Iglu & Hartly see spots, Push Baby get emotional, Gathering Of Strangers have the cure for your condition, Future Prawn feed their sweet tooth, Yard Arms reveal their weak spot — but your Weekend Roundup is bullet-proof as ever. Fire away:
22 | Iglu & Hartly | Cheetah
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “L.A. band Iglu & Hartly return with their next release Cheetah, bringing their genre-bending tactics to this moody but ridiculously fun track. Cheetah was born in 2017 during a writing session singer/producer Jarvis Anderson had with the alt-rock group Night Riots. Jarvis recently picked the song back up and began an intense lyrical journey through synth-laden moody soundscapes culminating in an irrefutable fun and slap-happy chorus. The result is equal parts cinematic and “jump up and down glee” — a heroic tale of friends overcoming the shared hardships of the past and rising again to run together once more.”
23 | Push Baby | Cry / Talk About It
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Manchester alt-pop duo Push Baby return with the single Cry / Talk About It. Push Baby are the new project from Jake Roche and Charley Bagnall. Channeling the anxiety and hysteria of an episode of poor mental health via distorted vocals and richly layered electronic textures, Cry / Talk About It is a collaboration with close friend Max Innes. Jake elaborates: “The song itself was originally written a few years ago and has been through many variations. We knew that we had evolved as artists from that very first pass of the record. However, It always felt like it was missing a darker side so we learnt to let go of any preconceived ideas we had and pulled in our producer friend Max Innes — who was so far removed from any version. He flipped it on his head and detuned the guitars, which naturally made me change the melody to something more pleading and desperate. We hard tuned and distorted parts of the vocal as I wanted to lean away from that clean pop vocal and explore a more left leaning approach; a feeling of hysteria and pandemonium.”
24 | Gathering of Strangers | Antidote
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Gathering of Strangers have released their anthemic new single Antidote. It presents the band’s familiar soundscape of power rock/pop, lead singer Conor Rabone’s resonant and anthemic vocal, and nostalgic yet thunderous instrumentation. The fast-paced yet emotive Antidote will take hold of you from the offset. This is just a teaser to what’s in the pipeline for the five-piece.”
25 | Future Prawn | Marshmallow Pie
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “I try to keep the course, cause I wanna feel myself,” Martin Mann aka Future Prawn, musical jack of all trades and creative workalcoholic, says in his first single Marshmallow Pie. Energetic drums, bass and guitar push the intro and guitar push the intro forward, while the saxophone blows fresh wind into the sails. Ty Segall and King Tuff send their regards. Marshmallow Pie is a preview from Future Prawn’s upcoming debut album A Day At Promenade, due out June 25.”
26 | Yard Arms | Hollow Ankles
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Yard Arms are back with their single Hollow Ankles. By far the Bristol melancholic pop duo’s most heart-rending and serene track since formation, it’s bursting with alt-’90s indie sensibilities and post-emo lyricism. Noah Villeneuve calls it “a musing on the chronic instability of life.” The track tackles themes of self-worth, weakness and incertitude, all very fitting for the journey of the last 12 months. Recorded, mixed and mastered with Josh Gallop (Phoxjaw) at Stage 2 Studios in Bath, it is clear that their ever-developing songwriting style is mirrored in the production of this track.”
27 | Bruno Amaral | Manual de Sobrevivência (ft. Pâmela Amaro)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Manual de Sobrevivência (Survival Manual) is the first single from composer, singer and musician Bruno Amaral. Both he and the song were born in the Bom Jesus neighborhood in Porto Alegre, where his parents still reside. From that house it’s possible to hear the sounds of the village, children, cars, dogs — and the sounds of shots that mark the soundtrack of the Brazilian periphery. These sounds motivated the composition, made in partnership with Dona Conceição and Khallid. In addition the track features Pâmela Amaro, a singer and musician from the new generation of samba artists. The song arrives with a music video directed and produced by Luis Ferreirah, filmed at Bom Jesus and portraying the atmosphere that influenced the creation of the song.”
28 | GoGo Penguin | F Maj Pixie (Rone Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “GoGo Penguin released F Maj Pixie (Rone Remix), the followup to Squarepusher’s remix of the same cut last month, and the fifth single from their upcoming remix album GGP/RMX (out May 7). “When you have two artists remix the same track, it’s really interesting to see how those artists approach the same material,” says GoGo Penguin’s Nick Blacka. “We’re really happy that both Rone and Squarepusher’s versions of F Maj Pixie are both quite far apart in style but demonstrate their individuality. On this remix, Rone has created an emotive and highly-charged piece whilst still maintaining the integrity of the original.”
29 | Maya Lakhani | Walk Alone
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Maya Lakhani is making waves in British rock. After bursting onto the U.K. music scene as a solo act, Lakhani quickly began to turn heads with her atmospheric sounds. Her second single is Walk Alone. Emotional and electric, it was inspired by the current conversation around women’s safety, the culture of victim blaming and the pure desire to walk alone as a woman without fear of attack or abuse. These deep injustices that women feel on a daily basis compelled Maya to write this song, harking to her own fears. Above fierce guitars and pounding drums, an anthemic refrain plays, stating, ‘All I want to do is walk alone’ — a simple, but powerful statement.”
30 | Yellow Trash Can | Talk Nice To Me
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Yellow Trash Can, made up of multi-instrumentalist Jason Navarrete and songwriter Jitta On The Track, debuted i June with their single Populated. The Portland/ L.A. duo pump out nostalgia-driven vibes mixed with a modern-day bounce, covering all grounds from alternative rock to poppy disco through their music. Yellow Trash Can’s sound is a marriage of pop, alternative rock, hip-hop, and disco.”
31 | Laura Lefebve | La Terre Est Plate (ft. Valence)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “It is finally time. A new era is taking shape. Laura Lefebvre has said goodby to folk, complacency and melancholy, and hello to casualness and lo-fi pop decorated with a clever and sensual kitsch. La Terre Est Plate will be the second opus in her career, but the first to reveal a more truthful, more solid identity. Recorded at the Makina studio and produced by Blaise Borboën-Léonard, La Terre Est Plate evokes the effects of going in circles and looks at the difference between being alive and being human. Attention fans of Space Echo and Zelda (Ocarina of Time): This is likely to please you.”
32 | Bea Box | Petite Fleur
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Bea Box created Petite Fleur for the birth of her niece Beatrice. A nice mix of Afro-Cuban rhythms, electro and toy piano. The song is available today to listen to on repeat.”
33 | Adyn Townes | Better
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Adyn Townes is an alternative indie-pop artist from Fredericton, N.B. His new single Better was created from a one-sided conversation and a riff that seemed to write itself. The product of a late-night demo session, this track was polished and recorded on Canada’s East Coast. Better is not about keeping the door open; it’s about wishing you left yourself a spare key. Better is the single from Townes’ upcoming EP In Frames 2B, to be released at the end of May.”
34 | The Trusted | Rebel Song
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Rebel Song is the new single from indie-rock band The Trusted — Southend-on-Sea natives Dave Batchelor, Dale Holt-Mead, Fin Cunningham and Tom Cunningham. Hailed as the people’s anthem of 2021, the track celebrates the act of defiance. Rebel Song has melodies brimming in fear, anger, excitement, hope and peace — embodying everything going on around them both in their minds and environments. After witnessing people coming together to fight for social justice and standing up for the good of the world, they found themselves truly inspired and uplifted. The band share, “I wouldn’t say Rebel Song is an outright political track. It kind of leans more on the emotional/psychological side of rebelling.”
35 | Nightjacket | Burn Through The Atmosphere
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “L.A. dream-pop quintet Nightjacket present Burn Through The Atmosphere, the latest track from their upcoming EP Following The Curves (May 21). It introduces its new vocalist, Canadian-born Andrea Wasse (Digital Daggers, DeadXLife). Recalling the haziness of ’80s and ’90s touchpoints such as The Cocteau Twins, Mazzy Star and The Sundays, Following The Curves is also a personal exercise in chemistry and musical partnership. Burn Through The Atmosphere is a gorgeous, ’90s-inspired song about being at the point in a relationship when you can sense that the end is near (and realize that your time is fleeting). It’s about trying to let go of a once-shared dream with as little bitterness as possible, urging the former lover to just “fly on.”
36 | Arogya | Misery’s Lair
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “India’s Arogya just dropped the video for Misery’s Lair from the just-released album Genesis. The album deals thematically as well as musically with the story of creation: The past manifests itself in propulsive synth-rock that creates an ’80s nostalgia feeling, while washed-out metal dominates the present and a fine pinch of dark pop stands for the future. It is a true feast for the senses, sonically as well as visually. Produced by Chris Harms, Arogya are the first Indian synth-rock band (as well as the first band from Northeast India) to be signed to an international record label. Misery’s Lair is the prelude to the Broken music video, where the protagonist was kidnapped and tortured, holding on to hope in vain and in death, turned into the spirit orb that went in search of what she lost, her eternal love. Misery’s Lair is about a broken soul in despair, suffering in misery yet still searching and holding on to the past, to yesterday.”
37 | Schysma | Aequilibrium
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Aequilibrium is from Schysma’s self-titled album, which comes out on CD May 21. The band comment: “Aequilibrium is the perfect representation of the new sound of the band; of the atmospheres, the electronics and the prog structures you will find in the full album.”
38 | From Sorrow To Serenity | Tell All
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Scotland’s From Sorrow To Serenity share their single Tell All, along with a video. It’s the third single from their EP Trifecta, which is out now. “This is a song for everyone who has been battling through lockdown, and our request to every one of you — embrace who you truly are, and take it to the world,” says guitarist Steven Jones. “We all have such limited time together on this planet, so be you, take control of your own life and live for you — because no one else is going to. Your time has come. Tell All is our call-to-arms anthem.”
39 | Jeff Carlson Band | Over My Shoulder
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Jeff Carlson Band, Las Vegas’s heatwave of melodic hard rock, have released their debut album Yesterday’s Gone. The album was conceived in February 2020. With Covid 19 in full-swing, the writing and collaboration stretched into July and the recording into November, but the pandemic had deeper effects, injecting itself into the band’s songwriting. The songs not only touch on the pandemic but also the political issues that manifested, mixed with personal issues Jeff was going through at the time. Carlson says, “I thought it was really important to write about hope rather than everything being so bleak.”
40 | Grief Collector | Knee Deep in Devils
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Grief Collector were formed by current or former members of Signs Of Rain, Among The Serpents and Candlemass/Solitude Aeturnus. Their aim was to combine doom, sludge and feelings of sorrow and tragedy into a musical mix that could stand the test of time. This resulted in their first mini-CD From Dissension To Avowal. The layered music and Robert Lowe’s vocals — combined with a rough-edged production — made sure this was a release that could cause a stir in the scene. And did!”
41 | Inhuman Condition | Tyrantula
THE EDITED PREESS RELEASE: “Newly formed death metal band Inhuman Condition have released their first single Tyrantula with an accompanying video. It will be on the group’s debut album Rat God. They announced the album earlier this year, when vocalist/drummer Jeramie Kling and guitarist Taylor Nordberg revealed that the music that was previously written for the new Massacre album was to be revived in a new band with bassist Terry Butler. Nordberg said: “Finally these songs can start seeing the light of day! It has been so long since they were originally written, but it has been well worth the wait. Tyrantula was such a fun choice for a single because it’s a total skull-smasher. From the intro, to the stomping riff, to the thrashy bits, it’s intense the whole way through, and I think it gets stuck in your head.”
42 | Lizzard | The Decline
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “French power trio Lizzard unveiled their lyric video for The Decline, off the band’s latest full-length Eroded. In early 2021, Eroded comes as a strong, hopeful voice expressing the suppressed yearning for an end of this madness which we all carry inside. Note the band: “The Decline always had an instantaneous emotional impact to us. The contrast between the cynical verses and the beautiful evidence of its chorus perfectly defines the behavior of human beings in relation to their surroundings.”
43 | Accursed Years | Wings Of Fire
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “U.K. Metallers Accursed Years’ new single Wings of Fire is a fund-raiser for the charity Woodland Trust, which helps protect forests. Accursed Years say: “Wings of Fire is a song essentially about deforestation. The world is losing its forests at an alarming rate, so this is a subject that we felt we wanted to discuss. We also wanted to go a little further than simply speak about the subject through our music, so we’ve decided to try our hand at a little fundraiser in support of Woodland Trust, a charity that aims to plant and protect forests in the U.K.”
https://youtu.be/BOAbIwA0rtM
