New Music, brought to you weekly by Deadly Music!, will generally avoid most mainstream music – unless it’s particularly deadly – to give new, emerging and fringe artists a chance. Most tracks are available on a Soundcloud playlist, some of them on a Spotify playlist….both of which are embedded at the end of this column.

Enjoy!

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Stereoshock: ‘The Letter’ and ‘The Messenger’

Stereoshock is New York based producer, composer and songwriter Josh Cohen.

Under the Stereoshock name, Josh has been releasing EDM for a number of years but he has taken a change of direction with his new work.

Two recent tracks ‘The Messenger’ and ‘The Letter’ are companion concept pieces.  Both are emotionally raw cinematic pop tracks, more spoken word soundtrack than actual songs. 

In Josh’s own words, “‘The Letter’ is a musical story about a protagonist, who leaves his family in order to regain a sense of direction in his life. However, throughout his travels, he realizes that time is not always the best resolution. This record represents a valuable life lesson, and provides us with a greater understanding of the power that time truly holds. Life around us will move on, whether we choose to participate in it or not.”

Tearing up Soundcloud for the past few months, Stereoshock could well blow your tiny mind.

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Ibeyi: ‘Mama Says’ and ‘River’

Ibeyi is French/Cuban twin sisters, Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz, daughters of Buena Vista Social Club percussionist Anga Díaz.

The sisters sing in English and Yoruba and play Díaz’s signature instrument, the Cajón.

Watch the video for ‘River’ and their stunning performance of ‘Mama Says’ on the BBC’s Later With Jools Holland

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Check out four more acts and some killer playlists, AFTER THE JUMP… 

 

Sasha Siem: My Friend

I mentioned Anglo-Norwegian musician Sasha Siem a few weeks back and she’s worth another turn with these two quite brilliant remixes of her track ‘Proof.’

If PJ Harvey’s ‘Man-Size (Sextet)’ is your idea of heaven, the pure and stark emotion of both the Icelandic and New York remixes will send a shiver down your spine.

Sasha Siem RIYL: Sigur Ros, Bjork, PJ Harvey, Joanna Newsom, Kate Bush, Antony and the Johnsons.

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Sinead O’Connor: ‘8 Good Reasons’

Coming in from the cold with her last two albums, Sinead O’Connor continues her rehabilitation with ‘8 Good Reasons’, the second single taken from I’m Not Bossy, I’m The Boss.

Sinead is probably one of those artists that you love or hate.

Unfortunately known mostly for the controversy she has continually attracted (and perhaps courted) for the past 25 years, nobody expected 2012’s How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?, which was probably her best and most satisfying album to date.  

Even less expected was that she could go one better with this year’s I’m Not Bossy, I’m The Boss, an album of mostly perfect songs some of which are – she says – told from the perspective of four fictional characters.  

It’s hard to buy that on songs like ‘Take Me To Church‘ and ‘The Voice Of My Doctor’, but who cares when the result is so perfect? Unless you hate her…

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The Barnum Meserve: ‘Colours’ 

The Barnum Meserve is an English trio making what they call ‘Nine Inch Nails meets Hans Zimmer.”

‘Colours’, taken from their forthcoming debut album, is massive, epic indie rock with the emotional heft of Blue October backed by the cinematic pop qualities of Keane and Coldplay.

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The Written Years: ‘It’s Not Your Fault’

The Written Years is an indie rock outfit from Vancouver, Canada, that has been slowly building up a strong following since the release of their brilliant self-titled debut album earlier this year. 

Their music has elements of indie rock, alt folk and americana with an overarching feeling of loss and pure emotion akin to indie pop miserabilists Frightened Rabbit, The Twilight Sad and The Veils.

Just released last week is the official video for album track ‘It’s Not Your Fault.’

You can download The Written Years‘ It’s Not Your Fault EP by donation at thewrittenyears.bandcamp.com with all proceeds going to help prevent sexual and physical abuse, violence, and assault against women.

 

SPOTIFY PLAYLIST

SOUNDCLOUD PLAYLIST

Gay Lithuanian filmmaker and LGBT rights activist Romas Zabarauskas is taking a novel approach to generate interest in a Kickstarter for his latest film: giving donors nude selfies of himself. 

Says Zabarauskas of the human rights situation in Lithuania, “Lithuania is a tiny Eastern European country with approximately 3 million inhabitants. It’s a country of spectacular landscapes, a rapidly growing economy, and people who dream big. The bad news is that our politicians are increasingly pushing a homophobic agenda. Since 2010, a controversial Protection of Minors law, similar to Russia’s anti-gay legislation, has been in force.”

Zabarauskas’ previous films Porno Melodrama and We Will Riot took on homophobia, neo-nationalism and corruption. Zabarauskas is no stranger to controversy or fanfare. In 2013, he walked the red carpet at the Moscow Film Festival wearing a “Free Pussy Riot” t-shirt. 

Of his new film, You Can’t Escape Lithuania, Zabarauskas adds, “The provocative campaign and the film will challenge the Lithuanian society and will bring up the important political context in crazy artistic ways.” The film also seems to promise plenty of beefcake (see actor Adrian Escobar pictured right).

You can check out and support Zabarauskas’s Kickstarter campaign, HERE.

And watch trailers for his previous works, AFTER THE JUMP…