Brooklyn's reigning quirky-pop princess sami.the.great finds herself in the throes of an exuberant and incurable case of optimistim in latest video for "Hear Me Now." Part of her strong debut, 'Hear Me Now' is one of my favorites off the record. With so much druggy, after-hours dance music hitting the charts these days, it's refreshing to hear the Brooklyn singer/songwriter use hard-knocking beats for what they're there for: kicking shit down the road and celebrating how awesome you are. And with all these bright colors bouncing around the green screen for this production, you'll be able to bottle some of Sami's energy for yourself. The video is directed by psychedelic director Joel Fernando, and moves back and forth between trippy screensaver-esque visuals, and Sami herself conjuring various magic. Check it out below. - Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)
Ambient and slightly androgynous, the duo Belle Mare released their dreamy debut EP “The Boat of the Fragile Mind” earlier this spring. The EP resonates with somber tones and almost whale-like howls, unraveling soft acoustic guitar, simple piano melodies, and occasional subtle drones. The title track features the quivering vocals of Amelia Bushell, one half of the Belle Mare duo with guitarist Thomas Servidone, painting a dreamscape portrait of longing. Charade (streaming below) gently develops an unexpected blue melody that can lull you into the deepest of sleeps - I've heard of people dreaming of sleeping, in NYC. The duo met at an open mic night in Brooklyn and recorded the album in Servidone’s apartment, but notwithstanding the DIY approach, the record is full of character and the sound mature. With their mix of rich surrealism and an almost gothic aura, these song sounds as if played through an antique phonograph inside a parlor room... located in the deepest of our subconscious. While “The Boat” could easily draw comparisons to other dream-poppers Beach House, Belle Mare’s subtleties and extreme sparsness create a stronger emotional drive and more nostalgic appeal. - Devon Antonetti
