Andrew Hung lobs a pineapple into your lap, Laurence-Anne works in mysterious ways, Silvertwin have a theme song in search of a sitcom, Amrit Ghatore keeps both feet on the ground — and they’re not the only acts taking a stand in your Midweek Roundup. What do you want? Music? When you do want it? Now? OK, then:
16 | Andrew Hung | Promises
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Following the recent announcement of his second solo album Devastations, Andrew Hung has shared a video for the single Promises. The video was directed by Jim Hosking, who says, “The idea behind the video was really about how a pineapple is generally perceived to be a delicious tropical fruit but actually it can be truly terrifying if you choose the Royal Pineapple. The word for pineapple in French is ananas. We chose the Royal Ananas which is the grandest pineapple you can possibly purchase in the United Kingdom and it is therefore the most terrifying. This is why the music video is absolutely filled to the brim with dread and is terrifying. The shoes in the video have monkeys on them and are designer shoes and are very desirable and expensive. And the wig is made from real human hair and once belonged to Terry Wogan himself, but we bought it on eBay and so now it belongs to us.”
17 | Laurence-Anne | Tempete
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Laurence-Anne unveils Tempête, a third single off her upcoming sophomore effort Musivision. The singer blurs the lines between hypnotic and progressive vibes on Tempête, venturing into a rich pop landscape where rock, synthwave and blues meld into a psychedelic atmosphere with a languid groove. A video with a mysterious atmosphere accompanies the song. Set in three distinct locations — a pool, a labyrinth of white sheets, and under a threatening sky — the images serve as a reminder of Laurence-Anne’s electrifying performances. Tempête is inspired by science fiction films of the ’80s, says director Léa Dumoulin. At the center of the turmoil, Laurence-Anne acts as a resilient entity, exuding sensual energy and warmth.”
18 | Silvertwin | You Only
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “London quintet Silvertwin wil release their self-titled debut album on July 16. Already shaping up to be one of 2021’s breakthrough stars, they share the ’60s-tipped sweetness of their single You Only. It arrives with an equally enchanting new video, inspired by the iconic promotional films of The Beatles to The Beach Boys, whom Silvertwin tellingly cite as direct influences. Isaac Shalam says: “You Only is the most ’60s sounding song on the record, which is why we wanted to nail a ’60s-looking video … We wanted it to feel like a mix of A Hard Day’s Night and The Monkees’ TV Show. Our goal was to create something homemade and given the references, we decided to get a second-hand Super-8 Camera to shoot it on.”
19 | Amrit Ghatore | Far Away
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Amrit Ghatore has released his single Far Away. Troubled by the farmers’ protests in India, the aspiring electro-pop artist and karate instructor calls for restoring the fragile connection with our roots. Far Away relies on uplifting electronic beats and catchy melodies as the backdrop of Ghatore’s calls to align with the truth that lies within us all. Ghatore says: “As we climb the ladder of materialistic success, we can sometimes lose track of our roots and who we truly are. Our roots help ground us and shape who we are. Right now, this song is a wakeup call to the inner self to re-engage with those roots.”
20 | Madisyn Whajne | Save My Heart
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Madisyn Whajne shares the video for Save My Heart, from her debut album Save Our Hearts. Shot and edited by Madisyn’s husband and drummer Bobby Bulat, the stunning video was filmed on the top of Devils Glen, ON last fall. Madisyn explains, “My heart was searching for answers when I wrote this song. I had spent so many years convincing myself I was OK when I was really denying myself something I wanted so badly, and I think that is relatable. There is a sad love story being told in between the lines and by writing and pouring my heart out I uncovered some truths … that the love I was seeking outside of myself was really the love I needed to find within myself. The song is about letting go and filling yourself up again.”
21 | Movulango | Leave
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Leave is the debut release from Movulango, a new project from Future Sound Of Antwerp member Mozes Mosuse. The ultra-trippy percussion and Balearic songwriting of Leave comes with a music video shot in Ghent, directed and created by Movulango & Vincenzo Linea.”
22 | Morcheeba | Killed Our Love
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Morcheeba tease more new music with Killed Our Love, the fourth single from upcoming studio album Blackest Blue, due May 14. The single is about a family falling apart, though perhaps Skye’s gloriously unruffled vocal tone means some people don’t catch the darkness in lyrics like ‘Ain’t gonna lie / Feel like I wanna die.’ There’s plenty of hurt that walks with the hope when Skye sings over inventive arrangements. This lyrical darkness is well depicted by the dark and cinematic video accompanying the single.”
23 | Broke For Free | TTS
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Broke For Free, the highly lauded musical project of Oakland- multi-instrumentalist and producer Tom Cascino, offer a breezy, groove-laden new instrumental TTS. With spring in full swing and the end of the pandemic in sight, TTS practically invites the listener to take a toke and let the stress of the world fall away as you’re whisked away on the warm vibes. Cascino’s mind-melting video, with its seamlessly interwoven visuals, takes the listener on an incomparably smart and colorful, feel-good ride. TTS is taken from a forthcoming full-length album Yekoms, available June 22.”
24 | Vinyl Hero | Sledgehammer
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Exactly 35 years ago on April 21, 1986, Peter Gabriel released his video Sledgehammer from his album So. To celebrate this coral anniversary, Canada’s Vinyl Hero have covered the song and released their own video. Like Gabriel, Vinyl Hero strive to push the envelope when it comes to creativity. In their rendition, Vinyl Hero use high-contrast simplicity to echo the artistic flair present in the original. The band explain: “This is a personal favourite of the band and has been part of our live set for a long time and through that time we have really made it feel like it was our own. We’re a rock band, a power trio, and we wanted to make our version sound like a rock band wrote it. It’s more of a rendition than a cover!”
25 | The Marigold | Exorcism Charm
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Italian sludgy post-rockers The Marigold return with their new album Apostate on April 23. As a teaser in the lead-up, the band have dropped the single and video Exorcism Charm. The Marigold create an intense world with their latest single, using destructive riffs, a constant pace of rhythmic energies and an apocalyptic feel. Apostate represents the hard work The Marigold poured into the album, from magmatic slow riffs to the dreamy, murmured vocals. The Marigold deliver a melting pot of sludgy alternate death rock. Echoes of bands like Melvins, Tool and Big Business and shine through with a grungy underbelly to top it off.”
https://youtu.be/K6WQ–q12JM
26 | Scalping | Monolithium
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Scalping are preparing their first full body of work: The Flood EP, set for release June 18. To mark the announcement, the band shared the single Monolithium, accompanied by an intense and surreal visual by Jason Baker, a long-term collaborator on Scalping’s live visuals and an active fifth member of the band. Monolithium has a pulverising, gyrating ferocity that unstoppably grinds through the gears to a riotous peak, perfectly capturing the unrelenting raw energy of the band’s notorious live shows. The track stands as a powerful statement of intent for the EP, with Scalping continuing to defy classification whilst honing and expanding on their propulsive and entirely inimitable sound.”
27 | Leach | D.O.D. (ft. Bjorn “Speed” Strid)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “If it’s burly, melodic, and fits together perfectly, it’s probably from Sweden. Leach certainly fall into the above categories, and their warts-and-all style of thrash ‘n’ roll is just begging for a throwdown. Lovely Light of Life is their third major rodeo and, straight out of the gate, it’s a thrash, hardcore and rock ‘n’ roll mission statement. It will be released worldwide on May 21. It includes the bonus track D.O.D., featuring Soilwork vocalist Björn “Speed” Strid — a fact the band is clearly delighted with: “Getting Björn to feature on one of our songs is of course a big deal. Us growing up in Sweden, Soilwork were such a big influence on us — still are. And Björn, being the pro he is, absolutely nailed it on the first try. Stoked to have him on one of our songs and definitely something we now can check off our bucket list.”
28 | Circa Arcana | Esoteric
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “El Paso’s Circa Arcana were only conceived during the beginning of the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020. Not allowing themselves to be delayed by the global situation, the band did not wait too long to unveil their introductory single Esoteric. Today, they premiere their first video for the track. The band add: “The song is about addiction, depression, and just horrible situations/experiences that we’ve all gone through in our lives. This track is probably one of the more electronic-coreish creations we have, and it consists of a bunch of different metal-core influences such as I See Stars and Blessthefall.”
29 | Ligature Marks | Noise In The Signal
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Portland’s Ligature Marks (featuring members of 36 Crazyfists and Vintersea) will release a deluxe edition of their debut album Set Oceans on Fire on June 11. Listen to the first single Noise In the Signal, featuring Ian Fike of It Prevails.”
30 | Amnessia Eterna | Infierno
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With pure old-school thrash metal, Amnessia Eterna have been winning over fans. Their debut album Malditos arrives like a kick in the door, establishing a style and a sound that stands out from the crowd. Malditos will be released worldwide on July 30. Today, Amnessia Eterna offer their second single and video Infierno. Singer-guitarist Camilo Sánchez explains: “It’s not a single style and it doesn’t follow a single predominant direction. I think it is suitable for all those who like rock or metal. The lyrics are very subjective and throughout the album you will find themes related to society, injustices, dreams, anger and loneliness.”
