Marika Hackman dances with herself, Micky James is a crybaby, Rose Bordallo climbs the ladder, Organ Mood aim for brilliance, Cyhra want you out and plenty more in a fast-moving Friday Roundup. One more time for the world:
1 | Marika Hackman | hand solo
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Last month, Marika Hackman invited her fans to share stories of any time they have felt shame associated with female self-pleasure. Marika has used their stories to prompt a conversation around the taboo topic, which she has explored further in this thoughtful, and often humorous new video for hand solo. The song extols the virtues of masturbation and features Marika’s favorite line: “Under patriarchal law, I’m going to die a virgin.” The impossible-to-ignore video for hand solo has been directed by Sam Bailey who Marika collaborated with previously on the UK Music Video Awards-winning video for My Lover Cindy.”
2 | Micky James | Crybaby
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The new video from New York glam rock artist Micky James, Crybaby showcases gritty guitars, ’60s soaked melodies and James’ impressive vocal range. Crybaby narrates being stuck in a toxic relationship. James shares, “Crybaby to me feels like my most rock ‘n’ roll song yet. Like all good rock ‘n’ roll songs, the message and the feeling get right to the point.”
https://youtu.be/Z8DEZ2n0CvQ
3 | Rosa Bordallo | Citadel
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Indie rock artist Rosa Bordallo (fka Manett, and member of post-punk band cholo) shares her song Citadel, which showcases her Riot grrrl influences. “Citadel is about Capitalist vultures in the concrete jungle. A balls-to-the-wall angry eff you to the 1 percenters who suck us dry. I wrote this out of frustration with the myth of New York (‘if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere’) that attracts bright and ambitious folk who may not realize what they’re getting into until it’s too late.”
4 | Organ Mood | Verde Brillante
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Nearly five years after the release of their last album, Organ Mood is back with Indivisible on Oct. 18. The song Verde Brillante is offered as of now. The conceptualization of this project came to be during a creative residency at Théâtre Aux Écuries with the talented stage directors Philippe Cyr, Félix-Antoine Boutin and Odile Gamache. Together, they questioned the band’s proven methods through a research and development type approach. “We laid the foundations for a dozen songs and constructed an array of luminous sceneries.”
5 | Cyhra | Out of My Life
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Boosted by the success of their 2017 debut, Letters To Myself, modern melodic metal high-flyers Cyhra are using that momentum and pushing forward with a new album No Halos In Hell on Nov. 15. Now, the day has finally come for the band to unleash a music video for their first single and lead-off track Out Of My Life. Prepare for trouble and check out the new clip, directed by Swedish mastermind Patric Ullaeus.”
6 | Judith Owen | I Still Dream of America
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Internationally acclaimed singer-songwriter and pianist Judith Owen releases a timely and heartbreaking new single I Still Dream of America. For the Welsh musician, who holds passports in both the U.K. and U.S., the song is at once deeply political and personal – she dedicates it to her mother-in-law, Dora Kohn, who fled Nazi-led Poland at the age of 19 to come to America. “As an artist, an immigrant and an American citizen, I need to speak out,” Owen says. “After talk of the wall, along with the ever-growing hatred directed at those who are literally risking life and limb to find safety and a better life, I felt compelled to write this song. And what’s a wall, really? It’s a metaphor for all those who are fearful of ‘other people.’ And the irony is that those ‘other people’ are just doing what we’ve all done. For goodness sake… WE’RE ALL IMMIGRANTS!”
7 | The Whirlings | Vacuum
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Italian progressive four-piece The Whirlings unveil a ’90s-infused alt rock single entitled Vacuum from their new album Earthshine, which propels itself beyond the band’s trademark heavy psych and post-rock sound, offering a rich blend of sounds and sonic languages shaped during endless jams and live shows. Its force lays in the band’s ability to craft intense yet elegant buildups, involving the listener in silky stargazing that progressively shifts their way towards highly telluric and fuzz-laden soundscapes. Embark on this staunch, sidereal capsule in full consciousness, and you will return changed.”
8 | Dandelot | Tutu
THE PRESS RELEASE: “New York-based experimental artist and producer Dandelot shares his new single and visual for Tutu. Merging a bouncy hip hop beat with a classical influenced piano loop, Tutu is an upbeat, catchy tune that channels Dandelot’s experience as a classically trained ballet pianist and composer. In the video, we find Dandelot in a ballet studio in his trademark blue face paint. His creative approach is on full display as he incorporates choreographed ballerinas dancing in unison to the beat. The minimalist style, interspersed with stunning close-ups of the dancers highlights his imaginative approach to creating highly conceptual music.”
9 | Marlon Chaplin | The Circle
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Marlon Chaplin releases the title track from his LP The Circle alongside a visually stunning new music video, shot and directed by Michael Greggain. This radio-ready track is a big anthemic song full of drum swells and soaring guitar, ideal for captivating audiences at festivals and stadiums.The video for The Circle takes viewers on a journey through desire and darkness, shrouded in mystery and tinged in Neon. An enigmatic woman pursues Marlon through fields, forests filled with ominous hooded figures, clubs and a bedroom replete with masked characters conjuring up memories of Eyes Wide Shut. Leaving viewers with more questions than answers, the video perfectly encapsulates the theme of the recording. Life is a journey, expect the unexpected.”
10 | Alcest | Sapphire
THE PRESS RELEASE: “After recently revealing their first single Protection and performing a genre-crossing set with Perturbator this week, French sound wizards Alcest are ready to present the second single off their upcoming sixth studio album Spiritual Instinct. Recorded at the French Drudenhaus Studios and written in bursts both during and after a prolonged period of touring in support of 2016’s hugely successful Kodama, the new album will lead the blackgaze pioneers into dark soundscapes full of spiritual catharsis on Oct. 25. The single Sapphire is another magical creation blending shadows and light – the video was directed by Craig Murray (Mogwai, etc).
11 | Nyssa | #1 Girl
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto artist Nyssa has released her latest single #1 Girl, accompanied by a video directed by Ron Hollywood. #1 Girl is a rollicking paean to the too-often unsung, life-defining, huge-love connection between best pals-4-life. A future karaoke cult-classic and blast-able bop for all the BFFs to fill their bedrooms, dancefloors, and headphones. Discussing the video Nyssa stated, “Ron Hollywood’s video is a Pee-Wee-esque romp through deserted destinations à la Edward Hopper. I play a lone, cock-sure bellhop, surreally at odds with my surroundings, on a madcap meander in search of my very own #1 Girl.”
12 | Anjulie | Holy Water
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Los Angeles-based Guyanese-Canadian pop artist Anjulie — a Juno Award-winning, platinum-selling, singer/songwriter and producer of Indian descent who has written and collaborated with Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Kelly Clarkson, Diplo and more — has dropped a new single with Mexican pop star Natalia Lafourcade that features Nigerian rapper Phyno. The infectious Latinx pop track Holy Water took two years to complete and the effort spanned four continents. Anjulie offers, “I’ve been a MASSIVE fan of Natalia’s for a while so this collab is really a dream come true for me. It all started with the original demo of the song. I sent it to her manager, and Natalia really liked it and invited me to come to Mexico to record her parts. I flew down and we got in the studio and really connected. Afterward, I wanted another artist on the bridge and had heard some of Phyno’s music and loved his flow. I polished off the production with Joe Park in Korea. The song went from Canada to Mexico to Nigeria to Korea and we finished up the mix in LA.”
13 | Katriel | One Foot Tall
THE PRESS RELEASE: “With a keen sense of observation and a wisdom beyond her teenage years, Newmarket, Ont.’s Katriel has begun her foray into the music industry with a sweetly compelling, and universally appealing debut single entitled One Foot Tall. It is a simple composition but infused with depth of feeling and truly insightful lyrics that point to her confidence as a writer as well as her profound empathy for those who are struggling in life.”
https://youtu.be/uxyjYJ9I63A
14 | Close Talker | Carefully in the Dark
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Saskatoon’s Close Talker are sharing the new video for Carefully In The Dark from their latest album, How Do We Stay Here? The video was animated by Carol Aldrighi under the direction of Corey Meyers, who created all of the artwork for How Do We Stay Here? “Last summer, when we were still figuring out what this album was going to be, we sent Corey a very raw version of the record and asked him to basically create whatever he felt like,” the band says. “What he came up with far exceeded our expectations, as he captured the vibe of the music perfectly and visually created a world where the listener could let their mind wander.”
15 | Amber Run | Worship
THE PRESS RELEASE: “British rock band Amber Run release their uplifting third album Philophobia and a new lyric video for haunting track Worship. About their honest and hard-hitting record, the band shares that “Philophobia is about connection. It’s about love in all its forms, whether platonic or romantic, or the relationship we have with ourselves.” Whether platonic or romantic, unrequited, unconditional or ugly, every human experiences some kind of love to some degree. At its very best, love – whether from a parent or child or a partner – can give you purpose. It can make you feel more whole and complete than you ever thought possible. It can make life worth living. At the same time, it can totally and utterly destroy you. That conflict – and the delicate balance between the two – is something that Amber Run explore thoroughly on the beautiful, soul-searching songs that make up Philophobia.”
16 | Skydiggers | Ineligible
Skydiggers share their powerful new single and lyric video Ineligible, with lyrics inspired by an art exhibit that listed all of the groups of people who had been denied the vote in Canada since Confederation. Andy Maize: “My wife Andrea and I were out for a walk in our neighbourhood one day in the fall of 2015 and came across a pop up gallery that was displaying art in an exhibition called Vote. There was a poster in the show by Anita Matusevics and Jason Halter of Wonder Inc. called Ineligible, and it listed all of the groups of people who had been denied the vote. A powerful statement, it made a strong impression on me and when we were in the studio several years later I had the idea of reading the poster over a piano riff that I had come up with on a previous writing session at the Banff Centre.”
17 | Quix | Trying to Love
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Quix combines his signature wonky trap and lush future-bass drops, as he digs deep with an emotional main room anthem Trying To Love, featuring passionate vocals from Swedish singer/songwriter Bjoern. Trying to Love is the latest in a string of releases accounting for Quix’s most prolific output to-date.”
18 | Jocelyn Alice | The Dark
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Jocelyn Alice is a platinum-selling Canadian singer and songwriter with a fiercely powerful voice, heartfelt lyrics, and a magnetic style. Her new single The Dark is a groove-driven pop track about knowing that true strength and healing comes from feeling.”
19 | Ava Lake | Mystery
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Ava Lake is kicking off her debut EP rollout with her first single, Mystery, from her EP The Rise, set for release Oct. 18. Mystery is a bombastic dance-pop track that invites you into the world of Ava Lake. Through her thumping production, synth-pop grandeur, and harrowing vocals, Ava Lake’s creates a sound that is ready to debut on the dancefloor. The song explores the beginning stages of a relationship, the time when you’re still trying to figure out the other person. But, instead of dwelling on the unknown, Mystery invites you to live in the present, enjoy the moment, and just dance.”
20 | Beth Keeping | San Francisco
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Beth Keeping is a singer/songwriter from Surrey, UK. Drawing influences from both traditional country storytelling and modern pop music, Keeping delivers a fresh and modern take, creating songs that speak about real situations. Her honest lyrical approach and emotive vocals have built her a reputation as an artist to watch in the UK music scene. Her single San Francisco narrates letting go of a moment or person and wondering what may happen if you could only have another chance. Keeping wrote the song after a five week backpacking trip across South East Asia found her connecting with someone from San Francisco.”
