The Contortionist – “Language Rediscovered”:
American progressive metal band The Contortionist have released short Rediscovered versions of a handful of their tracks – acoustic versions if you will. One track that catches the ear, or eye as there is also a video to be found on YouTube, is “Language Rediscovered”.
“Language I” is probably my personal favourite song of theirs and “Language Rediscovered” takes it to the next level. It’s eerie how well the softer approach suits the harmonies and the voice of lead singer Michael Lessard, and the track is rearranged to perfection to create a more somber and gentler feel. The sound is also much more accessible, a lot of people are put of (rightly or wrongly) as soon as they hear a distorted guitar, so whether you’re a fan of progressive metal/rock music or not, you may just enjoy this one. Watch the live video of the song below.
The Killers – “Dirt Sledding”:
The Christmas season has arrived, The Killers have revealed their annual Christmas single titled “Dirty Sledding”, with this being the 10th in the series. All the proceeds from the sales of the single will go to RED, a global Aids charity. This Killers Christmas single becomes the third of the series to continue with the theme of bad Santa with the previous two being “Don’t Shoot Me Santa” in 2007 and “I Feel It In My Bones” in 2012 with Ryan Pardey appearing as the bad Santa in all three videos but this year the single also has Richard Dreyfuss narrating.
The song has an eclectic range of genres with rock-roll, country, progressive rock – Supertramp influence, glam rock guitar solo, all this fusing with the band producing catchy choruses and lyrics “Pretty girls, Christmas lights, Mistletoe, holy nights, Don’t it sound like heaven on a cloud”. You might hear more of a traditional Christmas song this year but you will not hear a better Christmas song than this. Watch the video below.
Glassjaw – “New White Extremity”:
It’s been a long thirteen years since Glassjaw released a full-length album. However, today (December 1) sparks from a forthcoming album ignited when the post-hardcore band released the crushing single “New White Extremity”. Already set to hit the stage with Coheed and Cambria in early 2016, Glassjaw do not disappoint with this single which displays the infectious energy that they’ve managed to maintain, even after over a decade of a doubtful, rocky future which now seems to be glued together. You can listen to the impressive new track here.
NEVERMEN – “Mr Mistake”:
Faith No More’s Mike Patton, Tunde Adebimpe of TV on the Radio, and rapper Doseone have created a recording group under the alias of Nevermen. Their self-titled album is due for release on January 29 via Patton’s Ipecac Recordings. They have previously shared their track “Tough Towns” and now they have shared their latest track “Mr. Mistake” which you can Listen to below.
Talking to pitchfork, Doeseone spoke about how the group decided to work together, “Mike and I met through Southern Distribution, which was our distributor, a while ago in the United Kingdom. I would go there and steal all his records before I met him. They’d be like, “Hey Dose, you want any records?” And I would steal all the Kranky albums and all the Mike Patton shit. Eventually, they somehow mentioned Themselves, and then he got in touch with Jel to work on Peeping Tom. This is a dog’s age ago now, a really long time ago. We met and just completely hit it off right away.
Then a good friend of mine in Baton Rouge, a promoter at this really great club the Spanish Moon, had TV On The Radio there. My friend just connected us. Tunde and I talked once and were, like, grade school friends. It was pretty fucking uncanny: same comics, same everything. Too much in common, from the age bracket on out. The dots connected themselves beyond that”.
Chip – “Bookey”:
So after turning 25 last Thursday, big man Chip dropped the latest follow up to his previous mixtape entitled Believe And Achieve Episode 2 after Believe And Achieve Episode 1 landed earlier on in the year. In this video Chip comes through with a visual to one of the standout tracks from the release and it is certainly one of my favourites off of the EP.
Since it dropped on Friday it’s looking like “Bookey” is an early fan favourite and in the video we see Chip chilling in the endz in his native Tottenham. Its been a busy few weeks for the North London rapper since Chip spoke out for the first time this year on #NewGenRadio where he gave an exclusive interview and a preview of this first new track. You can watch the Video to “Bookey” below and then go cop Believe & Achieve: Episode 2 here. Keep the fire coming into the new year Chip! #CMAR
Monique – “The Gift”:
British Soul singer, songwriter and producer Monique released her debut EP The Gift back in May, while in the middle of giving birth to her son, who is now six months old. Championed and supported by the likes of the MOBO Awards, ILUVLIVE, Guestlist Magazine, Alt Sounds and Afropunk among others, the 5-track EP was met with rave reviews for beautifully exploring themes around finding yourself in the moment, weaved through excellent music and enthralling stories.
Six months into motherhood, Monique is proud to debut the music video for the lead single and title track on The Gift EP, for which she has collaborated with award-winning director Andrew Webber (Eastenders E20, The Mirror Boy), to deliver a compelling and emotive visual experience, which not only beautifully captures the very essence of pregnancy and motherhood, but also pulls at your heartstrings, evoking feelings of joy and amazement at the miracle of life.
In Monique’s own words, “‘The Gift’ is about the here and now. It is about embracing your story, loving who you are, in this very moment, and for me, it’s about transitioning through my career and receiving a beautiful gift of a child. I think the message of embracing the moment is for everyone, but this will really inspire women, because becoming a mother is a huge life-changing experience”.
The Libertines – “You’re My Waterloo”:
The Libertines have had a tumultuous run ever since their formation in 1997, but things are finally looking up for the rock band – especially after the break-up in 2004, followed by a reunion, six years later in 2010. Despite getting back together, it still took the band five years to release a new album, as their third album, Anthems For Doomed Youth, was only just released in September. Following the release, The Libertines have also released two music videos for the songs “Gunga Din” and “Heart Of The Matter” and have now released a third one, “You’re My Waterloo”.
Cage The Elephant – “Too Late To Say Goodbye”:
Waiting on their fourth studio album, Tell Me I’m Pretty, Cage The Elephant have released yet another promotional single for the release. While the album isn’t due to be out for another two weeks – on the 18th of December – you can stream and buy “Mess Around”, “Trouble” and now, “Too Late To Say Goodbye”. The latest single, “Too Late To Say Goodbye” is a quiet and slow rendition, that is only enhanced by the picture that has been chosen for the video showcasing the audio. Listen below.
Words by William Kitchener, Jack Walters, Phoebe Messenger, Shakira Knight, Kenny Leavett, Ayo Adepoju, Qurat-Ul-Anne Sikander,
