Dry Cleaning celebrate the little things, Andrew Paley puts words into celebrities’ mouths, The Dirty Nil call it a night, Rich Aucoin wrestles with a dilemma, Action Bronson heads for Mongolia, Good Bison are no meteorologists and more in your Thursday Roundup. I could have had a couple of more songs in this, but I chose not to include Christmas songs sung by children. You’re welcome.
ON REPEAT
1 | Dry Cleaning | Scratchcard Lanyard
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dry Cleaning is Nick Buxton (drums), Tom Dowse (guitar), Lewis Maynard (bass) and Florence Shaw (vocals). Firm friends for years, they only started making music after a karaoke party in 2017 inspired a collaboration. Scratchcard Lanyard is a treatise on the joy of life’s little pleasures, where air fresheners become mighty oaks and Instagram filters are glamourous holiday destinations. The South London band explain further: “In the search for your true calling in life, it’s easy to try so many things that you end up confused. It can lead to an enormous build-up of frustration. You may fantasise about exacting revenge upon your real or imagined enemies. Ephemeral things and small-scale escapist experiences can provide some relief!”
2 | Andrew Paley | Sequels
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In the course of the release of his new album Scattered Light, singer / songwriter Andrew Paley has created a generative art project — with the help of AI — which functions as a new video for his song Sequels. The result is impressive and not only exciting for film nerds. How did the idea develop? “I’ve had a longstanding interest in and concern about the space of deepfakes and what they’ll do to our relationship to media and information. Somewhere in there, I decided one way to get a handle on what to make of them would be to actually get hands on with what’s possible, and, conceptually, I thought that mining the movies I loved growing up would make for some great fodder (though I admittedly underestimated just how much editing would be involved).”
3 | The Dirty Nil | One More and the Bill
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Juno-winning power trio The Dirty Nil share One More and the Bill, the emotional centrepiece of their forthcoming album Fuck Art, out Jan. 1. Frontman Luke Bentham says: “Let’s be clear: social media hates you. One More And The Bill is an ode to the primitive, casting off the shackles and enjoying life while you’ve got it.” Along with the previous releases, One More and the Bill is a grungy drinking song that climaxes with a vow to smash the TV, smash the phone, leave politics alone and go outside for a while.”
4 | Rich Aucoin | Kayfabe
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The idea for Rich Aucoin’s new album United States was to have a song for each of the states he cycled through during a cross-continent fundraising bike trip in 2018. For the opening track Kayfabe, Rich says, “I wanted it to have a Californian feel and try to recreate a modern-day Beach Boys style track mixed with hip hop sampled beats. The song is a great introduction to the record as it has the warm glow of the Beach Boys male vocal group sound thanks to my roommate at the time having a pretty rad sounding group of four singers (Pete Macdonald, Ryan Hawes, Steven Perry, John Council) that covered I Get Around with all its complex harmonies, juxtaposing that with the soulful rhythmic chant provided by James Baley and Tarik Henry.”
5 | Action Bronson | Mongolia
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Action Bronson has dropped the video for Mongolia, a standout from his recently released album, Only For Dolphins. The video is a cinematic story of chaos, as Bronson, Hologram and Meyhem Lauren navigate a heist that involves a suitcase full of money, a severed hand, unknown assailants and sipping wine in a convertible on the FDR Drive. Mongolia was directed by Zev Deans, who has previously worked with artists like St. Vincent and Denzel Curry.”
ALSO ON THE PLAYLIST
6 | Good Bison | Can’t Predict the Weather
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In Miami, it can be incredibly sunny one minute and the next it’s basically hurricane weather,” says Pablo Alvarez, the mastermind behind the alternative genre mash-up that is Good Bison, talking about Can’t Predict the Weather, the single from his upcoming EP Scattered Storms due in January. “Los Angeles is not like that at all. It’s much easier to predict the weather there than in South Florida.” If Can’t Predict the Weather is any indication, Good Bison will be bringing on a massive storm.”
7 | Emily Edrosa | She Agreed
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Emily Edrosa share She Agreed, a poignant final single and video (directed by Dehd’s Emily Kemp) from her new album Another Wave Is Coming. Emily explains the track: “True story, once my high school girlfriend’s parents made her break up with me because they didn’t want her to be gay…” Mixed by legendary producer John Agnello (Kurt Vile, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr.), the record has touches of Courtney Barnett and a caustic DIY drive from the queer indie-punk artist, who left her home in NZ fronting award-winning band Street Chant, took a chance on the Green Card lottery, won, and moved to L.A.”
8 | Badlands | Hearts (ft. J Cowhie)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Badlands released lush single and video for Hearts (ft. J Cowhie), off her new album out next year. The album combines themes of love and loss with a palette of electro, post-punk and new wave influences into emotionally enveloping music reminiscent of Boards of Canada to My Bloody Valentine. Jaunviksna is also a touring musician and plays synths and keys with The Radio Dept. She has a strong kinship with the electro community in Dublin, where she’s lived on and off over the years and composes original music & sound designs for film and theater.”
9 | Mud Factory | As I Watch Them Fall
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Serbian groove/death metal act Mud Factory will release their album The Sins of Our Fathers on Dec. 11. Today they introduce the video to As I Watch Them Fall. “As I Watch Them Fall is the first song on our first LP album and we decided that it should be the first single track as well. We hope it will make you sing and headbang.”
10 | Talk Show Host | This Monologue
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto punk/indie trio Talk Show Host will release their full-length album in 2021. Right now, the band is debuting the single and video This Monologue. They say: “This Monologue is about the running commentary in your head that spends a good portion of every day telling you, in excruciating detail, about all the things you’ve done wrong, are currently doing wrong, and are about to do wrong.”
11 | Swaye | Feel It
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hailing from Santa Barbara, Swaye is the solo project of artist Michael Million. Feel It is his debut single. Million says: “When I first wrote Feel It, I had no idea it would turn into an upbeat feel-good song. The original idea was slow and sad — I guess that’s just how I was feeling at the time. When I revisited the song nine months later, I wanted the song to inspire more hope and picked up the tempo, which gave the song a whole new vibe.”
12 | LP | How Low Can You Go
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “LP has released her infectious new single How Low Can You Go. It’s a song with swagger, pensiveness, and sultry attitude reflecting the mixed emotions born out of late-night adventure, self-exploration and the rollercoaster of love, as told through LP’s personal vocals and intimate delivery. LP said, “How Low Can You Go represents an amalgam of many wild nights I’ve had in NYC and LA. Sometimes they stick with you. You have feelings for these characters and situations in all their flawed and beautiful madness. I often feel this Holden Caulfield-esque need-to-know what the worst things in life can be, according to myself and others. I think that helps me to be sure of what I don’t want, and to appreciate what I do want. That clarity informs what I want next.”
13 | Jax Diaries | Fury Roads (Boom Boom)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Alternative rock band Jax Diaries released their new single Fury Roads (Boom Boom) and its music video. Showing a heavier side, the powerful track features a driving beat and bouncy chorus while the video captures attention with motorcycles, neon lights, and energy that radiates. “During the album recording process, Andrew’s cousin came to the studio and started messing around at the mixer while Jax and Andrew were taking a break. All of a sudden, we started hearing a strange sequence of frequencies bouncing around the walls, and we decided to record that sound with a phone. Andrew started playing over that sound with his guitar, and that’s how the main riff came about.”
14 | Nick Schofield | Mirror Image
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Montreal’s Nick Schofield created his new record Glass Gallery entirely on a Prophet-600 synth. It’s light and airy, and when you take a look at some images of Ottawa’s National Gallery of Canada, the architecture of which inspired the record, it makes perfect sense. You can hear sunlight pouring down from high angles, large open spaces and enormous windows. The first single and video, Mirror Image, is “directly inspired by a piece called Patchwork by Laurie Spiegel from her album The Expanding Univers,” he says. “Spiegel (‘mirror’ in German) conveys such momentum through congruent melodic streams with stereoscopic width and raw synthesis timbres.”
15 | Touché Amoré | Lament
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Last month, Touché Amoré celebrated the release of their fifth studio album Lament, a record tipped by many as one of the finest heavy releases of 2020. Today, the L.A. post hardcore band release the stunning video for its title track. Guitarist, art director and designer Nick Steinhardt had the following to say: “While we were in the studio recording Lament I came up with a video idea that I couldn’t wrap my head around how to tell entirely as live action. The original concept centered around being used up and tossed aside over and over again until you’ve had enough. Told through the story of earth and clay, pot and plant, the interplay between a lifeform and vessel, constraint versus freedom, nourishment and depletion via a symbiotic relationship. As the story developed further, the idea of animation came into play, which freed my brain a bit to lean further into the macabre, grotesque and surreal.”
16 | Solaris | Maledetti / Marnero
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Italy’s post-noise unit Solaris share the stunning new video Maledetti / Marnero, off their album Un Paese Di Musichette Mentre Fuori C’è La Morte. They say: “A record like this could only end with Maledetti / Marnero (black sea). Two pieces that, however, blend together in a single great flow. The journey that began with Podio ends among the pressing of fuzz-saturated riffs, in a finale (featuring our long-time friend Andrea Fioravanti of Postvorta, who brought some amazing feedback and noises) that puts an end to anxieties and to the pains we wanted to represent in the record, in the form of a sense of liberation.”
17 | Wild Pink | You Can Have It Back
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Wild Pink share another track from their new album A Billion Little Lights, out Feb. 19. You Can Have It Back, featuring the delicate harmonies of Ratboys’ Julia Steiner, is a strolling, languid slice of Americana with an irrepressible earworm of a vocal hook. Frontman John Ross explains: “Wild Pink songs typically don’t follow conventional song structures but with this one I did. This song is inspired by Fleetwood Mac and, once again, If I Needed You by Townes Van Zandt (one of the greatest songs ever written). Special cameo by Computer the Dog.”
18 | Family Dinner | You’re So Cool
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Long Beach, N.Y. rock band Family Dinner shared their single and video You’re So Cool. Taking cues from acts like Hole, The Cranberries and Dinosaur Jr., the track is filled with punk-pop sensibilities courtesy of vocalist Natalie Simonelli and fuzzed-out guitars to match. Lyrically, You’re So Cool tells the tale of a couple on the run after committing murder, inspired by ‘90s crime films like True Romance and Natural Born Killers. The single serves as the title track for the band’s debut EP, set for release on Feb. 12.”
19 | Harry Jay-Steele | Not Quite Like This
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “East London songwriter, guitarist and producer Harry Jay-Steele shares Not Quite Like This, a cut from his debut album Boundaries, due out on Dec. 4. “It’s a song in defiance against being labelled and judges but also about the fluidity of self,” explains Harry — a message amplified by the shifting effect of the artist’s AutoTuned vocals. “Explaining the production work behind the track, I used AutoTune on this track partly because its Afrobeat’s influence, but also due to the chameleon-like tonal affect it has one my voice. I felt its shifting nature sat well with lyrical message.”
20 | Snowk | Under The Moon (ft. J.Lamotta Suzume)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Rising DJs and production duo Snowk have revealed the video for Under The Moon ft. J.Lamotta Suzume. The single is from their album Powder, which will be available Jan. 22. Suzume chimes in: “When Snowk asked me what I thought about making a music video, the first thing that came to my head was dancing. I was fortunate to have the chance to work with the Shanghai-based choreographer Karin Uziyahoo, who happened to be in Tel-Aviv during COVID time.”
21 | Lowlife | Wasteland
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Possessing a symbiotic relationship and hindered by their erratic outbursts, Essex newcomers Lowlife deter most music industry interest. While they’re barely able to look after themselves, nothing is going to get in the way of making themselves heard. Through sheer determination and a small amount of blackmail, the band today release their debut single Wasteland. It represents the culmination of their extensive influences and DIY ethos. It’s an explosive blend of larger-than-life pop hooks, West Coast hip-hop, booming dub and Middle-Eastern flavoured melodies. Lyrically, it’s a post-apocalyptic road trip that simmers with charismatic rhymes and punky disillusionment.”
22 | Wings Of Desire | Be Here Now
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Following two breakout singles, the transcendental Wings Of Desire share new track Be Here Now. Drawing inspiration from visual arts and 20th century counterculture, the two-piece confront themes of ignorance and identity to create shape-shifting soundscapes that cut deep. Chloe and James comment: “Be Here Now is a song about being exactly where you’re supposed to be. Being present means that instead of being focused on what happened to you yesterday or what could happen tomorrow, you are simply here, now. No one wants to be stuck on autopilot, it’s not good for the soul. As humans we need to be aware of the automatic actions and reactions we have become accustomed to, and find a place of clarity and calm. The present moment offers peace, it gives us space to transcend.”
https://youtu.be/t0I97rYvdYM
23 | Cuffed Up | Small Town Kid
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “After months of doing remote practices over Zoom, Cuffed Up were able to finally get together to work on new music, having taken all the proper quarantine and test precautions. To mark the reunion, they filmed a series of cabin sessions featuring songs from their debut EP. First up is a performance of Small Town Kid. “STK started off as a little riff that I (singer/guitarist Ralph Torrefranca) set aside in 2018, not really knowing where it could go. It wasn’t until Cuffed Up formed at the beginning of 2019 where we all collectively shaped the song into the wall of sound that it is today. The song is about a punk kid who moves from a small city, with ambitions bigger than his own ego. Rightfully, the big city ends up eating him alive but he learns to love the struggle and manages to find humility in his mistakes.”
24 | Paige Valentine | Fool
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Last month, Perth musician and wide-eyed dreamer Paige Valentine dropped her gut-wrenching single Fool on unsuspecting hearts. Now Paige reveals the visual accompaniment to Fool and gives a glimpse of her captivating live presence in a new video filmed by Luna Laure. “I loved working with Laure to create the imagery for the first single and knew we could further develop something really sincere, powerful and vulnerable for Fool. Our main focus was to do something really stripped back that made the song the star.”
25 | Mayday Parade | I Can Only Hope
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mayday Parade have released the video for I Can Only Hope, the third and final video from their Out of Here EP. It was directed by longtime collaborator Guadalupe Bustos and opens with a powerful quote from H.P. Lovecraft. The song was written about a time of fear and uncertainty for drummer Jake Bundrick, who says: “I Can Only Hope, simply put, is about my father. He recently had some medical issues in Georgia and being that I live in California, I felt so far away. The song is about being terrified. It’s about that uncertainty whether someone will pull through something so difficult. It’s about the unknown that follows all of it and never forgetting the sounds or senses of the moment when you received the news.”
26 | Franki Pineapple | Fuck It Man!
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Franki Pineapple has already crammed more into her life than countless blockbusters made in her hometown of Hollywood. From her life as a screenwriter, novelist and journalist through to her new incarnation as a singer-songwriter and social rabble-rouser, there is more to Franki than meets the eye as one of the biggest companies in the world discovered when they took her to task over her name. Fearless, forthright and on her new single, a bit filthy, Franki Pineapple is your new hero!”
27 | The Orb | Daze (David Harrow’s BLM Remix23)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “On April 9, The Orb will release a companion piece to recent studio album Abolition of The Royal Familia with the gem-packed Guillotine Remixes. It features reinterpretations of tracks from a host of familiar faces, including Youth, Moody Boys, David Harrow, Andy Falconer, Paul Metamono and Gaudi — collectively providing an expansive journey into dance music; from acid house and balearic beat to techno and beyond, emphasizing The Orb’s club DNA.”
https://youtu.be/aMdKREU8NN8
28 | Jimkata | Blessings In Disguise
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Jimkata are a three-piece anthemic, synth-washed, electro-rock band based out of Ithaca and Los Angeles. With a triumph of swirling analog synths, infectious pop hooks and candid lyrics, Jimkata have built a distinct sound which has been resonating with listeners. Blessings In Disguise is from the band’s album due in Spring 2021. The track is an ode to the age of the “side hustle” and the “gig economy.” Singer Evan confides, “We’re all just trying to get by in this age of growing income inequality and to be able to do what you love in the midst of that is special.”
29 | The Moon Kids | Touch Of Venice
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Neither hurricane nor pandemic can stop Scottish band The Moon Kids from releasing music. While their forthcoming second EP will be released early 2021, the band — based in Granton, Edinburgh, setting of the ‘90’s cult classic Trainspotting) — just released their latest single Touch Of Venice, is inspired by the band’s first time playing in Los Angeles. Singer David Barr states, “It’s almost like we’re leaving a bleak setting to flourish on a bigger stage where we feel we belong. It’s kind of just saying regardless of where you are at, if your soul and strength of will is big enough, then you can be wherever you think you should be.”
30 | Comatose | Inside
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Minnesota atmospheric rock/grungegaze unit Comatose — featuring members of Chrome Waves, Amiensus, and Fail To Decay — will release their debut A Way Back Jan. 22. In advance, they unveil first single Inside. They say the song is “a reaction to the victim culture surrounding recovery from addiction and mental illness. Many of those in need of help are incapable of escaping the mindset that improving their health starts with a concerted effort to take responsibility for themselves.”
31 | Ruff Majik | Gregory
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “South African powerhouse Ruff Majik have shared a lyric video for the track Gregory. Taken from the band’s latest full-length The Devil’s Cattle, the track is a bass-driven, fuzzed-out, sonic monolith. Elaborates vocalist/guitarist Johni Holiday: “This one is about a good friend and his struggle with addiction. People can fill in the blanks if they want to, or just ignore the lyrics and enjoy the bassline.”
32 | Kelly Finnigan | Santa’s Watching You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A Joyful Sound is a future soul classic with all the elements of a classic R&B record, but simply with a joyful holiday lean. With an all-star supporting cast of who’s who from the contemporary soul scene this record is truly a family affair with Kelly Finnigan at the wheel. Kelly sheds a bit more light: “I want people to feel joy and hope. I want the music to remind them what they are thankful for. The songs and mood of the music should spark a feeling that it is a special time of year but also that it can also be a very difficult time for others. Holidays are about bringing people together to celebrate and I want this record to be a soundtrack for those celebrating but also a reminder that a lot of people are still struggling regardless if it’s Christmas or not.”
33 | Psymon Spine | Confusion
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Psymon Spine have announced their new album Charismatic Megafauna, out Feb. 19. Written and recorded by the band, Psymon Spine’s sophomore album explores complicated feelings and catharsis through a singular approach that fuses psychedelic pop and the deep grooves of dance music. The hazy psychedelic single and leadoff track Confusion fittingly encapsulates the core theme of the album: the dissolution of human relationships. Lyrically, singer Noah Prebish is channeling unprocessed and confusing feelings following a break up that caused a major rift in his social circle, but the stream of consciousness lyrics can just as easily apply to the crumbling of a friendship or working relationship.”
34 | A.J. Croce | Nothing From Nothing
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Over the past three decades, A.J. Croce has established his reputation as a piano player and serious vocal stylist who pulls from a host of musical traditions and anti-heroes — part New Orleans, part juke joint, part soul. A.J. is in top form with his “phenomenal” version of the 1974 Billy Preston classic, Nothing From Nothing. It comes from By Request, his new album born of memories — of favorite artists and shows, but mostly, of late-night gatherings with groups of friends, many of them fellow musicians, with Croce at the piano taking requests.”
35 | -(16)- | Death On Repeat
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Doom Sessions split series pairs together some of the most frighteningly heavy bands on earth! Doom Sessions Vol. 3 arrives Feb. 26 and features L.A. stalwarts -(16)- and Italian harbingers of destruction Grime delivering half an hour of intense and reckless sludge metal. -(16)- comment: “These three new songs represent our continued musical growth with the addition of menacing melodic vocals, Hammond, and our self-imposed tradition of dark riffs and rhythms.”
36 | Saintvicious | Sticks + Stone
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Saskatoon’s Saintvicious have a topical new single, Sticks + Stones; it’s a modern metal song depicting the growing polarization in Western culture, and how mob mentality has challenged our ability to be critical without the “you’re with us or against us” blowback. The band explain: “It’s a loud, aggressive, fast-paced look at the frustrations of our current world. A world where being right is the be-all, end-all, and punishing those who don’t agree. It’s about wanting to be the smartest person in the room and the hypocrisy that follows someone who thinks they are never in the wrong.”
37 | Malcura | Gerudo Valley
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Malcura, the Melbourne flamenco sensations are to release their new album, Malcura II, on Nov. 27. Malcura have been performing their exhilarating brand of acoustic fusion since 2013, honing their craft as buskers. Combining the technical ability and passion of flamenco with gypsy jazz, Latin rhythms, a rock mentality and the odd metal riff, Malcura have captivated the Australian public with their distinctive sound and now look to introduce the rest of the world to their extraordinary musicianship and imaginative song-writing. Today they share their interpretation of the Gerudo Valley Theme from the video game Legend of Zelda.”
38 | Brushstroke | Freeze
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Philly artist Brushstroke’s Freeze shows a sound steeped in soul and R&B influence, with a hypnotic psych-tinged electronic appeal. Brushstroke is the moniker and solo project of musician Eoin Murphy. Drawing from a wide range of inspirations and collaborators, brushstroke blends together genres such as neo-soul, psych pop and alternative R&B to create his own world of sound.”
39 | Wolf Saga | Fall Out
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “London, ON Indigenous electro-pop DJ Wolf Saga’s aim is to keep you dancing with catchy hooks while inspiring deeper contemplation. His work references contemporary issues close-to-home, from missing and murdered Indigenous women, to toxic relationships and equality. His self-titled debut album represents eight years of personal and musical development — the soundtrack to a chapter in his life. The focus track Fall Out is an upbeat, danceable synth-driven track with a funky bassline.”
40 | Est-Her | Streets to Nowhere
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Est-Her’s career began when he was accepted into the National Ballet School of Canada. As a dancer with minimal creative control and input into his own performance, he yearned for another artistic outlet — something he could truly make his own. Streets to Nowhere, his musical project’s first single, is about the universal feeling of losing everything. At the time, Est-Her was losing a record deal and had a ton of pressure coming from all sides to make the tracks they wanted to hear. In a way, Streets to Nowhere is a love letter to himself.”
41 | Fougére | Movement (Joe Goddard Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Joe Goddard of Hot Chip’s captivating deep-house influenced remix is a perfect coda to Fougére’s haunting piano driven debut release Movement. Fougére (Jamie Norton) says: “I love the emotion that comes through all of Joe Goddard’s music., He seems to bring an organic and human touch to his songs. He was therefore the perfect choice when looking for remixers for these piano tracks.”
42 | Son Of Dave | Take You Somewhere Nice
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “This new tropical island-themed song from cheeky Son Of Dave is about that winter holiday we all wish we could take but can’t. They usually suck anyway. His infamous alternative blues harmonica vibes (Breaking Bad soundtrack and many more) have been replaced with waves, ukulele, lush crooning vocals and bongos. A great songwriter has a wide range of styles. Think of Randy Newman or Tom Waits singing about a package holiday. But Son of Dave thought of it first. ”
