New Jersey’s FRND CRCL (pronounced Friend Circle) comes in hot just in time for summer with their new single “ Loose Cannon” off their sophomore album Internet Noise.
Delivering their new single with angsty, punk-driven lyrics and catchy melodies reminiscent of early 2000s pop punk akin to the likes of Sum 41 and Blink 182, the track is essentially about embracing the mentality and spirit of punk rock, with lyrics referencing the choice of not selling out in college and even a comparison to the heartbreaker himself, Ben Stiller. FRND CRCL deliver their youthful hooks over crunchy and distorted guitar passages and twinkling lead melodies. If one thing is clear about this group it is that they certainly don’t cut the “pop” out of pop punk.
The track is produced by FRND CRCL and Tyler Skye of Monoplane Recording Studios, this is the second single premiering off of the upcoming sophomore album Internet Noise, which dropped May 1.
Formed in 2018, Aaron Smith (Drums) and Dom Giacalone (Lead Guitar), along with dual vocalists Zac Johnson (Guitar) and Adam Skirvin (Bass), combine their individual musical backgrounds to create a new approach to the genre. Utilizing 2010 era pop structures and punk rock riffage, FRND CRCL is not afraid to incorporate lyrical wordplay, the occasional pop culture reference, and influences from various genres across the board.
Buffalo post-hardcore rockers Once Upon A Flatline has released a new song and lyric video for “Hang Hymn High,” the third single off of the bands debut EP The Theatre Lucy. Engineered by Nate White, the track is inspired by the jazzy musical “Chicago,” with a serious message about getting help against domestic violence especially while so many are trapped at home during the pandemic.
Consisting of six members with a strong female front, Once Upon A Flatline attempts to combine the madness of Sweeney Todd with the post-metal of My Chemical Romance with each of their larger than life productions. Their other two singles “For The Wretched of The Earth” and “Those Last, Fatal Days” teased parts of “Les Miserables” and “Moulin Rouge,” respectively.
With a music video already released the band is currently in the studio finishing the last of seven songs according to the press release. Each song will keep with the band’s motif of storytelling and all be inspired by a different, famous Broadway musical with a metal twist told by ghosts that haunt The Theatre Lucy.
On June 1, Cousin Earth will release their new single worldwide for their newest song, “Bacon, Cat Food & Cheese.” The track, which was recorded last summer and mixed and mastered in quarantine will be available on all streaming platforms and accompanied by an absurdist video featuring the individual band members in quarantine. The video debuts three days early at Noon on Friday, May 29 via Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and NYSMusic.com, along with an audio pre-release on Cousin Earth’s Bandcamp.
That night, band will also stream an online Zoom meeting dubbed “Bacon, Cat Food & Chill” at 8pm on Monday, June 1, with special guests expected, and hosted by Wendy LaManque of The Whistles.
The song, clocking in at nearly 8 minutes, showcases all the things fans have come to love about Cousin Earth: layered vocal harmonies, extended improvisation, and humorous lyrics. “Bacon, Cat Food & Cheese” recently entered the band’s repertoire, juxtaposing a down tempo funk song with an upbeat dance-jam vehicle. It was also featured in several shows as a quirky but party-hard late set jammer.
The lyrical concept started as an inside joke, that became a meme, that became a ridiculous song about the internal strife of eating a sandwich that could definitely be better. At a time when so much is uncertain in the world, Cousin Earth took a silly moment from tour and turned it into a metaphor about life that seems all-too-fitting right now. Without gigs to support them, this Zappa-esque project shows no remorse in pointing out the absurdity in our current isolation as a society.
“Bacon Cat Food & Cheese” was written by Cousin Earth and recorded at Call Hollow Studios in Pomona, NY. in the summer of 2019 with engineering by Matthew Einsidler and Ryan Liatsis.
Electronic Artist i_o released his new song “Annihilation,” part of his third installment titled AM 444 of his 444 album series. This song features Canadian alt-pop artist Lights and has reached #2 on iTunes electronic chart. The AM 444 installment is based on what the world feels like around 4am when the lines between night and day become foggy, and night turns into day, the world just before dawn.
i_o’s 444 album series was named for an obscure New York City underground venue. The 444 album is part of a three-part series of four tracks each as a nod to the number this series nodding to the number four. i_o uses each installment of 444 album series to project his own feelings about the different areas of dance music that he feels defines him as an artist. The first two installments were ACID 444 and NRG 444. ACID 444 was released back in late 2019 and was all about his warehouse roots meanwhile NRG was released in early 2020 and was more of an upbeat, peak of the night, collection of songs.
On AM 444 i_o is joined by Lights on all tracks and highlights his production skills on the more melodic and progressive side. Although “Annihilation” is the only track dropped so far from the AM 444 installment you can already see it making nods to his production value and melodic rhythms. The song’s repetitive and trancelike beats in combination with the ebb and flow of vocals between i_o and Lights really reflects the feeling of 4AM when you are still out dancing just letting the music flow through you which the entire section will be focusing on.
The rest of the AM 444 installment is due to drop on May 29th on mau5trap. For more information on i_o and his 444 album visit mau5trap’s website. For more information on Lights visit her website.
A breakout single isn’t the easiest thing to find. If it were, millions of aspiring rappers would have landed record deals. And although the ball seems to get rolling after that first big hit (save for the one-hit wonders, of course), an artist is still dependent on their initial ability to connect with an audience. For most, the components of the ever elusive-hit record seem to be simple (distinctive instrumental vocals, engaging lyrics, etc..) yet, the subtle ways in which they are applied often escape aspiring artists. Which is why when one finds one of those elusive records, they hold on to it, play it and share it to the world.
“Pressure,” the latest release from cousins and Queens duo Runitup Rich and Runitup Sho feels like one of those songs. With a Lil Uzi Vert-esque flow and delivery throughout, the Runitup duo seem to have found the exact medium they had been searching for. “The sound we started with was just something we mimicked and thought it sounded like a bump and as we kept going and following music trends, we decided to start trying to be more melodic,” says Sho. “With my background and singing and Rich’s chop-and-go flow, we came up with a sound that was still us but gave an opening for a broader spectrum of music.”
It isn’t just the distinctive guitar riffs nor the infectious chorus, but the duo’s effervescence throughout the song that will likely coax listeners into joining them in sing-a-longs. With the record also falling shy of two minutes, there will be plenty of people playing it on repeat.
As Runitup continue to establish themselves, they refrain from thinking about fame and opulence. The duo is more focused on growing, exploring their sound, evading any hastiness. “Who knows what the future holds as we continue making music. We get to see more of what the supporters of our music want, and we can form a better direction for Runitup as a whole.”
Helena Hallberg drops “Last Love” to pick us up from where we left off in NYC coffee shops crooning breakups in back alley poetics over bouquets of taunting stanzas. Somewhere between sober and sauced, the disobedient tempo paces folk to a spirited jazz gig in a backroom; challenging the distance between breakups and landslides.
If contemporary feminist acuity impaled the deck to lull and roar all together “I am not here to be your mother, I am not your teacher,” Hallberg’s “Last Love” is an ode to one’s own time. This time she cuts a mischievous long finger to self-realization in the full glory of independence.
Social distancing suddenly doesn’t feel so lonely but instead a sigh of relief for a party of one. If you’re looking for a tack you can play over and over to a thousand different mood sets, Hallberg will cover you in a blanket with the thought of wherever you are is exactly where you’re meant to be if you just own it. If only transistor radios weren’t extinct but mercifully Hallberg’s uptempo asserts itself with the same temporal defiance on Spotify as it might on vinyl.
In the meantime of Hallberg’s next music release, check out her weekly live streams and stay updated with her latest content via Facebook and Instagram.
Nearly two years after the release of their last studio effort, Teddy Midnight has announced an all-new EP with Airdnb, due out May 29. The first single, “My Eyes,” was released this past week and is group’s first collection to be produced, recorded, and mixed entirely in their new Brooklyn studio.
The forthcoming EP is a departure from the disco/house sound of their last release, French Press from 2018, and explores producers Sean Silva and Adam Magnan’s influence from the rhythms of drum n bass, jungle, and hip-hop. The trio spent the past year and a half writing and recording using vintage synths and live instrumentation as the basis for the record. Over the course of the EP’s 5 tracks, the group navigates new sonic territory to bring break-neck tempos and fresh atmosphere to their already diverse repertoire. Guest vocalists Lars Viola and David Schnurman are featured on two separate tracks with instrumentals filling the three remaining spots.
Additionally, the band has debuted a music video for “My Eyes,” in which each member performs via a digital video conference call. The video was recorded during the eighth week of COVID-19 quarantine in New York City.
The single “My Eyes” features New York City rapper Lars Viola in his first collaboration with the group. As the name Airdnb would suggest, the hip-hop track showcases the Teddy Midnight take on drum n bass grooves while leaving plenty of space for MC Lars to paint a picture of a stressful world in need of sweet release from everyday anxieties. His thoughtful discourse is driven by live drums and capped off with impassioned synth work by keyboard player Danny Caridi.
Amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, Teddy Midnight is working to reschedule their postponed spring tour dates with more fresh music to come. After successful winter dates with jamtronica leaders The New Deal and others, newly scheduled shows will highlight material from Airdnb and continue to feature their ever expanding live-production sound.
As the year slowly moves on, more and more musicians are postponing their tours out of respect for public safety. One of those artists is Gabriel Birkby from Buffalo, who goes by the moniker ‘Birkby.’ After cancelling a number of shows around Western NY, Birkby decided to release his first EP, Another Planet, which he had teased to his fans earlier this year. This splendid debut combines uplifting and positive music with vivid lyrics that paint a story line of a society in reform after leaving their homeland. The contrast between the emotional lyrics and the musical style of each song results in a release that is both majestic and captivating.
The album starts with “Change in the Weather,” a song about growth and new beginnings that is brimming with hope and promise. This upbeat track offers a glimpse at some elements that we’ll see through this EP: the pure emotion in Birkby’s voice, the interplay of dreamy synths and joyous guitar, and a chorus that feels like the clouds are parting and the sun is shining down on you. Also featured is Mike Gantzer of Aqueous, who provided additional percussion and a guitar solo on this opening track.
Next up is “Underground Republic,” another song with a cheery sound that really benefits from the impressive way Birkby’s voice dances around his guitar work. The lyrics continue to paint a picture of new growth and uncertainty, but the chorus will certainly speak to a lot of listeners in this sheltered time of our lives when he exclaims “How about a little privacy Cause I know how I get And I’m sure I’ll regret.”
Halfway through the release, we come across “Awake,” which stands apart from the rest of the album. This track is a soulful and synth-heavy jam that features a slower tempo and laid-back vibe, thanks in part to some 808s and beautiful layered vocals in the chorus. Despite the change in style, “Awake” still shares the elements that Birkby excels at throughout this release. His ability to blend multiple elements on his track with mastery is apparent in the way the keys and drums play so beautifully together underneath an emotional chorus pleading, “Can I get a hand over here?”
Shifting musical gears again, “Inconsistent” is one of my favorite numbers on the EP. Each verse has a wonderful bounce to it and with lyrics that praise the search for clarity, salvation and a trust in what you can see for yourself while being skeptical of what the written word holds. But it’s the emotion and funky feeling of the chorus that won me over and this whole track has a flow to it that’s sure to make you smile, as I found myself humming it for days.
Birkby saved the title track for the end of this release and it’s a great send-off that once again showcases both his incredible vocal talent and his guitar mastery as he has the two dance together throughout the chorus. “Another Planet” paints a picture of promise, improvement and encouragement, all while reminding you to “Wake and meet the burning day” because there is “Another future on the horizon.”
Birkby’s first EP release is a must-listen, especially during these days of self-isolation. Another Planet may only 5 tracks long, but it’s a welcomed release in these strange times that only gets better with each listen. You can purchase the digital album or stream it from Bandcamp and the EP will be available to stream on Spotify starting April 20.
New York City’s own Allison Leah released her new single, “We Can Still Sing” which summarizes how many are feeling during the COVID-19 pandemic that is gripping the world.
Allison Leah is a songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist who was born and raised just north of New York City and currently resides there. She writes everything from heartfelt originals like “We Can Still Sing” to familiar commercial jingles like “Hess Truck.” Leah released her debut EP Fly Home back in 2018.
“We Can Still Sing” revolves around the helplessness everyone is feeling during this pandemic but that we can stand together and ‘still sing’ and that we aren’t alone even though it feels like it currently. She focuses part way through the song on holding on to yourself and your loved ones and how when this is over eventually. How we will joke about this time of staying inside in the future.
When the song starts it has this sad restless undertones created by the lingering piano. Between the lingering tune and the songs lyrics and their inflections it mirrors these feelings or restless and hopelessness people have been feeling. The song then takes a turn though when hitting the chorus between the piano, acoustic guitar and snapping and shakers it turns into the hopeful song it is.
This EP is definitely worth checking out especially for anyone feeling the quarantine blues. For more information on Allison Leah check out her website.
Brooklyn-based Folk duo, Gawain & The Green Knight, are delighted to share their new single “Doctor”. The song continues the two’s exploration of universal aches as told by history’s ghosts- a path first started down on their debut EP, Ghosties.
Written by Alexia Antoniou and arranged by Mike O’Malley, the song considers the strangeness of one’s anxieties manifesting physically in the body and expresses it through a doctor struggling to locate their own particular pain. Featuring the duo’s usual latticework of guitar, bouzouki, and close harmony, the song is worked into a grand panic by a cinematic string section.
The group has been playing across the city at prominent NYC venues, and even in the midst of global chaos, the two folk architects are bringing their music right to your computer with their live streams every Monday at 3pm on their Facebook page. Stay tuned into their social media for news and music updates.
