Blog: The Maroon Cafe

Yuna released her ‘Sixth Street’ EP, back in May, the first single off that EP is 'I Wanna Go.' Yuna has followed up with visuals for the single, which has her and her man running around the streets and beaches (of California?) looking like two love birds. This sun soaked single screams summer and most importantly good times. We wish music like this would invade the radio. Check the visuals for the Malaysian singer-songwriter below.

“All I ever wanna do, is be as good a man as you” This past weekend at  a Father's Day BBQ I sat through hours of listening to a Pandora pop radio, after a while the tracks got to me, so I took over the DJ booth (uh, laptop). I started playing a lot of summertime hits ( Get Lucky , Ways to Go , Gasoline and Oh Shiet It's X ) that we have featured on the site these past few weeks. Another artist I played that people took to was Mayer [...]

• Mayer Hawthorne - Reach Out Richard

This past Friday, Scottish electro/synth pop trio CHVRCHES released the visuals for their latest track 'Gun.' If your a fan of kaleidoscopes and dizziness, then you're going to love CHVRCHES kaleidoscopic retro dream video, "Gun." More great Pop music to pick you up on what is known as FML Mondays. 'The Bones Of What You Believe' is the title of CHVRCHES debut album that is reported to be released September 23, (September 24 for those in North America). If you live in NYC, CHVRCHES will be performing tonight at Webster Hall ( more [...]

Not sure who I love more Chlöe Howl or Lorde. I do know that pop music is heading in the right direction with these young talents. Howl's video for her brutal honest single, "No Strings," starts off as a casting call for the video and then ends up turning into a party. If you gotten a chance to listen Howl's Rumour EP[ here ], you know the song is a look into some of the temptations teenagers across the world the world run into. "With all this love, your unprotecting. I hate to think, what you're collecting.." [...]

Another day, another talented artist. Yesterday London based Dornik dropped his debut track (thanks to Disclosure for the heads up tweet). Signed to PMR Records family, Dornik also plays drums in Jessie Ware’s live sets. Dornik's debut track ‘Something About You’ is a potent yet smooth ambient R&B track, with his soulful vocals over something that sounds like Pharrell and Chad produced it. PMR records have another winner! (Disclosure, Jessie Ware, Julio Bashmore, Two Inch Punch, etc)

• "Dornik" - Something About You

London-based duo AlunaGeorge have released their new video for the album version of 'You Know You Like It.' The video was directed by Sammy Rawal, and showcases the duo grooving around in an empty pool (pic above) and a slew of their friends dancing around in that pool. This duo makes great music with some of the best videos we have seen in a while. AlunaGeorge's highly anticipated debut album, 'Body Music,' will be available on July 29th via Island Records.

As if we needed another reason to love Unknown Mortal Orchestra .. the charismatic outfit already responsible for one of the smoothest tracks of the year have released a brilliant cover of the Otis Redding classic "(Sitting On) The Dock Of The Bay." Listen to the version in full below. Latest LP II is available now.

Canadian artist by way of Montreal, AKUA released her stellar debut EP, One's Company, last week. Her lead single " Gravity " (second track on the EP) was the track that drew us in. One's Company EP is co-produced by Twin Shadow‘s Andy Bauer and is a blend of R&B/Soul and Electronic/Pop. AKUA is another artist that has emerge in the first half of 2013 and will be added to what seems to be a growing list of genre crossing artist.

• a k u a - One's Company

Been a while since we have heard from London-four piece Arthur Beatrice . They have returned with their new single Carter (Uncut). You can watch the visuals for the stunning, black and white video, taken from the Carter EP (out on July 22nd), below. Directed by Kate Moross

Polica and Justin Vernon have released a clip for the soothing collab "Tiff." The single is also set to feature on the bands forthcoming new project Shulamith which is set to see daylight this Fall. Watch the disturbing visual in full below.

Fresh off a great showing at Governor's Ball aka MudFest 2013 this past Sunday, the lovely sisters of HAIM (Thank you Letterman, now I know how to pronounce it right) stuck around in New York and performed on Letterman. As you can tell by their performance below, these girls are insane live. Seriously, the real deal. Their debut album will be released this fall. Mark you calendars folks!

The long awaited follow up for Empire Of The Sun is only a week away but you can hear the new project Ice on the Dune in its entirety courtesy of Rolling Stone. Your Summer soundtrack has arrived. Album Stream: Empire Of The Sun - Ice On The Dune

Following their acclaimed 2011 album debut "Never Trust a Happy Song," L.A. five-piece Grouplove have announced their sophomore album Spreading Rumours (out 9/17). To get us ready for this album they have released an extremely catchy summer single, "Ways To Go." And for the video they recruited Kim Jong-un to do a bit of dancing. Love this song and we are in love with this video! "Ways to Go" is directed by Cameron Duddy

Fresh Face and Danish singer, Karen Marie Ørsted aka MØ , has released her video titled “Waste of Time.” Not sure we can remember when we saw, 'Parental Advisory' before the video starts. But if that advisory stands for hair flipping, shadow boxing and grilling the camera, then prepare yourself for that explicit content. Check the electro-pop track below. Waste of Time will be released digitally July 7th via MØ's new home Chess Club Records Mo will play a headline show at London's Cargo on 14 May, [...]

Washed Out is set to release his new project Paracosm in August and the first track from that offering has surfaced. Stream the delightful "It Feels Alright" below and imagine how awesome your forthcoming Summer will be.

Stylish and creative video from newcomer Laura Welsh for her single, 'Cold Front.' Welsh knows how to pick her producers, Cold Front's production is done by the talented Robin Hannibal, one half of both Rhye and Quadron. At first the video reminding me of someone trying to wake me up for work, but as the video goes on, it get a lot more artsy. Check out Welsh play with all the elements...literally. Cold Front EP out July 14th

Clearly its been a wonderful week for the Lawrence brothers with the release of their stellar debut project that's expected to top the charts in the UK and now the duo have brought forth another standout from the LP and quite honestly its best, with the phenomenal collaboration featuring rising outfit London Grammar . "Help Me Lose My Mind" will definitely be on many best song of the year end lists as it is simply a beauty of a cut. Stream the track below. Settle is available now!

• Disclosure - Help Me Lose My Mind ft. London Grammar

I wake up alone, with only daylight between us Last night the world was beneath us, tonight comes, too long The xx returns today with a new video for 'Fiction', which is off last year’s sophomore album, Coexist. The clip is directed by Young Replicant, the black-and-white video follows singer/bassist Oliver Sim walking around some resort during a beautiful moonlit night. Sim wanders aimlessly until the sun comes up. Lovely clip and one of the best tracks off The xx's Coexist album.

Disclosure - Settle 9/10 PMR Records The sound of summer is here, and it embodied by a British duo of brothers known as Disclosure. The 21 year old Guy and 18 year old Howard Lawrence have been around since 2010 (their claim to fame eventually being the remix of Jessie Ware’s “Running”), and even though they recently released a wonderful collection of singles in April, their freshman opus, Settle is of such force that it is difficult to pick out anything negative about it at all. Disclosure’s “sound” is a bit difficult to pin down, as it [...]

Lorde has released some new material from the young prodigy's forthcoming new project. The snare-led "Tennis Court" and a Replacements cover with "Swinging Party." Both tracks will do nothing to slow down the 16 year olds buzz. Expect a new EP to see daylight this Summer.

• LordeMusic - Swingin' Party
• LordeMusic - Tennis Court