N∆BOU confirm your suspicions, Emma Jonhson’s Gravy Boat offer a warm welcome, David Myles is for the birds, Amaro Freitas goes on a spiritual quest, Julius Eastman gets it together — and you’re no slouch either if you made it all the way to the end of another marathon Weekend Roundup. Remember to cool down gradually; you don’t want to cramp up.
102 | N∆BOU | You Know
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “With You Know, N∆BOU release the first single and title track from their debut album, due out on Oct. 22. The rising stars in the Benelux jazz sky, the quartet are based around trombonist & composer Nabou Claerhout. On You Know, the band’s unique sound fuses warm and narrative trombone melodies with softly distorted guitars, while constantly combining surprisingly playful and sunny sounds with an elegantly grooving rhythm section. With a unique lineup of trombone, electric guitar, double bass and drums, N∆BOU offer a breath of fresh air on the Belgian jazz scene.”
103 | Emma Johnson’s Gravy Boat | Sun Stones
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Emma Johnson’s Gravy Boat are setting sail this summer with their debut album Worry Not. Listeners can expect to be taken on a cinematic, jazz adventure by this quintet, who weave melody and improvisation into a compelling narrative. First single Sun Stones is a sunny introduction to this Leeds band, with saxophone and guitar sharing the bouncing melody, propelled by the vibrant rhythm section. This track invites you to imagine sitting on a pebble beach, cold drink in hand, as the sun makes its way across the sky, warming up the stones as it goes. Emma says: “I’m so excited to share this music, the creation of which has spanned a flood, a pandemic, injury problems and so much more. It’s been cathartic for me to have writing and practice to focus on, and I hope that the feelings that I’ve placed into the music translate into something relatable for the listener — we all have worries and stress, it’s just important how we deal with them.”
104 | David Myles | Bird Song
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “New Brunswick songwriter David Myles shares the sophisticated, surfy Bird Song ahead of his new album That Tall Distance (out Aug. 27). “This is an expression of my love for instrumental jazz, funk and soul,” said Myles. “As a young trumpet player I loved stuff like Donald Byrd, Grant Green, Herbie Hancock and Freddie Hubbard. They had great compositions with these awesome solos floating on top of super heavy grooves. I loved it. Like those great recordings, I wanted to write songs that were strong enough to be able to hold everything together, but loose enough for there to be lots of room for the other players to really dig in and express themselves. That was the key for me.”
105 | Amaro Freitas | Sankofa
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The symbol of the mystical bird, which flies with its head back, teaches us the possibility of going back to our roots, in order to realize our potential to move forward. With this album I want to bring a memory of who we are and pay homage to neighborhoods, names, characters, places, words and symbols that come from our ancestors. I want to celebrate where we come from.” Listen to the title track from Amaro Freitas’ forthcoming album Sankofa (out June 25) which will take you on a spiritual quest into the forgotten stories, ancient philosophies and inspirational figures of Black Brazil.”
106 | Julius Eastman | Unison
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Unison, the second excerpt from Wild Up’s forthcoming album Julius Eastman Vol. 1: Femenine, is out today. Due June 18, Femenine showcases Eastman’s open-form minimalism with an electric performance that vibrates with a frenzied, kinetic energy — and is punctuated by solo features that open up a conversation with the hugely influential composer’s notoriously unorthodox scores.”
107 | Gui Flor | Flor de Manacá
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Carolina Coester (also known as Gui Flor) is 25 years old and is a singer, songwriter and guitarist. With Flor de Manacá, she creates a captivating universe and offers an invitation to dance to a mixture of folk, funk, soul and Brazilian music from the ’70s. The recordings were made at home by the singer herself. His voice and guitar were produced on a cell phone’s built-in microphone.”
108 | Mtlda | We Got History
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Swedish newcomer Mtlda releases her brooding R&B-laced single We Got History. She explains: “It’s a self-reflection on how I get blinded by love and how hard it is for me to let go of someone, even when I know I should. Sentimental people like me keep holding onto the memories they shared with that person. Our judgment is clouded, we can only see the positives, even when the relationship’s toxic and we know we keep rewinding the wrong version of the story.”
109 | Felix Cartal | My Last Song (ft. Hanne Mjøen)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Platinum producer Felix Cartal’s My Last Song features the talented Norwegian songstress Hanne Mjøen. The single is taken from his upcoming album Expensive Sounds For Nice People, due on June 25. Mjøen reveals: “My Last Song is the perfect description of how it feels to invest every emotion and put all your energy and time into making music. It’s hard to balance relationships and a career, especially when they ask for too much or start accusing you of being cold. I loved writing this with Felix, it’s so rare I work with producers that actually cares about the lyrics, and we connected on this vibe.”
110 | A Beck | You Coming Back?
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A Beck’s new single You Coming Back? tells a story about two lovebirds apart — one away at college and the other waiting for them to return for the summer. You Coming Back? focuses on the emotions that build up while waiting through the distance. It was produced by Kmo the Bro. A Beck uses his unique voice to belt out a new age sound. You Coming Back? has a catchy hook and the soulful melodies A Beck’s fans have come to expect.”
111 | ViVii | Smackdown
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Swedish dream-pop outfit ViVii have just released their second album Mondays, alongside the new focus single Smackdown. While much of the material previewing the record so far has been on the more ethereal side, Smackdown shows us that there are plenty of faster and more upbeat cuts on this record as they look to channel their inner Fleetwood Mac. Fresh and vibrant from start to finish, this new offering makes for the perfect accompaniment for their latest full-length. The band said, “We had enough mid-tempo songs and were eager to do something more danceable. What does it take to make a simple dancing song? We thought two chords at first but then we indulged in a third chord and suddenly it became complete! A tribute to our Swedish music heroes ABBA, who we mixed with a little Fleetwood.”
112 | Tewy | The Greatest
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Bay Area native Tewy is a singer-songwriter on a quest to keep the vibes as high as possible. He effortlessly blends elements of EDM and pop on his edgy track The Greatest. Tewy advocates that every day is a gift and his appreciation for life and those around him shines through in his music. “The song is about the moment of clarity we all have when we see ‘the one,’ ” he says. From then on, nothing else matters except for doing everything we can to be with that person. A powerful feeling of familiarity and relief where everything seems to click and nothing can stop you from making it happen.”
113 | Ayane Yamazaki | Melody
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ayane Yamazaki debuted in Japan at Fuji Rock Festival when she was a teenager, and earned worldwide distribution with her album Life in 2019. Her new single is cute ambient pop with a dreamy, charming melody. The song is also called Donut Song and Donut Music because the donut in this song expresses a very precious feeling in life. You don’t need a reason to like it.”
114 | Charlie PS | Ghost Of You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Emerging B.C. alt-rock artist Charlie PS shows off a new sound in her latest single Ghost of You. It combines flavors of alternative and southern rock, creating a backdrop for ‘western-esque’ storytelling and a new sonic taste of what’s to come from Charlie PS. “The idea began as a lyrical hook stuck in my head and was written with the intention of telling a fictional based story, as opposed to one of personal experience; a writing style I was new to explore,” says Charlie, “I wanted to challenge myself as a songwriter and decided to create a character that was a hypothetical alter ego of myself.”
115 | Can Guru? | Winner Today
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Born in Belgium, Can Guru? (aka Colin Crichton) was brought up in a classical music environment. With music running through his veins, it was always a huge part of his life, from as young as he can remember. His love for electronic music was nurtured in the rich and eclectic Manchester scene. His latest single Winner Today was inspired by a moment of strength and talks of his resilience to failure and pain. Crichton shares, “The song is about the ups and downs of winning one day and maybe losing it all the next, but never to give up on your dreams and ambitions. Always getting back up after you fall over.”
116 | 5omerset | Lakeshore Ave
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “5omerset is a genre-bending singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist in Toronto who creates catchy and unique melodies. Drawing influence from all genres of popular music, their sound is bound to be baked into your brain. Lakeshore Ave is a euphoric-pop track that dreams of pre-COVID nights out on the town with friends and loved ones.”
117 | Superbloom | Pollen
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Brooklyn alt-rock band Superbloom drop the title track off the upcoming debut LP Pollen, due out on June 1. The song is the followup to recent singles Muzzle, Whatever and Mary on a Chain. Pollen is a 12-track love-letter to heavy alternative music that spans infectiously bouncy hard rock, instantly nostalgic acoustic songs, singalong choruses and undeniable hooks.”
118 | Zola Simone | Iridescent
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Written in just 15 minutes before a studio session, Iridescent is a reflection of the frustration and difficult communication that can arise between people. Although Zola Simone wrote it with personal intent, it can be interpreted differently according to everyone’s own experience. She said, “I woke up the morning of my weekly studio session and was struck with a random burst of creativity. I sat down with my guitar and started singing. I came up with all the lyrics, chords, melody at that moment, and made a voice memo. Then we went in and recorded it.”
119 | Dawson Fuss | Right Person, Wrong Time
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “A pared-back and soulful beat, combined with Dawson’s poignant vocals and pensive lyrics, set the stage for Right Person, Wrong Time. From start to finish, the song grips the listener via his uncanny ability to make deeply personal experiences engaging and thought-provoking, proving that Dawson Fuss is a contender among his indie-pop contemporaries. The track is a component to his upcoming album Edge of Adolescence, set to drop later this year. Dawson says: “I’ve come to realize that there are countless emotions and more aspects of an ended relationship than one might see on the surface, including embarrassment and guilt, which is the result of knowing that a relationship is better off finished, but still wanting to rewrite the ending.”
