Skam are on the hunt, Locean rock out like a boss, Laced In Lust are no fools for the city, Bleakheart introduce you to a stranger — and that’s just the start of your Monday Roundup. Are you ready for December? Too bad; it’s happening anyway.
1 | Skam | One Track Mind
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Skam release the single & video One Track Mind. This track sees the boys express the darker side of the Skam sound. The fuzztastic buzzsaw riff heralds the story of a man with insomnia, the trouble he has getting to sleep and the thoughts in his head. All be it for a chilling reason … inspired by the strange notion that even the most innocent can have dark secrets and things hiding in the shadows. The track itself is the perfect blend of what makes Skam popular: Hard-hitting riffs and a melodic singalong chorus.”
2 | Locean | Sprucce Bingsteen
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mancunian noise collective Locean share the off-kilter video for Sprucce Bingsteen. Their album Top Ten Zen Meditations comes out Dec. 11. “Top Ten Zen Mediations is a return to the early, unhinged phase of Locean,” explains vocalist Lauren Bolger. “It documents two phases of the band. Two lineups of people, two different sets of tension and intimacy in the room. Therefore, the whole album has a dual contrasting energy running through it. It harnesses our live performance really well and we think it’s the closest you’ll get to actually seeing a Locean show.”
3 | Laced In Lust | Hard In This Town
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Aussie hard rockers Laced In Lust unveil their video for Hard In This Town, off the album First Bite, due out in February. With a sound frequently described as a “Sleazy Status Quo,” Laced In Lust have been turning heads since their first show in 2012. Singer-guitarist Torsten Steel explains the new track “is a story about a city in Australia that I lived in for a year that was really an eye-opener. Even though a lot of the lyrics are about this city (which I actually for some strange reason do have a small soft spot for) they certainly relate to many other cities and towns around Australia that I have also had experiences in also.”
4 | BleakHeart | The Visitor
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Denver atmospheric doom unit BleakHeart undrape their stunning video for The Visitor, off the band’s Dream Griever full-length. BleakHeart was initially the solo project of JP Damron, who soon recruited friend Kelly Schilling to contribute her voice to the venture. Following the release of their first demo, the dreamy-dreary duo was joined by Mark Chronister and Josh Kauffman to fully realize their downtrodden, mournful resonance. “The album explores the patterns of destruction and turmoil created within us and the time we lose within those fleeting cycles,” says Schilling. “The record goes to all of those places — the acknowledgement, the attempted escape, and the inevitable missteps into the depths of our own machinations.”
5 | Raquel Lily | Heartstrings
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Born in the Philippines, raised in New York and currently residing in Atlanta, Raquel Lily is an independent singer, songwriter, musicians and producer. Her upcoming full-length concept album I’m Leaving features eight songs narrating a coming-of-age story about someone going through their 20s. Raquel confides, “Everyone’s been broken from something. You smoke some weed, you fall in love, they turn out to be a fuckboy, you’re with someone shitty, you break up, you ghost them, you still love them, you resign, you meet someone new and there’s hope again.”
6 | Ronley Teper | New Love
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Children at heart who love poetic, theatric, satiric yet at times serious storytelling — all alongside magical music and visuals — should prepare themselves for the surprising world of Ronley Teper. Born in South Africa and raised in Toronto, she is an active composer, producer & multimedia artist. Her storytelling and songwriting styles cycle through many influences from folk, funk, jazz, cabaret, art-rock, and pop sensibilities. Ronley’s single New Love is a building track reminding listeners that there always is the possibility of connection. Sometimes it takes time and effort, sometimes it is effortless.”
7 | Black Collar Union | Gone Wrong
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Founded on blood, sweat, and brotherhood, Black Collar Union is a hard rock trio out of Hamilton. Having two records under their belt with esteemed producers Andre Kaden Black and Tal Vaisman, the band went back into the studio with full force to create the three-song EP Vultures. Their single Gone Wrong is the forthcoming release’s latest offering, and an anthem for people who refuse to give up no matter what life decides to throw their way.”
8 | Morgan Rose | Exhale
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sevendust drummer Morgan Rose just released his debut solo EP Controlled Chaos. Today he issues the first music video from the EP, for the haunting track Exhale. The video follows Morgan as he prepares to head out and face all the challenges the world presents him while inspiring others to follow his path.”
9 | The James Clark Institute | Should I Tell Her
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Whether he’s an institute or not, James Clark is a doctor of pop. His prescription is simple: Three-minute blasts of medicinal music. For his new 10-song album The Colour Of Happy, James once again called upon the talents of producer/musician Moe Berg (The Pursuit Of Happiness), a man who knows his way around a hook. Moe also added his unique guitar sound and vocals to the record, which will be released soon-ish. It leads off with the instantly memorable single Should I Tell Her, where Clark muses “my mind has a mind of its own I think.”
10 | Dope Lemon | Kids Falling in Love
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Is there any greater feeling then falling in love? In all its surreal, sublime splendour, this is evoked perfectly on Kids Fallin’ In Love, the summer-kissed single from Dope Lemon. A warm, soulful new direction for Angus Stone, Kids Fallin’ In Love is the sound of a man starry-eyed and glazed over with a kind of lost for words love. “This is a little love song about coming back to that magical place you can go when you feel that warm glow around your heart again for that new very special human you have stumbled upon in your life. Allowing yourself to be loved & fall in love and all the good things to come with opening that door again.”
11 | Teloch Vovin | Samael Lord Of The Second Death
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “New York City’s ritualistic black/death metal outfit Teloch Vovin have revamped their lineup and return stronger than ever in 2020. Following a recent personnel shift which sees an almost entirely new lineup, the re-imagined Teloch Vovin unites founding guitarist Grigori with drummer Ash, bassist Saturnus, lead guitarist C.0.S., and dueling vocalists Telal and Baba Ogun. The new collective has been diligently working on new material throughout 2020, and recently issued a video for Samael Lord Of The Second Death.”
12 | Once A Tree | Whatever You Do Kid
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “B.C.-born, Toronto-based duo Once A Tree released their EP Fool’s Paradise on Nov. 20. Now, Hayden and Jayli Wolf have released a performance visual of their song Whatever You Do Kid. The visual was directed, filmed and edited by Hayden Wolf. “2020 has brought so many unexpected struggles,” they say, “but we hope this new music can shine a little light and love from us to you.”
13 | Stereotypical Working Class | Soon I Will
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A few weeks after the official release of their new EP Célestopol, French alternative-metal rockers Stereotypical Working Class just unveiled a video illustrating the song Soon I Will. Emerging from Lyon in 1999, SWC released their debut EP in 2003 with Illusions, followed in 2006 with their first album Sans Repères. In 2008, they tried something a little bit different with the acoustic effort Station of Nowhere before returning to the pure and electrical rock/metal vibe with Day After Day, mixed by Mark Trombino and released one year later. For the fourth album, they worked with Fred Kevorkian on Every Could Has A Silver Lining (2014) — and after a few quiet years, they’re back in business in 2020.”
14 | AJ Wander | Time Out
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “London pop singer-songwriter AJ Wander has shared a live performance video of his debut single Time Out. The video, filmed at Craxton Studios in London, finds Wander sitting at an antique piano for a stripped-down rendition of the song. The lush, piano-driven melodies lend themselves to the lyrics as AJ expresses his emotions over a difficult breakup.”
15 | Full Metal Failey | Crocs ‘n’ Corona
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “It’s been a busy weekend for radio DJs Scott ‘Full Metal’ Hackett and Pete ‘Failey’ Bailey. Following the release of their charity single Crocs ‘n’ Corona, the pair were thrilled to see the track breaching the charts. Crocs ‘n’ Corona was the product of an online game, in which Pete and Scott asked viewers to suggest two random words for them to write a song around. All profits from the single being donated to the Music Venues Trust campaign Save Our Venues.”
https://youtu.be/lfvDInOD5fM
16 | The Last Morrell | Picking At Stitches
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Seldom do we see an artist create their own video the way The Last Morrell has done with Picking at Stitches, the second single from his debut EP Sarcasm. During lockdown, The Last Morrell taught himself stop-motion animation, creating 5,000 individual photographs that tell a story of coping with depression as beautifully as one could imagine. “Picking at Stitches is about opening old wounds and forcing yourself to confront how your worst experiences have shaped you as a person, it’s therapy. And the video accompanies it beautifully I think, most of us can relate to those days where you feel unable to even leave the house. I kind of hope this video will make people cry, sort of.”
17 | Amanda Fedora | Wanderer
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Indonesian orch-pop artist Amanda Fedora has shared a video for her second single Wanderer, inspired by her grandmother’s struggle with Alzheimer’s. Written and performed by Amanda, the track is a reminder to those with Alzheimer’s and their families that they are not alone in their struggles, with lyrics such as, “she says there is no greater pain than loneliness, surrounded with these people I don’t know, and though the road is long … You’ll never be alone.”
18 | Consecration | To Welcome The Grey
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Consecration have been hard at work in the studio, summoning up more despondency and despair for your sorrowful hearts. To celebrate completing work on the follow up to their critically acclaimed Fragilium album the band decided to put together a new lyric video for the epic fan favourite To Welcome The Grey.”
19 | Alex Mills | Stamina
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Alex Mills takes us back to the heyday of rave culture on her thumping new video Stamina. She says: “Doing a video during lockdown always requires a little more imagination so we were really excited when it lifted over the summer and we could add more elements like the dancers who now feature heavily and are absolutely dope! It also gave me a chance to show off my collection of hats which I’m clearly a fan!”
20 | Jake.O | NV
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “My name is Jake Oliver and I reside in Wilmington, NC. I strive to create unique melodies and moods that leave the listener feeling inspired, yet curious. NV is one of my favorite songs. There was no particular feeling driving me when creating it, other than a sense that all of the pieces were coming together fluently. Typically, my best work comes from putting in the least effort. I find that when I am trying too hard to make a good song, I hit a dead end. NV encapsulates the feeling of a no-name artist who embodies a confident personality while facing tremendous amounts of uncertainty and scrutiny amongst an incredibly saturated industry.”
21 | Cesspool Of Corruption | Technological Enslavement
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hailing from Dallas, Cesspool Of Corruption originally released their debut EP Eradication Of The Subservient, independently in 2016. Since then it has remained the prized possession of the few, a secret treasure for those who were lucky enough to stumble upon it. But its days in obscurity are numbered. On Dec. 11, this staggeringly powerful and intense creation will be reborn and unleashed on the world! Tracks like Technological Enslavement are classics waiting to be discovered, blending the inspired songwriting skills and melodic sensibilities of the genre greats with the savage extremity of the modern practitioners of the death metal art.”
22 | Griffin Novie | We Don’t Have Anything More to Say
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Griffin Novie is a Brooklyn singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist creating kaleidoscopic yet meticulously built psychedelic rock that’s brimming with joyful harmonies, fuzzed-out echo, plaintive vocals, and immaculate attention to detail. By day, the Queens native is the senior drafter at a structural engineering firm, where he creates intricate drawings of the bones of buildings. It’s that same balance of form and structure that underpins the visceral songs on his 2020 debut album Balcony Bliss. “The song is meant to feel like the album in miniature, taking the listener on an adventure through ethereal keyboards, heavy guitar riffs, massive harmonies, and unpredictable grooves.”
23 | Piqued Jacks | Golden Mine
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Italian outfit Piqued Jacks continue to preview their upcoming album Synchronizer with the galloping offering Golden Mine. Channeling a rich and dynamic garage-rock sound and fusing it with a more atmospheric direction gives this new release a multifaceted appeal that reflects their own diverse persona throughout. The band say: “Many of us fear death, but maybe we should only fear it as far as we wouldn’t be able to leave a mark on this world, nor to have someone close to us that holds our hand in our last moments.”
24 | Ryan Hamilton | Christmas Wish (with Emily Capell)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “An original song penned by the Texan star, this pared-back piano ballad finds Ryan Hamilton in a tender duet with rising London singer-songwriter Emily Capell. Christmas Wish is a fictional story of a separated couple yearning to repair their relationship over the holiday season. Hamilton says: “Writing an original Christmas song is not easy. I guess it’s why most artists just cover older ones! Haha. But, like some sort of unexpected Christmas magic, this idea appeared. A guy, alone at Christmas, with a gift under the tree for his lost love. That part comes from a very personal place. But, I took it upon myself to rewrite the story, and give it a beautiful, heartwarming ending. I mean, it’s Christmas after all!”
25 | Moris Blak | Dead Line
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Industrial bass maestro Moris Blak has released his new EP Irregular Revisions Vol 1, a collection of remixes from his album The Irregularity of Being and two new songs: Complicate and Dead Line. Dead Line is a violent electronic reverie laid over tense atmospheric soundscapes, dropping into unrelenting assaults of chainsawing synths.”
