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Showing posts from December 11, 2016

Genre Wander: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - The Darts - Vibronics meets Conscious Sounds

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Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Fireproof. Background - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s 2005 self-released debut album set a precedent for how bands might begin to approach making music independently. The record — which vocalist/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Alec Ounsworth wrote entirely by himself— received widespread critical acclaim and was named one of “The 50 Most Important Recordings Of The Decade” by NPR. In the ensuing years, Ounsworth has continued pushing himself creatively, releasing three additional Clap Your Hands Say Yeah full-lengths (for which he again wrote all of the music and lyrics) and issuing two solo projects. The group has also grown a robust international fanbase: In 2015 alone, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah toured in Latin and South America, Japan and Europe. All of these experiences have helped Ounsworth refine his vision for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, as the group heads into its twelfth year and the release of its fifth album, The Tourist. Like previous Clap Your Hands

Weekend Wonders: Nevāda Nevada - Rayne - Gregory Clark - The Byzantines

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Nevāda Nevada - 900 Days. Background - Nobody ever really quits music. Not if they ever really loved it. One can try, but it always creeps back, until one day the air is once again being caused to vibrate in the most necessary to actualize being. It is how it should be. Several years ago, Kathryn Musilek, frontman for Nevada Nevada, was a fixture in the vibrant and close-knit Iowa City, Iowa music scene, playing in numerous bands and just being generally omnipresent therein. In some way, this was the natural result of a life long love and study of music, having learned several instruments. A significant other used Kathryn as an entry point into this world, and once on the inside, spread their lovin' all over, with the knowledge of everyone in town--everyone, that is, but Kathryn. This betrayal hurt so bad, it required that Iowa City be left behind in favor of Brooklyn and the creation of music be left behind in favor publicizing the same. It was a sort of "I need to be a ne

Thursdays Treasure: Red Sleeping Beauty - The Regrettes - Mr. Elevator

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Red Sleeping Beauty - We Are Magic. Background - Red Sleeping Beauty formed in Stockholm in 1989 by singer Kristina Borg, singer/guitarist Niklas Angergård (Acid House Kings), guitarist Mikael Matsson (The Shermans), and bassist Carl-Johan Näsström. They made a huge impact on the international indiepop scene with two fantastic albums and a series of singles and EPs. Their first release was in 1992 with EP Pop Sounds (Marsh Marigold), followed by four 7"s all on different pop labels (Somersault, Motorway, Grimsey, and Sunday) before returning to Marsh-Marigold for the first full length Bedroom. They then signed to the legendary Siesta Records to release their fifth single Sick & Tired, their second album Soundtrack, and a compilation of singles. Album named after the band’s female singer. On the recent album ”Kristina” Red Sleeping Beauty is a duo consisting of vocalist Niklas Angergård and Mikael Matsson with help from Kristina Borg on vocals on four songs. The album title

Midweek Muse: Ferlein - Donnie Biggins - The Desert Sea

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Ferlein - Forgive Me For Falling. Background - Forgive Me for Falling is Ferlein’s debut single from her upcoming debut album Poetic Mind.  Ferlein is a singer/songwriter with a gift for poetic storytelling.  Her unique contralto voice with lush velvet tones combined with a mix of delicate and powerful delivery enables her to tell her stories with genuine passion and emotion. Marcel Yammouni is Ferlein’s music producer and guitarist.  Marcel describes Ferlein's music as fearless and inventive. "Ferlein has a unique sound which I struggle to put in any category all I know is I love it and am thrilled to be working with her". Ferlein has a very experienced band including Marcel Yammouni, John Salerno, Paul Cecchinelli, Rod Bustos and Phil Turcio.  They have worked with many top Australian artists including Vanessa Amorosi, Kate Ceberano, Olivia Newton John, Guy Sebastian, John Farnham, Jimmy Barnes, Jessica Mauboy, Em Rusciano and Hugh Jackman.  They have also toured

Quality Not Quantity: Erin Pellnat - The Plastic Attraction - Tallisker

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Erin Pellnat - Dream in Color. Background - Erin Pellnat is currently an unsigned singer-songwriter based in Brooklyn, NY. Her new EP Dream In Color includes songs that range from colorful acoustic, to accordion waltz, to Bossa Nova. Erin is also a member of Brooklyn band Caretaker, however her solo material takes her in a number of  very different directions. If you want to play detective then Beehive Candy featured a relative of Erin Pellnat earlier this year, no prizes for guessing, it's a small world. The EP was recorded in the fall of 2016. Bandcamp here . 'Dream in Color' is the title track and the first of four really fine songs in this EP collection. Although the songs take differing directions, Erin's vocals consistently stand out. Musically melodic, there is considerable attention to detail within the soundtrack which adds that little extra and makes this EP pretty special. Dream in Color by Erin Pellnat ----------------------------------------------

Monday Double: Expanda Fuzz - Hand Habits

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Expanda Fuzz - Flavour : Zombie (Bleuets EP). Background - Expanda Fuzz is a caustic homing device for wayward spirit animals. Have you ever had a ripped speaker that sounded so killer you didn't want to fix it? Or how about the excitement of that raw distortion sound that rips through a guitar part like a divining rod and makes your heart skip a beat? Those are some of the sweet ingredients that inspire Expanda Fuzz to write catchy, trance-inducing, garage pop songs. The songs are a dark cuisine of droney hooks, garage spunk and muddy pop, all crushed with a Velvet Underground spirit, Helium flavour and Suicide daydream. Find the first sampling of those tracks in the first official release from the band: Bleuets! Now available for download and for record collectors, it is also available on gorgeous black and white splatter vinyl. Limited to 100 copies only, website here , Facebook here . The first of six tracks on the 'Bleuets' EP is 'Flavour : Zombie' a song

Genre Wander: Jetty Rae - Lucy and the Rats - Lucidalabrador - Loose Buttons

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Jetty Rae - Queen of the Universe. Background - Jetty Rae is a singer-songwriter based out of Northern Michigan. Jetty has been singing, touring, and recording for the since 2005. Her influences include Jennifer Knapp, Brandi Carlile, Cat Power, Ray Lamontagne, Lauryn Hill, Patty Griffin, and many more. If you’ve been to a Jetty Rae show you can agree to the fact that songwriting is her true forte, but how she marries her words to her voice and melodies is a thing to see.  She has power, and restraint in her voice—the ability to pull at your heart strings delicately. On the other hand she also possesses the power to awaken a passion, a fight in all of us when she really belts it. Her hopes are to eventually start a label for independent artists like herself—that will empower artists to start where they are. She is hoping to give them the tools, studio time, experience, and resources they need to succeed in making great art. Website here , and Facebook here . Jetty Rae has both a