Welcome back to Happy Mag’s Best New Music, every Friday we highlight the best new releases from the past week.
Another Friday comes to pass and the weekend awaits, we’ve made it friends! Before we clock off and crack a cold one, we have got another week’s worth of amazing new music releases to share with you.
From Paul Kelly’s highly anticipated mixtape, to stunning new music from The Blessed Madonna and Jamie Principle and Tanline’s Outer Banks we have got some real treats for you today; so without further ado, let’s get into that sweet sweet music.
Paul Kelly – People
Long regarded as one of Australia’s preeminent musicians, Paul Kelly delivers a masterclass on narrative songwriting on ‘People’ mix tape (out on Feb 24 via EMI Music Australia) is the fourth in his themed album series and features 18 tracks highlighting individuals such as star athletes, politicians, outlaws, artists, and musicians. The album includes songs from Kelly’s acclaimed albums and his work in film and theatre, as well as four new tracks, including “Light On The Hill” and “Laughing Boy”. The former is Kelly’s take on the Casey Bennetto-written song from ‘Keating! The Musical’, while the latter was inspired by Irish writer Brendan Behan’s autobiography, ‘Borstal Boy’.
The Blessed Madonna and Jamie Principle – We Still Believe
The Blessed Madonna just released a new single called “We Still Believe” featuring house music legend Jamie Principle, and it’s an absolute banger! The track is a homage to the early days of house music, and it’s a tribute to the sweaty warehouses of Chicago where communal euphoria ruled. The Blessed Madonna has been working on this collaboration for over a decade, and the end result is pure magic. The track is strutting and uplifting, and it’s sure to get you moving.
SamRecks – Backpack
London’s rising rap talent SamRecks just dropped his first track of 2023, “Backpack”. The Nigerian-born south London native effortlessly blends sonic innovation with original bars, showcasing his distinctive style and confirming his position as one of the most exciting new artists in the scene. With critical acclaim, radio support, and a rapidly growing fanbase, SamRecks is a gifted musician and artist with a bright future ahead. Keep your eyes and ears open for this one – he’s destined for big things.
Tanlines – Outer Banks
Tanlines just dropped the first track from their upcoming album, The Big Mess, and let me tell you, it’s a beat-driven banger! “Outer Banks” is a reminder of why we fell in love with this band in the first place – they’re just that good. And if that’s not enough to get you stoked, the band even made a video for the song. But here’s the kicker – it’s all about work presentations! Jesse Cohen wanted to use the language of the “deck” (aka PowerPoint) to tell the story of “Outer Banks”. As someone who’s sat through more than my fair share of boring presentations, I gotta say, this video hits different. It’s like Tanlines is giving a big middle finger to the drudgery of office life, and honestly, we’re here for it. Check out “Outer Banks” and the new video, and get ready for the Tanlines hybrid work era!
Ocean Alley – West Coast
Just when you thought the Australian psych-rockers couldn’t get any cooler, they drop a new video for ‘West Coast’, the latest single from their critically acclaimed 2021 album, Low Altitude Living. Directed by Jamieson Kerr, the ‘West Coast’ clip thrusts the band into the criminal underbelly of Grand Theft Auto’s scenic Californian landscapes. “The song sounds like it’s part of the GTA soundtrack, so we thought it would match up well,” the band explained of the video’s inception. Shot across two different countries, ‘West Coast’ features idyllic oceanside mountain scenes filmed in New Zealand, while the rooftop and street shots were pulled together in Sydney. Ocean Alley continues to prove that they’re more than just a rock band. With their artistic visions and ambition, they’re a cultural force to be reckoned with.
Josef Scott – Interlude
Get ready to vibe to a whole new sound coming straight from the southern hemisphere, courtesy of Josef Scott. This dude has been honing his craft, working alongside the best engineers in New Zealand at Neil Finn’s Roundhead Studios, and he’s ready to bring his A-game to the indie scene. With his latest project ‘Interlude,’ Josef is combining his love for house, R&B, and indie rock to create a sound that’s uniquely his own. And he’s not just stopping there – for the first time, Josef is diving deep into the universal themes of love and lust, exploring the complex relationship between the two.
