Grand Vapids dog-walk, Heart Attack Kids party down, Abrahma lose it, Owen-Glass come along and more in today’s Roundup. We can pose or we can play!
1 Sometimes you walk the dog. Sometimes the dog walks you. And sometimes the dog walks itself — and causes all kinds of mischief while rocking out to the angular post-punk strains of Athens’ excellently named Grand Vapids. Not surprisingly, the latter is exactly what you’ll find in the band’s new single Disjecta — a preview of their July 12 release Eat the Shadow — and its single-shot video. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Eat the Shadow presents a band that has resurfaced after dark years of coping with personal tragedy, identity crisis, and dysfunctional relationships. The album opener, Disjecta, was inspired by the latter, serving as catharsis for two partners in the midst of breaking up while still living together and attempting to rediscover their respective identities. The track’s slacker-rock vibes project the sense of foreboding that accompanies feeling isolated in a relationship that is consuming you.” Walk this way:
2 Did you know Good Friday is also Heart Attack Day? At least musically. Cleveland punks Heart Attack Man will release their latest album Fake Blood. And London, Ont., indie-rock duo Heart Attack Kids will drop their sophomore album Bad Luck Like Gold. Clearly that’s cause for celebration – based on the balloons, confetti and overall celebratory vibe of the latter’s latest single and video Do What You Do. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “We took inspiration from witnessing the Saturday night chaos and wanted to write a party anthem that people could dance to and yell with us. This video was shot in our jam space and took the help of a few friends, some streamers, confetti cannons and hundreds of balloons. By the time we were done shooting there was so much confetti and burst balloons you couldn’t see the floor. It was one of the most fun videos we’ve done, and we are still finding confetti falling from the ceiling as we jam.” Pump it up:
3 Depression isn’t easy to handle. Even on video. But French progressive metal outfit Abrahma give it one helluva shot with the grim clip for their brooding new single Lost Forever, from their upcoming third album In Time for the Last Rays of the Sun. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Video director Michael Leclere tells the story: “Lost Forever unequivocally deals with depression, so I wanted to evoke identity quest as a parry to nothingness. When you lose yourself into the wilderness and have to draw in your own ressources, facing yourself and looking after your animus, finding the strength to fight for things that may seem meaningless. Moving slowly toward an inextricable death, whether you do it to get a little more time or to find epiphany as a last shield before the abyss. We keep scattering pieces of ourselves through our constant efforts to stay alive. It’s like dying a little more each time. And it’s what will get us in the end.” Find it here:
4 Owen-Glass is not a person. Nor is it something you put in your windows. Owen-Glass is an East Texas indie folk-rock duo — neither of whom seems to be named Owen or Glass. Confused? Don’t sweat it; their gritty, earthy waltz Here it Comes — from their upcoming album The Rope & The Rabbit — will tell you everything you need to know about their music. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Written by songwriter and lead singer Kelly Wayne Conley, Here It Comes is an intimate exploration of the state of the world, current events, and how those events affect lives differently around the globe. “I wrote the song from a place of personal anxiety—it’s something I feel all too often, especially when I make the mistake of logging in to social media or turning on the news,” Conley explains.” Here it is:
5 Fun fact: All three guys in Peterborough roots-pop trio I, The Mountain are apparently named Matt. I don’t know if they use nicknames, numbers or some other means to address each other. But clearly they have no trouble getting their point across — as the uplifting anthem The Boat and its charming video make perfectly clear. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Inspired by Alistair MacLeod’s classic short story of the same name, our song The Boat is embedded with East Coast sound and imagery. In its earlier form, the song told the tale of a poor family subsisting in a rural Atlantic fishing town, but, with the help of Simon Ward, lead singer of The Strumbellas, it became an anthem of hope, persistence, and empowerment.” Come sail away:
6 Spring has sprung. But that hasn’t deterred Swiss folk-metal trio Cellar Darling from springing the animated lyric video for their moody number Freeze on you — though you’ve already heard it if you picked up their album The Spell back in March. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Their latest video offering is Freeze – crushing, captivating and haunting! Another chapter in the tale of a girl who falls in love with death, carried by Ivo Henzi’s groovy riffs, the energy of Merlin Sutter’s powerhouse drumming, and the unforgettable voice of Anna Murphy who takes you through enormous highs and deepest lows as she sings the story of The Spell. This haunting concept album sees the band taking a turn towards heavy progressive rock while still staying true to their folk roots translated through the unmistakable sound of the hurdy gurdy.” That’s spelling it out:
7 Third time’s the harm. At least for Memoriam. The old-school Birmingham death-metal vets deliver their third album Requiem For Mankind on June 21 — but for those who can’t wait that long to have their noggin’s suitably rattled, the ferocious single Shell Shock (illustrated here with an animated lyric video) should serve nicely. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “A new Memoriam song, a new approach, and as with all our albums a new sound for us to use. Shell Shock is the first track we recorded for the Requiem For Mankind album. It is a bit of a death metal headbanger of a track! Subject wise, it deals with the effects of being on the frontline amongst all the noise and chaos of a horrific war situation from an individual standpoint, and also that the soldier does not die from an enemy bullet! Sound wise it needed to sound a bit epic, we think we have achieved this on Shell Shock and have used this as the blueprint sound throughout the album.” Shock and awe await:
8 Adir L.C. gets around. The uniquely named singer-songwriter supposedly grew up in the N.J. scene that birthed Titus Andronicus, went to college in New Paltz, N.Y. scene that gave us Porches, and lived in Brooklyn with members of LVL UP. Oddly enough, his laid-back number Basket Star — the title cut of his upcoming album — once again sounds a bit like Beck in one of his more sincere moments. Go figure. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Drum circles, catchy sing alongs, dirty guitars and a broken Moog synthesizer clash into a lush party you can’t help but want to attend. This gently rocking acoustic title track Basket Star demonstrates one of Adir L.C.’s most striking gifts as guitarist and singer—an easy swagger that makes all this flowing musical richness seem unconscious, almost accidental.” But I bet it isn’t:
9 Electro-rock artist Fires has three hard and fast rules for their music: “1) It has to make me want to dance. 2) It has to make me feel something. 3) It has to be pop.” Mission accomplished — at least when it comes to the hard-hitting new single Revive, an introduction to their May 10 sophomore album All of My Dreams Are Of This Place. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “After recently coming out as a female, vocalist/composer AJ gave some insight into the new album and the true emotions behind it: “This album represents a culmination of past lives and new beginnings, both sonically and thematically. While All Of My Dreams Are Of This Place bears little semblance to the music of Red Goes Grey, the concepts remain the same: finding power in what hurts you, learning to grow, and being a better self.” Welcome to the revival:
