Ok guys, here’s your chance to check out the Top Ten Albums of 2021 – and I have to say, this is a pretty dope list! I hope you think so too, so enjoy!
Be sure to check out NEW LEASE MUSIC’s Top Ten Songs of 2021 tomorrow.
Taken from their debut mini-album ‘Yes, offence,’ slated for release in April 2022, South London duo SHELF LIVES‘ single ‘Mark Twain’ boasts two-and-a-half minute of flailing electronic breakbeats, glitched-out synths and churning distorted guitars – a prime example of the band’s post-punk/trash-pop amalgam.
Speaking on the new single, Shelf Lives singer Sabrina said: “We’re in an age of self-expression which comes hand-in-hand with opinion. We’re being told by each other who we can and can’t be, what we can and can’t feel and how to express it. Mark Twain is a, sort of, commentary on the confusion and complexity this behaviour creates of something meant to be genuine and authentic. It becomes safer to be emotionless, or at least perceived as, but as we waste these moments of vulnerability and expression a resentment and sadness build. This inevitably leads to the disassociation with these “new norms” and potentially social isolation.”
Originating from Toronto, Canada and Northampton respectively, Shelf Lives consist of singer Sabrina and guitarist/producer Jonny – who now both reside in Streatham Hill, South London. Bringing to mind the acerbic art-rock of Le Tigre, the intensity of The Prodigy, and the gritty garage-rock inspired electro bombast of Peaches, the band’s debut mini-album is sure to enthral en masse upon its release next year.
Check out the video for the single, directed by Florence Poppy Deary and Francesca Van Haverbeke (aka FLAN).
FLYGHT CLUB‘s latest single, ‘Quaalude’ narrates succumbing to a moment of weakness and regrettably ending up hurting someone who you love dearly. The accompanying music video further portrays this story, with the artist confiding:
“I came up with a story where a guy is left to himself as his girlfriend goes on a work trip. Seeing this as an off day, he agrees to meet up with his college buddy and go partying. Before hitting the club, they decide to take quaaludes. The guy ends up meeting a girl and going over to her place before blacking out. The guy wakes up the next day with no memory of the previous night and feeling guilty about having cheated on his girlfriend. He finds himself tied to a bed. The girl from the night before turns out to be a satanist and plans to sacrifice the guy for a ritual. I found this situation so interesting to write about as it also brought in instant karma and crazy repercussions to cheating.”
This lapse of judgment is conveyed through sensual instrumentation reminiscent of The Weeknd. Featuring vocals from fellow artist Brandt, ‘Quaalude’ emits a laid back, sluggish vibe. A slightly off-beat ticking sound that plays throughout the track represents being under the influence of a slow sedative drug such as a Quaalude, where time flows slower and switches pulses, leading to a false sensation of two separate streams of time flowing simultaneously.
Flyght Club is the contemporary musical project of Indian artist Shauvik Sharan. Having moved to Los Angeles to pursue his music career, Flyght Club’s music demonstrates his extreme versatility, exploring a multitude of genres and themes, with every song being made to cater to different moods and emotions, essentially leaving him unchained from the boundaries of musical genres.
Originally from Pune, India, Sharan grew up on classic rock artists such as Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton and Pink Floyd, all of which contributed to his strong foundation in music and inspired him to pick up and master the guitar. His time spent in Los Angeles allowed him to master the art of production and engineering, as well as singing and songwriting, shaping him as the artist he is today.
Watch the official video for the dreamy single below…