Bangladeafy reap the whirlwind, Cloudy Clouds shares his feelings, Big Wild tell the truth, Young Marble Giants look back and more in your Midweek Roundup. I’ve got so much work to do that I can’t get any work done.
1 | Bangladeafy | Harvest
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “New York City’s avant technical/progressive metal duo Bangladeafy have issued a new video for the succinct and explosive single Harvest. The song comes by way of the band’s fourth album Housefly, which landed in September. Offers Jon Ehlers: “The lyrical context of Harvest is a critical damning of sacrificing community wellbeing for stale, dead, unaffordable housing. I particularly imagined the area of Downtown Brooklyn when I began writing the lyrics. Almost overnight, it appeared to be a neighborhood of old buildings with unique architecture that was eclipsed by stagnant, empty high-rises owned by foreign wealth, yet nobody is actually occupying them. The fantasy of this song manifests in the form of a gigantic robot knocking these buildings out of the skyline. The song is mechanical in nature on purpose. Musically, we needed to convey this idea of a giant machine stomping through a neighborhood.”
2 | Cloudy Clouds | Wrote You a Love Song
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Cloudy Clouds has released his debut album Imprisoned in a Daydream, 14 tracks during which he stakes a serious claim to the title of one of the UK hip-hop scene’s most cutting-edge, satirical, and socially aware lyricists and performers. Cloudy Clouds is Mensa-member Claudio Elliston, who, whilst based in the Crouch End area of London, takes his influence from some of hip-hop’s biggest, mould-breaking talents. Never conforming to rap stereotypes, Cloudy Clouds tracks have a brutal honesty without the baggage of fake glamour or soulless commentary — they hit home because they’re come from a very real place, even when sprinkled with his uniquely quirky worldviews and British humour. A highlight on the album, Wrote You a Love Song, showcases not only Cloudy’s lyrical sharpness but also his visual skill with a stunning video!”
3 | Big Wild | Who Do You Believe
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Big Wild releases Who Do You Believe, a new single and the urgent question that Portland producer, songwriter and vocalist Jackson Stell poses ahead of the 2020 election. “So much news is colored with opinion and spin that it’s difficult to find the truth,” Big Wild says. “Not only that, it’s often more comfortable for us to find an opinion that lines up with what we already tend towards in order to validate our view of the world. The convenience of blind faith, and therefore lack of critical thought, puts the responsibility of what’s true on the power of opinionated and amplified voices.”
4 | Young Marble Giants | Final Day
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Young Marble Giants’ one and only album Colossal Youth celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. To mark the occasion, the Cardiff trio are releasing a special edition on Nov. 27. It includes the album as well as songs from Salad Days, Is The War Over, the Final Day single, and their Testcard EP. It’ll also come with a live DVD of their last U.S. show in 1980 at New York’s Hurrah club. Alongside the announcement, a live performance of Final Day from the DVD is available now.”
5 | Xelli Island | Bad For You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Xelli Island is the dream-pop project of vocalist, songwriter and shapeshifter Lianna Vanicelli. Having fronted one band after another since she was 14, Vanicelli tired from the conflicts of a group dynamic and has found strength and a clear creative direction as a solo artist. Her island is something of a mirage; a melodic, lyrical haven to the unbridled human spirit and travails alike. Bad for You is a delicate, falsetto vocals, an upbeat rhythm and shimmering synths emit a feel-good track, wrapping up all the best parts that Vanicelli has to offer and delivering it in an infectious and sentimental package.”
6 | Rebecca Perl | Blame You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Rebecca Perl is a New York-born, Los Angeles-based artist whose music fuses both honest folk and catchy pop. Her latest single Blame You is highly inspired by personal experiences. Perl confides, “When you go through heartbreak, it’s easier to blame the other person than yourself. Nobody wants to take blame for a failed relationship. Sometimes it’s nobody’s fault, and that alone can keep you up at night. At the time, blaming him was the only way I found peace with the situation and it helped me move on.”
7 | Elizabeth | Go Your Own Way
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Elizabeth is a glamorous tragic, a queer pop anti-heroine holding a curtain of glittering melodies over ugly truths. Casting herself as the antagonist wielding pop songs as weapons, she wipes away her running mascara and escapes a destruction of her own making. This debutante divorcée has traded in her white veil for a cocktail and concocted a collection of shimmering heartbreak bangers that celebrate the femme and her indulgent indiscretions. The record is a testament to obsession and the desire to consume as much — of people, of substances, of herself — as she can.”
8 | Karma Kids | Chemical Drugs
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Indianapolis’ Karma Kids were formed in 2019 by Jon Benjamin and Zaac Wesco. Both members had backgrounds in emo, pop punk, and metalcore and decided to fuse the genres into their newly dubbed emocore. In the spring of 2020, they released the double album Dystopian Dream. The following months led to the band focusing more on the emo side of emocore leading them to start writing what would become the Chemical Drugs EP, which is out now.”
9 | Kimm Rogers | Lie (ft. Kelley Ryan)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A word commonly used to describe the president is “liar.” Like many artists, songwriter Kimm Rogers viewed his election with alarm. As his first month in office began to devolve, she picked up her guitar and channeled her distress into a song. The result is Lie, a hard-rocking gem produced by multi-instrumentalist and arranger Julian Coryell. “Julian and I spoke about how the song might feel. I spoke in more literary terms and Julian translated that into the arrangements. I sang and he built everything around my vocals: the amazing guitar solo, the bass line and all the drum and rhythm tracks. He really made the chorus pop out.”
10 | Sweet Lizzy Project | Sticky Situations
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Havana-bred, Nashville-based rock band Sweet Lizzy Project release the single and video Sticky Situations. Lead vocalist and lyricist Lisset Diaz has an unmistakable and expressive voice, a controlled passion that may recall Kate Bush, Natalie Merchant or Paramore’s Hayley Williams. Co-writer and producer Miguel Comas is possibly Cuba’s most respected record producer and rock guitarist. The band is rounded out by Wilfredo Gatell on keyboards, Alejandro Gonzalez on bass and drummer Ángel Luis Millet.”
11 | Kennen | Timothée Chalamet
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ontario producer, songwriter, and singer Kennen continue to share music with messages about his life, influenced by his identity as a queer Asian artist. Says Kennen: “Timothée has a lot of admirers in my generation, so I think a lot of people could relate to the story of having a crush on Timothée lookalike, or even just someone who has that celebrity-like aura. That person’s image would probably come to the mind of the listener.”
12 | Marcelyn | Guilloteens
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Marcelyn have released a new music video for their single Guilloteens. Featured on their latest LP Monstrous Existence, Guiloteens is a relaxing, raw highlight of the album. The video is a testament to the trio’s versatility and unique ability to create a cohesive visual. Marcelyn feature a wide range of instruments on their new LP, delving into dynamic, organic production. The LP is the bold result of various frustrations felt by the band throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.”
13 | Kharma | Most Dangerous Game
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Rising from Chicago’s heavy music scene, Kharma have announced their debut release Most Dangerous Game is due out Nov. 2. The announcement was accompanied by the premiere of the bulldozing first single and music video for Most Dangerous Game.”
14 | The Hope State | Austin
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “On what would have been his 33rd birthday, the life and music of Toronto indie-rock artist Taylor Johnson — aka The Hope State — is celebrated with the release of Burn or Bloom. Honest and heartbreaking with a silver lining of hope, the new album deals with universal themes of struggle, depression, anxiety, addiction, regret and loss, as well as the ever-important love and hope. Comprised of six new songs, Burn or Bloom was recorded in Toronto with producer-engineer Dajaun Martineau (Moist, Cancer Bats, Havelin). The album was completed earlier this year, before Taylor’s sudden passing in May, due to an undiagnosed health condition.”
15 | Keegan Powell | Rock N Roll Kind of Night
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Keegan Powell is a Toronto singer-songwriter and guitarist. While the guitarist and co-songwriter for the band Chastity, Powell has also released several singles and EPs under his own name. His solo debut LP is slated for a 2021 release and includes Rock N Roll Kind Of Night. While initially being influenced by the tumultuous relationship between Elvis and manager Tom Parker, the lyric and story eventually morphed into more of a dark romantic tale where a loved one has a breaking point after a prolonged period of toxicity together.”
16 | Beyries | Closely
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Beyries returns with Closely, a moving song that will surely touch the hearts of her audience. The track is off her upcoming sophomore effort Encounter, to be released Nov. 13. As the name implies, Beyries lays herself bare without pretense on Closely, a tender, intimate conversation about what lies beneath, complete with soaring harmonies, reverberating percussion and a haunting piano. The new single finds Beyries right in her element, with little separation between herself and the listener.”
17 | Angels & Agony | Forever
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Angels & Agony just launched a new lyric video for Forever. “A friend of ours made a special lyric video clip of Forever with exclusive Angels & Agony photos from the past. We hope you’ll enjoy it! Love & Light…” Angels & Agony are an electropop band from Holland formed in 1995. They have released four full-length albums.”
18 | Moon Fever | Undertaker
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Everyone talks about longing to find true love, but anyone who has tried their hand at romance will tell you there is a lot of trouble found in the ties that bind two people together. Just ask Moon Fever, the fast-rising rock band that has a new single detailing that exact experience. Cody Jasper says, “I was going through a very tough time with a relationship. It seemed like the only thing that other person and I wanted to do was bring each other down. It was a vicious cycle of love and turmoil. And in the end, we just destroyed one another. That relationship was an undertaker.”
https://youtu.be/anFqixg6_K0
19 | The Weather Station | Robber
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Weather Station — the project of Tamara Lindeman — marks a bold return with a new single Robber, and an accompanying self-directed video. “I think in my life I’ve been pretty naive, always tried to see the good in everyone (still do), always tried to make do with what is and not think of what can’t be (still do),” says Lindeman. “But those attitudes are dangerous when applied at a societal level, especially at this moment in time. I think we’re all in denial a bit, about where we are, and what is happening, because it’s easier on some level, easier to try and make do with what’s missing than to see what’s missing. I think it’s hard to believe in the robber, hard to even see the robber; it’s easier to try and make love to or glamourize the robber. It hurts too much otherwise.”
20 | When Frames Collide | Heroes
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “When Frames Collide is a term often used to describe the competing, clashing or contradictory framing of events. It is also the name of a short-lived Melbourne rock band featuring Andy from Australian rock royalty Horsehead on vocals. They graced the stages of a number of intimate venues in 2019, playing to adoring crowds before disappearing to record, never to be seen or heard of again. Until now. Heroes, the second single from their EP Quattro, deserves to be heard!”
21 | Wobbler | Naiad Dreams
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With their fifth full-length Dwellers Of The Deep set for release on Oct. 23, prog-rockers Wobbler have released Naiad Dreams, a new single from the album, together with a video. The band comment: “Naiad Dreams is special in the way that it’s our first foray into a short song that stands on its own. It came to life late in the recording process and was written and recorded on an inspired May morning. It’s a rather minimalistic composition with very few elements that gets plenty of room to shine. It is the breathing space on the coming album where playful naiads make you gaze into the depths.”
22 | Better Person | Dotknij Mnie
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Better Person — aka Adam Byczkowski, the silent prince of Berlin’s late-night underground pop scene — has shared the single Dotknij Mnie, taken from his upcoming debut album Something To Lose, due Oct. 23. Translating into English as Touch Me, Dotknij Mnie is one of two tracks on the album sung in Polish, Adam’s mother tongue. “This song to me is a big monument shining in a stormy rain, a gloomy altar to a depression I was overcoming at the time. It was time to move on and I used this song to do so. Both chords and words came to me in a stream of consciousness manner. I kept adding more and more layers and ended up with this monster.”
23 | Shrink | Drowning
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Shrink is the new project from Sam Breathwick. At just 22 years old, he has already made a name for himself as the hotly-tipped producer Vasser. Drowning is about the breakdown of a romantic relationship his sibling experienced whilst living in their family home. Sam said; “The instrumental was written with Aviram Barath and Callum Duncan, and I spent a while with just the instrumental waiting for the right thing to write about. I wrote the song from my brother’s perspective, as he came back from finishing university and was very distant due to his struggles with his relationship and depression. Wrote the lyrics that night and recorded them the day after!”
24 | Chuck Leah | Azure
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Old-soul singer-songwriter Chuck Leah shares his new song Azure, from his album Band of Ghosts, out this Friday. “The album is a stroll from Texas to Louisiana,” says Leah. “It goes through the Arizona desert, down the Sunset Strip and Nashville. I find a lot of pleasure in roaming. It keeps the creative juices flowing. I’ll be somewhere at a diner or something, and I’ll hear a phrase that I’ve never heard before. Sometimes that’ll set the gears rolling.”
25 | Zayde Wølf | Born Ready (Reimagined)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Nashville’s Zayde Wølf has released Born Ready (Reimagined), a reinterpretation of one of Wølf’s most beloved songs from his debut full length album Golden Age. “Last year I hit one of those songwriting walls,” says Burnett. “I couldn’t get over it. No new idea seemed compelling. I was listening to a lot of soundtracks and started writing mini orchestral type themes and song ideas and mixing those with my older songs. The best news is that these reimagined songs have helped me break out of the creativity slump.”
26 | Alaina Castillo | ¡Párate!
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Bilingual singer Alaina Castillo releases her latest Spanish single ¡Párate!. Alaina says, “Párate is a song about feeling so weak, mentally and physically, that you eventually just get fed up with it and decide to say, enough, get up & start moving towards the life you want to live and the growth that you desire. It’s talking about a change or a movement that is started by trying to overcome those challenges.”
27 | VHS Collection | Searching For The Light
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Electro-fused, indie-rock tour-de-force VHS Collection return with buoyant new single Searching For The Light. The band comment: “The idea of ‘searching for the light’ naturally came out as a reflection of the human condition, the search for meaning, the discovery process. It was a relatable phrase that we felt had depth, it had meaning — but not too heavy. The phrase just came out in the writing process. We didn’t overthink it. Perhaps as a projection of internal thoughts or feelings.”
28 | Pat Lok | Salvation (Treasure Fingers Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Artist and producer Pat Lok will present Gone is Yesterday (Remixes) later this month. The remix package features a clutch established and rising stars including Atlanta house DJ / producer Treasure Fingers. Pat says: “I have been a fan of Treasure Fingers since the beginning! Taking us back to clubland with his signature house treatment.”
29 | Richard Spitzer | So In Love
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Richard Spitzer released the new single So In Love, accompanied by a lyric video featuring artwork by Indra Mousely. The track is featured on Spitzer’s upcoming EP Cry Wolf, due out Oct. 23. Spitzer states, “After having a panic attack envisioning jealous thoughts and fears of betrayal, I started experiencing physical tightness in my chest. I did some Googling and realized I was probably just losing my mind. So, I calmed down and started writing this song, to ease the pressure. And it worked!”
30 | Big Scenic Nowhere | Blink Of An Eye
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “California rock collective Big Scenic Nowhere premiere their single Blink Of An Eye, featuring Chris Goss (Masters of Reality) on guitar and Per Wiberg (Kamchatka) on keys and organs. The collective of Bob Balch, Gary Arce, Tony Reed and Bill Stinson will release their EP Lavender Blues Oct. 23. Says Balch: “This song has a Herbie Hancock-meets-Alice Cooper-meets-’70s pop-rock vibe to me. Tony Reed’s vocal hooks are insane! I still have to dig into some of the other Goss jams. He rules and we were super stoked to jam with him talk about gear and band.”
31 | Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection | Jack of Fools
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Spencer Cullum’s Coin Collection share the track Jack of Fools. Cullum provides a bit of insight: “Jack Of Fools delves into not being able to find an answer when lost or in a dark place emotionally. It stemmed from the idea of using a tarot deck to find answers but forever re-shuffling into a vicious circle, always to draw the Jack of Fools (a mix of The Fool tarot card and The Jack playing card). The recording was a concept I had of a group of Nashville musicians playing their version of Liege & Lief by Fairport Convention, a late-’60s psych-folk record that was one of the inspirations for the whole record.”
32 | Tired Kid | The Gift
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Tired Kid is the moniker of Thomas Kelly, a musician/composer in Toronto. Thomas creates music with vintage warmth and psychedelic nature. Inspired by bands from all eras, he picks out elements from each to create a bouquet of sound for eager ears. Pure familiarity, pure nostalgia. Tired Kid just released his debut full-length I Like My Own Company, with focus track The Gift — a driving alt-rock song with shimmering guitars and a percussive rhythm.”
33 | Lora Ryan | Make Me
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pop-electronic singer/songwriter Lora Ryan has notched her share of ups and downs. Like countless artists, she’s channelled those triumphs and tragedies into personally therapeutic songs that tell universal stories while moving us emotionally, intellectually and physically. And she’s gathered those songs into a stunning, ambitious album titled Reckless. The first single, Make Me, explores a no-strings-attached relationship that crosses the line of friendship, even taking romance off the table.”
34 | Soheill | Lead Me On
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Nashville’s emerging Iranian-American singer-songwriter Soheill just released a new track called Lead Me On. This three- minute power ballad is fused with electrifying synths, drums, and electric guitars to match the angst the singer is feeling in this powerful story of heartbreak and deception. Soheill describes the lyrics in just a few very relatable words: “This song is basically about the pursuit of the unavailable heart.” Lead Me On gives his fans a taste of what is going on in his creative mind as he crafts a full-length to be released in 2021.”
35 | Michael C. Duguay | One Million More (Joyful Joyful Reprise)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Michael C. Duguay announces The Winter of Our Discotheque (Reprise), a companion to his recent sophomore album, The Winter of Our Discotheque. The album features remixes, interpretations, and covers of each song by a diverse array of Canadian musicians and producers. Today Michael shares One Million More (Joyful Joyful Reprise), featuring celebrated Toronto hymn-drone duo Joyful Joyful. Joyful Joyful says, “In One Million More, Michael is telling the truth — no easy feat for a storyteller. This album (and this song in particular) are true. We know; we were often there. This collaboration is a retelling of a shared memory. It is also the quiet confession of a shared hope. Here’s to a million more.”
36 | Laura Mitchell | Killing Time
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Stuck waiting for a long-haul flight from Western Australia to London might seem like hell, but it has led to the new single by Laura Mitchell, Killing Time, an achingly beautiful track which is equal parts Ray Charles and Adele. The track which transcends age and genre and exists in the pantheon of great tracks which feel achingly familiar yet stunningly arresting and fresh.”
37 | Venetian Snares | Vincenzo Ramaglia’s La Parole 2 (Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Renowned experimental artist Venetian Snares has remixed Vincenzo Ramaglia La Parole 2, featuring Laure Le Prunenec (lead singer of French band Igorrr). Venetian Snares tells us, “Sometimes, when tasked with doing a remix, one of two things happens. Either the material is not inspiring and I will just say no, or alternatively agree and just process it all until it’s unrecognizable and go from there. In the case of La Parole 2, neither applies. The music spoke to me and I felt immediately I had a response. I wanted to interface. I wanted to start a family with this music, grow vegetables and groom a herd of horses together. Lay under the stars, laughing and crying until the sun comes up.“
