Niggght get sloppy, Luther Russell lays down, Durand Jones take the long way, Weatherstate deliver and more in today’s Tinnitist. Is anybody else craving beer and pizza all of a sudden?
1 At this point, there are almost as many musical sub-genres as there are bands. And every day seems to add a new one to the list. The latest entry: Electronic doom-blues, the self-described style of Montreal duo Niggght, who may or may not need to clean out their computer keyboard. At any rate, unlike plenty of artists who make up a genre to make themselves sound more unique, Niggght have actually come up with a pretty accurate summation of their sluggish, subterranean and superbly sleazy sound. Hear and see for yourself with the video for Sloppy Drunk. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Sloppy Drunk is the third excerpt off NIGGGHT’s Violent Delicacy EP — and a cover of Lucille Bogan’s 1930 Sloppy Drunk Blues. Highly toxic and hangover-induced, it’s undeniably the darkest and doomiest of all four songs that form this unique record. Vincent’s moody, baritone complaint lays on top of a buzzing, down-tuned groove, which sluggish pace gets laced by bluesy licks. Definitely not for the faint of heart, not the sake of your own sanity.” Hitttt me:
2 Luther Russell has his hands full in his new video for At Your Feet. That’s nothing new for the prolific singer-songwriter, producer and sideman. But he’s been kept particularly busy lately by his excellent new album Medium Cool, which I recently reviewed here — and which you really need to own. If that still isn’t enough Luther in your life, check out my recent in-depth interview with the man — but not before you check out this short and sweet acoustic number, which might remind you a bit of Elvis Costello channeling Marah (or vice versa). SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “For me,” says Russell, “the key to this song is in the bridge. ‘Hear the rose parade / marching through town / The new pom-pom girls / Make the same old sound’. The old guard switches to the new, and that goes for love and its inevitable fog of war. We’ve all had the feeling where the one we need most sees all but you, lying pale and impaled at their feet.” And bearing ceramic fruit:
3 Durand Jones & The Indications are going places. The Indiana retro-soul revivalists have been earning kudos from critics (including me) for their recently released sophomore album American Love Call, an expertly crafted love letter to the sound and style of classic sides from Motown, Stax, King and Hi records. Not surprisingly, they’re striking while the iron is hot by releasing a video for their like-minded latest single Long Way Home. It’ll take you there. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “In advance of their upcoming North American tour, which kicks off this week with a handful of performances at SXSW in Austin, TX, The Indications are thrilled to share their brand new video for Long Way Home.” Ease the seat back:
4 On the Monday after springing forward, it’s understandable if you feel a little brain-dead. So do Bristol pop-punks Weatherstate. And they’ve got the best possible soundtrack to go with your state of mind (or lack thereof) — the video for the timely song Brain Dead, from their upcoming debut album Born a Cynic. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Brain Dead is a song about disconnecting your feelings from yourself and your surroundings but enjoying every minute of it. This was one of the first jams we wrote for the record and the breakdown stuck out as something new for us. It was cool to throw a bit of a spanner in the works.” That’s no way to deliver a pizza, lady:
5 What is truth? What is evil? What is youth? What is art? What the hell am I going on about? As usual, I don’t know. It all has something to do with the insistent new song Young Evil from Winnipeg electro-pop maximalists Yes We Mystic. For more, check out their meticulously structured (and self-produced) 6/8 fever-dream — or the loft-shot interpretive-dance video that goes with. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “In music, in art, what the creator asserts is true becomes true in the context of that art. Our question is, how far can this be pushed?” Definitely this far:
6 He’s still fresh after all these years. It’s been three decades since pioneering Canadian rapper Maestro Fresh Wes blasted onto the radar with the unforgettable Let Your Backbone Slide. But the godfather of Canuck hip-hop — and more recently, actor on the sitcom Mr. D — isn’t letting things slide. Or resting on his considerable laurels. The musician and actor born Wesley Williams is about to drop his latest album Champagne Campaign. And warming up the waters with singles and videos like his just-released number Waste Yute, featuring Dusty Wallace. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “I wanted to have fun on the song by singing to the young punk as I question his mother’s poor choices of family planning. A mild undertone of social commentary on the song, but mostly comedic relief over a dope trap beat.” Listen and learn, youngsters:
7 It never hurts to class up the joint a little. Which is exactly what singer-songwriter Natalie Mering of Weyes Blood does with this live performance of the Carpenters-like piano ballad Something to Believe, filmed recently at the Art Institute of Chicago. Even better: The gorgeous song will appear from her upcoming fourth album Titanic Rising. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “The album features the lead single Everyday, and the previously released Andromeda, along with highlights Movies, Wild Time, and the aforementioned Something to Believe. The cover for Titanic Rising was shot in a bedroom submerged fully underwater by photographer Brett Stanley (zero CGI).” Believe it or not:
8 There’s a lot of talk these days about robots and automation taking the jobs of humans. Well, it looks like the future has already arrived in the video for Your 33 Black Angels’ electro-pop rouser Hott Funn, the first single from their forthcoming seventh release Eternities 1. Either that or the aliens that live among us have finally come out of hiding to rock us into the next stage of our evolution. I’ll let you decide for yourself. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Based out of New York City, Y33BA is a long-running noisepop freakshow. This genre-defying project has its own stamp of dark pop, electro-paisley new wave space rock, with a dose of crunk bass and rhythm. They produce elegant vibrant melodies with strange, novel sounds. This is the New Age underground for the End Times.” Lights out:
9 Singer-songwriter Amelia White has heard it all before. Unfortunately. And the rootsy singer-songwriter gives a little of it back on her single and video for Free Advice, from her recent release Rhythm of the Rain. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “This song has been building up in me from years of people telling me what to change in my appearance to become more successful. ‘If you’d try to smile more onstage / shed the glasses, four eyes only worked for Lisa Loeb / You’ve got good legs, how about a skirt and some heels?’ This is some of the ‘free advice’ I’ve gotten after shows, along with more than a few warnings that Nashville is a ‘five-year town’ and women especially have a window of time to ‘make it.’ Zoom out and the tune is simply about the sad (but kinda funny too) fact that women feel the need to double-triple-check how they look before stepping into the public view. I’m hoping to provide a little tragic-comedy here to say, ‘Just be real, you are more than enough, just as you are.’” Shut up and listen:
10 No, the volume on your device isn’t cutting in and out. The rich strings that cut in and at the front of Shura’s tender track BKLYNLDN are supposed to be that way. That’s one way to get your attention. Not that British synth-popster Alexandra Lilah Denton needs it: The rest of this emotionally yearning, sonically intriguing song does the job just fine. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “I wanted to explore having both a sonic and lyrical evolution. It’s about desire – playing with the idea of it being all consuming and at times overwhelming. It begins with the immediacy of physical desire – ‘this isn’t love’ and yet as the song unfolds that sentiment begins to unravel; I am clearly in love and instead of my girlfriend coming to London, I end up moving to Brooklyn. I wanted to capture that reversal musically and the final section of the track encapsulates my summer, that feeling of skipping through Brooklyn, holding hands with my girlfriend and singing out loud, without caring about how ridiculous you might look to the rest of the world.” Embrace it:
11 “It’s not too late,” sings Leanne Hoffman on her single Blind and Broken. Better late than never is what I was thinking while listening to it — mostly since the Halifax singer-songwriter’s dream-pop song of frustration and perseverance would have made a perfect release on International Women’s Day last Friday. But hey, it’s also better to stand out from the crowd, right? SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Written during the Jian Ghomeshi trial, Blind and Broken, speaks to the frustration that comes with being a woman in a society where the justice system is consistently letting you down and placing men on a pedestal,” says Hoffman. “It’s about being angry and also feeling helpless and hopeless.” Hear her out:
12 Toronto duo Dear Pressure — guitarist/songwriter Matt Kahane and producer Quin Kiu — are not playing by numbers on their new single. But they definitely want you to — since By Number is the title of this slice of funky, danceable pop reminiscent of vintage Culture Club (and yes, that’s a compliment). SEZ THE PRESS RELEASE: “Releasing this song signals a new chapter for our sound — something more bass and percussion-driven. The lyric “don’t color by number” refers to a transgressive need to break down barriers of all kinds. The song fell into place around this sentiment and was recorded and produced in our bedrooms. by number is the lead single to our debut EP swimdrown which is set for release in April.” What’s that they say about April showers?
