LA-based husband and wife duo, The Know, return with the first example of their new material, the follow up to their acclaimed debut EP, wearetheknow. Jennifer Farmer and Daniel Knowles used their time in pandemic isolation creatively, and are gearing up for the release of their sophomore EP.
New single, Used to Be, as well as its accompanying video created and directed by Farmer, are themed on the hardships of romantic relationships, particularly as they were adversely affected by the pandemic.
Knowles comments: “Then of course the pandemic hit, people all around us were having their relationships tested in lockdown with significant others, some relationships came out stronger, some didn’t survive. And on a more universal scale lots of people worldwide were dealing with a loss of normality, loss of connection with other people, suddenly not being able to do simple things like buy groceries, things we’d all taken for granted.”
Used to Be is another well-crafted illustration of the band's refined dreampop, drenched in dreamlike haziness and beautiful atmospherics, and founded on the duo's instrumental effectiveness and warm vocals.
South Georgia band, Heaven Slept, continue their exceptional early path, with the release of a fuller work, their seven-song EP, Swamp. The entire release resolutely profiles the band's sound and creative mission, as it pursues its dark and goth influences all around, and perfectly incorporates them into their shoegaze and post punk character.
Deep Dark, the album's closer, is a superb dark moment with notable instrumentation, which brings the EP to a strong conclusion.
The band explain: "Deep Dark is a song about dealing with anxiety, and the symptoms that come with it. Commonly manifests in catastrophizing- given the personification of anxiety being a 'monster-like entity' in the lyrics.
"We chose this song as a closer to our EP because we believe it's a really powerful closing track that also follows the shoegaze ethos we carry as a group."
Heron, the Pennsylvania-based post-rock band, have released a new version of their song Moon Data, which was originally included in their 2019 album, Sun Release. The new version is by Ryan Osterman of Holy Fawn, who puts his own twist on it and creates something which sounds very distinct from the original by taking a more dark electronic path, and reaching into synthwave and cyberpunk territory while remaining heavy.
Osterman's instrumentation shines, with dark synths and a driving rhythm which link up with altered vocals and a great deal of intensity, rapidly transferring the listener into a highly stylized, intense world.
A great collaboration of two great forces in post rock heaviness, Heron and Holy Fawn widen their horizons in a most imaginative and expressive fashion.
Margarita Witch Cult is a new and emergent heavy rock band from Birmingham, UK, with an imposing sound which draws inspiration from the archetypes of doom metal, stoner rock, and heavy psychedelia.
Sacrifice is a dynamic hard rocker which serves as the first taste of the band's upcoming debut album, which is set to be released in 2023. The fresh trio deliver a distinct kind of cosmic heaviness, bringing new life to the long line of Sabbath-esque doom rock bands, in the vein of Electric Wizard's occult aesthetics and the psychedelic weightiness of acts like Windhand, Acid King, and the like.
Hefty riffs, monolithic energy and strong performances make up the fine hard rock spirit of Margarita Witch Cult. Sacrifice is the follow-up to the band's debut two-song release Witchfinder, whose rawer sound was a strong indicator of the band's artistry.
Scared To Die, the debut album by Montreal-based post punk band, Piss for Pumpkin, was strongly affected by their hometown. Death Came Early This Year, the record's concluding song, is a manic poem about isolation and the brutal Montreal winter.
The track is an expression of the vocal and instrumental frenzy which develops gradually throughout the twelve-track album.
Death Came Early This Year is a thrilling and dramatic final song, finding the band giving a fierce performance which mirrors the intensity of the winter they battle each year, and always leaves them panting for air and drenched in sweat.
Piss For Pumpkin are Annie MacLeod (vocals, guitar), Matt Sagar (drums), and Isaac Seglins (bass). Scared to Die is a particularly notable and incredibly promising debut album, brimming with constant anxiety, unbridled inner energy, apprehension, and artful lyricism.
Pink Colour Surgery, the upcoming album by The Psychotic Monks, is produced by Daniel Fox of Gilla Band, and will be released on February 3rd, 2023 via Vicious Circle / FatCat Records.
New single, All That Fall, was created using a 'cut-up' inspired technique, which involved randomly assembling various materials and lyrics. Its video was shot at Cirque d'Hiver as part of the Culturebox Festival 2022.
All That Fall is entirely predicated on the band's deep sense of experimentalism and seems to have a fierce post punk and noise rock framework. It is a ten-minute piece of raw energy and nerviness that demonstrates their radical essence and overall innovative thinking.
Berlin's Data Animal present their new take on Broken off the latest, very much productive album, See Through You by A Place To Bury Strangers, and give the song new substance, suitable for the club environment, with a more cyberpunk bent and a hyperkinetic attitude.
An original love letter to distress by A Place To Bury Strangers, the song has been transformed into an electronic dance floor beast, with vibrant moogs guiding the way of an all around sturdy instrumental base.
Broken - Data Animal Remix is out through Dedstrange.
Run & Hide is the third single released off the upcoming new record, Wahrheiten by Latenite Automatic, the electro rock/post punk two-piece project from Vienna, Austria and Vancouver, Canada.
In contrast to the post punk and darkwave framework of the band's most recent singles, Run & Hide represents a completely new direction for the group. The song has a distinct dark trip hop feel, and its instrumental wealth is built on striking synths combined with sharp guitars, enriching textures, as well as cool melodies and harmonies.
Latenite Automatic appear to be preparing for a relatively adaptable and all-around appealing album, demonstrating how at ease they can be with all kinds of dark underground sounds.
The soundtrack of the sci-fi horror film, Something in the Dirt, marks The Album Leaf's fourth collaboration with the director team of Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead. Off it, The Symbol is a suspenseful number that serves as an indicator of the overall score's instrumental efficacy and world-creating qualities.
The Album Leaf mastermind, Jimmy LaVall comments: “Collaborating with Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead on four films has been an extremely rewarding creative experience. For the Something in The Dirt score, I wanted to create a new sound for the Benson/Moorhead universe – something different from our previous films together. Using samples from my own voice, strings, and woodwinds such as flute, clarinet, and bass clarinet, I feel like I was able to craft something really unique to help tell the film’s story – a cohesive structure that aligns with the directors’ vision.”
The score of Something in the Dirt features Hailey Niswanger on clarinet, bass clarinet, and flute, as well as strings and arrangements by violinist Jake Falby, both of whom contributed to the creation of distinct rhythms, tones, and textures that matched the personalities of the characters.
Only Now (Bokeh Versions, Infinite Machine) collaborates with Iggor Cavalera, the drummer from the iconic Sepultura on the five-minute experimentalism of the volatile track, Eternal Torch, taken from the project's latest EP Timeslave (II).
The new EP is the follow-up to Only Now's notable debut on the Infinite Machine label, also arriving after releases by Only Now and Kush Arora on Bokeh Versions and Club Yeke.
Eternal Torch is an unconventional number grounded on the artists' infatuation for individualism and exploratory artistry, and its industrial foundation is embellished with aspects of drone and dub, integrated with restless percussion, and rich noise textures.
Snailbones is a Portland, Oregon-based noise rock band composed of guitarist Timothy Francis, bassist Kelly Minton, and drummer Drew Owens. Formed in 2017 as a result of disheartenment and dullness, the band played shows nonstop until the pandemic struck. They booked five days at Map Room Studios throughout that whole time and self-engineered two albums, the latest of which is Keelhaul 'em All, a grungy, noisy and at the same time melodic rocker which showcases the band's inspiration from nineties grunge, as well as their songwriting fitness.
Keelhaul 'em All is a relatively concise and dense endeavor comprised of nine tracks, the majority of which are good evidence of the band's powerful electricity, and come with a punk rock mindset, while the band isn't afraid to frequently take a quirkier indie approach, always based on sharp guitar riffs, accessible melodies, and rock 'n' roll passion.
Highlights include the resilient opener Mouse Clap and the straightforward Death Face, which show the band coming across as rather robust and rhythmic, while on other instances like Break Apart the Day, they demonstrate a bit more alternative rock variation. Snailbones hit like a loaded punk rock force, with a pretty thick and heavy sound for a trio, and the creative power behind them appears to reflect something far more flourishing than bare dullness.
Tinnitus Alrightus, the band's other 2022 release, is also well worth exploring.
Snailbones recently stopped by the Bridge City Sessions recording studio for a fantastic session which highlights their energy and solid live presence.
The third album will be recorded in Chicago with engineer Steve Albini in March of 2023.
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