Siamese would like to be alone, Maybe May reach for the sky, The Drippers hit it right on the head, Nightwatchers offer a heavy history lesson — but we’re definitely living in the moment as your Weekend Roundup keeps rolling along. Don’t get left behind:
62 | Siamese | Rather Be Lonely
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Copenhagen’s Siamese have dropped a video for their new single Rather Be Lonely, from their new album Home, set for release on Oct. 22. Singer Mirza Radonjica says: “It’s really weird to release a song that makes you proud and really sad at the same time. Rather Be Lonely is the song we spent the most time writing on. It’s probably because it’s so brutally honest and being honest about defeat and deceit can be downright sickening to put on paper.”
63 | Maybe May | Survive, Satellite
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Survive, Satellite is an earworm of a song — and the latest single from Mississauga rock trio Maybe May. “The song calls the listener to keep pushing forward when faced with life’s challenges … with the bigger picture in mind,” says singer-guitarist Demetrius, speaking for Vitaly (drums) & Rian (bass, vocals). Maybe May feel that the message of the song is as relevant now as it will ever be. Produced & engineered by Juno-winning Kevin Dietz, the tune was recorded at Toronto’s Union Sound Company & Mississauga’s Metalworks Studios. It was also the first time the band worked with mastering extraordinaire Noah Mintz.”
64 | The Drippers | Hammerless Nail
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hard-hitting action rockers The Drippers launch a cover of New Bomb Turks’ Hammerless Nail — somehow managing to infuse the track with even more raw energy and whiskey-powered adrenaline. The single follows a series of new recordings from the Gothenburg power machine. The band are set to release their second studio full-length and are teasing with new stand-alone singles.”
65 | Nightwatchers | 1905 & The Muslim Exception
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “1905 & The Muslim Exception is the first single from post-punk band Nightwatchers’ upcoming sophomore album. The sound is recognized by melodic guitar riffs and high energy, and may remind you of The Observers and Red Dons.The lyrics deal with historical and current political situations and dilemmas from different perspectives. Nightwatchers are a punk band from Toulouse, France. Formed in January 2016 by Freddy, Kevin, Julien and David, they offer a melodic, punchy and gloomy sound, powered by political subversiveness and social criticism.”
66 | The Hawkins | Svääng
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Hawkins are back after a year of releases, making waves in the international rock scene with their single Svääng. The track is the first from their upcoming EP Aftermath, due later this year. Svääng embody the punk attitude with all the best parts of alternative rock — once again making their mark as an upcoming rock staple.”
67 | Dim | Home Is Where You Are
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Atlanta’s Dim deliver an energetic and emotional pop-rock sound that feels like a sucker punch to your heart. Featuring singer Matt Mulkey, drummer Ben Cato, and guitarists Nick Lowry & Charlie Pinkard, Dim have come together to be “the light into the dawn” during the confusion and chaos of this modern world. Mulkey says, “The music video is about the search, the questioning, what goes on when you lose someone close. Yet, when you stop to look around and take it all in, you see the signs they leave for you and notice them within the beauty of everything. Their love and your home, is right where you are — it’s never gone, it’s always there within you.”
https://youtu.be/1Iuti10KBgM
68 | Sum 41 | Catching Fire (ft. Nothing, Nowhere)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sum 41 dropped a reimagined version of their track Catching Fire featuring Nothing, Nowhere. Deryck Whibley wrote this ballad for his wife Ari Whibley after her suicide attempt; they are talking about it for the first time to raise awareness during Mental Health Awareness Month. Whibley shares: “Writing this song was cathartic for me in dealing with my emotions for the first time about almost losing my wife to suicide. When I first played it for her, it was the beginning of us having an open conversation about what she went through. In sharing her story, we are hoping to let others know they are not alone and that if you need help, there is no shame in saying so.”
69 | In The Whale | Smoke Break
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The bombastic duo In The Whale are an extremely unique act. They push sonic boundaries to the limit and deliver a relentless pounding to the senses. Their alternative post-rock intensity creates a seismic event, showing a band not afraid to take chances or show any fear in their songwriting. They have just released their new single. Smoke Break is about addiction, depression, suicide, and what happens when we isolate ourselves for too long. When someone reaches a breaking point, things can go bad. The song has been released to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Month.”
70 | Kitty Junk | Head Rush
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The gritty, glittery rock duo known as Kitty Junk have already made an imprint on their hometown of Seattle, but headbangers beyond the PNW will soon be joining the pit as well. Kitty Junk produce moody, heady melodies with lyrics bound to resonate with heavy music lovers. Their single Head Rush may seem like a simple, catchy grunge anthem, but the track contains a much deeper meaning than its addictive chord progressions. The single sheds light on the deepest thoughts of one’s mind and how they can become twisted and confusing, but the Head Rush occurs when the individual sees past this tangled web.”
71 | Hearts Apart | It’s Too Late
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Italian punks Hearts Apart drop another ferocious single — the garage-punk anthem It’s Too Late. Hearts Apart formed last year to create a band that could channel all the distress of being close to 40. It’s Too Late is their latest single. “That’s how it often goes,” they say. “You have someone really amazing close and you let this person suffer and go, lost in between your selfish behavior and your ineffable insecurity … Then everything falls apart, usually far too late to try to fix the relationship. You just keep wasting yourself, smoke to sleep, drink to oblivion, drowning your mind, your egoism and your regrets till a new guilty day comes. That’s when you realize how much you just lost, probably forever. And again here’s your Leviathan, buddy: just take a pitiful look at the mirror. Always the same end.”
72 | Outer Space | Magnetic Monster
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Barcelona septet Outer Space have launched their latest single Magnetic Monster, a song with heavy drums and percussion led by an angry guitar and bassline, complete with hard hittin’ horns in The Budos Band style. It’s time to start a riot!”
73 | Anthony Kavanagh | No Man Ever Told Ya
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Anthony Kavanagh is back in full force with No Man Ever Told Ya. The third single from an EP due this fall, shows another facet of Anthony’s musical style, proving his unquestionable versatility. The track is joyful, upbeat and perfect for summer. He says: “The song is about a man who decides to leave his past behind, to open his heart fully and express his feelings to the love of his life, like no man ever did before.”
74 | Rasha Jay | Backbone
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “New Jersey singer-songwriter Rasha Jay has made a name for herself with her cross-genre soul-rock hybrid. But her new single Backbone sees her taking a more reflective, chilled tone. Written in the aftermath of the deaths of both her uncle and her aunt, Backbone is a heartfelt tribute to both those who have passed and recognising that through grief also comes gratitude and wisdom. “I wrote this song in February 2020, ahead of a tumultuous year that we didn’t expect here in the U.S. or in the world. I wrote it after hearing about my last uncle passing away on Janu. 1. I came home and went right to my keyboard and just started talking, then singing, then crying … and what came out of that was not just sadness and grief, but gratitude. My aunt passed away 30 days after him. Again, grief with gratitude. I felt honoured to know them, to love them. That’s what Backbone is about — the visuals, the feelings, the notion of recognizing you are what you are because of a connection.”
75 | Pachyman | Big Energy
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Return of…Pachyman is a supernatural force from a brave new world that’s a little bit San Juan, a little L.A., and a whole lot of Channel One in Kingston, Jamaica. Designed to be a resurrection of sound systems from the past through which we can celebrate the future, the record shows that blasting off into reggae’s deep space has never gone out of style. “With this project, I was looking to make positive music and radiate good energy; something to kinda disconnect from the negative things that were happening at the moment,” Pachyman says. “I am trying to make this project a service for humanity in the sense that I just wanted to shine a positive light.”
76 | Witch Prophet | Makda
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Witch Prophet celebrate the Ethiopian Queen of Sheba and the power of Black women and mothers with her new video Makda. The track is taken from Witch Prophet’s 2020 LP D.N.A Activation and was produced by Witch Prophet’s wife Sun Sun. “Makda is a song named after my sister as well as the Queen of Sheba. It’s about stepping into your power, as well as the strength, resiliency and beauty of the Black woman,” explains Witch Prophet. “It’s also a reminder to those that try to take advantage of us that we are in charge and always have been.”
https://youtu.be/f5Ztx0F0uJE
77 | Seyblu | 26:06
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Songwriter and performing artist Seyblu brings romantic imagery to life through vulnerable lyrics and sparkly vocal layers within her lustrous R&B-infused jazz sound. 26:06 is a song about longing, written during the first lockdown as she travelled back to Canada from the U.K., counting down the time until she could see her partner again. Her forthcoming EP Silk Sessions (out June 25) touches on a long-distance relationship, loneliness, heartache and love realized, as we follow her sultry and whimsical melodies through each story.”
