The Halluci Nation have a flashback, Daniel Avery masters the machines, Sea Fever get their facts straight, Color Palette turn blue, Theo Tams shares his feelings — though he’s far from alone in baring his soul in the middle of another crowded Weekend Roundup. No need for social distancing here. Gather ’round:
81 | The Halluci Nation | Remember 01 (ft. John Trudell & Black Bear)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “As they enter a new cycle, Bear Witness and Tim “2oolman” Hill of A Tribe Called Red are reintroducing themselves as The Halluci Nation, to reflect the evolution of their music and mission. Today they release Remember 01, which will be heard on their upcoming album One More Saturday Night, due July 30. The track opens with words from poet and activist, John Trudell — first heard on the group’s last record We Are The Halluci Nation — and recounts the eve of August 21, 2014 when The Halluci Nation were born upon meeting Trudell. Bear Witness shares, “He was on a mission to set us on a course that continues to guide and inform our actions. Remembering our past is key to seeing our way into the future and revisiting the words John spoke about us that first night are exactly that. Like a beacon showing us that we are still on the path he sowed for us.”
82 | Daniel Avery | Hazel & Gold
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Daniel Avery shares the track Hazel and Gold from his forthcoming album Together in Static. “Much like the previous record Love + Light from last year, Together in Static felt like it arose from nowhere in the most positive way, full of joy and hope for the future. It was a beautiful crystal cocoon in which I could fully immerse myself. People sometimes ask me about what I use in the studio (and) what equipment I collect, but those technical details are never really at the front of my mind. For me, I’ve always been drawn to something more abstract. I love the idea of taking these machines, wherever they may come from, and making them sing with a human heart or a living soul. This track definitely comes from that place. It’s something of an electronic love letter to a special person in my life and I’m really proud of it.”
83 | Sea Fever | De Facto
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Manchester’s Sea Fever tease more new music with De Facto, the latest single from the band’s upcoming debut album Folding Lines, set for release on Aug. 13. The indie electronic track is a hypnotic cut that effortlessly blends together sounds that helped define the electronica genre with innovative songwriting. The band say; “It’s Sea Fever experimenting with song structures and sounds. We wrote the song with a thumping back beat and pulsating analog synth. The song is about not being afraid to speak up, voicing your opinion and opening this void.”
84 | Color Palette | Clear Water Blue
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: Inspired by time spent in Michigan’s remote Upper Peninsula in the midst of the pandemic, Color Palette’s Clear Water Blue evokes themes of nature, escapism, and wonder. Intimate vocals by songwriter and vocalist Jay Nemeyer are lifted by lush guitars and keyboards, building toward a place-centric dream pop ballad that draws inspiration from the indie folk of Bon Iver and the spacey instrumentation of Beach House. Clear Water Blue will be included on Color Palette”s forthcoming EP, set to be released in summer.”
85 | Theo Tams | The Feeling (Hate 2 Love)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Theo Tams is rediscovering his identity as an artist. Two years since his last record, 2018’s Call the Doctor, the Canadian singer-songwriter is diving into fresh sonic waves. Late in 2020 he started releasing a string of new singles that demonstrate a remarkable command of R&B-laced pop music, his silky tenor the unwavering guiding light. Theo is now following up with The Feeling (Hate 2 Love). On the new single, Theo captures the push/pull involved in giving our heart to someone and accepting that there’s nothing they could do to make you love them less. Unworried about chasing commercial appeal, the song organically developed into a sexy, groove-driven track that fits more in the pop world than Theo’s previous recordings.”
86 | Sp8ce Owl | A Glimpse Of A Lost Part Of Myself
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Producer/artist Sp8ce Owl just released A Glimpse Of A Lost Part Of Myself, his fifth single. Reflecting on the meaning behind the song, Sp8ce Owl (Joseph Meyers) comments, “This song is about those moments where you reconnect with a part of yourself that is lost or you have moved on from. I tend to feel these connections in my chest. They tingle and give me a deja vu like feeling. It is a reflection of what I felt like then swimming in my subconscious now, because I am connecting to the past but physically in the present. This song is about those moments.” The single follows the release of his debut EP, A Future’s Past, which was issued on his own label on April 23.”
87 | Zella Day | Dance For Love
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Zella Day releases her second new song of 2021. Entitled Dance For Love, the track follows Day’s Holocene, featuring her friend Weyes Blood. Dance For Love is a four-on-the-floor fever dream, decorated with keyboard spangles and guitar flourishes, all anchored by Day’s full-throttle, incredible vocals. The track, which was produced by Jay Joyce (Cage The Elephant, Emmylou Harris), was co-written with another local L.A. friend — Local Natives’ Ryan Hahn — in addition to longtime collaborator John Velasquez. It also features drums by Autolux’s Carla Azar and bass by Cage The Elephant’s Daniel Tichenor. Says Day, “I’ve been a longtime admirer of Roy Orbison and so I wrote him a love song. It’s a fan girl tribute to a man way up there up in heaven, which is exactly where I am when I sing Dance For Love.”
88 | Taylor Felt | Once In A Blue Moon
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “After over a year of quarantine, 20-year-old pop singer Taylor Felt is eager to have a Once In A Blue Moon experience in her debut track and video. Years of dedication, countless sacrifices, passion and hard work has led Taylor to where she is today. “Once In A Blue Moon started out as a phrase in my notebook that I’ve had written down for years. It’s about getting out of your comfort zone and doing something that you would rarely do. It’s letting your hair down and living by your own rules. After a year of staying home, the urge to do something Once In A Blue Moon is even greater.”
89 | Featurette | The Blame
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Toronto electro-pop duo Featurette release the video for their haunting and very personal song The Blame. The video is a beautiful, raw and heartbreakingly stripped-down version of the duo’s original song, and chronicles lead vocalist Lexi’s experience with sexual abuse in her teenage years at the hands of a music teacher. “When I originally released The Blame on our 2020 record Dream Riot, I was only just starting to confront the idea of my abuser. I wasn’t ready to face the issue head on, and decided to bury it in my art, although it was starting to bubble to the surface organically,” says Lexi. “The first step is coming to terms with what happened, and letting others know that what’s happened or is happening to them, isn’t their fault. The first step is finding their voice — my voice.”
90 | Carlie Hanson | Gucci Knife (ft. Masn)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Alt-pop artist Carlie Hanson has unleashed the track Gucci Knife,” featuring rising alternative singer Masn. It’s the first song from Carlie since the October release of her EP, DestroyDestroyDestroyDestroy. The track is an infectious pop song about heartbreak that arrives with a video directed by alternative/hip-hop stalwart Nicholas Jandora (24kGoldn, Lil Skies); Gucci Knife is the first track from Carlie’s forthcoming debut full-length album, and “captures the heavy heartbreak of being so unexpectedly let down by a person after they change their mind, what feels like, overnight.”
91 | Daniel Felipe Martinez | In The Middle
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “L.A. native Daniel Felipe Martinez is back with his new single In The Middle. Experimenting with a mix of electronic pop and hip-hop, Daniel creates and self produces his distinct brand of drifting, ultra-chilled, synth-led alt-pop. The new single In The Middle effortlessly brings together the carefree indie sounds of MGMT with the lofi beats of J Dilla to great effect. Daniel said: “It’s a fun danceable track which reflects on a personal experience at Coachella a few years back. Parts of the lyrics are literally describing the experience of people having fun, drinking, smoking and dancing but it also touches on having personal realizations “in the middle” of all the fun. Specifically, there is a line in the middle (pun somewhat intended) that says “in the middle of it all I came to see that I was in my way”. The message there is that sometimes you are the one holding yourself back from achieving or doing what it is you truly want to do, or should be doing.”
92 | Dani Doucette | Craved
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With confidence, power and sensuality, Dani Doucette displays how desirability is a superpower in her latest video Craved. Her Doucette’s Craved is a story we all may know too well — that of wanting a person so severely whether it is true love or not. It’s a song and video that will infiltrate any atmosphere and leave listeners wanting more. Inspired by The Fifth Element and other sci-fi films, the Craved video will grip and tantalize viewers from start to finish.”
93 | V!V | My NRG
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “From digging into the samples of Notorious B.I.G.’s Big Poppa, I really got into the Isley Brothers’early ’80s soulful, synth-driven album Between the Sheets. I mashed that influence into the bedroom pop rap R&B, etc. I’ve been working with. I ran into some serious writer’s block along the way, but came out stronger after asking my girl gang, “What makes you feel like a bad ass bitch?” So many amazing responses that got me truly excited and back on track to knock this one out.”
94 | Tibasko | The One
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Over the last three years, London duo Ken Petalcorin and Andy Bowden — better known collectively as Tibasko — have been creating heat with their productions. As they continue on their inspiring trajectory, the young pair drop The One, a powerful euphoric track that affirms Tibasko as one of 2021’s breakout artists to watch. They say: “This track started from one synth Novation sound that we accidentally stumbled on and plays into the emotions and nostalgic memories of watching those festival mainstages to feel-good car rides with mates. We wanted to create a track that could be shared and loved by all.”
95 | Mattia Cupelli | Egeria
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ambient-electronic producer Mattia Cupelli has released his latest single Egeria, accompanied by a unique video. The single heralds the approach of his upcoming album Ruins, which will be released on July 9. Opening with dark tones and underlying tensions, Cupelli takes ambient sounds and distorts them within Egeria, tugging at the tones and drawing them into an ominous yet feminine world of sound. A tribute to the Roman nymph of the same name, the single reveals another piece of the puzzle that creates the producer’s upcoming album. Cupelli tells us: “Egeria is like an endless cycle of time. Past, present and future are in the same place, as we were and will be as human beings. But some things are just timeless.”
96 | Lucia Cifarelli | Girls Like Me
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The first single from Lucia Cifarelli’s forthcoming solo album, Girls Like Me is an ode to female empowerment; the track celebrates the divine mystery that lives within all women. Inspired by the diverse sisterhood Lucia has come to know on tour and through her engagement on social media, the song is a celebration of all that is feminine,, dark, joyous and wild. “This song is a love letter to my sisters all over the world, dedicated to their unique magic, intrinsically connected to who we are,” she says. Infused with hot electro/house and EDM energy, Girls Like Me was mixed by the internationally acclaimed mix master Veronica Ferraro, best known for her work on the Grammy-nominated hit When Love Takes Over by David Guetta and Kelly Rowland.”
97 | Def3 & Late Night Radio | Rani
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Def3’s forthcoming album Weddings and Funerals, produced by Denver’s Late Night Radio, marks the rapper’s third full-length release and the followup to his 2017 LP Small World. It’s the second collaborative project between Def3 and LNR and will be available June 4. Danny Fernandez is Def3, a well-established hip-hop artist whose unique journey has helped curate his eclectic sound. He spent most of his youth travelling the world on a hospital ship with his parents, who themselves were involved in the arts, before settling in Regina, and more recently, Vancouver.”
98 | Chris Chand | Your Heart
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Chris Chand releases his second single of the year, Your Heart, featuring neo-soul artist Aria Bleu. Chand tells us: “Your Heart is about indecisive love. When it comes to love/relationships, it’s hard to tell when you’ve found the right person. You never know what’s going to happen but sometimes you just have to trust your gut, take that chance and see where things go.”
99 | Manny Blu | Might As Well Lead
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Manny Blu’s new single Might As Well Lead is out today. It features Blu’s dynamic, booming voice, crooning about going all in on love that might not be good for you. With lyrics like “if you’re gonna play with fire, go on and burn this whole place down. Let those flames get higher til’ you can’t find your way out. If you’re gonna fall like an angel, if you’re gonna fly with me … If you’re gonna dance with the devil, hell, you might as well lead,” Blu brings his country-punk attitude to the forefront.”
100 | Spang Sisters | 10,645m
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Spang Sisters’ eponymous album showcases Rachid & Jules’ unique cocktail of classic R&B, psych, folk, and pop, paired with wholly modern and forward-thinking lyrical themes. The Brighton/Bristol duo have a palpable appreciation and knowledge of the music of yesteryear, which manifests itself with poise throughout the band’s output. The Velvet Underground, Motown, Dr. Dre and the Japanese folk band Happy End have all contributed inspiration to a debut record that is unlike any other. Rachid recognises the strengths that he & his counterpart bring to the outfit: “We have quite different approaches to songwriting and recording, hence the notable schism between Jules’ powerfully catchy pop sensibilities and my more off-kilter, melancholic compositions. All in all, we are very proud of what has emerged from our time of creative reclusion and are inexplicably excited for the world to hear it as well as what lies next.”
101 | Johnny Ashby | Wild
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Johnny Ashby is a British singer-songwriter based in L.A. His latest single Wild resides in a sonic magical forest of tenderness, with thoughtful moments surrounding the echoing pallet of warm tones. Ashby shares, “Every time I’ve travelled to a new place I’ve noticed how it’s changed me and pushed me to grow spiritually in some way. When I write ‘Follow me into the wild’ it’s like I’m back home after that adventure and I’m saying ‘Now what?’ That feeling after an adventure when you just want to go back out and find another one!”
