Moonshine brew up some ginseng, The Pink Stones are either working hard or hardly working, Kosmodemonic come out swinging, Boss Keloid are gently progressive — and you’ve still got Gary Numan, Rise Against, Jim Ward and plenty more names you know (or need to learn) in the first half of your Thursday Roundup. Pass the dynamite ’cause the fuse is lit:
1 | Moonshine | Ginseng (Zaïre Space Program: Act 1)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “As we move into a new season, Moonshine deliver a soundtrack of deep bass, percussive Afro-funk and moody synth melodies. Today, the Montreal-based global collective share Ginseng from Parisian producer and DJ Bamao Yendé. “Ginseng represents the kind of energy that really uplifts the performers in the music video,” says Moonshine co-founder and Juno-nominated singer-songwriter-producer Pierre Kwenders. “Bamao Yendé has such an intriguing way of starting the track, and within a minute the energy goes wild – he wants you to get up, enjoy life, have a breath of fresh air and a moment of pleasure.”
2 | The Pink Stones | Love Me Hardly
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Pink Stones will release their debut album Introducing…The Pink Stones on Friday. Mixing elements of classic cosmic country, raucous rock ’n’ roll & indie rock, and fresh humor & heartaches, The Pink Stones are authoring a new chapter in the annals of Cosmic American Music. Especially notable on Introducing…The Pink Stones is the band’s ability to intertwine joy, heartache and self-deprecating humor in songs. It’s a classic hat trick of country music that is all too easy to overplay and seem forced by modern Americana aspirants, but one which the band crafts perfectly. The end result is a fresh and exciting debut album from a great band. While their average age is only 25, the band also features the music veteran John Neff, one of the founding members of Drive-By Truckers, bringing his experience and sense of legacy to the group.”
3 | Kosmodemonic | Moirai
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “N.Y.C. black metal quartet Kosmodemonic will release their second album Liminal Light in early May — and share the lyric video for Moirai today. Kosmodemonic are a doomy black metal band fueled by demon fire. Having initially emerged from the creative primordial ooze of the Brooklyn underground, the band rapidly became local favorites. Piece by piece they crafted a sound that fuses the influences of black metal acts like Craft, melodically dissonant elements such as Voivod, and the art doom majesty of Triptykon and Yob. They sought to create a sound that was crushing but maintained a sense of classic metal magic, peppered with touches of krautrock, and psychedelia. Moirai is a rhythmically churning, serpentine crawl which perfectly exemplifies the band’s black metal sensibilities, trippy melodic excursions, and ominous bone-breaking heaviness. The band offer: “We chose Moirai as the tune to feature because it was one of the first songs written that demonstrates the new sonic territory we started exploring for this record. Moirai shows how we expanded our black metal sensibilities into a broader scope focusing more on tight, rhythmic attacks and punchier, streamlined songwriting.”
4 | Boss Keloid | Gentle Clovis
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “British heavy prog-psych band Boss Keloid are back with their new LP Family The Smiling Thrush, to be released June 4. The band have also released their uplifting first single Gentle Clovis. Vocalist Alex Hurst comments: “Gentle Clovis is is all about staying true to your roots and those parts of you which make you individual, whilst abandoning your ego when the greater good can benefit. It’s a song about family, friends and letting your strengths individually or as part of a collective flourish and carry you.” Perhaps their most ambitious album yet, Family The Smiling Thrush demonstrates Boss Keloid’s biggest transformation to date. Entering a new realm which leans more towards the soaring majesty of monumental prog-rock whilst still embracing their metal edge, the album is a true masterclass in versatility. Seven towering tracks of emotional energy, psychedelic grooves and riff-oriented guitar work combine with the signature melodic yet passionate style that Hurst has been tweaking and perfecting since their debut Angular Beef Lesson in 2010.”
5 | Gary Numan | Saints And Liars
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “From the title track to the current single Saints And Liars, Gary Numan’s upcoming album Intruder (out May 21) is building intrigue and mystique in equal measure. Four decades into the synth-pop pioneer’s hugely influential career, audiences are still enraptured by his conceptual scope and foreboding sonic attack. For the Saints And Liars video, he visits the Amboy Crater, the remains of an extinct volcano located in the Mojave Desert in California, which is estimated to be 79,000 years old and last erupted 10,000 years ago. From the stunning, sweeping aerial shots to the stark, desolate beauty of the cinematography, the video creates a fascinating imagining of a world wounded beyond repair. Gary commented: “Saints And Liars is the earth drawing attention to our blind faith in religion, in a fictitious God, who in reality does nothing for us, while at the same time abusing and destroying the planet, which does everything for us.”
6 | Rise Against | Nowhere Generation
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Nowhere Generation is the blistering, aggressive new single from politically imbued punk rockers Rise Against. It’s is a David-and-Goliath call-to-arms directed primarily at Millennials, Gen Ys, and Gen Zs to preserve and defend the fact that people, not politicians, hold the real power — and that our younger generations need to reclaim that power to ensure the future of democracy. Nowhere Generation is the title track from what may be the most consequential album of Rise Against’s 20-year career, due out June 4. The 11 songs on Nowhere Generation call out today’s social, economic, and political factors that are undermining and redefining one of the core tenants of being an American: that despite your race, place of birth, or societal class, if you apply yourself and work hard, you can achieve your vision of a fuller, richer and better life, The American Dream. What is tantamount to a sellout of the Middle Class is the thread that runs through the album. Said vocalist/lyricist/rhythm guitarist Tim McIlrath: “The brass ring that was promised by hard work and dedication no longer exists for everyone. When the privileged climb the ladder of success and then burn it from the top, disruption becomes the only answer.”
7 | Jim Ward | Paper Fish
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Jim Ward (Sparta, At The Drive-In, Sleepercar) has announced his forthcoming solo album Daggers is due out on June 11. Ward has also unveiled the lyric video for lead single Paper Fish. He said: “Paper Fish was the last song I wrote for Daggers. It seemed like it was the final piece of a puzzle I had been working on. It is rare for me to sit down, write and then sing something almost completely in one take but that is what happened on this song. It was as if the process of making this record allowed me to finally break through and say exactly what I was trying to say. Life is a journey and for me that journey is 100% about being a better person. I think about and work towards this every day. When I die, I want to die the best man I’ve ever been.”
8 | Just Wondering | F**k That
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dublin trio Just Wondering have shared their brand new single F**k That alongside its video. F**k That is another masterclass in the trio’s ability to weave a course between intimate soulful, electronica and anthemic pop songs that make you long for weekends unbridled from responsibility in muddy fields or scorching sunshine with your best mates and listening to live music! Rooted by their deep love of music and their deep love for one another, Wale Akande, Jack O’Shaughnessy and Adam Redmond are three friends whose relationship is the cornerstone of their creative process. F**k That was written over a weekend in late June of 2020. It was the band’s first opportunity back in the studio following lockdown restrictions and their first opportunity for a party with their mates. They say: “It’s about parties and turning up and being a bit like ‘what’s the story here’ and seeking out a buzz.”
9 | Assertion | Deeper In The Shallow
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Assertion, the new project of musician William Goldsmith (ex-Foo Fighters, Sunny Day Real Estate), debut Deeper In The Shallow, off the band’s debut LP Intermission, out tomorrow. Guitarist/vocalist Justin Tamminga says: “Deeper In The Shallow was written roughly 14 or 15 years ago. The song was sort of a letter to my sister, who had just moved to the town I was living in and was starting to hang out with people in the scene. We grew up in an abusive household and a lot of these people’s actions mirrored those of my mom and stepdad. When you grow up in a traumatic environment, it tends to hinder your ability to see abusive behavior because you’re used to being treated poorly and not having your boundaries respected. This is also why we came up with the band name Assertion. So the song is a mixture of our background mixed with the current time and place we were living.”
10 | SeepeopleS | It Feels Heavy
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Established in 2000 in Boston, the genre-warping indie-pranksters SeepeopleS released It Feels Heavy, the second single from the band’s forthcoming eighth album Field Guide For Survival In This Dying World. The video was created by Jack Powell and the song was produced by long-time collaborator Will Holland (Pixies, Fall Out Boy) at the legendary Chillhouse Studios in Boston. It Feels Heavy also features guest vocals from Brooke Binion of theWorst and Nate Edgar (Nth Power, John Brown’s Body) on bass.”
11 | Wesley Gonzalez | Change Your Circumstance
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Wesley Gonzalez is sharing Change Your Circumstance. Through his acclaimed 2020 album Appalling Human, he cast his songwriting net over issues of the self, social anxiety and psychotherapy. With Change Your Circumstance, Gonzalez again looks inwards, to question how he sees his role in the world. He explains: “Change Your Circumstance was originally recorded during the last session for my 2020 album Appalling Human. As there was also a song called Change on the album, and it was initially much longer and seemed a tad unfinished, I let it remain in my iTunes to gather digital dust. Over the pandemic, I rediscovered the track and found a fondness for it that I previously didn’t have.”
12 | The Battles Of Winter | A Flaw In The Hourglass
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Battles Of Winter are back right on cue with new single A Flaw in the Hourglass. A lot can happen in a year, and three pandemic-induced lockdowns can take its toll on a band and their output. Except The Battles of Winter. Their somewhat-pedestrian approach to releasing new music has suited these strange days almost perfectly. Would the followup to the unrelenting Block S Falls have come any sooner in normal times? Probably not. A Flaw in the Hourglass comes from a map-less subterranean outpost somewhere deep in a dream-induced geometric night during a blackout. Every note played an arresting shot fired through cities abandoned avenues and broken boulevards; hooks winding around corners, whip smartly across the streets and sneak through the darkness with finesse, muscle and truth.”
13 | Lauran Hibberd | How Am I Still Alive? (with Lydia Night)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Rippling through the emerging indie undercurrent with her trademark slacker-pop specialism, Lauran Hibberd shares the visual for their rousing new anthem How Am I Still Alive? with The Regrettes’ Lydia Night. “The video is a collection of (lockdown available) ideas. A transatlantic home video with animation seemed to be the only way we could get Lydia and I side-by-side,” reveals the Isle of Wight indie sensation. “It’s based on documenting your every sleepless move (in the home video footage), whilst having your maddest thoughts and dreams (in the animation). I think it summarises how weird it is to live in a shut down world right now and where our minds go throughout.”
14 | Alyson McNamara | After Hours
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Alyson McNamara is sharing another new track from her upcoming third album Let Me Sleep, out June 4. After Hours is “all about growth, but when I wrote it I didn’t know that,” says McNamara. “It’s about a time in my life when I was going to lots of after-hours parties, meeting people that I wasn’t deeply connecting with, and ultimately, trying to find myself amidst all the flashing lights and darkness. I was navigating my way through my first heartbreak. To me, After Hours now serves as a reminder of where I was at that time and where I am now.”
15 | Charlotte Adigéry | Bear With Me (And I’ll Stand Bare Before You)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Charlotte Adigéry has returned with Bear With Me, the first new music since releasing her EP Zandoli. The track is a beautiful statement of life in this strangest of eras. Its fractured disco production and soul-baring lyrics, conceived by Adigéry with partner Bolis Pupul in lockdown, speak of the intimacy and vulnerability of confinement.”
16 | Overcoats | The Hardest Part
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Brooklyn alt-pop duo Overcoats (Hana + JJ) announce a new EP called Used To Be Scared Of The Dark, and share the first single. The Hardest Part features retro-pop duo Tennis, and is accompanied by a video directed by Asha Maura. While Overcoats’ previous releases saw them deep in the trenches, channeling resilience through the alt-pop lens of bright harmonies, pummeling guitars and empowering lyrics. Used To Be Scared Of The Dark revels in resolutions and the resulting self-growth, and presents a more laid-back, folk-hued palette. It explores honouring the past uphill battles and acknowledging current feelings, but searching for stability. This sonic and thematic shift is most distinct on The Hardest Part. With compressed acoustic guitar layers, sunny keys, and twang-tinged melodies aided by Alaina of Tennis’s airy vocals, the song is a peaceful, cinematic ode to self-forgiveness. Overcoats say: “This song is about coming to terms with a relationship being over. And the hard reality that you may never know where that person ends up or what they do. It’s about letting go. We brought this song to Tennis because it needed their nostalgic retro pop sound to help tell this story. And it needed to be cooler.”
17 | Tia Gostelow | Wonder (Acoustic)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Tia Gostelow turned heads in 2018 with the release of her Queensland Music Award Album Of The Year Thick Skin. Her second album Chrysalis is out now and is produced by Oscar Dawson (Holy Holy, Alex Lahey). The 11-track album features lush pop landscapes with danceable ’80s influences. “Chrysalis touches on really personal moments of my life over the last two years. I wrote these songs when I was living by myself in Brisbane and when I was in probably the loneliest and most anxious state I’ve been in. I’ve found it really difficult to navigate life being away from my family and my partner. I’m such a family-orientated person, so when I was living by myself in a big city it really took a toll on me mentally. I feel like dealing with these emotions and putting them into these songs helped me overcome those feelings.”
18 | War Curse | Only
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ohio’s War Curse have released the single Only, a cover of the Anthrax classic. Justin Roth (guitar) comments: “Murphy and I have always been big John Bush fans for his work in both Armored Saint and Anthrax. Only seemed like a great choice for Blaine’s voice and a fun song to learn. The response to the initial performance was overwhelmingly positive, including a nod of approval from Charlie Benante himself, which was pretty damn cool (even if he leaked it a day early, oops).”
19 | Herman Frank | Venom
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Herman Frank releases the video for Venom, from his album Two For A Lie due out May 21. Frank has been an integral part of the German metal scene since his early ’80s days with Accept. True to the motto “Never change a winning team,” Frank has once again put his faith in Masterplan vocalist Rick Altzi and Jaded Heart bassist Michael “Mülli” Müller. Newly hired were guitarist Mike Pesin and drummer Kevin Kott on board of the battleship. Like its predecessors, Two For A Lie impresses through Frank’s characteristic guitar play, in which razor-sharp riffs meet rousing solos, Altzi’s brilliant vocals and the rhythm section grooving like clockwork provide the rest.”
20 | Coe Hill | Deadweight (ft. Hayden Trobee)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Canadian post-hardcore/alternative rock group Coe Hill release their massive debut single Deadweight, which features Hayden Trobee from the band Tigerwine on vocals. Lyrically, the song is about how Hayden grew up in an evangelical family, but as he got older and started making his own decisions in life, his views and outlooks on the world changed and he became an atheist. Coe Hill is a collaborative project based out of Toronto, born through the need of a creative outlet during the COVID-19 quarantine. It’s led by Doug Heiser, who used the time and confinement at home to write several songs all grounded in the post-hardcore genre that also combines elements of pop-punk, alternative rock and emo. Instead of finding a permanent singer, the band expanded the horizons by recruiting a feature/guest vocalist for each track.”
