Posts made in June 2021

Valley Release New Song SOCIETY

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On the heels of their explosive track, “Like 1999”, today JUNO nominated, alternative-pop band, Valley shares their new song “SOCIETY” via Capitol Records. Valley – comprised of Rob Laska, Karah James, Mickey Brandolino and Alex DiMauro – have spent the past two years developing organic buzz through a personal and intimate connection with their fans.

“SOCIETY” hinges on a hummable, clean guitar riff. Its head-bopping beat thumps in the background as Valley gleefully nods to “You Get What You Give” by The New Radicals and “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus. Laska comments, “To us, both those songs have such an uplifting chorus but lyrically deal with some frustration with the world / pop culture and just not letting it get you down. They both lyrically touch on not following the rules just because you’re told to; trusting your own beliefs and making your own decisions.”

If TikTok happened in 1998, it might sound like this song. Underpinned by dancefloor-ready piano, the track rides this momentum towards the sweeping and shimmering hook. On the song’s meaning, Laska explains, “’SOCIETY’ tells a story of how our career can sometimes feel. We exist within an ever-changing creative industry full of opinions and music machines making everything go round. At times, what you truly have to say as an artist can feel diminished or not as important when it comes to the context of making a product or something that people will label as sellable and listenable. At the end of the day, ‘SOCIETY’ is Valley accepting the terms and conditions of our identity, songs and career, the fact that we’ll never be able to please everyone but also coming to terms that no matter what the public considers to be a ‘hit,’ we tell ourselves we’re always going to follow our own artistic arrow.”

“SOCIETY” follows Valley’s unanticipated release earlier this year, “Like 1999.” Its genesis traces back to a TikTok post that featured the chorus of an unreleased song. In only a few short days, the TikTok had over 700,000 views and over 100,000 likes with Johnny Orlando and JESSIA posting duets of the song on their own accounts. Valley rushed to finish “Like 1999” in under 48 hours for fans and the song went on to inspire thousands of creators and amass 2.5M+ views on the original TikTok post. Now their fastest growing song to date, “Like 1999” has helped push their catalog to eclipse over 100 million streams while breaking borders, appearing on viral charts in the U.S., Philippines, Korea, Japan and more.

After an unprecedented year for live music, Valley is excited to reconnect with their fans to perform across North America. The band is gearing up to play Wunderbus Festival in Columbus, OH and Bottlerock Festival in Napa Valley, CA at the end of the summer and then joining COIN on a 17-date North American tour this fall. See full list of tour dates below.

Listen HERE. Watch the lyric video HERE.

For tour dates click HERE.

BlueBucksClan × Different Levels

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Los Angeles rap duo BlueBucksClan unleash a fly new video for their midtempo braggadocious Loyalty-produced track, “Different Levels,” out now via Out The Blue Records. Watch the video HERE. It stands out as yet another anthem from the group’s recent mixtape, Clan Virus 2, which only continues to gain steam.

In true BluckBucksClan fashion, the visual directed by frequent collaborator Tevo Laron, finds the duo turning up in a private plane, flossing a lavish lifestyle and flexing with bulletproof bars. As the video intercuts footage inside and outside of an upscale restaurant, their palpable charisma, and suave pops off the screen.

Clan Virus 2 has cemented the duo as a West Coast force to be reckoned with. Inciting widespread critical applause from Rolling Stone and more, FLAUNT Magazine exclaimed, “When it comes to who’s running the streets of Los Angeles on the rap tip, look no further than BlueBucksClan,” and XXL observed, “BlueBucksClan’s movement is going strong as their style and sound evolves.” Earmilk christened them “one of the strongest new acts coming out of the city.” To date, Clan Virus 2 has already gathered over 22 million streams and counting, boasting standouts such as “Lil League (feat. Quavo & Hit-Boy).”

Clan Virus 2 hit No. 9 on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums Chart and they themselves hit No. 16 on Rolling Stone’s Breakthrough 25. Pitchfork called them “L.A.’s best duo,” and HipHopDX wrote that the group was the city’s “hottest new talent.” Complex hailed them “Rappers to Watch in 2021” and Billboard included them on their “6 LA Rappers to Watch in 2021” list.

WRITTEN BY WOLVES – THE COLLAB PROJECT

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Written By Wolves Announce The Collab Project EP Due September 17

New Zealand’s highest streaming rock band, Written By Wolves, have announced their new EP The Collab Project due September 17 (self-release). The new 5-track EP is a collection of re-imagined collaborations of tracks from their debut album Secrets, released in late 2019. Last month, the first track from the upcoming EP, Help Me Through The Night, was released and features guest vocals from Sleeping With Sirens front man Kellin Quinn. Trenton Woodley (Hands Like Houses), Sonny Sandoval (P.O.D.), and others have also collaborated on tracks for the EP.

Along with the EP announcement, the band have also shared a video explaining that The Collab Project is more than just an EP. Vocalist Michael Murphy says, “It’s an on-going initiative to try and spread awareness, and to remind our fans and our followers, that no matter what they are going through, no matter what mental health struggles or demons they are going through right now, they don’t have to do it alone and they don’t have to deal with it on their own.” He adds, “The aim is to help normalize talking about our mental health issues and to help to breakdown the stigma attached to mental health.”

Written By Wolves are a fresh and progressive cinematic rock band and one of the most exciting new rock acts to come from New Zealand in recent years. Renowned for their highly energetic live show, the band have already shared the stage with international heavyweights such as Machine Gun Kelly, Limp Bizkit, Pendulum, Sublime With Rome, Suicidal Tendencies, We The Kings and Four Year Strong, to name just a few. Since forming in 2014, the band has amassed over 310,000 monthly listeners and more than 36 million streams on Spotify, as well as over 100,000 subscribers and 46 million views on YouTube.

WRITTEN BY WOLVES ARE:

Michael Murphy (Vocals)

Davie Wong (Guitar)

Bahador Borhani (Guitar)

Karl Woodhams (Drums)

Oli Lyons (Percussion, Samples, Electronic Wizardry)

The Importance of One Percent

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By: Yuval David

At the start of Pride Month I am feeling proud and challenged. Proud of the advocacy I do along with other LGBTQ individuals and organizations who are engaged and active in the fight and telling their stories, engaging with their elected officials and with their families and communities.

A record number of adults in the US identify as LGBTQ. This increase is propelled by the successes of advocacy and activism. A 2020 survey by Gallup made a more than 1% jump from the last poll in 2017. According to this poll, 5.6% of Americans openly identify as LGBTQ. 86.7% of Americans identify as heterosexual or straight. 7.6% do not answer the question. And, 5% had a “no opinion” response.

Being counted matters. 18 million adults identify as LGBTQ. This reflects the greater acceptance in our society and the ability for people to more comfortably express themselves.

For the first time, Gallup more specifically focused on sexual orientation, which also created more awareness of identity. In the past, they only had a yes or no option. But, this poll informed that among adults, 54.6% identify as bisexual, 24.5% identify as gay, 11.7% identify as lesbian, and 11.3% identify as transgender.

Among the younger adults, from ages 18 to 23, 15.9% identify as LGBTQ. 72% of them identify as bisexual.

What is the takeaway from this? Advocacy matters. LGBTQ youth are growing up in a more accepting reality. The older generations of activists have paved the way for the younger generations to have the freedoms and acceptance they have today.

A larger percent of the older generations dealt with more family rejection, job losses, loneliness, depression, and even knowing that LGBTQ identity and activity could be a punishable offense. A larger percent of the younger generations have not experienced the same level of needing to be in the closet.

This does not mean that all people, especially younger more impressionable LGBTQ people, are impervious to harsh anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, actions, and legislation. Prejudice against LGBTQ people is still being taught and discussed openly.

We especially see this from religious communities and leaders who use religion as an excuse to discriminate. For example, the Catholic Church announced again that homosexuals are “objectively disordered.”

The Equality Act is a bill in Congress, that, if passed would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in employment, housing, public accommodations, education, federally funded programs, credit, and jury service. But, its failing is that is still provides a religious exemption for those who feel that accepting LGBTQ people is against their religious beliefs.

So, I and my other partners in advocacy are still challenged. The LGBTQ Community is also the LGBTQ Movement. We are striving to empower people to publicly claim their identity, to authentically express who they are.

The Gallup poll numbers provide context and give a perspective to the advancement of the LGBTQ Movement.

I fell in love with my husband before we legally could get married. We celebrated together with countless supporters of marriage equality when the Supreme Court passed their legislation. We understood and appreciated the advancement of the movement and our successes that allowed us to express our love and bond in matrimony. We were recognized in Holy Matrimony in my Jewish faith, but not in my husband’s Catholic faith.

So, yes, I am proud, but I am also challenged. We have a long way to go.

To learn more about Yuval Davis, follow him on Instagram and Facebook, or view his imdb profile or Youtube page.

Hotel D’Angleterre Opens to Americans

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“Copenhagen Is open to Americans!” said a thrilled Lucas Johannson, General Manager of the city’s grande dame Hotel d’Angleterre, this morning on a phone call to New York. Johansson’s message confirmed the Danish government’s decision to open Denmark to American travelers who have been fully vaccinated for at least two weeks against Covid-19.

For the city’s 266-year-old d’Angleterre, the opportunity to welcome back its traditional number-one source of guests is a major event. Set in the heart of Copenhagen, overlooking King’s Square, and home to the Michelin-starred Marchal Restaurant, the d’Angleterre is not merely the hotel’s most prestigious hotel, but a city landmark, with beautiful views of the city of Copenhagen.

“Welcome to your Danish home!” added Johansson, “we can’t wait to spoil you with our warmth, elegance and deliciousness.”

About Hotel D’Angleterre

Located on Copenhagen’s Kongens Nytorv (The King’s Square), Hotel d’Angleterre has long been the city’s address of choice for royalty, statesmen and the illustrious. The d’Angleterre has had an extremely colorful history, from its origins as a restaurant opened in 1755 by Jean Marchal, to its transformation into the d’Angleterre in 1795, to the opening of the current building in 1875 and its rebuilding just before World War I. The hotel reopened in May 2013, revealing the results of a two-year remodeling and re-imagining: a lighter and more elegant color palette; 90 spacious rooms & suites (created from the existing 123 rooms) plus several amenities including restaurant Marchal helmed by Jakob de Neergaard, Amazing Space Scandinavian spa, and Balthazar, Denmark’s first Champagne bar.

Oliver Malcolm Remixes Glass Animals – Tokyo Drifting

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Rising artist Oliver Malcolm joins Glass Animals front man Dave Bayley for a new episode of “Cereal Bars” — a show where artists share their come up story and freestyle over a beat made fresh by Dave. The result is a cowboy inspired apocalyptic anthem that combines Dave’s beat prowess and Oliver’s imaginative storytelling. In the very special edition of the episode, the young producer/songwriter also shared a remix he made of a Glass Animals’ track; “Tokyo Drifting” featuring Denzel Curry. Watch the full episode and sneak peek of Oliver’s remix here. Listen to the remix of Glass Animals’ “Tokyo Drifting” feat. Denzel Curry here.

The appearance comes at the heels of Oliver Malcolm’s debut EP, Are You Living in The Real World? which features critically acclaimed tracks like “Switched Up,” “Skywalker,” “Helen” and more. Listen to the project in full here.

About Oliver Malcolm

Oliver Malcolm got his start early, teaching himself how to spin records at 12 years old. Shortly after, he downloaded Logic and taught himself how to produce – working with IDK, Aluna George, Joey Bada$$, Jay Rock, Masego, Tinashe and more. Now twenty, Oliver has developed his own voice. Touching everything from the production, vocals, songwriting, engineering, mixing and mastering, Oliver’s sound is unique and does not fit the mold of one genre. Quick to be praised by the likes of New York Times, TIME Magazine, Pigeons & Planes, Interview Magazine, CLASH, NME and more, Oliver Malcolm is priming his trajectory to be a long and critical one. A multidisciplinary at heart, this is just the beginning of what music lovers can look forward to from the new artist.

Praise for Oliver Malcolm

“Oliver Malcolm is the dynamic rising star ready kick up a storm with his diverse, new punk-indebted EP.” — NME

“With its deep bassline and bluesy melodies alchemizing jazz and pop influences, he crafts an almost tangible atmosphere of melancholy [in “Helen”] as pleas to a woman echo throughout.” — Pigeons & Planes, Best New Artist

“Oliver Malcolm’s ‘Switched Up’ Is Intoxicating… new single ‘Switched Up’ is a mesh of influences, a confluence of sounds, a mosaic of techniques.” — CLASH

“Oliver Malcolm [is] The UK’s Most Talented Bad Boy.” — Interview Magazine

“A lot of artists claim genre-blending style, but Malcolm’s is altogether impossible to define. Is it alt-blues? Dark electro-pop? Folk-hip-hop? Does it matter?” — TIME Magazine, Best New Song

“The hip-hop producer-turned-twisted musical anarchist is making songs for nobody but himself. You’ll love them anyway.” — i-D Magazine

“The drums lurch toward the offbeats, some looped guitar picking tugs against that pulse and Malcolm’s voice is a rattled, quavery moan…Everything stays off-kilter for the two and a half paranoid minutes of “Switched Off” by Oliver Malcolm.” — New York Times, Playlist

Don’t sleep on Oliver Malcolm, follow now on:

Instagram | Twitter | Youtube

Mikey Lion – For The Love

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Love—it’s one of the strongest and most universal connectors in our world. It’s also the driving force behind everything Mikey Lion does, from the music he crafts to the events he runs as the leader of Desert Hearts, to the circles he keeps. To honor this all-encompassing force, the artist today releases the full rendition of For The Love, his debut studio album, and the 100th release on Desert Hearts Records. A patchwork of nine tracks depicts Lion’s saga spanning from the day he discovered his true purpose, to the highs and lows of realizing it, and up to the present where he ponders on reaching the next chapter for himself and his community.

Before nurturing his brand and record label into the behemoth that it is today, a young Mikey Lion had been living with his parents and questioning the direction to take his life. Mesmeric album closer “Talking To The Trees” with its lush synth layers and gossamer vocals, sketches out how his path was revealed to him. During a fateful psychedelic trip, he was guided to spread love and community under the banner of House, Techno, and Love that fans know today. Desert Hearts was officially launched in 2012, and the rest is history.

Listen to For The Love here.

Elsewhere in For The Love, Lion reminisces on the moments and feelings that reaffirmed his direction. “When I’m With You,” a breezy vocal jam crafted alongside Lubelski and Jackson Englund, pays homage to blissful times spent with loved ones in and out of the rave. The peak time ready “Spot Freak” represents cheeky dancefloor moments with the crew via off-kilter synth effects, licks of acid, and hard-hitting percussion. “Above The Clouds,” which leads For The Love with dulcet melodies, is Lion’s interpretation of house music heaven—a feeling he seeks to emulate at each Desert Hearts event.

Trial arrived in Mikey’s journey in 2020, when the pandemic brought his and Desert Hearts’ momentum to a screeching halt. Written in minor key with tense buildups and heavy synthwork, “For The Love Of What” is the label head’s expression of this doubtful time, where existential crisis set in and he was left questioning what the point of it all was, and how the mission of spreading love would continue in the absence of shows.

Luckily, reprise was found within the dedicated community he built over the years. As Mikey led Desert Hearts into the virtual world, launching a TV station on Twitch, followers swiftly hopped on for the ride. He found himself reaching even more people across the globe with DH’s message of House Techno Love, receiving donations and pledges of support from across the globe, and interacting with the DH community on a virtual dancefloor. It was an affirmation of a different sort, but no less powerful, convincing him again that love and music would sustain him, regardless if the dancefloor was digital.

For The Love is ultimately a culmination of the triumphs and tribulations Mikey Lion has faced through the years since he first set out to bring the mantra of House, Techno, Love to a global scale—and is also a marker of an artist just beginning to step into his own sonically. Its timeless influences and multifaceted, yet polished sound design point to an artist who’s put in the work to master his craft. Through painstaking detail, instrumentation, and arrangement, Mikey manages to tell years’ worth of stories in just nine compositions.

At the end of the day, the lesson remains: community comes first always, and the decisions we make should be guided by, if not entirely, For The Love.

Connect with Mikey Lion:

Spotify | SoundCloud | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Connect with Desert Hearts:

Spotify | SoundCloud | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

Adore Me × Bebe Rexha Capsule Collection

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Adore Me has never been a celebrity-driven brand but when the opportunity to work with Bebe Rexha was presented, they knew they couldn’t pass it up. Bebe has always been a powerful voice on body positivity and inclusivity – the themes most near and dear to Adore Me’s heart.

But the timing really matters to us, too, says Assiya Assanbayeva who is a content strategist for Adore Me. As we head into a summer where America’s re-opening, we’re excited that we have someone like Bebe Rexha to spread the message that it’s okay to celebrate and have fun. As a lingerie brand, making our customers feel happy, confident, and sexy is at the core of what we do – and after everything we’ve collectively been through, we truly hope we can spread some joy to our customers with this collection.

The collaboration was built around products that are unafraid to be sexy and playful, like both Bebe Rexha and Adore Me. Just like Bebe Rexha crosses genres from pop to country to rap to rock, Adore Me has always been driven to serve all styles of lingerie to all types of customers of all sizes. We hope the collection reflects this. Who better than a lingerie brand and an inspiring musician to help us through a hot vax summer.

You can read more about the partnership and see the launch video here.

Onika Unlined

Pretty in pink! Made of recycled nylon lace, Onika has the best of both worlds: sexy and cute. This sheer plunging bodysuit features statement cut-outs with gold-ring hardware, a G-string back, and also has adjustable straps and removable cups.

Fun fact: for her first lingerie photoshoot, Bebe Rexha wore this bodysuit before the photoshoot to get her feeling more comfortable, and as Bebe told WWD, Bebe Rexha is discussing her lingerie. Her current favorite is the Onika bodysuit.

Margaritte Unlined

Feel like a rockstar! This push-up balconette bra is all about lace and attention to detail. Margaritte features sexy cleavage with intricate details, gold-ring hardware, and removable pads. Plus, it is made from recycled nylon lace and comes with a matching bikini and cheeky panty.

Fun bra-fit fact: With Margaritte bra on, you won’t have to worry about a wardrobe malfunction. The wings of this longline bra are wide enough to help secure the bra around the body and avoid it flipping up. The trick here is the support coming from the top back elastic, while the bottom elastic is made a little softer to not dig into the skin.

Ambrey

Ambrey is perfect for layering or wearing on its own. Made of custom lace in a botanical motif, this dark green bodysuit features a high-cut leg line and a thong back for a smooth and seamless feel.

Spotted: a little triple dart detail on the sides of the lace cups makes sure the bodysuit fits comfortably around the bust. Plus, it’s sewn with soft threads, so it doesn’t rub against the most sensitive area.

Avara Unlined

Bustiers are a big trend of 2021, and Avara is the first cropped bustier we’ve ever made. While this underwire black lace bustier’s floral details evoke a sense of boudoir chic, the pleated-side mesh panels add it some extra edge. Avara comes with a matching high-leg cheeky panty for a full jaw-dropping look.

Fun bustier-fit fact: front and side boning add extra support to the bustier, while mesh panels allow a bit of stretch for more comfortable wear.

Scott Hirsch – Much Too Late

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Musician Scott Hirsch today heralds the announcement of his third solo album Windless Day with a new song “Much Too Late” released today. Hirsch, an original member and current collaborator of Hiss Golden Messenger, serves as both producer and artist for Windless Day which comes out October 8 via Echo Magic Records with Soundly Music. The album is available digitally, CD, and on vinyl (black and iridescent pearlized purple). Preorders are available starting today.

Listen to “Much Too Late” here. Pre-Order Windless Day here.

“Much Too Late” features Carol Dennis, Jade Hendrix, and Sharon Hendrix on backing vocals. “When I moved back to California six years ago I wanted to learn more about singing and found Jade Hendrix,” Hirsch says, “She was such a positive force and gave me the confidence to sing my own songs. You’ll hear Jade’s voice on all three of my records, and when I started recording her, I carried on about how much I love the vocal stylings of the late 70s Christian-era Bod Dylan records. When I put on Street Legal, she kind of laughed and said, ‘Oh that’s my godmother, Carolyn Dennis!’ This time around, Jade suggested, instead of borrowing her style, why don’t we just get Carol herself? My head exploded!” He adds, “We recorded deep in the pandemic, and it felt like quite a feat to make the session happen. But it was worth it, and truly one of the highlights of my life to have these magical voices accompany my own.”

A founding member of Hiss Golden Messenger, Hirsch was integral to the band’s formative years in the studio and on the road. His sonic imprint remains on their productions; most recently mixing the forthcoming album Quietly Blowing It. He also has recorded and mixed Follow The Music, the Grammy-nominated record by the legendary folk-singer Alice Gerrard and has produced and played on records by William Tyler, Mikael Jorgensen of Wilco, Orpheo McCord of Edward Sharpe, and Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear.

Stayed tuned for Windless Day songs to be released in the near future.

Windless Day

Track Listing:

Spirit True
Much Too Late
Dreamer
Big Passenger
Redstone
Night People
The Price Of Gold
Wolves
Drummer Of Shiloh
Love Is Long

Connect with Scott:

WWW | FB | IG | TW | YT

Review of Wayne Thiebaud Influencer – LG Williams

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An Open Letter to Dr. Ari Kelman, Interim Dean of the College of Letters and Science at The University of California, Davis.

Dear Interim Dean Ari Kelman,

My name is LG Williams, and I am writing regarding the recent exhibition, Wayne Thiebaud Influencer: A New Generation, currently on view at the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art at the University of California, Davis. The show is curated by Rachel Teagle and Susie Kantor.

I received my MFA from UC Davis and taught in the Art Studio department as a lecturer in the late 90s. I could be wrong, but I suspect you may be unaware of this particular exhibition. That said, I thought it essential to take this opportunity as an alumnus, former lecturer, and artist to write to you with my observations. Perhaps they might persuade you to regard this public art exhibition with disdain and dread…

To read the full article, please click here.

To read the full article in pdf format, please click here.

Visit LG William’s website here.