Cosima, South of Heaven
Anybody who is anybody has their own music-video-turned-short-film these days, and as we’ve told you time and time again, London’s Cosima is definitely somebody. Intimate, honest, and using some damn good locations, she’s the best thing south of heaven for you, and this will stir your soul.
sir Was, In The Midst
Capitalisation-botherer sir Was is a Gothenburg-based artist making the kind of hip-hop tinged electronica that has earned comparisons to both Eyedress and Jai Paul. A former jazz saxophonist, sir Was (previously Was OBE and before that Was MBE) played almost all the instruments on his debut: drums, bass, keyboards, guitar, percussion, clarinets and sax. The show off.
Willie J Healey, Best Friend’s Sister
Like a Rookie photoshoot soundtracked by a love-struck teenage boy with a lot of feelings. We’ve all been there.
Madlib and DOOM, Avalanche
Back together again, these two ditched their Madvillain moniker for the release of Avalanche, out now on 7″ via Madlib Invazion. True fans can go the extra inch and invest in a shiny new Madvillain action figure to accompany the vinyl that sits at 8″ tall. We hope this kind of thing catches on.
shame, Gold Hole
Yet another band from the apparent guitar hotbed of South London that appear to be shaping up quite nicely, thank you very much. This one ticks along with the same menace of flipside The Lick before descending into a sort of Troggs Tapes for 2016. “Put a little bit of fuckin’ fairy dust over the baaa-stard!”.
Trudy and the Romance, I Want You, I Need You, I Love You
A Christmas cover of Elvis Presley’s 1956 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You now, from Steve Lamacq approved indie types Trudy and the Romance. Recorded in front person Olly’s garage and with drummer Brad on lead vocal duties, it fits nicely with the band’s overall aesthetic: all lovesick sea shanties and Orange Juice inflected rabble rousers.
Blood Orange, Better Than Me
High kicks, lightning fast spins and jumps through the air. No, it’s not a kung-fu training montage, it’s the new self-directed Blood Orange video. Join Dev and his thirteen dancers as they do what they do best with choreography from Juri Onuki in a very photogenic studio space. Carly Rae Jepsen is there too. Oh, how far they’ve both come musically.
Raye x Stefflon Don x FRED x MSSINGNO, Timmy Turner (Remix)
A meeting of minds here as the very good Raye teams up with the very good Stefflon Don for a remix of (very) GOOD Music signee Desiigner’s Timmy Turner. Hard hitting and fierce, the results are to be expected: it’s very good indeed.
Maggie Rogers, Dog Years
The first time we watched this v. Wes Anderson music video, we accidentally did it with the subtitles on and it was perfect. Mic in hand, a chill in the air, this is a dream second single from our new friend, as ever keeping it cosy, casual and classy. Keep them coming, Maggie!
Jak & Jo, Snowflakes (& Broken Hearts)
Waco front person Jak Hutchcraft and friend Jo join forces for a sort of IRL version of Lonely This Christmas in the style of a pissed up Fleetwood Mac. “It’s Christmas again and I still miss you, Joanne,” croons Hutchcraft. It really is the most wonderful time of the year.
Little Simz, Stillness In Wonderland: The Film
Having just taken a stroll through Highbury Fields with friend and collaborator Kehlani, Simbi treats us to a Jeremy Cole-directed short film accompaniment to her second album, which is out today. A story of personal evolution, she navigates a wonderland of distraction before choosing her own destiny. Look out for her Space Age friends and that Donnie Darko reference.
Credits
Text Frankie Dunn and Matthew Whitehouse