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Showing posts from October 29, 2017

Blushing - Nick Heyward - The Sea Birds

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Blushing - Weak. Background - Blushing is an Austin, TX based dream pop / shoegaze quartet comprised of two husband and wife pairs that originated in the summer of 2015 when Michelle shared a few songs with long time friend Christina that she had been writing on guitar.  A friendship quickly became a musical partnership as Christina, a classically trained vocalist, picked up a bass and together they evolved those rough songs into fully formed compositions. They then enlisted the talents of their spouses, Jake on drums, Noe on lead guitar and shortly after self-released their debut EP "Tether" in January of 2017. Energised by positive reception, a growing fan base and a grip of new songs they headed back into the studio as soon as possible. They recorded their follow-up EP “Weak” at Bad Wolf Recordings in Austin, TX. The album encompasses influences from all of the bands they collectively share a deep affection for such as Lush, Cocteau Twins, The Sundays, etc. “Weak” wil

Arms Akimbo - Earth Girl Helen Brown - A Million Machines - Magic Wands

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Arms Akimbo - Parachute. Background - Arms Akimbo's newest song "Parachute" is a song about "what you get when you have a lot of emotion to funnel through a really small outlet." Arms Akimbo's previous release "Michigan" went viral on Spotify with over 750,000 plays and gained them the opportunity to open for The Animals (Eric Burdon) at The Santa Monica Pier. Pay-to-play pushed the music scene east and it left the glam of Hollywood behind.  The Hyatt on Sunset is now the Andaz West Hollywood, the Whiskey is pretty much just metal bands, and the House of Blues was torn down to make room for a high rise hotel.  This paradigm shift led to a new creative identity for L.A. musicians.  Fans became friends. Dive bars became hometown venues. Bands stopped competing and started a community.  They turned their focus to what matters most: good music. This is the L.A. scene that Arms Akimbo comes from. Arms Akimbo is a 4-piece rock outfit comprised of Pete

Lauren Ruth Ward - SQRD - Wolf & Moon

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Lauren Ruth Ward - Well, Hell. Background - Lauren Ruth Ward's music has spread like wildfire these past two years in LA after leaving her hometown of Baltimore. Her lyrics are secrets to strangers, writing about her life’s trajectory sharing both vulnerability and strength delivered with grit and vibrato.  Her band re-creates 60's rock and roll nuances, allowing Ward to release a powerhouse of emoting in their live show. Lauren is joined by Eduardo Rivera who is her songwriter partner. Lately Lauren has garnered the support of Spotify’s “Badass Women,” LA Weekly, Galore, Wonderland Magazine, Jam In The Van, and Sofar Sounds.  "Well Hell is an auto-biographical song that deals with frustrations, both with my upbringing and with society as a whole, that have long been forgiven but not forgotten. Even though it's one of the shorter songs in length on the record, there's a lot that I'm letting off my chest in those three minutes, so much so that I feel the

Alana Henderson - The Trongone Band - FXRRVST - herMajesty

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Alana Henderson - Let This Remain. Background - Alana Henderson is a cellist and singer-songwriter from Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland.  Her self-released Wax and Wane EP (2014) drew solid comparisons to Joanna Newsome and Fiona Apple. Shortly thereafter she stepped up to accompany Hozier on cello and supporting vocals. Between 2014-2015 she played over 300 headline shows with Hozier’s band, including notable performances at Glastonbury, Saturday Night Live, Jools Holland and the Grammy’s with Annie Lennox. Her new single, “Let This Remain,” is an icy and unforgiving anti-ballad, fusing an electronic undercurrent to her darkly organic indie-folk. Alana’s mastery of the cello is a highlight of the track, showcasing her dynamic techniques that are looped and overlapped to create a dramatic atmosphere; expertly balancing an arrangement that is both haunting and beautiful.  Written in L.A. near the end of that massive tour, the lyrics reflect on the transient nature of relationships on th

Caleb Clardy - Lauren Lakis - The Decrees

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Caleb Clardy - Keep Up. Background - Over the past decade or so, Brooklyn-based songwriter Caleb Clardy has co-written and collaborated with many artists, most notably with Zach Williams from The Lone Bellow. After years of developing as a writer, Clardy is set to share his debut record Invincible Things, (available October 13th) and aiming take listeners on a lyrically-driven, modern Americana journey. The release of Invincible Things was made possible through impromptu writing sessions with Jonny Aherne, bassist for The Temper Trap. Aherne offered some help and encouragement that ultimately led Clardy to move forward as a solo artist. Aherne says of the project, “Sometimes it takes a very long time for things to happen suddenly. After many nights of jamming, I realized Caleb had ten years of writing and it got me. There were these poetic ramblings and straight up heart poured in.” Demos for Invincible Things were graciously recorded by Amy Lee of Evanescence at her home studio i

Document - The Blood Moon Howlers - Gasoline Lollipops - Jonny Taylor

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Document - Hustle. Background - A brooding, slinky affair, Hustle showcases a new side to scuzzy Tel Aviv quartet Document. Understated, but bristling with the same electric energy as previous single Habit, it’s a swampy call to arms for disaffected youth. Vocalist Nir Ben Jacob explains: "’Hustle’ revolves around themes of digital addiction - spending hours online and having nothing to show for it, wasting time scrolling and swiping, while not being able to stop. The screen has become an extension of the self. Humans have now become more like plants - they need to be interconnected and depend on technology. Phones are the roots that allow us to be connected to everything else. We‘ve rooted ourselves in our modernity. Our identities can change online. We project what we want others to see. The screen has become a mirror. The phone takes away the ability to be intimate, and you are left alone with a distortion of reality. There’s the addiction of immediate gratification, the onli

Terra Lightfoot - Sam Valdez - ONR

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Terra Lightfoot - Norma Gale. Background - The new single from Canadian roots-rocker Terra Lightfoot - Norma Gale is taken from the new album New Mistakes. Terra explains - "I was inspired to write this song after meeting a Canadian woman named Norma Gale who was a near-famous country star in the 1970s. She played all over the world but specifically had a great following in Nashville, played with Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty. This song is one of my first songwriter songs, I'd say. It chronicles the life of Norma as a musician in the ’70s, and trying to bring up her young son while she's gunning for sustainable success. I kept in touch with Norma and her son and let them know when I finally made it to Nashville to do some writing, but unfortunately she had passed away two weeks earlier." Following the release of Every Time My Mind Runs Wild in the UK last year, Hamilton’s Terra Lightfoot back with a brand new album New Mistakes available now on Sonic