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Baby Keem and Kendrick Lamar Share New Single “Family Ties”

You’ve probably been seeing all over the internet that the GOAT is back, and who is everyone talking about? Not Kanye, that’s for sure. We’re all talking about Kendrick Lamar. A week after his public statement regarding his final album with “Top Dawg Entertainment,” which has no release date yet, Kendrick Lamar has made a glorious return on Baby Keem’s new single “Family Ties,” and this is the collab we didn’t know we needed. “I been duckin’ the pandemic, I been duckin’ the social gimmicks, I been duckin’ the overnight activists, yeah I’m not a trending topic, I’m a prophet,” Kendrick spits, commenting on the abundance of events in 2020 to now that have rendered everyone divided. Kendrick was relatively quiet last year, but hopefully “Family Ties” is just the beginning of his much needed return. You can watch the music video for “Family Ties” below:

Poppy Shares New Single “So Mean”

Poppy is set to release her new album Flux on September 24th via “Sumerian Records,” and judging from the tracks off the upcoming album that she’s released thus far, it’s evident that Flux is far from “I Disagree Part 2.” Though the explorations in guitar-oriented Alternative Metal and Nu-Metal are carried over into these new tracks, the heavy Electronic elements of her previous record are traded in for a more organic Rock sound with a focus on live instrumentation, all while carrying a consistent underlying edge of Industrial Metal. Her latest single “So Mean,” is even more of a departure from I Disagree. The Alternative Rock elements are still there, but in this track Poppy seems more keen on incorporating her pop sensibilities, with a style that hearkens back to 2000s Alternative Rock. Flux is looking like it’s going to be filled with surprises, and Poppy isn’t someone who wants to stay in one space for too long. That’s the mark of a true shape-shifter. You can watch the music video for “So Mean” below:

Parquet Courts Announce New Album “Sympathy for Life,” Share New Single “Walking at a Downtown Pace”

It seems like forever ago since we last heard new music from “Parquet Courts,” and that’s because so much has happened since the release of their last album Wide Awake! You don’t need me to list everything that has happened since then, so instead of delving into the obvious, let’s take a break from the unfortunate reality that renders us divided, and talk about the exciting news that after three years the band are finally releasing their follow-up Sympathy for Life on October 22nd via “Rough Trade Records.” “Wide Awake! was a record you could put on at a party, Sympathy for Life is influenced by the party itself,” says member Austin Brown. As stated by the band, the album was made pre-pandemic, and the songs were created by taking long improvisations and moulding them through their own editing. The band have also shared the album’s opening track “Walking at a Downtown Pace,” which is accompanied by a music video comprised of shots documenting New York City party life. You can watch the music video for “Walking at a Downtown Pace,” as well as pre-order Sympathy for Life below:

https://parquetcourts.bandcamp.com/album/sympathy-for-life

Broken Baby Share New Single “Hand Heat”

Just like that, “Broken Baby” release one of the best love songs i’ve ever heard. Now before you roll your eyes at the term “love song,” let me assure you that the L.A. duo’s new single “Hand Heat” isn’t your typical glamorized Hollywood romanticism, nor is it a cynical look on relationships and romance, instead it is a Punk Rock love story that stays away from the “we belong together forever” cliché’s and replaces them with those real life feelings of love. You know, those moments of staying in and lying on each other on the couch while deciding what to watch next. You don’t know what the future holds, but you know this is where you want to be at this very moment. The track will appear on the band’s upcoming album Late Stage Optimism which is scheduled to be released on September 24th via the band’s own label “Poor Man Records.” You can watch the music video for “Hand Heat,” as well as pre-order the upcoming album below:

https://brokenbaby.bandcamp.com/album/late-stage-optimism

Portrayal of Guilt and Chat Pile Release Split 7″

Austin, Texas-based band “Portrayal of Guilt” released an absolute monster of an album earlier this year titled We Are Always Alone, which featured their usual infectious blend of genres primarily affiliated with the Metal or Hardcore scene, Genres that don’t usually intertwine, but the band dispelled all elitism with the record, informing us that there are parallels between these genres that shouldn’t go unnoticed, and that we can all co-exist while we watch the world burn. Oklahoma-based band “Chat Pile” released two unsettling but enticing EPs back in 2019 that flourished on the uneasy state of the human condition. Incredibly manic, dark, and devoid of joy, which if you’re like me, brings you intense feelings of satisfaction, and….. joy. Funny how that works. “Chat Pile” are hard at work on their debut full-length album, which won’t be released till next year, but today the band along with “Portrayal of Guilt” have gifted us new music. A split 7″ released via “Portrayal of Guilt’s” own record label “Portrayal of Guilt Records.” The aforementioned parallels between genres such as Hardcore, Punk, Black Metal, Screamo, and with “Chat Pile” in the mix, Doom, Sludge, and Noise Rock are on full display on this release. You can listen to, as well as purchase the split 7″ below:

https://portrayalofguilt.bandcamp.com/

Xeno & Oaklander Share New Single “Poison”

Reveling in the retro nostalgia of Italo-disco, Synth-pop/Cold Wave duo “Xeno & Oaklander’s new single “Poison” is a celebration of a sub-genre of Electronic music that isn’t exactly fresh and new, but my God isn’t it nice to revisit what once was an emerging music scene, and to be reminded of the impact short-lived and obscure music can have on a genre so ever-changing and vast such as EDM. “Poison” is undeniably catchy, and the music video which was co-directed by visual artist Scott Kiernan evokes the spirit of Giallo Horror with Suspiria-influenced visuals that compliment the nature of the music quite well. The track will appear on the duo’s upcoming album Vi/deo, which is scheduled to be released on October 22nd via “Dais Records.” You can watch the music video for “Poison” below:

Poppy Announces New Album “Flux,” Shares Title Track

Poppy is quickly becoming one of the most prolific solo artists in the music world today. Last year she released her impeccably produced album I Disagree, covered t.A.T.u’s “All the Things She Said,” released an expanded version of I Disagree, released her heavily Ambient soundtrack Music to Scream To, released a Christmas EP, and just this year she has released her EAT EP for WWE’s “NXT” program, and shared a fantastic cover of Jack Off Jill’s “Fear of Dying.” Well, looks like we’re going to continue to eat well, because Poppy has announced that she will release a new full-length album titled Flux on September 24th via “Sumerian Records.” The album will feature her previously released single “Her,” as well as the title track, which was just released today. You can watch the music video for “Flux” below:

BLISS MY HEART Shares New Single “Reason To Dust” featuring Eric Jayk

Following her deeply personal and immensely powerful single “Latigo Canyon,” French musician “BLISS MY HEART” has released her follow-up “Reason To Dust.” Featuring Eric Jayk of the band “Wildstreet,” the track is rich in melancholic balladry with luscious and dreamy production. You can listen to “Reason To Dust” below:

LINGUA IGNOTA Shares New Single “PERPETUAL FLAME OF CENTRALIA”

LINGUA IGNOTA is set to release her new album SINNER GET READY on August 6th via “Sargent House,” and now the album’s second single “PERPETUAL FLAME OF CENTRALIA” has been released. Following the hauntingly beautiful “PENNSYLVANIA FURNACE,” the new single is even more somber in tone, with Hayter describing the track as “the quietest and most desolate, full of dread, full of night, long phrases and few breaths.” Centralia is a ghost town in Pennsylvania where a coal mine fire has been burning underground since 1962. For the music video, Hayter collaborated with fashion designer Ashley Rose Couture to bring concepts of her music to life with her clothing. You can watch the music video for “PERPETUAL FLAME OF CENTRALIA” below:

Broken Baby Share New Single “Get the Piss Up”

I’ve never heard the phrase “get the piss up” before, but it sounds exciting, and it sounds like a fun night of dancing terribly, getting a little too drunk, and hitting up Denny’s at 3:00 A.M. because it’s the only restaurant that’s open at that time. After a year of isolation where we were all stuck inside, much of our partying consisted of getting a little too drunk at home and watching bad reality T.V. Fortunately, Los Angeles Garage Rock duo “Broken Baby” made best of the situation and recorded a rager of a track that proves you can have a good time in any situation whether it be at a show or in your own garage. That’s right, “Get the Piss Up” is the title of the band’s new single, and it’s a fun track that offers a bit of hope, which is a fun alternative to the general consensus that we’re all doomed. You can watch the music video for “Get the Piss Up” below: