New Jersey rockers The Melancholy Kings present 'Bitcoin Elegy', a guitar-driven single about the inevitable decline of meaningful personal relationships in the digital age. With gratuitous references to Yeats and King Canute, this song previews the first album from the Montclair-based outfit in six years. Not actually an elegy about the famed king of cryptos, the song references Bitcoin as a noted marker for the post-analog world, the elegy here being is specifically about the loss of interpersonal community.

With footage shot at Prototype 237, an art collective and performance space located in Paterson, NJ, the video is driven by the song's dynamic shifts, the uptempo and frenetic intro shifting to a more mellow, almost folk-rock progression in the second part of the verses. The time-shifting playing on the lyrical themes of disconnectedness and helplessness in the face of inevitable decline, the slow-motion segments convey the sense of band members trapped in a stasis as the world collapses around them.

Now based in New Jersey, The Melancholy Kings are transplants from NYC, who wear their love-hate relationship with the Garden State and its big city neighbor on their sleeve. Musically, they evoke a meeting of Paul Westerberg and Jeff Tweedy somewhere in the swamps of Jersey, blending the sounds of Wilco and The Replacements.

The core duo, singer/guitarist Mike Potenza (The Anderson Council, Crash Harmony, BARD, Gramercy Arms) and bassist Scott Selig (Ambulance, Uncle Moon, Deni Bonet Band, Super Tuesday), met while enduring the desolate misery of corporate life in a Midtown Manhattan law firm. Unknown to each other, they both had a secret past as musicians in the '90s and '00s NYC indie scene, having played in various "almost-famous" post-punk bands and toured as opening acts for legends. Escaping corporate misery, they rededicated themselves to music, solidifying the lineup with drummer Paul Andrew (Fluffer, Phantom Tollbooth) and guitarist Peter Horvath (The Anderson Council).

'Bitcoin Elegy' is the first offering from their second album 'Her Favorite Disguise', the long-awaited follow up to their eponymous debut album - an unapologetic nod to the rough-hewn insouciance of '80s pre-grunge alt-rock. Released via Magic Door Record Label, this album was produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by renowned producer Ray Ketchem (Guided by Voices, Luna, Elk City, Gramercy Arms, Crash Harmony) at Magic Door Recording Studio.

"Bitcoin Elegy is a song about the lack of personal connectivity in the digital age. In a sense, it's meant to be nostalgic, but it's also about being resigned to fate and life going on despite what we think or do (the sun, the moon, the stars, they hardly care). Like King Canute's efforts to stop the tides flooding his camp, the song is meant to invoke the inevitability of "progress" ("we told the tides to stop their to and fro; we still got sucked out by the undertow")," says Mike Potenza.

"Musically, the song came together very quickly with the opening riff leading into a straightforward guitar-driven rocker and a bridge with spectral backing vocals supplied by special guest, Olivia Selig."

On 'Bitcoin Elegy', the band is joined by vocalist Olivia Selig. This new album also features the iconic Mac Gollehon (David Bowie, Al Jarreau, Duran Duran, Mick Jagger, Hall and Oates) on trumpet, cellist Carolyn Jeselsohn, vocalist Reneé LoBue of Elk City, accordionist Carl Riehl (Michelle Shocked, Uncle Moon) and Ray Ketchem on percussion.

Scott Selig shares, "When Mike sent us 'Bitcoin Elegy', played on acoustic guitar and sung into his phone, I was immediately hooked by the melody and chord progressions and the lyrics made me like it even more. It was a pretty seamless process for the full band to develop it into the electric guitar-driven rocker that it became, and we quickly integrated the song into our live set. It was fun refining it in the studio with Ray and rest of the band, bringing in acoustic guitars when the dynamic shifts mid-verse, and Mike added some nice lead guitar lines in the bridge to play against the vocal melody. Finally, the harmonies that Peter and Olivia sung really filled out the arrangement."

'Bitcoin Elegy' is available everywhere digitally, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp. On November 28, 'Her Favorite Disguise' will be released digitally and also on vinyl. It can already be pre-ordered on Bandcamp.

CREDITS
Mike Potenza – guitar, vocals
Peter Horvath - guitar, vocals
Scott Selig - bass
Paul Andrew - drums, percussion
Olivia Selig - vocals
Produced by Ray Ketchem, Scott Selig & The Melancholy Kings
Recorded, mixed & mastered by Ray Ketchem at Magic Door Recording Studio, Montclair, NJ
Additional recording by Scott Selig at The Old Stone House, Maplewood, NJ
Written by Mike Potenza
Published by Hamilton Publishing (BMI) © 2025
© 2025 The Melancholy Kings
Released by Magic Door Record Label
Single art & design by Ray Ketchem & Scott Selig. Photo by Sonya Selig
Video filmed & edited by Scott Selig
Filmed at Prototype 237 & Phenotype 237, Paterson NJ
Additional footage filmed at Mike’s pad
Band photos by Carlo Cipriani
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR