Glitterer are looking for some answers, Mobley refuses to eat crow, Slift play for keeps, Buscabulla share their winning pickup lines, Hempolics head into the night — and that’s just for starters on your Wednesday Roundup. THIS can’t be real, can it? Because if it is, we are all well and truly doomed.
ON REPEAT
1 | Glitterer | Are You Sure?
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Glitterer aka Ned Russin is announcing his sophomore LP Life Is Not A Lesson, to be released on Feb. 26. Out now is the first single Are You Sure? “The major theme in Life Is Not A Lesson is desire,” Russin explains. “Are You Sure? is a song about certainty. My younger self was fascinated with and comfortable in assurances. I felt very sure I had the answers to a lot of questions. What am I doing with my life? What do I like? Who am I? My current self not so much. This song addresses the desires to find these answers while admittedly contradicting itself in the face of their questions, unsure if they’re even important to answer in the first place.”
2 | Mobley | James Crow
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mobley has premiered the live video of his recent single James Crow, filmed last year at Cheer Up Charlie’s in Austin, Texas. Additionally, Mobley is announcing the details and tour stops of a virtual tour to promote his forthcoming EP Young & Dying in the Occident Supreme, slated for Feb. 19. “As I’m gearing up for my virtual tour, I’ve been digging through footage of my shows from before the pandemic,” said Mobley. “I put together this video because the show I played last summer at Cheer Ups in Austin is one of my favourite shows ever. I wanted to share what James Crow was meant to look like live and how it will look again, once we all pull together and beat this virus for good.”
3 | Slift | Citadel On A Satellite / Hyperion
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Post-psychedelic prodigies Slift just unleashed another magnetic piece of show. Citadel On A Satellite and Hyperion are two mind-blowing powerful tracks taken from their stellar new record Ummon. The Toulouse-based trio’s progressive sound is a colourful and legendary journey to the edge of kraut and stoner rock. This live video finds the band delivering a hypnotizing, energy-charged show in Toulouse on March 7.”
4 | Buscabulla | Ta Que Tiembla
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Buscabulla share the video for Ta Que Tiembla, off their debut album Regresa. In the video, Buscabulla are being chased by a hostile tumbacoco in a post-apocalyptic Puerto Rico. A Puerto Rican cultural staple, a tumbacoco is a pick-up truck outfitted with massive speakers and flashing lights, often used for blasting political campaign jingles and now socially distanced birthday parties. After struggling to run away from the tumbacoco, they find a way to tame the all-mighty beast and ultimately embrace its charms. The band explain, “Similarly to how the song speaks of perseverance in the face of impending doom, the video tries to show us in an ongoing search for reconciliation of apparent opposites.”
5 | The Hempolics | In The Night
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Hempolics present the video for In The Night, from their sophomore album Kiss, Cuddle & Torture Volume 2. Vocalist Nubiya Brandon sojourned to Joshua Tree to direct and star in the video, with the desert scenes at dusk complementing a dark slant on the end of a relationship. The vintage surroundings of time-frozen Americana are combined with the fresh yet backwards-looking sound of The Hempolics to present an audio-visual treat.”
6 | Hyde Out | Smoke and Mirrors
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Smoke and Mirrors is the new album by Hyde Out, an indie-rock band from London led by Omar Merlo and Jaka Levstek. Omar and Jaka come from broad creative musical backgrounds and have played in a variety of groups around the world since the 1990s. Their musical style and influences are very diverse and range from ’90s British pop rock to ’60s and ’70s folk, and from ’80s electro-pop to contemporary pop music. Their music often tries to gel different styles together, leading to highly creative and fascinating musical results. The album is an eclectic collection of 12 original songs that showcase Hyde Out’s varied influences and creative directions.”
7 | The Bloody Hell | Nobody Cares About America Anymore
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “It’s been two years since Halifax’s The Bloody Hell released their award-nominated self-titled debut — and now they are ready to end the apocalypse known as 2020 with their single Nobody Cares About America Anymore. Striking deep into the heart of American culture, the track is a raw force with melodic intensity. It may seem an attack on not giving concern for their neighbours to the south, but it is the opposite, a political statement, and more of an apathetic and unapologetic denouncement of the modern American political climate. Described by the band as “fast-paced, aggressive and radically indifferent,” The Bloody Hell carve out their spot in the political punk underground with a clear and forceful message.”
8 | Robert Glasper | This Changes Everything (ft. Denzel Curry)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Robert Glasper delivers visuals for his song This Changes Everything, featuring Denzel Curry, off his Grammy-nominated F*ck Yo Feelings mixtape. Filmed at Harun Cafe in L.A.’s Leimert Park and directed by Laura Wasser, the new live video follows a monumental year for Glasper. The Houston-born artist and producer is having another incredible run of recognition from peers and fans and while laying his imprint on projects as wide-ranging as hip-hop jazz supergroup Dinner Party to Brittany Howard’s Grammy-nominated album Jaime.”
9 | Josie Cotton | (Let’s Do The) Blackout
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “If you’ve ever felt like plunging brain-deep into the real lost ’80s, the new video for (Let’s Do The) Blackout is your diving board,” says infamous wew wave icon Josie Cotton about the new video for her classic song. Blackout collects footage from the era when the song was released in 1982 and meshes it together for a vintage-adjacent celebration of the generation that spawned legwarmers, Jazzercise and slamdancing. “Blackout was originally the b-side to [my breakthrough single] Johnny, Are You Queer?’Turns out some songs are merciless attention whores,” she laughs. “But Blackout was always a favorite of mine and now is going to get the attention it deserves. An anti-dance dance song that you can dance to … about a dance that probably doesn’t exist but you desperately want it to.”
10 | Muzz | Nobody Wants a Lonely Heart
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Muzz have released Covers, a four-track EP which sees the trio of Paul Banks, Josh Kaufman and Matt Barrick reimagine songs by Arthur Russell, Bob Dylan, Mazzy Star and Tracy Chapman. The band also shot a standalone live performance of Arthur Russell’s Nobody Wants A Lonely Heart. The track is deconstructed to its mesmerising foundations, with Banks’ baritone gliding over Kaufman’s submerged piano and Barrick’s gentle shuffle.”
ALSO ON THE PLAYLIST
11 | Alaska Reid | Warm
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Known for her critically acclaimed band Alyeska, Alaska Reid has stepped out on her own for the upcoming Big Bunny EP, a collection of short stories in song out this Friday, Dec. 11. Today the Montana-bred, Los Angeles-based artist shared final single Warm, produced by Max Hershenow (MS MR) & A.G. Cook (Charli XCX, Jónsi, PC Music), who also directed the video. Alaska explains: “Warm is a retrospective about playing shows and hanging around L.A. in my late teens / early twenties and feeling pretty lonely within it all. The song spans Montana and Los Angeles. A. G. Cook and I recreated that in the video, going between the two, shooting at the beach and then in my hometown between the Yellowstone River & the train tracks.”
12 | Edwin Raphael | Sea of Things
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Singer-songwriter Edwin Raphael shares his new single and video Sea Of Things, along with the announcement of his forthcoming EP Staring at Ceilings, out Feb. 26. On Sea Of Things, Edwin gives off Jeff Buckley vibes by bearing the same soulful intensity. Raphael shares: “This song heavily reflects a spectrum of human indulgence, be that with love, life’s anxieties and addictions. I think being influenced by artists like Nick Drake, Ben Howard, John Mayer were pivotal for me to have a sort of foundation for my sound. Producing this song was a bit of a challenge to hone in on really feeling underwater, I also essentially looped the main guitar to portray the vicious cycle of anxiety with constant additions to reflect and parallel the textures of the sea and the abstract nature of feeling underwater.”
13 | Cyrrca | Beograd
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Cyrrca is releasing the single Beograd with a video shot among beautiful South Korean landscapes. Cyrrca’s epic self-titled debut is due out on Feb. 5, and details the experiences of a multi-year journey around the world. Cyrrca’s perspective is fundamentally that of a seeker, shaped by the transcendent power of poetry and a fascination with world cultures and mystic traditions. These themes form Cyrrca’s sonic atmosphere, layering it with personal explorations into mythology, spirituality, humanity, self-discovery and transformation.”
14 | Kiesza | Sky Ain’t The Limit
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Kiesza releases the video for Sky Ain’t The Limit, from her latest album Crave. Kiesza says: Sky Ain’t The Limit is about pushing mental, physical and creative boundaries. Says Kiesza: “This particular video has a unique journey. It was originally directed for a different song by my friend Smac McCreanor, but the video never came out with that song. One day while going through the footage again, I tried pairing it with Sky Ain’t The Limit and found that they fit together in a really cool and unique way. It felt like it was made for that song. True to the lyrics of the song, there are no limits to what can happen with art. Sometimes idea from the past can resurrect themselves in new and ever better ways.”
15 | Bluenose B | Another Place
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Another Place is the new single by indie-rock band Bluenose B. It was written when Stephen Lawson was looking after his terminally ill mum who happened to live by the 100 metal statue art installation on Crosby beach by Antony Gormley named Another Place. Stephen says: “Although it can be an eerie sight when the light is right and the sun’s beams break the clouds it gave me hope that one day me and my family could meet in another place.”
16 | Wallis | Lonely Christmas
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “15 year-old Wallis, a heretofore unknown young singer-songwriter from Philadelphia, has continued to create and perform — despite the challenges of 2020 — by writing songs with her father. Lonely Christmas is her first single, and the perfect tune for this unprecedented holiday season. Featuring The Schriver Sisters (her sisters Maren (13) and Soleil (10)), Lonely Christmas embodies the beautiful complexity of this Christmas as we navigate being together while having to stay physically apart, as well as timeless feelings of loneliness and hope. Wallis’s extraordinarily soulful and technically sound vocals belie her age.”
17 | Flara K | For A Minute
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Montreal pop/R&B duo Flara K share their video for their single For A Minute, a song off their October 2020 EP Anxious, Irrational, Fashionable. “We wanted something that felt like the song sounded and felt nostalgic aesthetically. We had to keep things simple given the current climate so we bought a backdrop, filmed it all in our apartment with one camera, and put it all together ourselves,” share the married duo of Sam Martel and Collin Steinz. “These unique times have forced us to get creative with our content and explore new ideas along the way.”
18 | Kirty | This Year’s Been Hell
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto songwriter/multi-instrumentalist and long-time Fast Romantics member Kirty returns with a new single and video titled This Year’s Been Hell. Although written before the pandemic hit, the aptly titled tune provides a timely backdrop to this incredibly tumultuous year. This Year’s Been Hell was inspired by Kirty’s decision to press pause on her life to work through the struggle of a close relative in their final chapter of life. “It’s a wild, wild coincidence that I wrote and recorded this song and held onto it long enough to release the track in the middle of a pandemic, civil unrest, environmental crisis, and a political circus,” shares Kirty. “This Year’s Been Hell is about working through pain and loss and understanding that there are times when you need to put everything else in your life on hold just for a bit, and focus on the people around you.”
19 | Xilla | Live Again
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “This is the new single from Birmingham heavyweights Xilla. Live Again combines massive grooves with soaring melodies and lyrics that hit the mark in these unprecedented times we find ourselves in. The song was produced by Xilla and mixed by John Mitchell (Enter Shikari, You Me At Six, Alter Bridge) at Outhouse Studios, Reading, U.K.”
20 | The Kut | Waiting for Christmas
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “All the profit from sales and streams of The Kut’s Waiting for Christmas are being donated to the Red Cross, supporting those affected by poverty as a result of the pandemic. The Kut explain: “So many people are suffering right now. People who have lost loved ones due to coronavirus, as well as a result of hospitals cancelling vital treatments. The situation right now means that many families are not even able to grieve together, while also facing financial hardship such as being furloughed, made redundant or even homeless ahead of Christmas.”
21 | Beauty In Chaos | Stranger (Holy Wars Cruel World Mix ft. Kat Leon)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “L.A. alt-rock collective Beauty in Chaos present the third video/single from the Out Of Chaos Comes… album — Stranger (Holy Wars Cruel World Mix ft. Kat Leon). The extreme sonic treatment to the original Cocteau Twins-esque version appearing on The Storm Before The Calm was created by Holy Wars guitarist Nick Perez, who says “The Cruel World remix is a dark cinematic interpretation of Stranger. The original piece was so lush and beautiful that it seemed it would be a great challenge to make it ugly and cold using heavy distortion, industrial elements and tape.”
22 | Low Island | In Your Arms (Live from the Stone Room)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Low Island share an intimate and captivating live version of their latest single In Your Arms live from the Stone Room, created with long-term collaborator Ben Ogunbiyi. “We were locked down in together in France earlier this year. In Your Arms is almost three years old; one of those songs that’s been kicking about for ages in multiple version. The only thing that remained fairly consistent was the lyrics. We finally finished recording the track in France before the first lockdown. We returned to France just before the second lockdown where we spent the best part of a month rehearsing and filming a load of live videos.”
23 | Palace Winter | 1996 (Tennis Session)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In the middle of summer’s corona lockdown, Palace Winter took over an empty hotel’s tennis court to record a hybrid live session / music video of their album’s anthem 1996. Palace Winter are fresh off the release of their third studio album …Keep Dreaming, Buddy, and the 1996 live session also finishes off a string of live Tennis Sessions. …Keep Dreaming, Buddy was partly written in a strange, Lynchian hotel while lead singer Carl Coleman was living in Tenerife last winter.”
24 | Cael Dadian | F*** 2020
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “San Diego native Cael Dadian is a 23-year-old singer, songwriter, producer, and visual content creator with the goal of making sure every piece of his is rooted in a unique concept that you won’t be able to forget. Dadian’s new track F*** 2020 reflects on a difficult year, showcasing the artist’s emotive vocal presence and melodic grasp. “This year wouldn’t feel resolved for me without getting a few things off my chest in a song and putting some really difficult feelings behind me,” Cael says. “2020 was an objectively awful year for almost everyone no matter who you are.”
25 | Purgatory | Stack ‘Em Up
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Midwest street-metal crew Purgatory debuted Stack ’Em Up, their new stand-alone single — and the first taste of new music in a year from the rugged group. The band also announced their sophomore full-length, the follow up to their widely lauded debut Cold Side of Reality, will be released in the spring of 2021. Stack ‘Em Up is a direct call-out of the institutions that have been brought under increased scrutiny this year, or as the band puts it, “This is a very anti-police, anti-politician, anti-justice system song dealing with the corrupt, greedy, evil, vile, racist, hate-fueled things ingrained in the whole system that runs our world”.
26 | Ajaton | Runner
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Finland’s Ajaton just released the single Runner. The song combines the genres of synthwave and darker electro. Runner takes the listener in to the future where corporations and evil empires rule the galaxy. Ajaton is the new wave of synthwave combined in a laser-proof vest of Finnish melancholy and darkness. It’s a distorted wall of dark electro which crushes the wandering spirit in 2067.”
27 | Grime | A Piece Of Meat
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Italian sludge metallers Grime unveil A Piece Of Meat, a new track off devastating Doom Sessions Vol. 3 split EP with -(16)-, out Feb. 26. Grime comment: “Everyone in Grime has been a fan of -(16)- since we were teenagers. After touring Europe together twice and sharing the stage in Los Angeles, we are super stoked to announce that our friendship and mutual respect will culminate in a joint release in 2021.”
28 | AJ Wander | Way We Walk
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “London pop singer-songwriter AJ Wander shares his second track Way We Walk. The song, produced by Brad Mair (Dean Lewis, Jamie Cullum), is an emotive pop number, demonstrating Wander’s dynamic voice and masterful melodies. As Wander states, “I wrote Way We Walk after an ex and I discovered the lie we’d been living together. We finally saw the truth that we weren’t made for each other and that ignorance isn’t always bliss.”
29 | Wassailer | Three Dots In A Bubble
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Former We Were Evergreen member Will Serfass, the multi-talented London artist behind the pseudonym Wassailer, reveals his latest hypnotic track Three Dots In A Bubble. It’s the singer’s third teaser from his album I, The Bastard, which lands on Jan. 27. Three Dots In A Bubble is a genre-splicing cocktail that sees Wassailer utilise a pop palette, while embracing hints of neo-soul and splashes of minimalist electronica. He explains, “I was very self-conscious about sounding too much like a straight white depressed single and self-centered bloke, so the song is about that cringy feeling you get when you hear yourself being honest about your own emotions. It’s such a fine line between being truthful and being whiny.”
30 | Ajay | Phantoms
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Phantoms shows a catchy brand of funky pop from Philadelphia artist Ajay. Synth-based textures converge with a style influenced by ’70s soul, intermingling with a series of clever hooks. “Phantoms was self-produced, written and recorded in my bedroom two years ago,” Ajay says. “”Musically the song references the guitar tones and harmony of ‘70s soul/fusion while the bouncy programmed drums and clouds of synthy textures shout out future electro R&B. The song is two years old to me but will ironically relate to the mass angst of our 2020 lockdowns.”
31 | Buster Crabtree | Happiness
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Buster Crabtree is the alter ego of myself, Graeme Moffatt, based in Toronto/Hamilton. I play bass for different acts such as Dan Edmonds (Harlan Pepper), Sameer Cash, Kirty (Fast Romantics), Ejji Smith, Christo Graham and more when not writing my own albums and watching hockey on TV. Happiness is a sparse duet ft. Julie Arsenault. I’m not sure if it is happy or sad. I do offer that “we could dye each other’s hair the shade of flamingo pink for more happiness”. Maybe the world would be a better place if everyone dyed their hair pink for a week? Maybe not.”
32 | Taylor Castro & Carson Rowland | This Ain’t Love
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Teen-pop stars Taylor Castro and Carson Rowland have teamed up once again on their final release of 2020: a pop duet called This Ain’t Love. Taylor is a rising indie pop artist from Miami whose soaring vocals and relatable personality make her a hit with young fans. Rowland is the singer/actor who first started co-writing songs with Taylor back when they met on a film. Says Taylor: “This Ain’t Love is actually the first song we wrote together. This song exposes the universal experience of a couple unable to come to terms with the inevitable demise of a failed relationship.”
33 | Emma Miller | Set Me Down
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Scottish artist Emma Miller reflects on a tumultuous time in her artistic career in Set Me Down. A journey back to her home in North East Scotland, the lead single Set Me Down from her new EP transports the listener away from the concrete monoliths of the surrounding city to pastoral bliss. Like many artists and songwriters who’ve found themselves jaded by the music industry, it wasn’t until Emma let go of the idea that music had to pay the bills that she fell head over heels back in love with it.”
