Umphrey’s McGee spend Easter in quarantine, Blues Pills take the low road, VickiKristinaBarcelona lift Waits, Blinker the Star run wild and much, much more in today’s Extra-Long Long Weekend Roundup. If you pace yourself right, this sucker can last you all the way through Monday. Whatever you’re celebrating this weekend, enjoy.
1 | Umphrey’s McGee | Easter In Quarantine
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Not unlike the rest of the country and the world, improv-rock gurus Umphrey’s McGee have found themselves with an empty-for-now itinerary and, in isolation, the strange daily balance of making sense of it all and making use of the extra time. Today, UM released Easter In Quarantine. Penned and recorded by Jake Cinninger and Brendan Bayliss, mixed, and mastered in the course of just over two weeks, Easter In Quarantine is a haunting, moody reflection that encapsulates the zeitgeist of this surreal experience we’re all having. “It is said a lot right now and it’s as true as ever: We are all in this together. The feelings of missing one another, of longing for more human connection, are palpable in all of us. We have constructed lives by building a community together, it’s what we know. This pause of unknown length in the middle of that is a new reality which resonates with each of us now,” say the band in a collective statement. “Music has always been an irreplaceable part of us, and it’s the way we will continue to get through it, together. And we here at Umphrey’s can’t wait to see you on the other side of this crazy moment in history.”
2 | Blues Pills | Low Road
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Recently, Blues Pills announced their thrird studio album, Holy Moly! to be released on June 19, and today, they release a new video for Low Road, the second single from that album. The band comment: “We wrote Low Road about being your own worst enemy. About running from your own demons only to realise that you can’t, because the problem is inside of yourself. Low Road is maybe one of the heaviest songs we’ve ever written, filled with the brutalness of the human mind, that can be both vicious and lost. Everybody have probably found themselves fumbling in the dark at some point in life. And with Low Road there is no way out. We love playing this song live, because it’s just raw, balls to the wall rock power. Hopefully this can be a relief for a moment in this wicked world.”
3 | VickiKristinaBarcelona | I Don’t Wanna Grow Up
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Individually, Rachelle Garniez, Amanda Homi and Terry Radigan are three gifted singers, songwriters, storytellers, and multi-instrumentalists with their own distinct styles. Together, as VickiKristinaBarcelona, they create something unique and magical through imaginative interpretations of Tom Waits songs. The trio shares this joyful music on their first album, Pawn Shop Radio, which arrives May 29. Their debut single, I Don’t Wanna Grow Up, is out now along with a companion video. VickiKristinaBarcelona tap into a Zydeco groove for their version of this tune, which highlights an enchanting mix-and-match sound and scintillating group vocals. Their vibrant camaraderie also is readily apparent in the carnival-themed video, which takes a light-hearted approach to this darkly playful song.”
4 | Blinker The Star | Only To Run Wild
THE PRESS RELEASE: “A new Blinker The Star video and single have arrived. Only To Run Wild is the first video/second advance single to be released from Blinker The Star’s forthcoming Juvenile Universe LP. The song was recorded alone at Skylark Park Studios outside Pembroke, Ontario by sole member Jordon Zadorozny with help from longtime collaborators Bob Wilcox on backing vocals and Filippo Gaetani on Melotron. The video was initially put together by Zadorozny and then “massaged” by visual artist Victor Malang. “There was a moment after New Year’s when the studio suddenly fell silent for the first time in weeks. I found myself pacing mindlessly so I sat down at my 1972 Heinzman upright piano and the first four chords that fell out are the first chords you hear in this song. It is a paean to those who must live free and roam this earth alone, perhaps not fearlessly but with a stubbornness of will and imagination, all chips on the table, never to be caught in limbo or treading water. To flow like an eternal spring.”
5 | Dizorder | My Life Is Going On
THE PRESS RELEASE: “French metal/rock newcomers Dizorder have shared a cover of the La Casa De Papel theme song My Life Is Going On. Following up the digital single Love In Blood (2018) and EP Moon Phases (2019) — and while they are currently working on their first full-length album planned for a worldwide release later this year — French modern metal/rock newcomers Dizorder recorded this version of the song My Life Is Going On (by Cecilia Krull) known as the main theme of the Netflix hit La Casa De Papel. Driven by the brutal screams of their female singer, the band offers an alternative metal at the crossroads between Flyleaf, Deftones, Northlane and frees themselves from more lyrical spheres.”
6 | Thomas Azier | Entertainment
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Multi-faceted avant-pop artist Thomas Azier unveils Entertainment, the second single taken from his upcoming album, Love, Disorderly. Composed and recorded with Finnish experimental guitarist and producer Obi Blanche and musicians from various orchestras in Amsterdam, Entertainment taps into a dark, restless vein of anthemic pop laced with post-punk austerity, delivered through a sense of socio-political urgency, freeform expression and unflinching experimentation. “I’m interested in the problematic window to the world that is our phones and computers,” Azier says of the themes explored in the upcoming album. Elaborating on the inspiration for Entertainment, he explains; “the news give me a similar stimulus as social media or entertainment. I’m interested in my reaction to the fear, the excitement and the numbness. I want to be able to come to terms with feeling uncomfortable.”
7 | Lucky Boys Confusion | Arizona Stand
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Lucky Boys Confusion have dropped an unofficial music video for LBC’s song Arizona Stand. The track appears on the limited-edition double vinyl release of the band’s 1998 debut album Growing Out Of It, which is out today. Featuring archival footage of the band from over the last 15+ years, the clip was edited by Alex Zarek.”
8 | Big B & The Felons Club | Down feat. Cash’d Out
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Big B has returned with another new single from his outlaw group, The Felons Club, in the form of the new single Down featuring Cash’d Out. The video features a collection of rowdy outlaws from The Felons Club knocking back cold ones and getting crazy at the bar, while Cash’d Out, the best Johnny Cash tribute, performs the song at the saloon. The track is the second single from The Felons Club’s upcoming Michael Bradford-produced debut album Welcome To the Club, which is scheduled for a June 19 release. With the release comes a natural sonic evolution for Big B as he puts his own unique stamp on the classic outlaw sound. Big B continues to evolve musically with each and every project he releases. His unorthodox style that leaps between rock, hip-hop, and country creates the soundtrack for road trips and cold beers with good friends. The Felons Club is music for people that live life full throttle.”
9+10 | Steep Canyon Rangers | Stand By Me / Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The Grammy Award-winning Steep Canyon Rangers have reissued their 2019 Record Store Day live release North Carolina Songbook. Recorded at 2019’s MerleFest, North Carolina Songbook features eight songs that weave a path through North Carolina musical history. Adding their own unmistakable style to each track, the band reinterprets the work of cross-generational NC icons, including Elizabeth Cotten, Doc Watson, Ben E King, James Taylor, Tommy Jerrell, Ola Belle Reed, and Thelonious Monk. Watch their medley of Stand By Me and Don’t Let Your Deal Go Down from the show.”
11 | Onesie | Unsolved Miseries
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Following their well-reviewed 2019 opus Umpteenth, Brooklyn power pop shredders Onesie have shared the video for previously unreleased stomper Unsolved Miseries as part of Shred City’s Quarantine Comp, available now on Bandcamp. Featuring new tracks from The Planes, Pocket Protector, Monster Furniture, and many more, the comp is a benefit for Artist Relief Tree, a fund for artists affected by cancellations due to the COVID-19 heath crisis. With lines like “To a degree we’re all wandering in to some building and never getting out” and a Nirvana-like chorus, the song fits snugly into this moment of self-distancing and isolation. “There’s a loose theme of being trapped and subjugated, either by a nightmare president or the invisible enemy, and not knowing when to fight back or go limp to survive. Right now we’re living through a sustained jolt of bleakness and uncertainty. I’m psyched to contribute to something that lends a helping hand to other artists and reminds me that the creative community at large is still pumping out the jams.”
12 | Dyatlove | Fragile Fixation
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Vancouver, Canada’s Dyatlove are gearing up to release their self-titled debut EP this year and ahead of that are revealing their single Fragile Fixation. Their sound is eclectic and diverse, at times morose and at other, heavy sludge. The single is the result of Sam Caviglia (guitar/vocals) returning from a getaway with the idea for the song. It evolved into a track that is one of their more classically structured songs but they felt it would be a song that most people would gravitate to right away. Lyrically it is about the pull of depression and not knowing how to get out of it and how it can take over your entire frame of thinking. Understanding you are hurting people but not knowing how to get out of it.”
13 | Forever Honey | Twenty-Five
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Forever Honey is the new NYC-based project of Liv Price (vocals, guitar), Aida Mekonnen (guitar, vocals), Steve Vannelli (drums), and Jack McLoughlin (bass.) Finding common ground over a love of jangly, guitar-driven pop of the late 80s and harmony-saturated rock of the 60s, the four draw lyrical inspiration from personal experiences and self-reflection. Forever Honey’s debut EP Pre-Mortem High is slated for April 24. “Twenty-Five was a playful take on that first moment you realize you are becoming your parents. When I first moved to New York, I went without a mirror in my apartment for like eight months. It was the first time in a while I didn’t have constant access or the ability to obsessively finesse/fixate on my appearance. I went home to visit my parents (where mirrors exist,) and one day I caught view of my full body. I was taken aback – it was like I didn’t recognize myself at first. I observed widened hips, broadened shoulders, cellulite, a softer frame, new moles, grey hairs. None of it was bad in any way, but it simply was not the body I remembered seeing last I looked at myself. Instead, it was the body I grew up seeing on my mom, and that was the first time I’d seen it on me — a mature, conventionally “womanly” form that seems to nurture years of experience.”
14 | Mobina Galore | Four Hours of Sleep
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Mobina Galore share their new live music video for Four Hours of Sleep, a single off of the band’s album Don’t Worry, released in 2019. Jenna Priestner, vocalist and guitarist of the Winnipeg punk duo, speaks about the single, “This song is the last track on our recent album, Don’t Worry, and was recorded in one take on the last day in the studio. I’d always wanted to put an acoustic song as the last track on the album and didn’t even know what the song was going to be until about 20 minutes before we hit record. It’s an homage to Alkaline Trio.”
15 | Avenue Beat | Thank You Anxiety
THE PRESS RELEASE: “At a time when the world couldn’t feel more out of control, Avenue Beat offers a pressure valve with their latest offering, Thank You Anxiety. Available everywhere today, the genzennial collective of Sami Bearden, Savana Santos and Sam Backoff blithely name-check all the ways social awkwardness makes life patently awful as the chorus sounds off: Thank you anxiety / For making me scared of everything / For unnecessarily over thinking what I’m thinking / Everytime I think about something that I don’t wanna think about. The trio co-penned the track with frequent collaborator Summer Overstreet last year, while lead singer Savana serves as co-producer alongside David Garcia and Ashley Gorley. “Anxiety can be scary and difficult to be upfront and honest about. It’s something that we deal with and have had to learn how to work through. One thing that has really helped, is knowing that other people are experiencing the same feelings. Our hope with sharing ‘thank you anxiety’ is that it makes everyone feel a little less alone, especially during these crazy times.”
16 | Spell | Dawn Wanderer
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Hailing from Vancouver, Spell’s new LP Opulent Decay is now available, along with the new video Dawn Wanderer. Shrouding their listeners in hypnotizing heavy metal, the ten-track album is a menagerie of atmosphere, heaviness and delicately woven melodies. This will be the third album from the group following Full Moon Sessions (2014) and For None And All (2017). Reflecting on the progression through the albums, bassist/vocalist Cam Mesmer comments: “Many bands find their third album the most difficult because they’re trying to recreate what they’ve already done; for us, it gets easier and better every time. As ideas emerged during the writing process, we nurtured them and gave them all the time and care they needed to flourish and bloom.”
17 | Jaime & Sherly | Ballerina
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Producer Jaime & vocalist Sherly unveil Ballerina, the first offering from their luscious collaborative EP Couleurs, due on April 24. The EP includes two unreleased tracks: The more organic sounding Always and the empowering Ballerina. Through the four-track EP, the two artists combine their individual strengths to create a crossover of music genres; Jaime’s future-tinged, R&B-influenced production delivers a technically mature and expansive sound over which Sherly’s commanding nu-soul-inflected vocals carry the songs through awe-inspiring melodies.”
18 | Kill the Lights | Plagues
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Kill The Lights, which features former members of Bullet For My Valentine and Throw the Fight, have shared the video for the new song Plagues. Watch the video for the anthemic song, which will have you pumping your fists in the air thanks to the unforgettable, singalong chorus, thunderous rhythms, militaristic percussion, crackling solos, and pummeling breakdown here! “Lyrically, Plagues deals with the fear of being alone, and feelings of isolation away from family, friends, and loved ones,” says vocalist James Clark. “It forces you to take a hard look at yourself and accept that we are all vulnerable and need human interaction and love. It reminds us to take each day for what it is, and to make the best of bad situations — because nothing is guaranteed.”
19 | Temnein | I Am Davy Jones
THE PRESS RELEASE: “I Am Davy Jones is the latest video from French melodic death metal collective Temnein. The track comes off their third full-length, Tales: Of Humanity And Greed, set to drop May 22. Issues the band of the latest album helping, “This song is about a failed love story depicted by the tale of Davy Jones as a romantic metaphor: a pirate who has locked his heart in a chest after being betrayed by his lover. Directed by our bassist Julien [De Giorgio], this animation silhouette video was influenced by Belgian artist Michel Ocelot and notably his 2011 film Tales Of The Night. Musically, this is the most emotional song on the record. A lot of shoegazed melodies and atmospheres are shaping the whole song, even in its fastest moments.”
20 | Like A Motorcycle | Idols
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Haligonian punk rock foursome Like A Motorcycle drop their heavy hitting new track Idols. About the track, the band explain, “Idols is an effort to ask questions surrounding the abuse of power. What lies can people tell themselves to justify their actions? What lies do we tell ourselves to protect the memory or reputation of someone we once idolized? Who protects us when these people are our politicians or our own family?How do we reconcile with the transgressions of an artist who once instilled value in our lives? How far are we willing to turn our heads to avoid looking at something we’d rather not see? Sometimes, our idols are just fucking assholes.”
21 | Max Parker | Something About You
THE PRESS RELEASE: “At just 18 years old, Max Parker performs with the dexterity of a seasoned pro. The wunderkind today releases his newest single, Something About You independently, highlighting his entrepreneurial spirit and raw talent recording the song alongside celebrated producer John Nathaniel (One Republic, Switchfoot, Marie Mai). “After a full year in studio, I cannot wait for this release,” shares Parker. “Something About You is about who we choose to hang out with, even when your gut is telling you there’s something off and you need to watch your back a bit. I wrote it metaphorically, as a dance — representing the push and pull of relationships. This song brings the ’80s vibes and I couldn’t be more excited to have everyone dance in their living rooms, especially during this time when we really do need music to push us through.”
22 | Karma Kids | Matrix
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Indianapolis’ Karma Kids has dropped a new single Matrix, featuring Jaret Reddick of Bowling for Soup. The track appears on the trio’s upcoming album Dystopian Dream Part Two: Land of the Free, available April 17. Karma Kids was formed in 2019 by Jon Benjamin and Zaac Wesco. Both members had backgrounds in emo, pop punk, and metalcore and decided to fuse the genres into their newly dubbed “emocore.” In February 2020, after bringing on drummer Matt Hicks they released Dystopian Dream Part One: American Mind, a record where each song touches on a different aspect of common mental disorders. The second part of the album is all about different conspiracies affecting our modern society.”
23 | T. Thomason | King Of Spades Pt. II feat. Rose Cousins
THE PRESS RELEASE: “With over a decade of experience in the music industry, multiple award nominations, and international recognition at just 25 years old, T. Thomason is a force to be reckoned with. In 2016, after releasing his EP, Sweet Baby, T. and producer Dave Henriques embarked on a new collaborative journey developing the fresh pop sound on his recently released debut self-titled full-length record. T.’s new single, King Of Spades, is originally a track from his self-titled album. It’s slow and spacey with an enveloping white-noise element. This is a reimagined version with Rose Cousins adding a brand new second verse, and wonderful vocal interplay throughout.”
24 | Insidious Disease | Enforcers Of The Plague
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Norwegian death metal conglomerate Insidious Disease, featuring current/former members from Dimmu Borgir, Morgoth, Nile, Susperia and Napalm Death, plan to release their awaited second full-length album, After Death, in the near future. Today, the band revealed the album artwork by Dan Seagrave and released a new track aptly titled Enforcers of the Plague. “Groovy Greetings! Due to some obvious recent events, we’re a bit behind schedule on the new Insidious Disease album,” says founding guitarist Silenoz. “But here’s a taste of matured, chunky flesh for you to sink your teeth into! What could go better with the current times than a cut like Enforcers of The Plague?! We will resume with further brutality when this virus shit is dealt with!”
25 | Thiago Nassif | Soar Estranho
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Rio de Janeiro-based multi-instrumentalist and producer Thiago Nassif announced his new full-length Mente will be released on July 3. The album was co-produced by No Wave legend Arto Lindsay (DNA, Lounge Lizards) who also plays guitar on the album’s lead single Soar Estranho, which is out now. Sung partly in Portuguese and partly in English, Soar Estranho is an irrepressible slice of quirky, hook-laden, yet tropically laid-back Brazilian magic that sounds like Berlin-period-Bowie at his most radio friendly.”
26 | Spacebomb House Band | 30 Century Man (feat. Andy Jenkins)
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Spacebomb House Band release their version of the Scott Walker song 30 Century Man, produced by Spacebomb’s Cameron Ralston and featuring vocalist and Spacebomb recording artist Andy Jenkins. Within the song’s cryptic verses, Ralston surmised a certain irreverence from their messaging. “I’ve always heard it as a rock and roll song at its core,” he says, despite the stark minimalist approach of the original: strummed acoustic guitar in one stereo channel, Walker’s lonely, crooned reverberant voice in the other. “It’s one of the more iconic recorded pieces of the 20th century,” Ralston adds, “and it would be a thankless, if not completely futile endeavor to try to do a true copy of it. Let’s go for something less restrained and more rambunctious.”
27 | D4vid Lee | Hollywood
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Montreal-based alternative singer-rapper-songwriter D4vid Lee releases his debut single/video Hollywood from his forthcoming fall 2020 EP. Lee is finally ready to make the jump to the big leagues and showcase the result of many years honing his craft. Known in Quebec for his collaborations with rapper Rymz, and for touring with Juno Award-winning rapper Loud for over two years, Lee’s new musical “renaissance” is more personal and refined. The emotive new single Hollywood showcases the emerging music star at his finest; with his melodic and organically raspy vocals that highlight his hybridized singing and rapping abilities. “Hollywood, a place where dreams come true, they say. The rise to the top looks easy if you look at how it’s sometimes portrayed in the media, but the reality of the situation is that the long hours can be hard and difficult,” admits the vocalist.”
28 | Ibranovski | Kawaii
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Cutesy Japanese-inspired lullabies collide with unexpected samples and classic four-on-the-floor bass house via Ibranovski’s charming Kawaii. “I toured Japan for the first time last year, where I was overwhelmed by the kindness and love people share there everyday,” states Ibranovski. Inspired by the local culture and his powerful interactions with Japanese fans, he decided to pen a love letter to Japan in the form of Kawaii. “I wanted to translate this experience in this record where I manifest the Kawaii culture in a pleasant way…” It’s also a song about purity and innocence, representing inspirational figures in our lives. “I think about great people while listening to this song.”
29 | Bazarian | Sight Lines
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto artist Bazarian released Sight Lines, his latest single and the title track from his upcoming debut EP, due out June 12. Discussing the single, Bazarian, aka Armen Bazarian, stated, “Sight Lines is about feeling invisible, like a ghost roaming the streets of a cacophonous city. A ghost with hungry eyes, in desperate need for approval, love, and an intimate connection. One who ultimately remains unseen and continues to roam the teeming streets until the end of time.”
30 | Caribou | Never Come Back (Morgan Geist Remix)
THE PRESS RELEASE: “In February, Dan Snaith aka Caribou released his first album in five years, Suddenly. Today Snaith has followed up with a rare remix from Morgan Geist of album highlight Never Come Back. Speaking of the track Snaith says: “Morgan’s been a close friend and a musical inspiration for a long time now and I’ve tried to get him to do a remix before without success — he seldom does them — so when he got in touch and asked to remix a track from Suddenly I jumped at the chance. I’m glad I did because the remix is a thing of pure joy. I would much rather that the first place you got to hear this in a club but for now I hope it has you all dancing at home.”
31 | Eamon McGrath | Yellow Sticker On An Empty Fridge
THE PRESS RELEASE: “A fierce DIY attitude and constantly-changing style has guided Toronto, ON’s Eamon McGrath across the globe on countless tours, stories from which have been cultivated in innumerable journal entries and song lyrics. Eamon’s new single, Yellow Sticker On An Empty Fridge, is about clandestine evil and mimics an Appalachian, bluegrass style, which mirrors the common country music lyrical traditions of singing about Satan and a fear of the unexplainable.”
32 | Lili Kendall | Third Degree Love Crimes
THE PRESS RELEASE: “On April 22, pop/R&B artist and songwriter Lili Kendall will release her debut project, Love, Herself, a transformative and healing body of work that chronicles womanhood, self-empowerment, love, and life. Today, Lili presents the final pre-release single, Third Degree Love Crimes. “We do some crazy shit for, and in, love. And that’s what inspired this song,” Lili writes of her new soulful, emotionally-driven ballad, Third Degree Love Crimes. Created in collaboration with her good friend and producer SLMN, Lili shares that the writing process was a breeze: “It was just one of those songs/feelings that was lying dormant in us waiting to be heard, and nothing was going to stop it that day.” Originally hailing from Brisbane, Australia, songwriter and artist Lili Kendall has been living in LA for the past two years, working on her craft and growing into her own.”
33 | Raye Zaragoza | Fight Like a Girl
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Raye Zaragoza (pronounced ray zay-rah-GO-zah) is an award-winning singer-songwriter who carries an acoustic guitar and a message. Her track Fight Like a Girl is about shattering the idea of what a woman can and cannot do and is produced by Tucker Martine (The Decemberists, Modest Mouse, Camera Obscura). Zaragoza shares, “It’s about how ‘fighting like a girl’ means something different to every female identifying person out there. It is about the resilience of women of color, and all women. It is time for feminism to include all women – Indigenous, Immigrant, Trans, and all those marginalized for their identities. This is the time for intersectional feminism and the youth will lead the way!”
34 | C. Shirock | All We Have Is This Moment
THE PRESS RELEASE: “C. Shirock is Chuck Shirock — founder, frontman and primary writer for internationally acclaimed band Shirock. The new music from C. Shirock is an evolution and a distillation of his previous work, cutting to the core of his identity, with a power and clarity not heard before. All We Have Is This Moment is a stunning track that narrates being present, as we never know what tomorrow will hold and glistens with ethereal synths, haunting vocals and twinkling percussion. The songwriter confides, “Never has this song felt more true — with so much uncertainty in the world, so much fear and so many questions, all we have is today. For me this is a constant reminder to live fully wherever I am. I’ve wasted too many days living for some future that I don’t even know if it will come. It’s a song about learning to ‘live immediately’ — a phrase from one of my favorite philosophers, Seneca.”
35 | Bonelang | Fox And The Hound
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Genre-defying Chicago duo Bonelang unveiled their potent new track, Fox And The Hound. The track further proves that lifelong friends and songwriting partners, Samy.Language and Matt Bones, are capable of pushing artistic boundaries with a degree of dexterity and precision that sets them apart from most other acts who attempt to blur genre lines. Fox And The Hound serves as the band’s third single from their highly-anticipated sophomore album, Saintmaker, which is due out April 24. Hellbent on defying expectations, Bonelang pushed themselves relentlessly to provide a deeper level of introspection on Saintmaker, while leaning into their dark hip-hop and pop tendencies.”
36 | Jess Moskaluke | Halfway Home
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Platinum selling, award-winning country star Jess Moskaluke has unveiled her new single Halfway Home. “Halfway Home is a song about being so in love you can’t stand the thought of being apart,” says Moskaluke of the song. “I wrote this one a few years ago now, and have been playing it live on tour; the fans have been asking for it ever since. I’m thrilled that it’s finally out to the world; I hope you love it!”
37 | Raphaella | Closure
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Trail blazing as one of the few female producers in the industry, the Shoreditch-based multi-faceted artist Raphaella returns with her first solo release of the year. Closure is an intoxicating and alluring alt-pop banger featuring Nambyar, is the first taste of Raphaella’s forthcoming new EP. It comes alongside the success of her latest feature, co-write and vocal production for One Night with MK & Sonny Fodera. Speaking on Closure, Raphaella expanded: “Closure is about the really real situation where you just need that last goodbye in a relationship. It hardly ever works, and almost always makes it worse, but you do it anyway.”
38 | Jeremy & The Harlequins | Nervous Wreck
THE PRESS RELEASE: “A classic ode to worry, Jeremy & The Harlequins’ new single, Nervous Wreck, encapsulates modern, American anxiety in all its forms in rapid fire succession. One listen and you’re shaking from the tips of your toes through the back of your neck while trying to keep things in check. A crisp three-minute release for those who are convinced the world is out to get them. “This song was written in the pre-Pandemic era, but it seems a lot more vital right now,” says Jeremy Lublin. “Around Brooklyn, and most of America, everyone is wearing medical masks, worried about catching a virus. I wrote the lyrics when I was wondering how I’d pay rent for the month. Now we all have a hell of a lot more to worry about. Everyone’s a nervous wreck.”
39 | The Mowgli’s | Vacation
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The new breezy track from alt pop musical collective The Mowgli’s is Vacation. The mid tempo relaxer is a shout out to working people who just need a break. We all need a vacation sometimes, no matter who we are and what we do. The Mowgli’s love California so much and you can hear sprinkles of that west coast ocean air energy all throughout the song.”
