Oliver Bouchard

Music

Three Albums Made by Two People Coming Together

Two people coming together to make music is a staple in pop music these days, often as a collaboration of a singer and a producer. The three duos presented here go beyond that and create their music truly as a unit. Is it coincidence that they all are based in

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SONG PICK: Twelve Ballet - Only the Good Kind

Twelve Ballet are siblings Sam and Ben Hope who live in Queensland, Australia. Last year they released beautiful, intimate album “Hello, how are you?”. Today, Twelve Ballet released their new song “Only The Good Kind” which continues their unique way of setting a special mood: sunshine, warmth and relaxation. “You

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SONG PICK: New Pharaohs - Ya Habibi Yalla

Maya Marie aka New Pharaohs grew up in Lebanon and her new track “Ya Habibi Yalla” is about her experiences in Beirut, a city with a troubled history. But that doesn’t mean that you could not find beauty and joy there too and this song perfectly reflects this sentiment.

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VIDEO FRIDAY: J.Lamotta - Back In Town

There is no town in this video, but you see a lot of Morocco, where the family of Berlin-based singer/producer J.Lamotta is from. You can feel the heat and the jazzy vibe of the music conveys the laziness that comes with hot weather. This almost would have cost

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SONG PICK: Naomi Wild - Run That

L.A.-based singer/songwriter Naomi Wild toured last year with electronic music superstars Odesza and came to appreciate the independence that comes with life on the road. So she wrote “Run That” about this feeling, a sophisticated, swirling synth-pop track. Naomi gives some background: The lyrics are me trying

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SONG PICK: Jeannel - Love/Fountain

“Love/Fountain” is a bright, emotional song that floods your mind like rays of sunshine in a darkened room. Berlin-based singer/songwriter Jeannel takes some cues from classic R&B, but then turns the song into something entirely her own. Listen to our Song Pick of the Day “Love/

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INSIGHT: I Am Boleyn tells us Five of her Musical Influences

“Limit of Love” is a beautifully flowing synth-pop song where songwriting and production feel effortless. The graceful ease of the track raises the question, how did London-based singer/songwriter Lydia Edmunds aka I Am Boleyn arrive there? Lydia was so kind to provide us with some insight to who the

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SONG PICK: i.e. crazy - Country Justice

Maggie Magee aka i.e. crazy is an artist from New Zealand and her new project “Women In Love” is deeply interwoven with the country’s society and history. The bigger picture however applies globally and her new doom folk track “Country Justice” is a chilling account of violence against

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SONG PICK: Lauren Ruth Ward - Pullstring

It is hard to resist the allure of “Pullstring”, a new song by L.A. singer/songwriter Lauren Ruth Ward. The guitar, the voice and the way the track develops, makes you want to listen again and again. Not a bad thing, because Lauren gives some really good advice here:

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VIDEO FRIDAY: Emika - Eternity (Earth Version)

“Falling in Love with Sadness” by Berlin-based singer/producer Emika was one of my favorite record last year. “Eternity (Earth Version)” is a sonically and visually reimagined version of one of the standout songs of the album. Watch the video here: Stream the song on Spotify: Connect with Emika on

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VIDEO FRIDAY: Sarah Eide - The Bridge Song

All that talk about building walls to push people farther apart can be depressing, but here we have the perfect antidote. “I’m Gonna Be A Bridge” sings Sarah Eide from Rochester, NY, because she wants to connect and not separate. The song’s simple, upbeat melody and lyrics and

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SONG PICK: Lizzy Land - Messed Up

“I’m just a little messed up and I think that’s ok”. L.A.-based singer/songwriter Lizzy Land speaks the truth in her new song: nobody gets it all right, despite that we all try acting like we do. Putting this message into a playful synth pop track

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SONG PICK: Lauren Lakis - Right Now

“Right Now” is a heavy song. L.A.-based singer/songwriter Lauren Lakis unleashes a wall of sound onto you that makes you feel the gravity of the here and now. There is always the next thing to think about, the next problem to solve. But you are no alone

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SONG PICK: Sophia Bel - Time

“Princess of the Dead” is the title of the debut EP by Sophia Bel and the single “Time” has indeed something netherworldly to it. Time does not seem to matter the way the baseline and beat lead the song into an ethereal open space. The Montreal-based artist explains: “Time” really

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SONG PICK: Negative Gemini - Different Color Hair

Somehow I imagine Lindsey French aka Negative Gemini writers her songs in the very early hours of the morning, shortly before sun rises. They have something nocturnal and twisted to it, like an intense dream that leaves you puzzled after you wake up. But then there is also rays of

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SONG PICK: Claude Fontaine - Pretending He Was You

Some songs immediately transport you immediately to another place and time. “Pretending He Was You” by L.A. singer/songwriter Claude Fontaine is about a lost love being a constant companion in your life and you can imagine her sing the song on a porch of a tropical residence, while

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SONG PICK: THERE - Swimming Backwards

“Swimming Backwards” is the debut single of L.A. via Tel Aviv duo THERE, who made quite a splash at this year’s SXSW festival. For starters, the song is hard to get out of your mind after you have heard it a few times: electronics and guitar gently flow

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SONG PICK: Rozi Plain - Conditions (Video)

“Conditions” is a song to get lost in: let your thoughts drift away on flowing layers of guitars, synths and vocals. The track is from Rozi Plain‘s fourth album “What Boost”, out on April 5 and is accompanied by dream-like video shot by Ed Tucker on Morecambe Bay, England.

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VIDEO FRIDAY: Callaghan Belle - Dear Detroit

Callaghan Belle did what many do in the entertainment business: move to L.A. But the glamour capital of the world is not everything, so she wrote a longing love song “Dear Detroit” to her hometown. Together with the video her struggle becomes palpable as the melancholy in the music

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SONG PICK: Tusks - Peachy Keen

Good to hear that London-based musician Emily Underhill aka Tusks is up to something new. After her excellent debut full-length “Dissolve” she is readying a new album “Avalanche”, to be released on June 14 on One Little Indian. First single “Peachy Keen” is a scorching condemnation of the patriarchal society,

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SONG PICK: Tiana Khasi - They Call Me

Tiana Khasi is based in Brisbane, Australia and comes from a jazz background. You can hear that in her latest song: “They Call Me” evolves around an intricate, carefully crafted beat and sparse instrumentation, which puts her message front and center. Tiana explains: ‘They Call Me” was written to challenge

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SONG PICK: SHHE - BOY (Video)

SHHE is the stage name of Scottish/Portuguese singer/producer Su Shaw and “BOY” is just her second release, but already a masterpiece of stripped-down, electronic pop music. The song builds layer after layer and just when you think you heard it all, it ups the intensity yet another notch.

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VIDEO FRIDAY: Jeannel - Lullaby

Jeannel is a Berlin-based artist and her latest song “Lullaby” is a slow-burning, intimate piece of synth pop. The video clip – a collaboration with director Felix Aaron – is an enigmatic clip that follows Jeannel and a mysterious dancer though the wee hours of the night. Watch “Lullaby” here on YouTube:

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VIDEO FRIDAY: ANIQO - Must Surrender

German artist ANIQO creates hauting soundscapes that come from dark places in the mind. Her latest song “Must Surrender” is about the fear of change, which can become our worst enimy. ANIQO gives some details: Must surrender is about the liberation of deadlocked structures and the detachment of an inflexible

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SONG PICK: Jackie Mendoza - Seahorse

The ukulele is the instrument of choice of Californian musician Jackie Mendoza, but you would not necessarily notice this when listening to her new song “Seahorse”. Heavily enhanced with electronics the song leads you underwater where she explores the mating behavior of seahorses. Jackie explains: The song’s instrumentation mirrors