Modern Technology play hide and seek alone, The Lancasters have operators standing by, Kings Of Quarantine tune into Channel Zero, Boy Danger has a panic attack, Momo Said heads to the basement — and that’s everything you need for a semi-holiday Monday Roundup. And if it ain’t, tough — it’s all you get.
1 | Modern Technology | Lorn
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE:“The song is largely about hiding from yourself, and hiding from issues that surround you,” says Chris Clarke of Modern Technology. “It uses the metaphor of the sea as a dark, deep expanse where secrets lurk, waiting for a moment of silence to resurface. When your brain is dormant from the noise, when your brain is trying to sleep. It speaks to the sense of never doing anything about the thing you hide from, constantly repacking the boxes in your brain until you’re finally content with the solution. Never moving beyond, never addressing the real issue: The barking dog that never bites.” Originally part of a split 7″ single with band 72%, 10% of the profits from the release go to the charity Calm Zone, a leading movement against suicide who are currently supporting more people than ever through this challenging time.”
2 | The Lancasters | Scallywag
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “If you haven’t heard of Italy’s The Lancasters yet, you’re missing out. This three-piece rock band have the ability to combine old and new, tradition and innovation in a blend that ranges between the best 1970s British rock and more recent expressions of volume-driven sound. This is the field in which The Lancasters play their game, and they do it damn well. They have just released the single Scallywag, along with a crazy, ironic and exuberant video by Stefano Vanoni. Says singer-guitarist Dave: “I have to say that I really enjoy it when I find people chatting about stars and cosmic flows that bring some kind of energy. But what I enjoy the most is to sabotage these shitty fake beliefs from the inside.”
3 | Kings Of Quarantine | She Watch Channel Zero
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Slaves on Dope’s Jason Rockman and Kevin Jardine, along with Bill Kelliher of Mastodon, are back with their project The Kings of Quarantine — this time with a powerful rendition of Public Enemy’s She Watch Channel Zero. The video features musicians Billy Gould & Mike Bordin (Faith No More), Mix Master Mike (Beastie Boys), SA (311), MC Serch (3rd Bass), Derrick Green (Sepultura), Sen Dog (Cypress Hill), Toby Morse (H2O) and a special appearance from legendary pop-artist Ron English (Popaganda)! She Watch Channel Zero is the third in a series of covers that will be released throughout 2021 in an effort to bring some joy and entertainment to music lovers worldwide. “We hope to not only put a smile on people’s faces, but also help the touring staff that have been severely affected by the pandemic”, says Rockman. All profits will be donated to Roadie Relief, a fundraising effort to aid qualifying roadies who have submitted an application for financial help.”
4 | Boy Danger | Panic Attack (ft. Noah de Leon)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE:“Coming out of Oakland, Boy Danger is truly a hip-hop artist like no other. Fusing the catchy and futuristic sound of trap drums and 808s with the blaring noise of industrial hip-hop and the dark imagery of horrorcore, Boy Danger delivers blood-curdling vocal performances and pure rage over completely demented and equally chaotic production. Sharp drums, explosive bass, distorted instruments, and tortured screams all come together to paint a raw and violent picture of pain and destruction. With such a merciless and unprecedented sound, listeners will be left questioning the world around them as well as their own sanity. Boy Danger is here to make noise and he’s here to stay.”
https://youtu.be/zObL7xeiQ-U
5 | Momo Said | Basement
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Italo-Moroccan artist Momo Said just dropped the video for Basement, a commentary on the cyclical nature of history using footage from the past, directed by Corrado Magalotti. It comes from the album Break The Rules.” NOTE TO MOMO: All footage is from the past.”
6 | Sarah Louise | If You Build A Pond The Frogs Will Come
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sarah Louise has released the If You Build a Pond, the Frogs Will Come, the second single from her upcoming LP Earth Bow. The track features Louise’s signature mesmerizing harmonies and arpeggiated synthesizer, paired with heavy drums by Thom Nguyen. She writes: “When we care for the earth and each other, the interconnected systems of the earth allow for deeper healing.” On the video created by multimedia artist Katrina Ohstrom, Louise shares: “It celebrates my newfound sense of embodiment I have gained from healing with the earth. I’ve been on a very personal healing journey and this record and this video came out of that process.” Earth Bow will be released April 30.”
7 | They Fell From The Sky | Dry
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE:“They Fell From The Sky formed after Colin Doran (Hundred Reasons) and Jason Bowld (Bullet For My Valentine, Pitchshifter, Killing Joke) got together for Jason’s collaborative project This Is Menace. They then started writing with Dave Draper and completed the lineup with Lee Erinmez (Snuff) and Oly Edkins. Dry is a perfect example of the band’s ability to mix their heavier backgrounds with mainstream appeal, taken from their debut album due for release in spring. Doran explains: “It’s about people who are consistently only apologetic when absolutely caught out; But are not actually sorry at all.”
8 | Afterlife | Burn It Down
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE:“Metalcore four-piece Afterlife have shared the single and video Burn It Down. The video takes the new lyrics literally, complete with the band performing alongside some major pyrotechnics. “Burn It Down was written towards the tail end of the recording process and at that time we were many months into the global pandemic which personally resulted in a lot of anger and frustration with how things were being handled in not only our country but around the world,” shares frontman Tyler Levenson. “Writing and recording music in a time where there is this looming sense of fear and uncertainty put me in a place where I’ve never been before mentally and at that time I felt very hopeless and as if my “world” was on fire so I wanted the song to feel very empowering and anthemic in tone to counter how I was feeling.”
9 | Diamond Weapon | Revenge Is Not A Dish, It’s A Concept (ft. Stephen Maclean)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE:“Toronto’s high-intensity band Diamond Weapon debut their video for Revenge Is Not a Dish, It’s a Concept. It follows the announcement of the band’s upcoming EP Eyes, out June 11. The clip was directed by Diamond Weapon singer Louis Tentsos along with guest vocalist Stephen MacLean at Studio Cozy in Toronto. The song Revenge Is Not A Dish, It’s A Concept was inspired by a story where a man attacked his daughter’s killer in a courtroom. The track takes a look into what drives a good person to do an evil thing.”
10 | Elder Island | Sacred
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE:“Indie electronic trio Elder Island release the Sacred video created through the process of polarized light microscopy. The video was directed by Jordan Martin (Fontaines DC, IDLES, Heavy Lungs, Two Door Cinema Club) and explores how chemical biology governs our emotions in a kaleidoscope of psychedelic visuals effects. “Sacred was a great opportunity to collaborate with Elder Island again,” Martin says. “We used microscopic imagery with crystalized hormones, vitamins and even blood — elements inspired by the track. Manipulating the microscope to the tempo, we filmed with polarized light to create patterns and landscapes to represent the biochemistry of the body. We wanted to depict different emotional states and include a variety of people to make it universal. As you can’t cast a large number of people during a pandemic, we used AI processing to generate faces to merge with Katy’s face. Sacred is an exploration of behavior through our chemical biology. Working with Jordan Martin, we wanted to create a visual celebration of this synergy,” the band add. “The video is a wonderful artistic impression of emotional flux.”
11 | Plastic Tears | Look Of Lies
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE:“Look of Lies is a melodic, catchy singalong from Plastic Tears’ Anthems For Misfits album. Even though the lyrics tell a tragic story about downfall, the overall feel of the track is funny and sunny, with it’s surf guitar intro and la-la chorus. So what better way to get ready for summer than to crank up Look of Lies and put on your sunglasses!”
12 | Merk | But She Loves You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE:“New Zealand artist, multi-instrumentalist and producer Merk (aka Mark Perkins) has released the single But She Loves You. It finds his plaintive vocals playing gently over plucky disco instrumentation wrapped in a ’60s pop-ballad blanket. It is the final offering before the release of his debut global album Infinite Youth this Friday. Merk shares: “But She Loves You is a cathartic dance song. This is the “pocket symphony” of the album. Its origins lay very much in the ’60s pop-ballad universe, and after much experimenting it became the orchestral sad disco song it is now. The song is probably me at my most passionate and dramatic. To me it has an apocalyptic, mountain falling into the ocean level of heartbreak feelings. I hope this song provides people with an opportunity to dance away their sorrows.”
13 | India Jordan | Only Said Enough
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “India Jordan shares Only Said Enough, a high-energy, no-limits hardcore track showcasing their euphoric and intensely infectious sound at its boldest. The track is the second single from India’s forthcoming EP Watch Out!, which they describe as “A homage to both physical and conceptual movement.” India said: “Only Said Enough was made on the train up to Hull for a gig in February 2020 — one of the last shows I played pre-lockdown … The track got its first play that night — it’s a big vocal hardcore track that smacks you in the face!”
14 | Natalie & The Monarchy | Envy The Villain
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE:“Liverpool-based, American-born artist Natalie and the Monarchy is influenced by Riot grrrl and cark cabaret. Her music falls somewhere between grunge and theatre. Natalie’s haunting lyricism and immersive performances centered around sexuality, mental health, and rude behavior are sure to leave a lasting impression. She says: “Envy the Villain refers to the self-destructive behavior I experienced when taking on the role of Mistress Veronica as a professional dominatrix. The song is about wanting to be that confident and intimidating character 24/7 and the identity struggle that a lot of sex-worker’s have between the fantasy and the real world. The music video shows the contrast of a weak and submissive side versus Veronica, a devil in latex leisurely eating a cake.”
15 | Jessica Wilde | Body
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Able to chart the state of her own self-worth, experience, and growth through her inimitable U.K. R&B style, on her new single Body, Jessica Wilde is done with hiding, playing nice and getting suckered, having to conform to peer pressure and the role a dominant masculine society expects of her. The visual shows Wilde diverting all the attention she gave to disrespecting boys back to herself in a sumptuous, self-love ceremony.”
16 | Sam Louis | Driftin’
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE:“Hypnotic in sound and stereo, Sam Louis is digital adrenaline. Hanging in the balance of alt pop and R&B, he continuously curates feelings of loss and regret while still inducing euphoria. Based out of Toronto, Louis looks to provide more than just a stream or casual listening experience, but medicine for those who need it. His new single Driftin’ is about feeling lost and alone surrounded by so much beauty and wonder that you can’t reach/access.”
17 | Stefanie Parnell | If I Leave
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Born and raised in Montreal, Stefanie Parnell is an insightful and melodically driven songwriter. Her music reflects a mix of ambient progressions and folk inspirations with dissonant chords and melancholic lyrics. Though she’s been writing and performing for years, Stefanie just released her debut solo studio single If I Leave. The track is a stripped-back piano ballad that encompasses raw emotion and is intended for anyone who is looking for comfort.”
18 | Locked In | Coward
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE:“Italian metallic hardcore punks Locked In are unveiling another piece of their comeback attack plan. After releasing their first EP in seven years last December (Not Dead Yet EP), the Perugia quintet have announced The Solemn Leap EP, out on April 23. They also released the preview single Coward. Vocalist Marco says: “We’re living a dramatic period in history, but for someone it was even way more dramatic before all this. We are all suffering for a loss, small or big, whatever it is, so what can take your courage away from your days more than a loss? We have friends that went through things that we can barely imagine, we wondered if we could ever measure ourselves up with those kind of things. The answer is maybe, but sometimes the answer is no. If you think yourself as a coward you find yourself in the most recondite part of your essence; that is a place where you don’t want to go nor definitely stay to reflect, but we decided to face it and explore this human condition.”
