Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Lady Gaga. Photos / Instagram / supplied
Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Lady Gaga. Photos / Instagram / supplied
Earth 1
by Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Pushing the definition of “a single” out past 11 minutes, UMO deliver boiling Afro-Latin percussion, flute and bouncing bass before jazzy keyboards from the 1970s enter and then spin it off towards Lagos. So kind of groovy, retro Afro-futurism which is functional as thealternative soundtrack to reggae at a barbecue. – Graham Reid
Abracadabra
by Lady Gaga
At times like an industrial overhaul of a lost Abba song with punchy beats, the Lady gets back to the serious business of pulling people onto the dancefloor and signals a new album Mayhem due March 7. As with Madonna in the old days, the video does much of the work selling this. Does exactly what she wants for it however. Dance like everybody’s watching. – Graham Reid
Lotta Love
by Courtney Barnett
The Australian singer-songwriter delivers a melancholy cover of the Neil Young song which was a hit for Nicolette Larson back in 1978 with a version that sits somewhere between the Young and Larson originals. No news on why she’s done it – Los Angeles fire benefit album? soundtrack? – but nice to hear all the same. – Russell Baillie
What the hell do we do now?
by Alisa Xayalith
Formerly of The Naked and Famous, Xayalith is on a steady build to her debut album Slow Crush (out April 4) with this sixth single off it. A classy slice of tight, danceable verse-chorus pop with a memorable hook which should take it to a broad spectrum of radio playlists. It neatly leans into the mainstream with banger momentum. – Graham Reid
Just in time for Auckland’s Laneway Festival on Waitangi Day, MGMT’s Andrew Van Wyngarden has remixed this very danceable tune by New York trio, Fcukers – who played to an ecstatic crowd at Western Springs in the February heat. Wyngarden lays down glitchy guitar tones – reminiscent of MGMT’s playful pop anthems of the 2010s. With the original’s thumping bass line, it’s a great addition to Wyngarden’s ongoing solo electronic explorations, sometimes released under the Gentle Dom moniker. He’s also remixed Te Awanga’s Connan Mockasin, Pond, Foster The People and Soccer Mommy. – Sam Clark.
Manners St
By Bakers Eddy
Wellington-born, Melbourne based punk-pop band appear to be homesick judging by this ode to one of the Wellington CBD’s lesser thoroughfares. It’s a rousing wee anthem but maybe they remember Manners St when it was a mall before it became a bus lane. – Russell Baillie
Omorfu Mou
by Σtella
After a breakout hit last year with Charmed, Greek artist Σtella (pronounced Stella) has released a second single from her upcoming album, Adagio – this time in her native tongue. A straightforward, summery tune at first, the chorus heads into a middle eastern scale – which sounds incredible. Oh, and omorfu mou means my beautiful. – Sam Clark
Raw
by Skeleton
A great indie/dance track from up-and-coming Sydney artist Russell Fitzgibbon, aka Skeleton. Treading the same path of bedroom pop artists like Clairo and Alex G – Fitzgibbon presents an introspective, emotional sound, that’s helped along by strong production. Cleverly looped live drums and keys draw you in – while a sparkly guitar riff rings through the chorus. His new album, Mentalized is out now on Astral People Recordings. – Sam Clark
Szymanowski, ‘Lonely Moon’, from Songs of a Fairytale Princess, Op.31 (orchestral version).
by Iwona Sobotka soprano, NFM Wrocław Philharmonic, Giancarlo Guerrero conductor
Maybe it’s because of his name, but whenever I listen to Szymanowski’s Songs of a Fairytale Princess, the word that springs to mind is ‘shimmering’. There’s a gauziness reminiscent of Debussy, and something of the Frenchman’s harmonic complexity too. Set for voice with piano to poems written by Szymanowski’s sister Zofia in 1915, the composer orchestrated three of the six pieces in 1933, including (the shimmering) ‘Samotny księżyc’, or ‘Lonely Moon’ - Richard Betts
