NYC-based Japanese-Russian duo The Dayoffs have announced ‘Next To Nothing’ as the second single from their forthcoming self-titled debut album. The Dayoffs are Vladimir Komarov and Atsuo Matsumoto – both are producers, having met in the studio while working on other artists’ output. Always busy working on other people’s music, Vladimir and Atsuo recorded some instrumental improvisations during studio downtime, gathering enough material for a debut LP. Hence, their name The Dayoffs – from constant lack of studio time for their own music.
The Dayoffs is a rock duo with an elastic, transparent and multilayered sound and catchy riffs and hooks due to some solid pop sensibilities. ‘Love Love Love’ is a prime example of this, oscillating between winning elements of Teenage Fanclub, Ash, The Boo Radleys, Ultra Vivid Scene and Pet Shop Boys. Slated for release on November 10 via German boutique label Emerald & Doreen Recordings, their debut offering is comprised of 11 refreshing tracks.
Coming to their praise immediately was James Atkin of EMF fame. “I’ve been so looking forward to this musical offering from The Dayoffs, having followed their progress from the fruition of this new project. The track ‘Next To Nothing’ ticks so many boxes for me from the off. Opening with a low-tech acid synthesizer that tells you something serious is going down and to hold on tight for the ride. The distorted bass makes you actually feel dirty with the drums pounding like a sweaty amphetamine episode.”
“I’ve always been a fan of Vladimir’s vocal delivery, weaving non-committal but with acute emotional conviction. I love the way the guitars crash into the chorus, creating beautiful textures and dynamic highs. These guys have seriously got their songwriting and production skills nailed, Vladimir and Atsuo have created a truly stunning album that will no doubtable be on everyone’s turntables by the end of the year.”
The new video for ‘Next to Nothing’ presents clips of skiers from yesteryear, a DIY style that pays homage to American punk, skate, and snowboard videos of the 90s. In contrast, the videos for earlier tracks ‘Love Love Love’ and ‘State of Madness’ focus on the duo, their life, and environment in New York City, the latter even filmed by prominent Russian movie director Fedor Lyass.
Atsuo is Japanese and Vladimir is Russian. Despite living in different parts of Manhattan and supporting opposing soccer teams, these two have much in common. Not only are they born on the same day, but they are both musicians and recording professionals. The two met in 2012 at the legendary Stratosphere Sound Studios, when Vladimir was tracking for a project and Atsuo was engineering the sessions. During the first recording hour, both realized that their recording methods and musical tastes are similar. Soon they teamed up to produce a bunch of records, including the debut album ‘Country Mile’ by James Atkin (EMF) and ‘Voshod’ by Russian post-punk heroes Manicure.
Vladimir Komarov is a musician, sound producer, DJ, and journalist and otherwise known as a pioneer of Russian shoegaze and indietronica. While his Russian music projects Hot Zex and Punk TV became staples of the nascent Russian indie rock scene, they also were well-received abroad. Atsuo Matsumoto is a Japanese musician and sound engineer and, apart from The Dayoffs, he is a member of Andy Chase’s Camera2 band.
The Dayoffs sound seems to gravitate towards Teenage Fanclub, which is interesting considering that it was at the band’s Manhattan’s gig in the summer of 2014 that Vladimir and Atsuo decided to jointly explore this sound further.
“This is a rock album. Speedy, noisy but lyrical – as guitar as could be. We did this on purpose. It was like playing with old toys – sweet, nostalgic and big fun. Maybe too sweet sometimes – but I don’t mind. These songs came out of nowhere, uncalculated and with a lot of improvisation,” explains Vladimir Komarov. “It took us more than two years to complete this 30-minute record as we are perfectionists. Every time I listen to it, I have nothing I’d like to add. This means that it is off the table and I’m very excited to know that our next record will follow different direction”.
The Dayoffs debut LP will be made available across all the regular digital sales and streaming platforms.
LINKS:
http://www.facebook.com/The-Dayoffs-707158302724188
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7t1WCdY8RgIHGf0iIgtRgQ
http://soundcloud.com/thedayoffs
http://www.instagram.com/thedayoffs
http://twitter.com/thedayoffs
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Captain Squeegee – Our Children
Psychedelic indie rock band Captain Squeegee has made a name for themselves in Arizona over the years for their over-the-top music videos and their latest release, the delightfully strange “Our Children,” does not disappoint. The song is the first single from their upcoming EP Harmony Cure, a collection of punk rock show tunes due to release on January 26th via 80/20 Records. The uneasy anthem is about passing on a broken world to the next generation as vocalist Danny Torgersen charismatically belts optimistic lines as “And when our children hang out, I hope they save the world. I hope they know about our weapon. And drop it again, that harmony cure.” In order to balance out the serious subject matter, the band opted for Sci-Fi references, 90’s hip-hop aesthetics, and even wheeled out a freakin’ DeLorean in the video.
“Our previous videos always told a narrative story and had a plot, kind of a guided journey, and I wanted this one to be a sensory overload, ‘what the f*ck kind of video.’ I wanted this video to make a lot less sense than other videos.” said vocalist Danny Torgersen.
Harmony Cure was produced, engineered and mixed by Bob Hoag (The Format, The Ataris), the same person behind the band’s 2013 full-length To The Bardos!. The five wickedly clever tracks hover over funk, ska, prog, rock, jazz and everything in between. “It’s about finding hope through song, confronting the demons of the 3D world with HARMONY,” says Torgersen. “A sonic swim through the unsettling swamps of time, age, death, dying art, & the future of Earth. You know, whatever. That’s kind of why we also named our new beer (by SunUp Brewing) after the album…it’s like, ‘dude I know, being human is crazy… here just drink this it might help’”
“…an energy that is irrepressible and unpredictable.”
– Music Connection“Captain Squeegee has dramatically expanded their sound, resulting in a heady brand of neo-psychedelic prog… [like] a van full of jazz performance majors raised on ska would play it”
– AZ Central“Their horn-driven instrumentation, metaphysical lyrics, and intense multi-media performances have hailed them “one of the toughest acts in town to follow” and “prepared to headline Coachella, tomorrow.”
– Modern Times MagLINKS:
http://captainsqueegee.com
https://www.facebook.com/captainsqueegee
https://twitter.com/captainsqueegee
https://www.instagram.com/captainsqueegee -
Julian Shah-Tayler – Secret
Julian Shah-Tayler has just released the video for his single titled ‘Secret’. Already a solid song in its own right, the video perfectly compliments the song with brisk and styled imagery that visually keeps the beat and punctuates the rhythm and perfectly compliments the song properly.
I have to be honest, while this song and video really makes me want to break my quarantine and go out and have a good time, it also gives me the energy that I needed to keep me strong because now I feel like I am out or, at least, having a good time. Thank you Julian.
ABOUT JULIAN SHAH-TAYLER
Julian Shah-Tayler, aka The Singularity, from Leeds, England currently living in LA, is back with the video for his latest single “Secret” released July 17, 2020. Shah-Tayler explained, “This is a song about heading out into the night of clubs and celebration. Forgetting all of our troubles and tripping the light fantastic as nightlife starts to flourish again…I’ve got this feeling in my bones that we are never going home.”
“Secret” was filmed by Alex Tovar in Barstow haunted railway stop. It was written, produced, and performed by Shah-Tayler and recorded in Los Angeles, CA. Additional production by Robert Margouleff (Depeche Mode, Devo, Stevie Wonder).
LINKS:
https://www.julianshahtayler.com
https://www.instagram.com/the_singularity_music
https://www.facebook.com/thesingularitymusic
https://www.youtube.com/user/thesingularityband -
Perfectparachutepicture – Lonely Landslide
Perfectparachutepicture has today released their new video for the single titled ‘Lonely Landslide’.
Like a sonic lightning bolt, the start of the song absolutely hits you across the face and yells ‘Listen up!’. The song is a sonic beast.
‘Lonely Landslide’ delivers that lonely angst we are all feeling at the moment while remaining one of those much-needed foot stompers to ventilate the aggression we all have right now in this landslide of isolation.
ABOUT PERFECTPARACHUTEPICTURE
Perfectparachutepicture, stylized as PPP, hails from Sheffield and is comprised of bassist Edward James and Kyle Ernest on drums and lead vocals. The pair dispatch brash, grit rock framed by muscularly riffery and poignant lyrics delivered with melodic energy and earnest emotion. The Brit rockers take from a slew of areas, but the riff-smiths have a particular kinship with Biffy Clyro, Queens of the Stone Age, and Death From Above 1979.
On the brand new single the band remark, “Lonely Landslide is a song about being sucked into a life of false dreams created by television and the unrealistic goals created by fiction and reality TV. It’s a song about stepping outside of your comfort zone and peeling yourself away from poisonous hopes and ideas.” The band’s two previous singles, ‘They Only Want’ and ‘Working Machine’ have had fantastic national and international success, both being championed by BBC Music Introducing around the country, and nationally by Tom Robinson of BBC Radio 6 Music.
Internationally, they have both charted in the IndieXL Alternative Chart in the Netherlands and have been played frequently as far afield as Australia. With the release of ‘Lonely Landslide’, the band is certain to keep moving onto bigger and better things.
LINKS:
https://www.facebook.com/perfectparachutepicture
https://www.perfectparachutepicture.com
https://twitter.com/pppband
https://www.youtube.com/user/pppband1
https://www.instagram.com/perfectparachutepicture