A.S. Fanning - Living Hour - Mariel Buckley - Malena Smith - Josh Ritchie

Photo - Neil Hoare

A.S. Fanning - Romance.

Irish songwriter A.S. Fanning announces his fourth studio album Take Me Back To Nowhere, arriving February 6th via K&F Records. Now he kicks off the album lead up with ‘Romance’, offering the first glimpse into Fanning's most disorienting and immersive work to date.

Opening with layered synths that build into an anthemic crescendo over a steady drumbeat, ‘Romance’ showcases Fanning's distinctive baritone voice—drawing comparisons to Nick Cave—delivering a stark, disillusioned meditation on love and human connection. The track maps emotional desolation onto stark sonic terrain, stripping love down to its rawest components: fear masquerading as desire, need mistaken for connection.

"This is a disillusioned love song," Fanning explains. "Representing a feeling of hopelessness through imagery of a barren physical landscape. There's also some hint of room for hope or vulnerability in the line 'love lets you in…' but it's generally quite a cynical song suggesting that romantic feelings are just a confused mixture of fear, need, and desire."

The single introduces broader themes that run throughout Take Me Back To Nowhere: inescapable isolation and the idea that our relationships are shaped more by our internal chaos than any genuine connection with others. "In some ways it touches on the wider themes of the album," he continues "That everyone is isolated and that their own issues and interior processes are what's informing their relationships with other people—that who you fall in love with is just based on your own particular cocktail of neuroses, which you somehow find reflected in another person." 

a.s. fanning · A.S FANNING - Romance

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Photo - Alex Squire

Living Hour - Internal Drone Infinity (Album).

Winnipeg-based Living Hour releases their new album Internal Drone Infinity. With 10 tracks coming in around a 30-minute runtime, the latest record sees the indie rock band move away from dreamy shoegaze sounds in favour of tightly controlled and cathartic sonic release through heavily distorted guitar riffs. 

“Everyone’s kind of angry, we’re getting pissed, the world is fucked, and sometimes it feels like I can’t just be in a nice indie rock band anymore playing twinkly things,” lyricist Sam Sarty says about the change in style. “It’s still nice to do that, but I think there needs to be a release, a scream, or a grunt or something.”

With a lifelong practice of noticing the little, mundane details, and framing them to show potential beauty, Sarty has honed her composing and songwriting skills to the point of finding moments of beauty in places full of literal garbage. 

"Texting is written from this really mundane but intimate point of view of trying to explain Winnipeg to someone over text," she says. "In the winter, everything disappears in the snow, but when the snow melts, we’re left with the mosaic of shit. I keep a list on my phone of things I see on the sidewalk: garbage that breaks my heart or situations that I try to explain, either to myself or over text – that blue bubble carrying my thoughts somewhere else."


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Photo - Emma Palm

Mariel Buckley - Strange Trip Ahead (Album).

Acclaimed Americana singer-songwriter Mariel Buckley returns with her third studio album, Strange Trip Ahead, out now via Birthday Cake Records. Following the success of her 2022 Polaris Prize–longlisted album, Everywhere I Used to Be, Buckley steps boldly into a new sonic chapter — one that blurs the lines between alt-Americana, indie rock, and emotive confessional songwriting.

Serving as the album’s emotional centerpiece, “Anvil” captures the tension of life-altering decisions in a relationship — specifically around the question of whether to have children. Co-written with Nashville songwriter Robby Hecht and featuring Buckley’s brother T. Buckley on mandolin and background vocals, the track is one of the most meticulously constructed on the record.

“Anvil explores the decision around having kids — those ‘will we/won’t we’ conversations,” Buckley explains. “As a woman and as a queer person, the scrutiny around that choice is intense. It forces you to look unromantically at what partnership and permanence really mean.”

Driven by heavy rhythm sections, pedal steel tension, and Buckley’s soaring vocal delivery, the song embodies the weight of love and inevitability — a slow burn that simmers with emotional gravity.

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Malena Smith -Maybe.

St. Louis-based singer-songwriter Malena Smith has shared her latest single, “Maybe,” an emotionally raw preview of her upcoming debut EP, 27 in Maine. Following the transparency of her previous release, “Paralyzed,” this new track, written by Sonca Nguyen, Jack Pordea, and Joshua "Paco" Lee dives even deeper, capturing the tension of love in limbo.
 
Simply put, “Maybe” is a love song, but beneath its gentle melodies lies a layered emotional landscape and an introspective plea, a yearning for the other person to return and affirm your feelings. It's a confession, a question, and a prayer for emotional clarity in a relationship hanging by a thread.
 
With introspective lyrics, delicate harmonies, soulful guitar and skillful mandolin, “Maybe” reflects the intimate emotional spaces we often keep hidden. “I’ll wait for your answer / Just ask me the question / Don’t leave me to figure it out / I promise to show you / Whatever you go through / I’ll be by your side,” she sings, inviting the listener into a quiet but powerful moment of sensitivity. “I’ve been there more times than I’d like to admit in my twenties, maybe that’s why it resonates so deeply,” she shares. 

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Josh Ritchie - So Much More Than A Dream (Album).

By the time an artist makes their third album, it’s a safe bet they’ve learned a few lessons. In the case of Canadian singer/songwriter Josh Ritchie, those lessons led to taking control of all aspects of So Much More Than A Dream, with the result being a dynamically powerful 11-song collection that blurs the lines between modern rock, experimental folk, and contemporary r&b.

In some ways, it’s the sound of our age, where genres are fluid, and an artist has the tools at their fingertips to take any idea and construct a unique sonic landscape out of it. In film parlance, it’s been called “the auteur theory” for decades, and for Josh Ritchie, it guided his vision throughout the making of So Much More Than A Dream.

In short, So Much More Than A Dream can be described as a concept album telling the story of a young adult searching for peace and purpose in our increasingly turbulent world. It’s hardly a stretch to say that theme mirrors much of Ritchie’s life to this point, having grown up BIPOC in Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula. Much of his music to date has been a product of his experiences, but on So Much More Than A Dream he pours his soul into each song, as on the first single, “Numb,” which asks the increasingly common question, “Do you believe in anything at all?”

Josh clearly believes in many things, and wants you to believe in them as well. On the anthemic new single “Celestial,” he firmly pins his heart to his sleeve, running through the list of things that sustain his spirit, with love firmly at the top. Later, on the stunning ballad “Vancouver,” he sounds like a young Leonard Cohen, surveying the wreckage of his life amid the wreckage of the inner city. But it’s “Small Town Boys” that Josh highlights as a personal triumph.


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Indigo Fire - Wilder Maker - Living Hour

Indigo Fire - Gone Away.

Indigo Fire have returned with a synth rock beauty entitled 'Gone Away.' Gone Away draws upon events that happened years ago. But it could have been yesterday. Or it could be tomorrow. The emotions would be the same… a mix of hurt, bewilderment, frustration and anger that comes with the loss of something important. Heavy on the synths and vocals with a punchy drum line and more subtle guitar, Indigo Fire has tried to craft a catchy but poignant song.

ndigo Fire was formed in 2025 when old school friends, Guy Martland and Pete Burdon, finally put their heads together and started writing and recording their own songs.  Although they never pursued music professionally, they have both played in various orchestras and jazz/blues bands over the years. 

With Indigo Fire, they are venturing into a new genre (for them) as they try to create their own sound, drawing upon the various bands and artists who influenced them growing up, such as Depeche Mode, The Cure, New Order and Pink Floyd. With mixing and post-production help from their friend, Dan Skinner, they released their first single, Lyrics for a Song, in May 2025. Gone Away is the second single from Indigo Fire's forthcoming debut album, Incipient.

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Photo - Keegan Grandbois

Wilder Maker - The Moon Says / Darkness Leaning Like Water Against the Windows.

Wilder Maker have shared two more songs from The Streets Like Beds Still Warm before the full record is out next Monday. The two tracks are "The Moon Says" & "Darkness Leaning Like Water Against the Windows". Those who visit us even occasionally will have probably picked up on the fact that Beehive Candy loves original, creative and unpretentious new music, Wilder Maker have ticked all those boxes for us, we are very impressed.

Band member Gabriel Birnbaum tells us, “The Moon Says” is a love song for someone who begs for help and refuses it at the same time, for someone who can’t love themself. It contains a beautiful saxophone contribution from Joseph Shabason, rhythm guitar/piano parts that slowly warp and bend as the song progresses, and a title that references one of my all time poets, Frank Stanford.

Brooklyn band Wilder Maker’s principal songwriter, Gabriel Birnbaum says that the group’s latest full-length, The Streets Like Beds Still Warm follows “an overall formal asymmetry, like dream logic.” It is richly textured, moody, and deep and is as distinctly narrative as it is literally experimental. To call it a concept album, as big as that term is, would actually be to sell it short. It is, in fact, only the first part of a concept trilogy that tells the tale of one long night in the city, from dusk to dawn.

The Streets Like Beds Still Warm follows a lonely narrator as he drifts down avenues and in and out of bars and hospital rooms. He thinks on big questions and bigger questions, gets into some trouble, worries about his sick father, grapples with rivals and competitors who could be his friends but are not; he orders cocktails, dreams he is a genius, thinks about God and fate and so on. The record closes out at around 1:15am, leaving the story to be continued. If this sounds a bit noirish, that’s because it is. “Film noir detectives always start out looking immaculate, but by the end of the film they have a torn collar, a black eye, their slacks are stained, and they’ve started slapping people around in desperation,” Birnbaum says. “Are they the good guy anymore? I find this fascinating and I love the visual cues reflecting the internal landscape.” While there are no visual cues, per se, on The Streets Like Beds Still Warm, the record owes a great debut to cinematography.


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Photo - Lucas Pingitore

Living Hour - Best I Did It.

Winnipeg band Living Hour releases "Best I Did It" today, the third single from their new album Internal Drone Infinity, out October 17 via Keeled Scales. Lyricist Sam Sarty writes: "In the end, the song is about confronting a lot of dark feelings head-on, and not just driving by or looking for a distraction. I really like singing the line 'I’m just out here to try my medicine,' because that’s truly all I can do. All I can do is try to prioritize all the forms of medicine at my disposal."

Based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Living Hour experiences long winter seasons characterized by thick, grey sky and a colourless cityscape. A lot of the lyrics in this song are built around this colour landscape, and how Sarty confronts these intensely grey feelings.

Despite the gloom giving birth to the song, Sarty says the chorus is a hopeful reminder to herself. "I imagine myself 10 years from now looking back at this song and thinking of all the ways I’ve tried to heal myself, and saying I did the best I could. I’m doing the best I can." 

Living Hour worked with engineer/producer Melina Duterte (Jay Som), who previously worked with boygenius, Whitmer Thomas, and Lucy Dacus. Living Hour's combination of hushed lyrics and fuzzed-out guitar calls to mind artists like Squirrel Flower, Soccer Mommy, and Slow Pulp.

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The Planet Smashers - Romanie - Amanda Pascali - Living Hour - flipturn feat. Old Mervs - Lydia Luce

Photo - Michael Crusty

The Planet Smashers - On the Dancefloor (Album).

Ska-punk legends The Planet Smashers are back with their new studio album, On the Dancefloor, out via Stomp Records (home to Wine Lips, The Anti-Queens, The Real McKenzies, and The Dreadnoughts). 

On the Dancefloor isn’t just a comeback, it's a coronation. Featuring electrifying guest appearances by ska trailblazers Neville Staple of The Specials, Charley “Aitch” Bembridge of The Selecter, and Sara Johnston of Bran Van 3000, the album taps into the rich legacy of 2Tone and third wave ska with heart, swagger, and soul. These collaborations bring an unmatched pedigree and history to the project, linking the band’s infectious energy with the genre’s pioneering voices.

Formed in 1994, The Planet Smashers have carved out a legacy as one of ska-punk’s most vital acts. With over 30 million Spotify streams, iconic tracks featured in everything from MTV’s Undergrads to Japanese cult anime Catman, and a live show that’s equal parts punk chaos and carnival joyride, the Montreal-based crew has spent over three decades earning their place in ska royalty.

On the Dancefloor features 13 high-octane tracks built for movement and uplift: party anthems, heartbreak jams, and protest songs delivered with unapologetic spirit and punchy horn arrangements. The album’s visual aesthetic was brought to life by renowned digital artist Scorpion Dagger, whose artwork matches the album’s vibrant energy beat for beat.


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Photo - Marcus Coblyn

Romanie - When Will We Lose Hope?

This week Melbourne-based Romanie shares her emotive new single ‘When Will We Lose Hope?’ Keeping hope alive against the odds, Romanie’s new single is a sincere and raw offering. Effortless vocals and reflective lyricism share a haunting reminder of the bigger pitcher. When Will We Lose Hope? is an honest and beautiful output, here to gently offer perspective. Sharing more, Romanie said; ‘I wrote this song in January 2024 during Adrienne Lenker’s School of Song workshop. 

I was feeling kind of lost in the world, wondering if making music was the right thing to do in a time of turmoil, reading the news and looking at villains ruling the world and destroying the planet. During the first lecture, Adrienne talked about having to let yourself feel things in order to write music and be curious. I cried during that lecture, and felt so inspired knowing that so many other beautiful songwriters were experiencing the same thing and suddenly writing songs and making music felt like the only straight forward thing to do.

It’s a really sad song, but I really want to emphasize the element of hope in it too, because it’s important to keep loving and caring for community. When Will We Lose Hope? is Romanie’s second single to arrive this year. It follows ‘Uh Oh’ which was released in May marking a new era for the artist, one that blends grit and grunge with softness and emotion in equal measure.

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Photo - Davide Casciolo

Amanda Pascali - Cleopatra.

Rising singer-songwriter Amanda Pascali shares her new single "Cleopatra," a powerful ode to resilience, identity, and the strength of women who break barriers across borders. Inspired by Pascali’s mother, an immigrant who arrived in 1980s New York City and built a life and career from the ground up, "Cleopatra" fuses Arabic melodies, Spanish guitar, spaghetti Western soundscapes, and world folk elements to reflect the multicultural mosaic of her story. 

"Cleopatra" follows Pascali's previous singles, including a song of unrequited love, "Wake Up, Baby!," and an ode to all-consuming love, "Amuri." Her new album Roses and Basil was produced by acclaimed singer-songwriter and fellow Texan Robert Ellis and will release on September 12.

"'Cleopatra' is a bilingual, genre-blending tribute to my mother — who was born in Egypt and journeyed to America by way of France — and to every woman who has had to fight to make her story heard," Pascali explains. “The song is inspired by my mother’s story, but it’s also about my responsibility as her first-born daughter to carry that story forward. The repeated line ‘I was left with the pen in my hand’ speaks to the urgency I feel, especially in this moment, to tell these stories.”

She continues, "I have had to convince many people that it is compelling to tell stories where women are at the forefront. Today, I am sharing this one: I wrote this song about my mom but it’s also about me, and every woman who came before me. In every story, there are pieces of the writer that seep in. This song celebrates my relationships, past, present, and future with the most important women in my life: my sisters, my mom, and my grandmothers in heaven. We are the main characters of this story.”

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Photo - Lucas Pingitore

Living Hour - Waiter.

Winnipeg band Living Hour releases "Waiter" this week, the second single from their fourth album Internal Drone Infinity, out October 17 via Keeled Scales. 

Lyricist Sam Sarty writes: "This is a song about people who wait. Wait-ers. I find myself waiting without knowing what I’m waiting for. I wait in all these liminal spaces: hotels, parking lots, and even relationships. This song reflects on two relationships where I spent a lot of time waiting; waiting to feel something or to see what would happen."

The song is an ode to time passing after a relationship, becoming self-sufficient after a period of emotional intimacy. Sarty continues: "This song feels like a tribute to all that energy that pours out of me when I’m yearning for someone to be closer to me, but it also acts as a realization that I’ll always have myself. It’s a relief, like feeling that the wait is over."

Anchored by Sarty’s vivid lyricism, shaped by years as a projectionist conjuring stories in a dark theater, the band explores the quiet magic hidden in everyday life. With wistful vocals, textural distortion, and poetic detail, Living Hour capture the ache of memory, the mess of feeling, and the beauty in what remains.

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Photo - Andy Vinson

flipturn - Burnout Days (feat. Old Mervs).

flipturn, "one of the most innovative bands out now" are set to bring their acclaimed album Burnout Days to UK audiences this November, with a run of dates that includes their biggest London show to date at Kentish Town Forum on November 14th, and an appearance at Live At Leeds City Festival.

The announcement comes as the band unveils a special collaboration with Old Mervs on a new version of their title track "Burnout Days", released today (August 20th). The collaboration emerged from the bands' recent sold-out afterparty performance together at Park West in Chicago following Lollapalooza.

"We've always thought 'Burnout Days' was a summer song, and since we will be coming over during the Australian summer we thought they would be the perfect fit," says flipturn frontman Dillon Basse. Old Mervs' Dave House adds, "We are absolutely stoked with this collab with flipturn! 'Burnout Days' is such a fun song and playing around in the studio with it was a blast."

Released earlier this year via Dualtone Records, the 12-song collection Burnout Days finds the indie-rock powerhouse returning as sonic architects, harnessing their impressive knack for hooks, shimmering soundscapes and "nostalgia-inducing lyrical delivery" (Uproxx). The album has been lauded for its "rays of optimism" (SPIN), "irresistible hooks" (Consequence) and "infectious energy" (Luna Collective).

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Photo - Ryan Usher

Lydia Luce - Quiet.

Nashville-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lydia Luce shares "Quiet," the latest single from her new album Mammoth, which releases October 30. A much-needed antidote to the relentlessness of the world around us, the soft-pedaled keys and mellow strings mirror the feeling of sitting in harmonious silence with someone you love. The song is accompanied by an acoustic live video performed with Lockeland Strings.

“'Quiet' is a song for my partner and I," Luce says. "‘Quiet' is about the ability to sit with someone and not have to say anything. To be able to soak up their presence and find contentment, joy and peace in the silence. We are about to have our first kiddo and it's something we've been trying for, for the last year and a half. Everything is about to change in our house and we are truly cherishing these final months at home, just the two of us and our dog."

Recorded in just one week at Peter Gabriel’s celebrated Real World Studios, Mammoth was produced with longtime creative collaborator Jordan Lehning (Kacey Musgraves, Joy Oladokun, Caitlin Rose), with whom Luce runs the Nashville-based string collective Lockeland Strings. These songs are inspired by the ambient compositions of Luce's solo Lethe music project, as well as the natural surroundings of the UK countryside where Mammoth was recorded, with sounds of blowing winds and morning birdsong woven into the instrumentation. Gone are the boisterous elements of her previous releases, now replaced by something more quietly contemplative that represents this new chapter of tranquility. From the sweeping title track to the dreamy "Wisteria" and the tender lullaby "Florence," Mammoth is bound by a common thread of self-love, hope and acceptance, along with a fervent belief in the serendipity of the last few years. 


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Tiberius - The Outers - Living Hour - Bunnygrunt - Texas Headhunters - The Bats

Photo -  Zoe Hopper

Tiberius - Sag.

Boston’s Tiberius have announced their new album, ‘Troubadour,’ for release via Audio Antihero on November 14th. "Sag" is taken from ‘Troubadour,’ the label debut of Boston’s Tiberius. Originally a solo outing for songwriter Brendan Wright (they/them), the lineup has evolved into a catchy and cacophonous four-piece. With a sound that blends Indie Punk, Alt Country and Psychedelia with confessional but conversational lyrics, Tiberius have dubbed their sound “Farm Emo.” 

After a series of self-releases, which received great praise and support from New England-based press like Allston Pudding and Penny Mag, ‘Troubadour’ sees Tiberius make their label debut with Audio Antihero (Frog / Avery Friedman / CIAO MALZ). 

Artist Statement for "Sag": "Sag is about this dreaded ‘Allston to Bushwick’ pipeline we have in Boston. A lot of musicians end up using Boston to cut their teeth before heading off to New York or LA to pursue their music careers. I wrote ‘Sag’ when I was really playing the ‘comparison game’ in my head and asking myself what role I wanted music to play in my life. It was the first in a batch about looking at yourself in relation to the others around you and trying to decipher who you are without that context.“ – Brendan Wright.

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The Outers - Wishy Washy.

The Outers Channel Gritty Glamour and Sonic Edge in New Single “Wishy Washy” Has the time come for another classic London band? The type that bring a uniquely British slant to indie pop and somehow call to mind the entire city’s heritage of catchy personality led guitar pop from X-Ray Specs & The Bellestars to Lush & Echobelly To The Libertines & The Noisettes. Well, here come The Outers to fill that void for the modern audience with their perky new summer single Wishy Washy.

“Wishy Washy” opens with a sharp bass-line and tight dance groove rhythm section before erupting into a chorus packed with raw emotion and biting delivery. The lyrics chart the downfall of a character fuelled by selfish ambition and surface-level charm, exposing the cracks beneath a carefully curated façade. There is a real sense of narrative tension here, told with both sonic swagger and lyrical edge.

As chirpy as the tune may be, the lyrics actually deal with dark subject matter: “It is about a character driven by disguised self interest always trying to take advantage of people and situations, despite permanent efforts to project a glamorous appearance and chase popularity, actions guided by circumstances and greed will clash with his narrative. Acting behind closed doors to gain power by isolating others or pinning them against each other, the character does not realise his intentions show.” - Ade (Singer).

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Photo -  Devonte Johnson

Living Hour - Wheel.

Winnipeg band Living Hour releases "Wheel" this week, the first single from their fourth album Internal Drone Infinity, out October 17 via Keeled Scales. 

Lyricist Sam Sarty writes: "The story of 'Wheel' begins with buying a car off Facebook Marketplace in BC. Turns out the car was junk, but I had no choice but to drive it home to Winnipeg. It took 3 days. I was driving through the mountains, and the headlights were so dim, and for a stretch there was nowhere to turn off. It felt like a weird, horrific video game–navigating the road and dodging danger and trying not to die. I also felt so deeply betrayed by all the men involved in the whole thing."

The song captures a certain powerlessness involved in the affair: the car salesman handing over the keys, the cops interrogating from the side of the road, the ex arguing from the passenger seat. Sarty continues: "In this song, I was able to imagine an alternate reality where I’m a vengeful spectator in these men's lives. What if I had died on the road, and what if I came back and plagued them all with my powerful essence that they so easily dismissed, contorted and took advantage of in order to sell me a fucked up car?"

Anchored by Sarty’s vivid lyricism, shaped by years as a projectionist conjuring stories in a dark theater, the band explores the quiet magic hidden in everyday life. With wistful vocals, textural distortion, and poetic detail, Living Hour capture the ache of memory, the mess of feeling, and the beauty in what remains.

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Bunnygrunt - Eggy Greggy.

St Louis, Missouri's favorite indiepop nerds Bunnygrunt are to return with a 30th Anniversary reissue of their long out of print cuddle-core classic 'Action Pants.' The band dug deep and unearthed lost recordings that were left off of the album due to last minute line up changes way back in the day. The album will now finally be heard in the way it was meant to way back 30 years ago adding three never before heard tracks. The album comes out on August 8th on HHBTM Records and the band's own Sillymoo Records label.

 St Louis e’er-do-wells Bunnygrunt sprung fully formed into the Great Indie Pop Underground of the early 1990’s, when gas was cheap, 7” singles grew on trees, and every zine had a reader. After a hugely successful turn at 1994’s YoYo-A-GoGo festival and a steady stream of 45’s, the band hit the studio in early 1995 to record their full length debut Action Pants for LA scene makers No Life Records. 

Unfortunately, the band lineup shifted and the track list contracted between recording and release, leaving a few songs on the cutting room floor. Now is the time to re-introduce the world to the Action Pants it needs now more than ever. Alongside the breezy perfection of Just Like Suppertime, the clattering feedback frenzy of GI2K, the jangle motorik of Open Up And Say Oblina, and the other hits you know and love, faithful Bungalos can now feast their ears on the shambling glory of Eggy Greggy, the transmission from another planet of Maude (in two parts!), and originally planned pre-release single Inanimate Objects. 

Meet Action Pants: The Thirtieth Anniversary Director’s Cut! A split release between Georgia’s Happy Happy Birthday To Me & St Louis’s Silly Moo, it’s just like the old one, only, like, better…

HHBTM Records · Eggy Greggy

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Photo - Ray Redding

Texas Headhunters - Gimme Some Love.

Texas Headhunters aren’t here to play it slick; they’re here to play it real. This week, the trio of Johnny Moeller, Ian Moore and Jesse Dayton, drop “Gimme Some Love,” the third single from their self-titled debut album, out August 22 on Hardcharger / Blue Élan Records.

This time, it’s Johnny Moeller stepping out front. Long known for his razor-sharp guitar work with the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Moeller shows a new side of his artistry here -- cool, sly, and soaked in Texas groove. Think Ray Wylie Hubbard swagger meets Delbert McClinton soul, with a little Billy Gibbons grit for good measure.

“This one came together real quick in the studio,” says Moeller. “I’m playing rhythm and singing while Jesse and Ian laid down the ‘ancient art of guitar weaving,’ Texas style, all in one live take. The song’s about looking at this crazy world and realizing we all just need a little more love. I was stuck on the third verse, and my wife said, ‘write something about your dog.’ So, ‘my little sweet Talullah’ made the cut.”

Lyrically, “Gimme Some Love” is a gritty gospel-blues plea for redemption, cut with humor and heart. It’s a song about breaking bad habits, riding the soul train out of trouble, and shining a light in the darkness. Musically, this track rides a low-slung groove. With the swampy pulse of Little Feat, the grit of a Chess Records session, and the laid-back cool of a late-night Austin jam, captured live at Willie Nelson’s Pedernales Studio with producer Steve Chadie.

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The Bats - Lucky Day.

New Zealand indie rock royals, The Bats, have recently had their heads down recording new music and have today announced their 11th full-length album, ‘Corner Coming Up’, out on October 17th via Flying Nun Records. The new album strikes a very distinctive and familiar chord that exists in the fuzzy-loving hearts of fans all round the world. Throughout their 40 plus years of existence, and now with 'Corner Coming Up' ready to share with the world, The Bats have stayed true to their roots, creating timeless music that continues to resonate with fans old and new.

The Bats are Robert Scott, Kaye Woodward, Paul Kean and Malcolm Grant. Since their inception in Christchurch in 1982, The Bats’ music has earned a devoted following around the world, and they remain one of New Zealand’s most cherished and enduring exports. The band has a phenomenal ability to create melodies that linger long after the record has stopped spinning.

This week the band have also shared their brand new video single ‘Lucky Day’. Shot out of a suitcase by Marc Swadel, Julian Reid and Kermath, while on work trips, the accompanying lo-fi psychedelic video was shot in Florence, London, Tokyo, Doha, Taipei, Liverpool, Zagreb, Manchester and Hong Kong with the band filming themselves in Christchurch. This is the fourth Bats video by director Marc Swadel (who has previously worked with Crowded House, Thurston Moore, The Datsuns, Jonathan Bree, Sparks, Liam Finn, Duran Duran, Head Like a Hole and The Chemical Brothers).

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Hajk - Marble Mammoth - Henry Jamison - Porteau - Living Hour

Hajk are polished, melodic and with some R&B vibes rather catchy on their new song. It's been some time since we featured Marble Mammoth and the alt rockers return with a stunning couple of tracks. Henry Jamison's beautifully crafted songs continue to impress, whilst Porteau offer us an exquisite piece that exudes both feeling and quality. Living Hour's vocals are gorgeous and the musical backdrop is a perfect complement on this wonderfully lush song.

Hajk - Breathe.

Hajk have released a brand new single entitled 'Breathe', the third and final single from the upcoming album 'Drama' that is out on February 15th on Jansen Records. The track is a soaring, emotional R&B-tinged song with an instantly infectious melody guided by Sigrid Aase’s powerful vocals that enthrall throughout.

Behind the sheen though, the band's Preben Sælid Andersen has explained that 'Breathe' is actually, "about the ability to believe in yourself and the ones close to you. It’s about trying to hold on to something, but deep down you know it's already too late. Breathing is also something we have talked about a lot during the making of this album, and it now serves as a theme throughout the record, in the lyrics and with actual breathing sounds hidden all over. Being able to take a step back and take a deep breath can be the only right thing to do sometimes."


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Marble Mammoth - The Light.

Marble Mamoth have just released a new single The Light.

It’s a track in two parts with a fuzzed out bass, a didgeridoo and sampled seagulls from The Beatles.

It is the second single release after the debut EP, and the band are planning on releasing two more tracks this spring. 

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Henry Jamison - American Babes.

Henry Jamison’s upcoming album ‘Gloria Duplex’ is out February 8th on Akira Records, and is shaping up to be not only a formidable follow-up to his stellar debut album ‘The Wilds’ (which has over 90 million streams on Spotify alone), but also an insightful deconstruction of what it means to “be a man” in 2018. And this week Henry has unfolded another chapter in his exploration of masculinity by releasing the fourth single from the upcoming set, “American Babes”.

If album cuts like the previously released “Boys” and “Gloria” acknowledge the ways young boys are enlisted into a “toxic fraternity” by society, “American Babes” is a mini tableau of that society as a whole. As Henry describes it, “The verses are about a group of students that I saw on the train from New York to Vermont years ago and about a homeless man who I talked to once in Baltimore. The juxtaposition isn't totally worked-out, but it's loosely about young people who still feel some trust in institutions and an old man who felt utterly failed by them. When the structures of our lives crash down, what can we lean on?”

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Porteau - River Song.

Do we really have a choice? Does instinct guide us home? These are the questions posed in “River Song,” the first single from Water’s Gate, our forthcoming debut album. At the time, the lyrics were simply poetry I wrote in a journal during summer evenings spent in a remote Alaskan village. We were independently writing ideas/songs that neither of us necessarily intended to combine together; we weren’t trying to write a record. This poetry was a catalyst, and “River Song” as a whole naturally revealed itself.

I found myself inspired to write “River Song” while watching salmon swim in the streams. Their journey back to spawn is magnificent – one that brings life, but ultimately ends in death. Using the earth’s magnetic field, like a compass, the salmon return to their final resting place. I was struggling to wrap my head around accepting the natural cycle of life. Seeing the salmon’s instinctual guidance drawing them back to their place of birth helped me discover where I needed to be “River Song” is not a story with a concrete ending. Ask yourself – do we really have a choice? Does instinct guide us home?


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Living Hour - Water.

Winnipeg’s Living Hour shares "Water," the second single from their upcoming album, Softer Faces. The band teamed up with filmmaker Ryan Steel for a short film to accompany the song.

Steel says:  "'Water' is a video about winter in Winnipeg. The video was shot covertly on the streets and in the homes of friends and grandmothers. Liminal spaces such as buses, shopping malls, and arcades all percolate together. Periods of rest and the textures of winter were captured on the outdated medium of 16mm film."

Everything about Winnipeg’s Living Hour has been expanding since their humble basement beginnings in 2015. What started with dreamy love songs inspired by the cinematic sky of their hometown has transformed into even more sprawling and expansive expressions on their latest effort, Softer Faces due March 1, 2019.


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Crooked Ghost - Living Hour - Love Canon - Pastis

Crooked Ghost - Sleepwalker.

Dreamy post-punk rockers Crooked Ghost have announced that their new album 'Skeleton House' will be released on CD on November 23, followed by a limited edition 12" vinyl release in February 2019. Ahead of this, the Asheville, NC outfit presents their 'Sleepwalker' single, accompanied by a video, directed by Rome Widenhouse.

"Skeleton House' is the band's sophomore long-play - a dark and hazy dreamscape of lush and angular melody, with a stark lyrical rawness touching upon such subjects as addiction, trauma, loss, superstition, and everything that gets left behind after a catastrophic event. The album consists of eight tracks, ranging from dreamy and playful to anguished and harrowing. Billowing vocal patterns weave intricate stories between shimmering guitar crescendos, cascading synths and mathematical percussion.

This album follows up their debut LP 'Strange Burial Rituals', released in March 2017. This new offering has two distinct halves: the first is lighter, the second darker. The whole thing plays out like a story, or rather, two opposite stories that are intertwined.

"The song 'Sleepwalker' was one of the first written for the new album, and everything about it just worked. The song itself is in reference to addiction and a dissolution of ones sense of self; self-medicating and numbness. I wanted to bring light to something dark, yet still tell an honest story. Something about this song has always stood out for us, says frontman Ray Clark. FACEBOOK.

If your new to Crooked Ghost then 'Sleepwalker' gives a good indication of the bands overall sound, albeit they can and are sometimes a little more moody and atmospheric and on occasion lyrically quite dark. That they are creative and often intriguing in the direction they take, adds a level of expectation for each track in this collection.


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Living Hour - Bottom Step.

Winnipeg’s Living Hour recently announced its sophomore LP, Softer Faces, due out March 1 via Kanine Records. A follow-up to their highly-praised 2016 S/T debut, it features the haunting, ethereal vocals of lead singer Sam Sarty accompanied by lush, expansive instrumentation.

The band shared a first taste of their new record with hazy, hypnotic leading single “Bottom Step”, and now they’ve released a lyric video for the track. NPR says "Bottom Step" “softly but assertively navigates the feeling of rejection, accented by delicate synth and brass. The song's accompanying visuals expand upon the protagonist's yearning for solitude, as Sarty enjoys a solo swim.”

The band has announce tour dates for early 2019, including performances in Saskatoon, Calgary, Rossland, and Edmonton before heading to Austin for SXSW. Full tour dates can be found below.

Living Hour has been expanding since their humble basement beginnings in 2015. Now a quintet, rounded out by Gil Carroll (guitar), Adam Soloway (guitar, vocals), Alex Chochinov (drums, trumpet, orangelle), and Brett Ticzon (bass, vocals), Living Hour’s emotive vocals, intricate harmonies, with dreamy washes of guitar, bass, keys, and horns sees the band pulling from many genres to create their own diverse vibe that's intimate, honest, and vulnerable. WEBSITE.

Beautifully dreamy and melodic 'Bottom Step' is awash with emotion and feeling. The layers of sound slowly develop, with a feeling of calmness that comes from the refined arrangement and soothing vocals.


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Love Canon - Graceland (Live with Lauren Balthrop).

Continuing to feature selected songs from their Cover Story album, Love Canon releases a live video of "Graceland." Filmed live at Eugenia Hall with the Bluegrass Situation in Nashville, Tennessee, the song features the band along with Lauren Balthrop's accompaniment vocals.

Known for their sophisticated and energetic Grass-infused covers of iconic 80’s-era pop and rock songs, the band backs the smoky vocals of Jesse Harper and Balthrop with the positive bounce of the original song but with the athletic instrumental breaks Love Canon is known for.

Lead singer and guitarist Jesse Harper says, “I have always been a fan of Paul Simon. Graceland is one of those records I have played over and over again. It’s been in heavy rotation on my stereo for at least 20 years. I love the songwriting and the musicianship. I think this tune fits with bluegrass instrumentation particularly well, and it was beyond fun getting to jam with Mike Barnett (fiddle) and Lauren Balthrop (vocals) on this tune.” 

Nothing is hidden in this live take of the Paul Simon classic, which allows the nimble dynamics of Love Canon’s playing and singing to shine as it does on the album, released from from Organic Records in July of this year. SPOTIFY, Lauren Balthrop WEBSITE.

We don't often feature cover versions on Beehive Candy however this version of  'Graceland' just has to be shared. An outstanding song is given a refreshing makeover where bluegrass and dual vocals give the piece a pleasing feel, so now I have two splendid versions of a timeless song.


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Pastis - Valour Valour.

'Valour Valour' is the second single of the Finnish rock n roll band 'Pastis' upcoming debut LP 'Circles' (release 8th February 2019). 

It was recorded and co-produced by the award-winning producer Lauri Eloranta, and it also features trumpet virtuoso Antero Priha who has performed with the likes of Ray Charles, Carla Bley and Freddie Hubbard.

The band created great excitement with their first single 'Amazon' (released 13th June 2018) and have established themselves as one the most promising Finnish rock n roll bands to attract an international audience. FACEBOOK.

'Valour Valour' has all the quality and subtly modern musical production techniques allow for, and yet it has sixties pop and rock vibes coursing right through it. Add to that just how very catchy indeed compelling this song is and Pastis new album cannot come soon enough!

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Holly Miranda - Juliet Quick - Living Hour - Marville - Porshyne

Holly Miranda - To Be Loved.

Background - Holly Miranda's new single is "To Be Loved".  It follows her prior singles "Golden Spiral" and "Exquisite" the latter of which features T.V. On The Radio's Kyp Malone. "Exquisite" also had a video which was directed by Kyp. All three tracks will be available on Holly's new LP 'Mutual Horse', out 2/23 on Dangerbird Records. You can pre-order the LP here. Holly will also be playing a handful of NYC & L.A. shows including a show at Park Church Co-op in Brooklyn.

The Dangerbird studio in LA also inspired the album’s title - “Mutual Horse comes from this image we hung in the studio. It was a photo of the singer-songwriter Cris Williamson - “We printed out photos of her from the 1970s and taped them up around the studio; that was our vibe.” One of those photos was of Williamson and another woman holding the reins of a horse; the two women are staring at each other, but the horse is staring at the camera. Eventually someone scrawled the phrase “Mutual Horse” beneath the picture. “It doesn’t feel like just mine,” Miranda says of the album, which took its name from the graffiti. “It feels like it belongs to everybody who worked on it. I opened myself to collaborating this time around, which made me really vulnerable.”

Miranda grew up between Detroit and Nashville, two music towns that would influence her own journey in a very profound way. She began playing piano at the age of six, taught her self-guitar at 14 and moved to New York at 16 to start her professional career. For nearly 20 years, she’s been performing, writing and producing with some of the best talent in the business. She has performed with the likes of Karen O, Lou Reed, The XX, and Lesley Gore. She released two records with her band The Jealous Girlfriends and has co-written and produced a mass of other projects. FACEBOOK.

Tour Dates:
2/22 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Hotel Cafe
3/8 - Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
3/22 - Brooklyn, NY @ Park Church Co-op.

We featured the song 'Exquisite' back in November and 'To Be Loved' is another fine single and is included on the 'Mutual Horse' album due next week. Once again the vocals are distinct and very appealing, the music allowing them to shine right through, whilst giving the song further momentum.

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Juliet Quick - Changeling Part I.

Background - Brooklyn-based, alt-folk artist Juliet Quick shares her new track, "Changeling Part I," from her forthcoming EP, a 3-part song series, Changeling EP. The Changeling EP is due out April 6th on all DSPs.

Juliet Quick is currently based in Brooklyn, where in 2016 she began playing with a backing band made up of collaborators Philip Joy on drums, Nathan Kamal on violin, and Oliver Mashburn on guitar. Quick grew up in the Hudson Valley, and her art has always been in conversation with that landscape. In addition to her music, which relies heavily on that setting for its tone and imagery, she has written a chapbook of research-based poems on the Hudson River.

Changeling is a 3-part song series, using the folkloric trope of the changeling, in which a child is stolen by fairies and replaced with an imposter, to explore feelings of alienation from the self and the familiar that characterize early adulthood. They don’t follow a strict narrative, so much as trace different points in the evolution of that psychic experience. The imagery is heavily grounded in the landscape of the Hudson Valley, where the artist was raised. It was recorded in Carmel, NY, where it was engineered and co-produced by Rees Shad in his own studio. The orchestral strings were arranged in a collaboration with Juliet Quick, Rees Shad, and Nathan Kamal. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Tour Dates:
03.04 - Sunnyvale - Brooklyn, NY
03.31 - Rockwood Stage 3 - New York, NY.

'Changeling Part I' is a gorgeous and quite unique indie folk song, where Juliet Quick's vocals are quite beguiling and the musical arrangement adds a chamber folk dimension to this sumptuous and almost epic piece.

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Living Hour - Tous les garcons et les filles.

Background - Winnepeg band Living Hour announces a new covers EP, Lovely, Lonely: A Collection Of Covers For Hollow Hearts, which will be released on March 2, 2018. The EP includes covers of Nico, Avi Buffalo, The Ink Spots and Françoise Hardy. The band will also be touring to SXSW, see full list of tour dates below.

Sink into the drowsy guitars and blissful, washed-out textures of Winnipeg’s Living Hour. The band made up of dream-pop revivalists’ atmospheric and pillowy melodies are coloured by psychedelic accents and the enthralling coos of vocalist Sam Sarty. Brushed-Snare Beats, droning reverberations, and wobbly romanticism conjure up a tranquil and exploratory state of mind. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Tour Dates:
03/05 Minneapolis, MN @ Memory Lanes
03/06 Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle
03/08 Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop*
03/09 St. Louis, MO @ The Sinkhole*
03/10 Russellville, AR @ The Cavern*
03/11 Houston, TX @ Super Happy Fun Land*
03/12 Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas – Strange Brew 7
03/13 Austin, TX @ Javelina (Force Field PR / Danger Village Official SXSW Showcase)
03/16 Austin, TX @ The Electric Church (Wallflower Records x Fuzzland Presents)
03/19 Hot Springs, AR @ Low Key Arts (Valley Of The Vapors)*
* = w/ Look Vibrant.

Francoise Hardy original version was released way back in 1962 and was an outstanding pop song for that era. Living Hour have slowed the pace with their rendition of 'Tous les garcons et les filles', the dream pop interpretation adds atmosphere and charm, I am fascinated as to how they will interpret one of Nico songs!

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Marville - Thinking Sense.

Background - Brisbane/Meanjin-based guitar-drums duo Marville have released new single Thinking Sense with lo-fi visuals by songwriter/guitarist Ash Kerley (of Girls Rock!). Marville also announce their impending second LP Terra Alpha, out via Regressive on March 30 with an East Coast launch tour to follow.

Written "in a sitty share house", Kerley's yawning, powerful vocals parse caustic jabs on Thinking Sense that are just as often aimed at herself. Propelled by relentlessly dirty, crunchy guitar and Doug Palmer's furious drumming, Thinking Sense has already made fans at community radio (RRR, PBSFM, 4ZZZ & more) and explores the landscape of how humans relate to each other when dignity is removed from the equation, with self-respect quickly following.

Marville's intensely human bare-bones approach has earned them myriad praise across their local scene, with multiple placings in the 4ZZZ Hot 100 and Sonic Masala calling first LP Vayan Con Dios "an album of unabashed tension, atmosphere and slack-jawed nihilism". Crowned winners of the 2017 Billy Thorpe Scholarship at the Queensland Music Awards last March, Marville's second LP Terra Alpha is a journey through the hot, crushing tension that comes before the quintessential melodramatic Queensland storm.

Produced by Joe Hammond (Courtney Barnett, Jen Cloher, Fraser A. Gorman) at his Pots and Pans studio, Terra Alpha's release will be followed by an East Coast launch tour, with a regional tour across Queensland to be announced. Marville's singularly enthralling, high-decibel live show - previously on display at the Brisbane leg of Gizzfest 2017 and as support for peers Cable Ties and Wet Lips - must be experienced to be fully understood. BANDCAMP, FACEBOOK.

Marville - Terra Alpha LP - East Coast Launch Tour
FRI 20 APR - The Bearded Lady, Brisbane
SAT 5 MAY - The Forresters, Sydney
SUN 6 MAY - The Servo, Wollongong
THU 10 MAY - The Old Bar, Melbourne.

'Thinking Sense' is one unpretentious rocker that just cuts to the chase and carves out some robust rock grooves with passion, emotion and determination.

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Porshyne - Miles Away.

Background - Porshyne are an atmospheric rock five-piece hailing from Brighton. Formed in 2014, early releases from the band such as ‘Residue’ and ‘Locked In’ have helped to cement their name within the Brighton music scene, leading to them playing shows alongside the likes of Black Peaks, Valerian Swing, Town Portal and many more. The band then went on to release their highly anticipated debut EP ‘Environmental Music’ in 2017, which received praise from the likes of Dan P Carter’s BBC Radio 1 Rock Show, Upset, Alt Press, New Noise Magazine and Kerrang! Radio, with the latter likening the band to Radiohead, Tool and QOTSA. Now the band are preparing to release their new single ‘Miles Away’.

In the time between ‘Environmental Music’ and ‘Miles Away’, Porshyne have been mindful to use their time well, and to relentlessly dedicate themselves to honing their sound even further. The new single sees a natural evolution in the band’s heavily textured dynamics, shifting the focus onto their cinematic and melodic sensibilities, accentuating any previous comparisons to Radiohead. Amongst this Porshyne still stay true to some of their heavier roots in their instrumentation, by interlacing complex guitar sequences with powerful and intricate rhythms that continue to draw from their prog and math-rock influences.

Thematically, ‘Miles Away’ is similarly introspective. Speaking about the new single, Fergal Lyden (frontman/guitarist) says “The song is about wasted time and regretting the number of wasted days which pass and are then quickly forgotten about. It’s about the guilt and regret of unrealised opportunities, missed because of inaction and procrastination, and of the realisation that certain ambitions are drifting out of reach and becoming less and less attainable with the passage of time.”

Porshyne have retained their unique and atmospheric framework on ‘Miles Away’, continuing to expertly merge their multifarious and technical collective influences, whilst also finding a route into deeper and more diverse melodious concepts, which will appeal to listensers both above and below the surface. Whilst ‘Environmental Music’ was a bold statement of intent for Porshyne, ‘Miles Away’ is testament to the bands dedication to further developing their collective creative ambitions, to build something that will leave many eagerly anticipating what’s yet to come.

It's almost a year to the day that we first featured Porshyne and the new song 'Miles Away' (this is the single edit) is impressive. The bands expansive rock sound is notable, even the refrains on this track have a layer of simmering tension. Last time around the expression atmospheric rock was cited, I think I would add dramatic for this track, and a very fine listen.

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