British Birds - Scary Movies.
We have the superb new single 'Scary Movies' from the wonderful British Birds ahead of their forthcoming album. Chorley-based British Birds are Bobby and Emma Townson. Drums are by Dominic Lawson and bass is by James Robinson. It's another taster for their forthcoming album 'Murmurate, Oscillat' which is due 16 October.
The single reminds us of The Kinks and The Sweet. Meanwhile, according to Bobby, "Scary Movies is a nostalgic road trip through memories of our grandad, who recently passed away, celebrating the unconventional influence he had on us through his own unorthodox interests. It gives a gentle nod to Ty Segall’s ripping guitar riffs, Black Sabbath-esque drum fills and the hazy vocals of Tomorrow Never Knows."
‘Murmuration’ is the low hum made by those vast, beautifully choreographed flocks of starlings as they simultaneously flap their wings and take to the sky. Some people say that the frequency of this unique, rumbling, oscillating sound can cure diseases...
One of the most exciting live bands in the UK, British Birds combine the garage-punk energy of Billy Childish, the wry English sophistication of XTC and the witty pop inventiveness of The Lovely Eggs. Like the murmurating flocks of starlings, they create a unique sound, and might even be able to cure diseases.
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Released earlier this year The Rallies fourth album 'No Better Time' has only just arrived on our radar, thanks to the band contacting us themselves and we are really pleased they did, as this is such a wonderful fit for Beehive Candy. They tell us "On this album, we wanted to get a bouncy, sunny, pop feel just in time for summer to shine!" All we can do is agree.
The Rallies have a knack for writing deliciously infectious power pop tunes, seamlessly not missing a beat and delivering irresistible melodies with hooks that stick like glue. Their music might have a reminiscent retro sound that you swear you've heard before, but the final result is something quite new and original.
Four albums and forty-two songs later, The Rallies will be celebrating fifteen years of existence. Their signature sound remains intact, with songs immersed with heartfelt love for melody and uplifting intoxicating harmonies, apparent in every song.
Their previous album 'It Must Be Love' received exceptionally positive reviews, even selected the #1 Power Pop Album of 2023 by Power Pop News. For their fourth and most recently recorded album, No Better Time, they returned back to the same Seattle studio and producer, Johnny Sangster at Crackle & Pop!. If it's worked before in the past then why meddle with success!
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| Photo - Olivia Renouf |
Purple Pilgrims have announced the release of their third album, Given to the Night, out on the 27th November via Flying Nun Records in New Zealand. Truths and secrets often reveal themselves at night, under the freedom of shadowy darkness, away from prying eyes. In creating Given to the Night, sisters Valentine and Clementine Nixon have crafted a world that drifts through the in-between: between dream and reality, between day and night and the undefined, and ultimately a world that embraces the discomfort of being untethered.
A process that follows simplicity and intuition rather than pre-determined narratives. “We recorded songs as they appeared, which sometimes felt like catching light. Before we realised it we had a record”, the duo explain. The first single, ‘Innocence Lost’, is out today alongside a brand new visualiser made with the support of NZ on Air. The new track is a dreamy example of the duo’s signature kaleidoscopic sound.
As Purple Pilgrims, Clementine and Valentine Nixon make music that is at once classic and wholly idiosyncratic. Raised between New Zealand and Hong Kong, the sisters began performing in subterranean gallery spaces and music venues across Hong Kong’s abandoned industrial estates, with sets of experimental noise and futuristic dream-pop.
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| Photo - Nate DiDomizio |
The new single "Stagehand" from inventive New York-based singer-songwriter Loren Berí is released this week. The artist blends lush chamber textures with catchy indie songwriting, marked by inventive storytelling and a charismatic performance style. “Stagehand” is about abandoning exaggerated versions of yourself and finding unexpected beauty and relief in simply being yourself, even when you feel like you’re living backstage rather than starring in the story.
Loren Berí is a New York-based singer-songwriter whose work blends lush chamber textures with catchy indie songwriting, marked by inventive storytelling and a charismatic performance style.
Berí's sophomore album, Stagehand will be released this year alongside a book of accompanying poems.The title track is a dreamy chamber pop embrace. He shares, “After the late night writing I got into this idea of a stagehand who’s convinced he’s a character in a play, unaware he’s just the person moving set pieces around in the dark while the actual characters stand frozen, waiting for him to leave the stage before starting an actual scene. Midway through I realized it felt like the completion of an arc that began with Alby’s Ghost. Where ‘Alby’ centers on this egoic, larger-than-life, limelight sort of character, ‘Stagehand’ is the opposite.
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The new single "Hunted" from Nashville based artist Mel Denisse is released this week. “Hunted” is a driving alt-pop/rock track that draws from dark romance themes that blur fear and obsession. It's dark, nocturnal, and atmospheric. She shares, "It’s a bit of a psychological game, blending obsession, fear, and desire towards someone or something that you are fighting one day, embracing the next. Things aren’t always black and white and this track explores a lot of those emotions.”
Nashville-based artist and producer Mel Denisse leans into duality, blending left-field pop with jagged alt-rock. With delicate vocals threaded through dissonant, distorted production, Denisse is drawn to the clash with her newest genre-defiant single, “hunted.”
Previous releases earned spins on BBC Radio 1’s Alternative Show, placement on Spotify’s All New Rock, and tastemakers from Ones to Watch note “I've learned to expect the unexpected when I put her on,” while LADYGUNN praised her “singular approach to alt-rock and pop, setting her apart in a saturated landscape,” calling it “refreshing, an essential listening for those craving authenticity in an age of imitation.”
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The single 'Wonder The World' is our first brand new music in two years. It's taken from our third album, which is coming out in early 2027. ''A driving, 80s-inspired synth-pop anthem with bright melodies and a pulsing bassline. 'Wonder the World' blends nostalgic new wave energy with reflective lyrics about time and wanderlust. Perfect for retro-aesthetic TikToks, travel vlogs, and late-night driving playlists.'' (Auramusic)
The McKenzie FIX is the Pop-Wave / Synth-Pop sound of musician-songwriter Ewan McKenzie. McKenzie has an eclectic collection of songs and releases behind his back. His music is kaleidoscopic and diverse - he is continuously finding new ways to express himself through a broad sonic palette.
Formerly Ewan was lead singer with the Edinburgh band Emporium, gaining traction with BBC introducing / BBC Radio Scotland, with reviews in national press. They were also awarded a grant from the Scottish Arts Council for their album 'Silver Brainwaves'.
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