Chad VanGaalen keeps the swordplay coming, Idles are the kings of clubs, Profond Barathre give you a case of tinnitus (too late!), Bone Church make an unholy racket — and your Thursday Roundup hasn’t even broken a sweat yet. Will there be a third samurai-themed video tomorrow to complete the trilogy? Stay tuned and find out.
1 | Chad VanGaalen | Samuari Sword
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Multimedia auteur Chad VanGaalen has delivered a phenomenal animated video for Samurai Sword, the first single from World’s Most Stressed Out Gardener, his new album due March 19. The 13-track effort was written, performed, recorded, and mixed by VanGaalen at his Yoko Eno Studio in Calgary. VanGaalen says of Samurai Sword, “I had just ripped a bunch of old leaking copper pipe out of my basement in a reno job that I jumped into willy nilly. Realizing how magical the pipes sounded, I put them on some dirty styrofoam and banged out the janky beat that introduces the song! Garbage is life. It just spilled out in a couple minutes. I didn’t try to stop it because I was smiling like I was just cruising through my neighbourhood. Simple like a sandbox. An ode to the simplicity. It’s hard to let things be simple. But simple is easy on the mind, and being jovial in song is something I find really difficult. Why? What?”
2 | Idles | Carcinogenic (Live)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Idles have shared a video for album track Carcinogenic. Recorded live for Independent Venue Week, the video sees each of the band members performing in separate venues across their hometown of Bristol. Guitarist Mark Bowen says: “Now more than ever independent musicians and the music industry at large need to unite to keep from being decimated. Between the pandemic and a government who not only don’t care about the future of the arts (especially independence within the arts) but take a pro-active role in its diminishment, independent venues are at greatest risk because they are mostly small businesses, not interested in profit or investors but in the nourishment of creative, open-minded, critical thinking. Independent venues are the fertile soil in which the future of the performing arts will grow. They are where your future favourite band will play, where the best song ever written will be tested out, where the new can bud and flourish. They are also vital for a sense of community and union, something people sorely need and miss at this time, without them we’re all fucked.”
3 | Profond Barathre | Corpus
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Featuring members of black-metal group Euclidean, Profond Barathre have just revealed an epic 12-minute video for Corpus, a track off their third album Tinnitus, which is due on Feb. 26. Once again, Profond Barathre conjure the cold grandeur of their native Switzerland with their thundering post-black-metal sound. Written in a couple of nocturnal sessions during the winter of 2017-2018, the band’s new album album was self-recorded in a very minimalistic way: no voices, no synths, no additional guitars and no samples. Just the three shadows of Profond Barathre playing their instruments in the dark, crafting a cold and dismal sound that is elegant and affecting.”
4 | Bone Church | Acid Communion
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Connecticut metal stoners Bone Church share their burning hot devil-worshipping video for Acid Communion, the title track from their upcoming full-length. They say: “The video for Acid Communion was filmed in October 2020 by our good friends Ray Velazquez, Tristan Rogers and Jay Haas. We filmed it in our old practice spot with very little planning. It’s intense. We have a lot in store for 2021. We’re deep into writing a new album, which we hope to record later this year. It’s still very much Bone Church, but people will be surprised and very stoked by new places we’ve taken the band’s sound.”
5 | Black Nash | 4 I.O.
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Black Nash’s 4 I.O is a takeoff on a ’50s rock song. Or South Florida trap. “I was kind of shooting for a Ski Mask the Slump God flow,” says Jody Smith. “Don’t think it quite got there.” Whatever inspired it, 4 I.O. is attention-grabbing. Over a Bo Diddley-twisting beat, Smith sings about smoke, tongues, and “the belly of a vacant skyway,” in a voice that’s both menacing and playfully suggestive. The track comes from his self-titled album our Feb. 26.”
6 | Kiwi Jr. | Maid Marian’s Toast
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Kiwi Jr. have delivered a video for Maid Marian’s Toast, a standout from their just-released Cooler Returns. Jeremy Gaudet defends his fashion choices: “Footage was compiled from behind-the-scenes filming of the Cooler Returns recording sessions during the pandemic. Shot in July by director Sean Egerton Foreman and Johan Arthurs, the studio was sweltering and shorts were the only option.”
7 | Dolenz | Howzer
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dolenz’s Electric Fence is an EP mixing ’90s music and media with forward-thinking, electronic production. Dolenz has previously linked with the likes of Jehst, Sumgii and Guilty Simpson. The producer, DJ and all-out artist flips his schooldays into eight new tunes, making a ripped collage of childhood homage, much like the EP’s cover. From Nas to Doogie Howser, Carol Vorderman to Ren & Stimpy, they’re all there amid Dolenz’s half-cut halftime. Peep the animated visuals for Howzer.”
8 | Swerve | My Enemy Is Dead
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “L.A. band Swerve present their new single My Enemy Is Dead. The track is latest pre-release single from the band’s debut album due this spring. Swerve’s Gregory Mahdesian says: “This song was supposed to be about depression, loss, and finding a way to move on. Then, 2020 happened, and we all got put through the wringer. As the year wore on, we decided the song felt more like an anthem or reflection for the end of this political era. Maybe there’s some optimism in it, but if there is, it’s cautious.”
9 | Cyrrca | Apocalypse Tao
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Cyrrca share the video for Apocalypse Tao, which features the only flamethrower from Elon Musk’s Boring Company in all of South Korea, as well as the only custom monster truck in Seoul. Cyrrca’s self-titled debut is due out Feb. 26 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.”
10 | Maitreya | Catalyst
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Oshawa’s Maitreya have a new album titled Hyper Reels coming out in June 2021. The first single is the dimensional and visceral Catalyst. Everything here has evolved: The songwriting is more refined, the instrumental features more complexity and dynamic range, vocals are given more space to truly shine, the production contains new electronic aesthetics. The band explain: “We wrote this song about our guitarist Mark and his catalyzing role in bringing the band together — Mark’s dedication to the band in being able to organize various elements of writing, recording, and performance cannot be understated. In the same spirit, this is a song that has a very grateful and optimistic tone. It highlights many of the macro elements people can expect throughout the rest of the album. At the time this song was written, our guitarist Mark was going through cancer treatment. This form of near-death experience forced us to introspectively evaluate the deeper meanings of our relationships.”
11 | Osyron | The Cross
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Calgary’s Osyron released their new album Foundations in July. The record is an immersive exploration of Canadian history and identity, speaking on topics on the country’s colonization to the mistreatment and recognition of Aboriginals to the country’s participation in global warfare. Today, the band present their video for The Cross, a track that reflects on Canada’s history of colonialism and extreme religious expansion in its early birth by the European superpowers of the 16th and 17th centuries. The band add: “This song looks back on how both religion and early extreme nationalism played a role in the branding of an ethnic group of people that were caught off-guard by what was to come over the next four centuries.”
12 | Arsenic Tea Party | 12 Gauge Exit Strategy
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Punk-infused avant-metal rock outfit Arsenic Tea Party have announced that they are coming back with a new release: The Really Not Good Times EP, out Feb. 14. Ahead of this, they present a lyric video for 12 Gauge Exit Strategy. An apolitical Rock and Roll outfit dedicated to “poisoning” the minds of honest folk with positive, nihilistic cheer, Arsenic Tea Party exist to make noise and make it fun for everyone — to make things less painful. There’s a certain level of whimsy,and levity in this avant-garde metal. At times sardonic in subject matter, this simple but high-energy music has got hooks, and utilizes a wide range of instruments and styles.”
https://youtu.be/33yNXBrIcrE
13 | Spang Sisters | The Ballad Of Joyce Vincent
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “R&B-flecked bedroom-folk duo Spang Sisters have confirmed that their self-titled debut album will arrive May 21. This announcement is accompanied by charming new single The Ballad of Joyce Vincent. It recounts the contemplative story of Joyce Carol Vincent, who was found in her London bedsit in 2006, having died almost three years prior. “The song tells a sad story of the oppression of loneliness and isolation,” explains Rachid, whose father hails from the same small Caribbean island as Joyce. “A woman whose perishing is unseen and unheard even by her neighbours. It comes out at a time when much of the world is struggling with these feelings and we hope it can serve as a small antidote and reminder of the universality of this ennui.”
14 | James Fox | The Rest of Our Lives
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Rest of Our Lives is the new single from Welsh singer-songwriter James Fox. Following up on the success of his single Fire & Coal last year, James returns with another self-penned track taken from the forthcoming album All The Fours. Offering hope to others, James’ new tracks see him returning fully to the music world after a gambling addiction threatened to consume him, with his song-writing proving to be the path to recovery. On the writing of the track, James said, “This is a feel-good, guitar-driven love song, that speaks of new beginnings, love, hope and making plans for the future, something I think can resonate with all of us just now.”
15 | Beauty in Chaos | The Delicate Balance of All Things (Rapid Reituration Mix ft. Cinthya Hussey)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Beauty in Chaos present The Delicate Balance Of All Things (Rapid Reiteration Mix ft. Cinthya Hussey), the fourth video from their new album Out Of Chaos Comes… The original, penned by Michael Ciravolo and The Mission’s Wayne Hussey, appears on The Storm Before The Calm album. Along with BIC producer Michael Rozon, Ciravolo set out to strip down the ominous tone of the original especially for this remix release. After hearing Wayne’s wife Cinthya sing The Smiths’ Everyday Is Like Sunday, the idea emerged for her to sing this new version with Wayne.”
16 | Cousin Mouth | New Memories
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Detroit’s psychedelic R&B outfit Cousin Mouth have released a video for New Memories, an introspective story of facing your past, present, and future. The track is about learning to overcome bad experiences and using them to find inner peace. New Memories is the first single off their upcoming album MayflowerPeacemakerHolyredeemer, which comes out Feb. 26. “This song is some of my reflections on how we confront and coexist with the past and how it affects our present and future,” says singer Alex Burns. In the video, he eventually comes face to face with himself and The Muses, who are played by background vocalists Supercoolwicked (Morgan Hutson) and Salakastar (Aja Dier). Burns is forced to battle the reality of what is in front of him and reflect on the life he wants to lead. The ability to overcome and live peacefully with this conflict is the central message Cousin Mouth wants to portray.”
17 | John Smith | Eye To Eye (ft. Sarah Jarosz)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “John Smith was born in Essex and raised on the Devon seaside. Known for his intimate songwriting, his honey-on-gravel voice, and pioneering guitar playing, he has spent the last 15 years touring internationally. As a session musician, he has played guitar with artists as diverse as Joan Baez, David Gray, Joe Henry, Lianne La Havas and Tom Jones. His sixth album The Fray, out March 26, finds Smith grounded from his usually busy touring schedule, and reeling from a cascade of even worse news in his personal life, yet wading through it all with a defiant positivity. “It’s been a hell of a year, but I feel I’ve created my most honest work as a result — and as a necessity,” says Smith. “A lot of these songs are about accepting that life is hard, but just holding on and trying to enjoy it anyway.”
18 | Uncle Walt’s Band | What Have You Done With My Love
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The best band in town was Uncle Walt’s Band.” That’s what Jimmie Dale Gilmore remembers about the trio of Walter Hyatt, Champ Hood and David Ball circa 1980. Originally released as a private pressing in 1982 on the band’s own label, their album Recorded Live was a document of their legendary shows at Waterloo Ice House in Austin. Tomorrow, they release the re-imagined Recorded Live at Waterloo Ice House. The collection has been expanded to 21 tracks, with seven songs from the original release, four previously unissued alternate takes, and a whopping 10 previously unissued performances. Says Ball: “This song was inspired by the street musicians I heard down on 6th Street in Austin in the ’70s. Austin was a great place for me back in those days with a whole lot of good music everywhere. Uncle Walt’s Band only played the song for a short time, so I’m glad I got to revisit doing this socially distranced video with me in Nashville and Warren and Marshall Hood in Austin. This song takes me back to those days.”
19 | Claudio Bagnato | Ghost Song #1
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “About two months after the release of his debut solo album Nowhere, former member of the Swiss rock/metal bands Poison Heidi and Silver Dust, Claudio Bagnato has shared a video for the track Ghost Song #1. Says Bagnato: “The songs are about me, about love, about feeling of unease and destruction. It’s like a stripping of my personality.”
20 | Valley Maker | Instrument
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Austin Crane, also known as Valley Maker, has shared the single Instrument from his upcoming album When The Day Leaves, out Feb. 19. Crane says: “I wrote Instrument as a meditation on the challenges of persevering, of loving the world and other people, and of maintaining a hopeful vision for the future in these times we’re living through. The uncertain future of our planet, with climate change and related natural disasters, always feels very present for me in these considerations. So the song and video reflect both upon anxieties and affections for our world; they explore what it means to remain a part of it all, to carry on amidst human and elemental uncertainty.”
