Category: Pop

Album Review: Bustié – Throb

Rating: 8/10

Due to loss, grief, and immense focus on perfectionism, New York-based act “Bustié’s” sophomore album Throb faced many delays, but now 7 years after their debut Birds of Paradise, the album has finally arrived at the perfect time. Living in the U.S. right now is frightening if you’re a person of color, LGBTQ+, or just simply don’t support a fascist regime, so now more than ever we need music that comes from people of said communities to inspire, provide hope, raise awareness, and provide a dance party of escapism, and Bustié does just that. Combining genres such as Hi-NRG, Synth Pop, EBM, and Freestyle, Throb celebrates the elements that make these genres so undeniable and infectious. Topped with lead member Angelika Padilla’s chant-like vocals that provide another layer of rhythm on top of the already entrancing beats, this music will make anyone want to move. Whether you’re the type to cut up a rug on the dance floor, or the type to stand back and bob your head to the beat, this music is for you. Thematically this album deals with lust, loss, and sexuality, and though it’s often dark sonically, it’s perfectly contrasted with heavy elements of 80’s-styled Pop which helps prevent the album from diving into doom and gloom. It’s Janet Jackson at a Nitzer Ebb concert, and it’s fantastic. 

Written By: Steven Sandoval

Album Review: Jessie Ware – Superbloom

Rating: 7/10

Following her superb 2020 album What’s Your Pleasure?, singer/songwriter Jessie Ware has maintained a consistent sound that celebrates the many forms of Disco. Post-disco, Italo Disco, Funk, Nu-Disco, you name it, she’s done it, and though this risk-free approach of staying in the lane that has garnered her much success can feel a bit safe, she’s still crafting catchy tunes just begging to be played on the dance floor. These songs tackle themes such as sensuality, sexuality, and the yearning for connection and touch. In other words, this music is horny, but what I’ve always liked about Ware’s music is that it’s a sophisticated kind of horny, as opposed to some of the more vulgar horny music out there. Her music is a positive all-inclusive celebration of feeling good. Her new album Superbloom continues down that trajectory, but this time around leans heavily into the 70’s Disco she flirted with on her previous album That! Feels Good! However, the album suffers with the same issue That! Feels Good! had, and that issue is that the album falters a bit toward the end, with some tracks being a slog to get through, but that issue is excusable considering the BANGERS this album has. “Ride” is a sexed-up cowboy Disco track that interpolates Ennio Morricone’s “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly,” “I Could Get Used To This” is a smooth feel good introduction to the album, and “Sauna” scratches that Italo Disco itch. Jessie Ware is pretty good at this Disco stuff. Moving forward, I would like her to experiment a bit more and take more risks musically, but with this album it’s evident there’s much life left in her Disco era, despite its predictability. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. 

Written By: Steven Sandoval

Riki Shares New Music Video for “Florence & Selena”


We’re just two weeks away from the release of Riki’s upcoming album Gold, and while we wait, Riki has shared a stunning new music video for her track “Florence & Selena” for us to enjoy. The video is directed by Travis Waddell, and is as visually compelling as the song is sonically enticing. Gold will be released on November 26th via “Dais Records.” You can watch the music video for “Florence & Selena” below:

Kylie Minogue and Jessie Ware Share New Single “Kiss of Life”

Following Kylie Minogue’s 2020 album Disco, as well as the 20th anniversary of her classic album Fever, and following Jessie Ware’s superb 2020 album What’s Your Pleasure? which recently received a deluxe release consisting of bonus bangers, the two queens of Disco have teamed up to create another dance floor -ready track that solidifies their status as modern Disco’s torch carriers. This is a collab we knew we needed, and seeing this come to fruition is a gift. The track is titled “Kiss of Life,” and you can listen to it below:

Maryze Shares New Music Video for “Squelettes” Featuring Backxwash

It’s Halloween season, which means you can count on Montreal-based Alt-Pop artist Maryze to bless us with something that reflects the delightfully dark and sinister nature of the beloved holiday. This year she has shared a brand new music video for her single “Squelettes” which features an infectiously confrontational verse from Backxwash, who has had a successful year following the release of her masterpiece I Lie Here Buried with My Rings and My Dresses. “Squelettes” was released last year, but still holds up as powerhouse of a track, and now we have a beautifully haunting music video rich in Gothic imagery to accompany it thanks to multidisciplinary artist Méchant Vaporwave. You can watch the music video for “Squelettes” below:

Riki Shares New Single “Florence and Selena”

Every time Riki releases new music it’s impossible not to swoon over her angelic vocals and impeccable attention to dreamy soundscapes consisting of retro synth-laden New Wave that explores a myriad of emotions. Her new single “Florence and Selena” is no departure, but the track offers a refreshing sense of balladry that’s absent from modern Pop music. The track will appear on her upcoming album Gold, which is set to drop on November 26th via “Dais Records.” You can listen to “Florence and Selena” below:

Kelley Cole Shares New Single “Anyone”

Hailing from Nashville Tennessee, Kelley Cole has released her debut single “Anyone,” and it’s a synth-heavy bop ready to pack the dance floor with its smooth Funk-dominated swagger. The track was written and produced by Cole herself, indicating the possibility of her becoming an influential producer in the Pop world. She is definitely an artist to watch. You can listen to “Anyone” below:

Lucky Iris Share New Single “Coffee Shop”

We all have them. Our favorite spots to hang out. Whether it be coffee shops, bars, venues, or diners, it’s part of the human experience to get out and meet people, have conversations, or even people watch as you gaze at someone you find attractive, intriguing, or maybe someone who is obnoxiously making a scene, whatever the case may be, these are the things, good or bad, that make us human. These are the things we’ve grown accustomed to, but what happens when all of that is taken away from us? That’s what we were forced to endure last year during lockdown. The importance of human interaction made itself more clear than ever, making us realize we took these things for granted. However, that isolation lead to self-reflection for many of us, and prompted countless artists to create such profound art, artists such as “Lucky Iris.” Inspired by their desire to get out into the world again, the Leeds duo created a dance floor ready banger rich in Electro-Pop and Disco titled “Coffee Shop,” and the track reflects on those times of normalcy, inspiring us to slow down and savor these times as they slowly return. The track was produced by Ed Heaton, and mixed by Lee Smith. You can listen to “Coffee Shop” below:

https://luckyirisband.bandcamp.com/track/coffee-shop

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:

Billy Nomates Announces New E.P. “Emergency Telephone,” Shares New Single “Heels”

Billy Nomates released her debut album last year and immediately solidified herself as the voice for the forgotten normal people. The people who work regular jobs who would love to roll up their sleeves and lay their bosses out with a nice fat punch to the face. She’s someone who acknowledges the working class, but rather than preach, she observes the importance of normal people and sheds a catchy light on said people to provide realistic Pop music that is the antithesis of Pop music that celebrates luxury and celebrity. Today she has announced that she will release a new E.P. titled Emergency Telephone on March 5th via “Invada Records.” She has also released a new single off the E.P. titled “Heels,” which is about knowing who you are and finding the warrior within you to fight the many obstacles and inconveniences that break you down. You can watch the music video for “Heels” below: