Demur Decks 25.01.21 – New Music Playlist
Teen Creeps – Fall Out
Belgian indie rockers Teen Creeps are getting ready to drop their sophomore album ‘Forever’, but first they have released their new single ‘Fall Out’
‘Fall Out’ is a catchy and punky indie-rock banger that could please fans of Cloud Nothings, Yuck, No Age & powerpop godfather Bob Mould. “‘It’s probably the most energetic and straightforward song on ‘Forever’. We can’t wait to play this one live!”, guitarist Joram De Bock enthuses. He also made the accompanying video himself. “I brought a disposable camera with me to the studio. Those photos are used in the artwork for the album. Inspired by how the designers cut the pictures up, I did the same for this video. Just cutting up the pictures and rearranging them in funny and unexpected ways. Then I made a stop motion video out of it on my phone. Didn’t know if that would work, but I’m happy it did.”
Cooper Phillip – Head Over Heals
Acclaimed pop singer/songwriter Cooper Phillip releases her latest single entitled ‘Head Over Heals’ an empowering track that narrates embracing your true self and knowing your self-worth. The song also details that in order to move forward, we must sometimes make mistakes and take two steps back.
Phillip’s music features an underlying theme of strength, grace and empowerment. “I believe we underestimate ourselves often and our fear takes over. My goal is to show people that they are stronger and can do much more than they think they can”, she admits. Using true life stories, hardships and experiences, the songwriter emits authenticity and courage throughout her music.
Layla – Loyalty
Music artist, activist and fashion muse Layla Kardan releases new single, the dark-pop and vulnerable ‘Loyalty’. The track’s compelling visuals tackle social issues which Layla has been advocating for such as the inclusion and representation of black Arabs in the UAE “Anti-blackness has long been a problem in our region but it is rarely discussed”, Layla says.
Layla is part of a group of new artists redefining the Sound of the Middle East, from collaborating with fashion brands including Jean Paul Gaultier and with Spotify for SAWTIK, the platform’s new initiative and playlist celebrating female artists playing a pivotal role in shaping the music scene in the Middle East.
GOOD BISON – Lunatic
Just before the release of their new EP ‘Scattered Storms’, Los Angeles-based indie band GOOD BISON are proud to premiere their brand new, skateboarding influenced music video for their single ‘Lunatic’. The video, conceptualized by frequent collaborator Krölhaus (who handled all of the art direction/visual content for Scattered Storms), features a pair of friends sneaking into an abandoned water reservoir to skateboard, all while Good Bison frontman/brainchild Pablo Alvarez sits in the middle, singing the song’s lyrics in a daze.
“The lyrics for ‘Lunatic’ are about the concept of ‘home’ and how to find it, and since skateboarding was my home for such a long time, it made perfect sense to feature it in the music video,” Alvarez tells Under The Radar. “We shot everything in an abandoned water reservoir hidden in the hills. We had to walk like 20 minutes, and then go in through a hole in the fence. It reminded me of the type of spots we would skate as teenagers in Miami. I was always sneaking into places and getting chased out by security. Running away from the cops.”
Luke Gomm – Rain
‘Rain’ is the new single from Luke Gomm writer/producer for Miraa May, Col3trane, Joy Crookes and Connie Constance). Released today on 18th January, also known as Blue Monday, ’Rain’ is a dark yet comforting track which will resonate with those who are feeling the January blues. The first track created on his upcoming project, Luke found ‘Rain’ to be a remedy for his own feelings of exhaustion from trying to live up to the expectations of others rather than doing what was true to himself.
The track offers light through darkness by contrasting the lyric “I Can’t Stand the Rain” from Ann Peebles 1974 classic against the steel pans which beam through the rain. The steel pans on the track are played by Luke’s former music teacher who is part of the renowned Ebony SteelBand, who are a highlight of the Notting Hill Carnival each year.
Speaking on ‘Rain’ Luke said; “2020 felt like the worst year ever going in and out of lockdowns, financial hardship and all the other politics. I feel like ‘Rain’ soaks up all the emotions we may be feeling towards it so that we can break the cycle and leave the hardships embedded in the music and art that got created during that time going into 2021.”
Pentatonix – The Lucky Ones
Three-time Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum selling artist Pentatonix released the title track, ‘The Lucky Ones’, off their upcoming album. Pentatonix’s new original album, The Lucky Ones, will be released on February 12 and is available for pre-order here! The upcoming album marks the group’s first full-length original album since 2015, when their self-titled album debuted at number 1 on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart. The album has since been RIAA certified gold.
Earlier this year, Pentatonix released their At Home EP, which features 6 tracks and original music videos for their medley “Home”, along with new arrangements of “Blinding Lights” (The Weeknd), “when the party’s over” (Billie Eilish), “Break My Heart” (Dua Lipa) and “Dreams” (The Cranberries). Shortly after releasing their At Home EP, the group debuted their arrangement and video for Tears for Fears’ “Mad World.” In addition, the group released their first original singles in over 5 years for “Happy Now” and “Be My Eyes”, along with official videos for both tracks. Their new original album, The Lucky Ones, features these tracks, along with more original songs coming February 12th, 2021.
Planet Giza – When The Moving Stops
Montreal hip-hop outfit Planet Giza kick-off 2021 with new single ‘When The Moving Stops’.
Pairing punchy, bass-heavy production with slick, commanding vocals from the trio’s very own Tony Stone, ‘When The Moving Stops’ is a smooth dose of classic hip-hop. It’s the lead single from their forthcoming EP release ‘Don’t Throw Rocks At The Moon’. “This song represents doing things differently and still shining through it all (hence the sun reference),” the trio explains. “When all odds are against you that’s when it’s time to excel.”
The accompanying official video sees Planet Giza cruising around their hometown, with video director Guillaume Landry explaining that the video’s narrative “symbolizes the opening of a new chapter for the group, in terms of both sound and visual representation.” ‘When The Moving Stops’ is demonstrative of a hip-hop outfit at the top of their game.
Dylan Cartlidge – Molasses (Walk The Walk)
Dylan Cartlidge (singer-songwriter from Redcar in the North East of England) releases his new track, ‘Molasses (Walk The Walk)’. ‘Molasses (Walk The Walk)’ is assured to get anyone up and moving with the new track showcasing Dylan’s trademark soul-tinged, infectious style wrapped within his indie, funk and r&b sensibilities as he addresses the theme of hitting a personal slump, losing sight of your ambitions and goals and finding your way back to your old self again. The single is accompanied by an animated lyric video with striking 70’s inspired visuals, in keeping with Dylan’s funk influences.
Speaking on ‘Molasses (Walk The Walk)’ (which Dylan co-produced with Ed Irwin-Singer (Glass Animals), Dylan said; “I wrote this song after a particularly tough time when I was experiencing burnout following touring. The song reflects the feeling of hitting a slump and losing control of achieving your goals and dreams – it’s about finding yourself scrambling to find that part of yourself again or being prepared to ‘fake it til you make it’ whilst trying to find your old self.”
SNARL – I’m Live
British producer, SNARL drops his buoyant single ‘I’m Live’. The 17-year-old has already given us powerful anthemic tracks such as ‘Ibiza’ and ‘Trapped’, which received support from the likes of Official Charts, Spindle Magazine, Alfitude and 14HQ amongst others. ‘I’m Live’ arrives as SNARL’s first release of 2021 and is the perfect soundtrack for a party at home. With it’s exhilarating transitions, sonically the single creates an incredible atmosphere wherever you choose to listen to it.
‘I’m Live’ is a testament to SNARL’s ever-maturing sound and is designed to convey some light in such dark times. Wonder-kid SNARL says on the track: “I’m Live was inspired by artists like Malaa, Tchami and Julian Jordan. Malaa and Tchami especially inspired this track because of their unique style of house music dubbed “G House” which fuses trap and hip hop elements with deep house and bass house.”
Fredo – Back To Basics
West London rapper Fredo has shared a new track and video ‘Back To Basics’ and announced the release of his second album ‘Money Can’t Buy Happiness’.
‘Money Can’t Buy Happiness’ follows recently released singles ‘Scorpion’ and ‘What Can I Say’ and Fredo has introduced and teased the album with new track and video ‘Back To Basics’, with the full tracklisting and release date announced soon. He says;
“I want to apologise for the wait. I had a whole different style album that didn’t really mean anything to me. Meanwhile a lot was going on in life that I was angry and confused about. I really thought that once you have money you can’t not be happy inside even if stuff’s going on but it’s not like that. I felt like the project I was working on before was me but doesn’t really explain me. I don’t want people thinking that certain things I rap about are important or the key of life because they’re not. Most things I rap about are just what I been through or reality for me and my friends.”
Minus Gravity – I Do
Texas bred, Los Angeles based hip-hop outfit Minus Gravity have dropped the official video for single ‘I Do’. Featuring signature house party red cups and even more liquor, the official video for ‘I Do’ captures the hedonism of a birthday bash that the boys threw in Malibu. Shot in one take by Jordon from ZF Productions, the spontaneous energy of the visuals are an ideal accompaniment for the track itself. ‘I Do’ is taken from the trio’s latest project Moods Vol. 1, a sprawling 38-track release that features collaborations with Robin Thicke, T-Wayne, Nana Starfield and more.
Reflecting on the shooting of the video, Minus Gravity explain: “It was Apollo’s birthday and we got a spot in Malibu. We didn’t have any plans to shoot anything but our videographer was there and after a few drinks we thought it would be cool to shoot a whole video in one take – something different and artsy. Our videographer Jordan aka Billy Walsh got it done for us in about 30 minutes, a memorable night.”
Tai Verdes – DRUGS
Rising, Los Angeles based artist Tai Verdes shares the official music video for his single ‘DRUGS’. The bright and (sometimes literally) electric ‘DRUGS’ video – directed by Jasper Soloff and Patrick Lawler is a perfect companion to the song that Billboard called “uber-catchy.” Initially released in October 2020 – ‘DRUGS’ is an honest reflection of Verdes’ experimentation with weed and psychedelics – “but mostly weed!” he clarifies. The song details the stigmas involved, realities exposed, and an expansion of his own emotional maturity. Acoustic guitar and 808s create the perfect soundscape for Tai’s storytelling.
“I’m vulnerable, off the sleeve,” Verdes says. “Relatability is important to me. I write songs that tell stories.” ‘DRUGS’ is the second single off Tai Verdes’ debut EP which is set for release this Spring. Verdes’ first single, ‘Stuck In The Middle’, hailed by The New York Times as one of the “Best Songs of 2020” continues to soar to new heights – he also collaborated with fellow American R&B singer Kiana Ledé on a well-received part two version of the track.
Joel Culpepper – Poetic Justice
‘Poetic Justice’ produced by Tom Misch is the new release from South-East London’s rising contemporary funk and soul artist Joel Culpepper. This track is taken from his forthcoming debut album ‘Sgt Culpepper’ which is exec produced by Swindle with Productions from Tom Misch, Guy Chambers, Raf Rundell and Redinho to name a few.
Speaking on the track Joel said: “I got to write this one with Tom Misch after a session for his album project with Yussef Dayes. Tom reached out after hearing “Afraid to be King” produced by Roy Davis Jr. Pleased he did cause I’ve been a fan of his work for a while. I feel like Justice is poetry but it’s also complex. Part of justice is forgiveness, no longer enslaved by the pain of what someone’s done to you but the ability to move on from it”
