Lice leave you scratching your head, Blue Statue strike a fine pose, Oginalli swing for the fences, Heavy Feather brighten things up, Brutus declare war, We Are The Union do it in the shadows, Jim White divides his time and much, much more in another gargantuan Friday Roundup. I could have added another handful songs to this, but there were a few submissions that were just too brutally awful to include. You know who you are.
1 | Lice | R.D.C.
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Bristol group Lice preview their debut album Wasteland: What Ails Our People Is Clear with new single R.D.C., publishing the album’s pamphlet (lyrics/story) and revealing the hand-built noise instrument (Intonarumori) used across it. Wasteland is a concept album structured as an experimental short story, taking cues from Brian Catling, William Burroughs and Kurt Vonnegut Jr. In the wild, liminal space of the Wasteland, a vigilante known as The Conveyor relates the schemes of the shadowy RDC and flamboyant Dr Coehn to engineer the human race’s self-annihilation: introducing us to a cast of time-travellers, shape-shifters, talking genitalia and ectoplasmic spectres.”
2 | Blue Statue | V.F.
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Blue Statue is an indie post-punk band in North London. Blue Statue’s sound fuses the noisier side of indie with the grungier side of punk to produce banging songs with driving rhythms, thunderous riffs and earworm choruses. V.F. is a ferocious pounding garage-rock explosion that twists and turns, dissolving into awesome effervescent feedback chaos.”
3 | Oginalii | Pendulum
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Nashville’s psyche-metal quartet Oginalii released their Pendulum EP today. In conjunction, the band shared the video for the title track. Though elements of uncertainty can be heard throughout Pendulum, most of the EP’s seven songs commemorate post-enlightenment. “The good and bad things we’ve inherited from our parents, what we’ve been taught, and what has stuck with us. More importantly, what we have chosen to do with parts of ourselves that we cannot necessarily change … I began to visualize all of these things more and more as the swing of the pendulum. We always find our way back to center, but we will continue to sway back and forth. We live and strive to live in this momentum.”
4 | Heavy Feather | Bright In My Mind
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Root rockers Heavy Feather are back with their new single Bright in My Mind. It is the first taste of their upcoming sophomore album Mountain of Sugar, to be released in spring. ’60s and ’70s rock influences and amazing vocals from blues singer Lisa Lystam are at the core of the new release. When Heavy Feather’s first album Débris & Rubble (2019) was released it was praised by both press and audience. Mountain of sugar is even rawer, heavier and harder than its predecessor, still with the root rock and psychedelic touch at the very core.”
5 | Brutus | War
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “This song is super-special to us. Not only does it reflect a very tough period, but it has set a new standard for our writing ever since. We are so happy we can share this live version with you. Blast it loud. And we hope we can bring you back to the amazing feeling of a live show, a cool hangout with your best friends, back into a crowd, sweating, dancing and singing to a band you love. Carried away by the music, the emotions and the energy. With a bunch of people close to you, feeling the same — Brutus.”
6 | We Are The Union | You’re Dead / Vampire Ska
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Did you know you were going to watch Reel Big Fish trumpet player / Baseketball star Scott Klopfenstein murder a bunch of ska-playing vampires today? No? Well GET READY, because that’s exactly what happens in this brilliant new WATU video / cover track, filmed by Chris Grau. The song and video are so much fun and the perfect way to get stoked for a super-spooky Skalloween!”
7 | Jim White | The Divided States of America
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With just 11 days to go before the election, Jim White drops this totally unhinged video, The Divided States of America. “What you got here is your basic semi-psychotic music video featuring the final song on this next record of mine, called Misfit’s Jubilee (due Oct. 30). I’m typically not the political type but these times we’re riding out here, they’re anything but typical. My sincere prayer is that my fellow Americans will wake up and once more hunger for a kinder, saner compass, one that’ll lead us back to the pursuit of nobler intentions, ideals of freedom and fairness that were once our theoretical guideposts as a people. Such values have been all but abandoned of late.”
8 | Cable Street Collective | Speaking In Tongues (ft. Gregg Kofi Brown)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “London septet Cable Street Collective return with their single Speaking in Tongues, featuring Gregg Kofi Brown from the Afro-rock band Osibisa. “Lyrically, it’s about what happens when relationships and trust — both personal and political — break down,” say the band. “Gregg suggested the chorus line, using speaking in tongues as a metaphor for talking at cross purposes. It conjured up images of individuals with entrenched, religiously-held views shouting at each other. That felt like a pretty good way to describe not just a break-up, but also the way the U.K.’s been led in recent years.”
9 | Hot Chip | Straight To The Morning (ft. Jarvis Cocker)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hot Chip announce their single Straight To The Morning, featuring the inimitable Jarvis Cocker. Originally written with Dua Lipa in mind, the track found a new life amidst a collaboration that sprang from Hot Chip and Cocker DJing together at Paris’ legendary Les Bains-Douches. The quintet said: “Straight To The Morning is a disco anthem about going out, for a time when people really can’t, and it features our friend Jarvis Cocker urging us to go ‘straight through until the break of dawn.’ Somehow he seems an unlikely figure in this all, and we like it that way.”
10 | Tori Handsley | Rivers Of Mind (ft. Moses Boyd)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Following the recent announcement of her debut album As We Stand, Tori Handsley shared her new single Rivers Of Mind. It perfectly exemplifies how Tori continues to turn expectations of her lead instrument, the harp, on their heads. Guiding the track through jazz, electronica, and post-rock soundscapes, Tori’s writing undeniably pays homage to the iconic crossover nature of the London scene, encapsulating the diverse culture and influences that have surrounded her in the city, but also sees her create something that is entirely her own.”
11 | Hawksley Workman | Young and Wasted
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Singer-songwriter Hawksley Workman released his new album Less Rage More Tears today, and premieres the simple yet poignant video for his new single Young and Wasted. Most of Hawksley’s albums are peppered with stories of end times and this record is no different. “The world’s tensions have all our stomachs twitching when we sleep.You wake up and realize there’s always a war. I’m nostalgic for the precious innocence of the 1980s. Of course, there’s adult stuff on this record too, celebrating love’s tatters and such. The confusion that marks an excessively examined life.”
12 | Ricky Butcher | Song of 1000 Fucks
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ricky Butcher of Sons of Butcher is stepping out on his own to release the crassest album of the year — Fuck: The Album, out Nov. 27. The introductory single Song of 1000 Fucks comes with a cheeky video and, you guessed it, 1000 ‘fucks’ over the course of the two-minute song. “Fuck the production, fuck the mix, fuck the process, fuck the prudes, and especially fuck the album. Oh, and fuck 2020 while we’re at it!”
13 | Bad Operation | Bagel Rooks
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Bad Operation have shared the second single from their self-titled album. Another upbeat but modern take on a classic ska sound, this one will be stuck in your head all week. Dominic Minix’s vocals really shine on this track, emoting joy and pain simultaneously until the rest of the band joins in for the singalong chorus.”
14 | Fat Tony | Gambling Man
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Today, I released my new album Exotica. It is an ode to the art of storytelling through music, recorded in the cloud-ridden hills of Kingston, Jamaica, in December 2019. I’m also sharing a new video. Self-directed by me and GLDNEYE, Gambling Man finds me as part of a mariachi troupe narrating the tale of Johnny as he dives headfirst into his gambling addiction.”
15 | Tizane | Are You Bad?
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Teenage indie-pop singer-songwriter Tizane shares her single and video Are You Bad?, a confrontational battle of the sexes, promoting women’s empowerment. Tizane says: “The song is about strong women standing up and fighting for respect and equality. The video is pitched in the same way, moving away from the cine tradition of female victimhood. It’s all about standing up to the demons.”
16 | Mouth Culture | ihatesadsongs
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Leicester’s Mouth Culture just released their single ihatesadsongs. Vocalist Jack Voss says, “Ihatesadsongs is a sad song. We’ve really embraced our DIY roots with this one, it’s a bit of a psychotic, but melancholic jam, inspired by the year 2020. For us, ihatesadsongs is a zeitgeist for the moment, a feel-good pop song for a society emerging from the unknown. Even though 2020 has posed a whole set of new challenges, we have been working hard in the studio, exploring, and experimenting with our sound. We’re Mouth Culture and we fucking hate sad songs.”
17 | Monique DeBose | More
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Los Angeles artist and activist Monique DeBose is inspiring women to choose More with her single. “More has always been my personal anthem that I quietly kept in the back of my head for years,” Monique said. “And now I hope it can be an anthem for everyone who identifies as female . It’s so important to consciously decide as women what we are choosing MORE of for ourselves so we can band together and support each other to make it happen!”
18 | Mike Edel | Sunshine
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mike Edel’s single Sunshine, from his upcoming LP En Masse, is about an escape, a desire for experience. “I like to think of it as a ‘pandemic era roadtrip jam’ because everyone just needs a vacation from reality and could use an escape and a drive into the sunset … I also loved that during the process we tried to make a different ’90s reference every time I talked about it — Savage Garden, Third Eye Blind and a little Michael Jackson.”
19 | Snotty Nose Rez Kids + Drezus | Where They At
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Snotty Nose Rez Kids team up again with award-winning rapper Drezus for Where They At. The track is the first taste of new music since the band’s Born Deadly EP earlier this year. “Where They At is addressing the haters and naysayers throughout our careers,” comment SNRK. “A lot has changed in our lives and we’ve lost people along the way. Basically, it’s about our journey to where we are at right now. We’re letting you know we’re doing alright through all the madness.”
20 | Baby Fuzz | Acid Night
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Austin-via-L.A.’s Baby Fuzz has released his ethereal and psychedelic new single Acid Night. Baby Fuzz is the audiovisual glam rock and “normcore” brainchild of Sterling Fox. Acid Night is the fourth single from the forthcoming sophomore album Welcome To The Future. Acid Night is a song about the idea of living in dystopia. Fox wrote the song during an acid trip at a baseball game.”
21 | Homecamp | Two Doves
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Homecamp is the side project of U.K. musician Adam Binder, frontman of indie/emo band Dearist, and his friend, bassist Will Jones. The duo’s debut mini-album Did We Return As Something Else be released Nov. 13. Of Two Doves, Adam says, “Rarely do I have a message for a music video. I’m usually just trying to make it look cool and serve the song. But we went in with this with a clear message. No two love stories are the same, but all are equal. Race, gender, age, etc. None of it matters!”
22 | Trend Kill Ghosts | Promise
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Brazilian power metal band Trend Kill Ghosts have just released a video clip for the acoustic version of Promise, featuring singer Priscylla Moreno. Promise is an old song that was composed by guitarist Rogério Oliveira. “As I always liked this song a lot, I ended up introducing it to the band and we decided to rewrite it on the CD,” explains Rogério.”
https://youtu.be/jV3X6OndWUg
23 | Fougére | Movement
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Enigmatic London musician Fougére (Jamie Norton) releases his new single and video Movement. An immersive, introspective thought piece inspired by architecture and design, Norton uses a single piano to create a breathtaking composition that articulates a sense of calm and balance. Norton says: “One of my sons loves to dance and I noticed he starting moving sometimes to this piece when walking into the room. If I played it too slow he stopped, if I played it too fast he did the same. I’ve always been interested in the idea that form should follow function and how this might be applied in music. It can help me simplify the process, did it make him want to dance? Yes or no.”
24 | Judicator | Let There Be Light
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Judicator have released a new music video for Let There Be Light, taken from their recently released album, Let There Be Nothing. The visually striking video draws from the album’s themes of high concept historical adventure centered around the story’s protagonist, Belisarius, a humble and renowned Byzantine general.”
25 | Owen Meany’s Batting Stance | Car Odyssey
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Owen Meany’s Batting Stance is the pseudonym of singer-songwriter Daniel Walker. Following the release of his full-length Feather Weights, the Canadian returns with animated visuals for Car Odyssey. The indie crooner tells us: “Car Odyssey is about how humans often will put more time into vehicle maintenance than upkeep in a relationship. The video dwells on a used car in a junkyard as it re-tells old adventures and hopes for the chance at a new one.”
26 | Ian Fisher | AAA Station
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “As the American world closes in on itself, we lose sight of the larger world out there. Ian Fisher left the U.S. years ago for Austria, though he returns to perform. With his new single, AAA Station, he gives us a plea for the power of independent radio. “When I come back from Europe to visit the U.S., I’m struck by how much time I spend in cars and how much the society itself is shaped by them,” Fisher said. “In Europe I nearly live on trains, planes, and buses. Surrounded by strangers. In America, the car shapes you. Lonely and contemplative on some endless highway, just you and a radio. The song like a voice in your head.”
27 | The Western Swing Authority | This Old Bar
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Western Swing Authority, Canada’s most recognized and awarded authentic Western Swing group, have released their single and music video for This Old Bar. The video highlights both the love and comfort of your favourite bar while confronting the cold, harsh reality of those places during the worldwide pandemic. “The song was originally written about the Commercial Tavern in Maryhill, Ont., where we first played together as a band, but the song could really be about any bar that is near and dear to the listener,” says frontman Shane Guse.”
28 | Bae Baracus | Never Yours
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “When producer/mixer/sound designer Lin Gardiner began hosting songwriting workshops to see what could come from getting strangers together to share musical ideas, she had no idea that one of the sessions would be the jumping-off point to Bae Baracus. A sense of deceitful exuberance permeates the first single Never Yours. Anchored by an infectious bass line, the song takes a frank look at the unrest that has dominated the world for the bulk of 2020. Underpinned by the no-holds barred refrain of “Take control and say goodbye to a world that was never yours.”
29 | The Cold Manitoba Project | Land & Tide
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In 2018, Michael Boguski (Blue Rodeo), Chris Mason and Lucas Goetz (formerly of Deep Dark Woods), Jim Bowskill (Sheepdogs, Blue Rodeo), Chris Sleightholm and Dustin Bentall, teamed up to form The Cold Manitoba Project. Today, they return with Land & Tide. “Everyone in the band felt this was the strongest tune of the three tunes that we recorded,” reflects Boguski. “The interesting thing was we weren’t even sure Land & Tide was going to happen…We’d initially tracked the beds in a key that was just too low for any of the male voices present in the studio.”
30 | Keaton Henson | Ambulance
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Keaton Henson just released his new album Monument alongside a video for the single Ambulance. Keaton explains: “Ambulance is an entertainer’s cry for help, mistaken for a pop song, and applauded instead of aided. Being an artist is a great honour, but sometimes it can feel like you’re having a seizure and being mistaken for dancing.”
31 | I Am a Rocketship | Shooting Star
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “On Nov. 20, Atlanta indie-pop duo I Am a Rocketship present their Orange EP. Ahead of this release, they present the single Shooting Star. “These songs came about really quickly, and recording was fast, too. We went for the simplest recordings of anything we’ve done, trying to just get the essence of the songs with the fewest layers and tricks possible. It’s the most emotionally direct collection we’ve made,” says guitarist and programmer Eric Weissinger.”
32 | Fred Abong | The Minit
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Fred Abong will release his album Our Mother of Perpetual Help on Nov. 20. Ahead of that, he is previewing The Minit. He also created the accompanying video, based on his own film footage. “I am in no position to tell anyone what The Minit, or any other song for that matter, is about. ‘Aboutness’ is personal … it’s the job of the listener to figure that out for herself. I CAN say that when I listen to it I am reminded of my first few months in New Orleans.”
33 | Vissia | Walk Me Home
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vissia begins a new stage of her musical evolution today with the release of the single Walk Me Home, a slow-burning ballad that showcases the Edmonton singer/songwriter’s soaring voice and a message of empowerment. It’s the first taste of her album With Pleasure, due in spring. “Walk Me Home is a reflection on what vulnerability means to me,” she explains. “It’s not a weakness to need someone to lean on. It’s OK to be kind to the messiest parts of myself. It’s taken me a long time to forgive my past selves.”
34 | Nuit Oceān | Fire Divine
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Downtempo producer Nuit Oceān just released his latest EP Fire Divine, along with visuals for the title track. Nuit Oceān shares: “I always have this mantra in my head during the creating and recording process: ‘When there is nothing left. When you no longer have the strength to move forward. There he is, in each of us …’ The Fire Divine guides us to a better version of ourselves, towards a brighter future. Let it flow.”
35 | Felix Hatfield | Walking Distance
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Felix Hatfield’s been making madcap art and surrealist music in the Northwest for 25 years, and his new album False God shows that he’s got a Buster Keaton taste for the absurd, an affinity for the trickster in every folk song. “Songwriting is one of the most mysterious and magical forms of art. It’s like having a blank piece of paper and some crayons. You don’t have to be the best, you just have to be brave enough to explore and bold enough to court the unknown.” Get to know his video for Walking Distance.”
36 | Master KG | Jerusalema Remix (ft. Burna Boy and Nomcebo)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Master KG’s Jerusalema has become a global phenomenon. Most recently comes this remix which adds the Grammy-nominated Afro-fusion icon Burna Boy alongside the original’s featured vocalist Nomcebo. Now the remix is boosted by the launch of its official video, which boosts a joyous, high energy performance from Burna Boy to elevate its feel-good vibe.”
37 | Pretty Awkward | Bored
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Let’s be honest — the COVID-19 pandemic has dragged on for a long time, and everyone is restless and wants life to return to normal. Seattle’s Pretty Awkward capture the malaise perfectly in Bored. The band’s Nicholas Wiggins says: “This is surprisingly the first song we ever wrote completely as a band together all in one room. It was very interesting and exciting having this all come to life before our eyes. It’s truly a beautiful thing when friends come together and create something completely out of nothing.”
38 | Victoria Anthony | Real Life
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vancouver’s Victoria Anthony has released her debut album Real Life, along with a video for the title track. “The biggest takeaway from the writing process was just how much I learned. Every single person I worked with was open to my ideas and hearing what I envisioned for the song. It was a truly collaborative process, which is important to me. It’s my name on the record; it was important that I was a key part of the creative process of bringing it to life.”
39 | Bryant Myers | Relax
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Latin Trap pioneer Bryant Myers releases the single Relax, about where he is now and how he manages to remain calm and relaxed when others try to bring him down. Without a doubt, the trap icon sends a powerful message to all those who have doubted him. He’s living out his dreams, and demonstrates that there is no stopping him from achieving even more success.”
40 | Steady Rollin | You’re Mystical (Elyse Rich Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Steady Rollin’s remarkable journey from El Salvador to the music pages and radio waves of America, Europe and beyond continues with You’re Mystical‘s remix by DJ and producer Elyse Rich, as well as a stunning video. “It’s a love song about a long-married couple where the husband feels a bit insecure about his wife’s love for him. He takes her to a solitary cottage in the woods. He looks at her and feels so much love that just the depth of that love makes him so scared of losing her.”
41 | Eric Scott | Peace Bomb
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “D.C. neo-soul/R&B master Eric Scott just released Peace Bomb, the title track and video from his forthcoming fifth album. The song is a message of peace and love that this world desperately needs, and the video stars a child playing music and using his imagination as an escape from the messed-up world of adults. “I’m proud to be a D.C.-born and raised musician. There’s always been a big presence of soul, funk, and RnB music here…which I believe naturally led to the offshoot of our own homegrown sound, Go Go music. The percussive elements of Go Go are a part of your DNA if you’re from D.C., and they’ve really come out in my latest releases, especially on Peace Bomb.”
42 | Flawes | Holding Out For The Win
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Flawes started the year on a high with the release of their debut album Highlights. But their big plans for the rest of the year were dashed. Instead they threw themselves into a flurry of activity. Writing and recording gave them a refreshed sonic identity, which they reveal on Holding Out For The Win. “Holding Out For The Win is about that split second in a relationship when you realise: this is something special,” says frontman JC Carruthers. “It’s based at the start of a relationship and it documents the moment of falling in love with someone and realising there’s something to be lost here.”
43 | Faangs | Huh
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Brimming with swagger and biting lyrics, Calgary singer-songwriter Faangs releases Huh, her first single from her upcoming debut Teeth Out. The track introduces listeners to her savage take on pop music. She says, “The Faangs vibe is so big, so much to swallow at one time, that I needed something that kicked in the door. That song is just me genuinely out here, trying to be myself. It’s a light on how the world is about to be in for a lot of personality.”
44 | Passenger | A Song For The Drunk and Broken Hearted
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mike Rosenberg, better known as Passenger, releases his album Songs for the Drunk and Broken Hearted on Jan. 8. Today he shares A Song for the Drunk and Broken Hearted, along with a video. “This video was so much fun to make,” Rosenberg says. “I’m a huge fan of The Joker, and as the lyrics in the chorus of the song mention ‘jokers and ‘jesters,’ it felt like the perfect opportunity to dress up like a clown and freak everyone out. The idea of setting it in a really grim and depressing bar room environment really helps bring out the story within the song.”
45 | Jakob Mind | Watch The City Burn
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Jakob Arvidsson, the singer and vocalist of punk outfit Rotten Mind, has a new solo project, Jakob Mind. On April 16, his debut album The One Who Got Away will be out. The first single is Watch the City Burn. Jakob explains: ”This one is about a dear old friend of mine who passed away, way too young, earlier this year. It’s about memories I have from him and the time we spend together. I will never forget you. Rest In Peace, Lars.”
46 | Our Oceans | Weeping Lead
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Our Oceans release the third single from their upcoming album While Time Disappears, in the shape of a gloomy, 90s inspired music video. “Conceptually, it’s quite a paradoxical song. On the one hand, it’s about the deadening numbness of depression, where suicide seems like the only way out. On the other hand, it’s about the realization that true purpose and meaning can only be found in overcoming sorrow and allowing yourself to transform that dark energy into things of beauty.”
47 | Love Machine | Hauptbahnhof
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “It’s a grubby and an insane Düsseldorf that Love Machine share on their album Düsseldorf-Tokyo. Singer Marcel Rösche takes a personal stock and bows deeply to the wondrous city on the Rhine. The band comments: “Night after night it flickers gloomily in the streets around Düsseldorf’s main train station. This is where the flotsam and jetsam strands and where every dream comes to an abrupt end.”
48 | Bryce Vine & Cheat Codes | Stay
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The genre-smashing Bryce Vine and Cheat Codes have teamed up for their new single Stay, and today they share the video, featuring a few familiar faces. Vine explains: “Stay is a song about instant nostalgia — that feeling of knowing you’re in the middle of experiencing a special time. This music video is a reflection on what it’s like being caught in that moment.”
49 | Palace Winter | Top Of The Hill
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “At the center of Tenerife stands Mt. Teide, inviting you to climb its slopes, yet reminding you of the destruction it can unleash. The volcano has become the symbol at the center of Palace Winter’s third album …Keep Dreaming, Buddy. Musing on themes like the near loss of a loved one, relationship insecurity, and a “bad trip at a weird house party,” it Buddy positions itself as the pessimist in the room, incessantly tapping on your shoulder with reminders of how life in paradise can be suddenly and violently interrupted.”
50 | The Foes Of Fern | Carpe Diem
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Foes of Fern are a troupe of eclectic musicians from New Jersey setting the record straight, left, right, and upside down. Marrying drums, bass, guitar, tuba, ukulele, sax, trumpet, trombone and other wandering minstrels, the Foes carve out a segment in the music industry like a voluminous, awesome boulder. Their music is hypnotic and gang-busting in every sense, initiating you as part of the tribe upon first down-beat.”
51 | Georgia van Etten | The Other Side (ft. Joey Landreth)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “London singer-songwriter Georgia van Etten offers her new single The Other Side, a raw and gritty Americana tune with a big finish. It features Joey Landreth on guitar and vocals. Van Etten says: “My partner was going through a rough period and I felt distant from him emotionally and also physically because of the isolation measures in place. I had this want to reach out and grab him, but he felt so far away. I think when you are so closely connected to someone, you feel their pain and you have a longing to take this away from them. The Other Side encompasses exactly that; the feeling of sinking down with someone who’s feeling low in an attempt to help them but also in desperation, that surrender to the darkness.”
52 | Summer Heart | Good Together
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With his EP Ambitions set to arrive Nov. 6, Swedish troubadour David Alexander aka Summer Heart unveils the video for Good Together. He says: “Riding a motorcycle is one of the most freeing feelings I can think of. It’s freedom to me. I’ve really needed that a lot lately. I dig motorcycles tattoos and suits. When I think of those things they sound so manly to me but they feel so right. I really wanted to give it a go and see if I could pull em off.”
53 | New Language | Stuck With Yourself
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Stuck With Yourself is the title track off of New Language’s sophomore LP. It is arguably the most head-turning track the band has put out to date, due to the alternative shift in tones, drum beat and songwriting style. The concept was born after witnessing a friend continuously keeping him/herself in a toxic situation despite obvious solutions being provided.”
54 | I Am Your God | Nothing to Leave Behind
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “I Am Your God just released their debut album The Resurrection, along with a lyric video for Nothing to Leave Behind. Says Julius Vetämäjärvi: “A few different realities and some creepy voodoo-shit combined to fast & fierce flow — what else would you need for a music video? At the same second, we decided to release this song as a single we got the idea of huge parties because the song is a pure fucking party anthem.”
55 | Jimkata | Weight of Paradise
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Jimkata are a three-piece electro-rock band based in Ithaca and Los Angeles. With a triumph of swirling analog synths, infectious pop hooks and candid lyrics, Jimkata have built a distinct sound. Their latest single Weight of Paradise and accompanying visuals are about feeling the weight in building your paradise and how above all we are lucky to be alive.”
56 | Rod Abernethy | Another Year
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Southern folk troubadour, master acoustic guitarist, and award-winning composer Rod Abernethy is adding to his vast catalog with a new album, Normal Isn’t Normal Anymore — available Feb. 5. He just premiered the single Another Year. “With the passing of both my parents in recent years, I’ve gotten to know the importance of having friends and family around you,” says Abernethy. “To put it simply, on the streets we may look different but alone we all look the same.”
57 | Reuben and the Dark | Change
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Reuben and The Dark share Change, a song that was intended for the band’s most recent LP, un | love, but almost seems more fitting for the present climate. “This song has been floating around for a while,” says Reuben Bullock. “It’s a song about love. About process. And quite simply, change. We are in a strange place in time. All of us are going through transformations… transitions. Many of us feel like trees just trying to hold onto their leaves. But, it is a time for transformation.”
58 | Daysormay | Holding My Tongue
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Following the summer release of new songs, Vancouver alternative three-piece Daysormay share their track Holding My Tongue. Singer Aidan Andrews says: “This song has had a bit of a journey. In 2014, at the age of 15, I saw the video of Eric Garner‘s murder at the hands of the NYPD and I couldn’t get that out of my head. It stayed with me. It was a hard song to write. We kept struggling with it, then taking it out on tour, then went back to the drawing board, then putting it aside again. It went on like that until we finally figured out what we wanted to say with it.”
59 | Jack Rose & SK | Better On My Own
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Singer-songwriter Jack Rose is aiming to once again enjoy worldwide chart success with his single Better On My Own, which looks to cement him as one of the brightest young talents on the U.K. scene. Better On My Own, a collaboration with Northeast production duo SK, is based on a real-life relationship experience and features the unmistakable hook line of Annie Lennox’s No More I Love You’s.”
60 | Audri Nix | Aléjate
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Audri Nix is living in the moment with the release of Aléjate. The music video shows how the protagonist is perceived as the bad person. However, everything changes and she ends up chaining her captor instead. “I tell this person to get away from me because if he thinks I’m the bad one, then why would he want to be near me. In the music video, it shows how we sometimes let ourselves become chained up by the opinions of others and that is why at the end, I break the chain.”
61 | Pyramaze | Particle
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Danish progressive metal group Pyramaze release their album Epitaph on Nov. 13. It continues to fuse their signature meld of memorable melodies, powerful riffs and soaring catchy vocals. This upcoming release will prove to be their most melodic and accessible creation to date, featuring guest appearances by Brittney Slayes of Unleash the Archers and former singers Matt Barlow and Lance King. Today they share the video for Particle.”
62 | ShrapKnel | Gun Metal Paint (ft. Zilla Rocca)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “ShrapKnel’s self-titled debut dropped in March, right as Covid-19 laid siege to New York City. It was a scary time and we all had bigger things to worry about but it felt like the worst of beginnings for a new group with plans to tour heavily. It’s with great pride in those artists’ vision and our fans support that we can report the album sold out last week. But never ones to rest on their laurels, guys hit us with a new video for Gun Metal Paint featuring Zilla Rocca. Watch out for flying projectiles…”
63 | Eric Prydz | Nopus
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Eric Prydz released the fan favourite track Nopus. It’s been one of his most-requested IDs and releases since he first debuted it at a show in 2016. It is the first original release from the Swedish producer under his full name since his album Opus in 2016. He and his team created a video shot at some of his ground-breaking live shows over the last few years, with the hope that people could relive and recollect their Nopus memories, with live events currently shuttered.”
https://youtu.be/6SSxsn0qL-c
64 | Eric Hilton | La Nuit
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Eric Hilton of Thievery Corporation presents La Nuit, the second track from his solo album The Impossible Silence, out Nov. 20. The elegant song features Elin Melgarejo, a multilingual singer who added her talents to three tracks Thievery Corp.’s 2014 album Saudade, and has performed live with the group. Says Hilton: “I attempted to write the song in French using Google Translate, and she helped greatly, correcting the phrasing and ultimately co-writing the lyrics.”
65 | Wade MacNeil & Andrew Macpherson | Slasherman
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Jay Baruchel’s horror movie Random Acts of Violence (out Oct. 30) was scored by Wade MacNeil (Alexisonfire, Gallows) and Andrew “Ango” Macpherson (Goon, Dark Side of the Ring). Says MacNeil: “When you’re scoring a film you are creating a soundtrack for a world that doesn’t exist. Finding the sounds and melodies for that bleak stretch of rust belt highway in Random Acts was exhilarating. Making music to frighten people is such a unique way to spend your time in a studio. I love it.”
66 | The Spyrals | Don’t Turn Me Down
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Los Angeles group The Spyrals release their new album Same Old Line on Oct. 30. Taking cues from The Velvet Underground, 13th Floor Elevators and The Stooges by way of Neil Young, Bob Dylan and Muddy Waters, the record sees the band carve out eight songs of raw, back-to-basics rock’n’roll that marries white-knuckle garage-blues, psychedelic repetition and sun-baked alt-country to create “something new with an old soul.”
67 | Cozmic | Surface
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Venice, CA indie-pop artist Cozmic just launched Surface. It features Natasha Slayton of pop group G.R.L. Surface delivers emotional dueting vocals and earworm hooks atop a vibey, ambient and textured indie-pop production. It’s a song about that scary feeling of wearing your heart on your sleeve because it’s been broken before. And the support of a partner who wants to work through that fear with you no matter what.”
68 | Quarter-Life Crisis | Waterfall (ft. Hovvdy’s Charlie Martin)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Collaboration is paramount to Ryan Hemsworth’s process. So even though he produced all of the live instrumentation on his Dec. 4 EP under the handle Quarter-Life Crisis, he left the lyrics and intention of the song up to the contributors. Waterfall features Hovvdy’s Charlie Martin, who said “Lyrically it explores a parallel I’ve been feeling lately: the difficulty of understanding and feeling understood and how sometimes that struggle almost mirrors the state of the planet. It’s like a downward spiraling feedback loop where any optimism feels like a triumph.”
69 | John Hynes | The Glory
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Folk troubadour John Hynes has returned with another heartwrenching anthem. The Glory is inspired by the death of his father, “a man for whom a life well lived meant a humble life of independence.” Hailing from Co. Kildare with a sound that hovers close to the baroque pop and tender folk-rock of Roy Orbison and Glen Campbell, John’s songs are a storyboard for hopeless romantics and hopeless romances.”
70 | My Octopus Mind | Wandering Eye
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Prior to the upcoming release of their second studio album Faulty At Source, Bristol experimental three-piece My Octopus Mind release Wandering Eye. It’s an exploration of emotions within polyamory. Featuring gorgeous vocals from Rebecca Shelley, the track follows both protagonists as they seem to be trying to convince themselves that they feel OK about it. With heart-wrenchingly relatable lyrics such as “If I don’t say nothing I’ll lose myself again” they seem to be anything but.”
71 | Peter Katz | Take Mine
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Peter Katz’s new album City of Our Lives is out today, along with his new single Take Mine. From Peter: “I think when you’re really young and new to love, it doesn’t come with too much baggage. You’re just open, willing to throw open the doors of your heart and let anyone in without going through security first. But after a few too many heartbreaks, you start to put your guard up. This song is about trying to recapture that bold open-heartedness, to let go and be free from the past hurt, and be willing to risk it all again.”
72 | Komatsu | Stare Into The Dawn
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dutch stoner rockers Komatsu have shared their first single from their upcoming fourth album Rose Of Jericho. The sound of the album is a real mixture between stoner and metal, but with melodic and choral vocal lines — tempo and rhythm changes make the listener glue to the speakers until the last note of the album. Stream sludgy new track Stare Into The Dawn now.”
73 | Hoger | Same Mistakes
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hoger’s Same Mistakes is about falling in love with a toxic person or being stuck in a toxic relationship where you somehow were lucky enough to finally find a way out; however for some reason, you keep going back and making the same mistakes. Hoger confides, “You tell yourself that you will never ever go down that route once more, because you don’t ever want to feel like that again. However, life doesn’t work in a stable and logical way that would make sense and you somehow fall for the same person again OR for someone similar.”
74 | Andria Piperni | Fresh Paint
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Singer/songwriter Andria Piperni creates a jazz-tinged alternative fusion of R&B and soul, inspired in part by the everyday experience as well as her vividly surreal dream episodes. After a brief time in Paris, she returned to her hometown of Montreal with a shifted perspective on what “living” truly means. Fresh Paint is the latest single to be shared from Andria’s forthcoming Who’s Counting? EP, slated for release next year.”
75 | Leyden Jars | London Gone
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Coming Oct. 30, Gone is the new album by London’s Natalie Williams & Mark Courtney, aka Leyden Jars. “Gone is definitely about an absence but is certainly not nostalgic for any past — none of those old systems work or are sustainable. It’s about familiar things we took for granted suddenly making no sense or someone’s character obliterated by a change in circumstances as well as people perpetuating these systems that don’t work for them, or anyone really, who could choose not to do that anymore.”
76 | Allegra | Do What I Want
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “U.K. pop artist Allegra has released her new single Do What I Want. A musician since childhood, Allegra was classically trained in choir and violin but secretly dreamed of growing up to be a pop star. Signed at 14, she spent a good chunk of her teen years honing her sound and training her voice. Now, at 18, she’s ready to tackle the mainstream.”
77 | Midwestern Dirt | Black Lotus
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Midwestern Dirt is a Chicago-based indie-rock project. Formed in 2017 by singer-songwriter Patrick Kapp, Midwestern Dirt has put out three self-released LPs with the most recent being 2020’s Sayonara. With help from family and friends in the studio, the music is as equally informed by Radiohead and Deerhunter as it is by Wilco and Pavement. Containing a penchant for reverberated guitars, propelling drums, and lyrics concerned with both personal experiences and the world at large Midwestern Dirt aims to make every track a sonic journey.”
78 | Ward White | Helter Skelter
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Prolific art-rock crooner Ward White celebrates Halloween with his haunting re-imagining of the 1968 White Album classic. Says White, “I felt it turned out more horror movie than anything else, so Halloween seems right on the money for a release.”
79 | Easy | Golden Birds (Early Morning Version)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sweden’s ’90s indie-rock darlings Easy present their new single Golden Birds (Early Morning Version). Golden Birds is an ode to the force of nature.”
80 | DarkFlow | It’s All For You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “DarkFlow is a “dark shock rock” band from Switzerland. One day a few years ago Sean Horror and Flow got together to see if they could create an interesting, varied and welcome musical style in rock / metal music. Finally, after a long period of dark moments, madness and writing, DarkFlow have managed to record their album 6, due Nov. 22.”
81 | Orcha | Euphoria
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Melbourne producer Orcha has presented himself as an innovative and established musician whose unique artistry blurs the line between classical and electronica. The rising artist presents his latest single Euphoria, from his forthcoming album Reflections. “Euphoria is a track I wrote about searching for experiences which give that joyful, euphoric feeling of being alive. It’s a song about being hopeful and optimistic, always seeking those transient moments of elation in between periods of ordinary everyday life, a never-ending staircase towards exultation.”
82+83 | Sierra Ferrell | Jeremiah + Why’d Ya Do It
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Nashville’s Sierra Ferrell, releases a two-song single or Jeremiah and Why’d Ya Do It, which will appear on her album next year. Sprung from her self-described “country heart but a jazz mind,” Why’d Ya Do It is a beguiling and bittersweet lament partly inspired by Ferrell’s fascination with calypso and tango. And with its galloping rhythm and classic bluegrass storytelling — as well as a guest appearance from Sarah Jarosz on background vocals — Jeremiah sweetly delivers what Ferrell dubs “a broken song, with a gleam of hope at the end.”
84 | Wolf Mason | Soft Lips
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Wolf Mason emits an effortlessly new kind of cool that lies “somewhere between James Dean and F. Scott Fitzgerald.” His new single Soft Lips feels shockingly fresh yet overwhelmingly nostalgic while his major stylistic influences are on full display. Wolf explains: “When it came to this song, I wanted to create something that walked the delicate path between sweet and sultry.”
85 | Reeny Smith | Love Trumps Money
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The message of Love Trumps Money is simple and direct,” said Reeny Smith. “Money can’t buy happiness, it can’t bring peace, and it can’t buy love. The world is so consumed with materialistic things, and we’ve lost sight of the things that really matter.”
86 | Hoffey & Vincent | Good Things Are Coming
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Electropop duo Hoffey have teamed up with genre-defying producer Vincent on Good Things Are Coming. Hoffey features Canadian songwriters Jordan Toohey and Erika Toohey. Vincent is Robert Hughes out of Winnipeg. Hoffey says: “The song is about believing and having hope that good things are actually coming and better days are ahead no matter the circumstances or how you may feel.”
87 | Ilon | Catch-22
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ilon shares her second single Catch-22. It opens with a spacious, understated verse before the beat hits home and lets the song’s magnetic hook take flight. Ilon explains, “Despite acknowledging every little fault in the relationship, you can’t seem to take the leap to move on from it. The fear of not knowing what’s on the other side of it has got you wrapped around its finger. You’d rather be miserable than end up alone.”
