Black River Delta bring the heat, Picturebooks show us where the magic happens, Tigercub take a heavy beating, Ben Conley gives thanks, Cat and the Queen have the fever — and if it’s Friday, this must be the start of another gargantuan Weekend Roundup. Get comfortable — we’ve got a long way to go:
1 | Black River Delta | Burning and Burning
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Black River Delta have just released the director’s cut of the video for their latest single Burning And Burning. This high-octane track is the second single from the Swedish band’s forthcoming album. The foursome have released two previous LPs — Devil on the Loose (2016) and Vol. II (2018) — and are poised to drop their latest heavy-hitter Shakin’ this spring. The band’s gritty blues-rock sound draws from classic blues legends like Robert Johnson, the raw style of R. L. Burnside and modern artists such as The Black Keys, Gary Clark Jr. and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.”
2 | The Picturebooks | Here’s To Magic (ft. Dennis Lxyzen)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Alt-rock band The Picturebooks deliver their track and video Here’s To Magic, co-written with their long-time friend and musical soulmate Dennis Lyxzén (Refused, The [International] Noise Conspiracy). The result is a furious and limitless landmark, which the band moves into unprecedented levels never heard before. Lyxzén states, “This past summer they hit me up and asked if I wanted to be a part of a new song that they were working on. They were on a roadtrip in Sweden and wanted to come up to Umeå to hang out and create something. They sent me a bunch of demos and Claus (instigator, manager, general bad-ass) suggested one particular track for me. ‘I think that number 16 would be perfect for you.’ ”
3 | Tigercub | Stop Beating On My Heart (Like A Bass Drum)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Tigercub return to our airwaves with news of a second album, As Blue As Indigo, set for release on June 18. They also shared their second single and first video from the album, the expansive and kaleidoscopic Stop Beating On My Heart (Like A Bass Drum), another masterclass in quiet-loud dynamics and an undeniable earworm. Seven-foot-tall frontman Jamie Hall says: “There are people in life that seem to bring a cloud of toxicity and conflict along with them wherever they go. When they come into my world it’s like storm clouds have formed over my head and, there is only a matter of time before the first rain drop falls and the storm erupts … The storm opens up old wounds, I’m left rudderless and disorientated from it and as I start to pick myself back up I know it’s only a matter of time before it happens again.”
4 | Ben Conley | Thanks For Something
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “L.A. blues-punk Ben Conley’s music is refreshingly bold and confessional, boiled down to its essential raw elements, leaving only skin on the bone. His new single and video Thanks For Something has no time for dallying or wondering why. At just 1:12, it stands as the untethered expression of Conley’s personal struggle, splashed with trademark wit and humor. “This song was written a few days after a breakup. A sarcastic flip on saying, ‘Thanks for nothing’, this song details the hard and fast nature of the relationship and acknowledges the idealization the writer had towards his former partner.”
5 | Cat And The Queen | Cabin Fever
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Cat And The Queen is the name that embodies both Cat Montgomery, Toronto singer-songwriter, and her beloved keyboard whom she calls adoringly The Queen. Playing piano from a very young age, CATQ combines her musical skill with her work as a theatre artist to make each song she creates a raw and visceral experience. Three albums later, and many electrifying stage shows under her belt, Cat and The Queen is a musical and theatrical outfit that serves as an outlet to create and perform, in motion, stories of the heart. Cabin Fever came to be while Cat was alone in Northern Ontario and inspired by the many emotions the world been experiencing. “In the height of isolated living, this song is about feeling like a wolf in captivity, climbing the walls, pacing the cage. Seeking some kind of refuge in faulty external escapes — booze, social media, indulgence.”
6 | The Hawkins | Libertine
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Hawkins shares a new live video for the track Libertine. Recorded and filmed in the deep Swedish forests, this version of Libertine is featured on the band’s latest live album, the appropriately titled Live in the Woods. Atmospheric and energetic as always.”
7 | Grim Reaper Ride | One For Hole
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hellbilly gravediggers Grim Reaper Ride are back with a new official video for the track One For Hole, taken from their Hellbilly Back to Underground album. “A shovel, some coffins, and the Devil’s pact.” This gravedigger, being more than rock ‘n’ roll, tries his hand at hellbilly, a genre at the crossroads of psychobilly, punk and metal, with a saturated upright bass as its core element. It’s a groovy, bluesy road!”
8 | Sluice | Ma Première Drogue
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Nova Scotian Francophone power-pop act Sluice have released the single and video Ma Première Drogue. It reflects on the all-encompassing nature of young love, dwelling on the addicting feeling of discovering it for the first time. A video directed by Yarmouth-based filmmaker James Turpin follows suit. Set against the backdrop of a bowling alley stuck in time, the clip finds two kids on the precipice of teen romance. “To me, Ma Première Drogue reads as an equal parts celebration and wistful mourning of the joy that comes from being a kid,” says Turpin. “We’ve all felt the passionate, earnest awkwardness of being young — and I tried to give the project a mix of nostalgia and upbeat fun that would reflect that period of life.”
9 | Harker | The Beast Must Die
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Brighton punk powerhouse Harker are back with new single The Beast Must Die. The track appears on the band’s upcoming LP Axiom, out April 23. Say singer-guitaritst Mark Boniface: “The Beast Must Die is based on the idea of mono-consciousness by English writer Colin Wilson – as a philosopher, Wilson’s writing was heavily focused on striving to live with a heightened sense of meaning and avoiding a closed mindset. This track is a study of characters with a lack of empathy and spirituality, in the end leading to apathy for existence. Mono-consciousness is a beast that lurks inside, and needs to be hunted before it takes control of of us.”
10 | Space Cadet | Start Running Away
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Space Cadet happened by accident. Friends for almost 25 years, Dave Walsh and Matt Hock had each been writing and recording eerily similar songs, completely oblivious to each other’s work. What’s all the more surprising is that it wasn’t the punk of The Explosion, the band they formed together with friends in 1998. Instead, the music was indicative of other sounds they’re into — post-punk, new wave, Brit-rock — not to mention their shared obsession with guitar pedals. What started as an accident is now on purpose. With enough material written for a full LP, Space Cadet recorded their debut album in July 2020 with Pete Steinkopt (Bouncing Souls). Lion On A Leash will be released March 26. Start Running Away is here now.”
11 | Love Machine | Düsseldorf – Toyko
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “On their fourth studio album, Love Machine — Marcel Rösche, Noel Lardon, Richard Eisenach, Hendrik Siems and Felix Wursthorn — play some weird eccentric rock music with German lyrics. The title track right at the beginning of the record is on the one hand a travel report, on the other hand a classic Düsseldorf thing with a lot of Krautrock history spanning the globe, which resonates there. Holy motors! Drums, bass, samples and synthesizers become one. Then from the runway to the Hauptbahnhof. In the best BRD manner, Rösche sings about the same and the surrounding area as places of crash and disillusionment. This is where it all ends. That sounds bitter-sweet like slacker chanson with flippant guitars and a melting electric piano. If the misery of the world sometimes upsets you, have another drink. And another one.”
12 | Petrolio | El Silencio
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The video for El Silencio, the single from Petrolio’s upcoming EP Club Atletico, is out now. Directed by Petrolio, it is a composition of frames and images from a home video by BlackRoseTheMiss. The video builds out a cinematic and decadent world that the obsessed sounds of the song serve as a fitted soundtrack for El Silencio. The Club Atletico EP, which will be released on March 5, is named after one of the detention centres established by the Argentine dictatorial regime in order to torture political dissenters.”
13 | Claustrofobia | Riff Cult
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “One of the biggest names in national metal, Claustrofobia, released the new single Riff Cult, along with a video. The single features death, groove and thrash metal riffs, and mixes the traditional structure of Claustrofobia with a modern footprint. The song is a tribute to riffs, a key component of metal. Vocalist Marcus D’Angelo explains: “We consider is a culture, a cult. It is the hook of all metal, everything is born from the guitar riff. And riff after riff, we are fueling our passion for metal, fueling our desire to continue the legacy. The riff is what addicts us in a good way. In this quarantine the love for metal became more evident, without shows and without contact with the fans, so we decided to pay tribute and celebrate.”
14 | Trope | Pareidolia
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Progressive alt-rock band Trope say their debut album Eleutheromania will be released March 31. It features tracks combining odd-time signature polyrhythms, heavy guitars and delicate to angst-ridden vocals from Diana Studenberg, who gives the band their recognizable sound. Trope have concocted an intoxicating and distinct style that fuses both progressive rock and alternative rock genres in a unique way.”
15 | Body Void | Wound
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Body Void just announced their upcoming album Bury Me Beneath This Rotting Earth is due for release on April 23. The two-piece blackened doom unit also premiered the lead single Wound, and its accompanying video. Believe us when we say that Bury Me Beneath This Rotting Earth is a bold, ambitious four-track doom opus.”
16 | Pupil Slicer | Interlocutor
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pupil Slicer share a new single titled Interlocutor and its accompanying video. It’s the third single from the mathcore trio’s upcoming debut album Mirrors, due on March 12. Clocking in with a runtime of less than two minutes, Interlocutor is not for the faint of heart and showcases Pupil Slicer at their most urgent.”
17 | Skam | Wake Up
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “U.K. rock trio Skam have released their new EP Intra and also dropped a video for the track Wake Up. Intra is the first EP of a two-part anthology that will make up the fourth full-length by the U.K. power trio. Wake Up is a pure beast of a rock track, combining the familiar Skam power with melodic choruses and an instant likability. The track itself is the perfect blend of what makes Skam popular: Hard-hitting riffs with melodic catchiness.”
18 | Myopic / At The Graves | Oppressive Ruminations
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “D.C. progressive doom trio Myopic and Baltimore doom/sludge artist At The Graves are pleased to unveil their Oppressive Ruminations video. The track comes by way of A Cold Sweat Of Quiet Dread, a collaborative full-length set for March 12. The video was shot and edited by At The Graves’ Ben Price during the recording of the record. Notes Price: “This was one of the first songs we worked on. I remember this making me feel like I had a lot of work to do as a guitarist in order to find my place within Myopic and also maintain the At The Graves mood.”
19 | Necronomicon | Me Against You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “German cult thrashers Necronomicon flex their muscles with this second single. Me Against You is dystopian, disturbing and extremely aggressive — a three-minute show of strength deeply from the thrashers’ soul. The upcoming 10th album The Final Chapter, out March 26, will be a milestone in their nearly four-decade career. Renewed with Glen Shannon as lead guitarist and Rik “Roundcat” Charron on the drums, the full-length will show they are far from being scrap metal.”
20 | Phil X & The Drills | ‘I Love You’ On Her Lips
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Phil X needs no introduction, having been a member of Bon Jovi since 2016. Phil and his band The Drills just released the lyric video for their latest single ‘I Love You’ On Her Lips. Says Phil: “ ‘I Love You’ On Her Lips is TOTAL Drills. A hooky, energetic, big guitar punch in the face with wit & a little silliness. Everyone knows someone who says one thing & feels another. This is that with a twist.”
