Scarlet Pleasure has without a doubt been our favorite Danish upstart since the trio first swooned us with their satiny twisting R&B pop on Deja Vu last year. The breakout project has since captured hearts aplenty with their 2017 EP Lagune, and they’ve finally unveiled their first new music of 2018 in slick romping, whimsically capering Mind, which you can stream via its music video above, as well as a sultry simmering jam named Let Go, which can be previewed via Soundcloud below. Mind is a sleek cruising treat that showcases Emil Goll’s silky crooning and the band’s innovative pop, ever so gently checkered with balmy sweltering R&B, funk, and soul. It’s a smooth lurcher of a luscious bop whose video was directed by Scarlet Pleasure themselves, alongside Stine 

Thorbøll and DolceRocca. Their new songs are out now on Copenhagen Records. 

(Source: https://player.vimeo.com/)

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A slew of mighty fine debuts have been rolling in just ahead of summer. Case in point, Olloway, a Vancouver-based electronic band who’s burst out of the gates with a gooey melting debut single named August. Olloway, formerly known as EDM duo FYKA, has crafted a song that redefines genres with its visionary blend of organic electronica and heartfelt alt pop. The duo has carved out their own irresistible niche in the scene with their airy synths, impassioned guitars, and fleecy vocals. Olloway’s first song is reminiscent of A R I Z O N A or Mansionair, deeply permeated with dewy-eyed sentiment but heavily punctuated by incendiary junctures and a Porter Robinson-like ethereal electronic bridge. August is the first release off their debut EP, expected this summer. Download August for free, here, as we await more from the fascinating new project.

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If you haven’t been jamming to Westerman’s latest single for much of the month already, it’s high time you strut your stuff to groovalicious Edison, a slick warbling, funk slinking indietronica and pop song that gives voice to the frail inner monologue of the narcissist. As Westerman says “It’s about ambition, petulance and ill preparation. I imagined myself inside the head of the megalomaniac. I played around with all the unmet need and fear you would find there.“ The Londoner certainly crafts some of the most fascinating music of the moment. On warm glowing Edison, Westerman continues to collaborate with electronic producer Bullion to sculpt his sophisticated experimental sound. Edison even features some moments that remind me of early 80s classics by the likes of Talking Heads, but then Westerman quickly switches up the vibe of the song again with his lush blend of instrumentals. A Westerman album is slated for 2019, which seems like a very long time for us Westerman fans to wait, but we promise we’ll be patient. Edison is out on Apple Music, here.

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Noah and the Whale is a band I’ll miss for all eternity, having fallen head over heels for the Charlie Fink-lead band circa 2009 when they released their second album The First Days Of Spring. I’m infinitely glad that Charlie Fink is still active in the music scene, but it’s been a year since we shared his last dusty folk pop charmer, I Was Born To Be A Cowboy. Well, all my fretting and wondering about when he’d reappear has been put to rest now that Charlie Fink has suddenly surfaced with a new double-A side single. Stream My Heartbeat Lost Its Rhythm above and Anywhere below. Both are massive stunners. Anywhere is a fresh interpretation of Fink’s solo album track ‘Anywhere You’re Going, Is On My Way’ which was originally a delicate folk offering, but Fink has completely re-invented the track with 80s electronic beats and driving synth lines that remind me of Bleachers. My Heartbeat Lost Its Rhythm is also a resplendent thrummer. The song, which Fink recorded in 2015, perfectly complements Anywhere with its soaring synthpop choruses and new wavy flourishes. Of course, at the center of both tracks is Fink’s ever recognizable voice, which always has a special place in my heart. Both voluminous tunes are available, here.

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lovelytheband made a resounding debut last year with Broken, a song I’d likely never tire of due to its vibrant synths and infectious melody. Every time I hear it, I fall in love all over again with the LA trio’s tribute to “the broken ones”. It also reminds me of a very magical moment at SXSW this year. It was past midnight, I was exhausted, and I really needed to use the restroom. Friends were buying food at food trucks, so I rain into the Main II to use their bathroom. As I stepped back out, who else might be on stage but lovelytheband, and what song might they be performing but Broken! I was so elated, I stopped by the stage to take in the song even though I was supposed to rush back out to the street. That was fate. It had to be. lovelytheband recently returned with a brand new song to obsess over named ‘these are my friends’. It’s just as infectious a new alt pop and indie rock track on which we can all wax affectionate over our friends together. ‘these are my friends’ is already well on its way to being one of this summer’s chart-climbing anthems. You can also stream the song on Spotify, here.

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It was an absolute pleasure and delight to premiere La Bouquet’s performance of Loveless on Sunshine Sessions earlier this year. If you missed out on the feature, make sure you take in the poignantly heartfelt video, here. Now that Bryan Sammis (The Neighbourhood, Olivver the Kid) and Jake Lopez are back with a fresh new tune named Cruel, we’re more than ready to dive into a new lavish dose of the duo’s vivid music once again. Cruel is a widescreen ballad bursting with richly layered instrumentals and skyscraping choruses. Alt pop and alt rock interweave on the heart-bursting track, whose lyrics are an age-old lament spurned by bitter heartbreak. Strangely enough, La Bouquet seems to have scrapped all their tracks from Soundcloud. Perhaps this signifies some exciting new developments for the duo. We’ll keep our ears perked for any news. Revisit their Heavy Sunshine EP on Spotify, here.

This next magnificent beast of a rocking tune comes from Little Brother Eli, a band from Oxford described as “often bearded”. Facial hair or not, it’s quickly apparent why this band’s growling guitars, danceable beats, electro breakdowns, and contagious pop hooks have caught the attention of both BBC Introducing and BBC Radio 2, as well as countless other tastemaking outlets. Our Kind Of Love is a snarling, smoldering, yet melodically bopping piece that evokes both Arctic Monkeys and early, funky Maroon 5. Little Brother Eli just made an appearance at The Great Escape Festival and they have a handful of other shows planned in the UK this summer. Keep up with the band via their website, here.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

Perhaps you haven’t heard Folly Rae’s Sniper yet. Get ready for a wildly infectious bop as we dive into the mahogany voiced London artist’s Wes Anderson inspired video for the cheeky pop song. Folly Rae performs at a strange hotel in the California desert where staff vie for her affections by taking her on a string of dates. These visuals compliment the female empowerment anthem, which is out now on Black Butter Records. Sassy and sweet, snappy and frisky Sniper is available at Apple Music, here.

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

I HEART MOOSIQ interview : HANDSOME GHOST

We’ve been in love with Los Angeles based indie duo Handsome Ghost for the past several years (revisit some of our past features, here). The pair has liquefied our hearts to no end with their music, which they sometimes describe as “indie-prom”, likely due to the bittersweet nostalgia and dreamy romanticism that oozes from its luscious folds. We’re thrilled that Handsome Ghost is currently on tour for their debut album, Welcome Back. IHM chatted with the dashing duo ahead of their show this Saturday, June 2, at

Café

Du Nord in San Francisco. Check out our interview below. Don’t miss out on Handsome Ghost’s tour! We’re also GIVING AWAY A PAIR OF TICKETS for their SF show on Twitter! Just head over to Twitter, here, and retweet for a chance at winning, winner announced Friday morning!

I Heart Moosiq: First off, I gotta ask, Handsome Ghost… How’d you come up with a brilliant name that matches the beautifully haunting sound of your music?

Handsome Ghost: Well, thank you. The band name came about back when I was using really heavy effects on my vocals. Ghostly vocals, if you will. The handsome part started as a joke and ended up sticking. I named the band when I was pretty confident that Handsome Ghost would never actually be a “real” band…but I’m happy with the name, I feel like it fits.

IHM: Tim, I read somewhere that growing up Postal Service was a big influence on you.  If you could pick one song to describe you or as your anthem, which song would it be?

Handsome Ghost:

Yeah, absolutely. Both The Postal Service and Death Cab For Cutie, basically Ben Gibbard’s songwriting, were huge influences for me as I was starting to learn how to make music. The first Postal Service song I heard was “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight” and I remember being completely blown away. The build throughout the song, the fact that it doesn’t follow a traditional strong structure. And at that point those sounds and tones were so innovative, not to mention how perfect the lyrics are. That whole album really moved me, but I’ll pick that song because it’s the one that introduced me to the band. 

IHM:

Eddie, I read that you were really into Taking Back Sunday. So same question to you – If you could pick one song to describe you or as your anthem, which song would it be?

Handsome Ghost:

I still listen to a bunch of those songs from my pop-punk days. I have a playlist for when I’m driving on tour with everyone else asleep. Just the hits (they’re all hits). I’d probably say “Cute Without The E”… So emotional. So so emotional. 

IHM:

How did you guys first decide to do an Acoustic album and secondly how did you guys narrow it down to those 6 tracks?

Handsome Ghost:

Welcome Back took so long to get to where it ended up, but I feel like songs can sometimes be living things. I love how the songs are arranged on the album, but we wanted to offer kinda a companion piece to the album. Maybe hearing the songs differently gives them a new meaning? We chose each of the six songs for different reasons. Some were arranged so differently compared to how Tim originally wrote them (“Shallow City” and “Here’s To Endings”), some were really important songs that we felt deserved a little emphasis. “Soft” we had done for the record but it didn’t quite fit. But we love the song and lyrically really fit the story of the album. 

IHM:

This is your first full-length album, but I’m surprised to hear you already put out two EPs over the last several years. Do you look back on those EPs and wish you would have done something differently with the sound or lyrics? Or even something as simple as the process of making those EPs. I think what I’m asking is have you guys refined the developmental process or each EP / Album / Song it’s own journey?

Handsome Ghost:

I definitely look back and wish I had done some things differently on those two EPs, sure. I’m proud of them both, and I think they represent where I was at those moments in time, but I feel like we’re better now than we were back then. At the same time, I think there’s an innocence or a naivety there, especially on that first EP, that is pretty special. I don’t listen to my own music (because it feels very awkward) but I know there are some little things on that first EP that I’d probably change now that give it a little charm, if that makes sense. But we’re always trying to get better, and if we’re lucky enough to make another album, I’ll probably feel the same way about Welcome Back. 

IHM:

If I was a performer I think my favorite song to perform would be one that the audience sings back or the one that blew up. Which song is your favorite to perform that people don’t know so well yet?

Handsome Ghost:

Hah yes! It’s always cool to hear people singing along. Sometimes you hear someone singing and it’s like “daaaaaaammmmnnn….!”
I really love playing “Creatures.” It’s the last song on the album, and one that I think you kinda have to pay attention to. Playing it live is fun and it’s also nice to kinda force people to listen to it. hahah. Hopefully it makes people revisit it on the album.  

IHM:

I see that you guys have performed at some East Coast Festivals like Firefly. Is there any festival or location that you would consider a dream place to play?

Handsome Ghost:

As a young man I saw a video of Dave Matthews Band playing at Red Rocks. That’s a venue that I would just be happy to see some day. So beautiful.

IHM:

Handsome Ghost is from Boston. Here we’re big Warrior fans. We’re actually surprised how far the Celtics have come in the playoffs. Do Celtics fans feel like if they had Kyrie and Gordon Hayward this year that they would be title favorites?

Handsome Ghost:

Okay, I have a lot to say about this but I will try my best to keep it brief. I absolutely adore this Celtics team as it’s currently constituted. They just play so hard, they’re so fun to root for. Even with all the injuries, here they are giving the Cavs (Lebron is my nemesis) a run for their money. That said: Even with a healthy Kyrie and Gordon, I think the Warriors are still the favorites. Even if you play perfect basketball, if the Warriors shoot well they’re going to win. They’re just dream crushers, what can you say. If it ends up being Celtics/Warriors this year I still think my boys are going to make GS work really hard for it.

IHM:

We’re looking forward to your show at Café Du Nord and years of meeting your Celtics in The Finals.

Handsome Ghost:

Thanks! Excited for San Francisco. Such a beautiful city.

Thanks for chatting with us, Handsome Ghost! So sorry the Warriors and Celtics won’t be meeting in The Finals after all, maybe next year! 

Listen to debut album Welcome Back:

For the rest of Handsome Ghost’s Welcome Back tour dates, click here.

Handsome Ghost: Website / Facebook / Soundcloud / YouTube / Twitter

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Within the dusky shadows of Two People’s music is much melancholia and woe, as we learned last year when we came across the Australian duo’s song If We Have Time. Phoebe Lou and Joseph Clough, the masterminds behind the project, are well known for their role in now dissolved project Snakadaktal (whom we were huge fans of here at IHM). And now, the pair are back with an exquisite new song named ‘I’m Tied, To You’, a moody smoldering, seductive throbbing alt pop and electro piece brimming with visceral burning, lonely aching saxophone and doused with a kinetic tide of impassioned beats. Of the track, Phoebe says:  “The words are written about being tied to yourself. There is a fragility and frustrated loneliness in that. It’s a kind of dialogue. Here, the ‘you’ is myself. We had a great moment recording the ‘sax’ through our guitar amp and pedals. Joey was improvising in the final stages of production and the room sounded like a big dark rave, it just sounded right, we knew then that it was ready. We used that initial recording on the album, if you listen closely you might hear us yelling wildly and moving around the room.” 

Two People will launch their awaited live show at Splendour In The Grass this July as a three-piece. They aim to create a flowing set that that exaggerates every sound, moment and feeling from their recordings. I can only imagine how arresting ‘I’m Tied, To You’ will be, with its galvanic current and ambulatory flux. Stream/download the sensational single, here.