Marketing Program/ Banner/ Listening Station Titles Promoted This Week:
Chubby and The Gang – The Mutt’s Nuts CD (Partisan)
West London five-piece Chubby and The Gang are balanced by two energies – a casual “f**k it” on one side, an active “f**k off” on the other. For every moment of punk imperfection, there’s an intricate flurry of detail. For every enraged statement about modern life as war, there’s a lyric like “Hello heartbreak, my old friend” that catches you off guard. Made up of musicians from across the consistently thriving and criminally overlooked UK hardcore scene (ft. The Chisel, Big Cheese and more), Chubby and The Gang marinate its characteristic speed and sick-of-it-all energy in a mixture of ‘50s pop sounds. The result is a prickly take on the older, more melodic genres that punk derives from, chewing them up and spitting them out into something mangled but revitalized. [Vinyl edition due September 24.]
Liz Cooper – Hot Sass CD/2xLP (Sleepyhead)
Liz Cooper’s sophomore album Hot Sass marks multiple departures – from her 9-year home of Nashville, from her band addendum of The Stampede, and from the genre-based expectations she’s accumulated throughout her career. With these 12 new songs, Cooper comes into her own – both musically and as a person – embracing a newfound sense of independence, honesty, maturity and creativity. Hot Sass also features Cooper’s longtime bandmates and collaborators Joe Bisirri (bass), Ryan Usher (drums, percussion) and Michael Libramento (guitar, synthesizer). Cooper shares, “It’s me learning about what kind of woman I am and it’s not pretty all the time…I’m still processing these songs. Still reflecting. And I think that’s the thing – Hot Sass is just a stamp in time of what was happening in my life. I just want to continue making art that displays myself, the moments, and the people around me.” [A limited-edition grey color vinyl pressing is also available.]
Imagine Dragons – Mercury – Act 1 CD/LP/Cassette (KIDinaKORNER/Interscope)
Mercury – Act 1 is the fifth studio album from Grammy Award-winning Imagine Dragons, the best-selling rock band of the last decade. Executive produced by Rick Rubin, the follow-up to 2018’s Origins features the singles “Wrecked”, “Follow You” and “Cutthroat”, and explores themes of love, faith, pain, passion and loss. “Wrecked” was produced by the group and was inspired by singer Dan Reynolds’ late sister-in-law who died from cancer. Reynolds said in a statement about Alisha Durtschi Reynolds: “She was the brightest light. A beacon of joy and strength for everyone she met. Her sudden passing has shaken me in ways that I still am unable to express.” Reynolds continued: “This song was my way of dealing with it all, as music has always been my refuge. No longer being a man of fervent faith, I can only hope that she hears it somewhere in a place where she is healed and no longer in pain. This song is my wish for an eternity with those that I love.”
