Ezra Furman calms down, Kyle Craft and Showboat Honey strike a pose, Soft Streak cook up a lie, Katey Brooks shares all and more in today’s Roundup. The smokies are on the grill!
1 What do you get when you combine spiky punk rock, a vibrant cartoon and the philosophy of Canadian writer Anne Carson? The colourful and cathartic cartoon video for Ezra Furman’s Calm Down AKA I Should Not Be Alone — a preview of his August 30 release Twelve Nudes, which takes its title from Carson’s way of describing meditations she used to deal with intense pain. And speaking of pain … SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Calm Down, insanely catchy and bound up in a compact two minutes and 22 seconds, is a cry of panic and despair. “Desperate times make for desperate songs,” says Furman. “I wrote this in the summer of 2018, a terrible time. It’s the sound of me struggling to admit that I’m not okay with the current state of human civilization, in which bad men crush us into submission. Once you admit how bad it feels to live in a broken society, you can start to resist it, and imagine a better one.” His pain, your gain:
2 Portland rocker Kyle Craft and his band Showboat Honey fire up the psychedelic light show in the self-directed video for Broken Mirror Pose, a rootsy trance-rocker from their July 12 album Showboat Honey. Far out. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “We shot Broken Mirror Pose at Moonbase Studios, which is where we tracked the entire record ourselves! This one was 95% DIY, much like the album. I built out a room inside of the main studio room and my pal, Bryson Cone, showed me how to edit afterward, letting me take the wheel once I had a little know how.” Strike a pose:
3 Experimental electro-pop outfit Soft Streak — the L.A. duo of Tori Schachne and Colton Toy — cook up something out of the ordinary with the tasty video for their dark, rich track Reasonable Lie. And they give a whole new meaning to the term finger food. It’s a feast for the senses. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Reasonable Lie exudes muted resonating guitars and warm vocal tones, all tinged with glistening synthesizers. Thematically, the song narrates the story of a relationship that is producing more damage than good, but both parties choose to lie to themselves about the reality of the situation. Schachne reveals, “Sometimes we believe it’s easier to lie to ourselves and each other than deal with the fallout of breaking up the relationship.” Use your hands:
4 British singer-songwriter Katey Brooks reportedly grew up in a cult. I’m not sure what (if anything) that strange fact might have to do with the old-school soul of her seductive track All of Me, but it does help her stand out from the rest of her peers. So I guess it was good for something. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “All of Me narrates calling someone out on their ambivalence. “It was inspired by a personal situation with someone I was prepared to give my world to. They proclaimed deep love, but then proceeded to behave in ways that were completely incongruent with that proclamation”, reveals Brooks.” She means it:
5 Everybody’s (or at least my) favourite Indiana blues-punk duo — the greasy, gritty, grizzled and undeniably great Left Lane Cruiser — fire off Sweat Love to Shine, the latest preview of their smokin’ May 31 album Shake and Bake. Crank it up. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Shake and Bake, the band’s new album, was cooked up in a van rolling heavy on the highway, headed by two baked and juiced musicians, veering across the lines, desperately steering towards rest and redemption at the nearest parking lot. It is a record about the juice that keeps the crowd dancing, the smoke that keeps the minds lifted. This is as real it gets.” Shine on:
6 Things are looking up for former Only Ones frontman Peter Perrett — and you — on the Velvet Underground-like gem and lyric video Heavenly Day, the third preview from his June 7 release Humanworld. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “There used to be a part of me, maybe still is, that doesn’t give a fuck about anything; hence my escapist nature. But having children has changed that. Hence the name of the album. You have to look for the good in the world. A romantic belief perhaps.” Enjoy the day:
7 Just as it is with wit, brevity can sometimes be the soul of a good song. Case in point: Sao Paulo singer-songwriter Sessa’s Dez Total (Filhos de Gandhy), a short, sweet and supple stripped-down ditty built around acoustic guitar, hand drum and tender vocals. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Dez Total speaks to a specific moment of Sessa’s engagement with Brazil’s vast musical legacy. Sessa describes being inspired to write the song after watching Filhos de Gandhy, the traditional Afro Brazilian drum ensemble, rehearse one day in Salvador, Bahia. He explains: “Watching them play all those drums and agogos moved me deeply, I couldn’t speak without crying for the whole time I was there … Dez Total is my humble celebration for this incredible life force.” It’s all you need:
8 Jordan Rakei is on a roll, it appears. The New Zealand dance-music producer has already dropped two tracks from his June 14 Ninja Tune release Origin. Here’s the third: The supple, funky jam Rolling Into One. SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “This song is about embracing the mentality of acceptance and perseverance. Things will continue to happen and we can only look at the bright side to remain sane through the rise of technology and artificially intelligent systems. I wanted the song to be sonically vibrant and colourful but maintain it’s darker lyrical theme of a dystopian future.” Roll it:
9 Edmonton roots crew Kane Incognito come out of hiding with the romantic acoustic number Fall-In. And no, it’s not about finding love during a military exercise. But yes, it does include whistling. You know how to whistle, don’t you, Steve? SAYS THE PRESS RELEASE: “Our new song Fall-In was written about being ready to fall in love again. That feeling when you’re craving connection, especially in the beginning stages of a relationship where it’s complete ecstasy.” Awwwww:
