Welcome to the Top Shelf Weekly Music Roundup, where we showcase some of our favorite new music video releases! If you are interested in having your upcoming music considered for a feature, send an email in the form of a press release to Derek Jones.
For fans of Hip Hop & Rap
As a long time music obsessive, I have found it harder and harder to latch onto much coming out of the rap and hip hop world. Raised on the likes of Biggie and Wu-Tang, I truly can’t wrap my head around most modern rappers. While it’s not bad music, I just don’t find myself really feeling a pull to it. That isn’t the case with Washington DC based rapper Airospace. Airospace returns from a sold out tour just this last May with a completely new sound, which asserts his versatility. On November 16th, the sad boy rapper, drummer, producer anomaly released another independent album titled: You’re a Liar and You Suck Who Would Love You boasting post jazz/trap production and international features, towering over any releases of the HipHop, MetalCore and Jazz genres combined. The rap genius from Southside Washington DC, first generation of Jamaica and Grenada, is known to elevate hip hop with every new release, surprising even his most loyal fans with a refreshed new approach to the music, vocals and lyricism.
For more on Airospace check out his website.
For Fans of Electronica & Alternative
Coming to us all the way from Hungary, Belau is one of the most promising newcomers in the European music scene. After winning a Hungarian Grammy for their debut album The Odyssey, the band is back with an amazing new composition entitled “Unimaginable”. There is just something about the visual elements of this music video that really seemed to stick with me. The video is absolutely beautiful and it’s one of the primary reasons I decided to pick this song for our weekly feature. The track features soulful English art-pop electronica artist, Sarah Jay Hawley, who was the vocalist of legendary Massive Attack album, Mezzanine. “As long as we give it to ourselves, there comes a point when we realize how much more difficult it is to sustain the unsustainable illusion around us than to simply become ourselves. Beyond this point we simply no longer wish to be other than what lies within us. From the starting perspective of this process – as the title of the song states – the end result is unimaginable, but the path of the anxious person can be purification itself, and there is certainly a way out of the infinitely hopeless. The music video sets a fine example of this process. For us it was a huge honour that Sarah said yes to our request and we could have a really special underwater video for it. We feel that the song, the lyrics, the music video and the creators are now in a wonderful harmony” – said the electronica duo about the new single which is a dreamy soulful r&b hymn.
For more on Belau be sure to check out their website.
For Fans of Indie Rock & Alternative
If you blended the best elements of The Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes together you would get NYC indie rockers The Backfires. Formed in 2018, delayed a bit by the pandemic, this transatlantic rock group is poised for big things in 2023! After the release of their debut EP Consider the Backfires the band is back with a killer new single “Reflections on My TV”! This is definitely a band to keep an eye on in the upcoming year!
For more on The Backfires check out their website.
For Fans of Heavy Metal
Invictus began as the solo project of Kataclysm vocalist Maurizio Iacono and as each single is released it’s become more and more clear just what a force in the metal community Marizio is. “Eagles” is the latest offering from the metal virtuoso’s debut album Unstoppable and boy does it get my blood pumping. The song and video features a poignant yet heavy message that we need to treat the soldiers who take care of us, much better than we do. Comments founding vocalist Maurizio Iacono of the band’s latest video, “‘Eagles’ is one of the first songs that me and Chris Clancy wrote. It was put together during the baby stages of this band’s life, so it’s an important track. The theme around it is about the military doing their duty for our country and our mistakes of not taking good care of these heroes when they get back home. Most of them need help and we just don’t do enough to deliver proper care.”
For more on Invictus be sure to check out their website.
For fans of Rock and Christmas music
What December roundup list would be complete without a christmas song?! This week’s choice is a beautiful Christmas offering, coming to us from Eva Under Fire front woman Amanda Lyberg. The song is featured on the soundtrack from 2022 Horror flick “The Retaliators” and was composed by Emmy-winning composers Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein (“Stranger Things”). When asked to comment Amanda stated “Christmas is my favorite holiday, so you better believe when someone asks me to sing a pretty Christmas classic, I’m going for it,” shares Amanda. “Especially if it’s for a movie I’m in, singing an arrangement by the ‘Stranger Things’ composers!” Make sure to add this beautiful song to all of your holiday playlists!
“The Retaliators” is available to rent or buy.
Make sure to check back for weekly updates! Don’t forget to submit videos for consideration! We want to feature you.
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