Bee Bee rip it up, Rock For Hope show some brotherly love, Tim Freitag lock it down, Owen Pallett greets the morning, Grace Potter shares the load, Hempolics get it right and plenty more in another typically bloated Friday Roundup. See you on the other side.
1 | Bee Bee | Daily Jobs
THE PRESS RELEASE: “After releasing Daily Jobs, a new track taken from their upcoming new album Day Ripper (out Oct. 9), Italian garage-psych trio Bee Bee Sea have now shared a video to accompany it. The animated video was directed by Francesca Papi. Daily Jobs is the opening track of the new album, and it encapsulates its sound and themes in the space of just over 3 minutes. Frenzied riffs, sharp tempo shifts, melodic choruses, euphoric singalongs: they are all in there representing life’s manic ups and downs and the all-consuming thirst for hope, release and escapism. “The prospect of having a shitty job for the rest of our lives can be suffocating. This song, and the album as a whole, are basically the summary of our lives in the last couple of years, split between working in a factory during the day and playing our music at night. Night is a dream and a day… Day Ripper!”
2 | Rock For Hope | I Believe In Miracles
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Rock For Hope, a collective of musicians has put their twist on The Ramones’ I Believe in Miracles to help raise money for Partners In Health so they can stock up on PPE and other medical equipment needed to fight the battle against COVID-19. The gang includes Walter Schreifels (Quicksand, Gorilla Biscuits, Youth of Today, Rival Schools, CIV), Frank Turner, Eugene Hutz (Gogol Bordello), Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance), Justin Hawkins (The Darkness), Brett Anderson (The Donnas), Tom Higgenson (Plain White T’s), Nathen Maxwell (Flogging Molly, The Bunny Gang), Mike Miley (Rival Sons), Boris Pelekh (Gogol Bordello, Hey Guy), and Roy Cardenas (Mutemath).”
3 | Tim Freitag | Hot, Cold, With & Without (Lockdown Party)
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Picture this: it is spring 2020, the world is wasting away in self-quarantine, and you are under pressure to deliver a music video for your new single. Instead of commissioning an art student to create a lyric video for a mere six-pack of lukewarm beer and then going off to sip a prosecco on your balcony, calm and cool in your silk bathrobe, Tim Freitag have activated their community and organized a lockdown party! Over 80 fans from almost every corner of Switzerland, as well as from Berlin, Buenos Aires, Lisbon, Athens, and even New York, filmed themselves while listening to the new release of the Timmies’ song Hot, Cold, With & Without You … since, after all, they actually had nothing better to do with their time in the lockdown doldrums.”
4 | Owen Pallett | A Bloody Morning
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Island, the latest album from Oscar-nominated composer and songwriter Owen Pallett, is out today. Conceived and directed during the pandemic, the video for A Bloody Morning was directed by Vincent René-Lortie and choreographer Brittney Canda. The dancers — ranging in age from 6 to 72—were filmed with no physical contact, entirely through windows and doorways, including a care facility on strict lockdown. “Honestly, at first I wasn’t sold on the concept,” says Pallett. “I worried that the video would end up pornographing the quarantine, and I declined.” Convinced by the director’s enthusiasm, Owen moved forward. After seeing the near-final cut, “I was floored,” Owen says. “I couldn’t believe how cathartic it was to see the video, how perfectly it fit the song, and how meaningful and necessary it was for me to see it when I did.”
5 | Grace Potter | Eachother
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Written during the early days of quarantine, the ballad features vocals from Jackson Browne, Marcus King, and Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius. Produced by Eric Valentine with everyone’s parts recorded in isolation, the track also features Eric on drums, Alex Proctor on bass, and Jonathan Wilson, Dylan Day, Marcus King and Grace on guitar. “The chorus of the song just kind of exploded out of my heart all at once. It was about five days into the quarantine, and I had just gotten off the phone with a friend who was having a really tough time with the isolation. I was in our living room, watching my son & husband fixing our broken train set and found myself flooded with an overwhelming sense of gratitude & contentment. The onset of COVID-19 was a shock to humanity’s system and has brought on so many reality checks. We may not all be affected in the same ways, but we are all going through this pandemic together as a human race. It is incredibly humbling. It’s invited me to really take account of the things that matter most, which aren’t things at all…they’re people.”
6 | The Hempolics | Get It Right
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Get It Right is the latest offering from The Hempolics forthcoming album Kiss, Cuddle & Torture Volume 2. The video is a baby of the global pandemic lockdown. The Hempolics leader Grippa says: “We’re completely hands-on and make our own video’s but the lockdown made it impossible to get the band and singers together to make one like we usually do. So, I started looking around public domain film to do a mashup video instead and found these amazing vintage cartoons that just had the imagery to perfectly fit in with the song’s vines and lyrics.”
7 | Sizzy Rocket | Smells Like Sex
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Get ready to be up close and personal with Sizzy Rocket in her official music video for Smells Like Sex. Working within the confines of lockdown, the video was directed via Zoom by Sizzy’s frequent collaborator, Dorian Tocker. Sizzy Rocket and her boyfriend Elijah Noll (frontman of American Teeth) filmed using a handheld camera, allowing the couple complete creative control of the experience. “It was like some bizarre Marina/Ulay performance art,” she says. “Physically straining, our bodies twisted together in these weird positions for 5 hours, filming everything in extreme closeup, capturing the ridiculousness of it all.”
8 | Enslaved | Homebound
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Norway’s avant-garde metal heroes Enslaved release their new single Homebound from the upcoming record Utgard, that will be released in fall 2020. The band states: “Homebound is about the greatest reward of exploring and traveling into unknown territory — to “go viking” if you will, turning Homebound at the end of the journey. It is a song that takes Enslaved on a musical journey that is as much an homage to those who dared so we could play our very own style of music: from nurturing blackened roots to nodding at zeppelins in the sky, beholding teutonic thrash titans and watching speeding motorpsychos take off into the futures.”
9 | Evangeline Gentle | You And I
THE PRESS RELEASE: “In anticipation of the vinyl release of their self-titled full-length album, Evangeline Gentle has announced the release of You And I, a unique EP that serves as an introduction to the emotional warmth and dynamic power of this emerging singer-songwriter, as well as a mirror held up to humanity’s unique historical moment. “You And I is the preludial a cappella opening song of my live show, and its message seeks to unite audiences with a sense of ‘sameness’,” says Gentle. “I believe that our deepest connections are found through vulnerability which is why I feel compelled to sing this track completely unaccompanied.”
10 | Soulfly | The Summoning
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Metal icons Soulfly are proud to announce and release their Live Ritual NYC MMXIX digital EP. In celebration, the band has offered the fans a live video for the track The Summoning. Vocalist/guitarist Max Cavalera comments, “New York is a mesmerizing city; the city that never sleeps! I always look forward to playing in NY. The Gramercy is a great venue and the Soulfly crowd was in the trench frontlines of a battlefield, crowded and moving like some kind of tribe. I hope this unforgettable night of metal in NY can uplift you during this quarantine. Start a pit in your living room! I’m in quarantine too, and together, with metal, we will all get through this! Let the ritual begin!”
11 | Dr. Fresch | It Don’t Stop
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Dr. Fresch calls upon influential Bay Area rapper Andre Nickatina (PKA Dre Dog) to sauce up his menacing midtempo bass track It Don’t Stop. A product of the Bay Area, hip-hop is embedded in Dr. Fresch’s roots. No matter what style of music he is producing, his songs frequently incorporate some elements of hip hop. Dr. Fresch continues this methodology on It Don’t Stop, a song influenced by the music that inspired him as a kid. “I grew up listening to Andre Nickatina from a young age, and to me his voice is synonymous with San Francisco Hip-Hop. I reached out to him to collaborate and he actually happened to be putting together a new album. I was fortunate enough to produce a track on his latest record, while simultaneously working with him on It Don’t Stop. Andre had never worked with anyone in the EDM space before, but we formed a mutual understanding through working together to create both these records.”
12 | Ken Yates | Grey County Blues
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Award-winning singer-songwriter Ken Yates releases his third studio album, Quiet Talkers. Reuniting with Jim Bryson (Kathleen Edwards, Oh Susanna, Kalle Mattson), who produced Yates’ 2016 award winning release Huntsville, this new album sees a shift in the tide for Yates as he pens his most personal lyrics to date. “I’ve always been better at observing than being a part of the action, so I like to think of this collection of songs as “thoughts from the quietest person in the room;” shares Yates. Quiet Talkers is a dark, introspective step away from acoustic, guitar-driven, folk songs, yet still maintains Yates’ signature guitar style and lyrics that never waste time getting to the point.”
13 | Osyron | Ignite
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Calgary’s Osyron has a new album on the way, the explosive and thought-provoking Foundations releasing on July 10. According to the band, Foundations is meant to be digested as an immersive exploration of Canadian history and identity, speaking on topics on the country’s colonization to the mistreatment and recognition of Aboriginals to the country’s participation in global warfare. Although it is not a conceptual release, it does bear a consistent theme across nearly the entirety of the record. The band notes that this is the first album where each band member has contributed to the writing processes, which has resulted in a stronger, more refined production overall.”
14 | Kele Fleming | Compassion Machine
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Vancouver musician Kele Fleming didn’t plan to release her new single Compassion Machine in the middle of a global pandemic but the subject matter of the song now seems eerily fitting for these disconnected times. Compassion Machine is the second single to be released from Fleming’s fourth solo album The Song I’ll Write For My Whole Life, which will be out on Oct. 2. Kele wrote Compassion Machine using language that describes how we connect to our technology of choice and the ways in which we attempt to connect with ourselves. “Compassion Machine is a series of metaphors, and an anthem, for how we seek connection through technology, and, at the same time, what that technology does to us as we seek connection through it,” says Kele. “Each one of us has a compassion machine. It may take many forms — a religion or faith, a cell phone, a video game, a bottle of wine, a show to binge-watch on Netflix. The compassion machine is a salve to the day-to-day grind and helps numb out the pain of disconnection in the modern age.”
15 | Two Friends | Looking At You feat. Sam Vesso
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Powerhouse duo Two Friends beam with energy on their dance-pop anthem Looking At You, featuring effervescent vocals from NYC’s Sam Vesso. Looking At You is the latest feel-good bop from lifelong best buds Matt Halper and Eli Sones. Since forming Two Friends in high school, the pair have rocked universities and sold-out crowds alike with their signature brand of pop-infused EDM.”
16 | KSI | Cap feat. Offset
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Musical artist KSI has delivered his highly anticipated debut solo album Dissimulation. To celebrate the release of his solo album, KSI drops the official visual for Cap featuring Migos rapper Offset. Hoping to surprise fans with the release, KSI claims: “I hope this album empowers people and allows them to believe in themselves and conquer any obstacle in their way, no matter the circumstances. I hope this will silence a lot of skeptics. I’ve been doing music for over 10 years and constantly show growth. Hopefully they see that too.”
17 | Smoove & Turrell | It Ain’t Working
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Smoove & Turrell’s upcoming new album Stratos Bleu marks a sea change as the Geordie soul band shift into the more electronic territories that they have previously only briefly indulged in. And new track This Time is the epitome of this new approach with main keys man, Mike Porter’s enormous synth collection gets dusted off to help create a sound that emanates early 90’s dancefloor nostalgia. Vocalist John Turrell’s voice is as usual a wonderful centerpiece for the crew to work around, and they sure know how to frame it… Uplifting melodies, driving four to floor beats, and a deliciously funk-infused bass all contribute to the euphoria, which the production mastermind of the crew, Smoove, has then meticulously polished to help this track shine in its full glory. Add to that a humorous video created during lockdown and you have yourself a tasty morsel indeed!”
18 | Sarah Walk | What Do I Want?
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Sarah Walk just announced Another Me, an album of shimmering synths & soaring pop melodies coming Aug 28, with first single What Do I Want? below. Produced by Leo Abrahams (Regina Spektor, Belle and Sebastian, Paul Simon, Pulp, David Byrne, Brian Eno), the record tackles Sarah’s experience as a queer woman, learning how to set boundaries without apology and being confident without feeling guilty for it. She’s also in good company as a graduate of Berklee College of Music (St Vincent, Aimee Mann, Melissa Ethridge, etc).”
19 | Liza Anne | Bummer Days
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Liza Anne announced the release of her career-defining new album Bad Vacation, out July 24. A collection of art rock anthems, new wave jams, power pop earworms set to establish Liza as a breakthrough independent artist and a bold young voice in mental health self awareness. Single Bummer Days is a mastery of wry and self deprecating lyrics. Liza stated, “I started this song when I was visiting my parents in 2018. I was reading through old poems and journal entries and circling the drain of my own sorrow stories, which felt like a bit of a wake up call. I have all these ideas of what taking care of myself looks like, but I tend to get in my own way. Bummer Days is me calling myself out. I am the only person who will take responsibility for my emotional and mental health.”
20 | Mike Plume | In God’s Hands Now
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Acclaimed Canadian singer/songwriter Mike Plume officially returns with his latest album Lonesome Stretch Of Highway. It finds Plume reborn in many ways. Its nine tracks bear his distinctive stamp, but with an added crackling energy that’s a byproduct of hard-won experience. “I think with this record, patience has been the key,” Plume explains. “Some of these songs were kicking around for a long time, but they just weren’t ready. They just didn’t feel finished at the time I wrote them. Close, but not quite. I knew they had potential, so I just kept going back to them on a regular basis. I’m glad that I kept working on them, kneading them, massaging them, because that craftsman-like mentality has, I feel, helped this album to be among the best I’ve made.” Plume’s balladry is highlighted on In God’s Hands Now, a song eerily appropriate for our current times.”
21 | Mac McAnally | Once in a Lifetime
THE PRESS RELEASE: “To work with Mac is to work with a master,” boasts country music singer-songwriter Drake White. Of course, he’s talking about the one and only Mac McAnally; Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and ten-time CMA Musician of the Year, not to mention a tenured member of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band. McAnally and White co-wrote Once in a Lifetime, the first single from McAnally’s upcoming album of the same title. Out July 31, Once in a Lifetime is a studio reflection of McAnally’s intimate live show in which the all-new material is arranged around mostly guitar and percussion, though a few tracks on the album admittedly outgrew the simple setup.”
22 | Junkowl | Quarantine Us All
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Oozing with rock n roll vibes, Junkowl is coming for ya out of Montreal, QC, Canada. A slick combination of stoner riffs, hardcore energy, and groovy bass, the band’s debut album Making Out With My Death is due out June 5. Today, they are ready to reveal the second single Quarantine Us All, a very fitting track to match the current times as the world deals with the Coivid 19 pandemic. The song itself is about feeling like you have nothing positive to offer and feeling that the ones you love would be better off if you we’re not around. Vocalist Jesse Frechette explains: “Most of my lyrics are about past regrets or self-destructive behaviour. Kind of indulging in negative thoughts and emotions. A lot of them were written while I was wasted. I like to think that the next album will have a much different lyrical theme but hey, old habits die hard.”
23 | JJ Wilde | Cold Shoulder
THE PRESS RELEASE: “JJ Wilde, the Canadian rocker from Kitchener, announced that her anticipated debut LP: Ruthless will be available June 12. Ruthless standout track Cold Shoulder also drops today, tapping into the kind of ’70s New York vibe that might be more familiar with Some Girls-era Rolling Stones; the track blends back-beat grooves with her signature power-chord release in a way unlike anything she’s done yet — a taste of what’s new to come with Ruthless. “After sitting on these songs for what seems like forever, I am over the moon to be able to finally put this one out, especially at a time like this,” shares Wilde. “With everything going on and the industry at what seems like a stand still, I feel very lucky to still be able to create, write, and put out music. Cold Shoulder is one of my favourite songs to perform live. It is an angsty cry for recklessness, and to feel alive.”
24 | Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio | Inner City Blues
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio — or as it is sometimes referred to, DLO3 — specialize in the lost art of “feel good music.” The ingredients of this intoxicating cocktail include a big helping of the 1960s organ jazz stylings of Jimmy Smith and Baby Face Willette; a pinch of the snappy soul strut of Booker T. & The M.G.’s and The Meters; and sprinkles Motown, Stax Records, blues and cosmic Jimi Hendrix-style guitar. It’s a soul-jazz concoction that goes straight to your heart & head, and makes your body break out in a sweat. Live, the band’s fiery and intuitive chemistry is unstoppable, brimming with improvisation, instant composition, imaginative takes on classic tunes, and a booty-shaking back catalog of soulful gems.”
25 | Alizarin | Velvet Margin
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Cinematic rock metallers Alizarin announce they will be releasing their sophomore album The Last Semblance on July 10 and are excited to share the full length’s second single Velvet Margin. The track is very vocally driven with many harmonies throughout with plenty of piano and acoustic guitar sections. Vocalist/guitarist Josh Kay explains the track in further detail: “This second single, Velvet Margin, is a drastic contrast from most of the other tracks on the new record. Driven by haunting vocal lines, expressive counter harmonies, and layered acoustic instrumentation, the song arguably contains some of the most melodic and memorable passages on the album. In many ways it is some of the most uncharted territories for Alizarin, letting the vocals drive a lot of the music and focusing even less on flashy or over the top instrumentation. The closest thing to a “ballad” we have, although we tend to steer clear of that term.”
26 | Lindy Vopnfjörd | State of the Heart
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Ontario musician Lindy Vopnfjörd is a songwriter in the classic sense. A true storyteller with a knack for melody, Vopnfjörd is happy just to create. He’s made major label records with his band Major Maker. He’s made protest albums, standing on a soap box with an acoustic guitar. His previous LP, 2019’s You Will Know When It’s Right, was a collaboration with legendary Icelandic band Nydonsk, recorded in Reykjavik. For his new album, State of the Heart (out today), though, Lindy turned to the age-old inspiration… love, in all its good and bad. Cool and paced, a relaxed trot with slow-mo drums and acoustic guitar carry the verses into a swelling chorus, “I want to sing you a lover’s song / I want to sing you a perfect rhyme / Won’t you come and see me sometime.” The bluesy harmonica interludes infuse a nostalgia and Canadiana vibe, while Lindy’s vocals rebounding on the word love in the lyric, “I’ll send you my love wherever you are,” ripples artistically just before instruments are stripped back at song’s end, giving laser focus to his invitation for meaningful re-connection.”
27 | Dauzat St. Marie | Where Were You
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter duo Dauzat St. Marie — (pronounced dō’-zaht, “like robot,” as guitarist Mat Dauzat says) known to many as the voices and guitar of the accomplished Los Angeles rock band Hydrovibe — is gearing up to spread their impassioned harmonic musical synergy with fans both far and wide with today’s highly anticipated release of their new song, Where Were You? A fitting anthem for our time, Where Were You? reflects what people have been through in this lifetime and brings it full circle. “This is our history. These are extraordinary moments that make up the fabric of our collective being. These are the moments that define who we are. We are currently living in one of those extraordinary moments, and the power to pen the next chapter in history is completely in our capable hands.”
28 | Ebony Buckle | Ghost
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Ebony Buckle is a London-based singer/songwriter, originally from the tropical seaside town of Townsville, Australia. Taking listeners on a whimsical leftfield-pop journey with her complex harmonies and imaginative storytelling lyricism, Buckle sings about universal themes of romance and broken hearts to more poetic themes of disgruntled mermaids, lonely whales and joyous, hypothetical alien invasions. Her latest single Ghost details the heart-wrenching experience that Buckle and her English husband Nick endured during their fight to renew her visa after their marriage. Despite her specific experience, Ghost is a universal song of love, loss, commitment and pain of feeling utterly helpless. Ghost was written over Skype between her and her newly-wed husband, as they were kept apart for nearly two years. It was a time in their lives when normality was turned upside down, and they were put in limbo.”
29 | Sindy | Trash Burn
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Hits For Kids is the debut EP from Stockholm based Sindy. Sindy is the project of Stockholm-based musician Tom Serner, taking influence from the likes of Cocteau Twins, Hole, The Breeders, My Bloody Valentine and Harmony Korine. Under his Sindy moniker, Serner creates immaculate dream pop and his debut EP Hits for Kids is due out on June 19. The song Trash Burn is out now.”
30 | Zaac Pick | Atmosphere
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Canadian singer, songwriter and musician Zaac Pick releases the third song off his upcoming album Passages. The eight-track record is a reflective and raw collection of songs that explore the ambiguities and complexities of desire, masculinity, mental health, disillusionment, and finding strength, with a hopeful and often poetic honesty. Today, Zaac releases Atmosphere — the third single off of Passages. Appearing as the album’s opener, this track explores the tension between the knowing, and mystery, in long-term relationships and is a solid introduction to the rest of the tracks to follow. “A lot of love songs are about the before and after of a romantic relationship, but not as many are about what it’s like in between, the space that exists between people in a long-term relationship. How that space expands and contracts, how the line between knowing and mystery blurs and comes into focus over time,” Zaac explains. “Atmosphere is an acknowledgement of the distance that can grow between two people in a relationship, but also of the desire or willingness to cross it and reconnect.”
31 | Airports | U Feel It 2
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Airports is Australian DIY pop artist Aaron Lee. With his eyes set on influencing listeners while travelling the world, the Sydney dwelling artist isn’t afraid to take a non-conventional approach, further fortifying his unique sonic identity by defying & blending genres of hip hop, punk, electronic and pop. Airports is unveiling U Feel it 2, written with the intention to be interpreted as either a love song about someone who makes us feel free, or a dark song about a vice that keeps us trapped. Aaron confides, “It started out being written as a song about a haunting relationship with depression in contrast to uplifting music, but when some of the lyrics started to spill out I realised I was also writing about positive romantic feelings for my partner. At that point I was emotionally overwhelmed and realised this song has a great dualism.”
32 | Kidsø | Childhood
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Live-electro duo Kidsø have released their latest single Childhood. The single is the title track from their highly anticipated upcoming album which is slated for release later this year. Kidsø share a little about the journey behind creating the track: “The single Childhood is the first step away from the cold and quiet Northern regions of Europe, which gave us inspiration for the debut EP Apart. The production of the track started in late 2017 and got its color due to frequent trips to South Africa in 2018. At that time, the main vocal melody evolved and got complimented by sounds from the countryside.”
33 | Bellsavvy | Queen of My Mind
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Bellsavvy is a pop singer/songwriter with a strong attitude and musical identity. Based in London and raised in Brazil, the artist knows how to combine her latin roots and European influences to create a unique sound unlike any other. Queen of My Mind is her uplifting and self-empowering anthem about overcoming these inner battles, realising who you are, accepting it and understanding it, in order to truly be at one with yourself. She confides, “Queen of My Mind is a very personal, deep and emotional song. I wrote it about three years ago after a mental breakdown I had at the very end of my modeling career. I want others to feel the power we have when we love ourselves. Self-esteem, self-love and self-acceptance are the most powerful things we can have in us. It changes everything.”
34 | Haven Chills | Dull Boy (Acoustic)
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Haven Chills can best be described as playing high-intensity rock fusion. The bold energetic feel, composed of numerous influences found across a wide spectrum of rock music history, blend together and form an exciting musical style that is distinct and original. This Vancouver Canada based band formed in 2018 by multi-instrumentalist Dan Potter is an ambitious project that has to date released the full length album Octaved Sky, three music videos and a full cover of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. “On Dull Boy (Acoustic) I let the saying ‘back to basics’ be my guide as I brought out congas to create a raw tribal backbeat underneath acoustic guitars while subtle vocal layering added choirs of fluctuating unease. The result is a lush and dreamy trip through classic pop melodies where with nothing to hide behind, my musical performance alone provides the sense of drama.”
35 | Tom Boy | Long Way Home
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto-based duo Tom Boy was formed by singer Nate Daniels and guitarist Dante Berardi Jr. after the dramatic collapse of their former band, Cairo. After facing the threat of music unheard, the two musicians collected their resources (and what was left of their pride) and began to feverishly work on new material in 2018. The band just released a new single, Long Way Home — an echoing pop track with lush instrumentation, powerful vocals, and vulnerable lyrics.”
36 | Die Buben im Pelz | Kodachrom
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Die Buben im Pelz were as well as many other bands: New album finally recorded, potential single considered, tour planned. Then came Covid-19, the third longplayer of the Viennese indie band was locked in the safe for the time being. But in the isolation an idea came up, another new song crystallized as a statement. Kodachrom, named after the legendary slide film of the same name, is a farewell to the old world. A Bye Bye to obsolete technologies and the feelings stored on them. A final Adé to the analogue, full of melancholy and with a touch of fine irony at the same time.”
37 | Dr. Drexler | Schwarze Null
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The single of the Dr. Drexler project could not be more up to date. Suddenly everyone is talking about the so-called black zero. Dr. Drexler prefers to “sing” about it. The effects and developments of this construct have been visible in many European countries for years, even in Germany. Ailing health care systems and precarious employment relationships. So we are dancing on the ruins of the black zero.”
38 | Tia Gostelow | Psycho
THE PRESS RELEASE: “If there was ever an artist that is poised for International success it is Tia Gostelow. Tia’s debut album Thick Skin was released in Australia and New Zealand on her own label. 20-year-old Tia is currently putting the finishing touches on her second album with acclaimed producer Oscar Dawson (Holy Holy, Alex Lahey) that is scheduled for release in early 2020.
