WeiWei puts herself first, Rachel Back gets lightheaded, Kulick stays patient, Sulene embraces destiny — and it seems your destiny is to peruse more of the latest Weekend Roundup. Hey, it could be worse: You could be the guy who has to compile it. Think about that while you enjoy these offerings:
22 | WeiWei | Trophy Girl
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “New York’s WeiWei is an Asian-American pop singer-songwriter. Her new single Trophy Girl is about a toxic, controlling relationship, where the woman feels the pressure to conform to the stereotype of the submissive, quiet Asian woman. The song also explores issues around self-image and weight. WeiWei says: “The track was inspired by the feeling of liberation from expectations of what a girlfriend, wife or woman should be. I was dating someone who had traditional (and outdated in my opinion) views and we were talking about marriage. I got to a point where I realized that I simply wasn’t capable of being the perfect girl who cooks, cleans and listens to what the guy says. I am far too strong for that and while I love to cook, I am terrible at cleaning haha! Writing the song really helped me heal and step into my power. I believe that when you heal yourself, you heal others and I hope that when people listen to the song, they too feel empowered and confident and that it will also help them get out of controlling relationships.”
23 | Rachel Beck | Dizzy
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter Rachel Beck debuts her first release of 2021 – just in time for this year’s ECMAs, where Beck’s sophomore album Stronger Than You Know, is nominated for Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Pop Recording of the Year. The new offering Dizzy captivates from the first note as Beck’s dreamy vocals dance among swirling strings and piano. Accompanying the single is the video, depicting a playful twist on the daisy oracle (the well-known “he loves me, he loves me not” children’s petal-plucking game). Dizzy is produced by Hill Kourkoutis. Rachel shares, “When the opportunity arose to work with Hill, I couldn’t pass it up – but she lives in Ontario and I live in P.E.I. With all the travel restrictions, we had to get creative. A home recording session (with engineering tutorials for me!), a remote studio string day, and a dozen Zoom calls later, here we are.”
24 | Kulick | Waiting For You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Pennsylvania alternative rock/pop artist Kulick (first name: Jacob) has just released his new acoustic EP Sitting in a Quiet Coffeehouse, featuring stripped-down interpretations of songs off his 2020 LP Yelling In A Quiet Neighborhood. Kulick says, “I have always felt the strongest with songs in their acoustic form. Re-recording these songs with more of a “coffeehouse” vibe made me remember what it was like when I first learned the acoustic guitar and when I first recorded these songs. It made me feel a bittersweet nostalgia in both cases. It also made me realize how sad some of these songs actually are when you take away all of the production.”
25 | Sulene | Say My Name
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “South African-born, Brooklyn-based artist Sulene shares her take on the Destiny’s Child classic Say My Name. A staple cover in her live set, Sulene brings a different energy to the track with a more electronic, chilled-out approach while still keeping the same emotional feeling of the original. The song follows her five-song EP, he•don•ic. Sulene stated: “I grew up listening to Destiny’s Child and always loved their music so much. About two years ago I decided to do a Destiny’s Child cover in my live show and this was the version I performed. I wanted to see if I could flip the energy on its head and make it really slow and slushy. When live shows went away, I decided to record my cover and release it.”
26 | Electra Mustaine | Evergreen
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Electra Mustaine is the daughter of Megadeth founder Dave Mustaine. At 23 years old, Electra has begun to hone in on a unique identity as a musician. Evergreen is the first look at the new world of music we can expect from Electra. A modern pop sheen, infectious beat and lush production (courtesy of Breyer White) are perfectly paired with lyrics that are as introspective as they are a statement of independence. “Evergreen shares my experiences in music and in life; constantly seeming to fail outside expectations but consciously choosing to ignore them” explains Electra. “We all have that little rebellious streak about us. Early on, I was like, ‘ I want to be my own person’. I tried to step away from the identity that was my father’s by doing something opposite musically, but authentic to me!”
27 | Rags & Riches | The Beast
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Rags & Riches are an adrenalized American pop-rock band hailing from Lexington. Formed in 2017, the band features brothers Tanner & Peyton Whitt. Over the last four years, they have discovered their unique sound, identity and aesthetic. Their latest single The Beast demonstrates the duo’s versatility in their sound. Centred around mental health, the track represents the manic behaviour of trying to contain your inner demons and aims to raise awareness for a topic close to the duo’s hearts. Tanner shares, “There is a fight within that never stops from action to action, it’s in our hands to choose what we decide to do with every moment.”
28 | Dim | Break You Down
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Atlanta’s Dim deliver an energetic and emotional pop-rock sound that feels like a sucker punch to your heart. Featuring singer Matt Mulkey, drummer Ben Cato, and guitarists Nick Lowry & Charlie Pinkard, Dim come together to be “the light into the dawn” during the confusion and chaos of this modern world. Mulkey says, “Break You Down was written about the cycles that happen during a toxic relationship. It’s a constant back and forth that keeps going round while trying to just get through to the person on the other side. The music video goes through an example of this. Showing a couple going through fights, hitting a point of wanting to heal and thinking back on all the good memories, and then coming back together after the destruction has been done.”
https://youtu.be/K_1dDKpA2iw
29 | Snøw | Spilled My Coffee (ft. Jack Cullen and Rxseboy)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Snøw is one of the key emerging artists bubbling up in the U.S. lo-fi scene. Now the rising star releases the ear-worm Spilled My Coffee, featuring Rxseboy & Jack Cullen. Snøw continues to underline his status as an artist crafting huge, cross-genre hits and bringing international spotlight onto a new scene that’s popping off across the Atlantic.”
30 | Zola | Not Like Other Girls
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The moody and cathartic video combines performance with cinema and showcases Zola in her favorite element. It is the perfect visual companion for the tongue-in-cheek single. Director Jamie Leuchs-Curtis says, “Not Like Other Girls is a music video created to be an extension of qualities I saw in Zola’s personality and the way she talked about the aesthetic of this song. The video has some thematic elements here and there but at the end of the day Zola and I decided that this music video wouldn’t be telling a particular story or sending some grand message but would embody Zola being Zola. And I think that’s what we did.”
31 | Özlem | Marlboro Man
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Queer, non-binary singer-songwriter & producer Özlem wants to be the soundtrack to your nights out all summer long. From getting ready, to the height of the night, to the Uber ride home, Özlem has just the song. Today, it’s the perfect commute-strutting track Marlboro Man. It’s is the music equivalent of chain-smoking toxic hookups. Says Özlem: “The song concept came to me after I saw a pattern in my life of dating the same shitty cigarette smoking men over and over. I found interesting parallels between my dating of these men and them smoking their cigarettes — it’s ultimately bad for you, but it brings instant gratification.”
32 | Christopher Nielsen | Weekend
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Weekend is part of Christopher Nielsen’s Landscapes album containing 13 compositions designed for exploring visual journeys, to play in your care on a road trip or to have as a backdrop for a Sunday morning cup of tea. It was written to convey the need to get together with friends over a weekend and be able to relax and soak in the finer aspects of life while sharing friendship. Says Nielsen: “I happened to have a great opportunity to travel to many tropical places and this felt right to reflect on several of those places and the mood you could expect on a vacation.” The beauty of this piece of music is that if you close your eyes you can go on a trip to your favorite tropical place or let the video connect with images to guide you on a fantastic island beach fantasy.”
33 | Kaleigh | Lost Souls
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Los Angeles artist Kaleigh has released the video for her single Lost Souls, from her recent debut album Predestined. Style-wise as well as lyrically, this album takes a brave leap from her prior pop leanings. About the video: “The narrative follows four young artists coming up in Hollywood who come together to finish a scavenger hunt to gain invitation to a private concert for their favorite band, Don’t Blink-192. When they finally arrive, we see the group as they were before their fame watching themselves perform onstage after gaining fame. It’s a very fun, trippy concept (that) depicts the essence of the song, which is about chasing your dreams and persevering past setbacks.”
34 | Nick de la Hoyde | Stay By Me
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: Sydney singer Nick de la Hoyde has established a strong international following while managing to stick to his guns creatively. The emotions Nick expresses in his music are the result of deep self-reflection. His new single Stay By Me is no different. He says: “Sometimes it takes something unfortunate to happen for you to wake up and realise the love around you. I was guilty of taking things in life for granted and at my lowest moment it was so clear to me what mattered in life and what didn’t. Stay By Me is an uplifting track with a heap of energy that helped me lift out of that space. I wanted the guitars, drums and dreamy synths to elevate with my vocal and take the listener on a ride.”
35 | Sophie Powers | Lonely Army
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto artist Sophie Powers has shared her debut single Lonely Army. Her first rock-laced single tackles the feeling of widespread loneliness that so many of us experienced during 2020’s seemingly endless lockdown, featuring powerful vocals that seem much more mature than Powers’ mere 16 years. Powers shares, “Lonely Army is an anthemic song. It speaks on behalf of my generation. I want to start a conversation, as it feels adults and people who are not struggling during this time need to understand that almost everyone else is, whether they show it or not.”
36 | Dezelle | Every Time (I Feel) (ft. Oscar Del Amor)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Dezelle and Oscar Del Amor create a dreamy, effervescent soundscape on their intoxicating collaboration Every Time (I Feel). Dezelle, a singer/songwriter based out of Los Angeles, is known for her eclectic, experimental mix of Americana, R&B, and electro-pop. On her latest project with Oscar Del Amor, she leads listeners into a dreamlike wonderland where surrendering to the experience and being fully present in a moment is the message of the melody.”
37 | Toxikull | Nascida No Cemitério
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Known for their relentless sound attack that evokes the best elements of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Portuguese band Toxikull launch the single Nascida No Cemitério, which features Armando Macedo, singer of the Brazilian band Flageladör. Says singer-guitarist Lex Thunder: “This is one of the best releases. We are taking heavy metal to another level. And Flageladör is a classic band for any listener and fan of speed metal, a band that has a lot of influence on our musical composition and also on our lyrics and themes.”
38 | At The Gates | Spectre of Extinction
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Swedish melodic death metal pioneers At The Gates launched the first single off their upcoming album The Nightmare Of Being (out July 2) — the epic opening track Spectre of Extinction, which features a guest lead-guitar appearance by King Diamond’s Andy La Rocque. Tomas Lindberg Redant says: “It is always very hard to choose which song to release to the public first, especially with this album having so many layers and textures. We did feel, however, that this, the opening track of the record, represented the overall feel of the album. It has the musical depths that you would expect from an At The Gates track, and still carries that intensity and urgency that we have always tried to get across with our music.”
39 | Atreyu | Catastrophe
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Atreyu will release their new albumz, the John Feldmann-produced Baptize, on June 4. The band has just dropped another new track — this time in the form of Catastrophe. “Catastrophe is, in essence, an apocolyptic love song,” the band reveals. “We took a more imaginative approach to the feelings about that we as individuals and the rest of the planet were going through. The world felt like it was falling apart around us. Nothing was certain, and stress and darkness were coming in from every angle. But living through it all with someone who you truly love somehow made it all OK.”
40 | Flotsam & Jetsam | Blood In The Water
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Flotsam & Jetsam released the title track from their upcoming album Blood In The Water, out June 4. The song, like the album, shreds the listener’s ears and pummels Flotsam & Jetsam’s message into the hearts of the most diehard metal fans. Says drummer Ken Mary: “Blood In The Water is one of the most aggressive Flotsam songs ever, but that wasn’t planned. We just tried to pour everything we were feeling into each song. We didn’t want to analyze it or qualify it, and we just let the song be what it was going to be. What you’re hearing is the result of what I’d say is the closest you can get to looking at the inside of Flotzilla’s brain!”
41 | Gwar | Fuck This Place
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Gwar’s latest musical masterpiece The Disc With No Name is set for release on May 28. This four-song EP finds Gwar exploring their sensitive side (and yours if you aren’t careful) with acoustic versions of four well-known numbers from the band’s storied career as legitimate gods of shock rock. Today, your Lords and Masters are as thrilled as David Crosby scoring an eight-ball to unveil a video for the acoustic version of Fuck This Place. Guitarist Pustulus Maximus confessed, “I forgot to pay my electric bill so we were forced to rehearse acoustically and this is the result. The Gwar, the bad, and the ugly.” Singer Blóthar the Berserker had a somewhat more confusing take: “This isn’t what I thought they meant by ‘unplugged.’ I haven’t been able to muster a turd for years.”
42 | Válvera | The Damn Colony
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With a balance between aggressive sound, rough and rough vocals and instrumental variety, the thrash metal band Válvera continue to promote the 2020 album Cycle Of Disaster. With a great production, the band launch the video for the track The Damn Colony. Based on one of the worst episodes in Brazilian history, the song tells about the Hospital Colônia de Barbacena, the psychiatric hospital founded in 1903. With a capacity of 200 beds, the hospital housed an average of 5,000 thousand patients and became known for the genocide that occurred between the ’60s and ’80s. Official estimates report over 60,000 deaths occurred inside the wards due to medical malpractice and torture over the years. Say the band: “We chose this song precisely because it is a delicate theme and very little publicized in our country, and also because it is one of the best songs on the album.”
43 | Maitreya | Pilgrim
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Canadian progressive metalcore outfit Maitreya will unleash their full-length Hyper Reels in June. The sophomore album boasts a higher degree of musical complexity, filthy breakdowns and a wider range on the vocals ebbing from melodic cleans into sustained growls set to a whirlwind of complicated riffs. New single Pilgrim came to light after guitarist Mark Wylie’s viewing of a Black Mirror episode. “Pilgrim has one of the more broad-scoped lyrics concepts in the album. It talks about social trends and the kind of philosophy which organizes our society, which came to mind after seeing an episode of Black Mirror. Our society is organized in a way that leads many to feel imprisoned and trapped within the social norms and systemic structures that exist. This song seeks to emulate both the feelings of imprisonment, as well as a more positive vision for our collective societal future.”
