Wolf Parade put it under glass, Frank Iero gets a taste of his own medicine, D-Loc tries one some fresh Vans, Sarah Siskind goes home to Carolina and more in today’s 4/20 Roundup. Smoke ’em if you got ’em.
1 | Wolf Parade | Under Glass
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Wolf Parade’s Under Glass is a standout from Thin Mind, their acclaimed album of 2020. It’s now the subject of a gory yet humorous, Cronenberg-esque official video. The Under Glass video is directed by Caleb Bardgett and Johnny Dunn, stars Keegan Kruse, with special effects makeup from Cig Neutron (Face-Off All-Stars winner), filmed by Thaddeus Bridwell, and video effects by Bardgett. Dan Boecker says of the video, “Under Glass is inspired by Canada’s greatest cultural export: David Cronenberg. The protagonist sits in isolation, their only joy in life is plugging in a bioport and interfacing with a psychedelic PS1 hellscape where they are loved and adored. Their body decays. They’re smiling.”
2 | Frank Iero & The Future Violents | Medicine Square Garden
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Don’t call it a comeback because rumors of the demise of Frank Iero & The Future Violents have been greatly exaggerated. The band returns in stealth-like fashion to secretly drop the grand finale of their forays into celluloid activity with their new Medicine Square Garden video under the very smokescreen of 4/20 itself. “Medicine Square Garden is not your typical single. It’s a five and a half minute attempt at answering the question, ‘What if Prince wrote a Sleep song?’ ” Frank elaborates further on the song itself, “Oh and if that’s not batshit enough for you, I already had the video in my head. So armed with crudely drawn set designs and a typed-up description of a witchy calisthenics workout meets a Robert Palmer alien massacre, I submitted my pitch to the label. This was my vision from the beginning and no one told me I was crazy. What a world.”
3 | D-Loc | Fresh Vans
THE PRESS RELEASE: “California’s reigning rip-hop originators the Kottonmouth Kings are celebrating the annual stoner holiday, commonly referred to as 4/20, by dropping a brand new D-Loc song/video called Fresh Vans. The video features D-Loc and was shot in downtown Los Angeles, CA by director Jonezen Music. “April 20th is always an exciting time for us and our fans. We’ve been just recording and stockpiling new music since the end of last year, so we wanted to decide to drop this video to share some of what we’ve been working on with fans,” commented D-Loc. “For this video, we took it back to the old-school and shot it up in Venice Beach, CA where we used to go hang. It kind of brought things back around full circle and let us re-connect with our roots over a dope visual and banging beat.”
4 | Sarah Siskind | Carolina (feat. Justin Vernon)
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Sarah Sikind’s highly anticipated ninth album, Modern Appalachia, is out now. The self-produced Modern Appalachia explores Siskind’s relationship with her home state, with herself, and the inherent dichotomy of the phrase Modern Appalachia in these current times. Her first full-length album in nine years features 12 original compositions and was recorded at Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville, NC. Siskind, on electric guitar, vocals, was joined in-studio by Mike Seal (electric guitar), Jeff Sipe (drums), Daniel Kimbro (bass) with special guest appearances by Bill Frisell (electric guitar) and harmony vocals by Rose Cousins, Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Julie Lee and Elizabeth Foster.”
5 | August Burns Red | Linoleum
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Two-time Grammy Award-nominated Pennsylvania quintet August Burns Red — JB Brubaker [lead guitar], Brent Rambler [rhythm guitar], Matt Greiner [drums], Jake Luhrs [lead vocals], and Dustin Davidson [bass] — have shared their cover of NOFX’s Linoleum, featuring Silverstein singer Shane Told. The cover was recorded and filmed for fun while everyone is under quarantine conditions. “ABR covered Linoleum by NOFX on a 7″ we did in 2009,” says Brubaker. “We busted it out on tour periodically over the years. This past summer, while touring with Silverstein, we played it semi-regularly with Shane Told handling the vocals. While we were all stuck at home in isolation, we thought it would be fun to put together a quarantine version of Linoleum that featured Shane. We each recorded our own parts at home and our sound engineer Chris Pollock mixed the audio together. Then, we had our touring photographer, Ray Duker, edit all the videos together.”
6 | 2nd Generation Wu | New Generation (Remix)
THE PRESS RELEASE: “What would Hip Hop sound like on Jupiter?” muses 2nd Generation Wu’s iNTeLL (son of Wu-Tang Clan’s U-God). Instead of waiting for an answer, he and his partner-in-arms Pxwer present their latest single and brand new official video for New Generation (Remix). Featuring legendary Wu-Tang Clan member and Pxwer’s father Method Man, the new video transports the ongoing legacy of the Wu Family into space, merging Hip Hop with Planet of the Apes. “After meeting the Lead Director Ken Ngwa, we pontificated about where the next frontier of Hip Hop would be,” explains iNTeLL of the interstellar vibes of the video and track. “If it’s already permeated every crevice of the earth, the next journey is into the stars. Once we had the direction, we looked for locations we could manipulate in post production. Being cinephiles as well as musicians, we instantly thought about Planet of the Apes and how the characters and the audience believed it was a different planet even though the beach was as familiar as Earth’s.”
7 | Nicolas Michaux | Harversters
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Nicolas Michaux is a Belgian singer-songwriter who made himself known with a first album, À la vie, à la mort released in 2016. Four years have passed and the artist is coming back with Harvesters, the first single from his sophomore album, which will be released in the fall of 2020. Harvesters is accompanied by a beautiful video directed by Alessandro Bertoncini. It was filmed on the island of Samsø in Denmark, where Michaux lives (half the year) with his wife and daughter. The images, oscillate between the daily life of the musician with his family, his home studio where he composes and picturesque landscapes revealing the beauty of nature in this countryside. This tribute to a simpler way of life is carried by the delicate and yet precise chords of Michaux’s guitar, and enclined by a warm indie folk tone. Harvesters stands out for its vulnerability which nevertheless emerges as a real force for the artist on this first song.”
8 | Tilman Robinson | Clathrate Gun
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Clathrate Gun is taken from upcoming Tilman Robinson album Culturecide, out April 24. The clathrate gun hypothesis describes scenarios in which climate change induced thawing of permafrost releases methane deposits into the atmosphere at unimaginable quantity and speed. While the threat is still a topic of scientific debate, the potential burden on the atmosphere and the effects on climate change would be catastrophic. The melodic content of Clathrate Gun was developed from a musical cryptogram created from the Paris Accord. Climate change is real. Australia burns. We stand on the precipice of global catastrophe.”
9 | The Social Surgeons | COVID-19
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The Social Surgeons have a new single off their forthcoming 3rd album. COVID 19 – self explanatory really.”
10 | Michael Bluestein | Why Corona?
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Iconic rock band Foreigner’s keyboardist Michael Bluestein has produced a new video inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic. Titled Why Corona?, the song is a hybrid of wit and reflection, expressing the range of emotions brought on by this challenging period. Initially created as a humorous take on Bluestein’s time in quarantine while in the studio, the track also expresses emotions of fear, loss and hope. Produced and written by Bluestein, Why Corona? includes a cello feature by esteemed cellist Dave Eggar and backup vocals by Tina Terry. Lyrics were co-written by Michael Bluestein & Lisa Maria Feige, and the video was directed and edited by Jeff Savenick.”
11 | Dylan Pratt | Painter’s Hands
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Dylan Pratt, Los Angeles and Phoenix-based singer-songwriter, will be self-releasing his newest effort, Fantasma, mid-July. The first single Painter’s Hands is available now, accompanied by a lyric video. Fantasma is a collection of 10 songs written by Dylan and recorded during two separate week-long sessions. “My long time music partner, Trevor Orriss, and I took what we have learned from all of our musical experiences and applied it to the making of this record. It is by far the proudest we have been about something we have made. We just hope it resonates with people and is a good listen,” said Pratt. With a dusty timbre, hypnotic voice, and confessional lyrics, Arizona-born singer and songwriter Pratt resembles a traditional troubadour in the purest sense of the word, bouncing from place to place and collating his travels and experiences in song.”
12 | Civic Center | Fly On The Wall
THE PRESS RELEASE: “In the brief time they’ve been around, Chicago industrial trio Civic Center have dropped five collections of seething electronic music, but it’s all led up to their debut LP The Ground Below in which they take the most thrilling aspects of their creative process, up the production value, and add a slight pop sensibility. “Musically we’re constantly striving to find the harmony and disharmony between electronic and organic elements,” explains frontman Jack Brockman, “trying to inject something unusual into industrial.” On Fly on the Wall, the trio take their industrial trappings to a kinetic place — a compulsively danceable beat and pulsing bassline hold the track down until its catchy, synth-heavy chorus rears its head. “Six times is never enough/Fly on the wall,” Brockman moans deeply. Civic Center is always groovy, even when the tempos slow down.”
13 | Held In Secret | Nomads
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Held In Secret are five hardworking individuals who spend every day creating the heaviest and djentiest listening experience known to the Ottawa metal scene. On May 29th, 2020, they will release their sophomore effort Nomads and before it officially drops, the band is sharing another single off the EP, the title track featuring Silent Planet vocalist Garrett Russell. The band adds about the story behind the track and how Russell joined them on vocals: “Nomads, the title track off our EP, talks about the abuse of Indigenous culture in Canada and The United States. We made it the title track right as the clean water crisis happened in Canada. It’s hard to imagine that in 2020, First Nations in Canada could lack access to clean drinking water in their own territories, but many do. In fact, 400 out of 618 First Nations were under at least one water advisory between 2004 and 2014. When we first met Mr. Russell, Silent Planet was opening for August Burns Red in Montreal. We went to speak to him at the merch table as nervous fans. We told him about the concept of the record plus the various messages we are trying to get out there with our music and how we love to have him guest vocals. He really dug the ideas involved and said he be happy to lend his voice to the cause. We’re so thankful to Russell, an amazing person, and talent.”
14 | Cuddle Magic | Bath
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Cuddle Magic — the New York/Philadelphia-based chamber-pop sextet — announced their upcoming full-length Bath. The album’s lead single What If I is out now and, like the full album of single takes, was recorded entirely in a bathroom nestled amid 23 microphones and the space’s natural reverb. “What if I is the first and only song in 15 years of being a band that every member of Cuddle Magic wrote a song together,” says guitarist/vocalist Benjamin Lazar Davis. “The track started when Cole Kamen-Green brought in this amazing seed that was a little loop he found in a Johann Sebastian Bach chorale. Then Christopher McDonald joined us to work on another section that would later become the bridge. Much later, Kristin Slipp and I took out the old seed and soon had the chorus melody, & it was that night that Alec Spiegelman and David Flaherty showed up and together we would complete the lyrics to the song and put the finishing touches on the melody and form.”
15 | Ulthar | Through Downward Dynasties
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Bay area blackened death cult Ulthar will unleash their second full-length Providence on June 12. The unyielding Ulthar attack doubles down on Providence with figures becoming more sickening and shapes more savage. An immensity like spiraling ancient monoliths too tall to comprehend and bending inward upon themselves envelops adherents to this realm. Duly diabolic voices guide this odyssey through the incongruous caverns of absurdity, obscure texts and manifold vitriol. Releasing at a time where our own world has devolved into a surrealistic nightmare of viral trepidation and encased solitude, Ulthar’s Providence becomes a prescient view into the strange paradoxes that only months ago seemed unbelievable but now all too possible. Where horizons cease, where grace is dead, where nothing lives, so be it amen. In the meantime, stream the title track.”
16 | Eighty Ninety | Know Me
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Brooklyn-based duo Eighty Ninety are presenting the official music video for their new single, Know Me. Shot on the shoreline of Maine during golden hour, the video is a tranquil, dreamy visual that evokes feelings of wonder, longing, and nostalgia. On Know Me, Abner’s voice floats over Harper’s earthy blend of banjo and acoustic guitar as the track builds to a vibrant pop chorus, complete with 808s and stacked ethereal harmonies. “The song is about loving someone through life’s darker moment and how that kind of love can bring hope, meaning, and maybe even redemption in the face of tragedy,” the brothers explain of the track.”
17 | Andria Piperni | Coming Home To You
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Montreal based singer-songwriter Andria Piperni’s love for creative expression started as a young girl, often found dancing and singing to R&B. While spending much of her time training and teaching as a dancer, scribbling lyrics in notebooks, and learning piano from her father, she developed a deep passion for storytelling and human connection through music. Inspired by both the intricacies of everyday life and the narratives of her vivid dreams, Andria’s music combines authenticity and fantasy to craft a compelling and meaningful experience. Her new single, Coming Home To You, blends neo-soul, R&B, and jazz to create a sound that feels both fresh and familiar.”
18 | Poli | They Say
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The second single of singer/songwriter Poli is out now They Say is a refreshing blend of modern pop/R&B and dancey electronic music with a slight jazz influence. In an age when everyone wants to tell each other what to do with their lives, Poli proclaims “don’t need to look for me, look for yourself.” In the verses, Poli alternates between sweet sassy melodies and a stream of effected sing-rapping before the anthemic end of the refrain, “the stars are bright enough to conquer on my own.” With tasteful, punchy production and the magnetic style of Poli, They Say is a powerful second release for this up-and-coming LA-based artist. Originally hailing from Moscow, Poli began her career growing up in a musical family and becoming a semi-finalist in Russia’s The Voice. Following years of touring internationally, Poli has settled in Los Angeles where she has developed her creative voice alongside producer Ajae. Through her music she touches on themes of self-discovery, questions life’s nuances and relationships, embodying the journey of a young creative woman finding her way in the modern world, while making these themes accessible and musically infectious.”
19 | Raquel Lily | Mary
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Born in the Philippines, raised in New York and currently residing in Atlanta, Georgia, Raquel Lily is an independent singer, songwriter, producer, guitarist and online personality. She streams music performance and a variety of content, including live vlogging (IRL Streaming), Just Chatting, Social Eating, gaming and cooking. Graduating from UC Davis with a degree in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, Raquel left the medical field and dove head first into her creative pursuit in music and began online streaming in 2017. The musician shares, “I wrote this song while coming to terms with my own sexuality. The chorus is about my liberation on that front, and how I don’t need to be ashamed of who I choose to love.”
20 | Cassidy Taylor | Speak of the Devil
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Speak of the Devil was inspired by the self- antagonist inside Cassidy Taylor’s head. Written in a time of complete vulnerability and darkness, she tells the story of what it’s like to be dictated by your own subconscious, as if it was another being. Feeling at her lowest, the song was written and ready to record within an hour. The production began with intentions of keeping the song raw, just as it was written. Left with no tuning, the authenticity of the vocal performance lays a canvas allowing the listener to paint their own picture and relate the song to their own experiences. With this, the hope is to bring people comfort in knowing they are not alone. Cassidy Taylor wrote the song and co-produced with Yanni Caldas. With every live performance, Cassidy’s energy and honesty instantly captivates the audience and leaves a memorable impact. Cassidy is currently in the studio recording and writing music for future releases.”
