Track Of The Day: People Club – ‘Lay Down Your Weapons’

A powerful combination of emotive vocals and commanding beats, Berlin-based indie soul group People Club have shared their latest single ‘Lay Down Your Weapons’. It’s a charged offering that tackles the issues people of colour continue to struggle with in the face of police brutality, demanding peace through vehement protest.

“”Lay Down Your Weapons’ is about issues that weigh heavy on our hearts,” the band explain. “It was originally written in 2017 about issues of police brutality and the police militarisation that black and brown folks have disproportionately faced, and unfortunately we are still fighting these issues today. We are so proud of all the people on the front lines fighting for justice, for institutional reform/dissolution, for legislation, and for the safety and liberty that our BIPOC and LGBTQIA communities have long since deserved. We were asking…but now we’re demanding. We deserve justice, we deserve freedom, we deserve that our lives are valued. Black lives matter and defund the mother fucking police.”

Formed of Sarah Martin (lead vocals), Ray Sonder (bass, backing vocals), Saxon Gable (guitar, backing vocals), Pete Costello (keyboards, backing vocals) & Drew Deal (drums), People Club formed in 2018 after they each moved to Berlin in late 2017 from their respective countries (Australia, USA, UK, New Zealand). Together, they create moving, bold sounds designed to dismantle the un-nerving behaviours they witness in their own societies and the wider world.

Listen to ‘Lay Down Your Weapons’ below and follow the band on bandcamp, Spotify, and Facebook for more updates.

 

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Death Valley Girls – ‘Under the Spell of Joy’

Inspired by the text on a t-shirt that Death Valley Girls‘ vocalist & guitarist Bonnie Bloomgarden was gifted from the heavy psych rock band Joy, ‘Under the Spell of Joy’ is the eponymous new single from the band’s upcoming album. Set for release on 2nd October via Suicide Squeeze, the L.A. rockers have shared the title track with the instructions to sing along to their “space gospel” sounds.

“The world is crazy right now, and it feels like we should be doing more than just trying to perpetuate joy,” Bloomgarden explains. This awareness and positivity inspired the band’s new single and record, both of which are filled with psych-rock riffs and chant-worthy lyrics. “There is a lot to be really angry about…but joy is just as powerful if used correctly!” she continues, and that’s what Death Valley Girls’ have channelled their energy into. With its stomping beats and rallying vocals, their new track is a celebration of the universe and all it has to offer (even though that doesn’t feel like much at the moment.)

Listen to ‘Under the Spell of Joy’ below and follow Death Valley Girls on bandcamp, Facebook and Spotify for more updates.

Photo credit: David Fearn

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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WATCH: New Pagans – ‘Yellow Room’

Following on from the release of their single ‘Yellow Room‘ in August, Belfast’s New Pagans have shared a captivating set of visuals to accompany their racing, urgent track. Directed by bassist Claire Miskimmin, the video reflects the often overwhelming feelings of darkness that women face in patriarchal society.

Inspired by the semi-autobiographical short-story The Yellow Wallpaper, which was written by American feminist author Charlotte Perkins Gilman, New Pagans originally penned the track to highlight the need for a specialised parent-and-baby mental health unit in Northern Ireland. “’Yellow Room’ is the fourth instalment in a series of self-made folk horror themed short films produced to accompany our music,” explains vocalist Lyndsey McDougall. “Set in the stunning local surroundings of Northern Ireland, we tried to evoke a sense of dread and isolation in the expanse of nature. In stifling a woman’s mind we take away her liberty, as in the novel the song is based on. It’s about the facade and the masks we wear, but break the surface and we find our protagonist’s strength. She cuts herself free and is set adrift.”

Watch the video for ‘Yellow Room’ below and follow New Pagans on bandcamp, Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Everything And Everybody – ‘Lifequake’

A vibrant pop tune that challenges gender stereotypes, Berlin based duo Everything and Everybody have shared their latest single ‘Lifequake’. Blending jazzy beats with alt-pop melodies, the pair playfully question the expectations that heteronormative society imposes on individuals when it comes to their gender identity.

“The song challenges not only what is seen to be stereotypically female, but also what’s supposed to be stereotypically male,” the duo explain. “The song lists a few clichés. That of a passive woman: romanticising, emotionally stirred up. In need of a man’s confirmation in order to develop her self-esteem. And that of an active man who fights his way through life: lonely, cool, closed-lipped. For him everything is a fight, and he must emerge as the winner in order not to appear weak. Questions are posed. ‘Are you a girl?’, ‘Are you a boy?’. There’s no valuation intended, it’s more an invitation to questioning so-called female and male behavioural patterns, which are consciously or unconsciously, in any case unquestioningly accepted and passed on. The chorus pleads for living the way you are and feel, without being reduced to stereotypical patterns.”

The track is accompanied by a colourful, kaleidoscopic set of visuals that also reflect the tunes buoyant nature. With a sound that’s based on “chemistry, attitude and humour,” Everything And Everybody’s future musical offerings look set to be just as joyful and carefree as this one. Listen to ‘Lifequake’ below and follow the band on bandcamp, Facebook and Spotify for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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