It’s been a busy week in music and entertainment. Sadly, Charlie Watts passed away. Not as thunderous or extravagant as some drummers, Watts was the best at the hardest thing to do in drumming – keeping a steady beat, never speeding up, never slowing down.
Justin Bieber is now Spotify’s most-listened-to artist, taking over the spot previously held by Ariana Grande. And Adele was seen partying with LeBron James and his entourage as they celebrated James’ wife’s birthday.
SPIN Magazine declared, “Halsey has earned Rock Star status.” VICE’s Zoe Kendall ran down Xtina’s 7 Most Iconic Outfits. Chvrches dropped a new album, Screen Violence, featuring Robert Smith of the Cure on “How Not to Drown.”
Brooklyn Vegan’s Andrew Sacher speculated that the new album from Turnstile, entitled Glow On, is a candidate for album of the year. While the New York Times listed 5 Classical Albums to Listen To Right Now, but I couldn’t read the article because I don’t have a subscription.
The Young Folks’ Ian Krietzberg, whose astute reviews I love to read, gave The Bleachers new album, Take the Sadness Out of Saturday Night, a ten, stating, “This record shines as a true album; a cohesive canvas of anthems and poetry, juxtaposition and pain and hope.”
Oh yeah, Spencer Elden, who at the age of four months, appeared on the cover of Nirvana’s Nevermind album, has brought an action against the band for “commercial child pornography.” But since the cover doesn’t include “sexually explicit conduct,” he will probably lose the case.
Okay, enough of rehashing the week’s music news. And now on to new music that I found intriguing or at least notable.
Lucifer – “Bring Me His Head”
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Lucifer released their new single/music video “Bring Me His Head,” a track from their forthcoming album, Lucifer IV, slated to drop at the end of October via Century Media.
Seething with ‘70s flavors, “Bring Me His Head” sounds a bit like Blue Oyster Cult and pays tribute to the cult film, Carrie.
Frontwoman Johanna Sadonis, whose voice reminds me of Stevie Nicks on PEDs, says, “‘Carrie’ is one of my favorite movies. Being an outsider myself my entire life, I’ve always identified with her.”
Anna Akana – “Wanted Woman,” featuring Macedo
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Pop singer Anna Akana released “Wanted Woman,” featuring twin sister duo Macedo.
The song is about maintaining your prerogatives in the midst of romance. The best line in the song is “You’re boring me.”
Damn Jackals – “Lovely Nuthin”
NYC glam rock outfit Damn Jackals unveiled the music video for “Lovely Nuthin,” a country-laced tune with hints of surf-rock running through it. Reminiscent of Elvis covering Johnny Horton, the retro feel of the song is contagious.
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Vanessa Gimenez – “In My Dreams”
Vanessa Gimenez introduced the music video, “In My Dreams,” lifted from her debut EP, Make It Rain. Brimming with dreamy, misty colors, the song echoes sprays of dream-pop capped by Vanessa’s soft, dewy timbres.
Vanessa explains, “‘In My Dreams’ is grounded in the verses, that’s where I explore the reality of my day-to-day life. The chorus then explores the idea that my dreams have only ever come to fruition in my imagination.”
Alicia Stockman – “Stay Between The Lines”
Utah-based folk/Americana singer-songwriter released “Stay Between The Lines,” a twangy, country-laced tune rippling with wicked bluesy coloration. The track is from her impending debut album, These Four Walls.
Dark and sexy hues give the song urgent, dangerous sensations.
Gwyn Love – “cali”
Gwyn Love unveiled the music video for “cali.”
Talking about the song, Gwyn shares, “I wrote ‘cali’ after telling my friends I wanted to move to California and they all sorta laughed and told me I would be broke and would find myself back in Oklahoma. I wanted to break into song right then to explain all the reasons that I feel like it’s my home. It’s funny really, I wrote this song without having been to Cali, but after going, I feel like I described it quite perfectly and had a very realistic idea of what it was going to be like before I even went.”
Memory Driven – ‘The Earthen Lost’
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma-based doom metal outfit Memory Driven recently released their 13-track album, The Earthen Lost.
Formed in 2008, Memory Driven is made up of Dennis Cornelius, Chris Greenway, Timothy Mansfield, and Dave Newcombe. Their sound, deep and dark, surges with clotted guitars and pummeling drums.
Entry points include “The Conduit” and “Worth The Fall.”
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