Indie pop
Mitski Releases New Album Laurel Hell: Stream
Mitski has unveiled her new album Laurel Hell. Stream it below. Laurel Hell is the Japanese-American singer-songwriter’s first full-length body of work since Be the Cowboy (which was Consequence’s No. 1 album of 2018). Inspired largely by ’80s dance music, the LP contains singles “Working for the Knife,” “The Only Heartbreaker,” “Heat Lightning,” and “Love Me More.” To coincide with tonight’s release, she has shared a video for the album track “Stay Soft,” which you can view below. “It seems almost too perfect for Mitski to return, in year three of our miserable pandemic,” writes Consequence’s Paolo Ragusa in his official review of the album, “with a bright, dancefloor-ready album, and there’s no doubt that some fans will be disappointed that the extroverted energy of Laurel Hell doesn’t m...
Erin Rae Breaks Down Her New Album Lighten Up Track by Track: Exclusive Stream
For our Track by Track feature, artists open up about the stories behind each song on their latest album. Today, Erin Rae takes us track by track through her new album, Lighten Up. After releasing her debut effort, Putting on Airs, in 2018, Erin Rae was living as the troubadours do. She spent the years between that release and the start of the pandemic on the road and, like any other artist, found that life come to a screeching halt. On Friday, February 4th, she’ll return with her new album, Lighten Up, an appropriate title both for our times and for the album. This latest collection is an amalgam of dreamy, psychedelic country, indie-rock, and believably vintage folk. Thematically, too, the album is a bit like an old kaleidoscope — social commentary and musings on gender equality mor...
Arlo Parks Drops New Single “Softly”: Stream
One of 2021’s breakout stars, Arlo Parks has returned with “Softly,” her first song of 2022. “‘Softly’ is a song about yearning, about how fragile you feel in the dying days of a relationship when you’re still desperately in love,” Arlo Parks said of the track in a statement. “The song is about how it feels to brace yourself before the blow of a break up and reminisce about the days where it all felt luminous.” “Softly” starts out (you guessed it) softly, as Arlo Parks begs a soon-to-be ex to let her down easy while piano twinkles over a quick-moving beat. Once the chorus rolls around, however, the singer-songwriter reaches a volume we haven’t seen from her before. “Break it to me softly/ I don’t want no one else,” she repeats, banging out low chords. In the accompanying music video, Arlo ...
Luna Li Teams with beabadoobee for New Single “Silver into Rain”: Exclusive
The recurring new music feature Origins gives musicians a platform to share unique insights into their latest release. Today, Luna Li turns “Silver into Rain” on the beabadoobee-featuring lead single from her upcoming debut album, Duality. Luna Li rose to viral pandemic fame on the back of her “jams,” videos of her flexing her multi-instrumental chops by piecing together tracks with bass, keyboard, harp, violin, and more. Now, the Korean-Canadian artist aka Hannah Bussiere has put together actual tracks — 13 of them, to be precise — for her debut album, Duality. Arriving March 4th via Real Life, the LP shows off Luna Li’s intricate dreamscape take on indie pop. The music is lonely yet celestial, a reflection of the drive for self-care in a period of isolation. A few songs also get a l...
My Idea Announce Debut Album CRY MFER, Share Title Track: Stream
Palberta’s Lily Konigsberg and Water From Your Eyes’ Nate Amos have formed a new band called My Idea. Their debut album, CRY MFER, will be released on April 22nd via Hardly Art. My Idea have a bit of a chaotic origin story, and CRY MFER is no different. Konigsberg and Amos first teamed up in fall 2020, when the former sought the latter out to produce her solo record. Soon enough, their relationship became more collaborative — and toxic. “We definitely were like, oh, maybe we’re in love?” Konigsberg recalled in a statement. Recorded right before the Palberta singer-guitarist got sober, the pair — who are now best friends — used CRY MFER to get drunk and challenge each other emotionally and musically. “Thank God we’re not those people [anymore],” Konigsberg said. Despite its heavy ...
King Princess Teams Up with Fousheé on New Single “Little Bother”: Stream
King Princess has enlisted Fousheé for the new single “Little Bother.” Stream it below. On the gently pulsating track, the pair of singer-songwriters trade verses while reflecting on a relationship that left them feeling like nothing more than an inconvenient afterthought. “I’m screwed from a past life/ And that’s why I lost you/ But if I think of the timeline/ You were exhausting/ But we couldn’t have said goodbye/ It wasn’t an option/ While you’re watching the paint dry/ Remember you lost me/ Do you feel like you should/ Could’ve tried a little harder/ It didn’t make me feel good/ I was just a little bother,” King Princess sings before handing the reins to her collaborator. Advertisement Related Video “I have been a big fan of Fousheé for a while, so when we started DM’ing and eventually...
Nilüfer Yanya Announces 2022 Tour Dates
Nilüfer Yanya’s got a big year ahead. Earlier this month, the London artist announced her sophomore album PAINLESS, and now, she’s shared a run of tour dates to accompany the record. To coincide with the album’s March 4th release date, Yanya’s tour kicks off March 10th in Scotland. After a trek through Europe, the singer-songwriter hits the States, starting in Austin on April 26th and wrapping up in Portland on May 22nd. Presale tickets become available November 30th, and general sale begins December 3rd. See the full list of tour dates below, and grab tickets through Ticketmaster. Advertisement Related Video Yanya announced PAINLESS with the single “stabilise,” a quick-moving rejection of modern mundanity. Her second full-length follows the 2020 EP Feeling Lucky? and h...
Nation of Language on Finding Their Momentum Over the Pandemic: “It Feels Like Winning the Lottery”
Several years ago, Ian Devaney found his NYC musical project at a standstill. “At one point, it was like half the band suddenly and separately moved to Los Angeles,” he says. “I was like, ‘Oh, I guess this has run its course, because everyone’s gone.’” Luckily, Devaney found, well, a way forward (pun intended). In addition to his longtime collaborator and bassist Michael Sue-Poi, Devaney’s wife Aiden Noell joined the band on synths, and Nation of Language was born. It was not without hardship — after releasing their debut album Introduction, Presence in early 2020, the pandemic set in and left the band without any shows to play: “We always felt like the live show was the thing that would really kind of capture people’s attention and imagination… how would anyone ever find this r...
With Juno, Remi Wolf Signals That the Future of Pop Music Is Already Here
“Remi Wolf is a crazy bih but is also hella nice and sweet sometimes but also likes to yell at people but has figured out that maybe instead of yelling at people she can just sing.” This is the description that greets users who visit Remi Wolf’s official Spotify artist page. It’s not an inaccurate first impression for people who might be new to our October Artist of the Month, Remi Wolf. She’s arrived on the indie-pop scene in a neon and rainbow-drenched burst and has become something of a festival darling over the past year. Active social media users probably heard her track “Photo ID” on TikTok, but Wolf’s budding discography is much more than the viral hit may have suggested. Juno, her debut full-length album, is an odyssey through a world of oddities. In a recent interview with Consequ...
In Photos: Artist of the Month Remi Wolf’s Sold-Out Show at Music Hall of Williamsburg
After blowing up during the pandemic, Remi Wolf arrived in Brooklyn last week to deliver her sold-out headlining show at Music Hall of Williamsburg. Even though this is only her first official tour, it’s likely the last chance fans will get to see her in a venue this size; before the gig even started, her next New York concert at the much larger Webster Hall in February was already sold out. Consequence was on hand at the MHOW to catch up with the funky soul pop artist for our latest Artist of the Month spotlight. Of course, we stuck around to catch the show itself, and you can check out our fully photo gallery below — including exclusive behind-the-scenes shots and portraits. Also, read our review of Remi Wolf’s debut album, Juno, and snag tickets to all her upcoming tour dates via T...
Oberhofer Shares “SUNSHiiNE” Featuring Shamir and The Strokes’ Nick Valensi: Stream
After a nearly six-year hiatus, Brad Oberhofer is back and releasing music. His new album Smothered is due out November 12th, and he’s now shared the latest single, “SUNSHiiNE,” featuring Shamir and The Strokes’ Nick Valensi. Here, the sunshine is more metaphorical than literal. “I was walking in the rain today,” Oberhofer begins, “I wasn’t feeling great/ Pulled out my phone and saw a message from you/ It was a smiley face.” Throughout, the synths sparkle like the rainbow after a storm, as Oberhofer sings to the light of his life: “When I met you/ My heart skipped a beat/ When I’m with you/ I feel so complete/ My sunshine.” Nick Valensi adds a fuzzy guitar solo that slowly searches its way upwards, and Shamir adds a distorted spoken-word section about how “life is the g...
CHVRCHES’ Lauren Mayberry on Lost Boys, John Carpenter, and The Cure’s Robert Smith
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS Lauren Mayberry catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about Screen Violence, the new CHVRCHES album that finds the synthpop band using horror movies as a parallel to what was happening in their lives over the past few years. The Scottish artist discusses the darker side of fame that comes from the Internet, explains the “kill your idols” lyric on “Good Girls,” and working with The Cure’s Robert Smith and director/musician John Carpenter. Advertisement Related Video Mayberry also details their latest release, a cover of the Lost Boys soundtrack classic “Cry Little Sister” that was recently released as part of the ...
