Reloaded 10/May/2015 - This is Arcade Fire in concert at the I-Day Festival in Bologna, Italy, back on the 2nd September 2010. The tour in support of the release of The Suburbs album was in my opinion their best yet and musically this is a very good example. However be warned, a rather annoying Italian DJ pops up on occasion practicing his skills (or inflating his ego even further) as this concert was broadcast live on FM and this recording sourced from that broadcast.
From wikipedia regarding recent events for the band - On January 13, 2011 it was announced that Arcade Fire would perform at the 53rd Grammy Awards in February 2011. The band was nominated for Grammy Awards in three categories: Album of the Year, Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and Best Alternative Music Album (for The Suburbs). Out of the three nominations, they won the award for Album of the Year.
At the 2011 BRIT Awards, "The Suburbs" won Best International Album, and Arcade Fire won the Award for Best International Group. In March 2011, Arcade Fire was honored at the Juno Awards of 2011. They won Group of the Year and Songwriter of the Year for "Ready To Start", "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)", and "We Used To Wait", all off "The Suburbs". "The Suburbs" also won Album of the Year and Alternative Album of the Year.
On April 19, 2011 it was announced that Arcade Fire will release a deluxe edition of their album The Suburbs featuring the short film Scenes from the Suburbs, by director Spike Jonze, as well as two new tracks, "Culture War" and "Speaking in Tongues" featuring David Byrne. Scenes from the Suburbs, which debuted at the Berlin International Film Festival 2011, has a running time of 30 minutes. The film screened at the SXSW Film Festival 2011 and saw its online premiere on MUBI on June 27, 2011. Writing for the Canadian Press, Nick Patch called the film "a sci-fi puzzler that seems to blend the paranoia of Terry Gilliam films with the nostalgia of classic Steven Spielberg flicks."
On June 16, the album was named as a longlisted nominee (one of 40) for the 2011 Polaris Music Prize. On July 6, the album was named as a shortlisted (one of 10) nominee for the 2011 award. On September 20, 2011, they were awarded the Polaris Prize.
Source: FM Broadcast
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@300kbps (variable).
Genre: Indie rock, baroque pop, art rock.
Set: Full Set.
Set List:
01-intro
02-Ready to Start
03-Month of May
04-Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
05-Crown of Love
06-Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)
07-The Suburbs
08-Suburban War
09-Intervention
10-Modern Man
11-No Cars Go
12-Haïti
13-We Used To Wait
14-Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
15-Rebellion (Lies)
16-encore break and radio banter
17-Keep The Car Running
18-Wake Up
19-radio outro
Welcome to our second new music round up for May 2015 and we begin with Brontosaurus. The song 'Safe To Surface' came my way a few days back without very much other information. A quick listen to the song had me wanting to know more and thankfully this was followed up by more detail on the band. A quote from 'redeyeChicago' makes my life easier they described the bands music as - "Combining disparate elements of folk, chamber pop, math rock and more, it’s difficult to pick up echoes of other acts, as the band’s music is wholly its own".
Brontosaurus add more to the story - “Wail, and we might wake the dead” warns drummer/guitarist/vocalist Nicholas Kelley midway through Brontosaurus' second album, Our Animal Ways, but with all the menacing organ, fuzz-heavy bass and ground-rumbling percussion that's carefully littered throughout the record's forty-some minutes, this is much more of a promise than a warning. Along with keyboardist/guitarist/vocalist Nicholas Papaleo, these Chicagoans aren't putting on a clinic of guitar solos or punk-rock screaming matches. Our Animal Ways is not only a testament to tension and release, birth and death, or light and darkness, but a constantly shifting arc about what happens in between, and how one begets the other.
Our Animal Ways will be released on June 9 via People Of Paper. On the strength of the song below I look forward to hearing the whole album. Website HERE.
And we quote here - Danny Darko 'is an eclectic Italian artist, DJ, musician (electric/acoustic guitar, keyboards), producer. His productions cross a wide range of EDM styles, house, deep, electro, progressive and dubstep. With a constantly evolving sound, Darko continues to experiment with and cross over into various musical genres'.
Its fair to say the genres mentioned above do not get that much coverage on Beehive Candy, however I have to say I was really struck by just how good & how much I like the track featured below. Jova Radevska's vocals and the instrumentation from Danny Darko complement each other perfectly, a must listen I would say! Website: HERE.
Twin Graves recently released two new tracks - 'Politics' and 'Divorce'.
The promo had the following to the point words to say - After emerging last year with debut EP ‘Walk In Circles’ and singles ‘Love You To Death’ and ‘No Future’ Twin Graves return with two new tracks 'Politcs' and 'Divorce'.
Infused with 80’s post-punk romanticism and a feverish sense of rebellion 'Politics' and 'Divorce' are about beginnings and endings and most of all, change. The duo like to think of 'Politics' as their first proper love song, however there is much more to be found under the surface. It marks the beginning of something new but feeling cautious about it. In the same way, 'Divorce' is not as straight forward as it appears. It's about being sick of someone else's blind nostalgia for something that isn't there anymore. Divorce is about moving forward and leaving the past in the past. Twin Graves are - Jeremy Aris Polychronopoulos (vocals/guitar) and Zarah Lawless (vocals/bass/synth).
Politics does have something of a retro 80's feel to it, without the awful dated over production that cursed so many synth based songs from that era, that said it also has a fresh and vibrant feel and is worthy of a listen atleast!
OK at the beginning of April I received a concise message regarding Sean Kelly and a song called '57 Chevy' which said the following - Growing up in California, Sean Kelly split his time between Venice and Sacramento. His musical influences range from Sublime, Slightly Stoopid, Rebelution and Slick Rick, Big L, E-40 to Jeff Buckley, The Doobie Brothers and Supertramp. After learning the musical stylings of Michael Jackson, Prince and Otis Redding, Sean came up with his own style of music that incorporates the California surf and beach sound. "57 Chevy" is the follow up to the debut single "Hands In The Sky," which received airplay in the U.S., Ireland, Germany, China, South Africa, Peru and Australia.
Loads of 'names' mentioned however, it's a fine track and just as the message told me they would allow the music to do the talking, I fancy I will do the same.
Irontom next and we are advised - critically acclaimed LA art-rockers Irontom will embark on a spring tour with Awolnation and Family of the Year. Irontom have a similar sense of ecstatic energy to what Arctic Monkeys possessed early in their careers.” In the recent Guitar World premiere of their cover of the Gorillaz hit “Feel Good Inc.,” Irontom front-man Harry Hayes summarized his views on the band’s off-kilter approach: “We feel like we're progressing all the time. We’re genuinely not worried about fitting in.” Irontom’s music is something you passionately wear on your sleeve - not dispassionately slip into your back pocket for a convenient conversation piece. According to Charlie Sheen, who makes a cameo in the “Minista” video, Irontom are “like Led Zeppelin and the Beatles had a baby, and it was raised by wolves."
Tour dates with Awolnation & Family of the Year
May 27 @ Neptune Theater, Seattle, WA
May 28 @ Commodore Room, Vancouver, BC
May 29 @ Roseland, Portland, OR
May 30 @ McDonald Theatre, Eugene, OR
June 2 @ The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA
June 3 @ House of Blues, San Diego, CA
June 5 @ Aztec Theater, San Antonio, TX
June 6 @ Diamond Ballroom, Oklahoma City, OK
June 9 @ Iron City, Birmingham, AL
June 10 @ House of Blues, New Orleans, LA
June 12 @ House of Blues, North Myrtle Beach, SC
June 13 @ The Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA
Finally this time around I could not leave this out even though it came our way a few weeks back. The UK's Postcards From Jeff shared the beautiful song 'Suburban Girl'. The words that came with it say - From the windswept valleys of a very British countryside to pastel hued dreams of Hollywood darlings, Suburban Girl - the brand new track taken from the forthcoming debut album of Yorkshire producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Postcards from Jeff - further explores a love of Lynchian style, in particular, Twin Peaks’ tragic heroine Laura Palmer.
“It’s about the projection of fantasy; getting lost in the worlds of people we watch on the silver screen, obsession, glamour, and desire,” reveals Postcards From Jeff alter ego Joss Worthington. “It references being mesmerised by someone and the ideas you project onto them.”
Taken from the forthcoming debut album 'Modern Language' due out in July, this is a great song to finish of this round up! Website HERE.
Reloaded 08/May/2015 -Emmylou Harris contributions to country-rock, the bluegrass revival, folk music, and the Americana movement are widely lauded.
I am always pleased that I got to read a review of 'Elite Hotel' her second solo album, back in 1976 when it was first released.
Not only did I love the album, it helped me discover the country rock genre of that time, and set high standards, that helped me avoid the more 'cheesy' country artists. She remains a firm favorite of mine.
This concert was Emmylou Harris and The Daniel Lanois Band at the Shepherds Bush Empire, London, England on the November 23rd 1995.
This is a republication of an Emmylou Harris concert we first featured in October 2007 and the download includes four tracks missing from the original feature, which therefore now makes this a full concert archive recording.
Genre: Americana, country, country rock, alt country.
Set: Full Set.
Source: Soundboard and FM Stereo (BBC Radio Two).
Sound Quality: Very good mp3@192 - 234kbps.
Set list:
01. May This Be Love
02. Where Will I Be
03. Pancho & Lefty
04. Orphan Girl
05. Goodbye
06. Goin' Back To Harlan
07. Prayer in Open D
08. One Of These Days
09. Every Grain Of Sand
10. Sweet Old World
11. Indian Red
12. Makin' Believe
(Missing tracks from original feature now included):
13. Blackhawk
14. Deeper Well
15. Wheels
16. Wrecking Ball
Reloaded 08/May/2015 - This is the second live performance from Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings to be featured on Beehive Candy, because it's just a great selection of songs and a superb gig.
The notes that came with it suggest that this is "one of the (and possibly the) earliest circulating Gillian Welch/David Rawlings live performances, sourced from a soundboard recording. Essential listening, including a range of pre-Revival material no longer played live, in much better quality than the San Francisco pub gig that forms part of the Working On A Building set".
The concert took place at the Station Inn, Nashville, TN, back on May 19th 1994.
Biography material by Jason Ankeny tells us that Gillian Welch first appeared on the folk scene as a young singer/songwriter armed with a voice and sensibility far beyond her years, earning widespread acclaim for her deft, evocative resurrection of the musical styles most commonly associated with rural Appalachia of the early 20th century. Gillian Welch was born in 1967 in Manhattan and grew up in West Los Angeles, where her parents wrote material for the comedy program The Carol Burnett Show. It was as a child that she became fascinated by bluegrass and early country music, in particular the work of the Stanley Brothers, the Delmore Brothers, and the Carter Family.
David Rawlings is a guitarist, songwriter, producer, and singer -- mostly in that order -- who plies his trade on a 1935 Epiphone Olympic, on which he's gained a devoted following for getting more action out of the small archtop guitar than most guitarists get out of modern electrics. Rawlings first came to prominence in 1996 with the release of musical partner Gillian Welch's debut album, Revival. He and Welch met while studying together at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Source: Soundboard.
Sound Quality: Very good MP3 @192kbps.
Genre: Americana, alt country, bluegrass, folk.
Set: Full set.
Set List:
01 Makin' Time
02 One More Dollar
03 Patiently Waiting
04 Two Days From Knowing
05 Wabash Cannonball
06 Pass You By
07 Birds Of A Feather
08 Riverboat Song
09 Tonight I'll Go On Downtown
10 455 Rocket
11 Red Clay Halo
12 Forty One Dollars & Change
13 Introduction
14 Long Black Veil
This is an unashamed plug for Pree. Totally unashamed and I do not care!I will add that Paper Garden Records who released Pree's latest album Rima earlier this week, seem to have a knack in finding great artists, Little Tybee and Eli Mardock to name just two others.
So what's all this Beehive Candy being even more upbeat about a new recording than normal, bearing in mind we tend to write only about music we like anyway! Well cards on the table, I have loved Pree's music since the above mentioned record label first introduced them to me a few years back.
As regards the new album here are the eloquent words that came my way a week or so ago - Known for their unique and vibrant pop songs, Rima was crafted after returning to DC following touring, and a time of reorientation and reexamination of relationships. The ten tracks of Rima (which takes its name from geologic fissures on the Moon) are a series of confrontations--perceptions enhanced and at times distorted by the narrator's own fractured understanding of others. The album is a study in these divergences of personal relationships and how the narrator copes with their implications as she seeks to define herself and determine what to leave behind, and what is worth hanging onto.
All I would say is I like Pree's music and I love this album, but then I do tend to put things a little more simply using smaller words.
They are touring in May:
5/8 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat (Record Release Show!!).
5/14 - Durham, NC @ The Pinhook
5/15 - Atlanta, GA @ 529 Bar
5/17 - Decatur, AL @ The Leonard Limoy Center
5/18 - Hattiesburg, MS @ The Thirsty Hippo
5/20 - New Orleans, LA @ The Looking Glass
5/22 - Austin, TX @ Empire Control Room
5/25 - San Diego, CA @ The Hideout
5/26 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Mint
5/27 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
5/29 - Eugene, OR @ The Lorax
5/30 - Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre Lounge
5/31 - Seattle, WA @ The High Dive
6/2 - Denver, CO @ The Lion's Lair
6/11 - New York, NY @ Rockwood Music Hall
6/12 - Brooklyn, NY @ The Living Room (Northside Festival: Official Paper Garden Showcase).
Pree Website HERE. Check out the opening song below, and find more on their website.
This is Hawkwind in three parts, concentrating on rarities from 1970 to 1980. It is also an introduction to another website that if you enjoy Hawkwind's music should know about (perhaps you already do, but no harm in sharing the details).
One of the fascinating things about unofficial recordings is the various sources they come from and the levels of audio quality available. These three recordings kind of demonstrate this.
The first one is clearly a home recording of BBC radio sessions and the music is joined by the wonders of 'radio' noise. That said, I reckon any self respecting Hawkwind fan may well have a copy of this somewhere, for the sake of completeness if nothing else. Don't get me wrong, it is quite listenable, it's just that there is a considerable amount of far better material around, more about later. Audio quality - Average, listenable
Part One:
BBC Radio One Sessions 1970-71
John Peel Intro
Paranoia
See It As You Really Are
I Do It
Hurry On Sundown
See It As You Really Are
Master of the Universe
You Know You're Only Dreaming
You Shouldn't Do That.
Then we have the demo recordings. Now as you know, there are a variety of sources for demo's, it may be one member of the band doing his guide vocals over a guitar or piano for the band to build on. Or it's the full ensemble trying out ideas in the studio and of course anything in between.
Although this is described as the Quark demo's, I am not certain all of it is. Some appears to be studio doodling (if there is such a thing, if not you heard it here first), and some is more rehearsal sounding, whatever it's a must for Hawkwind fans and another part of the jigsaw. The copy I have declares the recording is remastered, I will leave it to you to figure that one out. Audio quality - Good, it's a demo!
Part Two:
Quark Demos (remastered)
Instrumental 1
Damnation Alley 1
Damnation Alley 2
Damnation Alley 3
Spirit of the Age
Days of the Underground
Fable of a Failed Race
Hassan I Sahba
Forge of the Vulcan
Instrumental 2
Instrumental 3
Finally of course there are the live concert recordings. I cannot count the times the term Soundboard is used, when clearly it is an off air recording. FM stereo recordings can often be better than direct soundboard copies as the processing, mixing and means of recording may be superior. Getting it from the soundboard however suggests an inside job, 'being in the know' and so forth. Don't get me wrong sometimes the recording is sensational and the good thing is unless the audience riots you can be sure the quality is going to be pretty good.
This recording was made from the sound desk by a roadie and is remarkably good despite the fact it was straight onto a EMI cassette tape & don't forget in 1980 cassette tapes were pretty hissy affairs. OK it's been cleaned up and is really worth hearing. Audio Quality -Very Good Stereo Soundboard.
Part Three:
Hawkwind Live - Glasgow Apollo - 21-10-1980
Levitation
Motorway City
Death Trap
Shot Down in the Night
Spirit of the Age
World of Tiers
5th Second Forever
Dust of Time
Space Chase
PSI Power
Awakening
Brainstorm
Drum solo
Brainstorm reprise
Silver Machine
Master of the Universe
OK Beehive Candy's lecture on boots and all now concludes, I feel better for it, apologies to all of you who do not.
Now as alluded to earlier there is a very fine website for all Hawkwind fans. The even better news is that Hawkwind (along with many other enlightened artists elsewhere) have formally allowed any non commercially released Hawkwind material to be shared there. Therefore this will be my first and last share of Hawkwind 'stuff' here as you can go and get it all over there!
Reloaded - 05/May/2015 This is R.E.M. recorded live (soundboard sourced) at one of the bands local venues namely Tyrone's O.C., in Athens GA, USA, way back on the 23rd September 1981. This recording features both sets and includes the sound check (not proven but by sound quality etc generally agreed to be from this gig).
This was the bands 26th gig at Tyrone's O.C. the first at this venue taking place just over a year earlier on the 6th May 1980, and that performance was only their 5th ever full live gig. As regular home town shows go, the band sound incredible, full of natural energy, respectful of a growing local following and clearly enjoying and developing their craft.
Noting their early history wikipedia tells us: In January 1980, Michael Stipe met Peter Buck in the Athens record store where Buck worked. The pair discovered that they shared similar tastes in music, particularly punk rock and protopunk artists like Patti Smith, Television, and The Velvet Underground. Stipe said, "It turns out that I was buying all the records that [Buck] was saving for himself." Stipe and Buck soon met fellow University of Georgia students Mike Mills and Bill Berry, who had played music together since high school. The quartet agreed to collaborate on several songs; Stipe later commented that "there was never any grand plan behind any of it". Their still-unnamed band spent several months rehearsing and played its first show on April 5, 1980 at a friend's birthday party held in a converted Episcopal church in Athens. After considering names like "Twisted Kites", "Cans of Piss", and "Negro Wives", the band settled on "R.E.M.", which Stipe selected at random from a dictionary.
The band members eventually dropped out of school to focus on their developing group. They found a manager in Jefferson Holt, a record store clerk who was so impressed by an R.E.M. performance in his hometown of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, that he moved to Athens. R.E.M.'s success was almost immediate in Athens and surrounding areas; the band drew progressively larger crowds for shows, which caused some resentment in the Athens music scene. Over the next year and a half, R.E.M. toured throughout the Southern United States. Touring was arduous since a touring circuit for alternative rock bands did not then exist. The group had to tour in an old blue van driven by Holt, and the band members lived on a food allowance of $2 a day.
During the summer of 1981, R.E.M. recorded its first single, "Radio Free Europe", at producer Mitch Easter's Drive-In Studios in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The single was released on the local independent record label Hib-Tone with an initial pressing of one thousand copies, which quickly sold out. Despite its limited pressing, the single garnered critical acclaim, and was listed as one of the ten best singles of the year by The New York Times.
Source: Soundboard.
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@192kbps.
Genre: Alternative rock, college rock, jangle pop.
Set: Full set.
Set List:
First Set:
01 Just A Touch
02 Ages Of You
03 1,000,000
04 Get On Their Way
05 There She Goes Again
06 Action
07 Wait
08 Sitting Still
09 Permanent Vacation
10 Mystery To Me
Second Set:
11 White Tornado
12 I Can't Control Myself
13 Burning Down
14 Shaking Through
15 Laughing
16 Romance
17 Pretty Persuasion
18 That Beat
19 Stumble
20 Radio Free Europe
21 Carnival Of Sorts (Boxcars)
Encore:
22 The Lion Sleeps Tonight
23 Skank
24 Gardening At Night
25 Windout
26 9-9
Sound check (most probably):
27 Unknown instrumental
28 Sitting still
29 100000030
30 The lion sleeps tonight
Reloaded 05/May/2015 King Crimson made their live debut on April 9th, 1969. They became widely known three months later, by playing at the free concert in Hyde Park, London, staged by The Rolling Stones in July 1969, before 650,000 people. The first King Crimson album, In the Court of the Crimson King was released in October 1969. Among those impressed by the album was Pete Townshend from The Who, who described the album "as an uncanny masterpiece."
King Crimson (along with quite a few other bands) have been credited as the founders of progressive rock - I am never really sure if that is a good thing!
This is King Crimson live at The Fillmore West, San Francisco, on the 14th of December 1969. King Crimson were the opening act at the Fillmore West on this particular night, providing support for The Chambers Brothers and The Nice.
Not only was this the final night of King Crimson's first U.S. tour, it was also the last concert played by the original lineup.
Set List:
1. (Introduction)
2. The Court Of The Crimson King
3. Drop In
4. Pictures Of A City
5. Epitaph
6. 21st Centruy Schizoid Man
7. Mars
Band Line Up:
Robert Fripp - guitar
Greg Lake - vocals, bass
Ian McDonald - woodwinds, mellotron, vocals
Michael Giles - drums
The sound quality is excellent, taken from the soundboard master recording @320kbps bitrate. It captures a very 'young' band in terms of performance and experience, playing extremely well.
Reloaded 03/May/2015. This is Louis Armstrong performing at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA, way back on the 4th May 1954.
During the 1950's Louis Armstrong and His All Stars undertook a considerable amount of touring. Also his recordings 'Satch Plays Fats, all Fats Waller tunes', and 'Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy' both released in the 1950s were perhaps among the last of his great creative recordings.
Following a highly successful small-group jazz concert at New York Town Hall on May 17th, 1947, featuring Armstrong with trombonist/singer Jack Teagarden, Armstrong's manager Joe Glaser dissolved the Armstrong big band (August 1947) and established a six-piece small group featuring Armstrong with (initially) Teagarden, Earl Hines and other top swing and dixieland musicians, most of them ex-big band leaders. The new group was announced at the opening of Billy Berg's Supper Club.
This group was called Louis Armstrong and his All Stars and included at various times Earl "Fatha" Hines, Barney Bigard, Edmond Hall, Jack Teagarden, Trummy Young, Arvell Shaw, Billy Kyle, Marty Napoleon, Big Sid Catlett, Cozy Cole, Tyree Glenn, Barrett Deems, Joe Darensbourg and the Filipino-American percussionist, Danny Barcelona. During this period, Armstrong made many recordings and appeared in over thirty films. He was the first jazz musician to appear on the cover of Time Magazine on February 21, 1949. This soundboard recording was most likely made for radio broadcast.
Source: Soundboard.
Sound Quality: Very good mp3@320kbps.
Genre: Dixieland, jazz, swing, traditional pop.
Set: Full set.
Set List:
First Set:
1. When It’s Sleepy Time Down South
2. Back Home Again in Indiana
3. A Kiss to Build a Dream On
4. The Bucket’s Got a Hole In It
5. Blueberry Hill
6. Tin Roof Blues
7. Struttin’ with Some Barbecue
8. Swonderful
9. Billy Kyle Piano Jam!
10. The Man I Love
11. My Sweet Baby
12. Big Mama’s Back in Town > Love That Man
13. Baby it’s Cold Outside
14. Stompin’ at the Savoy
Second Set:
15. The Life of Didley Rambo
16. It’s So Good
17. Up the Lazy River
18. Shadrack, Meshack, Abendigo
19. When the Saints Go Marching In
20. When the Saints Go Marching In (Pt. 2)
21. High Society
23. Billy Kyle Piano Solo II
24. Dumb, Dumb, Dumby
Final Part:
25. Post Show Interview with L.A.
26. Struttin’ With Some Barbecue.
Line Up:
Louis Armstrong - Trumpet, Vocals
Kenny Johns - Drums
Billy Kyle - Piano
Arvel Shaw - Bass
Trummy Young - Trombone
Barnie Begard - Clarinet
Thelma Middleton - Vocals
The rules are simple, anything we like, no particular order, as and when we can, so here's our first 2015 round up, of new or very recent material received.
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Chanel Samson. Chanel Samson's 'The Beginning' EP is inspired by this Californian girl's time in Liverpool, the men in her life, her friends, and one particular doomed relationship with Matthew. The track 'F U Matthew' documents the doomed love affair but it's as cheerfully upbeat and irreverent as Chanel herself. Her lyrics are biting yet playful, and her delivery is tongue in cheek and knowing, allowing her to explore the darker aspects of relationships without ever losing that Californian sunshine smile. 'The Beginning' EP was recorded and produced by Felix Hagan, lead singer and songwriter of Felix Hagan and the Family. Chanel met Felix last year and was initially drawn to his black and white striped leggings and theatrical performance, knowing immediately they'd get along well. Together they are keen to establish Circus Rock as a solid genre. Chanel says "The sound Felix brought to the EP is exactly what I wanted with rock guitar and quirky instrumentation. I used my horn players at LIPA and he recorded everything else at his studio in Manchester." Tracks from 'The Beginning's are currently being played on radio stations across the UK, Europe and America as well as attracting positive reviews from a huge range of media outlets. Chanel also has a very large following across the north west of England as she brings some of her West Coast sparkle to Liverpool's vibrant music scene.
It's described elsewhere as quirky and Beehive Candy does get grabbed by that word, and grabbed we are.
Dar Williams. Dar Williams’ growth as an individual over her two-decade career has gone hand-in-hand with her evolution as an artist. This is perhaps best typified by the release of "Emerald," a timely and brilliant album of new songs and collaborations with friends such as Jill Sobule, Richard Thompson, Jim Lauderdale, the Milk Carton Kids, the Hooters, Lucy Wainwright Roche and her mother Suzzy Roche among others. Raised in Chappaqua, N.Y., Williams spent 10 years living in the thriving artistic community of Northampton, Mass., where she began to make the rounds on the coffeehouse circuit. Joan Baez, an early fan of her music, took Williams out on the road and recorded several of her songs. The rest is history. Williams most recently released a live recording celebrating the 20th Anniversary of her legendary album, "The Honesty Room.” In addition to being a touring artist, Williams is an author, teaches a course at Wesleyan University, and conducts annual songwriting seminars. She devotes much of her time to environmental issues and causes, and has created “Give Bees A Camp” which combines concerts and the planting of bee-friendly gardens for young campers.
From the opening chord of 'Something To Get Through' my attention was gained, maybe it's because I use a pair of Mission floor stand speakers as desktops (I kid you not) and had the volume cranked up, however I think it was probably the calibre of the music. The new album 'Emerald' is out 5th May 2015. Website HERE.
Joakim Tinderholt. Despite his relatively young age the powerhouse RnB- and Blues singer/guitarist Joakim Tinderholt is already an experienced entertainer. Oslo's blues shouter #1 is a force to be reckoned with for years to come. He is considered one of Norways finest performers of traditional RnB and Blues, and has performed with international artists such as Rick Holmstrom, Mitch Kashmar, Kid Ramos and The Delta Groove Revue. Nearly ten years after their first gig, at the now closed and legendary, Muddy Waters Blues Club in Oslo, Joakim Tinderholt & his band are finally ready with their debut album. Parts of the band are already experienced recording artists, recording with artists such as the late Louisiana Red and the Billy T Band. The latter has won the Norwegian Grammy Award, in the Blues category, in 2010 and 2012.
The songs on the record are a mix of new original song, and favorites from the live set. There are many and diverse inspirations, ranging from the wild Rock’n´roll of Little Richard to the intense Blues of Otis Rush and the hypnotic grooves of Bo Diddley.
This is real gutsy music and the album has been out a few weeks but is worth a mention here. Norway has produced some fine artists down the years Joakim joins the list.
Kiko Bun. From mods and skinheads with ska to punks’s love of dub, right up to jungle and dubstep, Jamaican music and sound system culture has long provided a deeply held fascination for successive generations of young Londoners. So, like so many other kids growing up in West London, its no surprise the half Panamanian, half Italian Kiko Bun grew up obsessed with reggae and hip hop, immersing himself quickly into London’s ever-thriving subculture of musicians, MCs, DJs, shops bursting with revival Studio One 7”s and the all-important sound system mixtapes imported straight from JA. A couple of years sorting out the reggae section in Islington secondhand vinyl goldmine Flashback Records while continually singing, writing and producing demos led to last year’s ‘Sticky Situation’. A rocksteady-sampling, instantly memorable summer boombox anthem, ‘Sticky Situation’ sparked an extraordinary level of online interest, swiftly resulting in Kiko’s signing to a very natural home at Island Records last year. Now first single proper ‘Where I’m From’ mixes this deep love of Jamaican roots music with crisp young London bass culture to create a heavyweight soundboy killer perfectly suited to rock anywhere from Bestival to any self-respecting blues dance. Produced by London’s Cadenza (The Full Hundred, Major Lazer) and Brooklyn’s Ticklah (a founder member of the Dap Kings who’s worked on everything from Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back To Black’ to the classic reggae version excursion ‘Dub Side Of The Moon’).
Beehive Candy struggles to say no to anything reggae, as you might know and when it's good then what can we do? Brings back memories of my day's in West London, I still remember having to hide the cover of Tighten Up Volume Two, when I bought the album home.
Liza Anne. Liza Anne will release TWO, the follow-up to her 2014 debut album The Colder Months, independently on May 19th. The album was recorded in Nashville with producer Zachary Dyke (COIN), and mixed/mastered by Chad Wahlbrink (Joseph LeMay, the Soil & the Sun). After travelling consistently over the past two years, Liza has grown as an individual, so it's only natural that her sound has expanded and evolved as well. On TWO Liza strives to find the balance between staying authentic to her folk/singer-songwriter roots, and experimenting with fuller instrumentation and layered sounds. Recent career highlights include: NPR Music including "Room" in the Austin 100 for her SXSW 2015 performances, a Tin Pan South appearance in Nashville with Sam Palladio (Nashville), an iTunes Music New Artist Spotlight feature of "Room," opening for FYFE in London at his Communion Music single release show, playing Moeller Mondays (Daytrotter) in Rock Island, opening for Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) at Hotel Cafe in LA, and most recently singing in Damien Rice's choir at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
I have only heard four songs by Liza Anne and on the strength of these, will be listening to the album pretty soon I hope. Website HERE.
Ainslie Wills. Melbourne Melodist Ainslie Wills has revealed her second song 'Hawaii' from 'Oh The Gold' EP due late 2015. 'Hawaii’ is an Australian contemporary power ballad with a chorus that crashes down on you like wave dumping you to the ocean floor. Paying homage to an 80's gospel sound tinged with a Stevie Wonder inspired synth solo.
Following on from her previous single to 'Drive', and collaborations with #1 Dads, JJJ performances, Ainslie been accruing an earnest following amongst the Australian and International music scenes. Her independent release of her debut LP You Go Your Way, I'll Go Mine, released in 2013 received nominations for the critically acclaimed Australian Music Prize and Melbourne Music Prize and brought her brand of Neo-Folk-Rock closer to the fore, showing that Wills is an artist with integrity and longevity.
I am seriously loving this song, the web may be blamed for many things by some in the music biz, but how would I (and we) have discovered this gem from the other side of the world without it? As regards this song for me in one word, Wonderful.
Jan Hellriegel. This is Jan Hellriegel's March released video single 'For The Love Of Glory'.
This cinematic, cowboy, Middle Eastern inspired pop song explores themes of 'good' and 'bad'. Says Jan, "You can’t please everyone all the time and sometimes your actions can hurt others even if you think you are doing the right thing. The question is, what is doing the right thing?" 2015 is the 'year of the co-writes' for Hellriegel. She provided the melody and chorus for the track and handed over lyric imagery to Martin Brown. Long-time collaborator and notable NZ musician, Wayne Bell produced the track, layering sweet melodic choral vocals over the chorus, helping to relieve the listener of the damning symbolism of the preceding verses. Daniel Denholm helped mix the song, embracing Jan's sonic vision of '1000 slaves pulling on the oars of a boat and moaning or grunting sounds'. Chris Chetland (Kog Studios) mastered the track to full clarity and sparkle. The music video is a mélange of vintage super 8 footage of Auckland’s Western Springs Speedway and it’s social club members, filmed by Jan’s Dad in 1970. The film also features what is now known as Victoria Park Market when it used to be a panel shop.
OK so we are still playing catch up this was released in late March, it's a fine song and a really good video, that manages to be different and complement the song.
Nina K. Nina K has announced details of a new single, ‘Impossible’, which will be released by Nina K’s own label, Ninkina Recordings, on May 8th, 2015. The track is taken from her forthcoming album due for release in the fall 2015. Big voices and powerful personas has always been important. A musical home. But Nina has never been interested in being just a voice. She is a true craftswoman at heart, handling every little detail and decision in the process on her own. A 2015 version of the "DIVA" and a female music auteur, handpicking only the most suitable collaborators. This time Alex ”Lexxx” Dromgoole (Björk, Jessie Ware, Angel Haze, Madonna) as mixer, and spaced-out experimental musician and synth wizard Daniel Fagge Fagerstrom (Optic Nest, The Skull Defects) as co-producer. The result is a dreamy and experimental pop recording of flutes, harps, 90’s tambourine beats, floaty synthesizers. In 2010, after her science fiction inspired album, “Red Leader Dream”, Nina Kinert put her artist career on ice - indefinitely. She started lending out her writing skills and vocals to others exploring the worlds of modern disco and dance pop with acts Tomas Barfod, WhoMadeWho, Nadastrom and CMG to name a few. And in between studio sessions she took a bachelor degree in film studies. Being "on ice" turned out to be a process in itself.
Inspired by divas from her eighties/nineties childhood – Mariah Carey, Sade, Sinead O’Connor and Enya – Nina K releases the song Impossible. The song is about the difficulty of growing up without letting go of the diva-dream.
This is the final one for this round up, it's atmospheric feel just floats us along, enjoy...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Another Out Of Our Inbox soon, enjoy!"
Some more recent new music that I wanted to share, again in no particular order and genre hopping, however I was reliably told many years ago that 'variety is the spice of life', shame I had such a misspent youth as all that 'variety' seems to have come back with a sting in the tale. Anyway down to business...
Alborosie Meets King Jammy is a historic pairing of one of Jamaica’s most pivotal dub legends King Jammy with the modern day Italian-born dubmaster Alborosie.
Last month they released 'Dub Of Thrones' a mostly instrumental collection of material and very fine music we think. If you like Dub or reggae or anything remotely in that direction this is for you!
Mixed by Alborosie at his Shengen studio and King Jammy at his studio in the Waterhouse district of Kingston, this old-school meets new-school clash delivers an authentic dub reggae listening experience. With speaker-shaking, neighbor-waking and no-prisoner taking bass, this is designed to be played at high volume for maximum effect.
Alborosie and King Jammy plan to tour in support of this release throughout the summer. Dates will be announced at another time. They are already booked for California's 31st Annual Reggae On The River Festival. - Album available from VP Records/Greensleeves.
OK I'm quoting here - Los Angeles indie pop favorite Layne has released the moody new video for “Somebody,” her ode to musicians who leave the serenity of rural life for the challenging pursuit of success in the city. “Somebody” is the newest single from Layne's third EP, Warrior. When Layne was fifteen, she released an album entitled Better Than Me. Two years later she released an EP called Mind Games. By this time she was playing almost every weekend at different venues throughout South Dakota, and was featured twice on public radio and multiple times in the newspaper. Immediately after graduating high school, Layne relocated to Los Angeles.
Layne co-produced Warrior with Devon Corey (Comeback Kid, The Material). The young indie artist has a very clear idea of how she wants it all to sound: “I want people to see the production we’ve spent so much time creating come to life, and to hear the huge wall of sound - even if there are only two or three players on stage.”
The music is what it is, great indie pop that Beehive Candy just happens to love. If you are in the US of A then Layne's spring tour has a few more dates:
May 2015
02 Sat - Charlotte, NC – Muse
05 Tue - Raleigh, NC – The Pour House
09 Sat - Brooklyn, NY – Rock Shop w/ Zoe Wrenn
12 Tue - New York, NY – Pianos w/Negative Death
14 Thu - Woodbridge/Boston, MA – The Cannery
20 Wed - Rochester, NY – California Brew House Sage
I am intrigued by The Dirty Bourbon River Show. These guys play bluesy, Lisztian piano-driven ballads, and punk-ish street music, straight out of New Orleans (not my description but it fits, so I will go with it!).
The promo that accompanied the music was rather lengthy however being bone idle here's a copy and paste of some of it - Step right up. Dirty Bourbon River Show winks at the old-time medicine show, with music to draw in crowds. But there’s no snake oil on offer, just sounds enough to fascinate, enthrall, and heal. Tubas tango with feral-voiced crooners, punkish numbers bump into the sweet plunking of a ballad. These wonderful madmen play the gospel of New Orleans song, and they preach it loudly on their ninth album, Important Things Humans Should Know (release: April 7, 2015), then taking the word on the road with a four-month U.S. tour. Band leader and multi-instrumentalist Noah Adams came late to music; he was 20 when he began playing the piano. But it was drifting into the Crescent City that really changed his life. Finding himself in a place where music drips from the pores likes summer sweat, he knew he’d discovered his calling, and began proselytizing like a convert. “I got swept away by amazing players like Dr. John, Fats Waller, Huey Smith,” Adams recalls. “I spent three years just shedding and absorbing stuff.” And from that start the Dirty Bourbon River Show was born in 2009. “Our very first gig was at Tipitina’s Homegrown Night, where you can get your start,” Adams says. “It’s free, you just try to get people to say your name at the door. We told everyone. It was an hour slot, but we only had 30 minutes of music. We got an amazing turn out, went all out, and it just grew from there.” A mix of New Orleans natives and people drawn from farther afield, the show mixes its influences like a roux. Jimmy William’s tuba and Dane "Bootsy" Schindler’s drums on “Animal” make Caribbean vibes collide with a booming brass dirge. “Wicked,” a paean to the Big Easy’s seamy side, tips its hat to songwriters like Dr. John and Randy Newman. The album is a love song to the city on the Gulf Coast.
Phew! and that's not even half of it. Anyhow I am amazed by there music and reassured that somewhere, some people are doing music they love and entertaining many. The video below is but one of many dimensions to this band, so go search YouTube for some more.
I have received getting on for a dozen emails since last November regarding Janine and The Mixtape and when putting this little compilation of artists together, thought maybe if I do a feature I will be left alone. Then I checked back and realised each promo was for a different song, so on a totally selfish level keep sending the songs promo's.
Again plenty of fine variety and all to the highest of standards and very enjoyable may I say.
Website HERE. A few words on their background here - Building up to the release of her new EP (coming May 12), Janine and the Mixtape has been releasing new content every Monday as part of her Little Mixtape Mondays campaign. Starting in February with a Nirvana cover, she drew inspiration from Eckhart Tolle for "This Moment, debuted the video for her buzz single, "Hold Me," and most recently releases "Lose My Mind" audio and visual. Now based in Brooklyn, Janine and The Mixtape – known to friends and family as Janine Foster – began performing at open mic nights in her native Auckland when she was but 14 years old. She soon developed her own unique amalgam of pop, indie, R&B, and hip hop, all built around her emotional song craft, otherworldly vocals, and utterly individualistic persona. Released initially by her own Little Mixtapes Records in 2013, her debut EP, Dark Mind immediately shot Janine and The Mixtape into the spotlight – as well as the top 2 on the iTunes Store’s “Top R&B Albums” chart. The EP – which also includes the hit single/video, “Little Bit” (featured on VH1’s Love & Hip Hop Hollywood) – received worldwide applause, with high praise coming from such outlets as MTV, Billboard, VIBE Vixen, Complex, and VIBE, which ranked Janine and The Mixtape among their “R&B Secret Society: 26 Acts You Should Be Listening To.” The New Zealand-born singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer's acclaimed debut EP Dark Mind was re-released via US-based DSP’s on November 4th, 2014 (after joint venture with Atlantic Records).
I remember reading a comment left on Beehive Candy a few years ago that said something along the lines that 'I was just a shameless music promoter'. I remember being a little 'ruffled' by the comment and felt the desire to exact revenge on the anonymous individual. Well maybe I am a promoter of sorts, I do not get any money for it, this remains a labour of love for the most, however yes I do encourage you to checkout these artists and their music. So if that makes me a promoter then I am guilty as charged, however I am most defiantly not shameless! Just enjoying the musical journey, hope you are to.
This is a fascinating selection of Gram Parsons rehearsal tapes from 1972, and I will quote a little from the liner notes that accompanied this CD version which surfaced on 'Golden Eagle Records' in the USA in 2003. I have included a separate file with the artwork and notes as these are well worth a read.
The record companies holding Gram Parson's material have more or less exhausted what material there is from his sadly short life and as Chris who provided these recordings to me pointed out (by the way, thanks Chris) a lot of the bootleg material for Gram Parsons is of fairly average audio quality.
The five audio tapes that this CD was compiled from, were included in an auction lot at Christies that was bought by one of Gram Parsons biggest fans and were part of a selection of Gram's personal belongings that went to auction.
The five cassettes dated from 1972 and include Emmylou Harris and others on some of the tracks that were most likely recorded through a condenser microphone into a portable tape player, however the audio quality suggests that a little more sophisticated equipment may have been used for some of the songs. It is proable that Ric Grechs English home was used for some of the sessions along with hotel rooms for others.
All of this material is another reminder of 'what could have been' if Gram had stayed with us a little longer, it's also another reminder that a personal musical favorite of mine Emmylou Harris developed her talent with some of the best.
Source: CD of original cassette tapes.
Sound Quality: Good & average (all very listenable) mp3@192kbps.
Genre: Country, Alt country.
Set: Various rehearsal sessions.
Session List:
01. A Song For You Intro
02. Kentucky Blues
03. Streets Of Baltimore
04. Folsom Prison Blues
05. Lovesick Blues
06. The New Soft Shoe
07. How Much Ive Lied
08. Still Feeling Blue 1
09. Still Feeling Blue 2
10. Ain't No Beatles Ain't No Rolling Stone
11. How Can I Forget You - Cry One More Time
12. A Song For You
13. Streets Of Baltimore
14. That's All It Took
15. Some bodys Back In Town
16. More and More
17. Teaching Emmy to Sweep out the Ashes
18. Daddy's Fiddle
19. We'll sweep out the Ashes in the Morning
20. Cold Cold Heart
21. That's All It Took
22. A Song For You
Website: Official HERE. Unofficial informative HERE.
Playing catch up here on Beehive Candy does have it's upside. Today I was going through getting on for 100 artists and their music, playing a little piece from each and deciding whether to feature them, delete & move on, or play again and see if my mood just didn't fit the music at the time.
Well I must have been in a pretty good place because as I have around thirty artists I have short listed to feature and that's in addition to the many that deserve a mention still, whilst we were 'sleeping'.
Joni Fatora was a real stand out artist amongst the many I listened to today, taking nothing away from the rest, she just grabbed my attention the most. I remember the first time I heard First Aid Kit singing Cross Oceans a good few years ago, I am certain I was not the only person who thought they would reach greater heights back then. Well I'm not directly comparing the music, rather the freshness and distinct charm of Joni Fatora's music, and that feeling that this is something quite special.
Her background tells us - A crystalline voice and sentiment as clear as a child’s conscience –this is the marrow of folk singer-songwriter, Joni Fatora. At 22, her songs lure the heart like a siren and whisper with history as old as fisherman’s tales. There is no loud diversion; she is a writer in its purest form, a storyteller, and her life is the inkwell.
The daughter of a Sailor, Joni’s childhood carried her on a voyage across the world, always tied to the ocean. From the Mediterranean to the Sea of Japan and both the Atlantic and Pacific, her comfort lies in the uprooting. Her new five-song EP, aptly titled "Navigator," explores that unrest. Growing up, Joni’s parents couldn’t offer their young daughter much musical aptitude. Instead they offered her an acoustic guitar and a life worth writing about. It was with this alchemic uncovering that she began to spin her stories into songs.
In 2012, Joni found herself on a surprisingly different radar with a song called "Bullet Train;" a song she wrote at the request of a friend, Stephen Swartz. The track broke into the top 10 iTunes Electronic charts and sold over 100,000 singles to date. Her emphasis on lyrics is what separated her from the crowds. This success gave way to other electronic collaborations –uncharted water for a girl who grew up on The Beatles and Paul Simon. And so began the trend of Joni floating into a vast sea of genres while keeping her heart anchored deeply in a love of folk and indie rock.
Joni took close to a year to create "Navigator," finding a muse in Dreamland Recording Studio and enlisting the help of her close musical collaborators, Noise Club (Chris Petrosino and Rob McCurdy). The mystic air of an old church turned recording studio helped inspire some of Joni’s favourite records including Fleet Foxes’ ‘Helplessness Blues’ and The National’s ‘Trouble Will Find Me’. With the aspirations to expound upon her previous release (Blue Road) and explore open waters she sings, “I wish I could be a ship out to sea.” What she doesn’t realise is that she is the ship and we are her eager passengers.
Get in there quick folks, here's a chance to download a free copy of a really great song from Dioni Sydney’s Sweet, Soulful, Sassy Chanteuse - Australian Pop Singer! (someone else's words after 'Sydney's' - but hey they work).
You only have a few days and I have to say if you love Dusty Springfield or Sandie Shaw, this is a must.
Quoting elsewhere - "Blessed with a heavenly voice and showing her masterful use of a huge range while incorporating warm beautiful lows and powerful honey dipped highs."
-O Kosmos
Her promo tells us that - Dioni has traveled extensively throughout Greece, performing in ancient theatres and stadiums in support of bands such as Faithless, Soft Cell, and The Chemical Brothers. She has also collaborated with many other respected European electronic artists. Dioni has performed as a solo artist in Australia, France, Germany, Greece, and Qatar. Dioni is an extraordinarily versatile artist who has a multilingual repertoire (including seven languages) and the ability to sing in multiple genres.
More information on Dioni and her upcoming EP set for release on May 19th, 2015. is available on her official site.
Beehive Candy's verdict - love it, simple as that! Download HERE.
I'm sat in front of my computer screen wondering where on earth to start. I could be clever here, do a month by month catch up of all the new music, that has come Beehive Candy's way since the beginning of 2013. I'm not sure who would be put off the quickest by that idea, you or me?
The idea (I think) is to try and get Beehive Candy going again, however two years on and the world of web music coverage has moved on considerably. There are (as you know) some really professional music sites around and as previously mentioned You Tube seems currently, to be a good first port of call for live concerts both official and unofficial. So I think Beehive Candy will for a while at least, just do it's own thing and see how some new ideas can fit in. It was and still is the new music promos that have made me feel like getting Beehive Candy up and running again.
Therefore, for a while and most definitely in no order whatsoever, 'Whilst We Were Asleep' will feature some of the music that has come our way since we took a rather long siesta. These artists and songs are featured for a mixture of reasons such as, I like the music, it's different in a good way, maybe it tests a few boundaries, or it's just catchy.
So in no order at all lets start with Vienna Ditto. This song was released in February and they are due a new album any time now.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lexie Roth gained my attention in 2013. Lexie has been playing music since she was eight years old. Just ten years later, her debut album One Long Blink was released and gained attention as far as Japan. Since then, she has appeared on two of her father’s albums, Toolin’ Around Woodstock featuring Levon Helm on drums and his previous album Landscape. Most recently, "Call You My Hon" off her self-titled album was featured in the independent film shown in the Tribeca Film Festival "Maria My Love" produced and directed by Jasmine McGlade Chazelle in which starred the late Karen Black.
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This is more recent. Annie Woodward has an album due out around now, I'm often playing it, there something that just works for me.
Annie Woodward is a grunge folk-rocker born and raised in Scandinavia who originally set out to write lyrics for other bands. Through her projects in theatre Annie found her own voice in music and has been performing ever since. She has played two independent tours, one European and one in Northern America. Annie spent most of 2014 couch surfing and taking trains and buses across the US playing shows and making her first album.
This album, 2 faces on a clown is released on AmpÆr records, a small independent label founded by Annie and one of her childhood friends. Half of the record was produced by Mike Davidson in Boston and half by Sean Bloom in Los Angeles with the title-track produced by rock-singer Alexa Melo and mixed by Christian Hand who was the man behind the first Mowglis record. Annie's first album is the result of crowd-funding, luck and "really good friends".
The first single from 2 faces on a clown, Eager to talk debuted on Norwegian national radio summer of 2014. As of 2015 Woodward is again based in Oslo, Norway working with a full band and also writing and directing theatre for her company Playroom.
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Back last September Rich Hopkins and The Luminarios released Tombstone. The promo at the time had this to say -
"Tombstone," from Rich Hopkins and The Luminarios, showcases a "wall of guitar" trademark style that alerts the listener that classic rock is alive and well. As the album unfolds, catchy pop hooks and epic rock harmonies are unveiled in a ceremony of searing sound. Complete with social commentary and a defined style, once described by Magnet as a "blend of power pop, folk rock and Tom Petty/Neil Young classicism," listeners are reminded of the individuality of a Rich Hopkins and The Luminarios record upon first hearing "Tombstone." Hopkins, who has been a part of the American music scene since 1985, is, amazingly, still an undiscovered talent to some. Founding the Tucson, Ariz. based Sidewinders (RCA 1989-91)/Sand Rubies (Polygram 1993), Hopkins toured the U.S. and celebrated success with college/indie rock classics "Witchdoctor" and "We Don't Do That Anymore" (both went to #5 on the CMJ charts). In 1991, Hopkins formed Rich Hopkins and The Luminarios as a side project; it soon became his full time band when the Sand Rubies stopped touring. He has consistently cranked out new records and tours yearly in Germany/Europe (25 tours) where, in 1996, he was one of the first artists signed to Germany's Blue Rose Records.
A new member of the Tucson Musicians Museum (Class of 2013), Hopkins enters music history as the quintessential desert rocker, a constant in the bedrock of alternative music. As evidenced on "Tombstone," Hopkins possesses an ability to create unmistakable guitar tones that drive a hallmark sound and, as the years pass, he continues to reinvent and motivate himself for yet another album and tour.
The mention of Classic Rock usually leave me cold, bands that should have quit or moved on, seem to fill my mind, although rationally, I know there are some good bands today that have that label. If this si classic rock, then classic rock is alive and well.
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Back to 2014 again and Eilidh McKellar. The promo had this to say - When trying to describe Eilidh McKellar, BBC Radio may have said it best: “No silly overplaying, just quiet confidence and genuine virtuosity.” McKellar, a dazzling 20-year-old phenom from Edinburgh, Scotland, seems to be taking the industry by storm with her smoky rasp and astounding guitar chops. Her highly anticipated debut album, Delta Devil Dreams, was released on October 7, 2014. The album is a collection of meticulously crafted songs that rock hard, go down easy and expose young Eilidh’s bluesy old soul. Produced by Grammy award-winning Guy Eckstine, Delta Devil Dreams maintains a contemporary, indie feel while paying tribute to British rock royalty like Humble Pie, Led Zeppelin and The Yardbirds.
In the humble opinion of Beehive Candy, worth checking out (have we said that before?).
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Finally we are back in 2013 again when the excellent (as all of the above musically are for me - there you go, well balanced journalism) Star Anna was introduced to Beehive Candy.
These words were said about her- "Star Anna is an American original. She sings from a place of beauty that takes me to a higher place," says Pearl Jam's Mike McCready.
Guns 'n' Roses/Velvet Revolver's Duff McKagan says, "She is the real deal. She will be a talent that we can all say that we saw her when. Guaranteed."
Star Anna's latest, Go To Hell (Spark & Shine Records), will find you agreeing with McCready and McKagan.
A dark, haunting collection of songs that capture the essence of betrayal, regret, and hope, Go To Hell delivers melodic, soaring folk-rock with an Americana heart, best described as Americana-soul, and it will penetrate right to your core.
Seattle, Washington, by way of Ellensburg, Star Anna's Go To Hell, comprised of ten tracks, was a hard record for her to make. Her personal life was in upheaval as the record was being made; yet Star Anna persevered and came out better for it.
"There were a lot of battles going on at the time this record was being made and a lot of betrayals that I was dealing with that had been woven into my personal life as well as the life of this record," recalls Star. "We decided to keep moving forward and make this record. The title speaks for itself."
OK then, well in all honesty that really is just a random taster, whilst looking back over the last couple of years it really is hard to know where to start. But start Beehive Candy has, I hope to follow this up with part two sometime real soon.
Reloaded 10/May/2015 - This is Arcade Fire in concert at the I-Day Festival in Bologna, Italy, back on the 2nd September 2010. The tour in support of the release of The Suburbs album was in my opinion their best yet and musically this is a very good example. However be warned, a rather annoying Italian DJ pops up on occasion practicing his skills (or inflating his ego even further) as this concert was broadcast live on FM and this recording sourced from that broadcast. 
