Alexander Laurence's Blog, page 55
July 11, 2025
Justine Skye shares new single "Bitch In Ibiza"
JUSTINE SKYE SHARES NEW SINGLE
"BITCH IN IBIZA" OUT NOW VIA WARNER RECORDS
Justine Skye by Connor Cunningham
“Bitch In Ibiza”
LISTEN: https://JustineSkye.lnk.to/BitchinIbiza
WATCH: https://JustineSkye.lnk.to/BIAVis
(July 11, 2025) - Justine Skye keeps Summer moving with her latest single "Bitch In Ibiza" that picks up right where her recent KAYTRANADA-produced single "Oh Lala" left off on the dancefloor. Referencing the iconic Spanish island that has served as the dance music mecca of the world for decades, the Kito and Noah Beresin-produced single brings the tempo and the temperature up as we get into the heart of the Summer.
Justine kicked off the Summer with the release of "Oh Lala," the first glimpse of her forthcoming project that sees her diving headlong into the intersection of dance music and the R&B on which she's built her name to date. The release of "Oh Lala" has been brought to life across a variety of performances at Pride events in June -- with Kito in Los Angeles, with Alex Chapman during his set at LadyLand in New York and a handful of performances alongside KAYTRANADA, who recently released his own remix of the song.
Aside from her vibrant releases and live appearances, the actress and singer continued her advocacy for transforming mental health norms among 14 - 25 year olds at Active Mind’ s Mental Health Conference in Washington D.C. as a keynote speaker, a cause that remains to her heart as an artist who catapulted to the world stage at just 17 years-old. “Speaking up about mental health isn’t a weakness—it’s a strength,” she shared in her speech. “[W]hen we open up, we not only heal ourselves—we inspire others to do the same.”
Listen to "Bitch In Ibiza" above now and stay tuned for more from Justine Skye soon.
About Justine Skye:
You know of Justine Skye. If she wasn’t a fixture on your moodboard as you perused Tumblr in its heyday, you’ve seen her as Annika Longstreet on Grown-ish; you’ve heard her single “Collide” remixed across your short-form video platform of choice. Her R&B oeuvre has likely provided tender ambience in your most vulnerable periods of heartbreak. Certainly, you’ve known of her, but Justine Skye is no longer invested in public perception. Now, Justine Skye blisters with energy, ready to indulge—and to let others revel—in the fact that she finally knows herself.
Skye’s newest music signals an ecstatic, distinctly physical pivot towards artistic liberation by way of the dance floor. Skye evokes the kinesis of movement as if by muscle memory: sticky skin; heat lightning on a humid summer’s eve; languorous hours spent under relentless Mediterranean sun; cheeks that ache from laughter.
This uptempo, house-driven era is a glimmering nod to the long history of Black dance music—and years in the making for Skye. After signing a record deal in her adolescence, terminating it in favor of going independent, and eventually joining a new creative team spearheaded by Jahleel Weaver, she arrives at a personal and artistic crux. What emerges is the sonic approximation of a thrumming, glistening heartbeat: frenetic, proud, strong, and devilishly danceable.
Above all, Justine is having fun. She knows intimately the feeling of bodily catharsis by the hand of a great DJ. Justine poses a challenge to her listeners: Come with me and dance. I know you feel it too.
Connect with Justine Skye:
Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | X (Twitter)
Jessica Pratt ✈︎ On Tour Now 2025 EU/UK + US TOUR
2025 EU/UK + US TOURJessica Pratt's summer tour has officially begun, with shows throughout the EU, UK, and US. Check out the full list of live dates below.TICKETS
EU/UK TOUR DATESJuly 10-12 - Bilbao BBK Live - Bilbao (ES)
July 13 - Vicar Street - Dublin (EIR)
July 14 - Saint Luke’s - Glasgow (UK)
July 15 - The Glasshouse - Gateshead (UK)
July 17 - New Century - Manchester (UK)
July 18 - Howard Assembly Room - Leeds (UK)
July 19 - The Gate - Cardiff (UK)
US TOUR DATES
July 25 - Newport Folk Festival - Newport, RI - SOLD OUT
August 2 - THING Festival - Carnation, WA
August 3 - Revolution Hall - Portland, OR (with support from Helen)
August 8 - Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival - San Francisco, CA
August 9 - Majestic Ventura Theatre - Ventura, CA (with support from Peel Dream Magazine)
September 9 - Salt Shed - Chicago, IL (supporting Waxahatchee)
September 10 - Calvin University Covenant Fine Arts Center - Grand Rapids, MI (with support from Claire Cirocco)
HERE IN THE PITCH VINYLExclusive to the Mexican Summer webstore, Jessica Pratt's Here in the Pitch LPs come with a free bumper sticker while supplies last.ORDER HERE
FOLLOW JESSICA PRATT
Mark Stewart's New Album 'The Fateful Symmetry' Is Out Today On Mute
NEW ALBUM THE FATEFUL SYMMETRY
OUT NOW ON MUTE
Photo credit: Chiara Meatelli & Dominic Lee
“As the songs swoop from industrial disco to piano balladry, Stewart is a steadfast, dramatic and charming grand dame – as commanding as he ever was as frontman of The Pop Group, and as sentimentally wounded as a torch singer.” - The Wire
“The Fateful Symmetry finds this political/music-making radical at his most approachable and reflective.” - 4/5* MOJO
“Mark Stewart is my hero” - Daddy G (Massive Attack)
“A fearsome vocalist & unbelievably exciting frontman to whom I am deeply indebted” -Nick Cave
“Bristol would be a very different place artistically & politically if it had not been for Mark’s influence on all of us” - Geoff Barrow (Portishead)
Mark Stewart’s eighth solo album, completed shortly before his untimely passing, The Fateful Symmetry, is out now on limited edition red vinyl, CD and digitally via Mute.
Listen to “This Is The Rain” HERE. A lustrous, tender ballad co-produced with Pop Group comrade Gareth Sager, the track also features Bristol cohort Janine Rainforth (Maximum Joy) on backing vocals. Here Stewart composes a poetic, Blakean hymn to renewal; an unabashed song of hope amid contemporary turbulence: “a world upside down and backwards / this is the rain that washes and heals in glory”
Listen to the album HERE.
Last week, a striking new stencil appeared in Bristol - a life-sized image of Mark Stewart at the docks, by Banksy’s Girl with a Pierced Eardrum. The graffitied stencil is the work of local artist Stewy, whose work appears in “psycho-geographic” locations, somewhere intrinsically linked to the subject.
In conjunction with the release of the album, two events take place in July in London and in Bristol. Both events will exhibit Mark Stewart and Peter Harris’ collaborative BombArt series, described by Stewart as "an embassy for the imagination". The events will also feature unseen art pieces and archival material by Mark Stewart, as well as previously unseen photos by legendary Bristol photographer Beezer and more.
London’s Farsight Gallery will be hosting the exhibition at their central London space on 4 Flitcroft Street WC2H 8DJ from July 16-18 (July 16 from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. and July 17-18 from 12:00 p.m. - 6:00p.m. – free entry). Sign up for tickets for the Private View on July 16 HERE.
Bristol will then host the exhibition at the “Mad Max meets The Good Life” setting of Rockaway Park as part of a weekend of musical and artistic homages to Stewart from July 25-27. Musicians from Bristol taking part are DJ Milo [aka DJ Nature], Smith & Mighty, Pinch, Tessa Pollitt of The Slits and Janine Rainforth of Maximum Joy, with more to be confirmed. The event will be on a donation basis, with proceeds going to Help Bristol’s Homeless charity, whose flagship project converts shipping containers to a secure accommodation for the unhoused. More information on the event HERE.
The album features the tracks “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime (Bébe Durmiendo Cumbia Bootleg),” “Neon Girl” and “Memory Of You”. The melodica-driven, Cumbia-influenced rhythm provided by producer Elijah Minnelli on Stewart’s heavyweight rework of The Korgis 1980 hit “Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime” transforms the original into a masterstroke of soundsystem militancy. Mixed by studio acolyte and On-U Sound originator Adrian Sherwood, it’s a remake steeped in Stewart’s transformative methods. “Neon Girl” was co-produced with Youth (Killing Joke) and features backing vocals by longtime affiliate Gina Birch (The Raincoats). On it, Stewart’s eloquent, singular lyricism is as prescient as always and evermore poignant now: “His arms were too short to box with God (sorry the irony’s lost on me)”. On the album opener “Memory of You,” also co-produced with Youth and featuring backing vocals by Hollie Cook, Stewart unfurls a propulsive, post-disco torch song, a surging neo-noir of yearning vocals (“I could’ve wrote a love song”) and sleek, imposing synthesis, representing one of Stewart’s most dramatic and affecting performances.
Across an illustrious career of pioneering music with The Pop Group, Mark Stewart & Maffia and as a solo artist, Stewart has produced a seminal body of work, galvanized by the DIY ideals of punk, radical politics, protest movements, theory, philosophy, technology, art and poetry. With The Fateful Symmetry, Stewart’s abiding legacy as a “revered countercultural musician” (The Guardian) is sustained, with an album as fearless and visionary as his best work.
Testifying to Stewart’s prolific, unrelenting ingenuity and signifying one of his most intimate, empowering statements, The Fateful Symmetry is an astonishingly expressive and innovative record, a fierce and beautiful manifesto for a better world. The inimitable, titanic Mark Stewart, never normalized, always extraordinary.
Purchase or stream The Fateful Symmetry HERE.
The Fateful Symmetry track listing:
1. Memory Of You2. Neon Girl
3. This Is The Rain
4. Everybody’s Got To Learn Sometime (Bébe Durmiendo Cumbia Bootleg)
5. Stable Song
6. Twilight’s Child
7. Crypto Religion
8. Blank Town
9. A Long Road
CONNECT WITH MARK STEWART:
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | SPOTIFY | WEB
Silverlake Conservatory Of Music Releases Our Loving Tribute to Neil Young
SILVERLAKE CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC RELEASES
OUR LOVING TRIBUTE TO NEIL YOUNG
LISTEN HERE
EP FEATURES THREE COVERS BY SCM ALL-STARS STUDENT MUSICIANS
EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY FLEA AND MERCK MERCURIADIS
Los Angeles, CA (July 11, 2025) – Today, the Silverlake Conservatory Of Music proudly unveils Our Loving Tribute to Neil Young —a three-song covers EP performed by the SCM All-Stars, an ensemble of the Conservatory’s exceptional youth musicians. Executive produced by Flea, bassist and founding member of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, alongside Merck Mercuriadis, founder of Hipgnosis Songs, the project showcases the passion and skill of the Conservatory’s talented students. The EP’s three covers (“After the Gold Rush,” “Lotta Love,” and “Comes a Time”) are available to stream and download beginning today HERE. Recognition Music Group / Hipgnosis Songs has kindly agreed to waive all of Neil Young’s Mechanical Royalties so that they are donated to SCM. All proceeds from Our Loving Tribute to Neil Young will directly benefit the Silverlake Conservatory Of Music.
“Neil Young is the truth. A music education strips away everything false about music. The kids rock,” shares Flea.
“Flea’s passion, commitment to music education, the Silverlake Conservatory Of Music and the kids it serves is contagious for good reason,” adds Merck Mercuriadis. “Seeing these amazing young people benefit from learning an instrument and start making records in tribute to their favorite artists and songwriters is truly special. All proceeds will benefit SCM so please listen to these amazing performances of songs you know and love and support these amazing kids!”
Our Loving Tribute to Neil Young is the second release from a trio of tribute EPs that the Silverlake Conservatory Of Music will release in 2025. In May, the SCM All-Stars unveiled Our Loving Tribute to The Pretenders to an outpouring of acclaim from Uproxx, Flood Magazine, Hits, Bass Magazine, and more. This September, the group will conclude the series with a collection of Red Hot Chili Peppers covers.
Silverlake Conservatory Of Music was founded in 2001 by longtime friends and musicians Michael “Flea” Balzary and Keith “Tree” Barry. After severe cutbacks to arts education programming throughout Los Angeles public schools, the two enlisted the help of their friend Peter Weiss and founded SCM to fill that void and bring music education to the community. SCM first opened its doors with a location at Sunset Junction. Initially offering private music lessons and scholarships to students in need, they expanded their programming to include ensemble classes, summer camps and workshops. In October 2016, after outgrowing their Sunset Junction location, they moved into their forever home at 4652 Hollywood Blvd. The music school now exists in a 1930s brick building featuring 13 state of the art lesson studios, a recital space and retail store all beautifully redesigned by Barbara Bestor.
Our Loving Tribute To Neil Young Tracklisting
1. After the Gold Rush - Georgia Springer (lead vocals), Frida Gerhardt (lead vocals, background vocals), Zaiel Felix (piano), Chloe Haack (upright bass), Charles Butts (trombone), Vitamin String Quartet (Rachel Grace - violin, Yvette Holzwarth - violin, Tom Lea - viola, Derek Stein - cello), Alani Rey (background vocals), Emi Erentreich (background vocals), Kaeliana Littlejohn (background vocals), Anahit Matevosyan (background vocals), Stella Kaino (background vocals), Emma Fairbrother (background vocals), Pippa Mahmood (background vocals), Rory Metzler (background vocals)
2. Lotta Love - Aska Sundius (lead vocals), Daniel Kang (lead vocals), Anahit Matevosyan (lead vocals), Chloe Haack (keys), Ashley Stoneburner (bass), Brady Yip (guitar), Luca Tolot (guitar), Dominic Sadeghi (drums), Silverlake Youth Chorale (background vocals), SCM Masters (background vocals)
3. Comes a Time - Miranda Thoman (lead vocals), Anahit Matevosyan (vocals), Zaiel Felix (keys), Chloe Haack (bass), Oscar Ellsworth (guitar), Jose Medina (guitar), Lucca Medina (drums), Thomas Martinez (violin), Pablo Mendez (violin), Camilo Medina (violin), Desiree Chong (violin), Tacoma Hansen (violin), Luis Morales (violin), Bono Stevens (cello), Wolfgang Rinderknecht (cello), Tim Heintz (B3 Hammond and celeste), Silverlake Youth Chorale (background vocals), SCM Masters (background vocals)
*SCM Masters are: Frida Gerhardt, Emma Fairbrother, Imogen Schwartz, Pippa Mahmood, Stella Kaino, Blu Kuhn, Kaeliana Littlejohn, Anahit Matevosyan, Madilyn Droddy, Matilda Knauff, Mahrynn McLaughlin, Harper Bibring, Alice Dunlevy, Emi Erentreich, Cyprienne Virgil Vierset, Rory Metzler, Alani Rey, Chloe Haack, Bono Stevens, Morgan Hubbard-Bennett, Daniel Kang, Brady Yip, Julian Selby, Dean DelCampo, Clark Dunlevy, Serafin Nasatir, and Zaiel Felix.
Produced by SJ Hasman and Marc Rey
Artistic Consultant - Phillip “Fish” Fisher
Mixed by Andrew Scheps at Punkerpad UK, Titton
Mastered by JJ Golden at Golden Mastering
Vocals recorded and mixed by Gabe Moffat
Recorded by Ian Rosales
Recorded at Kingsize Soundlabs (Los Angeles, CA)
Photographs by Gary Leonard
Cover Artwork Design and Layout by Kelsey Kay
Vitamin String Quartet Appears courtesy of CMH Label Group / Vitamin Recordings
All rights administered by Hipgnosis Song
About Silverlake Conservatory Of Music
Our mission at Silverlake Conservatory Of Music, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, is to facilitate a dynamic music education and to teach beginning and accomplished musicians of all skill levels. Our primary focus is on the youth of the community, but all are welcome and encouraged to participate. We offer private music lessons on all orchestral and band instruments including voice, as well as a variety of ensemble classes at a reasonable cost. We grant scholarships to children who qualify, providing free lessons and instruments. Performances and recitals put on by the Conservatory are a fulfilling experience for the students and a beautiful outreach to the community. Our goal is to keep our standard of teaching at the highest level while maintaining a friendly, fun and nurturing environment. The study of music enriches not only the lives of the student and teacher, but the community and society as well.
https://silverlakeconservatory.org/
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Katelyn Tarver Launches New Era with Novel Single "1"
LAUNCHES NEW ERA WITH NOVEL SINGLE “#1”
PLAYING ARENAS AND SHEDS AROUND THE
WORLD WITH BIG TIME RUSH
July 11, 2025 – Alt-pop singer-songwriter Katelyn Tarver is ushering in a bold new chapter with her single “#1” out today via Nettwerk. The propulsive track marks the beginning of a fresh era of music for the LA-based artist—one defined by risk, reinvention, and fearless introspection.
A defiant anthem of personal freedom and reclamation, “#1” races forward with high-tempo urgency—blending drum-and-bass-inflected rhythms with sparkling 90s/early 2000s singer-songwriter textures. Driven by lyrics such as — “People think I’m so polite if they knew what’s on my mind / I wanna cross every line just wanna feel alive”— the track captures the rush of rewriting your own narrative.
Katelyn Tarver shares, “‘#1’ captures the chaos and thrill of starting over, chasing freedom, and testing the edges of your own desires. It’s about breaking rules, breaking free, and learning to put yourself first—even if it gets a little messy. A liberation anthem with a smirk.”
On Wednesday of this week, Tarver hit the road as direct support for Big Time Rush on their IN REAL LIFE WORLDWIDE TOUR. The massive 50+ date global run will take her across North America & Europe to packed arenas nightly. Fans may remember Tarver from her beloved role as Jo Taylor on Nickelodeon’s Big Time Rush—now reuniting with the band onstage in a full-circle moment more than a decade in the making.
With over a quarter billion streams, the Glennville, Georgia born-and-raised artist has emerged as a distinct voice in pop—blending emotional vulnerability, lyrical depth, and cinematic production. Also known for television roles on Nickelodeon’s Big Time Rush and HBO’s Ballers, Tarver channels life’s transitional moments into this collection of powerful songs that explore loss, healing, identity, and self-discovery through the lens of familial and social expectations. Following her highly praised 2021 debut album Subject to Change and 2024's Quitter (Nettwerk debut), Tarver’s forthcoming body of work—previewed by the fiery arrival of “#1”—explores the raw, nonlinear journey of rebuilding identity after heartbreak, change, and hard-won self-reflection.
More new music and news from Katelyn Tarver is on the way.
LISTEN TO “#1”:
https://ktarver.ffm.to/number1
WATCH "#1" VISUALIZER:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlwKGkuj_Vw
Follow Katelyn Tarver Socials:
BJÖRK CORNUCOPIA LIVE OUT OCTOBER 24!
“Fantasy as a weapon for change”–The New Yorker“One of the most incredible displays of lights and sounds ever
to grace a stage in the city” –New York Magazine“Björk’s Cornucopia is the wildest visual display in a concert that
I’ve ever seen”–Vulture“Cornucopia might just be her masterpiece”–NJ.com“The most immersive and intoxicating visual experience I have
experienced”–The Independent“Decades into a masterful career, Björk’s art is bolder than ever”– Variety “A multi-sensory picture of a brave new world”– Crack Magazine “A spectacular vision of Utopia”– The Guardian “An audacious, expectation-disrupting spectacular from an artist
unbothered with people-pleasing”– NME “A spectacle of cutting-edge sound and image”– Rolling Stone July 11, 2025—Following the global cinematic release of Björk: Cornucopia, the visionary live experience is now set for its first-ever physical release. Available in multiple formats including 3LP, 2CD+DVD, 2CD, DVD, and Blu-ray, the performance is available to pre-order HERE .Talking about the film Björk said: “I am so thrilled to share the film for my concert Cornucopia with you. This has been a long journey with hundreds of people helping. I am so beyond enormously grateful to every single one of them. I feel the modern concert film is a matriarchally friendly construct, welcomed in the current climate—where female musicians can share their worlds uncorrupted.”Directed by Ísold Uggadóttir, Cornucopia is Björk’s most ambitious live production to date — a powerful fusion of nature, technology, and sound. The film features creative direction, musical arrangements, production, and performance by Björk, showcasing her singular vision throughout.Visual co-creative direction is led by James Merry, with additional contributions from a stellar lineup of artists: Andrew Thomas Huang, Gabríela Friðriksdóttir, Pierre-Alain Giraud, Nick Knight, Tobias Gremmler, and Warren Du Preez & Nick Thornton-Jones. Their boundary-pushing visuals merge seamlessly with Björk’s avant-garde sonic landscapes.The production also features the talents of producers Sara Nassim and Kat Mansoor, with Bergur Þórisson serving as musical director and re-recording mixer. Artur Tort provides the film’s stunning cinematography, while editing comes from Walter Mauriot.The film is produced by S101 and Snowstorm, in association with Level Forward (also acting as Impact Producer). Executive producers include Derek Birkett; Adrienne Becker and Roger Clark for Level Forward; and Davíð Helgason for Foobar.vc. Co-executive producers are Ian Wheeler for Talkhouse; Susan Lord and Brogan Bamborgan for Level Forward; Benjamin Ratz for Foobar.vc; and Sigrid Dyekjær.
About Björk:Björk is one of the most innovative and influential artists of her generation. Known for her groundbreaking music, visual art, and performances, Björk’s career has constantly pushed boundaries in music, technology, and activism. With over 20 million albums sold worldwide, she continues to inspire and challenge audiences with her bold creative visions. From her critically acclaimed app album Biophilia to the immersive Vulnicura VR, Björk has always embraced new technology to enhance her artistry. With Cornucopia, she redefined what it means to be a performer in the 21st century, blending music, theater, and visual art to deliver a message of environmental hope and resilience.
Blake Mills & Pino Palladino Announce New Album
BLAKE MILLS & PINO PALLADINO ANNOUNCE
THAT WASN'T A DREAM
NEW ALBUM
OUT AUGUST 22
VIA NEW DEAL / IMPULSE! RECORDS
WATCH THE VIDEO FOR LEAD SINGLE "TAKA" HERE
LIVE DATES SET FOR THIS FALL
Photo by Justin Daashuur Hopkins / Luke SargentToday, bassist Pino Palladino and guitarist Blake Mills announce That Wasn't A Dream, a new album out August 22 on New Deal / Impulse! Records – with a new track + video for "Taka." Listen to "Taka" here and presave That Wasn't A Dream here.
That Wasn't A Dream is a statement of intent from two singular musicians. The Grammy-winning Palladino has reshaped what bass can be in popular music, performing with everyone from D’Angelo to Nine Inch Nails, from Erykah Badu to John Mayer. Meanwhile, Grammy-winner and two-time Producer of the Year-nominee Mills is one of today’s most sought-after producers and multi-instrumentalists, known for his work with Alabama Shakes, Bob Dylan, Fiona Apple, and Perfume Genius as well as his own acclaimed solo albums.
Pitchfork described the duo's 2021 debut Notes With Attachments as “the sound of consummate collaborators imagining a world where there’s no such thing as a lead performer.” On That Wasn't A Dream, they further dissolve any sense of hierarchy, imbuing their spontaneous compositions with an organic, precisely balanced inner logic. It's quietly audacious, a radical application of their ever-evolving musical chemistry.
To accompany the album announcement, they've shared the video for lead single “Taka,” a progression of instrumental athletics and generous melodic gestures that builds towards an almost kaleidoscopic funk.
Watch the "Taka" video, directed by Justin Daashuur Hopkins, here.
That Wasn't a Dream was recorded over a two-month period in the legendary Studio A at Sound City Studios, the room Mills has helmed since 2018. These sessions pulled in collaborators old and new, most notably Sam Gendel, who performed throughout Notes With Attachments and contributed finishing touches for nearly every track on That Wasn’t a Dream. Though ultimately, this record feels like a deepening of the core relationship between Palladino and Mills.
If Notes With Attachments was about creating cohesion out of layered spontaneity, That Wasn’t a Dream finds coherence through restraint. As Palladino explains, some of the compositions grew from harmonically dense ideas that were later reduced to the barest essentials. "It came to light, really, that if we could make something work with the least possible ingredients, space could become the centerpiece," says Palladino.
It was also a chance to innovate; one early Palladino sketch, "What Is Wrong With You?," was Mills’s first opportunity to experiment with the prototype of a new instrument, the fretless baritone sustainer guitar, which Mills helped luthier Duncan Price to develop in 2021, and has since been used on numerous productions, as well as live performances with Joni Mitchell.
"The fretless sustainer can sound almost like a cross between a woodwind, brass, and bowed string instrument,” says Mills. “It’s a tough instrument to control or define.” That undefinable sound, along with a playful approach to minimalism, set the tone for the rest of the album’s writing and recording sessions that would take place almost three years later.
As a result, the music on That Wasn’t A Dream goes from being deceptively intimate to beautifully disordered. It’s music that rewards close listening: subversive but naturalistic, harnessing chaos with intention, unveiling new forms of beauty all along the way.
Mills and Palladino will support That Wasn't A Dream with live dates throughout the fall — see the full itinerary listed below.
"Taka" is out now, listen to it here.
Pre-order / Pre-save That Wasn't A Dream here.
That Wasn't A Dream album art
TRACKLIST
Contour
I Laugh In The Mouth Of The Lion
Somnambulista
Taka
What Is Wrong With You?
Heat Sink
That Was A Dream
LIVE DATES
Sunday, September 21st // Portland, OR // Aladdin Theater
Tuesday, September 23rd // Berkeley, CA // The Freight
Wednesday, September 24th // Big Sur, CA // Henry Miller Memorial Library
Friday, September 26th // Los Angeles, CA // The Ford
Friday, October 3rd // Brooklyn, NY // Pioneer Works
Tuesday, October 7th // Cardiff, UK // Gate Arts Centre Date
Wednesday, October 8th // Utrecht, NE // Hertz at Tivolivrendenburg
Thursday, October 9th // Brussels, BE // Centre For Fine Arts w/ ABRUPT Festival
Saturday, October 11th // Leipzig, DE // UT Connewitz w/ Leipzig Jazz Festival
Sunday, October 12th // Stockholm, SE // Hörsalen w/ Stockholm Jazz Festival
Follow Blake Mills & Pino Palladino:
Website
Follow Blake Mills:
YouTube | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok
Follow Pino Palladino:
Website | Instagram | Facebook
RAISSA RELEASES DESIRE PATH EP TODAY VIA NEON GOLD / FUTURES / VIRGIN + "HEAVEN IS A DANCEFLOOR" VISUALIZER
RAISSA RELEASES DESIRE PATH EP
OUT TODAY VIA NEON GOLD / VIRGIN HERE
“HEAVEN IS A DANCEFLOOR” VISUALIZER OUT TODAY HERE
“DO U RIDE” VISUALIZER
“MANZANA” VISUALIZER
“GUAPA” VISUALIZER
Songs You Need To Know
- Rolling Stone
“bold and dramatic piece of experimental pop”
- Northern Transmission
RAISSA’S CUTE THREAT EP INCLUDES
“NO GENIUS” FT RAHIM REDCAR
AKA CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS
Multilingual, multinational world-pop artist Raissa releases a brand-new EP, DESIRE PATH, including “Heaven Is A Dancefloor,” of which she says it’s “an anthem of aspiration, self-reflective and tender. It vulnerably traces the moments where life hasn’t been easy, perhaps even painful, yet finds healing and rebirth in the rhythm of the dancefloor. It’s pop in its purest form, both in message and melody—hopeful, honest, and made to move you.”
The EP includes the Spanish-language heater, “MANZANA” (co-written by Raissa and Evan Voytas), following the release of “GUAPA”. Raissa embodies the kind of bold contradictions that make for truly transcendent pop: she’s wildly inventive yet refined in musicality, sensitive yet self-possessed, fiercely intelligent yet deeply attuned to the sensory pleasures of melody and groove. Last year, Raissa released “No Genius” featuring her close friend and collaborator Rahim Redcar aka Christine and the Queens, from her Cute Threat EP. The collaboration is the latest in a long line of meaningful collabs and co-signs, including Mark Ronson, Mura Masa, and more. A singular pop storyteller whose honest lyrics, vibrant soundscapes, and unique visual storytelling exhibit her artistry.
Raissa elaborates on her DESIRE PATH EP: “My music is very much informed by my philosophy for life, and at the moment that philosophy has to do with being led by your desire and focusing on the wisdom of the body, rather than overemphasizing what’s happening in the mind.”
“I’m a very anxious person, and I think a lot of people feel anxious about the state of the world right now. I want to work against that by making something that comes from a place of celebration. I hope that these songs help people to feel good and remind them that—as long as they stay curious—there’s always beauty to be found in the world.”
Download / Stream DESIRE PATH EP
RAISSA BIO:
Born in Spain, Raissa inherited a mastery of French and Spanish from her parents and a love of songwriting from Leonard Cohen. She spent her childhood between Beijing, Sydney, Kuala Lumpur, and London - as a result, she draws from a deep well of creative influences, everything from antique Gothic literature to vintage anime.
A creative force unlike any other in music today, Raissa embodies the kind of bold contradictions that make for truly transcendent pop: she’s wildly inventive yet refined in musicality, sensitive yet self-possessed, fiercely intelligent yet deeply attuned to the sensory pleasures of melody and groove. Not only the outcome of her global upbringing—a journey that includes being born in Spain, then spending her childhood in Beijing, Sydney, and Kuala Lumpur—the Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter/producer’s potent originality stems from her limitless imagination and eclectic mix of influences (early-millennium hip-hop, ’80s art-pop, tropicália, West African dance music, and much more). Newly signed to Neon Gold Records, Raissa is now set to deliver a new body of work affirming the depth and power of her one-of-a-kind vision.
“In the past I’ve felt frustrated with the fact that I don’t fit neatly into any type of box—I belong to so many things, but at the same I belong to nothing,” says Raissa. “Now I’m finally starting to see that as a strength, and maybe the most important thing about me as a person and an artist.”
A multilingual talent whose lyrics shift from English to Spanish to French, Raissa partly attributes her near-encyclopedic knowledge of music to her parents, who raised her on pop iconoclasts like Prince and David Bowie and songwriter/poets like Leonard Cohen—an essential catalyst for her own musical development. “When I was 12 I watched a documentary about Leonard Cohen, and he talked about how he’d started writing songs after learning to play just a few chords on guitar,” she recalls. “I thought, ‘That doesn’t sound so hard,’ and then I started writing songs too.” After teaching herself GarageBand at age 14, Raissa began self-recording and quickly amassed a sizable but entirely secret stash of songs. “At the time I was living in Malaysia and didn’t know anyone who’d even attempted to make music, so the idea of turning it into something bigger seemed impossible,” she explains. Upon heading to London for art school at 19, however, Raissa felt an overwhelming need to take her music to the next level. “I was alone in this big city and felt really low, and music became a lifeline,” she says. “I started making music with a friend just for fun, and then one day I randomly uploaded a song to SoundCloud.” By the next morning, that track had surpassed 20,000 streams—a turn of events that caught the attention of several established producers looking to collaborate, and soon found her flying out to L.A. to set her music career in motion.
Since making her debut with the tender but unapologetic 2020 single “BULLYING BOYS,” Raissa has continually turned out songs that match their exquisitely detailed and high-energy sound with lyrics that subtly transform our perception of the world—a dynamic in full effect on her new EP Cute Threat. Mainly co-produced by Raissa and her longtime creative partner Evan Voytas, her debut project for Neon Gold encompasses everything from the tongue-in-cheek swagger of its title track to the raw catharsis of “No Genius”: a galvanizing collaboration with Rahim Redcar (aka Christine and the Queens), built on gorgeously strange beats and Raissa’s hot-tempered but hypnotic outpouring of frustration.
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July 10, 2025
José González' Shares Logic 1000 Rework Of "Heartbeats" || Touring North America In November
JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ
SHARES LOGIC 1000 REWORK OF “HEARTBEATS”
EUROPEAN TOUR CONTINUESNORTH AMERICAN TOUR STARTS IN NOVEMBER
photo credit: Kalle Gustafsson
Today José González has shared a rework of “Heartbeats” done by Berlin-based producer Logic 1000, a reinterpretation of his renowned cover of The Knife’s seminal single. It marks the next installment in a series of new reworks celebrating the final chapter of the 20th anniversary of González’s acclaimed debut album, Veneer.
The series features contributions from a small group of carefully-selected artists reimagining tracks from his debut album.Speaking on the Logic 1000 rework, José says: “Having lived with Heartbeats by the Knife during 22 plus years it felt refreshing to hear a good remix. Usually I’m skeptical to up-pitched vocals but this sounded great! Like mini-me singing to a fat beat. Loving this danceable up tempo version! We didn’t have that many remixes of this song, partly because there weren’t stems, since I recorded the original with guitar and vocals simultaneously. After many years, I finally took the time to mimic the original with separate guitar and vocals for karaoke and remixes.”
Logic 1000 adds: "the fact that i get to remix some of the most iconic artists in my personal history still astounds me. this one is a remix of heartbeats by jose gonzales (!) while working on it i was immediately transported to a time in my life where i was so young, full of life and energy. so to have the opportunity to remix a track from a period of my life that held so much optimism was such a huge blessing. thank you to jose for giving us this opportunity."
Accompanying the rework is distinctive, bordering surreal video by Berlin-based illustrator Pete Sharp, known for his work on animated shows Scavengers Reign (HBO Max) and Love, Death & Robots (Netflix).
José is amidst a European tour that will carry throughout the summer and into early Fall. Additionally, José’s October 2024 US tour, which he was unfortunately forced to cancel due to illness in the family, has been rescheduled and will start in November 2025. If you had tickets for the October 2024 tour, they will be valid for the rescheduled 2025 show in your city. The tour will see González visit many cities that he has not performed in for over a decade and will span his entire career and catalog. Full dates are listed below.The anniversary celebrations began in 2023 with the deluxe reissue of Veneer and a string of intimate solo shows, in which José performed the album in full to sold-out crowds across Europe and North America - including special performances at the Royal Albert Hall, Elbphilharmonie, and Walt Disney Concert Hall. Now, the story comes full circle with a new series of remixes, each one offering a fresh perspective on the songs that helped define José’s singular sound.
Veneer had a lasting impact on a generation of artists by channeling the emotional authenticity of folk music through a more modern, rhythmic, and less purist lens. Everything about it felt quietly radical, from its stark, minimalist artwork, to the reverse-engineered brilliance of José’s cover of The Knife’s “Heartbeats.” It was fresh and forward-thinking, despite being built almost entirely around a single classical guitar and one voice.
In a 2024 interview for the Life of the Record podcast, which explored the making of Veneer, José spoke about wanting “to do something more repetitive and linear, inspired from, sort of dance music.” He was consciously drawing from electronic and minimal influences, inspired to write songs that could be “really easy for someone to do a remix [of] by just adding a house beat underneath.” The crossover potential was further highlighted in 2006, when Ministry of Sound included “Heartbeats” on Volume 9 of their acclaimed Chillout Sessions compilation series. This move - along with endorsements and collaborations with the likes of DJ Tiësto, Zero 7, and British tastemaker Giles Peterson - helped place José in the unlikely position of being both a revered figure in the folk/alternative world and a genre-crossing outlier, soundtracking both late-night DJ sets and the post-club drift of the early hours. His music anticipated the genre-fluid listening habits that platforms like Pitchfork began to champion in the early 2010s, as the boundaries between indie, electronic, and R&B worlds began to dissolve.
Listening to Bibio’s reimagining of “Crosses” in 2025, one is struck by how organically their musical identities weave together - two distinct voices in quiet conversation. Rather than overburdening the track with unnecessary ornamentation, Bibio subtly draws out and highlights the melodic depth of the original, without losing any of its intimacy or restraint. It’s a masterclass in dynamics and texture, and a fitting tribute to a track that redefined what folk music could be in a post-digital era.
José is currently in the studio working on new material for what will become his fifth studio album, his first full-length collection of original songs since Local Valley in 2021.
2025 TOUR DATES:
EUROPEAN TOUR DATES:7/11/2025 - Barcelona, ES - Poble Espanyol
7/12/2025 - Fiesole, IT - Estate Fiesolana
7/13/2025 - Cologne, DE - Even Flow Festival
8/2/2025 - Helsinki, FI - À la Park
8/15/2025 - Bodø, NO - Parkenfestivalen
9/25/2025 - Istanbul, TR - Zorlu PSM
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES:
11/10/2025 - Oklahoma City, OK - Tower Theatre
11/11/2025 - Little Rock, AR - Robinson Performance Hall
11/13/2025 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
11/14/2025 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
11/15/2025 - Durham, NC - The Carolina Theatre
11/16/2025 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
11/18/2025 - St. Louis, MO - The Hawthorn
11/19/2025 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre and Ballroom
11/20/2025 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theatre
Tickets can be found HERE.
“Heartbeats (Logic 1000 Rework)” art
Watch the Mikel Cee Karlson-directed creative documentary about José, A Tiger In Paradise, HERE.Purchase Veneer 20th Anniversary Deluxe edition HERE.
CONNECT WITH JOSE GONZALEZ:
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | WEB
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BLUESKY | INSTAGRAM | WEB
Cast Announce New Album, US Dates w/ Oasis, The Brian Jonestown Massacre + New York Headline Show
NEW ALBUM ‘YEAH YEAH YEAH’ TO BE RELEASED JANUARY 30TH 2026 VIA SCRUFF OF THE NECK RECORDS PRE-ORDER / PRE-SAVE HERE INCLUDES THE NEW SINGLE ‘POISON VINE’ FEATURING P.P. ARNOLD - LISTEN HERE FIRST US DATES IN 29 YEARS INCLUDE NEW YORK HEADLINE SHOW SEPTEMBER 3RD AT SONY HALL TICKETS OPENING FOR OASIS IN NEW JERSEY & LOS ANGELES & FOR THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE IN NEW YORK AND PHILADELPHIA 
Photo by Jim Mitcham Having kicked off an epic Summer with the first two shows of their mega stadium tour with Oasis, there’s still much more to come from Cast before the year is out, including their first US dates in 29 years, with Oasis and The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and a just-announced headline show at New York’s Sony Hall on September 3rd. In addition, the band will head out on an extensive UK tour, celebrating the 30th anniversary of their landmark debut album, ‘All Change’, later this year. Cast are set to continue riding high into 2026, with the news that they will release their new album, ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah’, on January 30th via the Manchester-based independent label, Scruff of the Neck Records. They previewed the record this week on Vernon Kaye’s show on Radio 2, with the new single, ‘Poison Vine’, featuring soul legend, P.P. Arnold. ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah’ is an album that seemingly shaped its own future. John Power had written some song ideas, but an unexpected opportunity to start recording emerged late in 2024 - months before he had originally planned to hit the studio. He travelled to Spain with bandmates Liam ‘Skin’ Tyson (guitar) and Keith O’Neill (drums), where the trio recorded the set with renowned producer, Youth (The Verve, Pink Floyd, Primal Scream), at his Space Mountain studio. They arrived to see the almond trees in blossom, which John took to be a good omen for the sessions. The result is a record that radiates the liberated spirit and unrestrained creativity it was captured in. It traverses Cast’s myriad sounds, from string-laden, gospel-tinged anthems to their timeless wistful melancholy, with moments of hard-hitting intensity, psychedelic funk and calm, acoustic serenity. John says, “‘Yeah Yeah Yeah’ just arrived out of the blue. There was a window of opportunity - Youth was free, the studio was free, and the band were free - and I thought, let providence prevail. No one had heard the songs apart from myself and Alan McGee, but we both thought that we had something. You could feel it, even though none of the songs were really finished, and so we decided to roll with it and record them. It was more than just trying to capture a vibe - it was about trying to record something majestic, which is how Youth describes the record.” Majestic is certainly an apt description for the single"Poison Vine'. It is swaggering, groove-heavy rock ‘n’ roll in a way that we perhaps haven’t heard from Cast before - but with the kind of instantly memorable hook that is a long-established hallmark of John’s songwriting. It’s further elevated by blistering vocals from P.P. Arnold, who brings a Merry Clayton-style rush of power and class to the track. No wonder that John admits to being blown away by her delivery and soul. John adds, “There’s an angst to ‘Poison Vine’ that wrote itself: ‘Something deep inside you want me to find.’ It’s got a groove and a sassiness throughout the track, but when I heard them two vocals kicking in on the chorus, then I just knew we had it! I thought, that’s it, that’s the real thing.”” The sixties soul survivor P.P. Arnold is enjoying a new spell in the spotlight following her sensational Glastonbury set. The London-based American artist rose to prominence with classic solo hits such as ‘The First Cut Is The Deepest’ and ‘Angel of the Morning’, but she has played a part in all manner of famous moments, including Ike & Tina Turner’s ‘River Deep, Mountain High’, as well as collaborators with everyone from Small Faces and Nick Drake to Peter Gabriel and Rogers Waters, through to The KLF and Oasis. She first met Youth at a gig just a few days prior to recording ‘Poison Vine’, and will also feature on a second song on the'Yeah Yeah Yeah' album. ‘Yeah Yeah Yeah’ is available to pre-order HERE. It will be released on vinyl, CD, cassette and all digital formats. The most eye-catching format is a mouthwash effect liquid-filled 12” vinyl, which has been signed by the band and is limited to just 100 copies. The first 500 orders of any physical product from the band’s official store will also receive a signed print.
Cast’s upcoming tour dates are listed below. See HERE for ticket details. JULY11th - Manchester - Heaton Park (special guests to Oasis)12th - Manchester - Heaton Park (special guests to Oasis)16th - Manchester - Heaton Park (special guests to Oasis)19th - Manchester - Heaton Park (special guests to Oasis)20th - Manchester - Heaton Park (special guests to Oasis)25th - London - Wembley Stadium (special guests to Oasis)26th - London - Wembley Stadium (special guests to Oasis)30th - London - Wembley Stadium (special guests to Oasis) AUGUST1st - Saffron Walden - Audley End Estate (special guests to Roger Daltrey)2nd - London - Wembley Stadium (special guests to Oasis)3rd - London - Wembley Stadium (special guests to Oasis)8th - Edinburgh - Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium (special guests to Oasis)9th - Edinburgh - Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium (special guests to Oasis)10th - Bootle - Salt & Tar (special guests to Ocean Colour Scene)12th - Edinburgh - Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium (special guests to Oasis)16th - Dublin - Croke Park (special guests to Oasis)17th - Dublin - Croke Park (special guests to Oasis)23rd - Halifax - Piece Hall (special guests to Doves)24th - Cornwall - Live at Scurrier House (headliners)31st - East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium (special guests to Oasis) SEPTEMBER1st - East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium (special guests to Oasis) 3rd - New York, NY - Sony Hall (headliners) 6th - Los Angeles, CA - Rose Bowl Stadium (special guests to Oasis)7th - Los Angeles, CA - Rose Bowl Stadium (special guests to Oasis)9th - New York, Webster Hall (special guests to The Brian Jonestown Massacre)10th - Philadelphia, Union Transfer (special guests to The Brian Jonestown Massacre)27th - London, Wembley Stadium (special guests to Oasis)28th - London, Wembley Stadium (special guests to Oasis) OCTOBER - ‘30 YEARS OF ALL CHANGE’ HEADLINE TOUR29th - Dublin, 3Olympia30th - Belfast, Telegraph Building NOVEMBER - ‘30 YEARS OF ALL CHANGE’ HEADLINE TOUR6th - Nottingham, Rock City7th - Oxford, O2 Academy8th - Torquay, Arena13th - Birmingham, O2 Institute14th - Cardiff, Uni Y Plas15th - Leeds, O2 Academy20th - Bournemouth, O2 Academy21st - London, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire22nd - Manchester, Albert Hall27th - Sheffield, Leadmill28th - Newcastle, NX29th - Glasgow, Barrowland Ballroom DECEMBER - ‘30 YEARS OF ALL CHANGE’ HEADLINE TOUR5th - Liverpool, Olympia Follow Cast:Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Website
