Moon Taxi take the necessary steps, Nothing feel the Bern, Mickey Votano goes a little crazy, The Claudettes do drugs with Bill Hicks, The Singularity plays devil’s advocate and more in your Tuesday Roundup. Personally, I hope Joe comes out swinging. Literally.
ON REPEAT
1 | Moon Taxi | One Step Away
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Moon Taxi will release their sixth full-length album Silver Dream on Jan. 22. To celebrate the big news, the critically acclaimed Nashville-based alt-rock band just shared One Step Away. Guitarist Spencer Thomson commented, “I think this song represents a side of the album that is more rooted in soul and rock. We wanted to share something that complements what we’ve already put out to give the audience some sense of the variety of what’s on the album. In this day and age, it’s tricky to get a big group of people together to shoot a video, so we came up with a concept everyone could film on their own with their phones. It also allowed each member to get creative with how he filmed his shot. I wanted it to have a dark and grimy, yet playful vibe that matched the song.”
2 | Nothing | Bernie Sanders
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Following the recent announcement of their highly anticipated new full-length The Great Dismal, Nothing have shared a second single and video from the album, titled Bernie Sanders. Closing in on the band’s 10-year mark, frontman Domenic Palermo finds himself stringing together songs of misanthropic tales of Philadelphia with a refined and refreshed take on the band’s classic sound. “The Great Dismal refers to a swamp, a brilliant natural trap where survival is custom fit to its inhabitants,” Palermo states. “The nature of its beautiful, but taxing environment and harsh conditions can’t ever really be shaken or forgotten too easily.”
3 | Mikey Votano | Crazy
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Australian music artist & performer Mikey Votano unveils the new video to a his unique take on Gnarls Barkley’s famous megahit Crazy. Mikey brings new life to the song in his unique style with an infectious jungle groove, overlaid by spaghetti western guitars. “Crazy has always had an extra special meaning for me, as I child I was often labelled that in a direct reference to the symptoms of my ADHD & anxiety. Many people suffer from mental illness & all of us have circumstances where we feel similar symptoms, possibly even asking the question, Does that make me crazy? Simply asking that question pretty much guarantees you’re not crazy, I like the idea of taking control of words used against you and that is definitely a large part of the reason why I really enjoyed reworking this track.”
4 | The Claudettes | Different Drugs (Song For Bill Hicks)
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Produced by Grammy winner Ted Hutt, The Claudettes’ fifth album High Times in the Dark won acclaim upon its April release. One song left off the album was the beautiful, haunting Different Drugs (Song for Bill Hicks). “This song idea came to me while the band was on a 25-day West Coast tour,” says Johnny Iguana. “Bill Hicks was a fiercely brilliant comedian, a hero to many, and it just killed me to contemplate his last days: 31 years old, given a fatal cancer diagnosis, then moving back in with his parents, who had to witness the loss of their child … I imagined that Bill is back in his old bedroom, with his posters on the wall, his guitar on the stand…all his old high-school stuff. And this is the room where he used to maybe sneak getting high when he was a teenager — but now, his mom is bringing him pain killers. Same bedroom, different drugs.”
5 | Julian Shah-Tayler aka The Singularity | The Devil Knows
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Julian Shah-Tayler aka The Singularity presents Devil Knows, his new swagger-filled single. The video is focused around fairy-tale-like dominatrix Eva Strangelove and her day-to-day happenings in suburbia. “This song is about losing people. The devil is always present when we lose the connection with people. The death of Love, a break in the heart. Communication breakdown. But we try and try,” explains Shah-Tayler.”
6 | Saunder Jurriaans | All Just Talkin (Live In Layers)
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Singer, songwriter and renowned composer Saunder Jurriaans presents All Just Talkin (Live In Layers), the latest visual for a track lifted from his recently released debut album, Beasts. Recorded in Los Angeles and captured within a 360-degree shot by Clayton McCracken, All Just Talkin (Live In Layers) features Jurriaans performing every instrument within a spiraling, psychedelic dreamscape. The track is also a perfect example of Jurriaans’ ability to set heartfelt words to music that shifts and pulls you in surprising directions. “I was thinking a lot about The Beatles, and unexpected ways of breaking out of song structure,” Jurriaans says. “I like the cinematic aspect of songs like A Day In The Life where you go into this kind of chaos. It felt right.”
ALSO ON THE PLAYLIST
7 | Waterflower | Find It
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Waterflower is one of music’s genuine mavericks — the Latvian singer, songwriter and producer has already garnered attention due to her extraordinary soundscapes and use of plants and flowers to generate musical tones but she now turns to a subject close to her heart for her latest release, Find It! speaking out for many in the LGBTQ+ movement who tirelessly look to express themselves freely. “As a conceptual artist I use many symbols, but one of my favourite art techniques for performance is something like Brian Eno’s creative strategy — to create a mechanism, run it, and see what happens. I start my Waterflower shows by connecting nearby plants. I never know how they will behave before the show, or how they will react to my touch. Experiments with different plant species intrigue me greatly.”
8 | Void Inn | Stay Young
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Void Inn is an Alternative/heavy metal band formed in late 2010 in Los Angeles by members Jelena Vujanovic (vocals) and Sinisa Pejovic (guitar). The band’s sound is powered by fierce riffs (a la Black Sabbath), odd meters, virtuoso guitar parts and a large range of unique vocal tones and a wide range of colors. At the end of 2011 the band moved to Belgrade, where they continue to work in addition to a large number of shows across Serbia and the region. Stay Young is their latest video.”
9 | Raz | Be Okay
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Born and raised in Brampton, and of West Indian descent, Raz has spent nearly a decade dedicated to perfecting his songwriting and creating a unique sound that represents his experiences, personal growth and spirituality. His single Be Okay is an ode to the summer and a reminder that everyone experiences lows and highs, struggles and triumphs. If summer and nature find a way to come back and give us joy and warm weather each year, then maybe we can pick ourselves up and get through this struggle on our way to our next triumph.”
10 | Andrew Bird | Andalucia
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Andrew Bird has just announced Hark!, a new holiday album out Oct. 30. Bird collaborated on the album artwork with his mother, who was also the inspiration for Hark!’s exquisite, solo violin arrangement of Mille Cherubini in Coro – her favorite piece from the Pavarotti and Vienna Boys Choir performance she and Andrew would always listen to when he was a child. Today, Bird shares his take on John Cale’s Andalucia, an ethereal orchestration of plucked strings and swelling harmonies, accompanied by a surreal video of silhouette animation from production designer/illustrator/filmmaker Abigail Portner.”
11 | Bronson | Know Me (ft. Gallant) [Cassian Remix]
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Ensuing widespread acclaim for their self-titled debut album Bronson, Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight of Odesza and Australian producer Tom Stell of Golden Features announce a series of three remix EPs. Remixes Nº.1 is slated for Oct. 16. Bronson debuts the project with the release of Cassian’s masterful spin on the latest single Know Me (feat. Gallant).”
https://youtu.be/uIeCWWihiZk
12 | Dollshot | Stalker
THE PRESS RELEASE: “New York City duo Dollshot, aka Rosie and Noah K, have released their latest single Stalker. Dollshot state, “Stalker is a new direction for us. Working with Pablo Declan on a music video is a bit like sharing a mind. He knows the story we want to tell and captures it dead on. It’s a phantasmic digital tango in a house of mirrors, where the mouse turns out to be the cat.”
13 | Ultraísta | Ordinary Boy
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Ultraísta — vocalist/producer Laura Bettinson (FEMME, lau.ra), multi-instrumentalist/producer Nigel Godrich (Radiohead) and drummer/producer Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M.) – have detailed their upcoming EP Ordinary Boy: The Remixes. The collection will be out Nov. 6 and features new remixes from Floating Points, FaltyDL, Zero 7, Crate Classics and Leifur James. Ordinary Boy is the hypnotic and propulsive highlight from Sister, the trio’s first album of new music in eight years, released this March. Ultraísta have also shared the video for the album version, directed by Godrich.”
14 | Plants and Animals | Love That Boy
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Plants and Animals are releasing a new single and video for Love That Boy, an intimate song created out of childhood memories and reflection about the constant evolution of family. The Jungle, their fifth studio album, is set to be released Oct. 23. Warren Spicer shares the inspiration behind the song: “It’s a song about my family, present and past, but it feels more like a meditation. I was upset, frustrated and feeling like no one knew me — the kid me, the me I still feel I am. And then writing the song chilled me out and put me right. It was a way to connect with my dead parents and with my new life as a dad, and to give everyone a proper hug.”
15 | Saint Raymond | Wide Eyed Blind
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Saint Raymond shares his new single Wide Eyed Blind, from his upcoming album dud in 2021. A reflective, laid back, guitar driven track highlighting his unique vocals that brim with soul and passion, trying to make sense of the end of a relationship. Saint Raymond explains, “This song is about relationship breakdown. When you’re trying to be aware of absolutely everything and you kind of miss what’s happening right in front of you, hence the title Wide Eyed Blind.”
16 | Steve Poltz | Quarantine Blues
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Cult hero Steve Poltz is known for his unhinged live performances, incredible way with a comedic lyric and ability to spin a ripping tale. But Poltz outdoes himself with Quarantine Blues, a sprawling, many-versed litany of pretty much every single Covid experience you’ve gone through plus the sort of experiences you’d have to enter Poltz’s alternative world to even think of. “I don’t mean to sound like I’m not taking coronavirus seriously, but — in times like these — I think people need some irreverence,” says Poltz.”
17 | Machinedrum | Spin Blocks (ft. Father)
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Spin Blocks sees Machinedrum (aka Travis Stewart) paired up with Father, the Atlanta-based rapper. “I made the beat for Spin Blocks some time in 2019 when I was getting back into sampling again,” says Machinedrum. “I sampled this beautiful song called Ujimma by The Lightmen Plus One and I played some guitar on it as well … I sent it over to Father and he smashed it!” Father confirms the pair’s harmonious working relationship: “Working with Machinedrum was effortless. There were no limitations of what I could do and he really supported that for the track. I was able to just be myself and it worked out perfect.”
18 | Natali Kruger | Tiger
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Nathalie Garcia aka Natali Kruger (or Baby Kruger) is a French sound artist based in Brussels, Belgium. With her latest record 83% invisible, Kruger expresses a profound reflection on her research, extending her thematic scope by focalizing the relationship between sound, the corporeal, consciousness and the natural world. Aiming to mirror the perception of natural sounds as a living 3D environment, Kruger creates an enveloping sound world. The new video for Tiger is a work of nocturnal shadow, wind among trees & unique light projections.”
19 | Slow Pulp | Montana
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Wisconsin-bred and Chicago-based band Slow Pulp — Emily Massey (vocals/guitar), Alexander Leeds (bass), Theodore Mathews (drums), and Henry Stoehr (guitar) — are gearing up to release their self-produced debut album on Oct. 9. Today they share a single from the upcoming record, the soft and shimmering Montana. Massey says: “This song is about moving beyond defining myself in terms of my mental health. I’ve been working through this over the last couple of years and this song is a reflection of this process and where I am now. Montana was the first song we finished recording for the album.”
20 | Skam | Green Eyes
THE PRESS RELEASE: “U.K. rock trio Skam have released the official video for their latest single Green Eyes, the first single from their forthcoming EP Intra. The song’s focus is on jealousy and how the grass can look greener on the other side of the fence, but to overcome it, you need to suck it up, swallow it down, and concentrate on your own life. Intra arrives Feb. 26.”
21 | The Arthur Brothers | The Great Escape
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The Arthur Brothers is a London-based artistic alliance centered around brothers Matt and Danny Arthur and the producer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist J. C. Wright. The Great Escape is taken from their just released debut album Nine. The Arthur Brothers’ journey began nine orbits ago, when the talented trio collectively embarked upon a mission, an expedition, an exploration, a compulsion even…. an undertaking that can only be described as … art for art’s sake.”
22 | Doug Locke | Why?
THE PRESS RELEASE: “With the music video, I wanted to shine a light on one of my worst nightmares as a Black man in America,” explains Doug Locke about his video Why? “It’s the fear that I will be pulled over (probably while minding my own business) by the wrong officer and my story will end right there… in that moment.” Filmed during the pandemic with safeguards in place, the video depicts the panic and apprehension that fills POC and especially Black men and women with palpable fear and dread. Some victims have been killed. “I made this music video in loving memory of them, and to honor them,” Locke says solemnly.”
23 | Iron Mask | Tree Of The World
THE PRESS RELEASE: “The first taste from the new Iron Mask album Tree Of The World, out Dec. 4, sees the band return with a real crowd-pleaser. The title track has slight Celtic influences, galloping drums and a jaw-dropping solo courtesey of the guitar wizard and main man Dushan Petrossi. A true metal anthem. “There’s not only Odin when it comes to mythology and pagans gods, there’s also Svarog, God of gods and all slavic people. The world tree carries the earth, hell and heaven and is their old symbol.”
24 | Psymon Spine | Modmed
THE PRESS RELEASE: “If the story of Psymon Spine in 2020 began with Milk featuring Barrie Lindsay (Noah and Sabine’s former bandmate), it only makes sense to follow that with Modmed, a song inspired by Noah and Sabine’s decision to split and focus their energy on Psymon Spine. Featuring production and writing contributions from their friend Andrew VanWyngarden of MGMT, Modmed is heavily disco-inspired, fusing those sounds with a left-field pop sensibility. “Psymon Spine invited me into the studio one winter’s day and we had a fun and funky time ripping Juno basslines and dialing in lush tones,” says VanWyngarden. “I like that their DJ and record digging knowledge comes through distinctly on this track.”
25 | Bleakheart | Dream Griever
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Dream Griever is the latest single from Denver doomgaze unit Bleakheart. The moving hymn comes by way of the band’s debut full-length of the same name, set for release Oct. 23. A haunting eclipse of sorrow and desire, Bleakheart weaves their longing psychedelia into a crushing mass of melancholic wonder. Says Kelly Schilling, “Dream Griever captures the essence of our sound while also expanding on new terrain. It is our ending epic, exploring feelings of loss, confusion and frustration during times of intense personal change.”
26 | Mike Block | Tenfold
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Cello player, composer, singer and educator Mike Block has released Tenfold, a second single from his upcoming adult-pop record The Edge of the Atmosphere, due out Oct. 23. Block stated, “The opening lyrics of Tenfold came out spontaneously as I attempted to squeeze in a little bit of time playing music during a moment of calm as my newborn baby rested in her cushion. My guilt of trying to be productive while she lay there waiting for my attention led me to think of all the other times in my life when I’ve put my goals before the needs of others. The verses are an attempt to justify selfish habits, while the choruses inspire me to serve others more.”
27 | Warlung | Order of the Solar Temple
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Houston riff-rockers Warlung unveil the third single taken from their upcoming full-length Optical Delusions, out on Oct. 9. The Texas four piece brilliantly meld NWOBHM influences, modern heavy and picturesque horror themes without ever sounding dramatic or pompous. Might they be the 2.0 offsprings of Ozzy Osbourne, Rush and Pink Floyd? Their sense of storytelling and invigorating riff rock driven by George Baba and Philip Bennett’s massive hooks and catchy vocals will definitely win over fans of Ghost, Uncle Acid and The Order Of Israfel.”
28 | Peach Kelli Pop | Stupid Girl
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Peach Kelli Pop is a musical project conceived of by songwriter Allie Hanlon. Stupid Girl is two minutes of pure guitar pop brilliance, but a self deprecating theme runs through the upbeat song. “As a non-linear thinker and someone that always felt uncomfortable in school, I grew up thinking I was stupid. This is still ingrained in me to some extent.” Hanlon says of the new single. In 2009, in her hometown of Ottawa, Hanlon taught herself to play guitar and bass, arrange songs and record them. The band is now based in Southern California, after Hanlon relocated in 2013. Peach Kelli Pop is back with her Lucky Star EP on Oct. 7.”
29 | The Slow Readers Club | Two Minutes Hate
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Manchester’s The Slow Readers Club have released the second track from their fifth studio album, 91 Days in Isolation. Speaking about the new track, Aaron Starkie (lead singer) says: “Lyrically it’s a song about the outpouring of hatred and vitriol on social media and me asking myself if I should engage with it. It is an acknowledgement that there is something in the human condition that craves an outlet to unleash our rage and social media provides that. Two Minutes Hate is a reference to the daily ritual in George Orwell’s 1984 where party members gather to scream at images of enemies of the state.”
30 | Miesha & The Spanks | Wanna Feel Good
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Miesha & The Spanks are a high-octane garage-rock duo from Calgary, made up of rock ‘n’ roll matriarch Miesha Louie and her partner in crime, Sean Hamilton on drums. Together they draw inspiration from classics to create some modern noise that’s catchy enough to raise a fist and sing along. The duo just released a new single, Wanna Feel Good. The track features new dimensions of fuzz and feedback for the band and captures that tense high-shouldered dread when time is running out.”
31 | Crawford Mack | A Love I Can’t Live Up To
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Intimately involved in all aspects of his art, Glaswegian composer Crawford Mack is not just a musician and lyricist, but a video and art director; the whole focused on the perfect expression of his musical vision. A Love I Can’t Live Up To is a ‘how-not-to’ guide to happiness, featuring realisations that came too late. The artist tells us: “I was set a challenge by Sir Ray Davies to write a song where the bridge would hold the main meaning of the song, and to use musical materials I hadn’t found a place for yet. The song draws on different moments in my life… it started out as a reflection of carrying feelings of inadequacy from some early relationships, and eventually evolved into a reflection of how they affected my actions getting older.”
32 | Marcelo Deiss | Gridlock
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Marcelo Deiss is a Brazilian-born, London-based artist whose music dances between indie, blues, folk and rock. Gridlock focuses on themes such as greed and social alienation. With the hopes to spark conversation about subjects that need to be confronted about it, the musician shares, “I would say that it’s mainly about bringing attention to the injustice of the system we are living in. It was movements such as Brexit, Me Too movement, Trump, Black Lives Matter and other topics that deal with oppression that got me into writing about what’s currently happening in our society.”
33 | Seba Kaapstad | Our People (feat. Quelle Chris)
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Seba Kaapstad announced their upcoming album Konke along with releasing the lead single Our People, featuring Quelle Chris. The album also features Grammy-nominated singer Georgia Anne Muldrow as well as critically acclaimed rapper Oddisee. The multi-national neo-soul/jazz group combines South African, Swazi, U.S. and German elements into their newest global record. Singers Zoe Modiga and Ndumiso Manana grace the lead vocals over production from Philip Scheibel and band founder Sebastian Schuster. The record builds upon the foundation they laid with 2019’s Thina while adding a relaxed musicality. Konke will be out on Nov. 13.”
34 | Sens Dep | Luckless Hunter
THE PRESS RELEASE: “Sens Dep (Sensory Deprivation) is a band that creates textured noise and sonic ruminations that explore ideas of control, restraint and abandon in equal measure. The group’s long-awaited debut album Lush Desolation will be released on Nov. 30. Today the trio releases a new single titled Luckless Hunter, which should appeal to all shoe-gazeys out there! Sens Dep comment: “Luckless Hunter gets its sense of place from the hunting shack in which it was recorded. Yet this place and the pure tones are offset and detuned by manipulated tape post recording confounding as Sens Dep’s focused approach to capture the colour of night.”
35 | Woundikin | So It Goes
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “While his music can be calm and relaxing, it’s evident that Woundikin’s vision is truly a labor of love. Often taking the bittersweet moments in life, his songs offer up grey clouds with silver linings. With influences ranging from Ray LaMontagne to The Tallest Man on Earth, the music that Woundikin creates is uniquely and elegantly his own. When writing lyrics, the up-and-coming songwriter draws inspiration from personal experiences, his perception of others’ experiences and the world around him. Lyrics are generally the last step in Woundikin’s songwriting process as they come together after the musical portions have come into place.”
