"The song sounds typically melancholy and longing but is actually about finding 'hope in a hopeless situation,' according to the band."
This week on the WERS 7 o'clock news we welcomed the return of the Australian electronic outlet Cup Copy, boogied down to a beautiful collaboration between Mr. Jukes and Charles Bradley, reveled in the bubbly new single from Cults, and jammed out to a new track from the English duo Mount Kimbie. Check out what the WERS Music staff has to say about the songs you've just heard and make sure to tune in next week for more music discovery on the 7 o'clock news!
AIRBORNE
Cut Copy
It's heartening to see that four years since their last full length album, Cut Copy continue to make consistently fun and funky music on their new track. The Australian electronic four piece had not stopped making music in this time period, only taking a break from full lengths. They put out mixtapes, including their latest "ambient" mix in 2016, but their new song most likely marks their first genuine effort towards a new album.
"Airborne" is full of layered effects, giving it an amazing depth of sound, from flutes that float above the reverb-heavy beats and almost hollow-sounding clicks; it follows a trend of electronic music in the last few years having a "jungle-like" sound in the drums and beats. The chorus is more straightforward with a simple and upbeat guitar line, and combined with the line "love don't stop me" repeated over and over, it worms its way into your brain.
If the band stopped there they would have succeeded in making a fun, unique summer disco track. However, at the break down around three minutes, all the effects fall away and we're left with a simple piano and Dan Whitford's voice that morphs into a psychedelic coda prove that they're not just any electronica outfit.
GRANT GREEN
Mr. Jukes,
Charles Bradley
Jack Steadman, the lead vocalist for the English cult-favorite band Bombay Bicycle, is switching and getting funky with his soulful new persona Mr. Jukes. Steadman's new project as Mr. Jukes is rooted in jazz and soul and calls upon the influential time Steadman spent traveling around the world to places such as Shanghai and the Phillippines. To create his new album God First, Steadman essentially isolated himself from the world in the various places he was traveling to. The result of his labor is a beautifully layered and nuanced soul/funk/R&B album that boasts the vocal talents of musical heavy weights such as De La Soul and Horace Randy.
Steadman's single "Grant Green" employs the vocal prowess of the soul titan Charles Bradley, who at 69, sounds as heart wrenchingly passionate and strong as ever given his recent health ailments. The music video for "Grant Green" is just as perky and beautiful as the song, featuring Steadman and Bradley as bubbly cartoon characters. Mr. Juke's new album, God First, is out now.
OFFERING
Cults
After a four year hiatus, Cults is back with a distinctly synth based, shimmering track. The duo of Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion rose to prominence as an indie synth pop group when they released the childlike "Go Outside" in 2011. Though they haven't abandoned their synths, they have embraced an almost shoegaze sound that pushes them to slightly new territory.
The song sounds typically melancholy and longing but is actually about finding "hope in a hopeless situation", according to the band. Once the intent is revealed, it becomes clear that the beauty in the layered, slightly fuzzy vocals don't hide a secretly sad message but are almost uplifting.
Their new album of the same name comes out October 6th, and Follin and Oblivion have stated that they drew on Pink Floyd for inspiration in its recording. You can see the group perform at Brighton Music Hall on October 18th.
BLUE TRAIN LINES
Mount Kimbie,
King Krule
Although Mount Kimbie describes themselves as "post dubstep", their music never fails to take inspiration from cool British indie rock. After meeting at university, Dom Maker and Kai Campos got together in their home studio in Peckman and released two critically acclaimed EPs before being signed to Warp Records in 2012. In their new single "Blue Train Lines", Mount Kimbie employs the vocal talent of their contemporary King Krule to make
In their new single "Blue Train Lines", Mount Kimbie employs the vocal talent of their contemporary King Krule to make a hauntingly beautiful track that rocks just as hard as it grooves. The music video for "Blue Train Lines" is definitely a must watch. It's directed by Frank Lebon (who made Frank Ocean's "Nikes") and follows two anthropologists-played by Raf Fellner and Tegen Williams-as they study the life of an American Indian and is based on the historical case of an indigenous man named Ishi who survived the 1865 Three Knolls Massacre, which virtually destroyed the Yahi nation.
Mount Kimbie's third album Love What Survives is due for release on September 8th 2017.
For last week's memo, click HERE.
