Tag Archives: new single

LISTEN: Blair Gun Calls Out Your Complacency on ‘Don’t Think’

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Cover art for Blair Gun's single, "Don't Think."

San Diego power punks Blair Gun — set to release their new album, There Are No Rival Clones Here, in just a few weeks — are showing off their range on their new, folk-infused single, “Don’t Think.”

The new tune — in contrast from previous single, “The Thief” — is built on a rootsy acoustic foundation, letting the band’s Americana sensibilities shine, while not losing the fuzzy, gritty edge that we fell in love with in the first place. Thematically, “Don’t Think” inspires quite the opposite, making us ponder how easy it can be to let ourselves become entangled in situations that do not serve our higher purpose.

“I wrote it about how hard it can be for anyone to make meaningful change in their life, and how often we can all end up complacent in toxic situations,” said vocalist/guitarist Joedin Morelock.

Produced, engineered, and mixed by Eric Bauer, There Are No Rival Clones Here will hit your favorite streaming platforms on Friday, June 7. Get another taste below!

Rebel Against the System with Black Suit Devil

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If you’re looking for proof that rock is alive and well, look no further.

Black Suit Devil — the songwriting vehicle of Andy Du Rego, who previously graced our pages with this single from his upcoming album, The Eternal Sleep — has unveiled the album’s lead track. “Buried in You” is a high-powered, sprawling anthem; one which clocks in at 7-and-a-half-minutes, and blends the worlds of prog-metal and post-grunge.

“(Buried in You)” is the heaviest song I have ever written for Black Suit Devil,” Du Rego noted. “Prior to BSD, I had been performing over the years in various heavy metal and rock bands. So, it’s a great feeling for me personally, to bring that into Black Suit Devil.”

Hallmarked by scorching guitars, relentless drums, and powerful, gritty vocals, “Buried in You” provides a commentary on the ways modern society is constructed to control — and oftentimes, work actively against — the common man. Du Rego pulls no punches about the societal constructs which lord over every aspect of our lives — from our finances and the food we eat, to what we think and feel.

“I wanted to take the listener down a rabbit hole adventure, and make them think about the world around them,” Du Rego said.

“Buried in You” features the talents of Vic Freitas on drums and John Brand on bass. The song was self-recorded, mixed by mixed by 2x Juno Award winner Kevin Dietz, and mastered by Noah Mintz at Lacquer Channel Mastering. Dive in!

LISTEN: With ‘be kind & rewind,’ znels Lets Us Re-live the Good Parts

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No matter how red the flags become, our minds like to reflect on our past relationships with a fondness that can seem downright delusional.

Ohio-based alt-pop artist znels offers us this view through rose-colored glasses on his latest single, “be kind & rewind.” Supported by an airy, pastel soundscape — think along the lines of 5 Seconds of Summer, with a dash of Owl City — we get to fall in love with our exes all over again.

Or, at least the things about them we actually liked…

“Have you ever wanted to jump back to a moment in time and just stay there? ‘be kind & rewind’ is a nostalgic daydream for when everything felt perfect,” znels said. “It’s a breakup song for when things turn out to be so much different than you wanted, but you stay a little bit delulu by living in your head and replaying the good parts.”

It may be brand new (released May 10), but the release “be kind & rewind” has been a long time coming. In fact, it’s the song that inspired znels to begin releasing music under his current project.

“It took two years to get to this point of feeling like it was ready to be released. I spent so much time with the song to get things like the lyrics, word choices, key, and BPM right,” znels said. “I produced and released my first two singles independently, but for this one, I was lucky to work with producer Connor Daniel (Iann Dior, The Veronicas, Demi Lovato), who really helped take it where I wanted to go.”

Ready to hear where it went? We can oblige!

LISTEN: Paige Davis Lets Go on ‘The Stars & You’

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We can’t forge ahead without leaving some things behind.

Paige Davis examines this reality — trading love and the starry night sky for big city dreams — with her new single, “The Stars & You.”

“I had this idea when I first moved to Nashville—this is the first time I’ve lived in a city and not a small town. I looked up to the sky one night hoping to get some inspiration the way I used to and couldn’t see any stars,” Davis said. “I was thinking about how, up until that moment, whenever I was missing someone, I could always look to the night sky and find some clarity. For the first time, I didn’t have that comfort or reassurance. I brought this idea to some of my besties, and luckily, we were totally on the same page.”

“The Stars & You” is a warm summer night wrapped up in an ambiance not unlike early, pop country Taylor Swift. Davis’ earnest storytelling details the hard truth that comes with moving on, while also looking ahead to new experiences.

“My hopes are for people in a similar situation to connect with this song and understand that it’s okay to take the road less traveled,” Davis said. “Sometimes, that road can even lead you to some of the best experiences of your life.”

LISTEN: Joy Oladokun Honors the Memory of a Friend on ‘Questions, Chaos, & Faith’

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Certain events in our lives leave us searching for meaning.

Sometimes, they leave us only with “Questions, Chaos, & Faith.”

That is the title of Joy Oladokun’s latest single, released April 19. A stark reminder of the fragility of life, “as it “Questions, Chaos, & Faith” honors the memory of Oladokun’s childhood best friend, Casey.

Oladokun wrote about the song — and Casey — in an Instagram post:

“for those of you that follow me, its no secret that i’ve been sad. i have wrestled deeply with the ways my life has changed. as i was processing my current affliction in therapy, another instance of mourning came to mind—the passing of my childhood best friend casey. we were a pair. i was the weird immigrant kid and she was the fiery new girl with great music taste. we would trade songs and secrets every day after school. i even play the guitar because casey told me not to give up. i wrote questions chaos and faith in one take. sat in my home studio with my guitar and my feelings and let it out. today, i release it here in casey’s honor her birthday was a few days ago). i hope it heals something in you like it has me.”

Sonically, “Questions, Chaos, & Faith” is a brilliant soundtrack for the moments that leave us pondering our very existence. The track’s solemn, yet wondrous ambiance recalls the feeling of standing under a starry night sky, in the faint hope that the ones we’ve lost can hear our cries. A gentle acoustic guitar progression accompanies Oladokun’s vulnerable musings about the ways our modern world distracts us from the finite nature of life.

Take a moment to reflect.

WATCH: Pillow Queens Embrace Intoxicating Love on ‘Heavy Pour’

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We may still be a long way off from spooky season, but that doesn’t mean we can’t deliver something to haunt you.

In this case, it’s the hypnotic, churning alt-rock of Pillow Queens, who have released a video for their song, “Heavy Pour.” The video — released in advance of their forthcoming LP, Name Your Sorrow (out Friday, April 19) — was shot at the historic Glenmaroon House in Dublin, Ireland — a Tudor-style Edwardian mansion, dating back to the 1850s.

Directed by Kate Dolan, the video is inspired by classic silent films, including The Cabinet Of Dr. Caligari, Faust and Nosferatu.

“The song felt like a haunting and I felt the video needed to be something quite stylistic. I came up with the idea of the music video being a long lost silent film that has never been seen, a haunted piece of art buried in an attic somewhere. Then, as the band performs the cursed film is purged, burning up. The band are always up for having some fun, so the shoot was a lot of fun, and we played a lot on set.”

Sonically, “Heavy Pour” borrows influence from the guitar distortion of 1990s grunge, with moments of clarity breaking through in the bridge. The soundscape was crafted to fit the song’s theme of choosing to love courageously, even as the world’s judgment finds its way in.

“A lot of the lines in this song could convey the typical sweetness of a love song, but it has brief moments of outside perspectives that cast doubt over the conviction represented,” said lead vocalist, guitarist, and bassist Pamela Connelly. “The song tries to show the ‘heavy pour’ as a compulsion that while having moments of joy, ultimately heightens personal insecurities.”

Meanwhile in the chorus, the band tackles common gender miscorrelations with the line, “I want more, but I’m not man enough.”

“We wanted to delve into and dissect the idea that one’s gender expression is impacted by their perceived level of courage,” said guitarist, bassist, and vocalist Sarah Corcoran. “Spoiler: it’s not. All genders can be courageous and/or scared.”

WATCH: The Dip Point Us in a ‘Love Direction’

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The Dip - Love Direction

Photo credit: Jake Magraw

If you’re a fan of vintage R&B — brought to life by dynamic, modern production — you need look no further than UMC today.

Seattle-based R&B band The Dip are set to deliver their forthcoming album, Love Direction, on July 12. The title track just arrived this past Tuesday, and this right here is a soul lover’s dream.

Harkening back to 1950s and 60s-era rhythm and blues, “Love Direction” features warm guitar tones, brilliant horn arrangements, a jazz-influenced rhythm section, and a whimsical, warbling flute for good measure. All of these colorful splashes paint a vivid sonic portrait, as vocalist/guitarist Tom Eddy’s soothing vocals take us on a journey through the trickier parts of our relationships.

“As you get further along in a relationship, sometimes you lose your way. The things that came easy in the beginning get hard. The love is still there, it’s just that people and life are complicated,” Eddy said. “Sometimes, you don’t have the tools in the toolbox to figure out what you need to do to support the other person, so you have to get help and ask for directions.”

The video, directed by Jake Magraw, is a preview of a larger cinematic work to come, and serves as a visual homage to the do-it-yourself spirit of early music videos.

“We found this really cool video of Wes Montgomery playing in London with his quartet, and we noticed how beautiful that stage they created was,” said drummer Jarred Katz. “We were thinking about how, back in the day, sets were more common in videos and there were different types of production. It was more about what people could build with their hands and by using their imaginations as opposed to computers – we were really drawn to that.”

WATCH: Gloom Girl MFG Get Away with the Perfect ‘Crimes’

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Between Nashville’s established status as a country music mecca, and Music City’s ever-growing pop and hip hop ecosystem, the city’s rock scene often doesn’t get enough love here in 2024.

Gloom Girl MFG might be the band who changes that.

The high-powered punk quartet calls Nashville home, and they’re getting ready to release their EP, Polycrisis, on May 3. The lead single, “Crimes,” is out now — and it gets the whole thing off to an explosive start!

“Crimes” features relentless guitar riffs accompanied by a tight, swaggering rhythm section — calling to mind the edgy alt-punk heyday of bands like The Vines and The Hives. Meanwhile, the charismatic Paige MacKinnon establishes her undeniable presence, as she illustrates the raw complexities of our human experience.

“‘Crimes’ is about someone who’s right in the middle of an emotional explosion,” MacKinnon said. “They’re fed up trying to play the game of love as they see it. And through that we’re speaking to a truth about how intertwined our human experiences in the world are with the way we show love to one another. It can be messy and it can be beautiful too.”

LISTEN: Medium Build Loves “Knowing U Exist”

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Are you even in love, if you don’t love the little moments; the quirks and intricacies of your partner and your relationship?

Medium Build — the songwriting vehicle of Nick Carpenter — explores those quirks on “Knowing U Exist,” an earnest Americana ballad about the ways our loved ones capture our hearts.

The single’s minimalist soundscape creates an intimacy fit for a rainy Sunday morning. A gently-plucked acoustic guitar accompanies Carpenter’s warm, country-influenced baritone, while an emotive string arrangement adds an extra touch of tenderness.

“Knowing U Exist” is from Medium Build’s forthcoming album, Country (coming April 5). The 12-track album “is about the journey (both physically & mentally) Nick’s been on to this point; it’s about high-highs and low-lows, and you can feel Nick wrestle with the good and the bad on each of the album’s 12 songs.” Enjoy this gentle preview below!

Feeling Like a Victim? The Minimum Wage Offers Perspective on ‘Everyone Is’

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It’s one thing to have baggage. It’s another thing to choose to live in the suitcase.

Hailing from Southern Ontario, indie rockers The Minimum Wage are here to challenge your victim mentality with “Everyone Is,” a high-powered, guitar-driven anthem about making the conscious choice to push past our traumas.

“We all consider ourselves victims of something — past traumas, the system, perception of reality. It’s how we deal with being ‘victimized’ that defines us,” the band states. “Do you run to social media and desperately seek validation? Do you put your head down and slog out, day after day? Do you use it as a tool to better yourself?”

“Everyone Is” is the first of six new songs coming from The Minimum Wage, all of which were recorded late last year at Unified Recorders Studio in St. Catharines, Ontario. Enjoy it for yourself below!

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