Björk releases her tenth studio album, and first in five years, "Fossora", via One Little Independent Records; stream / listen to the album here. "Fossora", a word created by Björk, is the feminised version of the Latin word for “digger,” and a reflection on roots, grounding, love, and family in the context of an underground mushroom world. The album is produced by Björk and recorded by Bergur Thorisson. The new album finds Björk nesting at home in Iceland through the pandemic long enough to set down roots - both literally in her hometown Reykjavík and symbolically. While Björk’s last album, 2017’s critically acclaimed Utopia, was a city in the clouds, Fossora is the sonic opposite: an earth-focused, natural eco-system of bass clarinets and punchy sub-bass.
“Each album always starts with a feeling that I try to shape into sound, this time around the feeling was landing on the earth and digging my feet into the ground (after my last album utopia which was all island in the clouds element air and no bass). It was also woven into how I experienced the "now" this time around 7 billion of us did it together nesting in our homes quarantining being long enough in one place that we shot down roots. My new album "Fossora" is about that, it is a word I made up, it is the feminine of fossore (digger, delver, ditcher) so in short it means "she who digs" (into the ground), so sonically it is about bass, heavy bottom-end, we have 6 bass clarinets and punchy sub, Björk” The album features contributions from serpentwithfeet; Björk’s son, Sindri, and daughter, Ísadóra; clarinet sextet Murmuri; The Hamrahlíð Choir; Emilie Nicolas; Kasimyn of Gabber Modus Operandi; sideproject; El Guincho; many of Björk’s Icelandic acoustic musical collaborators; and bass clarinets, strings, trombones and more. The album also deals with legacy, with two tracks paying tribute to her late mother, Hildur Rúna Hauksdóttir, who died in 2018. Björk is a multidisciplinary artist who, time and again, innovates across music, art, fashion, and technology. From writing, arranging, and producing an expansive music catalog to her collaborations with scientists, app developers, writers, inventors, musicians, and instrument makers, Björk continues to inspire and experiment, redefining the boundaries of what it means to be a musician. Facebook | Website | Instagram | Spotify | Twitter
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Rising Oslo quartet VEPS return with new single 'Mooney Tunes' & announce debut album 'Oslo Park'18/9/2022 Ever since arriving on the Norwegian indie scene aged just 17, Oslo-based four-piece Veps have been releasing a steady stream of jaw dropping mature indie pop gems. Now, as they all hit their final teenage years, the band today announce their debut album Oslo Park - out November 18th on Kanine Records - with newest single ‘Mooney Tunes’ streaming now. The track comes complete with a music video that was filmed in (you guessed it) an Oslo park, cut with archive footage from the past year on the road throughout Europe and Norway - watch here. Produced by fellow Norwegian Matias Tellez (Girl In Red, Sondre Lerche + +), ‘Mooney Tunes’ is Veps at their most dynamic. Continuing to dish out indie pop bangers with a carefree, DIY attitude, the new track is an upbeat track ray of sunshine. Listen HERE. The band say; “It’s about being far away from someone you love. About how great it is to be with them and how fast time passes by with them. Sometimes, in relationships, it feels like you’re on different planets, but you get to meet on the moon!” 2022 has so far seen highlights including the band’s first ever headline UK tour, which included a BBC6 Artist of the Week Spotlight, as well as playing a host of festivals both abroad and in their native Norway. The girls have known each other since junior school but began playing music together at age 14. A series of DIY shows followed, and at a very young age, Veps (the Norwegian word for wasp) was formed. The band self-released two singles in 2019, and by 2020, they hooked up with Brooklyn indie label Kanine Records, releasing their debut EP, Open the Door in 2021. And with song writing skills beyond their years, Veps seamlessly blend a 90s indie aesthetic with classic pop hooks, into their own, fully formed sound. It’s not hard to see why Veps has become a buzz band both within and outside the borders of their native Norway. VEPS are
https://www.vepsofficial.com/ Swedish hard rockers The Riven share "On Top Of Evil", the fourth single from their new album18/9/2022 Showcasing the experimental side of The Riven’s versatile sound, "On Top of Evil" is the fourth single leading up to the Swedish hard rock group’s sophomore studio album. A dynamic journey featuring powerful vocals and vibrant guitar arrangements, "On Top of Evil" moves through psychedelic, atmospheric soundscapes into an explosive finale. The single is now out across all streaming platforms. The band comments: 'On Top Of Evil' is our heaviest song to date. Soaring vocals and electrifying guitars meet in a blaze with thunderous bass and drums galore. Sink deep into your mind and let us invite you to the dark side. The Riven’s second studio album is called "Peace and Conflict" and will be released on vinyl, CD, and digital formats on the 25th of November. The album is released on The Sign Records. The Riven are:
On November 18th, France's We Are Magonia will release their third full-length, Triangle Unicode, via NewRetroWave Records. With a love of vintage synths, distorted walls of modern detuned synth sounds that almost resemble guitars, and the drive to blend these into something dark and baroque, We Are Magonia sound like no other band you have heard. The three-piece - featuring a unique two synths / one guitar line-up - give fans a first taste of Triangle Unicode today with the new video for "La Crypte": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_rUr7ifFqM Pre-order // pre-save Triangle Unicode here: https://wearemagonia.lnk.to/TriangleUnicode Formed in Lyon, France in 2017, the trio of Fear Collins, Frank Sinistra and Louis De Funeste have released two albums, remixed some classic tracks and put on some unforgettable live shows, and now they return with the riveting Triangle Unicode. "What we do is basically electronic music made by metalheads. Usually our music is a mix between what we have been doing and something new we have discovered and that influences us," they explain. "However, we wanted this album to be a step up. We wanted it more leaning toward the modern electronic music genre, and to be better produced and more efficient." Having been a DIY unit from the beginning, We Are Magonia handle every aspect of their output - composing, recording, mixing, mastering, making most of the artwork, video editing, selling and shipping merch, promotion - and they have built up a substantial following, predominantly in the USA, a country they have yet to set foot in (but they receive endless requests from fans for them to play stateside). Amassing nearly 50k monthly listeners on Spotify and 7 million+ streams overall, We Are Magonia are already making waves; and now with Triangle Unicode - nine tracks driven by pulsating beats and varying from the haunting to the punishing and everything in between - they make a definitive statement that demands attention. https://www.instagram.com/we.are.magonia https://www.youtube.com/c/WeAreMagonia https://twitter.com/wearemagonia https://www.facebook.com/WeAreMagonia https://open.spotify.com/artist/6ZfZ3k4azxmrGfYoJHdJJP?si=TRC0Qy30SKuFqc9gddD02A Icelandic post rockers Isafjørd announce new album "Hjartaskati" and single “Falin Skemmd”10/9/2022 Icelandic post-rockers Isafjørd have announced their brand new album "Hjartastjaki", coming via Svart Records The first single taken from the upcoming release is 'Falin Skemmd', an ethereal landscape of icy chills and cinematic warmth. On the new track, Isafjørd state: “This song is about freeing yourself from a toxic relationship and moving on to a brighter future.” Isafjørd’s new album, Hjartastjak, is an infectious rush of euphoric melancholy, quiet-loud dynamism, lush instrumentation and unforgettable atmospheric landscapes of song. Meeting on the road, night creatures of the same renowned Reykjavik music scene, Ragnar playing live session bass for Sólstafir, Addi and Ragnar’s musical paths finally intersect in Isafjørd with a sound that reaches like a stalactite from the past into a gleaming future. Now coming of age, matured into a shimmering diamond of Icelandic pop at its finest, Isafjørd is on another plain from Addi’s own Sólstafir, where their cinematic metal roots have been retraced into sweeping glacial song-craft. A country known for their honest and heart–wrenching emotional take on pop music with Björk and Sigur Rós, Isafjørd gives a new definition to “landscape music”. When an album feels like a place you want to inhabit and experience, Hjartastjaki is a journey that you’re going to want to take. Isafjørd, literally meaning 'fjord of ice', is a shining new ethereal post-rock band from Iceland. Named after the town that both of their fathers came from, Ísafjörður, Aðalbjörn Addi Tryggvason (Sólstafir) and Ragnar Zolberg (Sign/x-Pain of Salvation) sculpt beautiful and desolate pop, as bright and dark as the sub-arctic seasons. Holed up in the middle of winter, in an old house with a broken piano in the freezing cold, Hjartastjaki is an album of songs that were written straight from the heart, sometimes in a single day. Their chemistry is as immediate as the climate they survive in, and is a real meeting of spirits, with Ragnar’s sleek and cherubim voice to brilliantly counterpoint Addi’s dusty and aching cries, over orchestrated build-ups of soaring piano and sliding guitars. The catchy and haunting music that Addi and Ragnar create in Isafjørd is just as familiar in the same way a lived-in, well-worn great song can touch your soul. Having both lived in Norway and speaking Norwegian, Addi and Ragnar speak the same language of the heart, as their Nordic melancholy makes for deep and mountainous music. Isafjørd’s songs are sincere icebergs of tundra-anthems that bring to mind Fields Of The Nephilim and Duran Duran jamming in a frozen valley, where the creative 80s new wave sound meets GodSpeed You Black Emperor. With influences that range from Cardigans, Beatles, early Judas Priest and Neil Young, Addi and Ragnar have struck a vein of gold that crystallises their own heritage of wide-screen metal gloom into something new. Backstreet Boys continue to gift fans ahead of the holiday season as they ready for the release of their first ever Christmas album which is officially available for pre-order today here. As an extra special gift for fans, Backstreet Boys have released “Last Christmas” from the forthcoming album. Listen to the song here. ‘A Very Backstreet Christmas’ (BMG) is the Backstreet Boys’ first ever Christmas album and will feature timeless holiday classics such as “White Christmas”, “Silent Night”, and “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” plus three all new original holiday songs “Christmas In New York,” “Together,” and “Happy Days.” The album was executive produced by legendary producer Tommy Brown (Ariana Grande, Blackpink, Justin Bieber). Exclusive formats include a 15-track CD at Target which includes two bonus tracks “Feliz Navidad” and “It’s Christmas Time Again" and limited edition red-vinyl on the group’s official store. The news of the Christmas album comes as the Backstreet Boys are wrapping up the North American leg of their DNA World Tour. The band has been putting on electrifying performances, playing a high-energy set of over 30 of their greatest hits and best dance moves, giving fans the live experience of a lifetime. See below for remaining tour dates as well as the tracklisting below.
DNA World Tour Upcoming Dates
Björk is unveiling her new single “Atopos” now; listen here. The track is accompanied by a new video, also out now, introducing Björk’s sonic underground world brimming with saturated fungi and bass clarinets. Watch / share the video here. The track is taken from her forthcoming album, “Fossora”, set for release September 30th. The title “Atopos” comes from the Latin word meaning "the other" both loving and in opposition. Born from the last three years living in her home country of Iceland, Björk writes and produces the song’s clarinet arrangements, repeating lyrics like “our differences are irrelevant” and “hope is a muscle” to the backdrop of painted mushrooms and rock formations. "sonically this is a heavy bottom-ended bass world we have 6 bass clarinets and punchy sub drilling, nesting and digging us into the ground" The video is directed by Viðar Logi with co-creative direction by Björk with creative consultant and longtime collaborator James Merry. Their underground world is inspired by digital root plants design from M/M Paris. Additionally, the video includes performances by Kasimyn of Gabber Modus Operandi and clarinet musicians Grímur Helgason, Hilma Kristín Sveinsdóttir, Helga Björg Arnardóttir, Kristín Þóra Pétursdóttir and Rúnar Óskarsson. Björk is a multidisciplinary artist who, time and again, innovates across music, art, fashion and technology. From writing, arranging and producing an expansive music catalogue to her collaborations with scientists, app developers, writers, inventors, musicians and instrument makers, Björk continues to inspire and experiment, redefining the boundaries of what it means to be a musician. Special thanks to Riccardo Tisci & Burberry for all their help and support in making this video, especially for the collaboration on the stunning dress that Björk wears in the video, and Squarespace for helping in creating special web sites to launch these audio-visual projects. Facebook | Website | Instagram | Spotify | Twitter Award-winning pop-violinist Lindsey Stirling announces her new Christmas album Snow Waltz (out digitally October 7th and on vinyl November 18th via Concord Records). Featuring eight classic covers and five original tracks, Snow Waltz delivers Stirling’s immersive arrangements and mesmerizing melodies but with a seasonal twist, featuring songs that promise to be the perfect soundtrack for the holiday season. “I wanted to give the songs a whimsical, pixie-like feeling that’s quintessentially me,” says Stirling about the new record. “It’s always a challenge to put your own stamp on a classic song that’s been recorded hundreds of times, and I really loved experimenting with different approaches and making sure that every song felt completely unique to who I am as an artist.” To accompany the announcement, Stirling shares the project's first single “Ice Storm.” An original guitar-fueled and wildly rousing instrumental, the song shines a new light on the multi-faceted musician’s rock-leaning sensibilities. The “Ice Storm” video features a paper-cut-like collage of a pack of wolves chasing a young deer, running for its life to escape danger.
Recorded in Los Angeles with Gladius (long-time Grammy nominated producer with credits including Demi Lovato & Justin Bieber) executive producing, Snow Waltz conjures a delightfully eerie mood, wholly embodying the limitless imagination at the heart of Stirling’s artistry. The album’s title came from thinking about the period of time between Halloween and Christmas where the two seasons overlap. “I wanted to create something in the same world as The Nightmare Before Christmas or the Harry Potter movies, where there’s sort of a Christmas-y feeling alongside all the spookiness,” Lindsey explains. And the song “Snow Waltz” is just that, rooted in her ineffably expressive violin work and graced with many cinematic details including darkly sweeping percussion, lilting flute melodies, and bright and sprightly glockenspiel tones. When it came to reinterpreting timeless holiday songs, Stirling tapped into her own boundless and unfettered ingenuity. On “Joy to the World,” she joined forces with Gladius and orchestrator Stephen Anderson to create a gloriously stomping, Celtic-inspired take on the 18th century Christmas carol. One of the album’s most left-of-centre moments, the beat-heavy “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” showcases Stirling’s frenetic violin alongside her hypnotic, heavenly vocals and was produced with Mark Maxwell. For her flamenco-infused rendition of José Feliciano’s “Feliz Navidad,” she enlisted the guitar-playing talents of fellow multi-hyphenate Mark Ballas (a dancer/ choreographer/ musician/actor who served as her partner on the 25th season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars”).
Although all of Snow Waltz bears a potent emotionality, songs like “Magic” ft. David Archuleta holds a particularly powerful significance for Stirling. One of several vocally driven original numbers on the album (along with “Crazy For Christmas” ft. Bonnie McKee and “Christmas Time With You” ft. Frawley), the bittersweet but uplifting ballad was sparked from a profound moment of Stirling's life, when her sisters and mom shared loving and fun memories around her father’s passing. The follow-up to her debut holiday album Warmer in the Winter — which earned a #1 spot on Billboard’s Holiday Albums Chart, and #1 on Amazon and iTunes Holiday Album Charts — Snow Waltz emerges as a singular new entry in the holiday-music canon, once again proving Stirling’s extraordinary gift as an instrumental storyteller. Lindsey started an annual drive “The Upside Fund” around each holiday season to help families in dire need of support during a medical crisis and has partnered with medical companies including, RIP Medical Debt, Resolve Medical Bills, and Dollar For to pay off over $4.5 million in medical debt and bills nationally. Stay tuned for more information about this year’s drive and find more info here. Since the release of her debut album in 2012, Lindsey Stirling has established a successful career as an electronic music impresario, violinist, dancer, and artist. Stay tuned for additional information on Snow Waltz. Hamburg-based industrial rock pioneers KMFDM have forged their own singular path since being founded by Sascha ‘Käpt’n K’ Konietzko in 1984, continually refining and redefining the parameters of modern music while also never missing an opportunity to address the social and political zeitgeist in brazen, belligerent and boisterous fashion. ‘HYËNA’ is the 22nd studio album from these quality purveyors of what Konietzko calls The Ultra Heavy Beat, and what title could be more appropriate as his band laughs mockingly at the current frayed and frantic state of world affairs? Driven by the vicious and virulent vocal onslaught of Konietzko and Lucia Cifarelli, the aural and angular guitar wizardry of Andee Blacksugar and the forceful percussive thrust of Andy Selway, ‘HYËNA’ blasts through the speakers with the force of a napalm airstrike. From the hip-thrusting swagger of ‘BLACK HOLE’, the in-your-face industrial rock of ‘LIQUOR FISH & CIGARETTES’ and the funky hip-hop overtones of ‘ROCK ’N’ ROLL MONSTER’, to the punky thrash metal fury of ‘BLINDFACE’, the sardonic blackgrass whimsy of ‘DELUDED DESPERATE DANGEROUS & DUMB’ and the irresistibly danceable electro of ‘HYËNA’ itself; KMFDM remains as vital as ever, never afraid to assimilate any musical style while keeping their lyrical talons sharpened and poised to strike against any and all injustice. Several members of the extended KMFDM family also return to leave their indelible marks on ‘HYËNA’, including guitarist Jules Hodgson, rapper Andrew ‘Ocelot’ Lindsley and Bruce Breckenfeld on the Hammond B3. In addition, Sissy Misfit adds a decidedly venomous digital hardcore flavour to ‘ALL WRONG - BUT ALRIGHT’, leaving Kumar Bent to close us out with a familiar yet fresh dub take on KMFDM classic ‘IN DUB WE TRUST’. ‘HYËNA’ is a maniacal laugh in the face of all those maniacs who assume control, desperately trying to convince you that what you see, what you hear, what you read is not real – don’t you believe it! Nearly four decades on, KMFDM continues to keep it real for you as ‘HYËNA’ proves to be among the group’s leanest and meanest efforts, feeding fuel to the fury! facebook.com/officialkmfdm metropolis-records.com Goo Goo Dolls will be releasing their thirteenth studio LP Chaos in Bloom on August 12th, 2022 via Warner Records. Marking the first album of their career to be produced by frontman John Rzeznik, the record finds the band at the top of their game and continuing to constantly evolve after nearly four decades together. Consisting of 10 tracks, Chaos in Bloom is an album of biting sarcasm, stadium-ready choruses, and the type of spear-sharp song-writing that’s led them to becoming one of the most influential alternative rock groups of all time. The record is available for pre-order HERE.. While Chaos in Bloom isn’t necessarily an album borne out by the pandemic, many of the tracks reflect on all of the things in daily life that became amplified while everyone was isolated from one another and sequestered at home. “Chaos in Bloom reminded us how special this whole thing is and to cherish the relationships that we have together,” says Rzeznik about the album. “Where we’ve been, and where we’re going.” Oscillating from personal reflections on the state of the world to societal commentaries, the songs on the album grapple with observations about our dystopian modernity while searching for optimism and pushing for a more empathetic world. “I’ve been trying to have a relationship with the bigger picture,” adds bassist and songwriter Robby Takac, “and refining happiness and what it means from that perspective.” To record the album, Rzeznik and Takac retreated to Dreamland Studios just outside Woodstock, New York during the pandemic. An environment as remote as it is rich with historic rock music roots, the location proved to be the perfect setting for clearing the noise and creating such a record, which carries a true live quality that the band captured by blending vintage instruments and gear with new-age recording processes and techniques. The band has also shared the intro track from Chaos In Bloom. “Yeah, I Like You.” ignites the record with a rousing acoustic guitar line that hits like a gut punch, with lyrics that effortlessly critique our celebrity culture, and the people who work so hard to look so disaffected while masking insecurities with false self-assuredness. “In a world that is just drowning in social media and internet stars, many of whom are certainly talented, but many confirm that in 2022 you can be famous for doing nothing,” says Rzeznik. “Celebrity in this age has a very quick burn. It was hard not to be consumed by it during the pandemic.” Listen to “Yeah, I Like You” and watch the official music video HERE For the first time since 2019, the band will embark on a sprawling US tour this summer. Set to kick off on July 15, 2022 and performing songs from Chaos in Bloom for the first time ever, it takes in iconic outdoor venues spanning North America, including Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, and Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theatre in Wantagh, NY. Information & tickets can be found via the band’s website HERE. Goo Goo Dolls will be partnering with the Joe Torre Safe At Home Foundation for the tour, a non-profit founded in 2002 by Ali and Joe Torre to provide healing and education services to youth who have been traumatized by exposure to violence including domestic violence, child abuse, teen dating abuse, and sexual assault to help break the cycle of violence. Official Site | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube |
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