Foxxglove are out of synch, F/L/P/ pucker up, Michael Graff can’t hold on much longer, Frameworks and Murge are on the verge, Cooper Bloom is bending the elbow — which, come to think of it, is a fine way to enjoy your Weekend Roundup. As long as you’re not driving or anything.
89 | Foxxglove | Bad Timing
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Foxxglove is a dark alt-pop artist from South Wales. She has performed at Swn Festival and supported U.K. rockers Holding Absence. Bad Timing is a heart-wrenching alt-pop ballad that gives the listener a deeply personal insight into her life “This song is about a specific relationship, where the person broke my heart in an emotionally manipulative and frustrating manner. He fought for my attention at the start, led me on and ended up gaslighting me.”
90 | F/L/P | Kiss That
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “F/L/P is a Norwegian artist known for his unique ability to collide the modern pop world with musical trends from the past four decades. Refusing to accept the mainstream mentality, F/L/P creates music that is dateless. Philip Dementiev shares, “I think my curiosity comes from the crossover of cultural bridges, languages, the deep interest in various music genres, periods, instruments that has brought me into the one I am today. It has built me this landscape of opportunities to build my own self in music, creating my distinctive character in singing, songwriting and production. It has made me able to approach the fusion of different musical elements from different times and styles that somehow fit together into my own product.”
91 | Michael Graff | Let You Go
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Bursting back onto the scene with another addictive single that expertly combines his bold lyricism and stunning vocals with an immaculately bright sound, singer-songwriter Michael Graff is set to take over playlists with his latest single Let You Go. Graff is an emerging artist from the U.S. who is often compared to LAUV, The 1975, Coldplay and Post Malone. His songs are inspiring, motivational and explore a range of powerful emotions.”
92 | Frameworks and Murge | Cusp
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Electronic producers Frameworks and Murge team up to deliver a conceptual collaborative track. Birthed from a shared passion of DJ/dance culture, the duo present Cusp. Written and produced as a direct response to last year’s lockdown,this collaboration serves as reminder of how important venues are to our culture and growth. The release has a distinctive sound, fusing signature elements from both producers, and leans toward an organic house theme.”
93 | Cooper Bloom | Drinkin Alone
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A performer since the age of two, Cooper Bloom was born and raised just outside Toronto. His powerful and charismatic personality pours into his music, which combines a pop anthem feel with disco influence. Focused on competitive dance throughout his childhood and teenage years, it was only a matter of time before Cooper turned to music. He just released his debut single Drinkin Alone, which is a vulnerable and hopeful track about being honest with yourself and speaking your truth.”
94 | Brandon Agnew | Bulletproof
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Legend has it, if musicians spend enough time around the roaring waters of Niagara Falls, they end up making music in various shades of blue. If you time it right, the drive from Niagara to Ottawa is 5 hours even. Strange and unpredictable things happen in Canada’s capital. For instance, you might learn your neighbour is a top-notch musician from Romania and that, he, too, has the blues. Then, one morning you find yourself in New Orleans surrounded by rhythm and tradition; old, new, borrowed blues — the kind that shake you. You order another coffee, write your legal limit in songs in the French Quarter and shove them in your suitcase. Back home, you find a barn in Chelsea, Quebec to record those Southern songs. A warm breeze blows and you end up on Beale St in Memphis sharing the songs you wrote in New Orleans with the blues guy from Romania you met in Ottawa. You stop for lunch in Hamilton and 10 years pass. A global pandemic brings new shades of blue so you call that Ottawa friend and meet for a studio weekend in Toronto to record Mave’s Variety. You bring some Niagara accomplices, too. Believe it — it’s all true.”
95 | Ricardo Bomba | Flutando
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Far Out Recordings proudly presents a previously unreleased track of glorious Brazilian sunshine music. Written and recorded in 1978 by pianist, composer, sound engineer, studio owner and former amateur skateboarding champion Ricardo Bomba, Flutuando was almost doomed to total obscurity when the master tapes were binned following a ruthless studio clear-out. Luckily Bomba kept a cassette copy that was used to remaster the song.”
96 | Goldwoman | Hungover
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Goldwoman is a singer-songwriter in Brooklyn. Off Goldwoman‘s self-titled LP, out on June /11, Hungover is the true tale of a hangover. The morning following a gig Goldwoman had played at which her ex was present, this song came quickly. The Goldwoman LP is a portrait of songs written over the past four years, painting the artist’s evolution from college student to adult in the ever-changing world. Between romantic struggles, mental health battles, and coming of age challenges, each song is a piece of a larger puzzle.”
97 | Palko!Muski | Walhalla
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Palko!Muski loves the game of opposites: sensitive topics are played louder and faster to create a unique mix. The soul should always vibrate with the body! This urgency has always been pursued by the collective, and fundamentally accompanies the work of Palko!Muski. Also, contrary to all algorithms, they don’t like to be forced into a genre. Is it polka or punk? Rock or indie? With Palko!Muski such questions are obsolete, because they do whatever they feel like anyway. The chorus kicks in and the tugging guitar definitely pushes the song to the limit of membrane pain.”
98 | Vrsty | Montero (Call Me By Your Name)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “New York City collective VRSTY (Varsity) have released their cover of Lil Nas X’s groundbreaking hit Montero (Call Me By Your Name). And oh is it a banger. “I remember hearing Montero (Call Me By Your Name) for the first time and instantly thinking, ‘This song is perfect,’ ” says Joey Varela. “I made it a fun little challenge to try to cover it and keep it as close to the original as possible, but to also add my own spin on it. It ended up being really fun and now I’m left trying to figure out how I can get a stripper pole in my apartment that will take me to hell.”
99 | Girlhouse | Pretty Girl In L.A.
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “U.S. bedroom-pop artist Girlhouse (aka Lauren Luiz) has released the captivating debut The Girlhouse EP, containing the vibrant cut Pretty Girl In L.A. It opens up the new release, setting the tone for what we can expect. With its lush and dreamy tones layered amongst her smooth and inviting vocals throughout, this new effort pays homage to her time in the City Of Angels, focusing on the isolationary and anxiety-inducing aura the city has around it. She says, “Pretty Girl In L.A. is more direct than the others on the EP. This one is very nostalgic of my West Hollywood days, wanting to be an actress and letting people destroy my confidence daily for the sake of the ‘craft.’ I have so many memories of being out at bars/clubs in L.A. having a lovely time, when out of the blue some stranger would come up to me and tell me that I’m “kind of pretty, but not L.A. pretty.”
100 | Charlotte OC | Inevitable
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “April 2021 saw the return of Charlotte OC with a double single drop showcasing the first new material from her forthcoming sophomore album Here Comes Trouble. The next single is undoubtedly the hardest song Charlotte has ever had to write. Inevitable is dedicated to Charlotte’s late father who sadly lost his battle with cancer last month. Charlotte recalls “I wrote this song about my Dad when I found out he had cancer last year. This song is about the realisation that no matter how much you don’t want it — losing someone is inevitable and happens to all of us.”
101 | Fate Under Fire | Flicker
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Fate Under Fire (David James) reveals his dark side with the powerfully emotive track Flicker. It contracts the usual upbeat and hopeful persona that shines through in previous releases. This is Fate Under Fire at his most authentic as he embraces his biggest tragedy through every tear during recording. “Flicker is a song that fully embraces the sorrow of losing a loved one with dark fantasies of doing what it takes to be with them again, even if it’s just a glimpse.”
102 | Xskarma | Love Will Hold My Hand
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Bristol producer/drummer/songwriter Xskarma’s latest single Love Will Hold My Hand is inspired by a poem by the musician and artist Emily Maguire. The track explores the maelstrom of emotions felt in lockdown; the simultaneous loneliness and lack of connection juxtaposed with the sense that the whole world was in the same weird boat. As we come out of lockdown, how do we find a way forward? Xskarma creates a textured blend of soul and trip-hop, driven by quirky, retro funk-inspired beats. Filtered-out drum grooves, wobbly synth pads and deep punchy basslines form the bed for many of their tracks. Much of what they write is inspired by bands like Portishead, Massive Attack, Zero 7 and other classic ’90s trip-hop bands.”
