Audiovendor puts you on a pedestal, Ruoska have kept you waiting long enough, Møtrik get inside your head in a quasi-familiar way, David Shaw likes what you’re doing — and we’re cruising to the end of another scenic Thursday Roundup. Come back for (plenty) more tomorrow.
35 | Audiovendor | Superhuman (ft. Lemoy The Siamese Empress)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “London artist Audiovendor has released his electro-pop single Superhuman. It’s the lead single from his latest album Retro Radio. Superhuman dials into a sense of longing for the unattainable within relationships, as people often put their love interests on a pedestal, which inherently puts them out of reach. The track harps back to the classic ’80s synth-pop era meshed with modern recording techniques that features crisp synth leads, a classic electronic drum beat and a catchy chorus that encapsulates Audiovendor’s sound. The track also features a rap verse performed by Lemoy The Siamese Empress which adds to the track’s dynamic nature. Audiovendor says: “This track is my answer to the pop anthems of yesteryear, albeit with an obvious modern twist.”
36 | Ruoska | Runno
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Finnish industrial metal band Ruoska have broken 13 years of silence with a new single Runno. It goes deep into Finnish mythology and culture. Ruoska interpret the Finnish-like determined mindscape: Sisu! Theme of the song is familiar from band’s early days, bowing to old fans as well as seducing new ones with its twisted and gloomy humour. It marks the inevitable return of Ruoska after more than adecade of waiting, and leads the way towards the upcoming new album.”
37 | Møtrik | Headshrinker
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Headshrinker is the seventh single of the Stars Rock Kill (Rock Stars) series, following March 11’s cover of Elliott Smith’s Single File by Johanna Samuels. Møtrik states, “When we decided to cover a Quasi tune, both Cord and I decided there can be no piano because we are not Sam. Sam’s playing has been an inspiration and frankly the most fun I see a keyboard player having on stage. Regardless of configuration and always amazing: Long live Sam, Janet and Quasi.”
38 | David Shaw | Got Me Feeling Good
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Platinum-selling singer-songwriter David Shaw has released his single Got Me Feeling Good and revealed the details of his debut self-titled solo album, due out May 7. Staying true to his rock roots, Got Me Feeling Good is an uplifting anthem about finding joy and passion during difficult times as buoyant, layered harmonies swirl over a flurry of guitar-plucking and contagious drum beats. Shaw says, “It’s a feel-good party tune, plain and simple. It’s such a heavy time in our world and I think people don’t always have the bandwidth right now for heavy. I know I don’t. Put something on that makes me feel good. That’s what I want, and that’s what I was going for with this song.”
39 | Reid Jamieson | Good Times Bad Times
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Golden-voiced Canadian troubadour Reid Jamieson returns with a captivating album of pre-loved covers, Songs of 69. Originally recorded as a surprise birthday present for Reid’s wife and musical partner Carolyn Victoria Mill, it’s now been properly mixed, mastered and released, bringing renewed energy to these timeless classics. From Bob Dylan to Neil Diamond to Sly Stone to the theme from Sesame Street, this eclectic retro collection is sure to please and surprise. A perfect example is the first single: A radically re-imagined rendition of the Led Zeppelin classic Good Times Bad Times. Hardly the raging rocker of yore, Jamieson’s version combines freak-folk attitude, playful folk, and a giddy mandolin break. And the handclaps just don’t quit.”
40 | Jo Below | Where Are You Now?
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Helsinki rockers Jo Below have released the third and final single from their upcoming second EP No Control. Tthe 1980s-inspired Where Are You Now? is an uplifting melodic rock tune influenced by bands from the golden era of American stadium rock. Formed in 2017, Jo Below are a four-piece melodic hard rock group consisting of frontwoman Johanna Kari, guitarist Roni Seppänen, bassist Jonne Lindqvist and drummer Olli Vartiainen. The group combine traditional hard rock sounds with modern influences, calling their style of music ’modern classic rock’.”
41 | The Pink Stones | Love Me Hardly
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Pink Stones will release their debut album Introducing… The Pink Stones on April 9. Mixing elements of classic cosmic country, raucous rock ’n’ roll, indie rock, fresh humor & heartaches, The Pink Stones are authoring a new chapter in the annals of Cosmic American Music and are within a new wave of young artists from the same college town that gave the world R.E.M., The B-52’s, Drive-By Truckers, Pylon, The Elephant 6 Recording Company, Widespread Panic, Vic Chesnutt, The Whigs, and more.”
42 | Conditioner | Ripcord
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “L.A. duo Conditioner released their latest single Ripcord to announce their self-titled debut album, which arrives June 11. Riley McCluskey stated, “We sent an early version to my dad, who responded with an alien emoji and the phrase ‘beam me up’ — this inspired me to refine the lyrics to be a true sci-fi odyssey. It’s the story of an alien who has been sent on a reconnaissance mission to Earth and has discovered that he absolutely hates humans and is begging his bosses to send him home — he just wants to pull the ripcord and get the hell out of Dodge.”
43 | Azure Ray | Remedy
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “On June 11, Azure Ray will release Remedy. The album marks Azure Ray’s first full-length in 10 years. Today the band share the album’s title track. They say: “We chose Remedy as the title track for our new record because we felt like it spoke to our collective experience of the last year (when this record was written and recorded). Many of us experienced grief, anger, isolation, and fear, and in those times when you can’t find solace in your usual places, you have to look for it on the inside. In the end, you are your own source of power, your own source of hope. ‘You’re a remedy, or there’s none.’ “
44 | Devon Kay & The Solutions | Parchment & Petroleum
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Can you make a track about being annoyed by someone else’s incompetence holding you back sound like a space marching band song? If you’re Devon Kay & the Solutions, you might be able to. The Solutions’ latest single is an arena-inspired pop banger that blends all these things while still sprinkling bits of ska/punk on top. The band have been on a mission to inject their unique style of punk with as much influence that the six members can muster. “I would say if you like punk rock/ska/showtunes/pop music/dumb rock/electronic music you might find something here,” Kay says> “We just wanna cram all the stuff we like together to get a final product that all six of us enjoy. Also genres are dumb and constrict cool shit from getting made.”
45 | Joe Kaplow | How Old Is My Soul
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “How Old Is My Soul, the third single from the forthcoming LP Sending Money and Stems (out April 30), premiered yesterday. The track is a bouncy indie folk/country shuffle which finds Kaplow pondering his existence, though he barely remembers writing it. “Sometimes you get overcome by “the feels.” Memories, faces, connection, love, sadness, the stars, wonder, and fear all blending into one overpowering mood when big life choices are made, walks through city streets until sunrise begin, or songs just spill out. I don’t remember writing How Old Is My Soul, I just knew it felt done as soon as it began.”
46+47 | Special Delivery | DFCF + War Pigs Pt. II
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Special Delivery is the sum of what’s come before. It’s an attempt to bring together strands of previous bands, desires and experiences. It’s pessimism of the lyrics, but an optimism of the instrumentation. Dry guitars, shifting tempos, sax skronk, percussive flourishes and discordant bass are utilized with the goal of making you want to dance. Their EP Who is Special Delivery? was born out of a desire to go against stagnation; to utilize what has been learned in the country of my birth and to apply it together in the country I have immigrated to. It’s an introduction to who, where and what I am.”
48 | The Wormholes | I Am The Moon
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “I Am The Moon is a new track from Charlotte, N.C. duo The Wormholes. It commences with spacey synths and lush vocals, evolving with rhythmic and guitar additions for an atmospherically rewarding listen. It comes via The Wormholes’ forthcoming album Light in the Dark‘ out later this year. The Wormholes write: “Our earthly satellite (the moon) is a beacon of light surrounded by darkness, much like the human struggle of finding peace or comfort while overwhelmed by the experiences of depression, anxiety, or other negative mental states. This song represents a meditative search for light in the most difficult of times.”
49 | Spang Sisters | Jenny
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Spang Sisters are excited to share the unflinching groove of new single Jenny — the final track to be released before their self-titled debut album lands in May. Written in the lyrical vein of Lou Reed and classic blues crooners, Jenny tells a cautionary tale of social ascent, delivered with magnetic swagger. Jenny showcases the duo’s love of ’70s Motown flavours, whilst utilising the vocal swing of pop and the guitar licks of swampy blues-rock. “We were listening to a lot of Velvet Underground at the time and this song came about after having listened to the song Stephanie Says,” Rachid explains. ‘I have always been a fan of Lou Reed’s cynicism and didacticism towards the dilettantes he no doubt met through The Factory and Max’s Kansas City. This is a nod to that mode of lyricism.”
50+51 | Maude Audet | You’re Shaken + Laura Said
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “After covering the iconic grunge anthem Smells Like Teen Spirit, Maude Audet is back with two new offerings in the language of Leonard Cohen: You’re Shaken and Laura Said. The songs are the two first singles off Translations, an album slated for release on April 9, which features English versions of some of the artist’s most noteworthy songs. Maude Audet adds new words and a different accent to the original instrumental tracks she recorded in April 2019, breathing new life into the music she created with her collaborators. As if one were to come back to a place after months or years of absence, and find everything exactly in the same place. An act of returning to take stock of all that has been experienced. A breath of fresh air in a familiar space.”
52 | Hello Satellites | Water Salt Light Grace
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hello Satellites is the moniker of Melbourne songwriter and musician Eva Popov. Headed by Eva’s distinctive songwriting and ethereal voice, Hello Satellites has undergone various incarnations over the decade. Now, Eva is gearing up to reveal her latest genre-abolishing offering There’s A Field on April 21, and presents her third lifted single Water Salt Light Grace. Says Eva: “This song imagines love as an external spirit that graces us. We can tend to and care for it but it is greater than us and we can’t control it. The song is a devotional song to love itself, to the rituals and surrender we can go through as human beings whilst we wait for that spirit to lift us.”
BONUS TRACK | Travi The Native | Love Doesn’t Stand A Chance
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Alt-pop dreamer Travi The Native has shared his new single Love Doesn’t Stand A Chance. It is the first single to be released from his forthcoming EP God Only Calls The House Phone, out April 20. With the progressive spin of electro alt-pop and the emotion of an ’80s power ballad, LDSAC is an honest account of trying to navigate distance and mental health within a relationship. Dynamically enthralling and texturally compelling, his blend of vocal harmonies transports the listener into a world of stirring emotion. Melding droning synths, pulsating chordal progressions and masterful production, LDSAC is a multi-sensory listening experience and a rousing showcase of Travi’s talents.”
