Every day I get hundreds — and on a Bandcamp Friday like today, thousands — of new singles, videos, EPs and albums from artists, publicists, managers and record labels around the world. And here’s the honest truth: Most of them are crap. You know it. I know it. Even the people pitching me know it, whether or not they’ll admit it. But within that avalanche of mediocrity, I can always find nuggets of awesomeness. And I compile them into this all-killer, no-filler rundown. You’re welcome. Let’s get to it:
Rid Of Me | Hell Of It
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Access To The Lonely is the forthcoming sophomore LP from Rid of Me, the heavy melodic noise-punk outfit from Philadelphia. Written on the heels of the band’s first LP Traveling and carefully crafted throughout the strange times of 2021 and 2022, the album sees the band grow in every way possible. From the production to the songwriting twist and turns, to maintaining the best of what makes them unique, the band has reached a heightened level of maturity. Access To The Lonely is like a prolonged sigh followed by a rushed scream after a weekend you’d rather forget. Today, the band share the single Hell Of It. “Well, I am an alcoholic,” says vocalist/bassist Itarya Rosenberg. “I don’t drink anymore, but I was, at one point, pretty fucking wild. OK, I am still pretty wild, but I used to be next-level. And I was hyper-absorbed by the action of obliteration because of the depth of my insecurities and unwillingness to face shit. This song is a reflection upon the many years I spent crushing booze and drugs and finding myself in many precarious situations. Avoiding myself. Hurting myself. Having a conceptually great time. Now I reflect instead of indulge.”
Måneskin | Honey (Are U Coming?)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Måneskin have shared their electrifying new single Honey (Are U Coming?). Erupting with new offerings shortly after the release of the latest, chart-topping album Rush!, the track is tight with musical vibrancy, showcasing a mighty guitar riff and roaringly persuasive chorus. Bassist Victoria De Angelis explained, “We wrote the song right after the tour, we still had a lot of energy from the touring and the travelling. We wrote it in between London and L.A. We’re really happy with the result and we think it’s something quite new for us.” Frontman Damiano David adds, “It’s the story of someone who has no gender or anything, you decide whoever it is. Find someone else and they can see in their eyes that there’s some sadness that they feel out of place and it’s an invitation from one person to another to join them into this new adventure without knowing what they’re actually going to find, but just enjoy the adventure.”
GWAR | Tammy, The Swine Queen
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Ten years have passed since the release of GWAR’s masterwork Battle Maximus. The record is a tribute to fallen Scumdog Warrior Flattus Maximus (aka Corey Smoot) and was the last album recorded with vocalist Oderus Urungus (aka Dave Brockie) before he departed the planet in 2014. Today, in celebration of this momentous occasion, GWAR have released a 10th Anniversary Edition of Battle Maximus. In addition to being completely remixed and remastered, this edition features the final recorded vocal performance of Oderus Urungus on the previously unreleased Tammy, The Swine Queen. Checking in from the road, vocalist Blothar the Berserker commented: “Musically, Battle Maximus is a great debut work by Pustulus Maximus, and lyrically, it is the final word of lead singer and band founder Oderus Urungus, The record is run through with the desperate, dangerous, and fully bananas imagination of Oderus. In fact, this re-release includes a song so nutty we named it twice, and then promptly forgot to put it on the record the first time around. Tammy, Queen of Dirt or Tammy, the Swine Queen is the final performance of the maestro of mayhem, Oderus Urungus, and for our fans, it does not disappoint.”
Wesley & The Boys | Switchblade Twist
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Debut 7″ from these savage garage punks!”
Joecephus and The George Jonestown Massacre | Ramblin’ Rose (ft. Cherie Currie, Mike Watt, J Mascis)
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Finally! Saustex Records is proud to bring you a tribute to one of the most important bands in the history of punk and rock ‘n’ roll: Detroit’s MC5. With hard-as-nails backing tracks provided by Memphis-based Joecephus and the George Jonestown Massacre, the 22 tracks feature guest stars: Alice Cooper, Keith Morris, Zal Cleminson, Jello Biafra, Wayne Kramer, Cherie Currie, Mike Watt, Lydia Lunch, JD Pinkus, Paul Leary, J Mascis, Danko Jones, Kim Thayil, Lisa Kekaula, Steve Stevens, Phil Campbell, Mickey Raphael, Thor, Chris Holmes, Johnette Napolitano, Jimbo Mathus, Ruyter Suys, Richie Stotts, Chris Connelly and many more…”
The Heavy Minds | Names
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The Heavy Minds are a garage-psych band in Upper Austria. Even though the idea of genre boundaries is quite meaningless for the band, it would probably be most appropriate to claim that the boys are influenced by a huge musical melting pot of sounds of the late ’60s and ’70s, along with garage, prog, krautrock, lo-fi, neo-psychedelia and all sorts of underground rawness.”
La Colére | La Roche Pleure
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “After a superb tour of summer festivals, including Paléo in Switzerland and Printemps de Bourges in France, La Colère are releasing a new track: La Roche Pleure, aka The Crying Rock. A track with mineral and icy notes, worthy of the rocky, vertiginous soils of the artist’s native land. It will melts into your skin, turning it electric!”
