Gustaf know how to make an entrance, Gwenifer Raymond picks her own personal hell, Four Stroke Baron return to the city, King Parrot raise a disgusting stink, The Wild Feathers deliver smoke and fire, Downtown Mischief run a warm bath and tons more in your Long Weekend Roundup. Don’t miss out on buried treasures from Gord Downie, Tori Handsley, Bad Operation, Yola and others. Now, where’s my beer?
1 | Gustaf | Mine
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Brooklyn art-punks Gustaf share their debut single and video Mine. The first recorded material from a band who have played sold-out shows around the United States based solely on word of mouth, Mine offers an engagingly weird and frantically off-kilter look into the all-encompassing world of the quintet. Vocalist Lydia Gammill explains: “This song is about having a false sense of entitlement. Someone who feels attacked or like they’re being pushed out of their own world and not getting the credit they deserve. Someone with a delusional sense of self whose anger and frustration is humorous like the superintendent in a college frat movie. The opening lines make it seem like the narrator is being criticizing by someone else and they’re retaliation is like “you’ve got to be kidding me, you can’t say that about me! I invented water you punk!” …. sort of. “
2 | Gwenifer Raymond | Hell For Certain
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Welsh musician Gwenifer Raymond’s 2018 debut You Never Were Much of a Dancer introduced a new voice on acoustic guitar. This led to months of touring on the European festival circuit. Her second album Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain finds Raymond ranging into unexplored experimental territory, drawing from her Welsh roots. Today she drops the second single and video from the album, which is out Nov. 13.”
3 | Four Stroke Baron | Cyborg Pt. II: The City
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Four Stroke Baron have put together an exceptionally futuristic video for Cyborg Pt. II: The City. Taken from their 2018 album Planet Silver Screen, the trio’s amalgamation of progressive rock and off the wall heavy-pop songwriting is a welcome slice of escapism. This revisited single is a welcome reminder of the bands charm to older fans, whilst serving as a solid entry point into their catalogue for those new to their sound.”
4 | King Parrot | Kick Up A Stink
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Australian grind faction King Parrot have dropped their scorching new limited-edition EP Holed Up In The Lair, accompanied by a comical new video for the track Kick Up A Stink. Vocalist Matt “Youngy” Young comments, “The result speaks for itself: Another chapter of King Parrot absurdity.”
5 | The Wild Feathers | Fire
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Before the release of Medium Rarities, their album of unreleased songs spanning their decade-long career, The Wild Feathers have dropped another sneak peek. “Fire is one of those songs that was just easy to write. It rarely happens, but when it does it’s really about just holding on and not letting it get away from you,” explains vocalist/guitarist Ricky Young. “I just sat down and started playing it and wrote it in about 45 minutes. I definitely came back and made tweaks, but it was there in 45 minutes.”
6 | Downtown Mischief | Warm Bath
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Downtown Mischief are back with their sophomore release Galactic Mantis on Nov. 13. The first single Warm Bath is out today. The Victoria collective’s signature hybrid of funk, jazz and hip-hop comes through loud and clear on Warm Bath and the song’s, blissed-out, sex-positive vibe definitely makes for a fun and interesting video. “Warm Bath is really just a song for those who love to bathe, but it’s also for everyone who loves those people … so I guess it’s kinda for everyone,” says frontman Poppa Phat Smile. “Who doesn’t love a sudsy wet time? Almost no one. So we decided to splash some tunes together!”
7 | 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. On first single In A Million Years, Linn Frøkedal 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.”
8 | Beauty In Chaos | A Kind Cruelty: The Sinistrality Mix (ft. Curse Mackey)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Groundbreaking alternative rock collective Beauty in Chaos announced their new album Out Of Chaos Comes… will be released on Halloween weekend. The debut single is Tim Palmer’s offering A Kind Cruelty (The Sinistrality Mix), featuring Curse Mackey (Pigface, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult) on vocals and guitarist Simon Hinkler (The Mission). Says Palmer: “The track hints at an electro punk feel, so my intention was to highlight that, but I also felt that with some surgery it could be a strong single.”
9 | Love Again | I’ll Remember
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “San Antonio emo/indie rock trio Love Again are giving fans another taste of their upcoming What I Left Behind EP (out Nov. 20) with the release of their new single and video I’ll Remember.”
10 | Anya Marina | 16 Letters
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Singer, songwriter and renowned live performer Anya Marina presents the video for 16 Letters, from her new album Queen Of The Night. The video was filmed by Scott Coffey in Berlin and Matt Pond in Kingston, NY. Marina says, “Matt Pond gave me the idea for the video: two people in a relationship, facing each other over a fire in the woods, holding up the lyrics and then placing them into the fire in one last effort to communicate, to connect, to understand, and, hopefully, to be understood.”
11 | Venom Prison | Slayer of Holofernes
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “U.K. death metal trailblazers Venom Prison just released their new album Primeval. It features re-recordings of tracks from their early EPs Defy The Tyrant and The Primal Chaos, with two new tracks. Revisiting and paying respect to their past whilst also looking ambitiously forward, Primeval effortlessly retains all of the technical prowess and dizzying musicianship of their old material and then some. Here’s the video for Slayer of Holofernes.”
12+13 | Mappe Of | Estuary + Ladybird
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mappe Of (the project and persona created by Tom Meikle) performs solo renditions of Estuary and Ladybird. Following his evocative and highly orchestrated concept album The Isle of Ailynn, these stripped-down arrangements display Meikle’s immaculate songwriting and undeniable love for his craft. “The whole idea with these performances was to do something barebones,” Meikle explains, “It’s always been a unique challenge for me to pare things down, given that I rarely write music in this way, but these two songs felt appropriate for the setting.”
14 | Mall Daze | Ten Favorites
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dark wave duo Mall Daze release their new music video for the single Ten Favorites. The video captures the cut’s moody and minimalist vibe and evokes the dream-pop sentiment. “I guess this bass line felt cool and the song just fell together and almost started playing itself,” vocalist and guitarist Tyrell Tompkins explained. “I harken back to leaving my girlfriend’s (now my wife) house as a teen and daydreaming about a future with cool friends and nothing but this soundtrack to your life pocket of (10 favorite) songs that are only right at a perfect time of a late dusk sort of evening.”
15 | Earth’s Yellow Sun | The Infernal Machine Animated Comic Part V: Rapture
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Five years ago, Toronto’s Earth’s Yellow Sun released their sophomore EP The Infernal Machine. To celebrate the anniversary, the band has been re-releasing the tracks in the form of animated videos. Today, the band reveals the final video Part V: The Rapture. The band comment: “The Infernal Machine is an expansive sonic journey through a futuristic conflict between man and the mechanical intelligence it creates, told through instrumental progressive metal.”
16 | Evangelia | Fotiá
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Rising pop artist Evangelia has released her new single Fotiá, along with its accompanying video. Evangelia pays tribute to her Greek roots through her innovative music combining pop influences with Greek traditional sounds. Says Evangelia: “At its core, Fotiá is about letting go and following your passion — whether it’s romantic love or doing what you love. For me, it’s both.”
17 | 2nd Generation Wu | Heaven on Earth
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “2nd Generation Wu (the sons of the Wu-Tang Clan) explore the simplicity of joy, premiering the blissful video for Heaven on Earth featuring producer J. Glaze. “With this visual, I wanted to go with a more artistic aesthetic to satisfy the inner filmmaker in me,” explains frontman iNTeLL. “So my wife [artist Prema777] and I came up with the concept that heaven on earth can be as simple as having a good time with friends.”
18 | Strvngers | Vitas Brevis
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Darkwave artists Strvngers release the video for their deeply personal song Vitas Brevis. The title comes from the phrase “ars longa, vita brevis”, a Latin version of the Greek proverb meaning; ‘Art is long, life is short.’ The words “I hope you’re happy now” are sung throughout the chorus in a bittersweet melancholic tone but is truly meant. With the video, Strvngers wanted to convey a sense of love and vulnerability. A stripped down, unmasked man dancing with a phantom lover.”
https://youtu.be/H8Kwujzw5-4
19 | Tyke T | Countdown
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Memphis rapper Tyke T releases a song for the ladies in his new hit Countdown. Tyke T drew inspiration from his wife’s busy schedule to write a song about taking her mind off of the stress and making time for a much needed night out on the town. This is certainly a shared sentiment by many in our world’s current state. We’re all wishing for a semblance of normalcy so that we can once again, enjoy a stress free night out.”
20 | Sevyn Streeter | Kissez (ft. Davido)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Singer/songwriter Sevyn Streeter drops the steamy visual for her sultry single Kissez feat. Davido. In November, Sevyn will release her sophomore album Drunken Wordz x Sober Thoughtz, which will include an all-star lineup of features. The album follows Sevyn’s debut Girl Disrupted (2017), which showcased her soulful vocals and powerful songwriting.”
21 | Mike Edel | Giving Up On Giving In
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A collaboration with Cumulus, the song is the latest single from Mike Edel’s En Masse which is out Nov. 20. “Alex and I met through Chris Walla, who released two Cumulus records and who produced my last record,” says Edel. “We wrote Giving Up On Giving In about our individual and collective mistakes the day after every Christmas party of 2019. We wrote about the resolve to push past the mental thresholds of waking up in the morning and making music and doing this thing. The song has also gotten a lot more relevant to me through the pandemic.”
22 | Amberlake | Gold Dust
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “London-born Hong Kong producer / musician Amberlake (Nick Tsang) is pleased to share an inspirational, feel-good clip for new single Gold Dust, a tantalisingly, breezy chill-pop gem, exploring the more melodic side of the pop spectrum with themes of infatuation and nostalgia. Nick says: ”Whilst listening to the Gold Dust one day on a train, I thought that I would love to see an old Asian couple dance to this song which led to the inspiration to this music video. I wanted to make a fun and heart warming dance video that will keep me smiling throughout!”
23 | Eric Hilton | The Impossible Silence
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Eric Hilton of Thievery Corporation announced the Nov. 20 release of his new solo album The Impossible Silence, a director’s cut of elegant electronica inspired by vintage film soundtracks of the ’60s and ’70s. Like a movie, the record flows through a variety of situational moods, at times melancholic, idyllic, while some tracks are slightly foreboding and others just plain groovy. “Not being bound by a real movie, or working for a director, I can control the ebb and flow of the mood throughout,” says Hilton. “I didn’t want to break the spell, I want the listener to be entranced.”
24 | Flyingdeadman | A Haven And A Jail (4.00 AM)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Inspired by the cult horror movie Night Of The Living Dead by George A.Romero, Flyingdeadman’s Nov. 1 EP The Night is composed of five tracks for five movements, five atmospheres, five feelings. It’s a kind of cinematographical EP (but not a soundtrack) and the first one for the band written as a real four-piece entity, a effort thought for the studio recording but also the the live iteration.”
25 | Taylor Colson | Tiffany’s
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Soulful songstress Taylor Colson brings a vocal mix that showcases a mastery of timbre and intonation craved by true music lovers. Colson has just released her new single Tiffany’s. Colson says, “Tiffany’s’is a song about redemption and finding your true self through toxicity in a previous relationship. I was able to really say ‘f*&k it’, and pour my entire heart out. The message of the song is SO important. It starts out talking about losing yourself and not even recognizing who you are.”
26 | George Alice | Stuck In a Bubble
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “George Alice releases a stripped-back re-imagining of Stuck In a Bubble. Showcasing her raw vocal, solo piano and storytelling, this chill reworking breathes new life into the feel-good track. The accompanying video (directed by Zoee Marsh) gives a behind-the-scenes look into George’s wonderland by showcasing a day in the life through the singer-songwriter’s eyes.”
27 | Alexis Lynn | Ghosts
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Canadian pop artist Alexis Lynn has a lot more to say than the average 20-something. As she relives her life’s moments through song, it’s her hope that her music empowers people as they relate her lyrics to their own life experiences. Alexis’ newest single Ghosts is a sad but sweet melodic pop track that recognizes feelings of insecurity and doubt but finding hope realizing you’re not the only one.”
28 | Okan | Espiral
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto Afro-Cuban jazz ensemble Okan deliver their second album Espiral. Led by violinist Elizabeth Rodriguez and percussionist Magdelys Savigne, Okan compose pieces that fuse their Afro-Cuban roots with jazz, folk, and global rhythms. To celebrate the release, the duo share their first-ever music video for the record’s title track. “The vibrant colour of our very first music video reflects the joy and pride we take from our culture and background. It honours the resilience of our ancestors.”
29 | Lindsay Ell | Want Me Back
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Singer-songwriter Lindsay Ell has released the video for her single Want Me Back. The video takes fans back in time with a dramatic storyline that showcases a glamorous Ell as she harnesses her self-confidence, inspiring fans to step into their own confidence and bringing the song’s relatable lyrics to life in a whole new way. Says Ell: “For this music video we based the narrative on the story of Sonny and Cher, where I’m previously in a duo called Eddie and Ell, until I ultimately decide that I want to emerge as a solo artist. The video captures the story line in which my whole persona changes from an unconfident, held-back woman, to then realizing my own self-power and stepping into it.”
30 | Cristóvam | Setting Sun
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Cristóvam is a singer-songwriter from Portugal. Born amongst the deep blue of the Atlantic and the lush green of the beautiful Azores islands, Cristóvam’s music shines with a warmth that you won’t find anywhere else. His latest single Setting Sun showcases jangly guitars, soaring synths and a foot-stomping rhythm. Cristóvam confides, “I started writing it in 2018, when I was on a holiday with my girlfriend in Sardinia, and sort of left it there. But this year, with all that’s happening and the world being such a strange place, somehow those lyrics resonated back with me, and the fact that I felt so lucky to find comfort in my own little corner, far out in the middle of the Atlantic.”
31 | Rave The Reqviem | I Bring the Light
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Fuck you, Satan! I bring the light.” Thus proclaims The Cantor of Rave The Reqviem as he violently ends the majestic chorus in their new single I Bring The Light from the upcoming album Stigmata Itch. In 2020, when death and destruction have been more imminent than ever, is it not time to cast away the darkness and embrace the light? I Bring The Light is epic, brutal and passionate industrial metal at its finest, delivered with a hallelujah chorus and a mighty symphonic breakdown. Raise your hands and rejoice, believers!”
32 | Yolcu | The Somewhere
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Anatolian-inflected art-pop and indie-electronica duo Yolcu return with a brooding, ominous new track The Somewhere. Lifted from the pair’s forthcoming EP In Stream, the accompanying video fuses the track’s atmospheric and propulsive electronica with a meditative, exploratory visuals, offering a perfect embodiment of delicate melodies and triumphant song craft. They detail the track: “The Somewhere is a song about the expectations and confusions that arise of moving towards something. It questions the extent that we’re aware of where we are, where we’re going, and where we’ll reach.”
33 | Anna Krantz | Blessed Are The Free
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Singer-songwriter Anna Krantz releases the next in her New Moon New Tune series of singles: Blessed Are The Free, a whirlwind of a track set to rouse the heart and fortify the soul! “I wasn’t allowed to fly to London and see my family or show my masked smile to a stranger. I wasn’t allowed to go out for a meal with my boyfriend or grab a coffee with a girlfriend. Like everyone else, so much of my freedom had been removed. Yet I felt free in my spirit and happy in my heart. This me made wonder what freedom actually means and how it can be accessed from within as opposed to without.”
34 | Solitary | I Will Not Tolerate
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hot on the heels of their punishing Abominate video, Solitary present another killer track from their forthcoming album The Truth Behind The Lies. I Will Not Tolerate is the furious opening track from the new album and an instant anthem for thrashers worldwide. Combining rapid fire riffs, a barrage of heavy artillery drumming, a spirit of uncontrollable rage and an instantly addictive chorus, I Will Not Tolerate is the epitome of great thrash metal.”
35 | Dark Rites | Shadow God
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In The Dark Hymns, Dark Rites shape their music with the highest proficiency in unrelenting-intensity phrasal-riff death metal that vary its texture and pauses inertia long enough to ram a militant and uncompromising aesthetic down the throats of their listeners. Rippling textures of chords thrust home like a battlefield execution form the raw skin from which this band twist phrases that contort, transform and rediscover their origins as they mutate over the course of a song. Dark Rites transforms a handful of notes into a spindly arcology of ideas which clarify in a resolving riff.”
36 | Caroline Spence | The Choir
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “I think that the work of a songwriter is to articulate and simplify the complicated things that we all feel,” says Caroline Spence. It was in this spirit that she felt moved to write and record The Choir. She explains, “I wrote this song while working through how I should use my platform as an artist to share with my audience my support of the Black Lives Matter movement and the protests that occurred this summer.”
37 | Noble Oak | Look Up Through The Trees
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vancouver’s electro dream-pop artist Noble Oak returns to his musical beginnings with new instrumental piano EP Stories, set for release this winter. Today, he shares the first single and video, Look Up Through The Trees. Noble Oak’s Patrick Fiore says, “These five pieces are a return to the beginnings of my musical world. Since about as far back as I can remember, I have sat at the piano and played whatever came into my mind. Occasionally I would record what I played.”
38 | Jeen | Idols
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Canadian alt-pop songstress Jeen releases her self-titled album today, produced with Ian Blurton. Recorded in Toronto in 2019, the 12 songs are her strongest yet, featuring Blurton on lead guitar, Stephan Szczesniak on drums, Brendan Canning (Broken Social Scene) & Ben O’Brien on bass, Jeff Heisholt on synths, and Kevin Fox on cello. The video for third single Idols was self-made by compiling various shots from her camera roll.”
39 | Salt Ashes | Cut You With A Kiss
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hotly tipped London alt-pop/electronic artist Salt Ashes has released Cut You With A Kiss, the latest product of her mission to bring a refreshing and dark edge to the world of dance music. “Cut You With A Kiss is about questioning the integrity of someone’s new girlfriend and believing that she isn’t good for them,” says Salt Ashes. “It’s a dark place where honesty gets confused for jealousy so maybe these things shouldn’t be said out loud.”
40 | Ty Trehern | Sleep
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mississippi musician Ty Trehern is debuting Sleep, a second track off his upcoming 10-track LP Dear Dichotomy, out Oct. 23. Ty says, “This song is special to me for several reasons. It was the first song that we completed while working on the album, and … it’s also one of the darker songs on the record that has a really interesting and haunting atmosphere to it.”
41 | Monophonics | It’s Only Us (Acoustic)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A beautiful acoustic rendition of the title track from Monophonics’ most recent LP It’s Only Us. Performed by producer and lead singer Kelly Finnigan with simply his vocals and piano, this version really highlights the lyrical strength of the track.”
42 | Ikebe Shakedown | Adonai
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ennio Morricone is one of the most prolific composers of all time, and provided a huge amount of inspiration to Ikebe Shakedown. This is their tribute to Morricone, from the film Garden Of Delights.”
43+44 | Soccer Mommy | Crawling In My Skin (Actress Remix) + Circle the Drain (Unknown Mortal Orchestra Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Soccer Mommy released her triumphant sophomore album Color Theory in February. Today, Soccer Mommy releases remixes for two tracks. British electronic artist and producer Actress offers a pared back remix of Crawling In My Skin while Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Ruban Nielson has made a glitchy, sped-up version of Circle The Drain.”
45 | Dex Wolfe | Highly Likely
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dex Wolfe has been working on his debut album for nearly three years now, but first comes the EP Lightness, which consists of four tracks that weave post rock, jazz, and bits of folk music into a tenebrous maze that exits into a graceful clearing. Says. Dex: “I wrote Highly Likely during a year of recovery and healing. I was learning to be better to myself and how to articulate and understand my own traumas. As I did this work, I needed to take space from many friends and from much of my community. I felt the spectrum of gray areas between alleviation, escapism, and destruction.”
46 | TonyB. | You Knew What This Was
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “TonyB. is a singer/songwriter from Nashville. Heavily influenced by ’90s and early 2000s R&B, he credits his range of musical and vocal dynamics to the likes of Aaliyah, D’Angelo and Usher. His latest single You Knew What This Was is a chill, up-tempo ode to the modern ‘situationship’. He explains, “This comes from the particular perspective of: I made my intentions clear, but you ignored them, so you knew what this was.”
47 | Fielded | Justus
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Demisexual Lovelace, the new album from psychedelic R&B artist Fielded, is an intimate exploration of mortality, sex, womanhood and intersectionality. Billy Woods appears on Justus, a song about the bloom of love and the giddy moment before you reveal your true feelings to someone for the first time.”
48 | Animalweapon | Summer’s Over
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Staying true to the name, Raleigh, N.C., bedroom electronic artist Animalweapon took sounds of nature to cultivate the early inspiration for the new single Summer’s Over. “I was visiting a close friend in Texas … and I was sitting outside late at night after everyone had gone to bed,” recalls Patrick Cortes. “There were a lot of interesting sounds going on — cicadas and clicky little bugs that almost felt percussive in a way. I recorded a bunch of nighttime ambience … I always travel with my MacBook and a small MIDI keyboard so I was able to go inside and start working on a piano melody right away to put alongside it.”
49 | Yola | Hold On (ft. Brandi Carlile, Sheryl Crow and Jason Isbell)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Yola released an empowering new song Hold On, featuring Brandi Carlile and Natalie Hemby on backing vocals, Sheryl Crow on piano and Jason Isbell on guitar. It was recorded during the Highwomen sessions at RCA’s Studio A and produced by Dave Cobb. Yola says, “Hold On is a conversation between me and the next generation of young black girls … Hold On is asking the next gen to take up space, to be visible and to show what it looks to be young, gifted and black.”
50 | Laura Stevenson & Dave Hause | When It Don’t Come Easy
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Philly-bred singer-songwriter Dave Hause is pleased to present When It Don’t Come Easy, the latest preview of his two EPs Patty and Paddy, out Oct. 23. Featuring songwriter Laura Stevenson, When It Don’t Come Easy by Patty Griffin is a song Hause has always found comfort in. “I asked Laura to sing on the track and she did a masterful job with the harmonies, all while sleep training her little daughter,” Hause says. “It’s been a hell of a year, so I’m also dedicating this song to my siblings and all of my friends that I haven’t been able to see due to the pandemic.”
51 | Jneiro Jarel | Sunwalkers, Pt. 2 & 3 (ft. Bill Summers)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Jneiro Jarel releases Sunwalkers, Pt. 2 & 3 (Feat. Bill Summers), the new single from his forthcoming album After A Thousand Years.The new single features legendary multi-instrumentalist Bill Summers, famed for his work with Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones and Eddie Henderson, ahead of the new album’s Oct. 30 release.”
52 | Regent | Today
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Regent make a strident return with new single Today. Their latest release finds the Southampton band stripping away the raucous rock to unveil something altogether more slow-burning and stately. Frontman Ben Rooke says: “I wanted to sit and write a song about heartache and the pain of losing someone. Whether it be a lover, mother, father, sister or a brother.”
https://youtu.be/n1TK6asQ_cM
53 | Tori Handsley | What’s In A Tune
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Tori Handsley has announced her Nov. 27 debut album As We Stand, along with her new single What’s In A Tune. The single perfectly exemplifies how Tori continues to turn expectations of her lead instrument, the harp, on their heads. Says Tori: “I feel we’re standing at a vital crossroads as we realise the damage that we have caused to our natural world, a world so many of us love and all depend on. It is only through these realisations we can find creative solutions and see new possibilities to create a brighter world.”
54 | Strawberry Pills | Porcelain Face
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Athenian gothy synth duo Strawberry Pills announce their debut LP Murder to a Beat and share lead single Porcelain Face. Antonis Konstantaras says about the song: “Porcelain Face is (in our mind) an audio horror film set in the ’70’s and we treat it that way. It’s narrated by the perpetrator while the victim is caught in his/her web. What happens next? We don’t know, or do we?”
55 | Welshy | Haiti
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Irish producer Welshy (Ross Walsh) shares his new track Haiti. Welshy created Haiti after becoming enamoured with the vocals on Michael Brun’s track Peze Kafe’ It turned out Brun had sampled the vocals from another recording, which had also sampled them from somewhere else. “After a little digging we found the original vocalist on the sample! We reached out to her via her socials and asked if we could reproduce her vocals and build on that. She loved the idea.”
56 | Palace Winter | Richard (Says Yes) (ft. Penny Police)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “For Palace Winter, songs typically come from a place of emotional necessity. But sometimes the duo just wants to freakin’ party. The inspiration for the upbeat Richard (Says Yes) began while watching a Jimi Hendrix documentary in which Little Richard was featured. “We were both just floored by how f***in’ alive and funny and inspiring he was. Richard says yes to f***in’ EVERYTHING!” says singer Carl Coleman. It’s a “big colourful banger to fill the canvas.”
57 | X. Ari | Lifting Up
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto songstress X. Ari deftly dances in and out of genre lines, moving from enchanting alternative pop to gritty hip-hop production under a cover of electronic elegance. According to X. Ari: “Lifting Up is a confessional song about my personality and lifestyle. The chorus talks about “falling down” and “breaking my crown” but then rising up afterward and propelling forward.”
58 | Gregory Dillon | Lovely
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Brooklyn artist Gregory Dillon releases his new single Llovely, taken from his upcoming debut EP Sad Magic. With an ’80s stained sound, his impressive synth-pop is a kaleidoscopic affair, taking references from everywhere from Troye Sivan and Lauv to Depeche Mode and his classical music background.”
59 | Icare | Déliquescence, Déchéance
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Swiss blackened grind group Icare have just unleashed a crushing track from their forthcoming debut Khaos, set for release on Oct. 30. Inspired by Lovecraft’s universe, the album’s story mixes dystopia and science fiction to create a fantasized mythology that is both stellar and murky and goes along quite nicely with vile and ferocious blackened grindcore that the quintet churn out throughout these nine tracks.”
60 | Widower | Good Long Last Look
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Widower’s second single Good Long Last Look is out now. This song is about New Jersey. Widower’s music can be described as post-adult contemporary/sad-dad rock.”
61 | Dinah Thorpe | The Spring Flowers
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dinah Thorpe announces her fifth project For The Birds, set for release on Nov. 27, and shares the track The Spring Flowers. “I wrote The Spring Flowers in the early days of COVID in Toronto,” Thorpe adds. “Everything was shutting down and life was really scary and uncertain. In the midst of it, the most spectacular spring arrived. It was the strangest time of terror and beauty.”
62 | Dylan Pacheco | Boy Meets Void
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dylan Pacheco shares the single Boy Meets Void, the second from his debut solo EP Youthful Exuberance, a unique collection of minimalist storytelling, Springsteenian freak outs, jangly guitars and stuttering drum machines. The debut EP commands a sense of urgency that keeps this off-kilter music just as thematically striking as it is memorable.”
63 | Bad Operation | Perilous
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “New Orleans ska band Bad Operation’s debut album (out Dec. 18) somehow captures the most exciting elements of The Specials, the grit and energy of Op Ivy, and combines it with something more modern and refined. With great riffs, memorable hornlines, dripping organ, and vocals that swing between a croon and a punk rock panic attack, this will go down as one of the defining sounds of this current generation of ska.”
64 | Izakman | Real Boy
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Israeli musician and award-winning animator Izakman (Itamar Isaak) releases his second single Real Boy, the rock ’n’ roll version of Pinocchio, a story about growth and transformation towards self-fulfilment. Real Boy was born of a genuine belief in oneself and is about coming out of darkness into light.”
65 | Spence | Standby (dnt luv u)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “New York artist Spence is the project of singer-songwriter Spencer Hoffman. Spence crafts funk-fueled indie pop meets contemporary R&B which is heavily influenced by hip hop. His debut EP Melissa is a soundtrack of coming of age and single, Standby (dnt luv u) features vibrant soundscapes, fluid beats and clever lyrical wordplay.”
66 | I.Am.Tru.Starr | Something’s Gotta Change
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Now living in Las Vegas, I.Am.Tru.Starr is surrounded by the best and worst elements of what it means to be alive in 2020 as a young black man. Something’s Gotta Change is a comment on society everywhere: “My family explained to me when I was young that Emmett Till was a distant cousin, and what he went through has always helped to fuel the passion in my music.”
67 | Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar | I’ve Got A Feeling
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Samantha Martin & Delta Sugar release their new album The Reckless One on Nov. 20, and share a new single I’ve Got A Feeling today. Samantha wrote the song about the ‘honeymoon’ phase of falling in love with someone and all that experience entails – you’re scared and vulnerable, but you are also excited and hopeful.”
68 | Maggie Lindemann | Scissorhands
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Maggie Lindemann is back with the new song Scissorhands, the third cut from her upcoming EP Paranoia, due out Jan. 22. Said Maggie: “Obviously, this song was inspired by the classic ’90s film Edward Scissorhands. The film on the surface is classic Tim Burton — fun and silly — but underneath it speaks to loneliness and the challenges in society to be accepted.”
69 | River Sultan | Falling Out Of Time
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “River Sultan creates music as a means to tell stories that intertwine the human experience at the center where east meets west. He releases his second single Falling Out Of Time, a song that he wrote, performed and self-produced. Sultan laments about his fear that it may be too late for him live out his dream of making music his career after all he’s been through and that his absolute passion for creating music will never be fulfilled because of it. “I cried through every step of the process making this song. With every note and sound I added, I was in complete tears.”
70+71 | Gord Downie | About Blank
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Gord Downie’s estate recently announced the posthumous double album Away Is Mine, out Oct. 16. Today sees the release of both versions of About Blank, a centrepiece of the album. The song morphs from a plaintive bluegrass picker into a bizarrely upbeat electro-hoedown in under two-and-a-half minutes, with buzzy synthesizers mingling amidst fiddle trills and country twang before diving into ambient ether. On the loosely coined “acoustic” version, the song’s folksy roots are exposed, but soon belied by Gord’s voice.”
72 | Marcus James & RYYZN | Night Light
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Producer Marcus James has returned with Vancouver duo RYYZN for the single Night Light, from their upcoming EP. James says: “Night Light is about trying to put on a brave face to the world when things aren’t going well. One of the hardest things is to be vulnerable and ask for help, and sometimes when you don’t want to talk about it, you just want to be around the person that makes you feel like it’s OK to feel this way.”
