Kandle gives her personal Bond, Harvey McLaughlin has the spirit for adventure, Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard stick it to the man, Susu get their Groovies on and more in an intriguingly creative Thursday Roundup. Are you ready for Friday? I know I am.
ON REPEAT
1 | Kandle | Lock & Load
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Kandle just released “the greatest Bond movie never made” with the video for Lock & Load, a cut from her upcoming album. The smoky orch-pop single and socially distanced video were inspired by growing up watching the classic films with her father Neil Osborne of 54-40. After freeing herself from label chains Kandle created an EP during quarantine this year with the assistance of producer Martin “Youth” Glover (Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, The Verve), Liam O’Neil (Kings of Leon), and Warne Livesey (Midnight Oil, Matthew Goode). Inspired by the greats like Nancy Sinatra, Billie Holiday & Shirley Bassey, Kandle covers everything from heartbreak, addiction, sexual assault and chronic illness to loss of power and back again.”
2 | Harvey McLaughlin | Ghosts on Mars
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “From the unhinged mind of singer-songwriter and pianist Harvey McLaughlin comes the album Rascality, 12 tracks of throwback rock ’n’ roll reminiscent of the great piano albums by artists such as Warren Zevon, Tom Waits and Randy Newman, with its own brand of cheekiness and an updated sensibility. Rascality features McLaughlin’s weird and wild brand of storytelling — reveling in subjects ranging from Chinese restaurants to carnival excursions to the red pyramids of Mars and everything between. “I made an effort to cover all the basics,” says McLaughlin. “Wendigos, voodoo hexes, fortune- telling moles and public executions, it’s all there.” Check out the video for his latest single Ghosts on Mars.”
3 | Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard | 30,000 Megabucks
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Welsh four-piece Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard have revealed the accompanying visuals for their cosmic new single 30,000 Megabucks, their first music since the The Non-Stop EP, their debut release. 30,000 Megabucks combines the idea of nuclear devastation with stickin’ it to the man, all while bursting with typical Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard rock swagger. Frontman Tom Rees explains its risqué video (directed by Dah Dit Dit): “I always found it interesting how part of being a monk is finding pleasure in everyday tasks, like cleaning your room and folding your clothes, it seems pretty hilarious to me that a group of people committed to celibacy quickly identified that the closest thing to sexual pleasure was honouring a personal sense of moral duty, not for anyone else but just for yourself — complete and total masturbation if you ask me.”
https://youtu.be/nmCXMEPm6HY
4 | Susu | Slow Death
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Susu take you back while still keeping current with their modern take on The Flamin’ Groovies classic Slow Death. Punk meets psychedelia as their powerful vocals interweave and harmonies stand in stacked solidarity. You absolutely can’t not dance when you hear this song. They say: “We’re inspired by the playful, paranoid movements of After Hours, Trainspotting, Fear & Loathing, and The Big Lebowski. We wear the loose garments of the blank generation before them as we canvass the Lower East Side for a score, seeking sweet salvation from any high we can get our hands on. Quarantined, confined, and fiending for a hit we can only get off New York City.”
5 | Dear-God | New Kid On The Block
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “20-year-old experimental hip-hop and hardcore artist Dear-God (Robert Ortiz) says his debut EP 1-844-4Dear-God will be released on Dec. 4. With the announcement comes the high-octane track New Kid On The Block, accompanied by a video using satirical VHS graphics and vintage infomercial spoofs to highlight the cheeky attitude. “I feel like a lot of people don’t understand what I’m trying to do with my music,” Dear-God reflects. “I’m trying to be as genuine as possible. I tried to make this song stupid and simplistic, so that it’s easy to understand. This one’s for the uptight hipsters that make boring music and hate on others. I’ve got my people that I respect in my corner and that’s all I could ever ask for.”
6 | Kiberspassk | Derevna
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In the long nights of the Siberian taiga, the band Kiberspassk joined forces to catch up on the coldness and darkness of their home in hard Electro. Their environment inspired the band to combine their Industrial with Russian folklore creating a unique sound. Kiberspassk states about the making of the video single: “Derevna is a song about dying Siberian villages. Over the past 20 years, before our eyes, many villages around the place where we live are gradually turning into ghost settlements. People leave them and they gradually die and collapse under the influence of time. The video was filmed directly in two such villages, which are located near our town. These are the villages of Kiberspassk and Arkhipovka. That is, there are no special decorations in the video itself — all these are real dying villages of Siberia.”
7 | Beesqueeze | It Won’t Matter
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “It Won’t Matter is the new Beesqueeze single and video for consideration. Beesqueeze are on a bizarre safari hunt. Their prey are pumpkins. But these pumpkins don’t just let it go … It Won’t Matter, is a catchy and forward-going synth-rock song with ’80s influences and satirical but also melancholic undertones. Or maybe it is just another love song?”
ALSO ON THE PLAYLIST
8 | Low Hum | Escape
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Low Hum share the single Escape and a video directed by Bianca Poletti. Escape is the first new music from Hawaiian-born, Los Angeles-based musician Collin Desha since his 2019 debut album Room To Breathe. The video for Escape is less about Desha’s personal experience, and rather about “exploring the many different motivations and needs people have for escaping,” he explains. “People escape from bad memories, problems, complicated relationships and so on. The video started as an idea to interpret that from different points of view.”
9 | Corvair | Sunday Runner
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Portland indie-rock band Corvair, comprised of husband / wife duo Brian Naubert and Heather Larimer, present Sunday Runner, the first single from their self-titled debut album out Feb. 19. They say: “Sunday Runner is a song about a high altitude first date that turns into a tortuous affair — and the literal weekly habit of running around a lake to burn off the frustration of it all. The song is a riff-forward descent into synth-rock, laden with emotionally pointillistic lyrics and cryptic turns of phrase. The tension builds until the song finally spills over into lush Mamas and Papas-inspired harmonies and a sweetly earnest pledge to do whatever it takes to keep the flame alive.”
10 | Megan Nash & The Best Of Intentions | Artifact
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Artifact is “a song about discovering fragments of your former life; a letter from a past lover, a photograph from a perfect day, and how that discovery can be a punch in the stomach,” says. Megan Nash. “The lyrics in Artifact mean a lot to me so I wanted a lyric video to put emphasis on them,” the Saskatchewan songwriter continues. “Andrew Friesen’s visuals match the moody vibe of the song perfectly.”
11 | Cross Wires | Hall of Mirrors
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Cross Wires are an East London quartet consisting of Jonathan Chapman (vocals), Peter Muller (guitar/vocals), Pete Letch (bass) and Ian Clarke (drums). Hall of Mirrors is their first new music since the debut album A Life Extinct last year. “We had the idea to write and record a track in a day at our rehearsal space which was then sent to our producer Rory Attwell to mix and master. It’s the first in a series of tracks that will be written and released this way over the coming months. It will build to an EP that will be out next year.”
12 | Anna Storm | Versace Shade
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Anna Storm is a pop-R&B artist whose music radiates confidence and oozes swag. Her latest single Versace Shade is essentially a dance/new wave/pop record. Storm confides, “My new single is definitely high energy, with a new wave feel. It’s like a second coming of the ’80s — when I started writing and recording it, I knew I wanted to come out with a dance record.”
13 | Scenic Route To Akaska | Time For Yourself
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Edmonton-based indie-pop trio Scenic Route to Alaska share the hilarious new video for the title track on their new LP Time For Yourself. The video shows a glimpse into an alternative universe and their alter egos. Over the past few years, the band have worked tirelessly scaling the summit of the Canadian and international scenes. They dropped two acclaimed LPs — 2018’s Tough Luck and 2016’s Long Walk Home — that weaved memorable melodies and catchy vocals through compelling, musically rich arrangements and earned a slew of awards and accolades on their backs. Now they are revisiting their roots with a more organic, unfiltered take on their signature sound.”
14 | Yves Jarvis | Emblem
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “On Sundry Rock Song Stock, Yves Jarvis continues to refine his creative approach to the core of his being, where music and life intertwine in harmonious fashion. Out now, the latest album from the Montreal musician fuses genre elements into a symbiotic relationship where wistful folk, tender R&B, pastoral prog, and musique concrète experiments feed into one another to grow lush new forms. Though he maintains an air of mystery with his lyrics, Jarvis’s whisper-soft words can be interpreted as both deeply personal and politically motivated in ways we haven’t heard from him before. Yves Jarvis has shared a video for the song Emblem.”
15 | Klô Pelgag | Mélamine
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Klô Pelgag unveils a tempestuous, haunting video for the song Mélamine, off her latest album Notre-Dame-des-Sept-Douleurs. Pelgag shares the theme of the song: “Mélamine is when just being yourself isn’t enough anymore, when your vision of yourself and of others is distorted, and your pain seems unique and overwhelming. And finally, the struggle to free yourself from this despair that has become casually comfortable.” Director Soleil Denault explains the inspiration behind the video: “Mélamine evokes an astral journey, a quest for identity through multiple versions of Klô. She is confused about the difference between her perception and reality, but she eventually figures her way out.”
16 | Daemon Grey | Stoned and Alone
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Daemon Grey just released a video for Stoned and Alone, off the album Follow Your Nightmares out Jan. 22. The song itself focuses on Grey’s love of health and exploring his spirituality. “It is easy to forget that weed is a true medicine and deserves a great deal of respect. Weed is sacred and healing. It has been instrumental in helping me tap into creativity, explore deeper emotions, and better understand why I am alive. It has been a solace in times of struggle and isolation. Stoned and Alone is really a celebration of weed’s true magic on a deeper, more personal, or spiritual level.”
17 | Miss Lava | Fourth Dimension
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Lisbon’s premier heavy rockers Miss Lava will release their full-length Doom Machine this January. The perfect soundtrack for the post-lockdown world, the band’s fourth album stands as their densest output to date, doused in kaleidoscopic riff explorations and hypnotic interludes; a multi-textured sonic journey that’s at once deep, heavy, mesmerizing, and cathartic. In advance, the band unveil a video for first single Fourth Dimension, noting, “this is a riff-raff explosion that urges people to get out of the cave allegory they live in.”
18 | Rafael Vigilantics | Still Fighting
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “L.A.-via-New Mexico songwriter Rafael Vigilanitcs premieres a video for the Still Fighting from his latest album Blue River, Grey Sky. Throughout Blue River, Grey Sky, Vigilantics sings/raps his way through characters and cadences, with a grainy, organic authenticity. It’s the restless testament of a man in love with the deep wilderness and living off the land; an innate outsider who dips in and out of society at will. Vigilantics says Still Fighting is “a song about my journey after leaving home at 14. All the tours, the scraps with the LAPD, the companions that died, and friends who went to prison; getting mixed up with motorcycle gangs, stolen cars, etc.”
19 | Revelino | That’s What Emily Says
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “That’s What Emily Says is the new single from Revelino, taken from their remastered eponymous debut album. The song was always a big song in the band’s live set and, for many, should have been a single originally. The remastered version has been getting such a great reaction that the band have decided to finally release it as a single. They have also produced a video for the song featuring live footage and photos from 1996 and edited by Rory McDonald.”
20 | Seismic | At The Mountains Of Madness
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Philadelphia instrumental doom-metal trio Seismic release of their eponymous debut EP Friday. Today they premiere of the video for the track At The Mountains Of Madness. Seismic offer: “At The Mountains Of Madness is the culmination of our first year of writing and represents our worship of the almighty Black Sabbath. With a subtly evolving main groove, sharp tempo changes and sludgy, hardcore influenced coda, it is our most immersive and experimental work yet. The song is the third off our debut EP and harnesses the societal and existential horror we are all experiencing in the country and around the world today.”
21 | Fleet Foxes | Sunblind
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Fleet Foxes have released a new Sean Pecknold-directed video for Sunblind, off their widely celebrated, fourth full length Shore. The video takes the viewer on a stunning international architectural, geographical and creative tour through never-before-seen behind the scenes footage of the album’s two-year recording sessions. Pecknold explained that Sunblind was the last song to come together, and recorded only a few weeks prior to release. “It really is this big centerpiece and is the anchor that all the other songs are tied to. I wanted to make a song that celebrated my heroes in an explicit way — people who have passed and who I want to honor in the music. That was a big focus of mine, helping them stay alive through these memories.”
22 | Big Ideas | Hurricane
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “London trio Big Ideas present Hurricane, the second track to be lifted from their debut EP The American Dream, out Nov. 27. The propulsive sound of Hurricane is intentionally Springsteen meets a-ha, which are two major sonic inspirations for the newly formed outfit. “The lyrics are about confidence,” the band says. “Many people feel that they are unworthy somehow, and even with the smokescreen of bravado, most people are just trying to fit in and feel loved. The two lines of the chorus ‘And I love that you’re unaware, every room you go into is better ’cause you’re there’ sum up the song’s sentiment: You may not always know it, but you’re appreciated and we’re all the better for your presence.”
23 | Flight Attendant | Comedy Show
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Nashville quintet Flight Attendant have just issued a video for their dark and sensuous new single, the ironically titled Comedy Show. Released to coincide with the ongoing election circus in the U.S.A., the song is a sombre, melodic and thought-provoking ballad with a lyric that comments on the current social and political landscape in their home territory. Singer Karalyne Winegarner states that the song “serves as a gentle warning to not lose sight of what’s important in a world filled with so many distractions. The song is supposed to remind you that the easier road of plugging up your ears and laughing your problems away is a temporary fix that won’t hold.”
24 | Wax Tailor | Misery (ft. Rosemary Standley)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Renowned producer Wax Tailor releases his latest single and video Misery (ft. Rosemary Standley). It precedes his upcoming album The Shadow Of Their Suns, which will be available on Jan. 8. The video was directed by Berkay Türk, a young 3D motion designer and artist from Istanbul, Turkey and features the talented vocals of Rosemary Standley (Moriarty). Wax Tailor says: “Berkay contacted me earlier this year to propose to work on an animated music video. I was just ending Misery … I said it would be interesting to imagine a future dystopian scenario. Berkay came with the emoji faces idea & we’ve begun to exchange ideas about the concept & this allegorical lecture.”
25 | Emi Jeen | Other Side
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Montreal alt-pop artist Emi Jeen shares the gritty new video for her single Other Side, directed by Aude Guivarch. Taking inspiration from her own personal experiences of bullying and trauma; Other Side is a manifesto to the world telling them that we are all done with the hate, control, racism, sexism, dictatorship going on in the world;” shares Emi. “It doesn’t matter where you are from, what colour you are, or what you believe in, we are all warriors and we will fight together. We will no longer stay inside the box and keep quiet.”
26 | Revelation Attic | Agony
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Revelation Attic spread the Agony across the world. The Latvian melodic/symphonic metal band, formed in 2017 by Rasa and Guntis, have released Agony, their second single and video from their upcoming second album Future Being Invented.”
27 | Cipher | Auréole Carmin
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “French melodic death metallers Cipher have published a new lyric video for the track Auréole Carmin, taken from the band’s upcoming album Bloody Tales From The Past, whose conceptual theme will be based in the classic tale Little Red Riding Hood.”
28 | Hurricane on Saturn | Killing Field
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Italy-based Hurricane on Saturn have released a video for the title track of their upcoming debut album Killing Field. “It’s gonna be huge!” claim the band. Hurricane on Saturn was started in 2019 by musicians from various musical genres with both national and international live/studio experience. Their unique sound is based on a blend of electronics, rock and metal influences.”
29 | Litany | Uh-Huh
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Leeds singer Litany shares her new single Uh-huh. It’s a liberating, sexually charged celebration of losing yourself in the moment. Litany’s conversational lyricism dominates and, as ever, a gaming reference is never too far away as she sings, “3 a.m. our bodies like Tetris / Trying for a high score.” “Having been single for almost six years, I hadn’t felt what real intimacy with the right person was like,” says Litany. “Uh Huh is unashamedly about sex that’s so good you lose yourself and kinda even forget who you are in that moment — it’s just you and your lover, uh huh.”
30 | Margot | Falling In Between Days
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “London band Margot continue their incredible run of singles with Falling In Between Days. “Its about a mate. It’s certainly a tragedy. He’s had a hardship of sorts. He’s got a life to look forward, for sure, and so do all of us, but things external, out of his control, took over. He had started to rebuild, to see beyond the internal damp colours, he had a life back. And after losing the comfort of the person he loved, and after coming to terms with all of the pain and the rubble, all the regret, he had a pandemic. Lost job, no soulmate and back living with his family at 27.”
31 | Jake Aldridge | King Of The World
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Rapper-turned-singer Jake Aldridge unveiled more than just an engagement ring when he proposed to his now fiancée two years after meeting her through an online dating app. The pair, who even share the same birthday, now have their very own song as well! After a successful proposal earlier this year, Jake played Lisa his new track King of The World, a heartfelt country-pop song he had written for her.”
32 | Annsofie Salomon | Soft Dreams
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “It’s taken four incarnations for Annsofie Salomon to find her true expression in single Soft Dreams. In it, she has found a place to write about her personal relationship with nature, and she has salvaged her dreams. “I threw out a lot of artwork, but I saved all the notes.” Soft Dreams is a collage, it’s lyrics taken from these notes. Like her weather-worn, bouquet bearing photo, like the stories of her sculptures, and like the artist herself, Soft Dreams is an offering which appears to have finally washed ashore after a while lost at sea.”
33 | Jont | You Are The Dance
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A natural-born poet with a guitar, Jont has spent his life connecting with the hearts of those around him through his songs and the vulnerable troubadourism that has always been his sonic signature. You Are The Dance, the closing dance-pop anthem on Jont’s sonic feast of an album Thank You For The Medicine, seems equally influenced by the bombast and passion of Pulp’s Common People as it is by the fragmented visions and lucid insight into our collective human experience that you might receive during an Ayahuasca ceremony or a near-fatal head-on collision.”
34 | Nation Of Language | A Different Kind Of Life
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Nation of Language return with a new single, A Different Kind Of Life, produced by Nick Millhiser of Holy Ghost. The track is the Brooklyn synth-pop trio’s first new music since the release of their acclaimed debut album Introduction, Presence in spring. Songwriter Ian Devaney stated, “I had seriously hoped that by the time the song came out it would be slightly less relevant than when I first wrote it, but defeating Trump was always going to be just one step in the fight to make the country a more just and decent place. So, no matter what, the core message still resonates with me deeply.”
35 | Sylvan Esso | Ferris Wheel (Terrace Martin Remix ft. Robert Glasper)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sylvan Esso have unveiled a new remix of their song Ferris Wheel — a highlight from their recently released and widely celebrated third album Free Love. Created by Terrace Martin (Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Travis Scott) and Robert Glasper (Kanye West, Erykah Badu, Jay Z), the ecstatic remix locks into an irresistible groove with bone-shaking bass, finger snaps and a slick saxophone interlude. Say Sylvan Esso: “We are so honoured to be remixed by Terrace Martin, who we are gigantic fans of. The surprise addition of Robert Glasper was an absolute joy.”
36+37 | Teke::Teke | Chidori + Kala Kala
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Montreal seven-piece Japanese psych-punk band Teke::Teke have shared their raw and energetic cover of Japanese guitar hero Takeshi Terauchi’s Chidori — and the radio edit of single Kala Kala (Clattering) from their upcoming album. Led by vibrant actress, visual artist and vocalist Maya Kuroki, Teke::Teke features traditional Japanese instruments, flute and trombone alongside raging guitars and a pulsing rhythm section. Reminiscent of 1960s and ’70s psychedelic Japanese soundtracks, their music wouldn’t be out of place in a Tarantino movie.”
38 | Bastian Benjamin | Threshold
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Innovative producer Bastian Benjamin has shared Threshold, the fourth single from his album Two Truths, out Dec. 4. Benjamin takes his listeners further on a journey of introspection on the threshold of the inner abyss, with the dark waters below calling your name. Dare to take the leap. Benjamin says it’s about “the moment when the end is in sight, and you can already touch the light. Is the moment where one final sprint is going to occur. And you will have to do it all yourself.”
39 | Ciara Vizzard | Victory
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Based in the U.K., American-Irish pop artist Ciara Vizzard is eager to see 2020 end but remains optimistic, using her celestial voice and honest storytelling to instill hope with her new single Victory. Showcasing both vulnerability and resilience, the singer-songwriter’s voice gracefully soars in a chorus with a message that will certainly feel more relevant than ever. It indeed serves as a reminder to “keep going especially when life gets tough and is a seemingly never-ending series of bumps in the road.”
40 | Lauren Calve | Christmas Is Where The Heart Is
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Americana storyteller, singer, and songwriter Lauren Calve has released her original holiday track, Christmas Is Where The Heart Is. A take on the classic proverb, “home is where the heart is,” Christmas Is Where The Heart Is contains the same message, says Calve. “Christmas, like home, is nothing without the bonds of family and friends. But oftentimes these bonds are strained or broken when there’s a death in the family or a close friend moves away. Christmas is a time to expand the heart to feel all of the light and dark that comes with being human; it’s a time to love, mourn and forgive.”
41 | Elder Island | Feral
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Carving out a genre-defying space for themselves in our musical landscape, Elder Island captivate with shapeshifting songs wherein textures matter as much as melodies and lyrics are littered with crypticism. The first glimpse and a taster from the upcoming album is single Feral. “It’s got a driving aggressive sound that’s quite dark, and then this light bossa nova beat that goes along with it,” explains bassist Luke Thornton. “The song is inspired by childhood memories of fear, so the track has become a juxtaposition between darkness and light.”
