The Jailbirds are kings of the jungle, Night Ranger stage a breakout, Mosara act all majestic, Seeking Sirens come to the surface, Sundrowned are feeling kind of ethereal — and you’ve also got not one but two 80th birthday tributes to Bob Dylan from Amy Rigby and Eli Paperboy Reed. Hope Zimmy’s staff remember they have to serve somebody birthday cake today. Ba-da-boom! I’m here all week.
15 | The Jailbirds | Jungle
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Canadian rock band The Jailbirds’ sophomore EP Jungle is out now, To celebrate, the band dropped the title-track single. Jungle is a collection of five songs — each unique in their approach to the subject of depression, anxiety and substance addiction, but cohesive in their theme. Jungle, when listened to front to back, is a linear story. The tracks on the EP plant the listener firmly in the shoes of a person struggling for conquest of their own mind; their life has become a duality of love and hate. Step by step (song by song) the listener learns the story of a person battling self and substance, constantly shifting in their resolve to overcome their depressive and anxious mind.”
https://youtu.be/RZJOBSR9TEo
16 | Night Ranger | Breakout
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hard rockers Night Ranger are set to release their 12th studio album ATBPO on Aug. 6. ATBPO stands for And The Band Played On, an ode to making music during the Covid era. Today, fans can get a taste of the album with Breakout, the first single and video. The band began writing in early 2020, amid the onset of the global pandemic. After narrowing down the song selection and tightening them up to their well-known sound, the band hit the studio, albeit separately. Night Ranger have always had a knack for killer melodies, intricate instrumentation, and captivating lyrics; ATBPO delivers all of that and more. Says Jack Blades: “The process was strange but the outcome rocks.”
17 | Mageia | My Mirror
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Mageia, the brainchild of singer-songwriter Liza Kay, have released a video for the track My Mirror. The song is taken from the band’s recent self-titled album. Liza commented that the album “reflects a spiritual journey inspired by personal experiences.”
18 | Mosara | Majestik XII
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sonoran doom metal band Mosara have released a lyric video for their song Majestik XII. Their self-titled album will be released on May 28. Mosara are the perfect example of atavistic doom metal. Formed in Phoenix — also known as the Valley of the Sun — Mosara have used the region’s heat to forge a tapestry of angst throughout their music. Exploring their relationship with prog metal, and atmospheric sludge, Mosara have crafted yet another experimental effort in which the band’s collective agony is translated into something both nihilistic and tangible through dissonant soundscapes. Each song is a nightmare in the abyss, dragging the listener through caverns of inexplicable darkness and suffering.”
19 | Seeking Sirens | Surface
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “High-energy metalcore four-piece Seeking Sirens have released a video for their song Surface. The ambiance-heavy single tastefully blends elements of rock and soul with bone-crunching riffs, head-nodding rhythms and soaring choruses. The band comment: “The single speaks to the sense of loss we all feel as we navigate our lives, struggling with the hardships of letting the wrong people in as we each endure the solitude of our existence. It crescendos in the affirmation that we all must move forward, and try to find our path in life without losing who we are along the way.”
20 | Sundrowned | Ethereal
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Norwegian post-black-metal newcomers Sundrowned have just revealed another new track from their forthcoming debut album Become Ethereal, set for release on June 18. With a sound reminiscent of bands like Alcest, Rosetta and Deafheaven, Sundrowned are primarily the solo project of Jone Amundsen Piscopo, joined by Aron Eggertsson, Gabriel Innocent and Markus Jakobsen. Become Ethereal is the first album in a series exploring the different facets of humanity as seen through the lens of classical alchemy and the search for perfection. The album takes on the concept of the soul in the form of memories, and examines hhow your own actions and experiences affect you, as well as how the people around you shape your personality and emotional state.”
21 | Zero Theorem x Violent Idols | Threat
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “To celebrate the limited-edition deluxe release of the combined two-part EP The Killing, L.A. alt-metal band Zero Theorem teamed with renowned producer Kane Churko on a new mix of Threat that features Violent Idols. The result is a new dimension of intensity and imagination to the original while emphasizing a more industrial and electronic sound. The band has also partnered with YouTube artist Goop Wizard to present a vibrant and psychedelic visualizer video that brings at different dimension to the listening experience. Zero Theorem vocalist Caesar states: “Threat is a direct warning shot aimed toward those with an inflated self-confidence or sense of superiority. It’s been a crowd-favorite and effective closer in live settings, and we were excited to learn Violent Idols was interested in doing a remix.”
22 | Daisy Mortem | Étoiles (ft. Metaroom)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Daisy Mortem are a real UFO in the French-speaking landscape. After having accompanied groups such as Ic3peak or GFOTY on entire tours, Daisy Mortem released their first album Faits Divers. Their next album Fausse Nouvelle is coming May 31. Their latest single tackles the despair and boredom of the suburbs and the countryside. Musically, the group continue to deepen an aesthetic of contradiction, mixing gothic vibes with reggaeton rhythms, futuristic pop and experimental music.”
https://youtu.be/TzAGCZ-QLBU
23 | Noprism | Order
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Combining innate danceability and an uncontainable energy, Noprism are back with their propulsive new release Order. Like Duran Duran and The Human League arm-wrestling with Chvrches and Justice, Noprism join together the forces of new wave with synthwave and put them on steroids. What emerges is a track that pulsates with retro-tinged electronica that the band have coined as ‘filthy disco.’ Toying with a mixture of blossoming synths and driving electro-beats, Order fashions touch-points of old-school house, disco and 80s club culture into something invigoratingly futuristic. Andrew Young adds: “Lyrically, it’s more-or-less about the attitudes of Brexit Britain and the ability of the press and politicians to repeat their agenda enough times until it becomes true. Exploring the illusory truth effect common with politics.”
24 | Big Mother Gig | That Day
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Milwaukee-bred/L.A.-based indie rock band Big Mother Gig are pleased to present the video for That Day, the latest single from their redcent album Gusto. For this particular song, home videos and photographs taken from three generations of frontman Richard Jankovich’s family seemed to be only way to tell this story about a specific life event, trauma and how it can be passed down over several generations. “The song details real childhood events that deeply affected my Dad and which I believe impacted me,” he says. “It makes me wonder: Will those events also, in turn, maybe in a watered-down way, also affect my daughter? There have been studies that show that trauma gets encoded in DNA and can be passed down. That idea fascinates and terrifies me. The video ends with my daughter and my Dad, who have their own bond. Not a dry eye in the house.”
25 | Dallas Burrow | Born Down in Texas
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Somewhere between the vagabond whirlwind of his ’20s, traveling across much of the free world with a head full of songs and a thirst for thrills, and the childhood guitar lessons he received from his father — a blood brother of Townes Van Zandt and friend of Guy Clark — Dallas Burrow built his own unique brand of American roots music. It’s a sound rooted in folk, shaped by classic country, and heavily influenced by the Texan craftsmen who came before him. On July 23, he will introduce a new side of himself on record: That of a newly sober man embracing the stability of fatherhood and family life. The album Dallas Burrow is a collection of songs about maturing and finding one’s path, shot through with the rich storytelling, organic Texas twang, and authentic Americana that have all become Burrow’s sonic signature. Today you can hear the groovy, slow-burn blues of Born Down In Texas.”
26 | Eli Paperboy Reed | To Be Alone With You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “In celebration of Bob Dylan’s 80th birthday, Eli Paperboy Reed puts his own soulful spin on the poet laureate’s To Be Alone With You from 1969’s Nashville Skyline. “On the occasion of his 80th birthday, so much of the discussion of Bob Dylan’s career and longevity will be centered, understandably, around the poetry of his lyrics,” says Reed. “Even the most original stylists, though, have influences, and Dylan did not emerge fully formed. Examples of the influence of rhythm and blues on his writing can be found throughout his career. When I heard To Be Alone With You for the first time, it was obvious to me what he was going for, and where he was coming from. I didn’t change much, I just took the song to what I felt was its natural conclusion. I hope that Dylan, being the R&B fan that he is, will enjoy my rendition.”
27 | Amy Rigby | Not Dark
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Recorded this, one of my fave Dylan songs, a few months ago … just trying to capture the feeling I get the hundred times I’ve listened to Time Out Of Mind with headphones, on tour, alone in the dark. I realize I left out or mangled a verse — Bob-worthy sacrilege, not about getting it right, just finding the feel. Happy 80th birthday, Bob! Where/what would we be without you?”
