We’ve got big sounds coming your way today courtesy of Creatrx, a self-proclaimed queer ATLien currently living in Brooklyn. The track is “RUN” – a hard-hitting banger with the energy of a revolution coursing through it. An anthem for an uprising, a message of solidarity and action for the disenfranchised, and a pure and simple firecracker of a track, “RUN” makes it clear that Creatrx has no interest in holding back.

It only takes seven seconds for things to get down to business on “RUN”, with Creatrx coming right out of the gate taking ownership of your speakers. There’s a huge bite to the delivery and the lyrics alike here (see: “Still decolonizing pussy, so I can’t fuck you”), seeing a return to form for that somewhat lost art in hip-hop of making a message resonate. Addictively frantic, the production feels to be constantly boiling under the surface with its clattering drums and air raid sirens, infusing the song with the same sense of a freshly imminent call to action that’s arisen across the world lately. Creatrx really puts it best: “I made this song in Jan. 2020, which felt like a precursor before the current uprisings. I made this song for black girls, trans, queer & gender expansive folk to fuck shit up & claim what is our’s. I pray people break shit (like white supremacy) while listening to my song.”

Before things wrap up, we get to hear a full flip from the heavy hip-hop vibes to something a little more psychedelic. Still with a sharp edge, “RUN”‘s outro gives a glimpse into the full well-roundedness of Creatrx’s sound with its ghostly vocals and haunting vibes.

Walking the walk as well as talking the talk, Creatrx will be donating half of the Bandcamp proceeds to Activation Residency and For the Gworls, two black, trans-led organizations doing good in the world. With the momentum of an awakening world to get it firmly rolling, “RUN” is a clear must-listen.

Back once again with as much raw energy as ever, our favourite Vancouver DIY collective Crack Cloud are here to rock your speakers with their latest punk-funk oddity, “TUNNEL VISION”. Stylish while still grungy, raw while still sophisticated, these guys know how to set a vibe and make a statement all at once.

If you’ve seen any of Crack Cloud’s previous videos, the post-apocalyptic wasteland that serves as the stage for “TUNNEL VISION” should come as no surprise. Driven by a thick funky bassline, the instrumentation here is at once danceable and hard-hitting, with the latter being made exceedingly clear by the enormous guitar breakdown dominating the track’s second half. As always, there’s a slyly intentional dissonance to the melodies, a sort of manifestation of the explosive messages they carry.

This is feel-it-in-your-bones music: a perfect marriage of razor-edged punk vocals, frenetic grooves, and the constant sense that there will never be a pulled punch in a Crack Cloud tune. The release of the collective’s debut LP, PAIN OLYMPICS, is finally drawing nigh, with the album dropping July 17. In the meantime, enjoy the well-rounded catharsis of “TUNNEL VISION”.

When a nightclub was built on top of John Eatherly’s East Village studio, he knew it would be inevitable that the vibes would find their through the floorboards and into his own music. Alongside collaborator Maxwell Kamins, the two have channelled that energy into Club Intl, and their new Johnny Jewel produced track “Crush” is every bit as lush, synth-laden, and slyly nocturnal as you’d expect from a tune forged in a nightclub basement. “Crush” also features Cults‘ Madeline Follin on vocals.

Right from the jump, “Crush” sets out to make a sonic statement. The howling synths and steadily pulsing bass feel every bit as much like a force of nature as they do instruments, while still staying restrained enough to keep from being overwhelming. There’s space to breathe, with contrastingly subtle verses that leave John’s airy vocals to put listeners under a short-lived spell before hitting them with another mainlined shot of explosive sounds. By the time “Crush” is all said and done, you might find yourself ever so slightly out of breath – reeling in the best way from the speedy ups and psychedelic downs, just like the end of a night spent at the club upstairs.

A great track with a great origin story, “Crush” is the perfect night out captured conveniently in your speakers. Leave the club outfit in the closet and let the party come to you by hitting play.

Our favourite Vancouver collective is back with a bang. Always good for a colorful, larger-than-life production to accompany their music, Crack Cloud delivers in spades yet again with their latest production, “OUSTER STEW”. Punk in spirit, yet jittery, funky, and fun in practice, the group’s unflinching attitude and uncrushable spirit are as apparent on this one as ever.

We’ve talked a little before about Crack Cloud’s driving philosophies. Operating on the frontlines of Canada’s opioid crisis, the collective exists to be a safe haven for its members, with that sense of community coming through as tangible as ever on “OUSTER STEW”.

There’s a sense of contrast to the track, both musically and visually. Bouncy, lighthearted, even poppy, the peppy guitar-and-keys instrumentation sets the stage for frontman and lyricist Zach Choy’s half-playful, half-biting delivery. His lyrics always have a tinge of manifesto-like feel to them and, in the case of “OUSTER STEW”, we see a song of ex-communication and the freedom that comes with it – a perfect match to that punky, funky vibe that’s fully realized by the post-apocalyptic, revolutionary video running the gamut from choreographed dances to beheadings.

We’ve been eagerly awaiting Crack Cloud’s debut LP Pain Olympics since we first came across them, and this new track brings us one step closer to the finish line. Watch the amazing visuals of “OUSTER STEW” and pre-order the album via Bandcamp below.

There’s something about the world seen through the lens of an 8mm film camera that makes it look like a living, breathing memory. On “amyleigh”, LA hip-hop duo AP The Plan captures the sights and sounds of rosy-eyed nostalgia, imbued with all the airy, agile delicateness of your favourite scene from the past.

Both only 19 years old, the two halves of AP The Plan – Benyeji and Will IV – possess a refinement to their style that goes well beyond their years. The two have been making music together since the 5th grade, and the resulting chemistry brightly shines through on this tune.

With its featherlight production and ultra tranquil vocals, “amyleigh” is the embodiment of the sort of carefree Malibu beach day that the track’s video chronicles. There’s never a musical moment that threatens to break the song’s fuzzy trance, and lines like “When I seen your face I told myself to fuck the past” only serve to saturate the sweetly slack atmosphere even further. Every sunny chord, mellow 808, and soft-crooned melody on “amyleigh” is its own swing of the stopwatch meant to hypnotize. “The synths made me feel like I was in space, so I knew I wanted to say something about stars,” they explained about the cosmic atmosphere of the track.

Settling into the Los Angeles sand by way of Philadelphia, AP The Plan is gearing up for the release of their Anthony “Ant” Bell produced debut EP. Find a tiny umbrella for your glass, then press play.

Sick of staying inside to avoid getting sick? One of our favourite LA-natives, Cassowary (aka Miles Shannon), just came through with a fresh batch of ever-jazzy, effortlessly funky cosmic R&B, and it’s the perfect spice for any bland quarantine. “Cyclical” shows further improvements in the areas where he already excelled, while also showing that he still has a few tricks left up his sleeve.

The video for “Cyclical” captures the track’s vibe better than words can. Something about a vintage Cadillac cruising through beachy L.A. – shot on film of course – really seems to sum up the spirit of this one’s sound. A punchy piano line reminiscent of Kendrick’s “Humble” lays the foundation for his ghostly falsettos, along with the sort of evolving melange of keys and bass he always does so well. And, just when you think you’ve settled into a groove, Tyler Cole comes in to finish things off with some quickfire bars and pretty melodies that wrap up the track ever-so-nicely.

Today’s drop of “Cyclical” also marks the release of his self-titled debut LP on Fat Possum Records. If you’re in it for the vibes and looking for a smooth sonic ride, give “Cyclical” a spin and dive into his new album head first. Watch and support the artist via Bandcamp below.

Ever feel like the music you’re listening to doesn’t quite capture the vibe of skulking down a dark alleyway at three in the morning? If so, it’s your lucky day. New York rapper Zebra Katz is back and grittier than ever with “ISH”, a churning, ghoulish track loaded with slithering bars and production that feels like it’s sneaking up behind you in the middle of the night.

We talked about Zebra Katz late last year when he released his ballroom-inspired banger “IN IN IN“, and were thoroughly impressed by how hypnotic his style was. That same mesmerizing quality is a defining element of “ISH”, where it seems like every individual aspect of the track is there to set and solidify a rock-solid mood and ambience. Zebra’s delivery is deliciously mired in a deep monotone that makes it feel as though he’s whispering lines like “Do you hear the bass thumping and a pumping / Shake ya waist to the bass like ya starting something” right into your ear. Add in the eerie synths and thick saw wave bass scratching underneath, and the end result is a subtly aggressive banger perfect for all your late-night needs. Listen and pre-order the album via Bandcamp below.

Stage presence isn’t always an easy thing to get across when a performer and their audience are interacting through a computer screen. And yet, Mykki Blanco’s new video for “Lucky (live in London)” makes it feel as though you’re right in the room.

There’s a wild blend of styles coexisting on “Lucky,” both visually and sonically. The venue for the performance, a stuffy looking, wood-panelled hall, clashes sweetly with Mykki’s head-knocking performance and the mob of dancer’s churning chaotically around them. That same contrast plays a central role in the song itself, as the classical vibes of a string trio judder along over a sharp-edged beat and Mykki’s venomously delivered bars, including, “How’d I do it with my flaws? Guess I’m just a genius. / Satin panties on my penis, counting money, acting fiendish”. The live version of the track also features producer Falty DL on keys.

As a full package, “Lucky (Live in London)” is brimming with style and swagger, cranked up even further by those unexpected streaks of calm classiness. Mykki has recently said that two new albums are in the can ready to go (including the already-announced Stay Close to Music, Stay Close to God) and that fans can expect more new music throughout 2020.

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