ListenUp
Bleachers and Carly Rae Jepsen, DJ Shadow and Nas, a stop-motion video from Exit Kid and more in our musical round-up
Bleachers feat. Carly Rae Jepsen: Hate That You Know Me
With Carly Rae Jepsen on back-up vocals, Bleachers’ new track “Hate That You Know Me” will appear on the band’s second record Gone Now, set for release 2 June. With a slightly distorted bass line, plenty of synths and harmonized vocals—thanks to Jepsen and Sam Dew, the track builds into a pop jam that quickly gets stuck in your head. Bleachers, formed by fun.’s Jack Antonoff in 2014, will tour the US this summer.
DJ Shadow Feat. Nas: Systematic
Two very big names in music have just released their first-ever collaboration. DJ Shadow and Nas joined forces for “Systematic,” which embraces funky boom-bap, squelchy sounds and an old-school vibe but still sounds decidedly new. Nas, as always, delivers atop the ebbing and flowing beat. The track will appear on the “Silicon Valley” soundtrack, and hopefully the rapper’s upcoming record which is rumored to be released this spring/summer.
Exit Kid: It’s Cool
It’s hard to escape the charm cast by claymation, the stop-motion animation process that artist Joe Baughman uses to great effect in the music video for “It’s Cool.” Baugham constructs an otherworldly, whimsical dimension for the grungy but buoyant song by Exit Kid, a band fronted by Emre Türkmen of Years & Years and drummer Dylan Bell. The song will appear on Exit Kid’s debut EP out 25 May through Kobalt.
Wilma Archer feat. Amber Mark: Like a Hunger
Composer and songwriter Will Archer—formerly known as Slime but now producing music under the moniker Wilma Archer—has united with NYC vocalist Amber Mark for the soulful pop tune “Like a Hunger.” Archer’s first release in two years, the track addresses infatuation at its earliest stages: a summer crush just in time for the season. Mark’s vocals play along the instrumentals with both thought and charisma.
DBFC: Jenks
With a sound reminiscent of New Order and Dandy Warhols, Paris-based duo DBFC unveils “Jenks,” a new single from their forthcoming debut LP. Even with its electronic flourishes, there’s a tactile, grimy old club dance vibe here that manages to be both liberating and nostalgic. And at six-and-a-half minutes, the track’s a bit of a journey itself. DBFC’s album of the same name, Jenks, releases 2 June on Different Recordings.
ListenUp is a Cool Hunting series published every Sunday that rounds up the music we tweeted throughout the week, also found in Listen. Hear the year so far via Cool Hunting Spotify.
