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Showing posts from October 30, 2016

Six Of The Best: Ping - Low Island - White Room - The Megaphonic Thrift - Soft Lions - Rosebug

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Ping - Something Worth Saving. Background - Something Worth Saving is the first single from Dublin singer Ping aka Ingrid Madsen. Whilst the name might be new to people, her voice certainly won’t be. Not long after being a contestant on The Voice of Ireland, Ping was asked to join the Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra on a sold out 10 week tour of the USA on their “Women of Ireland” project. Since then she has been performing constantly throughout Ireland enhancing her reputation as one of Ireland’s finest vocalists.  Written by PictureHouse songwriter Dave Browne with Lasse Anderson and recorded between Dublin and Sweden by Adam Kviman (Eagle Eye Cherry, Jewel, The Wannadies et al) the track will be released via PHRC on November 25th. Facebook here . 'Something Worth Saving' is a pleasing pop ballad that gives Ping the perfect opportunity to showcase her melodic and engaging vocals. For me it's a real sense of emotion that brings the song to life and gives it enough edge

Weekend Wonders: Lio Nicol - Shaprece - Adrian J - Venkman - Del Caesar - A Valley Son - Woodes

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Lio Nicol - Blame. Background bio - Lio Nicol is both sage and sass. With honest yet quirky lyrics, she has found a way to reflect her sense of humor while maintaining her grace, setting her apart from other singer-songwriters. After a few semesters of studying biology at the University of Montana, Nicol left her hometown of Missoula and relocated to California in 2010 to pursue a career in music. A talented pianist and guitarist, Lio Nicol has found her greatest passion lies within songwriting. Inspired by the legendary Diane Warren, Nicol’s songwriting is a reflection of her thoughts, heartbreak, and love. Her powerhouse vocals and catchy indie-pop melodies have led to her being describes as an early Mariah Carey meets Florence and The Machine. Lio Nicol has toured and recorded with some of the industry’s top musicians as well as Grammy award-winning producers. She has performed all over North America in a variety of concerts including the Dragon Boat Festival, Durango Expo, House

Genre Wander: Matt Tiller - The Franklys - Wrenne - The Pinkerton Raid

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Matt Tiller - Flat Packing Anger Management. Background - Matt Tiller releases new single Flat Packing Anger Management - a melodic indie pop tune about the despair of the emasculated modern man attempting to assemble flat pack furniture while his more competent girlfriend despairs. It’s a duet with singer and actor Diana Vickers who also stars in the video with actor and comedian David Elms. The single is released on all digital outlets and is taken from a short album about stuff. Matt is a musical comedian (live dates below), writer and television comedy producer behind shows like BBC Two’s Hebburn. He blends musical one-liners, songs and stand up and has won audience appreciation and critical acclaim in clubs and at festivals nationwide, including the Edinburgh Fringe. Website here . 11th Nov: The Hospital Club, Covent Garden London. Album Launch 12th Nov: Sonderfest, Manchester. In the afternoon at Texture 25th Nov Shangri La Cabaret, Prestwich, Manchester. 'Flat Packing

Midweek Muse: The History Of Colour TV - AyOwA - In Light Of - Childcare

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The History Of Colour TV - Wreck. Background - Berlin-based trio The History of Colour TV is back with new music, presenting 'Wreck', the first single from their forthcoming third album 'Something Like Eternity'. For this, the band travelled to France in the spring of 2016 to record with Peter Deimel (The Wedding Present, Shellac, The Ex) at the legendary Black Box Recording Studio. The result represents a departure from their hallmark sound by bringing a raw, minimalist aesthetic to the new release. Stylistically, 'Wreck' is a dynamic and open live recording with minimal overdubs and, in this respect, represents a snapshot of the overall album. With an elongated structure and narrative theme, the song itself blends melodic sensibilities with ragged guitar textures. Building on melancholic arpeggio patterns, 'Wreck' unfolds in intensifying sequences, crescendoing in a raging wall-of-sound that engulfs the song in a billowing cloud of guitars. The Histo

Globetrotting: The Wedding Present - Hickory Signals - Snowapple - Songbird

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The Wedding Present - Two Bridges. Background - ‘Going, Going…’ is the title of the widely anticipated ninth studio album from UK indie darlings, The Wedding Present, but, in typical Wedding Present fashion... it’s not a conventional release! Going, Going... is out November 18th in North America on HHBTM Records, the album tells the story of a road trip across the USA, revealed across a collection of twenty ‘linked’ songs, each with an accompanying short film. Always challenging and experimental, the idea to release the new project in a multi-media format is something that has been marinating with bandleader David Gedge for some time. As he points out, work began soon after the unveiling of The Wedding Present’s 2012 critically acclaimed album ‘Valentina’. “I’d already decided by then that I didn’t want to make the next release just ‘another album’ and so I came up with the idea of twenty ‘interconnected’ pieces of music. Then, in the summer of 2014 I travelled across the USA with ph

Quality Not Quantity: Levy And The Oaks - Feel Freeze

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Levy And The Oaks - Slowly In The Water. Background -   By way of Asbury Park, Levy & The Oaks delivered their 8-song self-titled LP last week for purchase, stream and download here. Delivering a one-two punch of Indie Pop and Grassroots Rock, the collection was written and recorded in their homestate of New Jersey. Today, the record is available on all DSPs. The four-piece band seamlessly blend clever lyrics, spangled melodies and heady arrangements, while putting a tasteful spin on modern (and not so modern culture). Inspired by Duane's own struggles, the LP is about growing up, finding yourself, and ultimately, personal acceptance. The debut track off the LP, “Slowly in the Water” set the tone for the album. "In my experience, the best songs are the ones that come organically, explains Okun.“That’s the case with “Slowly in The Water”. The track channels the emotional state of feeling lost, and the journey to self-awareness. "Out Of The Blue" was the motivati

Sundays Alternative Take: Christine Leakey - Howlite - Severed Limb - Hail Taxi - So Below - Eat the Apple

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Christine Leakey - Je Danse Dans Le Discotheque Avec Toulouse Lautrec. Background from Christine - I’m thrilled to share my latest self-produced circus inspired single that I recorded in Los Angeles and Canada, *Je Danse Dans La Discotheque Avec Toulouse Lautrec* from my forthcoming second solo album, *Wanderlust Wishing Well*. The music video by the very talented Sandra Powers features my friends, Timur Bekbosunov (Timur and the Dime Museum and opera singer), Matthew Setzer (Skinny Puppy and he sewed his green gorilla costume), Brett Loudermilk the skeleton (sword swallower with Spiegelworld), Mario Marin as Lautrec, Ghosty the dog and yours truly, the doll. If you listen closely to the recording, you will hear that I used a vintage foley stage (sounds like stomping and kicking leaves and a pipe around) from the world’s oldest sound studio in Hollywood now called, Winslow Court Studios. The studio has such a rich history – It was built by the owner of the Los Angeles Railway at the