Indie Pop artist Julius Dolls has released a new single called "Glamorize".

This is the first new music from Dolls since the release of his debut album, Lavish Outlandish, back in December.

DJ and Producer Avi Sic recently released her latest single, "With You". This is her second single of 2021 and the follow-up to "Breathing".

On her new song, Avi says, “this tune incorporates my love of melodies with driving house beats and a subtle future rave sound.”

photo credit: jade sadler

Claire Chicha is an L.A.-based, French-Korean artist who goes by the name spill tab, and she’s released her latest single, the effortlessly fast-paced track “Indecisive” (ft. Tommy Genesis), along with an accompanying lyric video that matches the track’s frenetic pace.

With spill tab’s high school friend, Marinelli, on production duties, the track incorporates a classic jungle-style breakbeat that perfectly accentuates both spill tab’s smoky but nimbly melodic vocals, and featured performer Tommy Genesis’ rapped contributions. True to the title, the lyrics describes the singer’s contentious relationship with someone who manages to draw out the conflicting thoughts she carries inside, as well as balancing the gradually ballooning amount of details she has to keep track of thanks to a burgeoning career. It’s a rarity: a streetwise yet emotionally realistic track that doesn’t compromise on the technical virtuosity of the music, or the sincerity of the mental health struggles of a young artist on the move.

This October sees spill tab headlining venerable local venueThe Echo before going out on tour with Gus Dapperton. Gabe Hernandez

Photo Credit - Ann Li

Thrill You Kill You (TYKY) is the project of DJ/producer/songwriter Fei-Fei, and today she has released her latest single, the energetic “Hotline,” on streamers worldwide.

The track begins with a classic hard rock-style drum intro, before being joined by TYKY’s feminine but assertive lead vocal, which evokes those of similar artists like Grimes. The track itself is tastefully drenched in delay and reverb, giving the mix an atmospheric quality while also managing to keep the higher-energy elements of the arrangement from washing out. The effect is of a track that simultaneously hits you in the face and seems to arrive from another galaxy.

According to the artist, the edgy yet melodic, synthpop and grunge-influenced track “…captures that feeling right before you give control, that anxious feeling of sexy dread…The excruciating cusp of fear and desire, power and submission. When you know something’s bad for you, but you just can’t resist. I’m fascinated with the exploration of our darkest desires because discovering who you are is messy…and beautiful.” Gabe Hernandez

photo credit: Isabel Damberg

L.A.-raised artist Jordi Up Late (aka Jordan Tager) grew up around filmmaking and music production, picking things up here and there as the years passed. Eventually, her passion for visual art took her to the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) to earn her BA. With a unique visual style and musical influences ranging from Daft Punk to Little Dragon and James Blake, Jordi seems to be cresting at the right time, as the video for her song “Back in LA” demonstrates.

The track opens with piercing, club-ready synth pianos banging out syncopated chords, while Jordi confidently belts her vocals in between the empty spaces. Soon after, tight electronic drums and a gooey synth bass come tumbling in, laying down a funky, instantly catchy dance groove, reminiscent of some of the 80s-90s best dance-pop tracks, but with a 2020s vibe of her own. The choruses, though, when she delivers an assertive kiss-off to the lover whose spell she’s finally broken free of (“two is for you/ and three for me/ fuck you / ‘cause I love me”) offers an ethereal, muted oasis from the previous electronic cacophony. They seem to represent, in music, the relief and freedom she feels upon regaining her sense of agency after an emotionally-trying romance.

The video itself is a pastel, Day-Glo, multi-textured, Memphis Group-inspired moving tableau of simple, looping animations that provide both evocative and humorous counterpoint to the track. It’s an impressive feat that Jordi is able to do so much with so little, and demonstrates her confidence as a modern animator. Both track and video seem to co-exist with each other, and one should experience both to understand Jordi’s full talents. Gabe Hernandez