Saleka gets the word out, Pirouettes find balance, Reject the Sickness turn out the lights, Thousand Below get gone — and things are just warming up in your latest supersized Weekend Roundup. Our joke continues: (2) They are told to put the sheep inside the smallest possible amount of fence.
20 | Saleka | Graffiti
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Philadelphia singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Saleka returns with Graffiti, a stripped-down exploration into the power of words and their lasting impact. With haunting phrases like “damaged,” “disrespectful,” and “I made you” etched into Saleka’s skin, her Graffiti video continues the song’s moving story and brings her words to life. “It is hard not to define and limit ourselves by how others see us, or the things they say to us. Words are like spells, they live and resonate.,” Saleka says. “The art of graffiti was started as a way of tagging, claiming space, marking territory. A beautiful and powerful tool. In a way, the words that we say to others are just as permanent and impactful as if they were spray painted on concrete.”
21 | The Pirouettes | Oulala
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vickie Chérie and Leo Bear Creek, aka The Pirouettes: After two albums (Carrément Carrément, 2016, and Monopolis, 2018), countless tours in France and abroad, and numerous collaborations, the duo have become one of the most striking and endearing figures in today’s French pop scene. But their common will to write a new chapter, to continue to tell their story, for themselves and for the fans, has resulted in a result as generous as it is touching. This new album, Balance Obliges, takes more consideration of everyone’s desires and gives more voice to personal expression. No longer in unison, everyone can now take turns expressing their point of view and assert their personality.”
22 | Reject The Sickness | Reveal The Darkness
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Reject The Sickness are here to make 2021 better. Armed with a new line-up, the band expanded upon their vocabulary of quality staccato riff-driven death/thrash metal and condensed it into a solid slab of melodic brutality that will crush your ears and lift your spirits: An album aptly named While Our World Dissolves. The video for Reveal the Darkness shows how sexual abuse / domestic violence can turn into drug use. It takes you on a journey how drugs can be an escape from problems, only to become a problem themselves.”
23 | Thousand Below | Gone To Me
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “San Diego post-hardcore band Thousand Below have shared their song and video. “Gone to Me is about navigating the painfully complicated scenario of having someone you used to be in love with — who once caused severe emotional damage to you — still try and remain in your life on positive terms,” singer James Deberg shares about the song, which explores a deeply personal and entirely relatable situation that so many of us have endured. “Shutting them out completely feels wrong, as this person was such an important part of your existence for so long. But you also eventually realize that any attempts or efforts to keep them close in your life, while they move on from you faster than you’ve moved on from them, just causes you more pain in the long run.”
24 | Slow Crush | Aid & Abet
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Slow Crush are a compelling and abrasive shoegaze band out of Belgium, dealing with the aesthetics of contrasting sounds. The vulnerable, floating voice of Manchester’s Isa Holliday atop layers of grungy shoegaze soaked noisepop is a sound that has resonated with fans and music critics alike. The band’s successful 2018 debut Aurora was released to much acclaim. On the eve of a reissue, the single Aid and Abet is about the internal struggles of breaking habits and addictive behaviour. Knowing that you have to push through and might feel worse, temporarily, before getting better.”
25 | Odette | Herald
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sydney, Australia pop artist Odette shares the video for Herald, the title track from her new album out today. The album is a coming-of-age drama minus the Hollywood ending. The 11 soaring songs produced by Damian Taylor (Björk, Arcade Fire, The Killers) chronicle the last five years of Odette’s life. “I wanted the music video for Herald to represent my experience of Borderline Personality Disorder. It draws in the viewer, grates at them at the same time as it shares impulsivity, and beauty,” Odette said. “The performance is dramatic and over the top — it’s a raw look into my experience, both romanticised and turbulent.”
26 | Killing Kenny | 4th of July
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Proving he’s definitely ahead of his time, Killing Kenny’s new single is 4th of July, a track which might feel a few months early when you check your calendar — but is just what is needed to shake you out of your lockdown lethargy! Taken from his debut album out March 26, 4th of July shows yet another facet of Killing Kenny’s musical make-up with a strong, upbeat country feel and a sing-along chorus. “I have always had a fondness for country music and all things Americana, which I think started following a trip to Texas when I was in my teens and also thanks to places like the Grand Ole Opry in Glasgow … Although I had never played country music live, I thought as the new album was a very eclectic bunch of music styles taken from my life, it would lend itself to sneaking in a country track. A perfect opportunity to write a toe-tapping upbeat song with the story of a young man’s life going off the rails and finding himself on the wrong side of the law, in a true country style!”
https://youtu.be/al2HPk5SN5U
27 | Quelly Woo | Hot Winter
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Brooklyn drill artist Quelly Woo released Hot Winter today and announced the April 2 release of his debut EP Tactical Pressure. TP is Woo’s insight into life in Canarsie. “TP means a lot of things, the easiest way to define it is staying calm,” says Woo. “When you tell a person to TP, it means to relax and think positive. I’m a quiet person so the name just stuck with me as a nickname and that’s what everyone started calling me. Since there’s different variations for TP, I called my tape Tactical Pressure.”
28 | Headcrusher | Blood Red Sands
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “After the release of their latest single Blood Red Sands, Colombian metallers Headcrusher are back with a video from the Blood Red Sands studio sessions, where the band showcase their incredible musicianship.”
29 | Johnny O’Neil | Snake in the Grass
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Johnny O’Neil released the first music video for the track Snake in the Grass, from his debut solo album Truth or Dare. “We had a blast shooting the video in a unique location — a venue in Wisconsin known as The Wet Barn. It was a bit cold at first shooting in the winter, but after doing a few takes under the lights we warmed right up! The energy of the band you see in the video is also quite evident on the other tracks on the album.”
30 | Roseanne Reid | Tentsmuir Sky
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Scottish singer-songwriter Roseanne Reid’s new single Tentsmuir Skyis the second offering from her upcoming EP Horticulture, set for release on April 10. The simple and peaceful video was shot by Roseanne in Fife’s Tentsmuir Forest, which inspired the gorgeous song. Written and produced by Roseanne herself with Manic Street Preachers producer Dave Eringa on mixing duties, the track tries to capture the magic of a place which has offered Roseanne both escape from and reconnection with the world during and sparked her interest in horticulture.”
31 | Leif Coffield | Say My Name
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Leif Coffield released his new single Say My Name, a dark electro pop track. Based in Glasgow, Coffield has already captured to music world’s attention with his razor-sharp lyrics slicing through waves of thickly textured electronic combinations of indie, dark contemporary pop and hip hop. Say My Name is another snapshot of an artist at the peak of his powers, lyrically tackling the feeling of being suppressed in a relationship and the yearning to break free and rediscover yourself. “I try in each of my songs for them to have one unique element, or one distinguishing factor that sounds out of the ordinary and that separates it from the norm. I take a lot of inspiration from artists that endeavour to break the mould and refrain from operating within the confines of the mainstream.”
32 | JC Stewart | Break My Heart
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “JC Stewart’s current single Break My Heart has delivered another big moment in the rising star’s ascent. JC now shares a new live video of Break My Heart. While the original was a propulsive rush of alt-pop energy, this stripped-back version showcases JC’s songwriting. It puts a new emphasis on the raw emotion of the lyrics, while the power of his voice encapsulates its inner heartbreak. The performance was filmed at the historic Collins Music Hall in London, and filmed by JC’s regular visual collaborator Jackson Ducasse.”
33 | Peggy Seeger | The Invisible Woman
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Peggy Seeger will release what is ‘likely’ to be her final album of original material, First Farewell, on April 9. But she’s not going quietly. Her 24th solo album underscores her importance & continued relevance as a songwriter and performer, cementing her place as one of the most uncompromising and inspiring female artists of any genre and age. Peggy today releases The Invisible Woman, the first track from First Farewell. Peggy recalls: “My older son Neill MacColl was hesitant for ages about co-writing with me. He turned up at my home one day, laid his 6’1” self along my two-seater sofa and laconically offered a possible subject for a song. The Invisible Woman strolled in gradually, wearing clown shoes and lace underwear. We ended up with a song that expressed an uncomfortable new feeling that was creeping up on us both but that echoed the folk songs that I’d sung to him since birth.”
34 | Sam Wickens | Murky Waters
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sam Wickens just released his video for Murky Waters, from his new EP Watson. Compared to Jeff Buckley, John Martyn, Death Cab For Cutie and Tom Waits, Sam is a soulful writer and performer with a restless creativity,conveying a personal blend of electronic, soul, blues, gospel, folk and indie. This young and gifted 20-something artist humbly plies his craft with a focused sincerity, and has created a style of his own: consistently delivering on his reputation as a bewitching live performer.”
35 | Zikai x Jim Ouma | Stay This Way (ft. Kes Kross)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sweden’s rising R&B/pop icon Zikai dives into nostalgia with her new single Stay This Way with Jim Ouma. The track features Kes Kross, who has worked with everyone from Rihanna to Nile Rodgers. “Stay This Way is about a time in my life that felt so simple and free,” says Zikai. “The song allows me to look back to a happy time that I never wanted to change. I wrote it two years ago, but it feels particularly relevant now.”
https://youtu.be/8cHzLBBpTIw
36 | Olive Louise | Nothing’s The Same
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Olive Louise is a classically trained musician with an innate pop sensibility. The New Yorker is a promising new voice in alt-pop, thoughtfully carving her own path through captivating storytelling and refreshing vulnerability. Louise possesses the rare ability to delve deep into self-exploration and still emerge open-hearted, optimistic, and deeply empathetic. Her poetic yet digestible lyrics and haunting, airy soprano are a hypnotizing amalgamation of her classical roots and indie-pop influences. In the short time that she’s been releasing music, she has amassed a passionate fan base that recognizes and appreciates her talent and authenticity.”
37 | Fxrrvst | The Story Doesn’t End At Chapter 14
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto indie-rock duo Fxrrvst (pronounced “forest”), who have earned comparisons to Paramore and Tegan & Sara, return with The Story Doesn’t End At Chapter 14, the second single and opening track from their forthcoming release Dear Friend Part 2 (out April 9), a new EP that serves to continue the path laid out on Part 1 while pushing the duo into new territory. The Story Doesn’t End At Chapter 14 demonstrates their knack for crafting undeniably hooky indie-rock songs while conveying a serious and important message. The Story Doesn’t End at Chapter 14 is a song about letting someone know they have support when they need it, and that they aren’t alone. It focuses on the desire to help someone enough to continue their ‘story’, whether a friend, family or even yourself.”
38 | Austin Fillmore | U Lie I Cry
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “U Lie I Cry is the new video by Chicago hip-hop artist Austin Fillmore. Fillmore teamed up with producer Remy Prosper to create an anthem the listener can’t help but vibe to at home. U Lie I Cry comes with the unique music video detailing the events that led to heartbreak. Against the idea of hyper-masculinity, he created the movement #ThinkLessFeelMore to urge his fans to submit to their emotions and to feel everything they need to feel. U Lie I Cry bodes well for his movement as he succumbs to emotional pain and introspection.”
https://youtu.be/mnSOl00BLY4
