Mall Girl - I.You.She - Century Egg - Hannah Scott

Mall Girl - Bubbly Cool Drink.

‘Bubbly Cool Drink’, the new single from Norwegian art-pop outfit Mall Girl, represents an exciting new chapter for the buzzed-about band. A string of infectious singles released in 2020, including ‘My Sweet Mall Girl’ and the fierce ‘Bad Girl’, cemented the bands reputation as an act to watch in the alt-pop arena. Now they are gearing up to release their debut album in Spring 2022, via Norwegian label Jansen Records.

Members Iver Armand Tandsether, Hannah Veslemøy Narvesen, Eskild Myrvoll and Bethany Forseth-Reichberg were forced to get creative when the pandemic hit, side lining best-laid plans to flesh out some songs before heading into the studio together.

"Because of COVID regulations and the four of us living in two different cities, we changed the way we worked with the songs quite radically in the months leading up to the studio recording,” Narvesen says. "We’ve always been very oriented towards the live performance of the songs, including when we compose them together in our rehearsal space. That way of working has led to some challenges when recording, as you end up listening to the songs in a different manner and might figure out you should have done everything differently."

While some put their creative endeavours on hold, Mall Girl opted to try something different. “We actually ended up ‘remote composing’ big parts of the album, with everyone working from their own home studio and bouncing ideas back and forth,” Narvesen explains. "This was a very welcome change of workflow for us, and it led to us writing some songs which probably wouldn’t have turned out that way had we been together in the same room."

Jansen Records · Mall Girl - Bubbly Cool Drink

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I.You.She - Sink.

Boston-based indie pop wunderkind I.You.She, AKA Aayushi Kumar, is gearing up for the release of a buoyant new song “sink!.” The song, produced by respected local Seattle musician Jake Crocker (her hometown), integrates irrepressibly catchy hooks with lyrics that illustrate the despair of a young person caught up in a sense of disillusionment with her life and an eventual realization that everyone is in the same boat.   Kumar exhibits a remarkable mastery of melody and lyricism in only her second single as a solo musical artist—she’s currently a freshman at the Berklee College of Music.  “Sink!” will be released digitally October 29.

Says Kumar: “I don’t believe in perfectionism but I really believed in this song and wanted to give it my all. In general, this person feels like their life is a mess and they feel a sense of emptiness.  To me the song is really about how struggle in life is inevitable. If I had to have one tagline for the song it would be ‘The grass is greener on the other side, but what if we were underground?’  I don't think this song is a negative one even though it may come off that way on a surface level. I think it's realistic and shows how struggling is inevitable and ok. We always think we're sinking but sometimes don't realize that everyone else is as well.”

 I like to stay informed on the local artists from Seattle and Jake, the featured artist and producer of ‘sink!,’ was a Seattle-based musician who I really looked up to.  He was a dream collaborator, and after some email/phone exchanges we started the process of working on the current version of “sink!”. I’m a freshman at the Berklee College of Music, The journey has been a long one but I feel so proud of this song and am excited to introduce my sound to the world.

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Century Egg - Moving On.

Century Egg is a band of escape artists with a focus on playing visceral punk rock. Today the Halifax, Nova Scotia-based quartet are sharing their new single, "Moving On" which makes up the first half of a double A-side single release, the second of which will follow next month. The new track is released via Forward Music Group. 

Following previous spots opening for the likes of Lido Pimienta – a self-proclaimed fan of the band with Robert Drisdelle, guitarist in Century Egg producing a track on her Polaris Prize-winning album, La Papessa – Partner, Julie Doiron, and more, Century Egg will be performing at Toronto's Handlebar on November 14 and La Sala Rosa as part of M for Montreal (Mothland's stage) on November 19 to celebrate the release of these new tracks. This new single, "Moving On" further cements their inspirations taken from Asian pop and rock artists such as Faye Wong, Jun Togawa, Spitz, Cui Jain, Pu Shu, along with the driving post-punk rhythm section and blistering guitar work taken from The Stooges, Thin Lizzy, etc.

Speaking about the new single, Century Egg says: "This is a song about trying to detach yourself from your past and let go of the trauma that holds you back from finally feeling better."

Century Egg is made up of singer, Shane Song (she/her), bassist/backing vocalist, Matty Grace (she/her/they/them), guitarist, Robert Drisdelle (he/him) and drummer, Megumi Yoshida (she/her). Away from Century Egg, Song works as a visual artist/video game artist, Grace plays in numerous bands including Cluttered (tipped by Laura Jane Grace of Against Me!), Drisdelle plays and arranges with Lido Pimienta (amongst other projects) and Yoshida performs in Bad Vibrations, Dog Day, Not You and more.

forwardmusic · Century Egg - Moving On

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Hannah Scott - Drawn To Darkness (Album).

London-based independent artist Hannah Scott is fast cementing her place as one of the country’s most exciting new songwriters, with her emotive, personal songs and striking voice. Hot on the heels of her recent sync success which saw No Gravity open an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, she releases her Help Musicians-funded sophomore album, Drawn To Darkness.

Co-written and produced with long-standing creative partner Stefano Della Casa (Ultra Music Publishing), Drawn To Darkness expertly combines organic, live elements with electronic sounds. The two artists have struck a perfect balance between Hannah’s traditional songwriting craft and Stefano’s unique cinematic production.

Hannah draws much of the inspiration for her music from her affinity with Italy. A year living and working on an olive press in rural Tuscany in her late teens provided the backdrop to her early work and she has found her musical home with writer-producer and multi-instrumentalist Stefano, who she met in London but may well have met years earlier when passing through the train station in Italy he was working in!

Further highlights for the pair include opening for Madeleine Peyroux to an audience of 2000 at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre and travelling across Ireland with Paddy Casey to open shows for him in Dublin and in a tiny Irish speaking village near Galway! Their music has also been featured on BBC Radio 2 including a live session with Dermot O’Leary, BBC 6 Music, BBC Introducing, The Guardian, MOJO and Clash Magazine.

Hannah Scott · Drawn To Darkness

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The Delines - Someone - Julian Taylor - Tidal Wave

The Delines - Little Earl.

The Portland, Oregon based country-soul group The Delines have announced their third studio album, The Sea Drift, will be released on February 11, 2022 via their new American label home Jealous Butcher Records.

The stunning first single and opening track of the album “Little Earl,” is out today accompanied by a music video directed by Jordan Mosser. “Little Earl” is the perfect introduction to the sights, sounds, and characters that populate the vivid world The Delines have conjured in The Sea Drift, their most cinematic and visual album yet. Written by songwriter and author Willy Vlautin, and performed by lead singer Amy Boone, “Little Earl'' is a tender and moving song that manages to blend soul, country, folk and indie rock into a sound that feels warmly familiar yet totally unique. “Little Earl” is the first track from a collection of songs The Delines describe as “songs and stories found drifting up and down the Gulf Coast.”

“‘Little Earl’ was one of the first tracks I brought to ‘The Sea Drift’ rehearsal sessions, and as it turns out the one that helped create the sound and feel of the entire record,” Vlautin writes. “It’s a soul/Tony Joe White inspired groove, and Cory Gray’s horn and string arrangements set the cinematic tone for two brothers who get in a shoplifting-gone-wrong incident at a mini-mart outside of Port Arthur, Texas. I love songs that just drop you in the middle of a scene and that’s what we tried to do here.”

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Photo - Bibian Bingen

Someone - Empathy.

Ahead of the live dates, Someone shares the new video for album track ‘Empathy’. It is a song indicative of Someone’s debut album Shapeshifter as a whole, which weaves suave, cinematic psych-pop with an intimate, acoustic song writing style inspired by the likes of Joni Mitchell, befitting of the album’s introspective themes of isolation, escapism, and mental health.

Someone describes ‘Empathy’ as “A track about feeling disconnected with the world around you.” A darker psych-pop song inspired initially by American politics (namely the horrors of Trump administration) but one which dispels its shadowy hues as the song climaxes, like the sonic equivalent of the sun shining through breaking clouds.

The video, created by Someone shows a statue-like figure who stands unchanging as the rest of the world is built up and broken down around it. It was inspired by the sculptures of Nicolas Party at Dijon’s Consortium Museum which appear as torsos rising from the floor in the middle of the room, as if they’ve been cemented to the ground. As Someone expands” I wanted the statue-like figure in the video to be buried in the ground. Like a tree, like part of the earth itself”.

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Julian Taylor - 100 Proof.

Toronto-based singer-songwriter Julian Taylor is releasing a new, standalone single today, a cover of a song called “100 Proof,” written by a friend of his, Toronto-based musician and award-winning music teacher Tyler Ellis. The single bridges the gap between Taylor’s next album, which is in the works, and his award-winning 2020 release, The Ridge, which scored him worldwide critical acclaim and eight award nominations in 2020 and 2021, including two Juno Awards, the Polaris Long List, and two Canadian Folk Music Awards, in which he won Solo Artist of the Year.

“100 Proof” is an allegory of a man and the love he has for his family and the pearls of wisdom that he leaves them, and Ellis wrote the song as an antidote to the difficult times of May 2020 as headlines spoke of Black Lives Matter protests, the pandemic, and social isolation. 

“This song is a guide for somehow managing it all,” Ellis says. “Telling the truth about how you feel is ok; asking for help is ok and is not a sign of weakness. And, like Jackie DeShannon said, ‘let kindness be your guide.’ I wanted to acknowledge those internal struggles that everyone goes through and to say that you're not alone, you can reach out, and no matter how dire things seem there is hope.”

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Tidal Wave - Tidal Wave (E.P).

Tidal Wave is a seven-piece art rock band known for their powerful soundscapes and diverse instrumentation.

Formed in 2018, the group met each other working and performing in the local live scene in Toronto. This eclectic group of songwriters was initially put together by guitarist and lead vocalist Connor Young who assembled guitarist Marco Carboni, guitarist and producer Marcus Retterath, drummer and keyboard player Mike Poisson, violinist and vocalist Joey Assaad, violinist Brittany Iwanciwski, and bassist Kyle Texiera.

Whether you are listening to their recorded or live material, the band meticulously layers it’s elements to give the music a full wall of sound with forward momentum. It is an ever present atmosphere composed of rich textures of guitars and synthesizers, with a delicate balance between soaring string lines and strong vocal melodies. The name of the band rather accurately depicts the overall tone of an unrelenting unstoppable force.

Tidal Wave evokes the melodic elements of indie rock bands like Arcade Fire, while creating compelling production-heavy ambient synth and guitar textures comparable to Godspeed! You Black Emperor and My Bloody Valentine. In 2020 they released their single “Our Silhouettes” on all streaming services and will be releasing their EP in the fall of 2021.

Tidal Wave · Tidal Wave EP

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Touching - Lena Minder - Jennifer Hall - Nisa - Noir Disco

Touching - All I Need.

Touching is the artistic alias of songwriter and producer Michael Falk. From his home in Winnipeg, the multi-hyphenate musician has organized festivals, run a studio, and operated a record label, juggling countless roles within the local scene. As a performer, he has toured with acclaimed acts including Les Jupes, The Liptonians, and rapper/CBC host Ismaila Alfa. Yet since becoming a father, Falk has consolidated his lifelong pursuit into a renewed, singular focus: Get back to making music. And lots of it.

Spring 2020 saw the release of Touching’s debut album, Isolation Blues. Sharing 10 songs over 10 weeks, the project was unveiled serially with a one-shot video for each track filmed and released every seven days. With its relatable lyrical themes of loneliness, depression, and disconnection, Exclaim! described the collection as “a greatest hits of pandemic moods.”

Hot on its heels comes littleworlds, a new album aiming to disinfect the darkness with sunlight. The sophomore release from Touching is built on feelings of hope, simple joys found amidst conflict, and the anticipation and fear of becoming a parent. Its 12 songs were written during the same period as Isolation Blues as Falk stepped away from touring and various other collaborative projects. Using this opportunity to build a studio in his basement, he centered his
efforts on writing and recording.

“I bottomed out last year and had a desire to reconnect with my own path of self-fulfilment,” Falk explains. “The only way to become a role model for my son was to show him that I know how to walk the walk by living the life that I want to live. You can tell kids whatever you want, but in the end they’ll look up to what you actually do.”

At the heart of littleworlds is Falk’s rich baritone. His striking voice soars with the passion of Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison, coasts with the coolness of Marker Starling’s Chris A. Cummings, and plumbs the emotional depths of Richard Dawson. Musically, the album injects the downtempo electronic ambience of Massive Attack (“I’m inspired by their late career stuff that no one thinks about,” laughs Falk) into the high drama indie-rock of Editors, Manchester Orchestra, or We Were Promised Jetpacks.

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Photo - Tim Hoskey

Lena Minder - Fear Of Falling.

After her Spain tour in early October, Lena Minder is now ready with the fifth single to her new album! 

'Fear of Falling' describes the fear to go new ways - although you actually know that it is high time. Often we move in comfortable, familiar patterns, from which to break off we struggle. The song describes this conflict, but at the same time gives you the feeling that it is also ok to be in this dilemma.

Lena has been working on her debut album since early 2020. Her aspiration: to reinvent herself. Inspired by the decision to part with her former stage name (Liv Summer), she sets out to find her own personal sound and mostly produces herself. Together with Cameron Laing, she records her visions in 'The Famous Goldwatch' studios in Berlin. She calls her style "Nostalgic Pop" and experiments with vocal elements and self-recorded loops.

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Jennifer Hall - Why Cut Time.

Chicago based artist, Jennifer Hall, has released a brand new single/video titled “Why Cut Time” which creates quite an atmosphere between the desolate Chicago lakefront shots, the plucking/swelling synthscapes, and Jennifer’s powerful vocal delivery.

Artist Jennifer Hall aims to draw you into her musical landscape with no reservation, where emotions run high and vulnerability reigns.

Not one to shy away from sharing her pain and deepest secrets, Jennifer’s 2015 self-titled EP leans heavily into grief and loss, self doubt and inner turmoil, and unexpected love and her readiness (or lack thereof) to receive it.  Commonly identified as a vocal powerhouse, Jennifer masterfully brings to life the most raw and exposed of emotions.

Shortly after the release of Jennifer’s 2015 EP, the independent Chicago artist hit the road, touring for over 3 years and playing in 31 states, including beautiful Hawaii.  After years of touring and reaching digital milestones like 1 million Spotify plays, Jennifer went into a much needed creative hibernation to recharge.

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Pic - Angela Ricciardi & Silken Weinberg

Nisa - Cold.

New York City-based artist, Nisa, has just shared "Cold," the second single to be lifted from her new EP, Time To Plant Tears which is set for release on December 2, 2021. This new single follows recent tips from the likes of Consequence, Our Culture, Audiofemme and more with this body of work following on from her self-released debut EP, Guilt Trip which landed earlier this year.

Early in 2021, the 22-year-old – full name Nisa Lumaj – began work on a new collection of songs that would make up the forthcoming EP, Time To Plant Tears. The title takes its name from the final stanza of an Elizabeth Bishop poem called Sestina. Working together with collaborator and producer, Ronnie Di Simone, the songs were recorded between Brooklyn's Studio G and the Brick Box studio. The new EP demonstrates Nisa's penchant for intimate storytelling cast against the backdrop of glistening, cinematic soundscapes reminiscent of Angel Olsen, Indigo De Souza, Japanese Breakfast and Soccer Mommy. In describing the mood of the EP, Nisa has said that the songs are centered around “confrontation and focus; weathering internal and external changes; desire, and emotional rebirth.” Intersecting cinematic and poetic frames of reference, it lands between what is said and what is felt.

"Cold," which arguably marks the EP highlight and was written with frequent collaborator, Fritz Ortman, draws on 80s inspired guitar tones whilst further demonstrating Nisa's growing understanding of songwriting and melody. Speaking about the writing of the song, Nisa explains: "Fritz —my close friend and frequent collaborator—wrote “Cold” with the Cars’ “Just What I Needed” in mind. We demoed it a few different ways before deciding to fully lean into the 80s with the chorus, and brought it to Ronnie [di Simone], producer, who came up with the thunderous, Adrien Beluga-inspired solo."

The accompanying video was shot in Stony Point, New York with the director, Ben Klein. Speaking about the visual for "Cold", Nisa says: "For the "Cold" music video, Ben and I wanted to see what would happen if we combined the "hell hath no fury" trope with our favorite elements of classic Halloween slasher movies."

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Noir Disco - Los Angeles.

The Chicago-based project of brothers, Nolan and Carter Dickson, Noir Disco, share "Los Angeles," the latest track to be lifted from their forthcoming debut, NOW! 2073, which is out December 3, 2021, on Terrible Records. "Los Angeles" arrives following recent tips from Brooklyn Vegan, Northern Transmissions, Clash, Pigeons & Planes and more, further helping to portray the duo's genre-hopping approach to music, something they dub as Noir Disco – inspired by the Film Noir aesthetic – that fuses punk with modern psych-rock, indie rock and electronica.

The new single "Los Angeles" perpetuates this sense of cosmic country, nosedibing between genre to produce something that is truly idiosyncratic. Catapulting you into a different universe from the outset with the bombastic opening – "Los Angles! The city of shiny plastic faces, in shiny plastic places!" – the song then turns through warbling bass, fuzzy guitar and twinkling piano; at times summoning comparisons to The Doors and other times the funk-indebted electronica of Todd Terje. It's a unique fusion of neon-soaked electronica and syrupy psych.

Speaking about the new single, "Los Angeles", Nolan Dickson says: “Songs like “Los Angeles” were made with an awareness that every single person wants to feel like the main character in their own movie. If you close your eyes and listen to these songs then you’re going to star in a pretty cool piece of theatre, trust me!”

The pair, who sing and play alongside their friend, Henry Miller have developed something of a cult following over the year; NOW! 2073 marks their grandest project yet, signposting the band’s evolution into a new freeform way of creating. Taking direct inspiration from artists like David Bowie, Kate Bush and The Doors, the new music similarly submerges you in cartoonish art-pop landscapes (think “Happiness Is A Warm Gun” if it was made by Arcade Fire during their Reflektor era) that seem to evolve in real-time.

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Katy Kirby - Willie Stratton - King Park

Katy Kirby - Juniper.

Katy Kirby is a songwriter and indie rock practitioner with a writerly focus on unspoken rules, misunderstandings of all kinds, and boredom. She has just released a new video for the gorgeous song 'Juniper'.

Kirby was born, raised, and home schooled by two ex-cheerleaders in small-town Texas, where she started singing in church amidst the soaring, pasteurized-pop choruses of evangelical worship services. After high school, Kirby moved to Nashville, where she managed to graduate college with a rapidly expanding circle of artistic allies, an amorphous collection of leftist beliefs, and a few handfuls of songs.

After a series of painful failures to complete a record that reflected the temperament of those songs, Kirby finally turned to dear friends and co-conspirators to form a band capable of constructing a satisfying full length.

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Willie Stratton - Need Your Love.

Willie tells us - "I'm excited to share "Need Your Love," a song that captures the live vibe of my band: upbeat, rowdy, and very old school."

He adds - "My single has that rowdy, angsty mood of being young and restless as we follow two people who want to break out of the confines of their current world and experience something more daring."

In our opinion the song is all of that, the simmering energy and slick guitar break along with a no nonsense pulse are all notable on what is a mixture of old school rock & roll with modern & fresh production. This is a come & see us live song, if ever there was one!   

 

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King Park - Everett.

At the heart of Hamilton, ON group King Park, you'll find childhood friends/musical co-conspirators Timon Moolman (vocals, guitar) and Tyler Heemskerk (bass, vocals), accompanied by the animated Nate Wall on drums. The trio's new album, Everett (out this Friday October 29th), is a collection of elegies for ordinary, apocalyptic losses.

Fitting together lyrically and thematically, Everett is not so much a story of heartbreak about not getting the girl, but more about being heartbroken that something beautiful could end up so hurtful – that so much love could turn into hate. It's a story of being stuck in a moment, unable to move forward – surrounded by fear, guilt and shame.

Title track, "Everett," sets the theme for the entire record as it tells a coming-of-age story, speckled by the loss of innocence. It's a snapshot of a time when the rigorous set of black and white lines one grows up believing in finally faded away, forcing re-evaluation.

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ALA.NI Ft. Iggy Pop - ElectroBluesSociety feat Boo Boo Davis - Jackson Dyer

ALA.NI - Le Diplomate FT. IGGY POP.

Today, the UK-born, Paris-based artist ALA.NI released her video for “Le Diplomate,” featuring guest vocals from Iggy Pop. The video stars an unrecognizable ALA.NI in special-effects makeup and prosthetics as “Le Diplomate” On her decision to portray “Le Diplomate” in whiteface, and her reason for the two year delay in releasing the video, ALA.NI says in a statement:

So much has changed in the world. The covid pandemic and all of its challenges, being a main global issue to currently tackle. Also the acknowledgement and conscious movement that Black Lives should Matter. A statement that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Why must I even need to ask for this in our so-called equal and free modern society? Asking to be counted, when we still pay our taxes. Very saddening. We must fight for this change. TOGETHER.

My heart has been deeply hurting along with the rest of the black communities all over the world. On top of all of that, the entire human race has forbidden close contact with our fellow humans. No hugs, no kisses, so we really have much international healing work to do. TOGETHER.

Nearly two years after shooting this video, does it finally feel right to release it? I had to take a few huge steps back. A black woman doing white face in today’s new "conscious" climate could be contentious.

My message for this piece of a capella music and video was always a political one. After a brief encounter with a diplomat from the Sarkozy administration 4-5 years ago, I was left with an impression and aspired to convert my experience into some art expression. Luckily, Iggy Pop was up for the ride too and shared in my vision.

The job of the diplomat is to be neutral, amicable and not to exploit his position by acting as a legal gangster. So what do we do when those trusted figures are corrupt from the very core? We the people must fight for truth, honesty and transparency. After all, governments are there to serve us, the people, the population. NOT their pockets. Sadly this deception and system of corruption is global and rife. So we must speak out. Through art, communication with true dialogue, and confronting the universal key issue that power must not be only for the wealthy, but for the good of heart, as we move into the future to make lasting change. TOGETHER.

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ElectroBluesSociety feat Boo Boo Davis - Lowdown Dirty Blues.

Single number 9 from the ‘transatlantic quarantaine sessions”.

Between 1998 up to 2019 Boo Boo Davis used to come and tour in Europe several times each year and a lot of music was written and recorded during these tours.

The current pandemic put that "tradition' on hold. But with the help of the internet and mutual friend Chris Brown in St Louis, the guys from ElectroBluesSociety (Netherlands) started to exchange idea's and demo's with Boo Boo in East St Louis (USA). So despite the fact that they had the Atlantic Ocean between them, they were still able to write and record new music.

Covid can stop live shows (for a while) but it can not stop the creation of new music.

Black and Tan Records · Lowdown Dirty Blues - ElectroBluesSociety feat Boo Boo Davis

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Jackson Dyer - At Ease.

Sydney-born, Berlin-based indie singer-songwriter Jackson Dyer follows up his recent 'Losing Light' single with the release of the new dreamy indie pop, 'At Ease'. The single is taken from Dyer's upcoming EP.

"'At Ease’ is a song about mornings at home, when the coffee is freshly brewed and the sun is filtering through the curtains. It’s about those moments of absolute contentment when you wake up with someone special besides you and the day is pure and untouched by the stress and obligations of the outside world. ‘At Ease’ was a calming song for me to produce, almost meditating on the warm optimism of mornings and love." - Jackson Dyer

Since arriving in Berlin, Dyer has shared the stage with Hozier, Hiatus Kaiyote and Alice Phoebe Lou, as well as playing a host of festivals and touring Europe extensively in support of acts like Mighty Oaks and Dennis Lloyd. His laid-back songs are often influenced by nature and he brings a mix of soul, folk and indie to his spacious production and evocative lyricism. Dyer is set to release a new EP this year, featuring a mix of collaborations with fellow Berlin artists, further developing his distinct style.

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A Short Walk To Pluto - Wild Giants - Desert Liminal - U.S. Girls x Glenn Gould

A Short Walk To Pluto - Harder to Breathe.

Love can mean taking a leap of faith without really knowing where you're going to land – exposing yourself to the uncertainties that lay outside your comfort zone.

Earth and Venus are two planets whose orbits result in a stunning flower pattern centred around the Sun. This is a dance that is so beautiful, but impossible without both moving parts.

Along the way, one may find Winter, used here to personify a beautiful and delicate being whose appeal is suppressed by their cold, unwelcoming touch.

One can only hope that they are not stifled by their Winter, and continue the search for their Venus.

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Wild Giants - Why Aren’t We Freaking Out?

Rock band, Wild Giants, dropped their new single, “Why Aren’t We Freaking Out?” a thought-provoking anthem that makes listeners stop and think about the acknowledgment of aliens. With constantly changing news cycles, some major news events do not get the attention they may deserve. “Why Aren’t We Freaking Out?” brings attention to a topic that we may need to be freaking out about. The indie-rock single is now available to download and stream on digital music platforms worldwide.

With heavy guitars and strong vocals, “Why Aren’t We Freaking Out?” brings the listener on a musical journey that blends between science fiction and current news. Lead singer Austin Walashek took inspiration for this song from his own interest in sci-fi and conspiracy-related events. He calls this single his “best piece of work” so far. As the song transitions from a single guitar to a frenzy of instruments captivated by a controlled yet chaotic guitar solo, listeners get a taste of what the band was freaking out about in music form. “The day the Pentagon opened the lid on UFOs by publicly confirming their existence and alien origins, I assumed the world as we knew it would be changed forever,” says Walashek. 

Wild Giants reminds us that it is okay to take some time to “freak out” about some things that deserve more headlines. The combination of Walashek on vocals and guitar, Lyman Lipke on bass, Todd Flaming on guitar, and Corey Batorski on drums, meshes perfectly. Their synchronicity allows listeners an experience to absorb the music itself along with the unique content in the lyrics as well. “The revelation was seemingly swept under the rug by the general public, but I couldn’t keep my mind off of it… I kept asking myself, ‘why aren’t we freaking out,’” he explained, “I channeled my inner Tom Delonge for this track in hopes of bringing the spotlight back on the subject.” Produced by Dan Parker, “Why Aren’t We Freaking Out?” is the third single off of the group's forthcoming EP, Hey There, Slow Down, Help Me.

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Desert Liminal - Watercolor.

We are really excited to share the third single and video from the Chicago D.I.Y stalwarts Desert Liminal's upcoming LP Glass Fate out this fall. "Watercolor" opens the album and it was the first song to ever catch my ear. 

It's a brooding and meditative composition led with a strong melodic lead with eliding keys. A song that's downcast with a sweet core. The subverted power-trio of Desert Liminal offer a simmering and soaring composition featuring Sarah Quillin's fluid vocals, Mallory Linehan's violin and Rob Logan's understated and deep percussion. It's a bold volley from a Chicago Indie Rock band that takes its cues from Tony Conrad and Haley Fohr. We hope you enjoy it.

A pretty unprecedented vinyl manufacturing disruption have caused us to switch up our release strategy a bit. We will be releasing a new single each month from 3 LP's out in November from Whited Sepulchre Records artists Zvrra, Desert Liminal and Allison Lorenzen.

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U.S. Girls x Glenn Gould - Good Kinda High.

In 2020 Meg Remy's long-running project U.S. Girls released the album Heavy Light, the latest in a run of critically-beloved releases from the acclaimed artist, and with its line up of 20 plus session musicians, perhaps the most collaborative of Remy's career to date. Remy is returning with a truly unlikely collaboration, a track called "Good Kinda High" that is a collaboration with the Classical Music icon Glenn Gould (1932-1982).

The track arrives nearly forty years after the death of renowned pianist, and is being released as part of a project from producer Billy Wild called Uninvited Guests, in which he uses samples of Gould performances to build new works in collaboration with contemporary artists in a wide range of genres.

The project was initially incubated with Wild’s Division 88, a Toronto-based collective, who dug deep into the Gould catalog with the goal of retaining the musical integrity of the original recordings, while making new songs that could resonate in modern context. The pianist was himself shunned by the Classical community in his day for his views on the future role of technology in music, and Wild contends that the project is a fitting tribute to Gould's adventurous artistic spirit, and something Gould would have approved of.

"This started 7 years ago as a challenge on whether or not Glenn Gould could be made to sound current," says Wild. "The main thing I learned on Gould is that he truly belonged in this generation."

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Megan Nash & the Best of Intentions - Jonny Woolnough - Seneko - French for Rabbits

Megan Nash & the Best of Intentions - Coffee.

Recently, Megan Nash shared the new single “Coffee” from their upcoming LP, Soft Focus Futures, arriving November 3 via acronym. Now the Saskatchewan songwriter is revealing the video for the track.

“Once again, I am collaborating with the wonderful Andrew Friesen (‘My Own Heart’, ‘Artifact’, ‘Wait’) on a music video,” says Nash. “My friends and I filmed footage during the Summer of 2021. We had all these little snippets of friendship and I wanted to tie them all together with some footage of me singing the song.

This song is so vulnerable for me. And sometimes being open and vulnerable can just make you feel silly and uncomfortable. I wanted to look like how I feel singing this song. So here it is - a video of a hotdog singing lyrics about being worried that someone will leave them once they find out they have anxiety. Hope you enjoy this video. It's a snapshot into my life and who I am - equal parts serious songwriter and total goofball.” 

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Jonny Woolnough - A Fish Upon A Line.

Following on from the enormous success and praise for his recently shared efforts ‘A.A. Gill’, ‘2666 (Love Is On Its Way)’, ‘You’ve Got That Look’ and ‘Mayurqa’ in recent months, fast-rising singer and songwriter Jonny Woolnough continues the support for his highly-anticipated debut album, also called ‘Mayurqa’, with the soaring new effort ‘A Fish Upon A Line’.

Channelling a sweet and atmospheric direction on this new offering, ‘A Fish On A Line’ showcases more of the new record’s more tranquil and endearing moments. With its light and euphoric production, subtle piano-led composition, and his own powerfully distinctive voice leading the charge, his newest gem marks a rich and powerful addition to his forthcoming full-length, and delivers one truly magical experience throughout.

Speaking about ‘A Fish On A Line’, Jonny said, “It was an attempt to write a classic Gershwin-esque ballad. It’s metaphorical, choosing between giving up or carrying on, life and death. The chords are beautiful.”

Originally written and conceived whilst living between mainland Spain and Palma De Mallorca during 2018/19, his new album ‘Mayurqa’ documents a self discovery and emotional rebuilding of sorts. Jonny took an indefinite break from making music after forming the critically acclaimed bands Tomartyrs and The Bazaars, and as touring guitarist for Finley Quaye. ‘Mayurqa’ constantly hints at its place of conception, yet draws its deft, classic beauty from Woolnoughs obvious deep pallet of influence.

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Seneko - '69 Camaro.

Alt Country/Alternative Rock Artist Seneko has announced the release of his 4th EP entitled "'69 Camaro", out now via Torrez Music Group. This new release finds Seneko plugged in with a guitar-focused rock sound, likely inspired by some of his own favorite bands, Wilco and The Jayhawks, the latter whom he's seen live over 20 times. Expect strong song craftsmanship, jangly guitar melodies and impeccable production from this inspired 5-track collection recorded at Nashville's County Q Studio.

Stan "Seneko" Olshefski's music been described as "Think country meets Radiohead" by Wail Music Magazine and featured in the Huffington Post, who wrote "Seneko brings to mind the whimsey of the Gin Blossoms".

From the Artist: I really wanted to make something fresh and have always wanted to do a guitar driven Rock record - So I did. The down time during the pandemic gave me an opportunity to write a lot so there was plenty to choose from. I also helped produce it along with Mike Purcell and Paul Scholten which was a first for me and a total blast. I went back to the the studio (County Q, Nashville) where I made my first record ("Seneko") mainly because co-producer Paul Scholten is also a drummer and I really wanted his powerful driving beat. Plus Paul works with Luis Espillat, a terrific bass player who layered in very cool bass lines and provided the BGVs. Jon Conley, the guitar BEAST, lead the charge and cranked it up - I'm really thrilled with the result. At the same time beyond of delivering a big rock vibe, I wanted my vocals to not get lost because the songs tell five little stories so they're right up front.

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French for Rabbits - Walk the Desert.

New Zealand's French for Rabbits are in a constant state of creation with their warm and nuanced music. Their songs and accompanying videos are the result of the masterful storytelling that we've come to expect from the group, and the dynamic they've built together over nearly a decade. Today, the band have shared "Walk the Desert," the fourth and final taste of their stellar new record, The Overflow, out November 12th via AAARecords (NZ/AUS), Reckless Yes (UK) and A Modest Proposal (Italy). The album will be released digitally, on CD and limited edition vinyl (with two unique colour variants out of New Zealand and the UK).

"'Walk the Desert' is another song that fits into the canon of this album – it’s about big feelings, and trying to keep them contained. That feeling that if someone asks if you’re alright, you know you’d burst into tears," front-woman Brooke Singer explains of the emotive lyrics.

The Overflow was recorded with NZ producer/musician Jol Mulholland (Tami Neilson, Neil Finn, Delaney Davidson, Troy Kingi) in Wellington at The Surgery and in Auckland at The Lab, with mastering by Carl Saff in Chicago. The result on "Walk the Desert" is premium indie-pop, that Singer has proclaimed her pride in, "I think we’ve managed to create our biggest, most solid pop song, and I’m really proud of that."

On the new album, the group sweeps forward with their most dazzling body of work to date. Written and recorded mostly in 2020, the songs on The Overflow cover a wide range of relevant topics, with the common threads of introversion and anxiety woven throughout. "The Overflow is our album for introverts and deep thinkers - it is sort of a constellation of all the different ways in which someone can be anxious.

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Taxiway - Rebecca McCartney - Joel Jerome - Zach Churchill - Big Little Lions

Taxiway - Four Star.

Taxiway releases “Four Star,” a song for late-night lonely hotel rooms, October 21 on Seven Plates Records. It is off the album, Absence, due out November 5. The single partially inspired by the film “Up in the Air” depicts a drunken conversation with a hotel’s front desk and the broader message that everything is temporary.

The song tells the story of a man who travels frequently for his job and learns that his company plans to lay him off and replace him with the overseas workers he’s been training. He runs up an enormous hotel room service tab and charges it to his company credit card out of spite. The song’s rolling snare gives a marching undercurrent of war waged on the soon-to-be-former employer. It serves as a reminder that a comfortable way of life can be one phone call away from completely falling apart. And corporate America will cut you loose without a second thought if it results in a temporary boost in their stock price.

The album is bookended by songs where the narrators feel unseen, unnoticed, and unappreciated. The characters in these songs aren’t just looking to leave; They want other people to *feel* their absence. The songs and atmospheric music that accompanies them, invoke the lonely, unfamiliar world of airports, hotels, offices, and empty city streets, centered by narrators whose lives are in a state of transit.

taxiway · Four Star

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Rebecca McCartney - Just Air.

Rebecca McCartney returns to the city where she was raised by a family of musicians and nerds, now with her own sound and much to say. She grew up immersed in NYC’s classical music world and her early songwriting eventually led to the release of an indie-folk record under the duo name Garden Party (2020) with her close friend, Jakob Leventhal. 

Now, after a college career studying jazz and playing in an R&B band, McCartney is preparing to release her genre-bending debut EP, How You Feel. Calling on her eclectic musical influences and experiences, the upcoming record generates an edgy, ethereal sound that celebrates McCartney’s buttery vocals and absorbing lyrical insights.

Rebecca is stoked to share her new single out on October 22nd. Here's what she had to say about it: "I wrote this song about a relationship that was softly suffocating. It was the feeling of, I love this person, but being with them takes up more of myself than I'm able to give, and I need to figure things out with a little more space. Like most of my songs, it started with me processing my emotions with my guitar and my voice, then turned into a more ambient soundscape when we produced it in the studio, something that was more evocative of the mellow sorrow of the song".

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Joel Jerome - When You Land (Porta One Demo).

LA’s “Behind-the-Scenes Indie King” (LA Weekly) Joel Jerome has released the demo version of his new single “When You Land” as a stripped down, solitary performance. An off-the-cuff take, the “Porta One Demo” leans in close with its heartbreaking narrative, and without the orchestral flourishes of the polished studio version manages to find its own delicate wings to soar.

An artist who is no stranger to the other side of the board, Joel has a long history of recording himself and others, adding, “My life in recording music began with a simple four track and I still believe there is magic that it imparts on any sound, an intimacy and almost private one on one conversation with the listener. It’s like listening to someone singing to you over an answering machine message.”

Joel Jerome first gained acclaim with his pioneering South Bay indie band dios (malos), founded with his brother Kevin in Hawthorne, CA, also the hometown of The Beach Boys and Redd Kross. The release of their self-titled debut album in 2004 led to the placement of their music in the Fox series and early-aughts cultural juggernaut The O.C. Jerome has since established himself as a producer, engineer, mentor and champion for scores of up and coming LA bands such as Cherry Glazerr, while continuing to write, produce and release his own music.

“‘When You Land’ is about waiting for someone to come back from a dark place” Jerome commented. “Questioning your stamina in doing so. Hanging on to hope even though you know it may be pointless. Ultimately it's about the tender torture of unconditional love.”

Jerome’s first full-length album with Dangerbird is due out next year and is a stunning showcase for his vast gifts as a singer, songwriter and lyricist. Recorded and produced by Jerome and mixed by Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Beck, Kurt Vile), the album shines a light on his creative journey as well as the unique mix of influences that shape his work: the timeless melodic pop (Beatles, Kinks, Beach Boys) and classic 70’s-era Mexican singer-songwriters that surrounded him growing up.

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Zach Churchill - Bartender.

Emerging singer-songwriter, Zach Churchill, has just released his debut single, “Bartender.” The California native opens up about a near-death experience in a powerful ballad. The song is written out of gratitude for the bar manager who saved his life after finding him dying of an overdose on the bathroom floor. “Bartender” is available to download and stream on all digital platforms worldwide.

Zach Churchill balances raw, honest lyrics with moving instrumentals, resulting in a gut-wrenching portrayal of his battle with addiction. The swelling guitar alongside a driving drumline will captivate his audience as they are engulfed in the emotional undertones that vibrate through each verse. “In 2014, I overdosed on heroin at a bar after performing there,” Churchill explains his inspiration for the single. “Everyone left, and the bar closed. The bar manager was getting ready to leave when he saw the lights still on in the bathroom. He went to turn them off, but the door was locked. He got a key from the back office and returned to find me on the bathroom floor, dying.” The release coincides with National Substance Abuse Prevention Month and “Sober October”; two causes that hit home for Churchill. “If [the bartender] had just gone home that night without checking the bathroom, I wouldn’t be here today,” he states. “I have been sober from all drugs and alcohol ever since that event and it has completely changed my life. He gave me a second chance.” The song was written by Zach Churchill and Julian Coryell, who also produced and played on the track. Churchill also recruited Stevie Blacke on strings and Eva B. Ross on backing vocals to complete the sound.

With an expressively vulnerable voice, singer-songwriter Zach Churchill breathes life, love, and gratitude into absorbing narratives. His folk-rock style is influenced by legendary alternative and rock artists such as Elton John, Radiohead, and David Bowie. He attributes his vocal inspiration to jazz musician Chet Baker and Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant. Churchill began singing as a child, learned how to play the acoustic guitar at age 13, and began writing songs a few years later. He earned a degree in Music Industry Studies from CSUN after studying vocal performance at Saddleback College and CSUF. "Bartender" is the first single off of his debut collection, Heartbreak and Hope.

“Bartender” is a folk-rock ballad that embodies the pain of living with addiction and the hope that recovery provides.

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Big Little Lions - Beat You Up.

Big Little Lions continue their monthly releases with 'Beat You Up' (not in that way!).

"Beat You Up" is a calming song written as advice to ourselves, our loved ones and anyone else who beats themselves up over even the smallest things. A song telling us all to be kind to ourselves.

Beat You Up was written, recorded and produced by Big Little Lions who are Helen Austin and Paul Otten.

Hey, you don't have to worry
it’s only human to get it wrong
Hey I know that you're sorry
I want you to know that you’ll always belong
You let it beat you up again
Beat you up again
I wanna wake you up again
Wake you up again
So forgive yourself
Like I forgive you
You know, it’s so far behind us
and it’s time to walk with grace
I know you try to be flawless
But it’s such an impossible weight
You let it beat you up again
Beat you up again
I wanna wake you up again
You let it beat you up again
Beat you up again
I wanna wake you up again
So hey, let go of the worry
Look for the better days ahead
we’re all on a difficult journey
so take care of the words in your head
You let it beat you up again
I wanna wake you up again
You let it beat you up again
Beat you up  again
I wanna wake you up again
Wake you up again
So forgive yourself
Like I forgive you

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Pieta Brown & JT Bates - Beauty Pill - Log Across The Washer - Ovlov

Pieta Brown & JT Bates - Is/Was.

Beloved singer/songwriter Pieta Brown has teamed up with acclaimed percussionist/producer JT Bates (Bonny Light Horseman, Big Red Machine, Taylor Swift) for two new singles to be released through Righteous Babe Records. Today they shared the first single “Is / Was,” a slow-burning experimental ballad anchored by Brown’s stirring guitars and dreamy vocals and Bates’ innovative beats and ethereal instrumentation.

“We made ‘Is / Was’ out of musical fragments, across space and time,” said Brown. “For me, music, memory and dreams make the world more coherent. One day when I was feeling extra isolated during the heart of the pandemic I sent some fragmented guitar recordings to one of my all time favorite drummers, JT Bates. We played some musical ping pong with the fragments: adding, taking away, exchanging…and then all of a sudden we had a coherent piece. It had a beginning and an end. When I heard the instrumental track I flashed on a song I had written one night in Paris in an apartment that had a blue door and was 59 stairs up. Why did I count the stairs? Why did I flash on this song when I heard our track? I sang what I could remember of the momentary Paris song about hope, and somehow it all connected and became ‘Is / Was.’”

"Pieta and I have made a lot of music together, so it felt very natural to proceed remotely,” stated Bates. “I got to dig through a folder of her ‘fragments,’ select a couple of things, and build on top of them. Very fun way to work! I'm very proud of this music and excited to share it.”

About the video, Pieta added, “To connect even further out, I sent ‘Is / Was’ to choreographer/dancer Veronica Tundis (Rome, Italy) and she responded with a mesmerizing dance that she said was about ‘a person lost in memories in a place that doesn’t fit the memories she’s lost in.’”

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Photo - Morgan Klein

Beauty Pill - You Need A Better Mind.

Washington, D.C.-based band Beauty Pill today announced their new EP Instant Night out December 3, releasing on limited edition vinyl, CD and digitally via Northern Spy Records and available to preorder here.

Alongside the announcement the band is sharing the official video for "You Need A Better Mind". On the track, Beauty Pill's Chad Clark says:

"The Roland TB-303 is an old Japanese synthesizer that was designed to convincingly mimic the sound of a bass guitar.  It was introduced in 1981, it sounded like a toy and failed miserably, and it was ultimately discontinued in 1984. It makes freaky, wiggly, cartoony sounds.  It sounds fuck-all like a bass guitar. Why am I telling you this?  One ended up in my hands for a week. I did a lot of silly stuff with it.  I did come up with this one worthwhile riff, which I built a song around.  The song is called "You Need A Better Mind."

"It was recorded with my band in a single take at the end of a recording session for another song. We were tired. None of us cared that much if we failed. The fun spirit you hear in this song is mostly exhaustion… that kind of punchy exhaustion you get late at night when you’ll laugh at anything. The lyrics were inspired by the spooky/funny 10-minute movie “Rachel”. "The song is about the scourge of American loneliness. It is by far the fastest, easiest song Beauty Pill has ever created. We hope you like it."

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Log Across The Washer - Listen to Xasthur.

Log Across The Washer Shares "Listen to Xasthur" off Upcoming Album It's Funny How The Colors, out 11/12/21 on Crash Symbols With a titular nod to the black metal band Xasthur, this bent pop nugget is about time as the most precious commodity.

About It's Funny How The Colors: Music being made with an absolute indifference to commercial viability has been a feature of the cultural landscape for decades. But there’s still an undeniable thrill that bubbles up whenever the algorithm or the universe serves up art that is idiosyncratic, deeply personal, and uncompromising.

That’s the dominant feeling drawn out through each listen to It’s Funny How The Colors, the latest effort from Tyler Keene’s Log Across The Washer project. Self-produced and self-recorded in the humble practice space that Keene rents in Bushwick and in his South Orange, New Jersey basement, the album is a woozy and melodic collection of unbound pop that drifts from clattering blues to sunburst synths. It’s the rare album that feels both thoughtfully considered and entirely ad-libbed. “I find it really fun to create without the guardrails that exist if you think too hard,” Keene says. “I’m definitely more of a ‘first idea’ kind of writer. Just run with it and don’t question too much. It’s more about the excitement in the process than the finished product. I get so much joy out of creating something new.”

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Ovlov - The Wishing Well.

Last month, Ovlov emerged from a long layoff following their beloved 2018 LP TRU to announce their 3rd full length Buds, with a track called "Land of Steve-O." Described by NPR as a "track that transcends into an unhinged, euphoric catharsis before fading and forcing us back into reality," the single was warmly received by outlets like Stereogum, FADER, Uproxx, Paste, MTV and BrooklynVegan, and set the stage for the Connecticut band to release one of the more anticipated full lengths of the fall on November 19th via longtime label home Exploding In Sound. 

Today, Ovlov are sharing their second single from the LP, a track called "The Wishing Well," alongside a Stereogum feature that dives into the band's history, and speaks to some of their peers about their enduring influence.

Combining the band's signature squall with singer/guitarist Steve Hartlett's engaging sense of melody and backing vocals provided by Erin McGrath of Exploding In Sound label mates Dig Nitty, the track explores the way society treats people who are experiencing mental health issues.

"'The Wishing Well' is about how much I dislike and disagree with certain ways cops and some people of the DIY indie rock scene respond to a situation involving a person with mental health issues," explains Hartlett. ""Ideally, only people who are well educated in mental health should be dealing with these situations, with methods that attempt to avoid harm on anyone involed, rather than these blanket procedures that are only designed to punish and seem emotionless."

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