Album releases have mercifully tapered off for the year — but new EPs are coming thick and fast for some reason. Thankfully, some of the latest batch are pretty awesome. Like the sheer sonic wallop of London’s Yur Mum. Or the subaquatic video-game nostalgia of the insanely prolific, boundlessly creative and dependably incredible Irish übernerd (and Friend of Tinnitist) Alpha Chrome Yayo. Or the exotic grooves of New Brunswick electronica oddity Elephant Skeletons, the magnetic Brit-pop of Saults, the seasonal sounds of Fox Glove and Sasami, and the rest of the acts below. I’ve included Bandcamp links when I could find them so you can score the tunes straight from the artists. Tell ’em I sent ya.
Yur Mum
Ellipsis
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Yur Mum are Anelise Kunz (Vocals/Bass) and Fabio Couto (Drums/Vocals). Last year, the band unleashed their debut album Road Rage. Ellipsis will contain five tracks, including their recent single Sweatshop. “This release marks a transition period for the band so we felt like it had to come out now while all these thoughts and feelings are still fresh. Most of these songs were crafted on the road playing at dive bars. They sound heavier and darker with deeper layers and textures. It feels almost as if the instruments are amplifying and projecting our state of mind. You might find some unexpected melodies and time signatures in comparison with Road Rage. We think the lyrical themes on this EP are very much related to this constant feeling of ‘I can’t believe this is still happening in this day and age’ we have every time we watch the news. It signifies, to us, a deep breath, a hesitation, a facepalm moment. ‘What do you want?’ takes a personal approach and talks about anxiety; Sweatshop picks on consumerism, Ellipsis is about this culture of fear we live in; Rotten is a reality check; while Closure is about dealing with loss and trying to cope with the fact that all things come to an end.”
Alpha Chrome Yayo
Twirl
THE PRESS RELEASE: “With a sound-palette straight out of the Encarta era, Twirl is a record steeped in the shimmering synth sounds of the mid ’90s, laced with a modern twist. Sparkling with marine majesty, it fuses underwater ambience with rainy-day lofi jazz, soaring axe solos and the consummate sheen of Sega CD soundscapes. Twirl celebrates the adventure of OG internet, CD-ROM afternoons and the digital companionship of your first computer.”
Elephant Skeletons
Lamp of 3xodus
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Elephant Skeletons sounds like a Crew of Bohemian Rockers threw a disco dance marathon. Velvety Vocoded Vocals and Kaleidoscopic bursts of Circus Horns take you on a Sonic Journey. Elephant Skeletons is the soundtrack to the party everyone wishes they knew about. Driving beats melded with mysterious sounds and symbols create a sound that’s simultaneously cutting-edge-danceable and filled with serious soul.”
Saults
On Our Way
THE PRESS RELEASE: “In a recent interview with industry bible Music Week, The Who’s Pete Townshend talked about new talents – and mentioned Saults: “They’re in league with The 1975; authentic and strong.” Quite the introduction for the French-born group made up of brothers Antoine (vocals) and Greg Saults (drums) with Axel Castets on bass, which saw them locate to London in 2017 on the strength of their debut EP which sold thousands of units and resulted in a debut show in Paris to a crowd of tens of thousands. Moving to London they were quick to make their mark, recording at Abbey Road Studios and picking up immediate support from BBC and earning them a slot at the legendary Love Supreme Festival. After spending summer 2019 in the studio and touring in September across London and France, the three-piece share the On Our Way EP as they continue to stake their mainstream ambitions.”
Pink Leather Jackets
Good Love
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Pink Leather Jackets are a four-piece hard-hitting dance party and rock show rolled into one. Taking inspiration from songs that the band considers “millennial classics”, their songwriting shows both a reflection of themselves as well as a reflection of the audience they have been entertaining in Southern Ontario for the last three years. Say the band: “The EP was produced by Pink Leather Jackets and Calvin Hartwick. The recording experience at Dreamhouse Studios in Toronto was a blast. Steve Colucci (lead guitar/back up vocals) and Calvin did a great job dialing in all the right guitar tones particular to each track. Wasting Time has a more cleaner feel compared to the rest of the EP but still a nice gritty tone kicking in to the chorus and guitar solo.”
Sasami
lil drmr bb
THE PRESS RELEASE: “In the spirit of the holidays, Los Angeles songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sasami is sharing a 3-track single titled lil drmr bb. Available digitally, it comprises an industrial, synth-heavy take on Little Drummer Boy, a French-horn-accompanied cover of Silent Night, as well as an original song, It’s You. lil drmr bb was recorded in L.A. by Sasami and Kyle Thomas (aka King Tuff), and mixed by Andrew Sarlo.”
Penny Betts
Penny Betts
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The UK’s own Penny Betts offer up a uniquely smooth blend of indie-pop and ’60s-style songwriting with their latest and self-titled EP. A four-piece who know precisely who they are and how they want to sound, Penny Betts are inspired by bands stretching as far back as Cream and Pink Floyd as much as modern influences like The Arctic Monkeys and Tame Impala. Their heartfelt songwriting and hypnotic melodies pour through amidst reverb-soaked indie-rock soundscapes, creating something that’s perfectly calming or decidedly energizing – depending on what you need from it; and how loud you let it play. Passion and musical precision meet under the blanket of sweeping guitars and experimental waves of audio warmth. Penny Betts aim to get you dancing, connecting, and embracing the live music scene as the rightful escapism it was always meant to be. A band well worth looking out for over the coming months and years.”
Bob Moses
Unplugged
THE PRESS RELEASE: “2019 was an epic year for Bob Moses’ Jimmy Vallance and Tom Howie as they continued to support the release of their critically acclaimed 2018 album Battle Lines with major festival plays and touring. Now the musicians shift their versatile talents back to just to a guitar, piano and vocals to close out the decade, offering fans Unplugged, an acoustic EP. Unplugged sees Jimmy & Tom perform acoustic versions of their Battle Lines singles Heaven Only Knows, Back Down and Nothing But You, plus a studio recording of Duran Duran’s Save a Prayer which they performed for numerous U.S. alternative radio sessions over the course of this past year.”
Ursae
Distance
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Ursae is a Brooklyn-via-Bay Area indie-pop project by artist/singer Andy Campbell. Campbell’s earnest songwriting, coupled with his experience as a producer, results in a left-of-center pop sound that blends DIY guitars with glittery synths and rolling 808s. The arrangements are meticulous and clean but far from sterile, tactfully walking the line between RnB-pop and indie-rock. Ursae, Latin for “bears” (of which Andy is enamored), wants to be as direct as possible with his message; to Andy, it’s all about efficient storytelling. Ursae confidently turns out something refreshingly honest: pop that comes from someone who isn’t a perfect pop star. Campbell explains how through the process of making the EP, he has gained confidence in himself as an artist and individual, “I hope that comes through in the music and that anyone listening can learn how to be more confident and comfortable with themselves.”
Heart Like War
Thoughts On This
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Southern California pop-punk trio Heart Like War have just released their new EP Thoughts On This. “Thoughts On This is about gathering up the pieces of our lives, getting up to move on from a broken place. It picks up where their previous release Start Over left off and is meant to bring comfort and hope to those who may be healing from a difficult life situation. When it’s cold and dark, turn up the lights and let’s make some noise, before we run out of time.”
Fox Glove
Dead of Winter
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Alt-folk harmony-based trio Fox Glove have released a charming holiday EP titled Dead of Winter. Festive and haunting, the frosty classics and seasonal original capture the wistfulness of wintertide. The Victoria-based group unveil their rendition of time-honoured Auld Lang Syne featuring string trio Auburn Blind, and Chris Van Sickle on keyboard. Reminiscent of a family gathering around the piano to ring in the New Year, they provide a soundtrack for gratitude and reflection. Fox Glove weave their captivating harmonies into Auburn Blind’s strings on the EP’s three songs. Home for the Holidays is a modern and melancholic take on the vintage tune, that is familiar and warm against the chill of winter. Title track Dead of Winter is inspired by a long-awaited postcard bearing the Albert Camus quote “In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer.” The single explores the resilience of the human spirit, a yearning to heal, and the ability of a dying ember to start a flame.”
Genessier
Wolf Moon Blood
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Following up on their critically acclaimed album Graces the Bone, Horror Industrialists Genessier return with their ruthless new EP Wolf Moon Blood. Never ones to shy away from scaring yet intriguing with their music and going down a much darker path, Wolf Moon Blood is the next step in this duo’s diabolical evolution and will provide nightmare fuel for ages. Vocalist and Composer Ryan Policky divers deeper into what inspired Wolf Moon Blood: “This set of tracks truly represents a side of terror and agony experienced throughout the past few years of hiding in the hauntcade studio Genessier produces out of. Utilizing a fresh set of meat, Chase Dobson and Andy Uhrmacher, the sound is deeper and more haunted than before, with the lead single Only Temporary bleeding down the wall from the onset.”
Krash Slaughta vs B.I.M.
’18 Showdown
THE PRESS RELEASE: “’18 Showdown includes all the remixes produced by the legendary turntablist Krash Slaughta (DMC Finals / II Tone Committee) for the Belles in Monica crew which were originally released on 12″ vinyl with the addition of new cut Venom. The DJ’s renowned production style fusing imaginative soundscapes, driving beats and immense scratch skills combine with storytelling rhymes and hard bars. From the fuel injected funk and cutting frenzy of Meltdown, to the sinister tension of What D’Ya Need and the sonic chaos of Resistance is Futile, the EP is a rare collection of artistically expressive and powerful hip hop immersed in a golden era just as a new decade comes in to view.”
Midnight Divide
Weapons-Grade Amnesia
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Midnight Divide frontman Austen Moret has been obsessed with songwriting since the days his two-year-old self was smashing the keys of a Casio keyboard or his grandmother’s piano. After brief stints in indie/alternative bands, Moret finally decided the only path forward was to forge his own. Thus, via the depths of Craigslist musician ads, Midnight Divide was born. With Jace McPartland on bass, Dan Beltran on lead guitar and Bryan King on drums, the Los Angeles-based band deliver cinematic alt-rock with a magnetically fierce sound that’s been electrifying audiences across the nation. New EP Weapons-Grade Amnesia covers themes such as self-destruction, self-awareness and yearning for a better future with hope in overcoming the odds. Moret confides, “I think I’ve found over the years that music is really the best way I’m able to cope and express myself in a way that feels honest and real. Somehow you always find the best things to say way after the fact…”
Smaller Hearts
Winter
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Electronic dreampop duo Smaller Hearts return with the seasonably apt Winter EP. The three-song offering follows their sophomore album, Honestly, released this summer, and a series of remixes launched throughout the fall. Beginning with the bouncy, kosmische-tinged Possible Futures, the EP moves into the languorous and gentle Snowsmashed before culminating with the sparkly, introspective holiday musings of Christmas At Home. Clocking it at just under 12 minutes, the record provides an accompanying roadmap for the unpredictable and seemingly boundless winters on the East Coast.”
Inner 29
Now and Again, Here
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Now and Again, Here is the brand new EP from Brazilian based pop-punk/emo band Inner 29. Full of catchy choruses and punchy guitar and piano-driven pop-punk music, the EP will appeal to fans of Something Corporate, Blink-182, Motion City Soundtrack, Relient K, Homegrown, Jimmy Eat World, Armor For Sleep, etc. A three-piece band that is ready to show the world they mean business, Inner 29 is a living example that the youthful feel of Pop-Punk is something anyone anywhere can enjoy.”
