DeGreaser strike a pose with mom, The Paranoyds share their egg salad, Void Vator can’t get enough, Noctiferia present you with the bill — and 29 more songs that should be more than enough to keep you entertained on a Monday. Happy International Women’s Day.
1 | DeGreaser | Mom’s A Capricorn
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Miami shredders DeGreaser have revelaed that their new album Astrology 101 will be released on April 23. To celebrate, they shared the lead single Mom’s A Capricorn. The accompanying video features frontman Ben Katzman’s mother leading the viewer through a series of rock ’n’ roll yoga poses while the band performs against a barrage of pyrotechnics and lasers. Katzman said: “This song is inspired by my mother, who encapsulates the Capricorn ethos like no one else. This is a post-punk approach to the master planner Earth sign who makes a list at dawn and shreds their days conquering goal after goal. As the song’s yoga break suggests though, even Capricorns need their breaks to recharge and re-focus that energy.”
2 | The Paranoyds | Egg Salad
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Paranoyds have released visuals for Egg Salad, off their debut album Carnage Bargain. Egg Salad is an homage to a spoiled brat from the Valley. She keeps sneaking cash outta mom’s purse, doesn’t have any ambition or goals in life, just wants to party, and keeps getting away with minor crimes. Sometimes she even makes it to Hollywood!!!”
3 | Void Vator | I Want More
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “L.A. power-packed metal trio Void Vator unveil I Want More, the second video from their upcoming album Great Fear Rising, due out April 23. About the video, the band say: “I Want More is a continuation of the story that we started with our previous video I Can’t Take It. Rock ’n’ Roll has been shut down in our town, so Void Vator packs up and drives off to play shows in Arizona where there is more freedom. They say that life imitates art, and in our case art and life happen to be the same thing … I Want More represents our attitude on life. We want more, we don’t accept being tied down, we won’t ask for permission, and we don’t wait for an OK. We keep doing what we want to do, and continue to find a way to play.”
4 | Noctiferia | Now You Will Pay (ft. David Vincent)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ljubljana’s underground legends Noctiferia have premiered their new single and video Now You Will Pay feat. metal legend David Vincent. The song is taken from the upcoming album Reforma (a tribute to Laibach), set to be released on May 28. Noctiferia comment: “Since we are huge fans of early Morbid Angel (their collaboration with Laibach in the past is well-known) it was always our dream to be part of this story so we invited none other than Mr. David Vincent himself to record all the vocals for the song Now You Will Pay and make our childhood dream come true. He put a lot of effort into it and surprised us all with his approach. The result is simply mind-blowing!”
5 | Woody & Jeremy | Rolling In The Basement
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Woody and Jeremy are sharing their new single/video Rolling In The Basement and announcing their sophomore LP Gravy in my Coffee is due on June 4. Of the single, the band stated: “Rolling in the Basement is an ode to the midwest and East Coast basements of our youth. Places of safe harbor from winter storms where good jams and good times can be enjoyed by all. As long as your parents don’t find out.”
6 | Monowhales | He Said/She Said (I Wait)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pop-infused indie-rock band Monowhales released their album Daytona Bleach last Friday. Today, they share the video for He Said/She Said (I Wait). Lead vocalist Sally Shaar reveals that “He Said/She Said (I Wait) is about delusionally interpreting and trying to accept what is going on around me while constantly immersed in a dissociative state. It seems like we are all running around on our hamster wheels at home. As we look around surrounded by fake news and sickness, I sit frozen, feeling catatonic in my body. I’m stunned by the explosion of exploitation I see around me. Yet, my mind can’t stop running. My thoughts race in perpetual anxiety as I wait for life to resume its course.”
7 | Maggie Lindemann | Just A Girl
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In celebration of all the women who have inspired her, today on International Women’s Day, Maggie Lindemann has released a cover of No Doubt’s Just A Girl. The cover comes after the recent release of her Love Songs video from her January 2021 debut EP Paranoia. She says: “I chose to do the Just A Girl cover because I felt it was a really appropriate song lyrically for Women’s History Month and I grew up on Gwen Stefani. My mom loved No Doubt and would always play them, so it just felt right to cover it.”
8 | James Vincent McMorrow & Rudimental | Be Somebody
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “James Vincent McMorrow has just unveiled a collaboration with Rudimental titled Be Somebody. James says: “I wrote this song in 2019 with Jimmy Napes. Was the first thing we wrote. I’m a pretty abstract writer, I rarely write in a linear fashion from start to finish. Obv Jimmy is a brilliant writer and can write a million different ways, but on that particular day we just sat with a guitar and started taking a song one chord and one line at a time, and this just came out incredibly naturally. It feels a bit redundant to talk about how songs feel prescient for the particular moment we’re in, honestly any songs about being unsure or emotionally lacking feel very of this moment.”
9 | Monkey Mind | Upheaval
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Monkey Mind were formed in 2016 in Nicosia, Cyprus by guitarist Andreas Georgiou and vocalist Christodoulos Pavlides, who had previously coexisted on several different bands since 2009. With the addition of drummer Doros Kyprianou and bassist Chris T., Monkey Mind are currently in the process of releasing their debut album Breakdown, which is expected in the first half of 2021.”
10 | The Accidentals | Wildfire
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Summing up The Accidentals in a concise, one-sentence description is nearly impossible. From the indie-folk-punk sound of their live show to the deep Americana strings on their soon to be released Time Out EP, you can’t put this band in a box. Out May 7, Time Out (Session 1) is a five-song EP of all-new co-written material. Today they share the video for Wildfire, created over Zoom with singer-songwriter Kim Richey.”
11 | Kirty | God Help Us
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto songwriter/multi-instrumentalist and longtime Fast Romantics member Kirty releases the poignant, grungy, distortion-rich single God Help Us, along with its fiery and poetic video. Co-produced with longtime collaborator Josh Van Tassel and Fast Romantics bandmate/songwriting partner Matthew Angus, God Help Us will appear on Kirty’s forthcoming solo album set for a release in summer 2021. “God Help Us is a tiny window into my thoughts in moments where I’ve felt like I’m watching the world fall to pieces,” shares Kirty. “Witnessing a series of the most horrible things happening in the word, strung together in half an hour of television is an intense feeling, and we’re all absorbing this waterfall of information every single day.”
12 | Emily Kinney | Fifteen Minutes
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Actress/singer-songwriter Emily Kinney presents the video for Fifteen Minutes, the first single from her album The Supporting Character, out April 9. Directed by David Schlussel and featuring ballet dancer Sydney Moss with choreography by Ashlynn Malia, Fifteen Minutes was born out of an idea Kinney had of the song being performed as a ballet dance and how, metaphorically, her personal fears are represented within her own impending performance. “I love being a performer and actor but I can also be extremely shy, introverted and awkward,” Kinney says. “And having the experiences of success, fame and being on a hit TV show have definitely forced me to come right up against those uncomfortable aspects of my personality that maybe aren’t as well suited for certain parts of the entertainment industry. Making this video was one of the best, most fun days I’ve had in the last year.”
13 | Cujo Moon | Watch You Shine
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Rising alternative folk singer Cujo Moon is sharing the colourful animated video for his latest single Watch You Shine. The single is taken from his upcoming EP Bridges II, which will be available on March 26. Created by both Cujo Moon and Grouch Bucket, the animated video pairs exotic swirls of colour and surrealist stylings reminiscent of Salvador Dali with Moon’s sombre lyrics. Moon elaborates: “I hope when people watch the video that they let go of making literal interpretations and instead just let their imaginations run wild. If anything, I hope the song and video bring about a sense of hope and healing. We all go through pain in life and sometimes it can bring us to some pretty dark places. This song is about rising out of those places and letting go of our heavier attachments.”
14 | Giant Sky | Snow
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “London alt-rockers Giant Sky have shared their latest captivating single Snow on Jan. 29. The band formed in 2019 and despite spending most of their time apart due to lockdown, they’ve enjoyed developing their own unique style by sending demos to each other. The band tell us about the inspiration behind their latest single, “Snow is about the triumph of human connection over isolation. After the year we’ve all been through, human connections are ultimately what have got us through, and we wanted to write something that reflected that.”
15 | Illaman | Universe
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Oioi, did you catch Illaman & Norm Oddity’s new Universe video? Check it out below.”
16 | Sébastien Guérive | Omega II
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sébastien Guérive is a composer and sound engineer in Nantes, France. After studying the cello, he quickly turned to musical creation using computer music, which opened up infinite possibilities for mixing and transforming sound material. Close to the work of a plastic artist, he is as much concerned with the textural aspect of the sound as he is with the melody… For Omega Point, he decided to compose an instrumental album inspired by the form of a sci-fi movie soundtrack. Omega II is the first single. The use of continuous rhythmic cycles illustrates birth and the continuous movements of life as well as adding textures to the music.”
17 | Stoneside | God Save The King
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Stoneside are a group whose songs all tell the true real life stories of the dead. After frontman David Crane lost a close beloved family member to Lou Gehrig’s disease during a formative time in his life, he began exploring the cross-cultural and age-old traditions of trying to commune with the dead. From that point forward, this became a regular practice that would begin to reach further than simply trying to talk to his deceased family member. Over the years, the stories of those who passed began to be overwhelming. Music began to be written to tell each individual story. Each song attempts to immortalize The stories of those who passed and thus, them. The winding, multi instrumental, progressive and dynamic nature of the Music itself is deliberately designed to take the listener through the emotional journey that comes with the success, regret, ups and downs, (and the sometimes violent end)of the deceased each song is written about.”
https://youtu.be/Cokc1tXEPx0
18 | Oui Plastique | Failure
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Failure is the new single from electronica act Oui Plastique, from the forthcoming debut album Fraternity of Strangers. Oui Plastique are Martin Nyrup and James Thomas, who first collaborated on the Perpacity/DVL album, Convergence, in 2017. Following this, Oui Plastique was born, and they released UM EP 4, a three-track EP of covers of tracks by Martin Gore (Depeche Mode). Since then, Martin and James have been writing tracks for the debut album, and Failure was written during these sessions. The song deals with themes of loss and hopelessness, and musically demonstrates Oui Plastique’s ability to craft hooks and clever song structure with synth and guitar playing, programming and production skills.”
19 | Minor Empire | Uyuttum Atlari / I Lulled Horses To Sleep
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With singer Ozgu Ozman’s ethereal and evocative vocals leading the way, Minor Empire’s music takes listeners on an Anatolian inspired voyage of the imagination. It is a unique sound and style that largely defies categorization and stereotypes. Minor Empire’s records feature some of Canada’s finest musicians: Michael Occhipinti, Chris Gartner, Ben Riley, Lina Allemano to name a few, as well as the world-renowned kanun virtuoso Tamer Pinarbasi.”
20 | Scarlett Flynn | Suffocated Diamond
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “At the dawn of the 21st century I was barely a woman when I got the chance to sign an artist development deal with a top Canadian publishing company. My excitement at this opportunity is best described by miming an explosion from my brain with both hands. I couldn’t believe it. I had only started writing music a year prior and if we’re being honest I wasn’t a particularly outstanding talent. It took me five years into the deal to realize I hadn’t been signed based on the laurels of my talents. At that age I had a stand-out saccharine face with pouty lips surrounded by a tangle of strawberry blond hair. I was a haircut with a heartbeat, but just enough of one to keep me upright and showing teeth. During the crucial period of my development as both a woman and an artist my orbit was completely dominated by older, powerful men. By the time the deal ended I was exactly the sexualized, no-skilled, weak-minded female stereotype I had been forged into. I went on to have a career in music that I intentionally engineered to exist only behind the shadow of men and it would take me 20 years to deflate the perception within myself that I was inferior. Which brings me to today. After those 20 years I am finally releasing my first solo track, written, performed and produced exclusively by me. The song is an electro-pop, art-rock track called Suffocated Diamond and its release will coincide with International Women’s Day.”
21 | Les Chants Du Hasard | Chant VII – L’oubli
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Livre Troisième is the stirring full-length from French orchestral/operatic blackened gothic project Les Chants Du Hasard. Set for release on April 9, the eight-movement, avant garde masterwork seamlessly melds neoclassical bombast, gothic opera, and a blackened metal spirit to manifest a sophisticated sonic grandiosity of extraordinary proportions. Today brings Chant VII- L’oubli for public feasting. Notes sole member Hazard: “L’oubli is the most dynamic song of the record, with lots of different moods. It is divided in two parts, but more subparts like waves, each new one going higher than the previous one, until the introduction of the album comes one last time to announce the end.”
22 | The Dogs | Under The Coast
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Underground punk legends The Dogs have unleashed the single Under The Coast, co-written with and features fellow rock ‘n’ roller Frank Meyer (The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs, James Williamson & The Pink Hearts) on vocals and guitar. “Frank and I go way back,” says Dogs frontman Loren Molinare. “The Streetwalkin’ Cheetahs and The Dogs have been in the trenches of the rock ‘n’ roll wars for years together, playing cutthroat gigs side by side. We had always talked about collaborating on a song one day. Then right at the beginning of the pandemic, Frank texted me and asked if I was recording at home at all. I told him I just had a few riffs in my phone, but I’d send them over. Next thig I knew he wrote a full realized song around all my parts!”
23 | The Culture Industry | D.K Stance
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Culture Industry deliver us a blend of old and new punk with a grungy overtone. It has a fun, good-time vibe, full of humour and character … but still very punk! On D.K. Stance they hit the waves to deliver a surf punk anthem that rolls right alongside bands like Dead Kennedys, Agent Orange, The Forgotten Rebels and Adolescents.”
24 | Brandon Gibbs | Lost Boys
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Brandon Gibbs, an explosive guitar player and singer-songwriter who has a powerful, soulful voice and a brilliant sense of melody that sets him apart from his contemporaries. Lost Boys is a pure rock tune and it shows the heavier, darker side of Brandon both lyrically and musically as it was written and recorded during the Covid-19 pandemic.“Lost Boys is a song for the people. As an artist it’s my job to put feelings into words and song. 2020 was like living in a nightmare for millions upon millions … We all collectively got hit so many times that one can’t help but feel empty and lost. I won’t ever forget it and we all have long lasting scars from it.”
25 | Acid’s Trip | Faster, Chopper, Boogie
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Swedish rock ‘n ‘roll machine Acid’s Trip share first single and details for debut album Strings of Soul, out May 7. Knuckleheads and motor fanatics, start your engines and may your soul rest in speed! Acid’s Trip have done it again: High-energy rock ’n’ roll with string-bending licks, a touch of soul and a blazing organic beat. This best describes the Gothenburg-based quartet, who has taken the timeless sound of past decades to a whole new level.”
26 | Timaj Garad | How to Win a War
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Timaj Garad is an Ethiopian singer-songwriter creating music in Toronto with a genre-bending mix of spoken word poetry, hip hop, R&B, soul, Afrojazz, and dance. After 15 years performing and writing as a spoken word artist, she is returning to her roots in music, exploring themes about challenging injustice, unearthing truths, and healing. Timaj Garad has released her debut EP Blooming at the Mouth. With rich lyrical landscapes, soulful vocals, and a unique blend of singing and spoken word poetry, the EP offers listeners intimate, thought-provoking storytelling coupled with anthemic, lively hooks carrying undertones of hope.”
27 | Cole Quest & the City Pickers | 7-11/Foggy Mountain Rock
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Cole Quest and the City Pickers are a group of New York City musicians connected by friendship and a love of bluegrass. Quest, grandson of the folk icon Woody Guthrie, has brought together a collection of eclectic artists who have gained recognition on the local scene. Performing both Quest’s original tunes as well as traditional favorites, The City Pickers bring their special brand of high-spirited talent to the stage, with upbeat, knee-slapping energy and a high-lonesome sound that’ll leave you wanting more. 7-11/Foggy Mountain Rock incorporates a salute to the bluegrass legends Flatt and Scruggs (don’t forget Uncle Josh too).”
28 | King Park | This Is the End
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “King Park have been turning out mercurial, high-contrast indie-rock since they released their debut track in 2017. Gritty and lush, the quartet’s sound mirrors the antitheses of their hometown Hamilton: on the one hand, blue-collar and raw, and, on the other, artful and lovely. The band’s new single, This Is the End, sets up camp in that familiar moment after life has fallen apart and before a way forward seems possible. The track is a preview of King Park’s upcoming LP, Everett, and offers a big, echoing sound with chiming guitars and broken-up baritone vocals.”
29 | Brendan Scott Friel | Shadows
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Shadows is the second single from Windsor singer-songwriter Brendan Scott Friel’s upcoming album Summer Moons. It’s a song about heartbreak, and the self-imposed torture that occurs in the dark midnights spent alone in our rooms, remembering summers with a lost love, and being consumed by the thought of them with another. Says Friel: “I wanted the choruses to become less and less eloquent lyrically as the song progressed, allowing the listener insight into an unravelling narrator. By the time we reach the last chorus, he can barely deliver the hook of the song. In order to truly capture what this kind of desperation sounds like, James (producer) and I had to get creative in the recording process.”
30 | M00nst3p | Soft
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Experimental pop artist m00nst3p rips through the constraints of white acceptance in Soft, the third single off of his upcoming debut EP I Cannot Live With Myself. m00nst3p recalls last year, when an email to his boss about the lack of diversity at the company got completely ignored — “as if I never even sent it” — he found himself boiling over. “I put down this empty, inane happy major-chord progression, and then pulled out the electric guitar and just made the loudest fucking noises I could. When I was done I kind of fell in love with it and decided I’d flesh it out.”
31 | Ghost Twin | Strobe Light
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “After four years, Winnipeg duo Ghost Twin will return June 4 with Love Songs for End Times, an album that promises to bring much-needed cathartic release through a prism of pop hooks, romantic ballads, heavy anthems and club stompers. Ghost Twin explore the darkness of nostalgia on the new album, an approach that signals a turning point for the band. Karen and Jaimz Asmundson, longtime artistic collaborators and couple, take turns crooning fatalistic lyrics as elements of ’80s synthpop, Industrial, German Techno, French House, and a knack for writing earworms, competing for your attention. “While our music has always been extremely personal, in the past we’ve hidden our meanings behind a veil of esoteric symbolism – but with this release we’ve put our hearts on a platter.”
32 | The Long War | Robot Heart
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Robot Heart was born out of finding a glimmer of happiness during a lonely time, cooped up through the fall months. Staring out the window watching crows fly above as they do in Vancouver every single day at the same time to the same spot, over and over again. The message of this song alludes to my own default habits in matters of the heart and my longing to reprogram myself, to stop making the same mistakes time and time again. This song’s upbeat nature forced us to get away from our mid tempo tendencies and push a little harder, thinking outside of the box. It’s a good driving tune, complete with a touch of weirdness in the bridge reminiscent of a trippy dream sequence.”
33 | Mr. Shamrock | My Whole Life
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Timothy McClure, also known as Mr. Shamrock, is a hip-hop artist, recording engineer, and business owner from Houston. He’s been creating music for over 25 years and has owned a recording studio and record label, Green Leaf Records, for a majority of that time, recording for hundreds of artists, bands, and companies. He has a powerful, sensitive ear and is able to create unique sounds constantly. Many call him the king of the overdubs. When it comes to songwriting, rapping, and creating hip hop music he is a deep thinker and challenges the status quo. He writes lyrics that matter. He flows with a southern slang but is inspired by a multitude of genres and artists. He is influenced by HED Pe and Tool. He speaks truth, love and aims to inspire or otherwise touch the lives of others in the process of creating what he enjoys.”
