Jess Cornelius steps out, Archie Shepp, Raw Poetic & Damu The Fudgemunk tiptoe through the tulips, Liela Moss dances with herself, Land of Talk take a stand and more in today’s Roundup. Lots of great female artists in the spotlight, which is always a good thing. But don’t sleep on that Nest Egg track down near the bottom. It’s a monster.
1 | Jess Cornelius | Kitchen Floor
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Jess Cornelius announces her debut album, Distance, out July 24, and presents a new single/video, Kitchen Floor. Cornelius began writing the songs that would comprise Distance after moving from Melbourne, Australia to Los Angeles. At the time, she was excited to start fresh after several years as the primary songwriter in the band Teeth and Tongue. But the distance she addresses over the album is hardly a geographical one. Instead, Distance finds a deft songwriter analyzing the space between society’s expectations and her own dreams, the illusion of love and the reality of disappointment, and a past she is ready to let go of and a future she could have hardly imagined. On new single Kitchen Floor, Cornelius maps the space between the bedroom and the front door over a Roy Orbison tinged rave-up, lamenting the coming pain: “This is gonna be a hard one.”
2 | Archie Shepp, Raw Poetic & Damu The Fudgemunk | Tulips
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Fresh off the release of their new collaborative album, Ocean Bridges, Archie Shepp, Raw Poetic, and Damu The Fudgemunk share the Stephen Knox-directed visual for their standout album track Tulips. Staring Raw Poetic and Damu The Fudgemunk, the video weaves together footage shot during the album’s studio sessions with Shepp. “Our uncle Archie is kind of like a legend in our own family,” says Knox, who, along with Jason Moore (Raw Poetic), is a nephew of Shepp. “Tulips was intended to be sort of a continuation of [the video for lead single] Learning to Breathe. The overall message is that once you’ve liberated yourself and learned to breathe freely, you can finally begin to grow as an individual and reach new heights. The good thing is that we can grow even faster with a little help from our friends.”
3 | Liela Moss | Atoms At Me
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Liela Moss has announced news of her new solo album Who The Power, out Aug. 7. To mark the occasion Moss has shared a video for lead track Atoms At Me, directed and filmed by her neighbour (and IYEARA singer) Paul O’Keeffe. Moss says: “I am dancing with the walls and grooving in the recesses. Preparing — but hesitating — to reveal more of myself. The visual quality softly distorts and abstracts me, hinting at the way we keep old emotional patterns at bay; a bit too afraid to bring them to surface, to witness your needs and fears with clarity … If you’re going to deconstruct the modern psyche, you might as well dance to it.”
4 | Land of Talk | Diaphanous
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Land of Talk, the Montreal-based band led by Elizabeth Powell, share the video for atmospheric Diaphanous. The aptly named opening track from forthcoming album Indistinct Conversations is the perfect lead-in to the album’s hazy dream world, where Powell’s masterful, at times cacophonous guitar playing and delicate, stream-of-consciousness vocals are ever-present. Powell explains: “What begins as an airy groove, swells into a sweeping anthem for going easy on oneself. And, the importance of levity.”
5 | Cut Worms | Castle in the Clouds
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Cut Worms, moniker of Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter Max Clarke, returns with Castle in the Clouds, and an accompanying video. Clarke wrote Castle in the Clouds in April 2019 after tours supporting his 2017 EP Alien Sunset and 2018’s Hollow Ground. The songs came quick, then, too many to count. This track is somewhere between a lonesome cowboy lullaby for the restless, and a doo-wop sci-fi elegy for the daydreaming teenagers of Mars. Its video, homemade by Clarke, pulls together luminous animations and mid-20th century stock footage. “Castle in the Clouds was the first one we did,” says Clarke. “I remember being in the studio, thinking the control room looked like the bridge on a spaceship. It reminded me of the old Carl Sagan Cosmos, where he’s kind of hovering above, transporting you across the universe. I always really liked the theme song. I think that spirit found its way onto the recording.”
6 | Meggie Lennon | Mind Games
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Somewhere in the land of uninhibited love and playful sins, Meggie Lennon is both the game and the rule that begs to be broken, crafting her songs through spirals of unrepentant escapism. Without any musical training but with a huge passion for music, Lennon picked up a guitar at age 30. She could be considered a jack of all trades — writing and composing, co-producing and co-arranging her songs. Lennon’s latest record, Sounds From Your Lips, will drop later this year. In anticipation of its release, she has shared a new single entitled Mind Games. An original take on modern music where dream pop and make-out psych rock become the soundtrack to whatever comes next, Lennon also wrote, directed and shot the accompanying Mind Games visuals on her iPhone.”
7 | Cappa | There With You Baby
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Electro-pop favorite Cappa is releasing the official music video for her new single, There With You Baby. Directed by Joe DeSantis, the video revels in vibrant nostalgia, featuring hypnotic, grainy footage of Cappa streaming on retro TV sets. Carla Cappa has a knack for crafting carefree yet clever electro-pop tracks. Since her 2015 breakout Hush, Cappa has continued to pump out a bevy of delightful pop singles. Originally hailing from Philadelphia, she first landed in Nashville and quickly became synonymous with the city’s growing pop scene. After moving to Los Angeles a few years back, Cappa has continued to establish herself as a go-to songwriter and has collaborated on tracks for major electronic artists like SNBRN, TELYKast, and Justin Caruso.”
8 | Silentium | Truth
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Metal made in Finland is bound up with certain expectations that can be both a blessing and a burden for any band hailing from the far north. Foremost on this list is a penchant for bittersweet melancholy and strong emotions. Not far behind this dark streak comes a seemingly easy aptitude to deliver catchy melodies which contrast nicely with crunchy riffing. Technical prowess as well as the use of keyboards is taken for granted. Silentium manage to check all these boxes and still emerged with their very own sound from the beginning. “This piece is very important to me as it manages to capture a snapshot of the internal turmoil, we all feel from time to time. Riina’s lyrics suit fantastically to the emotional scale of the composition and the vocal arrangements Riina has made with Sami leave nothing to desire. The dynamics, nuances and overall feeling everyone in the band brings to the song perfectly underline the emotions I originally wanted this song to present. I wanted the song to flow through a slowly moving emotional rollercoaster and I think we managed it quite well”, says Silentium guitarist, and main composer of the song Truth, Juha Lehtioksa.”
9 | Saint Mars | Pacific State
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Saint Mars are sharing the music video for their latest single Pacific State. Alongside lead singer Tryzdin and head honcho Marc Darcange, the single features Jethro “Alonestar” Sheeran, rap star from Bristol and Ed Sheeran’s cousin. Fully embracing the post-apocalyptic world, Saint Mars present a visual masterpiece of a music video. With expansive footage of the scenic mountain tops in Switzerland, Pacific State lays its claim musically to the land. The ultimate aim of the music video is to illustrate the fragility of human life and the impermanence of things, ultimately holding a mirror up to current affairs and demanding that their fans pay attention. Yearning hooks meet booming drums, serving to enhance the dramatic message of salvation found within and ensuring that while serious topics are explored, it is done so in a relatable manner.”
10 | New SeepeopleS | Blink
THE PRESS RELEASE: “SeepeopleS are celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band and drop the new single Blink from their forthcoming album Field Guid For Survival In This Dying World. For Blink, they have collaborated with award winning filmmaker Anthony Marshall. Anthony did an unbelievable job sifting through footage sent from all over the world, including some footage sent in by some SeepeopleS’ musical collaborators and friends including Dana Colley (Morphine), Griffin Sherry (Ghost Of Paul Revere), Pete Keys (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Parliament/Funkadelic), Nikki Glaspie (Beyoncé, Griz, Nth Power), Laura Reed and Shawn Eckels (Andy Frasco & The UN) to name a few, and creating a real narrative to the video. You might even see a few more recognizable faces if you look closely.”
11 | Child of Night | Live from Lockdown
THE PRESS RELEASE: “With the live music scene in a physical stand still due to nationwide shut downs, experimental electronic act Child of Night enter the growing field of live streamed performances with the release of Live from Lockdown. Being from two different states (Pennsylvania and Ohio) during nationwide shelter in place orders, the artists achieved the difficult task of giving their audience the live show feel at home by using deceptive video editing techniques. J. Thompson explains the challenges encountered to deliver a complete performance: “The process was somewhat difficult, but less so than you might think … I recorded myself playing the backing track and then sent that recording to T. Wolfe who then recorded and took video of himself performing over the backing track. We then took the raw footage and edited it together giving the illusion of us together in one room. The recording itself is all one take, so we could make it feel as much like an actual live performance as humanly possible given the circumstances.”
12 | Lufeh | Find My Way
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Los Angeles based progressive metallers Lufeh (a band of both Brazilian and American musicians) recently released a new album Luggage Falling Down. Heavy, complex, and sophisticated, the tapestry of arrangements incorporates pop, progressive metal, and Brazilian music. The first single from the album Find My Way has a video out, which clearly shows the passion and energy these musicians embody. Lufeh Batera explains the picture being painted with this song: “It is the dictionary definition of a cinematic, high-energy show opener. Close your eyes and listen to this song, and you’ll see the stage lights hit as the first guitar lick screams out when the band cues out of the “intro tape”. The song also features a metrically disorienting instrumental section and poetic lyrics about turning dreams into reality.”
13 | Black Altar | Deus Inversus
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Odium Records have launched an ambitious series of world premieres for the darkly powerful new video from Black Altar. Speaking about the song, Black Altar’s Shadow said: “The song was written by the guitarist and myself. I am very happy with it both in terms of music and lyrics. On the musical side, because it is quite diverse, it has extremely fast blasts played by Lars Broddesson (Funeral Mist, ex-Marduk), as well as slow monumental fragments, a very fast and long solo played by our guitarist Thomas, Latin choirs sung by Alexandros from Macabre Omen and singer Lilly Kim. From the lyrical side, this is one of the most occult lyrics I have written. Simply put, Deus Inversus means to me that Everything is Everything. God is also the Devil, the Original Consciousness that emerged from Chaos on the basis of adversity. That is why the Devil is God’s second face.”
14 Clap! Clap! | Moving On feat. Martha Da’ro
THE PRESS RELEASE: “There’s a new Clap! Clap! album on the horizon. Liquid Portraits hits planet earth June 12! Today they are sharing the official video for Moving On, which features fresh talent Martha Da’ro on vocals. The music video & album art by the inimitable RUFFMERCY.”
15 | The Swell Fellas | Scatterbrain
THE PRESS RELEASE: “After countless nights spent in Walmart parking lots with their 91’ Chevy van, highway breakdowns, and rented uHauls, The Swell Fellas are building a reputation for packing out small clubs across the East coast, writing modern psych/prog rock anthems dipped in a vat of whatever was in the ’70s punch bowl. Eschewing tropes of stoner and psych bands in the scene today, these small-town east coasters are in it for the long haul with their seemingly unpredictable compositions and face-melting riffage. Following up their impressive debut album The Big Grand Entrance, the trio once again locked themselves with producer/engineer and All Them Witches guitarist Ben McLeod in The Church studio to record their new EP The Great Play of Extension. Released only three months later, this three-track seals the trio’s smooth, expansive and definitely addictive brand of psych/prog rock, placing them among the bands to watch for anyone craving rock-solid jams and blues-infused hooks.”
16 | Pristine | Lucid Dream
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Norwegian rock band Pristine released their new digital EP Fireball on May 8. Today, the band offers fans a lyric video for the track Lucid Dream. The band states “We’ve always found a lot of inspiration in listening to psychedelic rock, and when we wrote the song Lucid Dream we felt the need to capture a feeling of the folklore mystery we grew up with in Norway, mixed with a melodic melancholy. The lyric is about the place you call home, and how it affects you later in life. To compliment the music we also release a lyric video. Our drummer Ottar placed a camera in his car while driving to his home village, Brensholmen, in the north of Norway. (The video was filmed in april, still a couple of meters of snow..) This became the idea for the back ground graphics for the lyric video.”
17+18 | Howling | Healing + Need You Now
THE PRESS RELEASE: “RY X and Frank Wiedemann reunite as Howling to present Colure, the sophomore full-length record from their joint musical enterprise. RY X, solo alternative artist and member of The Acid, and Frank, one half of Âme, bring fans a bigger, sharper follow-up to their debut, Sacred Ground. Today, they share a new double single Healing / Need You Now taken from the forthcoming album, showcasing Howling’s versatile and contrasting sound. “Healing / Need You Now are born out of an aspect for pure creative expression, together they live between sonic worlds we love to swim in.”
19 | Nest Egg | Dislocation
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Dislocation is the new album from Nest Egg. Dislocation carries on where Nothingness Is Not A Curse left off, only more so. Six more humming tracks of cacophony. Nest Egg’s music builds, ebbing and flowing, searching for its own space. Peaks and troughs, lefts and rights, highs and lows, noise and silence. Nest Egg deals in Krautrock wizardry. Songs are built upon repetition and drone, all sheltered within a hive of buzzsaw guitars and analogue synths. No sound is wasted, space is the place, songs will evolve and grow for as long as they need to. There is organisation in chaos. ‘Mood music for nihilists’ indeed.”
20 | Deadcrow | Sorrow
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Netherlands-based producer Deadcrow brings his dark, futuristic knob-twisting via Sorrow. Since arriving in 2016 via the chilly, grime-soaked Night Wonder EP, Deadcrow has taken over the underground with his emotive sci-fi-inspired soundscapes. He remains an influential figure in the wave music scene. Deadcrow has continued to push his sound this year through a series of recent releases such as Brothel collaboration MIRÆ, Lies, and a collection of previously unreleased songs dubbed Purge.Zip.”
21 | The Cradle | One Too Many Times
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The Cradle — the solo project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Paco Cathcart (Big Neck Police, Eyes of Love, Shimmer) — announced his upcoming 21-track album, Laughing In My Sleep, will release Aug. 21. Along with the announcement, Cathcart has shared the album’s lead single, One Too Many Times, featuring Lily Konigsberg (of Palberta) on backing vocals. “It’s a lament about miscommunication, and the difficulties of being vulnerable and clear with one another,” Cathcart explains, “It’s about feeling desperately apart from the “vanguard,” that is, those who are fearless and true with their language, politically and personally.”
22 | Cigarettes After Sex | You’re All I Want
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Cigarettes After Sex return with a brand new song, You’re All I Want, their first since the release of their acclaimed sophomore album Cry last year. You’re All I Want chronicles the passion from a new love. The track is a pristine follow up from where Cry left off, but with a newfound vigor. Continuing to express love songs with an intensity and compassion unparalleled, You’re All I Want builds into a pleasant escape to wrap yourself in. Says Greg Gonzalez: “The initial takes of the song were finished in the courtyard of the house we were staying at in Mallorca, late in the evening, right as a thunderstorm was rushing in over us. Almost three years later, having just moved to L.A., I finally wrote the lyrics & they ended up telling a story I saw as a fantasy or dream involving my girlfriend & I. Sort of reversing our roles & retelling the way we met, while imagining what a sweet future might look like together…”
23 | Michael Bernard Fitzgerald | Our River
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Michael Bernard Fitzgerald is a Canadian singer and songwriter based in Calgary, AB. He’s built his career as a touring artist, performing festivals, theatres and venues across North America and Europe. Michael’s new single Our River explores the idea that a song could paint a picture of the future, versus detailing something that had already happened. The song is a rhythm-driven folk track meant to feel warm and hopeful.”
