Indie Roundup | 26 Tunes For A Trippy Tuesday

Bronson, Hippy Trap, Them Moose Rush, Phew and others mess with your mind.

Bronson move some stock, Hippy Trap share their candy, Them Moose Rush take you into the maze, Phew give you vertigo, Psychlona take it to the edge and more in a decidedly trippy Tuesday Roundup. You probably shouldn’t operate heavy machinery after watching some of these clips.

 


VIDEOS OF THE DAY

1 | Bronson | Keep Moving

THE PRESS RELEASE:Bronson return with a commanding track fueled by anarchic energy, showcasing the sonic versatility in the trio’s newly formed project. Grammy-nominated duo Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight of Odesza, and platinum-selling Australian producer Tom Stell of Golden Features unleash their new single Keep Moving along with a frenetic visual to complement the track’s rebellious tones. Directed by Swedish collective Stylewar, the video is completely comprised of stock footage from a corporate workplace setting, edited in a manner that is steeped in satire to match the tenacious basslines and marching pulse of the beat. “The idea for this video was born out of creative starvation during the era of COVID-19. We’ve always had a strong fascination for stock footage and the thoughts and process that goes into creating it, so, since it was impossible to execute anything close to a normal shoot, we moved forward with a concept using solely that and CGI. The pull to use stock footage became centered around this niche subset of content for the corporate business world, for it can be so cliché and mind-bendingly generic. We love how hyper-generic it is, in every detail. From cast, wardrobe, props to locations and especially the acting — it’s all super shallow and false. So, with this as a base, we wanted to create an alternate reality: what would happen if there was a complete inversion to this world and sense of order. Are they all fake? Is everything fake?”


2 | Hippy Trap | Grownup Candy

THE PRESS RELEASE: “San Francisco psychedelic trap group Hippy Trap premiered their new music video Grownup Candy. The video is a technicolor madhouse of glow paint, gas-masks, twerking and enough sugar to put a hole in both your teeth and your brain. “We had to cover my entire apartment in drop cloth like Dexter,” said rapper Manna. “I’m glad we did, we got glow-paint everywhere”. Set in what appears to be a candy trap house and a thoroughly wild house party, the rap duo pokes fun at the festival and party scene with lines like “Let’s see which one of these festies gettin heady/ If you in a dolphin onesie then you prolly a techie.” The video for the hard-hitting single is a collaboration between local skate-scene legend @damgoodcapture and animator @graphin, who layers the film with Skittles-esque rotoscoping. This is the third single off of the duo’s debut self-titled EP Hippy Trap, which is coming out July 28 — and premiering on Tinnitist.”


3 | Them Moose Rush | Ray’s Dancing Maze

THE PRESS RELEASE: “Hailing from the city of Bjelovar in Croatia, Them Moose Rush are a rock band unlike any other. Working in a genre fuelled by pomp and circumstance the Eastern European trio have always done things for themselves, and in doing so, done said things inimitably. Combining vintage vibes with math-rock, prog and unusual time signatures their approach to making music explodes with innovation. From directing their own videos, hiding cyphers in songs (Morse code for keyboards, anyone?) and simply rocking harder and faster than everyone else, Them Moose Rush return with their first offering since 2018’s critically acclaimed, Don’t Pick Your Noise. “All of the songs on our new record are titled with names of our heroes dancing through a conceptual maze where every one of them has a unique path and goal to reach,” explains guitarist/vocalist Nikola Runjavec. “Some of them are famous, but it just sounded weird and fun. For example, Dolly Parton is shaving her monkeys in one of our songs. It’s really a cool scene if you just try and imagine it.”


4 | Phew | Vertigo KO

THE PRESS RELEASE:Phew is a legendary figure in Japanese underground music, starting out in 1978 fronting one of Osaka’s earliest punk groups, Aunt Sally, and going on to collaborate with a whole host of notable names as a solo artist in the ’80s, including Ryuichi Sakamoto, Conny Plank, Holger Czukay and Jaki Leibzeit of Can, Alex Hacke of Einstürzende Neubauten and Chrislo Haas of DAF. Vertigo KO is a compilation of unreleased material from the Light Sleep and Voice Hardcore sessions alongside specially recorded new material, including a cover of The Void by The Raincoats. Says Phew: “This album is an unconscious sound sketch. It was recorded in Japan from 2017 to 2019, a closed and obstructive time. It is not a presentation of a worldview, but a personal documentary music of the late 2010s. The hidden message of this album is: What a terrible world we live in, but let’s survive.”


5 | Psychlona | Edge of the Universe

THE PRESS RELEASE: “Get ready for takeoff! U.K. stoner-rock wielders Psychlona are set to issue their sophomore album Venus Skytrip this Aug. 21, and unleash a road trip-inducing lyric video for Edge of the Universe today. Who could imagine that Psychlona hail from Yorkshire, England, while their chunky as hell, space-coveting anthems and absolute sense of cool naturally place them on the Californian map? Venus Skytrip may only be their second full-length, yet these four lads will make you feel like you just chanced on the next Stoner Excalibur.”


6 | Darius | Cacassoulet

THE PRESS RELEASE: “A couple of weeks after the official of its two new efforts — a studio album called Voir and Live @ Ebullition — Swiss post-hardcore/heavy-post-rock/metal collective Darius just shared a brand-new music video for the track Cacassoulet. Their 22 guitar strings compose a surprising orchestral landscape that masterfully oscillates between abstract noise rock and instrumental post-rock. Their playing has refined although it hasn’t soothed; Darius’ formula stays the same. Being poles apart from effects, manners and make-up, these five lads play for the sake of passion, honour and camaraderie.”


ALSO ON THE PLAYLIST

7 | Raihanna Estrada | June

THE PRESS RELEASE:Raihanna Estrada is a country artist-songwriter from California living in Nashville for the past five years. She started her journey long before moving to Music City, playing all over Los Angeles. Estrada grew up on ’90s country music. You can hear those feel good catchy melodies, acoustic guitar driven instrumentation and heartfelt crafted stories in her songs. Raihanna has a unique voice that is strong, vulnerable and undeniably country. June is an upbeat-love letter to summer wishing for those days to come back and stick around forever. She wrote it after traveling to play at Buckle & Boots Festival in the U.K. Life felt so right and she wanted to bottle up that feeling in a song. Estrada hopes that fans will dance along to this summer tune going back to their own unforgettable moments that are painted in their minds.”


8 | The Veronicas | Biting My Tongue

THE PRESS RELEASE:The Veronicas have revealed a new side of their artistry with the video for their latest single Biting My Tongue, which was written and directed by Jess and Lisa. The cinematic video is the directorial debut for the pair and was filmed in England prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. It stars Jess and Lisa alongside actor/model/musician twins Bud and Aidan Brennan Williams and follows the story of feuding families and a star-crossed relationship. “Stepping into the role as directors on Biting My Tongue came as a very natural progression as we have always taken the reins on all aspects of our creativity,” explain Jess and Lisa. “Having always been heavily involved with the conception and creation of all our music videos, allowing ourselves that full creative control is where we feel most fulfilled and at home. We absolutely live for it.”


9 | Sylvan Esso | Ferris Wheel

THE PRESS RELEASE:Sylvan Esso have announced the release of their third full-length album Free Love, to be released Sept. 25, and shared the music video for new song Ferris Wheel. The new 10-song collection thrives on collaborative frisson. Wielding power in delicacy, the duo of Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn push one another into new territories with shared assurance, resulting in the group’s finest work to date. “At the heart of Sylvan Esso is this really fun argument,” says Amelia. “Nick wants things to sound unsettling, but I want you to take your shirt off and dance. We’re trying to make pop songs that aren’t on the radio, because they’re too weird. It’s a pop band, but we’re talking about complicated emotions.”


10 | Grizzly Coast | Lonely Planet

THE PRESS RELEASE: “Late last summer, Alannah Kavanaugh and her partner bought a Volvo, named it Ducky, and headed west. On their month-long trip, the couple spent time in Badlands National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Oregon, Washington, The Cowichan Valley, Tofino, Vancouver, Banff + more. The footage from this trip was used for the Lonely Planet video. Formerly performing as an acoustic singer-songwriter, the Toronto-based indie rock project fronted byKavanaugh wears her expansion into full-band territory well. Written in 2018 when Kavanaugh was living alone, not very social, and being tossed about by her mental health, each track investigates solitude from different perspectives. People need other people, and Kavanaugh hopes that these songs bring anyone who feels like she did a moment of comfort in an otherwise challenging period of disconnection.”


11 | A Shoreline Dream | Seek To Hide

THE PRESS RELEASE: “Progressive shoegaze postpunk outfit A Shoreline Dream present their Seek To Hide single. This is the lead track from their long-awaited Melting LP, to be released later this summer. “This song Seek to Hide is a true diving into the fact that we are a society so caught up in a digital world that when something real actually happens we have no idea where to turn. Who is real? What is fake? Who am I? Am I famous? Am I a nobody? Is this place around me VR? All questions of how messed up our society has become. It’s confusing and bizarre watching the world around us become more digital than ever before,” says Ryan Policky.”


12 | Steep Canyon Rangers | Every River

THE PRESS RELEASE:Grammy-winning North Carolina-based Steep Canyon Rangers will release Arm In Arm Oct. 16. Every River is the second track from their 13th album. Recorded over several days at the iconic Southern Ground Studios in Nashville, which marked the first time the band recorded outside NC, Arm in Arm was produced by the band with Brandon Bell (Zac Brown, John Prine). Featuring 11 original compositions, the album sees the band expanding their sound by paying homage to their early influences and the bluegrass tradition for which they’re known.”


13 | Mobley | Nobody’s Favourite (Foster The People Rework)

THE PRESS RELEASE: “Austin musician/multimedia artist Mobley is excited to share Foster the People’s rework of Nobody’s Favourite, the first single off Mobley’s forthcoming EP. His friends in the L.A.-based band were more than happy to offer their interpretation of a song described by Mobley as “the internal monologue of a powerful scumbag.” Isom Innis of Foster The People described the genesis of the new version: “I’ve been really inspired by Larry Levan at the moment. With Mobley’s track I was chasing a more archaic sequence based approach using the Arp 2600, Roland 707 drums and trying to make the baseline something that could have bumped at the Paradise Garage.” Mobley was delighted with the result. “I originally conceived of the song as kind of a dancepunk number. They really leaned into the dance aspect and got intricate with the rhythmic interplay. I love it and I can’t wait for people to hear it.”


14 | Katy J Pearson | Fix Me Up

THE PRESS RELEASE:Katy J Pearson announced her debut album Return will be out on Nov. 13 and shared the video to her latest track, Fix Me Up. Talking about the track Katy said: “It’s very personal and is really about wanting independence in life after messy situations. In times of darkness feeling that pang of loneliness; wanting someone else to be there to help you put all the pieces back together — which I’m sure is something we can all relate too.” She added about the video: “This video was such a joy to make, and Cher (the horse) is an absolute queen! It was such a beautiful two days filming; Gordano Riding School was so so wonderful. Thanks for letting me live out my cowgirl dream!”


15 | Hannah Georgas | Just a Phase

THE PRESS RELEASE: “Acclaimed indie-pop songstress Hannah Georgas shares a new offering titled Just A Phase, from her upcoming LP All That Emotion. Georgas’ much anticipated new record will be released on Sept. 4. The breezy, introspective track Just A Phase explores lyrical themes steeped in change, resiliency, anxiety and seamlessly weaves propulsive, rhythmic electronics with Georgas’ unwavering, dulcet tones. “We recorded All That Emotion in concentrated periods of time with breaks in between,” says Georgas. “I had never made an album this way before. It was also the first time making an album outside of Canada which was a really unique experience. It was nice to make solo road trips to Upstate NY from Toronto knowing that the stretch of time recording will solely be dedicated to being as creative and as open as possible.”


16 | Rituals of Mine | Free Throw (ft. KRIS)

THE PRESS RELEASE:Rituals of Mine — the immersive, hybrid R&B electronic project of Los Angeles-based songwriter Terra Lopez — will release her new album Hype Nostalgia on Sept. 25. Today she shares the new single/video Free Throw (feat. KRIS). “Kris and I talk a lot about our experiences being women of color in the music industry and how time and time again, we’ve been fucked over by either white women musicians or white guys and that shit takes a toll on you,” elaborates Lopez. “It takes a toll on your mental health, your confidence, your perseverance. It also limits your access to opportunities within the industry in a very real way. We wanted to address how we were feeling and have been feeling for years in Free Throw by airing it all out, putting it all out there because at this point this needs to be addressed. These disparities within the industry have to be examined and ultimately broken down.”


17 | Mike Block | Iniche Cosebe

THE PRESS RELEASE: “Pioneering cello player, composer, singer and educator, Mike Block released his latest single, Iniche Cosebe, featuring famed Malian balafonist Balla Kouyaté. Iniche Cosebe will appear on Block’s upcoming world music album Guzo, set for an Aug. 21 release. Iniche Cosebe, which translates to “thank you very much” in the language of the Mandinka Tribe, is inspired by traditional music from West Africa, featuring Kouyaté, Sidy Maiga on djembe, Indrissa Kone on talking drum + kalabash, and Yacouba Diabate on the kora. A distanced live performance of the track by the Silkroad Ensemble’s 2020 Global Musician Workshop faculty was captured and shared. The performance once again features Kouyaté, with multi-style percussionist Shane Shanahan, Celtic harpist/vocalist Maeve Gilchrist, Chinese pipa player Wu Man, Bluegrass mandolinist/singer Sierra Hull, and Arabic oud player/flautist/violinist Bassam Saba.”


18 | Selci | For You

THE PRESS RELEASE: “Calgary alt-pop act Selci is sharing another transcendent tune from her forthcoming EP, A Soft Place, out on July 28. On her latest single, For You, a confessional song about unreciprocated love that’s out today, she coos over the melodic keys-playing of jazz artist Timothonius. “It’s about wanting something to go my way and not being able to have it … romantically speaking,” Selci says, with a laugh. “At first, when I was writing the song, I was poking fun at myself for trying so hard to get someone to like me, even after getting rejected. After a while, the writing process ended up very emotionally charged! Thinking back to the poor communication with past lovers and how sometimes I felt taken advantage of got me pretty fired up. This track became a reminder to myself on how not to act with my future lovers.”


19 | FXRRVST | Anxiety

THE PRESS RELEASE:Anxiety is the third single from Toronto-based Australian/Canadian Indie Rock duo FXRRVST (Forest) from their EP Dear Friend Pt. 1. The EP dropped on April 10, at the beginning of the current Covid-19 pandemic. The band thought about postponing the release, but they felt it was too late considering all the work they had done ahead of the release, which included released two singles and videos. So the band soldiered on. The EP was released, but they were forced to cancel all planned tour dates and publicity appearances. They were able to successfully pivot their resources into social media-based content and continue to promote the EP through social media and radio. “With everything going on in the world right now, anxiety is very prominent, so the song is very timely,” they say. “I think it’s important for people to acknowledge that all those feelings are valid and they won’t last forever.”


20 | Fenne Lily | Berlin

THE PRESS RELEASE: “Bristol, UK-based Fenne Lily will release her sophomore album Breach on Sept. 18. Today, she offers the defining moment on the record, Berlin, a careful, beautiful declaration celebrating comfort in being alone. Fenne elaborates on the track: “When I was 21 I spent a month alone in Berlin. While I was there, I recorded everything I did as a voice note or in a sketchbook, even if it was boring. On the plane ride home, my phone packed up and I lost all my song ideas from my trip. Initially, it felt as though I’d lost a part of my brain, but gradually pieces started to come back to me. To help the remembering process, I tried to picture all the things that surrounded me during my time alone in Berlin. The more I pictured these mundane objects, the more lost ideas I could remember. This song was one of these ideas.”


21 | SHSTR | Secret Voice

THE PRESS RELEASE: “Dreamy soundscapes and melodic dubstep drops combine on SHSTR’s triumphant Secret Voice. SHSTR is a boundaryless enigma changing the game with rich songs that tell fascinating stories alongside profound visual narratives. SHSTR has been supported by the likes of ARMNHMR, WHIPPED CREAM and Holly, and his glitched out tracks are the basis to an imaginative future dystopian world, dubbed the city of Drinis, which expands far beyond the music.IRL, the Salt Lake City-based producer can often be found hanging out online, leaving bread crumbs and puzzles for fans who wish to uncover the secrets of the ever-evolving interactive experience. Secret Voice continues SHSTR’s unparalleled journey as he challenges what it means to be a producer in 2020.”


22 | Danny Blu vs. Mr.Kitty | Bubble

THE PRESS RELEASE: “Dark Pop/Darkwave artist Danny Blu’s song Bubble is remixed by synthpop artist Mr.Kitty. Bubble was released last summer by Danny Blu. The song delves into Danny’s world and serves as an introduction to him and his music. Blu also explains why he had the self proclaimed Self-Destructive Synthpop artist Mr.Kitty remix the song: “I’m a fan of all kitties. Especially Mr. Kitty. This carefree, bubblegum flavored mix adds such levity to the track that it truly benefits from it. It’s an honor to be reworking Bubble with yet another artist I have been inspired by.”


23 | Jess Cornelius | Here Goes Nothing

THE PRESS RELEASE: “New Zealand-born, Melbourne-bred and now Los Angeles-based Jess Cornelius will release her debut album Distance this Friday, and today presents new single, Here Goes Nothing. Cornelius had her baby the day after the last song, Body Memory, was shared. Cornelius elaborates on the video: “The lyric video is the final in the Distance ‘pregnancy trilogy.’ I saw the breast pump not only as a rhythmic device and a weird visual image, but also as a meeting of human and machine; as a literal mechanical representation of ‘women’s work’; and as a reflection of how context changes (or doesn’t change) the way women’s bodies are viewed. This last point was made apparent in the video’s initial removal by Youtube for violating content rules — thankfully, after lodging an appeal the video was reinstated.”


24 | The Cradle | Eyes So Clear

THE PRESS RELEASE:The Cradle — the solo project of singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Paco Cathcart (Big Neck Police, Eyes of Love, Shimmer) — shared his new single Eyes So Clear from his upcoming album Laughing In My Sleep, releasing Aug. 21. On Eyes So Clear, Cathcart is joined by Lily Konigsberg (of Palberta) on backing vocals. Driven by plodding piano chords and strummed guitar, the song’s narrator wrestles with feeling distrustful and bitter toward friends who have a clear-eyed, less solipsistic perspective on life. Recalling the philosophical and reflective duets from artists such as Simon & Garfunkel and Sufjan Stevens, Eyes So Clear feels timeless.”


25 | Beck Bowe | Cosmic Heart

THE PRESS RELEASE: “UK singer-songwriter Becky Bowe has released her single Cosmic Heart. It is the title track of her upcoming album, which will be available on Aug. 7. Speaking of the single, Bowe shares further insight: “This song is really personal to me. I wrote it when I was 18 years old when I first started going out with my now fiancé. I was so used to writing the stereotypical break up song which always worked a treat however this time round I was feeling feelings that I didn’t know how to put on paper. I then started writing a song about him and about how amazing he is as a person and that’s where the song came to life. This song is just about an out of this world love that you find or have with someone.”


26 | Ceara Cavalieri | I Wish

THE PRESS RELEASE:Ceara Cavalieri is a 24-year-old singer/songwriter from California. With four releases under her belt thus far, Cavalieri is carving out her own distinct sound of incredibly infectious and candidly relatable pop. Her latest release I Wish narrates the breakdown of a relationship and the ultimate effect it can have on one’s emotional growth. Cavalieri confides, “I found out that the person I was with at the time wasn’t monogamous and had been lying to me about a lot of stuff. After I broke it off, they would gaslight me into thinking that it was all in my head. I found myself constantly going back to this person and feeling bad about myself … like I wasn’t good enough.” The songwriter hopes that “I Wish” will show others going through a similar situation how they’re not alone and that realizing your self-worth is the most important thing. The singer shares, “It is hard to get out of toxic relationships, especially when you are in love or think you are in love but the moment that you do and realize your worth, you come out so much stronger.”

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