Following the iconic “RIDIN” featuring the legendary Lil Wayne, and the upbeat and playful release of “SHUT UP” featuring Big Sean earlier this year, Reyez continues teasing more music on the way with “Just Like That” as a taste of what’s to come. On “Just Like That”, Reyez embraces the feeling of finally finding someone who’s good for you, singing, “The last one left me broken but you came by and revived”. Together, Reyez and Lennox combine their talents for capturing feelings, delivering soulful verses that thematically explore comfort and security in relationships.

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“Driving On The Wrong Side Of The Road” by Franc Moody

The soul-disco melding duo and kings of modern electronica, Franc Moody, headed by Ned Franc and Jon Moody, shared the  new, furiously fun single “Driving On The Wrong Side Of The Road.” Of the cosmic new song, the duo is as funk-infused as ever but reflects on the track as a “bold leap into a new era of Franc Moody.”

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“Bloom” by Maribou State

“Bloom” is a slice of signature Maribou State featuring their trademark guitar lines, drum flourishes that gently recall old-school rave and a vocal refrain from rising Sudanese Dutch singer-songwriter Gaidaa. It’s the second single to be shared from their highly anticipated new album ‘Hallucinating Love’, set for release Jon anuary 31st 2025 on Ninja Tune

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“Do Like I Do” by Peter Dreams

Following a trail of textured sound Peter Dreams‘ song “Do Like I Do” builds into a trance, a weaving of wires pulled from gritty guitars and low register piano. A sparse kick drum gives away for Black Lodge saxophone and synths, while Peter Dreams contemplates the consequences of passing on flaws to an unborn child.

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“Different Way” by BLOND:ISH feat Zeeba

BLOND:ISH has woven a thread of positive messaging through her most recent singles, along with masterfully blending a tonic of genres that aim to beam her compassionate transmissions far and wide. While the late summer mood-lifter “Never Walk Alone” (written to serve as a friend in a time of anxiety or loneliness) called on pop, indie, and soul, “Different Way” combines surf rock, synth pop, and house music. BLOND:ISH’s goal is that these songs push the planet closer to “Happy Happy World” (an inclusive place of sustainable unity, respect, and nourishment).

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“Ten to Twelve” by Bug Eyed

The new single follows their premier track “Backseats,” released last month, which introduced their playful and singular sonic universe. “Ten to Twelve” displays Bug Eyed’s genre-blending and time-warping sound, combining early-aught British pop-rock with modern American pop influence. “Ten to Twelve” and “Backseats” are just the first taste of what is to come from the British band.

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“Mandem & Gyaldem” by Lexxicon

Following his groundbreaking release this summer, with Pink Fraternity, Lexxicon is back with a music video for his brand-new single. A fun uptempo song filled with attitude and energy, “Mandem & Gyaldem” is a love letter to the queer Caribbean community.

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“Rebel Soul” by Michael Kiwanuka

Michael Kiwanuka‘s “Rebel Soul” the fourth and final single from his fast-impending and hotly anticipated new album Small Changes (out November 22 via Geffen Records). “Rebel Soul” unveils the sublime soulfulness at the core of the album; a slow-build mood-setter that crescendos with Michael’s own vocal weaving in and out of focus.

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“Eager Glacier” by Yoo Doo Right

To the beat of turbulent drums, we are guided through sprawling soundscapes of deep synthetic whirs, unrelenting electric strings, mercurial melodies, and distorted reels. With grave aplomb, this escalating and far-reaching piece from the Montreal outfit Yoo Doo Right takes us on a sonic journey across ambient, post-rock and drone metal.

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Cover image: Maribou State by Rory Dewar

The post Fall’s notable single releases from Yoo Doo Right to Maribou State appeared first on Quip Magazine.

The harmonies on KIWANUKA lean into the classics of the 60s/70s American rock, tap into a little bit of Marvin Gaye and even some Gil Scott-Heron. It is four sides of vinyl packed with a mix of subtle gentle songs and anthem tracks like “Hero.” The album is one you can return to every few months for a feel-good, positive pick me up vibe. In the artist’s words, the album is “about self-acceptance in a more triumphant rather than a melancholy way. It’s an album that explores what it means to be a human being today.”

Needless to say, the audience caught up, his 18-date North American tour was completely sold-out regardless of the size of the venues, which were some of the biggest he’s ever played. In Toronto, Kiwanuka took the stage at 9 o’clock sharp at the city’s biggest club venue, REBEL. It’s a spot that has been a concert venue for many years, passed through various hands of owners and promoters. Today it is well lit, with a great sound system and wealth of space for thousands of people to pack into. All this space, however, can be a disadvantage for quieter performances and subtle melodic tracks…

Michael took center stage with his guitar, surrounded by a full band and a pair of back up singers dressed in all black. The set started with “Rule The World” from Love & Hate, which was released in 2016, back during Kiwanuka’s more humble and slightly less self-assured days, setting up a type of a journey for the night. Naturally, the next tracks were “You Ain’t The Problem” and “I’ve Been Dazed.” Perhaps we as the audience could grow confident and comfortable together with Kiwanuka tonight. But the vast space towards the back, swallowed by the voices of the crowd, was drowning out Kiwanuka’s voice with chatter.

The set continued with a mix of songs from the three albums: from “Rule the World” to “Hero” to “Tell Me A Tale” from Home Again (2012). The “Hero – Intro” was performed solo with a single spotlight on the artist. Intro transitioning into the song was a sonic ballad, seamlessly flowing into the full band with a supporting guitar. It was a powerful anthemic performance half of which to my disappointment was washed out by the noise of the room.

At one point the band left the stage, leaving Michael alone with the piano to play a track people may be less familiar with, “On My Knees,” which was released in collaboration with UNKLE, UK’s electronic duo known for producing heavy, dark tracks. What came next is an evoking instrumental rendition of the song, a good half of which was just him and the piano but the song grew bigger and heavier as the band joined in halfway through.

For “Black Man In A White World” the artist and the band clapped the opening of the song, trying to engage the audience but not gaining much participation from this primarily porcelain crowd. It was hard not to wonder where Michael’s people were, as I was blending into the light-skinned mass. Kiwanuka is “accustomed to being an outsider” and during an interview with The Guardian last year he admitted he was hoping to reach more people like himself, “Some artists are singing to their people and I don’t know who mine are. […] I’m not representing anyone. I wrestle with that because there’s nothing like being part of a community,” he shared. The size of the crowd felt like a community of a sort, but the lack of participation made us all strangers in the room, listening to music alone while together. I can’t speak to why there were so few of Michael’s people in the room but this lack of participation, however, is behavior typical of a Toronto crowd so it’s hard to pin the reserved atmosphere on the artist (for those of you Torontonians reading, don’t fight me, you know it’s true). Michael, while very calm and collected, is a great performer, playing engaging soul music, the kind of music you can’t help but move to so it was odd to see a standing room.

The show progressively ended on a strong and confident note with “Cold Little Heart” and “Love & Hate” during which the fans were most alive, singing along, moving to the beat, and clapping. It took over an hour for the room to wake up, and when they did it was a little too late.

Photo credit: Olivia Rose

The post Michael Kiwanuka as himself. Live at the REBEL nightclub appeared first on Quip Magazine.

Love & Hate is that kind of album, Pitchfork called Love & Hate “A sprawling soul opus full of longing and self-assessment”. This record is, in a way, Kiwanuka’s self-discovery. After spending some time being drawn into the likes of Kanye West and feeling lost in that crowd Kiwanuka joined hands with producer Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton (Gnarls Barkley, Cee-Lo Green, Broken Bells) for Love & Hate. The album drawing on the 60s and 70s soul sound was a huge success. It is emotional, honest, and raw, built on the base sounds of his acoustic guitar.

Joined on stage by a full band Kiwanuka opened the set with “Cold Little Heart,” this drawn out opening track enhanced by the wealth of the full band really set the mood for the night. Back to front, start to finish the crowd was engaged, dancing, singing and clapping along. The highlight of the evening was “Black Man in a White World,” a track in which Kiwanuka samples an instrumental Afrobeat sound while lyrically touching on his inner racial conflict: “I’m in love, but I’m still sad/I found peace, but I’m not glad.”

Paused by an occasional story, the performance was not perfect, Kiwanuka apologetically restarted a couple of times but the set did not suffer from it one bit. His honest and raw personality pulls the audience in. Love & Hate, much like his previous record, is a keeper and seeing it come to life is a special experience that can only deepen the appreciation of the artist and the album.

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