Might have a dirty mind, Tempesst make a run for it, The Dirty Nil come clean, Cold Beaches share their troubles, Fast Romantics are only human and more in today’s Roundup. Insert your own snappy quip here. I can’t do everything, you know.
TRACKS OF THE DAY
1 | Might | Pollution Of Mind
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The eponymous debut album from Hanover, Germany-based Might arrives in July. The first full single has been released in the form of an official video for the song Pollution Of Mind. The married couple Ana Muhi (vocals, bass) and Sven Missullis (guitars, vocals, drums) of Might moved into their own studio in March 2020 to record their self-titled debut album. Muhi says of the first single, “We’ve been told to live our lives straight and always move forward – faster, higher, more efficient. That’s what we grew up to. What if this now changes, becoming more of a walk in circles, in a house of mirrors, creating a new awareness? A reflection and painful enlightenment in dark times? The current situation with lockdown measures almost everywhere on the planet could be a chance, helping to put a halt to the rat race in modern societies and free our minds from hidebound myths of constant and ongoing self-optimization.”
2 | Tempesst | On The Run
THE PRESS RELEASE: “London-based indie-rock quintet Tempesst have announced their debut album Must Be A Dream will be released Sept. 30. The band are also releasing the album’s first single On The Run, out alongside a candid studio video directed by the band’s very own Andy Banjanin. On the new single, vocalist Toma Banjanin shared: “On The Run was written about a close friend who disappeared for a decade and returned as someone completely different, and it’s an ongoing trauma. When I connected the music to the lyrics to try and finish the song, it felt like it had a rolling rhythm, so the chorus fell into place from there. For me, this song carries a lot more emotional weight.”
3 | The Dirty Nil | Done With Drugs
THE PRESS RELEASE: “It used to be that The Dirty Nil’s advantage over all other rock ‘n’ roll bands was that they had punchier riffs, sharper hooks, and snazzier collared shirts. With the world in isolation mode, the Hamilton, ON trio can exploit yet another unique asset — the fact that singer/guitarist Luke Bentham, bassist Ross Miller, and drummer Kyle Fisher all live together. As a result, the Nil have been able to put the finishing touches on their next album without having to worry about social distancing, face masks, or their 40-minute Zoom time limit running out. Today, the band provides a preview in the form of the instant, adrenalizing power-pop anthem Done With Drugs. Says Bentham: “On Facebook, I see these posts from people declaring, “I’m done with this!” They’ll have a six-paragraph post about how they’re changing their lives. I’m definitely not against self-betterment, and I’m not trying to make light of anyone’s struggle; I’m just kind of amused and fascinated by that whole aspect of social media. Like someone will post, “I’m done drinking coffee!” Okay, well then just stop drinking coffee — you don’t have to try to stop the internet for the day to tell everybody that you’re done with Maxwell House! I find that funny, and somewhat narcissistic. But that’s just my opinion, and I’m kind of an asshole!”
ALSO ON THE PLAYLIST
4 | Cold Beaches | Problems and Heartache (I Got Them)
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Cold Beaches is the psychedelic rock ’n’ roll brainchild of Sophia Nadia. The project began in 2015 when Nadia moved from the suburbs of D.C. to Richmond, Va. Cold Beaches is releasing the music video for their first single Problems and Heartache (I Got Them)! Sophia has this to say about the song: “This song is one of the more honest songs on the album, despite it’s pop and upbeat sound. It covers pretty much all the bases with me- heartbreak, grief and loss, and avoiding my problems. I think it’s the only way to move forward, by continuing to be as honest in my art as I can.”
5 | Fast Romantics | Only People
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Acclaimed indie-rock band Fast Romantics debut Only People, the second track from their highly anticipated new album Pick It Up, set for release on Aug. 7. Frontman and lead songwriter Matthew Angus had this to say about the track: “Only People is about avoiding the best parts of life because they’re inevitably going to hurt. That fear that eventually the people you love are going to mess up, or leave you, or worse. It’s about making that choice to move beyond the innocence of a simple life. An easy life without risk. Leaving that innocence behind, and making that cursed agreement with the world to take every chance you can in order to feel every euphoric feeling possible.”
6 | Facing the Gallows | Pessimist
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Facing The Gallows from South Africa bring back the early days of Metalcore. The new single Pessimist combines the blast beats of Death Metal with Hardcore grooves and a power chorus in a steam hammer track. Facing The Gallows about the song: “The lyrics express how darkness in a person can have such a destructive impact on the quality of your life. The chorus highlights the message of what it’s doing to a person who constantly indulges in that behaviour.”
7 | Stonebirds | Stay Clean
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Britanny’s sludge and post-doom trio Stonebirds unleash a dark and aesthetic video for Stay Clean, the new single from their upcoming album Collapse and Fail, due out July 24. With Collapse and Fail, Stonebirds deliver their darkest album to date — wilder, gloomier and more radical than ever. If their previous records resonated like a distress call from the planet, this third full-length is an excruciating piece of hopelessness that depicts the horror we’re collectively facing. Stonebirds tell us more about this new single: “Stay Clean is a song that we’re really proud of, as we managed to put a lot of things we like in it without making it sounds wobbly. You can find a lot of energy and aggressiveness here, but also catchy melodies. It’s the kind of song that almost writes itself on its own.”
8 | All We Are | Not Your Man
THE PRESS RELEASE: “All We Are — the Liverpool trio comprised of Ireland’s Richard O’Flynn (drums), Norway’s Guro Gikling (bass) and Brazil’s Luis Santos (guitar) — are pleased to announce their third album, Providence, set for release on Aug. 14. “The celebration of the positive things was our focal point with this record,” says Rich. “We could never have known what sort of world we’d be releasing this record into but our goal was always to try to bring people joy amongst the sorrow.” The announcement comes alongside a glimmering new single and video Not Your Man. All We Are describe the track: “‘If Not Your Man wasn’t a song, it’d be your holiday romance: sticky, sexy, hot and you’re not going to waste it.”
9 | Ensiferum | Thalassic
THE PRESS RELEASE: “On July 10, Ensiferum will release their new album Thalassic. For a preview of Thalassic, a video for the new single, Andromeda (directed by Vesa Ranta and recorded on Rankki Island, Finland), is out now. Ensiferum are a true powerhouse when it comes to folk-inspired melodic death metal, something they hammer home more resolutely than ever with eighth full-length Thalassic. The title translating from ancient Greek as “of or relating to seas”, it’s a suitably huge and wide-ranging collection that incorporates orchestrations and traditional folk instrumentation alongside the roaring guitars, bass, and drums. “I think we managed to take another step ahead musically and we also utilized the best parts of our old sound,” states bassist/vocalist Sami Hinkka. “There are lots of Ensiferum’s trademarks: beautiful folkish melodies, ass-kicking riffs, a nice mix of different vocals and great singalong choruses.”
10 | Dehd | Flood
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Chicago-based trio Dehd release a new single/video, Flood, from their sophomore album, Flower of Devotion, out July 17. Throughout Flood, polished guitar and a minimalistic drum beat resonate beneath Emily Kempf’s immediately expressive voice. “Falling in love with someone is like becoming water,” says Kempf. “A flood is powerful, uncontrollable, devastating. Water can nourish or destroy.” Its accompanying video, directed by Kempf and Andrew Miller, is driven by Kempf’s compelling choreography.”
11 | No Joy | Nothing Will Hurt
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Montreal’s No Joy today share Nothing Will Hurt, the second track from their forthcoming album Motherhood, out on Aug. 21. “The demo of this song started as a slow Industrial burner built on samples of me screaming,” explains Jasamine White-Gluz. “Once brought into the studio, the song found new life; our mission in the studio was that no idea was too weird to try. That led to us squishing bananas into very expensive microphones to get textured percussion noises, shoving kitchen knives into guitar necks to create a perfect slide guitar sound and adding some Primus-inspired slap bass.” The accompanying lyric video was filmed at Ferme du Domaine Quinchien, a Quebec organization that saves and rehabilitates farm animals, including the Motherhood cover goat Piquette.”
12 | Hey, King! | Lucky
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Hey, King! have released their new single, a passionate and string-filled track called Lucky. Hey, King! is comprised of songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist Natalie London and her partner, vocalist and percussionist Taylor Plecity. A high-spirited eight piece orchestral band when playing live, Hey, King! has the exuberance of Arcade Fire, the freewheeling simplicity of Tom Petty and the wit-filled resonance of Fiona Apple. Lucky proves how both compelling and explosive their sound can get. Plecity explains the track: “We want to make music that we feel our younger selves needed to hear. With Lucky, we wrote what we’d want to say to ourselves during the times where our lives were the hardest, and tell that child it is going to be okay. I hope people can hear this song both as a love song and as a song about finding the hero in your future self, depending on the day it really still means either to me.”
13 | Alizarin | Heirloom
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Cinematic rock metallers Alizarin announce the release of their sophomore album The Last Semblance on July 10, and are excited to share the full length’s third single Heirloom. The track is one of the heavier, more energetic, and harder-hitting songs with some of the strongest vocal parts and strangest grooves on the album. Vocalist/guitarist Josh Kay explains the track in further detail: “It is one of the most heavy-hitting, catchy, and melodic tunes that also captures many of the approaches we incorporate. Heirloom almost steps into power metal territory, while still holding a firm footing in groove-oriented progressive metal. Thematically, the song considers the timeline of humanity and our intellectual evolution. It looks at humans as emotionally charged and proud “adolescents” of sorts on this timeline, with a long way to go to find a more harmonious existence, if that time ever arrives.”
14 | Greer | Bye Bye Baby
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Southern California-bred alt-rock band Greer have announced their upcoming debut EP Lullaby for You, out July 17. The five-song project, produced by Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Kurt Vile, Beck), transforms moments of profound heartache and romantic angst into massively catchy pop songs with Greer’s summery melodies and charismatic energy. Today, the band share their new single Bye Bye Baby, a breakup anthem drawing inspiration from ’60s doo-wop that is both heavy-hearted and infectious. Since the band’s formation in 2018, Greer have moved forward with incredible momentum, fueled by their immaculate songwriting and unguarded sincerity.”
15 | Natalie Schlabs | Go Outside
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Natalie Schlabs has unveiled timely new single Go Outside, a track from her forthcoming album Don’t Look Too Close, due out Oct. 16. Schlabs wrote the song as “a reminder to put down my phone and pursue activities that fill me with a tangible sense of the world and my ‘flesh and bone’ neighbor outside my door,” she explains. “To be outside is to be surrounded by a world I can’t control and beauty I did not have to create myself. I can let go of some of my control and simply be.” The nine tracks that comprise Don’t Look Too Close, the second full-length effort from the Texas-bred Nashville-based artist, live in the tension between the beauty and heartbreak surrounding our closest relationships.”
16 | New Fries | Arendt / Adler / Pulley Pulley Pulley Pulley
THE PRESS RELEASE: “New Fries are sharing their latest single, the mind-bending, genre-defying, tongue-twisting Arendt / Adler / Pulley Pulley Pulley Pulley, the second single from their new album Is The Idea Of Us. Out on Aug. 7, it is the band’s first new material since 2016’s More, which saw them team up with Holy Fuck’s Graham Walsh. On the new track, the band offered, “Something about the women obscuring their gender and traditional roles (intentionally or otherwise) to do their work without interruption or expectation. Being contrarians, shrill. Seeking truth without taking care of emotions. Often their work is forensic, razor-sharp, and bright with clarity.”
17 | Video Age | Pleasure Line
THE PRESS RELEASE: “New Orleans’ Video Age have announced their third album Pleasure Line, set for release on Aug. 7. To celebrate the news, the band have shared the love-centric title track Pleasure Line, which summons neon-bright ’80s pop melodies from a vast range of influences (including Janet Jackson, David Bowie and Paul McCartney) and melts them down into songwriting partners Ross Farbe and Ray Micarelli’s signature blend of breezy, optimistic pop. Video Age say of the new track, “Pleasure Line is a song about discovery. A space where we can really start to see ourselves, and see others; where we can open up to the possibility of deeper love. The pleasure line is a new beginning.”
18+19 | James Krivchenia | Fountains Of Youth / Idiot Passion
THE PRESS RELEASE: “James Krivchenia, drummer of Big Thief, will release his new experimental album A New Found Relaxation on June 26. Today, he presents two new singles, Fountains Of Youth and Idiot Passion. Fountains of Youth begins with blissful, stuttering harp and flute, growing more ominous almost immediately as it launches into contrasting imaginary realms. Idiot Passion is an abstract, fast paced collage — as hovering keys, trickling water, bright, computerized blips, and alien buzzing fade in and out. A New Found Relaxation is made from hundreds of tiny fragments of internet spa radio, ASMR youtube holes, field recordings and cast off muzak, processed through Krivchenia’s magic box of extreme outboard manipulations.”
20 | Toots And The Maytals | Got To Be Tough
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Legendary Jamaican artist Frederick “Toots” Hibbert returns with his first studio release in more than a decade. Got To Be Tough is an energizing provocation that renews the near six-decade career of the man who launched a new sound and genre with his 1968 release, Do The Reggay. Got To Be Tough is a reminder that through Toots’ creative veins run all the roots and shoots of the Black Diaspora. Blues, soul, R&B, funk, jazz, reggae, African griots — Toots honours, embodies and owns them. Throwing down an authoritative guide: how to survive and thrive among our earth challenges.”
21 | André Bratten | Witching Hour
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Norwegian producer André Bratten announces his new album Silvester, out July 24, and releases its lead single Witching Hour. In just five years, Bratten has established himself as a mercurial and uncompromising figure in modern-day electronics. Born out of a lesser known story about seminal Norwegian black metal band Mayhem, Silvester is a series of tracks inspired by the seminal group’s debut album Deathcrush, as well as its direct connection to experimental musician, Conrad Schnitzler.”
22 | Hayes & Y | All Pressure/No Pleasure
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Having set sail from their Bulgarian and Finnish native homes, indie-pop quartet Hayes & Y are swiftly increasing their presence in the U.K. music scene. Combining ’80s-inspired electronica with a touch of indie, the band are soon to drop their new number All Pressure/No Pleasure. Discussing the inspiration behind their new number, frontman Blagoslav says: “I feel that’s something that has been troubling people for a long time. Conformity comes easy for some people, but others really struggle with it and find it hard to find their place in a society, where it is paramount.”
23 | Galaxians | Horizon
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Leeds-based disco-funk trio Galaxians have shared their third single Horizon, a down-tempo, feel-good summer hit taken from their upcoming second album Chemical Reaction, due for release on June 26. With their polished yet primitive high-energy pop potion, fuelled by “too much coffee and too many donuts,” Galaxians bring a human touch to electronic music with live drums, earth-shaking vocals and gold-plated grooves, recalling the likes of Roisin Murphy, Hercules & Love Affair, Lynda Dawn and Sink Ya Teeth. On Horizon, Galaxians deliver a message about “Enjoying the simpler pleasures of life and seeing what’s in front of you.”
24 | Mo_Ve | Sexy Talk
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Russian electronic pop sensation Mo_Ve creates stunning emotive releases with purpose. The singer’s love for music and creation started at just six years old. Influenced by her father’s love for western culture and jazz music, a young Olga Move aka Mo_Ve created a 10-piece band in Moscow that soon performed over 800 concerts. Since then, the outfit has performed worldwide to millions, playing headlining tours in China and has even played on national TV. Her debut single Sexy Talk highlights sultry smoky vocals, catchy hooks and synth electronic soundscapes. Sexy Talk is inspired by her own love story. Mo_Ve confides, “It was a distant relationship, I’m from Russia, he is from Germany and we first met in Dubai. It was a crazy passionate and unique connection, I had never felt before. Only one thing that we had after our first meeting was chat and our sexy talk.”
25 | Allegra Krieger | Welcome
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Emerging Brooklyn singer/songwriter Allegra Krieger announced her new album The Joys of Forgetting is releasing Aug. 7, and shared her new single Welcome. On the track, Krieger explains: “Welcome is about opening your life up to someone and letting defenses down. Learning to live with & love them through good & bad.” It’s Krieger at her most vulnerable, offering her mind, body, and heart completely to her partner — his for the sculpting, or dismantling. Despite beginning as an almost sing-songy nursery rhyme, Welcome averts expectations and reveals the depth of Krieger’s songwriting skills.”
26 | Alaskan Tapes | Dreamer
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Adding his own energy to Eden’s New World Tapes, Canadian producer Alaskan Tapes complements the proceeding with his new effort Dreamer. Well renowned for his beautifully ambient music, Dreamer emerges in a similar vein. An ethereal, minimalist measure of layered sounds and a lo-fi atmospheric aura, Alaskan Tapes adds contrast to some of the high energy songs that have already featured as part of this project.”
27 | Death By Piano | Emergency
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Breaking the silence of quarantine with a bewitching return that chimes with these times of crisis, Emergency is another cinematic masterclass in NYC noir from the rising Brooklyn duo Death By Piano. Centered around aloof vocals that exchange in icy duet as if from a distance, Emergency unfolds with a knife-edge atmosphere that crackles and hums like building static. “I hear it coming, it’s an emergency. I feel it growing, but it won’t let me be” sings Kalen, the lyrics of Emergency alive with a twitching paranoia and the foreboding sense of doom precedes an encroaching storm.”
