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Last week, merci, mercy also unveiled a remix of ‘Fall Apart’ from US DJ/ producer MELVV. The remix offers a bouyant, colourful take on the original and is accompanied by a quirky visualiser that sees our favourite animated merci, mercy bobbing around in space.
“It’s really cool to see how MELVV perceived the song! When I wrote it, I was trying to justify to myself why I wasn’t allowing myself to fall in love and find someone special. It’s a simple thing of not feeling worthy enough to ever be loved by someone. This song made me feel a lot better about the whole silly situation. And now you can see me being silly floating around in my room in space.”
This recent remix follows one last month from local artist Basenji for ‘Tequila & Lemonade’ and another earlier in the year from imagiro for ‘Fucked Myself Up’. The remixes will all be brought together on a remix EP dropping in the New Year, along with additional mixes for the remainder of the EP tracks.
Following the launch of the merci, mercy world within Splash, merci, mercy will enjoy a brief break in Sydney over Christmas with her family, before heading to South Australia to kick off 2021 with a performance at Summer Sounds Festival on January 3.
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Less Than Jake Release New Album ‘Silver Linings’ Out Now. Watch The New Video For ‘Keep On Chasing’
LESS THAN JAKE
RELEASE NEW ALBUM, SILVER LININGS
OUT NOW VIA PURE NOISE RECORDS
WATCH THE NEW VIDEO FOR KEEP ON CHASING
Nearly 30 years into an already impressive career – which includes 8 studio albums, tours with Descendents, blink-182, Bon Jovi, Linkin Park, Snoop Dogg, Bad Religion, and more, and over 365 shows on the Vans Warped Tour – Less Than Jake has never been a band to rest on its laurels.
They are thrilled to share their 9th studio album, Silver Linings, out now via Pure Noise Records.
“We are beyond thrilled to release the new video for our single ‘Keep On Chasing,’” shares saxophonist JR Wasilewski. “The video is basically a dream come true for us. Seeing ourselves IN a video game is certainly something we’d never have envisioned possible. But hey, 2020 has its “Silver Linings”, I suppose!”
He continues: “To say that the release of ‘Silver Linings’ is a just culmination of almost two years of work would be an understatement. It’s the continuation of an almost 30 year saga. We are so proud of these songs and we hope our fans love it as much as we do. If there can be any Silver Linings to 2020, we hope our new album is one for you!”
About Less Than Jake:
The story of ska-rockin’ maestros Less Than Jake isn’t told in their sizable discography. It can’t be calculated by the amount of road miles they’ve logged. (But if we’re forced to calculate, we think they might be a block or two short of the Van Allen belts.) Nah! Less Than Jake’s cumulative worth is all about what they bring to your party. From sweaty club shows to uproarious festival dates to opening up for America’s most beloved rock acts, these five lifers’ deeds are best measured in the smiles they’ve slapped on the faces of true believers and new listeners, alike.
Silver Linings is the name of the new Less Than Jake album, their first full-length for the Pure Noise label and the follow-up to 2013’s See The Light. It also doubles as a bunch of sonic diary pages and a mission statement that cements their conviction after two decades in this rock ‘n’ roll circus. Indeed, LTJ—frontman/guitarist Chris DeMakes, bassist/vocalist Roger Lima, trombonist Buddy Schaub, saxophonist Peter “JR” Wasilewski, and new drummer Matt Yonker—have escaped most (but not all) forms of ennui, depression and violence against screen-based objects to create an endorsement of humanity.
Silver Linings also does a good amount of myth-exploding in its pursuit of joy. The songwriting core of DeMakes, Lima and Wasilewski wrote all the lyrics. New drummer Matt Yonker, whose former positions included LTJ tour manager and hammering along with such punk outfits as the Teen Idols and the Queers, helps bring a new sense of urgency. And that album title? Yeah, that was decided upon long before bands began to offer face masks in their online merch stores. Pro tip: Dial back your preconceived notions. The only things the Jakes have to prove are to themselves. Their laurels aren’t so comfortable that they’d willingly choose to be painted into a retro- colored corner.
While Silver Linings doesn’t skimp on the joy, fun or grooves, careful listeners will sense a bit more reality seeping into LTJ’s escapism. The calisthenic bounce of “Lie To Me” is slightly undercut by Lima’s tales of how “the flames we hold the closest burn the worse.” On the urgent track “The Test,” DeMakes dares to seek some self-examination through someone else’s prism. “Dear Me” might be the first rock song that doesn’t couch its disdain for technology with poetic metaphors. That track addresses the loss of friends via distance and tragedy. The word “love” also appears in the album’s lyrics at three junctures. That detail should not be lost on anyone.
What else do you need to know about Less Than Jake in 2020? The band would tell you quite unpretentiously that they are here to bring a good time. Of course, LTJ would’ve said the exact same thing back in ’97, 2006, 2011 or 2018 when the Warped Tour’s punk ‘n’ roll roadshow was coming to an end. What makes things different now? Why, nothing less than a divided nation and a dangerous pandemic. Consider Less Than Jake the first responders when your psyche doesn’t think it wants to continue. Because we do need all the joy and levity a seasoned ska-punk band can dish out. The reality that LTJ are also feeling reminds us that some kind of triumph is within our reach.
In 2020, there’s no “scene,” merely good times and worse ones. For Less Than Jake to call their new album anything else but Silver Linings? Well, that would be fronting.
Bristols Superlove have today released a standalone, raucous track ‘NOT ME! NOT YOU!’. The track, which follows their recently released brand new self-titled EP also comes in support of Rude Records 20th Anniversary.
“This single represents a pure burst of energy that we wanted to release having been sat around for most of the year”, says singer Jacob. “It’s a song about people not having a clue what’s going on in the world. It’s a step away from our last few singles from our recent EP & it just felt right to throw it out into the world and watch the reaction seeing as though we can’t go and play some live shows off the back of the EP’s release. We recorded it in the first week of the UK’s 2nd lockdown and it’s been the quickest turnaround for a release yet, we are so excited of the prospect of hopefully playing it live one day to a proper rowdy room.”
Stream the EP now HERE
“Prepare to be blown away.” – Rock Sound (UK)
The new EP followed on from their previous material which has garnered over 400,000 streams to date & found them fans within the alt rock scene after sharing stages with Roam, Dream State, Stand Atlantic & Vukovi.
SUPERLOVE are:
Jacob Rice – lead vocals and bass
Jon Worgan – guitar and vocals
Alex Matthews– drums
‘NOT ME! NOT YOU!’ is available worldwide now through Rude Records
FOLLOW SUPERLOVE
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PRAISE FOR ‘THIN SKIN’
“’Thin Skin’ possesses the optimistic hopes and joys of the 60s and 70s. Sunflower bring a dreamy, summer energy that contagiously puts a smile on your face and gives me shivers simultaneously.” – 4.5/5 stars
– Nkechi Anele – triple j (AUS)
“A song that moulds together swaying guitar melodies with rather quite enchanting vocals, deep with this emotional brightness that captures the group’s drive to share these meaningful bursts of indie-pop.”
– Pilerats (AUS)
Added to Apple Music playlist Mellow Days
Following on from the release of their critically praised single ‘Thin Skin’, Brisbane-based indie-pop group Sunflower have just returned with the tranquil accompanying video clip – directed by co-vocalist Lawson Doyle and filmed and edited by Aidan McCowan.
Shot across various iconic Brisbane locations including Fortitude Valley and Victoria Bridge, the clip sees co-vocalist Kahlia Ferguson journeying from busking on the streets of Brisbane to vast lush landscapes. The story follows Kahlia at one of her lowest points, before finding her sense of empowerment, seeing a visible shift in her body language from start to finish.
Kahlia describes the inspiration behind the clip:
“Filming the music video for ‘Thin Skin’ was a liberating experience for me. It’s such a deeply honest song, and I wanted the visuals to reflect that. My side-hustle at the moment is playing acoustic cover songs at venues, and it can completely drain me of inspiration and creativity at times. No matter how much you give yourself to the performance, there are always backs to you and people talk loudly and the manager asking you to turn the volume down. It gets me down when I let it. The whole scenario of the ‘Thin Skin’ music video is based around that experience. The character I play begins solemn and lost and finishes very free and empowered. I like the thought that I’m heading in the same direction. With as much love as we have for Brisbane, this feeling of ‘small town mentality’ was a massive inspiration behind the songwriting.”
To coincide with the release, the band will play at the Mountain Goat Valley Crawl and The Brightside, Brisbane, Stay Gold and Wrangler Studios, Melbourne and Oxford Arts Factory, Sydney in 2021. This continues on from recent performances at Yonder Festival in Imbil, Valley Fiesta, Brisbane and a sold-out headlining show at Black Bear Lodge.
Since release, the track has seen support from Apple Music, triple j, triple j Unearthed, Pilerats, The AU Review and a slew of Australian community radio stations. Previous singles ‘Better Days’ and ‘Get Yourself Together’ also received support from blogs Atwood Magazine (USA), The Music, Beat Magazine, and TV outlets MTV and ABC’s Rage.
‘Thin Skin’ is available worldwide now
UPCOMING 2021 LIVE SHOWS
SAT 6 FEB | MOUNTAIN GOAT VALLEY CRAWL, BRISBANE QLD
FRI 16 APR | STAY GOLD, MELBOURNE VIC
SAT 17 APR | WRANGLER STUDIOS, MELBOURNE VIC
FRI 23 APR | OXFORD ARTS GALLERY, SYDNEY NSW
SAT 24 APR | THE BRIGHTSIDE, BRISBANE QLD
FOLLOW SUNFLOWER
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | SOUNDCLOUD | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC
Hailing from Western Sydney, Australia, Makalita is a female R&B Singer/Songwriter of Tongan heritage. Makalita is a self-taught independent artist who has been refining her skills over the years and has equipped herself with a diverse skill set. At just 21 years of age, Makalita brings a mature yet young, fresh, and unique sound back into the music industry, which audiences have been searching for. With her Debut Single ‘Do This’ Makalita looks to make her first release in January 2021.
‘Do This’ is a smooth but confrontational upbeat track with somber lyrics, which captures the whole essence of Makalita’s message. Makalita’s greatest inspiration derives from growing up listening to Old School 90’s R&B, to artists such as Queen Naija, Summer Walker and Jhene Aiko. This has inspired Makalita to bring back that Old School vibe with a unique twist of new age ‘R&B-Trap Soul’ that is missing, and audiences are longing for in the music industry today.
‘Do This’ arrives alongside an iconic music video directed by Kreezy Visions and produced by Sueno Productions who has previously worked with Hooligan Hefs, Youngn Lipz, Will Singe and many more.
The video further showcases a vulnerable young woman deceived by someone who she thought was her partner, but in fact, he was married with a child.
This release aims to bring awareness to the toxicity in relationships, both emotionally and mentally.
It happens, it’s real and for this generation someone needs to start the conversation, so I will,” Makalita says.
Makalita will be performing at a Culture Shock event run by Jayslays on January 30th 2021 at Bodega Studios, Annandale.
Follow Makalita:
From watching the music and entertainment industry adapt to Covid-19 this year, we think the industry is going to continue utilising online platforms a lot more! Fan meet and greets through zoom, live stream concerts through social media platforms and apps like TikTok – it’s opened up a whole new way to connect with fans! We think this will continue even once 2020 is over. In saying that, however, we also think once it’s safe enough, live in-person music events are going to go crazy!! There’s something so unique and special about the atmosphere of a live show that you can’t capture anywhere else! It’s a feeling everyone has missed so much and we can’t wait to share that feeling again!
What’s your name and where are you currently based?
Our names are Matt Storm and Ivan Hartle, and we are both currently based out of Vancouver, Canada.
IVAN: Obviously covid has hit the music industry pretty hard, but I’ve been trying to make the most of the time. I’ve been fortunate to play some smaller solo/duo gigs, and also have been recording and writing new material. Like everyone else though, I’m looking forward to some normalcy returning, and getting back to playing more live shows.
MATT: I’ve been working with Ivan in the studio for years now. We always have a few songs on the go, and he came in for a session with a list of “to do’s”. We both really weren’t in the mood to be productive, so I fired up the Wurlitzer and he started playing the “More To Find” chords. I loved it, and quickly went about making the beat behind it. Once the groove was there, he knew I was itching to get on the track. We helped each other sort out the lyrics, and by the end of the night we had basically the whole song done.
IVAN: What Matt mentioned above is spot on. It was really cool and inspiring to ride the flow of inspiration together when making this song.
IVAN: I listen to a bunch of different artists/genre’s, but I definitely think that this song is heavily influenced by both Matt and mine’s love of Jazz and R&B.
MATT: Yeah for sure. I also had a vision for the sound, I wanted it to be really raw and not polished sounding. There is no reverb on the track, and very little processing. To me, some of my favourite stuff sounds like you’re right there with the artist, a part of the recording process. This song struck me as a perfect candidate for that style of production, so we took it there all the way. What you’re hearing is basically the rough mix, that’s where the vibe is.
MATT: Orchid Studios in East Vancouver. That’s where we do all our stuff. There is some really cool vintage gear there, that has a sound to it. Mastered in the same building at Suite Sound Labs by Greg Mindorff.
IVAN: Like we mentioned, this all came together quickly and naturally. In that sense, the spontaneous approach to recording “More to Find” was refreshing, and it left no time for us to overanalyze/nitpick the song.
MATT: The Wurlitzer keyboard that Ivan played is really the star. There is some muted bass I put in there. The drums are actually just me tapping on an Acoustic Guitar. Then I blew up the low end in Logic, and made it thump. A little jazzy electric guitar solo at the end too.
IVAN: Matt and I have done a bunch together over the last two years. Matt has recorded/engineered and produced all of my released music to date, and we’ve also gigged and toured together. The experience has always been great, as our outlook on music and our influences definitely align.
IVAN: I love all sorts of music genres, but lately, I’d say my top favourites are Son Little, Khruangbin, and the early recordings of Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers.
MATT: Ivan introduced me to The Mills Brothers recently, lately “You Always Hurt The One You Love” has been on repeat.
IVAN: I played college baseball in the US, so I still like to get out and play a little bit, whenever it isn’t raining in Vancouver. I also love to go camping around B.C. whenever I can.
MATT: Obsessed with Chess lately. I’ve also been really enjoying a nice walk up in the snowy mountains.
IVAN: I have some more music to release in the near future. Other than that, I’m hoping to continue writing, and then get back on the road as soon as possible to play some shows!
MATT: Hoping to get out to the East coast of Canada!
IVAN: Same thing for me.
MATT: Lately we get lattes and cookies, and meet up at the basketball court. It’s just the truth.
IVAN: Yep…what Matt said.
RECORD-SHATTERING ALBUM PWR/UP OUT NOW
“Nothing has ever slowed down AC/DC on their journey down the Highway to Hell…It’s their best record since 1990’s The Razors Edge” – Rolling Stone
“AC/DC is officially back.” – USA Today
“In these cuts you can feel the band’s joy in getting back together.” – LA Times
“Positively charged.” – Guitar World
“AC/DC are switched on again.” – Stereogum
Following the circuit-breaking release of their 18x worldwide #1 album PWR/UP last month, AC/DC have unleashed hell with their brand new music video for ‘Demon Fire’. Watch HERE.
For their seventeenth full-length album, the band reunited with producer Brendan O’Brien who helmed BLACK ICE in 2008 and ROCK OR BUST in 2014. Charged up for the next decade, AC/DC cut twelve new tracks for the album, proudly maintaining their signature sound and all of its powerful hallmarks. PWR/UP is available now HERE.
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Anty
Facebook https://www.facebook.
Instagram @anty_420
Disdain Records:
https://www.facebook.com/
Instagram @disdainrecords666
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In wake of the hugely anticipated and just released LP ‘K.G.’ – Australia’s most in-exhaustible sextet King Gizzard are back at it with another surprise drop of microtonal meddling. Barely giving their fans a chance to to take a quick breath before diving back into the multi layered and always inventive Gizzverse. ‘If Not Now, Then When?’ is a classic bait and switch from the genre defying band. Opening with a raucous wall of sound, before pushing the scuzzy riffs aside to make room for a clavinet driven expedition into cosmic funk and celestial beat. Falsetto in tow, Mackenzie’s vocals are on lock with the groove. Hitting the syllables with careful consideration, ‘If Not Now, Then When?’ brings more resemblance to a psych bedtime story than the fuzz imbued sound the group are widely known for. |
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Collaborating for the first time with animation master Dr. D Foothead, his mesmerising imagery on show once again here. Defined by hypnotic detail, saturated colour and dynamic, flowing form – the character floats between inner and outer worlds in this three and a half minute neon odyssey. “The song made me consider how individual action or inaction affects the world,” Dr. D Foothead says of the video. “What happens when our repressed pain, darkness and confusion manifest and influence our surroundings and relationships? I wanted to explore the journey of a character who has neglected their inner shadow, and how this energy manifests physically and becomes a force of its own.” |
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