Will Hoge breaks down the pros and cons, Made Kuti joins the family business, Sluka sets your flag on fire, Blue Stones display their wares, Mulatto changes direction, Maxïmo Park sleep it off and more in your Thursday Roundup. Dear Ice Cube: If it’s not too much trouble, please take your motherfucking head out of your motherfucking ass. Thank you very much.
ON REPEAT
1 | Will Hoge | Con Man Blues
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Wielding six strings and a pen, prolific rocker Will Hoge’s mission has always been unadulterated and honest; unabashedly sharing his opinion no matter who it pisses off while maintaining respect from his peers. Hoge’s new album Tiny Little Movies is full of these personal truths of his — most of which are timely, sharp jabs at the current state of politics — but none are as poignant as Con Man Blues, a barn burner aimed at the head “con man” in charge. “This song was written as a direct rebuttal to not just the failures, but the abject cruelty of so many of our current leaders; led by one ultimate con man for certain,” says Hoge.”
2 | Made Kuti | Free Your Mind
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Made Kuti is the grandson of Afrobeat icon Fela Kuti. Made now proudly steps into the limelight bearing his family’s torch, pushing the brand of infectious grooves and social consciousness that his grandfather and father Femi Kuti pioneered into new territory. Listen to Made’s debut single Free Your Mind. He explains, “I think freeing your mind is, in a way, the opposite of what the phrase actually sounds like. ‘Free your mind’ almost sounds like decadence, like ‘don’t be constrained by anything, just take things as they are.’ I think the true meaning of ‘free your mind’ is to be critical. It means use your mind to its full potential — to think, to try to find answers and ask the right questions.”
3 | Sluka | Iko Iko
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Christopher Sluka has recorded 11 studio albums and has a fan base that spans across continents. Over the years, Christopher’s visionary style has developed and matured — always remaining enigmatic, yet keeping a focus on creative songwriting, while cultivating an international reputation for his enthralling “live” performances. This is a cover of the classic Dixie Cups hit Iko Iko but with a darker, yet fun vibe. And it is especially relevant as a reflection of all the polarized politics permeating worldwide.”
4 | The Blue Stones | Live on Display
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Alternative-rock duo The Blue Stones share Live on Display, a powerful four-song performance video featuring their latest singles. Live on Display is a full-production stage show set against the warm, vintage tones of an Ontario antique store, creating a unique viewing experience that feels as though you’re catching the dynamic rock duo in a small club. The band shared: “The lockdown really got to us. We missed performing live, and wanted to give our fans something more than the standard ‘livestream from home’ experience. We put our heads together to plan something that had yet to be done, and that was unapologetically us.”
5 | Mulatto | In n Out
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Atlanta’s hottest female rapper Mulatto releases a playful new video for her standout track In n Out. The catchy, beat-driven song comes from her debut Queen of Da Souf. The video starts off with Mulatto taking us back to the carefree days of jumping rope and hanging out with friends. As the night progresses, she goes to a retro-themed diner with City Girls, where the three female powerhouse rappers spit unparalleled, hardcore bars.”
6 | Maxïmo Park | Baby, Sleep
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Maxïmo Park announce details of their forthcoming new album Nature Always Wins, along with the album’s first single Baby, Sleep. It offers a world of pop energy, driven by the inimitable guitar of Duncan Lloyd and the deft turns of phrase that can only come from Paul Smith. He comments: “I’m so happy we were able to make this album during lockdown, as it’s been a challenging time for everyone. After almost four years since Risk To Exist, we wanted to explore new musical territory (for us) without sacrificing our trademark melodic twists and heartfelt lyrics. Baby, Sleep is a light-hearted look at the surreal nature of sleep-deprivation, and the way it distorts normality in a capitalist society.”
7 | All Them Witches | Rats In Ruin
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “All Them Witches have released the video for Rats In Ruin, a nine-minute film co-directed & starring the actress Drea de Matteo, along with the band’s drummer & artistic director Robby Staebler. Rats in Ruin is the epic closing track to the band’s new album Nothing as the Ideal, recorded at Abbey Road Studios. Nothing as the Ideal might forever be known as “the album All Them Witches made at Abbey Road.” Fair enough. Where the album triumphs, however, is in making that space and that history the band’s own. All Them Witches not only did justice to the moment they were capturing — the sheer adventure of being there, doing that thing — but answered the call of their inspiration as they always do.”
8 | Seba Kaapstad | Konke
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Some days the world is so bright that it makes you want a second serving. The bounty of things that this lifetime offers can overflow in a sense of wonder that makes you want to try it all. The word Konke translates to “everything” and the song is a celebration of Konke. With the same joy of living that Warren G offered for new socks and drawers, the international quartet Seba Kaapstad and director Harry Delgas show a vibrant day in South Africa. Listen as singers Zoe Modiga and Ndumiso Manana shine over an incredible instrumental.”
ALSO ON THE PLAYLIST
9 | The Knife & Europa Europa | För Alla Namn Vi Inte Får Använda (Europa Europa Theme)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In 2014 we made music for an anti-nationalist cabaret by the Swedish art group FUL which toured worldwide between 2014-2016. Since then a lot has changed. Many people who came to Sweden around then, and have lived and worked here during all this time, are now forced to flee this country, since Sweden is deporting people to countries that are extremely unsafe, like Afghanistan. Writer and director Nasim Aghili says: “When we worked with Europa Europa, we wanted to criticize the racist migration policy in Europe during that time, but we couldn’t even imagine a situation like the one today. The right of asylum is no longer a human right we can all agree upon and support. It’s more important than ever to fight for asylum rights and stop deportations.”
10 | Chaos E.T. Sexual | Asile
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “French industrial metal/trip-hop trio Chaos E.T. Sexual unveil a disturbing new video off their upcoming album Only Human Crust, out Nov. 20. Asile conveys a strong feeling of oppression and discomfort, which you can experience throughout the whole album. The band explains: “The video launches in a blaring way by introducing the album’s dark and heavy atmosphere. Chaos E.T. Sexual used a real drum kit for the very first time to build the track’s main rhythm. It carries even more tension and cold sweat to the album’s already saturated and industrial climate, closer to burst than ever.”
11 | Middle Kids | R U 4 Me?
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Middle Kids have today released their first new music in over 18 months. The propulsive R U 4 Me? was produced by Lars Stalfors and showcases the band’s capacity to pair unforgettable melodies with raucous, arena-worthy indie rock. Lead singer and songwriter Hannah Joy explains the song: “I was at university once and there were all these signs on the walls saying ‘BE NICE IT’S NOT THAT HARD.’ The tone of the message itself actually wasn’t very nice or kind … We are always looking around at other people thinking ‘are you on my team?’ I think this just results in us all feeling lonely.”
12 | Gold Record | Rainbow
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Gold Record is comprised of lifelong friends Evan Michalski, Noah Clark & Ryan McKone. The band formed in quarantine 2020 while spread out between the Bay Area, California and the High Desert, New Mexico. Gold Record came into being to keep a strong creative focus during lockdown and celebrate their love of collaboration and adventurous pop music. On Oct. 23 the band will release their EP Volume Five. Today they present the single Rainbow and an accompanying live video. Noah Clark says, “Mostly, Rainbow is about having the courage to say something positive. Sometimes it’s easy and sometimes it’s difficult, but being vulnerable every day is the important thing.”
13 | Devan | Almost
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Devan has been pursuing a music career since she was a kid, when the brazen 10-year-old dropped off a homemade demo — to no avail — at the iconic Olympic Studio. Now in 2020, the Toronto-born, London-raised singer-songwriter is gearing up to release her debut solo project. The last six years have been spent honing her talents as a songwriter and live performer with Wild Rivers, the folk-pop band that she co-founds and co-fronts. Devan’s second solo single Almost is about loving someone, but not trusting yourself enough to dive in, and not being ready to fully commit to the relationship.”
14 | Ett Dödens Maskineri | Låsta Dörrar
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hailing from Sweden, Ett Dödens Maskineri are looking to change what they can by taking those responsible to task. Drawing influence from the crust/death metal of Skitsystem, Disfear and Totalitär, along with the discordant anarchy of punk bands such as Asta Kask and Strebers, the band will release their debut album this November. Det Svenska Hatet — translated: The Swedish Hatred — is the quartet’s sonic offering for the creation of a more empathetic, inclusive society. Seeking to destroy Sweden’s ultra-right and the transfusion of philosophies that’ve poisoned the common good, they know they’ve got their work cut out. Yet as single Låsta Dörrar demonstrates, if anger truly is an energy then Ett Dödens Maskineri’s music is an aural dystopia imbued with over 30 years of rage, sorrow and rectification.”
15 | Sameer Cash | Nothing At All
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sameer Cash is sharing the video for Nothing At All from his recent album This City. The last video in a series of eight filmed over a week at Jonas Bonnetta’s Port William Sound, Cash “had the ambitious idea to attempt to shoot three music videos and six live videos, and I was trying to film performances in any spare minute we had between shooting music videos. This was the last day we were up at the Port William Sound. My tiny Honda Civic packed to the brim with guitars and camera equipment, we had a few minutes to spare and the sun was in the right place and we got this impromptu performance — the least stylized of them all, but perhaps the one with some energy.”
16 | The Apocalypse Blues Revival | Optimystic
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Florida psychedelic-rock quartet The Apocalypse Blues Revival — featuring drummer Shannon Larkin and guitarist Tony Rombola of Godsmack — announced their self-titled album is due Dec. 11. Today, the band released the first video Optimystic. They say: “Optimystic is calling out to the societal blindness of repeating the same mistakes repeatedly, and willing for change to happen, willing a REVIVAL.”
17 | Nykki | Home To You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pop princess on the rise Nykki is back with feel-good bop Home To You. Testing the boundaries of a long-distance relationship, the new single, says Nykki, is about falling in love in restless times. The Czech artist adds: “Drawing from my own personal experience, I wanted to tell the story of a great first love, one in which despite being far away, with other people coming between and with doubts and insecurities creeping in, you realise that what you already have is more than enough.”
18 | Tika | Sideways
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Canadian songwriter, composer, model and curator Tika will release her debut album Anywhere But Here on Feb. 26. Sideways is her first single. From Tika: “Sideways was cultivated from a vulnerable place of immense pain when I was feeling a great deal of shame for making a mistake with a friend. I didn’t know what to do because I felt that I had ruined the relationship to the point of not turning back. It made me feel unbalanced and insecure. At the intersections of the pivotal & life-changing moments that we face, we can feel unsteady. Uncertain for the future. The one thing that I could always count on to hold me was music and freedom.”
19 | Borito | My Kind of Love
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Welcome to Borito’s time machine, music that sends you back your summer vacation. Their second single My Kind of Love is an indie-rock anthem told from a young woman’s perspective. In My Kind of Love, the power is in the narrator’s hands; she is honest about her views and is unapologetic. Together with musical themes from the ’80s and a fresh contemporary sound, this is a personal anthem for all women who can relate to it.”
20 | Lykantropi | Axis Of Margaret
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Swedish psychedelic-folk rock collective Lykantropi reveal the stirring sounds of Axis Of Margaret. The band’s latest hymn comes by way of upcoming full-length Tales To Be Told, set for release Nov. 6. Comments bassist Tomas Eriksson: “It is to some extent about when I found my mother dead and how surreal it was. It is about seeing how the person who once was your security merely becoming a shell and losing its soul. It is partly about the intense grieving, but also about the sorrow that she actually disappeared 20 years earlier when my father passed away. Her grief devoured her, it took away her meaning and made her an alcoholic in denial. Her name was Margareta and she was the shoulder of the family. At one point, at least.”
21 | Suzzy Roche & Lucy Wainwright Roche | Jane
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Suzzy Roche & Lucy Wainwright Roche have a new song out today: Jane, from the forthcoming album I Can Still Hear You, out Oct. 30. In Lucy’s words: “For my 16th birthday, my aunt Terre gave me a cassette tape of some demos that she and my aunt Maggie recorded in 1973. Jane was one of the songs on the tape and it was immediately one of my favorites. The song had never been included on any album, and for many years I thought it would be a great song to record. It finally found a home on this album.”
22 | Vicki Lovelee | Summer Is Fallin
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vicki Lovelee is a Chinese-Canadian pop singer-songwriter. Vicki cleverly combines storytelling lyrics with artistic visuals, in a moody yet theatrical fashion. She is influenced by pop artists like Lady Gaga, Allie X and Marina. Vicki’s newest single Summer Is Fallin was loosely inspired by the pandemic. What we thought was going to be a warm, sunny summer is already changing to a cooler fall. And this reflects how some people seem warm and caring at first, but in the end their bitter colours always show. We can’t control what people do but we can find the courage to stand up for ourselves.”
23 | Corners Of Sanctuary | Heroes Never Die
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Corners Of Sanctuary, a few steps away from their upcoming Heroes Never Die album, slide in the album’s fourth single. Heroes Never Die is where the building blocks of American and European heavy metal join — Riot meets Judas Priest & Satan, Malice meets Accept & Blitzkrieg, and the list goes on and on.”
24 | Qualia | Cvlt Fiction
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A five-piece rock band from Chicago, Qualia just released their single and music video Cvlt Fiction. With driving guitar riffs, pounding drum patterns, and chilling vocals, this new single is a certified banger and posses just the right amount of creepy in time for Halloween. “It takes a village to raise a child. The same can be said for a song, band, or business. This song was a proof of concept, to prove to ourselves that we were adequate and that collaboration is absolutely necessary to create something meaningful,” says Steve Eldridge on bringing this single to life.”
25 | Sick Of It All | Paper Tiger
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “While everybody is missing live shows, New York City hardcore legends Sick Of It All have a quick fix available. The band filmed a series of live clips in their living rooms! Armand Majidi (drums) comments: “Going back to a much-overlooked 2003 album which has a type of cult appeal to a lot of our fans, we resurrect Paper Tiger for the third release in our series of Quarantine Jams. We’re convinced it’ll remind you that it’s a caustic punk anthem about all the phonies who only flirt with this music just for fashion. We’re not letting this go — we’re calling ’em out!”
26 | Bleed From Within | Into Nothing
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Acclaimed modern metal outfit Bleed From Within are releasing the a live version of the fan fave Into Nothing. Both were captured during a very special production that the band set up as a virtual support slot opening up for Lamb Of God a few weeks ago. The band comments: “Part of the full-production headline show Viral Hysteria, this video marks the band’s first live performance of Into Nothing, the second single from our latest album Fracture.”
https://youtu.be/-3Qckdxw-Os
27 | Poison Wind | Branch Covidians
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Poison Wind’s debut album Virus! is slated for release on All Hallows’ Eve. Formed in the early stages of the COVID-19 quarantine by Brian Magar, Poison Wind brought people together from different bands, backgrounds, and locations to see what would sonically transpire. Brian’s drum tracks provided the groundwork for each member to compose their own songs with guitar or bass. These tracks were then passed around to various members who contributed vocals, guitar, bass, and other instrumentation. The only caveat: members did not know who they were working with at any time during the process. This covert collaboration has produced some truly striking results, spanning several extreme metal genres and subgenres. The songs range from thrash, doom, grindcore, death metal, and black metal to the outer reaches of the avant-garde.”
28 | Lowell | Lemonade
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Los Angeles/Toronto based singer-songwriter Lowell releases Lemonade, a modern piano ballad that pulls as much inspiration from ’70s singer-songwriters like Carole King and Randy Newman as it does Frank Ocean and Lana Del Rey. The new stripped-back single about toxic positivity feels timeless, like it was pulled out of a collective memory, but with a big F-bomb in the hook and a prominent Migos-esque triplet flow in the pre-chorus, it couldn’t be more contemporary. Having spent so much time in the pop world recently, Lowell chose to present these songs how they were written, in their most essential state and most simple essence.”
29 | Safe Hands | Honestly
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Childhood friends Caitlin Carey and Mikey Adams form Safe Hands, a folk/pop duo from Boston. With an 11 song full-length titled Highs & Lows recorded and ready for the world’s ears, they are proud and confident with the emotion-evoking art they have created. Of the first single Honestly, Mikey says, “I wrote this song while riding the high of a new, albeit brief relationship. It had been months since I had felt motivated to pick up a guitar and this just poured out of me.”
30 | Pulse Park | Apollonian Heart
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Founded in January 2020 as a Canadian-German collaboration, our four men first met some time ago on an Arctic expedition in Nunavut and started learning their instruments during the long polar nights. These were ukuleles that they traded dry fruits for with the Inuit. After the successful introduction of a breeding program for bowhead whales, the band decided to sing about this very rare and intense experience. Songs about the cold, the dark, cod-liver oil and not to forget the dinky white Arctic hares.”
https://youtu.be/mYz3eF1BKdk
31 | Collapse Under The Empire | Red Rain
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Red Rain is the third single from Collapse Under The Empire’s upcoming album Everything We Will Leave Beyond. It impresses with a futuristic iciness, which lets the sound float through a wide, bare desert dominated by crystalline structures. Thematically, the single deals with current events in the world. Society has come to a standstill because of our own habits and through greed and environmental destruction … that have caused entire animal worlds to become extinct.”
32 | Dune Sea | Air
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Norwegian psych/stoner rockers Dune Sea have just revealed Air, a new song from their forthcoming second album Moons of Uranus, due out on Nov. 13. Harder and dirtier than their previous effort, Moods of Uranus has 10 riff-based and synth-drenched tracks that falls somewhere between the psychedelic textures of Hawkwind and the groovy vibes of Monster Magnet.”
33 | Artemis Burr | The Lion’s Heart
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Artemis Burr is the new project of an anonymous artist who worked on a Grammy-nominated record as a musician who has just broken onto the scene with his debut track The Lion’s Heart. But Burr is more than just an artist — he’s a movement. Passionate about vulnerability, connection, and mental health advocacy, fans often say Burr reminds them of Coldplay in musicality as well as vocals. His mission with this track is to “empower listeners and give them the feeling that they are the main character of the story … [it takes] listeners on a journey of self-love.”
34 | Elthia | I Love You But You Make Me Cry
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Elthia is a singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles. With a songwriting style that references her favorite influences from pop music, while still showcasing the elegance of fingerstyle guitar, Elthia has been penning beautifully nostalgic songs, taking listeners on a colorful adventure. Elthia is unveiling her new single I Love You But You Make Me Cry. Elthia explains, “The message of the song is to tell the story of what it’s like to love something that hurts you every time you try to understand it. I wanted to show the duality of the two ideas that are constantly at war while existing inside of you, and showcase what the breaking point would actually be, if there is one at all.”
35 | Will Powers | Woven and Shattered
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Will Powers is the brainchild of songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer Oli Palkovits. Now living in Sudbury, he is currently working on several albums with members of Murder Murder and Tommy and the Commies. New single Woven and Shattered is carried by a polyrhythmic riff, with lyrics that reflect the sense of seamlessness/continuity between our inner and outer worlds.”
36 | Mark Ferg | Dedication
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dedication is a soulful track from NYC artist Mark Ferg’s album Planet Earth Is A Ghetto… But I Still Love You — a consuming release reflecting the current state of society, inspired by recent events. Says Ferg: “After witnessing the murder of George Floyd by the police, hearing about the brutal murder of Breonna Taylor, also by the police, and countless other heinous acts that have been committed against the marginalized black and brown people in this place we call HOME, I was left with so much swirling around in my head and heart.”
37 | Loose Fang | On & On
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The personal and musical backgrounds of Vancouver’s Loose Fang are as diverse as the land they call home. They recorded their debut album Live Wires, Black Sheep with producer Howard Redekopp in a tight, loud, and raw burst. Putting down 11 songs live, Loose Fang captured the sound of four people playing in a room together, with a minimum of overdubs. On and On, the first single, is dynamic, loud, and bittersweet; tackling the passage of time and how that sometimes leaves us forgetting what happens if we sleep too long.”
38 | Tandm | Earthworm
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “As Tandm, lead vocalist/guitarist Maxine Beck-Sinderby and drummer Thomas Franklin create music that weaves stories around the complexities of life. From personal pleasures and conflicts to the flaws in society encountered in young adulthood, Tandm’s upbeat sounds, vivid narratives and captivating melodies create a bittersweet and memorable experience for the audience that echoes long after a first listen. The duo’s confident, fast-paced single Earthworm serves as a rebuttal to the people who do not believe music-making to be a professional career, or do not believe in a musician’s ability to succeed.”
