Bloodbeat offer a rigorous display of power, Slice of Sorrow find an alternate fountain of youth, Raheem DeVaughn and Apollo Brown man up, Califone embrace the new normal — and I suspect you’ll embrace plenty of the new tracks below in the wrapup of your Thursday Roundup. What have you got to lose?
21 | Bloodbeat | Rigor Mortis
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Berlin death/thrash metal band Bloodbeat released the single and video for Rigor Mortis, from their upcoming second studio album Process of Extinction, due June 18. The band comment: “Rigor Mortis is not only explicitly about the so-called “cadaveric rigidity”. Among other things, the scene is set in the world between life and the afterlife. It is about a psychopath who has already done all the atrocities in his miserable life. However, he did not start the bad acts on his own. His body is controlled by a demon. He tries to chase the demon out of himself by massacring himself. In doing so, the evil within him continues to try to seduce him and take him over. His goal is to get rid of him in some way. Only his death can defeat him and at some point the huge suffering has a dark end.”
22 | Slice Of Sorrow | Bath Of Eternal Youth
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Russian atmospheric death metallers Slice Of Sorrow share their new single Bath of Eternal Youth, taken off their upcoming album Egothrone, to be issued on April 30.”
23 | Raheem DeVaughn & Apollo Brown | When A Man
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Raheem DeVaughn & Apollo Brown’s Lovesick album is coming out June 4. The first single When a Man is out today. Lovesick is a collaboration between Grammy-nominated singer DeVaughn and legendary producer Brown, best known for making hip-hop so grimy it permanently lodges underneath your fingernails. It is a work of startling beauty — a blend of modern R&B, classic soul, and guttural funk that recalls Smokey Robinson, Al Green and Marvin Gaye. Yet it doesn’t sound out of step alongside The-Dream, Anderson .Paak and Miguel. It is an album that bears the echoes of Jodeci and James Brown, but it is ultimately the clarion vision of two masters of their respective forms.”
24 | Califone | Family Swan
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In the eighth track from Kill Rock Stars’ 30th anniversary covers series, Califone cover Mecca Normal. Family Swan originally appeared on Mecca Normal’s 2002 album The Family Swan. Mecca Normal are a two-piece band consisting of Jean Smith and David Lester, formed in 1984. From ’84 to present day, Mecca Normal have been devoted to both politics and art — prolifically merging the two. Tim Rutili of Califone states, “I first saw Mecca Normal with The Go! Team and Some Velvet Sidewalk in Chicago many years ago. That show was one of those experiences that changed the way I looked at music and everything. It was microscopic, personal and massive all at the same time. There is truth and heart, existential frustration and self-acceptance in this music that made me feel like I wasn’t so alone in the world. It made me want to move to the Northwest. I still want to move to the Northwest… Maybe someday. Anyway.. This song is a classic movie that is beautiful, sad, funny and bleak all at the same time. This song is a really good book that breaks your heart with unwanted truth, but you can’t stop reading it and you can’t help but see the good and horrible sides of yourself and everyone you know and love in the world it creates. This song is undeniable humanness.”
25 | Darkside | The Limit
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “On July 23, Darkside will release their second full-length Spiral. Today, you can listen to The Limit. Darkside are an American rock band formed in Rhode Island in 2011. The group consists of Chilean electronic musician & vocalist Nicolás Jaar and American multi-instrumentalist Dave Harrington. “From the beginning, Darkside has been our jam band. Something we did on days off. When we reconvened, it was because we really couldn’t wait to jam together again,” says Jaar. Harrington echoes this: “We do things in this band that we would never do on our own. Darkside is the third being in the room that just kind of occurs when we make music together.”
26 | Jeffery Straker | Play That Song Again
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Singer-songwriter pianist Jeffery Straker’s new album Just Before Sunrise is due out on May 7. Today he shares his single Play That Song Again. It’s about “longing for what once was — dreams, love, fortune,” shares Jeffery. “For part of our lives, the fires that stoke our ovens are blazing and seem unstoppable. But they cool with time. Gradually we take stock, thinking of ‘what was,’ ‘what if’ and ‘what’s left.’ ” Jeffery, a classically trained pianist, was raised by a church organist mother and auctioneer father and swears he was born under the piano on the family grain farm in rural Saskatchewan. All this might explain his incredible ability to share songs with audiences.”
27 | Secret Of Elements | A Last Waltz (ft. Mischa Blanos)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Secret of Elements invite us for A Last Waltz, a new love song performed by Mischa Blanos, taken from his upcoming album Chronos. Secret of Elements wrote this light, modern waltz for the first dance of his own wedding. For this is a love song: a fiery, grand piano piece written for the great turning points in our lives. Classical pianist Blanos interprets the score with his expert hands, linking rhythmic changes with incredible ease and guiding our dance steps and reveries in a carefree and luminous whirlwind. Precise and accurate, Johann Paetzold shapes his composition to the sound of the pianist’s body and instrument, refining his melody with concrete sounds of hammer and pedal as if we were in the room with the artist. Secret of Elements is the missing link between Jon Hopkins and Johann Johannson. Ten years of maturation, passions and fights to achieve a monumental first album to be released April 23.”
28 | Lipstick Jodi | Notice (Now, Now, Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Lipstick Jodi, the Grand Rapids trio led by powerhouse songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Karli Morehouse, shared a remix of their single Notice by Now Now. Morehouse stated: “The original version of the song carries an ‘it’s quiet, too quiet’ energy, so I was really excited to hear how another artist would interpret it. Cacie and Brad threw it into high gear by bringing the alarming feeling at the heart of the song, to the surface, in tempo and textures.” The original version will be featured on Lipstick Jodi’s sophomore album More Like Me, set to arrive June 4.”
29 | Carnage & The Martinez Brothers | Together (Jan Blomqvist Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In the ultimate genre-bending collaboration, the multitalented Jan Blomqvist remixes Carnage and The Martinez Brothers’ 2020 hit Together. While the original saw Carnage exploring a softer side of his sound amid The Martinez Brothers’ driving techno, Blomqvist showcases his signature house style with groove-driven beats. Opening with soulful melodies, Blomqvist brings dreamy techno-inspired vibes to Together, playfully interacting with the emotive vocals. The original version of Together was released last summer as the first single from Carnage’s forthcoming Papi Gordo 2. With his fresh take, Blomqvist is stepping from the underground into the spotlight. As the leading man of concert techno, he stands apart with his fusion of soulful lyrics and nonchalant vocals — paired with cinematic hooks and tonal atmospheres that beg for desert dance floors at sunrise.”
30 | Nick Jaina | A Wolf In Wolf’s Clothing
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Between writing novels, teaching writing, and getting married in 2020, Nick Jaina found the time to write and record the album Credo, to be released on May 21. This morning, he premiered the second single, A Wolf In Wolf’s Clothing. It’s about “social justice writers like Sarah Kendzior, Rebecca Traister and Rebecca Solnit; modern-day Cassandras who have told great truths and not been believed. And how they are talking about the most obvious, verifiable situations from a place of expertise, and people are often too committed to their bent vision that they refuse to see it. The vibe is inspired by Josiah Johnson of The Head And The Heart, who uses languorous grooves to talk about very real emotional truths.”
31 | Leftover Salmon | Black Hole Sun
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Known for their exhilarating live shows and musicianship as well as their eclectic musical tastes, Leftover Salmon have been one of Colorado’s most beloved musical exports, picking up where bands like Little Feat, The Band and The Grateful Dead left off, and distilling it into their own potent brew of bluegrass, rock ‘n’ roll, folk, Cajun, soul, zydeco and jazz and blues. Today, they’ve released a Salmonized version of Soundgarden’s 1994 hit Black Hole Sun, the first single from their upcoming album Brand New Good Old Days. The band’s ability to make any song their own is never more evident — the cover features their hyperkinetic musicianship while retaining the emotional impact of the original. Leftover Salmon’s Drew Emmitt says: “Black Hole Sun has always intrigued me with its haunting lyrics and very cool chord progression. I also felt like it was appropriate for this crazy time we’re in.”
32 | Ishi Vu | The Wasp
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Stockholm artist and producer Ishi Vu has shared The Wasp, from his upcoming debut album La Luz, due April 30. Charting a course between electronic experimentation and the dark echoes of 1980s post-rock, Ishi Vu’s music transports the young artist’s philosophical meditations in Gothenburg to imagined dancefloors worldwide. His latest project is truly unique. Created in response to a deep transformational experience, The Wasp paints vivid / hyperreal emotions with an ever-increasing intensity, until a swinging trip-hop break takes it into orbit. Vu says: “The best studio moments are when you’re not thinking consciously. You might have an idea or a concept, but you want to go beyond that… a flow state.”
33 | ISQ | At The Seams (Emmanuelle Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Alt-jazz band ISQ share Emmanuelle’s remix for their lounge deep jazz house single At The Seams. The remix is taken from their upcoming album Requiem For the Faithful 2.0: The Remixes, to be released on May 21. Born in Rio, raised in Miami and based in Milan, Emmanuelle is an enigmatic musician who has shied away from exposing too much of herself to mainstream social media. Oozing with femininity and carrying a timeless charm, her remix of At The Seams highlights the sensuality found within ISQ’s original. The remix embraces the mysticism of a smokey lounge with the lights turned down and tender electronic grooves created live and in response to the singer’s freestyle vocals. A smooth whisky in hand and the knowledge that the future is both inevitable and filled with endless possibilities at the same time — At The Seams (Emmanuelle Remix) strikes the perfect tone for both.”
34 | King Mala | She Calls Me Daddy
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “King Mala is L.A. alt-soul artist Areli Castro, who pens songs which touch on themes from lust, sexuality and badass femininity. Not afraid to spill her guts, the songwriter set out with the hopes to spark confidence in both herself and her listeners, creating music that will make you walk taller and speak louder. Her latest single She Calls Me Daddy oozes with sass and power, with the songwriter claiming her sexuality and putting expectant men in their place. Playing on metaphors and sharing moments of her experiences through a King Mala lens, the track allows her to take back her power and own who she is. She confesses: “The whole ‘I’m gonna steal your girlfriend’ vibe was so cool to play around with, but in all seriousness I really just want to normalize queer relationships and empower womxn and non-binary folks and make them feel badass.”
35 | KTJ & Carly | Rollercoaster
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “KTJ & Carly return with their powerful single Rollercoaster. The duo, who write, produce, and perform all their music, frequently combine influences of EDM and soulful pop into masterful storytelling performances. With Rollercoaster, we see a different, softer side. Deeply emotional and mature, the track explores the intense ups and downs of loving someone unconditionally, despite the damage they might do to you in the long run. Inspired by the quote “Often, the thing we fall in love with, is the very thing that makes fall out of love,” they dive into the deep end as they reflect on the adventure and tragedy of love itself. Their understated vocals, filled with the intensity of each rolling high and every devastating low, conveys simmering pain.”
36 | Mischa Blanos | Silicon Road
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Renowned as an exhilarating live performer, Mischa Blanos makes the piano his own on his second album City Jungle, stepping past the boundaries of classical music and into borderless creativity. The first single Silicon Road is a soulful blend of jazzy, Avantgarde piano and organic, driving, electronic grooves — a musical wormhole to get lost in. Silicon Road combines a myriad of influences that Blanos collected during his travels, solo or as part of the Romanian minimal-house group Amorf. The title suggests a 21st century version of the historical Silk Road, a place where traders of all cultures met. Blanos uses the Japanese Hiroshi scale, played with a Romanesque touch and underscored with beats that remind us of the early Detroit techno age. City Jungle refers to the monolith, concrete structures humans have built around themselves, and which, along with most of their culture and social life, stopped dead in 2020. It arrives May 21.”
37 | Jordsjø | Mellom Mjødurt, Marisko og Søstermarihånd
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Fans of Norwegian prog-rockers Jordsjø who are eagerly awaiting the release of Pastoralia, the band’s third album, have been offered another glimpse into what to expect with the release of a Mellom Mjødurt, Marisko og Søstermarihånd. Håkon Oftung explains: “The concept of Mellom Mjødurt, Marisko og Søstermarihånd came to me when I was cycling around the eastern part of Norway, near the Swedish border. It was written in the summer 2020 on Karlsøy, a small island northwest of Tromsø in northern Norway. Through the music, which is built around two main themes that are connected to each other by three different musical intermezzo, I tried to capture some sort of lyrical snapshot of each of three places that are very dear to me. Åsa Ree contributed with both the doubling of the lead vocals and with some beautiful backing harmonies.”
38+39 | Deep Talk | Walking In The Park + The Night Wind
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Deep Talk is the music collaboration between San Francisco singer-songwriter Christina Li and Portland resident Jordan Maslov. With inspiration ranging from Mitski to Charlotte Bronte, Deep Talk’s vulnerable lyrics lay on pulsating and impassioned rhythms. The resulting sound features catchy melodies and an indie rock groove.”
40 | Belot | Bed
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Following on from the release of her debut EP Electric Blue, “awkward pop” pioneer Belot is back to deliver her fresh single Bed. Continuing the same bold and dynamic sound she has been cultivating these last few years, Bed sees her in renewed spirits and ready to unleash herself upon the scene at large. With its textured and unconventional approach, this offering gives us just a small taste of the broad creativity she is set to unload on us all. She said: “Bed is about when you have a whole bunch of sexual tension with someone and although you’re both doing the polite back and forth of small talk, at the heart of it you really do just want to hook up. I think we’ve all had some version of that with someone.”
