Joe Shithead and D.O.A. play politics, The Cribs know Lee Ranaldo better than they know themselves, Joey Molland saves up for a rainy day, Leaves’ Eyes continue their Viking quest and more in your Monday Roundup. I just finished reading Eddie Floyd’s bone-dry memoir Knock! Knock! Knock! On Wood. If you’re looking for a book that perfectly illustrates the difference between exhaustively detailed (which it certainly is) and personally revealing (which it definitely ain’t), here it is. Anybody wanna trade for another new musical bio? Email me and we’ll talk.
1 | D.O.A. | All The President’s Men
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Canada’s punk rock troublemakers have come up with a new video that sums up the corruption in Washington, D.C. All The President’s Men from D.O.A.’s album Treason is all about about standing up to racism, corruption and greed. For their new video D.O.A. has of course employed their long standing sense of humor in this ode to corrupt jerks. All The President’s Men takes a well-deserved swipe at jerks like Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un and Trump’s phalanx of American stooges, includng his corrupt family — which by the way, maybe there should be a new amendment to the Constitution that states no member of the Trump family can ever run for office ever again! Says Joe Shithead Keithley: “When lies and corruption rule the land, it’s always been a time honored tradition that artists become one of the last lines of defense, that’s the tradition of folk, punk and rap, we have stand up against the racist, divisive bullshit that’s coming out of the White House. That’s what D.O.A. is trying to do with this song. We are united with all those who stand up for equality and fairness!”
2 | The Cribs | Don’t Know Who I Am (ft. Lee Ranaldo)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Cribs have shared the video to I Don’t Know Who I Am, the latest track to be taken from their forthcoming eighth album Night Network, which is set to be released, Nov. 13. The track sees the band reuniting with Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth), who contributed spoken-word verses on their much-loved 2007 track Be Safe. Talking about the track, the band said: “I Don’t Know Who I Am (although ultimately quite different) came together in much the same way as Be Safe did — we had a recording of a long, improvised noise-jam which we then tried to refine into a more cohesive song structure. Due to the similarities in the writing process, it made us think of Lee again … we had initially requested that he play noise guitar over the track, because we wanted to keep it somewhat abstract and create the impression of the melodies just kind of emerging out of the static … but he went beyond the call of duty and also added some beautiful vocal harmonies too.”
3 | Joey Molland | Rainy Day Man
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The story of Badfinger is one of rock’s saddest and most tragic tales. But one thing is for certain: the group that practically invented “power pop” was abundantly filled with talent. Perhaps the most unheralded of the three in Badfinger was Liverpudlian guitarist Joey Molland. Be True to Yourself, a tour de force pop album by Molland and producer Mark Hudson, comes out Oct. 16. Rainy Day Man is the latest preview. Says Molland: “Gary Burr emailed the original idea to Mark and I, he said ‘Do what you like with it,’ so Mark and I did what we liked with it. Mark pretty much rewrote this song for me, he kept all my guitar bits though, and again, we think it turned out pretty well.”
4 | Leaves’ Eyes | Chain Of The Golden Horn
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Leaves’ Eyes release their new single and video Chain Of The Golden Horn, the second track from upcoming album The Last Viking, due for release on Oct. 23. With their cult albums Vinland Saga (2005) and King of Kings (2015), they already turned Leif Eriksson’s discovery of America and the life of Norway’s first king into music. Now, Leaves’ Eyes bring the Viking Sagas to their bombastic finale.”
5 | Jessie Wagner | What You Get is What You See
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Popular touring vocalist Jessie Wagner (Lenny Kravitz, Chic, Duran Duran, Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul) and frontwoman for NYC rock/soul band Army of the Underdog has dropped a new single off of her upcoming debut solo album Shoes Droppin. The single is accompanied by a animated music video. Jessie says, “This is an animated representation of knowing that you can continuously work on your personal relationships day by day, season to season. As long as the world keeps turning you can keep trying to be better.”
6 | Suzzy Roche & Lucy Wainwright | I Think I Am A Soul
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The new album by Suzzy Roche & Lucy Wainwright is titled I Can Still Hear You. Suzzy, of course, was a member of The Roches with her sisters Terre Roche and Maggie Roche (the latter is deceased, which factors into the story of the video). Lucy Wainwright is the daughter of Suzzy Roche and Loudon Wainwright III. I Think I Am a Soul, which features Indigo Girls’ Emily Saliers on guitar, stands as one of I Can Still Hear You’s cornerstones. On it, Lucy’s gossamer vocals convey the song’s ponderings of life, aging, and what lies beyond.”
7 | M!NT | 90 Degrees (ft. Nas Leber)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Brooklyn-based, multi-faceted producer M!NT releases his new single and video; a collaboration with Bronx-raised singer Nas Leber. Aptly titled 90 Degrees, the melodic and reflective track recognizes the global phenomenon of personal reflection experienced at the end of summer, which is greatly amplified with a 2020 retrospect. 90 Degrees is an introspective piece in which Nas Leber reflects on his upbringing, the people and environment which raised him, and the struggles he’s surpassed in order to become the man he is today. By expressing gratitude for his experiences, he gains a sense of triumph and an awareness that he is meant and ready to provide a greater life and future for him and his community.”
8 | Remission International | TOS2020
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “As we creep closer to release date for Remission International’s new charity single TOS2020 — a collaborative remake of the The Mission’s anthemic hit Tower Of Strength, released to raise money for Covid-related charities worldwide, here’s the new lyric video. Running at over nine minutes, it offers insight into the full-length TOS2020 Beholden To The Front-Line Workers Of The World, revealing who sings which lines, who plays which guitar solo, drums, etc. throughout the song. All proceeds go to charities personally chosen by each contributor.”
9 | Then Falls The Sky | Scars
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ohio metal band Then Falls The Sky released the lyric video for their song Scars off of their latest EP Break Free. Created by Mike Colletti of MC Lyric Videos, the video depicts the contrast between dark and light, representing that not everything is black and white, and life consists of varying shades of positivity and negativity Says vocalist Nick Barlage: “The song Scars to me is about the impact someone has on your life and the realization that you survived and made it throughout all the turmoil and live proudly with the scars it left. I wrote it to express how I felt about multiple situations in my life, it’s just a subconscious release of thought.”
10 | Chris Smither | What I Do
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “More From the Levee, Chris Smither’s 18th album, continues the milieu of his 50-year retrospective Still on the Levee (2014). Reconnecting with his roots, Smither recorded the latter, a double album, in New Orleans at the fabled Music Shed. What resulted were 24 fresh takes on his songs with help from some very special guests including the legendary Allen Toussaint and Loudon Wainwright III. What I Do is the latest preview. “I think we were halfway through the two-week recording session in New Orleans and my producer, David Goodrich, turned to me and said, “You should write a new song.” Just like that. Well, I do write best when there’s a deadline and there was something in the air. Maybe being in New Orleans where I grew up since age two and well, I couldn’t not write something. Especially since David actually asked nicely.”
11 | Minefield | Alone Together
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Alone Together is the debut single from Minefield, featuring Todd Kerns (Slash ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators) on vocals and bass, Brandon Fields on lead guitar, Jeremy Asbrock (Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley) on guitar and Matt Starr (Mr. Big, Ace Frehley) on drums. Alone Together is pure U.S. hard rock performed by some of the best musicians on the planet. The cohesion and seamless performance is there to be heard as Minefield breathe new life into the rock scene. If you love big, bombastic arena rock anthems, Minefield are bringing exactly that.”
https://youtu.be/qpwaaUkrZdk
12 | Nicolas Michaux | Enemies
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Belgian-born Denmark-based artist Nicolas Michaux is sharing his new single Enemies. Thematically, Enemies dives into the work of the French sociologist Bernard Friot — a historian of social security and advocate of the lifetime salary with Michaux reflecting Friot’s teachings on his own situation: “When you turn 30 and have a child, being broke becomes less and less fun,” says Nicolas. “At the time of writing, we were looking for a place to live and the violence of the housing market took me by the throat. In writing about slavery, Marguerite Yourcenar said that a regime is often most excessive in its cruelty and injustice in its last days. I sometimes get the impression that it’s the same kind of historical scenario we are currently experiencing with the slow agony of capitalism.”
13 | Emi Wes | Issues
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With a voice that balances the fragility of Joss Stone against the sheer tone of Nina Simone, Emi Wes has spent the last couple of years working with Danish songwriters and experimenting with different genres to perfect her musical craft. Entering a new collaboration with renowned producer Robin Hannibal, Emi is ready to kickstart her career with the release of her new single Issues. The song is a self-love affirmation, as she explains: “Over the years, these have been the lines of my life. It’s really about not being frightened of appearing vulnerable.”
14 | Still Corners | The Last Exit
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Last Exit is the fifth studio album from Still Corners, which will be released on Jan. 22. With the shimmering desert noir sound the band has become known for, The Last Exit takes you on a hypnotic journey, one filled with dilapidated towns, mysterious shapes on the horizon, and long trips that blur the line between what’s there and not there. The Last Exit, inspired by the 1975 film Picnic at Hanging Rock, finds Tessa pulled into the mysterious rocks of Joshua Tree. She explains: “In a world where everyone thinks all the corners of the map are filled in we like to suggest there’s something beyond that, something eternal in the landscape and in our psyche. Maybe you don’t see it every day but it’s there and that’s what we are trying to connect to.”
15 | Kulick | Rope
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “PA alt-rock singer-songwriter Kulick has dropped Rope, the highly infectious first single off his upcoming debut full-length Yelling in a Quiet Neighborhood, out Oct. 16. Kulick says, “Rope was written immediately after getting off of the U.S. and Canada tour with Andy Black and The Faim in May 2019. I had a tough year in my personal life, and I wasn’t ready to face it when I got home. I wrote this song with my drummer Keith Gensure, who I’ve known and played music with most of my life, and I felt safe enough to write this very personal song with him.”
16 | Boy Made Flower | Ted Mosby
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Boy Made Flower aka Henrik Lund is a lo-fi pop artist from Oslo who channels everything from the lyrical flow of Mac Miller and Jaden to the sombre vocal melodies of Eden and boy pablo. Themed around his favourite American sitcom How I Met Your Mother, the new playful bop Ted Mosby sees Lund use the main character as a metaphor for dealing with a depleting sense of hope in relationships and love. Speaking of the song, he tells us “Ted Mosby started out more like a playful idea more than an actual song. The over the top, touchy-feely lyrics are still kind of funny to me, so I like to think the spark of humour is still in there somewhere, despite the song being one of the more honest ones I’ve written.”
17 | Ba’al | Long Live
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ellipsism is the sense of sadness and melancholy that accompanies intimations of one’s own mortality, the quiet heartbreak that comes with the realisation of all the futures you will never see. It’s also the perfect title for the full-length debut album from Sheffield blackened post metal sorcerers of sorrow, Ba’al. Ellipsism was recorded in March of this cursed year with Joe Clayton (Pijn, Wren, Leeched, etc) and will be released on Oct. 30. This is an album to take note of, to be grateful for, to sweep up and clutch to your heart as it inspires reflection and shakes the illusionary foundations of existence.”
18 | Heavy Salad | Inner Versions
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Heavy Salad present Inner Visions, the final single to be released ahead of their debut album Cult Casual this Friday. A wild ride of Super Furries-style outlander-pop infused with Dinosaur Jr.’s slacker sensibilities, the track is a vicarious and psychedelic exploration of one’s self and our place in the universe. Lee Mann of Heavy Salad says of the track: “Inner Versions is about a bad psychedelic trip in a Glaswegian hotel room but it’s also about parallel universes and trying to understand yourself, the different versions of yourself. The song seeks to explore the idea that if you had made different decisions then would your life be so much different? Is there another version of yourself living a completely different life in a parallel universe? In your mind? In someone else’s mind?”
19 | Convulsif | Feed My Spirit Side By Side
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Swiss jazz grindcore collective Convulsif have just revealed a new track from their forthcoming new album Extinct, which is set for release on Oct. 23. It’s titled Feed My Spirit Side By Side.”
20 | Tired Kid | Make Time
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Tired King’s new single Make Time takes an autobiographical look at Tired Kid’s day-to-day life; some of it mundane but relatable, ultimately attached with a bit of happiness. Tired Kid is the moniker for Thomas Kelly, a musician/composer based in Toronto. Thomas tries to create music with a vintage warmth and psychedelic nature. Inspired by bands from all eras of time, he picks out elements from each like a florist picking out flowers to create a bouquet of sound for eager ears to listen upon. Pure familiarity, pure nostalgia.”
21 | Marie-Clo | The Noise
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A true creative chameleon and seasoned traveler, Marie-Clo’s eclectic indie pop tackles current themes & conscious lyrics, but also conjures a colourful and enchanted world. The singer-songwriter and dancer’s latest release, Shell(e) Pt II, encapsulates slightly different emotions than its predecessor. New single The Noise speaks of the proverbial ‘noise’ marginalized groups have to deal with on a daily basis. Penned in 2017, in reference to never ending sexist micro/macro aggressions, The Noise can mean so much more than just a woman’s felt experience.”
22 | Kirsten Knick | Life’s A Placebo
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Having previously released under the otherworldly pseudonym Völuspa, dream-pop artist Kirsten Knick is ready to step out of her alter ego and present new synth infused offering Life’s a Placebo. Soaked in a dreamy mix of ambient synths and Kirsten’s warming vocals, Life’s a Placebo explores loss in its entirety. Discussing her new track, she tells us: “The song is sort of an epiphany, that life is a placebo. Life is as we see it. I could choose to grieve over this loss and wallow in self-pity, or I could move on and make shit happen.”
23 | Laila Biali | Anthem
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Juno Award winner Laila Biali shares the third instalment of her Quarantunes video series with Anthem — a special cover of the Leonard Cohen classic, aptly being released on what would have been his 86th birthday. Says Biali: “‘Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.’ Leonard Cohen would be turning 86 today. I’ve always found his writing to speak to the moment history finds itself in; but these lyrics from my favourite song of his, Anthem, are as current and impactful as ever almost 30 years later — timely and timeless.”
24 | Yatra | Tyrant Throne
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Maryland-based doom metal trio Yatra are preparing for their third album (and heaviest to date) All Is Lost, to see early October release. With the record less than three weeks from release, they’ve premiere of the track Tyrant Throne. Dana Helmuth explains, “Tyrant Throne was a song that came completely out of my head and fingers. I woke up one morning with the intro melody in my head and turned on my amp, and it honestly all came out in one play, even all the changes, almost like I was remembering a song that I forgotten. Even the first verse lyrics and the chorus lyrics all just came out of my head on that same first run-through.”
25 | Kilfeather | Never Stop
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Kilfeather is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter based out of Las Vegas, NV. He delivers a sound that can best be described as Psych Garage Punk. Kilfeather delivers us a brand-new single Never Stop. It has a slight resemblance to previous single King Creep by delving into early Corrosion of Conformity territory but still retaining a garage punk vibe with a groove-laden edge.”
26 | Misty Coast | In A Million Years
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Misty Coast create chamber psych-pop that conjures mental images of celestial bodies, kaleidoscopic bliss and mountain streams flowing into fjords. Made up of Linn Frøkedal and Richard Myklebust, on new album When I Fall From The Sky the pair are accompanied by drummer Kim Åge Furuhaug. On first single In A Million Years, Linn is akin to an intergalactic Kim Deal, her reverb and distortion-laden vocals layered over a heavenly backdrop of fuzz, drawing in the listener like a piece of debris into a black hole. She tells us that “the song represents a recurring theme on the album, and it lingers in thoughts about whether we should choose to ignore the reality outside of what we experience as our world — or if we should dare to seek a larger, perhaps unpleasant truth.”
