ListenUp
New music from the incredible Janelle Monáe, Alexis Taylor (of Hot Chip), Garden City Movement, Starchild + the New Romantic and more
Janelle Monáe: Make Me Feel
Today Janelle Monáe shared two tracks from her forthcoming album Dirty Computer, her first LP in five years. Both are accompanied by vivid narrative videos, the first of which is “Make Me Feel.” Beyond visually stunning, the videos are part of a larger Monáe project called “Emotion Picture.” The first track featured is a timeliness zinger and the video just emphasizes the style and substance to her handiwork.
Garden City Movement: Bitter Moon
From their just-released album Appollonia, Tel Aviv-based electronic trio Garden City Movement’s “Bitter Moon” was inspired by the 1992 movie of the same name. The group (made up of Roi Avital, Joe Saar and Johnny Sharoni) first made a splash in 2014 with “Move On” and its accompanying video, but this tune is more groovy, with psychedelic undertones and a lithe bass line.
Alexis Taylor: Beautiful Thing
Captivating but eerie, the choreographed travel of two individuals down suburban streets leads to a clandestine meeting. This is the crux of “Beautiful Thing,” a new video for the latest solo track from Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip. Taylor’s forthcoming album, also called Beautiful Thing, released on 20 April and it’s the first time he’s partnered with a producer for solo material. This track is sure to appeal to Hot Chip fans, but there’s a vision here driven entirely by Taylor and its mesmerizing to say the least.
Starchild + the New Romantic: Can I Come Over?
Starchild + the New Romantic (aka Bryndon Cook) delivers wild, exploratory funk with his latest release “Can I Come Over?” His falsetto stirs the soul while the instrumentation keeps the vibe quite sexy. It’s a playful and enjoyably substantial number. Starchild’s album Language release 23 February on Ghostly International.
I’m With Her: Game to Lose
In a collaboration that began as an impromptu performance in Telluride in 2014, I’m With Her has just released their first full-length studio album. When the folk trio of Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan and Sara Watkins combine the power of their considerable musical prowess, the results are quite entrancing. “Game to Lose” from See You Around features rich harmonies and layered instrumentation.
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.
