2017: Music In Review - The Second Quarter

Welcome again to this special part of "2017: Music In Review" by GABEindie, a super special selection with music that was NOT shared on this blog during this year but worth reviewing.

In this second part, two very moving and colorful months, May and June. I hope you continue to enjoy it.

May

The Weeknd - I Feel It Coming (ft. Daft Punk) (Official Music Video)

The official music video for The Weeknd's "I Feel It Coming" featuring French duo Daft Punk, taken from the album "Starboy". Directed by Warren Fu.

The xx - Say Something Loving (Official Music Video)

The official video for "Say Something Loving" from the album "See You" by The xx. Directed by Alasdair McLellan.

Blowsom - April (Official Music Video)

Blowsom's "April" is taken from "Stand Out" EP released in... May. But the music video was released in... April, vía Dealer de Musique. Video directed by Louis Evennou.

Quiet Hollers - Medicine

Louisville’s Quiet Hollers, announced their album "Amen Breaks" and the first single is the powerful “Medicine”. The song is a compelling personal story from frontman Shadwick Wilde about crippling anxiety, depression, existential malaise, and society’s attitudes toward medication and addiction. Quiet Hollers’ album "Amen Breaks" draws parallels with the cultural crossovers and the anxieties of the 1970's, a decade marred by division, political corruption, and terrorism. The album’s cover art includes a photo of Wilde and one of his closest friends, an Iraq veteran, who committed suicide after struggling with PTSD, addiction, depression… the title track "Amen Breaks" is about that experience. Expanding their shape-shifting palate to include vintage drum machines and samples, on Amen Breaks, Quiet Hollers raise questions of spirituality, sexuality, and mental illness to its new audience in tones that range from the cinematic to the psychedelic.

Isaac Lee - End Of The World

Isaac Lee’s single “End of The World” was released through Istanbul’s label, Drug Boulevard. “End of The World” follows on the heels of the acclaimed debut DRUG BLVD compilation. Isaac Lee is a prodigious California-born, Atlanta-based, artist/producer and cinematographer, whose upbringing is almost as diverse as his interests. Lee grew up a film fanatic and began professionally producing films when he was only a teen, in turn leading to work for commercials and short films before delving into electronic music at the age of nineteen.

C Duncan - Like You Do (Official Music Video)

"Like You Do" is taken from C Duncan's "Midnight Sun" album, vía Fat Cat Records. The music video was directed and shot by Helen Plumb.

Wy - Bathrooms (Official Music Video)

Preserving their sound, but in a well-groomed manner, the first single "Bathrooms", taken from Wy's album, vía Hybris Rec.

Cashmere Cat - 9 (After Coachella) (ft. MØ, Sophie) (Official Music Video)

The official music video for "9 (After Coachella)", featuring MØ and Sophie, taken from Cashmere Cat's "9" album.

The Afghan Whigs - Oriole (Official Music Video)

The Afghan Whigs presents the music video for "Oriole", taken from "In Spades", vía Sub Pop Records.

Cashmere Cat - Quit (ft. Ariana Grande) (Official Lyric Video)

Another great track from Cashmere Cat's "9" album, "Quit", featuring Ariana Grande.

alt-J - In Cold Blood (Official Music Video)

The official (and grotesque) video for alt-J "In Cold Blood", taken from "Relaxer". Directed by Caspar Balslev and Voiceover by Iggy Pop.

Psymon Spine - Eric's Basement & Secret Tunnels (Official Music Video)

The Psymon Spine’s incredible video for their ethereal, synth-driven song “Eric’s Basement & Secret Tunnels”, was painted by hand and animated using stop-motion by the director, Erin Barry. After connecting with her expressive, open-ended art, the experimental psych-pop band also recruited Barry paint the cover art for their album, Are Coming To My Birthday".

Panama - Hope For Something (Official Music Video)

"Hope For Something" is the title track from Panama's EP, vía Future Classic. This is the official music video. Directed by Ariel Fisher.

Opal People - Falling Out (Official Music Video)

The official video for "Falling Out" by Opal People.

Cloud Control: Rainbow City (Official Music Video)

The official video for Cloud Control's single "Rainbow City", vía Ivy League Records. Directed by Imogen Grist.

Lana Del Rey - Lust For Life (ft. The Weeknd) (Official Music Video)

From Lana Del Rey's "Lust for Life" album. Featuring The Weeknd.

Angelo De Augustine - Crazy, Stoned, & Gone (Official Music Video)

The official video for "Crazy, Stoned Á Gone" performed by Angelo De Augustine. Animated by Sufjan Stevens. Taken from "Swim Inside the Moon".

ODESZA - Late Night (Official Music Video)

Those beats. Amazing track. Amazing video. ODESZA's "Late Night" from the album "A Moment Apart".

June

Arcade Fire - Everything Now (Official Music Video)

From "Everything Now", the homonymous track. This is the official music video. Directed by The Sacred Egg.

Megative - More Time (Official Music Video)

Megative is a Brooklyn-based collective creating a dark and deep subterranean dub, heavily in uenced by the sounds coming out of the UK punk and reggae scene of the late 70’s. Fronted by Tim Fletcher (The Stills), alongside producers Gus van Go (Arkells, Whitehorse, Wintersleep), NYC producer-duo Like Minds, and featuring dancehall veteran Screechy Dan (Ruff Entry Crew). Part Gorillaz, part The Clash, laced with Lee “Scratch” Perry-style dub FX, hip-hop beats, and swirling sirens right out of Massive Attack’s sound-system! Together, they aim to create music that’s at once an homage to their influences, from Kingston to London, yet is fully living in today’s New York...with lyrics and grooves that challenge the current state of our social and political reality. This is the official video for "More Time".

Skye Steele - All That Light (Official Music Video)

Skye Steele's soulful single “All That Light” features vocals from Stevie Weinstein-Foner (aka SWF) and is an ode to clean living, with the need to get crazy every once in awhile in moderation. The video was choreographed and directed by Skye's old friend from the Bitterroot Valley Megan Schneeberger, who is the founding member of Chicago's collaborative modern dance company The Space Movement Project (also known for her work with Helado Negro, Ayako Kato and Silvita Diaz Dance). The video is a conceptual piece set to "All That Light", which she describes as reimagining a dream where you find yourself somewhere public in your underwear, but it's fine because everyone's in their underwear and it's actually fun. It's also about the communal joy of performative dance, where errors, glitches and awkward encounters are celebrated as chances for deeper human connection. It features the dancers Megan Schneeberger, Christopher Knowlton and Timothy Jackson, it was edited by Mariko Charvat, and the Director of Photography was Daniel Kullman.

Iron & Wine - Call It Dreaming (Official Music Video)

Iron Á Wine is back with "Call It Dreaming", taken from "Beast Epic", on Sub Pop Records. Directed by J. Austin Wilson.

Toro y Moi - Girl Like You (Official Music Video)

"Girl Like You" is taken from Toro y Moi's album, "Boo Boo", vía Carpark Records. Produced by Company Studio.

Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton - Fatal Gift (Official Music Video)

Emily Haines (Metric and Broken Social Scene) gives us this "Fatal Gift" accompanied by The Skeletons, vía Last Gang Records. Music video directed by Justin Broadbent.

Joan of Arc - Cha Cha Cha Chakra (Official Music Video)

The official video for "Cha Cha Cha Chakra" performed by Joan of Arc, taken from "He's Got The Whole This Land Is Your Land In His Hands" vía Joyful Noise Recordings. Directed by ALVY.

Örnsberg - Never Boring (Official Music Video)

From Sweden, Örnsberg and the official video for the single "Never Boring", vía Hybris Rec.

Otzeki - True Love (Official Music Video)

The official video for London’s electronic/rock duo Otzeki’s single “True Love” was directed by Christian Cargill and Will Farrell. The video takes inspiration from Kahlil Gibran’s 1916 drawing Towards The Infinite, which is on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Otzeki is comprised of lead singer and guitarist Mike Sharp and his cousin Joel Roberts, who handles synth and percussion duty.

Psymon Spine - Experience Machine (Official Music Video)

The official video for “Experience Machine”, one of the stand-out tracks on Psymon Spine’s brilliantly eclectic debut album "You Are Coming To My Birthday", vía Axis Mundi Records.

ODESZA - Line Of Sight (feat. WYNNE & Mansionair) (Official Music Video)

The official video for “Line Of Sight” by ODESZA, featuring WYNNE & Mansionair. Taken from the album "A Moment Apart".

NØMADS - Dementophøbia

“Dementophøbia” is taken from NØMADS’ year-long conceptual album "Phøbiac", with each song being a case study based around a different rare or clinical phobia. So, Dementophobia is the fear of losing one's mind, and its accompanying single is a blistering, fuzzed-out, post-punk explosion that captures the nature of NØMADS as a dynamic post-punk duo. The more you question if there are voices in your head, the more the question itself becomes a voice. In a time when so many things about our daily world seem insane, Dementophobia is a phobia that is likely more common than it is diagnosed. On the track, frontman Nathan Lithgow sings the paranoid refrain "Find a faster, louder way to give. Something wrong is always happening; just a prayer for a partial lobotomy. Excuse me I'm all out of me.” The duo is the brainchild of Nathan Lithgow (My Brightest Diamond) who handles bass and vocal duties, and Garth Macaleavey (the technical director at National Sawdust) on drums.

The Killers - The Man (Official Music Video)

The official music video for The Killers performing "The Man", taken from "Wonderful Wonderful" album, vía Island Records.

The xx - I Dare You (Official Music Video)

The official video for "I Dare You" from the album "See You" by The xx. "I Dare You" is The xx's love letter to Los Angeles, a city close to their hearts, where they wrote and recorded parts of their album "I See You".

Ariel Pink - Another Weekend (Official Music Video)

The official video for "Another Weekend" from Ariel Pink's album "Dedicated To Bobby Jameson", vía Mexican Summer. Directed by Grant Singer.