Dangerous Hippies press their luck, J.E. Sunde gets into some risky personal business, Ryland Moranz keeps you in his line of sight, Mulatto makes with the pillow talk, Jake Clemons is a people person — and we’re just hitting our stride in the second part of your Friday Roundup. I think Shia LaBeouf, Marilyn Manson and Johnny Depp should just be forced to live with each other and leave the rest of us out of it.
24 | Dangerous Hippies | Hot Off The Press
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hot Off The Press is the latest single from Hinder side project Dangerous Hippies. Comprised of founding member Cody Hanson (drums) and lead vocalist Marshal Dutton (vocals / guitar), the band strays from the hard rock-roots of Hinder into an indie / alternative pop style akin to The White Stripes, Imagine Dragons, et al. Hot Off The Press is a straight-ahead, guitar-driven indie anthem that deals with a serious subject (religious hypocrisy) in a lighthearted way.”
25 | J.E. Sunde | Risk
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “J.E. Sunde’s animated video for Risk is out now. It’s a chugging indie-folk song that echoes a little bit of Tom Waits’ Downtown Train. Or a slightly mellowed out version of Bruce Springsteen’s Dancing In The Dark. “The idea this song is considering is that love is a risk, but it’s worth the risk. If you’ve been hurt by people you loved, or you’ve made mistakes that hurt others, or you’ve believed in an unrealistic picture of what love is and find it really hard to let go, it can be really hard to take the risk to love people. However, unless we risk we can’t really love others or receive love, and I’ve come to believe that that is a far worse thing than the hurt that may come from opening ourselves up to the vulnerability of loving others. So ultimately, love is a risk that’s worth the risk.”
26 | Ryland Moranz | Where Are My Blue Eyes
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Alberta singer-songwriter Ryland Moranz has always been a firm believer that the old ways are the best ways. So when he set out to create the video for his latest single Where Are My Blue Eyes, the self-professed ‘analog snob’ decided they should shoot it on 16mm film. “Where Are My Blue Eyes is the most honest thing I’ve ever written, and the video reflects that,” says Ryland. “This song came to me as a revelation, and it revealed that nothing is ever really forgotten and that I am as I am just as you are as you will be. And if that’s the case then all is right in the universe.” It’s the second single from Ryland’s upcoming release XO, 1945, out Jan. 15.”
27 | Mulatto | Sex Lies (ft. Lil Baby)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mulatto releases the extended version of her debut project Queen of Da Souf. To coincide, Latto is treating fans to a video for one of her new tracks, Sex Lies, featuring Lil Baby. Shot in Atlanta and directed by Clifton Bell (J. Cole, Ne-Yo, T.I., Trey Songz), the visual also features cameos from Jayda Cheaves and DC Young Fly.”
28 | Jake Clemons | We The People (Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jake Clemons released We The People (Remix), a song and video that speak to the belief that our nation should represent the certain unalienable rights of all people, that we are all created equal, that we are stronger as a whole and that our rights as a collective whole deserve to be defended. “I wrote We The People because I am sick of all of the division and all of the hatred being spewed. I wanted to remind people that the ideas that our country were founded on were ones of moral commitments, pushing towards a more perfect union.”
29 | Perseide | Siren In The Distance
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A few weeks after the official release of their debut album The Only Thing, French alt-metal rockers Perseide stay active and push some content, sharing a new video for the song Siren In The Distance. Perseide deliver a modern sound that includes everything from pop to metalcore, with heavy rhythms and old school guitars, catchy choruses, all tinged with electro synths and intense vocals.”
30 | Eivør | Only Love (ft. Ásgeir)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Faroese electronica artist Eivør shared a video for Only Love featuring vocals from Ásgeir. The track is featured on Eivør’s new album Segl. Eivør says, “I wrote the lyrics with David Hopkins and when this song was written I thought about “love” and all the things it makes us do. I will never get tired of writing about this subject. It’s the most complex and yet the most basic of all things. It has so many shapes and shades and on this life journey it takes us through the whole palette of emotions. It’s both strong and fragile at once. It breaks us and makes us whole. Sometimes we have to lose it first to find it and when we find it we are afraid of losing it. I believe that everyone we ever loved will always be a part of us somehow deep within. Even when the love didn’t last. I find much beauty in that.”
31 | Acid Mammoth | Berserker
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Athens doom slingers Acid Mammoth premiere the very first excerpt off their upcoming third album Caravan, coming this March 5. Once again, the father-and-son guitarists treat the listener to a horde of fuzzed-out, Iommi-worshipping riffs, while a behemoth bass relentlessly crushes everything under its acid hooves. Drums are thundering, unearthly beats of harrowing doom, and Chris Babablis Jr.’s vocals will mesmerize you with his woeful chants. Heavier and more multi-faceted than its predecessor, Caravan is meant to tear you down until the final breath. Prepare to be doomed!”
32 | Joss Jaffe | Sun To Shine (ft. Dave Stringer)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Joss Jaffe has returned with his latest single Sun To Shine, featuring Grammy nominee Dave Stringer. Initially written by Jaffe during a four-month trip to India — and produced by DJ Taz Rashid — Sun To Shine takes listeners on a spiritual exploration through renewal, love, and redemption. Shimmering electro-infused melodies and dreamy imagery engage and restore the soul, while an irresistible chorus speaks to the profound mystery of life and the beauty that can be found in the journey.”
33 | Halviah Mighty | Occasion
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Polaris Prize-winning Toronto artist Haviah Mighty launches her second new single of the year — Occasion — rising to it with a mission to continue to blaze her path as a music creator. Haviah says: “On this record, I focus on the conquest to continue working towards dominating as a music creator. I’ll continue to create through honest introspection, and a desire to lead rather than follow — even if it makes others uncomfortable. Essentially, this song is about the low expectations that people have of those that don’t follow or fit the status quo, and how I’ll push to overcome those doubts and surpass those expectations. The ‘occasion’ is my downfall, and in this song, I fight its existence.”
34 | Lake Of Tears | At The Destination
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Winter is coming, and with it something ominous. The new release from Lake Of Tears is the perfect soundtrack for short, grey days and long, cold, dark nights. After nearly a decade of silence, Daniel Brennare, head and heart of the Swedish pioneers of dark music, finally reveals his sinister world of thought. Rooted in illness and depression, in days of grey. These moments, burdensome and overwhelming, are dissected and then reassembled into a linear story. Interwoven in sound, word and vision, with thought-out precision. Lasting no longer than a moment but holding for an eon. Reaching no further than the horizon but stretching out to the cosmos. Brennare creates his vision at the end of the world, starring the cosmonaut and the ominous brothers.”
35 | Voix | Breathless
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Voix (pronounced ‘vwa’) just released their single Breathless. Perhaps their most accomplished work to date, Breathless tells a story of love, memories, loss and resolve. In true signature style, the track is packed with groove and musically emotive, building in anticipation throughout to a climactic vocal-chop heavy drop.”
36 | James Burt | Something Inside Me
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Young Nottingham pop act James Burt returns with the retro-styled sad-pop gem Something Inside Me, which is far from a throwaway B-side but an epic ’80s-style earworm. The lyric video has a gaming / Back To The Future vibe.”
37 | Leah Barley | Bring Out Your Dead
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “After displaying the lighter side of her songwriting with Mountains, the uplifting first single from her album Bring Out Your Dead, Vancouver’s Leah Barley reveals some of the album’s darkness with a new lyric video for the title track. Bring Out Your Dead almost perfectly balances Barley’s distinctive songwriting, from the rousing boot stompers I Wish and Drinkin’ to the chill-inducing Rise and The Doctor. It’s all a product of Barley’s love of old-time country and bluegrass, which inspired her to pick up the banjo in her early 20s while living in Canmore, Alta.”
38 | The Drums & Jonny Pierce | Ambulance
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Jonny Pierce of The Drums has shared the single Ambulance, a song filled with twinkling synths and yearning lyrics. “This song was written in a time of spiritual transformation for me,” Pierce said. “The first half is an ode to that all-too-familiar pattern that has been a mainstay in my life for decades now. That is, to look only outward for love, a sort of a constant, desperate hunt for intimacy as a result of a loveless childhood. The second half of this song marks a new way of living for me. One where I finally understand that I have worth, that I am loved, and that I can love in a wholehearted way.”
39 | Steve Earle & The Dukes | Champagne Corolla
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Steve Earle & The Dukes have just released a second new track from their forthcoming album J.T., titled Champagne Corolla. The album pays tribute to Steve’s late son Justin Townes Earle (J.T.), and will be released on Jan. 4, what would have been Justin’s 39th birthday. Champagne Corolla was originally written by Justin for his 2017 album Kids In The Street.”
40 | Pony Bradshaw | Sawtoothed Jericho
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Lyrically rich and bittersweet, Sawtoothed Jericho is a tribute to Appalachia, and more specifically, the culture and traditions of Bradshaw’s home state of Georgia. His subtle, soulful vocals are matched by driving lap steel and fiddle that makes this track both contemplative and catchy. Sawtoothed Jericho is the third single from Bradshaw’s new record Calico Jim, coming out on Jan. 29. Part Southern gothic, part North Georgia storybook tales, Calico Jim will appeal to fans of impeccable, character-based storytelling and minimally, thoughtfully produced Americana music.”
41 | E.GG | Good Fortune (ft. Infinit0 & Deadmen)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Winnipeg hip-hop artist E.GG has released a single called Good Fortune, with help from Deadmen and Infinit0. Good Fortune is an expression of the hardships & frustrations that business relationships carry. “We all want to experience genuine interactions & with that, hope those interactions can grow into something long lasting,” explains E.GG. “I feel like we all have been in those positions where we had to deal with a hurdle that soiled good relationships therefore the phrase ‘It’s just business’ pops up. I wanted to highlight that transparency is the root. Less fog & more clarity.”
42 | Porn | Among The Wolves Part 2
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In the third act of the Mr. Strangler trilogy published in 2020, the serial killer lost his life, condemned to death. Shortly before his execution, Mr. Strangler became a messiah for an enigmatic community called The Stranglings and led by The Guide. Traveling from city to city, the community continues to grow, joined by people fleeing the modern world in search of a better life and meaning in their existence. Their name, The Stranglings, comes from a tribute to Mr. Strangler, who became a symbol of freedom, and their feeling of being strangled by society. A new trilogy begins: The Stranglings Trilogy. For this new opus, Porn teamed up with Chris Vrenna, the legendary drummer whose credits include Nine inch Nails, Marilyn Manson and many others.”
43 | Dub Trio | Them Thing Deh Dub (ft. Benji Webbe of Skindred)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dub Trio released the cover track Them Thing Deh Dub (ft. Benji Webbe of Skindred), originally performed by legendary reggae artist Ini Kamoze. Bassist Stu Brooks shares, “As helicopters swarmed over Hollywood during BLM protests, my wife and I felt compelled to finally break quarantine. As we approached Hollywood and Vine to join in solidarity with the protesters, Them Thing Deh happened to be the soundtrack in my headphones. Feeling the anger we share with the BLM movement, the lyric “got to keep your cool” really spoke to me as I could feel the tension in the air.”
44 | Jupiter In Velvet | Beautiful Weird
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Seeking to end 2020 on a high note, Jupiter In Velvet has released a brand new single in the form of a floating, undeniably Bowie-esque rock ballad, Beautiful Weird. It adopts a somewhat softer tone for the artist’s latest outing, sinking flange-affected guitar chords into a catchy vocal melody. The track serves as both the title and opening track to the artist’s latest EP release. Jupiter explains: “To express love through mere words is often inadequate, lacking in true substance. To give of oneself, without any intent of reciprocity, is the purest way to express your emotions. The spontaneous joy that arises from true love is overpowering, freeing, and makes life truly worth living.”
45 | Dawn to Dawn | Meridian
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In 2018, Tess Roby, Adam Ohr and Patrick Lee met for an afternoon coffee in Lee’s apartment in Montreal. It was the first time they would hang out, something they’d been meaning to do after months of admiring one another’s music. Shy and not fully themselves, they exchanged records and conversation, slowly drinking espressos in the dining room before deciding to turn on some keyboards. With no real intentions, a song emerged in about 25 minutes. That song, Meridian, is the first one they present to you today; a piece made from sudden friendship, and the will to surrender unconditionally to a universal feeling, one that transcends all confessions, expressing a deep curiosity about the miraculous.”
46 | Vestindien | Null
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Having created a substantial following — due in part to their 2011 EP We Are The Lords Of Hellfire, along with their frenetic live shows and the notoriety of naming themselves after the last surviving brothel in Bergen, Vestindien decided to call it a day. Seven years later, some members decided the time was right to start making music again. Fans wondering what to expect from Vestindien can find out via the title track from their upcoming album Null. They say: “Null is about not feeling comfortable in, or being able to understand a fake neon world. Null is about destroying norms and rules embedded in us through endless years of lies. Null is about taking a stance on how, and why to live. “
