Smoke Fairies - Brudini - The Shacks - Chelsea Williams - Kluster B

Smoke Fairies have just released a new track entitled 'No Matter How This Goes, Just Make Sure That You're Kind', we've already featured three songs from their recent album and this one is another spectacular piece. === Brudini returns with 'Radiant Man' which is a beautiful calm singer-songwriter piece. === Retro indie rockers The Shacks released 'Wings' and it opens as an understated song before adding more melodic layers. === Los Angeles artist Chelsea Williams new song is 'Wasted' which is an upbeat and hook filled track with bags of charm. === So far this year we have shared three songs from Kluster B new album 'b' and it's a pleasure to now share the full collection that has just been released.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Smoke Fairies - No Matter How This Goes, Just Make Sure That You're Kind.

Smoke Fairies (Jessica Davies & Katherine Blamire) have just surprised fans by releasing an exclusive and unheard new track “No Matter How This Goes, Just Make Sure That You're Kind”.

Recorded with producer Phil Ek in Seattle last year for their recent critically acclaimed ‘Darkness Brings The Wonders Home’ album the track was initially held back. However, the band Feel the song to be so pertinent to the current world health crisis they wanted to share its message of love.

The track comes at a fruitful time for Smoke Fairies who this week sit at Number 1 in both the physical and vinyl Official UK Singles Charts with “Elevator” a Limited-Edition 7” picture disc. The single’s sales pitched the band at #1 in both charts topping The Weeknd and Bon Iver respectively.

This follows the album from which ‘Elevator’ taking a #1 in the Rock Album Charts at the start of February as well. Forced to abandon live plans to celebrate the release of “Elevator” by playing a series of intimate in-store shows and signings the band moved their single launch on-line and managed to raise money for the Red Cross in the process.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brudini - Radiant Man.

Having become a fan favourite at his live shows, Brudini’s new single Radiant Man unfolds like a Greek tragedy. A protagonist with good intentions, fighting on, crushed against a tidal wave of forces beyond his control.

Recorded in a basement studio in Stoke Newington without any use of a click-track and on analogue instruments only, Radiant Man has a timeless, soothing feel, and features jazz drummer Derin Bayhan (Istanbul) and Casper Hoedemaekers (Netherlands)  on double bass. It was mixed and mastered at legendary NYC analogue boutique studio Sear Sound (John Lennon, Lou Reed, Ryan Adams ++) by Grammy-winning engineer Jeremy Loucas and Brudini.

Radiant Man is the 4th single from forthcoming debut album From Darkness, Light which is finally due for release on May 15th. It follows the critically acclaimed singles Reflections (which is currently is getting solid support on BBC6), Emotional Outlaw and Pale Gold.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Shacks - Wings.

Retro indie rockers The Shacks make their return with the bottom heavy, feel-good anthem “Wings.” With enticing vocals and pulsing guitar, The Shacks’ new single cuts its way through the speakers from the first note, offering listeners an escape from our recently altered reality.

“Wings” is equal parts new sonic landscape and familiar territory for The Shacks. The group made an impressive first mark on the scene with their hit “This Strange Effect”, which soundtrack a worldwide iPhone commercial. The Shacks continued to build their fanbase touring internationally in support of their debut album Haze with groups such as Khruangbin and Chicano Batman. It’s no doubt that their initial success and esteemed touring schedule lead them to this infectiously catchy and tasteful crowd pleaser.

The unique, ebullient beat that backs “Wings” is attributed to the pumping guitar line, which is actually three baritone guitars playing in harmony. “A baritone guitar is halfway between a regular guitar and a bass. It’s also known as a tic-tac bass,” said Max Shrager, guitarist and producer for The Shacks. “It’s an unusual instrument, but you can find it throughout various genres.”

“Wings” is sure to be an anthem for the spring and will give The Shacks’ fans a taste of new music to come. The Shacks are currently finishing up their new album, which is due early 2021.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chelsea Williams - Wasted.

Los Angeles artist Chelsea Williams has released “Wasted”, the latest track off her upcoming album Beautiful & Strange, which drops on May 8 via Blue Élan Records. Encapsulating Williams’ unrelenting positivity in the face of misfortune, the upbeat new song depicts a destructive relationship nearing its end with clever lyrics wrapped around sunny pop hooks and a brilliantly infectious chorus. Accompanied by a triumphant new video, “Wasted” was featured this morning at Earmilk, who said “It’s complexion in disguise, perfectly aligning dynamic layers of guitar chords and a simple backbeat. It periodically sneaks in other subtle instruments, jovial and innocent, never once letting you escape its irresistible charm."

“There’s nothing like the freedom you feel when you get out of a toxic relationship,” explains Williams. “I was a master of toxic relationships in my 20s. ‘Wasted’ is a summary of some of my experiences wrapped up in a fun little musical package.”

Beautiful & Strange showcases Chelsea Williams’ diverse musical palette, as she blends catchy pop sensibilities with elements of roots, psychedelia and jazz and incorporates everything from toy pianos and singing saws to sweeping string arrangements and a symphony of harmonicas and keys. Whether she is dissecting relationship dynamics or examining the very notion of destiny, Williams’ charming, confident songwriting and airy, nuanced vocals maintain an underlying current of optimism. The result is a cinematic collection of songs that are equal parts whimsical spontaneity and mature sophistication. NPR Music recently featured the album’s debut track “Red Flag”, with Stephen Thompson calling it a “fantastic earworm” and declaring “Williams’ brightly rendered Americana songs dispense poppy, anthemic uplift and earthy grit in equal measure.”

Chelsea Williams honed her skills busking at Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, where she captured the attention of passersby including Ron Howard and Sheryl Crow. This eventually led to a high-profile TV commercial singing in Maroon 5’s “Playing for Change” version of their hit “Daylight”, as well as a record deal and a Singer-Songwriter of the Year award from the Hollywood in Music and Media Awards. Williams’ 2017 release, Boomerang, garnered praise from critics including Rolling Stone Country, who describes her sound as “K.T. Tunstall, Sheryl Crow and Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild on a confessional girls’ night out.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kluster B - b (Album).

Kluster B (fka Kluster) are putting out their second album, 'b'. A lot has happened in all the five members lives since the first album, civic (2018). The band was very shattered during the period that the music was written, being far apart from each other both geographically and emotionally, which resulted in turns within the music none of the members could have foreseen. A band crisis emerged, a crisis that was processed in the studio during the recording week, something that has left its clear marks on the record. In the end, the recording of b was an enriching experience for the band, coming out stronger than ever on the other side, with a new name and a new record. There was now nothing left to lose.

Kluster B was founded by four friends and a virtual drummer in Malmö 2014, a real life drummer joined in shortly afterwards and the gang was complete. Since then, the quintet has been active on as well the Malmö indie scene as playing shows in Berlin, Copenhagen, Stockholm, supporting acts such as Frankie Cosmos, Omni and Nicole Sabouné. Debut album 'civic' was released in 2018 and Kluster received praise from Line of Best Fit, BBC Radio 6, major Swedish music magazines and more.

The band returned earlier this year with new single 'Counterpart', the first taste from the  sophomore album that will be released on April 17th. b is like diving in to 10 different swimming pools of Kluster B's playful sound - a melting pot of broad influences such as pop, punk, noise, lo-fi, indie and jazz. It is a development of the sound we got to know on their first album. The interplay and paradox between the complex and simple is still there but the quintet have this time allowed themselves more time and space to experiment with almost jamming and evolving parts that hypnotizes the listener.

The members have a history as academic jazz players, forming Kluster B after longing to find a collective process free from strict genre playbooks and narrow-minded academic rules. A process that resulted in Kluster B's captivating characteristic dynamic and turning points, alternating from melodious to dissonance, complex to simple.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Braids - Juniper Bush - Lavinia Blackwall - Forces - Mardi Lumsden - Kluster B

Braids have just shared a video for 'Snow Angel'. Last November we said of Braids "the indie art rock band manage to achieve everything that genre bundle suggest, doing so fabulously" this new song proves that was no one off event. === Juniper Bush have released a video for 'Turn' where the Winnipeg band deliver a mixture of restrained shoegaze and psych rock with melodic grooves. === Lavinia Blackwall shares 'John's Gone' ahead of her debut album due in May, the song is a vibrant, catchy modern folk song. === Duo Forces have been around for twenty years and 'Say It Now' demonstrates how well their musicianship and song writing has developed, with this energised pop/rock track. === Mardi Lumsden has a brand new album out entitled 'Hiatus' and it's a gorgeous collection of songs from this very talented Brisbane, Australia folk artist. === This is the third song we have had the pleasure of featuring this year from Kluster B  and with 'Graveyard' the bands ability to mix genres and styles in just one song is both fabulous and notable.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Braids - Snow Angel.

Montreal-based indie trio Braids have announced their decision to push the release of their new album Shadow Offering to June 19th due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the meantime, however, they will continue to release new songs in the coming weeks. Today, they shared their new video for single "Snow Angel," a powerful opus that features singer Raphaelle Standell-Preston's most visceral performance to date as she leans passionately into her anger, diving deeper into frustrations and anxieties about her internal and external worlds.

Of the track, Braids said: "'Snow Angel' was written in the immediate wake of the 2016 US election, as our collective conscience took a sharp inhale. It's a diary entry of sorts - a snapshot of the mind grappling with our era's endless barrage of content and destruction, continents away and close to home. *This* moment, with our world in the midst of a pandemic, is admittedly a new context. But I can't help but sense the song speaks to feelings many of us are experiencing - uncertainty, angst, and a desperate desire to make sense of it all.

"For me, it was deeply therapeutic to write and sing this song; saying things out loud can help us to not feel so alone, can help validate our natural fears about the future of our world, and can bring to light some of the hard questions that many of us are asking ourselves. I believe that art can change our relationship to fear. We hope this song can offer you a moment of catharsis and relief, in the same way writing and performing it has for us."

"Snow Angel" first debuted on The FADER who stated "Producer Chris Walla (Death Cab For Cutie) lets the band breathe throughout the epic track, letting the energy ebb and flow as Raphaelle Standell-Preston switches her vocals between singing and spoken-word. The whole thing builds to a frantic final third in which the chaos and confusion is palpable."

Releasing through Secret City Records, Shadow Offering finds the band at their most personal, unabashedly flexing a new sense of confidence through songs that reach a higher level of artistry and collaboration. A luscious and expansive release, it leads us through a sonic tapestry of narrative. With heartbreaking honesty and precision, listeners traverse a nuanced and complicated world: one full of beautiful contradiction. Although the album directs itself at the failures of people to love and be loved, it also seeks to restore justice and attain blissful union. It's arc crests through the dark towards the light and learns how to dance with the dizzying rhythms of the heart. The songs bubble, sustain, dissolve, expand, and retract.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Juniper Bush - Turn.

In their latest video for “Turn,” Winnipeg psych-rock/shoegaze four-piece Juniper Bush explore the fantasy of unrequited love through a dance. The tune appears on the band’s debut full-length record, Healing Through A Sonic Figure, which arrives next week on April 3 via Transistor 66. Reverb-smeared chords and Lizzy Burt’s angelic vocals evoke the emptiness of floating adrift through space, and the impending sorrow of a lust disguised as love.

As Burt explains, “The song’s lyrics express the fantasy of a better life with the object of one’s affection, the inner turmoil and intensity of a one-sided romance, and how patterns repeat despite life’s lessons.” In the video, a wedding dress is used to represent outgrown notions of love and tradition. As the video progresses, a figure dances with a plastic bag, while a chair remains distanced from the figure. The chair is used to represent inner wisdom and truth, and the space between fantasy and reality.

“It’s sort of a dance of self-deception and struggle to maintain a sense of self,” says Burt, who appears in and directs the video. “I appear curled up naked in the chair for a mere moment near the end of the video to signify growth and a new sense of truth and awareness from the experience.”

Comprised of Lizzy Burt (Basic Nature), Adrian Schroeder (Black Cloud), and Danny Hacking and Kyle Loewen (Holy Void and Surprise Party), Juniper Bush has been called a Winnipeg supergroup, merging the snarling psychedelia of The Black Angels, penetrative shoegaze of My Bloody Valentine (circa 1988), and the otherworldly alt-rock of The Cranberries into a concoction that’s both abrasive and sweet. Juniper Bush's upcoming Western Canadian tour is now cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. The band will announce rescheduled dates in the coming months.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lavinia Blackwall - John's Gone.

Lavinia Blackwall is already a well-known name in many circles. Her work with prolific Glaswegian psych-folk outfit Trembling Bells having earnt her a reputation as one of the best voices in the scene, many critics having likened her singing prowess to that of Sandy Denny. Along with Trembling Bells she has released seven full-length albums and performed as the backing band to folk legends Bonnie Prince Billy and The Incredible String Band’s Mike Herron. Now she is striking out on her own with the release of her debut solo album Muggington Lane End which is out on May 1st.

Recorded live, the album is a mixture of wistful longing, joyful exuberance, wheeling psychedelia and classic songwriting. Listening to it, you wouldn’t believe that many of the vocals on the record were recorded in one take, though that’s the kind of faultless performance the classically trained soprano has become known for. Muggington Lane End began its journey back in 2018, with two tracks (Waiting For Tomorrow and All Seems Better) being recorded with former bandmates Mike Hastings and Simon Shaw. “They were in a previous incarnation of what I thought my solo project would be, called 'Orion's Belt'” explains Blackwall, however when she got together with partner and collaborator Marco Rea the project started to shift. “I realised I could get a fresh band together, seeing as Mike and Simon were very busy with their own projects”.  Working with a new group of people breathed life into the project and the ‘Orion’s Belt’ moniker was ditched in favour of Lavinia Blackwall, perhaps an indicator that this would become the singer and multi-instrumentalist’s most personal work yet. “I don't think I've ever worked with a group so committed to working on arrangements, timings and feel. I just love it,” she says. “Marco is a fantastic producer, who pushes me to see things through, consider ideas I'd never have thought about and also just gets what I'm trying to do. We work so easily together”. A sentiment that translates audibly on record.

Lead single ‘John’s Gone’ harks back to 60’s style songwriting, telling the tale of an oddball named John in a style reminiscent of Beatle’s classic ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’. Lavinia’s storytelling skills are artfully showcased throughout the record, Muggington Lane End’s most common thread being the notion of dreaming and escapism.

Muggington Lane End may still incorporate elements of Lavinia’s work with Trembling Bells however it also feels like a step towards a more authentic voice from the singer, singing songs from her own perspective. “I love every song, performance and recording and am so proud of the work everyone has put into making it,” she says, and that love really shines through.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Forces - Say It Now.

Hi, we’re Forces. I’m Jess and this [motions to the right] is Dave. Dave and Jess, Jess and Dave. It’s been that way for over 20 years. A time long enough that the lines between life, music and love have become beautifully blurred. We wouldn’t have it any other way. The name ‘Forces’ implies a literal “joining of forces” between Dave and I, each contributing our power into doing the thing we love to do most: making music, together.  But, it’s also rooted in our love of joining forces with our musical community, and our passion for creating experiences for our friends to play and perform together.

Forces became a thing in 2017 after we closed the book on a whirlwind decade of recording and touring with our former band, The Golden Dogs.  That trip took us all over the world and we had the privilege to support great artists; biggies like Sloan, Feist, Bloc Party, Libertines, Kaiser Chiefs, Thurston Moore and even the late great Roky Erickson (twice!).  One thing that still astounds us is the number of amazingly talented people who grew through our band who continue to do great things and are still our dearest friends: members of Zeus, Taylor Knox, Wax Atlantic, and Brave Shores, to name a few.  All of these musicians, including Dave and I, cut their rock teeth in the Golden Dogs.

When the band ended, we started exploring in the studio making what we thought would be the next GD record, but deep down we knew that it wasn’t.  What we were making was dancier. It was groovier. We were growing new skin, wearing new hats, trying on ideas of all different sizes. It seems fitting the song that inspired us into a new artistic direction is a song about inspiration itself. ‘Step in a Sway’—our second single, but the first we recorded—felt to us like a true departure both in style and attitude. It was our foray into layering tracks with metronomic, percussive loops, as opposed to the traditional power-pop approach of recording we were used to, a bed-track with drums, bass & guitar.

In the studio, we were inspired by different production styles—the big beat and hypnotic grooves of Liquid Liquid and ESG, the thin guitar and funky bass of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, the alt pop of Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz, New Order’s approach to dance pop, and the layered hooks of the Cure. Forces is us embracing pure pop, and it feels right.  Our rule is, if a song makes us want to get up and dance, then we’re on the right track.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mardi Lumsden - Hiatus (Album).

Longstanding Brisbane folk artist Mardi Lumsden has today released her debut album Hiatus, a collection of dreamy folk songs filled with heart, soul and commentary on human nature.

The next step in an already long and illustrious career, Hiatus is an eleven-track delight showcasing Mardi's signature ability to weave heartfelt stories together using banjos, keyboards and electronic drums to create a unique genre of dream folk -  a fusion of the ethereal atmospheres and textures creating a mixture of dream pop with acoustic-based folk.  Recorded and produced by her husband Andrew Pennay in their converted church-turned home studio, tracks such as 'Juniper Trees', 'Someday' and 'Treasure Like This' are delicate, warm and truly uplifting.

The album's release is punctuated by the focus track 'Fiore', written under the inspiration of an Italian summer and the beauty of letting go of relationships. "It's about releasing your expectations and accepting that endings also mean new beginnings," Mardi explains. Her most recent single, 'Heading Home,' also featured on Double J's Tower of Song with Henry Wagons.

Previous success for Mardi Lumsden has included songs from her EP Wherever you go, there you are being featured on Australian TV shows such as Channel 7's Winners and Losers, ABC's Dance Academy and ABC's Time of Our Lives. Also recorded in a church-turned-recording studio (ARIA-winning producer Magoo's Applewood Studios), 'Classified' from the EP received the Q Song Award in the Folk/Ballad category and was nominated for Song of The Year as well as an Australian Songwriting Association award.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kluster B - Graveyard.

Kluster B (fka Kluster) are putting out their second album, b, on April 17th. A lot has happened in all the five members lives since the first album, civic (2018). The band was very shattered during the period that the music was written, being far apart from each other both geographically and emotionally, which resulted in turns within the music none of the members could have foreseen. A band crisis emerged, a crisis that was processed in the studio during the recording week, something that has left its clear marks on the record. In the end, the recording of b was an enriching experience for the band, coming out stronger than ever on the other side, with a new name and a new record. There was now nothing left to lose.

The band was founded by four friends and a virtual drummer in Malmö 2014, a real life drummer joined in shortly afterwards and the gang was complete. Since then, the quintet has been active on as well the Malmö indie scene as playing shows in Berlin, Copenhagen, Stockholm, supporting acts such as Frankie Cosmos, Omni and Nicole Sabouné. Debut album 'civic' was released in 2018 and Kluster received praise from Line of Best Fit, BBC Radio 6, major Swedish music magazines and more.

The band returned earlier this year with new singles 'Counterpart' and 'Love Must Conquer', two tracks taken from their upcoming sophomore album that will be released on April 17th via Rama Lama Records. Today, another piece of the puzzle that is Kluster B's second album is released in the form of new single 'Graveyard''.

Graveyard is yet another glimpse of Kluster's playful sound - a melting pot of broad influences such as pop, punk, noise, lo-fi, indie and jazz. Just like its precursors, Graveyard is a development of the sound we got to know on their first album. The interplay and paradox between the complex and simple is still there but the quintet have this time allowed themselves more time and space to experiment with almost jamming parts that creates a larger soundscape hypnotizing the listener.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kluster B - Rhythm Express featuring Bill King - Broken Up

We have featured Kluster a few times in the past, they appear to have morphed into Kluster B however the music remains original and creative as new song 'Love Must Conquer' clearly demonstrates. === Something for all blues lovers thanks to Rhythm Express featuring Bill King and their wonderful delivery of 'Driftin' Blues'. === Italian Darkwave act Broken Up have just released 'The Cage' a brooding mixture of constant rhythm, gliding synths, and refined vocals.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kluster B - Love Must Conquer.

Kluster B (fka Kluster) was founded by four friends and a virtual drummer in Malmö 2014, a real life drummer joined in shortly afterwards and the gang was complete. Since then, the quintet has been active on as well the Malmö indie scene as playing shows in Berlin, Copenhagen, Stockholm, supporting acts such as Frankie Cosmos, Omni and Nicole Sabouné. Debut album 'civic' was released in 2018 and Kluster received praise from Line of Best Fit, BBC Radio 6, major Swedish music magazines and more. The band returned earlier this year with new single 'Counterpart', the first taste from their upcoming sophomore album 'b' that will be released on April 17th. Today, another piece of the puzzle that is Kluster B's second album is released in the form of new single 'Love Must Conquer'

Love Must Conquer is yet another glimpse of Kluster's playful sound - a melting pot of broad influences such as pop, punk, noise, lo-fi, indie and jazz. Just like it's precursor 'Counterpart', Love Must Conquer is a development of the sound we got to know on their first album. The interplay and paradox between the complex and simple is still there but the quintet have this time allowed themselves more time and space to experiment with almost jamming parts that hypnotizes the listener.

According to Linnea Hall (vocals, lyrics), 'Love Must Conquer' is a track that was written in a troubled time both personally and politically just ahead of the Swedish election in 2018. There was a parallelism between different routes that took place at the same time, creating a feeling that we forgot to be open and love the unknown. The text includes a paradox, where the desire to own what we love or want for ourselves becomes a counteracting force: the streets become colder and people become less emotionally affected. Therefore, the song ends with some kind of hope that love in itself will win and not that we will conquer the love.

The members have a history as academic jazz players, forming Kluster B after longing to find a collective process free from strict genre playbooks and narrow-minded academic rules. A process that resulted in Kluster B's captivating characteristic dynamic and turning points, alternating from melodious to dissonance, complex to simple. 'Love Must Conquer' is out now, Kluster B's second album 'b' is out on April 17th via Rama Lama Records.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rhythm Express featuring Bill King - Driftin' Blues.

“I’ve had this song in my repertoire the past twenty years, one I discovered while searching through a variety of West Coast blues compilations.

Los Angles of the 40s’ was a hotbed for blues trios – Oscar Moore featuring pianist/vocalist Nat Cole and brother Johnny Moore showcasing the smooth delivery of pianist/singer Charles Brown at the core of the unit.

One of the first songs Brown ever penned was Driftin’ Blues while a high school teenager and also one he first sang in live performance. Driftin’ Blues is rooted in church and gospel, and that battleground been secular and religious types – that push and pull between roots church and popular music.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Broken Up - The Cage.

Italian darkwave act Broken Up have unleashed their video for “The Cage”.
The track is taken from "Soul Victim" the debut album of Broken Up, which was released on February 28th, 2020, via Brazilian label Shades of Sound/Wave Records. The album was preceded by the digital single “Long Long Long”, played several times by Seattle's cult radio KEXP.

The group is a collaboration between the bass player of Intelligence Dept. Dedo Panzera, and guitarist Max Caselli, of Go Flamingo!

Together with singer Chiara Boldrini and Tom Lampronti on keyboards, the two veteran musicians lead a project that conjures a sonic maelstrom of dark melodies, that defy expectations.

The electro-infused track “The Cage” is inspired by the poetic work of Lawrence Ferlinghetti, known for his work A Coney Island of the Mind (1958), and as infamously as the owner of the bookstore, City Lights, where Ferlinghetti was arrested for the publishing of Allen Ginsberg’s Howl.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CIEL - haha charade - Kluster B - LEYA - Big Fox - 13//ali_fawn - Asgeir

CIEL have just released 'The Shore' and yet another Brighton (England) band comes on to our radar with some excellent dream pop, the seaside town is certainly a hotbed for musical talent these days. === Indie band haha charade share 'Forgotten Words' a refined rocker that carries a good few hooks. === From Kluster B we have 'Counterpart' a genre spanning delight where layers of instrumentation and melodic vocals work so well together. === It took me a while to get into the new LEYA song 'Wave' but it was one of those pieces I kept on going back to & I'm glad I did, it's original, atmospheric & quite creative. === We are not short of talented Scandinavian artist's at the moment and there is plenty of room for Big Fox and the dreamy and seductive song 'Beast'. === Another track that took a couple of plays or so to get, is from 13//ali_fawn who makes a second appearance here with 'Mirrorshade', there is plenty going on with what is a musical journey, the song evolving and becoming quite mesmerising. === Icelandic artist Asgeir has shared 'Pictures' along with a fine video, the song is full of simmering emotion, along with some fabulous vocals and a splendid musical backdrop.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CIEL - The Shore.

Brighton-based newcomers CIEL share mesmeric dream pop jaunt ‘The Shore’, lead single from the band’s debut EP ‘Movement’ out this spring.

Heavily leaning on a collection of interwoven guitars, pulsing bass-lines and intriguing vocal harmonies, the trio’s first release offers a fascinating glimpse into their dreamy world of alt-pop gems, conjuring up innovative and nostalgic ideas which only add to their intrinsic mystique.

Comprising of Dutch musician Michelle Hindriks and the friends she made upon relocation to Brighton, the three-piece have quickly earned kudos for their exquisite live show, having already supported the likes of Hatchie, Sasami and Penelope Isles, as well as working with the latter’s Jack Wolter on their upcoming debut EP.

Discussing their lead single, Hinkdriks explained: “The song is about a moment where you feel stuck in your life and are waiting for it to ‘really’ begin; yet at the same time, you realise it’s just an illusion and your life has already begun, and you’re living it right now. Losing the connection with that essence can feel extremely frustrating”.

Produced by Penelope Isles’ Jack Wolter, CIEL’s ‘The Shore’ is out January 22nd and will be available via all digital platforms.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

haha charade - Forgotten Words.

Forgotten Words is about the abrupt ending to a relationship. The lyrics outline the inability to say how you’re feeling, as if there’s so much to say, you can’t say anything at all. The accompanying music is melodramatic to channel what it feels like processing grief. The climax of the song highlights the visceral explosions of internal rage, juxtaposed with the cadence of the melody, which represents outwardly shutting down because it hurts too much to think about it.

The haha charade story began from humble beginnings of playing in basements, living rooms, and garages. The band's cult following that was growing, lead to haha charade's debut show in the Philadelphia area during the summer of 2018.

haha charade’s ability to merge genres and coin their unique style is attributed to a collaborative artistic approach to everything from songwriting to artwork and performance.  haha charade consists of vocalists and guitarists, Alex Wade and Justin Lefler, bassist, Matt Bowe, and drummer, Brendan McBride. With three main songwriters in the group, each writer brings their own independent influences from Punk, Garage Rock, Folk Rock, and Hip Hop, which merges together to create the haha charade sound.

Musical stylings are influenced by a multitude of bands including The Strokes, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Rebelution, with a mix of cheeky and political lyrics influenced by bands such as Arctic Monkeys and State Radio.  This creates the noteworthy, psychedelic, surfy vibe that can be found on their 2020 debut self titled LP.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kluster B - Counterpart.

Kluster B (fka Kluster) was founded by four friends and a virtual drummer in Malmö 2014, a real life drummer joined in shortly afterwards and the gang was complete. Since, the quintet has been active on as well the Malmö indie scene as playing shows in Berlin, Copenhagen, Stockholm, supporting acts such as Frankie Cosmos, Omni and Nicole Sabouné. Debut album 'civic' was released in 2018 and Kluster received praise from Line of Best Fit, BBC Radio 6, major Swedish music magazines and more. The band is now back with new single 'Counterpart', the first taste from their upcoming sophomore album.

Counterpart is yet another glimpse of Kluster's playful sound - a melting pot of broad influences such as pop, punk, noise, lo-fi, indie and jazz. According to the band, 'Counterpart' is a track that begs for humbleness from the counterpart, a wish for ones human shortcomings to be accepted.

The members have a history as academic jazz players, forming Kluster B after longing to find a collective process free from strict genre playbooks and narrow-minded academic rules. A process that resulted in Kluster B's captivating characteristic dynamic and turning points, alternating from melodious to dissonance, complex to simple.

Kluster B consist of Linnea Hall (vocals), Pontus Örnstrand (keyboard), Sebastian Hegedüs (guitar), Adam Jonsson (guitar) and Andreas Pollak (drums) and are available for interviews and other requests. Counterpart is out now, the band's sophomore LP will be out later this spring.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LEYA - Wave.

LEYA, the project of Marilu Donovan (Eartheater, Aerial East, Julie Byrne) and Adam Markiewicz (PC Worship, The Dreebs), this week shared a self-directed video for "WAVE," the second single from their forthcoming sophomore album Flood Dream. "The video features our two friends," explain LEYA on their enveloping track, "disciples of 34th generation Shaolin warrior monk and activist Shi Yan Ming, founder of the luminous USA Shaolin Temple in Manhattan, where RZA, Rosie Perez, Wesley Snipes, Jim Jarmusch, and Tricky have all trained.

They are part of the wave." The song follows the album's lead single "WEIGHT," which features the operatic-pop vocalist GABI as well as LEYA's surprise-dropped collaborative EP with Eartheater, Angel Lust, released December 2019 via PAN.

On March 6th, LEYA will celebrate their album release show in New York City with Eartheater and head out on a North America tour, including dates opening for Brooklyn black metal band Liturgy. Flood Dream will be released March 6th on CD/LP/Digital and is available for pre-order via NNA Tapes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Big Fox - Beast.

Malmö, Sweden-based artist Charlotta Perers AKA Big Fox returns six years after her last album release with fifth single lifted from upcoming full-length “See How the Light Falls”. Initially due for release in May 2018, Charlotta received some news which derailed the campaign.

“A few weeks before the album was supposed to be released, I was diagnosed with Lymphoma,” she says. “It all happened very quickly and it was almost like entering a parallel world with a different time scale, rules and priorities.”

The process permitted a much deeper sense of perspective to come to light for Perers; “Life suddenly became very intense, very here and now - but that amplified positive experiences too. But it felt good to know that the album was waiting for me on the other side. It was a reminder of something else, the someone I was outside the hospital.”

18 months down the line, Charlotta is better and “slowly reclaiming my life back”. The period of gestation gave the finished album more gravity and significance for the songwriter. “When I listen to it now, I actually like the album even more,” she says. “I have some distance from it. When you’re in the middle of the process, it's easy to get caught up in the details and not really hear the song anymore.”

Charlotta didn’t allow “See How the Light Falls” to be rushed. Taking two and a half years to finish, and five years to release the album, Perers laboured over it, allowing it to unravel and accumulate organically.

“My experience of creativity is that I get this vague feeling of being pointed in a certain direction,” she says. “It rarely explains itself more than that. But I’ve learnt that if I give it time and attention then things slowly start to move and grow into something, like with the lyrics, I can search for the right lyrics for a long time, even give up, and then some months later it’s as if the missing words find me rather than the other way around.”

Produced by Tom Malmros (Alice Boman, This is Head), the full-length explores varying sonic avenues, showcasing instrumental eclecticism in the form of subtle brass blasts, swelling cello and scintillating synthesisers.

On her new single, ‘Beast’, Charlotta interrogates the process of using violence and fear to enforce order, and frames through a plucky-pop lens. She comments on how it’s thematically introspective, and how the track has purposely adopted pop characteristics; “I've been thinking a lot about our need for control, how we justify the use of violence to create order. And my part in that order.

“We're often so good at rationally explaining and justifying our actions that we end up convincing ourselves that we had no other choice. Maybe we didn't. But the heart never forgets the eyes of the one we have betrayed. The heart never forgets. I wasn't sure if I could write this song. Finish it. Balance it. It seemed so fragile, tipped over so easily. But it was almost as if it wanted to be written, needed to be. Sometimes maybe even the difficult subjects need their pop costume.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

13//ali_fawn - Mirrorshade.

Detroit-based producer and multi-instrumentalist Alister Fawnwoda AKA 13//ali_fawn releases ‘Mirrorshade’, second taste of forthcoming album ‘Ruby Beach’, due Summer 2020 and mixed by Welsh powerhouse David Wrench (Caribou, FKA Twigs, Sampha, Shura, The xx, Young Fathers, +++).

Born in Motor City, Fawnwoda cultivated his musicianship through learning violin and piano from a young age. Honing his métier, he studied music, poetry and visual arts at The University of Miami and then the Tibetan Buddhist-founded Naropa University.

In 2016 he moved to LA to work under the tutelage of Hans Zimmer as an intern, and by 2019 Ali had moved back to Detroit to quench a hankering for eclectic collaborations, both as a producer and as a musician. To date, he’s worked on projects with producers Cole M. Greif-Neil (Beck, Ariel Pink), Gordon Raphael (The Strokes), Sonny DiPerri (DIIV, Animal Collective), Marta Salogni (Björk, The xx), and many more. Additionally, he’s joined forces with musicians including Alex Carapetis (Nine Inch Nails, The Voidz), Jenny Lee Lindberg and Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint), Mauro Refosco (Talking Heads, Atoms for Peace), and Philip Peterson (Portugal. The Man).

Ali talks about his newest feat, ‘Mirrorshade’, which features; “The emotional inspiration was to make a song people could make love and babies to.

One of the conceptual ideas was to create a song form that features bursts of drum parts that evolve over time held down by a percussion phrase. The main low instrument in the percussion section is Mauro’s Surdo drum. Mirrorshade is a track featuring Alex Carapetis on drums, Mauro Refosco on percussion, Jenny Lee Lindberg on Bass, Joey Stevens on guitar and me on synthesizers and programming. It was mixed by David Wrench and mastered by John Davis.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Asgeir - Pictures.

Ásgeir shares another cut from his forthcoming new album ‘Bury The Moon’ – new track ‘Pictures’ arrives with an accompanying video, for which the artist immersed himself in nature in his home country, in a bid to reflect the inspiration of the track. The video illustrates the artist’s connection to his country, its roots and its music – whilst at the same time, it is a representation of inner reflection. Inspired by the Icelandic landscape and traditional Icelandic folk music, Asgeir locked himself away in a summerhouse deep in the countryside to write the new album. Revisiting his acoustic beginnings and taking things back to basics, he conjured up ‘Pictures’, the next single to be released from the highly anticipated album.

Talking about the new track, the introvert artist said: “The lyrics paint pictures of daily life, from when we wake up and go to work and how our dreams come alive in the nighttime. It also depicts the importance of not thinking more of your country than other countries / or yourself over other people, and the importance of unity between people.”

The lauded Icelandic artist makes music that penetrates a little deeper than most. A potent Icelandic songwriter, his debut album soared to success in his native land, before English language edition ‘In The Silence’ connected with an entirely new audience. An artist of rare scope, sincerity, and emotion, his next step might well be his bravest, and his most enduring.  ‘Bury The Moon’ – or ‘Sátt’, to give the record its Icelandic title – is out on 7th February on One Little Indian Records.

Asgeir continues; “The director (Einar Egilsson) came up with this idea of doing something with references to old western movies. We felt like the song was kind of split in half, the verses are melancholic and sad while the choruses are more hopeful and so the video expresses those conflicting emotions on the screen. The plot follows a man that is free for a while but is then captured by this sheriff character. The verses show the man when he has lost his freedom, but the choruses show him when he is free.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------