Check out the latest single from Faishake, now on our The Weekly Riot playlist on Spotify!
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Vital Stats:
Artist: Grasping at the Shadow
Release: “Shards Of Glass”
Release Date: 10.20
Genre: Deathcore
Suggested For Fans Of: Filth, Humanity’s Last Breath, Distant
Bradenton, Florida deathcore band Grasping At The Shadow has released its newest single, “Shards of Glass”. The track is brutal from the outset, with a deliberate half-time riff performed over Violinist Kimberly Hovencamp’s simple yet effective melody giving way to double-time blast beats and crunching riffs from guitarist Daniel Avalle and bassist Margaret Applegate, serving as the perfect bed for vocalist Jordan Hanley’s throat-shredding delivery.Speaking on the song, the band said “This single represents a fundamental shift in your music writing. This song is meant to be given meaning by the listener, to invoke an image or scene in their mind unique to them.“
This single will be on the band’s upcoming EP, which is currently in the writing and production phase. The band plans to follow up this release with further singles to continue the EP rollout before announcing a release date. The track was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Chris Whited at 1776 Recordings. Along with the single, the band has released a music video, directed, shot, and edited by Toddi Babu.
“Shards Of Glass” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now or watch the video on YouTube below.
Anger, sorrow, and pain personified was the goal when creating Grasping At The Shadow. Consisting of vocalist Jordan Hanley, violinist Kimberly Hovencamp, bassist Margaret Applegate, and guitarist Daniel Avalle, the band strives to create a unique brand of Deathcore by incorporating violin layered in with death metal riffs and brutal breakdowns. With this unique mixture, Grasping At The Shadow is a heavy, eerie, sight to be seen.
Formed in 2011 by Daniel Avalle and Kimberly Hovencamp, Grasping At The Shadow has played with Lorna Shore, Rings of Saturn, Hate Eternal, Decapitated, The Browning, and many other national touring acts. After releasing their debut EP Nothing After Death, the band took a brief hiatus before reforming in 2022. Of their hiatus and reformation, the band says “Taking a break was not an easy decision to make but the request from fans the world over for more music could not be ignored. So in this era, we set out to create the angriest, most pissed off music we could.“
Going forward, the band plans to release more material as singles, filled by a brand new EP, and eventually a full-length album. They are also aiming to transition to becoming a touring act and engage with fans outside of their home state.
If you’re looking for a unique approach to Deathcore or a band similar to Filth, Humanity’s Last Breath, or Distant, look no further than Grasping At The Shadow!Grasping The Shadow Is:
Jordan Hanley – Vocals
Kimberly Hovencamp – Violin
Margaret Applegate – Bass
Daniel Avalle – GuitarConnect With Grasping The Shadow:
Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Spotify
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Press Contact:
Lance Waste for Heart Riot
Email: heartriotmedia@gmail.com -
Vital Stats:
Artist: Ocna
Release: Less Luminous (Single)
Release Date: 10.14.22
Genre: Indie Rock
Suggested For Fans Of: Beach House, Cocteau Twins, Bat For Lashes(10.14.22) Brighton, England indie rock band Ocna has released its newest single, “Less Luminous”. Sonically, the track is a radio-ready, darkly lush indie pop-rock track with dense layers that serve as a bed for singer Fiona Robertson’s sultry vocals.
About the track, the band says “We adore the introspective sounds of Jacques Brel, Scott Walker, and chanson. Our music has always had a dark, moody side but with Less Luminous we wanted to let those influences shine through and go full-on noir with a massive, climactic ending and lyrics about a tortured, overdue but impossible break-up. The orchestration, with synthesized strings and horns, has a smoky vibe and sounds lush … considering it was produced in a shed, with guitars, keyboards, and plug-ins, we reckon it’s pretty epic.”The track was written by guitarist/bassist Dale Hudson. Along with the single, Ocna has released a video for “Less Luminous”. The video was directed by Katy Clarkson and, according to the band, represents “different entities vibrantly blending together to make something seamless, bright, and new, then slowly going into reverse, breaking apart, and eventually fading.” “Less Luminous” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now or watch the video on YouTube below.
British/Swedish four-piece Ocna combine electronica with chiming guitars and spiraling synths to create powerful indie rock that’s uplifting, epic, and at times, ambient. Formed in 2019 in the English coastal city of Brighton, the band consists of Fiona Robertson (vocals), Karl Nilsson (electronics, programming, guitar, lap steel), Matt Burns (drums), and Dale Hudson (guitar, bass, synths).
The members of Ocna like music that creates its own world, immersing the listener in sound that reflects joy, sadness, and a sense of ease, or uneasiness. The band has influences ranging from contemporary musicians such as School of Seven Bells, Beach House, and Big Thief to classic acts including Joy Division, Cocteau Twins, and Scott Walker.
Ocna Is:
Fiona Robertson – Vocals
Karl Nilsson – Keyboards, Production and Programming
Dale Hudson – Guitars and Bass
Matt Burns – DrumsConnect With Ocna:
Instagram / Facebook / Spotify / Website
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Press Contact:
Lance Waste for Heart Riot
Email: heartriotmedia@gmail.com -
Vital Stats:
Artist: Verse, Chorus, Inferno
Release: Dreams (Single)
Release Date: 10.7.22
Genre: Punk Rock
Suggested For Fans Of: Alkaline Trio, Bouncing Souls, MxPxComo, Italy’s Verse, Chorus, Inferno has released their newest single, a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s seminal track “Dreams”. The straight-ahead punk rock track blends the band’s signature style seamlessly with the classic song and features guest vocals from Sandro Forty Winks. “It’s a great classic song, with a very simple structure but killer melodies,” says the band. “We wanted to record a song with our friend Sandro for a while, and we felt this one was a great opportunity. We think the song sounds great, simple, and powerful.”
“Dreams” is the second single from their upcoming album, due out October 28th. It follows the lead single “Fast Times in Den Haag” and will be followed by the final single “The Ballad Of Bill Gates”.
“Dreams” was mixed and mastered by Chris Fogal at Black in Bluhm Studios – Swiss Branch and is being released by Engineer Records (UK), Eternalis Records (FR), Pasidaryk Pats Records (LT), and High End Denim Records (CAN). Along with the track, Verse, Chorus, Inferno has released a music video for “Dreams”. Directed by Alvise Guadagnino, with Video Post Production by Max Finotti , the band focused on making a fun video. “The Doggface meme brought the spotlight back on this track last year, and we played a little with it in the video. We had great fun shooting it, we hope it’s gonna be equally fun to watch.”
“Dreams” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now or watch the video on YouTube below.
Verse, Chorus, Inferno is a punk rock band from Como, Italy. The band started in 2007 as an “all star band” (with members from Staly Fish, Pankina and INhead) to fill in a tour that had been booked for another band. They played 10 gigs between Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands and had so much fun, they decided to be a permanent band.
The band continued for a few years before drifting apart in 2010, when the members moved to different cities, got jobs, kids, and life took them on different paths…until 2020.
During lockdown, the band began working on new music and recorded their first full-length album. The band self-recorded the album at their home and rehearsal space. The new record will be released next fall by Engineer Records on digital platforms + a limited edition LP (300 copies).
Verse, Chorus, Inferno is following the release of the album with select shows through the end of the year.
OCT 28 – Bodenmais (DE) at Rote Res with T-Rex Squad
NOV 12 – Release party in Como (IT) at Joshua Blues with Labradors
NOV 18 – Release party in Mezzago (IT) at Bloom with SNUFF
DEC 16 – Lyon (FR)
DEC 17 – Tours (FR) at Le Grand Cagibi with Breaking TagVerse, Chorus, Inferno Is:
“Cuc” – Gabriele Cucinella (Guitar, vocals)
“Cima” – Mattia Cimadoro (Guitar, vocals)
“Willy” – William Tessaro (Drums)
“Bolo” – Luca Bologna (Bass)Connect With Verse, Chorus, Inferno:
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Press Contact:
Lance Waste for Heart Riot
Email: heartriotmedia@gmail.com -
Vital Stats:
Artist: Half Dizzy
Release: Never Been Happier
Release Date: 10/07/2022
Genre: Punk Rock
Suggested For Fans Of: Strike Anywhere. The Bombpops. Millencolin
(Long Island, NY 10/7/22) – Long Island, NY punk act Half Dizzy has released their newest single, “Never Been Happier”. The track is their second single since being signed by Punkerton Records and precedes their upcoming 8-song EP titled Courtacy Flush (October 21st). It follows the lead single “Broken Down”, which was released on Sept 23rd.
Thematically, “Never Been Happier” is about getting out of a toxic relationship, and knowing you’ll be better alone than with someone who takes advantage of you. “We can feel trapped in a relationship and become complacent and comfortable because sometimes it feels better to be with someone than be alone,” says the band. “But if we push ourselves to get out of that relationship we’ll actually be better because of it. Sometimes we confuse being used for being loved, and those 2 are VERY different things.”
Along with the single, Half Dizzy has dropped a video for “Never Been Happier”. In a juxtaposition to the song, the band decided to release a less serious video. “We as a band know the importance of being serious when we need to be, but we also understand that humor and comedy are ways of working through trauma and stressful situations,” explains the band. “We love to fool around and lighten the mood with comedy, which is what this video is about. The message is very important and serious, but it’s delivered in a comedic way to help lighten the blow of what this song says.”
In true punk DIY fashion, the video was self-shot and edited by the band. “We watched a few videography tutorials on youtube, got ourselves a camera, and went to town. We love the DIY mentality and love to do whatever we can ourselves. The video and song are fun and colorful while the lyrics are more serious and self-empowering.”
“Never Been Happier” was engineered, mixed, and mastered by Matt Murphy and is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now or watch the video on YouTube below.
Half Dizzy is a Melodic Punk Rock band hailing from Long Island New York. They blend hard fast rhythms with technical melodies and harmonies to make a unique and aggressive punk sound. The band is made up of Dizzy Doll on vocals, Dan on guitar and vocals, Mitchell on guitar, Nick on drums, and Brett on bass. Dizzy has a unique and aggressive voice that compliments the band to create a one-of-a-kind melodic sound.
Catch Half Dizzy on October 22nd at Punk Rock BBQ at Ubergeek Brewing in Riverhead, NY.Half Dizzy Is:
Dizzy Doll- vocals
Dan- guitar/vocals
Mitchel- guitar
Brett- bass
Nick- drumsConnect With Half Dizzy:
Linktree / TikTok / Bandcamp
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Press Contact:
Lance Waste for Heart RiotEmail: heartriotmedia@gmail.comWEBSITE / INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY / TIKTOK / TWITCH
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Vital Stats:
Artist: Project Vela
Release: Waiting for Death to Begin (Single)
Release Date: Sept 29th
Genre: Alternative Metal/Modern Rock
Suggested For Fans Of: Dayseeker, Starset
Photos: Dave GaslinProject Vela has released their latest single, “Waiting For Death”. The track is the final single from the duo’s EP Elsewhere, following the singles “You Can’t Fix Me”, “Pretend”, “What I Deserve”, “I’m Sorry”, and “Left With Pieces”.
Along with being the last single to be released for the EP, “Waiting For Death” was also the last song written for the EP, and according to the band, it was never really meant to be included. “We had a 6th that was meant to be there in its place, but once we finished this song, we realized how comparatively weak the other was,” explains the band. “So kind of at the last minute, we replaced it with Waiting for Death to Begin.”
Lyrically, the track feels more emotionally honest and raw than the previous singles. The duo went back and forth, trying to tame down the lyrics and the message, before ultimately deciding that genuine honesty was paramount to the mainstream digestibility. Of the song, the band says “This song is a trip through a downward spiral. Dealing with depression on a regular basis, but a new wave comes that’s more powerful than the last. But you’ve dealt with it for so long that you ignore the warning signs, and you’re lulled into a false sense of security thinking “I’ve pulled through this before, I can pull through it again”. This time is different, but you’re naively unaware. Slowly but surely, you’re led down a path of withdrawing from the life around you, and by the time you realize how far down you’ve gone, it’s too late.““Waiting For Death To Begin” was self-produced, mixed by Scott Spriggs, and mastered by Kris Crummett. Along with the single, the band has released an animated video, which they story-boarded themselves. “We felt the best way to tell the story of this song was in an animated video. It shows the personification of the pieces in the song synopsis mentioned above, and the progression of those characters through the song. This angel of death-looking character representing this “new brand” of serious mental illness, and how it follows you around, sneaks up on you, and eventually pulls you down with it when left unchecked.”
“Waiting For Death To Begin” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now or watch the video on YouTube below.
PROJECT VELA is making big waves in the modern rock arena, without ever playing a live show. The melodic hard rock duo bridges electronic, pop and alternative elements to create a fresh, explosive sound that British metal magazine Fireworks hailed as “exciting and creative,” describing their EP Disconnected as “an album that will please fans of hard experimental energy driven cinematic rock.”
The entirely DIY project, from the musical minds of lead vocalist Scott Spriggs and multi-instrumentalist co-producer Travis Owen, is drawing comparisons to their own idols, including Linkin Park, Breaking Benjamin, Starset, and I Prevail. Since their 2017 debut, Project Vela has been steadily growing a devoted fan base of over 150,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, while racking up millions of streams on YouTube.
“It just started as kind of like an internet project,” Scott says of the remote collaboration, which only brings them together a few times a year for studio sessions. “It was just for fun, and it just kind of latched on to people and started taking off.”
Project Vela Is:
Scott Spriggs (drums/vocals/bass)
Travis Owen (guitar/keys)Connect With Project Vela:
https://found.ee/projectvela
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Press Contact:
Lance Waste for Heart Riot
Email: heartriotmedia@heartriotmedia
WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY / TIKTOK / TWITCH -
Vital Stats:
Artist: minimum champion
Release: Strangers (Single)
Release Date: 9/23/2022
Genre: Alternative Rock
Suggested For Fans Of: Third Eye Blind, Goo Goo Dolls, Gin Blossomsminimum champion has released their newest single, the radio-ready indie alt-rock track “Strangers”. The track is a strong debut for minimum champion, which is the solo project of STFLR frontman Nick Lopardo. Along with the single, minimum champion has also announced a debut EP, titled The Follower, out October 7th.
The EP was a long time coming for Lopardo, who has been writing the songs over the course of the past 15 years. “The songs on the ep are songs that I haven’t done anything with because I lacked confidence. One of the songs is the very first song I had ever written.”
The first single “Strangers”, Lopardo says “This single represents a return to the music I grew up with. It is who I really am. For the longest time, I felt that I wasn’t good enough of a musician to write a solo record. That fear helped me write this song oddly enough. I had to prove to myself that I can actually do this without the security of a full band behind me.”
Joining Lopardo on the single was Dan DelVecchio (Don’t Believe in Ghosts), who is Nick’s cousin and recording collaborator, on guitar, and Ray Marte (Moon Tooth) on drums. The single and EP were produced by Anthony Lopardo at Westfall Recording Company in Farmingdale, New York.
“Strangers” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now.
Minimum champion is the solo act of STFLR frontman Nick Lopardo. The project is a study of one person’s drive to write the best songs that he possibly can. An undying love for the craft and passion for creativity are the driving factors behind the music.
Connect With minimum champion:
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Press Contact:
Lance Waste for Heart Riot
Email: heartriotmedia@gmail.com
WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY / TIKTOK / TWITCH -
Vital Stats:
Artist: Giant Fetus
Release: Penis Envy
Release Date: 9/29/22
Genre: Alt Hip Hop
Suggested For Fans Of: Tyler, the Creator, Eminem, Denzel CurryMyrtle Beach, SC alternative rapper Giant Fetus has released his newest single, “Penis Envy”. The track is an indie alternative hip hop track perfect for Tyler, the Creator, or Denzel Curry fans.
Of the song, Giant Fetus says “Penis Envy is a Freudian theory about the desire for the castration of a male due to an unconscious envious demeanor towards the penis owner. Personally, I think that’s pretty fitting for an artist who’s already been told to change his name and watch his mouth, but if you want to get personal, I’ve also been going to therapy and working on my passivity. This is my attempt to gain my dick back…”
The music was written and produced by Keith Lail. The song was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Daryl Cherry at Arcadian Studios in Myrtle Beach, SC.
“Penis Envy” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now or watch the video on YouTube below.
Giant Fetus is an absurd rapper with a unique background. Having gone to college, earning a Master’s Degree to teach ELA classes, getting a “respectable job”, and then ditching it all to follow his dreams. He has many different influences including Kendrick Lamar, Kurt Vonnegut, Punk Rock, Existential Philosophy, and so much more. He is also a bisexual man who took way too long to come out but is currently on a path to becoming unapologetically himself. “The name “Giant Fetus” may seem offensive at first, but isn’t it interesting how people are made uncomfortable by the most common things like sex, death, or being a fetus?” says the rapper. “It’s literally a scientific term being put into a casual context. Fear not, the strange affect language has on people is exactly why I do this!”
Giant Fetus is performing on November 11th at Gator Tails in Myrtle Beach with Darling Waste, CyberTooth, Brian Roessler, and Solar Eclipse.
Connect With Giant Fetus:
LinkTree
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Press Contact:
Lance Waste for Heart Riot
Email: heartriotmedia@gmail.com -
San Diego, CA rock band Paper Forest has released their newest album, trick photographer. The album is released by It’s Okay, I’m Crying and contains 12 tracks.
The album started out as an EP of 4 to 5 songs before inspiration struck. “As we were recording the EP, I started trying to learn about the harmonium. I love how it sounds–super reedy, like a droning accordion. I felt enchanted by the harmonium. I recorded myself holding one or two chords, making these longer drone recordings. Then I would take guitar parts and make new arrangements, adding banjo and vocals. Just taking little fragments and turning them into songs. So this little EP that should have been done by the end of summer 2020 turned into this record.”
Paper Forest is an indie rock band from San Diego fronted by singer/songwriter Sean Burdeaux. Originally started in 2005, the band has developed through a myriad of iterations, both in the live setting and on recording. The current studio band features Trevor Mast (Birth, Joy), Brian Scafidi (D/Wolves, 10-19 & The Number Men), and Joel Kynan (Sweet Valley).
Paper Forest is primarily a songwriting project but with an ear for avant-garde experimentation. Inspired by Neutral Milk Hotel, Modest Mouse, Violent Femmes, boygenius, Wilco, Califone, Slothrust, Phoebe Bridgers, Big Thief, Haley Heyndrickx, Palehound, Broken Social Scene, Bright Eyes, Death Cab For Cutie.
You can listen to the album on all streaming platforms now! Hear it on Spotify now.
Paper Forest Is:
Sean Burdeaux – guitars, bass, banjo, harmonium, synthesizer, Rhodes, drum machine, vocals, shaker, mixing, production
Brian Scafidi – drums, bass, engineering, production
Joel Kynan – harmonium, trumpet, mastering
Trevor Mast – synthesizer, lap steel, whistling
Ava Mast & Olive Mast – background vocalsConnect With Paper Forest:
INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY / BANDCAMP / Paper Forest Website / It’s Okay I’m Crying Website
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Punk band Half Dizzy have released a new single! Check it out on our The Weekly Riot playlist this week!
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Vital Stats:
Artist: The Conduit
Release: Tripcode
Release Date: Sept 2022
Genre: Djent, Metalcore, Progmetal
Suggested For Fans Of: Periphery, Northlane, TesseractOrlando’s The Conduit has released its newest single “Tripcode”. The Conduit is a math metal project from composer Jeffrey Bobbin.
Lyrically, the song is about being true to yourself despite cultural influence. “It’s for people who feel alone because all their interactions feel the same and new ideas start to seem cliché if that makes sense,” explains Bobbin. “While writing it I had this strange feeling that I didn’t want people to infect me with their murky energy and negative thoughts, which I know is silly and I’m at risk of maybe sounding pretentious or elitist. I love people mostly, but lately, it seems like my hometown is isolated and closed off, everyone just speaks the same idea to not risk being a pariah and it feels like there’s no real connection, which ironically this song might inspire just that. No connection. It was more intended to elicit a sense of individualism. “
The track came at a time that The Conduit was gaining attention as the creator of Shuffle-Core. “As I was writing this song I had an album from 2016 go viral on Tik Tok, Icosahedral. I had a 17 second video explaining its concept, which is a 20-minute long song divided into 20 tracks, intended to be played on shuffle, so that it was listened to as one seamlessly randomized song. So I now call myself the pioneer of shuffle-core, a genre that’s optimal for Spotify engagement, because the stream-to-listener ratios are higher due to the fact that people have to listen to the full album on shuffle several times to verify that the concept works, and it doesn’t get old too fast because you’re never hearing the same song twice, unless you listen a billion times.“
“Tripcode” is the first single in a series of planned singles. The single has already been featured on Octane radio and The Metal Siren Podcast. It is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now or watch the video on YouTube below.
Pioneering the shuffle-core genre with the 20-track EP; Icosahedral, an album that was intended to be played as one randomized song experience that seamlessly merges musical phrases even when played on shuffle, The Conduit is a math metal composer creating music from Orlando, Florida. The sound is designed for listeners who desire complexity and a distinguished melodic profile. Most songs are comprised of Fibonacci rhythmic motives and meticulously head bang-able time signatures. Many songs are written with subliminal hypnotic scripts and include tempos that correspond with various planetary orbit speeds, most notably “Hiraeth” from the Abraxas Shrine album that corresponds with Jupiter’s orbit time. This was all written, performed, and engineered by Jeffrey Bobbin.
The Conduit is Bobbin’s personal music project where he composes all the instrumentation and vocals. He also mixes and masters everything at home. Bobbin is also the vocalist of a prog metal band in Orlando called TRAVERSING INFINITY.
Connect With The Conduit:
Spotify / Tiktok
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Press Contact:
Lance Waste for Heart Riot
Email: heartriotmedia@gmail.com -
Vital Stats:
Artist: Jody and the Jerms
Release: Waves (Single)
Release Date: 9-23-22
Genre: Indie Rock, Pop Rock
Suggested For Fans Of: The GoGos, Best Coast, Beach BunnyOxford, England indie rock band Jody and the Jerms has just dropped their newest single, “Waves”. The song is a jangly guitar and synth pop-rock track that features single Jody’s crystal clear vocals and the band’s knack for radio-ready, saccharine sweet indie rock production.
“Waves was written by Jody and myself over the course of a lazy Sunday afternoon in August,” explains guitarist Niall. “It started with some guitar chords and the melody and the lyrics flowed from there. It’s a song about obsession. We got together a week later in the studio and recorded it with the other four Jerms.”
“Waves” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now or watch the video on YouTube below.
Jody and the Jerms formed in the Summer of 2019 in Oxford, England, and have been writing, recording, and playing their infectious blend of melodic and uplifting indie/alt/jangle rock ever since – with national airtime on Radio X (UK), Rodney Bingenheimer on Sirius XM (USA), RTVE (Spain) and BBC 6 Music. The six-piece band – or sextet – released their second album Flicker in March 2022, followed by extensive UK touring.
With a prolific writing and recording ethic, the band is already planning the next album release in March of 2023 and plenty more live dates home and abroad. They are celebrating the release of their latest single with three UK shows.
September 18. Great Barn Festival
September 24. Lyric Theatre, Bridport
September 30. Spice of Life, Soho, LondonJody and the Jerms Is:
Jody – vocals
Niall Jeger – guitar and vocals
Peter James Millson – guitar and vocals
Alex Bridge – drums
David Meaden – bass
Robert Anwood – keyboardsConnect With Jody and the Jerms:
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Press Contact:
Lance Waste for Heart Riot
Email: heartriotmedia@gmail.com -
Vital Stats:
Artist: Chenél No.1
Release: Save Me (Single)
Release Date: 9.16.22
Genre: Alternative Rock/Rock
Suggested For Fans Of: Amy MacDonald, KT Tunstall, Sheryl CrowJohannesburg, South African alternative rock artist Chenél No.1 has released her latest single, “Save Me”. The track is an alternative rock song with driving guitars and emotive riffs that give it an edge of pain merged with a fierce vulnerability.
Thematically, “Save Me” is a song about breaking through the darkness, having a hand reaching out, and being saved. “Save Me is about a woman thankful that someone loves her enough to accept her with all her flaws, understands the darkness she dwells in, and is willing to pull her out,” explains Chenél. “I feel many people will relate to the emotions of the song as we all deal with frustration, pressure, and disappointment daily. It is a small comfort to know that when you are surrounded by those who love you, you can deal with all the obstacles that stand in your way.”
Although the theme of the song is dark, there is a hopefulness that lurks just beyond the shadows, wanting to draw you into the light. “Save Me was originally written just for myself as a creative outlet,” says Chenél No.1. “As a songwriter, I sometimes pour my heart into my lyrics and a reflection of what I’m feeling at that specific time. With Save Me I wanted to embrace the darkness I was feeling but also include the grateful aspect of having someone supporting me in what I’m experiencing.”
Along with the single, Chenél No.1 has also dropped a video for “Save Me”. The music video was approached in a completely DIY manner with one of Chenél’s friends recording the footage on her phone. “As independent artists, we’re always told not to let your lack of budget stand in the way of creativity and putting content out into the world. So I have embraced the fact that I cannot complete with high budget productions and make do with what I have available. I’m proud of what we created with the very limited resources available.“
“Save Me” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now or watch the video on YouTube below.
Chenél No.1 grew up on the sounds of Credence Clearwater Revival and The Shadows and has a great love for music. During the day she works as an operations manager, she’s married with three kids and pursues her music after hours. Starting her journey in late 2019, she released her first song and has since continued to share her signature sound through a number of well-received single releases such as She’s a Flamingo (2020), Master of Disguise (2021), Turquoise Tears and Shoot for the Stars (2022).
Chenél is pushing more towards the alternative rock genre lately while fusing a mix of folk and modern country sounds that are big on emotion with catchy melodies underpinned by great guitar riffs. 2022 saw her long-awaited acoustic EP, Turquoise Tears, released to widespread coverage on social media and internet radio play in the UK, Germany, Netherlands, and the US, as well as receiving placement on a leading South African Spotify curated playlist, SAlt.
The Turquoise Tears EP was followed up by two rock singles and a song in her mother tongue, Afrikaans, showcasing her flexibility as an artist. She was recently nominated in three categories of the Afri-Indie Independent Artists Music Awards 2022, winning the Best Newcomer Songwriter category. A new EP is taking shape in the studio, scheduled for a 2023 release.
Connect With Chenél No.1 :
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Press Contact:
Lance Waste for Heart Riot
Email: heartriotmedia@gmail.com -
Vital Stats:
Artist: Steady Decline
Release: Erase Me
Release Date: 8.21.22
Genre: Pop Punk, Emo, Punk
Suggested For Fans Of: Knuckle Puck, In Her Own Words, Like PacificDublin, Ireland pop-punk duo Steady Decline has released their newest single, “Erase Me”. The song is an emotionally charged track about being haunted by and trying to move on from a toxic relationship and was released on indie label Never Meant.
The track is an acoustic-tinged pop-punk ballad that showcases the duo’s vocals and melancholy songwriting, before kicking into a full band production with electric guitars, drums, and soaring vocals.
The song was a true labor of love for co-vocalist and guitarists Oscar Hackett and Jack Wright, who have been chiseling away at it for some time now. “Erase Me is a song that’s been lying around on the cutting room floor for a few years,” says the band. “It’s gone through various versions and during the last two years we finally got around to finishing it and recording it the way we always envisioned with our good friend and producer Ciaran Nevin.”
Produced, engineered, and mixed by Ciaran Nevin and mastered by Ste Kerry, “Erase Me” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now or watch the visualizer on YouTube below.
Steady Decline started when Oscar & Jack were both gigging as separate acoustic acts for years. Oscar’s old band All It’s Worth had just broken up, but songs were still pouring out of him so he booked some studio time and asked Jack if he wanted to come in and work on some new music. Shortly after, they joined forces, recorded their first EP Coping Mechanism, and began gigging in 2017. Over the next two years, they would regularly play Dublin, Galway & Belfast and share the stage with acts like Forever Came Calling, In Her Own Words & Kurt Travis.
In 2018 they released a split EP with Galway punk band Old Bean and toured Ireland & UK. After some time off during the pandemic they started demoing in our home studios and are now back with plans to gig and release music regularly. Their first release back in 2022 was the aggressively catchy pop-punk banger “Start Over”, which is a prime example of what Steady Decline is all about: fast music, dual vocals, catchy riffs, and songs that will get stuck in your head for weeks.
Steady Decline Is:
Oscar Hackett: Songwriter, Vocals & Guitar
Jack Wright: Vocals & GuitarConnect With Steady Decline:
Instagram / Facebook / Steady Decline Website / Never Meant Website
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Press Contact:
Lance Waste for Heart Riot
Email: heartriotmedia@gmail.com -
Vital Stats:
Artist: State Run Radio
Release: State Run Radio EP
Genre: Hardcore Punk
For Fans Of: Dag Nasty, One Step Closer, KoyoFarmingdale, NY hardcore punk band State Run Radio has released their debut EP, the self-titled State Run Radio EP. The 6 song EP is out now on Lemmis Records and features the singles “Our New National Anthem” and “Rent the Garden”.
On “New National Anthem”, State Run Radio took it upon itself to give America a new, better reason to stand at sporting events. “We had a conversation one day about the national anthem at rehearsal. And how we all hate it. It’s outdated, it uses words that aren’t even used anymore, it’s racist and it musically sucks,” explains the band. “We wrote the music to the song that same day recorded it and sent it home with Joe. A few weeks later he came in to rehearsal and was like I fixed the national anthem.”
The theme for “Rent the Garden” came up as a joke at practice. “This song is an uplifting one about going after your dreams. We randomly rented a gigantic rehearsal room for fun one night and used it to write new material. There were some jokes cracked about how dumb it was and how no one has probably ever used the space like this before. At some point, Matt busts out this total rock riff. There were a couple jokes about writing arena rock and someone said What are you going to rent next? The Garden? That was it, chorus was written.”
A lot happened between late 2001, the last time Brian Schatzel was in a band, and late 2020. Donald Trump, following 8 years of our first Black President, made racism acceptable and divided our country more than it has been since the civil war era. Then the pandemic hit and locked us all away. Needing an outlet more than ever, Brian began playing bass guitar and eventually assembling what would become State Run Radio. The band’s lineup was solidified when drummer Matt Pursino moved to second guitar and Dan Pursino joined Brian, Matt, founding guitarist Thomas Berghorn and vocalist Joe Mazzeo, to take over behind the drums.
The band is fueled by Political disgust and Media distrust which comes across in everything from the band’s name and Mazzeo’s lyrics to their cover of Marginal Man’s Missing Rungs and their Evil Mic artwork by Billy Sidebyside. State Run Radio released 2 EP’s back to back in August and September of 2022 while playing with Murphy’s Law at Amityville Music Hall in-between.
The first EP released, which is self-titled, contains 6 tracks showing the band’s progression from the early days of the pandemic. The first tracks Panic, A Thousand Crises and Rise Up are aggressive, fast-paced, and ripe with sing-alongs. On the fourth track, Rent The Garden, Mazzeo shows he can do more than sing aggressively and the guitars bring a rock feel to the riffs. Rat Bastard is a throwback with a lightning-fast thrashy feel, taking you to the most aggressive edge of the record. The last track, Our New National Anthem, busts out with melodic riffs and vocals, guitar solos, anthemic sing-alongs, and guest vocals by General George of Long Island Hardcore band Clockwise fame.
Both EP’s were Produced, Recorded and Mixed by George Fullan at General Studios and The Workshop East. All Mastering was done by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege. The Evil Mic artwork is by Brian Clark, aka Billy Sidebyside, bassist of Side By Side and artist of Gorilla Biscuits fame. A 12″ vinyl double EP containing both releases is available for pre-order on Lemmis Records and is expected to ship in early November.
The State Run Radio EP is streaming on all digital streaming platforms. Hear it on Spotify now or listen to “Our New National Anthem” on YouTube below:
State Run Radio is:
Vocals – Joe Mazzeo
Guitars – Thomas Berghorn & Matt Pursino
Bass – Brian Schatzel
Drums – Dan PursinoConnect With State Run Radio:
Website / Instagram
###
Press Contact:
Lance Waste for Heart Riot
Email: heartriotmedia@gmail.com -
Vital Stats:
Artist: Kanashii
Release: Nevermind (single)
Release Date: 09/09/22
Genre: Grunge, Shoegaze, Alternative
Suggested For Fans Of: Nirvana, NothingLexington, KY alternative shoegaze band Kanashii has released their newest single, the description “Nevermind”. The track is out on Cardigan Records and is a fuzzy, spaced-out midtempo rocker that feels equally at home next to 90s era grunge acts like Nirvana as it does with newer shoegaze acts such as Nothing.
Lyrically, the song is all about dealing with negative energy in our lives. “We all knew this person who would just come around and suck all the fun out of day-to-day life. To me, the song is about cutting out that negative energy and growing from it. “
“Nevermind” is the second single from a planned album rollout for the album Imposter Syndrome, due out October 28th, 2022. It follows the lead single “Afterglow”, which was released on March 15th, 2022. The single was recorded and produced by Luke Nagel of Lyra Productions in Nashville, which helped bring the band closer together. “We recorded “Nevermind” in Nashville with Luke, and we did tons of pranks on each other,” explains vocalist/guitarist Sammy Clifford. “During the recording, we pranked our bassist by spiking reaper pepper sauce on a sandwich and it was hilarious. Plus we got to explore the city in between recording sessions. It was so much fun and I feel like we really connected more as a band!“
“Nevermind” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now or watch the video on YouTube below.
Kanashii is a Modern Grunge/Shoegaze band from Southeastern Kentucky. The word, Kanashi, translates to sad, miserable, unhappy, or sorrowful person in Japanese. The band decided to use this name since the original creation of the band was to be an outlet to help cope with negative emotions. The band was formed during the 2020 pandemic by lead singer/guitarist, Sammy Clifford, as a way to convey empathy, grief, and many other emotions via musical expression. Joined by Gwynn Smitty on bass, Tyrah Millay on Drums, and Alec Edwards on Guitar the band has built a unique sound inspired by bands such as Nirvana, Deftones, My Bloody Valentine, and The Cure.
Kanashii is celebrating the release of their new single on September 10th with Escape The Fate at Headliners Music Hall in Louisville, KY.
Kanashii Is:
Sammy Clifford – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Gwynn Smitty – Bass
Tyrah Millay -Drums
Alec Edward – GuitarConnect With Kanashii:
Instagram / Facebook / Spotify / Cardigan Records
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Press Contact:
Publicist: Lance Waste for Heart Riot
Email: heartriotmedia@gmail.com -
Vital Stats:
Artist: Victoria Fire
Release: Fire (Single)
Genre: Hard Rock/ Alt Metal
Suggested For Fans Of: Flyleaf, Deftones, EvanescencePittsburgh, PA hard rock band Victoria Fire has recently dropped their debut single. The track, “Fire” is a hard-driving modern rock track with blazing riffs and soaring vocals, courtesy of vocalist and frontwoman Kaitlyn Washko.
Lyrically, the track was derived from Kaitlyn’s personal struggle with depression. “The song is about being in a state of shame and darkness, but ultimately battling through and finding the light,” explains Kaitlyn. “The moment you feel like yourself again is like nothing else, and once I made it through I truly felt like I was on fire and capable of accomplishing anything.”
Along with serving as the debut calling card for the band, “Fire” is also the lead single and the beginning of an EP rollout for an as-yet-to-be-named 6-track debut EP announced later this year. The EP is being recorded, mixed, and produced by Lee Causo Jr, features Dan Moore on drums, Sid Riggs on drum production, and is being mastered by Mike Fitz.
Victoria Fire has also dropped a firey music video to accompany the single. The video was directed by Keith Kelly of Nexus Sound Studio. “Shooting the video for ‘Fire’ was an incredible experience,” says guitarist Andy Oddo. “Keith Kelly and his team at Nexus Sound Studio were amazing to work with. Keith immediately picked up on our vision for the video and really hit it out of the park. We had pointed out how this was our debut to the world and we needed to capture the right vibe, and he definitely delivered on that for us.”
“Fire” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen now on Spotify or watch the video on YouTube below.
Victoria Fire is a female-fronted alternative hard rock band from Pittsburgh, PA. The band strives to deliver a varietal sound, blending delicate vocals with fiery screams and riff-focused instrumentals. Founding members Kaitlyn Washko (Vocals) and Andy Oddo (Guitar) crossed paths in late 2018 and found that they had a shared vision for a new project. After eventually rounding out the lineup with Oddo’s long-time bandmate Cory Schuster on bass and Dan Moore (former member) on drums, the pieces were in place.
The band quickly started writing material and playing shows all over their hometown of Pittsburgh. Victoria Fire has since shared the stage with national acts such as Elisium, 3 Years Hollow, Madame Mayhem, Actor/Observer, Convey, and Fame on Fire. The band has been working hard in the studio, putting the final touches on their debut EP, and will be announcing the EP title and release date in late 2022. The debut single and music video for their song “FIRE” was released on August 26th, 2022, giving fans a glimpse of what they can expect from Victoria Fire going forward.
Victoria Fire Is:
Kaitlyn Washko – Vocals
Andy Oddo – Guitar
Cory Schuster – BassConnect With Victoria Fire:
LINKTREE / SPOTIFY
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Press Contact:
Heart Riot Agency – Publicist: Lance Waste
Email: theheartriotagency@gmail.com
WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY / FACEBOOK / TIKTOK / TWITCH -
Vital Stats:
Artist: Dearly Departed
Release: HEARTLESS (Album)
Release Date: October 14th, 2022
Genre: Active Rock/Metalcore/Hard Rock
Suggested For Fans Of: I Prevail, Of Mice & Men, All that RemainsFargo, ND active rock band Dearly Departed has announced their new album, Heartless, to be released in October of this year. The band has previously released the singles “Hindsight” and “Quiet Echoes” as part of the album rollout, and what an album rollout it’s been! The band dropped “Hindsight” in December of 2020, right before Covid put everything on pause for the next two years. With the world turning again, Dearly Departed has restarted the album ramp up, releasing their latest single, “Quiet Echoes” in July and signed to Pittsburgh indie label standouts DI Records, who are releasing Heartless on October 14th.
Of the lead single “Hindsight”, Dearly Departed says the track is a song of regrets. “It’s really about how you wish you could have done things differently, how you wished you hadn’t taken some things for granted, and also how you wished that everything had just worked out. But all you can do is work with what turned out to be and move on.”
The band returned in July of 2022 with the second single “Quiet Echoes”. “The message of Quiet Echoes is from the standpoint of listening to the doubts about yourself. To put it simply it’s about the negative internal monologue that we think to ourselves. The chorus is a call and answer, where I am asking the listener if they feel/hear the same thing I do at times. It’s definitely not a very happy song albeit the solace comes in the form of not being alone in these thoughts, that many others experience the same thing and that brings about a sense of unity.”
The album was produced and mixed by Jeremy Schaffer (Earth Groans, Through Fire) and Joshua Barber (Norma Jean, The Devil Wears Prada) and will be out on DI Records on Oct 14th. The band is managed and mentored by Paul Olsen, formerly of North Dakota favorites The Suite. “Quiet Echoes” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen now on Spotify or watch the video on YouTube below.
Dearly Departed is a midwest active rock/metalcore band who aims to release songs all the way from melodic hard rock with catchy vocal melodies that’ll get stuck in your head to crushing metalcore with intense story and internal conflict that’s still appealing to the average listener. Doing nothing half-ass, the Minnesota quintet that makes up Dearly Departed, brings an intense live show, crowd pleasing riffs, and relatable vocals; who’ve supported industry heavy-hitters such as Beartooth, Wage War, Stitched Up Heart, Saving Abel, and more.
In their region, they have established themselves as one of the best up and coming hard rock acts, drawing hundreds of people in their local market along with interest and radio play on clear channel radio Q105.1 in Fargo, ND and 93X in Minneapolis, MN almost immediately after their debut in 2018.
Dearly Departed is celebrating the release of its album with Cold Kingdom, Ashfall, and Stovepipes on October 15th at TAK Music Venue in Dilworth, MN.
Dearly Departed Is:
Jesse Pabody – Vocals
Deven Jason – Guitar/Production
Alex Nikolas – Guitar
Hunter Bring – Bass
Jordan Rasmussen – DrumsConnect With Dearly Departed:
LINKTREE / WEBSITE / SPOTIFY
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Press Contact:
Heart Riot Agency – Publicist: Lance Waste
Email: theheartriotagency@gmail.com
WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY / FACEBOOK / TIKTOK / TWITCH -
Vital Stats:
Artist: Paper Forest
Release: Trick Photographer
Release Date: 9.22.22
Genre: Indie Rock
Suggested FFO: Modest Mouse, Neutral Milk HotelSan Diego, CA rock band Paper Forest has announced their newest album, Trick Photographer, out Sept 22nd on It’s Okay, I’m Crying. Along with the album announcement, the band has dropped their latest single “House In Your Head”. The song was a true labor of love for singer-songwriter Sean Burdeaux. “This song took the longest to write,” he explains. “I found an old video of me playing the guitar parts so I wouldn’t forget what they were, I guess I started writing what would become this song in 2017. I was struggling with lyrics, too. I was trying to explore anxiety and intrusive thoughts in a way that was genuine but still poetic.”
The song took shape during studio collaboration. “I went to Brian’s (drummer, engineer) studio to record the instrumental and it sounded great but something wasn’t right,” says Burdeaux. “Once I finished writing the lyrics to that original instrumental version, I wrote a new intro part and wanted the whole song to be faster. I sent the new version back over to Brian, who engineered and mixed most of the record, and asked him to record new drums for the song. Brian’s recordings were so good that they inspired to me make the songs better, so I’m really grateful for him helping me find my vision for these tracks and helping me bring them to life. This song is the strongest example of that kind of collaboration that made this whole record possible.”
The single was released as a mini EP, with two additional tracks, “See With Words” and “Dinnertime”. “See With Words” is a demo from 2015 and “Dinnertime” is an instrumental track. “There’s lots of delay and reverb on the acoustic guitars, heavy drumming from Brian, almost hip hop in feel. Kind of haunting. It sounds like a rainy night.”
The album, Trick Photographer, started out as an EP of 4 to 5 songs before inspiration struck. “As we were recording the EP, I started trying to learn about the harmonium. I love how it sounds–super reedy, like a droning accordion. I felt enchanted by the harmonium. I recorded myself holding one or two chords, making these longer drone recordings. Then I would take guitar parts and make new arrangements, adding banjo and vocals. Just taking little fragments and turning them into songs. So this little EP that should have been done by the end of summer 2020 turned into this record.”
“House In Your Head” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it now on SPOTIFY or watch on YouTube below.
Paper Forest is an indie rock band from San Diego fronted by singer/songwriter Sean Burdeaux. Originally started in 2005, the band has developed through a myriad of iterations, both in the live setting and on recording. The current studio band features Trevor Mast (Birth, Joy), Brian Scafidi (D/Wolves, 10-19 & The Number Men), and Joel Kynan (Sweet Valley).
Paper Forest is primarily a songwriting project but with an ear for avant-garde experimentation. Inspired by Neutral Milk Hotel, Modest Mouse, Violent Femmes, boygenius, Wilco, Califone, Slothrust, Phoebe Bridgers, Big Thief, Haley Heyndrickx, Palehound, Broken Social Scene, Bright Eyes, Death Cab For Cutie.
Paper Forest Is:
Sean Burdeaux – guitars, bass, banjo, harmonium, synthesizer, Rhodes, drum machine, vocals, shaker, mixing, production
Brian Scafidi – drums, bass, engineering, production
Joel Kynan – harmonium, trumpet, mastering
Trevor Mast – synthesizer, lap steel, whistling
Ava Mast & Olive Mast – background vocalsConnect With Paper Forest:
INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY / BANDCAMP / Paper Forest Website / It’s Okay I’m Crying Website
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Press Contact:
Heart Riot Agency – Publicist: Lance Waste
Email: theheartriotagency@gmail.com
WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY / FACEBOOK / TIKTOK / TWITCH -
Vital Stats:
Artist: Standard Broadcast
Release: I Meant What I Said
Release Date: 9.2.22
Genre: Indie Rock
Suggested For Fans Of: Cursive, Elbow, The FrayPittsburgh, PA indie rock band Standard Broadcast has released their newest single, “I Meant What I Said”. The indie rock track blurs the lines between classic rock, indie alternative like Cursive mainstream pop rock like The Fray. The single is part of a planned album, due out in Spring/Summer of 2023.
As far as the writing process, “I Meant What I Said” fell together easily and was a true group effort. “This was a super fun song that we wrote in one night. There was lyric input from almost every band member, which was a blast!”
The track was recorded by six-time Grammy Award-winning producer Jimmy Hoyson at The Vault Recording Studio. “Jimmy is amazing, super down to earth, and very easy to get along with.” said the and. “He obviously has a fantastic ear but along with that, he’s just got a great knack for musical composition.” In fact, Hoyson is responsible for the bridge on “I Meant What I Said”. “He liked our first take but told us we had to go back and figure out a bridge for the song. That was super cool and really lets you know he cares about the project.”
Standard Broadcast’s previous release, “Nothing Left”, premiered on Pittsburgh’s classic rock station 102.5 WDVE. The band also had the honor of recording the track “Cruisin’” by Smokey Robinson. Lead singer Nathan Jay has known Mr. Robinson and his wife Frances for over 15 years. “They asked us if we would record that track…which of course we did! They were even kind enough to let us record the music video in their home and use Smokey’s piano!”
“I Meant What I Said” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to “I Meant What I Said” on SPOTIFY or watch the video on YouTube below.
Standard Broadcast is fronted by Nathan Jay on piano and vocals, along with Leland Shaw (cello), Adam Seymour (guitar), Thomas Persson (bass), and Patrick Riley (drums). Formed in 2014, Nathan and Leland set out to create a more dynamic, catchy feel, without the traditional guitar/bass ensemble. After six months of songwriting, the duo went on to add hip-hop-driven beats. Add to that Nathan’s rhythmic piano skills and rock-inspired vocals, along with Leland’s classically trained cello experience, and their music developed into an indie flare. The band rounded out their lineup and is now a full five-piece outfit completely locked into their own unique sound.
The band is celebrating with a performance at Indie-Rockfest at Thunderbird Music Hall on Saturday, November 12th. This is the 6th annual Indie-Rockfest, a festival the band founded to raise money for independent musicians in Pittsburgh.
Standard Broadcast Is:
Nathan Jay: lead vocals/ keys
Leland Shaw: cello
Adam Seymour: guitar/vocals
Patrick Riley: drums
Thomas Persson: bassConnect With Standard Broadcast:
LINKTREE / INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY
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Press Contact:
Heart Riot Agency – Publicist: Lance Waste
Email: theheartriotagency@gmail.com
WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY / FACEBOOK / TIKTOK / TWITCH -
Vital Stats:
Artist: To Kill A Monster
Release: Whiskey
Release Date: 9/2/22
Genre: Rock, Alt
Suggested For Fans Of: Don Broco, Badflower, Foo FightersColumbus Ohio rock band To Kill A Monster has just dropped their latest song, “Whiskey”. The radio-ready single features some of the best songwriting the band has done to date and is sure to be an instant crowd pleaser.
Hilariously, the track started out as more of a take on a country song, than an actual full-fledged idea. “Lyrically, the song started kind of country-style, with the lyrics playing with the idea of that typical “hot” girl that everyone likes as the Tall Drink Of Water,” explains the band. “What started as a corny idea, slowly turned into a more straightforward radio-friendly rock song that hopefully will catch listeners in a way our catalog hasn’t yet.” Though the song may sound like a departure from To Kill A Monster’s previous offerings, that’s not something the band shies away from. “We’re never afraid to stray into any genre and hopefully everyone can enjoy this radio take while we continue with the rest of the wide range of music we’re working on.”
“Whiskey” was recorded at Black Moon Recordings with Bryan Ream and Unnus Latif. Along with the single, the band has also released a streaming visualizer. “Whiskey” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it now on Spotify or watch the video on YouTube below.
To Kill A Monster was born in 2008. Since the beginning, they have set out to produce a sound that is nearly indescribable and a live show that is totally unforgettable. To Kill A Monster maintains that music is better as an inspiration to be happy than a tool to promote negativity, this is why their songs are almost always upbeat, dancey, or at least about nerdy subjects. Not taking after any one band or a specific sound, they have always been influenced by bands like The Offspring, Story Of The Year, Eve 6, The Used, Every Time I Die, Weezer, Tenacious D, and countless others.
To Kill A Monster extensively plays shows anywhere they can, and want to reach as many more as possible. They’ve played everything from truck beds in yards, house parties, venues all over, to arenas, and festivals like Cornerstone, MSM Fest, and Vans Warped Tour.
To Kill A Monster’s mission is simply to help add some fun back into as many people’s lives as possible by means of their intense blend of super high energy alternative rock, dance, hardcore, punk, and pop that is lovingly full of rhythmic energy and originality. To Kill a Monster lives to write songs that provide inspiration and energy to achieve any goal and to do so with a smile on your face. Each song is written to be a direct reflection of the life, love, fun, and feelings of everyone and everything around them. Music is their life, passion, and dream. Music saved their lives and they do this in the hopes that To Kill A Monster can do the same for others.
To Kill A Monster Is:
Joey Lawson – Singer
Corey Melton – Drums
Scott Borealis – Guitar
James Barron – Guitar
Josh Spence – BassConnect With To Kill A Monster:
Instagram / Facebook / Spotify###
Press Contact:
Heart Riot Agency – Publicist: Lance Waste
Email: theheartriotagency@gmail.com
WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY / FACEBOOK / TIKTOK / TWITCH -
Cleveland alternative emo rock band Darling Waste has just released their first single on DI Records, “Sheets Over Windows”. The track is a fan favorite, which the band has played live for years, but never recorded. “We wrote the song with about fifteen other tracks for our third album, but the label that we were on was adamant about only releasing an 8-track ep,” explains Darling Waste singer-songwriter Lance Waste. “We were left with a handful of songs that we really liked that didn’t get released. Sheets is a favorite of mine and we tend to play it a lot during tours when we get bored of our current setlist.”
Over the years, fans began sharing live versions of “Sheets Over Windows” on YouTube and file-sharing services, making the song a popular single, even though it was never released. “It was really wild to play the song live in a town we’ve never even been in before, and people are singing along. Like, how do you know this?” says Waste.
Musically the single is a power-pop meets emo throwback reminiscent of bands like The Weakerthans and Dashboard Confessional. Lyrically the song is about trying to move on from tragedy. “Like a lot of our songs, especially at the time, Sheets is autobiographical.” Waste explains. “I had just ended a long relationship and was basically just hanging out with friends, sleeping through the day, going to parties, and rebounding the best I could. It was kind of, have fun or die trying, I suppose.”
Sheets Over Windows is now playing across all Digits Streaming Platforms. Hear the song on Spotify now, or watch the lyric video on YouTube below:
Darling Waste has spent two decades carving out a DIY niche for themselves as an emotional alt-rock band with a punk rock ethos and an indie folk soul. From Cleveland to Brooklyn to Brighton, England, and back again, Darling Waste has played over 900 full band shows and 300 solo shows in 11 countries while performing with acts like Blink-182, Fallout Boy, Panic ! At The Disco, Dashboard Confessional, Hawthorne Heights, The Ataris, Yellowcard, and Bayside.
Singer-songwriter Lance Waste started the band as a solo project in 2003, performing DIY shows around his native Cleveland, Ohio. His single “Changing Of The Seasons” was picked up by local radio and soon caught fire, being added to rotation on over 100 stations. Waste soon moved to Brooklyn, New York, and recruited friends to fill out the band and hit the road, performing on a self-booked national tour in support of their first album, selling 11,000 copies along the way. The band quickly became one of the prominent underground acts of the mid-2000s indie emo scene, racking up over 1 million plays on Myspace.comDarling Waste’s music has been featured on MTV, VH1, HBO, Showtime, and in feature films as well as played over 10k times on the radio. The band relocated to Brighton, England in 2009, and their UK album, I Am Born saw Darling Waste nominated at the Brighton Music Awards, where they presented alongside Jimmy Page (Led Zepplin) and Roger Daltry (The Who). The band released a Hot Topic exclusive EP in 2010, following it up with an East Coast in-store performance tour before heading back across the pond for their first UK and EU headlining tours.
Darling Waste released five full-length albums and four EPs before going on hiatus in 2017. Now Darling Waste has reformed, released the new single “Sheets Over Windows” on DI Records, and has an EP due out this Fall. They are performing select festivals and headlining sets for the rest of 2022.
Connect With Darling Waste:
-
Vital Stats:
Artist: Salvo
Release: The Traveler (Album)
Release Date: 8-24
Genre: Rock
Suggested For Fans Of: Pain, Weezer, Foo FightersBirmingham, Al rock band Salvo has just released their new album, The Traveler, on Asbestos Records. The 14-track album features the singles “Anything Can Happen Day“ and “Crime of the Century“. “It is an album that rocks and is filled with passion and love, and most members of the human race can happily enjoy it just on that level,” explains the band. “But the compositions are complex, too–sometimes deceptively so, and people who love intelligent and surprising music will listen over and over and still catch things they hadn’t before!”
Many of the band members of Salvo used to be in Pain, who released four albums and toured heavily in the ’90’s, earning a nationwide fan base that remains gleefully loyal. Pain produced videos, recorded for Cartoon Network, had their songs included in television soundtracks and worked relentlessly as one of the most unique pop-punk bands to come out of the post-grunge era. After a much-needed hiatus, most of Pain has returned as Salvo. Frontman, Dan Lord, and guitarist, Adam Guthrie, have assembled veteran bandmates and brilliant new talent to create Salvo, and their new music is garnering new generations of eager fans.
The album was recorded at Ol’ Elegante Studio in Birmingham, AL, in the Winter of 2021 & Spring of 2022. Releasing the album on Asbestos Records was years in the making. “Matt Flood, the CEO of Asbestos Records, was a longtime fan of the music we’d produced previously and had discussed the possibility of a new record with Salvo guitar player, Adam Guthrie, a few times over a couple of casual beers,” explains the band. “Nothing could ever lift off, though, because the band was scattered and in limbo. Finally, we re-formed as Salvo, and as we were preparing to make our second record under that name, we struck up a timely conversation with Matt again and he happily agreed to join forces with us.”
The Traveler is now available on all digital streaming platforms and is currently for sale on vinyl and CD through Asbestos Records. Listen to “Crime Of the Century” now on Spotify or watch the video on YouTube below.
Anything Can Happen Day and Crime of the Century
Salvo’s music has the kind of melodic style, catchy beats, dynamic instrumentation, and evocative lyrics that Pain always delivered, but with a new maturity and mastery that leaves listeners delighted. They are celebrating the release of The Traveler with an Album Release and street party in Winston-Salem,NC on Sept 3rd.
Winston-Salem, NC September 3, 2022 Album Release and Street Party.
Salvo Is:
Dan Lord: vocals, co-songwriter
Adam Guthrie: guitars, co-songwriter
Adrian Marmalejo: bass
Will Hudson: drums
Christopher Johnson: saxophone
Jason Reid: trombone
Jack Pritchet: trumpet
David Hornbuckle: keys
Rachael Wilson: guitars, vocalsConnect With Salvo:
INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY / APPLE MUSIC / TIKTOK / WEBSITE
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Press Contact:
Heart Riot Agency – Publicist: Lance Waste
Email: theheartriotagency@gmail.com
WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY / FACEBOOK / TIKTOK / TWITCH -
Vital Stats:
Artist: MESSMAKER
Release: We Are The Architects (single)
Release Date: 8-19-22
Genre: Rock, Alternative, Indie
Suggested For Fans Of: Panic at the Disco, Switchfoot, U2
Cleveland indie alt-rock duo MESSMAKER has just released their latest single, “We Are The Architects“. The track marks their first release since their debut album, 2020’s Through The Fire. Musically, the track sees the band take a slightly more mature turn in production while continuing to perfect the sound they started on the first album.
Lyrically “We Are The Architects” is the band’s rejection of the acquiescence to the mundane. “Everyone is born with an innate creativity; we see the world as full of possibilities and are not bound by the limitations of what others believe is possible,” explains the band. “As we grow up and grapple with the pressures of adulthood, it’s far too easy to lose connection with that vision and belief that we can make the world a place we want to live. We get to choose what the future will be, for our generation and those that come after.”
This song was originally released as a stripped-down acoustic song for lead singer Michael McFarland’s solo project, but has become such a beloved anthem that MESSMAKER decided to release it as a full band track. “We decided to give it the full MESSMAKER treatment, and suddenly it felt like it had become the song it was always supposed to be,” says the band. “This is also the first MESSMAKER release for which Freja played drums, and when we got in the studio she nailed it on the first take!”
MESSMAKER has also released a new video for “We Are the Architects”, which includes a nod to the original solo video. “When Michael originally released the song under his own name, he stood in front of a black sheet, set up a couple lamps around him, and filmed himself singing the song with his phone. He layered the lyrics over that and called it a day,” says the band. “When it came to making a video for this new version of the song, we decided to pay homage to the past, but give it some more MESSMAKER flavor. One of the hallmarks of our live performances is our light show, so we pointed ALL of our lights at Michael, and used that same phone to film him singing the song.”
“We Are The Architects” is now playing across all digital streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now, or watch the video on YouTube below.
Aggressively catchy melodies pair with soul-filled lyrics in MESSMAKER’s refreshing take on indie rock. Lighting up stages as a power duo, musical architect Michael McFarland and versatile percussionist Freja McNeal bring the energy of an arena show to every performance. Garnering comparisons ranging from modern rock acts such as Panic At the Disco and Bastille, McFarland’s songwriting is frank, expressive, and clever, and joined by McNeal the Cleveland, Ohio-based act elevates the material on stage with a seemingly inexhaustible energy. Showing a maturity of style and sound that has developed through years of travel, relationships, heartbreaks, and reinventions, MESSMAKER’s music contains talent, passion, and lyrics that come from the heart. The result? A big, bright, and lovestruck slice of anthemic indie rock.
MESSMAKER is celebrating the release of We Are The Architects at the Five O’Clock Lounge in Lakewood Ohio with friends MOSSOM and The Parlor Crows on Friday, August 19th
Messmaker Is:Michael McFarland – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Freja McNeal – Percussion, Samples, Backing VocalsConnect With Messmaker:
INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY / LINKTR.EE / YOUTUBE###
Press Contact:
Heart Riot Agency – Publicist: Lance Waste
Email: theheartriotagency@gmail.com
WEBSITE / INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY / FACEBOOK / TIKTOK / TWITCH -
Vital Stats:
Artist: #lameassdads
Release: Greetings from Nowhere, Ohio (Album)
Release Date: TBA
Genre: Pop Punk
Suggested For Fans Of: MxPx, Blink-182, Millencolin#lameassdads is a pop-punk band from Toledo, Ohio, who has just announced the vinyl release of their album Greetings from Nowhere, Ohio. The vinyl is being released by Punkerton Records. It’s being released as random mix color vinyl so each record will be an unique, one of one. The vinyl release also features two bonus tracks, one of which has never been released!
Musically, the goal of the album was to make the type of fun, nostalgic pop-punk music that the members of the band grew up on. “We set out to make an album that we would want to listen to,” explains the band. “We recorded the whole album in Ryan’s house. The entire process was extremely therapeutic and we joked that it was way cheaper than talk therapy. If you’re a fan of that 90’s pop-punk/alternative sound we think you’ll really enjoy our songs. We grew up on that style of music, love it, and hope we did it justice.”
The album was preceded by the singles “Nowhere, Ohio”, “Days Pass By”, and “My Favorite Boys”. “Nowhere, Ohio” caught the attention of Punkerton Records founder Brandon Lewis, who used it as the official theme song for his successful summer festival, Hell Is Ohio. “The first time I heard “Nowhere, Ohio” I was blown away,” explains Brandon, “I’m so stoked about this. This is my label’s very first vinyl release. The pre-order is going a lot faster than I could have ever anticipated!”
#lameassdads is a pop-punk band from Toledo, Ohio whose members are, well… #lameassdads! The band was formed in early 2021 when two friends, Ryan and Andy, decided they still had some gas in the tank for songwriting and creating. Now in their late 30s with real jobs, families, and responsibilities, they realized they still needed an outlet to get their adult angst out. Inspired by artists such as Blink-182, Bad Religion, MxPx, and Descendants, they began collaborating together on their first collection of original songs. Together they tackle topics of long sleepless nights, the hard but rewarding job of parenting, loss of loved ones, falling in love, personal growth, and remembering the glory days that led them to where they are now. They tapped friends Tim (Drums) and Dan (Guitar/Background Vocals) to join the band and help bring their songs to a live audience.
You can pre-order the album here.
#lameassdads Is:
Ryan – Guitar/Vocals
Andy – Bass/Vocals
Tim – Drums
Dan – Guitar/Background VocalsConnect With #lameassdads:
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“It’s A” is the brand new single from rapper SCOOB ROCK. The song sneaks in with a single note played on a warbly organ with a lo-fi beat before SCOOB ROCK hops on the track for the first verse. SCOOB ROCK has a gravely, world-weary voice that will draw comparisons to artists like Nas or Ghostface Killa, only with a slightly deeper timbre. Flow-wise, SCOOB ROCK is also compatible to 90s East Coast MCs like Jay-Z or Biggie, which makes sense since he has spent time in New York.
On “It’s A”, the soulful hook offers a nice juxtaposition from the grittiness of the rapped vocals and the subject matter. The beat is a nice, laid-back joint that will make you bob your head and has just enough production to not make the song boring or too cliche. However, SCOOB ROCK does most of the heavy lifting on the track, painting lyrical pictures that showcase his lyrical and storytelling abilities.SCOOB ROCK performs rap with a personal style and characteristic voice. He started out break dancing at an early age and soon found out he had the skills to mc. SCOOB ROCK’s mother is from the West Indies and that’s where the Caribbean influences come from. When he grew up, he moved around a lot, staying in places like Africa, England, US, Caribbean, and Sweden. With his personal style and characteristic voice he has shown that he feels equally at home on stage in Stockholm as well as in New York and Berlin.
Rap with a personal style and characteristic voice
SCOOB ROCK has been into hip hop since he was 12 years old.
“It’s A” is now playing across all digital streaming platforms. You can hear it on Spotify or YouTube now.
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Vital Stats:
Artist: Marko Bojkovic
Release: Venom
Release Date: 7.28
Genre: Metal
Suggested For Fans Of: Trivium, Meshuggah, Dream TheaterFlorida metal guitarist Marko Bojkovic has released his latest album, Venom. Musically, the album is a mixture of progressive metal, death metal, power metal, and thrash metal, with a hint of influence from anime and video game OSTs. Venom was over two years in the making, beginning in 2020 when Covid hit. “Recording was on hiatus during the final months of that year so I could finish up grad school,” explained Marko. In 2021, he continued to compose and record, with the project eventually becoming a collaboration between many of Marko’s talented friends. “I’d like to give a huge thank you to my friends Brandon Delpino of Kiss of Betrayal and the Mourning for writing lyrics, Chris Savipoulos of DeathtrucK for his killer vocal work, and my bandmate/brother in shred from Spiritual Chaos, Anthony DiFiglio, for his sick solo at the end of his song and telling me about Chris.”
The album was preceded by two lead singles, “My Strength Returning“, and the title track “Venom”. The three-and-a-half-minute instrumental track is a wild ride of riffs, blast beats, and of course, what any great metal instrumental should have, sick-ass guitar solos.“Venom is one of my favorite villains from Spider-Man, so I actually wanted to make a Venom-themed album when I bought my 8-string back in 2016,” explains Bojkovic. “Over time, I ended up making it the first song I ever wrote in an open tuning, and I think it suited Venom a lot better and made this song even more special to me!”
“Venom” was produced and mixed by James Lewis, who also provided the drum programming. The single is currently playing across all digital streaming platforms. Listen to it now on Spotify, or on YouTube below.
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On “My Strength Returning”, Bojkovic reflects on his physical journey. “When Covid hit back in 2020, I stopped going to the gym,” explains Marko. “This lead to me losing a significant amount of strength. I returned to working out in January 2021, but I couldn’t lift as heavy as I did before Covid. I don’t like to give up, so I kept training and training for several months, and eventually, I was able to lift heavier than I ever did before Covid! I almost ran out of ideas to write one more song for this album, but this story immediately came to mind, and to emphasize my strength/power coming back, I added power metal elements to it! This song also has my absolute favorite guitar solo that I ever wrote in it!” You can hear “My Strength Returning” on YouTube below:
Marko’s musical style has progressed over the years from traditional thrash metal to a style that blends all sorts of metal such as progressive, death, extreme, power, and thrash metal. This growth reflects in the album’s dark-and-then-light nature, with the goal of making an album that fans of all types of metal can enjoy, while making sure to put little treats for the anime fans and gamers! Outside of his personal music, Marko plays guitar in Spiritual Chaos. “It’s a brand new band, so we’re working on material to be released soon.” says Bojkovic
Marko’s music is perfect for fans of Trivium, Meshuggah, Allegeaon, Obscura, Dream Theater, Firewind, Sabaton, Powerwolf, Iron Maiden, Kiko Loureiro/Angra, and Leprous. Venom is currently playing across all digital streaming platforms.
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Vital Stats:
Artist: Omar Feliciano
Release: House of Aragon
Release Date: 8/1/22
Genre: Punk-rock, Indie-rock, Emo-rock
Suggested For Fans Of: Rise Against, Pedro the Lion, The WeakerthansQueens, NY singer-songwriter Omar Feliciano has just released his newest album, the 12-track House Of Aragon. This intimate album as a whole dives into and reflects on topics such as systemic racism, history, the prison system, human rights, the struggling and misunderstood artist, social media, friendships, loss, and relationships. The album was preceded by the singles “Family Anchor”, “Snap”, and “Momma Calls”, “Family Anchor”, an acoustic song that truly tugs on the heartstrings while dealing with the loss of a loved one.
“Snap” asks the questions about how long a society must go on being a punching bag, while “Momma Calls” is a song that reflects on the exploitation and imprisonment of jailed individuals. “Momma Calls is a song about exploitation and imprisonment,” explains Feliciano. “Inspirations for this song came from life and a very special Ted Talk featuring Bianca Tylek on the subject along with books like The Prison Industry: How it started. How it works. How it harms by Worth Rises and PUSHOUT by Monique W. Morris.”Along with the single, Feliciano released a music video for “Momma Calls”. The video was directed and filmed by Danilo Cordova (The Dreamland Fire) and features artist, singer, and actress Detra Denise in the role of the mother.
House of Aragon was recorded and produced at Audio Pilot Studio in Byram Township, NJ by Robert Freeman. All songs on the album were written by Omar Feliciano and the album features musical contributions from David Dones (Fit For Rivals), Robert Freeman (Hidden in Plain View), Nicholas Dean Narlis (The Phoenix Within), Eleftherios Taliakos, and Juan Ismael Morocho.
The album is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to House of Aragon on Spotify.
Omar Feliciano is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Queens, NY. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology from CUNY York College and is currently a member of the Recording Academy.
Omar Feliciano is also the founder and frontman of the rock band The Phoenix Within. The Phoenix Within has performed live at festivals like Blue Ridge Rock Festival, and INKcarceration, and has opened up for acts like A Skylit Drive, Vinnie Caruana, and The Color Fred.
Feliciano has published three guitar chord songbooks and one coloring book all based off of musical content released by The Phoenix Within. Omar is currently endorsed by PICKBOY Guitar Picks, Pig-Hog cables, and GHS Guitar strings.
Catch Omar Feliciano live in August on the following dates:
8/10/22 Sovereign, NY
8/12/22 Flemington DIY, NJ
8/13/22 Crunch House, CTConnect With Omare Feliciano:
INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY / LINKTR.EE / YOUTUBE
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Press Contact:
Heart Riot Agency – Publicist: Lance Waste
Email: theheartriotagency@gmail.com -
Trap emo artist Tirful has released their newest single, “Any Easy Intimacy”. The song opens with a soulful guitar riff before breaking away into full times drums and Tirful’s vocals before finally dropping into a full trap emo ballad complete with 808 drums and ticking high hats. “This song is both a throwback to the 00s emo bands I grew up listening to and a combination of influences from the more recent emo trap/emo rap movement that has also been a huge inspiration to me,” explains Tirful.
“Any Easy Intimacy” was made in collaboration with the guitarist of the band Cassus, of which Tirful is also a member and emo rap artist Brody. “The band plays much heavier screamo/post-hardcore, but both of us still love our melodic emo roots, so it’s great to explore this as a fresh direction with Tirful,” they explain. “I was also incredibly excited to have Brody feature on the song as he is a master of the emo rap genre and I’ve been a fan of his own music for years.”The track was a labor of love for everyone involved. “The song is entirely home-recorded and self-produced, so it’s about as DIY as you can get,” explains Tirful. “Even the music video on my YouTube was shot on my phone and put together myself with zero budget!”
The single is now available across all major streaming platforms and YouTube. Listen to “Any Easy Intimacy” on Spotify or watch the video on YouTube below.
Tirful is a solo artist from Norwich, UK. Tirful’s roots are in the DIY hardcore scene, being the vocalist of the bands Cassus and Tellus Effluentia. Tirful began in early 2020. Fans of Nothing Nowhere, Smrtdeath, and Lil Lotus will love the soulful trap emo of Tirful!
Connect With Tirful:
INSTAGRAM / SPOTIFY / TIKTOK / FACEBOOK
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Press Contact:
Heart Riot Agency – Publicist: Lance Waste
Email: theheartriotagency@gmail.com
GET HYED 