Based in Valencia, Spain, Polock is currently working towards their second full-length, Rising Up, out on Nacional Records April 15th, and the material we’ve gotten so far is insanely promising. A Rock band with the perfect amount of 80s electroclash embellishments, Polock is to Spain what Phoenix is to France- a band with longevity poised for global recognition. The video for their latest single, Everlasting, is a noir film experience, hyper classic american masculinity is in the forefront, while the music harkens back to a rock sound that redefined the male figure- the 70s and 80s in NYC’s gritty downtown scene. The video is captivating and mysterious. It’s fashion, it’s West Side Story, it’s stamina against testosterone, and it’s beautifully shot. Paired with this incredible track, I’d say the US should be on Polock watch.
Lady Gaga released her new video for G.U.Y. as part of an ‘epic’ 7 minute ARTPOP film on Saturday evening to a startlingly cotidian reception. For the most part no one is critically discussing the work itself, and instead a google search turns up aggregated new sources that simply state it was released, and gush over the predicted indulgence and “strangeness” of her newest visual production. It’s difficult to say if the work is a success. Is this lack of journalistic engagement the nail on the coffin of one of Pop’s most transfixing creations? Gaga’s career has been somewhat of an anomaly of late, and with a strange divide between her true experiences and the facade that we’ve all grown to understand, it’s an interesting direction for the ARTPOP conundrum.
G.U.Y. is Gaga’s first video release since August 19th’s rushed unveiling of the aptly prepared Applause, and the beginning of marketing and promotion for ARTPOP. Applause was an honest and revealing mantra from an artist whose career was built on the enigma of fame. It was also a phenomenal pop track, with incredible production and a stunning music video. There was a moment of excitement; a second of promise. But Applause was mostly unsuccessful, in comparison to Gaga’s previous sales records and contemporaries, and the single brought to light some disconcerting happenings in her career and within Haus of Gaga. Rumours circled about shady maneuvers to boost sales (especially in light of competing with Katy Perry’s unbelievably drab Roar).
Following Applause, Gaga began teasing tracks from ARTPOP. Among them the widely popular Do What U Want was teased on a Beats Headphones ad. It was brilliant product placement, for Beats and ARTPOP, and the ad itself made the song seem epic, intriguing, and poised for a commercial take over. But the release of Do What U Want was riddled with missteps. The song featured a controversial and tired artist (R.Kelly- whose latest record Black Panties exposed how entirely irrelevant he is), the video was never created, and the replacement of R.Kelly with Christina Aguilera read as desperate.
However, throughout this whole process, it’s important to remember that this is STILL Gaga. There are still amazing live performances, there are still gorgeous outfits, there are still fantastic pop songs. There was only one acoustic performance of Applause, and only one of Do What U Want, and both were absolutely mesmerizing and artful, a true iteration of the potential of ARTPOP.
A K U A (a-koo-ah) is Montreal based electronic soul artist Akua Carson. She’s stunning- a beautiful voice, meticulously produced tracks and an awesome sense of style. Being a part of a pack, and let’s face it, female electronic soul artists are sprouting up like weeds, is never easy. Standing out from that pack is even more difficult. But A K U A manages to do just that by incorporating old world style musings in the vocal delivery lineage of India.Arie or Corinne Bailey Rae while gliding over 80s world R&B (think Sade) production- it’s deceitfully and enticingly shallow before filling out into a romantic futurist soul fantasy. Like swirling rich colors, the sounds A K U A funnels through her debut EP are a sonic experience with visual manifestations. It jumps out of your speakers as her voice gently corroborates a glowing pattern of light and movement. It’s only fitting then that her video for One’s Company be like visual masturbation for electronic soul lovers. The video’s aesthetic is darkly humorous, cheeky in its cynical outlook, and delivering some of the best choreography I’ve seen in a video (well, since Haim’s latest). A K U A’s EP has been out for a minute, and she caught my attention back in the summer of ’13 with her track Monsters, but this video is a very immediate reminder of why we should pay attention to this girl. And we should. Just look at that gif.
The Brazilian 3LW? Or should we fast forward a bit to Cheetah Girls? Either way this female trio, Pearls Negras, is KILLING it. You’ve got your sassy gap tooth, your lighter skinned lady girl, and your obvious lead sexpot. Is that Raven in the middle? No no… she can’t also be the one with the gap. I’m so confused! Does one of them have braces?
It’s all very playas gon play. And so very teen girl gone bad in the Favela. It’s kicking K-pop in the ass and taking the spotlight. I’m living for this. Can we talk outfits? #eatit
The beats hot as hell, clearly influenced by Brazilian trends today (including the band Banda Uó who actually turned me on to these gals). It’s like a modern iteration of Diplo and Reggaeton, and it should be blowing up your speakers.
Cute, right? Well today, Chilean Pop artist Alex Anwandter releases the video for the title track off his album, Rebeldes. There’s something about Latin American Pop artists and their approach to the genre that’s refreshing in its childlike lack of self consciousness. That confidence (albeit naive at times) is the key to releasing Pop with the fervor of decades past. Rebeldes is an amazing example of this through its story of youthful love and adventure, an exploration of the world and humanity through the eyes of two lovers. It’s a perfect embodiment not just of the simple yet touching lyrics (“I want to be with you forever”), but of the unrepressed bountiful pop landscape south of the equator. Maybe US artists are too cynical, too self critical, too caught up in trends, or too ahead of them; maybe it’s time to fly south for the winter. Watch the new video below:
Wow. Banks is devastatingly beautiful in the video for This Is What It Feels Like. We’ve all been aware of her for some time now, what with her ever relevant RnB influenced gloomy electro-pop and marketable image, but it feelslike this is her breakout hit. The beat is sick’ning, and the chorus inevitably on repeat in your brain. Check out her video here:
Kaiotic Music 
