It’s not hard to turn off when you’re commuting to and from work. We have all been there. You wake up in the morning and travel to work completely shut down. Or, it’s the evening, and you just want to arrive home and rest. However, an excellent commuting playlist can turn the tables around. It can enhance your journey to work and turn up your emotions in a positive way. 

Although music was there from the beginning of mankind, it was only recently that researchers discovered the positive effects it has on our mood and performance. According to scientists from McGill University, your level of dopamine — a neurotransmitter that plays a major role in motivation and pleasure — increases by 9% when you listen to soundtracks you like. Moreover, sports researchers from Brunel Faculty showed that volunteers who listened to music had 15% improved endurance during exercise. 

Now that we know what positive effects music has on us, let’s explore some of the best songs for producing them.

The Weeknd — Blinding Lights

According to rumors running around L.A, the “Blinding Lights” lyrics are about someone special. Selena Gomez, to be exact. She was The Weeknd’s famous ex. On the other hand, the “Blinding Lights” still feel like it belongs to Netflix’ Stranger Things — brimming with 80’ vibes and symbols. Unfortunately, the official music video doesn’t have a single Demogorgon in it. 

If flexibility is queen in today’s music industry, then The Weeknd clearly showed that he’s the king and beyond great at adapting to different styles. Although “Blinding Lights” is chock-full of upbeats and heavy synths, it’s lyrics express a want for love since he’s “experiencing withdrawal.” “Blinding Lights” is perfectly made. This doesn’t come as a surprise since pop music maestro Max Martin was involved in the production process.

Survivor – Eye of the Tiger 

We all know this one. “Eye of the Tiger” raises spirits high and is a perfect inspiration when you’re running on a treadmill. No wonder, since it’s the Rocky 3’s theme.

During the beginning of the 80’, the mainstream rock scene was an interesting place. We were still a couple of years away from pop-metal bands hits, and a few years after the 70’ rock scene. This is why various bands tried to appeal to both the rock and pop listeners during these years. Such bands mixed arena-style choruses with heavy guitar riffs, both loaded with a healthy bit of melody. One of the most famous bands was Survivor.

And their most well-known hit? Eye of the tiger. The song was so good that it placed them on top of the charts and made it into the hit motion picture Rocky 3. Jim Peternik, who wrote “Eye of the Tiger,” intuitively understood what the song needed. “I saw blows in my mind,” he told the press then. And from that, the classic American rock song came into being. 

If you don’t have the time to search for classics like this and make your own playlist, you can always check out places like Lease Fetcher that turn the most popular commuting songs into badass playlists.

This Is How We Walk On The Moon – Geographer

“This is How We Walk on the Moon” is a down-to-earth, mood-elevating song singing about overcoming difficulties. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or afraid of what the future holds, this song will completely take you away. It will remind you that every little step forward (even some that take you backward) can bring you closer to your objective—a perfect go-to morning commute song. 

There are several covers of this song from Arthur Russell. However, this one is enormously brilliant. Geographer’s “This is How We Walk on the Moon” is a part of his EP — Endless Motion Volume One. If you want to hear more great covers, be sure to check it out. 

Red And Gold From Danielle Grubb

“Red And Gold” from Danielle’s EP “Venus” came out in recent years. It was an immediate hit in the alternative scene. The song is brimming with an original, eclectic combination of R&B, heavy-rock, funk, and pop. It’s a song for chilling, making it a perfect choice when you have completed your work for the day and want to bask in your success.

Danielle Grubb is a Dallas-based artist who has been performing in different projects ever since she was a teenager. The first band she was in, The Forest Fire, was enormously popular in the Texas state area.

“Jessica Jade is one of those artists that you’ll be glad to have known about before they got big, and trust us, it is going to happen soon.” – Tone Deaf

“Bet is an extremely likeable track from an artist I could literally listen to all day.” – Project U

“Sydney has a new R n B star on the rise.” – SNIFFERS

Multi-dimensional R&B artist Jessica Jade journeys through four different sets in the film clip for the stripped back single ‘BET’.

Much like the clip the process for the video was such a journey. Along time in the making, planning was put on hold due to lockdown which helped the Redscope team develop the ideas into what was actually shot over those four locations. Jessica Jade says the pool scene was the hardest to shoot, “To be honest I was really under prepared for how cold it was going to be. I still can’t believe I went in the pool at night during winter. The scene is so beautiful though and I love a good physical challenge.”

‘BET’ captured the attention of several online authorities including SNIFFERS and Project U along wth Tone Deaf who dubbed her a ‘future R&B legend’. It’s also the second offering from Jessica Jade’s forthcoming debut EP which features a collection of stellar, multi-genre tracks centered around the theme of independence and respecting yourself.

Recently selected as one of FBi Radio’s Independent Artists and performing as a part of their Independent Play series, be sure she’s one to keep an eye on. Also striking a chord with tastemakers Complex, Life Without Andy and Filterzine she’s already been tapped on the shoulder by Converse, Champion and JD Sports.

Flourishing in the digital realm her previous releases have clocked spots in Spotify’s New Music Friday AU/NZ & Denmark, R&B Connect, Pop N Fresh and Apple Music’s Best of the Week and Mood.

Touching on themes of self-respect delivered in an oh-so-sweet and sassy packet, be sure to delve into ‘BET’ before her debut EP arrives later this year.

JESSICA JADE
‘BET’
OUT NOW

As the music industry continues to grapple with the impacts of the pandemic, Support Act’s COVID-19 Crisis Relief grants are helping artists, crews and industry workers get back on their feet. Longtime supporters of the industry, Nando’s has pledged 15,000 meals to help feed Support Act’s grant recipients.

While tough government restrictions on large gatherings and social distancing protocols are slowly beginning to ease in some pockets of Australia, there is still a long way to go before packed out arenas and festivals are back on the cards.

With the help of a recent funding injection from the Australian Government through the Office for the Arts, leading music charity, Support Act, has dramatically increased the number of Crisis Relief grants for music professionals financially impacted by the pandemic. Since March, Support Act has provided close to $1million in crisis relief to more than 400 artists, crew and music workers across the country.

Veteran supporters of the music industry, Nando’s has chipped in over $200,000 worth of Nando’s eats by donating 15,000 meals, which will be delivered through the grant program to further support for those doing it tough.

Support Act CEO, Clive Miller, said that their COVID-19 Crisis Relief grants are providing essential support to a diverse range of talented and passionate music professionals.

“Music workers were some of the first people to be affected by the pandemic, and are likely to be the last to fully recover. Our COVID-19 Crisis Relief Grants are helping many music workers and their families keep their heads above water by covering essential costs like rent, household bills and groceries.

“We’re thrilled that Nando’s has jumped on board to provide additional support through these testing times.” Clive added.

As a big supporter of the industry, Nando’s has fuelled hundreds of touring musicians through artist catering over the years and has brought many more emerging and established artists together for its annual local and global Music Exchange workshops (MX).

Nando’s music program spokesperson, Cath Palfreyman, said that partnering with Support Act in the wake of the pandemic was a no-brainer.

“As a purpose-led business, feeding the nation during the pandemic has been really important to us.  COVID-19 has unfortunately put our artist feeds and annual MX workshops on hold for now, but we wanted to keep supporting the industry. We love Support Act so we are super pleased to be working with them again, finding a new way to share the Nando’s love with artists, crew and industry workers in a field that’s so close to our hearts.

“We’re desperate to see the Aussie music scene come out the other side of this crisis, which is why we’re donating 15,000 meals to help fuel the industry. We’ll be the first in line to grab tickets to a gig once restrictions are lifted,” Cath said.

ARIA Award winning duo and PERi-PERi lovers, Peking Duk (Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles), say the effect COVID-19 has had on the Australian music and entertainment industry has been absolutely devastating. Being one of the first industries to be impacted by the lockdowns and closures and most certainly one of the last that will return to normal means the knock on effect won’t just be hurting the artists that create the music, but the many crew members and support staff that help them bring these projects to life as well.

“The work that Support Act does to provide relief to the people we work with and share an industry with has been a lifeline for many. We can’t thank Support Act enough on behalf of everyone out there who is suffering right now. We also want to thank Nando’s, a company that has been feeding bands for years now, for stepping up when it matters the most and continuing their ongoing support for the music and entertainment industry. We can’t wait to get back on stage, get back on the road and see Australia’s live music scene booming again like the absolute champion that it is.”

Alongside Nando’s partnership with Support Act, the PERi-PERi experts have fed many more communities over the course of the year. Since April, Nando’s have contributed $4.5 million worth of food to frontline Healthcare and Emergency Service workers and have generated an additional 1 million meals to Foodbank.

To find out more about Support Act’s Crisis Relief grant, please visit: www.supportact.org.au

For more information on Nando’s, head to: www.nandos.com.au

Photo Credit: Ian Laidlaw @ian.laidlaw

John Markey and Oliver Melling's new three-track EP is a pristinely produced house record, placing themselves and budding new label Jackie Knows Karate Records at the forefront of Scotland’s dance music scene. The record is the sixth impressive release to come from the label and sees the pair confidently step into the House genre. Deep and atmospheric, March Last Year is one for the afterparties.

The opening track tao b.u is a wafty 6-minute number that ebbs and flows over arpeggio synths, building heat until the final fifth-minute drop. TSDM is an altogether more visceral house track that manages to retain the same level of atmosphere while a dark, driving riff means the track is at home on the sweatiest of dancefloors. Raw and dramatic, the third and final track, Tokens, delves a little deeper. A slower-burner than its predecessor, the energy radiating from this track pulls the
groove forward until the middle-break when the dancefloor is given some breathing space before  he final drop carries the EP home.

Oliver Melling said: “These tracks were conceived at a time when we were playing longer, heavier sets in all manner of weird and wonderful places. Taking to the booth often three times a weekend was frenetic. “The energy was wild, exciting, exhausting – so many thoughts and goals were all swirling around during this period in which these tracks were produced. I think that while they're obviously designed for certain environments – dropping an early version of TSDM closing the Dockland stage at Riverside Festival cemented this – they reflect that period of our lives accurately and personally: heavy, raw, and sleepless.”

Hailing from Glasgow, We Should Hang Out More are longstanding champions of the city’s thriving dance music scene. Since arriving on the scene in 2014 Oliver Melling and John Markey have evolved from fresh-faced upstarts putting on small parties on the fringes of the Glasgow scene, to becoming two of the most celebrated DJs and party curators in Scotland. Known for being trailblazers of the underground, WSHOM operate on a ‘good music for good times’ ethos. It is no surprise then that blossoming homegrown label Jackie Knows Karate Records is boasting their latest release. Centred around a philosophy of “No BS. Just Pure House.”, the label has already accumulated an impressive stream of releases that have gained support from the likes of Patrick Topping and Shiba San.

https://www.facebook.com/weshouldhangoutmore
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Keep an ear out for new music from these guys. It’s definitely coming, and we can confirm it’s very good.” – Happy

Today Sydney slow-glam band Fig unveil the visuals to accompany their recently released new single ‘Smog’ which they’ll launch tomorrow night at a sold out Vanguard.

Offering a peak inside the recording process the film clip was solely shot and edited by the band at Marrickville’s Golden Retriever Studios.

Written as a meditative exorcism of the repetitive, ‘Smog’ speaks of the daily grind through synthy melodies with fuzzy guitars and understated vocals. Lead singer Tim Burnett says of the FBi premiered track “It’s about working 18 hour days, three floors below the streets of New York City’s Financial District. Working all day, writing yourself off, rinse and repeat. Dreaming of getting the fuck out to somewhere else.”

‘Smog’ follows on from previous woozy singles ‘At the Sign of Connie & Charlie’s’, ‘I’ll Sleep When I’m Good and Dead’ and ‘Harumi Hotel’ and their equally cinematic film clips which have been featured on Booooooom TV and chosen as Rage’s Wild One of the week. All these tracks will feature on the band’s forthcoming debut album out later in the year which melds influences from Ziggy Stardust-era David Bowie and River-era Bruce Springsteen, with the soft psychedelic approach of Japanese musician Harumi, and modern artists like Weyes Blood and Ariel Pink.

Revelling in the live realm, Fig have sold out all their previous shows including a single launch at The Lansdowne Hotel and a spot on Secret Garden Festival. With a stellar sold out track record they can add their upcoming performance at The Vanguard to the list.

FIG
‘SMOG’
OUT NOW

performing on

Saturday, August 15th
The Vanguard
SOLD OUT

Since 2009, Circus Recordings has built a reputation for releasing music from the biggest names across the House & Techno worlds; as well as discovering the newest talents the industry has to offer. Building on their burgeoning discography, Circus Recordings present rising stars Martin Badder & Shania on Circus with their ‘Ur Type’ EP, complete with a remix from Circus Team member, Bontan coming later this month.

Gracing some of the finest labels house music has to offer, Martin Badder has spread his carefully crafted productions far and wide. Finding homes on labels such as Strictly Rhythm, DFTD, Cr2, REALM, Armada amongst others, his high quality productions, have been picked up and supported by a number of industry heavyweights  Dubfire, Joseph Capriati, Nicole Moudaber, Sasha & Digweed, Carl Craig and Lee Foss; certifying the status of his releases and the caliber of his production abilities.

“I originally wrote ‘Ur Type’ on the piano and could definitely hear wider sounds when playing it. It’s like I knew this would become a house song one day. 3 years later, I was on Instagram and swiping through Instagram stories when I came across some work of Martin’s. I’m always wanting to work with new people from all different genres, so I messaged Martin about working on the song and here we are today!” – Shania

After starting to write her own music at the age of 13, London based artist Shania has made appearances on BBC Radio London, BBC Show, The Scene and Tribe Urban Radio. Her songwriting utilises thought-provoking lyricism to create emotive appeal and has earnt her huge popularity as she begins her career. Her first official release with ‘Ur Type’, she is welcomed into the Circus Recording family.

“‘Ur Type’ came about after Shania sent me an Instagram message with a vocal idea and asked if I would be up for writing a track together. On first listen I could hear exactly where I would take the track. The track was produced really quickly; almost as if the idea already existed in my head. I’m so hyped about the release and couldn’t think of a better home than Yousef’s Circus Recordings.”
– Martin Badder

Making the initial connection via social media, Shania approached Martin Badder with her soulful vocal idea after coming across his work. After sitting on the vocals for nearly 3 years, Shania presented them as a foundation for Martin to build on. Hypnotic and alluring vocals, across dark undertones and stabbing synths, the track sits firmly in Circus’ catalogue as one it’s most appealing dancefloor tracks.

Martin Badder ‘Ur Type’ feat. Shania is out now on Circus Recordings.

Connect with Martin Badder

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R3HAB joins forces with Amba Shepherd for one of his most meaningful releases yet, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” out now on his imprint CYB3RPVNK. It’s no small feat to take on such a legendary and iconic song, but R3HAB and Amba accomplish their modern dance version with finesse. Amba‘s famously gorgeous vocals serve as the forefront to a deep, sultry bassline and dark melodies, capturing the essence of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” in an indie-dance context. R3HAB and Amba both weigh in on the new release below:

“Growing up, I heard all kinds of music. Some songs stuck out to me the way they became part of my youth. That’s what exactly this song is for me. ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit‘ has always been special for that reason. Being able to work on something made by legends like Nirvana together with Amba was a great experience, and I hope our fans and listeners will enjoy it.” – R3HAB

“I’m so excited about this new collaboration with R3HAB! I wanted to make an unexpected electronic version of the iconic track, so I recorded my vocal as an indie chill demo. Just keys, subtle paddy synths and beats, and I sent it over to Fadil. He produced such an incredible track, and this is when this collab was born. It was amazing to work with him, and I look forward to more music together soon.” – Amba Shepherd

Over the last eight years, the Dutch/Moroccan artist Fadil El Ghoul – better known as R3HAB – has established himself as a leader at the forefront of modern electronic music. His talent has been called the “future of the craft” by the likes of Forbes and Billboard, and he’s circuited the globe’s best clubs and festivals, all without the backing of a formal record label. In 2017, R3HAB independently released his debut album “Trouble” through his imprint CYB3RPVNK, which amassed over a half-billion streams globally and officially placed R3HAB among electronic music’s heavy hitters. He made number 14 on DJ Mag’s Top 100 list in 2019, topping the charts with tracks like “Lullaby” and “Hold On Tight,” while his sophomore album “The Wave,” revealing more complex, emotional and experimental layers of himself, has amassed over 250 million streams on Spotify alone. In 2019 R3HAB‘s “All Around The World” with A Touch of Class quickly became his biggest ever record already topping 200M streams across platforms and achieving gold & platinum status in 8 countries. It was followed by “Flames,” R3HAB‘s collaboration with ZAYN.

Her stellar voice has made Amba Shepherd into the darling of the electronic music scene through high profile collaborations with Hardwell on “Apollo” and “United We Are,” more recently “Dynamite” with Nicky Romero. She has collaborated with some of the industry’s most legendary names, such as Tiësto, EDX, Nicky Romero, Afrojack, Deniz Koyu, Benny Benassi and Laidback Luke, and her vocals have graced the stage of the largest festivals around the globe, from EDC Las Vegas to Tomorrowland. 2 x IDMA nominee and APRA-AMCOS Ambassador Amba Shepherd has now amassed over 100 million streams, multiple iTunes #1‘s and triple platinum sales for her ground-breaking works.

One of Newcastle’s best kept secrets is about to be exposed. dave the band, Newcastle’s exciting 3-piece indie-rock band have released their brand new single, Where You Are, taken from their long-awaited debut album, Slob Stories out August 28 via believe.

“Where You Are was one of the first tracks written on the album. I felt like it had a different feeling and mood to our previous releases and was the catalyst for the shift in tone and themes throughout the album. It’s also the first dave song to only have one vocal take throughout the whole track – normally I would sing it twice through to give a chorus effect. When I suggested singing it a second time, Steve said in his deadpan way, “or you could not double everything,” so we stuck with the one take.” Explains vocalist, Noah Church.

The video was filmed and edited by Noah which showcases him riding his bike in Newcastle. Where You Are follows from singles Ultrahard, Get Smart and Fine! Slob Stories was recorded in Chicago with none other than Steve Albini (Nirvana, The Pixies), who perfectly captured the band’s raw energy and brain-to-page intensity of Noah’s songwriting. Building off the promise of a string of early EPs, Slob Stories is a fully realised work of emotional scale and scope and shows a different side to Noah’s song writing. Combining a punk, DIY ethos with heartfelt and honest songs, dave the band are much more than your typical rock band, drawing influences from artists such as You Am I, Built To Spill, Pixies and Custard; introduced to them by their music fanatic, vinyl-collecting parents. dave the band have performed with some of their biggest influences such as You Am I, British India, Dune Rats, The Hard Aches and Bootleg Rascal as well as playing events such as Gumball, No Worries Festival, Moruya (Touch Sensitive, The Vanns), Raave Tapes, Shut Down, The Argyle House (Good Boy, Kwame) and The Cambridge Hotel’s Boxing Day Party (Dear Seattle, Rackett, Maddy Jane). Newcastle has seen its fair share of loud rock bands over the years, but few have been as raucous and high energy as dave the band in full flight.

DEBUT ALBUM, SLOB STORIES OUT AUGUST 28 SLOB STORIES TRACK LISTING:  01. Ultrahard 02. Where You Are 03. Footy Socks 04. Get Smart 05. Fine! 06. Brave 07. Capsule 08.Endstart 09. Sadsack 10. Eating Me Up