Plainride work their magic, Dead Faces come back to life, Three-Layer Cake bring the heat, Ali Barter gets baked, Graham Costello heads to the legion — but you stay right you are; your latest epic Weekend Roundup is just getting started. And away we go:
1 | Plainride | Hour Of The Mûmakil
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Germany’s rip-roaring earth rockers Plainride present their hilarious and wizardesque video for Hour Of The Mûmakil, from their forthcoming album due later this year. Let yourself be carried away by the sheer force of their rock ’n’ roll gospel. Says frontman Max Rebel: “Hour Of The Mûmakil is one of those songs where you head into band practice with that riff stuck in your head and two hours later you come out with a full-fledged, balls-to-the-walls rock ’n’ roll tune. We had a bit of Cream-vibe going early in the writing phase but came out with an almost Santana-like ring to it in the end, which, pardon me, you simply have to dig.”
2+3 | Dead Faces | Waterloo Teeth + Like The Face Often Do
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dead Faces were a phantom band that roamed the Medway scene of the late ’80s and early ’90s, leaving the lucky few who crossed their path engrossed and which, in the same way it appeared, suddenly vanished without explanation. Their only recordings have been recovered and you have them in your hands. Their Medway-style garage punk cannon shots that will make you wish you had lived through those years and participated in this story.”
4 | Big Scenic Nowhere | LeDu
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Heavy rock collective Big Scenic Nowhere revealed their single LeDü today. The supergroup formed by Bob Balch (Fu Manchu), Tony Reed (Mos Generator), Gary Arce and Bill Stinson (Yawning Man) will release their sophomore album The Long Morrow in the fall. This new track is described as “determined and defiant” by the band, with the foursome’s wide array of influences shining through. Arce comments: “LeDü was inspired by one of my favorite bands of all time, Husker Dü, and one of my favorite Led Zeppelin songs, Achilles Last Stand. I made up the riff and everyone joined in naturally, adding their own thing. One thing I really like about Big Scenic Nowhere is it’s a true collaboration of different styles and influences coming together without second thinking anything.”
5 | Three-Layer Cake | Big Burner
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Three-Layer Cake are a new power trio featuring guitarist/banjo player Brandon Seabrook, bassist Mike Watt and drummer Mike Pride. Their debut album Stove Top comes out in two weeks, but the video for the noisy, pounding Big Burner is out now. The idea for the album initially bubbled up after Pride was a guest on Watt’s radio show/podcast The Watt From Pedro Show. They decided to collaborate remotely; the drummer sent tracks over, Watt added bass, and Pride brought in Seabrook to round out the lineup with his striking guitar and banjo playing. The result is a kind of postpunk skronk-fusion with elements of Krautrock and funk thrown in; Watt’s bass on Big Burner is closer to Holger Czukay’s work with Can than anything by The Minutemen.”
6 | Ali Barter | Chocolate Cake
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Unconventional pop star Ali Barter has released her new EP Chocolate Cake, along with a lyric video for the title track. The EP was written across both hemispheres. Barter engaged in writing sessions in Los Angeles and Nashville before the crushing reality of COVID-19 jeopardized her first U.S. tour and forced her back home to isolate in Melbourne. The EP was rounded out remotely with the help of creative minds Harlan Silverman, Lost Boy, K-Flay, Brandon James and lockdown buddy/ husband Oscar Dawson. Says Ali: “Most of the songs on this EP are about looking for answers in the wrong places, and about trying to find something that takes me out of my head. Searching for a chocolate cake in a hardware store is a parable for my life.”
7 | Graham Costello | Legion
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Glasgow drummer and composer Graham Costello released the single Legion from his album Second Lives, which features his ensemble Strata and is due May 7. The album was co-produced by Grammy-winning producer Hugh Padgham, renowned for his work with artists such as Phil Collins, XTC, Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Brian Wilson, Paul McCartney and many more. Second Lives is the first new material he has worked on in almost a decade.”
8 | Amaro Freitas | Baquaqua
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “From the slums of Recife in Brazil to international jazz icon, Amaro Freitas has worked tirelessly to become the artist he is today. His new album Sankofa — a spiritual quest into the forgotten stories, ancient philosophies and inspirational figures of Black Brazil — is his most stunning and sincere work. But for Freitas, work isn’t just playing the piano, his art delves far deeper than music theory and practice. He explains: “I worked to try to understand my ancestors, my place, my history, as a black man. Brazil didn’t tell us the truth about Brazil. The history of black people before slavery is rich with ancient philosophies. By understanding the history and the strength of our people, one can start to understand where our desires, dreams and wishes come from.”
9 | Suzi Quatro | Do Ya Dance
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Queen of Rock ’N’ Roll Suzi Quatro has released the single and video Do Ya Dance, from her new album The Devil In Me. Suzi says: “My son Richard presented me with this track. It was an unusual one, a bit of a James Brown vibe, who I always loved. I worked on it till I found the exact right melody, which was not obvious, and the right words to sing that I could relate to. I always have to tell a story, and it all came together very nicely. The lyrics are a little naughty, which at my age, I am certainly allowed to be. We made this video in my garage complete with dancing, confetti, and mask-wearing muso’s and dancers. I must say it was a little strange looking into all those Suzi’s faces…very surreal. The track and video can be summed up with one word: FUN!”
10 | New Bleach | Stranger
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Quebec City indie-pop duo New Bleach announce details of their forthcoming debut mini-album Impressions (out May 14), and share the latest single Stranger. Finding inspiration in life as we have known it for over a year now, New Bleach delivers a catchy song with Stranger, featuring hazy melodies and delving into existential questions. At the core of their process, they find the search for oneself and a reflection on true happiness. New Bleach — Dominic Pelletier and Raphaël Potvin of the renowned Quebec rock band Caravane — adopted the home studio approach, wishing to explore new sonic territories and create music that feels current yet intimate.”
11 | Adequate! | Bike Shorts
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Alberta power funk trio Adequate! are gearing up for summer with the release of their cheeky and explosive new track Bike Shorts, the first single from their self-titled debut album set for release on June 11. Adequate! are known for their energetic live shows, where they pull the audience in with raw musicianship, tantalizing dance moves, mesmerizing lights, and high energy hi-jinx, and that live spirit is definitely present on Bike Shorts. “Bike Shorts is a song for the people, appealing to the most universal of commonalities — the hatred of wearing pants,” says lead vocalist Keenan Pezderic. “We set out to make a song that will make you get up, boogie down and leave you grinning cheek to cheek and that’s exactly what it does!”
12 | The Brothers Nylon | Three Ears
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Twin brothers Michael and Nick Rufolo from Long Island are multi-instrumentalists who play around with all kinds of analogue equipment. Nick plays drums, keys, strings, horns, percussion and contributes vocals, while Mick plays bass and deals with whatever aspect happens on the mixing console. But what makes this project so special is its unique sound, shaped and brought to life with plentiful musical ingredients fished from the shelf. Their new single Three Ears is a funky groove number The JBs would be proud of.”
13 | Cecé Pássaro | Velho Novo Ar
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With his new single Cecé Pássaro addresses conflicts between the urban, nature and isolation. In Velho Novo Ar, Cecé invites us to reflect on our loneliness, thus seeking an “air” in the midst of the tragedy we are experiencing. The song recalls our most ancient natural connection: Oxygen, the element that connects us in a vital and primordial way to all nature. Cecé Pássaro’s compositions are marked by manifestations of nature paintings, non-binary poetics and the evocation of the sacred. The music is produced by Cecé, Diego Schültz and Dazluz.”
14 | Radio Days | What Is Life?
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Radio Days are a power-pop trio from Milan who have been on the scene since 2008, playing in their current line up since 2015. They are an ideal mix of the Beatlesque melodies of the ’60s and ’70s punk energy; combining the sounds of early Elvis Costello, The Rubinoos’ vocal harmonies, Big Star’s scratching determination and The Knack’s easy-listening melodies. You can watch a video for their new single What Is Life? now.”
15 | Jengi | Waiting
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dutch artist Jengi just released Waiting from his new Zero EP. The acclaimed Dutch producer surfaces with a joyful house-infused and synth-driven soundtrack riddled with organic instrumentals making for the perfect summer backing, as he plants himself firmly in the spotlight of the contemporary indie-house scene. The 25 year old is one of the most captivating artists in the scene right now and his unique presence has seen him become a sensation. With plenty more to come, his highly anticipated five-track EP is set to mark 2021 as a milestone year for the young producer.”
16 | Ålesund | Dawn Chorus
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dawn Chorus is the latest single from Bristol atmospheric alt-pop quartet Ålesund. After the untimely curtailing of their European tour due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Ålesund travelled back to the U.K. feeling uncertain. Although things were going so well with a new offering and an extensive touring and festival schedule to get stuck into, the timing of the unplanned hiatus was less than ideal. Rather than take it to heart, vocalist and songwriter Alba Torriset retreated to her hometown of Hastings to try and reconnect with music in a positive way. “With all the negativity in the world, I wanted to create something uplifting and optimistic,” she says. There’s been so much this year: Covid, BLM, the U.S. elections. Things were hard enough without summing it all up in song form.”
17 | Sleep Kicks | My Own Demon
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Oslo indie-rock quartet Sleep Kicks share their third single My Own Demon. In this energetic number, the band dive deep down into the dark cellar of the human psyche, and may inadvertently have invented ‘angsty power pop,’ inspired by bands like Silversun Pickups, Placebo and Editors.”
18 | Trunky Juno | Favourite Show
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Trunky Juno greets us with latest single Favourite Show, a synth-pop ballad from an alternate reality. Imagine for a moment a parallel universe in which Neil Young has joined Backstreet Boys and decided to distil his observations on perspective, representation and social media into the perfect love song. Such a place could only ever exist in the head of Trunky Juno, and it was in this same head that Favourite Show was born. In Trunky’s words: “Favourite Show was one of those songs that came about in a big spew of ideas and hasn’t really changed much since.”
19 | Team Picture | Keep Left (W.H. Lung Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Team Picture are set to release Music For Hauntings: Vol I on May 14. Across 17 tracks, the band journey through early demos, unreleased tracks and remixes from their debut album, including a W.H. Lung rework. Singer-guitarist Josh explains; “As part of Volume I of our Music For Hauntings bootleg, we asked friends, strangers, and each other to remix / reorder / remake songs from our album The Menace Of Mechanical Music. W.H. Lung are one of those friends who agreed to apply their own coat of ectoplasmic slime to TMOMM‘s Keep Left. These are the results.”
20 | Climbing Trees | Troubling Times
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Welsh Music Prize-nominated Cymrucana pioneers Climbing Tree return after three years of hibernation with the single Troubling Times. Frontman Matthew Frederick remarks; ‘We decided to take a year off in 2018 to spend a little time on our various solo and side projects. Before we knew it, two years had passed, then three, and a whole lot has happened in the world in that time. We didn’t want to come back until we had something to say, and, more importantly, a good song to say it with, and Troubling Times certainly feels timely in that sense. We’ve really enjoyed making music as Climbing Trees again, and we can’t wait to get back out on stage in front of the Trees fans, whenever that may be.”
21 | Benefits | We See You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Benefits are an issues-based music collective based in Teesside in the north east of England. They write loud and aggressive songs about the societal urgencies that concern them. We See You is a rant about having complete disillusionment in the political establishment, their tactic of using a nationalist agenda to influence the British population and how that trickles down into the nation’s psyche. It tries to document a nation that is being directed to be obsessed with its Empirical past; where its politicians are simply nodding dogs and yes men; and bitterness and resentment is encouraged to run deep. Benefits songs are intended to be urgent and to respond to current affairs. They aim to release songs as soon as they’re written and recorded. We See You was completed at the beginning of April, a little over a week after it was written.”
