Bruit≤ fire up the machine, Odd Circus build a monster jam, ToxicRose are ready to take control, Atreyu fight the good fight, Palm Ghosts bear a heavy burden — and they’re just a few of the acts helping you ease into your week with another Monday Roundup. I thought this year’s Grammys weren’t so bad — aside from the fact that they got almost every award wrong and at least half the performances were awful, of course.
1 | Bruit≤ | The Machine Is Burning Live
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “French post-rock band Bruit≤ present a new live video performance of The Machine Is Burning, from their captivating debut album The Machine Is Burning And Now Everyone Knows It Could Happen Again, which arrives April 2. The album features four sprawling and expansive movements which show the unit investigating new realms of creative exploration and auditory emotion. The performance was recorded last November in a church in Toulouse, France, on the day the country closed down due to the second pandemic wave. It was, therefore, in a gloomy and anxious atmosphere, that the band recorded this “bruit” (noise) that broke the newly deafening silence of the dead city.”
2 | Odd Circus | Gezora
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mantha is the forthcoming mindbending EP from avant-rock trio Odd Circus, set for release next moth. In advance, they’ve released a video for Gezora. Operating out of Orlando and DC, the fittingly monikered trio explore the suspension of space and time through sound. Forged in improvisation, the band’s music navigates a boundaryless sonic landscape that embraces the unknown and welcomes the bizarre. The result is an experimental style of psychedelic art-rock that weaves its way into garage, fusion, krautrock, no wave, post-rock, noise, hard psych, and sci-fi prog. Note the band: “Gezora is a giant squid kaiju mind-controlled to fight Godzilla. This track is the arc of combat between these monsters, slowly crawling up through the sludge from the briny deep, building speed and intensity with every scratch and slippery slap, peaking with the battle’s final blow.”
3 | ToxicRose | Domination
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “ToxicRose have just released their new single Domination. ToxicRose deliver that classic Swedish trash glam metal sound that they have become a world leader in. With Crazy Lixx, Hardcore Superstar, Crashdiet, Gemini Five and ToxicRose, Sweden keep cranking out the best the scene has to offer. Domination is a fast and aggressive, trash metal-flavoured fist in your face! It is delivered with their unique look mix of dark sleaze and metal.”
4 | Atreyu | Warrior (ft. Travis Barker)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Atreyu will release their new album Baptize on June 4. The band just shared the video for the anthemic first single Warrior, featuring Travis Barker. “Sometimes life punches you in the face,” the band says. “The fist hurts — and the floor hurts worse. But getting back up feels incredible. Warrior is a song about the war within. There is a daily battle inside all of us, as well as the knowledge that we each have the power to not only get back up, but also have the fire we need to thrive and burn brighter than ever.”
5 | Palm Ghosts | Carry The World
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Nashvile’s Palm Ghosts will release their album Lifeboat Candidate this Friday. As a final preview, the band have shared their final pre-release single Carry The World. Palm Ghosts’ Joseph Lekkas says, “Carry the World is inspired by stories of family separation. The song is an epic synth-based banger with linear drum parts and big vocal harmonies. The original inspiration came from the early sounds of new wave band OMD. This is probably the most pop-oriented song on the record, firmly routed in the sounds the ’80s that the band is most known for.”
6 | Ultimatium | Ghost of Yesterday
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Finland power-proggers Ultimatium are sharing their video for Ghost of Yesterday in support of their epic album Virtuality. The disc tells the story of four gamers getting stuck in a virtual reality game in a near-future setting. Packed with five amazing lead vocalists — Peter James Goodman, Jukka Nummi, Emily Leone, Tomi Viiltola and Matti Auerkallio, Virtuality is a unique storyline about the virtual world, and the dangers of sharing everything in social media, along with up-tempo power metal songs combined with darker elements.”
7 | Big Mother Gig | The Doctor Will See You Now
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Milwaukee-bred/L.A.-based indie-rock band Big Mother Gig present the video for The Doctor Will See You Now, the latest single from the album Gusto (April 30). A pretty overt admission of sobriety being a work in progress, The Doctor Will See You Know is frontman Richard Jankovich’s attempt at a proud declaration of being sober, even at the risk of seeming corny. The song is also a fun poke at the whole industry of care. “Recovery starts with self-care and it’s a very L.A. thing to even use terms like ‘self-care’,” Jankovich says. “We all think if we can just get better, everything will fall into place … Kale juice cleanse, hot yoga, meditation. Self-care both saves me daily and mortifies my Midwestern sensibilities.”
8 | Arrows To Fire | Crocodile
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Austin indie-rockers Arrows To Fire present their single Crocodile, a straight-up party tune that will make you want to get up and shake it! “This song is loosely about a strong and powerful woman who is smart and beautiful… and she knows it,” says John Joyo. “Beware to anyone who crosses her path! This song was inspired by a woman I know that lures people in and eventually rips their heads off when she’s finished with them or they no longer do as she wants. She is feared by those who dare get close enough! Seriously, she is terrifying.”
9 | Sam Tudor | Perennials
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vancouver’s Sam Tudor shares Perennials, the third single from his forthcoming album Two Half Words, which is set for release later this spring. Sam says, “It’s a song about watching the people in my life struggle under the weight each of them carry, and the joy in watching them come to life when that weight is lifted. In times like those, one can only hope we re-emerge with grace, having learned something. Perennials get crushed each winter but the root stock holds on throughout. It is often a cyclical process. I hope I can accept that cyclical nature moving into this spring.”
10 | Modesty Blaise | Come Lie Beside Me
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Bristol avant indie-pop outfit Modesty Blaise present their new single Come Lie Beside Me, preview of their album The Modesty Blaise. A baroque pop collection, The Modesty Blaise is the band’s third studio album and their first LP in 20 years. Frontman Jonny Collins explains, “Come Lie Beside Me came from a conversation on tour in Germany about whether it was possible to get certain words into songs, in this case “ramshackle.” Well frankly, that’s easy. It turned into a rather tender song because of Gregory’s Pale Blue Eyes guitar pointing to the reason why the third Modesty Blaise album is called The Modesty Blaise ( the third Velvet Underground album is The Velvet Underground). With its video referencing Warhol’s Factory it should last for 24 hours. But it’s just a perfect 2:44.”
11 | Waiting For London | What Are You Waiting For
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “What Are You Waiting For, Connecticut pop-rock band Waiting For London coyly ask us. With their new single and accompanying video, the band show the world that old school pop-punk is making a comeback. Frontman Ryan Carson says: “Our new single What Are You Waiting For is about moving forward, taking chances and having the focus to make your dreams a reality. Our music video took us months to create due to the limitations caused by the pandemic but we made it happen, choosing to illustrate that no matter how many setbacks you have, with resolve, you can accomplish your goals. So what are you waiting for?”
12 | Oh No Noh | Shrugging
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With Shrugging, one-man ensemble Oh No Noh declares his love to the combination of indie music and musical patterns. This instrumental piece is a celebration of clever forms and melodies. Shrugging is full of ideas, but at no point demanding. It’s the third single of Oh No Noh’s upcoming album Where One Begins And The Other Stops, and it comes with an animated music video by Leipzig illustrator Sandra Barth.”
13 | Urangel | Angel of Death
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Urangel is the music of Brooklyn artist Alice Gonzalez. Using lo-fi recording as her medium, Gonzalez has crafted a futuristic darkwave sound with an inventive vocal approach. Urangel touches a unique sensation where ecstasy meets melancholy. As drenched in reverb as it is in nuance, her latest single Angel of Death sprinkles a dainty music box into a thumping house grind that bounces around like it’s in a cave.”
14 | Two Sevens | 207
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “London’s Two Sevens are Sonya Frances (vocals), Matthew Davis (instruments, songs) & Paul Bateman (instruments). Their self-titled debut album is available now. They have just released video for their song 207, which was co-written with Stuart Moxham from iconic post-punk band Young Marble Giants.”
15 | Chaser | Dreamers
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “On April 9, Chaser will release their fifth album Dreamers. Jesse Stopnitzky shares, “Dreamers is a 13-song burst of anthemic and melodic punk energy with self-reflecting and hopeful lyrics. It is a reminder to keep chasing your dreams and keep your head up. It’s the most personal album we have written, touching on the highs and lows of life, but as always, with a positive Chaser twist… Influenced by our loved ones, (the song Dreamers) is an appreciation of how much they have inspired us to grow and to do better in our own lives to keep a positive perspective.”
16 | Cicadastone | Slave In A Cage
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Melbourne’s heavy alt-rockers Cicadastone released the single Slave In A Cage today, ahead of their new album Cold Chamber, out Friday. Slave In a Cage is a song about being stuck in the day to day life most of us are living. We all live in a society that tells us what we conveniently want and need, what we can or cannot have. We consume, submit, obey and follow the rules that govern us. The visaed are here to stay, we can’t escape. We are all just sad slaves in a cage.”
17 | Arx Atrata | Retribution
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Warrior Cycle is a tale of loss and revenge told without words, a saga of grief brought to life by the spellbinding music of Bleakwinter Shrine, Arx Atrata and Arx Atrata’s ambient incarnation Arx Silvestris. Wholly instrumental, the four tracks and three interludes are woven together into an unfolding tapestry of atmospheric black metal that invokes vivid, vibrant images and intense, powerful emotion. The story is there for all to hear as the album progresses, the words snatched from the lips of a bard and secreted within the shimmering snowstorm of notes.”
18 | Holy Ship | Rabbit Hole
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Stockholm’s Holy Ship return with second single Rabbit Hole, from their upcoming EP Les Deux Regards. Jonatan Westh says: “Rabbit Hole is about “being on a journey or process that is complex and confusing. Becoming an adult and discovering that the world you thought you knew as something totally different, something surreal. Like growing up in a very religious environment — you either have to find your identity in this new world or get sucked back into surrealness.”
19 | Bobbo Byrnes | Chasing Rock & Roll
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “I’ve released a bunch of albums and I typically tour quite a bit. My last album SeaGreenNumber5 was very acoustic based and came out seven months ago — or in Covid terms, seven years ago. I’ve been working on the followup, titled So Many Bars, So Many Saturday Nights. This is the first single from that. I am not a fan of typical love songs, so I wrote a love song to the guys I was in a band with in the late ’90s and a tour we did in Canada. Rock ’n’ roll is not war, but there are nights that definitely feel like you’re fighting to survive. I’m as proud of this song as anything I’ve ever written. I feel like it’s got the most ‘me’ in it.”
20 | Steven Bamidele | What Happens Afterwards
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Brighton singer-songwriter Steven Bamidele spent 2019 playing as many shows a possible. Since the Covid pandemic, he has been producing music from his home studio for other artists, as well as developing his own personal craft, patiently awaiting the return of normality to showcase his new works to his fans. Steven’s latest single is the dreamy R&B slow burner What Happens Afterwards, featuring Dave Bryce. It offers us a taste of what’s to come as he readies his upcoming debut EP, out later this year.”
21 | Nelson Sobral | Pendulum
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Nelson Sobral is a singer-songwriter and guitarist hailing from Toronto. He is equally inspired by the vast, wide open spaces of the country he calls home and the labyrinthine maze of the city in which he resides. Sobral’s music is as much Americana and blues as it is soul and rock’n’roll, perfectly balanced with the energy and sound of each of his respective influences. Pendulum, his latest single, is a genre-spanning journey through love and heartbreak, transforming tough moments into a raucous celebration for the hours between midnight and morning.”
22 | Tamara Grace | Sad Boys
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Canadian singer-songwriter Tamara Grace bursts back onto the scene with another shimmering pop anthem Sad Boys. The exquisitely addictive new single expertly combines her empowered attitude, bold lyricism, and stunning vocals with an immaculately bright, catchy sound. Tamara explained: “Sad Boys is a part of a miniseries called Welcome Class of 2005. This song is the first part of the three-part song series. Sad Boys speaks about a girl who has quite a reputation for being the girl that every boy wants. For amusement, she enjoys flirting and seducing boys she finds she can take advantage of. Whenever she comes out empty, she stomps on their hearts and moves on to the next boy in line. One day, the boys overheard each other’s conversations and realized they’ve all gotten their hearts broken by the same girl. They start to hang out, compare notes and all decide to plot a revenge scheme on her.”
23 | Oscar Tango | Staring Down The Night
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Los Angeles, 1982, night time, palm trees blowing in the rain, car tape deck on full blast, and it’s time to get out of town. Staring Down the Night was recorded in the winter of 2020 in singer/guitar player Ryan Farley’s home studio. It features a guest guitar solo by Tristan Clark (Jacksoul, Esthero) who recorded his part from Nanaimo. “We feel the solo really captures the essence of rock circa 1982, when the song is set.” The song is about someone living in L.A. facing a sort of existential crisis leading to them getting out of town suddenly. They need to start something new, and get away from the life of cocktails, swimming pools and surreal personalities they have been surrounded by. Maybe they are tired of the scene, or maybe at the end of their rope, but it’s high time they move to a remote patch of land and listen to the waves for a while.”
24 | Beams | Break Glass
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto psychedelic folk band Beams are set to release their upcoming LP Ego Death on March 26. The album works as a hero’s journey, chronicling songwriter Anna Mernieks-Duffield’s struggle with mental health and her journey towards self-acceptance. Today the band share Break Glass, the final preview of Ego Death. Combining fuzzy, chaotic guitars with gorgeous vocal harmonies and perfectly placed vibraphone, Break Glass is intense yet measured.”
