“Has the summer gone yet? Is it safe to go outside? Can I finally turn off that deafening fan?”
I hear your misery, dear readers. Fortunately, today we have an album for humid nighttime drives from a seductive pair of guitar teachers, a little holiday to South America, and a splash of refreshment from the folks who soundtracked last year’s far more tolerable July. If there’s anything we’ve missed or you’d like to see your upcoming release featured on this page, let us know by emailing us at [email protected]!
HONNE – Warm On A Cold Night
Despite their Japanese name and imagery, including the Gone Are The Days: Shimokita Import EP of earlier this year, the English duo of Andy Clutterbuck and James Hatcher specialises in tender, soothing love songs with soft synth melodies. Debut album Warm On A Cold Night, released via their own Tatemae imprint of Atlantic Records, features Izzy Bizu duet ‘Someone Who Loves You’ and new single ‘Good Together,’ and you can read our full review here.
Major Lazer feat. Justin Bieber & MØ – ‘Cold Water’
Released a little over a year ago as the lead single from third album Peace Is The Mission, Major Lazer’s ‘Lean On,’ a collaboration with DJ Snake and featuring MØ, quickly became the most streamed song of all time on Spotify and recently broke the 1.5 billion view threshold on YouTube. Remarkably, it was the first real hit single for Diplo’s dancehall ensemble, but the first tease of LP4 is likely to join it in that stratospheric realm. ‘Cold Water’ sees MØ and now-acceptable-pop-person Justin Bieber duet over Ed Sheeran’s mildly Balearic guitar, maintaining the Caribbean lilt and electronic oomph the eclectic trio is known for.
Bear’s Den – Red Earth & Pouring Rain
Apparently some people like banjos. To me, it seemed like they’d been heard enough as Mumford & Sons rocketed to prominence with their frantic folk. Yet, with lead single ‘Auld Wives,’ newly reduced Bear’s Den had fans worrying that it had gone the way of the dodo. Rest assured, dear alt-folk fans, that it is alive and well on Red Earth & Pouring Rain – they even took it along to BBC Radio 1’s Live Lounge earlier this week to bring a bizarrely delightful twist to Drake’s irksomely ubiquitous ‘One Dance.’
Skrillex & Rick Ross – ‘Purple Lamborghini’
Ahead of the movie’s release next month, the Suicide Squad soundtrack is shaping up to be quite the star-studded affair. After new tracks from Twenty One Pilots and Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, Imagine Dragons, Ty Dolla $ign, Logic, and X Ambassadors (‘Heathens’ and ‘Sucker For Pain’) began to orchestrate an eerie and sinister tone, Skrillex and Rick Ross combine on ‘Purple Lamborghini’ to tear everything to shreds in a bombastic theme tune for Jared Leto’s Joker.
Gucci Mane – Everybody Looking
A friend recently told me that Gucci Mane is one of the most prolific rappers of all time, apparently having over 4,000 hours of music available on Spotify. Especially when it comes to all things Guwop, I have no reason to doubt him, however ridiculous that statistic may appear – my sprawling main playlist is currently a minute shy of a hundred hours and features 1,428 songs. Anyway, today he drops Everybody Looking, an album recorded in a six day binge after his recent prison release that features Drake, Kanye West, and Young Thug.
Netsky feat. Macklemore & Digital Farm Animals – ‘Rio’ (Remix)
Thanks to work with the likes of Chromeo’s Dave-1 and Emeli Sandé, Belgian drum-and-bass star Netsky explored new, more pop-minded ground on appropriately-titled third album 3 earlier this year. Two of the brightest chart-friendly moments came alongside Digital Farm Animals, whose signing to Syco and dabbles in writing, producing, and singing with everyone from Dua Lipa and Galantis to Nelly and R. Kelly has positioned him as a very intriguing prospect amongst the bevy of young dance crossover artists. In honour of the upcoming Olympic Games in Rio, their brassy single of the same name gets a new edit featuring a Ryan Lewis-less Macklemore acting as hype man, “swimming in the ocean like the pool is hella heated.”
Selected Other Releases
Albums
Attlas – Bloom EP
Berhana – Berhana EP
Candi Staton – It’s Time To Be Free
Frankmusik – Day Break EP
Keith Sweat – Dress To Impress
Laura Misch – Shaped By Who We Knew EP
MSTRKRFT – Operator
Neon Hitch – Anarchy
Now That’s What I Call Music! 94
Singles
A. G. Cook – ‘Superstar’
Bibi Bourelly & Earl St. Clair – ‘Perfect’
Chairlift – ‘Get Real’
Cher Lloyd – ‘Activated’
Coolwater Set & RAC feat. Jvzel – ‘The Coast’
D/C – ‘Badman’
Die Antwoord – ‘Banana Bread’
DJ Khaled feat. Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean & Betty Wright – ‘Holy Key’
Giggs – ‘Whippin Excursion’
Gorgon City feat. Wyclef Jean – ‘Zoom Zoom’
James Newman vs. DC Breaks – ‘If You’re Not Going To Love Me’
Kehlani – ‘Distraction’
Kiko Bun – ‘Sweetie’
Midnight City – ‘Free’
Nicky Romero – ‘Ready 2 Rumble’
Offaiah – ‘Trouble’
Pitbull feat. Flo Rida & LunchMoney Lewis – ‘Greenlight’
Regina Spektor – ‘Bleeding Heart’
Robyn – ‘Dancing On My Own’ (Cassius Remix)
Roomie feat. PewDiePie – ‘Brofist’
Sleigh Bells – ‘Hyper Dark’
Sophie Ellis-Bextor – ‘Come With Us’
The Avalanches – ‘Subways’
THEY. – ‘Deep End’
Ty Dolla $ign feat. Future – ‘Campaign’
Whilk & Misky – ‘All By Myself’
Wilco – ‘If I Ever Was A Child’
Wilkinson – ‘What’
Wretch 32 feat. Knox Brown – ‘All A Dream’
Yogi feat. AlunaGeorge & Less Is Moore – ‘Blow You Up’
