A renowned graphic designer, street artist, and producer, GREMS is now channeling his creative energy into becoming the next big rapper to come out of France. Ten years deep in the game as an independent artist, he will now release music through Skullcandy, the popular headphones brand, with the first being a single called “Vampire.” GREMS often chooses random topics to rhyme about, and vampires just happens to be his latest one of double-time flow discussion. Listen to the trippy, Simbad-produced track below.
Have you been bombarded by a million-and-a-half covers and remixes of Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” but not sure which ones are worthwhile? Well, today is your day, because Australia’s San Cisco knocks it out the park with their version, recorded live on Aussie radio station triple j.
Press play below to hear lead vocalist Jordi Davieson beat Pharrell at his falsetto game and drummer Scarlett Stevens get groovy on the bongos. New to San Cisco? Here are the videos for “Fred Astaire” and “Awkward” to bring you up to speed on the cuties.
The weekend is finally here. After waiting patiently all week, you can now vote for your favorite musician emerging onto the global music scene in MTV Iggy’s Artist of the Week poll!
This is a round-up of the best bands we featured this week and you have until next Friday morning at 11 a.m. EST to vote for the one you believe should win. Start voting down at the bottom after discovering this week’s five rising stars.
Dean Blunt
Dean Blunt is an enigma. He rarely gives interviews. There are only rumors about his real identity. Blunt’s most recent EP The Redeemer is his anti-pop riff on spirituality and romance that sarcastically utilizes meditative harps, violins, choral singing, and acoustic guitars set against recordings of angsty voicemails left by a frustrated girlfriend. Title track “The Redeemer” is more straightforward lo-fi reminiscent of Air’s work for the soundtrack to The Virgin Suicides. A dark twist to the track is the added sample of Puff Daddy’s desperate pleas at the end of “Victory.” The whole album has a tone of collapsed irony that digs so low that it somehow emerges on the other side as straightforwardly pretty.
Wolf Alice
If Tumblr rock is now a thing, then count London-based four-piece Wolf Alice among its emerging banner bands. Like electro sprite Grimes, who also has been associated with the social network as a way to define her music, Wolf Alice hopscotch across ideas with little regard for genre convention. As a result, Wolf Alice has swapped the idea of a signature sound for scattershot exuberance, showing more evolution out of the gate than most bands do in an entire lifespan.
Show Dem Camp
Over the last four years, Show Dem Camp have quietly forged a central path where African hip-hop meets neo-soul through several singles, mixtapes, and their debut album, The Dreamer. Their most recent single “Feel Alright” is a breakthrough for the group. The song incorporates highlife-like guitars over a jazzy rhythm and features the additional talents of singer Boj from DRG LasGidi and up-and-coming rapper Poe from their label, Show Dem Records. Impeccably styled and directed, the video for “Feel Alright” soothingly channels the track’s laid back, backyard grooves.
Woman’s Hour
Originally formed as a jangle pop outfit, Woman’s Hour had a few false starts before they headed into isolation to regroup. After a few years absence, the London-based quartet recently emerged from hiding, reintroducing themselves with sultry singles, “To the End” and “Our Love has No Rhythm.” The band’s new incarnation is all about seductive grooves and bedroom eyes. It’s sexy, albeit it in an unnerving way. Double A-side “The End/Our Love Has No Rhythm” is out now via Parlour Records. An EP is due out later this year.
Parquet Courts
If you think you’ve caught a whiff of Fergus & Geronimo in Parquet Courts, you’re right: Austin Brown and Andrew Savage have teamed up again. The quirky-silly pop cuts F&G left us on their last LP, however, are hardly indicative of Light Up Gold, Parquet Courts’ debut. This outlet is decidedly more rocking—and reflective of reality, too.
Comparisons to Pavement are inevitable, but not altogether accurate. Brown is obviously fond of the speak-singing style that’s become Stephen Malkmus’ signature. He employs it more thoroughly though, and doesn’t reach for the scraping aggression Malkmus occasionally hits. In general, these guys are by far more laissez-faire about their angst, opting instead to find ways to smirk about, shrug away, or otherwise shake off troubles.
South Africa’s Cata.Pirata and Amsterdam’s Jori Collignon lead the socially-minded SKIP&DIE collective. Collingnon’s tropical, ghettotech, dub, and hip-hop-infused beats bolster the activist songwriting of Pirata in their debut album Riots in the Jungle. Listen to the experimenal sound of “Jungle Riot” below to get a sense of their fiery sound.
SKIP&DIE is our Artist of the Week, having maintained a consistent edge in the polls. To the group and to all of their fans that contributed to their win, felicidades!
Mr Wize captured our attention with his debut single, “X,” back in February. On it, he showed that there was more depth to him than what was, perhaps, expected from looking at the trendy, quirky character his press picture portrayed. With his latest track, “AWOL,” we get to see yet another side of the eccentric Londoner. Swapping his mockney-style rapping for mockney-style singing, Mr Wize hungers for love over Karolis Labanauskas’ sparkly electro-pop production. Check it…
A week after treating fans to free track “Paperwerk,” Amplify Dot is back to unveil her official new single, “I’m Good.” The British MC’s female-and-proud rhymes and fiery flow is greeted by a wild Busta Rhymes, who finishes off chopping up the reggae-inspired hip-hop beat with a verse of tongue-twisting greatness. Listen…
Have you saved MTV 81 to your speed dial yet? You’re missing out if you haven’t, especially if you find yourself craving the best music and culture from Japan every so often. Or always, in our case.
Meet The Novembers, a post-rock band who say their music doesn’t necessarily have to make you smile — they just want it to move you. Influenced by a chain of post-punk and alt-rock greats from The Cure and The Velvet Underground to L’Arc En Ciel and Nirvana, The Novembers’ own experimental sound is a blend of the familiar and the next — and getting better with every album. And according to their interview with 81, the band is finally ready take that sound out into the world.
INTERVIEW PART 1: Music For Mind and Body
PART 2: On the Universal Language of Music
Rock on to “Reunion of Marr,” “dysphoria,” “ニールの灰に(Niel no Hai Ni),” and a cover of Nirvana’s “Stay Away” with this live digest of The Novembers’ 2012 gig at Tokyo’s Liquid Room:
LIVE: THE NOVEMBERS Give Their Gift to Liquid Room
For more on The Novembers and other emerging acts from the Land of the Rising Sun check out our friends at MTV 81.
House music mainstay Etienne de Crecy is staying close to his home this summer. Catch him holding down the dance tent to what seems like every French music festival (plus one date in Croatia). He’ll be promoting his upcoming EP Beats and Cubes Vol. 2, another notch on his 20+ year seasoned career.
Tour dates:
June 13: Live 2.0 @ Aluna Festival – Ruoms, France
June 15: DJ Set @ Le Havre – Terris, France
June 22: DJ Set @ Le Printemps de Comédiens – Montpellier, France
June 28: DJ Set @ EHZ Festival – Biarritz, France
June 29: DJ Set @ Métaphone – Oignies, France
July 5: DJ Set @ Festival Bobital – Bobital, France
July 13: Live 2.0 @ Decibulle Festival – Neuve Eglise, France
July 26: Live 2.0 @ Paleo Festival – Nyon, France
July 27: DJ set @ Festival Au Fil du Son – Civray, France
August 3: DJ set @ Aquarius – Pag, Croatia
Whether you can make it or not, you should definitely check out and/or download his “Holiday DJ mix” below. C’est magnifique!
If Tumblr rock is now a thing, then count London-based four-piece 
Over the last four years, 
Originally formed as a jangle pop outfit, 