Every day I get hundreds 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 sometimes find nuggets of awesomeness. And I compile them into this all-killer, no-filler rundown. You’re welcome. Let’s get to it:
Margaritas Podridas | Tornillo
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Shoegaze/grunge/punk rockers Margaritas Podridas are breaking out into global stardom. The Sonora based band have their sights set on new heights as they ink their first U.S. record deal and unveil an all new single: Tornillo. The quartet, fronted by Carolina Enriquez, have been steadily rising, grabbing attention left and right with their raucous anthems of rebellion and statement-making presence. Margaritas Podridas say: “Tornillo is our latest song. It’s a little taste of the corrosive sound that will embody our third album. It’s a song about crazy people that steal personalities from others.”
Mutes | Mere Slaughter
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Birmingham post-punk / noise-rock polymaths Mutes reveal their new single Mere Slaughter. Originally conceived as a solo, primarily ambient project by vocalist and lyricist James, Mutes released their eponymous debut EP in 2014. Things took a decidedly noisier turn with the release of Starvation Age in 2015, a full-band release that embraced the groups love of noise-rock and psychedelia. The group released their debut album No Desire in 2017. The first taste of their upcoming fourth studio album, due in 2024, Mere Slaughter is a three-minute cacophony of dissonant no-wave guitar, anguished vocals and a belabouring rhythm section. The blistering track’s feral intensity serves as a raw reflection of a nation being slowly exenterated of possibility. Recorded live as a three-piece, the song is an evident display of the band’s desire to capture the uninhibited intensity of their performances. The band explain: “Mere Slaughter was born from a need to write something ugly and dissonant — somewhat of a sonic exorcism. A lament for a society that is slowly eating itself by means of division and gaslighting.”
M(h)aol | Jack
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Acclaimed Irish post-punkers M(h)aol — Constance Keane, Jamie Hyland, Zoë Greenway and Sean Nolan — officially released their full-length debut Attachment Styles in North America, complete with a video for Jack. Taking influence from the tour diaries of yore, Jack is a collage of images from a band on the verge of breakthrough and change, shot by the band and friends and assembled by Zoë, who composed a statement about the video: “In this mesmerizing audiovisual tapestry, you are invited to explore an exclusive, behind-the-scenes glimpse of M(h)aol’s life on tour and their music videos for their debut album Attachment Styles. The video… weaves an intricate web of moments and incorporates a haunting twist that delves into the fragility of those memories and the search for tranquility amidst the chaos. As the boundaries of reality blur, Jack unravels the very fabric of time and perception. The video unfolds as a phantasmagoric journey, inviting viewers to traverse the nebulous terrain of the band’s collective consciousness. Within this ethereal landscape, reality and illusion converge and live performances meld with dreamlike sequences, leaving the audience suspended in a liminal state between the past and the present.”
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes | Brambles
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes share the single Brambles, the second song from their forthcoming album Dark Rainbow, out Jan. 26. It follows recent new album cut Man Of The Hour. Brambles comes on with a palpable sense of foreboding and menace, and arrives as something of a plea for a perfect love. It’s a song that probes for an answer to why we give ourselves over to the pain that can come from relationships, Carter singing “Why does our love feel like brambles?” It’s another song that leans into Dark Rainbow’s path of self-evaluation and reflection. Brambles’ claustrophobic atmosphere is ripped apart as Carter’s roaring vocal bursts the chorus wide open. Carter explains: “Brambles is a melancholic bop born from the bramble thorns of love we let grow around us until we are tangled with no method of escaping unscathed. Like our neural pathways become stronger and deeper with each unconscious action, the thorns of love hook deeper and the brambles wrap tighter until we are barely recogniseable and even our loved ones can no longer comfort us or lead us to safety for fear of being cut and torn themselves. An ode to the passion of love and a warning not to get lost in it when you go looking.”
Dirty Sound Magnet | Insomnia
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “Insomnia is the final track of our new album Dreaming in Dystopia. The full track is 8.25 minutes (this is a Director’s Cut version). The song has multiple meanings. The director of the music video Maxime Cramatte interpreted it in his own way. His underdog story echoes the story of Dirty Sound Magnet. “Follow your dreams no matter how impossible they can seem, magic can always happen.”
Neck Deep | We Need More Bricks
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “U.K. rock band Neck Deep have shared their newest single from their upcoming self-titled album. An inspiring politically charged anthem, We Need More Bricks hits with explosive instrumentals and thought-provoking lyrics that hopefully leave listeners energized to never stop fighting for what is right. “We Need More Bricks is, in my opinion, Neck Deep at their political best,” shares vocalist Ben Barlow. “Touching on everything from the monarchy, immigration, protest laws and international wars. We find ourselves at a cross section in the zeitgeist where bricks could be used to build something, or to be destructive. I’m calling on punks and those that want to make a difference, to do so. As well as being our most poignant political track to date, it also features my favourite riff/ breakdown we’ve ever written, with a mosh call that, I hope, makes the listener think about their role in the world, and to speak up, take action on the many injustices the world faces today.”
Bad Flamingo | I Drink Alone
THE EDITED PRESS RELEASE: “The milk and honey / My flesh and bone / All that you see / But I drink alone.”
