Listen Up
Psychedelic cha-cha, sprawling guitar riffs, a powerful NSFW video and more
Anna Calvi: Hunter
Anna Calvi’s new song “Hunter” (from her upcoming album of the same name) and the accompanying music video are both beautiful, bold and powerful statements. The latter, directed by Matt Lambert, is a divine and raw exploration of concepts surrounding self-love, identity, intimacy—specifically from a queer angle. Calvi tells Dazed, “It feels incredibly defiant to explore pleasure and the body from a queer perspective, when it’s so rare to see yourself represented in the mainstream.”
Abd al-Rahman al-Khamissi: Hind
Abd al-Rahman al-Khamissi is one of Egypt’s most well-respected poets and well-rounded artists. His versatility—spanning writing, directing and composing—cemented his legacy in Egyptian society. The soundtrack to his 1969 film Respectable Families has been digitally mastered and pressed on vinyl for a limited edition release on Belgian label Radio Martiko on 7 September. The four-track EP is a sultry collection of “psychedelic cha-cha, dark tango, and mysterious twist.” The first song from the EP, called “Hind,” is a tantalizing tune accentuated by a spiraling backdrop of drums.
Flavien Berger: Maddy La Nuit
Warm, mellowed-out vocals twitter over electronic patterings and clouds of synth in Flavien Berger’s “Maddy La Nuit.” The French language, dream-pop song has been paired with a surreal narrative video, directed by Jeanne Frenkel and Cosme Castro, that plays with space and time. Berger’s next album Contre-Temps, which features this track, will release 28 September.
Art Brut: Wham! Bang! Pow! Let’s Rock Out!
Over a decade and a half after they burst out of England with raucous post-punk speak-sung tunes, the British/German band Art Brut return with “Wham! Bang! Pow! Let’s Rock Out!” Fevered and fun, lead singer Eddie Argos delivers another rollicking number—accompanied by an all-animal music video directed by Ben Pollard and Jonny Drewek. The track release coincides with news of their forthcoming London headlining show on 9 November, which sold out in under 24 hours, and another in January 2019.
Tay Iwar: Miracle Girl
From Lagos- and Abuja-raised Tay Iwar comes a trio of singles, out on Soulection. “Miracle Girl” stands out as an exhausting display of vocal range over electric guitar croons. “Girl, you’re a miracle,” the chorus rings. It’s an interlude-esque tune that teeters on the edge of a breakdown—though one never comes. The result is three minutes of pared-back ups and downs accentuated by high-notes and hard strums. Iwar’s debut album, 1997, will be released in November.
Listen Up is published every Sunday and rounds up the new music we found throughout the week. Hear the year so far on our Spotify channel.
