Following his appearance on the blog with single, ‘Nubian’ back in June, Nigeria’s very own artist, H.O.M.A bounces right back with some visuals for the smooth alternative R&B joint. ‘Nubian’ pays homage to woman of colour. Check it out below…
Tag: alternative music
Song of the Day: Smoke Castles – Amy Steele
With sultry vocals and a distinctive tone, London based Singer Songwriter AMY STEELE presents her latest single, ‘Smoke Castles’, a mix Kate Bush and Sade with alternative tapestries of soul.
‘Smoke Castles’ is about the distance created between two people when the foundations they built, were not strong enough to sustain the weight of the relationship. It’s about a lack of clarity in communication, and the discomfort of uncertainty that brings. As Amy sings out: ‘Speaking smoke, you’re so unclear, white ribbons have tied up the air.’
With Amy recently signing a deal with EMPIRE, this is set to be an exciting new chapter for the young starlet. Have a listen to her below…
Song of the Day: Shoey – Blaktrix (ft. Sonnyjim)
With over fifteen years of releases under his belt on acclaimed labels such as Cardiff’s Associated Minds, Dial Up Records, Ruztik Records and B-line Recordings, BLAKTRIX has also gained supported from Clash Magazine, BBC 1Xtra and HTV. Blaktrix is already a name worthily cemented in the rich history of UK Hip Hop.
The Village Live Records rapper latest single, ‘Shoey’ was produced by A.H. Fly who has produced for many UK hip-hop heavyweights including Lee Scott and was the producer for Universal Soldiers. ‘Shoey’ is Blaktrix first release of 2022 and follows in the wake of acclaimed single ‘5 Euro Shades’ which made quite an impact, and Blaktrix last EP ‘Dumb’ which was very well received with Radio & Press.
‘Shoey’ features Sonnyjim an exciting rapper who’s smashing it at the minute and is considered one of the biggest names in UK Hip Hop scene. Hailing from Birmingham ‘Sonnyjim’ has worked with many other top UK Hip Hop artists and producers such as like Jehst, Verbz, Confucius MC, has recorded an EP in the US with ‘Buckwild’ and has also produced with Chris Crack. Check out ‘Shoey’ below…
Alt-Pop Duo Palmaria Shares Single, ‘Sunflower’.
Self-produced in their dreamy home studio, London-based Alt-Pop duo PALMARIA‘s latest single ‘Sunflower’ was inspired by the beauty of our very own planet. The duo’s lyrical bliss flows between the mix of their two main languages, offering a metaphorical interpretation of their lives between countries.
They explain, “We’re always inspired by natural elements, in this case specifically we focused on the sun and the sunflower. We connect to natural elements and how they move and evolve with our experience. ‘Sunflower’ is about always looking for the positive side of things and following the sun as a source of energy.”
Taking inspiration from acts like N.E.R.D., Little Dragon, Hiatus Kaiyote, the dynamic duo, who originally hails from Italy, continue to be their very own trend-setters, differing from the norm and surprising with each and every release. With support from Jamz Supernova, COLORS Berlin and BBC airplay, Palmaria are proving to be a force to be reckoned with. Have a listen to their track below…
Song of the Day: Pin Me Down – FRANSIS
Reminiscent of Wolf Alice and Florence + The Machine, London based alt/indie band FRANSIS‘ single, ‘Pin Me Down,’ was spurred by the tragic murder of Sarah Everard. It tackles a subject which is often difficult to talk about but shared by so many women, that of sexual assault, candidly focusing on the mental strain particularly in the aftermath, and the struggle behind closed doors.
Described as a therapeutic exorcism, Frontman Emma Withers shares, “This song is vulnerable and real, I wanted to focus on the self destruction, the brokenness, the confusion, the anger, and then finally the release which is supported by the music constantly, and as the song intensifies we hit an explosive finale, and an emotional release which was incredibly satisfying to perform in the studio, I did like 8 takes of this to get the raw emotion out of me, this is bonded with the mammoth eruption of epic guitar lines and pure power from the band.”
Despite the serious nature of “Pin Me Down” there is a positive outline, of admittance and then at the end, a collective sense of women standing together. A strong message that no-one should feel alone in their struggle, to let shame keep their burdens as skeletons or be fearful of walking down the street alone at night.
‘Pin Me Down’ is from their new EP, released last Friday (1st July). Listen to ‘Pin Me Down’ below…
New Lease Music 