Quelle Chris and The Alchemist bring out their samurai swords, oddCouple and Jamila Woods gets reflective, Kel$l Luchie dunks on the competition, The Ember, The Ash go into the void — and there are no hymns in this Good Friday edition of the Weekend Roundup. And don’t forget: All of today’s artists are going to hell:
16 | Quelle Chris x The Alchemist | Iron Steel Samurai
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Bushido is the latest Mello Music compilation. As always, the core shoguns are present: Apollo Brown, Oddisee, Quelle Chris, L’Orange, Joell Ortiz, Skyzoo, and Homeboy Sandman. The rated rookies brandish sharpened swords: Solemn Brigham, Namir Blade and The Lasso. The legacy teammates with championship trophies are all present: Open Mike Eagle, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Elaquent, Kool Keith and Mr. Lif. So are label affiliates Murs, The Alchemist, RJ Payne and B-Real. The veteran general Stalley rounds out the roster. This isn’t merely an anthology, it’s a fully formed vision of what hip-hop can be. A meticulously assembled arsenal of past, present, and future.”
17 | oddCouple | Reflections (ft. Jamila Woods)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Chicago producer and musician oddCouple (Chance The Rapper, Joey Purp, Noname) announced his return to the spotlight with his first single in over three years — Reflections, featuring longtime collaborator Jamila Woods. Out today, the single delves into accepting your past and appreciating how a winding path in life helps shape one’s current self. Reflections comes with the announcement of oddCouple’s new album of the same title, due out later this spring. He says: “From the lyrics to the visuals, Reflections serves as both a personal thesis statement, and a return to the forefront for me.”
18 | Kel$z Luchie | Michigan Dunks
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “New York rapper Kel$z Luchie pays homage to the Great Lake State with his single and video Michigan Dunks. Produced by Buda & Grandz, Michigan Dunks taps into that dynamic Detroit rap style that has energized hip-hop in recent years with humorous lyrics delivered with that Michigan slur over a timeless piano-driven beat. The accompanying video was directed by Ty Vision.”
https://youtu.be/k6p5o94aA_0
19 | The Ember, The Ash | The Colossal Void
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Ember, The Ash released The Colossal Void, the fourth single from their upcoming album Fixation. The solo endeavour from a musical polymath known only as 鬼, The Ember, The Ash blends textured metalcore and symphonic black metal to punishing effect. Fixation will be released in all its cinematically punishing glory on May 14.”
20 | Marialena | Vanity
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Lyric soprano Marialena recently released her first full-length metal album entitled Vanity. The songs Prophesies and Salvation have already stood out with great success. Here’s the latest offering, Vanity.”
21 | Gus G. | Exosphere
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Guitarist Gus G. was and always will deliver extraordinary playing, great riffs and melodies. The same applies to his single Exosphere, one of several songs to be released in the near future — and the first to feature Gus using a seven-string guitar. Gus states: “When the pandemic hit in early 2020, all world touring plans for Firewind were canceled. I found myself stuck at home for a whole year and not knowing what the future will bring. I slowly started putting down new riffs and ideas on my computer and before I knew it, I already gathered enough material for a new album. Exosphere was one of the first ideas I put together.”
22 | Dead Label | Deadweight
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Despite the impact of the global pandemic, Dead Label have been busy working on their followup to 2016’s Throne of Bones and have broken the silence of 2021 with their first blistering new single and video Deadweight, from their upcoming Anthology EP out April 9. It’s one of two new tracks that have never been officially released and have only been heard through the bands live performances over the years.”
23 | Bipolar Architecture | The Criticizer
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Post-metal / blackgaze / progressive / djent outfit Bipolar Architecture release their second single The Criticizer, taken from their self-titled album due in September. They say: “The Criticizer — as the title tells the story itself — is a song that criticizes the norms, morality and ethics in society-focused and individual manners with the band’s dark, atmospherical and progressive sound.”
24 | Kugelblitz | Cosmic Convultion
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “French doom-sludge duo Kugelblitz celebrate the first anniversary of their 2020 album Pale Blue Dot with a music video for a revisited version of the track Cosmic Convultion. This video tells the prophecy of the return of Korhnüu, a mythological entity who wants revenge and to conquer the all universe. The messengers of the cult worshiping Kornhüu are the two musicians, spreading the world throughout its music. The followers are part of a top-secret planetary cult composed by the most powerful people in the world.”
25 | The Crawling | Sparrow
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Northern Irish death/doom trio The Crawling have released their new single Sparrow. The song is a haunting tale of isolation, misery, and the emotional outcome of living a pointless life. Andy Clarke comments: “I became so frustrated over the last year, I felt like our whole existence had come to an end; the endless cycle of nothingness was overwhelming. We began writing Sparrow, a tale of not fitting in and the purposeless of being, early 2020; all of a sudden it became clear we had to release it.”
26 | Audrey Nuna | Space
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Rising R&B artist and rapper Audrey Nuna returns with her new single Space, arriving today on the artist’s 22nd birthday. Space marks her first official release of 2021 and offers fans a taste of what’s to come from her forthcoming project, due later this year. On the song, Nuna continues to push boundaries, setting the precedent as one of the first female Korean-American R&B acts breaking into mainstream culture. She leads with a commitment to creativity. The 22-year-old is creating a fresh and edgy lane adding new value to the current state of pop music.”
27 | Armani Jackson | Out Of My Brain
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Out Of My Brain is the latest single from alt-R&B singer and actor Armani Jackson. It is a recollection of the artist’s inner struggle as he tries to get a past love out of his head. With a captivating hook, a melancholy and masterfully produced beat, and lyrics that capture the true essence of what it feels like to move on after a break-up, this teen is proving that he’s a triple threat and a breakout force.”
28 | Francis Lung | Lonesome No More
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The second single from my new album Miracle is called Lonesome No More. The video for this one’s really special — it’s a collaboration with the super-talented graphic artist and animator Grant Peacock aka kidmilk. It’s an animated music video, painstakingly constructed frame by frame by Grant, and takes its cues from The Simpsons, Bojack Horseman and Rick & Morty.”
29 | Trucker Diablo | I Am Still Alive
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Trucker Diablo release I Am Still Alive, the third single from their forthcoming album Tail End of a Hurricane. It’s a true stadium rocker about survival. Turn it up, share with friends and groups, drink many beers, destroy.”
30 | Schammasch | Innermost, Lowermost Abyss
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Swiss extreme metal experimentalists Schammasch premiere a video for Innermost, Lowermost Abyss. Taken from their 2019 album Hearts Of No Light, the video serves as an entrancing visual extension of the song itself. It was created over the course of a year by the C. Saros Collective.”
