Odge savours the sadness, Carbon Memory go the distance, Blue Stones show some spirit, Ayron Jones begs for mercy — and we’re barely at the midpoint of another big-assed Weekend Roundup. And the middle of our joke: (3) The engineer is first. He makes a square fence around the sheep, declaring it to be the simplest to build.
39 | Odge | Sad Love Song
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Born of an American father and a French mother, Eléonore learned to sing in a children’s choir at 11, then she started bands in her 20s. Last March she decided to lanch a new project and created Odge. Sad Love Song is about a breakup and the states of mind we go through in these particular moments (loneliness, anger, sadness, denial, melancholy etc.) and how we can (or not) react to it. It is often said that when we die we see our whole life quickly scrolling before our eyes. Breaking up is the death of a relationship. Throughout the clip, images are repeated in a loop and more and more quickly, memories pass on the video projector. We can glimpse snatches of this loving relationship, fleeting moments of happiness; like a farewell.”
40 | Carbon Memory | Distance
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With the marked absence of live music across venues throughout the majority of 2020, Toronto alt-rock band Carbon Memory are releasing a live video of their unreleased track Distance, filmed at Toronto’s Opera House. The video teases the new musical direction of the band’s upcoming EP Tourist, recorded and produced by Graham Walsh (Holy Fu*k, Alvvays, METZ) over the summer. Distance mixes shoegaze and krautrock while thematically touching upon negotiating and experiencing distance from loved ones, collective experiences and community. This live rendition hopes to capture a glimpse of what the band and their peers have sorely missed throughout the past year — the special experience of live music. Tourist is set to be released in midyear.”
41 | The Blue Stones | Spirit
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Alt-rock duo The Blue Stones announced their sophomore album Hidden Gems, arrives March 19. The band worked with producer Paul Meany (Mutemath, Twenty One Pilots), who helped them not only explore and create music in a new way, but discover themselves throughout the process. These developments are clear on the thundering single Spirit. The song blends the perfect mix of electrifying guitars and tempo-riding drums with more mellow moments. Singer-guitarist Tarek Jafar says: “I’ve always felt a little torn between two selves. The person who does what he should, and the other who does what he wants. It’s ping-pong for the psyche, and I’ve played it extensively this past year. I’d like to consider myself a normal, contributing member to society; and that’s only true because I let myself indulge in the ‘wants’ every now and then. That’s what letting your spirit play is.”
42 | Ayron Jones | Mercy
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Rock singer & guitarist Ayron Jones has released the powerful anthem Mercy. The gritty, genre-blending cut features the haunting lyrics, “Got me on my knees / too much smoke, can’t breathe,” while Jones means literally. “I just felt like the line epitomized where we were in America,” Jones says. “It was like taking a telescope and giving people a perspective of America from an outsider. It was a rough story about what was really going on here in this country — and particularly for me, as a Black man.”
43 | Angelus Apatrida | We Stand Alone
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Spain’s leading thrash-metal band Angelus Apatrida released their new visualizer clip for We Stand Alone. They say: “The art of speed metal together with groove and strength! Catchy but ferocious, We Stand Alone sends a message of unity, of taking care of your close family and friends and stand for them. No doubt it’s gonna be a great anthem on tour singing out loud with one fist in the air and a cold beer (or soda) in the other hand!”
44 | Maria Mena | You Broke Me
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “You Broke Me is a song about being completely broken after yet another relationship gone bad,” says award-winning Norwegian pop artist Maria Mena about the focus track for her latest album They Never Leave Their Wives. “My nativity was gone. I, the one who has always believed in love and a ‘happy ending,’ felt that I had used up my ability to experience true love ever again.” You Broke Me is just one of the instances on her album that Mena has turned something devastating, overwhelming, crushing into words that have helped her and others navigate the world post-tragedy.”
45 | Camera Obscura Two | To Bleed To Feel Alive
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Next week brings D.Ö.D., the debut album from Polish/Italian grindcore/thrash/crossover faction Camera Obscura Two, by current and former members of Schizo, Cripple Bastards, Hour Of Penance, Novembre, The Foreshadowing, Pestem and more. First, here comes the lyric video for To Bleed To Feel Alive.”
46 | Hevilan | Devil Within (Pt. 2): Hammer of Gods
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The heavy-prog metal band Hevilan have released Devil Within (Part 2): Hammer of Gods, the first single from their new album The Symphony of Good and Evil. “Not by chance, we chose this song, one of the most direct tracks on the new album, criticizes abusive religions. I think Hevilan fans, and heavy metal fans in general, will like it!” explains guitarist Johhny Moraes. The Symphony of Good and Evil is a conceptual record, based on the idea of the conflict between good and evil within the human being. It will be released worldwide on March 19.”
47 | Depths of Hatred | Illusive Obsession
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Depths of Hatred have released Illusive Obsession, the third single from their upcoming new album Inheritance. The new single is packed full of razor sharp technicality and premier death metal musicianship, embodying all that fans have come to love about the Canadian quintet, whilst also showing off their newfound penchant for melody.”
48 | Sullen | Memento
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Portuguese prog metallers Sullen will release their latest full-length Nodus Tollens – Act 1: Oblivion, on March 5. In advance of its release, today the band unveil a video for second single Memento. Say the band: “Memento is a portrayal of one’s sorrowful regression to a state of masked living — hiding the true self — while being aware of the pain and chaos brought upon others, looking for a way out of falsehood through acquired knowledge and experience.”
49 | Keep Shelly In Athens | You (ft. Georgia Hurd)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Greek dreampop artist Keep Shelly In Athens launched a new era for the project, which will feature primary member / producer RPR collaborating with different guest vocalists from around the world. The first single in this new series is You featuring L.A. vocalist Georgia Hurd. The track stays true to the KSIA aesthetic with a bit more upbeat electro-pop vibe, with Hurd’s vocals perfectly complimenting the production. The ethereal and swirling sounds of Keep Shelly in Athens capture the transient feelings of city life and the inevitable passing of time. With lush melodic beats and dreamy vocals KSIA’s production is an accessible and lighthearted entry into the world of down-tempo electronica.”
50 | Soko | See You In The Dark
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The new film Little Fish was just released in theaters and on-demand. It co-stars Soko, who is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist as well as an actress. Her new track See You In The Dark — written with composer Keegan DeWitt — is part of the film’s soundtrack. About Little Fish: Imagine waking up in a world where a pandemic has broken out, which strikes with no rhyme or reason, and causes its victims to lose their memories. Imagine waking up and not remembering the person you love. This is the world that newlyweds Emma (Olivia Cooke) and Jude (Jack O’Connell) find themselves in, not long after meeting and falling in love. When Jude contracts the disease, the young couple will do anything to hold onto the memory of their love.”
51 | Ancient Settlers | Diamond Eyes
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Melodic death metallers Ancient Settlers have unleashed the lyric video for their first blasting single Diamond Eyes, taken from the European band’s debut EP Autumnus. The band try to explore the frontiers of modern death metal, including some melodic and atmospheric tones. Regarding lyrics, the band found the inspiration in the recent tragedies that affect the Earth and the human race, trying to encourage all those who are looking for something more.”
52 | Graham Costello | Eudaimonia
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Glasgow drummer and composer Graham Costello just announced Second Lives, a new album with his ensemble Strata to be released May 7. Alongside the announcement, Graham has shared the first single Eudaimonia. The new track is an expansive statement of intent from Graham and his sextet. By combining atmospheric post-rock influenced instrumentation and cinematic minimal piano lines with the groups’ jazz sensibilities, Eudaimonia sees Graham and the group toy with the dynamics of the track, pulling and pushing between restraint and raw unbridled power. Graham says: “Second Lives is a far more personal album, exploring many themes: one in particular being the process of growing as a human being. Within the album, Eudaimonia represents the visualizing and striving for inner calm and overall happiness — accepting as well that this path will be long.”
53 | Philippe Cohen Solal & Mike Lindsay | Scattering the Fierce Foeman
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Philippe Cohen Solal and Mike Lindsay have released the brand-new album Outsider today. It has 10 astonishing, heart-soaked pop songs inspired by America’s most celebrated outsider artist Henry Darger. The album is accompanied by a video for the track Scattering the Fierce Foeman. Lindsay said: “The music we created for Outsider sounds like a late 1950s and early 1960s production, with this contemporary twisted, textured edge to it, somehow making it sound quite timeless. I don’t know where it fits into contemporary music but it’s classic, it’s beautiful and it’s experimental.”
54 | Foley | Better Than Love
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “New Zealand-based pop duo Foley share their new single Better Than Love, the final preview of their upcoming EP Vacation, due out on March 15. Grounded by mellow pop grooves and honeyed vocals, Better Than Love is a dreamy exploration of the prospect of love versus the reality of love and the way we close off our emotions to protect from future heartbreak. “This song was incredibly therapeutic for me — coming from a place of fear and mistrust and finally saying it out loud,” says Foley’s Ash Wallace. “Gabe has been in a relationship for a long time and, by comparison, being thrown into something completely new and terrifying, it’s the first time the two of us have had really contrasting experiences like this in our writing. When you have been hurt in the past you get into the mindset that nothing can be as good as it seems. I felt at one point like I shouldn’t try anymore because the way I built love up in my head could never be reached in reality. Self-sabotage is really powerful and you end up manifesting disappointment instead of hoping for something great.”
55 | Casper Allen | Hollywood TX
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The sixth title in the acclaimed singer-songwriter series The Magnolia Sessions is a new performance by blues/folk singer/songwriter Casper Allen. In conjunction with the album’s digital release, here’s the track Hollywood TX. Texas-born Allen is a rising star known for a raw, raspy sound reminiscent of Tom Waits and a songwriting style reminiscent of Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark. His lyrics often reflect on life’s many struggles, and in interviews, Allen has stated that he’s had his share of troubles with addiction and loss, among the other challenges that many touring musicians face as they look to make a name for themselves. Despite dealing with difficult subject matter, his music has a profound peace to it.”
56 | Craig Stickland | While We Wait For The Sun To Rise
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “L.A. troubadour Craig Stickland released the powerful single and visual for While We Wait For The Sun To Rise today. The song is the title track of Stickland’s EP due out this spring. He says, “2020 was an incredibly tough year. It caused the world to take a step back from everything we were used to. While We Wait For The Sun To Rise is an EP that was written and recorded during the quarantine in my cabin studio, inspired by the pandemic we’re living through. The title track of the EP is about feeling overwhelmed and helpless. It’s a song about finding someone to help you wait out the storm, for a time when things can be simple again.”
57 | Haas | Headfirst
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Virginia pop artist Haas has released her new single Headfirst. Headfirst leans deeper into the pop spectrum, while still maintaining the vulnerability featured in her previous work. A true pop contender, Haas is the epitome of authenticity. About the single, Haas states: “Headfirst is about being a dreamer in an environment where people don’t understand nor try to understand. The song explores the feelings of love, fear and desperation to reach those dreams. Without your dreams, you’re no longer yourself.”
