Yoko Ono - Hold Me

Earlier this week, avant-garde legend and peace activist Yoko Ono celebrated her 80th birthday with the release of a video for her newest single.  "Hold Me" is a hook heavy dance track perfectly crafted for an extended run at the top of the club charts.  The collaboration with Dave Audé further displays how Yoko, who simply goes by ONO for her remix and club projects, is able to capture the energetic dance genre.  Although it's ridiculously unlikely to happen, it would be amazing to see this song cross over onto the Hot 100 charts for a mainstream audience.  Everybody needs a little bit of Yoko from time to time.

The original album version of "Hold Me" is accompanied by ten additional mixes for a full release, which you can grab on iTunes, here.  You can also check out the lyric video below.

Young Adults - Born In '91

It's been almost two years since I last wrote about Young Adults.  Isn't it amazing how time flies?  The band's debut album, Black Hole, was filled to the brim with noise rock goodness.  As a follow-up, the band has released a new EP, Born In '91, because nothing says Valentine's Day like some shoegaze drenched in punk.

The EP is a heavy hitting continuation of the sound that Young Adults established on their first album.  I don't want to imply that Black Hole was a mild record, but Born In '91 feels like the band has returned with double the stamina that they had before.  It gives me a sudden urge to listen to some Sonic Youth, which is never a bad thing.  That transition between "College Rock" and the closing track, "Stasis", might be my favorite moment of the entire album.

Born In '91 is available in both physical and digital formats at this very moment.  You can stream the album below or head this way to grab a copy. If you want to witness the band in person, Young Adults will be playing some shows on the east coast, which you can check out here.

James Blake - Retrograde

I'll just go ahead and say it.  James Blake's new single is spectacular.  I can't stop listening to it and the entire situation is starting to become a problem.  The first step to recovery is admitting your problem... I'm addicted to James Blake.

But seriously, "Retrograde" definitely sits at the top of James' songwriting credits.  When I first heard the song, that abrupt clapping beat caught me off guard.  It sounded like something a little too dance-oriented.  I've since grown to love it, along with that melody, which honestly deserves a few dedicated paragraphs.  I won't go that far today.

You can watch the video for "Retrograde", directed by Martin de Thurah, below.  It's a bit spacey, in the literal sense.  James Blake's sophomore album, Overgrown, is scheduled to be released on April 8.  "Retrograde" is out now and available to download here .