Showing posts with label Michael Jablonka. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michael Jablonka. Show all posts

Friday, 8 December 2017

Ambiere - Praa - Vundabar - Michael Jablonka - Seazoo - Zaritza - Lydian Collective

Ambiere - I See Faces.

Background -  Electronic pop trio Ambiere have announced the release of their brand new single Tree Of Life, capping off an impressive first twelve months for the band with widespread online acclaim greeting their arrival on the indie landscape.

Having drawn encouraging early comparisons to acts including Portishead and The XX, alongside substantial support from BBC Introducing, the Manchester outfit’s ambient, soothing style has already won plenty of admirers following the release of their debut EP earlier this year.

With shows in support of Tree Of Life taking place this week, the three-piece, comprising of Amber Lane-Mcivor, Jake Blythe and Oliver Lamb, will be showcasing their creative live performances to new audiences and looking to further enhance their growing reputation going into 2018.

Discussing the release, the band stated: “The track was written about the feeling of waking up from a nightmare, and the intense panicky feeling you get as you try to separate reality from what’s been going on in your head”. Ambiere’s I See Faces is released on 8th December and will be available on all platforms. FACEBOOK.


Rich dark synth sounds open 'I See Faces' which soon develops an electro pop vibe. The song cleverly switches directions keeping the listener guessing and engrossed.

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Praa - Modeling Clay.

Background - Minimalist, inventive and smooth, Modeling Clay is the perfect introduction to Praa’s French RnB. A distinctive debut track coloured by a voice both ethereal and soulful, assembled diligently by three creative minds: producer Timsters (Manceau, Colorado) and mixed by Robin Florent (Portugal The Man, Dua Lipa) and mastered in Finland by Svante Forsbäck.

Praa espouses a modern soul for generation Y, full of ambition yet sweet and pure in nature. With hints of Jorja Smith, Kehlani and NAO but with a French swagger that brings out something altogether deluxe in the mix. Beyond her artist name, there is an erudite young woman who has a great ability to synthesize all of her influences. As she builds towards a debut LP expect to hear a potent array of tracks traversing RnB to evanescent Trip-Hop and even 90’s New Jack over the coming year. All based around a sparse and minimalist production sound which will inevitably entice each listener with more reward upon each listen as you enter Praa’s absorbing universe textured with rich vocal work and the warmest of melodies.

Praa has signed to fledgling French label Elephant & Castle founded by producer Timsters, and with a compelling video for Modeling Clay on the way and live dates being booked things are set to shine. Big radar act for 2018, certainement. FACEBOOK.


'Modeling Clay' is a stylish rhythmic song with gorgeous vocals and a restrained and beautifully precise musical arrangement.


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Vundabar - Diver.

Background - Boston duo Vundabar have shared an infectious and haunting slacker-pop track, 'Diver', via The Fader today, and announced headline tour dates for Spring 2018.

Talking about the track, vocalist Brandon Hagen said: "Diver' is one of those songs that pours out. I wrote it in about 5 minutes after 2 years of impasse and refusal to giving certain feelings shape or acknowledgement. The levy broke and the song is what came out of it. It's a document of grief, sitting in the wake of loss and taking note of ones location with acceptance but without resolve."

The band is set to release their brand new album Smell Smoke  on February 23rd 2018. The sludge-indie record, which includes single Acetone premiered recently on Noisey, is an exercise in dealing with songwriter Brandon Hagen’s experience of taking care of a loved one who suffered a severe illness.

Vundabar have built a massive following through non-stop touring and their signature brand of jittery, rambunctious post-punk, yet much of their music hints at something darker beneath the surface. The band just wrapped up a two month Autumn/Winter US tour with The Frights and Hockey Dad. Today they announce their Spring North American headline tour with support from Ratboys, which includes a stop through SXSW. FACEBOOK.


A chunky riff and definitive slacker feel launches 'Diver' a song that occasionally ups the power but always allows room for some cool vocals and harmonies.

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Michael Jablonka - I Found You.

Background - With a beauty of a guitar riff that takes up residence in your skull and delivers a spark to your soul, Michael Jablonka’s second single cuts straight to the chase with its fat rootsy-garage-rock swagger and doesn’t even consider letting up till it’s done.

‘I Found You’ was one of the first tunes the Londoner wrote as a solo artist, though it took a while to manifest. “I had writer’s block,” explains Jablonka, “and a chorus with nothing much else. I imagined the verses to be a constant build up and wanted the chorus to be that break-free moment.”

Sonic form to suit the lyrical content, then, as ‘I Found You’ details that feeling when you finally obtain what you’ve been avidly seeking. And on the subject of discovery, Michael Jablonka’s emergence as one of UK most thrilling new singer/guitarists is sure to be further cemented by this fretboard-searing earworm.

Michael Jablonka is a musician so prolific that you may think he devotes every waking hour to his art and, if the fantastical nature of many of his songs are anything to go by, several hours of his dreams as well. In addition to performing as Michael Kiwanuka’s chosen guitarist – a role that has found him touring arenas and festivals worldwide this summer – Jablonka has been fine-tuning his own powerful 21st-century take on bluesy alt-funk and soulful indie-rock. Proof that there’s still nothing to tingle the spine like soul-soused mastery of raw electric six-string, Jablonka’s gifted, intricate guitar skills bely the no-frills anthemic intent of his rootsy songcraft – sonic elevation designed to liberate the listener from the confines of their reality.

Born and bred in the capital, 27-year-old Jablonka has been gigging since the tender age of 14 as an in-demand guitarist for hire. Those to have enjoyed his dextrous services include Charlie Brown, Stooshe, Shakka and Delta Maid before fellow North Londoner and Brit-soul sensation Michael Kiwanuka came calling. Around the same time, Jablonka decided it was time to blaze his own trail as a bandleader and songwriter, collating a set of crack musicians and intense yet universal alt-rock’n’soul tunes that scream for wider appreciation. FACEBOOK.


Second time on Beehive Candy for Michael Jablonka having been massively impressed first time around. 'I Found You' continues the momentum with another feisty rocker with some fine vocals and superb guitar moments.

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Seazoo - Dig.

Background - Welsh indie pop maestros Seazoo have announced the upcoming release of Dig, the third track taken from their debut album out 26th January 2018.

This latest effervescent number, concerning a re-occurring dream that eventually slips into waking life, sees the quintet showcase their trademark quirky tendencies with driving guitars and infectious vocals unrivalled by many of their peers.

Fresh from supporting psychedelic punk rockers The Lovely Eggs on their UK tour, alongside sharing bills with Peace and IDLES in recent months, the band’s latest release further builds anticipation for their debut record with the influences of acts including Grandaddy, Super Furry Animals and Yo La Tengo shining through once more.

Extensive support across the radio airwaves from Huw Stephens (BBC Radio 1), Steve Lamacq, Chris Hawkins, Lauren Laverne and Radcliffe & Maconie (BBC 6 Music), alongside widespread critical acclaim (DIY, The Line Of Best Fit, Q Magazine), leaves the five-piece well-placed going into what promises to be an exciting 2018. FACEBOOK.


'Dig' is a very catchy song, with some melodic guitar work alongside some very likable vocals, and an upbeat vibe throughout.

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Zaritza - Rocket Girl.

Background - "Tsaritza' is the wife of the Tsar and mother of princess Anastasia, and since 'tsaritza' is the Russian word for 'queen', the name pays tribute to my all-time favorite band, Queen. In addition, 'zarya' is the Russian word for sunrise, intense and bright, which always sounded beautiful and resonated with me. So I decided to combine these references to create a name that is appropriate to my personality, music, energy, inspiration and cultural heritage."

Zaritza emigrated to the U.S. in pursuit of greater creative freedom and a career in music. In the years since, Zaritza has performed her original electro-pop/rock music at clubs and other venues around the Northeast, including the Rainbow Room and the Metropolitan Room, as well as releasing her album at Drom in New York City; the Saint in Asbury Park, NJ; the Newport International Film Festival and opening for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra on one of their U.S. tour dates.

"Music is my passion ... it's a universal language that connects people and cultures". Zaritza's songs reflect a life between two worlds, as an American who came from Russia, she explores themes that we all can relate to -- love, identity, alienation, dreams, disappointments -- amplified through her experiences, and struggles, as an immigrant.

Zaritza has been making music since she was a small child. She spent her youth in Russia studying, practicing and performing classical piano under an intense curriculum for gifted students. She won numerous regional piano competitions and received awards and a stipend from the government. As a teenager, Zaritza also began to write pop songs and, by the time she was at her university in Russia, she was performing and recording her original music.

Zaritza's musical compositions and production merge the energy and innovation of modern American and British rock/pop with the drama and romance of her traditional roots in Russian and other classical piano. As such, her influences range from Rachmaninoff to Radiohead, from Garbage to Grieg, from Mendelssohn to Massive Attack. FACEBOOK, BANDCAMP.


With eleven songs to choose from I settled for 'Rocket Girl' from the Self-Titled album as I feel it is pretty representative of the whole. Expect plenty of atmospheric and gorgeous vocals across the album along with some fabulously constructed music, and some addictive hooks.

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Lydian Collective - Legend Of Lumbar.

Background - London’s Lydian Collective release their second single Legend Of Lumbar a few days ago, it will be available globally on all streaming and download services.

 The band have already attracted a huge online following – with 1.4 million views for their YouTube channel and a host of solo credits between them (from Roots Manuva to popular iOS game Monument Valley). Their unique combination of accessible melodies, accomplished musicianship, hypnotic rhythms and uplifting music has won fans around the world – before they have even released their highly anticipated debut album.

Thirty-One has had a huge reception on Spotify, attracting playlist additions in its first week putting it in front of over 250,000 users. As we speak, the track has been streamed nearly 70,000 times.

Drawing inspiration from Jazz, Electronica, World Music and Film, the band have had early support from key UK tastemakers like Nick Luscombe at Flomotion/BBC Radio 3 – and have played at major Central London venues such as the Royal Festival Hall Clore Ballroom.

Legend Of Lumbar is the second single from the debut album ‘Adventure’ (set for release in early 2018), and it shows off the band’s manifesto. The band take more of a groove-based approach than they did on Thirty-One, with inspiration from Aaron Wheeler’s electronica alter-ego Laszlo. 


The killer rhythm team of Ida Hollis and Sophie Alloway lead the way, with another killer melody from Aaron Wheeler and Todd Baker (keys & guitar). Todd was the brains behind the soundtrack for the recent iOS game Monument Valley – and you can hear hints of this in the new single. Look out for another single which will drop early January, before the flawless debut LP ‘Adventure’ is set free. FACEBOOK.

'Legend Of Lumbar' helps explain the amount of attention Lydian Collective have been getting. Vibrant and dynamic music that reaches across Jazz and Blues genres (& a few others) this is superbly crafted musicianship.

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Sunday, 24 September 2017

Sittin' Pretty - The Loft Club feat. Lisa Loeb - Michael Jablonka - Peter Matthew Bauer - Sarah Hiltz

Sittin' Pretty - Then You Break.

Background - The North West’s very own Sittin Pretty come confidently striding out on to the streets to deliver you their thumping slab of defiance ‘ Then You Break’, the new single to be released on Gas Music 24th November. 

This band capture a sound, an attitude, that can only be delivered by an authentic group of musicians embracing their youth and love of life in this modern age of rock, blending classic rock, blues and touches of psychedelia.

Front man Conor Wilde explains ‘When Lewis and I first started playing together it was in a bedroom smaller than the average boiler closet in Lewis’s Mother’s 2 up 2 down in Breightmet. I was a pretty angry kid who’d always used lyrics and songs to express myself, and Lewis played some pretty heavy riffs so it immediately worked very well, we didn’t give a fuck about where it was going. It was just for us and just for the absolute love of playing.’

The band is working now on their debut album due for release next year and have been earning a reputation with shows across the UK sharing stages with Primal Scream, Black Grape, Reverend and The Makers and Foals, plus a tour supporting Ian Hunter of Mott The Hoople fame.

Conor Wilde from the band explains how ‘Then You Break’ was born: ‘we started messing around with the riff and melodies for this single, ‘Then You Break’. Lyrically for me the song is about struggling to understand all the shit I see every day and the feelings that come along with it, and the bulk of this song is about being confused and trapped which ironically is what makes everything seem normal for a twenty something year old these days. It has taken us months to get this track off the ground but we had some good advice from Ian Hunter, who invited us out with him last year and he told me that ; “You should always strive to write about something that means a lot to you”.  So I did’, website here, Facebook here.

There is plenty of rock'n'roll swagger to 'Then You Break' a powerful no nonsense mixture of blues rock & potently pleasing vocals that add a level of psychedelic feeling to this wonderful rocker.


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The Loft Club - Flicker feat. Lisa Loeb.

Background - British indie band The Loft Club release their new single “Flicker”, featuring Grammy-nominated recording artist Lisa Loeb. “Flicker,” available now via Lightyear/Caroline/Universal Music, is a double A-side single, which comes bundled with an original version of the track.

A melodic and ardent ballad. "Flicker," showcases lead singer Daniel Schamroth and Lisa Loeb's vocal talents, perfectly blended in a seamless and fluid manner; heartfelt with soaring melodies, alongside harmonious arrangements of guitar, bass and drums. The Exeter-based, Sixties-tinged band, consisting of Daniel Schamroth, Jamie Whyte, Kieran Chalmers, Amy O’Loughlin and Dan Wright, drafted in US singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb to collaborate on the official single edit of "Flicker", a brand new version of the track that was originally released on the band’s debut EP 'Heart's Desire', last fall.

Lisa Loeb started her career with the platinum-selling hit single “Stay (I Missed You)”, it spent 3 weeks at Number 1 on the US Billboard charts in 1994. The song was also a Top-10 hit in the UK, where it spent 15 weeks in the UK Singles chart. Loeb is the first and only artist in history, to top the American charts before signing to a label. Ironically, “Flicker” is released (August 25), exactly 23 years to the day, that “Stay (I Missed You)” was spending it's 3rd week at Number 1.

The Loft Club are playing festivals throughout the summer, such as Beautiful Days and Smoked & Uncut. The band have achieved over 250,000 streams since their debut release last fall. They have been featured on Spotify’s Discover Weekly playlist since February, amassing over 70,000 monthly listeners in March, drawing listeners from all over the world, including countries like Lithuania where they charted on Spotify’s Viral-50 chart. “Flicker”, produced by Jolyon Holroyd, was mixed and mastered at Magic Garden Studios by Gavin Monaghan, whose credits include Editors, Ryan Adams, Kings of Leon, and Paolo Nutini. “Flicker” by The Loft Club featuring Lisa Loeb, is available now at all digital retailers. Facebook here.

'Flicker' is a bright indie rock song where the interchange of vocals are fabulous and the band provide a rich tapestry of sounds that gives this superb song some real edge.


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Michael Jablonka - Peacefully.

Background - Michael Jablonka is a musician so prolific that you may think he devotes every waking hour to his art and, if the fantastical nature of many of his songs are anything to go by, several hours of his dreams as well. In addition to performing as Michael Kiwanuka’s chosen guitarist – a role that has found him touring arenas and festivals worldwide this summer – Jablonka has been fine-tuning his own powerful 21st-century take on bluesy alt-funk and soulful indie-rock. Proof that there’s still nothing to tingle the spine like soul-soused mastery of raw electric six-string, Jablonka’s gifted, intricate guitar skills bely the no-frills anthemic intent of his rootsy songcraft – sonic elevation designed to liberate the listener from the confines of their reality.

Born and bred in the capital, 27-year-old Jablonka has been gigging since the tender age of 14 as an in-demand guitarist for hire. Those to have enjoyed his dextrous services include Charlie Brown, Stooshe, Shakka and Delta Maid before fellow North Londoner and Brit-soul sensation Michael Kiwanuka came calling. Around the same time, Jablonka decided it was time to blaze his own trail as a bandleader and songwriter, collating a set of crack musicians and intense yet universal alt-rock’n’soul tunes that scream for wider appreciation. ‘Peacefully’ is the first of a dynamite double-A to be released by Lost In The Manor Records and is sure to bring on the kind of praise and popularity now enjoyed by Michael’s namesake and regular bandmate.  

True to its rousing sense of urgency, ‘Peacefully’ erupts with a crunching overdriven riff coming on like Jack White here, Matt Bellamy there and the ghost of Hendrix himself throughout. Michael Jablonka melds his enthralling guitar runs to a whip-crack rhythm and deep layers of double-tracked melody, while projecting his magisterial vocal across a stone-walled anthem of a chorus. Three minutes later, this steamy electric-soul belter is spent, leaving the listener to wonder just exactly what hit them as they reach for the repeat button.

“‘Peacefully’ is about separating yourself from a rough situation,” says Jablonka of the track produced by Ben ‘BJ’ Jackson at NXNE Studios in London. “Everyone is constantly in need of escapism.” Lucky then, that you’d be hard pressed to find a more immediate means of escape than this incendiary single. Facebook here.

The vocals and guitar lead music compete with each other for attention on 'Peacefully'. Both are powerful, high quality & passionately delivered, in what could be, a masterclass for modern day classic rock that's relevant.

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Peter Matthew Bauer - Khidr.

Background - The new LP from Peter Matthew Bauer has been confirmed. It is entitled 'Mount Qaf (Divine Love)' and it will be out 11/10 on Fortune Tellers/Kobalt Music. Along with the announcement the site also shared the first single "Khidr (American Drifter Music)". 'Mount Qaf (Divine Love)' is the follow-up to Peter's 2014 release 'Liberation!'.

Peter Matthew Bauer is an American singer and recording artist born in 1978 in Washington DC.  He has had a strange, storied and original career. A founder of seminal New York art rock band the Walkmen, he released 6 full length albums with the band before his first solo LP Liberation! in 2014. Concurrently, Peter moved to Los Angeles and founded two organizations: the artist management/production label Fortune Tellers Music and the Laurel Canyon Center For Consciousness Studies, focusing on his esoteric work as a writer and astrologer and drawing influence from different schools of eastern philosophy along with the work of Carl Jung, Alejandro Jodorowsky and the western phenomenologist and Islamic scholar Henry Corbin.

Mount Qaf (Divine Love) an album of esoteric love songs. It is a singular cycle of music and a strangely primitive and direct rock & roll performance that goes beyond genre into something more contemporary and strange. Working with co-producer Nick Stumpf,  Peter Matthew Bauer envisioned Mount Qaf as made up of 10 love songs, each filled with a desperate, skeptical and highly personal form of mysticism. Driven both by his own synchronistic outlook on life, as well as the discovery of a worn out copy of a Henry Corbin book on the Sufi master Ib’n Arabi, the songs arise from a central idea of human love and poetic insight seen as a literal shift from concrete objective reality into a further dimension, a transitory realm of light and imagination that supersedes all forms of fundamentalism and rationality. It is less the sound of a musical craftsman and more the sound of an artist trying to make sense of the world as it rises and falls all around him.​ On November 10, 2017, Peter Matthew Bauer will release Mount Qaf (Divine Love) and tour alongside it in America & Europe. He resides in Los Angeles. Website here, Facebook here.

'Khidr' opens with Matthew Bauer's vocals centre stage. They are gradually accompanied by a sweeping musical arrangement and the song continues to epic-ally build & after a short refrain the whole song majestically develops again.


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Sarah Hiltz - Without You.

Background - Beauty in the Blue is a compilation of songs and stories culled from Sarah’s multiple journeys across Canada as a travelling musician on cross-country Via Rail passenger train, “The Canadian”.

Hot off a UK tour supporting Canadian darlings Running Red Lights, Beauty in the Blue is Sarah’s first studio project featuring long-term stage collaborators, drummer Jordan Michaelis and multi-instrumentalist David Puzak. The album is out November 7th.

Sarah's thoughts on first single: Without You is a song that talks about the effects of depression on a relationship or partnership. It’s my idea that, for better or worse, when one person in a relationship is suffering, it can bring them both down, whether they want it to or not; and that when you commit to living life side by side, it means living through all the peaks and valleys you both go through- together. Website here, Facebook here.

Gently melodic vocals that oozes sensitivity ensures 'Without You' opens in a refined manner. The music slowly develops into a top quality arrangement, and Sarah Hiltz demonstrates she also has power within her voice when required. Fabulous!

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Berries - Aistis - Will Johnson - Oslo Twins

Photo Derek Bremner Berries - Narrow tracks. In their new video for “Narrow Tracks”, Berries splice fuzzy live footage together with shots ...