Listen Up
Playful hip-hop, atmospheric electronic, kooky indie-pop and more in our weekly musical round-up
Skylar Spence: Carousel
From his upcoming EP, “Carousel / Cry Wolf,” out 5 September, Skylar Spence (aka Ryan DeRobertis) releases the title single, “Carousel“—a tune about the whirlwind, roundabout feeling of falling in love and the excitement that comes with finally finding it. The track is crammed with sparkling layers, an infectious melody and disco-like high points. The release comes after a brief hiatus, one that Spence plans to detail in full on his forthcoming album, Festival Music, due to release early next year on Carpark Records.
Tobi Lou: Buff Baby
Rapper Tobi Lou and director Glassface have been on a streak. After collaborating on videos for “Solange,” “Troop,” and “Lounar,” the pair have released possibly their best video yet for Lou’s joyful jam “Buff Baby“—with animation help from artist Ronald Grandpey. Packed from start to finish with Adventure Time references and Lou’s dancing baby character, the video shows off Glassface’s prowess as a force in the industry and accentuates Lou’s rapidly growing popularity. The song is reminiscent of recent feel-good raps but Tobi Lou’s personality shines through in his playful lyrics and references.
Brigade: From Dogs We Come
Released a few days ago on Majestic Casual Records, Brigade’s “From Dogs We Come” is an atmospheric and dreamy tune from the Berlin-based duo. Hazy and slow-burning, the track eventually leads to an eerie chant: “From dogs we come, from dogs we go.” With some glitchy, heady moments, this six-minute creation is downtempo, but still rich and layered.
Disclosure: Where Angels Fear To Tread
Disclosure (English-born brothers Howard and Guy Lawrence) has released a pair of singles in preparation for their upcoming LP. The most recent, “Where Angels Fear To Tread,” is a funky, upbeat rework of The Four Freshmen’s 1961 a cappella rendition of “Fools Rush In“—a hit penned by Tommy Mercer in 1940. While the duo isn’t the first to cover the song (Elvis, Etta James, Frank Sinatra and others have too) this version is certainly the most contemporary. In typical Disclosure fashion, airy lyrics complement a relaxed, downtempo house beat.
boygenius: Bite The Hand
A supergroup formed by three of the most exciting voices in the singer/songwriter community right now, boygenius taps into each and every known strength (and more) of Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus. The trio has offered up three of the six songs that will appear on their debut self-titled EP, out in November. Both the Bridgers-led “Me & My Dog” and the Baker-led “Stay Down” feature meticulous, emotive storytelling. The Dacus-led “Bite The Hand” is our favorite, however, for its magnificent harmonies and delicate but powerful conclusion.
The Marías: Cariño
For “Cariño,” LA-based five-piece The Marías brings a nouvelle vague-like visualization to their chic summertime lounge-style of music. Both the song and video tug at the heart, from the bilingual beckoning behind the gentle, invitational vocals to the swooning horns. It’s dreamy—and a bit silly—and makes for a lovable first single off of the group’s forthcoming EP, Superclean Vol. II.
Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs: Don’t You Forget About Me
Orlando Tobias Edward Higginbottom, better known by his stage name Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, has released his first new music in four years on a new label, Nice Age. One of the two singles is “Don’t You Forget About Me,” a sprawling, airy ballad that acts as a haunting plea. The finiteness of the track’s lyrics are a beautiful juxtaposition to the song’s length—an astonishing six minutes of electric guitar solos, rising synths and vocoded vocals.
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.
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