Oliver Bouchard

Music

SONG PICK: VÖS - Patience

Here is VÖS, a new duo from London with a debut track that is a catchy electro-pop song at first, but reveal unexpected layers and turns after listening a few more times. That fits well to the topic: the push-pull phase early in a relationship when things are never as

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SONG PICK: Jaymes Young - Don’t You Know

In essence, “Don’t You Know, I want you so bad” is a romantic message, but L.A. singer/producer Jaymes Young delivers it quite forcefully, over big beats and distorted synths. It was a hot summer night when he wrote it, so maybe that explains the heat on the

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SONG PICK: Hån - The Children

Hån hails from Lago di Garda, Italy, a most beautiful place in Europe where in the 90s we sometimes spent a few days in early spring, like many other people from southern Germany. It is not an area one would easily associate with melancholy, but then, being connected to the

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Q&A with Jupiter Deluxe Tube

L. A. musician Darwinn Sato, who records under the name Jupiter Deluxe Tube, is about to release her debut album “Product of Insomnia” with ten dream pop songs where layered synths and guitars evoke the half-wake state of sleepless nights. It will be released not before June 2, but in

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SONG PICK: Ani Glass - Dal I Droi

There is a good deal of exciting music coming out of Wales, but rarely it is a sung in the Welsh language. Under the stage name of Ani Glass, Cardiff-based singer/producer Ani Saunders wants to connect with her language and culture, but she also seeks a larger audience, who

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NEW MUSIC: Grace Savage - Just For Tonight (Video)

“Just For Tonight”, let’s pretend we can make it work. This – kind of self-destructive – move is what the latest song of UK singer/songwriter Grace Savage is about. In the video this translates into a swirl of color and emotion, before it ends with sobering emptiness.

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EXCITED ABOUT: Wall - Untitled

After the 30 minutes of music on the debut album “Untitled” by the Brooklyn four-piece Wall, the wild drumming, wild guitar lines and singer Sam’s intense no-nonsense vocals may make you think that the band wants to shove their world view down your throat as efficiently as possible. But

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SONG PICK: Sawyer - Next Time

Just wait for the “Next Time”, the next, better opportunity to let somebody know that you have a crush on him or her. That moment, when your brain decides if you want to keep your dreams open or do the next step is the theme of the debut song of

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SONG PICK: Natalie Bouloudis - Firebird

A “Firebird” is a mythical creature who rises from the ashes of a destructive fire. The hope that lays in the eternal cycle of renewal is the topic of the latest song by London-based singer/songwriter Natalie Boloudis. Musically she wants “it to sound like a 60’s girl group

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Q&A with Trace

Trace is a singer/songwriter from L.A., whose 2016 debut EP “Low” (Apple Music | Spotify) introduced her as an artist who skillfully uses restrained electronics to create a relaxed, pensive vibe in her songs. This year’s new, just released single “Oh My My” is no different and makes

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EXCITED ABOUT: CryptoChrome - More Human

The European hip hop trio CryptoChrome of USA, Anik and S.O.N. was the first act we saw at last year’s Iceland Airwaves and they set us up to the right mood for the festival. Now their excellent debut album “More Human” is finally out with 11 intense

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SONG PICK: Trace - Oh My My

In “Oh My My” L.A.-based singer/songwriter Trace feels detached from a relationship. Vocals and music are restrained – while she enjoys being adored she keeps herself firmly on the safe side. “Oh My My” is the first offering since her brilliant 2016 EP “Low” last year and we

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SONG PICK: MXMS - I Revenge

MXMS stands for “Me And My Shadow” singer Ariel Levitan’s shadow looms darkly over her opponent. “I Revenge” she confesses and asks for absolution. Religious references, deadpan vocals and heavy piano chords convey torn emotions: the inspiration for the song came from being cheated on by a lover.

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SONG PICK: Black Fly - Sign 2 (Video)

Our Song Pick of the Day comes from Vermont-based musician Black Fly, who does classic, grand and dark synth pop pieces. After his more reflective debut “I Don’t Know”, his new track “Sign 2” builds continuously along an arpeggiated synth line and doesn’t let you go until its

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SONG PICK: Auction for the Promise Club - See Through

A band name like Auction for the Promise Club inevitably raises the questions: How did they come up with this? What does it mean? But then, the music speaks for itself – “See Through”, the new song by the three-piece from Cornwall, England is one of those driven, melodic rock pieces

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PHOTOS: Fifi Rong live at Latitude 30 (SXSW)

Fifi Rong is a London-based singer and producer who does lush and dramatic synth pop songs. She is a sought-after collaborator and toured for example with Swiss avantgarde pop pioneers Yello. But her solo shows are no less a delightful experience: on stage she has a charming and enchanting personality

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SONG PICK: Yumi and the Weather - Distant Days

A bubbling bass line keeps the song grounded while synths and Ruby Taylor’s vocals soar in “Distant Days”, a beautiful synth pop piece by Brighton-based Yumi and the Weather. Ruby has released two EPs since 2013 and “Distant Days” contains an equally good B-side “In The Night”. Listen to

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NEW MUSIC: Overcoats - Young (Album)

You only need to listen a minute or so into “Father”, the opening track of the debut album “Young” by Brooklyn-based duo Overcoats, to enter their musical world: the vocal harmonies come from folk music, but instead of an underlying lovely acoustic guitar line, there is a carpet of industrial

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SONG PICK: Essx Station - Can't Go Back

There are situations when you have to move forward and accept that things are changing – this is what “Can’t Go Back”, a new track by Essx Station is about. The song has the dramatic build that would make it a good fit for a montage in a romantic movie,

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SONG PICK: Von Grey - Poison In The Water

Our Song Pick of the Day is the dramatic synth rock track “Poison In The Water” by the three Von Grey sisters from Atlanta, Georgia. The song builds up lingering dread with various metaphors of hidden dangers lining up in the future. The von Greys don’t reveal what exactly

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EXCITED ABOUT: Løzninger & Kitowski - Crashing Clouds (Album)

“Crashing Clouds” by Løzninger & Kitowski starts with gentle electronic sounds that lull you into the expectation of a mellow experience. But then an alarm sounds so abruptly that you may want to look around for the nearest emergency exit and then all bets are off. The album is a

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PHOTOS: Let’s Eat Grandma Live at Latitude 30 (SXSW)

Let’s Eat Grandma is a duo from Norwich, U.K, which turns pop music on its head as can be witnessed on their 2016 debut album “I, Gemini” (Apple Music | Spotify). On stage, Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth put on an eerie, ghostly show that sees them playing many

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SONG PICK: Blondage - Stoned

Danish pop duo Blondage, formerly known as Rangleklods are not “Stoned” in the usual way: “I got stoned, now I’m in love, tell me, what’s wrong with a little love?” sings Permille Smith-Sivertsen and it is some kind of unexpected, alien love she is talking about. The setting

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PHOTOS: Marie Davidson at Hotel Vegas (SXSW)

Electronic musician Marie Davidson commands the stage. Literally. Before the show she demanded the music should be louder and near the end of the show she waved away the police who wanted to enforce the 2 am curfew: “I’m not done yet!” They gave in and let her play

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SONG PICK: Birch - Cell Phone

Birch is a duo from Brooklyn, who do bright electro-pop songs with a seemingly uplifting vibe. But singer/songwriter Michelle Birsky wants to tackle serious topics with her music: “Cell Phone” is about the distance that technology can put between us and about the dark sides of the Internet. The