Anthony Vacanti invites you to say hello to Dolly, Tarantist share a soldier’s story, Riley Dowing does not have it together, JIP gets Kristen Bell to sign his pitty — and that’s all she wrote for today’s Monday Roundup. Hey, tomorrow is 4/20. That could be interesting. See you then.
16 | Anthony Vacanti | Dolly
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Anthony Vacanti is an emerging artist, actor, singer, songwriter, and producer originally from Buffalo. The talented musician is quickly making waves in the scene with his unparalleled sound and style. Through his emotion-filled vocal performances, Vacanti radiates raw emotion via upbeat, feel-good instrumentation. Inspired by the ‘60s and ‘70s, nostalgic films, and fashion, Anthony strives to push the envelope with his sound and bridge various elements from different genres to make a dynamic upbeat style. Now residing in Las Vegas, Anthony seeks to connect intimately through his lyricism with listeners around the world and remove some weight off their shoulders through his feel-good music. Vacanti releases his latest captivating single Dolly. The bubblegum rock/retro-pop track contains every element to get listeners grooving and uplifted.”
17 | Tarantist | Soldiering
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A group of Iranian musicians have contributed to the new compilation Homanity, to raise awareness about the censorship and persecution artists face in Iran. The compilation was spearheaded by the Human Rights and Democracy Council and will be released on May 7. Tarantist emerged from Tehran’s underground rock and metal scene in 2000. Soldiering addresses Iran’s mandatory military conscription for men, who must serve for two years, without pay or benefits, if they want to go to university, get a passport, or participate in other economic activities. Many who do not want to serve are forced to flee Iran, and that comes with its own set of consequences. People who escape the country (sneaking out from mountains in the borders) without having passport or military service documents are not able to return back to the country or even travel freely throughout the rest of the world.”
18 | Riley Downing | I’m Not Ready
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Riley Downing of The Deslondes will release his debut solo album Start It Over on May 14. The 12-song set was co-produced by Andrijia Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Hurray for the Riff Raff) & John James Tourville of The Deslondes. On Start It Over, Downing, Tokic, and Tourville are joined by an incredible backing band including Jack Lawrence of The Raconteurs, as well as session players for the likes of Dolly Parton, Elvis Costello, Jason Isbell, Blaze Foley, Yola and more. Today he unveils the album’s leadoff track I’m Not Ready. Downing says, “I’m Not Ready is about falling back in love with someone or something and being honest with them and yourself about expectations verses reality, and hopefully meeting in the middle to stay positive, hopeful, and patient to wait and see what could be.”
19 | JIP | Signed My Pitty
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “JIP from Chicagoland is hitting 20 years old in 2021. To celebrate, we are working on a new album to follow up our 2015 release Last Call, to be released in summer. To build up to our new record, every Monday we will be releasing a new song. Number 16 of 52 is Signed my Pitty, inspired by and including Kristen Bell. This is a love song to Pootie Tang, which was her first movie and one of my favorites.”
20 | Sufjan Stevens | Revelation II: Convocations
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Revelation II, taken from Sufjan Stevens’ forthcoming five-volume album Convocations, debuts today ahead of the third volume Revelations, out this Thursday. Convocations, a two-and-a-half-hour, 49-track reflection on present times, is out May 6. Revelations follows the first two volumes, Meditations and Lamentations. Further volumes are to be released weekly. Stevens wrote and recorded Convocations in fall 2020 in homage to the life of his father and in response to his death in September, two days after the release of The Ascension. Each volume replicates and reflects a stage of mourning — five sonic cycles exploring loss, isolation and anxiety.”
21 | The Witherbees | Linger
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Folk-tinged and jazz-inspired ensemble The Witherbees release Linger, the first single from their intimate 10-track LP Love Letter, due June 4. The lead track, composed by co-leader and singer Jacqui Armbruster, is a gentle composition pondering the question of how long an old love might stick around. “Linger is one of the first songs that we workshopped for the new record back in December 2019, as we were preparing music for the session that would bring us the music on Love Letter,” explains guitarist and co-leader Mike Lorenz. “The underlying groove that gives the song its momentum was a pretty spontaneous and collaborative meeting of the rhythmic minds during our songwriting sessions, providing so much to the mood and vibe of the performance.”
22 | Dumbsaint | Don’t Forget To Bring Down The Sky
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Something That You Feel Will Find Its Own Form was the debut album from Sydney instrumental trio Dumbsaint. Concluding several years of writing and performing, the album is a collection of original compositions demonstrating the band’s talent for blending engaging melodies with demanding musical dynamics. The album will celebrate a decade with a re-release this May. Combining minimalistic ambient sections with moments of intense heaviness and complexity, Dumbsaint take a deliberately darker and more technical approach to the conventions of the post-rock genre.”
23 | Marvin Jax | Heights
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Marvin Jax is a self-taught indie electronica computer musician from Staffordshire. Marvin started to make music in his 20s but it took a back seat due to an ongoing mental illness. Over the past two years or so, Marvin rekindled his passion and has attempted to compose, mix and master his own music in his house using only a PC, some studio monitors and a DAC amplifier as outboard equipment. Marvin has spent what little money he had earned from his part time job working at a betting shop on his music making endeavours. To date Marvin has spent around £4,000 on hardware, software and samples. By his own admission Marvin has made a lot of terrible music in this time. Although he admits his latest release Heights is still some way off perfection, it epitomizes the research, hard work and mishaps of the last two years. Marvin’s inspirations are trentemoller and early hip-hop pioneers.”
24 | The Toxic Avenger | Sorcery
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Award-winning French DJ and producer The Toxic Avenger has announced the release of his latest EP Shifted on April 30. On the EP, listeners will find the synth-washed track Sorcery. The electro producer was originally a metal/rock guitarist. However, he would later discover a fondness for electronic music, releasing his first electronic EP in 2007 and touring with Skrillex in the same year. Along with his passions for Daft Punk, Vladimir Cosma, Giorgio Moroder and Ennio Morricone, the artist calls upon the modern likes of Everything But The Girl and Burial. In turn, his own style can be compared to the likes of John Carpenter, Kavinsky and Daft Punk.”
25 | Shiloh Mae | All My Metaphors
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “All My Metaphors is a track from emerging Bay Area singer-songwriter Shiloh Mae. Previously, she wrote and played with her band Bird and Willow, formed with her brother Jared. “All My Metaphors began as a self-reflection on my own songwriting,” Shiloh says. “I knew I had centered metaphors for years as a tool to write songs that are personal, yet universal. But one day when I stepped back, I began noticing the theme of the ocean and storms, so I jotted down that chorus line. The rest of the song was written soon after, in the literal dark of my bedroom.”
26 | The Mistons | High Water Style
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Portland duo The Mistons will release World of Convenience on May 21. You can hear the second single High Water Style now. There at the end of the block on stolen Chinook land in a historic black neighborhood, next to the jazz cat and the drag queen, around the corner from the vanguard of noisemakers and artist from Audubon’s darkest dreams, there on a street of artist and dreamers, part of this community, two Mistons (from the French word but, dumbed down and Americanized) make “old timey” music for the new millennium, a buzzsaw Woody Guthrie, rock ’n’ roll that is unapologetic, with no tricks up its sleeve but is honest and humble in its discourse.”
27 | Brainstory | Seasons
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ripe is a seven-song journey into who Brainstory are as people and as a band. They are lighthearted and fun but never anything less than dead serious about their artistry. In choosing to record a mostly instrumental record, they have departed from their 2019 debut Buck and are showing more of their jazz roots. Ripe pulls from jazz, hip-hop, ’70s funk, ’60s soul, and life in Southern California in the year 2021. Seasons is about maintaining through the challenges of 2020 and would make Roy Ayers proud. Ripe is a welcome ray of sunshine as we all shake off the darkness of 2020 and will hold fans over while they finish recording their full length sophomore album due out in 2022.”
28 | Stevenson | Loser Friendly
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Stevenson is a solo project from guitarist/singer Vincent Ford (Gulfer, Golden Python and Bedbud). Described as a “downer pop treasure,” it’s infectious brand of catchy yet melancholic ballads captures the emotional throes of a harsh Montreal winter.”
29 | Human Failure | Barbed Wire State
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Australian punks Human Failure have released their single Barbed Wire State. It’s the follow up to recently released single Kick It and is a grinding, intense, angst-ridden blast of Metallica hardcore. Barbed Wire State comes off their upcoming five-track EP Urchin, due for release on June 4. Urchin begins with a flat-out, short and fast hardcore blast that’s done in 30 seconds, starting the EP with a bang and giving us a taste of what’s to come. It then opens up to more melodic and metal flavours, and ends with driving hardcore punk and more melody.”
30 | Paradise Circus | What A Way (Cheetah)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Midlands’ Paradise Circus emerge as a breath of fresh air to the U.K. indie-rock circuit. The group first met as teens in Birmingham and quickly bonded over an unwavering love of music that soon transformed the friends into the electric four-piece seen today. Now, they are back with their biggest release yet. What A Way (Cheetah) took two years to craft. The result is an offering that feels completely fresh, mixing acoustic elements with thrashing drumbeats and unstoppable, dynamic vocals. “The song is about the cheater in a relationship,” says vocalist David Purchase. “It was first written in my basement at 11:30 p.m., when I detuned my dad’s guitar trying to find a cool chord. The chorus was written in about seven minutes and Cal’s guitar was done also in quick time. Written in 15 minutes, but took two years to complete.”
31 | Dirty Laces | Breathe
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Manchester’s Dirty Laces have been making an impact on the scene for a few years. Delivering a high-octane punk-tinged sound, blended with some legendary U.K. rock influences, Dirty Laces hit you with heavy riffs and addictive melodies, producing powerful Mancunian rock ’n’ roll with a dirty garage edge. Breathe shows a different side to Dirty Laces; stripped back and raw. Covering key issues such as mortality and the struggle to discover oneself, the band aren’t afraid to show their vulnerability whilst giving a nod to famous literature. The space in the song allowed the group to experiment sonically with instruments that you wouldn’t usually associate Dirty Laces with, such as synthesisers, Mellotron and lap steel guitars that create a psychedelic journey as the song progresses.”
