New album 'Ruins.' Out now. http://smarturl.it/FAK-Ruins

If you’re looking for a raw, sugary blast of distorted pop, look no further than Weird Nightmare. The debut album from Metz guitarist and vocalist Alex Edkins has all of Metz’s bite with an unexpected, yet satisfying, sweetness. Imagine The Amps covering Big Star, or the gloriously hissy miniature epics of classic-era Guided by Voices combined with the bombast of Copper Blue-era Sugar—tons of red-line distortion cut with tunecraft that instantly thrills.

Edkins has been a mainstay of Canadian punk since the early 2010s. After moving from Ottawa to Toronto, Metz joined the Sub Pop roster in 2012 and built an international following for their angular, hard-hitting noise punk. During the pandemic, Edkins recorded a group of solo songs that combined Metz’s sonic attack with sugary hooks and the melodic leanings of ‘90s-inspired indie rock. Using new material and older songs that didn’t fit Metz’s mold, he completed a full-length under the name Weird Nightmare, issued by Sub Pop in 2022.

michael@heavy-trip.com   Booking agent world

In 2020, Jon Batiste redefined what it means to be productive. 
Recording and releasing two Grammy-nominated albums, check. 
Cultural and social advocacy, check. Band leading and music directing on the Late Show, check. Practicing, learning, sharing, growing, check.
 
Was he done there? Batiste? Nah. 
 
He decided to build a studio in his dressing room at the renowned Ed Sullivan Theater and invited a few talented friends—including singer-songwriter Autumn Rowe and producer Kizzo—to lay the blueprint for what is destined to become a seminal masterpiece of black pop American music, his forthcoming album, WE ARE. Not to mention, he put all of this together in 6 days. Again, redefining productivity. 
 
He ended the year with his music and likeness being centrally featured in the Disney/Pixar film Soul. His composing and songwriting will be featured in his large-scale, genre-melding symphonic work “American Symphony,” set to premiere at Carnegie Hall in 2021 and he has been developing a broadway musical about the life of famed painter Jean-Michel Basquiat.
 
Jon balances a demanding performance schedule—which often includes his signature ‘love riot’ street parades—with public speaking engagements, masterclasses, brand partnerships, community activism, and acting roles. In the wake of George Floyd's murder and in the lead up to the election, he organized several peaceful protest marches, leading thousands in the streets of New York City. He played himself on the HBO series Tremé and appeared in Spike Lee’s Red Hook Summer and Da Sweet Blood of Jesus.

Big Crown Records is a Brooklyn based independent record label started in 2016 by Leon Michels & Danny Akalepse. Home of Lee Fields & The Expressions, Lady Wray, El Michels Affair, Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band, The Shacks, Paul & The Tall Trees, 79.5, Bobby Oroza, Brainstory, Okonkolo, and many more.

tomios is following