Aliensdontringdoorbells give you the slip, Cousin Betty drones on, Austin Lucas takes a drive, The Cribs share their feels, Daphne Guinness offers a slice of heaven and much, much more in another Big-Ass Weekend Roundup. Better make that Biggest-Assed; this is the longest Roundup ever — or at least until next week. Over and out.
1 | Aliensdontringdoorbells | Slipping Away
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “When do you know that it’s time to go full speed ahead? When does it stop being something you do on a small scale and start playing for keeps? When do you know that it’s good enough to let everyone else experience it too? For Aliensdontringdoorbells and their new album Arrival, that time is right now. Today also marked the release of their latest single Slipping Away, and an accompanying video.”
2 | Cousin Betty | Drone
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Cousin Betty is the brainchild of Damien Stofka, a guitarist and songwriter who has created riffs and written songs for various projects. Drone is the debut single from the upcoming EP Left. Drone is a meaty slab of distorted, psychedelic, influenced indie desert rock, and the offical video is equally impressive.”
3 | Austin Lucas | Drive
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Austin Lucas releases his album Alive In The Hot Zone on Oct. 30. Today he shares a his new music video and single Drive: “The song goes out to anyone escaping horrible situations at home, in order to live as their truest and most authentic selves. For the video, I chose the setting of a cab, where various folks are moving about a city, while being watched out for by a benevolent punk cab driver. In so many ways, I really think it encapsulates much of the essence of the song and my experiences in life.”
4 | The Cribs | Never Thought I’d Feel Again
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Cribs have shared new track Never Thought I’d Feel Again and its video, from their forthcoming eighth album Night Network, due Nov. 13. The band said: “We wrote this song with a very simple goal in mind — we wanted something very simple, dancey, and positive/uplifting. We were talking about how a song like The Locomotion is probably about as perfect a pop song as you can get — it’s so immediate and catchy, without any hang-ups or self consciousness. That’s what we were trying to do here — just be totally unabashed and heart on sleeve, no punk guilt, no baggage — just pure energy.”
5 | Daphne Guinness | Heaven
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Heaven is the new video by David LaChapelle for Daphne Guinness. LaChapelle’s sumptuous video takes cues from the golden age of Hollywood and A Midsummer Night’s Dream in its depiction of an era-spanning romance. Daphne says; “Heaven is the fifth in a pentalogy of films I have made so far with David. In a way it’s a companion piece to the first, Evening In Space, but whereas that film was set in a far off galaxy, Heaven is very much set in the real world, albeit a world of glamorous golden era Hollywood. Everything will deteriorate eventually but great love stories live forever through films and songs.”
6 | The Scumfrog | Tiny Little Human
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Grammy-nominated DJ/musician The Scumfrog (aka Jesse Houk) has released his new song Tiny Little Human, along with a captivating music video featuring Lego figures in real-world settings depicting the current realities of social distancing and quarantine life. “Tiny Little Human is about the value of human touch during this pandemic,” shares Houk. “So many of us had taken human touch for granted until the virus came along. We as humans made it to the top of the food chain and essentially ‘won earth,’ but what is that worth when we cannot touch each other? The title Tiny Little Human refers to how powerless we can feel without physical interaction, despite all of our technologies and distractions.”
7 | Brocarde | Twisted
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Multi-faceted rock artist Brocarde is back with a new powerful single, Twisted, alongside a gothic horror video, a chilling accompaniment to the Halloween season. Brocarde says: ”I’m essentially watching my own life play out as if I’m not part of it. I’m studying myself being pulled in multiple directions and I’m watching myself be manipulated to the point of fear and suppression. It has dark undertones and sadistic notes; I wanted to make myself uncomfortable, hence having knives thrown in my face, its actually terrifying to watch some of that footage back and to see how close I was to being hit with a blade.”
https://youtu.be/vy43C2W8DzU
8 | Garagedays | Something Black
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Austrian metal quartet Garagedays release the first single Back In Line from their new album Something Black (Nov. 13). René Koessler was responsible for the video for this opening look at the album, which was co-produced by Andy LaRocque (King Diamond). And it won’t be the only video!”
9 | Steep Canyon Rangers | Take My Mind
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Grammy-winning Steep Canyon Rangers’ new album Arm In Arm is out today. The video for Take My Mind was shot live in the studio during the recording session in Nashville, and features Oliver Wood and Michael Bearden. Over a 20-year career, the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame inductees have released 13 solo albums and three collaborative albums with actor/banjoist Steve Martin.”
10 | Better Anyway | Bury Me
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ohio pop-punk band Better Anyway will release their second EP Low, but Looking Up on Oct. 23. In the meantime, they dropped their single Bury Me and its flower-filled video. The third single from the upcoming EP and a preview of its sound and theme, the bouncy track will have you singing along to its catchy-yet-somber lyrics.”
11 | Singapore Sling | Soul Kicks
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Having just released his 11th record Good Sick Fun, Singapore Sling shares a new video for album track Soul Kicks, a piece of delirious, head-spinning proto-punk that breaks down into discordant keys, thick scuzzy guitars and sinister echoing vocals.”
12 | Homeboy Sandman & Quelle Chris | Trauma
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Homeboy Sandman & Quelle Chris have released their new album Don’t Feed The Monster, along with a video from director Photo Rob for the powerful single Trauma. Don’t Feed The Monster is Homeboy Sandman’s most vulnerable & poignant work to date. On Don’t Feed The Monster, he pulls back any pretense to show his most honest truth — a process that he needed both artistically and spiritually.”
13 | Abandoned Souls | Blinding Darkness
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Abandoned Souls released their powerful and emotional single Blinding Darkness on Oct. 9, and now to complement it they are releasing a music video. While most of the band’s music comes from a personal place, Blinding Darkness is especially meaningful to the band. It was written shortly after vocalist James Todd went through the heartbreaking experience of losing his mother.”
14 | Omọlólù’s | tr(u)(iii)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “African-surrealist documentarian, educator, digital griot and blx ecstatix performance artist Omọlólù just released the EP laiii 222 rest ooo. Also out today is a video for track tr(u)(iii), in which ọmọlólù performs a relinquishing ceremony for herself and her parents, to let go of grief she’s held onto from her experience with institutionalized racism in academia. She reflected: “This video shows me reclaiming my power, my image and my sanctity of peace.”
15 | Lauren Mann | Don’t Make A Mountain
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Singer-songwriter Lauren Mann’s fourth album Memory & Desire is out today. To celebrate, Lauren is releasing the video for the third single Don’t Make a Mountain. “I often tend to worry unnecessarily, so I wrote this song as a reminder to myself when I feel anxiety creeping in to take a deep breath, plant my feet firmly on the ground, and remember the bigger picture,” says Lauren. “The video shows two contrasting characters, one who is lost and weary of the journey, and the other who is pushing through the obstacles searching for beauty and truth.”
16 | The Darcys | Too Late
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Darcys have released Too Late, the latest single from their Nov. 13 album Fear & Loneliness, sharing a glimpse inside the trials and tribulations of two men running from their own ghosts in the City of Angels. The Darcys’ Jason Couse & Wes Marskell state: “Too Late is about second chances. It’s about owning up to your mistakes and remembering why you cared in the first place. It’s a love song! Most importantly, it’s about hope, and we felt a big disco chorus was the best way to capture that feeling.”
17 | Meg Warren | Bomb
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: Singer-songwriter, producer and engineer Meg Warren shares a cinematic visual for her single Bomb. Directed, filmed and edited by Wild Black, Bomb is about navigating memories or associations with a painful part of your past. “You could hear or see one tiny reminder — an Instagram post, a casual reference in a conversation, a text — and it sets off this wave of internal panic or fear or shame that hangs over you all day,” Meg says. “It’s like a bomb going off in your mind or your heart.”
18 | Terra Lightfoot | Consider The Speed
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Soulful rocker Terra Lightfoot shares the new single and video for Consider the Speed, the title track off her album released today. “This video shoot was so much fun,” Lightfoot recalls. “We borrowed some bikes from my manager’s mom, and Mat made a mask to look exactly like my drummer Frankie (who is American and couldn’t cross the border to be with us). The video shoot was mostly me yelling ‘AWWW’ at every dog that walked by.”
19 | Dominique Fils-Aimé | Love Take Over
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Juno winner Dominique Fils-Aimé announces the release of her new album Three Little Words. The soulful Love Take Over is the first single. It evokes the fall of male supremacy with the rise of feminine forces that lead us towards the path to freedom. The track comprises an undeniably maternal element that coaxes us towards an absolute truth: wisdom is required, in life as in love, to stimulate change and provide new perspectives.”
20 | Local Natives | Lemon (ft. Sharon Van Etten)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Local Natives have announced a new EP, Sour Lemon, and released an emotional new single and video for Lemon, featuring Sharon Van Etten. Over a spare and sweeping arrangement, the band’s Taylor Rice and Van Etten sing a duet about longing for connection in a world of isolation and distraction. Lemon finds the beauty in small, domestic moments shared by romantic partners who occupy the same space but long to “be here at the same time.”
21 | Andrew Cushin | Where’s My Family Gone
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Over the course of just two singles, 20-year-old Andrew Cushin has demonstrated the power of his highly accomplished songwriting. He adds to his rising profile by sharing his new single Where’s My Family Gone, produced by Noel Gallagher. “I wrote Where’s My Family Gone when I was in a dark place” explains Andrew. “I hadn’t been speaking to my family, or friends. I felt as though I had no outlet for the way I was feeling, and I wrote it in a little hotel room in Leeds before a gig. It started out as a darker track but the production that Noel has added to the song has pushed the track in a way that it’s now so much bigger and more uplifting.”
22 | Janet Devlin | Better Now
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Northern-Irish singer-songwriter Janet Devlin has released the final music video from her Confessional album. The single Better Now received its visual treatment from a creative team consisting of legendary cinematographer Sir Franz Pagot and director Katya Ganfeld Seeking to fulfil a career ambition whilst bookending the most intensely creative and work-filled period of her life, the video features two of Janet’s great passions: her hometown of Gortin, Northern Ireland and horses.”
23 | Restive Nation | I’m Sorry
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Continuously pushing boundaries and cross-pollination genres with their own unique electronic/progressive interpretations, Restive Nation continue to surprise with this new single. I’m Sorry sees the band take a dark and melancholic journey into a hybrid of Massive Attack and Nine Inch Nails with a side of Crosses /Tool floating in and out of a dream-like, post punk daydream. The band commented: “I’m Sorry is a track that was written by Dave Lee’s solo project Sombre Motion in 2012 … hearing it we just had to have it as part of the Restive Nation repertoire.”
24 | Emi Wes | All Grown Up
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With a voice that balances the fragility of Amy Winehouse against the sheer power of Aretha Franklin, Emi Wes has spent the last couple of years developing her song writing. With elements of 1960s soul and contemporary R&B, all seen through a distinctly Scandi lens, Emi’s voice is has captivating, otherworldly quality that shines through on new single All Grown Up. A defiant anthem that will resonate with anyone who looks back at their exes with a feeling that they are much better off without them, the visuals find Emi in an aptly meditative state.”
25 | Cryptodira | A Tendency To Fall
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Cryptodira have released a video for A Tendency to Fall, from their LP The Angel Of History, due out on Dec. 4. Says Matthew Taibi: “As an ideology today, identity (whether rugged or nihilistic) has us steeped in depression, substance abuse, and suicide. A call for more historical and class-conscious forms of social being is made against the ideology of individualism. On the other hand, there are trends within postmodern thought that have labored to deconstruct this ideology (particularly queer, feminist, and post-colonial theories).”
26 | Summoning The Lich | Descend
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Missouri death-metal quartet Summoning The Lich have released the single and video Descend, from their debut album. United In Chaos is the first in a trilogy of albums that tell the tale of the rise of the Lich and fall of the Kingdom Rodor, set over technical, abrasive songs crammed with memorable hooks and meaty riffs. Roll the dice and join the adventure.”
27 | Ada Morghe | Rainy Day
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ada Morghe’s album Box captured the musicality of the multi-faceted creative talent. Ada now shares another compelling taste of her accomplished musicianship with a performance of Rainy Day, filmed live at Real World Studios. “Rainy Day is about the longing to be in the moment and ironically the video happened quite spontaneously” explains Ada. “On this particular morning, the band wasn’t there yet, because it was raining cats and dogs … I sat down at the piano, started planning the song and without saying something Mark started filming while Buff recorded the song. It was quite magical, because it happened at that moment.”
28 | Alex Cuba | Esta Situación
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Alex Cuba has just released his video for Esta Situación, off his album Sublime. The song is vulnerable and powerful, narrating the difficulty of being in love without the courage to express how you feel. Enveloped in a captivating melody straight out of the ’70s, the upright bass shines in this acoustic pop/soul feel-good tune to light up your day.”
29 | Fickle Friends | 92
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Fickle Friends’ sound has evolved to blend gleaming electro-pop synths with the energy that resonated throughout their Top 10 debut album You Are Someone Else. “The premise of 92 is so innocent … love without boundaries or questioning”, explains Natti. “I’m very fortunate my parents kept the VHS tapes from the ’90s in Switzerland and my childhood .. .and we felt like using them for a video was a nice nod to the song title (the year I was born). I think it represents that unblemished love you have as a child, everything just gets a bit messier and complicated as you grow up.”
30 | Jerry Castle | Worried Man
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Jerry Castle’s new album Midnight Testaments presents music for all moods. Stylistically, Jerry darts between lanes at will, from booze-soaked Americana to soulful southern rock, rootsy country and anthemic heartland rock. Jerry explains, “The thing I’m proudest about on Midnight Testaments is that we were able to cover a lot of stylist ground, while still having a cohesive sound that makes total sense. The songs all have a life of their own and I don’t feel like there’s a single filler song on the album.”
31 | Adar Alfandari | Gold Dust
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Adar Alfandari is a singer-songwriter from Israel who writes music in both Hebrew and English. He just released his third single from his debut album. After his previous acoustic folk single, Gold Dust reminds us that Adar started out as a rock artist. The song is inspired by Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise.”
32 | Matt Badger | Bait The Wolves
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Bait The Wolves depicts the final moments of a bereft individual bidding farewell to the sights and sounds of the natural world prior to beckoning the end in a rebellious sing-along requiem which carries the listener through the wilderness at the heart of loneliness and loss. Video by Will Miller.”
33 | The R Train Band | Take a Ride
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Brooklyn rock band The R Train just released their second single + video, Take a Ride. With the present depressing atmosphere around the world today, the song is meant as a distraction. It is intended to make the listener feel as if they are having an adrenaline rush. “We are trying to lift people’s spirits by taking them on an exciting fun fulfilling musical ride.”
34 | Elvis Costello | Newspaper Pane
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Today sees the debut of Newspaper Pane, the fifth release from Elvis Costello’s forthcoming album Hey Clockface. The music for Newspaper Pane was written and produced in New York by composer/arranger Michael Leonhart, in collaboration with guitarist Bill Frisell, and completed by lyrical verses Costello added from his westward hideout via the miracle of telecommunications.”
35 | Ali Aslam | Photocopy
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ali is a Pakistani-American artist in New York City whose debut The Last American arrives on Oct. 30. “Photocopy was written in frustration, I was surrounded by all of these songwriters and all we could do was write about our grief and our sadness, or love we’ve lost … There’s a place for that, we all have songs like that, but I wanted to write about joy and couldn’t figure out how to write that. Then I realized that the things that used to hurt, don’t have to hurt forever, and I COULD write about that.”
36 | Gama Bomb | Sheer Khan
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Irish thrashers Gama Bomb have released the second single from their upcoming seventh album, Sea Savage. Armed with a rile-up and raucously jubilant approach to heavy metal, Sheer Khan is a welcome slice of fist-pumping escapism. It’s hard to argue that the Irish thrashers’ ability to pair themes of post-apocalyptic fantasy horror with feel-good sonic abandon is anything short of infectious.”
37 | Children Of The State | Hot Money
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Children Of The State share the Ian Skelly-produced single Hot Money, the first from their forthcoming EP Tragic Carpet and the Magical Wasp Gang from Notre Dame. Hot Money is a sleazy observation of greed and hyper-capitalism with a German bridge which describes cash as the science of the entire world. Devilishly fuzzy guitar and squealing horns writhe amongst a pumping beat, setting the tone for what is to follow across the EP’s four dark and uneasy tracks.”
38 | Major Lazer & Paloma Mami | QueLoQue
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With Diplo at the helm, multi platinum-selling global dance trio Major Lazer released their new single QueLoQue, featuring Chilean artist Paloma Mami. The group’s upcoming fourth album Music Is The Weapon drops Oct. 23. Says Mami: “QueLoQuehas been in the works for a while now … It has a fire energy to it with some elements of old-school reggaeton and mixing it with that electronic touch from Major Lazer = PALO!”
39 | Health x 100 gecs | Power Fantasy
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Health’s Disc04 :: Part I is an album of collaborations with the likes of Ghostemane, Jpegmafia, Soccer Mommy, Full of Hell and more. To celebrate the release the band share a video for their 100 gecs collaboration Power Fantasy. Health explain, “In the past each Health LP has been accompanied by a corresponding remix record. This time, despite being called Disc04 in the interest of continuity, we offer you a collection of original collaborations with artists we admire. Also, fuck 2020.”
40 | Yukon Blonde | Your Heart’s My Home
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Yukon Blonde share Your Heart’s My Home, the latest track from their upcoming fifth LP Vindicator, out Nov. 13. “James (Younger) brought this jangly, throw-back tune to the table, complete with a brilliant hook and fleshed-out melody, and the tagline ‘Your Heart’s My Home’,” says vocalist Rebecca Gray. “We were all feeling really good about how we were jamming it that we started recording beds almost instantly. Over the course of the next few days, it turned in to a darkly-sweet sort of mantra on lost love, and how to rebuild yourself afterwards.”
41 | Kulick | Just Be Friends
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “PA alt-rock singer-songwriter Kulick just dropped his debut album Yelling in a Quiet Neighborhood, along with the lyric video for Just Be Friends. Kulick says: “Just Be Friends was one of the most difficult songs I’ve ever written. It’s the conversation that signifies the end of a relationship. It’s when you’ve lost control of yourself and you don’t know how to handle losing someone that’s been by your side your whole life.”
42 | Flying Moon in Space | The Observer
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Leipzig group Flying Moon In Space share The Observer, the latest track and video from their self-titled debut album out Dec. 4. Described by the band as an anthem for the “post-industrial burnouts” of the world, The Observer is a call to break from the drudgery of modern life delivered in the form of reverberating, motorik psych-pop.”
43 | Helena Deland | Comfort, Edge
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Today marks the release of Someone New, the debut album from Montreal’s emerging singer-songwriter Helena Deland. A lovely animated video for the album track Comfort, Edge visually represents the song’s contradictory yearning with a characterized bedroom setting; a sort of coolly lit reimagining of the room in Goodnight Moon which seems to instead greet the night sky, inviting it inside to stay a while.”
44 | Blind Adam and the Federal League | An Act of Desperation
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Chicago punk band Blind Adam and the Federal League premiered their new single and video An Act of Desperation, the title track from their upcoming sophomore album. Says Adam Gogola: “When the news came out about Oscar Alberto Martínez Ramírez and his nearly two-year-old daughter Valeria were found washed up on the banks of the Rio Grande in an attempt to make it into the United States to seek asylum, I was immediately heartbroken and angry. An Act of Desperation was one of those songs that kind of wrote itself … Maybe it will touch a nerve with a few white suburban Trump supporters that like to think of themselves as ‘good people.’ ”
45 | Autocatalytica | Borndun
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Autocatalytica is a bubbling cauldron of scatter-brained prog-metal insanity helmed by guitarist/vocalist Eric Thorfinnson. The newest release for the band, Powerclashing Maximalism, is out today. Autocatalytica is also unleashing the lyric video for the track Borndun, described by the band as “an obvious nod to Meshuggah: Heavy, expansive and with just the right amount of weirdo groove, written generally about the current political situation.”
46 | Fruition Release | Stand With You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Portland roots rockers Fruition have just released Stand With You, a direct message to those continuously on the front lines of the fight for racial equality in the United States. “I believe that the most powerful things we humans can do in our lives are not things that benefit us personally, but things that help many,” says guitarist Jay Cobb Anderson. “The power of giving is unmatched by anything I can think of. And the most valuable gift one can give is themselves. Their time and energy. Their commitment to help, learn, and change. And to truly change oneself for the better is what we must do to change the world for the better. Just like all journeys begin with one step, all changes begin with one action.”
47 | Elle Belle | Everyone Knows (But They Won’t Tell You)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Los Angeles songwriter Elle Belle has released Everyone Knows…, the second single from his third album Post Everything, due out Nov. 13. Everyone Knows… was written about the impossible feat of trying to be everything to everyone and not excelling at any of it. There is so much time spent switching lanes that we end up in the middle of the road and Elle Belle is asking how many of us feel this way?”
48 | Jamie Fine | Sellout
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Jamie Fine delivers her debut solo track Sellout. The Ottawa native has shifted the creative process in a new direction, expanding her horizons as a solo artist while continuing to stay true to the genre-blurring and inventive sound she has come to call her own. “I needed to fall in love with music again,” says Fine. “I went back to the way I first started writing — focusing on creating music that matters to me rather than chasing what I think people want to listen to. That has reminded me of all the reasons I started music in the first place, and it feels incredible.”
49 | Chaii | Wow (Look At Me)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Chaii returns with her new single Wow (Look At Me). An analog mash of crashing percussion and an electric guitar solo sees Chaii soon soar utop of it all, as she switches between a whisper and screams with confidence. Chaii says: “I talk about being in your own lane and taking risks. The hook is aimed towards social media culture and how some people would do anything to be seen.”
50 | Cannon Beach | Upside Down
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ahead of its official release on Oct. 30, Sheffield duo Cannon Beach share their lyric video for debut single Upside Down. Coming from the creative minds of producer Daniel Jeffery (Inherit The Stars) and singer Beth Connelly (Crimson Tide), Cannon Beach is an exploration into new territory. “We’re heavily inspired by popular movies, TV shows, video games … even our name Cannon Beach is a reference to where they shot a scene from Goonies. We want to capture and recreate the same fun you experienced but as music. It’s new, yet totally nostalgic at the same time.”
51 | Foxy Shazam | The Rose
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Foxy Shazam delight fans with new single The Rose, as well as the news that they will release their album Burn on Dec. 11. The single is a pop gem that will close out Burn with plenty of edge and rock exuberance, offering a glimpse into just how well-rounded and dynamic their new full-length will be. Frontman Eric Nally says: “We chose not to have the flower petals shown in the art but rather the stem and thorns to depict nothing worth having comes easy.”
52 | Tef Poe | Be Careful
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “While 2020 has been a tough year for everyone, some light has come from the darkness. For St. Louis MC and activist Tef Poe, the adversity has only helped propel him forward and light a new spark. Tef Poe has always used his music as a vessel for his thoughts, and on his new single Be Careful, he speaks from the soul on topics that have closely impacted his own life, warning listeners to be aware of where they put their trust. In a world ravaged by hate, unfair politics and social injustice, Tef Poerepresents his people through the good, bad and ugly.”
53 | Johnny Gates | Scotch Tape
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Johnny Gates shares the single Scotch Tape, a redemptive alcohol-infused breakup anthem reminiscent of early 2000’s alt-country. Scotch Tape, according to Gates, describes “a relationship that’s rough around the edges, but in all the best ways.” Gates admits he has “totally been in this kind of relationship, where the girlfriend’s mom questions my tattoos, the partying a little too much, the drunk fights about absolutely nothing haha, but just because our relationship didn’t look totally conventional, we made it work. And when things got hard, or funds got low, or we almost broke up, we always knew we had each other to get through it.”
54 | The Vacant Lots | Departure (Robert Levon Been Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Vacant Lots drop a remix of previously unreleased live favourite Departure, courtesy of Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s Robert Levon Been. Blending proto-punk and psych as effortlessly as you’d expect from a Vacant Lots release, it sees throbbing Nightclubbing-esque electronics interlaced with distorted, hard-hitting guitars and vocals that are just as snarling as they are detached.”
55 | The Spyrals | Same Old Line
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ahead of the Oct. 30 release of their fourth album, The Spyrals have shared the title track of the inbound Same Old Line LP.”
56 | Convulsif | Buried Between One
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Swiss jazz grindcore collective Convulsif have shared another track from their new album Extinct, set for release on Oct. 23. Recorded live at Blend Studio, it sees the group pushing the boundaries of extreme and alternative music by fusing the intricacies of jazz music, the eerie textures of noise and the brutality of grindcore.”
57 | Convulse | Whirlwind
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Finnish progressive death metal band Convulse release their new album Deathstar on Oct. 30. Today, they’ve shared the track Whirlwind. Guitarist/vocalist Rami Jämsä says: “Lyrically, Whirlwind is a desperate story about holy wars and nationalism. We have tried to learn to live together thousands of years and we have not learned anything. Whirlwind is a metaphor for the cycle of evilness that we are keeping up from generation to generation.”
58 | Ward Davis | Black Cats and Crows
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Kicking off with a blaze of harmonized electric guitars sounding like when the Allmans’ Elizabeth Reed checked into Eagles’ Hotel California, Ward Davis’s album Black Cats and Crows (Oct. 20) doesn’t waste a second on formalities. A muscly country-rock record filled with murderous story songs, heartbreaking vulnerability, and that unmistakable voice — Davis’s weathered croon, barrel-aged then left out in the sun — are all brought to life through Davis’s and producer Jim “Moose” Brown’s care for their craft and disdain for sterility. Says Davis: “It’s important that it’s crafted well, but it’s also important that it’s honest so that people can relate to it and get something out of it.”
59 | Dave Hause & Jake Blount | Minimum Wage Is A Gateway Drug
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Philly-bred singer-songwriter Dave Hause presents Minimum Wage Is A Gateway Drug, the latest track from his EPs Patty and Paddy, out Oct. 23. Featuring acclaimed banjoist, fiddler and singer Jake Blount, Minimum Wage Is A Gateway Drug by Dillinger Four cuts to the quick of American life for working people even more than it did when it came out in 2008. “Paddy Costello is one of my favorite lyricists, especially when he writes about the distance between the promise of the American dream and the reality of working in modern America,” Hause says. “I wanted to reimagine Paddy’s songs as folk ballads, and hopefully bring a new focus to these amazing melodies and lyrics that he and the band play at breakneck speeds through loud Marshall amps.”
60 | Intervals | Lock & Key
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Torchbearers of progressive, instrumental rock, Intervals have shared Lock & Key, the latest single from the band’s Circadian album, out Nov. 13. Says Aaron Marshall: “Lock & Key is one of my favourite tunes from the new record and I’m so happy to feature my pal and extremely talented artist Joshua De La Victoria. When this track started to take shape, I knew right away that I wanted to feature Josh.”
61 | Luca Wilding | Ruby Don’t Cry
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “London’s Luca Wilding returns with spellbinding new folk-pop track Ruby, Don’t Cry. Says Luca: “Some time ago, I met a girl on a train. We spoke for a little while, she sketched in my notepad and over a brief journey told my friend that she was unhappy. There was something very singular and strong about her, something leonine. I just couldn’t imagine her wasting away with no direction in a loveless relationship. That night, I imagined her being swept off her feet by a beautiful stranger and telling her partner she was leaving him.”
62 | Begräbnis | 因果てど愚弄す (Inverted Cross)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Japanese funeral doom trio Begräbnis present their debut album Izanaena on Oct. 28. Through their ominously haunted and dismal hymns, the Japanese entity precisely embodies funeral: what the German word Begräbnis stands for. Started as a four-piece doom ensemble, they, as a trio, had begun to rely on drum machines, Theremins, and appalling ambient/industrial elements since the drummer’s departure in 2012.”
63 | Bassically | Isan Molam
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Birthed from life in isolation in a self-made simple seaside studio during the first peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Raz Olsher aka Bassically, developed his new album Audio Diaries. Olsher said: “I am confronted every morning by a blank canvas which excites me immensely. Audio Diaries is as much about the apocalyptic state of the world as it is about the small things we get to benefit from in the human and natural community.” First single Isan Molam is built on a hypnotic house groove, flecked with tasty flavours of Thailand’s northeastern region.”
64 | Tunng | Scared To Death
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Tunng have shared a third and final single from their forthcoming album Tunng Presents… Dead Club, in the form of Scared To Death. Says the band’s Sam Genders: “It’s inspired by my relationship to life, death, fear and acceptance and how my relationship to those four things has shifted in recent years, and especially since we began this project. On one hand I’m hugely drawn to rational thought and scientific knowledge as a way to solve problems and navigate life. On the other hand I only seem to make real progress when I accept how little I know and really embrace that unknowing.”
65 | Gillian Heidi | Desperate (Goldhouse Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Rising singer-songwriter Gillian Heidi has teamed up with Chicago-based electronic producer Goldhouse to put a new spin on her single Desperate. Goldhouse, who has previously worked remixes for Niall Horan, Zara Larsson and Billie Eilish, infuses Heidi’s heartfelt R&B-pop track with pulsating percussion and vibrant synths, bringing the song to club-ready perfection.”
66 | Yard of Blondes | Do You Need More
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Los Angeles rock band Yard Of Blondes drop Do You Need More, the third single off their long-overdue album produced by Billy Graziadei of Biohazard. The album Feed the Moon will be released in 2021. It’s a perfect mix of stoner, grunge, hard rock, punk and pop with haunting melodies, catchy phrases and undertaken musical choices.”
67 | Surfer Girl | Hero
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Carter Reeves debuts his latest project Surfer Girl with Hero. A testament to today’s volatile political climate, it seamlessly blends laid-back reggae vibes with alt-pop undertones. “The Surfer Girl project is the result of shedding all expectations and insecurities, writing music that comes naturally, without hesitation or overthinking. I’ll admit, I’m coming out swinging with, Hero so I really hope it resonates with fans, both old and new. Let’s find some common ground and dance on it.”
68 | Vox Rea | Dose Me Up
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With a sound as impulsive and fluctuating as the life of the 20-somethings they are, Vox Rea’s special brand of noir-pop blends strings arrangements and harmonies into the dreamy collection of songs on their self-titled debut. Dose Me Up is the first release in a new era. The band formerly known as The Katherines added Mitchell Schaumberg to their trio and changed their name. The new single was written by sisters Kate and Lauren Kurdyak and marks an evolution in the band’s sound.”
69 | Potatohead People | Hidden Levels
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hidden Levels is the third single from Potatohead People’s upcoming Mellow Fantasy album and features long-time Vancouver collaborator Clear Mortifee on vocals. Bringing a perfect storm of vocal ability, magnetic presence and sheer confidence, she utilizes her potential to create music that is poignant, timeless and deeply resonant. Hidden Levels showcases Potatohead’s production versatility with its high-flying house/future boogie hybrid with charming, off-the-wall lyrics.”
70 | The Nursery | Demons
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Formed by singer-songwriter Alex Pulec, The Nursery are an alternative rock trio with songs commenting on the intense emotions of youth, contrasting themes of fear, rebellion, obsession, desire and alienation. New single Demons was inspired by the idea of romanticizing the darker parts of humanity. Recorded in the studio The Nursery built, many echos, creaks and noise from the space lay throughout the track. You can barely hear them, but it’s there, and their energy is felt.”
71 | Georgia Black | Invisible Enemy
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Georgia Black is a contemporary blues singer from North London, heavily influenced by artists such as Shirley Bassey, Etta James and Peggy Lee. Invisible Enemy was written at the very start of the lockdown and was inspired by a conversation Georgia had with a colleague at her day job who said, “Don’t you think it’s crazy that whenever we’re usually unwell, we feel we have to be the hero and push ourselves to go to work, but right now, to be the hero is the other way round?”
72 | Shanghai Restoration Project | Involuntary Prophet
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Shanghai Restoration Project is the Brooklyn based electronic duo of Dave Liang and Sun Yunfan. SRP’s genre-bending, border-traversing, retro-futuristic soundscape often uses poetic melodies to draw audiences into imaginary settings where unexpected adventures unfold with a dissonant and polyrhythmic palette. In the shadow of murmuring outer space particles, one might encounter atonal analog synth lines against the backdrop of a tropical storm, household item percussion, and lost and found street sounds from around the world.”
73 | Leon Stanford | By Your Side
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Welsh singer-songwriter Leon Stanford releases his first single By Your Side, from the forthcoming EP Fear Is Heavy. Leon explains, “The song is written for all to relate to about not giving up on love but one of the last lines of the song gives the true identity of the meaning: ‘Give me your hand, to give it away.’ The song is about a father who through a breakup has lost time with watching his daughter grow up and it’s him saying to her that I’ll never give up on being part of your life.”
74 | Quinn Pickering | Ultraviolet
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Just in time for your dark and moody fall playlists, Quinn Pickering releases his new single. Ultraviolet is the second single from Quinn’s new EP Supernova. “Ultraviolet is about watching a relationship fall apart and not being able to do anything about it,” says Quinn. “Sometimes people grow apart with important things left unsaid, and the chorus highlights the confusion and frustration that arises when the situation is beyond your control. It taps into questions such as, why things so clear to you, can go unnoticed by someone else. Ultraviolet light is unseen and yet vital for survival, much like communication in a relationship.”
75 | Jules Shear | Smart
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “I used to think no one could catch me,” observes Jules Shear on his first solo album since 2017’s One More Crooked Dance. “But now I’m slower.” With no worries about radio airplay, streams, sales or even being cool — though he is, effortlessly — Jules Shear has been creatively liberated to pursue his very idiosyncratic muse on Slower, which may describe his current lifestyle, but certainly not his prolific writing pace. The album will be released on Nov. 13.”
76 | Purple Decades | Maui
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Purple Decades is my new ambient project where I’ve been exploring more electronic, orchestral textures in addition to piano. The track is called Maui, which is actually a rework of one of my solo piano tracks Maui Eventide.”
77 | Jeff Rosenstock | Old Cold
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “I recorded a new song this week and put it up on the 2020 DUMP Bandcamp page, along with a cover of Belle and Sebastian’s Fox In The Snow… have I mentioned that here already? Anyway, it’s up there!”
78 | Saigon Would Be Seoul | Form And Feeling
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Saigon Would Be Seoul is the solo project from Mirza Ramic of the electronic duo Arms and Sleepers. The upcoming album The Human Stain deals with Mirza’s roots: “This album is a story of my hometown: Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina (formerly Yugoslavia). Conceptually it is divided into three parts: the calm and normal pre- war years, the barbaric war years, and the psychologically painful post-war years (aka the “stain”).”
79 | Eighty Ninety | Better As Friends
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Eighty Ninety — the N.Y.C. alt-pop project of brothers Abner (vocals, production) and Harper (guitar, production) James — share their new single Better as Friends. Like all Eighty Ninety tracks, it uses deeply personal lyrics to connect with universal themes and feelings, exploring the powerful pull to stay connected with someone you once loved despite how painful it can be. “It’s about the desire to live in the past rather than face the end, and how loving someone can mean wanting the best for them even if that no longer includes you.”
80 | Alex Little & The Suspicious Minds | Across the City
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vancouver’s Alex Little & The Suspicious Minds share their single Across the City. “Across the City is a memoir of growing up in Vancouver,” explains Alex Little. “I get overwhelmed by how much each street reminds me of a story from my childhood and adulthood — no matter what area I’m in. It makes day to day tasks more interesting but also harder, as some things are painful to be reminded of. However, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
81 | Lizzie Weber | How Does It Feel
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “St. Louis-bred, Seattle-based singer-songwriter Lizzie Weber unveils her forthcoming EP How Does It Feel, due out on Jan. 22, with the release of the title track. She says: “I wrote How Does It Feel when I was so focused on the meaning of feeling safe. Am I safe to feel? Safe in my own skin and body? Safe to touch? And what was my personal experience was when confronting the emotions that left me feeling anything other than safe? It is an anthem of gratitude for having someone in your life that keeps you grounded in strength and resilience.”
82 | Ancient Astronauts | Do It To The Beat (ft. Blessed San)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “DJ and production duo Ancient Astronauts have come together with a variety of rising African musicians to create the Kampala Fire EP, out today. It includes the track, Do It To The Beat featuring Blessed San. Listeners can expect to hear other underground Ugandan artists like C Wyne Nalukalala, Spyda MC, Bani Fyah, and Nilotika Cultural Ensemble.”
83 | Kaleem Taylor | Feel
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Following the teaser singles Until and Questions, R&B / Soul talent Kaleem Taylor displays raw, emotive vocals against a backdrop of Electronic Trap beats on his latest offering — a production influence that is apparent throughout the project.”
84 | Madison Olds | Bad Thing
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Kamloops pop singer-songwriter Madison Olds says her iridescent new track Bad Thing examines how if she’s already gonna do something bad it “might as well be good.” She explains, “It’s a flirtatious tale of a girl who fights herself from falling for someone who may or may not be trouble, even though their attraction to one another have her going crazy.” Though the song is as simple as the hook, “If I’m gonna do a bad thing, I’m gonna do you,” it’s left up to the listener to decide if she follows through.”
85 | Akkan | Ananda
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Barcelona electronic production duo Akkan drop Ananda, featuring digital cumbia pioneer Chancha Via Circuito, another glimpse into their Dec. 4 debut album. The duo explain: “We started working on Ananda while touring in Colombia … We felt the initial demo was missing something and at that time we just happened to meet our friend Chancha Via Circuito at the Ozora Festival in Budapest, we showed him the idea, he liked it and so we just asked him to add his own magic to the track, it all flowed very naturally.”
86 | Me nd Adam | The More I Grow Up
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Austin trash-wave trailblazers Me Nd Adam’s new single The More I Grow Up is a coming-of-age story. Inspired by the likes of The Killers, The More I Grow Up is the duo’s own twist on indie/synth, featuring big synth-rock energy with a heartland rock edge. Adam shares, “I’m proud to say we bootstrapped this one and produced, engineered, and mixed it by ourselves. I think because of that, it’s true to the vision we had for the song.”
87 | Burning Pools | White
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Burning Pools is the new band led by former Smashing Pumpkins bassist Ginger Pooley. Their debut EP is a critique of the hierarchy of our value system. Ginger shares, “It’s nothing new for music to be a voice of criticism of our culture. That is the purpose of a lot of art. This is just my way of expressing my frustration with the priorities of modern society. Valuing money over everything, undervaluing women and people of color. Hopefully our songs make people who are of the same accord feel heard and supported. There is so much injustice in the world, we hope to be a part of the solution in some small way.”
