Middle Kids clean up after the party, Brother take it easy, Tyne-James Organ gets dressed up, Ali Comerford knows that he knows — but do you know how many other great songs are hiding down near the bottom of your Thursday Roundup? There’s only one way to find out:
27 | Middle Kids | Stacking Chairs
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Middle Kids release their new single Stacking Chairs, the fourth song from their upcoming album Today We’re The Greatest. It’s a love song, but like all songs written by lead singer and songwriter Hannah Joy, it celebrates both beauty and darkness. Stacking Chairs juxtaposes tales from (bandmate and husband) Tim Fitz’s childhood in Papua New Guinea with their life together in marriage. Says Hannah Joy: “I never thought I was going to get married — I didn’t think I would be able to love someone forever. I was scared that I would feel trapped and suffocated, or alternatively, leave or be left with a pile of ash and rubble. Going on the journey of marriage with Tim has been profound. It is very liberating having someone see you in your entirety and stay. Tim embodies that kind of ‘stacking chairs’ love — he’s not just about the party. He’s around afterward when I’m tired and ugly and loves me in those moments.”
28 | Brother. | EZ
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Brother. is an indie alternative band in Salt Lake City. Bringing together an eclectic sound of energetic bass lines, catchy soundscapes and heavy-laden harmonies, they deliver an infectiously charismatic, laid-back sound. Their single EZ is the result of wanting to put more honesty into their music and lyrics, creating something that felt fresh and modern while still staying true to their sound. Written over the 2020 lockdown, Chuck Emery confides, “I felt like my whole world was ending. All of our plans for touring, releases and our goals were halted. I had worked so hard on setting it all up and all of it was canceled. The uncertainty of what the future held threw me into a deep depression with intense anxiety and panic attacks. After months of struggle, I realized the best thing for me was to slow down and take it easy.”
29 | Tyne-James Organ | Sunday Suit
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Tyne-James Organ announces his debut album Necessary Evil, available May 21. To mark the milestone, the 25 year-old singer-songwriter today unveils his contagious single Sunday Suit. It shimmers with glowing grooves, lush layers and buoyant vocal melodies. “Sunday Suit is all about dancing away your troubles. In the nude. But alone so it’s not creepy lol. But bringing it to life visually I didn’t want to sing the words ‘dancing naked’ so I thought a Sunday Suit could be a nod to that.”
30 | Ali Comerford | He Knows
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ali Comerford spent the last 14 years performing viola in classical ensembles around the world in venues such as New York’s Carnegie Hall, London’s Royal Albert Hall and Dublin’s National Concert Hall. Having moved back to her home in Ireland in January 2020, she has written and recorded her debut album of classically influenced folk songs. Her debut single He Knows is out today. Ali says “He Knows is a lilting song about leaving an unfulfilling relationship, the ups and downs of seeking support elsewhere and the resignation that the truth will always come out.”
31 | Colour Tongues | Wasted
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Since their inception, Colour Tongues have taken hits and weathered storms, both literally and figuratively, and they’re still alive to tell the story. Boasting a nurse, a carpenter, an actor, and a dog walker, the band combines elements of math and progressive rock with dreamy indie pop. New single Wasted is an electric dream that evokes a sense of hope, warmth, and belonging. You may have been Wasted on someone who never deserved you, but now that you know that — truly know that — there is no turning back. What’s next is anyone’s guess, but now life is an adventure again — and it is all yours.”
32 | Mellor | Lost In This World
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In a pursuit to maintain their success, Reading’s Mellor continue their rise of the indie kingdom with their latest release Lost In This World. For the four-piece, this is the first track from their upcoming EP Fragment of Imagination, out in spring. The track is an exploration of the L-word and the complications it can bring when you transform into someone vulnerable. Lead singer Gary says, “It’s about being so infatuated with someone, they can take advantage and lead you down any path they choose. You’re helpless to their powers.”
33 | Humphrey Dennis | Love?
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “After collaborating on a number of artist projects, rising Amsterdam producer Humphrey Dennis sets about establishing himself as a solo artist with his debut release Love? Acting as the perfect teaser and introduction to his forthcoming EP dedicated to Black fathers, the infectious instrumental release sees him explore the topic of self love, resonating with listeners on a similar journey of self belief and discovery.”
34 | Eddie The Kidd | This Isn’t Love (Kidd & Friends)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Eddie the Kidd is in full gear for the release of dreamy synth-pop collab This Isn’t Love (Kidd and Friends). It’s a bewitching, collaborative transformation of his previous single This Isn’t Love, and enlists artists Kisos and Nick White to develop the lovelorn storyline even further.”
35 | Oh the Humanity! | Wit’s End
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “There must be something in the waters of Massachusetts, because it produces some fantastic melodic hardcore bands like Oh the Humanity! They follow in the footsteps of A Wilhelm Scream and No Trigger by blending technical guitar playing at breakneck speed with heavy doses of melody. The band just dropped the lead single from their upcoming self-titled LP. Wit’s End is a hardcore punk rock ripper that offers a cathartic release of aggression against a backdrop of guitar-monies and shred.”
36 | Meena | God’s Free Make Me
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “God’s Free Make Me comes via Meena’s Can’t See EP. The track features a backing synth shimmer and post-punk rhythm section initially, adding a lively guitar tone alongside the expressive vocal performance. Added guitar jangles add further fervor past the one-minute mark. Bandmemeber Will says: “My vision for the record was a poppy hooky reverb-drenched layered record with big drums and deep bass, with a rich texture (every single bass note is played on the low E).” He continues: ” I think the record is quite lyrically abstract but in general is about life, sadness and just trying to get through life.”
37 | Jamie Nicks | Homewards
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Up-and-coming Oxford singer Jamie Nicks is set to release his first album this year. Nicks, who hails from Aberdeen and works in logistics at RAF Benson, has been making music since 2008 but has never done anything with it until now. His album Anthology comes out March 12, and here’s a taste called Homecoming. “This song is about the time I was in Iraq with U.K. forces and how afraid my partner was with me being in Iraq. The song about about reassurance to my partner that she has nothing to fear and I will be coming home.”
38 | Chey Rose | Polyester
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Get ready to have your heartstrings tugged. Polyester is one of those songs that is so powerfully written, so completely saturated with real, authentic emotion, that you can’t to just listen to it; you experience it. From the beginning, Nashville pop artist Chey Rose will transport you to a dreamy world of warm and fuzzy feelings, a place where you feel completely at home, safe and loved. Chey elaborates, “The first line of the chorus, ‘We don’t fit in those perfect places where they’re stuffy,’ came from me just sitting in my room thinking about my best friends and how unique and special our relationships are. Then I found a title I’d had in my notes for a while, “polyester,” with an idea to use the phrase ‘warm and fuzzy’ in the song. I just started typing and before I knew it, I had the whole chorus down.”
39 | Darzo | What I’m Here For
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Based in Charlottesville, Darzo has mesmerized audiences with metaphor, melody, and rhythm — music that emerges from a deeply interior space in which private meanings become shared experience. Formed in 2016 by Adar Seligman-McComas, Darzo is not purely soul, not simply R&B, not straight-up jazz. “Although the song was written years ago, the narrative tends to reappear in my life over and over again. It tells a story about attempting to discover one’s purpose, as well as the fear of failure that accompanies this discovery. It highlights the insignificance that we as humans can feel, and yet also the well of richness that we all carry within us. Lyrically, this song has an open-ended conclusion, but musically there is a feeling of jubilance; it’s a hopeful song rather than one of defeat.”
40 | Rivals | Alkaline
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: Los Angeles alt-rock band Rivals have dropped Alkaline, a cinematic pop-rock filled banger ahead of their sophomore release, Sad Looks Pretty On Me, out March 19. Alkaline‘ defies any preconceived notions of the band with an electronic-rock crossover that exudes the vibrant energy of their live shows. Vocalist Kalie Wolfe states: “Alkaline is a reference to the PH balance of water, and the hope of trying to find that sense of perfect balance between your personal lows and your highs. I also got to finally explain a moment of intense vertigo I have had in real life so that was also a fun one!”
41 | Bluntana | KlixKlaxK
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Chevez Manley, professionally known as Bluntana (formerly Toney Bluntana), is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. The Atlanta native’s sonic style can be described best as a fusion of traditional grimey southern rap frequently intertwined with melodic crooning. Whether he’s rapping or singing, Bluntana is bound to hold your attention and keep you on your toes as he seamlessly blends high energy, witty content, and an unorthodox yet smooth charisma over distorted 808s. KlixKlaxK is a story detailing the struggle of racial injustice and police brutality African-Americans face on a daily basis in America, and pays homage to the black kings and queens lost in the “land of the free.”
