ListenUp
Christine and the Queens and Nine Inch Nails return, plus new music from Slow Hollows, Peter Fenn and more
Christine and the Queens feat. Dâm-Funk: Girlfriend
French pop singer/songwriter/producer Christine and the Queens (aka Héloïse Letissier) has teamed up with Pasadena-based funk master Dâm-Funk (aka Damon Garrett Riddick) for the new track “Girlfriend.” Letissier says the song was born out of her fixation with masculinity, saying, “I became obsessed with this idea of the macho man, and still being a woman. What does it mean if I’m this figure, and I’m a woman? Does it make me an aberration? Is it joyful?” The result is a slinky, progressive funk jam—laced with synths and an ’80s influence—balanced beautifully with her measured and rich vocals.
Peter Fenn: Most Days
Peter Fenn’s jazz-inflected R&B tune “Most Days” is about the familiar, internal conflict between liking someone and wanting to be single. The minimal arrangement and pared-back nature of the track contribute to its breezy, vintage feel, as Fenn ponders “I don’t want nothin’ to do with love, most days / if that means being by myself / always being lonely, that’s OK / I don’t want love most days / but when I do, I wanna share ’em with you.” With caramel vocals throughout, this sweet song has an almost sleepy vibe that’s made for a Sunday afternoon.
Nine Inch Nails: God Break Down The Door
With a vocal introduction reminiscent of Trent Reznor’s work with David Bowie (though, with frenetic drum propulsion underlining it all), “God Break Down The Door” tantalizes as it twists and turns. This, the latest Nine Inch Nails track, magnetizes across all four minutes—with saxophone peering in every so often to haunt the listener. “God Break Down The Door” is drawn from Bad Witch, out 22 June.
Slow Hollows: Hell
With gently tiptoeing cinematography by Jacob “Kuba” Bossa, the video for “Hell” by LA-based Slow Hollows offers an intimate glimpse at the magic of music stripped to its minimum. Recorded live in Sherman Oaks, the song features lead singer Austin W Anderson (fka Austin Feinstein) pouring forth soul and unfiltered emotion through one continuous take, set beside nothing more than a lamp and a steaming cup of something.
DJ Koze + Róisín Murphy: Scratch That
From his newest record Knock Knock, DJ Koze has released the atmospheric “Scratch That” featuring the inimitable Róisín Murphy. Somewhere between deep house and trip hop, the track beguiles—thanks in part to Murphy’s hauntingly beautiful vocals. Knock Knock is Koze’s first LP since 2013’s Amygdala, and he will be touring all spring/summer throughout Europe, North Africa and Australia.
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.
