Crystal Spiders take you to hell, Mickey Leigh introduces Cristine, Incantation sift some entrails, Fvlcrvm goes to the dogs, Sons of Butcher brave quarantine, Lufeh open doors, Roots of Creation play dead and more in your Monday Roundup. I was supposed to talk to a guy named Jimbo today, but he was nowhere to be found when I called. Can’t say I’m particularly surprised — I mean, how much does anybody really expect from a guy named Jimbo?
1 | Crystal Spiders | C-U-N Hell
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Go on a frantic manhunt with North Carolina heavy duo Crystal Spiders’ new video, taken from upcoming debut LP Molt. If Bonnie and Clyde had lived in 2020, this would be their story. C-U-N Hell depicts a wild and blood-laden ride into these modern desperadoes’ final lap, looking for an endless adrenaline shot and living their life to the fullest until fate catches them. The video was directed by Ritual Video. Molt sets things straight with nine instant proto-doom classics, dripping with enough swagger and fuzz to make the house crumble down. Enhanced by the unrivaled production of Mike Dean (Corrosion Of Conformity), Brenna Leath’s hoarse vocals strike hard on top of the duo’s devastating rhythm section, giving a strong, catchy hard rock depth to the whole record.”
2 | Mickey Leigh’s Mutated Music | Little Cristine
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Legendary NYC musician Mickey Leigh has just released Little Cristine, a new single with his band Mutated Music. The socially and politically conscious musician says: “For all the blabbering about politics and messages, I haven’t lost sight of what attracted me to rock ’n’ roll and why it was love at first sight = the fun. I miss fun rock ’n’ roll songs. So, I was inspired enough to write one about a guy and his girlfriend having fun. Can you imagine that? It’s called Little Cristine, and we did have fun. It’s Mutated Music. I’m working on rescuing rock ’n’ roll — one song at a time.”
3 | Incantation | Entrails Of The Hag Queen
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Death metal pioneers Incantation have unveiled their Entrails Of The Hag Queen video. Directed by Nader Sadek, the track comes by way of the band’s impending new full-length Sect Of Vile Divinities, set for release Aug. 21. For over 30 years, Incantation has consistently remained one of the underground’s most influential and respected artists in the genre. True to form, Sect Of Vile Divinities sees the legendary band adhering to the ways of the old school, unleashing twisted, mangled, and utterly disgusting death metal once again.”
4 | Fvlcrvm | Stray Dogs
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Slovakian electronic producer, musician and DJ Fvlcrvm creates thought provoking, electronically charged soundscapes on his new EP Attentioncore. He celebrates its release with a cool, outdoor rave video for Stray Dogs, reminding us what it was like before the New Normal. He says: “I remember quitting my 9-5 office job a few years back with not much savings to pursue something what I love doing the most. I see this pattern repeating around me all the time people waiting for the right time to try something new in exchange for stable income. Stray Dogs is meant to be an encouragement for those too afraid to take a step because there’s never the right moment for a big move.”
5 | Sons of Butcher | Quaranteen
THE PRESS RELEASE: “We’ve all been pent up stuck in our own little quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic and Canada’s most formidable “mock rock” band Sons of Butcher know exactly how you feel. That’s why they’ve created a new collection of tunes, aptly named Lockdown In Steeltown. Today, SOB share some visual comedic relief and empathy on how we are all raging inside from this present-day way of life with their new music video Quaranteen, featuring vocalist/guitarist Ricky Butcher’s loss to insanity while living in his hilarious superficial prison. Ricky adds: “This was the first song written for the Lockdown In Steeltown EP. It was four days into the quarantine in March, during Earth Hour, I wrote this song on an acoustic by candlelight as a joke. I recorded it the next day and showed the boys. Little did I know this one song would spark the creation of an entire Sons of Butcher EP!”
6 | Lufeh | Doors
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Releasing their debut album Luggage Falling Down this past April, Los Angeles’ Lufeh (a band of both Brazilian and American musicians) have been sharing their blend of progressive rock injected with jazz styles, heavy metal foundations, and rhythmic Brazilian influences with a series of music videos for each individual track from the full length. Today, the band shares their next video that showcases their high energy and knack for performing with the track Doors. The band explain: “Doors takes us to new places much as the title would suggest. It tells an emotional story, but one that ultimately ends in triumph. It is a fun track because of the speed at which this band is capable of taking the listener through a series of different musical moods. It’s emotionally and instrumentally perhaps the most diverse songs on the album.”
7 | Roots of Creation | Casey Jones
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Reggae-rock band Roots of Creation return with their new music video Casey Jones, an infectious revival of the Grateful Dead classic. Casey Jones tells the tale of a locomotive engineer who became a folk hero after his death in a train crash in 1900. Filmed between the East and West Coasts, the video celebrates the 50th anniversary of the original Grateful Dead release and showcases iconic locations in NYC and Los Angeles. Casey Jones features Dan Kelly of California-based reggae band Fortunate Youth and was brought to life by the production of original Bob Marley engineering legend Errol “Tuff Sound” Brown. The song is featured on Roots of Creation’s Grateful Dub: A Reggae-Infused Tribute To The Grateful Dead, which refreshes the Dead’s most beloved songs for a new audience.”
8 | T Truman | Rock ‘n’ Roll
THE PRESS RELEASE: “T Truman announced the release of his debut EP Born To Be Right, out Sept. 25th. Along with the EP announcement, he released his second single Rock ’n’ Roll — a timeless spiralling ode to a bygone era. The solo project and alter ego of The Vaccines’ keyboardist Timothy Lanham, he describes T Truman as his very own writing scapegoat. Channelling piano-pop heroes such as Todd Rundgren and Elton John, T Truman neatly bridges the gap between ’70s pop rock and modern indie, uniting irresistible pop songwriting with playfully ostentatious orchestration. Rock ’n’ Roll finds him in a wistful mood. “This song is a tear I’m shedding for the genre of music I’m in the business of making,” he says. “If I was around in ’73, I’d be a raging success.”
9 | Your Grandparents | So Damn Fly
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Alt hip-hop group Your Grandparents celebrate the release of their fresh new single So Damn Fly. With their genre blending sounds heavily leaning on funk grooves and eclectic soulful melodies, their art is reminiscent of the sounds of modern music greats Thundercat, Kendrick Lamar and Tyler the Creator, as vocalists DaCosta, Jean Carter and producer ghettoblasterman deliver a smooth and effortless first offering from their forthcoming debut album. “An ode to the unapologetically beautiful, Black and bold youth of today. We hope the way this song builds and evolves will leave our listeners in awe.”
10 | Stray Light | U-Bahn Love ft. Meiyi
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Enigmatic London artist Stray Light (John-Paul Denton) is poised to release a brand new track with the arrival of U-Bahn Love featuring fast-rising newcomer Meiyi. A hauntingly expansive composition, coupled with Meiyi’s delicate, layered vocals, offering a perfect respite for us all right now. Denton says: “I made the beat for the track last summer, I was trying to capture that lazy afternoon feeling lying out in a park. I asked Meiyi if she’d like to write something for it and what came back seemed to organically cement that dreamy summer vibe into the song.”
11 | Obylx | Through The Night
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Bristol-based producer Obylx has released his latest single Through The Night. The track draws parallels to the contemporary works of Glass Animals, Jungle and 20syl. As a result, his sound remains unique with dynamics that cannot be tied to the shackles of genre. Influenced by the likes of Bowie, Grandaddy, Radiohead, Phillip Glass and Randy Newman, obylx draws from a wide spectrum of reference points while at once never fully committing to any particular one — navigating deftly between obscurantism and pure genius. The producer reveals the meaning behind the light song as: “Escaping from a situation you find yourself in after realising it isn’t actually good for you. Then to embrace the unknown and simply surrender yourself to the night.”
12 | Elm | La Migra (Cruza La Frontera II)
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Italian noise-rock unit Elm recently posted their live rendition of Brujeria’s La Migra (Cruza La Frontera II). The cover appears on Quarantine Tales From The Red Desert, a compilation released earlier this year. “Brujeria is a band that we all love,” comments the band, “The real-life brutalities and injustices depicted, the language, the music itself (particularly from the first two albums)… it all holds a special place in our hearts, especially this song. We had great fun performing it live at our last gig and with some very special guests who also contributed to the recording of the song for Quarantine Tales From The Red Desert compilation on which we had the honor to be included alongside other great artists such as Live Skull, White Hills, Martin Bisi, Sunday Morning, Adriano Zanni, and Solaris. We’ll be back live as soon as we can. In the meantime, enjoy this raw live footage, join the cult, and Chinga La Migra, siempre!”
13 | Chaser | Look Alive
THE PRESS RELEASE: “California skatepunk unit Chaser is debuting a lyric video for its latest single Look Alive, from the band’s upcoming Look Alive 7″/EP out on Sept. 4. Here’s what bassist Jesse Stopnitzky had to say: “Our proceeds from the record will be donated to 4 carefully handpicked charitable organizations: Equal Justice Initiative, Educational First Steps, Crisis Aid International, and Surfrider Foundation. 2020 has been a year like no other. In the face of such unprecedented crises, one’s impact feels further minimized. However, if we have learned anything from these experiences, it is that we are all in this together and have a responsibility to do our part. At the minimum, manage what we can control.”
14 | Shotgun Mistress | Glorious Machine
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Following the incredible success of their sophomore release Save Me From Myself, Shotgun Mistress are back with another all-out rapturous sonic assault, Glorious Machine. This latest slice of pure contemporary rock doubles down on the band’s indomitable style. It’s incisive and dynamic with smouldering guitars over an explosive rhythmic undertow crowned by Glenn Patrick’s aeronautic vocals. The melodies utilize a haunting narrative of infatuation and obsession to hurtle through your headspace in a truly dizzying and dazzling hard rock experience. Glorious Machine is yet another tantalising taste of their forthcoming album due for release late in 2020.”
15 | Vatican Shadow | Rehearsing For The Attack
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Rehearsing For The Attack is the lead single from Persian Pillars Of The Gasoline Era, the anxiously awaited new LP from Dominick Fernow-created project Vatican Shadow. For a decade now, Vatican Shadow has blurred the lines of rhythmic industrial, ambient and soundscapes to weave throbbing frontline communiques of war, terror, media manipulation, and anxiety disorder. On Persian Pillars Of The Gasoline Era, the deconstruction continues, with layers of collaged synth stabs, low end pulsing dread, and ominous sand-swept melodies.”
16 | Arcadian Child | Bitter Tea
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Arcadian Child announce that their new album Protopsycho will be set for release on Oct. 9, and share their new track Bitter Tea. Frontman Panagiotis Georgiou describes Bitter Tea as “an honest track fighting self-doubt, pushing back our anxieties and fears. We experimented with new sounds in this one and wanted the song to progress and evolve throughout its journey. We did it and we’re happy.” Bitter Tea arrives with an accompanying artwork by Nun Other. Arcadian Child are a mercurial psychedelic rock quartet based out of Limassol, Cyprus. Psyched, potent and intoxicating, they deliver their diverse rock melded with tripped-out ambience, hallucinogenic patterns, and cathartic outbursts.”
17 | Benedict | Warzone
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Hailing all the way from Australia, alt-pop singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Benedict translates experiences of heartbreak, love, social observation and justice into her melodic artistry. Echoing a sound that falls in-between the lines of Kate Bush and Prince, the singer is soon to send waves through the battlefield with latest offering Warzone. Benedict says: “Warzone shares a story of the deepest of suffering through the worst experiences. But, when you feel you cannot go on and you are drowning in torment, there will ALWAYS be a light at the end of the tunnel. There will always be an end to the suffering. All you need to do is look at yourself, love yourself, and see your true worth. As your life is worth something and important. When you can see that even in the hard times, you will be OK. My Warzone has been many different relationships with partners, friendships, family, religion, government, my childhood. I have been on my knees through many things I thought would break me, but I’m still standing!”
18 | The Jailbirds | Dull My Brain
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Dynamic Canadian hard-rock trio The Jailbirds are back with another mammoth new single Dull My Brain, the first song and story on their upcoming five-track concept EP. Featuring timeless hard rock guitar riffs and vocals, The Jailbirds have a fresh yet nostalgic feel. Dull My Brain brings you back to the ’70s rock scene while still being new and exciting. It drives a new sound for the band that meshes Alter Bridge, Extreme and Mr. Big with a huge classic rock crunch.”
