Chosen by Monk
Well, 2021 may somehow have managed to stagger and stumble to the end of the first week of its second month, but already it is looking as if it as going be as much of a shitstorm of a year, if not more so, than its predecessor, with the Government apparently losing the war with the pan(dem)ic and “fighting back” with renewed, and even more stringent, lockdowns in place the length and breadth of the Über Kingdom (and beyond). But, with BoJo’s much vaunted pathway out of the crisis still some way off, and the summer festival season already in severe doubt following the cancellation of Glastonbury and other events looking set to fall like the proverbial dominos, at least 2021 is sharing something more positive in common with 2020, in that it already has produced some terrific new music, with the promise of plenty more to come, if the if the inbox here at ÜRHQ is anything to go by…
In that context, as the new rock ‘n’ roll year finally starts to stand on its own two feet, with its DMs firmly planted in the mire and muck of the dissolving world around it, there has been a healthy slew of new music pinging itself our way, and the number of submissions we received for our ‘Video Of The Week’ award was startlingly impressive, especially with the levels of creativity displayed in the adverse circumstances we continue to find ourselves. After viewing all of the entries – and we do watch each and every one of the 100+ submissions which we receive every week – at the end of the day (or night, depending on where you are in the Überverse), there could be only one winner…
Except that this week we actually have our first joint winners of the year, from two bands not only from different sides of the Atlantic but also with two very different sounds and pedigrees…
Our first selection comes from right here in the good ol’ Über Kingdom of Rock ‘n’ Roll, and a band who have been kicking around the NWoCR in one shape or another since 2013. With three solid EPs under their belts already, London-based, blues-infused funk rockers Circus 66 have just released the third single from their forthcoming debut full-length album, ‘Follow The Black Crow’, which is scheduled to drop later this year. In the meantime, the combo give us another tasty appetizer as they ask us if we are ‘Jekyll Or Hyde’, which comes complete with a simple but effective old-school video clip:
From the seedy back alleys of London town, we traverse the globe to those of the city of angels, where we are ushered into the company of one of the coolest and sexiest reunions to have taken place in recent years. We are talking about the combination of former Jellyfish members Roger Joseph Manning Jr., Tim Smith and Eric Dover, who last year got back together under the guise of The Lickerish Quartet. Having already earned the coveted ÜR #SealOfApproval with last year’s debut EP, they are now back on the attack with their first official ÜK release, the imaginatively titled ‘Threesome Vol 2’, from which they are regaling us with the, admittedly hazy, details of a dream that took them over, which comes with a suitably realized and atmospheric film clip that really helps to bring the song to vivid life…
Well, there you go. That’s our first joint ‘Video Of The Week’ winners in what promises to be another traumatic year for the music business. But, as ever, we at ÜRHQ will continue to do our best to shine a light into your darker corners by bringing the brightest new rock ‘n’ roll sounds to lighten your mood and uplift your soul. So, until next week, #StayAtHome, #KeepTheMusicAlive, #CrankItUp and #StayTheFuckSafe…
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