Iggy Pop and Dr. Lonnie Smith get down with Donovan, The Mighty Mighty BossToneS spread the gospel, Lost Relics balance the scales, Layla Karden is in over her head — and there are still plenty of great tracks to come in your latest Midweek Roundup. See you on the other side:
33 | Dr. Lonnie Smith | Sunshine Superman (ft. Iggy Pop)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hammond -B3 organ master Dr. Lonnie Smith has teamed up with rock icon Iggy Pop on the new single Sunshine Superman, a funky soul jazz version of the 1966 Donovan hit that is one of two studio collaborations by the two legends that bookend Smith’s forthcoming album Breathe, which will be released March 26. “I was playing with my trio at Arts Garage in Delray Beach in Florida,” says Smith, who lives in Ft. Lauderdale. “Iggy would come by and say he wanted to play with me. I let him play slaparoo and he loved it. He enjoyed playing with us. We thought about recording a few songs, so we went in with my trio backing us up, and it worked.”
34 | The Mighty Mighty BossToneS | I Don’t Believe In Anything
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ska-punk pioneers The Mighty Mighty BossToneS will release their 11th studio record When God Was Great on May 7. Co-produced by longtime collaborator Ted Hutt (Gaslight Anthem, Dropkick Murphys) and Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong, When God Was Great is the culmination of their extensive and all-embracing career and sees the band bringing back friends, tourmates, and bandmates from the past for a sonic celebration that stresses the power of perseverance and human connection during tumultuous times. The album features 15 tracks that initially arose out of a collective sense of loss. Says frontman Dicky Barrett: “With all of this time on our hands, we started writing at a quickened pace and we were really inspired. As grim as everything around us was in the outside world, this was the most fun we ever had making a record.”
35 | Lost Relics | Now We’re Even
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Denver dirt rockers Lost Relics have released their new single Now We’re Even. Lost Relics throw out some seriously heavy doomy monstrous riffs on Now We’re Even and come at you with a sheer sledgehammer brutality. Dark times and isolation manifest themselves into driving grooves and breakneck time changes for this barnburner track. Imagine pacing the room, trusting no one and crawling out of your skin and you will be part of this sludgy, riff filled journey. With nods to early Amphetamine Reptile records bands, Lost Relics has evened the score.”
36 | Layla Karden | Underwater
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Layla Kardan shares the video for Underwater, taken from her debut EP Abscission. The visual continues tackling the social issues Layla has been advocating for: The inclusion and representation of black Arabs in the UAE. Layla explains: “We shot the video after the BLM protests in the U.S.A. started, I wanted to cast Ghanaian model Jamal Bright to ensure there was more representation of black artists in our region. It is about opening up a discussion on anti-blackness, which has long been a problem in the Middle East, but it is rarely discussed.”
37 | Jefferson Starship | Setting Sun
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Legendary rock band Jefferson Starship (featuring David Freiberg, Donny Baldwin, Cathy Richardson, Chris Smith and Jude Gold) released their new EP Mother of the Sun in August. Now the band have released a video for the track Setting Sun.”
38 | Secret Of Elements | Cassini
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The German composer and multi-instrumentalist Secret of Elements returns with Cassini, the entrancing first single taken from his forthcoming album Chronos. Combining emotive, cinematic orchestration with warm, dense layers of synthesis, Johann Pätzold aka Secret of Elements has created a deeply moving sound picture through which to narrate his personal struggles alongside the social upheavals to which he has dedicated himself as a ‘music activist.’ Cassini is a testament to Pätzold’s perseverance to complete it despite challenging circumstances. It is named after a space probe that was launched in 2004, and which, after almost 13 years exploring Saturn, finally burned up in its upper atmosphere.”
39 | Jordsjø | Skumring i Karesuando
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Almost exactly two years after the release of their last album, Norwegian prog rockers Jordsjø are back with their third full-length Pastoralia. As a prelude, Jordsjø have chosen to debut Skumring i Karesuando. The band had this to say: “Skumring i Karesuando is a little glimpse into Jordsjø and Actionfredags’ mini Terra Borealis Tour. We played in Trondheim, Umeå and Karlsøy in Troms. A slightly scruffy caravan which slowly and steadily marched through desolate and majestic landscapes. The song is split into four parts called Ferd, Syner, Ankomst and Hjem.”
40 | Barley Passable | Silver
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “They say the benefit of hindsight is a wonderful thing, and on their debut EP, Barley Passable are determined to prove it. Hindsight finds a band casting one eye back to the funk-fuelled melodies and discofied rhythms of yesteryear, with its other fixed on a fresh, finessed and floor-filling vision for the post-Pandemic generation. Take latest track Silver, with all its clipped French-touch grooves, elastic disco basslines and glittering retro synthesizers. Intended as a beacon of hope and a paean to eternal youth; it’s a mirror-ball speckled marvel, destined to shine in the darkest of dancehalls as the new era of nightlife and all its endless possibilities beckon.”
41 | Dan Howls | Down And Out
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hailing from Western Australia, Dan Howls draws from beloved artists like Tom Waits and The Black Keys. Down And Out takes a shinier, slicker approach to the band’s usual snarling, raucous alt blues-rock. Says Dan: “This single is the first time our band has actually had the means to do the track the justice we wanted to do.”
42 | Kodiak Arcade | I’m Fine
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Graeme Cornies’ Kodiak Arcade is a hi-fi homage to the lo-fi sounds of the past. It’s a set of sonic landscapes, where the humanity of the organic performances are intertwined with sounds that can only be created by modern tech. We’ve all seen a lot of tragedy lately. None of us can choose how long we have. We can tell the people that we appreciate that we love them though. We can see the light in others. We can be a light for someone else. I’m Fine is a celebration of the people who are willing to stick it out with us when we aren’t at our best; an acknowledgment that sometimes that patient person can be a light in the dark for another going through a hard time.”
43 | Bedrooms | For Today
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dublin quartet Bedrooms are sharing new single For Today, the first song from their forthcoming debut EP The Afterglow, due in April. Bedrooms forge a sound that brings together dream-pop, shoegaze, and a distinct slowcore sensibility. For Today lurches at funeral procession pace before easing to its eruptive conclusion, extolling the virtues of pressing pause on life for a moment. Dane Staunton comments: “For Today is a song we feel is our most ambitious to date. The song took shape over a period of months of being played live with some subtle changes being made to the arrangement over time. We hadn’t really done any demoing for the recording session so we kept exploring new ideas from the rehearsal room to the studio.”
44 | Joshua Benjamin | Here’s To You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Joshua Benjamin is a seasoned singer-songwriter, instrumentalist and performer with a unique blend of vintage blue-eyed soul mixed with forward-thinking production. His new down-tempo single Here’s To You demonstrates both sensuality and sensitivity through his magnetic vocals, softly underlined by an atmospheric, electronic-textured soundscape that instantly elevates the listener’s spirit and opens the door to new possibilities. “This song speaks to all of the times I was left in the dark, and for those who are still left in the dark,” he reveals. “I went through this in a relationship, in terms of communication and emotionally. Sometimes, when there’s a breakdown in connection between two people, I feel that it allows space for darkness and negativity to enter. This track feels like an ode to these times and a release of its hold on me, knowing that it’s been something I’ve learnt from and something that has allowed me to grow and move forward in my life”
45 | Oracle Sisters | I Don’t Wanna Move
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Parisian trio Oracle Sisters have shared I Don’t Wanna Move, from their next EP Paris II, due April 7. They say: “I Don’t Wanna Move is a duet between Chris & Lewis about desire, the song plays out like a town crier’s rhapsody with all the ancient laments, hopes and dreams of a wayward rake, or a seaworthy mariner rolled into a blanket of harmony.”
46 | The City Champs | Luna ’68
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Luna ’68 marks the return of the Memphis soul/funk/jazz trio The City Champs. Members Al Gamble (St. Paul & The Broken Bones), George Sluppick (Chris Robinson Brotherhood) and Joe Restivo (Don Bryant) have been secretly concocting these tasty, solar expansing nuggets since their last output in 2010.”
47 | Warren Dunes | Just Another Band From Warren Dunes
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Seattle family band Warren Dunes are set to release Get Well Soon on March 19. Calling the album a “Hallmark card to everyone that lived through 2020,” the band’s postmodern beach music is on a mission to help us all feel normal again. With a little Tune-Yards and splash of Zappa, the band’s latest single, Just Another Band From Warren Dunes, lives in that fun world where genre gets tossed out the window. Instead we’ve got a track celebrating music for music’s sake.”
48 | Cactus Flowers | Razor Blade
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Formed in 2014 by guitarist/songwriter Jessica Murillo, drummer Mark Carcamo and bassist Chris Dunaway, there’s no question that Cactus Flowers’ star has been in the ascension for quite some time. Since the release of their beguiling debut album Incantations in 2019, the Houstonians have continued to conjure, inspire and craft an irresistible identity around lush cadences, pedal-soaked riffs, and Murillo’s impassioned vocals. This March, the trio return with their stunning new four-song EP Solace.”
