By JOHN DALY
Ceremony, Jay Som and Steve Ignorant could not be more different from one another. But each have released creative music videos that have been selected to the California Rocker Video playlist for July 22.
There is also an international flavor to the playlist, with songs by reggae legend Scratch Perry, UK songstress Freya Ridings, and the exotic Ibibio Sound Machine. Other musicians with new videos out and on the list include the jazzy Cory Wong, earthy Adam Green and those familiar psychedelic trippers The Flaming Lips.
Check Out the California Rocker Playlist for July:
Ceremony released an innovative production with the video for the title track of their new album, In the Spirit World Now.
“The spirit world came about through the reading of Saul Bellow’s ‘Humboldt’s Gift,'” said the band’s front man and lyricist Ross Farrar. “The novel’s fictitious character, Von Humboldt Fleisher, writes a long letter to the protagonist, Charlie Citrine, which announces: ‘We are not natural beings, but supernatural beings.’ I understood it as a moment of praise and ran away with it.”
In the Spirit World Now is a tribute to all the years the members of Ceremony, a beloved SoCal punk band, have been making music together. They have managed to put out real songs despite the pressure to change style to achieve mainstream success. They play August Hall in San Francisco Aug. 23 and The Regent in LA on Aug. 24 before gigs back East and in Texas.
CEREMONY – In the Spirit World Now (Official Music Video)
Frank Iero And The Future Violents – Great Party [Official Music Video]
Frank Iero and the Future Violents have just released a video for their song “Great Party.” The song is a cut from their brand new record Barriers (UNFD). This is the second music video to be released from Barriers, following the video for lead single “Young and Doomed” earlier this year.
“Great Party” stars Cult Records (Founded by Julian Casablancas of The Strokes) signees and Surfbort, the faces of Gucci’s pre-fall 2019 campaign. The video itself features FIATFV performing at a lackluster VFW hall.
Malu Trevejo – Swipe Dat (Official Video)
Cuban-born, Miami-based singer, multi-platinum recording artist Malu Trevejo will release her debut EP Una Vez Mas out Friday, Aug. 2.
The 16-year-old brings an array of tropical, sun-soaked bilingual bops to dance to through the end of the summer. After serenading audiences around the world this spring, Malu will be light up the stage at this year’s Lollapalooza on Sunday, Aug. 4 in Chicago from 12:15-1PM where she will be performing on the Tito’s stage and will be joined by DJ Susie.
Ibibio Sound Machine – Wanna Come Down (Official Music Video)
Ibibio Sound Machine released their new album Doko Mien this spring on Merge Records, and now they have shared playlists, which can be found now via the Ibibio Sound Machine Spotify page: https://spoti.fi/30D06l5.
Freya Ridings – Castles (Official Video)
Freya Ridings became the surprise success story of 2018 with her breakthrough platinum-selling hit “Lost Without You.” She’s been acknowledged those including Taylor Swift, Florence Welch and Richard Quinn. It the Top 10 on seven separate occasions during a six-month run in the Top 40 and is now approaching 200 million streams.
Last week, Freya Ridings shared the video for her new single “Castles,” watch here:
Sun Is Shining (Over You) – Lee “Scratch” Perry
Right after a U.S. tour two years ago, dub reggae legend Lee “Scratch” Perry recorded 12 new tracks in Negril to a reggae combination mixed by Spacewave, working with backing musicians Speak Easy. Adding percussion from Larry McDonald and backing harmonies from Detroit-based female trio Dames Brown and The Groovematist, the new album was completed just in time for a double-12″ vinyl special edition (“Rootz Reggae Dub – Special Edition”) for April’s Record Store Day.
This new collection from Lee “Scratch” Perry was one of the best selling vinyl albums for this year’s Record Store Day. A digital release (streaming, download, and CD) of the album is now coming on Sept. 13.
Cory Wong – Home (feat. Jon Batiste)
Cory Wong has released a moving instrumental video for “Home” featuring musician and bandleader Jon Batiste.
Cory Wong said of building the song “Even though a lot of my music is instrumental, I try to tell a story or cast an image with the music. This one is a story of a father-daughter relationship. I was thinking about my role as a dad in my kids’ lives and how our conversations and life lessons will adapt and change quite drastically as we move into different seasons and phases of life’s journey.”
Twin Peaks – “Dance Through It” [Official Music Video]
Twin Peaks is releasing their fourth album, Lookout Low, due Sept. 13 via Grand Jury. Their previous records include 2016’s Down In Heaven, and 2017’s Sweet ‘17 Singles compilation. Lookout Low feels like a total revolution.
Twin Peaks is made up of guitarists Cadien Lake James and Clay Frankel, bassist Jack Dolan, multi-instrumentalist Colin Croom, and drummer Connor Brodner. The record has 10 tracks.
Jay Som – Tenderness [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]
Jay Som, also known as Melina Duterte has been a staple on the LA scene and has announced her second album, Anak Ko. She shares the record’s “Tenderness” video.
Duterte says of the album: “I feel like a lot of the themes of the songs stemmed from bottled up emotions, frustration with yourself, and acceptance.” Watch the lush Weird Life-directed video HERE.
Adam Green – Cheating on a Stranger
Adam Green has shared his ominous new video for the track “Cheating On A Stranger,” directed by Pete Voelker. It was filmed in another universe that Adam discovered, he said. The song contains an eerie backup vocal by Florence Welch.
“The song is about finding yourself submerged in a wasteland, some kind of second-life where there are empty replacements for everything you knew,” Green said. “You try to embrace this new world, but the more you squeeze it, the more the air comes out.”
Green said he is also releasing his first graphic novel, a psychedelic war epic called “War and Paradise.”
Steve Ignorant’s Slice Of Life – S.A.D (OFFICIAL VIDEO)
Steve Ignorant’s Slice Of Life follow their 2014 debut ‘Love And A Lamp-post’ with a new collection of eleven songs titled ‘Don’t Turn Away’.
Ignorant has excelled himself with this album, his passion of creating music and fighting injustice is clear in every single song. This album is about the highs and lows of life, getting older and the struggle to survive. S.A.D. is a song about depression, despair and loss. “We need to keep talking about this and hopefully by sharing our experiences people will know that they are not alone,” Steve said.
Diffrability celebrates our individualities.
“I’m proud that I’m different,” Steve said. “Glad I’m not so uniform. Proud that I’m Ignorant. Glad that I’m not of your norm.”
Jeremie Albino – Hard Time (Unplugged Version)
Of the video’s concept, Jeremie said, “I wanted to try this song stripped down and the idea sort of evolved into this fun performance. I’m inspired by a lot of women and here I got to perform with some of my favourites. Taylor Guitard, Carleigh Aikins and The O’Pears (Lydia Persaud, Meg Contini and Jill Harris). It was a blast to sing in this beautiful space with them stomping, clapping and wailing at me!”
It was announced yesterday that Jeremie will be an official showcasing artist at this year’s Americanafest in Nashville.
Sevana Debuts ‘Nobody Man’
Soulful singer Sevana debuts her brand new single “Nobody Man”
“Nobody Man” (In.Digg.Nation Collective/Easy Star Records) is a catchy and cool track. On the bubbly, energetic track, she has a narrative of not giving in to stereotypes of disrupting relationships. Sevana flows between her soaring vocals and bold Jamaican patois, blending traditional R and B-soul that inspires her sound and the Caribbean’s tropical percussive rhythms she was raised on.
Sevana – Nobody Man (Official Video) was directed by Wade Rhoden, produced by Jamila Pinto.
The Flaming Lips – How Many Times [Official Music Video]
King’s Mouth: Music And Songs was produced by The Flaming Lips, Dennis Coyne and Scott Booker with additional production by Dave Fridmann and Mike Fridmann. This is The Lips’ first new studio album since 2017’s Oczy Mlody and features 12 new originals that create a conceptual storyline threaded together by the dulcet-toned narration from Mick Jones of The Clash. The music provides the soundtrack for Wayne Coyne’s immersive art installation of the same name. The album has already received critical praise in advance of its release:
THANK YA – ALEX BENT + THE EMPTINESS
Strong music and compelling but peculiar video, Bent is never at a loss for outside of the ordinary productions. The track is mastered by Trevor Case of Case Mastering (Kelly Clarkson, Missy Elliot). Baby features contributions from Brockhampton affiliates singer-songwriter Jack Larsen and producer Connor Barkhouse, as well as Samurai Champs’ Merv xx Gotti and Jeah.
mxmtoon – seasonal depression (official video)
mxmtoon is a 19-year-old bourgeoning artist who soared to new heights in 2018, bringing her folk-enriched style to life in the plum blossom EP. This year she returned with the achingly gorgeous new singles “prom dress” and “high & dry” which encapsulated her knack for merging unbridled honesty with a warm and heartfelt sound. ‘prom dress’ has now reached over 8 million streams on spotify alone and she has over 150 million cumulative streams to date.
Rich Brian – Kids (Official Video)
Indonesian rapper Rich Brian premieres a new song “Kids” today alongside a Sing J. Lee-directed video. Produced by Bekon and The Donuts, Frank Dukes and Brian himself, “Kids” continues the themes of lead single “Yellow” with Brian telling his own story and spreading a message of empowerment for all Asian youth. The music video was shot in Brian’s hometown of Jakarta and showcases the culture across the city. “I was recording the album in New York and when I wrote this song I remember feeling so inspired, and felt like I wanted to inspire others in the process, the energy in the room was so different, it was one of those songs where everything just came out and I didn’t have to try,” Brian said.
Superwarm – Blue Wave
Blue Wave is the sole work of duo Nathan Denning and Will Turner. They composed the music, wrote the lyrics, played the instruments (guitar, bass, keyboards, synthesisers, drums, percussion and more), produced the sessions, engineered the sound and sang the lead and background vocals. Every aspect has been meticulously crafted by the duo. The British musicians met at a art school in Cornwall where they swiftly began collaborating.