No:ir let their backbones slide, Feuerschwanz do some dwarf-tossing, Necronautical are caught between worlds, Bad Moon Born take the reins — and we’re in the home stretch of your Tuesday Roundup. Every one’s a winner:
31 | No:ir | Spineless
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Since their debut in 2019, Bristol’s nu-metal five-piece No:ir have evolved their sound from their hardcore roots to create a modern fusion from a host of genres. They take deep inspiration — and their name — from film noir, often characterised by cynicism, intricate plots and existential philosophy. Their debut EP Are We Really Alive? is due for release June 18. Prior to the release of the EP comes their next single and video Spineless, released today. The track explores the anger and frustration around trying to navigate through the intensity of misinformation and difficulty finding your own identity while authority wants to dilute authenticity. Explains lyricist Evvi: “ ‘In the face of the ones who don’t give a shit, in a space and a place where we don’t exist, we’re down for the fight we will resist’ shows a distaste of how people like us (alternative personalities, creatives, musicians etc.) are overlooked, and how we are a very strong group of individuals who will resist being mistreated. ‘There’s venom in my veins, a new drug to numb the pain’ is a nod to the culture of musicians taking substances just to ‘numb’ overwhelming feelings or personal accounts of facing addiction.”
32 | Feuerschwanz | Kampfzwerg
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “German medieval rock masters Feuerschwanz have released a video for their track Kampfzwerg. They say: “The battle dwarf (Kampfzwerg) — key figure of the fantasy genre or bearded, cozy beer drinker? We say: Both! And bow to the grim king of mines, gold treasures and underground halls with our latest prank! The film footage comes from our legendary online concert Die Letzte Schlacht (The Last Battle) — on a cold January night on the eve of the battle we descended into the glowing ovens of the dwarf forge to salvage this videographic relic from the underworld.”
33 | Necronautical | Hypnagogia
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “U.K. black metal act Necronautical have returned with the video for their single Hypnagogia. The band also announced its fourth album Slain In the Spirit, due out Aug. 20. “Produced once more by Chris Fielding, as well as featuring guest performances from soprano vocalist Victoria Harley, this album represents our most ambitious and contorted material to date. With this announcement, we are pleased to share a taste of things to come through our latest single and music video for Hypnagogia.”
34 | Bad Moon Born | Reins
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Sydney heavy rock outfit Bad Moon Born show no signs of slowing down this year with the release of a moving single Reins. The track delves into the experience of living with PTSD, told from the perspective of the group’s singer and lyricist Jordan Von Grae, and is accompanied by an emotional and poignant video. “It’s difficult to put into words what it’s like maintaining a positive front despite being in a silent war with your own psyche,” begins Von Grae. “This track is one of my first artistic expressions detailing my condition, and as such, it felt appropriate for the video to reflect this as well … Whilst the song is incredibly personal, I feel like the notion of maintaining composure in the face of inner turmoil is something many people can relate to.”
35 | Van Canto | Faith Focus Finish
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The world’s most exciting a cappella metal masters Van Canto return with The Power Of Eight on Friday. To stir the anticipation even more, those thundering voices smash their new single Faith Focus Finish. Stefan Schmidt says: “Faith Focus Finish is all about the “flow” you feel when you’re so deep into something, that you totally forget about space and time. This can happen while listening to music, making music, or even playing sports, which is where the phrase Faith Focus Finish actually comes from. We have adopted this feeling and the result is a composition in which the parts merge seamlessly into each other. Especially the drums and the rhythm section permanently drive the song forward. Inga gave all her power here and is framed and carried by the two male lead voices. Just what you need to finally be able to pull a ship into a harbour.”
36 | The Absence | Black Providence
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Florida melo-death masters The Absence have unveiled a video for Black Providence, the third preview track from the group’s album Coffinized, which will be released June 25. “We have never been ones to shy away from a slower tempo,” explains drummer Jeramie Kling. “And on Black Providence, the sheer density becomes whole within the monolithic cadence. Sometimes we find ourselves afraid to face the pain of reality. The only way to achieve solace is to push through it; to make the tough decisions; to not take the easy way out.”
37+38 | David Miasian | The Sound Of Dreams 2021 + Masquerade 2021 (Remixes)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “2020 saw the release of the landmark album from progressive art-rock musician David Minasian. Titled The Sound of Dreams, it featured a who’s who of progressive rock royalty. Minasian will release Random Dreams: The Very Best of David Minasian Vol. 1 in late 2021. We have been given a taste of this with the remixed double-A sided single The Sound of Dreams and Masquerade. The Sound of Dreams 2021 remix combines the talents of some of progressive’s rock most notable icons, including lead singer Annie Haslam of Renaissance, guitarist Steve Hackett of Genesis and Yes bassist Billy Sherwood. Masquerade 2021 remix is one of the many highlights from classically trained Minasian’s breakout symphonic rock album Random Acts of Beauty. Featuring the rare participation of legendary Camel guitarist Andrew Latimer as a guest, this piece still rings in the ears of fans.”
39 | Rapid Strike | Losing You
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Croatian rock-metal combo Rapid Strike release the ballad Losing You, the third single taken from the band’s self-titled album. About the ballad: “We are more than happy to share our softer side with You. This is a song about love gone bad, but not bad enough to turn into hate.”
40 | Ebony Buckle | Immortal
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Immortal is the latest single from conceptual singer-songwriter Ebony Buckle’s upcoming album Disco Lasers. Written one morning after she dreamt she was a god, Buckle has once again used her music to take listeners away to another place. Immortal is a song of pure fantasy. This is the fifth chapter in Buckle’s album, a collection of audio-visual stories that celebrate the wonders of our universe and how we as human beings make sense of our existence through folklore legends, science and our imagination. The album is being released as singles each month, allowing the listener to join the journey and immerse themselves in a different story every time. Recorded and produced by Nick Burns, the song tells the story of an immortal soldier who falls in love with a mortal man, only to have him torn away from her by the other gods. Says Buckle, “As a child, I was obsessed with Greek and Roman mythology and so this must have crept into my subconscious somewhere.”
41 | Loose Cattle | Filling Space
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “New Orleans / N.Y.C. Americana band Loose Cattle, formed by Tony and Grammy winner Michael Cerveris and Kim Kaye shared Filling Space, an aching waltz single and animated video. Kaye, whose heartfelt vocal both lifts and grounds the track, says: “As a person on the autism spectrum, I especially appreciate this song for so perfectly capturing that THING many of us have felt, but can’t articulate without sounding ‘crazy,’ rude, or both — where you’re so lonely, remorseful, or overwhelmed you don’t have room to listen to anyone else’s story, but still desperately need to connect with someone, anyone.”
42 | Hemi Hemingway | Hemi’s Lament
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Hemi Hemingway, the solo project of London-based New Zealand artist Shaun Blackwell, has shared Hemi’s Lament, the latest single from his debut EP The Lonely Hunter, due June 18. As Hemi Hemingway, Shaun is part heartbroken crooner, part emotional explorer and delivers a glittering six-track ode to ’60s pop. Taking cues from both classic and contemporary influences, The Lonely Hunter embraces the timeless lovesickness of The Ronettes, The Shirelles and The Shangri-Las — and subtly subverts it to focus on modern relationships, toxic masculinity, and his own roots as a New Zealander. “Hemi’s Lament is a heartbroken ode to lost love, missed memories and old flames, in the form of a ’60s-style cowboy ballad,” says Shaun. “Drawing from influences like Scott Walker, Lee Hazlewood and Johnny Mathis, it’s the type of song you might see performed by a lone turtlenecked crooner on a black and white, bandstand-type TV show.”
43 | Helen Austin | Unpleasant Ways
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “After years of writing songs while making a living as a musical standup comedian in the U.K., Helen Austin’s move to Canada in 2002 was the catalyst for her musical career. While most of her time is focused on folk-pop duo Big Little Lions, she has had countless placements on TV, ads and film. Her music, both solo and as the duo, has won many awards including a Juno. “I am dipping my toe back into the solo release water… In Unpleasant Ways I get too explore my angsty side and hope you enjoy and want to feature this tune.”
44 | Yultron, Amber Liu & Kellin Quinn | No Fear
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Asian pop sensation Amber Liu has teamed up with DJ phenom Yultron and singer-songwriter Kellin Quinn for No Fear. It’s Yultron’s second release from his upcoming project featuring artists of the East and West. The hybrid electronic / rock track features Kellin Quinn from Sleeping with Sirens and Amber Liu from K-pop group f(x). Liu just released her solo album y? and has been working on numerous collaborations with a variety of global artists in recent months.”
45 | Cadaveria | The Woman Who Fell To Earth
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The queen of gothic / black metal, Cadaveria is back with her band — and with The Woman Who Fell to Earth, a majestic single that embraces the concept of the sacred feminine and exalts the woman as symbol of life, energy, abundance, strength and elegance.”
46 | El Misti | Couldn’t God Damn Someone Else?
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Couldn’t God Damn Someone Else? is the second single from the new El Misti album All Is Lost. Epic harmonising violins waltz around lyrical themes of increasing despair at the unceasingly harsh conditions of a life. Disconnection and alienation are juxtaposed by the majestic. Acoustic roots music with a heartfelt numbness, will leave the listener reminiscing of a time when they themselves asked: Couldn’t God Damn Someone Else? Frontman Paddy Bleakley explains, “Completing a record is never an easy road, especially as directionless as everything seems to be right now, but the affinity and trust of this group of experienced, adventurous, and independently minded musicians was enough to anchor it through to its conclusion.”
