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There’s no resisting Zoey Lily’s misty, dusky pop. Her willowy, smoky voice tends to remind us of Billie Eilish and Soak, while her exquisitely emotive music always cuts to the bone, leaving a mark that lasts for all eternity. The 20 year old independent musician from London mesmerizes and moves with her gorgeous new single Not There, which features guest hip hop artist Indigo Svn. Not There is a morose ballad with soft electronic beats that leaves our hearts blissfully tingling… It’s a sparse and gossamer, pensive and reflective beauty bursting with tender and tragic romanticism. The haunting gem can also be streamed via Spotify, here.

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You might recall Alec Benjamin as the gifted singer songwriter from Arizona who’s collaborated in the past with the likes of Jon Bellion, Matisyahu, Jamie Scott, and more. Or you might remember when we gushed fervently about his stripped down demo The Knife in My Back or ardently extolled the wistful beauty of End Of The Summer. Now we find ourselves sighing away to Alec Benjamin’s new single, Let Me Down Slowly, an R&B pop infused ballad brimming with lovelorn anguish but flush with resilient beats and a bass grooving cadence. That’s right, there’s no forgetting Alec Benjamin once he’s serenaded us with his vibing tunes, whether intimately stripped back or awash with rhythmic instruments. There’s no escaping his remarkable voice, delivered so effortlessly and with heartfelt sentiment. If there’s anyone you need to “let down slowly”, make sure to play them this song; it’ll smooth out the ongoing rough patch. Stream more of Alec Benjamin’s songs and demos on Soundcloud, here. Let Me Down Slowly is available, here.

Our velveteen electronica and soul faves, HONNE, has been rolling out some spectacular collaborations lately whilst teasing us with rumors of a new album. The London outfit last linked up with dashing Tom Misch to give us Me & You ◑. And now they’ve teamed up with edgy UK artist and drummer Georgia, whom you might recall we were championing quite a lot a year ago after falling hard for her dark fidgeting, gritty bristling electronic pop. We haven’t heard from Georgia since, so we’re glad to come across her unexpected cameo (and lovely voice) on HONNE’s Location Unknown ◐, a beautifully moving, swanky stirring, and luxuriantly affecting infusion of their smooth rolling, snug melting electro-soul sound. HONNE has also shared another divine new track named 306 ◑, which you can stream below. Location Unknown ◐ is available, here, while 

306 ◑ is available, here. Though we still don’t have any additional information to share regarding HONNE’s next album, a world tour has been announced for later this year. Details can be found, here.

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

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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There’s no faking the bliss that okaywill has brought us with his music. Why the mysterious project chose the name okaywill for his name rather than stupendouswill or spectacularwill evades us, but we’ve fallen heard for his bass warbling, fleecy sauntering, and feathery grooving electronica and pop on ‘pretend’. Though we really don’t know much about okaywill, we do know that okaywill’s last two releases are heavenly, too. Stream R&B inflected ambler ‘love will find a way’ below, as well as airy roaming ‘alone’ below, both of which appeared on okaywill’s soundcloud within the last two months, too. All three are available for downloading on Soundcloud. 

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/)

As if we aren’t already insanely excited for Lykke Li’s new album ‘so sad so sexy’, the Swedish artist has gone ahead and dropped off these two new treats to stir us into a wild frenzy of agitated anticipation. Sex Money Feelings Die could very well be our favorite song off the album that we’ve heard so far, even though we’re very much in love with Hard Rain, Deep End, and Utopia. Synthpop meets R&B soul on the tune, co-produced by Jeff Bhasker. It even boasts a sparse and spacious trap beat. It’s obvious Lykke Li is going for a more urban influenced sound on her forthcoming full length. Accompanying that gorgeous tune is a collaboration with Portland hip hop sensation Aminé named ‘two nights’ which you can stream below. Lykke’s new music is like Banks’ dark R&B pop meets the tenderness of Wet. We’re not complaining. ‘so sad, so sexy’ arrives June 8th via RCA. Pre-order, here.

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

This new Weezer cover that surfaced today is a must share. I love Toto’s epic 80s anthem Africa, cheesy or not, and apparently, fans have been clamoring at Weezer to cover it. And now they have! I was fortunate enough to catch Rivers Cuomo doing a solo show just a few weeks ago at Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco. He did a flurry of covers, but it would’ve been sweet to hear this Africa cover live, too. You can stream/download Weezer’s rendition, 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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It’s been a moment since we’ve visited with our favorite dance pachyderm from LA, but now that Elephante has released a terrific preview of his upcoming 9 track EP, it’s high time we delved straight back into the versatile artist’s vibrant music. Glass Mansion: Prologue features four tastes from the forthcoming project, which drops on June 15th. It’s a guest talent studded affair, as all four tracks he’s unveiled feature magnificent vocal cameos. For now, let’s turn our attention to Have It All, featuring ever pervasive chanteuse Nevve. Elephante presents us with an emotive stirring, lithesome skipping pop meets dance song with crisp affecting melodies and metallic thrumming synths. We can’t decide whether to melt into the floor or get up and dance. Maybe we can do both and “have it all”. Pre-order Glass Mansion, here. Listen to Glass Mansion: Prologue in full on Soundcloud, here.