Nebenschau unleash some Dutch voodoo, Science Man gives up the ghost, Callow Youth get you in over your head, New Age Doom unleash some Himalayan hell, Matt Mays goes to the dogs — and they’re just a warmup for the rest of your Monday Roundup. Maybe it’s just me, but things seem kind of weird around here today:
1 | Nebenschau | Vous/Du
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Dutch rockers of Nebenschau have launched their new single called Vous/Du. The band made a really unique music video for the song which is about releasing our inner puppet master, casting a spell, taking control and pulling the strings. Vous/Du is part of their upcoming album which will be released in 2021.”
2 | Science Man | Give The Ghost To Me
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Buffalo lab rat Science Man is back with a new LP, Science Man II. SM II cranks the gas and doubles the dose on the maniac fronted, drum-machine driven, relentless guitar attack that was his 2019 self-titled debut. Think if Hot Snakes started playing only basement gigs with weirdo hardcore bands after listening to Big Black and Judas Priest in the van all day. Science Man II takes shape while flowing seemlessly though a unique blend of punk/hardcore/garage/rock in just under 20 minutes.”
3 | Callow Youth | Over Your Head
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hailing from Manchester, Callow Youth epitomize everything that is great about Brit-rock. They have just released their new single Over Your Head. Big on melody and soaked in jangly riffs, they deliver a fiery brand of hook-ridden indie rock. Over Your Head is about the common man’s daily life in Britain and the effects of social deprivation and manipulation of these people by those who seem to be on their side, but actually just using them to further their own agendas.”
4 | New Age Doom | Himalayan Dream Techno
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hailing from rain-soaked concrete forests of Vancouver, experimental drone-metal band New Age Doom combine and contradict their namesake genres to create a unique vision of extreme music. Led by the core drummer Eric J. Breitenbach and multi-instrumentalist Greg Valou, New Age Doom have released their sophomore album Himalayan Dream Techno. The record, dense with rolling percussion, lush synths, and tube amplifier feedback, is a sonic dreamscape that bursts with serenity and chaos in equal measure.”
5 | Matt Mays | Talking To The Sky
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Matt Mays shares the video for the song Talking to The Sky from his latest album Dog City. The video is a collaboration between Matt and his friends Leah Fay and Peter Dreimanis of July Talk. Both Leah and Peter contributed vocals. Says Matt: “Leah and Peter are some of the most magical people I’ve ever met so when they approached me to make the video I was over the moon. The song (I hope) reflects all the mixed feelings we all have these days, and we wanted the video to evoke the same but introduce that glimmer of light at the end of the beach that everyone deserves to see again soon.” The undisputed star of Talking to the Sky is Matt’s dog Rhuby, whose performance powerfully captures our collective feelings of confinement in 2020. She is truly a good dog.”
6 | Son Of A Shotgun | All I Got Left
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Norwegian southern death/grind machine Son Of A Shotgun have unleashed a live video for All I Got Left, taken from the band’s performance on Nov. 28 in Norway. Son Of A Shotgun started as a one-man band from Norway. Ivan “Meathook” Gujic — guitarist from Blood Red Throne — formed the project in 2014.”
7 | Nowhere to Be Found | Blinding Lights
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Nowhere to Be Found have released their new single and video Blinding Lights. It’s a cover of The Weeknd’s hit, born from the band’s streaming sessions during the pandemic lockdown. Straying from their natural habitat, the cover was created to show that genre crossovers have no boundaries. The video’s narrative is a conceptual exploration of the human feelings (joy, trust, fear, surprise, sadness, grief, anger, acceptance) and its dichotomies throughout people’s lives.”
8 | Owen Pallett | Fire-Mare
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “As winter descends upon us, we’d like to offer you some warmth,” says Owen Pallett of the new video for Fire-Mare, the second in an animated series by Toronto illustrator Eric Kostiuk Williams. The song is from Owen’s latest album Island, and follows Paragon Of Order. Owen describes the two songs as “an extroverted coda to an introverted album.” Island is about being alive, asking why, and all the most hideous stuff of life. The songs don’t divulge the answers. Pallett warns: “I don’t know what’s happening next, guys.”
9 | Jenny Banai | Couchwalker On Film
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vancouver songwriter Jenny Banai released her sophomore album Couchwalker earlier this year. Today, Banai has premiered Couchwalker On Film. Starring Banai, the film features long single-shot segments in a warehouse fashioned to look like a living room set, with a couch — and her interactions with said couch — as the centerpiece. Banai says: “Couchwalker grew up into an album with the all-too-eager help of heartbreak, uncertainty and questions to do with faith.”
10 | Dreamslain | Ownership Denied
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Music that is created the old way, in the rehearsal room, through the interaction of musicians in tune with each others’ spirits, where a perfect progression can come to life in a knowing nod or a shared glance, possesses a life and soul like no other. For 10 years Dreamslain have been weaving their tales of dark fantasy in just that way; bringing other worlds to life in their dramatic, narrative songs and infusing them with that special energy and vivid imagination. There have been singles and an EP along the way — but now it is time for their debut album Tales Of Knights And Distant Worlds.”
11 | Sidus | Seasons Reversed (ft. Kostas Milonas)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sidus is a Berlin post-rock instrumental project from bass player Spiros Olivotos. After a period of experimentation and pre-production, he the studio to record his first EP Seasons Reversed, a cinematic collection of five compositions creating an intense melodic and nostalgic atmosphere. Influenced by God is an Astronaut and Explosions In the Sky but also Deftones and Hans Zimmer, this EP combines dynamic guitars with soundtrack vibes and memorable melodies.”
12 | Vincent & Hoffey | Good Things Are Coming
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Electropop duo Hoffey and producer Vincent have shared the lyric video for their single Good Things Are Coming. Hoffey, based out of Hawaii, consist of Canadian songwriters Jordan and Erika Toohey. Vincent is Robert Hughes of Winnipeg, who was formerly known as XVII. Hoffey say: “The song is about believing and having hope that good things are actually coming and better days are ahead no matter the circumstances or how you may feel.”
13 | Taste | 2020’s Gone
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Australian rockers Taste have released the video for 2020’s Gone, from their upcoming EP Brothers Vol. 1, out on Dec. 23. Ken Murdoch shares the idea behind the single: “2020’s Gone was written as an anthem to kick this year’s arse and say good riddance.”
14 | Little Dragon & Moses Sumney | The Other Lover
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Other Lover sees Little Dragon team up with Ghanaian American vocalist/songwriter Moses Sumney on a track that showcases his unmistakable voice alongside the equally inimitable Yukimi Nagano, the two vocalists intertwined over a gently unfolding swirl of synthesisers, horns, and stripped-back percussion. “When we reached out to Moses we didn’t know what to expect. What we received was very stripped down, with his beautiful voice. We jammed along and sent it back. It bounced back from his end with added horns and sounded beautiful to our ears. We are very proud of this.”
15 | Fat Tony | Gambling Man (Mariachi Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Fat Tony has shared a mariachi remix of Gambling Man, a standout track from his new album Exotica. For the remix, Tucson mariachi band Mariachi Luz de Luna, who appeared in the original video, gave the track a lush new sound built around a finger-plucked harp, guitarrón, and vihuela. Tony shares, “We set out to make a remix that tastefully incorporates traditional mariachi music with our song. By choice, we avoided novelty or a “fusion” sound of genres, instead, we led with respect.”
16 | Tarraska | Renegade
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With the curtains finally set to close on a tumultuous year, music fans can rest assured that 2021 brings the promise of an exciting new hard rock obsession in the form of South coast outfit Tarraska. Formed by Jack Lande and Benjamin Parker, Tarraska let loose their latest single Renegade. “The lyrics are an internal monologue, of sorts,” comments Lande, “serving as a warning to the subject against lowering his guard in the face of real but ephemeral desires. In the moment, it might seem like a good idea to throw caution to the wind and go with your heart, but you have to steady yourself and think about the bigger impact of your actions.”
17 | Møme &Ricky Ducati | Moves
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “French producer Møme (Jérémy Souillart) and L.A. vocalist Ricky Ducati (Midnight to Monaco) end the year in style with the laidback retro-pop grooves of Moves, from the duo’s forthcoming debut album Flashback FM due Feb. 12. They say: “This one is for our respective second halves and resonates with anyone wanting to express their feelings towards their closest companion. It reads like a slow, a cheek-to-cheek song ballad. We worked hard trying to find the right feeling and production and we settled on something that possesses the right sentiment with a little bit of ’80s prom flair.”
18 | Tacsidermi | Gwir
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Tacsidermi could only have come to fruition as a project during the strange and uncertain year that was 2020!! It’s a positive reaction to all of the years negativity by simply channeling boundless creative energy into writing / recording songs to inhabit and escape within. Gwir, their debut single, is a perfect marriage of their influences. With its ’90s baggy grove and Flaming Lips-twisted popness, this is a bold first statement.”
19 | Piqsiq | Coventry Carol
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sisters Inuksuk Mackay and Tiffany Ayalik, better known as the acclaimed throat singing duo Piqsiq (“pilk-silk”) are in the holiday spirit again this year with a new single, a stunning rendition of Coventry Carol, which dates back to 16th-century England. Along with being one of their favourite holiday songs, they felt its bittersweet theme was appropriate this year to acknowledge both the joys of the season and the pain of being separated from loved ones. Inuksuk explains, “With Covid on the rise in many places, gathering will not bring the safety and community it once did, and one thing we have always loved about Christmas is choirs, which certainly are not in the holiday plans this year.”
20 | Sasha Smith | Guru Boy Pt. II
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Indie alternative artist Sasha Smith has released his latest single Guru Boy Pt. II, which will appear in his #Pinkfridays Vol. II collection in late January. The Guru Boy saga follows a guru character based in the hills of LA. Through an ongoing story of visions, adventure, and murder, Smith creates a world of his own. Both singles demonstrate Sasha Smith’s drive to create unique music that allows for creative exploration of real life and his wildest dreams. “There’s always a story in my songs,” says Smith. “Even if I’m writing a fictional lyric, I’ll always throw in some detail that I know to be true in my life.”
21 | Vavá | Wild Thing
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vavá is L.A.-based Brazilian-American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and composer Vanessa Wheeler. Her 2018 release The Other Side blended guitar-focused, progressive pop and rock music that garnered attention from record labels, led to tours with The Dear Hunter and The Family Crest, and shared stages with such Angeleno music illuminati as Lauren Ruth Ward, Adam Levy, Mason Stoops, Emily Elbert, and Dillan Witherow. As a songwriter, Vanessa has been finding her voice in the pop idiom.”
22 | Riotron | Silent Night Angel
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Canadian retrowave pop artist Riotron returns with a surprise holiday single titled Silent Night Angel. Riotron’s Jeff Fettes says, “For me, the holiday season is magical, but also intense and full of surprises. Riotron is an electro-pop project from Winnipeg that combines elements of ’80s synthwave, EDM and even some jazz into a unique sound. The name is derived from the hit song Rio by Duran Duran and the 1982 fantasy sci-fi film Tron.”
23 | The Hollywood Stars | King Of The Night Time World
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Hollywood Stars have now released their version of King Of The Night Time World, taken from their upcoming live album. “The original version of the song that was later done by Kiss. It is a more straightahead, rock ’n’ roll version with all of the energy and excitement of a live performance combined with a near studio-quality sound. The lyrics bring back the vibe of the Sunset Strip in the mid-1970s and the street scene in Hollywood at that time.”
24 | Old Fashioned Lover Boy | 50
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Italian artist Old Fashioned Lover Boy (Alessandro Panzeri) creates richly romantic music infused with nostalgia. Bringing his diverse catalogue of sounds overseas, he marks the release of his upcoming EP with 50. Filled with smooth synth patterns and stuttering drum beats, 50 is a beautiful slice of R&B from the Milan artist. “50 is the 50th song I wrote. It’s about making music now and making music when you’re younger. I think that when I was 20, it was easier and carefree”, Alessandro explains. “It’s a tough time for artists and the arts, so in this song I put some of my memories of playing with friends in all sorts of basement-type situations, really tiny clubs, or in the filthiest of pubs. The only aim was to play.”
