Wode pull a disappearing act, Ryan Dugré takes a dip, Vokonis burn to soar, Henning takes to the woods, Leilani Wolfgramm hits the trail — and I sincerely hope you’re pacing yourself to get through this week’s unstoppable Weekend Roundup. And our ever-more hilarious joke: (4) The physicist is next, and he creates a circular fence around the sheep, arguing that it offers the greatest area for the smallest amount of fence.
58 | Wode | Vanish Beneath
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “England’s Wode are about to unleash their third scathing blast of profane black death metal, Burn In Many Mirrors. With the album now confirmed for early April release, a harbinger of its wrath has been issued through the advance stream of Vanish Beneath. One may hear the ancient voice of obscure and revered gods reflected through Wode’s sulphuric incantations, the raging fire of the most blasphemous legends of the past called upon by the spirit of chaos and death. Shrouded in sepulchral black metal atmosphere and freezing cold melodies, Burn In Many Mirrors displays a studied regard for songcraft and motive well beyond mere convention, transforming into a concentrated dark chorus of ruin and abomination.”
59 | Ryan Dugré | Glace Bay
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Brooklyn guitarist Ryan Dugré works as a sideman with folks like Cass McCombs and Eleanor Friedberger, but his solo music is composed of cinematic, guitar-led instrumentals. The pieces feel intimate, wam, nostalgic. They have a simplicity and clarity. Says Ryan: “Over the past year, I have spent time looking through what records I could find about my ancestors. It has always intrigued me to try to picture what their lives were like. Hearing about their struggles and the relative poverty they endured puts things into perspective for me. Glace Bay is where my great-grandfather Edward Macmillan was born. It’s a coal mining town on the eastern tip of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. His father died in the mines in 1897 when he was three, leaving him as the eventual provider of the family. This piece is named in his memory.”
60 | Vokonis | Blackened Wings
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The heavy prog-metal-trio Vokonis are back with a new single. Blackened Wings is the second single leading up to Vokonis new studio album Odyssey. A true metal shuffle, Blackened Wings might be the heaviest creation of Vokonis so far. After the success of the band’s latest, critically acclaimed third album Grasping Time (2019), Vokonis immediately went into recording more material. With the goal set to further expand the prog landscape, Vokonis crafted recordings that are more dynamically diverse and forward-thinking than ever before. The result is Odyssey, their fourth studio album. Ranging from full-blown doom to melodically blissful passages, the new album features guest musician Per Wiberg (Opeth, Spiritual Beggars, Kamchatka) on keyboard.”
61 | Henning | (Möt mig) Under Träden
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Swedish singer, guitarist and vocalist Henning has released (Möt mig) Under Träden (Meet Me Under the Trees), the third single leading up to his upcoming studio album, out in spring. Henning is a Swedish singer, guitarist and vocalist. His first album Galileo was heavily inspired by Dire Straits. Many saw a reincarnated guitar hero singing in Swedish. The second album evolved his sound to have a stronger pop approach, still with Swedish lyrics but this time with Mark Knopfler’s solo recordings as his main inspiration. Even if he sing in Swedish, this is a gem for all guitar lovers to discover.”
62 | Leilani Wolfgramm | The Trail
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Tongan singer-songwriter Leilani Wolfgramm has released the acoustic version of her song The Trail. It’s a new, more raw version of the song originally released on 2018’s Live Wire. For Leilani, revisiting the songs is a path to understanding herself more deeply, re-examining the people and memories that shaped her into who she is today as well re-focusing the song on the autobiographical nature of the lyrics rather than the production. She says: “The original is heavily produced and I wanted to do something that showcased the lyrics without any distractions. There’s something vulnerable and raw that connects you differently to a song when it’s stripped down… that’s why they say stripped, because all you have is your voice and the son.”
https://youtu.be/jkOGaVaquxQ
63 | Zella Day | Holocene (ft. Weyes Blood)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “L.A. singer-songwriter Zella Day unveils the Daniel Johnston-inspired Holocene, a message of hope and unity and a call for reflection. It marks her first collaboration with Natalie Mering of Weyes Blood. Says Day: “These days it seems music is the only superpower I can count on to protect me from the threats that lurk within the complete unknown. If hope were a paper airplane and shot into the sky I grabbed it with my hands as it was floating by and unfolded the paper to absorb the contents inside. Crazy Train was scribbled at the top of the page and when I looked to see what the words were that were bleeding through from the other side of the paper Holocene was there waiting to be sung.”
64 | Allie X | Glam
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Allie X has released a new track titled Glam. It is her first solo track since the 2020 release of her album Cape God. The track was originally recorded when Allie first moved to Los Angeles years ago and is an “unapologetic superpop synth fantasy song about following your dreams.” In November, Allie released a double LP of her first two records CollXtion I and CollXtion II, which also included previously unreleased demos and leaks from that time period. Glam was one of Allie’s favorites, so she wanted to give it an online release.”
https://youtu.be/E9fjCseiVww
65 | Jim McHugh | Dave
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Monaghan singer-songwriter Jim McHugh is back with his new single Dave and a first taste of what’s to come from his upcoming third album Pretending To Wake Up, due May 28. With this new single, McHugh lets us hear how he has progressed his rock sound in an organic way, never wavering from his roots in crunchy guitars and anthemic riffs but always developing as a songwriter and raising his game sonically. About Dave, Jim says: “In an original story of misspent youth, Dave unveils my interactions with a friend who was known for being on the wrong side of the law on numerous occasions.”
66 | Afgan | Say I’m Sorry
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “On Say I’m Sorry, Indonesian powerhouse Afgan delivers a slow-burning, synth-led number marked by his signature vocal harmonies and sensual rhythms. Produced by Grammy-nominated Tha Aristocrats, the track contains intricate R&B influences with contemporary twists. As one of the biggest Southeast Asian music stars, Afgan has won almost 60 illustrious music awards during his career. With much more planned for 2021, Afgan is set to make huge waves internationally this year.”
67+68 | Scenius | Make It Shiny (Klammer + Nature of Wires Remixes)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “We’re happy to announce that we’re releasing two remixes of our song Make It Shiny. Nature Of Wires turns the track into an electronic dark-dance anthem, while Klammer delivers a more nervous post-punk version.”
69 | Jon Stickley Trio | Future Ghost
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “On their first release of new material since last year’s Scripting The Flip, the Jon Stickley Trio continue to refine their powerful, cutting-edge approach to acoustic instrumental music. From the opening acoustic guitar arpeggios, Future Ghost unfolds as a juxtaposition of moods and meanings, using intermingled minor and major scales and ambiguous harmonic moves to create characteristically memorable melodic phrases. A master of thought-provoking, often whimsical titling, guitarist Stickley came up with the title Future Ghost: “What would I be like as a ghost?” he asks. “Would I hauntingly terrorize those who deserve it, bless those I love, or selfishly spy on the ones I’m still obsessed with? This song explores those questions while rocking out in the prettiest way we can.”
70 | Casii Stephan | Here Comes the Light
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Casii Stephan is a soul pop/rock artist from Minnesota. Now based in Tulsa, the impassioned songstress evokes subtle vibrato notes and roller-coaster-like melodies, which immediately grab the listener, while her emotional lyrics share intimate stories. She has been compared to the likes of Florence Welch, Fiona Apple and Carole King, as her vocal timbre possesses a full and warm quality. An underlying theme throughout Stephan’s music is hope, she explains, “Its such a cliched word and yet there are so many layers to it. Hope keeps us alive. It keeps us moving.” Continuing to craft real, authentic, soulful music with the intention to help others feel a little less alone, Casii Stephan is releasing Here Comes the Light.”
71 | Cheat Codes & AJ Mitchell | Hate You + Love You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Joining forces for a collaboration from their forthcoming debut album Hellraisers Pt. 1, DJ trio Cheat Codes team up with pop maverick AJ Mitchell for the single Hate You + Love You. Said Cheat Codes: “I think we’ve all had that experience with a friend, family member, girlfriend or boyfriend where you just have that feeling: I hate you but I love you at the same time. AJ Mitchell captures that every and we were so stoked to have him jump on this with us.”
72 | Firstborne | Soul Control
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Firstborne just released Soul Control as a Bandcamp exclusive. This is the first song that Firstborne worked on as a complete band, and traces the roots of their music back to the earliest stages of the group. Some words from Girish Pradhan (vocals): “To me, the song is about inner strength and will power. It’s about facing the challenges and in life and rising up against the odds!”
73 | Michael Feuerstack | Time to Burn
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In Time to Burn, Michael Feuerstack plays with words, meaning and connotation to dig into the question of time and how we are meant to spend it. With this meditation on motivation, fear and untapped potential, Feuerstack aims to navigate us safely through a cautionary wasteland. “The song is built around a simple but hypnotic sequence that I just couldn’t stop strumming. It felt right and a little unnerving. That’s usually when I know I’ve found a clue for a song. I’ve got a lead. Next thing I know I’m like a crime scene detective unearthing forensic evidence with a little brush,” Feuerstack jokes. This song comes from his latest album Harmonize the Moon.”
74 | Activity | White Phosphorus
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Brooklyn/Philly band Activity features Jess Rees from Russian Baths, Zoë Browne from Field Mouse, and Travis Johnson and Steve Levine from Grooms. Their debut album Unmask Whoever came out last March. Here’s what vocalist Johnson has to say about White Phosphorus: “One of the first things we wrote together, the first thing we recorded, but it didn’t fit on the record in some ways. Another with references to disease and inoculation and lack of getting outside that’s totally coincidental. Just about a particularly gross/unhealthy situation I had to get myself out of and luckily did.”
75 | No Stress | Freedomlove
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “No Stress is the moniker of Paul Horton, keyboard player for The Alabama Shakes and Concurrence. His debut album Prelude No. 1 is set for release on March 2, but the inaugural single Freedomlove is streaming right now. Treat yourself to the feeling of flirtatious euphoria atop hard-hitting snare.”
76 | Ash & Herb | Secret Beach
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ash and Herb present two unique solo visions of a honeyslide deep ditch classic. While Ash’s delicately incandescent self-recorded and self-produced A-side take on the tune predates their album Flower Room’s conception, Herb’s solo guitar abstraction is a brand new roll in the freewheeling expressionist style of his Loser [Garcia] version. Both sides are offered here as a free digital single; any download proceeds donated will be given to the Maine People’s Housing Coalition Mutual Aid Fund, in loving support of our unhoused friends and neighbors around the shorelines.”
