In the Whale do heavy drugs, Kevin Morby sings a campfire tune, Hen Ogledd enjoy some star time, Better Person has something to lose and more in a ridiculously busy Tuesday Roundup. If this is a sign of how busy September is going to be, I’m in deep trouble.
1 | In The Whale | Drugdealer
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The new single from Denver’s In The Whale is Drug Dealer. Drug Dealer is a sludgy, bombastic and epic post rock-esque battering. In The Whale has delivered a low-end sonic treat that sits alongside contemporaries like Big Business, Mantar and High On Fire! In The Whale have been turning heads and accumulating a mass of die-hard fans and followers thanks to a relentless tour schedule and an explosive live performance. Artists and festival promoters have taken notice, with the band playing Riot Fest, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, and Afro Punk, as well as shows with Jane’s Addiction, The Descendents, The Offspring, Gogol Bordello and many more.”
2 | Kevin Morby | Campfire
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Kansas City musician Kevin Morby is pleased to announce his new album, Sundowner, out Oct. 16, and presents its lead single/video Campfire. Sundowner is Morby’s “attempt to put the Middle American twilight — its beauty profound, though not always immediate — into sound.” This is represented in Campfire, a track that’s textured with distinct, twangy guitar licks and Morby’s compelling voice. The video, shot at Castle Rock in Kansas and directed by Johnny Eastlund & Dylan Isbell, features Morby and his partner, Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee). It’s deeply hued with beautiful, dusky skies and a cinematic quality.”
3 | Hen Ogledd | Crimson Star
THE PRESS RELEASE: “As they continue on their journey to the release of their new album Free Humans on Sept. 25, the cosmic quartet of Hen Ogledd — Richard Dawson, Rhodri Davies, Sally Pilkington and Dawn Bothwell — have shared a brand new single and video, Crimson Star. The video, featuring the full band, was directed by Deborah Bower. Underpinned by the melodic tones of Davies’ electric harp (recorded in Atlantis Studios, where ABBA also recorded in their early days), the kaleidoscopic new track explores space and time travel. As Dawson notes, “Crimson Star is a gentle, pungent pop song about a retired entertainer looking back on their adventures during the heyday of space tourism.”
4 | Better Person | Something To Lose
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Better Person — the project of Polish, Berlin-based musician Adam Byczkowski — announces his debut album Something To Lose, due Oct. 23, and shares the title track with an accompanying visual. Something To Lose is the culmination of Better Person’s desire to nurture intimacy through tender balladry. An intriguing combination of forgotten euro-pop tropes with an elegant sophisti-pop palette provides the backdrop upon which his supple and detailed vocal delivery thrives. “Something To Lose is the first happy song I’ve ever written,” says Byczkowski. “Initially I wanted to capture the ecstatic feeling of fresh love, the excitement and thrill that comes with it. But as time went by, this simple song gained more and more meaning for me. Falling in love so deeply and strongly woke me up from a lethargic, cynical state, it radically changed my view on the world and my entire life. It is extremely hard to believe in humanity these days. The euphoric feeling that happens between two human beings is a moment of sweet distraction that truly everyone deserves. Something to live for, somewhere to hide. The wind in your hair, the evening summer breeze, the tender touch of another person. Love is the strongest weapon against hate. It is the first step to a positive change and I live for it.”
5 | Satellite and The Harpoonist | Only Love Can Break Your Heart
THE PRESS RELEASE: “This Friday, Satellite and The Harpoonist, the new supergroup from Shawn Hall (The Harpoonist) will release their debut EP. Today, they are sharing one more track from the album ahead of its release, their version of Neil Young’s Only Love Can Break Your Heart. “I had Neil Young’s autobiography with me in the studio,” says Hall. “The Hammond player spotted it and revealed a common love for his music. Given our quite diverse musical backgrounds, it was a miracle. I had just played Only Love Can Break Your Heart on the piano to my kids prior, so this is our run at this classic, not planned, definitely not rehearsed, just childhood dreams being chased.”
6 | The KickDrums | Sleeping Limb
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The Kickdrums debuted the official music video for their latest single Sleeping Limb, featuring R.A. The Rugged Man, continuing the celebration of the latest project Blurred Colors. The video was created by highly sought after director/animator Tilla Vision, who has created content for DJ Khaled x Drake’s new single Greece, the Snoop Dogg-assisted remix of Blueface’s single Respect My Crypin and Juice Wrld’s Stay High among countless other hip hop heavyweights. The KickDrums is the recording alias of producer/singer/songwriter Alex Fitts. Fitts’ music combines elements spanning many genres, seamlessly incorporating a range of diverse sounds into a dynamic mix all his own: the percussive sampled beats of The Avalanches or RJD2, BOOTS’ electronic versatility, and trip-hop swagger à la Phantogram.”
7 | Marco Pavé | Dirty Benz
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Since 2013, Memphis hip-hop artist Marco Pavé has forged a twin identity as a champion of independent Southern hip-hop and as an educator and arts advocate working to stimulate community activism and entrepreneurship through the lens of hip hop music and culture. On Oct. 30, Pavé will release the Crossroads EP. Today he released the video for the high-octane opening track Dirty Benz, a celebration of unwavering work ethic that operates on multiple levels. “Dirty Benz is a metaphor of the rat race,” says Pavé. “A metaphor for trying to prove someone wrong or trying to prove society wrong. Without your why identified it’s hard to get to how. The Benz is dirty until you know your purpose.”
8 | Claudio Bagnato | Rainbow
THE PRESS RELEASE: “A few weeks after sharing a first glance from his upcoming debut album with The Shower, former member of Swiss rock/metal bands Poison Heidi and Silver Dust Claudio Bagnato (indie/pop/folk) just unveiled another song from the effort with the official music video of Rainbow. Says Claudio: “The album is called Nowhere. Related with the nowhere outside and the nowhere inside, referring to emptiness and nothingness. The songs are about me, about love, about feeling of unease and destruction. It’s like a stripping of my personality.”
9 | Zach Heckendorf | Stronger Than I Once Was
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Zach Heckendorf released his video for Stronger Than I Once Was, featuring striking paper-cut stop-motion animation by Andrew Benincasa. The song is off his upcoming album Hawk Talk. Produced by Grammy winner John Fields (Jonas Brothers), the album will be released on Sept. 25. “The Stronger Than I Once Was music video was a team effort between myself, animator Andrew Benincasa, and filmmaker Henri Hallé,” Heckendorf says. “What I love most about the video is how the story in Andrew’s animation amplifies the message of the song: that we all have a duty to use our inner light and strength in service of a higher good.”
10 | Daniel Avery | Lone Swordsman
THE PRESS RELEASE: “I was in my studio the morning I heard about Andrew Weatherall’s passing. The track Lone Swordsman is what formed that day. Andrew was a hero, a friend and someone who regularly reminded us all how it should be done, not to mention the funniest fucker around. Proceeds from the record via Bandcamp will be donated to Amnesty International for four weeks in his memory. Thank you for everything.”
11 | Hatefulmurder | The Philosopher
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The Brazilian metal band Hatefulmurder release a tribute to Death’s The Philosopher. The original song’s from the album Individual Thought Patterns released in 1993. The video was made in a special model due to the social isolation caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The band is a name on the rise, due to the talent and vocal techniques of vocalist Angélica Burns. Currently the band continues to promote the album Reborn, released in late 2019.”
12 | Aquiles Navarro & Tcheser Holmes | Pueblo
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Telepathic Afro-Caribbean improvisational trumpet-and-percussion duo Aquiles Navarro and Tcheser Holmes are longtime friends, collaborators, and tireless hustlers of New York City’s creative music scenes. Today, they announce their new album, Heritage of the Invisible II, out Oct. 23, and present its lead single/video, Pueblo. Pueblo is “a celebration of life, the coming together of the people, el pueblo, a celebration of who we are, where we come from, it’s our pueblo, our people, a feeling of openness, hope, and a future of unity from el pueblo, the people,” says Navarro.”
13 | James Gillespie | Run
THE PRESS RELEASE: “James Gillespie started 2020 off strongly with the release of Rescue Me. He now continues the charge to his highly anticipated second album release as he unveils his latest single Run. Armed with just the electric guitar, James carries the full weight of emotion in this spacious, stripped back production, resonant in its essence. Leaning heavily on his blues influence, Run is a stirring affair that reaches to the very depths of the soul as James’ much-heralded gravely vocal performance commands attention and has you hanging on his every word.”
14 | Ford. | The Color of Nothing
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Grammy-nominated artist and producer Ford. announces his highly anticipated sophomore album The Color of Nothing, set for release on Oct. 16. The 20-year-old celebrates the announcement by sharing a mesmerising new visual for the album’s title track. “I started writing this song right around the beginning of winter 2018. It was a couple months into my first (and subsequently last) semester at university and my first time experiencing a full winter in Utah. I spent the majority of my time hibernating in my room, working on music consistently. The Color of Nothing as a song represents this pivotal point, this blank canvas that comes with the turning of a new leaf where all pre-conceived ideas are left behind and one can create without boundaries or expectations. In a strange way, it’s a song that has been somewhat of an anchor for me through a lot over the past two years.”
15 | JAS Crw | Report
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Rising trio JAS Crw have released their EP Greetings From. The EP is accompanied by the music video for Report (prod. by Jamie Rodigan). The three initials “J-A-S” stand for the first letters of the artists names James, Aristoteles and Sandjay. JAS Crw share the personal element that surrounds it: “While working on Greetings From, we all went back to our roots and were inspired by each other’s backgrounds, which allowed us to find new sounds for JAS Crw and, even more importantly, our inner peace by representing our ancestors in a modern way.”
16 | Kruder & Dorfmeister | Johnson
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Legendary trip-hop duo Kruder & Dorfmeister have emerged from the depths to announce the release of their long-awaited album, 1995, with the first single, Johnson, which has dropped along with its hypnotic music video. Harkening back to days spent behind Akai samplers and a dusty mixer, Johnson features the warbling sounds of Robert Johnson laced with a trippy, downtempo groove and a soundscape infused with delays and celestial synths. Their ethereal ideas are channelled through nuanced builds, breaks and flips, challenging rigid notions of space and time. This is K&D time — Kruder & Dorfmeister have again encapsulated the smoky atmosphere of a boundless cosmic dance floor. Delicately dancing around the futuristic post-apocalyptic theme, Kruder & Dorfmeister allow the downtempo grove to lead both the song and the music video. Johnson leads the viewer on a journey of self-imposed suppression as well as the soaring freedoms felt once those shackles are lifted.”
17 | The Electric Mud | A Greater Evil
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Florida-based stoner/retro rock unit The Electric Mud unveil their official lyric video for A Greater Evil, by way of the band’s Burn The Ships full-length, set to drop Sept. 25. The Electric Mud drifted from late night jam sessions, backyard keggers, and a revolving cast of members until one night, in the taproom of a closed up brewery, they found themselves in an old fashioned Morricone-style standoff. Each had reputations around their Florida town as serious musicians and hard workers, and after throwing lightning bolts around the room for a few hours it became clear that they had found not just a band, but a sound. Alongside their love for the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd and their shared Florida roots, came also a deep appreciation for the proto metal of Black Sabbath and the prog metal of Mastodon, and the band aimed to slow cook it and serve it to the masses.”
18 | Amiensus | Iconoclasm
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Iconoclasm is the latest single from Minnesota-based progressive black metal collective Amiensus. The tune comes by way of the band’s anticipated new full-length Abreaction, set for release Oct. 2. Vocalist/guitarist James Benson (Chrome Waves) says, “Iconoclasm is the heaviest track on the album — which is a call back to 2015’s Ascension, our last LP. Lyrically, it’s one we also consider one of our masterpieces and on a topic we’ve been fascinated by since our teenage years when we began playing music together.”
19 | Emmy The Great | A Window / O’Keeffe
THE PRESS RELEASE: “With her new album April / 月音 due for release Oct. 9, Emmy The Great shares standout track A Window / O’Keeffe. Emmy says: “A Window/ O’Keeffe was written about my last summer living in Brooklyn. I’d just travelled to China for the first time and had a moment in a temple, and the entire summer I would only wear ‘lucky’ colours — royal yellow, dusty orange, or the red that scares away ghosts. It was a summer of bright sun and dizzying freedom, the kind that only happens when your life is about to change. The city was a film set of burst fire hydrants and music playing constantly from open windows. On the grass outside my apartment, people documented their lives on their phones, and I walked through their videos on my way to meet friends. The world was shifting, and maybe we didn’t always like where it was going, but it was summer now, and we were together.”
20 | Sam Lamar | The Execution
THE PRESS RELEASE: “On Sam Lamar’s The Execution, the Montreal-based musician carves out a gritty soundscape with eerie buildups, filthy bass drops and aggressive trap melodies. Lamar is enjoying a rapid rise within the bass music scene. His thoughtful productions have seen support from heavyweights such as Excision, Illenium, Porter Robinson and Knife Party. The Execution follows Sam’s emotional dubstep heater You alongside Lucii, as well as his Major Arcana: Origins concept EP, which showcased the intricacies that go into all of his productions, basing each of the three tracks off of different tarot cards.”
21 | Illuminated Minerva | Abductions
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Calgary’s Illuminated Minerva will put out their emotional, turbulent full-length album Enigma Adamantine on Sept. 25. Ahead of the release, they are thrilled to entice the world with their second single Abductions. Always in a state of growth, Illuminated Minerva share the story behind Abductions: “Two bros, one alien abduction. A musical retelling of Charles Hickson’s account of his abduction on the Pascagoula River. Progressive movements mixed technical riffs recount the mind-blowing tale of these two friends.”
22 | Actress | Walking Flames ft. Sampha
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Actress reveals new album Karma & Desire will be out Oct. 23. Walking Flames featuring Sampha is out now. Karma & Desire includes guest collaborations from Sampha, Zsela and Aura T-09 and more. It’s “a romantic tragedy set between the heavens and the underworld” says Actress (Darren J. Cunningham) “the same sort of things that I like to talk about — love, death, technology, the questioning of one’s being.” The presence of human voices take the questing artist into new territory. Walking Flames: “These are like graphics that I’ve never seen / My face on another human being / The highest resolution / Don’t breathe the birth of a new day.”
23 | Bendrix Littleton | Daylight Curls
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Bendrix Littleton shared Daylight Curls, his third single from his upcoming solo debut, Deep Dark South, releasing Sept. 25. “Daylight Curls was written when I was visiting family in New England for an indeterminate amount of time,” Bendrix says. “After a while, it became apparent that I was abusing alcohol because I wasn’t used to feeling so still. The only people I know there are older adults so I spent a lot of time alone driving my mom’s car or reading at a local dive bar. Basically having to come to terms with feeling good with yourself to be able to sit still with yourself.”
24 | Ian Wayne | Winter’s
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Ian Wayne — the Brooklyn (by way of Portland) based singer-songwriter and guitarist — has shared the final single from his forthcoming new album Risking Illness, out Sept. 18. Winter’s was written following the sudden leukemia diagnosis and tragic death of Wayne’s three-year old nephew. It is the the track from which Risking Illness takes its name, and it is devastating in its stark, quiet reflection, and in its cathartic final release. Wayne says: “I wrote Winter’s grasping for signs of my pain that I could show — that I was on tour and not with my nephew during his last few weeks of life, that I can’t feel his absence as strongly as my sister, his mother. I was writing about guilt and calling it pain — the two are easily tangled.”
25 | Josh Johnson | Western Ave
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Josh Johnson — the L.A.-via-Chicago multi-instrumentalist/composer who has toured and recorded with Jeff Parker, Kiefer, Makaya McCraven, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Leon Bridges and Marquis Hill — announced his debut album as a leader, Freedom Exercise, will be out Oct. 9. The first single, Western Ave, is named for the city-spanning thoroughfare of both Los Angeles and Chicago — two places with a substantial imprint on Josh Johnson’s sound. The memorable track is a rugged, colorful arrangement propelled by Aaron Steele’s Afrobeat-inspired drums and an earthy bass line.”
26+27 | Cut Worms | Every Once In A While + The Golden Sky
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Cut Worms, moniker of Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter and multi-disciplined visual artist Max Clarke, releases Every Once In A While b/w The Golden Sky, off his double album Nobody Lives Here Anymore, out Oct. 9. Every Once In A While is rich with upbeat guitar, plucking bass, and his resounding voice. “We did a few takes and used probably the 4th or 5th one with no punch-ins or anything,” says Clarke. “I like the immediacy of it. It came out pretty much exactly how I wanted it.” B-side The Golden Sky is quietly dreamy. “I was trying to create a sort of atmospheric track with the overdubs on this one,” explains Clarke. “It also has some lyrics that are important though I think. The thing about having to rob your fellow man/woman/person in order to be alright yourself — that’s the main part you’re supposed to get by listening to it.”
28 | Christopher Parker & Kelley Hurt | Jubilate
THE PRESS RELEASE: “In 1957, 61 years after the “separate but equal” ruling of Plessy vs. Ferguson, in Little Rock, Arkansas, nine Black high school students finally broke through the threshold of Little Rock Central High School after a month of facing protestors and blockades by the Arkansas National Guard. No Tears Suite, composed by Arkansas-native and music teacher Christopher Parker and his wife, jazz vocalist Kelley Hurt, was initially written to commemorate and celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Little Rock Nine’s historic enrollment and their continued courage and fortitude, which has inspired every generation thereafter. No Tears Suite never loses sight of the astounding humanity of the nine students that prompted the piece in the first place. In speaking on the development of the music, Parker said, “We just wanted to put the spotlight on those kids… how can anyone not be proud of those kids?”
29 | T Truman | Loretta
THE PRESS RELEASE: “T Truman is sharing new single Loretta, lifted from his upcoming debut EP Born To Be Right, out Sept. 25. The solo project and alter ego of the Vaccines’ keyboardist Timothy Lanham, he describes T Truman as his very own writing scapegoat. Channelling piano-pop heroes such as Todd Rundgren and Elton John, T Truman neatly bridges the gap between 70’s pop rock and modern indie, uniting irresistible pop songwriting with playfully ostentatious orchestration. T Truman commented: “I came up with the riff on a tiny keyboard in a hotel room in five minutes. It then took me over three months to come up with lyrics and a chorus that complemented it. Loretta should be my entry to urban dictionary as a term used for somebody who doesn’t reciprocate.”
30 | Synapson | Lengueno ft. Pongo
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Alex and Paul are the two producers behind the duo Synapson, whose first EP Haute Couture was released in 2010. Ten years later, they have been around the world several times to carry their music. Their two albums were supported by multiple collaborations (Super 8 & Convergence, platinum certified). Synapson take things up a notch further with the instantly distinctive and infectious Lengueno. Featuring the incredible kuduro music star Pongo, who brings fierce and fragile raps to Synapson’s organically woven electronic backdrops, the result is striking beach-ready slammer that oozes with rhythmic and emotive flavours.”
31 | Novaa | The Futurist
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Berlin-based experimental pop artist Novaa provides an ominous warning with The Futurist, a minimal-pop, introspective confessional piece that floats seamlessly over atmospheric electronic beats. Taken from her brand new album The Futurist due later this year, it follows on from her recent singles Cyber Room, Universe Lullaby, To Be Yang, Alien, Elon, Drones and AI Am In Love. She says: “I wrote The Futurist about three years ago. The whole song was already there. But I wasn’t happy with my first production sketch. So after my debut album dropped I started from scratch again. I added the string synth in the chorus, cut out a lot of harmonies that were in there before, added the vocal sample and programmed a beat. As I wasn’t happy with my beat and wanted to have one with a more organic feel, I cut it out again and Ben, Dennis and I recorded it in the studio.”
https://youtu.be/0y9tJ7R7O6k
32 | theLINE | Hawkeye
THE PRESS RELEASE: “theLINE have announced a new EP entitled Sour To Punker and unveiled the first single. A statement from the band describes the EP: “The songs Hawkeye, Unzip Your Lips and Eternal Days are brand new compositions. In a hail Mary we decided to drop one more track that we wrote during the Covid-19 quarantine called Harmony Do You Miss We which we felt was the missing sonic angularity needed to round out Sour to Punker. For our fans, we also wanted to include a couple old songs that we’ve had in our live show for years but never properly recorded.”
33 | Color Palette | Distance
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Color Palette — comprised of Jay Nemeyer, Joshua Hunter, Matt Hartenau, Rogerio Naressi and Maryjo Mattea — is an Electro Rock/Synth Pop band from Washington, DC. Since their first release on June 1, 2015, Color Palette have garnered hundreds of press hits worldwide. Color Palette released their debut full-length album Vaporwave in May 2016. They have shared bills with the following notable artists: Charli XCX, The Naked and Famous, Mother Mother, Day Wave, Yumi Zouma, Mr Little Jeans, The Kickback, Spirit Animal and VanLadyLove. Color Palette takes experiences like heartbreak and love, and together turns them into something mystical and inviting.
34 | Ruby Mack | Machine Man
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Imagine a world in which Eve unashamedly consumed the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, biting into knowledge and sharing it with all the world. Feminist folk ensemble Ruby Mack imagine themselves direct descendants of that particular Eve. Named for Massachusetts’ Pioneer Valley’s prominent Ruby McIntosh Apple, Emma Ayres (Vocals/guitar), Abbie Duquette (bass uke), Zoe Young (guitar/vocals), and Abs Kahler (fiddle) question what it means to be a woman, and in the case of Kahler, move in and out of the label with ease on their new album Devil Told Me. Throughout Devil Told Me, out Oct. 23, Ruby Mack offer new perspectives on old stories, from societal norms to Greek mythology. The first glimpse into Ruby Mack’s Devil Told Me storytelling comes in the form of Machine Man, which Kahler calls “ an ode to the blue-collar workers, the skilled laborers, without whom the fabric of the lives we live would surely unravel.”
35 | Sam The Astronaut | High For You
THE PRESS RELEASE: “All Sam the Astronaut wants to do is move you. Whether that be by way of their infectious beats and melodies sparking a blaze throughout your body that turns into a dance, or emotionally through those same elements weaving around powerful lyricism. The combination of Garrison Johnson’s distinct rich vocals and TJ Gibson’s dynamic production offers up anthemic West Coast alt-pop that feels both contemporary and reminiscent of the classic hits across your favourite party playlist. High for You, the newest single off of the duo’s Midnight Carlight LP, is a bonafide summer anthem and an ode to the nostalgic sounds of 2000’s electro pop.”
36 | Healthy Junkies | Last Day In L.A.
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Healthy Junkies are everything that epitomizes the indie punk spirit — driven, authentic, and capable of causing a riot at any moment. As they prepare to release a seminal album which mashes up psychedelic rock, punk, grunge and goth, first single Last Day In L.A. sets the bar high. As a band that have toured relentlessly since their formation in 2011, until the global lockdown of 2020, they came into this record still firmly locked in the groove. Last Day In L.A. harks back to a recent U.S. tour which captures the strange magnetic pull of the city of angels, especially for this group of runaways from Paris and Greater London. They united together to write songs and feed their passion for music as a life-saving exercise after narrowly escaping a youth filled by gangsters, abuse and the like.”
37 | Xander Marsden | Sara Bellum
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Teenage singer-songwriter and guitarist Xander Marsden announces his debut self-titled EP, due Oct. 23. Today Xander shares the first song Sara Bellum. The EP is helmed by producer Billy Mohler (Macy Gray, Kelly Clarkson, Liz Phair) and it introduces a collection of songs with lyrical empathy and relatable teen nostalgia. Xander says, “the social environment that I was in changed a lot, and those changes exhibited themselves in these songs. With that kind of change comes new emotions, new ideas and new perspectives, so I was excited to see where those ideas would take me.”
38 | Duplic8 | Fade Away
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Duplic8 is the product of months spent in isolation creating an alternative take on the emerging Toronto sound. Capturing inflections of R&B, pop, and trap, Duplic8’s music is merged with additional uncanny ideas and echoing feels to make something different from today’s standards in music that moves you. Fade Away, the first single from Duplic8’s forthcoming debut body of work, describes the changes in mindset one needs to implement to maneuver through changes in circumstance.”
39 | Heavy Salad | It’s OK To Bleed
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Charged-up on a myriad of musical influences from surf-rock to over-driven pop and experimental rock, Manchester psychedelic outfit Heavy Salad (featuring former Moonlandingz man Lee Mann) release their debut album Cult Casual this Autumn. In anticipation of the new record, Heavy Salad release the single It’s OK To Bleed. Lee Mann says: “The song is about being at peace with yourself and accepting that you can’t be strong all the time, it’s also about compassion for others and looking out for those who need help. It’s about the little things you can do to make a difference to someone’s life an recognizing that it’s OK to let it out sometimes, the song is about catharsis, allowing you to accept and move on, it’s about breathing life into existence.”
40 | Bleakheart | The Visitor
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Denver doomgaze unit Bleakheart will release their stunning debut full-length Dream Griever on Oct. 23. A haunting eclipse of sorrow and desire, Bleakheart weaves their longing psychedelia into a crushing mass of melancholic wonder. Drawing influences from indie rock, shoegaze, psych rock, doom metal, and goth/darkwave, the collective manifests an emotionally lush atmosphere of rich guitars, haunting synths, and dynamic vocals. In advance of the record’s official unveiling, the band are pleased to release first single and stunning hymn The Visitor, commenting: “The Visitor paints the atmosphere of our ephemeral reality and the anguish felt from repeating our past mistakes.”
41 | The Big Lonesome | Something Happened
THE PRESS RELEASE: “If Dinosaur Jr. wrote an album with Wilco, you’d get the alt-rock, americana, shoegaze cocktail that is Boston’s own The Big Lonesome. The Gosselin brothers, Chad (guitar/vocals) and Luke (guitar/lap steel/vocals), along with bassist Seth Kellogg and drummer Linecker Da Silva, team up again with producer Sean McLaughlin (Rush, Elliott Smith, Death Row Records) to release their third album Payphones and Ashtrays.”
42 | Josie Proto | I Bet You Fall Apart
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Rising British talent Josie Proto aims to keep fans hooked with lively new single I Bet You Fall Apart, which she just released as a surprise. Dedicated to individuals who have had the misfortune of going through an embarrassing shock breakup, the bubbly track hears Josie deliberately create a sonically awkward atmosphere to reflect the peculiar story of getting the ‘ick’ which Josie quirkily tells. An intriguing young artist, Josie’s witty lyrical style — delivered in a quintessentially British manner — shines in I Bet You Fall Apart, the followup to her acclaimed debut EP Pub Songs: Volume 1.”
43 | Firewoodisland | Forever Young
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The Bristol-based indie-pop duo Firewoodisland release their cover version of Forever Young. The single is a reworked version of the well-known song by Alphaville, which will be released alongside an acoustic cover. Firewoodisland tells us the reason behind reworking the iconic song: “We’ve always wanted to do our own take on a well-known song. Forever Young was one of the most played road trips tunes from childhood memories. Talking about a time of real uncertainty, the Cold War, it mirrors the time we are going through in 2020. Our hope was to make a beautiful and heartfelt Firewoodisland rendition, while still respecting the original melodies and lyrics. Hopefully, we’ve done it justice.”
44 | Wesley David | The Process
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Wesley David has lived two very different lives, and the only thing that’s held them — and himself — together has been an obsession with music. Growing up in a self-described “wacky doomsday Bible cult,” the singer-songwriter has relied on a love of all things rock ’n’ roll since a young age as an escape — one which would eventually led him to become a touring musician in LA. On his Sept. 22 album Never Late Than Better, he synthesizes thoughts and feelings displaced from a life half-lived as a Christian missionary apologist, only to come full circle into the doubt and reluctant freedom of becoming a skeptic and unbeliever. Leading the release is his new song The Process. Wesley says: “The Process is a song I wrote as my world at the time was crashing down in the midst of a move and a situation with a close friend, who was having a baby and in a dire medical situation. It came out on an emotional night as I tried to remind myself that your will doesn’t control as much as you think; you also need to see life as a ride to flow with. Has some of my core thoughts about re-emerging into feeling and being afraid of what’s there; leaving depression disguised as apathy and boredom.”
45 | Lewis Knaggs | I’ll Survive
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Propelled by the success of his previous single Hold On, emerging British singer Lewis Knaggs shares his poignant new single I’ll Survive. The latest cut from Knaggs is a moving, guitar driven indie-ballad that brings imaginative song writing with a vulnerable vocal performance. Lewis explores the whirlwind of emotions associated with the loss of a loved one, beautifully interwoven with the track’s narrative. Making his name as a cinematographer, the in-demand creative has helped birth an array of stunning visuals from household acts like Tom Walker, Gang of Youths and Post Malone. Now, Lewis now steps into the forefront with his own compelling stories to tell.”
46 | Obylx | Climb
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Bristol-based producer Obylx has released his latest single Climb. Climb contains the timeless hooks reminiscent of the likes of Supertramp, The Beatles and the modern stylings of Tame Impala. As a result, his sound remains unique with dynamics that cannot be tied to the shackles of genre. Influenced by the likes of Bowie, Grandaddy, Radiohead, Phillip Glass and Randy Newman, Obylx draws from a wide spectrum of reference points while at once never fully committing to any particular one — navigating deftly between obscurantism and pure genius. Speaking of Climb, Obylx tells us, “When self-imposed rules and expectations actually hold you back in a situation where you could be flourishing without them.”
47 | David GotSound | You Know the Vibes
THE PRESS RELEASE: “South East London lyricist David GotSound teases his forthcoming project with his feel-good new single You Know the Vibes. Coming through with uplifting, bouncy rhythms against a classic hip-hop backdrop, David’s positive outlook on life is infectious and undeniably comes through on the track, as the rising artist encourages us to celebrate our wins, whilst also delivering food for thought via his lyricism. Soon to get the vintage DIY visual treatment ahead of The Mountains project coming soon, the rising artist’s focus remains on giving listeners creative content from the perspective of a Black man set on fulfilling his dreams whilst navigating the rest of life at the same time.”
