A Perfect Circle’s “Mer De Noms” Turns 20

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On this day in the year 2000 “A Perfect Circle” released their debut album Mer De Noms. “A Perfect Circle” was created by former guitar technician Billy Howerdel. Upon meeting singer of “TOOL” Maynard James Keenan, Howerdel and Keenan quickly became friends and even ended up becoming roommates. This gave Howerdel the chance to show Keenan his demos he had been working on, which impressed Keenan so much that he proposed the idea of singing over Howerdel’s tracks. After Adding bassist and violinist Paz Lenchantin, guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen, and drummer Tim Alexander who was soon replaced by Josh Freese, “A Perfect Circle” was fully formed. Don’t for one second think this is a supergroup or side project though, because the band have garnered their own fan base. Coming from a band as revered as “TOOL,” it must have been frustrating for Keenan to constantly hear people compare the two bands. Many wanted to hear “TOOL” part 2, but what we got was a whole new project that found Keenan showing a more melodic and emotional side that found the singer exploring themes of love and relationships as opposed to the analytical and often aggressive nature of “TOOL.” The goal to form a band that was as taken seriously and equal to “TOOL” was accomplished. “A Perfect Circle” still to this day have a large following of devoted fans. Happy Anniversary!

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Ganser Share New Song “Bags For Life”

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We still have to wait a couple of months before we’ll finally be able to hear the new “Ganser” album Just Look At That Sky, but today the band have released another taste of their upcoming album and it’s the closing track titled “Bags For Life.” About the song, the band have stated “It’s about how strange the end of the world would be on the internet.” Name a theme more fitting right now. Ganser’s new album Just Look At That Sky will be released on July 31st via “Felte.” You can listen to “Bags For Life” below:

Pragnya Wakhlu Shares New Music Video for “Fallin'”

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It’s been heartwarming seeing all of the music videos compiled of video submissions from people all over the world during lockdown. Today Pragnya Wakhlu has released her own music video featuring lovely video submissions and it is a lighthearted watch that will keep you going if you’re feeling down about this whole situation. About the video, Pragnya asked fans to send a video representation of what love means to them, and it’s interesting seeing different interpretations from people all over the world. You can watch the music video for “Fallin'” below:

Track Review: The Joyful Sadness – Perfect Alibi

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Artist: The Joyful Sadness

Song: Perfect Alibi

Genre: New Wave/Post-Punk/Electronic

Label: Self-released

Hailing from Preston, UK, “The Joyful Sadness” is a musical project created out of a subconscious desire to deal with repressed memories. Formed in April 2020, no time has been wasted as one single titled “Memories of You” was released last month, and now a follow-up single titled “Perfect Alibi” will be released this Friday on the 22nd. Much like “Memories of You,” “Perfect Alibi” is a sentimental track that explores vulnerability to reach a point of catharsis. Anyone who has been in a toxic relationship where you give and invest much time in your partner only to not have those feelings reciprocated will find solace in this track. Sometimes we don’t notice when our significant other is being toxic. It’s easy to develop codependency out of a fear of being alone or being lost in someone, and when it’s unrequited it does some serious damage. “The Joyful Sadness” delves into this subject with a style that draws heavily from genres such as “Dark Wave” and “Post-Punk.” With moody atmospheric synths, this subject is explored in a darker fashion because he knows relationships aren’t all sunshine. That sincerity is immensely admirable. You can pre-save “Perfect Alibi” below:

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/thejoyfulsadness/perfect-alibi

 

E.P. Review: Mazmere – MBJDEBNRBM

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Artist: Mazmere

EP: MBJDEBNRBM

Genre: Indie Rock/Post-Punk/Noise Rock

Label: Self-released

Rating: 8/10

It’s hard speaking about mental illness sometimes. The fear of alienation from others is something that plagues your mind when dealing with a mental illness. That along with overwhelming feelings of self-doubt, self-hatred, nihilism, depression, and existentialism are all things that can prevent someone from letting people in, but one creative outlet to exorcise your demons is music, and Bristol UK based band “Mazmere” most definitely face the cycles of mental illness head-on with no compromise on their new E.P. MBJDEBNRBM. This music is pure raw energy with manically noisy instrumentation that perfectly reflects lead singer Jake Sinetos’ deep dive into the darker parts of the human mind. You know, the parts you try to ignore and distract yourself from with whatever form of escapism you fancy. This music can be ugly, but I mean that in the kindest way possible, because ugly music isn’t always a bad thing, in fact there is much beauty to find in macabre art. The beauty in this E.P. is found in its fearless lyrical content that instead of coming off sounding like a motivational speech, tackles the complexities of your inner-voice that isn’t always so optimistic. That in itself is uplifting, because once you embrace your demons and continue to fight them, you can seriously take on anything, and the representation of that through this music is exhausting yet liberating. This is most prominently expressed on the track “Skeletons.” “This house is full of medicine that gives you no cure. You’re bouncing off the walls again. You’re twisted with fear. Fear of yourself is worse than what is real, so find your demon, and cut him a deal” sings Sinetos. This is the albums biggest tearjerker as our protagonist gives us a tour of this cycle in his mind, a cycle that isn’t for the faint of heart, but is necessary to understand those less mentally fortunate. Once this track erupts with its musical climax, it’s hard not to feel like you’re floating as your demons either begin to decay, or ride with you. It all depends on your interpretation. Without sounding too inaccessible, this E.P. is brutally honest, and that’s something we should all strive to explore in music.

Written By: Steven Sandoval

https://mazmere.bandcamp.com/releases

 

 

 

Track Review: YNYS – Aros Am Byth

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Artist: YNYS

Song: Aros Am Byth

Genre: Indie Pop/Psych-Pop

Label: Libertino Records

Welsh artist Dylan Hughes under his “YNYS” project makes the kind of dreamy music that takes you on a meditative journey with a juxtaposition of sunny day “Indie Pop” and night time melancholy. His new single “Aros Am Byth” is no exception, but this time around he incorporates 70’s Italian Disco synths to create a lush tune that is as attention grabbing as it is humble. Instead of going full-on Disco, Hughes utilizes these synths to fit his distinct musical world he has created, and my does he pull off this sound well. About the track Hughes has stated “The vibe I was trying to get was Jeff Lynne taking over the studio after being at a Tame Impala listening party.” Well, mission accomplished because this sounds like an “Electric Light Orchestra” ballad from an alternate universe or “Tame Impala’s” younger brother, and it’s modern enough to not sound too anachronistic. It’s both a fun and tender tune.

Written By: Steven Sandoval

 

 

Track Review: Pragnya Wakhlu – Fallin’

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Artist: Pragnya Wakhlu

Song: Fallin’

Genre: Jazz/Blues/Folk/Soul

Label: Self-released

New Delhi based singer songwriter and activist Pragnya Wakhlu is not the kind of artist who wants to be pigeonholed in one category. She recognizes the endless possibilities of having an eclectic style, and her refusal to be categorized is at it’s most evident on her new single “Fallin'” which finds her departing from her previous work and exploring the realms of “Jazz” and “Soul,” and it goes over stunningly well. Featuring New Delhi born “Jazz” musicians, “Fallin'” is a more personal track about an unrealized relationship and unrequited love. We’ve all been there before right? We’ve at some point faced the pains and uncertainty of a one-sided relationship as we fall in love with someone who doesn’t reciprocate the love-driven actions you give them, and Pragnya beautifully expresses these feelings with a smooth and infectious voice that will soften the hardest hearts and make anyone swoon. While the subtle but captivating saxophone and piano soar, Pragnya questions if the person she desires will ever be hers as she sings with a bit of hope regardless of her uncertainty. You’re definitely on her side when hearing this track as you cheer her on. It’s a beautiful tune. “Fallin'” will appear on her upcoming third album Lessons in Love, which will be released later in the year.

Written By: Steven Sandoval

 

 

LCD Soundsystem’s “This Is Happening” Turns 10

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On this day in 2010 “LCD Soundsystem” released their third album This Is Happening. Remember when this was supposed to be their final album? Remember when they released another album seven years later? Yeah, like any of us bought that the band were calling it quits for good, but if This Is Happening had really been the band’s final album, they would have gone out in a blaze of glory, because this was without a doubt some of the band’s best material. James Murphy and Co. delved even deeper into the realm of dance ready “Electronic” music on this album. Of course this was by no means new territory for the band, but it’s almost as if the band had the most fun making this record, and James Murphy not once loses his signature wit on this record. Perfecting a myriad of genres such as “Synth-Pop,” “Post-Punk,” and “House,” this album surprisingly never comes off as scatterbrained and each track flows into the other quite cohesively. This album showed us all that James Murphy is serious about what he’s doing, even though he might not take himself too seriously. Happy Anniversary!

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BROCKHAMPTON Share New Songs “M.O.B.” and “Twisted”

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Following the release of two brand new tracks “N.S.T.” and “Things Can’t Stay the Same,” both of which have unfortunately been removed, “BROCKHAMPTON” have returned with two more brand new tracks titled “M.O.B.” and “Twisted” featuring Ryan Beatty and Christian Alexander. The two songs have been released on the group’s official “YouTube” channel. You can listen to “M.O.B.” and “Twisted” below: