Tune-Yards announces their first East Coast and Midwest tour dates in support of their critically acclaimed album sketchy. that was released in March 2021 on 4AD. The June US tour dates follow the band’s 2021 West Coast run.
Tune-Yards have partnered with PLUS1 so that $1 from each ticket will benefit the PLUS1 Ukraine Relief Fund, supporting the people of Ukraine through effective grassroots nonprofits providing humanitarian aid, refugee support, and access to critical information.
Tune-Yards’ fifth studio album, sketchy. balances self-inspection and reflection with bombastic rallying cries, reminiscent of the furious tones of early days Tune-Yards. The result is a colorful and joyous record with lyrics that cut to the bone across its 11 tracks. To celebrate the album, Tune-Yards performed its songs on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel Live! and CBS This Morning: Saturday.
Tune-Yards 2022 Tour Dates
June 1 – St Louis, MO @ Delmar Hall
June 3 – Bloomington, IN @ Granfalloon Festival
June 7 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave
June 8 – Madison, WI @ Majestic
June 10 – Detroit, MI @ El Club
June 11 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr Smalls
June 13 – Boston, MA @ Sinclair
June 15 – New York, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
June 16 – Washington, DC@ 9:30 Club
June 18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
Aug 23 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla
Aug 24 Edinburgh, UK @ Summerhall
multi-platinum hard rock powerhouse Five Finger Death Punch released “AfterLife,” the title track from their highly anticipated forthcoming new studio album. The band’s longtime collaborator Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osbourne, Papa Roach, Skillet) helmed the producer duties of the ninth and arguably most diverse record of the band.
The track’s release coincides with the band’s announcement today of their upcoming 2022 North American headlining tour presented by Live Nation, kicking off in Portland, Oregon on August 19th. The tour will span over 30 dates, closing out on October 15 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The band will be joined on tour by rock icons Megadeth, with additional support from The HU, and Fire From The Gods, promising an intense multi-faceted night of heavy rock music.
Today’s announcement is just the beginning, as the band is also slated to announce additional tour dates next week. They encourage fans to stay tuned in on their social channels for more information.
One of the most successful rock acts in modern music, Five Finger Death Punch have been hard at work in the studio over the past year writing and recording the follow-up to their 2020 album F8. The album, produced by Kevin Churko, debuted at #1 on Rock charts around the world with top 10 mainstream chart debuts in the USA, Austria, Australia, Canada, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and more. It produced four #1 hit singles with “Inside Out,” “A Little Bit Off,” “Living The Dream,” and “Darkness Settles In,” the latter of which saw the band tie the record for most consecutive #1’s on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart with seven chart-toppers in-a-row with Disturbed. The band has amassed over 8 billion streams and 3 billion video views to date and have sold over one million tickets between 2018 and 2020 alone.
5FDP is also venturing into the film space, with their appearance in the upcoming horror-thriller film THE RETALIATORS, a Better Noise Films production, which is set for a fall 2022 theatrical and streaming release. The band appears both onscreen and on the film’s original soundtrack, alongside some of the biggest names in rock: Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee, Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach, Spencer Charnas of Ice Nine Kills, From Ashes to New, The HU, All Good Things, and more. This past August, the movie had its WORLD PREMIERE at Arrow Video FrightFest in London. Its North American premiere took place at the iconic TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles as the OPENING NIGHT film for ScreamFest, where the production took home an award for Best Make-Up and earned itself rave reviews, with a rare rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, which it still maintains today.
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH have amassed 25 top 10 hit singles and 12 #1 singles. Having become one of the most recognizable names in music, 5FDP frequently play all major festivals and sell out arenas around the world. Since their debut album, The Way of the Fist came out in 2007 the band has released seven consecutive albums that were certified Gold or Platinum by the RIAA, as well as two chart topping Greatest Hits albums. In addition, 5FDP has earned numerous national and international awards and honors over the last decade, such as the prestigious Soldier Appreciation Award by the Association Of The United States Army, an honor bestowed upon only one other recording artist before them: Elvis Presley.
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH Upcoming Tour Dates
Fri Aug 19 – Portland, OR – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
Sat Aug 20 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheater
Tue Aug 23 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheater
Wed Aug 24 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheater
Fri Aug 26 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion
Sat Aug 27 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
Tue Aug 30 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
Thu Sep 1 – Del Valle, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Fri Sep 2 – Houston, TX –The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman
Tue Sep 6 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Wed Sep 7 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Fri Sep 9 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Sat Sep 10 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
Mon Sep 12 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
Wed Sep 14 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
Thu Sep 15 – Camden, NJ – Waterfront Music Pavilion
Sat Sep 17 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheater
Sun Sep 18 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
Tue Sep 20 – Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview
Wed Sep 21 – Pittsburgh, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake**
Fri Sep 23 – Scranton, PA – Pavilion at Montage Mountain
Sat Sep 24 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium
Tue Sep 27 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater**
Wed Sep 28 –Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Fri Sep 30 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
Sat Oct 1 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
Tue Oct 4 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
Wed Oct 5 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Fri Oct 7 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater – Summerfest Grounds
Sat Oct 8 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
Mon Oct 10 – Atlanta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Wed Oct 12 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
Fri Oct 14 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Sat Oct 15 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheater
**5FDP, The HU, and Fire From The Gods only
Twitter, Inc. announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously adopted a limited duration shareholder rights plan (the “Rights Plan”). The Board adopted the Rights Plan following an unsolicited, non-binding proposal to acquire Twitter.
The Rights Plan is intended to enable all shareholders to realize the full value of their investment in Twitter. The Rights Plan will reduce the likelihood that any entity, person or group gains control of Twitter through open market accumulation without paying all shareholders an appropriate control premium or without providing the Board sufficient time to make informed judgments and take actions that are in the best interests of shareholders.
The Rights Plan does not prevent the Board from engaging with parties or accepting an acquisition proposal if the Board believes that it is in the best interests of Twitter and its shareholders.
The Rights Plan is similar to other plans adopted by publicly held companies in comparable circumstances. Under the Rights Plan, the rights will become exercisable if an entity, person or group acquires beneficial ownership of 15% or more of Twitter’s outstanding common stock in a transaction not approved by the Board. In the event that the rights become exercisable due to the triggering ownership threshold being crossed, each right will entitle its holder (other than the person, entity or group triggering the Rights Plan, whose rights will become void and will not be exercisable) to purchase, at the then-current exercise price, additional shares of common stock having a then-current market value of twice the exercise price of the right.
The Rights Plan will expire on April 14, 2023.
Additional information regarding the Rights Plan will be contained in a Form 8-K to be filed by Twitter with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell & Astro will release their new album Unprecedented, June 17 via UMe. The album will be released as a black 2LP, a limited-edition white-color 2LP, 1CD, limited-edition cassette as well as digitally. All formats include their new single “Sufferer”, which Ali has dedicated to his beloved friend and bandmate of over four decades, Astro, who tragically passed away last November.
‘”Sufferer,’ is a song that Astro and I have always loved, from the brilliant Kingstonians,” comments Ali. “Astro was so proud of our version of this song, as am I. It’s the first track off our new studio album Unprecedented which will be out in the summer. This song is more poignant and special than I ever realized after Astro heartbreakingly passed away after recording this album. We want to keep his memory alive through his music and this song and album.”
UB40 Featuring Ali, Astro & Mickey’s most recent album, 2018’s A Real Labour Of Love, debuted at No.2 on the UK album chart, only dropping one place a week later to No.3, and the album spent a month in the Top 10. UB40 topped the UK singles chart on three occasions and sold 70 million records as they took their smooth yet rootsy musical blend to all corners of the globe. Between 1983 and 1998 the group produced three Labour Of Love albums, bringing hits such as Eric Donaldson’s “Cherry Oh Baby”, Lord Creator’s “Kingston Town” and Johnny Osbourne’s “Come Back Darling” to a new, global audience. They also topped the charts on both sides of the Atlantic with their reggae covers of “Red Red Wine” and “(I Can’t Help) Falling In Love With You” and had a further UK No.1 with their cover of “I Got You Babe” with Chrissie Hynde.
Caught You In A Lie
Do Yourself A Favour
Emperors Wore No Clothes
Happy Includes Everyone
Heaven In Her Eyes
Lean On Me / In Aid Of NHS Charities Together
Lean On Me
Mellow
Stay Another Day
Sufferer
Sunday Morning Coming Down
Unprecedented
We’ll Never Find Another Love
What Have I Done
SiriusXM and Laugh Out Loud announced today the launch of Amanda Seales’ Smart Funny & Black Radio, a new morning show on Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Radio Channel 96. The weekly program will kick off on Monday, April 18, at 10:00 am ET.
On her new SiriusXM show, Seales and co-hosts Taj Rani and JeremiahLikeTheBible will start off listeners’ week on the right foot as they deliver laugh-out-loud conversations, games, celebrity interviews, and a heavy dose of commentary on Black culture and other topical issues. Seales’ new radio show comes fresh off the finale of the HBO hit Insecure, where she played the much-buzzed-about role of “Tiffany DuBois.”
“I’m beyond excited to have the amazing Amanda Seales join Laugh Out Loud Radio’s expanding family, as we continue to deliver a dynamic slate of voices to the channel,” said Kevin Hart, Chairman of Laugh Out Loud. “Passionate, unapologetic, brilliant, talented, and most of all funny, her show is going to be a can’t-miss experience for our SiriusXM listeners nationwide.”
“After so many years away, I’m hella hype to be coming back to radio!” said Amanda Seales. “Smart Funny & Black began as a live show, and since its inception has become so much more. It is a universe all about using comedy to build community, and I couldn’t be happier to be bringing that to a new audience at SiriusXM!”
The new, one-hour radio program marks Seales’ return to SiriusXM, where from 2003–2007 she hosted Breakfast at Diva’s on Hip Hop Nation. During her tenure she interviewed some of the biggest music icons in the world, including Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Mariah Carey, the late DMX, and more. In addition to her role on Insecure, Seales is known for her HBO stand-up special, I Be Knowin, and for her turn as host of the 2020 BET Awards.
Laugh Out Loud Radio features stand-up comedy curated by superstar Kevin Hart, as well as fresh comedic voices and specials from the Laugh Out Loud stand-up catalog. The channel is also home to Hart’s bi-weekly talk show with The Plastic Cup Boyz, Straight From The Hart, his one-on-one interview show with fellow comics, Comedy Gold Minds, and more great talk shows hosted by Earthquake, Jasmine “Jazzy” Brown, and Chris and Vanessa Spencer.
SiriusXM is available to subscribers in their car, on their phone and connected devices at home with the SXM App. Streaming access is included with all of our trials and most popular plans. Go to www.siriusxm.com/ways-to-listen to learn more.
Amanda Seales is a comedian with a master’s degree in African-American studies from Columbia University. Among her many accomplishments, Seales is a former co-host of the daytime talk show, The Real, and also hosted NBC’s Bring the Funny and the groundbreaking 2020 BET Awards. In addition, Seales uses her popular Instagram account (1.9+ million followers) and podcast Small Doses to speak truth to change. Always an advocate for Black voices, she founded Smart Funny & Black Productions to produce and create art as edu-tainment across the media landscape by any joke necessary.
Taj Rani is a producer, content creator and host with a decade of experience in the digital media space having worked for brands such as BET,Essence and Red Table Talk, and with talent including Danyel Smith, Janelle Monáe and Amanda Seales. She is currently the producer for Smart Funny & Black Productions. An alumna of Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, Taj is passionate about combining her love of pop culture, history and storytelling through the Black lens to ensure that Black stories never are lost or go untold.
JeremiahLikeTheBible is an Atlanta native and Howard University alumnus who’s passionate about seeing Black stories represented in media and entertainment. Whether it’s songwriting or screenwriting, the creative multi-hyphenate always has something to say.
MasterClass, the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world’s best across a wide range of subjects, today announced that Mariah Carey will teach a class on how to use the voice as an instrument. For the first time ever, Carey will bring members into the Butterfly Lounge, her mobile studio, to show how they can use their voice not only to sing but also to write and produce melodies, lyrics and instrumentation that blend genres and break barriers. Members will be the first to hear the reimagined version of “The Roof” with award-winning artist Brandy, and see Carey in action as she directs Brandy on background vocals. Carey’s class is now available exclusively on MasterClass, where subscribers get unlimited access to all 150+ instructors with an annual membership.
“Mariah is simply a genius. She’s one of the greatest artists of all time,” said David Rogier, founder and CEO of MasterClass. “In her class, Mariah is opening up her studio for the first time ever, teaching members how to use their voice throughout the music-making process, including in the studio and while navigating the industry.”
In her class, Carey reveals how the voice can be used as an instrument on its own and how it can be an extension of the pen as a writer, making it possible for anyone to be a music producer. From communicating melodies to a string ensemble to turning personal stories into iconic soundtracks, Carey will provide an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at her music-making process. Taking members into the Butterfly Lounge as she works on a reimagined version of her beloved hit “The Roof” with award-winning artist Brandy, Carey will examine the importance of background vocals in making music, and how to build a song with a choir of voices versus a wall of sound. Carey will teach members how to use their personal experiences as inspiration for writing music and telling a story. Sharing how Mobb Deep’s “Shook Ones Part II” inspired her writing on “The Roof,” she will show members how to listen beyond genres and use samples as building blocks. Carey will also reflect on the challenges she faced in the music industry and provide tips for navigating the industry and maintaining creative control. Members will leave the class inspired to find their own voice, whether that means advocating for their own creative desires or honing it as an instrument.
“I’ve never let cameras in when I am creating—not when I’m writing, and especially not when I’m singing,” Carey said. “But now I’m taking MasterClass members into my studio to show them how they can write and produce music using their voice and become anything they want to be as long as they create, re-create, reimagine and reinvent.”
Mariah Carey is an American singer, songwriter, actress, record producer, entrepreneur and pop icon. Known for her five-octave vocal range, melismatic singing style and signature use of the whistle register, she has been referred to as the “Songbird Supreme.” Holding the record for the most No. 1 singles and most certified albums by any solo artist or female artist, Carey has received Billboard’s Artist of the Decade (1990s) and Icons Award, the World Music Awards’ Best Selling Female Artist of the Millennium and holds three Guinness World Records. She is a five-time Grammy Award–winning singer with 19 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 singles and more than 200 million records sold, making her the best-selling female artist of all time. Her songs shatter records, her love of music blends genres and her penmanship and producing ability have earned her a spot in the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
It takes so much more than a strong voice, songs, and performing ability to break through the ocean’s swell of talent out there; it also takes a special ‘something’ that, while hard to pinpoint, is undeniably irresistible. With that, there’s no denying powerhouse blues singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Angelique Francis has ‘it,’ and she’s letting it flow for the immense pleasure of listeners everywhere with the release of her highly anticipated second album, Long River.
Featuring the release’s first single, “Storms From My Eyes,” the stunning slow-burner of a song sets a languid, classic blues heartbreak start to the engrossing voyage down the Ottawa-based artist’s new 14-track collection.
Blues traditions are at the heart of all of the songs, but there are also intriguing genre bends towards Soul, Folk, Jazz, Gospel, and Rock along the way. Francis’ versatile, soulful, and evocative vocals anchor the trip, conjuring up reminiscences of Big Mama Thornton, Koko Taylor, Aretha, Bessie Smith, and more. And it’s the mixture of genres and influences running through Long River — and the sense of everything and everyone being connected — that anchor the key concept Francis wanted to convey with her new album.
“Despite our differences, and the vast variations in our personal histories, we are all floating down this river together,” notes Francis. “We are all connected in this way. We have all shared the same beginning, and we will all share the same end.”
Sharing that the title track of the album was written about the River of Life, for Francis, the universal connection and journey of all humanity is the thread that binds this project together.
“This analogy is the focal point on which this album of completely original songs is based,” she says. “A multitude of stories, experiences, and emotions of joy, pain, triumph, anger, love, embarrassment, and humour are reflected throughout.”
From the pure heartache of “Storms From My Eyes”, to the righteous anger of “Who is Caroline”, to the joy and devotion of “I’ve Never” and the revival celebration of “Soul Train Life”, Long River rolls over an exciting variety of musical territory. As Francis plainly and proudly puts in the album’s description, Long River is “a studio album recorded with live instruments” — and she plays several of them herself.
In addition to Francis’ focal point contributions as lead vocalist, she plays upright bass, electric bass, harmonica, acoustic and electric guitar, organ, and keyboards on the album. Joining her are four of her family members: co-songwriter, producer, drummer and vocalist Kiran Francis, saxophonist and vocalist Kharincia Francis, trombonist and vocalist Kira Francis, and vocalist Kayla Francis. Rounding out the band are Dave Williamson on lead electric guitar and Ed Lister on trumpet.
The fact that music is an all in the family thing for Angelique Francis is not surprising as she was immersed in it from childhood — first taking the stage at age 7 and then, making her national TV debut on the Oprah Network at age 13 for writing and composing a theme song for “The Gayle King Show”. By age 14, Francis had already become a proficient acoustic guitar, upright bass, electric guitar, and electric bass player, and was performing at a multitude of festivals. In 2018, she released her first album of original music, Kissed By The Blues.
Now, already internationally known for her electrifying performances while holding court center stage with her double bass, Angelique Francis is staking her claim as an exciting and eclectic musical force to be reckoned with. She and her band have been featured at the Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea festival, Sighisoara Blues Festival (Romania), Massey Hall (Women’s Blues Revue), Montreal Jazz Festival, Mariposa Folk Fest, Ottawa Jazz Festival, Ottawa Blues Festival, Mont-Tremblant Blues Festival, Ottawa Folk Fest, and many more. She has shared the stage with and opened for, a wide range of renowned artists — including Gary Clark Jr., Joe Bonamassa, Eric Gales, Keb’ Mo’, Jimmy Vivino, Beth Hart, Tom Cochrane, Burton Cummings, Sugar Ray, and the list continues to grow.
Francis’ impressive list of credits and growing caché in the Canadian music industry has led her to be invited to host the upcoming 2022 Maple Blues Awards to be held both live and virtually from Toronto’s Koerner Hall on Monday, June 20.
With her diverse experience and influences, it’s no wonder that Francis prefers to keep her creative focus open and inclusive.
“Much like life, Blues music is also a river. Blues is at the root of all modern North American forms of music, and its influence has flowed into the creation of many genres we know and love today.
“This album is not only a beginning to an exploration of the current human condition, but an exploration and consolidation of the many forms of blues, and blues-influenced music.”
With a new album that sets a high-water mark buoying her along, Angelique Francis is ready to storm international stages again in 2022 with appearances already scheduled in Europe later this spring with more to come.
Beach season is soon upon us, and Vancouver-based pop artist Sarah Tolle has a new body-positive anthem titled “Like It Or Not” at the ready. Available now, the song’s message? Acceptance. “Like it or not/This is how I look naked.”
The track begins with that lapel-gripping line, followed by a driving, danceable disco beat. Tolle then takes us on a relatable journey of both liking and loathing her body — and trying to accept the body she inhabits on both good and bad days.
The idea came to her by accident, she shares.
“I’m an actor, and one day while I was getting dressed after a shower, I started overthinking, ‘What if I’m on set one day, and I’m doing a naked scene, and a whole crew of people are all up close in my junk…?’” Tolle recalls. “Then this voice in my head said, ‘Well, Sarah, like it or not, this is how you look naked. They’re gonna see what’s there. The rest of it is all a story in your head.’”
Another attention-grabbing line in “Like It Or Not” is about wanting a beach body: “And if you wanted/ A beach body/ Listen up/ Step one: take your body to the beach/ That is all you have to do.” The idea for that one came from Tolle’s sister Anna and her approach to body acceptance on social media.
“I remember she posted this photo of herself in a swimsuit on the beach and, let’s just say the photo was not chosen for being the most flattering,” Tolle says. “And she wrote something like, ‘Here’s how to get a beach body: (1) Have a body (2) Take your body to the beach.’
“I like that no-nonsense sentiment.”
In creating the cover art and teaser video for the song, Tolle purposely went without makeup and didn’t comb her hair after her shower. “It was important for the integrity of this song’s message that I show up unadulterated and walk the talk,” she says. “‘Being confident’ in your body doesn’t mean you’re free of insecurities and shame… It means you experience all those things, and you also make room for celebration, nurturing, and gratitude.
“If you like some parts of your body but haven’t accepted other parts, well, that’s life. You’re on the journey.”
Sarah Tolle is a singer-songwriter based in Vancouver, BC, whose warm, energetic music is an exploration of radiant self-expression and a loving invitation to sing and dance. Her music is marked by a trusting openness, delivering pieces that are simple and accessible, yet empowering and fiercely immersive. You’ll hear themes of encouragement, acceptance, tolerance, and peace in her eclectic pop compositions that blend house beats, sweeping orchestral sounds, old-time banjo folk, and more.
Tolle grew up on a beautiful old farm in Wisconsin in a family that practiced music for fun and supported artists. In this space where the lines blurred between work and play, creativity wasn’t so much taught as it was simply practiced. Her mission with music is to revitalize and heal; to help people love themselves and the beings around them.
Canadian art-rock quartet AUS!Funkt want you to “Set yourself free” with the release of their fiery new single.
Fresh from their newly landed EP, Human Response, the track offers a straightforward message through its unconventional mash-up of the Toronto-based band’s signature blend of post-punk surf-rock, psychedelia, and electro-funk.
“This song came together pretty quickly, and was one of the first we wrote together as a group,” the band recalls. “Michael Wallace of Preoccupations helped produce this track, and added some percussion and tape-delayed vocal effects.”
The video for “Set yourself free” — which simulates a real beach using a green screen — pays homage to Toronto’s legendary Bloordale Beach, a spot that holds a special and somewhat symbiotic meaning for the band, who are Miroslav Miskovic (aka Jozzef Ladovina), Evan Henderson, Olivia Korwan, and Hugo Frutuoso.
“Bloordale Beach was a big, empty lot south of Bloor and Brock that a community of artists and locals transformed into a hangout spot that anyone could enjoy,” the band shares. “Unfortunately, it’s now been demolished; but we are proud to preserve its legacy with our video.
“Bloordale Beach fits the concept of AUS!Funkt perfectly: the area was repurposed to serve as a playground for the creative community in the same way we reuse and repurpose musical ideas to recreate different, constantly changing versions of songs when we play live.
“This is particularly important when we see more and more music venues and rehearsal spaces disappearing in Toronto,” they continue. “It’s important to not forget, as we tend to set ourselves free, that we should also aim to free the spaces from the cuffs of bureaucracy for people to push the barriers of art; Bloordale Beach was one of those attempts.”
“Set yourself free” is one of three songs from AUS!Funkt’s latest EP, Human Response. The selection touches on basic desires as human beings — freedom, connection, and communion — and include other staple songs from the band’s live repertoire, the bouncy-synthed, heavily percussed, and jagged-guitar stabby “Where’s my empathy?” and the brutish, in-your-face guitar-fuzzed rock-ripper that is “Socialized (feat. Blake Lambert).”
Also included are reimagined versions of “Set yourself free” with an ‘Acid Surf Version,’ as well as “Where’s my empathy?” with an ‘Electro Gospel Version’; both alternative takes are under Miskovic’s moniker of El Jozzef, with the latter also featuring Jen Simpson.
Human Response follows AUS!Funkt’s early-year offering, January 2022’s Post-Stagnation. Both EPs were penned pre-pandemic, but the band felt the world’s state of evolving affairs matched the relevancy of the songs and their underlying messages.
“’Information YEAH!’ hits all the keywords that marked this last two years: information, regurgitation, constant negation, no inspiration, indoctrination, suffocation and many other ‘-ations’ that we struggled with as a band,” AUS!Funkt says of Post-Stagnation’s lead single. “But, at the same time, the whole world did as well. It’s not that these things did not exist before the epidemic hit, it’s just that they became much more palpable in the time of crisis.”
Encapsulating a personal, edgy, and inside view of her perspective on the world, Alexis Lynn lays it bare on her latest single, “Fall Apart.”
Unafraid to be vulnerable, raw, or emotive on the latest release, the honeyed pop diva with a story to tell is back with a dreamy, up-tempo dance-floor bop that moves listeners in her catchy hooks, ear-worm melodies, and a message that resonates with us all.
“It’s about being everybody else’s rock, and putting their needs before your own,” the West Coast-based artist explains. “I wrote it at a point in my life where I felt like I was constantly balancing everyone else’s needs, and making sure everyone else was good — disregarding whether or not I was good.
“I was so burnt out and mentally/emotionally exhausted,” she continues. “I kept thinking, ‘when’s it my turn? To just completely crash and burn and have someone else worry about me instead of worrying about anybody else?’
“And I don’t know if that’s selfish, but I was just so tired of holding it all together.”
In true Alexis Lynn fashion, the song comes complete with a visual component. “I wanted the video to really showcase the chaos of feeling like you have a million different emotions and things going on and giving your energy to so many different people,” she explains. “I wanted it to showcase the feeling of losing your cool — and had a bunch of amazing cast come in for the party scene, and also to play some different emotions like anger, sadness, and euphoria.
“For the anger scene, the plan was to smash the TV with a baseball bat, but it literally bent the bat instead because the TV was so solid!”
Adding to the singer’s slew of pop heavy singles — including “Ghosts”, “Bubble,” “I Can’t Relate,” and more, and having racked up over a staggering Million+ streams and views — “Fall Apart” is another smash in her growing repertoire.
Par for the dynamic course, Alexis Lynn is never tepid when it comes to pulling punches on her trap-infused eclectic dance beats; conveying messages that resonate beyond music, it’s that relatability that continues to push her to a different dimension with her fans.
Unabashedly authentic, Alexis Lynn is a storyteller first, and foremost; citing Rihanna and Amy Winehouse among her influences, she finds solace in spinning yarns in her tunes — a quality she attributes to her family’s ties to Canada’s First Nations.
There is never a truth left untold; no subject too taboo, or prohibited… Nothing is off the table for this up and coming starlet with the powerhouse vox.
As the endemic looms, she has monster-sized plans for 2022. Having spent 2021 writing and recording her multifaceted exploration of mental health and its effects on our lives and relationships Lynn is looking forward to the future. Despite being unable to perform live last year, her tenacity to create music that moves and entices listeners to create their own dance hall — be it in their own living room, or walking down the street with headphones.
The beauty inside Alexis Lynn is not simply her staggeringly gorgeous singing voice, or her penchant for finding the beat that’ll move you. Her soundscapes set the stage for something bigger: something we can each go home with; something that says this person is singing.
Alexis Lynn? She gets us. She gets what we’re hurting, needing, wanting, feeling. And on this track, she lets us know it’s okay to “Fall Apart.”
