Conway, SC hip-hop artist Giant Fetus has just dropped his latest single “Say What?“. The witty, lyrical track will undoubtedly draw comparisons to Tyler, the Creator, Denzel Curry, and Eminem.
Of the song, Giant Fetus says “Say What? is kind of a testament to who I am as an artist and who I am as a person. It has many different parts and feelings that all rush at you in a manic frenzy. It’s easy to get caught up in what we can guess is cool next, what we know is no longer important, and what other people think of what we do. This one is more of a reminder to really just be yourself and do what makes you feel good because nothing really matters!”
The beat was created and produced by Occult JAM and was recorded, mixed and mastered by Dee Cee at Arcadia Studios. “Say What?” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now or watch the video on YouTube below.
Giant Fetus is somewhere between an academic philosopher and a sketchy vagrant, and sometimes both. Growing up split between privileged suburbia and ragged trailer parks due to joint custody, he has always felt kind of in the middle of everything. From playing in rock bands, living in a shed, to eventually publishing poetry with his University it is easy to find inspiration from all around. Giant Fetus is basically what happens when Sisyphus decides to keep pushing the boulder, but this time with some Beats by Dre!
Artist: UNIITY Release: One-Step (Closer To The Edge) Release Date: 11/25 Genre: Punk/ Electro Punk / Nu Punk Suggested For Fans Of: Deli Girls, N8NOFACE, Crystal Castles
Heart Riot client, Electro punk musician UNIITY has released their newest single, the edgy, hip, and aggressive “One-Step (Closer To The Edge)”. Lyrically, UNIITY uses her experiences as an LGBTQ+, POC woman to craft an anthem of empowerment for those who have experienced abuse and racism in their daily lives.
“One-Step (Closer to the Edge) is a glimpse of my unapologetic and raw anger towards the complexities of being a black woman in the music industry and hints at the abuse I and many single mothers in my community encountered,” explains Raven Clark, the brainchild behind UNIITY. “The constant belittling remarks, racism, over-sexualization at a young age, and the lack of credit is just the surface of the things I, and many other musicians of color, constantly battle. It’s the final answer to the question of ‘What happens when your cup has spilled over?’ “
“One-Step (Closer to the Edge)” is the first step of an album rollout cycle for UNIITY‘s upcoming debut album, HER TEETH, released May 12, 2023. It was produced by Phyuture Phyx (Joshua Hall), sickboy (Shay Magleby), Raven Clark (Unity) and features band member William Blake. Along with the single, there is a planned music video released in December, filmed by Trigger Happy Production.
“One-Step (Closer to the Edge)” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now or watch on YouTube below.
UNIITY is the new, genre-warping, Avant-punk brainchild of Raven Clark, a Philadelphia-raised artist currently based in Cleveland, OH. Her mission and legacy is the unification of the emerging scene of independent, LGBTQ+, POC women in punk. Raw, gritty, and experimental- UNIITY pushes the boundaries of what is considered punk music, pulling as much influence from hip-hop and techno as from black metal or hardcore. Distorted electronic beats and massive ambient guitars support gut-punching vocals that can range from hissing to singing to unclean screams that seem impossible for her small stature.
UNIITY’s EP titled, HIIVES is a collection of 10 works chosen from a much larger unreleased discography for their themes of personal sacrifice, death, hopelessness and the ever present struggle that accompanies being a woman of color living in poverty. HIIVES was released in March of 2022 following the conclusion of her first tour at the age of eighteen. UNIITY‘s debut album titled, HER TEETH showcases the new works of UNIITY under a mature and polished spectacle. Taking influence from artist such as Zheani, Boy Harsher, and N8NOFACE, “HER TEETH” is a more evolved sound from her first EP.
In just under two years, nineteen-year-old UNIITY has gone from attending basement shows on the streets of West Philadelphia to building bridges and a strong community for young punks of color in multiple cities such as Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Baltimore. Garnering most of her attention from having shared the stage with the likes of White Ring, Sect Unit, Kris Baha, Mvtant, Trace Amount, and many more.
Artist: The Region Release: “Under The Rug” (Single) Release Date:11-4-22 Genre: Post-hardcore/Metalcore/Emo Suggested For Fans Of: A Day to Remember, Knocked Loose, Wage War
(For Release On Or After 11.04.22)
Hard-hitting pop punk/emo trio The Region has released their newest single, “Under The Rug”. The track is the first song to feature bassist Phil Cyprian on vocals and kicks off with an oversaturated guitar riff before kicking into a full frontal onslaught of Metalcore riffage and Cyprian’s guttural vocals, all before giving way to a soaring melodic hook.
“Under The Rug” follows the release of previous singles “I Was Wrong” and “Peace Of Mind”. Musically, the track is the heaviest song The Region has released to date. “We all have a soft spot for heavy music, so this one was a blast to make,” says the band. “We can’t wait to see the reaction to it in a live setting!”
“Under The Rug” was produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by Jake Cyprian with artwork by Delta Options. The band has also released an eye-catching visualizer to accompany the single. “Under The Rug” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now or watch the visualizer on YouTube below.
The Region is a hard-hitting pop punk/emo trio from the outskirts of Chicago. Their music is dynamic and heartfelt, blending heavy and melodic elements with nostalgic overtones. Some of their most notable accomplishments include being recognized by Alternative Press as Indiana’s rising pop punk band, performing in front of sold-out crowds in the Chicagoland area, their music being featured on ‘The Scene’ & ‘All New Punk’ Spotify editorial playlists, and their songs being aired on Chicago’s 101 WKQX radio station. They have also collaborated with artists such as Free Throw and Violeteyez.
Having shared the stage with acts such as Knuckle Puck, Seaway, Homesafe, Handguns, Hundredth & more, The Region leaves a memorable impact with their passionate and energetic live performance.
The Region Is:
Phil Cyprian – Vocals/Bass Jake Cyprian – Vocals/Guitar Jon De St. Jean – Drums
Toronto Punk artist Fluffio has released a cover of Rocky Horror Picture Show’s seminal classic “Time Warp”, just in time for Halloween! Fluffio has teamed up with female powerhouse Vilivant for a punked-up spin on the iconic dance number, which features all of the iconic sing-along-worthy melodicism from the original while adding an all new hard hitting, more explosive take on the track.
The original song was used as a reference throughout the creation process to ensure justice was done, but there were no limits to creativity when creating the new track. Fluffio & Vilivant’s “Time Warp” is largely dynamic with ska-esc sections culminating to a sonic explosion that feels more like a metal track. Production was done 100% DIY from start to finish in Fluffio’s recording studio recruiting talented musician friends from the Toronto Music Scene to play each instrument and sing backup vocals. The song features guests Tyler Twigger on Drums and Jesse Grant (of In a Bag) on Bass. With additional harmonies from Elena Levy and Nick Mokrezewski (of Whisper Gang).
“Time Warp” is a fantastic alternative pop-punk take on a true classic, perfect for fans of Green Day, Blink-182, Yungblud, Dirty Nil and MGK. It is currently playing across all digital streaming platforms. Listen to the track on Spotify now, or on YouTube below:
About the artists:
Hailing from Toronto, Fluffio has managed to develop a platform for himself just as diverse as the city he’s come from. Forging his own form of punk; loud guitars, catchy melodies, upbeat rhythms, and thought-provoking poetic lyricism all combine to deliver a mature sound with a juvenile undertone- perhaps only to be described as nursery rhymes on drugs.
Fluffio’s music unites perfectly with his never-ending energy and bold fashion to constantly plant lasting experiences in every audience member’s mind.
VILIVANT (Julia Gentile) is a Canadian hard rocker that quickly made it in the music scene at a very young age. Drawing heavily from influences such as Halestorm, The Pretty Reckless, and Three Days Grace, she created her first self-titled EP.
With continuous success on radio, her two singles reached #89 and #98 on the top 100 Canadian rock radio charts; thus garnering a fanbase across the country and internationally. Though LIVE shows were at a standstill during the pandemic, she continued to play at virtual festivals. During this time she was selected as a Top 5 Regional Finalist for Jim Beam’s National Talent Search and won the Toronto Region with her LIVE off-the-floor performance video of her song ‘Stabilized.’ VILIVANT was also given the opportunity to open for Canadian award-winning rocker Lee Aaron at the sold-out El Mocambo. After receiving the Juried Sound Recording grant from FACTOR Canada,
Artist: Fire By Night Release: Ghost Release Date: 10.28.22 Genre: Modern Rock, Alt Rock Suggested For Fans Of: CrazyEightyEight, Paramore, Biffy Clyro
Phoenix Arizona Alt Rock band Fire By Nigh thas released their newest single, “Ghost”, just in time for Halloween Weekend. The track is a hard modern rock song that showcases the powerful vocals of Kai Vander Maten.
The song is the band’s follow up to the single “Menagerie”, which released in Spring of 2022. The band is releasing an acoustic version of the song and video to go along with the release.
“Ghost” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now or watch the video on YouTube below.
Fire By Night is a modern rock band based out of Phoenix, Arizona. The project was initially created by long-time friends Chris Cleland (guitar and vocals) and Kailee Vander Maten (lead vocals) in the summer of 2018. The duo’s powerful storytelling is accentuated by mournful, tearing vocals and heavy-hitting guitar riffs. They were recently joined by the young powerhouse drummer, Faith Powell, and together, they seek to help others feel heard, recognized and understood. Their style is influenced by the likes of Crazy Eighty Eight, Lower than Atlantis, and Biffy Clyro.
Fire By Night Is:
Chris Cleland – Guitar, Vocals Kai Vander Matan – Vocals Faith Powell – Drums
Alternative Emo artist Embers has released his new EP, EMO SZN. The EP was written over the course of COVID, as Embers found himself dealing with the same mental health issues many of us had during lockdown. “I recorded EMO SZN over the course of a few months in my home studio when COVID had hit its peak,” explains Embers. “Having no work as the music industry was collapsing, I found myself dealing with a spiral in my mental health. I used these songs as a way to cope when I was struggling and I feel it’s a solid look into where my mindset was at the time. I hope people who have had the same struggles can relate to this album and find peace in my words and comfort in the empathy my music portrays.”
The EP was proceeded by lead single “Last Call”, a song about using vices to cope with grief. “After going through a rough breakup, sometimes numbing the pain is the best way to re-cleanse yourself. This was the first song I tracked as Embers and it came to me quickly. I recorded it in my home studio over COVID dwelling on loneliness and using this EP as an outlet. It all started here.”
Along with the EP drop, Embers is releasing the single “Wake Up”. Of the track he says, “This song is a look into my nightmares. It touches on all the pain and cycles of trauma that can revolve in your mind that make it hard to sleep some nights. It’s for anyone who has struggled with physical abuse, emotional abuse, anxiety, and mental health which is a reflection of some things I’ve personally encountered in my life.”
EMO SZN was engineered, mixed, and mastered by Eric Mitchell, produced, engineered and written by Jason Wildes, with additional production from Chris Freeman (Bay Harbor) and Sean Tolley (Clarity Recordings). It is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now.
Embers. The remnants of the fire that continue to burn. That refuse to die. That prevail, and glow, long after the flames subside. It’s also an apt moniker for the groundbreaking artist behind the forthcoming album: EMO SZN. Plenty of trends arrive hotter than hell and quickly turn to ash. But on Embers’ debut EMO SZN, the artist mines, illuminates, and transfigures only those elements of the last quarter century of pop music that have endured and maintained heat, rekindling them into a wide-ranging, genre-melding inferno that is at-once powerful, beautiful, vulnerable, courageous, and raw.
Embers is a new vessel. Yet, in a very real sense, EMO SZN is the consequence of a long, winding path of artistic evisceration and self-discovery: a death-defying career spent immersed in the trenches of the visual and performing arts. Perhaps this is why Embers is able to so deftly intertwine contrasts—beauty and darkness, aggression and melody, grit and real pathos, the organic and the synthesized—across his unique, affecting, sprawling soundscapes.
At a given moment Embers might conjure Nothing Nowhere, Machine Gun Kelly, JXDN, and Linkin Park and more—but it is always in atmospheric shades and doses, never imitation. Embers is not for the glitter underground. Lyrically, Embers surrenders cathartic anthems for the broken-yet-not-beaten; songs for the lost survivors; pulse-pounding tales from a minefield of emotion, zeroing in on your heart and hitting their target over and over and over again.
EMO SZN is a depth-charge for the wise, the wicked, and the weary. And Embers is here to burn.
Artist: Xeila Release: “Colors” (single) Release Date: 10-26-22 Genre: Alt-pop, Alt-rock Suggested For Fans Of: PVRIS, Stand Atlantic, Sleeping With Sirens
Los Angeles-based alt-pop artist Xeila has released their newest single, “Colors”. The uptempo alternative pop track features slick production and songwriting, all showcasing pop singer-songwriter Ross Rocco’s, who performs under the moniker Xeila, crystal clear and emotive vocals.
About the song, Xeila had this to say: “This song talks about how I’ve been struggling to let go of the past, as of the last couple years, life just got tough and it was, and still is, easy to fall into the trap of just living in the past and constantly feeling sad about it. I use a lot of imagery of ghosts and hauntings on the song, to symbolize how the more you reminisce the more it starts to haunt you at times. Once you start living in different memories it’s almost like you get stuck in another world in your own mind, and you’re not sure at some point if you’re going to return to the present or continue to stay where you’re at.”
The song was a true labor of love for Xeila. “Even though I’ve had this song written for two years, I decided at the last minute to scratch half of it and just completely re-write some of the vocals, and re-produce the instrumental. I wasn’t terribly sure I was going to get this done in a way that I thought it would be good or I would happy with, but I surprised myself as I’ve never set a hard deadline to complete something in a short amount of time before like this.”
Xeila wrote, sang, produced, and mixed this single. Guitars and bass were performed by Ben McSherry and re-amped by Blake Mullens. The track was Mastered by Isaiah Prather.
“Colors” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now or watch the video on YouTube below.
Xeila combines the aesthetics of the dark and paranormal with the style of modern alt pop genres to create a haunting yet energetic world within their music. Xeila, formed by Ross Rocco, was a project in creation since early or mid 2020. It was heavily inspired by the artist PVRIS, wanting to follow in the footsteps of other bands and artists similar that would creatively blend electronic and rock elements into one song or album.
With Xeila’s first release of the song “Lifeless”, the song starts off this story of a character who died and woke up in the afterlife, only to fight their way back to the real world again. With newly discovering his place in the LGBTQ community, Ross often writes about feeling different from society and trying to re-discover himself in this new era of his life. A lot of these topics are found in the songwriting and storytelling of Xeila, usually symbolized heavily through paranormal and science fiction imagery.
Artist: Better Plans Release: Flashpass (To six flags, high) Genre: Poppunk, Punkrock, Alternative rock Suggested For Fans Of: Blink 182, Green Day, Good Charlotte
Boston punk band Better Plans has released its debut single, the skate punk anthem “Flashpass (To Six Flags, High)”. The track is a throwback pop punk song perfect for fans of Blink -182, Green Day, and Good Charlotte.
Better Plans recorded the single in Kennedy studios, where they have a rehearsal space. “We were actually really surprised how well the recording process went, recorded everything for the song in about 5 hours, drums, guitar, vocals, bass,” says the band. “I feel the experience of recording for the first time really brought us together more as a band and listening to our mix when it was all done was incredible!”
The song was a labor of love for the band, that really took its time to form. “It’s funny cause this song literally started out as just a jam with no structure but we just kept playing it every week and the more we played it the more we realized we should make this a song,” explains the band. “I feel your best writing material comes from just jamming with your band, this song is definitely special to us not only because it’s the first song we ever laid down but because we wrote in such a fun memorable way. It just felt so natural with this one and we had a lot of fun writing it together!”
“Flashpass (To Six Flags, High)” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now!
Artist Bio: We are a pop punk band called Better Plans out of Boston, Massachusetts, formed by drummer Robert Leveille Jr and vocalist/guitarist Ryan Farrell. We started out as a jam 2 piece project but we ventured out to find our bassist Elchin Suleymanov, who is part of the band now. We all have a love for pop punk culture and the sound of the music itself. It’s a fun genre to be part of. Happy to say we have been going strong now for over a year with our first single fully recorded and more to come as far as music goes.
Vital Stats: Artist: College Radio Release: “I’m Sorry” (Single) Release Date: 10-22-22 Genre: Pop Punk Suggested For Fans Of: Blink 182, Green Day, NOFX
Seattle’s College Radio is back again with their latest single, “I’m Sorry”. The track is an ultra-catchy mid-tempo pop punk banger perfect for fans of modern alternative music. About the single, the band says “ I’m Sorry is about me trying to explain, justify, and apologize for simply existing. It’s about being incredibly uncomfortable in your own skin, and wanting to disappear. Fun, right?”
The single is the final single from their album Nothing Ever Changes It Only Gets Worse, which is out now. It follows the singles “11:59” and “Better Days” Along with the single, College Radio has released a video for “I’m Sorry”. The video, directed by Brian Roosen, sees the band taking a lesson in cleaning up and fitting in. “I’m Sorry” is now available across all major streaming platforms. Listen to it on Spotify now or watch the video on YouTube below.
Seattle’s premier pop-punk act College Radio blends classic 90’s punk with modern pop and indie sensibilities to create something simultaneously familiar, but also fresh and original. They’ve graced stages up and down the west coast with their wild stage shows and soaring harmonies, and with the release of their Album Nothing Ever Changes It Only Gets Worse, 2022 is looking to be their biggest year yet.
College Radio Is: Gordon – Vocals/Guitar Evan – Vocals/Bass Mike – Drums Melvin – Guitar/Vocals
Vital Stats: Artist: State Run Radio Release: State Run Radio EP Genre: Hardcore Punk For Fans Of: Dag Nasty, One Step Closer, Koyo
Farmingdale, 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 Pursino
GET HYED 