The Lickerish Quartet goon it up, Bones Owens sees things clearly at last, Imperial Triumphant hit the town in a big way, CB3 blaze away, Mostly Dead come to terms with their humanity and plenty more in another jam-packed Friday Roundup. Puppets, Metallica covers, Nile Rodgers, drum solos, Dan Mangan, weird Christmas music … as Stefon would say, this playlist has it all. If all this can’t keep you inside the house this weekend, there’s no hope for you.
1 | The Lickerish Quartet | Snollygoster Goon
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Lickerish Quartet — ex-Jellyfish members Roger Joseph Manning Jr., Tim Smith and Eric Dover — are standing by their promise to release more new music before the end of 2020. Their Threesome Vol. 2 EP arrives Jan 8, while Snollygoster Goon can be seen now. Says Dover: “A frenetic forensic foray into classic, old-as-civilization themes involving greed, graft and corruption as applied to any political sphere. The music is Adderall-based in theory to reflect the absolute breakneck speed at which the corruption flourishes. The snake oil salesman kissing babies, the saccharine unimaginative public image.”
2 | Bones Owens | Blind Eyes
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Bones Owens will release his garage-swamp, self-titled debut full-length on Feb. 26. Today, he releases Blind Eyes. The album’s most languid number, Blind Eyes is a darkly charged meditation on emotional limits. “It’s somewhat nostalgic, talking about some of the more decadent periods in my life,” Bones notes. “It’s the story of the death of a relationship and a destructive way of life.”
3 | Imperial Triumphant | Excelsior
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “New York avant-garde metal outfit Imperial Triumphant release the video for Excelsior, directed by bassist Steve Blanco. “Many people flock to the big city with golden dreams in their eyes willing to do whatever it takes to succeed, like the ones they see at the top … The failure and losing streak is a deceptive reality that slowly finds its way as diminishing returns, caught up in the illusory system.” Excelsior is on the band’s newest album Alphaville, which came out in summer.”
4 | CB3 | Sonic Blaze
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The instrumental psychedelic rock band CB3 released their second album Aeons in February. The essence of the band is the live concert experience — every song becomes different and new, solos are improvised and the intensity is ever-shifting. With limited opportunities for gigs, the band decided to capture the live experience on record. The first of these recordings is Sonic Blaze. Close your eyes, set your mind free, and drift away into the musical universe of CB3!”
5 | The Mostly Dead | As Human As Human
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Two stalwarts of the DIY punk/hardcore scene — The Mostly Dead and The Donalds — are teaming up for a new spilt EP titled Two Handsome, out Nov. 27. Check out the video for The Mostly Dead’s As Human As Human now. “We’re punk rock lifers,” says vocalist and bassist Zak Jordon. “We’ve all played in bands our entire lives, and there’s no reason to stop or slow down now.”
6 | Diamond Head | No Remorse
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Diamond Head’s Lightning To The Nations 2020 is nearing release. With the band having featured so heavily in Metallica’s early career, their new cover of No Remorse seems appropriate. “I wanted to cover a song from Metallica’s debut album, Kill ‘Em All,” explains Brian Tatler, “partly because Metallica covered songs from Diamond Head‘s debut album Lightning To The Nations and it felt like things have come full-circle to me. Then when we got into the rehearsal room, we played No Remorse and immediately it just sounded great.”
7 | Elder Island | Feral
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Elder Island release an eerie video for their haunting single Feral, the first taste of their upcoming sophomore album. Set in the peripheral space between dreams and nostalgia, Feral soundtracks waking up in the middle of the night and feeling like you may not be alone. “We wiggled a camera into the moments between waking and sleep. We paid homage to the horror films that broke into our childhood. We got cold feet standing in the dewy grass. It was a pleasure.”
8 | Yore | Sally Out (ft. Mellah and Nuha Ruby Ra)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Yore is two weeks away from releasing his debut self-titled album. Today, he shares the freewheeling Sally Out, which features Mellah and Nuha Ruby Ra. “I wanted to make a track that was free to flow & meander without having to follow a traditional song structure. I added multiple layers of instrumentation that culminated into a dense & expansive palette — touching on the ‘wall of sound’ aesthetic.”
9 | Thomas | Fuckboyon10
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Thomas is a multitalented artist hell-bent on defining the next generation of music. Beaming to us from another dimension, Thomas shares Fuckboyon10, demonstrating his tremendous talent as a rapper, producer, engineer & overall sonic architect. Thomas explains: “Fuckboyon10 to me means transmuting all negative, all temptations, all demons and releasing into your highest self. It’s an anthem for the lost in aggression and rage due to circumstances they have no control over. Fuckboyon10 means to step in your sovereign your power.”
10 | Wolf King | Sanctuary
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Kick-starting everyone’s weekend with new music, Wolf King are back with a new album, The Path of Wrath, due on March 5. The Path of Wrath is twelve songs of smoke infused blackened heavy metal. The band have just released lead single and video Sanctuary, filmed by Vance Valenzuela during their March, 2020 tour. Wolf King’s brand of blackened metal remains exceptional in its intensity.”
11 | Gama Bomb | Miami Supercops
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ireland’s thrash export Gama Bomb have released Miami Supercops, the third single from their upcoming album Sea Savage. Miami Supercops sees the band pay homage to the 1985 action movie of the same name, and is an ode to all ’80s and ’90s films of the genre.”
12 | Scour | Propaganda
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Extreme metal practitioners Scour unleash Propaganda, a vicious track comes from the band’s Black EP, set for release on Black Friday, Nov. 27. Scour — Philip H. Anselmo, John Jarvis, Derek Engemann, Mark Kloeppel and Adam Jarvis — are faster, tighter, and more relentless than ever before. Comments Anselmo: “We’ve all been inundated with propaganda over our entire lifetimes. The modern day is no different, and this song drives the point home.”
13+14 | LA Timpa | Quarterback + Pomisea
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “LA Timpa just shared Modern Antics In A Deserted Place, a surprise album from the Nigeria-born producer and songwriter who immigrated to Canada as a child. He is also sharing two videos for Quarterback and Pomisea. “Quarterback felt/feels to me like the moment when you’re kind of stepping/ tippytoeing back into the dating world after just getting out of a long term relationship,” says Timpa. “Pomisea is very dense, melodic with a lot of moving parts.”
15 | Rare DM | Send N***s
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Rare DM shares new single Send N***s with an epic music video filmed in the empty streets of NYC at the very beginning of the pandemic. Erin Hoagg (Rare DM) describes the insanity: “The video started as all GoPro shot on my bike, because I could do it myself without seeing anyone. I would ride my bike from Bushwick to Times Square to the Oculus and back — I wouldn’t get off my bike at all because the city was in lockdown. No bodega, no restroom stops — just bike somewhere with the right spooky aesthetic and ride home … Somewhere along the way, some dude caught me on his phone in the wild, and two days after, my Mom in Michigan sends me a TikTok of me on Canal Street.”
16 | Aeternitas | The Birthmark
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Aeternitas’ new album Haunted Minds is their sixth and most powerful. The band’s comment: “After two years of intensive work we are proud but also relieved to present our new songs. We hope that the blood, sweat and tears we shed during the production have been worthwhile.”
17 | Sodom | Friendly Fire
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “German thrash metal legends Sodom release their single and video Friendly Fire, from the album Genesis XIX set for release Nov. 27. Notes bandleader Tom Angelripper: “I can hardly believe or indeed describe how much I love this song. I’m pretty sure it sets the direction for our next album.”
18 | Dirty Projectors | My Possession
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dirty Projectors just released Ring Road, their fifth EP of 2020, completing their most ambitious and earnest endeavor thus far. Watch the video for My Possession, the ending to Ring Road and a stark prayer on the things we carry with us and the things we let go.”
19 | 10mg | Illusions of Your Brain
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Brazilian rock band 10mg release their second single Illusions of Your Brain. Along with the single, they also released the video that had a mega production directed by Vitor Bossa. 10mg presents a unique sound, with different musical backgrounds, where you can see something very special happening, where the musicians bring some influences in common and many others escaped a consensus, a fact that gave an apparently unique air to the creations.”
20 | Wynona Bleach | Glimmer
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Belfast’s Wynona Bleach release Glimmer, the first track from their upcoming debut album Moonsoake. “Glimmer was an instrumental with no lyrics right up until we had left for Portugal (to record the debut album) … It’s a song about self-manipulation and feeling uneasy in your own brain.”
21 | Larnell Lewis | The Forgotten Ones
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Grammy-winning musician, composer and producer Larnell Lewis, best known for playing drums for the Brooklyn band Snarky Puppy, releases his new album Relive the Moment, a reimagination of his 2018 debut album In the Moment. The album also includes one new track, The Forgotten Ones, which is an emotional open solo paying tribute to Lewis’ ancestral lineage. “I truly love telling stories through music, especially when it means that I get to relive my moments from a place of wisdom and celebration.”
22 | Blessed | Rosalia
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “African-Australian creative Blessed just unveiled his debut project Music Is The Medicine, alongside the lead single Rosalia — written in homage to the popstar and with an approved sample. It serves as the perfect introduction to what the talented artist, musician and producer had to offer, as he continues to stand firm in his presence as one to watch for the foreseeable.”
23 | The Wilderness | Fire & The Wolves
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Kingston indie-rockers The Wilderness did the ultimate version of turning lemons into lemonade this past summer. Unable to tour because of the COVID-19 pandemic, they cut Live at the Bathouse, which comes out Dec. 4. “It was lovely to be at The Bathouse in the summer,” says guitarist Sacha Lansky. “We’d spend the evenings hanging out on the pier, and Jonas and I would go fishing throughout the day. A stark contrast to the cold and icy months when we recorded the full album.”
24 | Yes Nice | Few Words To Say
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Yes Nice is the brainchild of Scott McKellar and Nathaniel Wong. Their new album Eternal Flame puts together elements of ’80s synth, funk, jazz, folk and rock into a sonic assemblage. Few Words To Say was inspired by learning to speak in the context of growing up in Alberta. Alberta can be quite polarized in its social and political realities and finding a voice in that can be a struggle.”
25 | Linn | I’m Out Of Alcohol, You’re Out Of Your Mind
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Copenhagen musician Linn has released her debut EP Happy Metal. To mark the release, Linn has also shared a new video for I’m Out Of Alcohol, You’re Out Of Your Mind. “The song is about being close to someone, but still feeling the distance. When you don’t know what to do or what to talk about, because you’re suddenly forced into isolation and everything has been cancelled.”
26 | Postdata | Twin Flames
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The latest track from Postdata, Twin Flames, features a video directed by Christopher Mills. It is the title track of Postdata’s just announced album, slated for release March 5. Wintersleep fans will be familiar with Postdata as the solo project of singer Paul Murphy, who explains, “Lyrically (Twin Flames) about weathering storms. It’s a love song but also felt really poignant personally during full pandemic lockdown this idea of weathering storms. Enduring them. Inhabiting them. Becoming them.”
27 | Nina Herzog | Changing Seasons
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Nina Herzog’s six-song EP Together Away will be released Feb. 12. A video for the first single Changing Seasons is here now. “The desire to experience the changing seasons is a metaphor for experiencing love and life fully,” she said. “I wanted to express the ways lovers and loved ones retain the sensation of being eternally present in each other’s lives, the ways in which humans are able to feel deeply connected — despite death or great distances.”
28 | GIllian Stone | Bridges
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Gillian Stone is a Toronto multi-instrumentalist who aims to reconcile tenderness and dark emotion in her work. Her music is an exploration of inner and outer landscapes, turbulent feelings, recovery, and the juxtaposition of femininity and imperfection. She uses vulnerability to create a safe space to explore the dichotomy of beauty and discomfort. Her debut single Bridges is a building, echoing psych-folk track written during a summer of self-imposed turbulence.”
29 | The Ella Sisters | James Dean
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Continuing their assault on the indie-pop sphere, Norwegian twins The Ella Sister return with the endearing, nostalgic James Dean, from the band’s forthcoming EP Sugarcoat. They say: “We wrote James Dean as a nostalgic and heartfelt tune, comparing a big love interest to the story of the legend by the title name … Ultimately there is an underlying deeper meaning, questioning whether boys ever really feel free to be vulnerable.”
30 | Kat Cunning | Supernova (Tigers Blud PVRIS Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Singer-songwriter Kat Cunning released their debut single Supernova in summer. Kat is now back with a new remix from their friends PVRIS. The video is directed by Katia Tempkin and features Kat playing both the masculine and feminine roles. “I think this remix/reimagination unlocks something really important about the song and who I am as an artist.”
31 | Matt Storm + Ivan Hartle | More To Find
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vancouver musicians Matt Storm and Ivan Hartle share their collaborative single More To Find. despite its chill mood, the song’s deeper meaning is a bit more heavy. “More To Find is a song about soul searching, coming to terms with your past, and embracing the uncertainty of your future,” says Hartle. “Matt and I have similar musical tastes, so this collaboration was long overdue, and it came together with a level of spontaneity and inspiration that’s captured in the recording.”
32 | Hua Li 化力 | Four More Days
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Montreal’s Hua Li 化力 released her new EP Yellow Crane today and shares the video for Four More Days, a quarantine love song. Directed by Steve Deku, the video portrays the physical barriers to long-distance love in the time of COVID-19. “The video follows me through a lonesome, socially distanced dinner date,” explains Li, “an at-home performance in a houseplant forest and my general stranded pleas to the heavens to send a Romeo for me to Juliet from my first-story balcony.”
33 | Ben Caplan | O Holy Night
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ahead of the holidays and his next album, Halifax songwriter Ben Caplan O Holy Night. “I don’t love Christmas music,” said Caplan. “Being Jewish, Christmas wasn’t a big thing in my home, and I have to admit that I find a lot of that music corny. That said, I have a deep-felt belief that if you don’t like something, you should do something about it. There are some truly beautiful songs and carols out there, and I wanted to make something that tip-toes towards the sublime rather than shopping-mall-easy-listening.”
34 | Leah Belle Faser | I Wonder What You Got For Me
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Written by Meghan Toohey and Rebecca Emily Gebhardt and originally performed by the Broadway cast of Waitress for the 2017 Broadway Cares charity album, I Wonder What You Got For Me is a quaint and amusing Christmas song recorded here with a country flavor by Leah Belle Faser, an Atlanta singer-songwriter.”
35 | Pearly Drops | Call For Help
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Crafting soul-stirring pop dirges all the way from Helsinki, Pearly Drops is the moniker for Sandra Tervonen and Juuso Malin, who just released their debut album Call For Help. Its title track is an entrancing, instantly memorable yet slightly abrasive pop tune that has all the trappings any Grimes fan will love. “Call For Help is the key track to set the boldly sore tone of the full album. For us, it’s as if the narrative and the song itself couldn’t decide whether to be happy or not, to be pop or not, to stay or to vanish — it just needs your final attention.”
36 | Samana | Live For The Road
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Wales-based duo Samana follow the October EP The Spirit Moving with the single Live For The Road. Self-produced, recorded and mixed whilst holed-up in a remote part of France, Live For The Road is a song of celebration. The band explain: “It reconciles the power of freedom, the power of instincts, the power of fate and of decision. It speaks of life as a path; a dream, an open road. It recognizes the importance of the present moment and the realisation of the journey.”
37 | InHibit | The Quest
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Taking cues from some of the most influential alt-rock acts of the past three decades, InHibit’s latest single The Quest looks to establish him as one of the most challenging new acts from Europe. The video presents him as a true outsider — decorated with some stunning, perhaps even startling, scarification (which he is keen to point out, is make-up, not real!).”
38 | Armaan Malik | How Many
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Multi-faceted singer-songwriter and musician Armaan Malik releases the track How Many. Armaan says, “How Many is about complex relationships where you’re constantly fighting making up, taking the hits but yet carrying on … One of the hardest decisions is when to call it quits and close a chapter for good. It’s really tough when you love somebody to just give up.”
39 | Egokills | Dormant
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “ Dormant, the new song by Egokills, the metal hippies from Finland, is about isolation. The song is remarkably darker and heavier than the band’s previous work. The idea of a puppet theater video has been around for a while in their camp. ”It took a while but I am very glad we did it now!”
40 | Draumr | Sage Green Eyes
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In a career filled with collaborations across genres, Draumr stands out as the solo project of French musician Gabriel Cheurfa. Meaning “dream” in ancient Norse, Draumr is born of the dialogue between imagination and reality. Sage Green Eyes is a sensual dream-pop voyage delving into the fascination of a recurring dream, in which an obsession grows as a seductive figure, awakening the dreamer’s soul every time she appears. Sage Green Eyes comes via Draumr’s album Drawn-Out Daydream, out Dec, 11.”
41 | Cedric Gervais x Franklin | Everybody Dance (ft. Nile Rodgers)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The legendary Nile Rodgers has teamed up with DJ Cedric Gervais and rising talent Franklin on a reworking of the Chic hit Everybody Dance. Says Franklin: “For me, Everybody Dance was always so instantly recognisable when you heard that Bernard Edwards bass riff … I just couldn’t resist trying to reimagine the song in a more contemporary dance-crossover setting. When I heard Nile not only loved it but actually wanted to cut the guitars down himself, I genuinely didn’t believe it!”
42 | Fickle Friends | Million
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Fickle Friends are soundtracking our current worst of times in the best possible way with luminous synth-pop textures and dynamic energy. The single Million previews their upcoming Weird Years (Season 1) EP, out Jan. 15. Fickle Friends commented, “Sometimes when you meet someone they can immediately become a part of you. The energy you share is electric. They open your mind and make you think differently. They are the medicine to cure your romantic cynicism. They’re one in a million.”
43 | Cicadastone | Out of Sight
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Melbourne rockers Cicadastone have released their single Out of Sight, from their 2021 album Cold Chamber. “Out of Sight is a song about self-discovery and challenging yourself to know who you really are. To admit your faults and be OK with it. We are who we are even if we wanna be something else.’’
44 | Frosttide | We Will Be Gone
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pandora’s box has been opened and there is no going back! Frosttide, the Finnish metal monster, present We Will Be Gone, from their upcoming third album set for release in 2021. Songwriter Juho Patinen comments: “The song is inspired by all existence and its meaning to an individual, viewed from a rather objective perspective … Only one thing is certain in the end: Everything is temporary. Someday everything will be gone just like it didn’t exist before. We will be gone.”
45 | Josh Stevens | Hello Darling
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Josh Stevens is a Los Angeles singer, songwriter and engineer. His early career was based around hip-hop, but he has found his sound in the world of pop and indie-rock. “Hello Darling was written about my daughter … I am thankful for the opportunity to share my experience through this music.”
46 | JJ Wilde | Mercy
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “JJ Wilde’s music has been called ripe and ready for cranking while also being emotionally raw in its lyrical content, as her poignant song Mercy proves. Says JJ: “Mercy is a story of revenge. It is about a man who tries to steal something from a woman. Her sense of self, safety, control. He tries, but he does not succeed.”
47 | Decouplr | Cold Sweat
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Merging the digital elements of trip hop and electronica with the live elements of soul music, Philadelphia duo Decouplr are announcing their debut album Digital Bonfire (out in February) and releasing their first single Cold Sweat. “I thought about the concept of distance in a modern technological world,” explains Bailey Walker. “To me, Cold Sweat is an intersection of the whirling uncertainties of this year colliding with a desire to be vulnerable with our closest friends.”
48 | Ebony Buckle | You’re Loved
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ebony Buckle is a London singer-songwriter. Taking listeners on a whimsical leftfield-pop journey with her complex harmonies and imaginative storytelling lyricism, Buckle sings about disgruntled mermaids, lonely whales and joyous, hypothetical alien invasions. You’re Loved is a calming and encouraging song that we all need. She confides, “This song is something I wrote one winter when I felt really lost and alone … It was like I had needed to hear that voice saying, ‘It’s OK.’ ”
49 | Hot Breath | Bad Feeling
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hot Breath’s Bad Feeling is the first release from the band since their debut EP in 2019. With vocal harmonies and dirty guitar licks, Bad Feeling throws you right into a never-ending afterparty. The band has mastered the art of tasty riffing and memorable hooks, presenting is all with a no-nonsense attitude. Hot Breath is a wicked rock ’n’ roll animal set to twist your hips.”
50 | Adrian Aiello | Calculated
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Adrian Aiello is a member of the indie-pop band Air Traffic Controller. While in quarantine, Aiello has been working on his solo music, with the first single Calculated out today. “Calculated is a meditation on a common struggle we all go through, of feeling stuck, inside your own brain and body, bad habits, the worlds and barriers we build for ourselves and pushing through to breakdown those walls. It motivates me to move forward and keep pushing, even if we don’t have all the answers.”
51 | Knut | Spit
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Labelled as one of the most irreverent and exciting bands of the ’90s, Swiss noise aggressors Knut will finally see their classic debut album Leftovers remastered on vinyl. Check out their song Spit. Primal grooves tunnel through the body like carnal vines as rhythms simultaneously abuse and invigorate while rapacious downtuned riffs gnaw ravenously at the senses and united they casts a Tartarean beauty which cannot be escaped.”
52 | Matt Berninger | One More Second (Future Islands Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Matt Berninger, frontman of The National, shares a remix of One More Second from his acclaimed debut solo record, Serpentine Prison, by Future Islands. “Every time I put on Future Islands my impression of the human condition improves,” notes Berninger. “Their remix of One More Second kills me.”
53 | Dan Mangan x Zeus | Waltz #2 (XO)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Singer-songwriter Dan Mangan just dropped Thief, a compilation of covers he’s released over the last decade. It includes Elliott Smith’s Waltz #2 (XO), performed with Blacksmith and Zeus. “When you’re young, you learn covers because it makes you feel connected to the swirling tornado of music that you so long to be a part of. As an adult, it’s a matter of sanity. I get sick of the same taste in my mouth and I need to sing someone else’s song to cleanse my palate.”
54 | Mariel Buckley | No Surprise
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mariel Buckley brings her relentless humour to classic honky-tonk with No Surprise, a song about finally being able to look past the romanticized version of your ex lover. “No Surprise is the harsh moment of truth when sobering up from love’s beer goggles,” she says. “It’s humour to repress the pain, the wincing smile after a stiff drink when we finally see things as they truly are. Can you really be surprised that someone who’s let you down time and time again has let you down, again?”
55 | De’Borah Powell & The Benefactors | Love Can’t Be Controlled
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “U.K. singer/songwriter De’Borah Powell is reintroducing herself to her fans with new collective The Benefactors, after a five-year hiatus to craft a new sound. Her single Love Can’t Be Controlled showcases a powerful and charismatic performance: “I wrote this song at the end of a prolonged season of unrequited love. At the time I was feeling offended that things hadn’t gone the way I thought they should, and wanted to control and manipulate the outcome.”
56 | Leon Stanford | Plan B
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Welsh indie-popster Leon Stanford returns with Plan B, from the forthcoming EP Fear Is Heavy. Leon explains, “Plan B is about my love / hate relationship with being a musician. As someone who’s been in a band for a good few years before my solo project, I have dealt with my fair share of hope / failure and reviews but there’s never really been a Plan B.”
57 | Vokonis | Through the Depths
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “After their third album Grasping Time (2019), Vokonis immediately recorded more material — recordings that are more dynamically diverse and forward-thinking than ever before. Ranging from full-blown doom to melodically blissful passages, the new material features guest musician Per Wiberg (Opeth, Kamchatka) on keyboard. The first of these recordings released is Through the Depths.”
58 | Monowhales | BL/FF (Fake Friends)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pop-infused indie-rock band Monowhales premiere a confident and playful new song titled BL/FF (Fake Friends). Vocalist Sally Shaar shares, “BL/FF (Fake Friends) gases you up for a hook-up. Memories flood into your head about that damn person that’s hard to get over because the tension is just too fun to avoid. Imagine a late night, your phone dings and you get that far too familiar message. So, you jump in your car at 3am and turn this song up surrounded by streetlights and heavy feelings of lust on your way to some spicy sleepover.”
59 | Julien’s Daughter | Barb 217
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Julien’s Daughter is perhaps Winnipeg’s finest offering to spring from the depths of Kijiji.ca. The band’s off-kilter alt-rock, led by charismatic frontwoman Emma Murphy, has captivated audiences and led to a quick rise since their formation last year via the classified website. Their debut single Barb 217 is out today. “It started with this great riff,” says Murphy. “I think we were truly all in the zone when we made it, just very connected. We were in the basement bouncing ideas off of each other and it just kind of happened.” The band’s debut EP, The Static That Carries Over, arrives Jan. 15.”
60 | Ghost Woman | The End of a Gun
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Western Canadian group Ghost Woman features singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Evan Uschenko, guitarists Travis Salty & Nick Hay, bassist Jon Lent and drummer Eli Browning. Inspired by the Wet’suwet’en pipeline conflicts earlier this year, their new single The End of a Gun tackles “the lack of communication and respect between all of us today — in romantic relationships, workplaces, politics… there seems to be a disconnect.”
61 | Madisyn Whajne | One Shot
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Madisyn Whajne shares One Shot, from her debut album Save Our Hearts, which is set for release on Dec. 11. “One Shot is about that feeling you get when you look across the room,” says Madisyn, “and you lock eyes with someone else, catching yourself getting a rush from an unspoken attraction. It excites you and moves you. There is mystery.”
62 | Carolina East | All The Things
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “East Coast country pop artist Carolina East gives us all the feels on her heartbreaking new single All The Things. A song about a failed relationship, All The Things examines the loss you feel for everything that will never happen because of a breakup. “All The Things is about all of what could have been with a past partner,” says Carolina. “I wrote this song about a relationship that didn’t work out, and for the best.”
63 | The Prosaics | Frown
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Prosaics, aka A.G. Williams, is one man with a machine, creating songs that are wry, scornful and cripplingly English. His debut single Frown explores the under-appreciated notion that all emotions should be worthwhile in the human experience. The song controversially triumphs the thought that one should strive to be unhappy. Excommunicate from the cult of silver linings and fake smiles. The track was recorded entirely naked in the dark!”
64 | Lodet | Chasing Circles
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Swedish artist Lodet has shared a new single titled Chasing Circles and announced his debut EP Many Days is due on Dec. 11. The Swedish singer-songwriter born Joakim Bjornberg weaves personal tales and forward-looking optimism into psych-rock vignettes that traverse styles. The laid-back feel of his music is thanks to many hours spent bird watching and plotting his garden while enjoying a nice cup of coffee.”
65 | Black Tree Magic | Beethoven
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Berlin stoner-rock discovery Black Tree Magic announced the release of their debut Through The Grapevine and unleashed their single Beethoven. “Music to warp your mind to under a blazing summer sun. That’s Black Magic Tree: elastic psychedelic hard blues through a uniquely Berlin lens.”
66 | Georgia van Etten | I’d Like To Be
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “U.K.-based, Melbourne-born singer Georgia van Etten has released her second single I’d Like To Be, in the lead-up to her album Deep Black Water. I’d Like To Be is an exuberant ode to the moment of telling someone how you feel about them. Georgia explains, “the song is written as if I’m telling that certain someone then and there how I feel. I want the listener to experience my story but also find resonance if they too have plucked up the courage or longed to.”
67 | Buju Banton | Not An Easy Road Remix
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Reggae legend Buju Banton released the Not An Easy Road remix off his 25th-anniversary edition of Til Shiloh, out Dec. 18. Banton remembers Til Shiloh with a short but satisfying memory: “I listened to that inner voice and I was not misled; the Lord is truly amazing.”
68 | Vân Scott | Thank God It’s Christmas
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Alt-pop singer / songwriter Vân Scott has released a poignant cover of the rare Queen song Thank God It’s Christmas, originally released in 1984. “I stumbled upon this song partway through quarantine while listening to Queen’s catalog and it caught me by surprise. I didn’t know that Queen had ever recorded any Christmas material and I’ve since learned that almost no one else was aware either!”
69 | Flawless Real Talk | Everything
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hip-hop artist Flawless Real Talk has released Everything to provide a voice for female empowerment. The track is dedicated to all of the powerful women in the world. “Everything is all about women empowerment. Our culture and generation doesn’t really teach us to value women, so this song is written to set an example for my audience that we really need to do just that.”
70 | Maggie Szabo | Come Celebrate Christmas
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Festive music is more important than ever to keep our spirits high, and Maggie Szabo’s Come Celebrate Christmas will have you cheerfully sipping eggnog on your virtual happy hours and merrily opening presents via Zoom on Christmas morning. Ready to spread some joy this holiday season, Come Celebrate Christmas is an energetic pop-fueled anthem for a year that deserves some cheer.”
71 | James Humphrys | Three Weeks
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Bristol songwriter and multi-instrumentalist James Humphrys drops the Zoom call-inspired new single Three Weeks. “Let’s be real, lockdown has been bloody tough for us all – particularly those living far away from loved ones… This song is me being honest about the situation,” explains James. “The song came about after a Zoom call with a friend, where we both spoke openly about how we were actually coping.”
72 | Hebe | Cards On The Table Piano Version
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Rising electro-pop singer-songwriter Hebe unveils the stripped-down piano version of Cards On The Table, the title track from her latest EP. “All my songs are born around the piano in my house,” explains Hebe. “With these acoustic versions I want to show the way I wrote them, just me behind the piano, purely focusing on the lyrics.”
73 | Crazy Arm | Brave Starts Here
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Seven years since their last official release and against all odds, Crazy Arm make their return. A shot out of the blue, the Devon punk-roots trail-blazers release an incendiary new single Brave Starts Here. Rigorously road-tested during these interim years, it is a breathless ode to heartbreak, loneliness, ageing and self-determination, occupying that sweet spot between bluegrass and punk rock. It’s also a tribute to their good friends and labelmates Larry & His Flask.”
74 | Omonoko | Weight In Gold
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Omonoko are fast becoming one of Ireland’s most exciting exports, with a rare timeless quality to their music that eschews genre and categorisation. Weight In Gold incorporates an addictive bass line, simple but effective electronic sounds, hooky guitar lines and falsetto vocals that deliver a chilled, yet uplifting track about the need to have a break from the outside world, to re-establish a connection with yourself, and to focus on what you next move in life will be.”
75 | Prince Paris | Ordinary Fools (ft. Claire Ridgely)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Globe-trotting DJ and producer Prince Paris releases Ordinary Fools (ft. Claire Ridgely), a summery anthem that calls to mind bikinis, poolside bars and melting, sticky cocktails. “Ordinary Fools is a song about taking risks with a lover and the feelings of those moments captured by the wordplay. We tried to capture something easy and simple.”
76 | Judi Jackson | Crashing Down
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Judi Jackson presents a bold evolution in her sound with Crashing Down. It’s modern soul with a vintage edge. She commented, “As I went through so much pain in my life, I remembered that everything always comes back around … nothing lasts forever. Everything has a quality of impermanence and that is beautiful. No matter what is thrown at us in this crash course called life, we continue to drive, we get back up and we ride because we are strong.”
77 | Charlotte Jane | Get It Right
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Charlotte Jane’s debut EP Nowhere To Hide established her as one of the UK’s brightest new voices. Her single Get It Right shares her sparsely opulent new sound. It was written in response to the frustration of realising that she’d been messed around by a love interest for over a year. “Get it Right is the anthem for the lightbulb moment when you realize your own self-worth and stop letting people string you along. It sounds sad but it’s actually empowering.”
78 | Tessa Kaye | You Know Who You Are and I Hate You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Tessa Kaye is a Philadelphia-born, L.A.-based pop artist. Armed with vibrant individuality and a fresh Kaye unveils the intoxicating You Know Who You Are and I Hate You, an honest song narrating her lifelong struggles with anxiety. She explains, “although it could be about a romantic relationship as well, I’m personally talking to my anxiety about the ways it has debilitated my life at times.”
