News Tracks: Drake, MGMT, Jon Hopkins, And More

Hello everybody, and a merry end to the working week to one and all!

As Miss Miley Cyrus might eloquently put it, it’s been a week full of ‘BANGERZ’. As per, DIY’s wonderful writers have huddled together and picked out the best tracks to grace the internet this week. With new stuff, from Drake, MGMT and a tasty collab from Jon Hopkins and Megan James, it’s a star-studded line-up. We won’t be calling any of them ratchet, any time soon, though. We won’t twerk for you either. Sorry, you can’t have it all.

Drake - Hold On, We’re Going Home

Ever since his 2010 debut ‘Thank Me Later’, Drake has been constantly altering the balance between rapping and singing in his music. As his music has progressed, he’s tended to rely more on singing and his latest single, ‘Hold On, We’re Going Home’, is rap free. He seems to be leaning towards a more straight-forward pop direction, his voice sounding smoother than it’s ever been. He may be going in a new direction but the subject of his music hasn’t changed, “Cause you’re a good girl and you know it” he states, “You act so different around me”. Whilst the song has fairly minimalist production mainly comprising of different percussive rhythms, it’s Drake’s vocals and backing vocals from feature Majid Jordan that your attention is focused on. Helping to produce the song and doing backing vocals, Majid Al Maskati and Jordan Ullman (a producer duo who make up Majid Jordan) aren’t likely to stay unknown for much longer after this. (Aurora Mitchell)

Jon Hopkins ft. Megan James - Breathe This Air

We’re used to seeing Megan James beating drums with demonic enthusiasm, and wielding shadow-casting lanterns as she sings diary exerts like “drill little holes into my eye lids”. As part of Purity Ring she’s firmly in the underworld; terrifyingly intense and wonderfully sinister. Jon Hopkins seems to unlock a new part of her arsenal. Propelled by fidgeting, busy-body rhythms and subtle pearl-hued chiming, James’ voice becomes something ethereal and heavenly. This is an unexpected collaboration, and an even more surprising result, but it breathes new life into Hopkins’ original, and confirms that we can happily listen to Megan James sing on just about anything. One Direction collab, anyone? (El Hunt)

MGMT - Your Life Is A Lie

MGMT’s last album, ‘Congratulations’, sounded like it was conceived in a burnt out old campervan – you know the kind – a beaten up wagon that has been on a few too many surf trips and stinks of wacky-backy. However, their stoned psych rock has been replaced by a more potent and urgent sound; if ‘Your Life Is A Lie’ is a fair representation of what their third album will sound like. And it is absolutely brilliant; the Brooklyn bros haven’t lost any of their wackiness, with short stabs of percussion set amongst fuzzy guitars and repetitive lyrics that soon tower over you. If, The Flaming Lips and Wire were to have a weird lovechild then this would be the creation. The music video even features more eccentric characters than a Wes Anderson film. Hurrahs all round! (Samuel Cornforth)

Banks x SOHN - Waiting Game

Banks has risen from obscurity in the past six months and whilst she’s now well-sought after and supporting The Weeknd on tour, she still refuses to tell anyone her real name. She still has plenty of time for fans, though, as she put up her phone number on Facebook and regularly responds to people. Produced by another rising artist, SOHN, the collaboration comes as no surprise as he remixed her debut single ‘Before I Ever Met You’ a few months ago. It feels as if with every song, her voice gets even more delicate and new track ‘Waiting Game’ has a haunting quality about it, backed by ominous bass and reverberated piano chords. Highlighting the difficulties of two artists being in a relationship, she enquires “What if I never even see you because we’re both on a stage? Don’t tell me listen to your music ‘cause it isn’t the same” (Aurora Mitchell)

Ab-Soul - Christopher DRONEr

Politically driven hip-hop is a difficult nut to crack - a lot of time what rappers often think of as ‘cutting commentary’ is, in reality, just overly preachy nonsense. Ab-Soul is one of the few rappers outside of Killer Mike who’s actually delivering a compelling message, all without compromising when it comes to both his forceful flow and stellar production choice. On ‘Christopher DRONEr’, Soul delivers some of the hardest hitting lyricism so far this year over its ominous beat - even managing to riff on Kanye’s own social critique ‘New Slaves’, repurposing lines from its second verse to fit slavery to the government rather than materialism. It’s a track worthy of dissecting. It’s all the sweeter that it just so happens to be a colossal banger, too. (Joe Price)

Frankie Rose - Sorrow

If you tried to shake a stick at every acclaimed act Frankie Rose has been in, you’d be there all day, and probably look like a very committed dowsing hobbyist. Crystal Stilts, Dum Dum Girls, Vivian Girls… it’s an impressive list. Rose is equally brilliant on her tod, though, and ‘Sorrow’ is just delicious, irresistible listening. The first single from Rose’s forthcoming new album ‘Herein Wild’, it showcases her soft, husky vocals soaring above orchestral arrangement and an urging guitar riff. This rose ain’t got no thorns. (El Hunt)

Fade - Satellite

Swerving between the quiet and then the LOUD guitar wizardry that bands such as Nirvana championed, Fade are an update on the sounds made by most of your favourite alt-rock bands. ‘Satellite’ from their four track demo sums up best what this secretive band are trying to do. They let the music do the talking by just operating a Bandcamp page and a Twitter account which say little about the band and a lot about the music they make so well. Despite this band being one for the youngsters, I’m pretty sure if you showed your Kyuss-fan of a Dad this tune, he’d be head-banging too in no time. It’s pretty cosmic stuff, man. (Jack Parker)

Fade by Fade

Destruction Unit - Bumpy Road

Destruction Unit are not a conventional band. For starters, they have existed for a decade, but it is only within the last year they have settled upon a line-up and attracted a wider audience with a couple of higher profile releases. Pretty unique, huh? And we haven’t even scratched the surface of their loud and mind expanding psych sound yet. They are a more of a cult, than a band. Another cut from ‘Deep Trip’, their first album on Sacred Bones has just graced the web. ‘Bumpy Road’ isn’t their most abrasive offering; instead it very mesmerising with sprawling and swirling guitars that sound like they have emerged from a sandstorm in the Arizonan dessert where they hail from. It is time to join the cult based on the brilliance of this new song, but take care, if you listen to this hypnotic track whilst staring at their brain frazzling artwork, you might just get vaporised. (Samuel Cornforth)

Russian Circles - Deficit

Finally! A long awaited sneak peak at Russian Circles’ fifth studio album, ‘Memorial’. ‘Deficit’ is an unrelenting force of nature; a living hurricane headed straight for us, with slow yet calculated precision. Resistance is futile, as between the slow demonic drums sit the wailing guitars of sirens. Somewhere around the 3 minute mark a hero emerges in the shape of a familiar Russian Circles guitar chug, providing us with a brief period of respite - until the wind returns to full force. Everything Circles put out has a live and untamed feel – something that only adds to their charm - and if Deficit is anything to go by, this album is going to feel the same. Memorial is out on 29th October via the ever reliable Sargent House. (Joe Dickinson)