Archive for the ‘Recommended Streams and Videos’ Category

Listen: ‘He Was a Good Man, He Was a Taxpayer’ by KEN Mode

Posted: 14 July 2023 in Recommended Streams and Videos
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With their anticipated new album, VOID, just a few months away, KEN mode has given us another look into what to expect from the full-length, out Sept. 22nd via Artoffact Records. Today, the band shares a new single, true to their unforgettable and unique sound – ‘He Was A Good Man, He Was A Taxpayer’!

On the new track, Jesse Matthewson comments candidly that it is, "perhaps a little more post-punk than people are used to hearing us – but we had fun playing with synth and pushing the boundaries of the emotionality of this track. Is this noise goth? I don’t know. Does that sound stupid? Did I just invent a new genre? There are equal parts Bauhaus and Unsane on this, so maybe?"

‘He Was A Good Man, He Was A Taxpayer’, follows the band’s absolutely bone shattering single, ‘The Shrike’, which last month gave us 4 minutes and 10 seconds of sheer energy, fueled by the frustration of the ‘lost years’ of the pandemic, pelting fans’ eardrums with blissfully crass instrumentals and a vocal approach like no other.

Listen here:

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With their anticipated new album, VOID, just a few months away, KEN mode has given us another look into what to expect from the full-length, out Sept. 22nd via Artoffact Records. Today, the band shares a new single, true to their unforgettable and unique sound – ‘He Was A Good Man, He Was A Taxpayer’!

On the new track, Jesse Matthewson comments candidly that it is, "perhaps a little more post-punk than people are used to hearing us – but we had fun playing with synth and pushing the boundaries of the emotionality of this track. Is this noise goth? I don’t know. Does that sound stupid? Did I just invent a new genre? There are equal parts Bauhaus and Unsane on this, so maybe?"

‘He Was A Good Man, He Was A Taxpayer’, follows the band’s absolutely bone shattering single, ‘The Shrike’, which last month gave us 4 minutes and 10 seconds of sheer energy, fueled by the frustration of the ‘lost years’ of the pandemic, pelting fans’ eardrums with blissfully crass instrumentals and a vocal approach like no other.

TOUR DATES:


09.24.23 Porto, PT @ Amplifest*

09.26.23 Rouen, FR @ Le 106

09.27.23 Lille, FR @ Aeronef

09.28.23 Paris, FR @ Point Ephemere

09.29.23 Angouleme, FR @ La Nef

09.30.23 Clermont-Ferrand @ La Cooperative De Mai

10.01.23 Yverdon, CH @ L’Amalgame*

10.02.23 Karlsruhe, DE @ Jubez

10.03.23 Dresden, DE @ Ostpol

10.04.23 Wroclaw, PL @ Klub Lacznik

10.05.23 Berlin, DE @ Urban Spree

10.07.23 Aalborg, DK @ 1000 Fryd

10.08.23 Aarhus, DK @ Headquarters

10.10.23 Liege, BE @ La Zone

10.11.23 Haarlem, NL @ Patronaat

10.12.23 Bruxelles, BE @ La Botanique

10.13.23 Brighton, UK @ The Hope & Ruin*

10.14.23 London, UK @ Perpetual Flame Ministries w/Lingua Ignota*

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Photo: Brenna Faris Photography

Watch: ‘We Must Prevail’ by The Venomous Pinks

Posted: 13 July 2023 in Recommended Streams and Videos
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The Venomous Pinks fight against abortion bans in their newest release, “We Must Prevail”. In collaboration with Eternal Film Productions, and directors Nikki Carmela and Alexander Thomas, the Arizona-based band delivers an unforgettable visual response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

Staked full of social commentary, a distraught Lady Liberty gripping a bloody wire coat hanger, acts as a narrator of the video. Through music, The Pinks lead an angry mob of pro-choice protesters who demand immediate change. Symbolizing the injustice many Americans are currently facing, destruction overtakes the infamously engraved words “equal justice under law” that’s displayed above the United States Supreme Court entrance. With anti-abortion laws on the rise, this politically charged anthem encourages the masses to rally for reproductive rights.

Directors Alexander Thomas and Nikki Carmela (known collectively as “Eternals”) have issued the following statement:

“The right to choose is a human rights issue at its core. We stand vehemently against oppression in all forms and appreciate the opportunity to voice our dissent using art. When we first conceptualized this video we based it on a series of photographs we had created when Roe was initially repealed depicting Lady Liberty, bloodied from a coat hanger abortion to represent the current tidal shift of our society. The images, although disturbing, represent the reality that with abortion bans healthcare has been pushed back decades. Combined with images of the Supreme Court house cracking (a blatant metaphor for the disintegration of the “highest law in the land” who’s building is emboldened with the phrase “Equal Justice Under Law”) and the electric music of The Venomous Pinks this video is a protest to abortion bans and the assault of women’s rights.”

Guitarist/vocalist Drea Doll adds, "The government does not have the right to tell a woman what she should be doing with her own body. To quote Angela RoseRed (Photographer/Writer) ‘Angered by the misogynist men who forcefully shove religion into our uterus.’"

The band will be touring Europe this summer with Bad Cop/Bad Cop followed by a U.S. run with Less Than Jake and The Toasters.

Watch the video here:

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Photo: Jack Grisham

The Venomous Pinks On Tour

Europe with Bad Cop/Bad Cop followed by a US run with Less Than Jake & The Toasters

July 27 • DE, Hamburg • Hafenklang (SOLD OUT) *

July 28 • DE, Berlin • Cassiopeia *

July 29 • DE, Goldenstedt • Afdreiht un Buten *

July 30 • DE, Essen • Don’t Panic *

August 1 • DE, Stuttgart • JuHa West*

August 2 • DE, Wiesbaden • Schlachthof*

August 3 • DE, Hanover • Faust*

August 4 • DE, Cologne • Helios37 (SOLD OUT)*

August 5 • BE, Duffel • Brakrock Ecofest*

August 6 • NL, Utrecht • De Helling (SOLD OUT)*

August 8 • CH, Zurich • Dynamo*

August 10 • SI, Tolmin • Punk Rock Holiday (SOLD OUT)*

August 12 • DE, Munich • Strom*

August 13 • IT, Rimini • Bay Fest

August 21 • Seattle, WA • Showbox + ^

August 22 • Portland, OR • Revolution Hall + ^

August 23 • Medford, OR • Johnny B’s ^

August 24 • San Francisco, CA • Great American Music Hall + ^

August 25 • Los Angeles, CA • Echoplex + ^

August 26 • Santa Ana, CA • Observatory OC+ ^

August 27 • Tempe, AZ • Marquee Theatre+ ^

August 28 • El Paso, TX • Rock House ^

August 29 • Dallas, TX • Granada Theatre+ ^

August 30 • Austin, TX • Mohawk+ ^

* BadCop/BadCop +Less Than Jake ^The Toasters

Watch: ‘October’ by La Force

Posted: 12 July 2023 in Recommended Streams and Videos
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La Force, the mesmerizing solo project of Ariel Engle, who has spent more than a decade as one of Canada’s most sought-after musical collaborators has shared ‘October, the second single off her forthcoming album XO SKELETON out September 29 via Secret City Records.

The first offering – ‘Condition of Us’ – has been received warmly by fans and critics alike, CBC Music stating, “Engle’s voice, wise and warm, envelopes the track, [..] Her words wrap around the music in odd ways at times, like a stream of consciousness versus melody, but the love that’s beaming from Engle is undeniable,” Clash Magazine thinks it’s “the sound of an artist moving deliberately towards evolution.”, while Guy Garvey (Elbow) at BBC6 Music said it felt “accomplished, passionate and slick. I love it.” The song was also praised by Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan and more. ‘October brings warmth to the XO SKELETON album – a lush, intimate song with incredible vocals embracing soul, smooth jazz and r&b – all the while reminding some of the “quiet storm” movement from the 90s.

“October is a time of harvest here [in Montreal]. It’s a time when we settle into darkness and leaves drop from the trees. It’s a time when we turn inward into our clothing and protective shells. It’s a song about the voices we internalize. People we can no longer see but whose voices and words live on inside us and shape us. It’s a song about the uncanny. A song about the cycles of nature, cycle of life. The song reminds us that despite our grand feelings we are just like animals and plants, destined to be born, to live and to die.” – La Force

The video for ‘October’ is directed by Ariel herself and Ali Vanderkruyk. Watch it here:

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Photo credit: Mary Rozzi

Watch: ‘Parasitic’ by Lokust

Posted: 8 July 2023 in Recommended Streams and Videos
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London-based thrash-metal quintet LOKUST have recently revealed a music video for a new track titled ‘Parasitic’ off the band’s debut album Infidel, which will be self-released on July 28th.

Watch it here:

Formed in 2017 by guitarists Alexy Khoury and Jeremy Pringsheim, London’s LOKUST initially released a pair of instrumental demo videos to advertise their search for a full lineup, including ‘Guiltless’ featuring drummer Krimh Lechner (ex-Decapitated, Septicflesh), which was very well received and attained more than two million views on Youtube.

The duo spent the next few years searching for the right vocalist, and in the meantime recruited Euler Morais on drums and Patryk Kopo on bass. The newly established four-piece then started the recordings of their debut album which was fully written by that point. Drums were tracked in Germany with Sky Van Hoff (Rammstein/Aborted) and all the guitar and bass tracks were recorded by the band themselves.

The four-piece eventually found the singer they were looking for in Alex da Costa, whose venomously expressive vocals and menacing presence finally completed the monstrous and muscular sonic attack of LOKUST. They soon recorded the newly composed vocals with Justin Hill of SikTh engineering, and to fully realise the intensity and ferocity of their new songs, recruited Mark Lewis (Whitechapel/DevilDriver) to mix and master their long awaited debut album Infidel.

Featuring eleven tracks, Infidel is a creatively complex and thunderous dose of modern metal, brimming with pummelling drums and bass, shredding guitar riffs and blood-curdling vocals – although simultaneously featuring moments of dynamic introspection and poignancy throughout the album.

"We always meant for LOKUST to exist on the border between old-school and contemporary – we use a lot of layering in our songwriting as well as aiming to integrate the full array of what a metal band can do these days, technically and production-wise – but our loyalty to imperfections, raw expression and humanity remains paramount." Says the band about this new record.

“We’ve always aspired to follow in the footsteps of the bands we first fell in love with, who seemed to have a more transparent, expressive way of executing their music, rather than what we perceive as the more careful and polished approach of a lot of bands these days.” They add.

Set to be released on July 28, Infidel is packed with furious riffs and massive groove-laden hooks that will surely position LOKUST as one of the most promising and talented metal bands in the current UK metal scene.

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Watch: ‘Super Villain’ by Alien Creation

Posted: 7 July 2023 in Recommended Streams and Videos
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Alien Creation has unveiled their latest single, ‘Super Villain’ following the success of the previous single, ‘Red Pill’. ‘ Super Villain’ primarily addresses the idea that people bring out the worst in others; something everyone can relate to.

Super Villains often have terrible childhoods or are bullied or have a terrible accident in the lab or something. Thus, a Super Villain is born. The lyrics in "Super Villain" are inspired by a phrase heard from the popular T.V. show, The Big Bang: Theory; “Watch out, he’s one lab accident away from becoming a super villain”.  

‘Super Villain’ is a powerful tongue-in-cheek tune-laced with textured synthesized layers of hard-hitting sound enriched by the power of real guitars, powerful bass drum and fretless bass. This is all carefully crafted to deliver an incredibly infectious dance track that probes deeply into the senses.

Check the video here:

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Watch: ‘Night & Day Live’ by KLONE

Posted: 6 July 2023 in Recommended Streams and Videos
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After releasing their latest album Meanwhile in February on Kscope, Klone embarked on a UK / EU tour with Devin Townsend.

Following a successful campaign, conquering territories all over Europe, the band returned to their native France for their headline show at ‘L’Empreinte’ in Savigny. Now the band unveil a moment that was captured during their magnetic performance on April 15th in the form of the live video for ‘Night And Day’.

The video was mixed and mastered by Romain Bernat and directed by Lodex Charrieau and effortlessly reflects the duality in Klone’s sound in a beautiful visual representation.

Watch it here:

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Listen: ‘We Burn Bright’ by Argonaut

Posted: 3 July 2023 in Recommended Streams and Videos
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Another month, another new song from Argonaut, as they continue to expand their open-ended album Songs from the Black Hat.

This time around, ‘We Burn Bright’ is a nifty little tune that brings some indie jangle and a dash of 60s-inspired pop to the band’s quintessential DIY sound. Hear it here:

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Listen: ‘Payback’ by Love Ghost X SKOLD

Posted: 30 June 2023 in Recommended Streams and Videos
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Love Ghost is an enigmatic Los Angeles-based group that has been making waves for some time with genre-bending music that is informed by both Seattle tradition and Soundcloud-era fearlessness. Frontman Finnegan Bell began playing guitar and singing at the age of eleven, soon opening SoundCloud and YouTube accounts to upload his own music and videos. He began playing acoustic shows in 2014 and subsequently founded Love Ghost.

As a quartet, Love Ghost have toured extensively, playing shows in major cities all over the world, while they have earned plaudits from US publications such as Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, American Songwriter and New Noise for their music that has included collaborations with artists from countries that include Mexico, Spain, Turkey, UK, Colombia, Germany and Russia.

They are now adding to that list of territories with ‘Payback’, a first single from a forthcoming album made with Swedish musician and producer Tim Skold. Best known for his work with Shotgun Messiah, KMFDM, Marilyn Manson and as a solo artist, Skold has recently been working as part of the duo Not My God (with Nero Bellum) and has also just toured with Front Line Assembly.

“I met Tim at the Viper Room [in LA] on Halloween night, after which everything magically fell into place,” explains Bell. “We had a few meetings and recorded ‘Payback’ in my band’s studio. Having just come out of a difficult relationship, I wanted to make a song about revenge, redemption and love gone astray. When I was writing the lyrics, Tim had some very interesting tips and production choices that really brought the song to life. SKOLD is a legend and I’m super grateful and excited to release this song and for everyone to hear it.”

Skold adds that “Love Ghost has a super natural flow to writing and performing so it’s pretty easy for me join in, step up and keep the action going. You don’t run into talent like this every day so it was obviously an opportunity I wanted to act on immediately. I’ve been around the block a few times, but I’m very excited about this collaboration and look forward to digging deeper into the full length album.”

Listen to ‘Payback’ here:

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Watch: ‘Like A Poisoned Dog’ by Khanate

Posted: 29 June 2023 in Recommended Streams and Videos
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Khanate, who recently ended their fourteen year hiatus with the surprise release of To Be Cruel (Sacred Bones Records), have debuted an experimental short visual for ‘Like A Poisoned Dog’, bringing the Karl Lemieux-created album art to life.

“These stills are abstract but depending on the context, they become objects and objective. And alongside Khanate, they have this strange organic feeling,” Stephen O’Malley notes. “They’re abstract, hand-painted film stills, not photos of organic objects or something, which I think is really interesting because it’s similar to our music. We put a frame around the music with a concept and it presents something, but otherwise, it’s abstract. This lined up very well with Karl’s work.”

“In addition to my other film work, I like to work with camera-less film techniques and paint directly on 16mm film,” explains Lemieux, whose resume includes films, installations and performances that have screened at a variety of venues including the Montreal Contemporary Arts Museum, MOMA San Francisco, as well as over a decade of collaborative work with Godspeed You! Black Emperor. “In 2021, Stephen asked if he could use some of those images for the new Khanate record. I’m someone who spends a lot of time flipping through the artwork of records, CDs, and cassettes…. It’s part of my listening ritual. I have always loved Stephen’s record design work and I was very excited about this collaboration and the way it all came out. The idea for a video came later. It’s not a film, it’s not a music video, but some kind of collision between an excerpt from the piece ‘Like A Poisoned Dog’ and the raw material that I used to make still images.”

Watch the video here:

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Watch: ‘Want’ by Divide and Dissolve

Posted: 29 June 2023 in Recommended Streams and Videos
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Divide and Dissolve’s Systemic is a thick wash of sound, equal parts beauty and anguish and creates a wholly encompassing experience for even a casual listener. You can feel the deep intention. Their dense sound is overwhelmingly heavy; a dissonant pounding of percussion, guitars, piano, synths and saxophone, interwoven with passages of orchestral beauty that give a feeling of respite.

The album examines the systems that intrinsically bind us and calls for a system that facilitates life for everyone. It’s a message that fits with the band’s core intention: to make music that honours their ancestors and Indigenous land, to oppose white supremacy, and to work towards a future of Black and Indigenous liberation.

Just ahead of its release tomorrow, Divide and Dissolve share Systemic’s palpable opener. “‘Want’ is a deep dive into longing within a decolonial framework,” tells saxophonist / guitarist Takiaya Reed. “We can want many things, but how will it happen? What is necessary, what systems must be broken in order for people to live?”

It comes alongside a third video from director Sepi Mashiahof who explains, “As ‘Want’ is the song that introduces us to ‘Systemic’, the concept for the video emulates this kind of infant yearning for worlds beyond our current heartbreaking reality. There are so many beautiful textures above our heads that are inaccessible (as there are so many desired modes of existence that are inaccessible), and the rotation emphasises the limbo of what that desire feels like. Trying to reach something, but succumbing to the loop of failure. Still, that infant yearning is persistent, and that compliments the need for hope and cements the importance of idealism as essential tools in our greater struggles for liberation.”

Watch the video here:

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