Rev. Payton asks you to cut a rug, Les Deuxluxes slice up some space cheese, Rundown Kreeps scratch and win, Kanga does double duty, Maude Audet and Sarah Walk go undercover — and if you’ve ever wanted to hear a metal version of the Westworld theme, your Tuesday Roundup is the place to be. Your adventure starts here:
1 | Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band | Too Cool to Dance
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dance Songs for Hard Times, the new album from Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band, is scheduled for April 9. Ahead of that, the band have released their second single and video, Too Cool to Dance. Peyton says it “might be interpreted as the album’s centerpiece for its message of not taking things for granted. The seize-the-moment anthem offers the chorus, ‘We may not get another chance. Oh, please don’t tell me you’re too cool to dance.’ I was thinking about all the times where I’ve been somewhere and felt too cool to dance. I didn’t want to be that way. Not being able to do anything last year, I had this feeling of, ‘Man, I’m not going to waste any moment like this in my life — ever.’”
2 | Les Deuxluxes | Vacances Everest
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Les Deuxluxes unveil a sci-fi video for the song Vacances Everest. Supported by a twangy guitar riff and an unsettling melody, the track is taken from their latest album Lighter Fluid. Immersing the viewer in an intergalactic adventure that pays tribute to old Star Trek episodes and cult science fiction films such as Barbarella with Jane Fonda or The Queen of Outer Space with Zsa Zsa Gabor, the music video was directed by Ariel Poupart, a long-time friend and collaborator of the duo. Although the images are completely playful and surprising, the same cannot be said of the lyrics and their universal reach. Indeed, Vacances Everest is about the perseverance it takes to overcome life’s obstacles and the idea of giving it all, even when you feel low.”
3 | Rundown Kreeps | Held Down
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “L.A. ska-punk trio Rundown Kreeps’ new single Held Down is first track off the band’s forthcoming (and still-untitled) album due later this year. The Kreeps say: “Held Down discusses the self-reflection of daily paranoia through the eyes of a Chicano living in Los Angeles during 2020. The lyrics glide over the topics of racism, social status, gentrification, death, and self-awareness in a borderline stoic manner. Sometimes resolution is inexistent, until you learn to be untroubled without it.”
4 | Kanga | Home
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Kanga has premiered the video for her latest single Home. With sumptuous lighting, a horde of mysterious masked figures, and Kanga herself playing two roles, the video is a feast for the eyes. Home appears on Kanga’s sophomore album You and I Will Never Die, out March 26. Says Kanga: “Many of us turn to self medication to cope with our feelings of hopelessness and loss, and when faced with the pressures of social situations we feel an obligation to paint on a different face in order to get through the night. The video for Home centers around this duality between the anxiety and the actor in the room: the split that happens when one’s internal monologue gains independence and creates a whole new character that is maybe braver than one’s inner self, but also lacks the boundaries and foresight our daylight selves hold onto.”
https://youtu.be/KoqiNreW-IE
5 | Maude Audet | Smells Like Teen Spirit
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A peaceful, yet brilliant force, Maude Audet has carved out her own individual path in Quebec’s musical landscape. Her music reflects both her bold aspirations and her need for the warm comforts of the day to day. With a precise and ethereal voice that is truly her own, the singer-songwriter and musician delicately unveils her thoughtful and powerful words. Involved in every creative aspect of her project, she has found her unmistakable sound, which combines folk, vintage pop, and subtle psychedelic accents, inspired by the simple joys of home and the love for her people. Here’s her cover of a Nirvana classic.”
6 | Sarah Walk | Nothing Compares 2 U (ft. Meshell Ndegeocello)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Singer-songwriter Sarah Walk is back with a sobering, cinematic new video for her slow-burning cover of one of the most famous love songs of all time: Nothing Compares 2 U — featuring Meshell Ndegeocello. Walk — a Minneapolis native like Prince — says: “I was really struck by the opening line ‘it’s been 7 hours and 13 days’ — a lyric that suggests each passing hour is a feat and triumph. This made me think about sobriety and the struggles of temptation and addiction, resistance and possibility. I wanted to zoom in on one moment of resilience that may have otherwise gone unseen.”
7 | Miranda Joan | Home
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Miranda Joan is a Canadian neo-soul singer and songwriter born in Montréal and raised in Vancouver. Joan uses her multicultural upbringing from both French and English backgrounds as well as her reverence of music legends such as Stevie Wonder and Carole King — and contemporary artists such as Erykah Badu, Anderson .Paak and Emily King — to craft a diverse and fresh sound in her music. Joan released her latest single Home with a video filmed in Vancouver. The song is a reflection on life; fueled by the experience of leaving home and family for the first time.”
8 | Vandemonian | National Insecurity
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hamburg progressive post-rock trio Vandemonian have just revealed a video for a new track off their debut album Xenophilia. Recorded and produced on a DIY-approach by guitarist and vocalist Nick Braren between late 2018 and early 2020, Xenophilia developed gradually over those two years with the trio constantly experimenting and maturing their ideas between studio sessions. The end result is an elegant and compelling album that sees Vandemonian fusing the very best elements of prog and post-rock. Atmospheric elements of post rock are met with dissonant guitar tones, driving bass and unconventional drumming.”
9 | Dirge | Carrion Shrine
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “French post-metal band Dirge have just revealed the first audio sample from their final compilation album Vanishing Point, set for release on March 26. Titled Carrion Shrine, this new track is an unreleased outtake from the Lost Empyrean recording sessions and features female vocals by Mütterlein. Dirge abruptly announced the end of their 25-year career at the peak of their creativity, right after the release of their critically acclaimed Lost Empyrean. However, they reserved one last surprise to their long-time fans and will release this final compilation, which features unreleased tracks and other rarities that goes from their early industrial beginnings to the post-metal grandeur of their last album.”
10 | Cappa | Colder
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “L.A. pop darling Cappa is premiering the video for her new single Colder. The single, which was released in late February, is a testament to Cappa’s knack for creating catchy yet clever pop numbers. Navigating the residual emotions after the demise of a relationship, Colder is an instantly infectious track tethered by snappy pop grooves, sparkly synths, and Cappa’s signature honeyed vocals. “The inspiration behind the video,” she says, “was to create a world where it felt like a relationship was ending.”
11 | David Olney & Anana Kaye | The World We Used to Know
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “If the futile longing to reach back through memory and grasp what is in the past could be set to music, it would sound like Whispers and Sighs. Over the course of 13 tracks, David Olney and Anana Kaye manage to craft a journey that amounts to far more than just another Americana album. This is to be expected with Olney, an acclaimed songwriter responsible for more than 20 solo albums and songs covered by and/or co-written with the likes of Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle and Linda Ronstadt, among many others. Further, just as Townes Van Zandt reportedly saw something special in him, Olney felt a similar admiration and kinship towards Kaye, a smoky-voiced Americana darling whose star is assuredly on the rise in Nashville, and her husband and musical partner Irakli Gabriel, both of whom are originally from the country of Georgia.”
12 | Ibeyi | Recurring Dream
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Afro-French Cuban musical duo Ibeyi have released a new song titled Recurring Dream, which the duo wrote and composed for writer-director Ed Morris’s feature film How To Stop A Recurring Dream. Ibeyi first started working with Morris in 2014, when he directed the twins’ first video for their single River. They also worked on two more videos together. Ibeyi are Naomi and Lisa-Kaindé Díaz. The twin sisters are currently at work on their third studio album. They released their sophomore disc Ash in 2017.”
13 | Ariel Posen | It’s You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Last Friday, Ariel Posen released his new LP Headway, and today the acclaimed songwriter and guitarist is sharing the lyric video for album track It’s You, a song that “focuses on the type of person that refuses to see all the bad signs of a partner,” says Ariel. “Despite how badly you can be treated by someone, sometimes we refuse to see ourselves being with anyone else.”
14 | Dark The Suns | The Secrets of Time
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Finnish legendary melodic metal band Dark The Suns released a single and video for The Secrets of Time from their fourth studio album Suru Raivosi Sydämeni Pimeydessä, which is set to be released on April 9. Mikko Ojala commets: “With the lyric video of our song The Secrets of Time we wanted to exhibit the beautiful wintery nature of Finland, continuing with the theme set with our previous videos. This song is one of our personal favourites.”
15 | Zeit | Stillgestanden
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Zeit just released their first glimpse into the upcoming EP Betonkrebs. They released a new lyric video for the track Stillgestanden. Betonkrebs will be released on March 26.”
16 | Sounds Of New Soma | Trip
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Cosmic sound encounters of the third kind. Two music enthusiasts have immersed themselves deeply in a plethora of genres from the far side of the mainstream. They formed Sounds Of New Soma in 2013 in order to materialize their tonal vision of a cosmic voyage in the aftermath of a psychedelic trip. Trip is the new album by the electro/ avant-garde/ neo-krautrock duo of Alexander Djelassi and Dirk Raupach. It comprises only one long track with the significant title Trip.”
17 | Gary Numan | I Am Screaming
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Gary Numan recently launched the upcoming album Intruder by sharing its lead single and title track. Exploring the idea of the modern world warning against and fighting back against humanity’s catastrophic behaviour, it proved that fans remain hugely fascinated by Numan’s still modernistic sound some four decades into his career. Numan now adds to the growing anticipation for the May 21 release by sharing I Am Screaming. While Intruder introduced the concept of a world withering in the face of its steady destruction by mankind, I Am Screaming feels more like a desperate plea. It represents the planet rallying against its oppressors one final time, culminating with the haunting final warning: “You’re welcome to die with me.”
18 | August Burns Red | Westworld
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “August Burns Red — JB Brubaker [lead guitar], Brent Rambler [rhythm guitar], Matt Greiner [drums], Jake Luhrs [lead vocals], and Dustin Davidson [bass] — have dropped their cover of the theme song to the acclaimed series Westworld. “The soundtrack to Westworld has been a favorite of mine,” shares Brubaker. “I started working on a metal version of the main theme to the show back in 2018, but pushed it to the backburner as other projects took priority. When COVID sent us into lockdown, the first thing I did with my time at home was finish the Westworld cover.”
