Genre Wander: Velvet Kills - Politburo - Mercury Girls

Velvet Kills - Red Shoes.

Background promo - Paris/Berlin based unsigned electro/punk/dark wave act Velvet Kills is an electropunk/rock duo with Susana Santos on vocals/bass & Harris Iveson on guitar/synths.

Velvet Kills is a thoroughly modern and urban endeavour, speaking directly to today’s society - with all its anxieties, addictions, destructiveness as well as  exhilaration.  You'll find in their driving beats raw emotion, and a terrific darkness. The sound is complex, almost abstract - a combination of cinematic textures, gritty guitars, and potent vocals.

The group's music and attitude, both have  been shaped by the influences of bands and artists like Joy Division, Alan Vega, Malaria!, Kas Product, Iggy Pop, The Clash, and Lou Reed. The group came to life in 2015, beginning with a chance encounter on a trance dance floor where Susana and Harris discovered their mutual love for rock, synths and beige Steinberger guitars. Velvet Kills has since gained a steady following, leading to their debut EP, Memory released in March 2016. 

The EP may have been around for a few months however as the song 'Red Shoes' demonstrates, the duo create some superb if dark music. So apologies for being a little behind the curve with Velvet Kills, you can keep informed and up to date, on their Facebook page here.

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Politburo - Barrington Way.

Background - Long-running, Manchester psychedelic rock/folk band Politburo are releasing “Barrington Way”, the lead single from sophomore album of the same name, which releases in mid-August via Leonard Skully Records.

Politburo started out as a four-piece, but the line-up has changed over the years. Today the band consists of founding members Nick Alexander (vocals, guitar, tambourine) and Dominic 'Dom' James (drums, percussion, keyboards), as well as John Loveguns (guitar), Phil Meredith (guitar, keyboards), Steven Joseph (bass), and invited guest Chloé Sancho (vocals).

The band began in 1999 when they were teenage dreamers. Inspired by Mancunian legends of yore and a contempt for the dying grandees of Brit Pop. “I was out to try and create great music, but sometimes I guess it was art terrorism,” says Nick Alexander.

“We knew we'd have to create our own different world to inhabit. The idea was that the right people would come to us... we wouldn't have to go to them and force something down their collective throat,” explains Dom James.

As of August 19, the ‘Barrington Way’ LP will be released on 12” vinyl and digital download via Leonard Skully Records. It is already available for pre-order (vinyl) and will be also a free download on Politburo’s Bandcamp site. The band has also announced a U.K. tour, including the following dates:

Live Dates:
August 4 - Bristol, Stag and Hounds
August 7 - Blackpool, Stanley Park
August 12 - Nottingham, Jam Cafe
August 17 - Manchester, Night & Day
August 19 - York, The Basement (with George Boomsma)
August 20 - London, The Betsey Trotwood
August 25 - Glasgow, Nice ‘N’ Sleazy

Title song 'Barrington Way' gives the listener a pretty clear idea of what to expect on the ten song album. It's a wonderful collection of psychedelic songs that transport those of us old enough back to the swinging sixties. The band retain enough modernity to make the songs both relevant and quite timeless. With unashamed nods towards early Pink Floyd and Hippy era Beatles music, this is a "fab, groovy and hip collection of far out" songs (OK so the expressions are well dated). Put simply, I love this album.

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Mercury Girls - Holly.

Background - Four great bands, two great labels and two continents meet on this stellar mini-LP. Frequent collaborators Slumberland Records and Fortuna POP! team up to bring you 'Continental Drift,' a smashing eight song sampler of some of the finest pop out there in 2016.

Philadelphia's Mercury Girls are one of the most talked-about new bands in ages. Featuring members of Literature, Little Big League and Pet Milk, Mercury Girls have a gorgeous, layered sound that combines post-punk dynamics with soaring/jangling guitars, fantastic melodies and expertly-arranged tunes. Their recent single "Ariana" turned a lot of heads, and their two contributions contained herein should make us all quite excited for their in-progress debut album. Be sure to catch them on tour in October/November with Balance & Composure and Foxing, full list of tour dates below.

Mercury Girls Tour Dates: (All dates w/ Balance & Composure and Foxing)
Thu-Oct-13 - Richmond, VA - - Broadberry
Fri-Oct-14 - Chapel Hill, NC - Cat's Cradle
Sat-Oct-15 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade - Hell
Sun-Oct-16 - Jacksonville, FL - 1904 Music Hall
Tue-Oct-18 - Lake Park, FL - Kelsey Theatre
Wed-Oct-19 - Orlando, FL - The Social
Fri-Oct-21 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
Sat-Oct-22 - Austin, TX - Mohawk
Sun-Oct-23 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada (So What?! Music Festival)
Tue-Oct-25 - Phoenix, AZ - The Nile
Thu-Oct-27 - San Diego, CA - Observatory North Park
Fri-Oct-28 - Los Angeles, CA - Regent
Sat-Oct-29 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst Atrium
Sun-Oct-30 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
Tue-Nov-01 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre
Wed-Nov-02 - Seattle, WA - Crocodile
Fri-Nov-04 - Salt Lake City, UT - Complex
Sat-Nov-05 - Denver, CO - Marquis
Sun-Nov-06 - Lawrence, KS - Granada
Thu-Nov-10 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
Fri-Nov-11 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews
Sat-Nov-12 - Toronto, ON - Opera House
Mon-Nov-14 - Boston, MA - Royale
Tue-Nov-15 - Portland, ME - Port City Music Hall
Wed-Nov-16 - New Haven, CT - College Street Music Hall
Thu-Nov-17 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw
Fri-Nov-18 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
Sat-Nov-19 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage

We have already featured Baltimore's Wildhoney and their contribution to the forthcoming eight song sampler and now it's the turn of The Mercury Girls. 'Holly' is typical of the bands feisty and melodic music. Vocals and harmonies add the melody above wonderfully jangly guitars, whilst the energetic rhythm section positively drives the song!

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Saturday Specials: Feral Love - Mercury Girls - Close Lobsters

Feral Love - Like The Wind.

Background words - Feral Love formed when Adele Emmas and Christian Sandford emerged from the ashes of Bird, a band who were on the cusp of success having played BBC Radio 6 Music's festival alongside Damon Albarn and Haim, were championed extensively by the UK music press and had their music featured on TV's Sky Sports, The Killing and The Messengers.

When Bird suddenly disappeared, Emmas and Sanford spent a year in a damp, windowless basement studio writing, emerging only when they knew they'd arrived at the sound they'd been striving for.

Recorded at Parr Street Studios with Chris Taylor (Hooton Tennis Club, Bill Ryder-Jones), 'Like the Wind' is Feral Love's debut single and is released on Edge Hill University's The Label Recordings.

Live Dates:
1st May - FESTEVOL, Camp and Furnace, Liverpool (W Steve Mason and Juliette and The Licks)
5th May - The Bedroom Bar, London
18th May - Heavenly Social, London
29th May - Sound City, Liverpool  

'Like The Wind' is melodic, full of hooks and so well put together. Loosely labelled as electronic, it's more of an anthem and a reminder of just how good pop music still can be.

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Mercury Girls - Ariana.

Background promo - Philadelphia, PA’s Mercury Girls features Sarah Schimineck, Kevin Attics, Andrew Hagiwara, Chris Schackerman, and Kevin O'Halloran. Schimineck, formerly of NYC Popfest alums Pet Milk is flanked by the shimmery and adventurous guitar interplay of Attics (Literature, former Pitchfork Media) and O'Halloran (of indie heroes Little Big League, Run For Cover Records). Hagiwara and Schackerman provide a sturdy rhythmic base, creating a sound that's equally lush and driving, using Sarah Records-inspired pop as a basis for  savvy de-/reconstruction and sonic experimentation. Despite having only started in March of 2015, the group has achieved a lot. They've collected many endorsements, including those from Chickfactor Magazine, Pains of Being Pure at Heart's Kip Berman and NPR,  they've shared the stage with bands such as Expert Alterati ons, Joanna Gruesome, Beverly, TEEN, Eternal Summers, and their 2016 SxSW visit was a head-turning, mind-melting blast.

Now they cap of their first year with the release of their debut single, Ariana.  While their sound uses classic indiepop as a jumping-off point, there are bits of shoegaze, post-punk and DIY punk in the mix that recall like-minded bands like Veronica Falls, Makthaverskan, Fear of Men and Frankie Rose. "Ariana" is gorgeous tangle of chorused, jangling guitars and Sarah's dreamlike vocals. A marvelous two and a half minutes of perfect, forward-thinking pop. On the flip, "All That Heaven Allows" leans more on the band's post-punk inspirations, marked by a careening rhythm and a huge chorus that will stick in your head for days.

Ariana is out May 20th, just in time for the band's engagement at NYC Popfest alongside legends The Primitives and The Chesterfields. The spring is looking to be fully scheduled with shows up and down the east coast, keeping the band busy while they write and record their highly-anticipated debut album. (Pre order Here).

Upcoming shows:
04/29 – Bethlehem, PA – Ice House (w/ Brother JT)
05/12 – Philadelphia, PA – PhilaMOCA (DJ Set w/ Radiator Hospital, Spook School, Bent Shapes, + Littler)
05/15 – Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts (w/ King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard)
05/20 – Philadelphia, PA – Space 1026 (Steve Keene Art Gala w/ The Snow Fairies, My Favorite)
05/21 – NYC – Knitting Factory (NYC Popfest w/ The Primitives, The Chesterfields, + more)
06/11 – NYC – Cake Shop (Slumberland/Kanine Records/Culture Collide Showcase w/ Flowers, Expert Alterations, + more)
06/14 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brendas (w/Flowers, Beverly).

There's a little bit of genre hopping on this pleasing debut single 'Ariana'. At it's core I guess is indie pop, however as it rightly indicates above the band are not glued to just that. With a song that comes in at two and a half minutes Mercury Girls have made sure every second counts.

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Close Lobsters - Under London Skies.

Background promo - It's been nearly two years since Shelflife has had the pleasure of putting out new music from the eternal Close Lobsters, and we're proud to say that this will be changing shortly. On June 2, we are extremely excited to be releasing the Scottish band's new EP featuring "Under London Skies" b/w "Wander Epic Part II" on limited gold 7" vinyl with download and digital formats. The digital download also features "Wander Epic Parts I & II" and "Wander Epic Part III" as well as an alternate mix of "Under London Skies".

These self-proclaimed "Post-Neo-Anti-Close Lobsters" are back in a big way, and with these two tracks you'll be quickly convinced of that. The A-side, "Under London Skies," serves as both a lament and ode for London- the radical London of The Clash, the Rock London of The Only Ones and Flesh for Lulu, and the Libertarian London of The Mob and the June Brides. There's a lot of history (both musical and otherwise) tied closely with London, and if any band is gonna do justice to that fact it's undoubtedly our trusted Close Lobsters. If that sounds like a big subject to tackle, the single's B-side "Wander Epic Part II" will make you think again. Calling the song an epic is no exaggeration; the band has described it as a yearning for the vast and endless sea. The song is both a wanderlust and a pilgrimage, designed to take the listener on a journey as huge as the subject matter they're tackling.

This is one really superb song and it's not alone, the EP is exceptional. Close Lobsters create a passionate, natural and earnest sound and then deliver songs so catchy, that hitting the replay button becomes compulsive.

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