The Worst send their regrets, Bradford play with dolls, Nader Sadek are back in Black Osiris, Bombino doubles down, Carly Tefft likes Mike and more in your Tuesday Roundup. Beyonce apparently got a bunch of Grammy nominations today, while Bob Dylan got none. I wonder if either of them actually gives a shit. I know I don’t.
ON REPEAT
1 | The Worst | Yes Regrets
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In honor of a made-up holiday based on historical events that never happened, we hope you have The Worst Thanksgiving in 2020 ! Feast on this: The video for Yes Regrets, featuring Dana Colley (Morphine) on baritone sax. The song is the title track to the band’s upcoming sophomore album, slated for release in the spring of 2021. They say: “Most of the fans of The Worst could never participate in anything as expensive, however discounted it may be, as Black Friday. Yep, that’s how broke most of them are, just like us! Hopefully this video will make them and us feel better and they won’t do something dumb during the holidays, although they are most assuredly going to do so, as unfortunately, are we.”
2 | Bradford | Down-Faced Doll
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Blackburn’s Bradford premiere the haunting video for Down-Faced Doll. Blending sinister imagery with pulse-quickening chase sequences, the visuals heighten the pitch-black themes explored by their latest single. As Ewan Butler says: “I contributed footage which I got whilst on holiday in the French/Italian Alps this summer which includes the tunnel scenes, mountains, cable cars … I think when faced with such formidable scenery you experience a multitude of emotions but the hugeness of it can be quite intimidating, almost harrowing. I wanted to add to that feeling of disquiet that is present in the music and the lyric.”
3 | Nader Sadek | The Serapeum: Black Osiris
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Egyptian-American artist, director, and death metal musician Nader Sadek reveals the video for The Serapeum: Black Osiris from his EP The Serapeum. The Serapeum features principal members Karl Sanders (Nile), Derek Roddy (Serpents Rise), and Mahmud Gecekusu (Perversion), who visited Egypt in 2017 at the invitation of Sadek. Marking Sanders’ and Roddy’s first ever visit to the ancient land, the EP is monikered after an ancient Egyptian subterranean burial chamber and reflects the collective’s deep inspiration by the grounds explored. Sadek recorded the vocals inside the Pyramid of Snefru.”
4+5 | Bombino | Imajghane + Chet Boughassa
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ahead of the release of his first live album Live In Amsterdam this Friday, Bombino shares Imajghane and Chet Boughassa. Says Bombino: “Imajghane is a song about remembering your roots. The world is changing so quickly, and cultures like mine, the Tuareg culture, are under serious threat of disappearing. The loss of traditional indigenous cultures is a great loss for all of humanity. We must do all we can to preserve and celebrate and share our beautiful heritage.”
6 | Carly Tefft | Billie Jean
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Singer-songwriter Carly Tefft has released a video for her new cover of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean. Taken off of the third part (called Page 3 by Tefft) of her new acoustic LP Songs Past Dark, Tefft’s take on the classic pop hit displays a country pop fusion. You Get In The Way and Billie Jean, the remaining two cuts on Songs Past Dark, will be released on Dec. 11.”
ALSO ON THE PLAYLIST
7 | Alaska Reid | Big Bunny
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “As we approach the winter months, here’s the snowy video for Alaska Reid’s fuzzed-out Big Bunny. The title track from her upcoming EP was produced & directed by her partner A. G. Cook (Charli XCX, Jónsi, PC Music). Reid also lent her vocals on Cook’s albums this year as they quarantined together. Big Bunny is out Dec. 11. Joni Mitchell meets Dinosaur Jr. via poignant lyrics and alternate tunings, it tells stories about Alaska & her sister (actress/artist Lilliya Scarlett Reid) growing up in Montana chasing rabbits, singing in local bars & rodeos … And her move to L.A., grappling with displacement between her two homes.”
8 | Mento Buru | Donde Esta Santa Claus?
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mento Buru is a seven-piece band from Bakersfield, that combines an energetic blend of Latin alternative, Jamaican SKA and reggae sounds. East Bakersfield Christmas is their first EP of reimagined holiday classics. “Christmas time is our favorite time of year, so we put something together guaranteed to lift spirits and dancing feet around the Christmas tree,” said lead vocalist Matt Munoz. “Anything set to a ska or reggae beat is sure to bring out the tamales and egg nog with mezcal in East Bakersfield. These songs were personally handpicked, arranged and performed with heart, soul, and of course ska.”
9-11 | Owen | I Go, Ego + Wanting & Willing + Headphoned
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Owen (Mike Kinsella) is happy to share the complete video series The Avalanche Live, which features unique one-take recordings of each song from the new album The Avalanche. Today, videos of Wanting and Willing (captured on the perennially green waters of the Chicago River), Headphoned (filmed as the sun set over Lake Michigan) and I Go, Ego (live from Kinsella’s back yard), join the series, shot with the help of director Craig Shimala. “Craig and I started shooting these pretty early on during quarantine,” says Kinsella, “so we tried to find relatively isolated places to shoot that were also aesthetically pleasing.”
12 | Steven Wilson | 12 Things I Forgot
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Steven Wilson has announced details of a completely unique special edition of his forthcoming sixth album The Future Bites. The sole copy of Ultra Deluxe Music Product on Obsolete Media will retail for £10,000, with proceeds going to the Music Venue Trust. Says Wilson: “This edition of The Future Bites takes the whole notion of deluxe limited editions to its logical and fairly extreme conclusion, as the ultimate limited edition will obviously end up being just one copy.” The track 12 Things I Forgot is a confessional; admissions of neglect mapped out over a piece of soaring guitar music so gloriously uplifting it threatens to leave our stratosphere and keep going.”
13 | War Criminal | Unforgiving
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “New England hardcore band War Criminal share their single and video Unforgiving alongside the announcement that their sophomore EP God Failed Me arrives Dec. 16. Unforgiving, which features guest vocals from Josh Compton of Forced Under, hits heavy from the start with menacing guitar lines before jumping into vocalist Ryan Hill’s gruff approach as he sings about betrayal by a friend. The band states: “Unforgiving was the last song written for the EP, and one we’re very proud of. We made a conscious effort to take influence from both classic and modern-day bands for the song. It’s a good indicator of the sound we hope to continue with.”
14 | Elizabeth Leslie | Empire Falls
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Before delving into her specific moody flavour of goth-pop, Elizabeth Leslie was programming drums and schlepping vintage synths across Montréal as Chromeo’s assistant. In 2012, Leslie embarked on her solo project. Shortly after, she arrived on the Toronto scene where she was introduced to producer Matt DeMatteo and began working with him on her debut EP Brave Animal. Leslie is recording her second EP in the coastal wilderness of Nova Scotia. Her latest single Empire Falls, is an offshoot of this introspective period. With its dark, industrial soundscape and aggressive dance floor rhythms, it is an anarchist anthem that openly confronts the chaos of our current political state of affairs.”
15 | Fortunate Ones | Hold On To Christmas Day
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Fortunate Ones’ new holiday offering was born out of the ashes of a tough year; one that has been life-altering for so many, in so many ways. Produced by Great Big Sea’s Alan Doyle, Hold On to Christmas Day is cautiously hopeful and immediately joyous. It is a sendoff to the rollercoaster that has been 2020. It is a deep exhale and a toast to a fresh start, equal parts elegy and anthem. As they say: “We’ll learn to look back on the year come and gone and bury it’s memory like snow on the lawn, and we’ll tip all our glasses to carrying on, if we hold on to Christmas Day.”
16 | EOS | Draugur
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Enigmatic Australian black-metal trio EOS have just unleashed a video for a track from their debut album The Great Ascension, due out on Dec. 18. The seeds for this vessel were planted over a decade ago and since then they’ve been forging The Great Ascension with the clear purpose of offering an unheard voice within the black metal scene. Featuring seven tracks played with utmost intensity and conviction, the album offers a journey through the darkest corners and thoughts of mankind, a journey through spiritual ecstasy, blood lust and pride.”
17 | Daniel Avery | Petrol Blue
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “I wanted to make something that would sit next to Lone Swordsman. Petrol Blue was written in a studio at the very edge of the country. The views across the water without a single sight on the horizon always create a certain atmosphere in my mind, some kind of unknowing warmth. Real life seems pretty distant in those moments. The track came about quickly, in the space of a few hours, and filled the room immediately. It’s named after my own little space down by the water that continues to be its own escape and a constant source of creativity. I owe my life to that metal box right now. Petrol Blue will be out on vinyl in January, on the flip of the Lone Swordsman 12”.”
18 | The Happy Sun | Airforce One
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “One month after the release of Airforce One, the whole thing comes back with moving image background music. Covid 19-compliant ticketing and in selfie-manner. A classic The Happy Sun video. Low-fi with charm. Guest singer Cherry Sunkist and songwriter Gerhard Potuznik are responsible for the pictures. Potuznik aka The Happy Sun took the song Airforce One out of his electronic moth box, dusted it off, rearranged it and formed it into a modern electro-pop number that carries the spirit of the 1980s and 1990s, but leaves the retro charm out. We repeat what we have already said about the single release: Hit potential high 10!”
19 | Sam Wickens | Strange.24
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sam Wickens has just released Strange.24 and announced his new EP Watson, due Feb. 5. Combining slick production with raw feeling, Strange.24 showcases Sam’s vocal prowess and his ability to suck the listener into his musical universe. Sam says “It’s a song about the acceptance of recovering from a battle with mental illness, the feeling of something changing within my life and trying to accept that it is actually happening. After fighting with mental illnesses for such a long time, the possibility of it leaving was a complete myth to me. Life without deep hopelessness seemed strange to me as I was accustomed to the black hole that was my normality. This song was a therapeutic way to help me move on with my recovery.”
20 | Sens Dep | Nebuvital
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sens Dep (Sensory Deprivation) are a band that creates textured noise, ambient and shoegaze. These sonic ruminations that explore ideas of control, restraint and abandon in equal measure. Formed in 2009 by Andrew and Ben Yardley as a side project for Melbourne band Laura, the group’s debut album Lush Desolation will be released Friday. Today they share the Nebuvital video.”
21 | Joelistics x Garden Tiger | Memory Palace
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “This year, Australian beatmaker Joel Ma aka Joelistics announced the beginnings of an ambitious new project that would see him switching out his previously lauded role of MC for his newly crowned title of Victoria’s Best Producer in his forthcoming concept record and production project Joelistics Presents Film School. Crafting a transient world of beats, synths and their visual counterparts, Film School will bring together dance, film, animation and a sprawling soundtrack of immersive atmospherics. On Memory Palace, Joelistics has teamed up with Mindy Meng Wang and Francesca Mountfort of Melbourne underground cello/guzheng/synth group Garden Tiger to weave a sensual piece alluding to fear and its connection to the senses.”
22 | High Reeper | Hurricane
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The re-release of High Reeper’s self-titled debut album comes on Jan. 11. It will include two bonus tracks. Their blazing cover of U.S. doom legends Pentagram’s Hurricane is one of them. “All of us love Pentagram, especially the early stuff, so we thought it would be cool if we did a track from that era. It’s an overlooked track but we all think it rocks.” says the band. High Reeper’s self titled debut is an unapologetic punch to the face for fans of early ’70s proto-metal. The sound and smell of leather, weed, boozing, gambling and death permeate the record from start to finish.”
23 | Karima Francis | Carelessness Causes Fire
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Karima Francis returns with the deeply moving new single Carelessness Causes Fire. Written and recorded remotely between Karima’s base in London and producer Tim Carr’s studio in L.A., it forms a songwriting pearl from the gritty realities she experienced during her formative years as an artist, serving as both a cautionary tale to the brave and cripplingly candid reflection on the darker side of a life in the music industry. Francis says: “The song is about working through past traumas and how this has affected my life and confidence as an artist to date. It also has a global message … When the pressure is too much an explosive eruption can happen, which can be dangerous and destructive.”
24 | Vis Mystica | Lux Et Veritas (ft. David Michael Moote)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vis Mystica come from a galaxy far, far away, or at least Pennsylvania. They play Star Wars-themed metal designed as escapism from everyday life and transportation into a fantastical world of magical powers and epic stories. They have a new album coming out in 2021 called Celestial Wisdom and listeners can dive into it with the single Lux Et Veritas featuring guest vocals from Operus’ David Michael Moote. The single comes across as a kind of happy song but the lyrics tell a completely different story. This song is based on the prisoner Daegen Lok, who was exiled for prophesying the coming war between the Rakatans and the people of Tython. The band add: “Definitely a song that will be very popular live.”
25 | Dira Mortis | Sepulchlar Maniac
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Polish death metal outfit Dira Mortis will release their monstrous third album, Ancient Breath Of Forgotten Misanthropy in December. Get a preview with Sepulchlar Maniac. On Ancient Breath Of Forgotten Misanthropy, Dira Mortis bring forth seven intense, massive, and crushing tracks of classic death metal tracks influenced by the likes of Incantation, Immolation and Autopsy. Dira Mortis came into existence in 1998 and continue to serve a powerful dose of ominous cemetery stench death metal.”
26 | Quarter-Life Crisis | You & Me (ft. Claud)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Quarter-Life Crisis, Ryan Hemsworth’s collaborative project, has shared You & Me feat. Claud, the fourth single from their upcoming self-titled debut EP, which also features collaborations with Frances Quinlan (Hop Along), Hand Habits, Charlie Martin (Hovvdy), and Yohuna. It is, once again, a very lovely one indeed.”
27 | Caveboy | Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Caveboy have released Jolly Old Saint Nicholas. The song is featured in the forthcoming Holiday rom-com Happiest Season, due out Nov 25. It stars Kristen Stewart, Dan Levy and many more.”
28 | Good Lovelies | Christmas Time’s A Comin’
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Good Lovelies present Christmas Time’s A Comin’, a cover of the classic from Benjamin “Tex” Logan. Says the band’s Kerri Ough: “My favourite thing about this song is the chorus, but especially the last line: “Christmas time’s a comin’ and I know I’m going home.” After living away from my family for many, many years, this holds special weight with me now. Now, Christmas means being at home, surrounded by family, being with the people you love, and having a moment to be still and rest during the darkest days of the winter.”
29 | Michael Feuerstack | I Used to Be a Singer
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “All over Montreal Michael Feuerstack’s latest record, Harmonize the Moon, time — and its inherent illusory nature — is incredibly elastic. Some moments seem to stretch on forever; others are illuminated only briefly, like fiery embers popping into the sky, extinguished just as quickly as they’re recognized. I Used to Be a Singer is a pensive rumination on perception, acceptance and agency lyrically sets the tone for the understated but expansive 10 song collection, where the mystical and the absurd mingle together like it’s the most natural thing in the world.”
30 | Josh Tavares | Tightrope
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto alt-pop artist Josh Tavares has been a music lover from an early age. Josh began experimenting with original music when he was 10 and took every opportunity he could to perform. Writing music is by far his favourite part of the creative process and almost always starts with a title and works his way through the verses and chorus from there. Josh’s new single, Tightrope, is a downtempo alt-pop track exploring the contrast of your real emotions versus what you choose to show everyone around you.”
31 | Mid City | Good For It
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Good For it is the next track from Australian quartet Mid City. The triumphant energy permeating throughout their EP reaches a particular touchstone on Good For It. Surging ahead with inescapable melodies and charging vocals, the song is a master stroke from Mid City, highlighting the band’s dynamism and performance strength.”
