Fresh To Death: Best New Music This Friday
Welcome to our new series ‘Fresh To Death: Best New Music This Friday’ where I hand-select some of my favorite recent releases from the week.
Featuring: Jade Antenna, Jesus Christ Taxi Driver, Kim Petras, Au/Ra, BK Pepper, John-Robert, some fear, The Anchoress, and Jewelry Company.
This edition features: a song that has a bit of a 1960s folk charm quality to it; a dreamy azure blue song that will make you want to truly live; a dreamy, plush alt-pop song that pokes fun at the terrible advice you get when you have a baby; a song that sounds like the mid 00s pop music I had on my flip phone, an eerily beautiful song that has the vibe of a folk horror movie; and more!
If you have an upcoming release, email me at eimear.o.sullivan@musicngear.com.
Jade Antenna - Notebook
The azure-blue summer pastel color palette of this music video caught my eye - and what awaited was paradise. One of the first comments under this video was “Man, I love art” and this pretty much sums up how I feel about this video and the song.
Some art lights up your creativity and your will to live in a way it is hard to put into words, and there is something about how this song and the visuals fuse together (the tangerine orange of the halter top shuffling through the tarot dek, the pastel pink scarf, the fuschia eyeshadow, the bright yellows of the clothing, friends smiling) that made me feel alive again, made me want to go soak up the beauty and wonders of this earth, made me want to create and be creative just for the fun of it, to truly live. Jade’s voice is like silk flowing to your ears, with sublime strings coming in every so often, paired with glissando piano chords from the heavens, all flowing over an alt-pop beat. Art is restorative, and this is what Jade Antenna has done. A truly wonderful time awaits you.
Connect with Jade Antenna
Instagram
Jesus Christ Taxi Driver - Easy Love
This is taken from the Colorado band's second album, ‘Taxi The Rich’, which is out today.
This has a bit of a 1960s folk charm quality to it (it reminded me of The Beatles and Bob Dylan). There is a sense of resigned, bone-deep exhaustion running throughout with the refrain of “Easy love/I’m in need of/Easy love”, with some more pointed lyrics, such as “Jesus died for no one” and “Every kiss seems lipless to me.”
The band is on tour; see below for dates.
Connect with Jesus Christ Taxi Driver
Website / Instagram / Facebook
Anchoress - I Had A Baby Not A Lobotomy feat. Gwenno
I came across this on YouTube, and I was immediately drawn to the kitschy art pop quality of the visuals.
Women get a lot of terrible advice, and I imagine unsolicited ‘friendly’ advice and interfering comments get even more atrocious once you have a child. This song pokes fun at this with (obviously, the title) and lyrics such as “I guess you'll be retiring now?” and “Why don’t you lower expectations? Didn't you know the body knows best? You’re just an incubator on legs…”. It also pokes fun at the maddening statements delivered with full confidence that completely contradict each other: “You look so tired but don't forget/To drink in every moment of it.”
The lyrics are razor sharp, set over a deliciously dreamy, plush alt-pop soundscape, with some sci-fi-like synths shimmering every so slightly in your periphery.
Connect with The Anchoress
Website / Instagram / Facebook / X
Kim Petras - Need For Speed
I first heard of Kim Petras when a friend showed me her 2019 Halloween mixtape ‘Turn Off the Light’ (side note: why don’t more people do Halloween-themed releases? They are so fun!!), and an instant obsession began.
This production in ‘Need For Speed’ reminds me of Lady Gaga’s ‘The Fame’ era, and mid-2000s pop in general, specifically the type of music I had on my flip phone and was addicted to. The outfits in this music video are to die for, the song featuring very pointed lyrics such as “Pour pink sugar on me, hurry up I gotta leave/My label yelling in my ear, yeah/‘Cuz they love the money and they want it now/ And they love it when I got no boyfriend in my life/Push me in the pillow, drop it to the floor/You already know my name but I don’t know yours, and you’re so mad about it.”
Connect with Kim Petras
Website / Instagram / X
Au/Ra - KILLSWITCH
This kind of has the vibe of a lot of songs that were on 2016’s Suicide Squad movie, which I love (e.g Kehlani’s ‘Gangsta’ is truly one of my favourite songs ever, specifically the orchestral version). The rising electronics behind the vocals in ‘KILLSWITCH’ are a blend of alt-rock with some all-consuming pads, in the vein of hyperpop, making this a dark metallic forest you will lose yourself in.
On the song, the artist says, “KILLSWITCH is about a conscious decision I made at some point to make the pain and anger stop.”
Connect with Au/Ra
Instagram / X
BK Pepper - Brother Sister
This is taken from the Irish artist's second album ‘Pagan’(out today via London-based label Bigo & Twigetti), which was recorded with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, The Glasshouse Ensemble, and Viktor Orri Árnason.
‘Brother Sister’ has the quality of a folk horror movie (I have been saying that a lot lately, something must be in the air), the soundscape being eerily beautiful, the vocals done in a way that brings to mind the voices of different generations echoing throughout the halls of time and memory.
On the track, the artist says, "Brother Sister is about the bonds we are born into and the ones we choose. It explores the idea that family is not only blood, but shared experience, shared struggle and shared belief. Viktor Orri Árnason's strings brought a raw and fragile honesty to the track, and I kept the vocal delivery very exposed to reflect that vulnerability. There is tension in it, but also deep loyalty. It feels like a conversation between closeness and distance, which is something many of us recognise in our own relationships."
Connect with BK Pepper
Website / Instagram / Facebook / X
John-Robert - Where Do You Wanna Go?
This is taken from the EP of the same name, which you can listen to here.
The song ‘Where Do You Wanna Go?’ has the most seductive saxophone solo you have ever heard in your entire existence. The live version is silky smooth; there is not a note out of place, yet, it still feels so alive. The vocals are delightfully understated, flowing breezily over the plush backdrop. Utterly divine.
On the song, the artist says, “I moved back to Virginia and had developed a crush on someone I’ve known since I was 18. The saxophone was recorded by Ognjen ‘Ogi’ Gotovcevic in his bedroom during a trip to LA. The intro was inspired by an Isley Brothers song called ‘Choosey Lover.’ A solo like that at the top of the song is bold and sets the tone.”
The artist is touring, see below for dates:
Connect with John-Robert
Website / Instagram / X / Bandcamp
Some fear - Rot
This is taken from the album ‘Word Eater’, which is out today via Rite Field Records.
‘Rot’ sounds like it was the soundtrack to many 1990s summer road trips in a crowded car that was far too hot, and although nobody was exactly comfortable, you felt fully alive and free under the endless blue sky. The wall of sound in this is truly all-consuming, with some 1990s nihilism thrown in, with lyrics like “Take a shot let it rot”. I can imagine Trent from the MTV show ‘Daria’ listening to this in his car.
Connect with some fear
Instagram
Connect with Rite Field Records
Website | Instagram
Jewelry Company - Love Island
This was a glorious Bandcamp discovery and is taken from the album ‘Mergers & Acquisitions’.
‘Love Island’ opens with sunshine-soaked guitar chords, instantly drawing you in, with some indie-rock adjacent vocals. There is something very unique and off-kilter about this that I love - I recommend the whole album, it is a fantastic time (the song ‘Adult Swim’ is divine).
Connect with Jewelry Company
Website / Instagram / X
About Eimear O Sullivan
Eimear Ann O Sullivan is a multi-genre music producer, audio engineer and vocalist. After receiving a Masters in Music Technology from the CIT Cork School of Music, she went on to operate as a producer under the name Blakkheart. Her releases have received critical acclaim from Ireland's biggest music publications, such as District Magazine and Nialler9, alongside receiving heavy commercial radio airplay. She currently works in Cork recording studio Flashpoint CC. Previous clients of hers include the likes of Comedy Central’s Dragony Aunt star Candy Warhol, rapper Darce and Outsider YP. (Photo credit @Fabian Boros)
Contact Eimear O Sullivan at eimear.o.sullivan@musicngear.com
In this blog section we host new music releases, artist features and handpicked playlists by the Musicngear staff.
Interested in a music feature, writing a story as a guest or joining the Musicngear team as a Contributing Author? Contact us at info+blog@musicngear.com
