Peel have a fuzzy memory, Eels get robbed blind, Rummelsnuff take up a collection, Cousin Harley rev it up and go, Tigers on Opium uncork some hooch and more in your Midweek Roundup. PRO TIP: When naming your band, try to avoid handles that make for embarrassing acronyms. I’m looking at you, Pictures Of Silence.
ON REPEAT
1 | Peel | Memory Loop
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Peel is a band from Sydney making inter-dimensional guitar music. Weaving a sonic architecture built from elements of shoegaze, post-punk and psychedelia, the five-piece have come out of the gates with all engines firing. Memory Loop is their first offering — a raw and potent four minutes of hypnotic, fuzzed-out pop. From its blistering opening bass line to its chaotic climax, Memory Loop reels you along with a relentless pace. Double-tracked drums and horror-movie organs create a mesmerising atmosphere, underpinned by intense, blurred guitar lines and a bass groove that’s almost trance-inducing. Delicate, husky vocals are shrouded in fuzz and reverb, which open up into the stratosphere in the track’s euphoric chorus. Lyrically, the track examines the inescapable nature of memory — moments from the past that, despite your best efforts to discard, remain firmly embossed in your mind.”
2 | Eels | Are We Alright Again
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Critically acclaimed rock group Eels’ latest album Earth to Dora is out now. In celebration, the band are premiering a new video for the feel-good hit of the feel-worst year, Are We Alright Again. The Greg Barnes-directed one-take video shows a typical Eels fan finding solace in Eels music. Shot on 35mm film, it stars Jon Hamm, Mike Mitchell, Eric Edelstein, Caroline Bloom and Jude B. Lanston. Eels leader Mark Oliver Everett, aka E, says, “We could all use a little comfort from the past year. Perhaps this song can provide a little for you like it does for the guy in this video.”
3 | Rummelsnuff | Müllabfuhr
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Rummelsnuff’s hymn to the dustmen Müllabfuhr (garbage collection) releases in sound and vision today. At the very beginning of the carnival season, in an autumn that is so filled with cultural deprivation as never before, everyone should celebrate inwardly and from afar when the troops in orange are clearing and cleansing up our presently more bleak and dreary cityscapes. Of course, while playing Rummelsnuff’s Müllabfuhr.”
4 | Cousin Harley | Let’s Go!
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ready to get your motor running? Well, buckle your seatbelt and prepare for a wild ride with Canada’s premier hillbilly rockers Cousin Harley. Let’s Go!, their seventh release (out Nov. 26), harkens back to their roots as a hard-hitting, virtuosic power trio that’s not afraid to genre smash everything from Django Reinhardt to Motörhead with no apologies. Cousin Harley can explode like an active volcano, swing like the Basie Band, and holler like a lonesome hillbilly in the backwoods of Appalachia, all at the same time! As a result, they have achieved a cult-like following, toured extensively, and, have been featured in music publications worldwide.”
5 | Tigers On Opium | Hooch
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Portland’s Tigers On Opium have collaboratd with members of Skulldozer to cover The Melvins’ Hooch — and made this video — to raise funds for Don’t Shoot PDX. Juan Carlos Caceres from Tigers on Opium says: “There’s no doubt 2020 has been a wild year! We are all faced with some of the most polarizing societal moments in our country’s history. In the spirit of raising awareness for positive change, I collaborated with local Portland artists to produce this rendition of The Melvins song Hooch.”
6 | Teen Creeps | Crash / Land
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Belgian indie-rockers Teen Creeps show off their softer side on Crash / Land, the closing track of their new album Forever. The new single is no ’90s punk song, but a long, quiet cut that erupts into a guitar solo after four minutes. It’s the closest the band has come to a ballad. It’s also one of their most apparently emotional songs, especially due to singer Bert Vliegen’s delivery. Crash / Land is about being at a crossroads in your life”, he explains. “You’re getting older and slowly settling down, but you also want to stay young and free. At the same time there’s a big feeling of nostalgia for the years when you were still pretty much careless.”
7 | Ett Dödens Maskineri | Det Svenska Hatet
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hailing from Sweden, Ett Dödens Maskineri are set to release their debut album this month. Det Svenska Hatet — The Swedish Hatred — is the quartet’s sonic offering for the creation of a more empathetic and inclusive society. Seeking to destroy Sweden’s ultra-right and stem the flow of racist rhetoric, fascist governments and the transfusion of philosophies that’ve poisoned the common good, they know they’ve got their work cut out. Yet in that looming shadow of an Orwellian future, as singles like Det Svenska Hatet demonstrate, if anger truly is an energy then Ett Dödens Maskineri’s music is an aural dystopia imbued with over 30 years of rage, sorrow and rectification.”
ALSO ON THE PLAYLIST
8 | Programmable Animal | One Step to Hell
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Chicago industrial metal outfit Programmable Animal announce the release of new album One Step to Hell. Leader Drepsea explains: “This album has been blood, sweat, and tears … literally. I’ve endured some troubling experiences this past year and a half and the record is a result of that. Life is filled with chaos, and it will always keep arising as you venture forward. There is always light at the end of tunnel. Even when things seem One Step to Hell, we always have the choice to push forward and make it better.”
9 | The Holy | Museum of Modern Hearts
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Finnish quintet The Holy return with their sophomore album Mono Freedom. Walking the line between NEU!-esque mechanical Kraut and layered alt-rock, the group’s latest venture is a tightly wrapped evolution of arrangements, creating a mellifluous sound and theme throughout the full-length. Frontman Eetu Henrik Iivari says: “Mono Freedom is a utopian-themed album; a fictional story about Mother Nature taking over the earth and how the last humans pack their stuff, build a rocket and head over to the nearest black hole. They know that there is probably nothing out there, but it’s one of humanity’s last ideas. All this is seen as a positive, not as a dark dystopian vision, as is usually the case.”
10 | Eyes | Off
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Denmark’s twisted hardcore mongers Eyes released their debut album Underperformer in September, scorching everything in earshot with their unique fusion of punk and metallic hardcore, leaving no confronted soul unstirred. Together with Vincent B. G. Kosmol, they also filmed several of their songs live in their rehearsal space in Copenhagen. The new video for Off is now playing. Vocalist Victor Kaas offers, “We were hesitant to do a live session — everyone and their mother does one these days (for obvious reasons). In the end we decided to do one, since it’s the only way we can showcase our live sound outside of Denmark at the moment.”
11 | Melanie Peterson | Back To You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto folk-pop singer-songwriter and actress Melanie Peterson releases her new six-song EP We Got This (produced by Mitch Girio) on Nov. 27. Today, she debuts her video for the first track Back To You. Peterson states, “This is an album of love songs. Though maybe not your typical kind of love songs. These songs are about the struggle to love and be loved, and how difficult that can sometimes be — yet also, how worth it.”
12 | Sick Of It All | Never Back Down
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Since everybody is dying to see live shows, the band has filmed a series of live clips, straight in their homes. This week brings Never Back Down, from The Last Act Of Defiance. The band comments: “A perfect anthem for these times! Never Back Down! Here’s rally cry to get you through all the shit and the seemingly endless plague. It’s high-energy, anthemic hardcore music, rooted in punk and Oi — a perfect fit to the take-no-shit everyman and everywoman lyrics. A reminder that no matter what they throw at you, keep on pushing, keep on fighting!”
13 | Jay Bizzy | Gotta Do
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Jay is a singer, composer & multi-instrumentalist at just 20. Starting at 12, he learnt to play seven instruments including the piano, bass and guitar. Building upon his musical experiences through the church, Jay was a musical director at the age of 15, using these earlier years to strengthen his musical talents, lacing releases with a combination of strings, keys and smooth melodies driven by influence from artists including Chris Brown, Ed Sheeran, Jason Derulo.”
https://youtu.be/joQO8oIsA9Q
14 | John Duff | Give a Fuck
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Singer John Duff is here with his latest piece of modern pop history, Give a Fuck. The multi-talented songwriter sings his theatrical patter with wit and heart, resulting in a poignant, amusing and feel-good release. Duff’s yarn is spun over production provided by the super-successful Alex Delicata and this experience, combined with Duff’s flair, act as the perfect partnership. “The song is about unrequited love, and a desire for monogamy,” explains John, “I need some real connection in order for me to feel comfortable in a physical scenario.”
15 | Sardonic Witchery | Infernal Kingdom
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Promoting their third full-length, Texas black metal one-man-band Sardonic Witchery have a new video for the track Infernal Kingdom, from the album Moonlight Sacrifice Ritual. The album was composed between April of 2019 and February of 2020 by King Demogorgon and recorded in five different studios between May and August of 2020.”
16 | Blame Baby | Inside Out
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “L.A. indie-rock trio Blame Baby are on the eve of releasing their debut EP Honest Answers to Your Most Private Questions — and sharing their single Inside Out to celebrate. Over the course of the last year, the band, consisting of singer/guitarist Jesse Johnson, bassist Omar D Brancato and drummer Matt Tucci, have put out a stream of singles reflecting the exhilarating highs and frustrating lows of relationships. Says Johnson: “Inside Out is about the one that got away. Or rather, the one you let get away to sow your wild oats. Running into her at a bar years later makes you question if you made the right decision, while the butterflies in your stomach remind you that that kind of love still exists. It’s a song about hope tangled up in regret.”
17 | Sam Lynch | Keeping Time
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sam Lynch shares the video for her single Keeping Time, from her debut LP Little Disappearance. “I started writing this song in a busy place that I wanted to escape from. I realized that I had started to organize my memories by holding on to the biggest, most impactful moments, which often ended up being the heaviest, generally painful instances, and categorizing everything around that,” Lynch said. “For the video, I wanted to try to capture feelings of both confinement and freedom — stillness and stagnation, set against motion and release.”
18 | Donovan Melero | That City
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Donovan Melero has long been a torchbearer in the world of progressive rock. Today, the dynamic songwriter revealed another layer to his creativity with the release of his latest solo single That City — a heartfelt, spatially composed ballad, accented by beautifully arranged vocal harmonies and charged piano progressions. That City explores the complexities of a relationship with a significant other who lives across the world — and its inevitable end. Says Melero: “I’ve never been more aware about how my life may fit with another person’s for only a window of time, because of my own aggressive pursuits of what I want to accomplish.”
19 | Tzarina | Deadsong
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Tzarina is a heavy but melodic post‐hardcore group from Brooklyn led by Craig William. “Deadsong was the first song I started writing for Tzarina and is special because it got me out of a writing rut that lasted almost four years,” William says. “In the process of finishing the demos and cutting the final track, I was constantly reminded that music can be whatever I wanted it to be. With that in mind, I wrote something that I had no expectations for and it took me somewhere darker than I had ever been. Little did I know, it would be the driving factor for the sound of any proceeding music I wrote that year, let alone, inspire a band to play it with me.”
20 | Thundercat | Fair Chance (Floating Points Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Back in April, as the world was spiralling into COVID-19 lockdown, Thundercat released his aptly titled album It Is What It Is, featuring musical contributions from Flying Lotus, Childish Gambino, Kamasi Washington, Steve Lacy, Steve Arrington, BadBadNotGood, Louis Cole, Zack Fox, Ty Dolla $ign and Lil B. Earlier this summer, Smino and Guapdad 4000 brought their own flavour to the anthemic Dragonball Durag, and now it’s the turn of much loved British producer Floating Points to share his take on Fair Chance, nudging the ballad onto the dance floor with a fabulous rework.”
21 | Dave Alvin | Inside
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Grammy-winning guitarist, singer, and songwriter Dave Alvin shares Inside, the third track off his album From An Old Guitar: Rare and Unreleased Recordings, out Nov. 20. “The late, brilliant songwriter Bill Morrissey was a very close and treasured friend of mine, offers Alvin. “I was also honored to play lead guitar on his last album before his untimely death in 2011. We actually got to be close pals years before because he approached me one day claiming that a song of mine, Bus Station, was a rip off of his beautiful composition Inside. I just laughed and said, ‘I wrote Bus Station in 1982. What year did you write Inside?’ Bill started giggling in his charming way and then said, ‘Hmm. I wrote Inside much later than that so I guess I ripped you off.’ We were tight comrades ever since.”
22 | Patrick Ames | Second Wave
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Napa Valley singer-songwriter Patrick Ames has released the single Second Wave, taking a stripped-down, raw and bluesy approach. Lyrically, the track is an indictment of our current ‘post-truth’ reality, where rumors and mistruths can spread and thrive often more than facts. Patrick says “This new single is a tale about rumors and viruses. When combined they are lethal: Heavy stuff. Sorry to make you think. But only a small straightahead rock combo could beg to do this serious subject justice. It’s been my musical mantra for years: head-hurting serious thoughts with a phat beat.”
23 | Elif Yalvaç | Freak Box
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Elif Yalvaç — the Istanbul electronic-ambient composer — has shared Freak Box, the second single from her upcoming full-length Mountains Become Stepping Stones, out Dec. 4. Elif explains: “A Freak Box is a tool that generates basic sound waves. Just like a Game Boy, the sounds it generates are limited, but you can create a world of noise with them. This piece represents the 2020 side of things. I was locked inside a room, and sometimes it did not feel safe. There were threads that, sometimes, felt bigger than the thread of the virus. Instead of being trapped in that room, I dove into the world of Freak Box and Game Boy, and they helped me survive. Freak Box is a duet between the two tools.”
24 | Unbounded Terror | Infernal Judgment
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Spanish death metallers Unbounded Terror have released a new single as an advance of their upcoming release, which will also contain four re-recordings of songs from their legendary 1992 debut I as well as three live tracks from their previous effort Faith in Chaos. These eight tracks will form Infernal Judgment, set to be released on Jan. 19.”
25 | Scalp | Crouch
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Scalp is Southern California’s most violent and unpredictable new outfit, bred on a wide range of influences from across and beyond the realms of extreme music. Facets of classic and technical death metal, West Coast crust, and modern hardcore unite in an explosive attack in the vein of Nails, Dead In The Dirt, Dystopia, Homewrecker and Terminal Nation. Crouch is the latest single from their debut LP Domestic Extremity, which comes out Friday.”
26 | Daydream | Dissolve Into Their Likeness
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Daydream’s sound is difficult to describe. It’s noisy and chaotic but held together by riffs and melodies that will get stuck in your head for days. Mystic Operative is the band’s second LP. The band writes about the record, “We are designed and raised to be soldiers, informants, producers, and workers for the state. The more categorized we are by identity, the easier it is to be commodified; all culture, ideas, and thoughts throw into countless algorithms. But there are moments, those sacred moments, that are unique to us. WE have to fight the operative to keep those experiences ours, without giving it to them for their uses. Watch out for the mystics, inside and out.”
27 | DarkFlow | Dark Lives Matter
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A few days after premiering the single It’s All For You, Swiss heavy/shock-rock band DarkFlow just shared Dark Lives Matter, a new song from their forthcoming record. It will feature on the band’s debut full-length record called 6, which comes out Nov. 22.”
28 | Pictures On Silence | Cut Off From the World
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Post-rock/ambient one-man-band Fred Bressan (ex-PigBearMan) of Pictures On Silence is about to release his debut, self-titled EP in January. In the meantime, he just premiered a first audio excerpt with the track Cut Off From the World. Pictures On Silence shares his personal visions of a nonsense universe, translatedthrough a multi-layered atmosphere of ethereal sounds.”
29 | Xhoana X | Deepest Pleasure
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Albanian-born Xhoana X takes her dark, Eastern European heritage very seriously. Deepest Pleasure, her new goth-inspired single, highlights haunting soundscapes, warm vocals, and pulsating basslines. Xhoana X shares, “Deepest Pleasure started as a mood song for when you’re feeling like you’re ‘That Bitch’ and exuding a confidence that says ‘I’m feelin’ myself, don’t fuck with me, cuz I’m not asking for your opinion.’ It’s like a Harley Quinn character-type song. As bad as you want to be, and owning it! Playful, petty, in your face and a lil bit psycho.”
30 | Snowk | Under The Moon (ft. J.Lamotta Suzume)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Rising DJ and production duo Snowk present their latest single Under The Moon (ft. J.Lamotta Suzume). The song is taken from their upcoming album Powder, available Jan. 22. Snowk is the joint effort of Japanese musicians Namy and Fuminori Kagajo. Suzume tells us, “When I first heard his beat, my feet started tapping on the floor. I started singing some ideas over it, and everything came together. The lyrics came relatively quickly, the melodies were flowing out, and I was dancing. It’s easy to collaborate with such freedom. Snowk and I never met in person, but we managed to get things done from far away and with mutual trust.”
31 | Jake Milliner | Juno
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Fast becoming one of the U.K.’s most sought-after beatmakers, Jake Milliner has collaborated with the likes of Lupe Fiasco, Yasmin Lacey, Joe Armon-Jones, Alfa Mist, Hawk House, T-3 (Slum Village), Lord Apex and Barney Artist. Jake takes things to the next level with his new single Juno. The mid tempo jazz-funk beat hybrid features once again Marcus Tenny (Butcher Brown), Charlie Allen and London beatmaker Fr1th.”