It’s not everyday that unreleased Lorde surfaces, much less a collaboration with Yoni Wolf of alt hip hop and indie rock band WHY?, so Sway is a very pleasant surprise. The two linked up on Tumblr before hitting up the studio together. Sway carries the dark fidgeting bewitchment of Lorde’s earlier offerings and some of the mellifluous richness of Melodrama. How it never ended up as an official release on any album eludes me. We gladly sway in the light of the “disco ball” with Lorde.

https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/175166401/stream?client_id=3cQaPshpEeLqMsNFAUw1Q?plead=please-dont-download-this-or-our-lawyers-wont-let-us-host-audio

Bringing some funky feels is Parisian producer Allure with new single Why. The track is off his forthcoming EP, to be released in January. Crisp, seductive falsettos over pulsing electro house beats and honeyed synths make this a sexy disco channeling jam to get down to. Allure will be playing several gigs in France this month.

https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/175166401/stream?client_id=3cQaPshpEeLqMsNFAUw1Q?plead=please-dont-download-this-or-our-lawyers-wont-let-us-host-audio

Bringing some funky feels is Parisian producer Allure with new single Why. The track is off his forthcoming EP, to be released in January. Crisp, seductive falsettos over pulsing electro house beats and honeyed synths make this a sexy disco channeling jam to get down to. Allure will be playing several gigs in France this month.

OFFICIAL VID: MAS YSA – WHY

Mas Ysa is a Canadian musician and artist whose real name is Thomas Arsenault. Come February 4, he’s going to release a debut EP titled Worth on Downtown. Why will be on that release. Why I didn’t hear of Why until now, I have no idea, but thank goodness Mas Ysa released a music video for the track, catching my attention. The buoyant tune is Thomas Arsenault’s debut single, and what a well composed, genre blending synthpop song it is. Within it are slivers of folktronica, electropop, new wave, drum and bass, even techno. Dazzling and gratifying indeed.

OFFICIAL VID: MAS YSA – WHY

Mas Ysa is a Canadian musician and artist whose real name is Thomas Arsenault. Come February 4, he’s going to release a debut EP titled Worth on Downtown. Why will be on that release. Why I didn’t hear of Why until now, I have no idea, but thank goodness Mas Ysa released a music video for the track, catching my attention. The buoyant tune is Thomas Arsenault’s debut single, and what a well composed, genre blending synthpop song it is. Within it are slivers of folktronica, electropop, new wave, drum and bass, even techno. Dazzling and gratifying indeed.

http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/106410586/stream?client_id=3cQaPshpEeLqMsNFAUw1Q?plead=please-dont-download-this-or-our-lawyers-wont-let-us-host-audio

Sure, it’s taking forever for MIA to release her new album Mantagi (hasn’t it been on the horizon for close to two years now?), but the tastes that have trickled from it have been pretty dang interesting and good. The latest morsel is titled Unbreak My Mixtape. Yes, it’s a track, not a mixtape; it is confusing, I agree. The most radical thing about the track is who it samples. Blur. That’s right. BLUR. Unbreak My Mixtape samples vocals and acoustic guitar from Blur’s Tender. It also samples a bit of Carly Simon’s classic 80’s song Why. It’s certainly an intriguing track, though not my favorite off Mantagi so far. I know it’s going to grow on me with subsequent listens, once I get past the “what’s going on?” stage. 

http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/106410586/stream?client_id=3cQaPshpEeLqMsNFAUw1Q?plead=please-dont-download-this-or-our-lawyers-wont-let-us-host-audio

Sure, it’s taking forever for MIA to release her new album Mantagi (hasn’t it been on the horizon for close to two years now?), but the tastes that have trickled from it have been pretty dang interesting and good. The latest morsel is titled Unbreak My Mixtape. Yes, it’s a track, not a mixtape; it is confusing, I agree. The most radical thing about the track is who it samples. Blur. That’s right. BLUR. Unbreak My Mixtape samples vocals and acoustic guitar from Blur’s Tender. It also samples a bit of Carly Simon’s classic 80’s song Why. It’s certainly an intriguing track, though not my favorite off Mantagi so far. I know it’s going to grow on me with subsequent listens, once I get past the “what’s going on?” stage. 

Why? – Murmurer

Ohio indie alt rock and art pop band Why? are all set to release a new EP on September 17 titled Golden Tickets. The concept album is supposedly filled with songs about their fans, with each song about a specific person. That’s so creepy, yet so genius at the same time. Listen to fantastic EP track Murmurer below. It must be pretty cool to get immortalized in one of your favorite bands’ songs, tongue in cheek and personal information all out there or not.

Why? – Murmurer

Ohio indie alt rock and art pop band Why? are all set to release a new EP on September 17 titled Golden Tickets. The concept album is supposedly filled with songs about their fans, with each song about a specific person. That’s so creepy, yet so genius at the same time. Listen to fantastic EP track Murmurer below. It must be pretty cool to get immortalized in one of your favorite bands’ songs, tongue in cheek and personal information all out there or not.

OFFICIAL VID: WHY? – The Water You Walk

Cincinnati alternative psych folk pop band WHY? released a new video for their excellent Christmas themed song The Water You Walk. They’re a very unique band, sometimes infusing hip hop in their sound, though not as much on this lovely psych rock song. The Christmas-ness of the track isn’t overboard, leaving the song good for any time of the year, though it’s quite the winter song. The Water You Walk is off their coming album Waterlines.