2010FM - October Edition Two
Starting this time around at a rather gentle pace with Joshua English who has roots in both Portland, Oregon and Boston Massachusetts. Culling inspiration from Raymond Carver, perpetual motion, and oceans of black coffee, his new record, 'Lay Bare Your Bones', presents a unique brand of cynicism and leads a novel exploration of life's ironies.
With influences spanning Sam Cooke to Public Enemy, Joshua English's forthcoming release reveals core
threads of Brit-folk weaved over stylistic leanings akin to Chuck Ragan and Billy Bragg. Whether the
understated and meandering beauty of “Nickel In” or the over-caffeinated, somebody-done-somebody- wrong sensibility of “River Rising Quickly,” this collection of songs is woven together tightly, in the classic tradition of a cohesive LP.
It ain't all as gentle as the featured song but from what we have heard it is one quality album.
Featured Track: Nickels In.
Website: Official.
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The Glass EP is the pairs’ first release and was recorded on Rowan’s grandmothers farm in March 2010. They then teamed up with friend Bevan Smith (Signer, Over the Atlantic, The Ruby Suns) to produce the recordings into the final release. The Glass EP is an initial marrying of the pairs’ ambient, looped soundscapes fused with minimal lyrical content and structured songwriting. Glass Vaults successfully "deliver a fully realized EP buoyed by the peerless semblance of potential; rare that music can at once sound so wistful, but look forward with such promise" (Jonathan Shedletzky). JUKBOXR Records will release the Glass EP for the first time outside of NZ with a limited vinyl run out November 1st.
Well that's the official promo info and more to the point we are loving their music - superb.
Featured Track: Forget Me Not.
Website: MySpace.
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Burning Bright Tonight was produced by Kevin McMahon (The Walkmen, The French Kicks) and is comprised of brooding, well-crafted pop songs with layers of textural melody. Meanwhile, the boyfriend-girlfriend-best friend trio has been busy on the road playing with the likes of Titus Andronicus, Bear Hands, The Beets, and Drink Up Buttercup since July.
Getting to the point I really like this band, their promo material goes on to talk about the reasons behind some of the material including dealing with disaster and missing the one you love, I say just listen they are great.
Featured Track: Beast.
Website: Official.
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Bikini are totally new to me.
I know nothing about them but like this tune enough so that they get a mention and that's all, because I just ain't got the time to dig a little more..
Oh apparently it's out in November.
Featured Track: A Cheerlaeder.
Website: MySpace.
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Blonde Summer teamed up with Aaron Espinoza (Earlimart, Admiral Radley) at The Ship studio to create the "indie rock bliss" that would become Eleganza. The 5-song EP kicks off with the dance worthy "Cathode Ray," which immediately sets the tone of this promising debut. Chris Pope's vocals on "Scared You'll Get Hurt" float as if they've got wings and the musicianship of "Blonde" is reminiscent of 90s indie rock pioneers, The Pixies.
There's a nice vibe running through the featured track that takes it beyond 'comfortable indie format' and the guitar work builds in a manner that suggest these guys can move beyond the safe confines of pop.
Featured Track: Cathode.
Website: Official.
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Summer Library is the solo work of Patrick Kelly from New Rochelle, NY. After a stint in a Pavement-inspired indie rock band, Patrick began recording as Summer Library, which takes its influence and direction from bands such as Galaxie 500, Brighter and Rocketship. The Swedish-sounding A-side is backed with “Past The Railroad Tracks,” which sounds as if someone might have snuck a synthesizer into a Field Mice song. Jangly guitars and catchy melodies pervade these two tracks.
It's available for free over at February Records and is absolutely worth a listen. I hate doing the whole age thing but this guy musically shows a maturity way beyond his years and I hope a lot of people keep an eye (or ear) out for more from Summer Library!
Featured Track: Do You Ever.
Website: February Records.
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Background as follows - Scattered Trees is a dapper, young group of artists who grew up together in the outskirts of Chicago. Some of the members share last names, albeit for different reasons. They are the kind of friends who can separate and come back together at ease, entertained by a constellation of conversations and the familiarity of each other’s voices. As is the case with any ambitious set of individuals aspirations beyond their hometown, as they grew, Scattered Trees spent more and more time apart until it seemed the norm. Just when it appeared life had separated them for good, tragedy struck, a death, and Scattered Trees came back together, recording an album emblazoned with the sincerity and beauty that only the most terrible of times can yield.
This fall, the first singles from this record will be made available to purchase. In the coming months a short, multi-part documentary will be released telling Scattered Trees’ tale in a far more intimate way than a band bio ever could.
Featured Track: A Conversation about Death on New Years Eve.
Website: Official.
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Dave Einmo’s Head Like a Kite is keeping busy and re-releasing its highly successful Dreams Suspend Night on November 9th through Roll Call Records. The album, which was re-mastered by Dave Cooley (Dangermouse, Silversun Pickups, Prefuse 73) will include bonus track “Diamond Paint” which features polar opposites, Asya of indie-pop duo Smoosh and Tilson of The Saturday Nights resulting in an airy yet hard hitting pop meets hip-hop piece. This will be Head Like a Kite’s third musical effort and their debut with Roll Call Records. Dreams Suspend Night pushes the limit of electronic music, combining dance, hip-hop, and rock into one neatly wrapped package.
The creative monsoon that is Head Like A Kite started pouring down upon Einmo in 2006 when he began to fuse progressive electronic music with sensible pop melodies. Einmo crafted a 2-step recording approach that begins with challenging pop songwriting, followed by his own tracking with live instruments. Once the foundation is in place, Einmo transforms into a producer/DJ, slicing and sampling his own instrumental tracks before peppering the recordings with guests. Like The Wizard of Oz – Dave Einmo is one man in a control booth turning knobs to create something that feels much larger. However unlike the film, when Einmo steps out of the booth and onto the stage, he is just as magical.
Dreams Suspend Night features multiple musicians and vocalists including: Smoosh, Her Space Holiday, Boom Bip (Neon Neon), Tilson of The Saturday Nights, and members of The Long Winters and Swervedriver. The indie-centric artists that have united to perform on Einmo’s Dreams Suspend Night have truly created a broad musical platform that blends hip-hop, indie rock, and electro-pop so elegantly. Consequently there is a unique musical personality that saturates Dreams Suspend Night, as the music is engaging, beat-driven, thoughtful, but most of all, fun.
The original record was released independently by Head Like a Kite in May and has already reached #1 at Seattle powerhouse radio station, KEXP. The band is garnering praise from elite publications like the Los Angeles Times and the London Times, and continue to win over audiences across the globe with their adrenaline fueled stage show.
Featured Track: Diamond Paint.
Website: Official.
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Some background - Home Video are Collin Ruffino and David Gross, transplants from the misunderstood landscape of New Orleans, now living in the brooding brownstones of Brooklyn, New York. Here they revel in a self-created world of references to Edward Gorey, Massive Attack, The Brothers Quay, Smashing Pumpkins, and a dusting of Chopin, references that they have been collecting for nearly ten years.
OK so I did not write that but it is quite poetic and the music is damn fine so just listen and enjoy and if you do check em out some more!
Featured Track: Every Love That Ever Was.
Website: Official.
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‘There aren't really many good bands coming out of Wolverhampton, just one great band called the Lines’ – Robert Plant, Led Zeppelin
‘The fever has only just started’ – The Fly
‘Making big noises in more ways than one, blasting out of Wolverhampton’ – Steve Lamacq - Radio One Top5
They’re infectious, loved by Led Zeppelin, unabated Rock n Roll and hitting the USA with their throngs of British fans literally flying over to witness the buzz for their debut US Tour. These boys are going to be big.
Coming straight off their storming UK tour releasing their stellar self-titled album and selling out 1200 capacity venues, as well as all copies of the album on the release date at HMV, The Lines are definitely an international act to keep your eye on. Having toured with fellow Brit-Rock outfits Babyshambles, Supergrass, The Charlatans and Editors, and making huge headway on the airwaves with EP track ‘Domino Effect’ reaching Top 10 in the Indie Charts, it’s not hard to believe the fever is going to hit America hard when these boys rock out New York.
A couple of gigs still to go, so check them out if you are local.
23 Oct - THE LIVING ROOM - 1am
w. Paul and the Patients, SoKo, Kris Gruen and Ferraby Lionheart
24 Oct - ARLENE’S GROCERY - 11pm
w. Smile Smile, The Nifty Shrimp, Red River and Dan Maxwell and the Turnpike Sailors
Featured Track: Tracey.
Website: Official.
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Hazel; slyly singing songs subdued and confessional, gentle Fuzzy, major-chord fizz. Blistering. quasi-psychedelic ruminations, guitar drones
Justin; bashing melodies that collide with an undercurrent of sad chiming and celestial sweet spots
Together their music explodes into hallucinatory Indie noise pop hinting blues and folk.
Well that's what the info we received says's and on the strength of this song who are we to argue. As we rip through this round up please don't think that just a few words for some artists means they are somewhat lesser on our scale of liking. Light Of Moscow being a case in point - nothing could be further from the truth.
Featured Track: Lord Let Me Know.
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The band’s unusual name derives from a family of languages that exist in Eastern Asia, called Mon Khmer. The worldliness of the name is quite fitting taking into account the wide array of influences that co-exist with each member. Having met in Boston, the four friends found home in Brooklyn and formed Mon Khmer, following a summer of session work that included Hammarsing (Vocals/Guitars) joining Albert Hammond Jr. (The Strokes) on a world tour. With Hammarsing’s departure, the remaining members of Mon Khmer kept busy with equally as exciting side-projects; Dave Cole (drums) is also a member of Rubblebucket while Matt Scheiner (bass/synths/vocals) splits his time with other Brooklyn band Oberhofer and Elias Meister (guitar) spends time playing in various jazz side projects.
Featured Track: Birthplace.
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"Rolling and tumbling out of the flatlands of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, the Sheepdogs play classic rock-a-boogie, with shaggy-haired deference to the likes of Humble Pie, the Faces, and Blind Faith, all the while quietly harboring the musical chops to saunter away from their comfort zone when the mood takes them" – Popmatters
"The final product is equal parts blue-eyed soul and boogie rock, and carries DNA from such AOR staples as CCR, The James Gang, The Rascals and Humble Pie" – My Old Kentucky Blog
"Learn & Burn is a carefully-written, timeless record." – CHARTattack.
However many comparisons are made this band have their own strong identity and are in our always humble opinion superb rockers who deserve your attention. We are also told - Shaggy, bearded and born to rock is one way to describe this group of grooving roustabouts hailing from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
The Sheepdogs’ third record Learn and Burn, on which each track gushes of impeccable 70s classic rock sound, has just been re-released on vinyl. The band’s grooving melodies and dueling guitar riffs transcend generations with their double helix of rock revival and contemporary flair.
Tour Dates:
Nov. 9th- Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Café, 12pm
Nov. 9th- Los Angeles, CA @ The Mint, 9pm
Nov. 10th- San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop, 9:30pm
Featured Track: I Dont Know.
Website: MySpace.
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They went on to say (and we concur) In his inimitable bent rock stylings Richardson has produced another irreverent indie rock ‘n’ roll gem. ‘King Of All The Moves’ is like a garage band falling endlessly down a cartoon staircase. The track pays homage to dirty rock while turning it inside out and painting it with jelly. The songs skewed melodicism, married with Richardson's innate sense of song craft, creates a soundtrack to some unimaginable ‘70s cop show filled with sequins, half-naked dancers and possibly a dolphin. ‘King Of All The Moves’ is irrepressible dance music for the PCP crowd.
Whats more ‘King Of All The Moves’ is available for free download from the Hidden Shoal Store however we have it here on Beehive Candy as well. The track is lifted from the upcoming 5 track EP The Stones and the Rabbits out on 2nd December 2010. Toby Richardson's debut EP Golden Days and album Evergreen are also available through Hidden Shoal. Check this guy out soon!
Featured Track: King Of All The Moves.
Website: MySpace.
Buy: Hidden Shoals Store.
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Recorded in the studio of longtime collaborator and friend, Levon Helm (drummer of The Band, and legendary solo artist), Bottom of the Sky showcases the band’s seamless melding of alt-folk, rock, and bluegrass, making for an easy comparison to Blitzen Trapper, the Drive-by Truckers, and the Felice Brothers.
Some more background for you - For Bottom of the Sky, Bow Thayer & Perfect Trainwreck worked alongside Justin Guip (Engineer on Levon’s Grammy-winning albums, Dirt Farmer and Electric Dirt) for a second time, to recreate the magic he helped capture on the band’s 2008 self-titled debut. The new album showcases Bow’s recent exploration of his beloved Deering electric banjo and effects boxes to create tones unlike any other.
While the exact date of Bow Thayer & Perfect Trainwreck’s conception is up for debate, the group did bud from former band, Elbow, a trio of Boston musicians that drew inspiration from the delta blues. Although Elbow disbanded in the early 2000s, member Bow Thayer went on to record numerous solo albums, one of which features Levon Helm on drums and Morphine’s Dana Colley on sax, while bassist Jeremy Curtis hit the road playing with the likes of Booker T and Howie Day. After their adventures concluded, Bow and Jeremy found their way back to one another and continued to jam, adding Jeff Berlin on drums, Chris McGandy on steel guitar, and James Rohr on the keys, forming what is now known as the Perfect Trainwreck.
A great song from a talented and crafted band that deserve to be noticed far and wide, some tour dates below!
10/31 Cambridge, MA @ Atwood’s Tavern
11/13 Lebanon, HH @ Lebanon Opera House (Local Legends 2010)
11/20 White River Junction, VT @ Tupelo Music Hall (Album Release Show!)
12/04 Northhampton, MA @ The Basement
Featured Track: Bottom Of The Sky.
Website: Official.
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