on Soundcloud.

The next one comes courtesy of up-and-coming producer Memoryy, who gained major industry cred when he penned the theme song for the new Chelsea Handler Netflix show ‘Chelsea.’ Not one to rest on his laurels, the LA-based electropop producer just released a mix of Parisian singer Tanis‘ track “Blackout.” Augmenting the song with a fluttering synth line, Memoryy takes the Tanis number to a new level of tasty synthpop goodness. Stream below.

Last but certainly not least, seasoned Canadian producer Jacques Greene has created a sparkling new edit of Frank Ocean‘s instant classic “White Ferrari.” A fan of the new Ocean album, Greene tweeted: “Respect to Frank for being a light beam of a human. Blonde has been fucking me up and saving me in equal measure since it came out.”

Clearly inspired, Greene knocks it out of the park with the neon reimagining of the minimalist track, expanding upon the electronics and positioning Ocean’s soulful vox at the fore. Grab a free copy of this stunner that’s made its way into every Greene set since it’s inception over on his website. Greene also just released the two-track EP Afterglow, which we highly recommend.

Wildhart – Shake Off

Posted on October 19, 2016October 20, 2016 by poetryinanemptycokecan

‘You better shake off the stones that bother you / You better turn them into gold / You better shake them off, break them down’ warns Wildhart in an impassioned delivery during the final, frenzied dazzling moments of new song “Shake Off.”

The Swedish trio explains: “Shake Off is a fuck you to all the hardships that you carry inside when living in an patriarchic world. It’s a cry of frustration — but at the same time an anthem, a source to find strength in.” And point of fact, the experimental piece is an empowering, jittering and deconstructed composition that manages to combine elements of jazz, indie, and electronic pop. While hard to categorize, this is the exact forward thinking and eclectic brand of alt-pop that we’ve come to expect out of Scandinavian exports.

Made up of Ylva Holmdahl (vocals), Kiwi Berg (synthesizers) and Josefin Runsteen (drums), Wildhart has already drawn comparisons to Minneapolis art-rockers Poliça and Californian quartet Warpaint. While the comparison is warranted, with alchemic tracks like this one who knows — new artists may one day be likened to Wildhart.

“Shake Off” is the lead single off the group’s debut album, Shine, which will be released November 11 via Swedish label Gaphals. Preorder your copy here.