All the Latest Music News on Nagamag

Marci – the solo project of TOPS’ Marta Cikojevic – presents “Pass Time,” the latest single/video from her forthcoming debut self-titled album, out August 5th on Arbutus Records. Marci also announces a London headline show at London’s Laylow on 10 August.

Cikojevic’s velvety vocals are a focal point throughout Marci, a compassionate companion whether she’s having a laugh or relating tough truths sympathetically, as is the case on today’s “Pass Time.” In Cikojevic’s words, “Pass Time” is a song about “recognizing the same cycles you’ve put yourself in, and finding a way out. Trying to snap out of a bad habit, even when it feels so good.” “Pass Time” follows last month’s “Terminal,” “another timeless, immaculate groove” (Gorilla vs. Bear), and the previously shared “Immaterial Girl” and “Entertainment,” and is presented alongside a video directed by Marci herself.

Produced by Cikojevic’s TOPS bandmate David Carriere, the songs comprising Marci are thoughtfully arranged, with plenty of space allowing each element to shine independently. Carrierre and Cikojevic approached Marci with the idea that they wanted to craft hits—songs that were catchy and danceable while still being emotionally honest and down-to-earth. The result is a guileless collection of synth pop songs that brim with unabashed sincerity. Marci is about finding catharsis in all its forms, whether it be through a crying session behind closed doors or the euphoria that hits when you hear your favorite song on the radio.

Marci was put together over the course of a year in a Montreal apartment reminiscent of a 1993 pawnshop, full of synthesizers and obscure instruments dating back to the 1980s. The songs were written on Rhodes and bass and then fleshed out with harmonies, guitars, samplers, and FM and analogue synthesizers—and a little help from their friends. Rounding out the band on Marci are Mitch Davis, Rene Wilson, Austin Tufts (Braids) on drums, and Chloé Soldevila (Anemone), Adam Byczkowski (Better Person) and Jane Penny (TOPS) on backing vocals.

This fall, Marci will kick off her debut solo North American tour, starting in Montreal on Sat. Oct. 8th. She’ll play Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, Detroit, and Toronto before wrapping up the tour in Los Angeles on Fri. Oct. 28th. A full list of dates are below.

https://www.instagram.com/marciii

Here With Me is the second song from XATIVA’s upcoming EP ‘Fly Away’. Whilst the rest of the project is coloured by a fairly overt sense of sadness, this song offers a certain lightness and sense of calm, however momentary, to the EP. In the song, XATIVA considers how when we miss someone, we might take courage in the reassurance that although they might not be physically near, the idea of them remains always close.

https://instagram.com/xat_iva

Acclaimed singer-songwriter John Calvin Abney has released his new single “Watch Me Go (Back In Time)” today (July 8), the final pre-release single from his highly-anticipated new album Tourist, due out on Aug. 5. Filmed and edited by Rahul Chakraborty, the engaging, colorful clip also marks Abney’s first directing credit. Watch the full music video via YouTube.

Anchored by Abney’s trademark lyrical candor, “Watch Me Go (Back In Time)” was born from an especially notable period of reflection during his solo travels across the country during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Written after I made my way to Austin, Texas and took up residence in a small room near city limits, the song speaks of our ubiquitous desire to go back in time and change events instead of accepting how the cards fell and moving forward,” Abney says. “Information technology has made nostalgia a currency that puts many folks in an emotional debt for a time that no longer exists anywhere except memory. This song is about acceptance, and communicating through the cold lights of tech.”

“I could call me a cab / Run up another tab / But I think I’ll stay,” Abney quietly declares, choosing a different path — at least for the night. “Work and sleep have been thin / And high street line seems so far away.”

“Watch Me Go (Back In Time)” is the fifth and final pre-release single from Abney’s upcoming record Tourist, due out Aug. 5 via Black Mesa Records. In June, Abney shared the reflective track “Call Me Achilles,” which explores that intensive urge to make a fresh start and leave your past behind. The song earned acclaim from Americana UK, calling it “a song that has life in it – not so much a toe-tapper as a hip-shaker with an irresistible groove, as Abney sings like one slinking effortlessly from location to location.”

Penned on Christmas Day of 2020 in Tulsa, “Call Me Achilles” finds Abney reflecting on past weaknesses while making plans for a fresh start. “I’m a cloud of dust / I’m out of this town,” he proclaims. “I got hung up / I know better now.”

Previously, Abney shared the captivating tracks “Sleepwalkers,” “Full Moon Friend” and lead single “Holy Golden West.” Each song gives listeners a glimpse into the whole of Tourist, a project born amidst a journey Abney first started shortly after the pandemic began, taking him from San Francisco to Austin. At each town and pit stop along the way, Abney paused to take in his surroundings and all the characters who weaved in and out of those new backdrops. The songs on Tourist paint those scenes onto a new canvas, poetically examining the passage of time, the places we call home and how even the smallest of moments can leave a lasting mark.

Instead of hunkering down in a studio, Abney recorded the tracks on Tourist remotely from the hotel rooms and spare rooms of friends’ homes that he stopped in during his long, explorative journey. He found inspiration from the soundtrack that eminated from his car speakers along the way, with a wide-ranging playlist that included Elton John, The War On Drugs and Harumoi Hosono. Longtime friend and creative collaborator John Moreland added his own contributions to the tracks from afar, using modern technology to shorten the distance between them.

Tourist continues a thread first sewn with his 2020 release Familiar Ground, again evolving his sound with the addition of layered synthesizers and drum machines. Through his engaging lyrics, Abney transports the listener into his passenger seat, allowing us to experience and savor every blurred, fleeting second as we pass through.

https://www.instagram.com/johncalvinabney

‘Look What You’ve Done’, comes just in time for the Summer and it’s not just the weather that’s getting hotter as Will is ticking all of the right boxes with this latest opus. Dusty throwback piano chords construct the background for the intro and set the scene for a masterful production that borrows elements from classic 90s House sonic colours fused with modern 2022-ready production techniques and Will’s technical prowess in abundance.

(Toronto, ON - July 12, 2022) Today, Canadian artist Analias releases his highly

anticipated new single “Stay Away” that transports listeners straight to the dance floor.

Listen HERE !

The disco-tinged track doesn’t skip a beat in its electric gusto. Fans have been

flabbergasted by snippets and they are getting a strong comeback. A pure slice of 80s

influence brilliance, the tracks drops more hints towards his forthcoming EP and the

next exciting era of his career.

“Stay Away” is a blissful pop song featuring catchy riffs and bright, hopeful vocals that

showcase Analias’s youthful energy and positive ambition to enjoy life without dramas.

It contains a message to girls and gays to stay strong and not fall for men who will

make you sad and break your heart. And Analias hopes that everyone who listens to it

receives positive energy.

About Analias:

Born in the land of spices and mint tea, forward-thinking singer, songwriter and

producer, Analias knows how to do it all. Inspired by his late father telling him to follow

his dreams, he started writing pop songs unbound by genre and uploading them to

Youtube. Since first emerging on the scene of The Voice France, with his run in the

competition raising his profile through the roof, Analias has self-styled a dynamic

https://www.instagram.com/im_analias/

https://www.imanalias.com/

Artist said about this song:

"Best Fake Friend" is as the title already say’s a song about my BFF! Instead of the 'forever', I went for 'fake' because it really took a turn - a plot twist. A lot of people write about relationships falling out while I think there are also a lot of friendship fall-outs! Talking behind your back, fake smiles, being narcissistic, never reaching out and caring about the other one, being jealous, using you as an advantage and emotional support - FAKE. Releasing this song helped me to close that chapter! It’s just a song simply saying - 'You are my Best Fake Friend!' " - KRYSTOF

https://www.instagram.com/krystofmusic

This song is about a night drive, going too fast under somebody else's control.

https://www.instagram.com/police.martini/

“Still My Father’s Son” is a confessional folk song about Mitchell Makoons’ relationship with his father. After graduating high-school, Mitchell’s parents went through a divorce. After the divorce, his father decided to distance himself from Mitchell and the rest of his family. Although Mitchell is disappointed with the loss of this relationship, he still carries all the things his father taught him and all the memories they made together.

artist said about this song:

"this song is about queer love turned sour and how the past can hover around you, even when you'd hoped it would dissolve. i was influenced by dodie, phoebe bridgers, and walks around the neighborhood where my ex-girlfriend used to live. my plan is to create a visual world for this song that is inspired by the dusty, dilapidated environment of old western ghost towns."