ListenUp
New music by MNDR + Scissor Sisters for Pride, Queens of the Stone Age produced by Mark Ronson, and more in our musical round-up
MNDR + Scissor Sisters: Swerlk
GLAAD, the Scissor Sisters and MNDR all joined forces for “Swerlk,” a playful dance track that pays homage to the queer community and culture. “Swerlk” is a portmanteau of twerk, twirl, werk, swirl and swerve. Further, all proceeds from the single benefit the Contigo Fund (founded in the wake of the Pulse nightclub shooting), which works to advance Latinx and LGBTQ+ causes—especially those that overlap. This is the first song Scissor Sisters released since 2012’s Magic Hour record, and it’s just as spirited as fans would hope.
Queens of the Stone Age: The Way You Used To Do
With production by the sonic wizard Mark Ronson, one might expect the forthcoming Queens of the Stone Age album Villains (out 25 August) to be a departure from their hard rock soundscape. But, if new single “The Way You Used To Do” hints toward greater expectations from the LP, it’s clear that another rock tour de force is on its way. There are pop flourishes, of course—clap track included. But lead singer Josh Homme’s vocals soar and the instrumentation churns forward with fury.
Dirty Nice: Zero Summer
Relatively unknown outfit Dirty Nice appeared last month with “Keeping it Together,” which garnered plenty of attention in the form of some 500,000 listens on Spotify. Now a darker and more somber release has been unveiled. The murky bur lush “Zero Summer” incorporates a cloudy bass-line thudding along. It’s lifted by gentle vocals countered by sharp drum machine beats. It’s a hazy, slow-burning track worth every second.
Frankie Rose: Trouble
If there’s one takeaway from singer Frankie Rose’s new single “Trouble” it’s that trouble will in fact follow you, even through trippy science fiction-like drama. This is experimental synth and drum beat-driven pop with likable lyrical repetition. The tune will appear on Rose’s forthcoming LP Cage Tropical.
Denitia: Waiting
Vibrant, soulful and teeming with optimism, “Waiting” marks the solo debut of NYC-based singer Denitia Odigie (formerly of Denitia and Sene). The upbeat instrumentation supporting her vocals incorporates everything from synths to sax but the percussion binds it tightly together. Denitia’s album Ceilings, featuring this track, releases 21 July.
ListenUp is a Cool Hunting series published every Sunday that rounds up the music we tweeted throughout the week, also found in Listen. Hear the year so far via Cool Hunting Spotify.
