Dallas Music News: Phantomelo's 'Trashy' Video, Rosegarden Funeral Party Covers Danny Elfman

Electropop duo Secrecies dropped their new single “Far Away So Close” along with an accompanying video on Friday, Jan. 29. The dreamy song, available on all streaming platforms, was recorded before the pandemic lockdowns yet has taken on a new meaning for the band in the days of social distancing. The video creates a feeling of isolation in an open space as we watch an underwater ballerina in a red bikini encounter coral reef, fish and dolphins, but nothing human, even at the water’s surface.

Jan. 29 is also the day Americana band New Ellum releases their “Milly Ann” which marks the sixth single for the band and the first for the new year. “Milly Ann” is a mixture of blues, rock and soul with just a tinge of Southern charm, but what makes the song stand out among the band’s other tracks is the driving rhythms and harmonies of the stomp & holler subgenre.

Also on Friday, metalcore band Slit released their latest single “All for Me,” the first to follow their Nothing Left EP released last summer. Written while the band was mixing that EP, “All for Me” shows the band’s growth in such a short amount of time. In celebration of the single’s release, Slit will also be making new merchandise available in their online store.

Darkwave band Rosegarden Funeral Party is releasing the second installment of their “Take Cover” series, this time with a cover of “Gratitude” by Danny Elfman. The cover features Michael Doty of Son of Stan, Duell and Deep Red on guitar and Vera Velma Hernandez of High Life backing vocals. Unlike anything we’ve heard from Rosegarden before, the cover captures all the new wave poppiness of the original without losing their trademark dour delivery.

PlaneKeys, aka Leland Kracher of TryMore MOJO’s solo electronic project, released its first single “Cloud Surfer” on Thursday, Jan. 28. Fans of downtempo/IDM acts like Bonobo, Bluetech, Com Truse and Tycho are sure to appreciate the track’s high fidelity sound for relaxing, reflective listening and meditating. The single is the first of six set to be released in the near future on PlaneKeys' upcoming Dew Point EP.

Justin Casey, formerly of rock band The Delzells, is back, reviving his old project Market Zero with the new single “Lemonade.” Less raucous than Casey’s previous band, Market Zero’s sound can be likened to that of Cage the Elephant, especially their more psychedelic tracks. “Lemonade” in particular is as refreshing as its name suggests, keeping the pace slow, the rhythms crisp and the vibe mellow.

Phantomelo’s video for “The Tempest” from the Water Your Friends pt. 1 EP went live last weekend. An environmental song written ironically from an apathetic perspective about the world’s impending demise, “The Tempest” is accompanied by a music video placing the band’s members in the middle of natural disasters and ending with a trash storm made up of garbage saved by the band and film crew for two weeks.

Dallas Observer Music Award-nominated hardcore punk band Noogy recently released its latest Teen Idol / 2020 digital 7-inch vinyl. While “Teen Idol,” with its breakneck pace and anti-establishment themes, is more in line with what you might expect from a band like Noogy, but you’ll want to stay tuned for the song’s B-Side, the punk-rap fusion “2020.” If this is a preview of what else the band has in store for us this year, there is much to be excited about.

This week, Red Zeppelin Records in McKinney announced that it would be branching out from record store into a record label. The label has announced Bayleigh Cheek as the label’s first signed artist, and they plan to announce more in the near future.

Singer-songwriter Dezmond Walker spoke to us recently about his new single “Move On.” Written about moving on from a four-year relationship, Walker wanted the song to be an inspiration for people, especially men, to connect with their emotions and face their demons.

Upcoming Shows

Singer-songwriter Cas Haley performs Friday night, Jan. 29 at Tulips in Fort Worth.

In Deep Ellum that same night, Dakota Ritter takes the stage at Adair’s Saloon.

The Roommates will play their three-year anniversary show Saturday night, Jan. 30 at Ruins in Deep Ellum.

In Haltom City Saturday night, The Haltom Theater will host metal bands Not My Master, Insufferable Sorcery, Vivid and Vulgar, Serpent Priest and Prophecy.

Meanwhile in Arlington, Metonic, Under A Spell, Waja and Tin Pool will be bringing the metal to Mavericks Bar and Grill.