Alex Orange Drink overdoes it, Crack The Sky crack open the box, Marco Dalla Villa redraws Lesley Roy’s maps, Digital Negative are caught in a loop — but at least they found their way to your Monday Roundup. Let’s get down to it.
16 | Alex Orange Drink | How High?
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Brooklyn songwriter Alex Orange Drink, the solo moniker for Alex Zarou Levine of The So So Glos, announced the July 9 release of his sophomore album Everything Is Broken, Maybe That’s O.K. On the album, Alex explores personal subjects, including grappling with a rare and life-threatening disorder, heartbreak, never-ending teenage angst, and broken political systems. Half of the album was recorded before the pandemic in a party-like atmosphere — with basic tracking captured live among friends, family and lovers — while the other half was completed by a heartbroken protagonist reflecting in isolation. A 3 a.m. drunken attempt at escape from a dynamic that has you feeling powerless, the album’s lead single How High? is a jangly and punchy departure from the house, a pandemic, yourself or someone else.”
17 | Crack The Sky | The Box
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “All bands have a cache of favourite songs in their catalogs they wish had gotten more attention and/or airplay, and Crack The Sky are no exception. The 12 deep cuts culled for Between The Cracks, due out on July 2, were personally selected by all current band members as their top choices for the ones that got away from the albums they released between 1983-2015. An audio visualizer for The Box is out now. “We hope this collection will turn people onto some of the older stuff of ours they maybe haven’t heard before,” singer John Palumbo explains. “And then, once they get into all of these songs, they can switch over to listening to our new stuff, and pick up with what’s going on with us now.”
https://youtu.be/-xcBrtyZX84
18 | Lesley Roy | Maps (Marco Dalla Villa Remix)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Marco Dalla Villa is a London DJ and producer from Italy. Instead of following a structure, his songs are simply a flow of real emotions which follow a strong, hypnotic beat. Marco doesn’t take himself too seriously and hopes his listeners will do the same. With the ultimate goal of making music to share emotions and encouraging others to dance and feel happy, Marco provides a healthy dose of positivity throughout his intoxicating soundscapes. His latest release Maps is the official remix of the song representing Ireland in Eurovision 2021. The big and bold song comes to life with fast-paced beats, colourful, soaring synths and Roy’s powerful vocals, delivering a feel-good, dance-worthy track just in time for summer.”
19 | Digital Negative | Strange Loop
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “As newly formed electronic/industrial duo Digital Negative prepare to release their eponymous debut EP, they share the premiere of Strange Loop. Formed over the past year in quarantine, Digital Negative are the new project from Richard Johnson (Drugs Of Faith, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, ex-Enemy Soil) and Daniel Euphrat (Person918x, Timmy Sells His Soul). Their Digital Negative EP features five glitched-out experiments in frigid tension, explosive outcomes, and cerebral terror. The record was produced remotely in Virginia, with Johnson recording his vocals and handing them over to Euphrat, who mixed and manipulated them into his collage of samples, electronic percussion, and guitar. With the premiere of the band’s new single, Johnson offers “Strange Loop is the first track from our EP. We wanted to start it off with a bang.”
20 | Morris Madrone | Something in the Heart
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Morris Madrone is back in our speakers with a new single. The California singer-songwriter takes his soulful voice to even greater heights with Something In The Heart. The song is a rousing call to action to follow your passion. Drums mimic a heartbeat rhythm as Madrone’s driving vocals slowly begin to build the energy of this upbeat, indie pop-rock tune. Uplifting coos and chants set off Madrone’s anthemic, hopeful lyrics. The singer channels generations of pop music through his blend of ’90s house music and singalong piano rock that crescendos into a supportive reminder to believe in your own power. When writing Something In The Heart, Madrone found a unique source of inspiration. “I normally write songs from a fictional perspective, but this song truly came from within,” he says. After a challenging year filled with hardship and struggle, Something In The Heart carries a hopeful message — you can always seize your happiness, even in the darkest moments.”
21 | Rich Chambers | Sorry Isn’t Good Enough
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With Sorry Isn’t Good Enough, I took a bit of a different approach. I went to a mid-tempo rock/country/adult contemporary song (yep, you read that correctly — this song definitely crosses genre barriers) with a theme that is universal to us all. Who hasn’t at some point in their life felt huge remorse for something they did in a relationship? This deep regret is what this song explores, and by doing so with a musical palette with such crossover appeal, Sorry Isn’t Good Enough has the potential to speak to a massive and diversified audience.”
22 | Woody And Jeremy | My Old Bassist
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Woody And Jeremy share the finale single ahead of their upcoming LP My Old Bassist. Woody and Jeremy’s upcoming LP, Gravy in my Coffee, is due out on June 4. The band stated: “There’s a certain type of business person you may meet who once was an artist and through whatever series of events has become a suit. Maybe the transition happened because of a kid, or the pay was too good to pass up or they experienced too much sustained failure as an artist or that’s just the way it went. Whatever the reason, if liquored up enough and placed within a social situation where they feel the need to impress, they may draw on the details of their glory days to attempt to do so. Over one too many drinks they may regale you about time in the van, on tour, playing that show with that band and getting in that situation.”
23 | Vela Rosa | All We Need
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Vela Rosa continue to kick out the jams this spring; this time in the form of their latest single All I Need, the sophomore single from their upcoming debut album Run in Colour, due out next month. Hailing from Edmonton, Vela Rosa embrace a vintage rock sound reminiscent of artists such as Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton and Pink Floyd. Run In Colour stills a moment in time, framing a world-class new band stepping forward; documenting a nightmare album-making process; and snapshotting 20-somethings growing up. Singer Chandler Pope says: “It’s an amalgamation of experiences in navigating the transition from being a teen to an adult, and not wanting to mess that up.”
24 | The Spare Parts | Life Moves Fast
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Spare Parts first started four years ago as Phillip Vonesh and The Spare Parts. In the original formation of the band, no one was playing their current instrument. Lead guitarist Bill Dyan was the band’s drummer, bassist Gavin Quinn was in school studying trumpet and lead singer Phillip Vonesh was just a bartender with an acoustic guitar: a collection of spare parts. The addition of drummer Alex Bullen allowed Bill to slide up to guitar and slowly but surely the parts started to find their places. Ahead of their upcoming album, The Spare Parts have shared their new single Life Moves Fast — a catchy, feel-good, alt-country track.”
25 | Falkevik | Amplify Me
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With creativity and a love of improvisation and experimentation, the piano trio Falkevik combine Nordic jazz tradition with elegant pop melodies. Falkevik released their debut album Louder Than I’m Used To in 2018, followed by a tour in Norway and Germany. They got substantial radio airplay, and their fanbase is increasing both in their homeland and abroad. The trio will be releasing several singles and a new album titled New Constellations in 2021.”
26 | Tim Kile | Wasteland
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Tim Kile’s debut solo album has been a long time coming. The Austin singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is set to release These Things Are Being Gathered For The Fire, and the path that got him to this moment has been as typically long and winding as one would expect from an independent musician. From his early days two decades ago as a co-founding member of Arcade Fire, to leading New England’s late-aughts indie-rock hopefuls Wild Light, to the past several years honing his craft as a solo artist, Kile has witnessed his own creative spirit evolve alongside his own sense of self.”
27 | Joker’s Hand | War Profiteer
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Joker’s Hand are a rock band from Torrance. Founding members Kevin Kawano and Matthew Lau met while attending film school. After writing dozens of demos and carving a name for themselves on the L.A. club circuit, they began working on what would become their debut self-titled EP, which was released in March 2020.”
28 | Amba Tremain | Hell
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Soulstress and South Coast musician Amba Tremain offers new music with old school vibes, creating songs that have the power to transport you back in time. Amba is also a featured artist on many EDM collaborations and can be heard on a number of dance-floor anthems. Whether she’s out solo or with her full band, she delivers an unadulterated soul show and her songs are real stories about passion, love, heartbreak and honest feelings. Amba’s debut album Honestly is due out later this year. Hell is a fusion of old-school funk and 21st-century girl power! A sassy, high-energy track that tells the story of red hot passion laced with pounding drums over excitable riffs.”
29 | MC Roads | Call It What You Want
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Detroit’s Mike Cross is the original founding guitarist for American rock act Sponge. Now, he’s the lead vocalist and guitarist for his new band MC Roads, who offer up a powerful blend of melodic, guitar-driven music and classic style songs. Their unique style is displayed in their debut single Call It What You Want, taken from the upcoming EP No Nostalgia. On Call It What You Want, nostalgic guitars start off this tense story with a modern twist. Call it what you want, but it’s not love.”
30 | Skam | Circles
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “After hitting the U.K. rock chart with their recent EP Intra, Skam keep the pace with the first single from their impending second EP Venous. Circles is a hard-hitting tour de force that combines everything Skam do best. Delivering heavy riffs sprinkled with earworm melodies, Circles will have you raising your horns to the sky! Lyrically the song was written in lockdown and tells the story many will have been feeling. Despite living a circular life repeating the same day for weeks on end, it’s all about keeping your head held high through tough times and looking to the future with hope.”
