Your Weekend Listening Upgrade

Winters End - Mayfair.

Their Bio informs us of the following - Comprised of siblings Marissa and Christopher Pinto Winters End are a Sydney-based indie, electronic band. Formed in October 2011their follow-up release to their debut EP Staircase (2012) was their single Walls. 

Released in July 2014 Walls received plays extensively by community radio stations Australia wide, and also received airplay on FBi radio and Triple M in Sydney. Walls continues to be played internationally in the UK, Netherlands, USA and Canada. Walls' success also saw Winters End invited to perform at two international music festivals in Canada and LA in October and November 2014.

Winters End are back and ready for 2015. Their 80s-inspired electronic sounds encompass all tastes and all ages. Make sure you seize your chance to see this dynamic sibling-duo while they're back home in Sydney! They are undertaking a national tour between September and December. 

This is a powerful and stirring song. Others have likened Winters End to Florence and The Machine, MS MR, and The XX, a reasonable enough viewpoint, however I reckon this song stands on it's own strength, one that deserves much wider attention.

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Fleurie - Sparks.

Part of Fleurie's Bio reads - "Fleurie." The name is French. The singer is American. And the music — a dreamy, cinematic pop sound that sweeps, swoons, and soars — creates its own geography.

On her new EP, Arrows, Fleurie balances herself between two different worlds: one, an organic place where pianos twinkle and vocals flutter; the other, a digital place where electronic drums, synthesisers and computer programming meet. It's a sound that's simultaneously human and electronic, simple and orchestral, poppy and artsy. Tying everything is Fleurie's voice, the production of Matt Stanfield (session player for Kelly Clarkson, Plumb and Jars of Clay) and the mixing work of Dave Schiffman (Haim, Charli XCX, Brandon Flowers), who teamed up to frame Fleurie's voice in layers of digital beats and synth pads.

When it came time to record Arrows, Fleurie was happy to dismantle her songs — many of which she'd written during her stay in Sydney, Australia — and piece them back together again. Time signatures were changed. Pianos were swapped out for synthesisers. Arrangements worthy of the coffeehouse were replaced by production geared toward the arena. The goal was to highlight her melodies while still pushing the envelope. Working with Stanfield and session musicians like drummer Fred Eltringham (the Wallflowers, Dixie Chicks), she created an EP that tackles everyday concerns — the struggle to make a difference in life, the need to be loved, the pang of pain — in otherworldly ways. "Hope, Where Have You Gone" makes occasional use of a Vocoder, mixing Fleurie's natural voice with a digitally-doctored counterpart, while "Fire in my Bones" rides a groove partially made by banging pots and pans.

'Sparks' is the second track from Fleurie's upcoming EP, Arrows, which will be independently released on September 4th. She has gentle silken vocals that really do 'glide' quite beautifully over a feature rich soundtrack. Well that's my take of this really catchy song.

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Gracie and Rachel - Tiptoe.

Background - Brooklyn-based duo, Gracie and Rachel are thrilled to announce that they will be supporting much-loved Dangerbird Records artist, Holly Miranda on her upcoming tour of these United States.

The announcement comes just a few weeks after a successful one-off run for Gracie (Coates, who plays the piano and sings) and Rachel (Ruggles, who plays the violin) that included an opening slot with fave Colin Stetson in Chicago, a jaunt down to Rock Island, IL for a Daytrotter session (posting August 24th), and a homecoming headliner at NYC’s Rockwood Music Hall.

The duo also played a packed out show at the Bottom of the Hill in San Francisco returning to their Bay Area roots (G and R hail from Berkeley), and airplay from taste makers KCRW prompted a well-attended LA show at the world famous Hotel Café a few days later.

Hard-to-please music press have been concurrently putting their arms around Gracie and Rachel. Those who have had the pleasure of seeing a live show are hit at once with the depth of the songwriting and endless width of their talent. WNYC Soundcheck in their track premiere for “Tiptoe,” for instance, nailed it by saying, “The two play off each other not only musically but mentally. Different shades of the same emotion appear simultaneously on their faces and flow through their instruments. A tangled and intimate connection between the two is apparent on stage and will no doubt imprint on their upcoming debut.” Here’s more.

The coming months are sure to see a flurry of activity and attention around Gracie and Rachel, but most immediately, here are those tour dates we mentioned (with Holly Miranda):

Tour dates:

Tue, Sep 15 - Rock N Roll Hotel - DC - with Holly Miranda
Fri, Sep 18 - Mercury Lounge - NYC - with Holly Miranda
Sat, Sep 19 - Great Scott - Boston, MA - with Holly Miranda
Tue, Sep 22 - Club Cafe - Pittsburgh, PA - with Holly Miranda
Wed, Sep 23 - The Loving Touch - Ferndale, MI - with Holly Miranda 
Thu, Sep 24 - Schubas Tavern - Chicago, IL - with Holly Miranda
Fri, Sep 25 - The Frequency - Madison, WI - with Holly Miranda
Sat, Sep 26 - 7th St. Entry - Minneapolis, MN - with Holly Miranda
Tue,Sep  29 - The Sunset - Seattle, WA - with Holly Miranda
Wed, Sep 30 - Mississippi Studios - Portland, OR - with Holly Miranda
Fri, Oct 2 - Bottom Of The Hill - San Francisco, CA - with Holly Miranda
Sat, Oct 3 - The Echo - Los Angeles, CA - with Holly Miranda
Sun, Oct 4 - The Merrow - San Diego, CA - with Holly Miranda
Wed, Oct 14 - Rockwood Music Hall - NYC - CMJ/Deli Magazine Showcase
Tue, Nov 3 - Rockwood Music Hall - NYC - Communion Residency
Thu, Nov 12 - The Midland Theatre - Newark, OH.

The vocals are lush and captivating and that's just half the story. Strings and piano and a driving beat make 'Tiptoe' a pretty special song, the reprise just emphasises the point. Genuinely leaves me wanting more.

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Quality Not Quantity - Five We Like

Buffalo Sunn - Told You So.

Background - Five-piece Rock/Alternative band based in Dublin, Ireland,  incorporates sounds from the 60s, right up to the present day, mixing big reverb-laden harmonies with carefully placed guitars to take the listener on an epic journey. "Told You So" was produced by Grammy Award winner Pat McCarthy (U2, Counting Crows, R.E.M.). Their first single, "By Your Side" earned global airplay, which included over 450 spins at KKDO Radio 94.7 Sacramento.

Performed at multiple festivals and industry showcases including CMW (Canada), Music Matters Asia (Singapore), Liverpool Sound City (UK), Glasgowbury (UK), Hard Working Class Heroes (IE), CMJ (New York), SXSW (Austin, TX) and the Passport Approved Tour (Los Angeles, Seattle, Portland, Phoenix, Sacramento and more).

I am pretty certain Beehive Candy included Buffalo Sunn in a feature a couple of years back, in which case they are consistently very good. This is one of those tunes that grabbed me in the first few seconds, hopefully it will have the same effect on you.

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Doctor Goddard - Without Love.

Background - Doctor Goddard is a rock band from the Blue Mountains, NSW who “fuse old school Jim Morrison-esque indie rock with distinctly contemporary sounds and production.” (Lachlan Wyllie, 90.3FM) Singles “Do You Ever” and “The Bar’s All Covered In Lies” off their debut EP received national airplay on Triple J and have been likened by critics to acts such as The War On Drugs, Pink Floyd and Tame Impala. 

The band formed after brothers Mikael Sandström (vocals, guitar) and Nicholas Sandström (drums) met Cleveland, Ohio local Chris Seaman (bass) at a uni poker tournament in 2013 and bonded over a communal love of rock, late night card games and blues music. 

The trio began honing their sound shortly before landing the support with The Preatures for their Is This How You Feel Sydney Tour in which time Doctor Goddard formed a friendship with producer Jack Moffitt (guitarist for The Preatures) who recorded their first EP in the summer of 2014 and their new single “Without Love”. Since the EP’s release in August 2014 and after playing gigs all over Sydney with bands such as Flyying Colours, I Know Leopard, Spookyland, Peking Duck, Sticky Fingers and Richard in Your Mind, Doctor Goddard has been complimented on its rich sound, raw live energy and kinetic rhythms. 

“Without Love” was written and recorded live by Doctor Goddard over a 2 day session in the summer of 2015 and mixed at The Preatures studio, Doldrums. Lyrically about love and music a modern edge bleeds into Without Love whilst also saluting the ghosts of the west coast blues/rock scene in 1970's America.

OK so the vocal style is pure Jim Morrison & on this track the music and production is not far off The Doors at any moment. Thankfully they do it so well and with enough passion, that if nothing else, it makes up for the rapid demise of their forerunners, ("when the music's over - turn off the lights").


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Idgy Dean - Ominous Harminus.

Background - Considered one of the most enigmatic performers in Brooklyn, Idgy Dean has satiated those who have been demanding more from the one woman hurricane. Blending instinctual tribal-esque rhythms (that she blasts out herself on stage and then loops) with Kate Bush-ian late night siren howling, Idgy Dean has accomplished what almost nobody is able to do today by creating a trademark brand of pop that almost certainly cannot be pigeon holed. 

The new single, "Ominous Harminus" (the title track off the hyper personal LP out on September 18th) almost sounds like what a new waver in 1986 would write if inspired by 1960s movies about neanderthals. It's worth a listen, and much like the single's predecessors "The Indian Squirrel Dance" and "Bang Bang Sun" it has many of us hooked immediately.

This is refreshingly different in a very positive manner. The 'wall of sound' rhythms compete with Idgy's vocals, neither drowning out the other, just beating along together in this minor epic, excellent.

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Aerials - Burn Burn Burn (from the EP 'Restless')

Background - Fresh off the stage supporting adrenaline rockers Dead Letter Circus, Brisbane's Aerials are set to unleash their sophomore EP, 'Restless'. Starting the year to capacity crowds at Melbourne's Rock the Bay, local hang Black Bear Lodge and a national run supporting Jericco on their 'Machine Made The Animal' tour, Aerials will be returning to the road with their own run of shows this spring, promising a lot sweat, strobes and riffs.

With Forrester Savell (Karnivool) returning to the desk, title-track and new single 'Restless' is a seductively sinister story packaged as a blinding-bright assault to the dance floor. The soon to be released David Lynch inspired video delves into an underground world of fetish, obsession and surrealism.

2014 was a break from the road, but a breakthrough as a band, following a week together in the wilderness to pen new material. A contradiction to the environment, the forthcoming EP is a collection of chaotic but cohesive pop with synthesized riffery and crunching beats, laced with the soaring and commanding croons of vocalist Jackson Walkden-Brown. The EP's teaser track 'Symptoms' received another Highly Commended Award from Q-Music in the Rock category.

The 'Restless' EP is available for pre-order via iTunes and bandcamp now and will be released September 4 via MGM.

This is one energy packed rock come wild pop EP. I have to say each track impressed me with their get on and enjoy it vibe. If you like the featured track the EP is one for your collection.

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Naives - Horizon.

Background - Marc, a talented player of many instruments and former singer of the French band Megasushi (Paris 2006-1012) met Lapo, an italian-London based  producer and bass player (Frost, Fanny Games), in 2012. They established the core of tribal-tropical-indie-dance outfit N-A-I-V-E-S in East-London. Josh Gimber (Sons & Lovers, Alpines, Ellie Goulding) joined the band in 2014 as a session drummer, and finally permanent drummer Benji (ex Mausi) joined the band in 2015. 

N-A-I-V-E-S mix hook laden synths with big beat drums, to create charming electro pop bites, as fresh as they are unique. Their first single WIGO was released in February and the video hit 150.000 views (HERE). They supported Friendly Fires, Is Tropical, Reptile Youth, Goldie, Tessla Boy, Hot Sugar, Slow Magic, We Have Band, Mystery Jets and played a few crowded headline shows in Europe (Rome, Barcelona, Paris).

Gary Crowley played several tracks of the band in his show BBC London 94.9, they did a session for Radio Reprezent and they won an Auditions with Charlie Ashcroft on Amazing Radio.

There are so many good things going on with this song, the vocals and harmonies seemingly fly above an intense, yet bright and light soundtrack. Fresh and unique are fair words to describe this.


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Thursdays Canadian Triple Play

The Boxcar Boys - Hindustan (from the album - Cicada Ball).

Background - The Boxcar Boys create their distinct, energetic and at times maudlin sound by weaving together a captivating bevy of folk traditions, Dixieland jazz and Klezmer performed with a good ole time New Orleans spirit. Their presence on the Canadian music scene over the last 5 years, including 2 full length albums Don’t Be Blue (2011) and Rye Whiskey (2012) has earned them a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination as well as a place on EJazzNews list of Best Canadian Jazz Bands.

This Toronto based six piece is comprised of clarinetist John Williams, violinist Laura C. Bates, trombonist Karl Silveira, accordionist Kelsey McNulty, sousaphonist Rob Teehan and washboard player Justin Ruppel.   The band’s close-knit dynamic is clear on their third full length album, Cicada Ball which will waltz you across genres with whimsy and humour and dip you back in time. The title track of the album is a sonic interpretation of Cicadas giving up their tireless singing in the heat of the summer to instead throw down and party.  In the spirit of celebration, the Boxcar Boys included some talented friends on selected tracks throughout the album including Lotus Wight on vocals and cello banjo (Sheesham and Lotus), Adrian Gross on mandolin (The Slocan Ramblers) and Michael Eckert on dobro (The Double Cuts).

The album launch and official release party will be marked by a hoedown and concert at the Burdock Music Hall in Toronto on September 11th. Canadian bluegrass super-band, The Slocan Ramblers will ready the stage and warm up the dancers. The Boxcar Boys will follow this release with an east coast tour in mid-late September including a performance at the notorious Deep Roots Music Festival. Upcoming tour dates include:

9/11 - Burdock Music Hall (Toronto ON)
9/19 - Boscawen Inn (Lunenburg, NS)
9/20 - Parrsboro Music Hall (Parrsboro ON)
9/22 - Baba's Lounge (Charlottetown PEI)
9/23 - Red Herring Pub (Saint Andrews, NB)
9/24 - Cafe Cempoal (Halifax, NS)
9/25 - 9/27- Deep Roots Music Fest (Wolfville, NS)
9/28 - All City Music Program (Halifax, NS)
9/29 - The Townhouse (Antigonish, NS)
9/30 - House Concert (Cape Breton ON)

What's not to like about this band and this album. It's refreshing, timeless, has a blend of styles that can charm your socks off, and the musicians create something quite sublime.


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Grounders - Bloor Street And Pressure.

Background - This spring, the Toronto-based band - Andrew Davis (vocals and guitar), Daniel Busheikin (keyboards), Mike Searle (Bass) and Evan Lewis (guitar) - released their first full-length album, a collection of dense and intricate pop music under the gauzy veil of krautrock and psychedelia. In the time between releasing the Wreck of a Smile EP in 2013 and laying demos for their debut album, Grounders rediscovered their love for classic pop music, an appreciation that had waned over the years as they became obsessed with circumventing the conventional. They listened to pop staples like David Bowie and Devo, and revisited old favorites like Velvet Underground, Neu! and the Zombies. When Grounders finally came up for air, they had a newfound love for pop and a glut of ideas for a debut LP.

Meanwhile, Meditation for Dummies and David Lynch's self-help guide Catching the Big Fish, on transcendental meditation and the creative process, were passed around the van while touring through North America. As Davis's interest in meditation increased, his lyrics began to reflect his search for serenity and inner peace. The album came to life in two distinct spaces: Davis's bedroom in Toronto's sleepy High Park neighbourhood; and a spacious two-car garage packed with vintage gear from various pawn shops and second-hand stores across the country.

After recruiting DIANA's Kieran Adams to handle drums, the band headed into the studio with longtime pal Marcel Ramagnano (Born Ruffians, Absolutely Free) to record. Months of tracking, tinkering and layering later, Grounders enlisted the incomparable David Newfeld (Broken Social Scene, Holy F) to give each song the bombastic, fried analog treatment he's become known for.

Tour dates:

8/21 Sudbury @ The Townhouse
8/22 North Bay @ Raven and Republic
9/10 Toronto @ The Silver Dollar 
9/14 Winnipeg @ The Handsome Daughter
9/15 Saskatoon @ Vangelis
9/16 Edmonton @ Wunderbar
9/17 Calgary @ Broken City
9/18 Revelstoke @ Harvest Festival
9/19-9/20 Victoria @ Rifflandia
9/22 Vancouver @ The Media Club
9/23 Bellingham @ The Shakedown
9/24 Seattle @ Rendezvous
9/25 Eugene @ Luckey's
9/26 Portland @ White Eagle
10/1-10/2 San Francisco @ Culture Collide Festival
10/8  Los Angeles, CA @ Culture Collide Festival
10/11 Denver @ Moe's
10/13 Chicago @ Schubas
10/14 Pittsburgh @ Spirit
10/20 Boston @ Great Scott
10/23 Moncton, NB @ Plan B
10/24-10/26 Halifax Pop Explosion

There is a real indie rock feel going on here, no harm in that, for me what sets the band apart, as demonstrated on the featured track, is the delicious guitar sound that works off so well against the vocals.

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Nick Diamonds - Witch Window.

Background - Nick Thorburn (aka Nick Diamonds) is a Canadian musician, composer and producer best known for starting and co-fronting the cult indie rock band The Unicorns when he was still a teenager. The band's first full-length album Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? was named one of the Top 10 Albums by Pitchfork in 2003, receiving critical praise from around the world. After only one year of touring, the band imploded on stage in Texas in 2004, due to internal friction. Thorburn immediately went on to form the band Islands, signing with Anti- Records and eventually releasing 5 full length studio albums and touring the world, with appearances at festivals as diverse as Coachella, Primavera Sound and La Route Du Rock. 

Over the years Thorburn has released more records, collaborating with various artists on projects like Mister Heavenly (with Honus Honus of Man Man), El-P, Human Highway, Reefer, and others. While City Of Quartz is Diamonds' first solo release since 2011's highly-praised I Am An Attic, he's kept busy fronting Islands, playing 2014's reunion shows with his first band The Unicorns, and contributing the theme and original music to the hit podcast "Serial."

Tour Dates:

8/22: Montauk, NY @ Sole East   
9/4: Tucson, AZ @ The Flycatcher
9/5: Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge
9/6: El Paso, TX @ Bowie Feathers
9/8: Austin, TX @ Holy Mountain
9/9: New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
9/13: Washington, DC @ DC9
9/14: Allston, MA @ Great Scott
9/15: Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade
9/16: New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge
9/17: Philadelphia, PA @ The Boot & Saddle
9/18: Hudson, NY @ The Half Moon
9/19: Montreal, QC @ Rialto Hall (POP Montreal)
9/20: Toronto, ON @ The Mod Club Theater
9/23: Fort Wayne, IN @ The Brass Rail
9/24: Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
9/25: Cincinnati, OH @ MidPoint Music Festival
9/26: Champaign, IL @ Mike and Molly's (Pygmalion Festival)
9/27: Iowa City, IA @ The Blue Moose Tap
9/29: Denver, CO @ Hi Dive
9/30: Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
10/1: Boise, ID @ The Watercooler
10/2: Seattle, WA @ Barboza
10/3: Portland, OR @ Bunk Bar
10/4: Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt
10/6: San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop
10/7: Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place
10/9: Los Angeles, CA @ Culture Collide
10/10: San Diego, CA @ Bar Pink

There is something playful in the music that contrasts head on with the lyrics in the featured track. It's got so many hooks that playing it again is unavoidable.


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Wednesday's Selection - Three Fine Contenders

Luna Sands - Wake Me From Sleep.

Background - Luna Sands began as a studio project in late 2012, and after reworking and refining their sound for two years, they have completed recording their debut album "Tales of Night” in 2014. The first half of 2015 has seen Luna Sands demonstrate their style of psych grunge across prominent Brisbane venues such as The Zoo, The Triffid, and The Brightside. Now they are releasing their third single ‘Wake Me From Sleep’ through Sydney based label The A&R Department. The song wake me from sleep was recorded in 2014 at Recording Oasis, Taliebudgera Valley, Gold Coast, as well as Alchemix Studios, South Brisbane. The song was produced, and mixed by Rob Sharpe, and mastered by DOMC Mastering, Margate, QLD.

The song takes on the concept of dreaming, and being truly alive in our dreams. Front man of Luna Sands, Allen Ellis explained his inspiration for the song as:

“In a place some call the dreaming, between the borderlines of the awake and slumber you may find your lucid self. Here you are released to live out your dreams and desires where unrequited love and deeper longings are made perfect. How you get here may require a spell of medicine, a kiss from hades and for others the hand of midnight! Returning to your daily routine a tired reality sets in which suggests that maybe we are sleepers waiting to feel awake, made only possible in our dreams.”

A gentle song for a band described as psych grunge, this has more of an indie ballad meets alt rock feel to it, whatever it's a catchy little tune and the vocals are just right.

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The Demon Parade - She's Dope.

Background - Almost a Melbourne institution in their own right, let alone the gigging and recording mentors of many of Melbourne's world conquering psychedelic garage bands; The Demon Parade have a brand spanking new EP, Stone Circles, released earlier this month.

Bringing it all back home to the sound of their first homemade demos at the turn of the decade, which would see them hand-picked by the likes of the Brian Jonestown Massacre and Swervedriver for tour supports, the new tracks see the band eschewing the dense and layered production of previous releases, deliberately keeping the knob twiddling behind the studio desk to a minimum. Instead, they've focused on song structures and creating a cohesive narrative between the songs to deliver their most fully formed release yet.

Inspired by the ancient stone circles of Southern Africa, which some researchers believe were used to create free energy with mind boggling frequencies and electro-magnetic fields more than 300,000 years ago; the EP ties together otherworldly, interstellar drones with sharp dirty guitar hooks. ‘She's Dope' extends a backwards glance to the pretty girl hanging out with Brian Jones in Marrakesh, front man Michael Badger wringing eastern mysticism out of a boy meets girl raga that's as old as time.

The featured track from the EP has a classic almost 60's psychedelic vibe to it (maybe Traffic's 'Hole In My Shoe') Having said that, the EP takes us in different directions with some harder edged songs and fine harmonies.

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Century Thief - Pillar - from the album 'Reverie'.

Background from the band - We've taken a collective approach to our new album 'Reverie' it features songs from four different members. These songs show a lot of diversity without comprimising on the unity that binds it all together. 'Reverie is out September 10th
.
The studio allowed us to experiment as a band and brought us closer together as a unit. We ended up with a 13 song album about fighting stagnation. It’s an honest attempt to understand the boredom and comfort of unhealthy situations, poisonous loves, cruel social structures, doubt and dead end routines.

There’s a resistance to action that prefers a daydream. Although there is frustration in this, there is also solace in community that makes it more of a celebration of the struggle and our ability to persevere through love and acknowledgement. The music is sometimes upbeat, sometimes somber, and occasionally veers into manic noise, but we loved making it and we hope you'll enjoy listening to it.

There's only so much one song can provide as an idea of what an album might sound like. So 'Pillar' is just a hint of what amounts to a really fine collection of tracks. The songs take you in different directions, styles and vocals. If you like 'Pillar' then I have no hesitation in recommending the whole album.

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Tom Tom Club - Stella Blue 2001 (Internet Archive)

From the Internet Archive this is this Tom Tom Club live at Stella Blue, in Asheville, NC, USA. The band undertook a US tour in the fall (autumn for us Brits) of 2001, this concert was on the 25th September. Describing that tour their timeline states - 'The group tooled the East Coast from Maine to Florida, searching out the hip and the compassionate. They were not disappointed'.

The tour was partly in support of the group's album, 'The Good, the Bad, and the Funky', which was released in 2000 and featured cover versions of Donna Summer's "Love to Love You Baby" and Lee "Scratch" Perry's "Soul Fire." One of the album's tracks, "Who Feelin' It," was also featured in remixed form in the soundtrack album of the 1999 film American Psycho. Among the musicians on The Good, the Bad, and the Funky are Jamaican singer Mystic Bowie, Charles Pettigrew and Toots Hebbert of Toots and the Maytals. The album's release was followed by one European and several American tours, of which this gig is sourced from.

Recording Technical Details: AKG C1000s (hypercardioid) > Denecke AD-20 > Sony TCD-D8 Lineage D8 > Midiman CO2 > Zoltrix Nightengale > CD Wave v1.43 > Soundforge XP 4.0 (fades) > mkwACT v0.97 > xACT 1.4b28 (shn > flac encoding level 6, batch rename, shntool len).

Sound Quality: Very Good - a very strong, powerful and clean recording reflecting the bands live talent.

Set List:

1. Suboceana
2. Time to Bounce
3. Punk Lolita
4. Soul Fire
5. Who Feelin' It
6. Happiness Can't Buy Money
7. Sand
8. She's Dangerous
9. The Man With the 4-Way Hips
10. Genius of Love
11. Band Intros > You Sexy Thing
12. Holy Water
13. Wordy Rappinghood (plus encore break)
14. As Above, So Below
15. 96 Tears > Take Me to the River

Website: Official Here.

Comments: There are FLAC, Ogg Vorbis and mp3 files along with the streaming material over at the Internet Archive (here).

Stream Below:

Sundays Alternative Take - From 'Free Form' To 'Top Form'

Trancescapes - Anima (from the album 'Gaia Sadhana').

Background - The members of ‘new age’ musical group Trancescapes view free and open improvisation as an authentic connection to the holistic nature of music for meditation.  Like great jazz or blues, free improv is best recorded 'live off the floor'.   Capturing the essence and magic that is brought forth spontaneously moment by moment, coloured by the musical influences and the unexpected developments of open-minded musicians, the music is as stimulating for the listener as it was while being performed live by the musicians.

Welcome to the world of Trancescapes, whose debut album, ‘Gaia Sadhana,’  (loosely translated from Hindi and Greek words meaning ‘earth’ and ‘instrument’)  - is being released September 4th world-wide via Spring Hill Records. Recorded live off the floor on a magical evening in early 2015, the album is a collaboration with multiple Juno award winning singer - songwriter Bill Bourne leading a diverse group of Edmonton based Canadian musicians including Miguel Ferrer, Shannon Hambler, Izumi Kurybayashi, Bria Lizotte, Dr. Kevin Sisk, and Lisi Sommer, performing all organic instrumentation including guitars, percussion, violin, Tibetan singing bowl, vocalisations, and a variety of drones. The open improvisational musical group began creating music together in the summer of 2013, and will be performing select concerts in North America in 2015 – 2016.

Now this is different even for our 'Alternative Take' feature. The presented track is slower than most of the others however gives a flavour. Rhythms, textures, instruments and ideas come together and in the main really work well. For those who crave something fresh and different, this is well worth further investigation.

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James Vincent McMorrow - How To Waste A Moment.

Background - James Vincent McMorrow shared the track “How to Waste a Moment” via Soundcloud. The new song hints at a continued evolution for James adding more beats to his layered, production and soulful vocals. McMorrow has been hard at work on the follow up to 2014’s Post Tropical and the track is a pivot from the ethereal moods of the previous album to something more direct R&B based.

US Tour:

8/17 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory - w/Blake Mills
8/18 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot - w/Dawes
8/19 - Fort Collins, CO - Mishawaka Amphitheater - w/Dawes
8/20 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater - w/Blake Mills
8/22 - Salida, CO - Gentlemen of the Road Stopover - w/Mumford and Sons, Flaming Lips tUnEyArDs, Jenny Lewis
8/24 - Apple Valley, MN - Weesner Amphitheater - w/Kevin Garrett
8/25 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theater - w/Kevin Garrett
8/26 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall - w/Kevin Garrett

James has a voice created for soulful renderings. Add a soundtrack like this and you have a superb song.

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Express Rising - Spirit Darts.

Background - Express Rising is the long-running project of musician and polymath Dante Carfagna, whose abilities as a composer have yielded an expansive discography of meditative instrumentals. Express Rising's latest collection, Fixed Rope, is set for an October 2 release via an exclusive distribution deal with Numero Group.

The album is comprised of twelve single-take ambient instrumental excursions, composed in strict committee by the trio of Kevin Blagg, William Suran, and Carfagna. Recorded spontaneously in rural Arkansas, bulging sub-woofers lope through fissures of skeletal banjo and pitched down pedal steel, while delicately arranged basins of synth and guitar reverberate, providing a steady stream of granular epiphanies. Utterly faded, yet still possessing crystalline clarity, these twelve songs continually attain summits rarely reached within the span of four-minute transmissions.

Well I have only heard this track so far, so making me wait until October for more is a real tease. This is both cool, expansive and relaxing and I love it!

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NERVO - Rainham Road.

Background - Amsterdam Music Festival has another big name in store for all the fans with NERVO being added to the line-up for Amsterdam Music Festival 2015. On Friday the 16th of October, NERVO will make their long awaited debut at Amsterdam ArenA for the first day of Amsterdam Music Festival, the biggest event during Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE).

In demand and loved across the globe, NERVO’s non-stop schedule takes them from the magical island of Ibiza, to their studio in their home-away-from-hometown of London, to every major Festival in the World. Everywhere the girls go, their infectious energy, fearless personal style, deep love and understanding for music precedes them.

This summer, NERVO released their new album ‘Collateral’, performed at Tomorrowland, Ultra Music Festival and have up-coming shows at Creamfields and ElectricZoo. It is with great excitement that we welcome the talented and stunning ladies to Amsterdam during ADE to perform at Amsterdam Music Festival.

Pulsating rhythm and beats are the bedrock of the highly talented and popular NERVO. Their attention to detail and an instinct to know what to put in and what to leave out, makes each song exciting, as you wait to discover, what's around the next corner.

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2015 - Out Of Our Inbox - August - One

Moke Hill - Doing It Wrong.

Background words - With the stark contrast between their home bases in Detroit and LA informing the laid-back melancholy of the music, Moke Hill’s smoothly polished rock reverberates with both the blue-collar work ethic of their Midwestern roots and the sunny optimism of the West Coast.  

Their collaboration unfolded organically through the cloud, which sounds oxymoronic, but such are the times in which musicians now connect, both with each other and with fans. There is an undeniable craftsmanship to these melodies, coupled with a probing lyrical earnestness that speaks to the virtues of suiting up, working hard and sticking with it until you touch people with something beautiful.

Ben Berry and Drew Phillips first began writing and recording together as Moke Hill in 2013.  Despite a friendship that dates back to their Detroit grade school days, they didn’t get serious about making music together until Berry was in Chicago and Phillips in Mokelumne Hill – a northern California gold country town, from which the band took it’s name. 
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The self-release of Moke Hill’s debut EP and its sparkling single “Detroit” coincided with the dawning of the streaming era, enabling Berry and Phillips to access digital tools for sharing their music that were as intuitive as the tools for making the music had been.  They set about being proactive in the streaming space in a natural yet industrious way and were able to connect with fans, resulting in “Detroit” garnering over half a million plays on Spotify.

In 2015, with Berry settled back in a freshly energized Detroit and Phillips in Los Angeles, the pair again worked remotely to write the material for Time Stops Moving. After teaming up with Phillips’ former Eulogies band mates Peter Walker, Tim Hutton and Chris Reynolds, along with long time friends Dash Hutton (HAIM) and Ben Roche, Time Stops Moving became a sort of homecoming for far-flung friends. Beneath upbeat melodies, gorgeous guitar textures and choruses that reach for the skies, Time Stops Moving explores dark themes in turbulent times.

Slick and professional Ben Berry and Drew Phillips are also notable for the songs they pen and record. Easy enough on the ear, I can hear the competing background influences. It's tight and polished music that thankfully also has plenty of heart and real personality.

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August Eve - Ghost.

Minimalist background info - "Ghost," a new track from 17 year old August Eve from LA - we were sold off of the first listen to this song. She's got an incredible voice, some early buzz and she's unsigned. She's an old soul with great style and wrote this herself.

With that limited info and a link to her web-place (here) it was just a case of listen to the song. And wow, what a beautiful song, what an incredible voice and the production is superb. I highly recommend you listen to this, if no other song today! It's an old saying and a cliche to, but August Eve really is 'one to watch out for'.

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Klee Shade - Beg For Rain.

Them there promo words - Klee Shade is some music from a guy with stuff. An ever curious fan of rock, hiphop, the loud, the soft, the angry, the happy, the constructive and the destructive. A self taught multi-instrumentalist, a poor audio production ex- student and an avid studier of all things that lie between a song being written and a song being enjoyed on an international scale. Out to bring the smiles! Just happy to be here. 

‘Beg For Rain’ is a simple song about gratitude, endeavour and release. Being thankful for what you have, but wanting something more and having the strength to push on forward until you find that you've pushed the weight of the journey off your shoulders all together - and you've arrived. 

This slow jammer of a song sits upon primitive, pounding drums and bass, and is headed by rich, articulate guitar harmonies and melodies. The down-played vocals course through the gaps to act as the spinal structure of the composition, allowing the rhythm section to pulse in the chest and the intertwining guitar harmonies to play about within the ear canals. This all culminates into a show stopper of a finale section, which is sincerely unlike any arrangement of guitar parts I know of - it is to be heard to be understood for its full uniqueness and scale. Klee shade's first single. Turn it up, tune out. 'Take it slow, settle in for the ride.'

Well fair dues to the writer above, which summarises this fine song so very well. All I will add is I found myself listening a few times to take everything in, it's a little bit like a wall of sound with intricate details peppered throughout.


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The Persian Leaps - Dottie, Queen Of The West.

Background info -  "The Persian Leaps" began as a phrase singer/guitarist Drew Forsberg doodled in a notebook margin during a college Greek Archaeology course. He wrote music independently under that name for years, until finally assembling a full band in 2012 to perform and record driving, chiming music influenced by My Bloody Valentine, The Smiths, Guided by Voices and Teenage Fanclub.
    
In 2013, the Persian Leaps released debut EP Praise Elephants, which the NME described as a “celestial guitar jangle”. The band completed a follow-up EP Drive Drive Delay in 2014, praised by XS Noize for its “instantly catchy melodic harmonies layered on top of droning guitar.”
    
The band recently completed their 3rd EP, High & Vibrate. The EP features five short, infectious songs dripping with divine guitar noise underpinning gorgeous vocal harmonies. Land Ski Records releases High & Vibrate on September 25, 2015.

Energised indie rock and five fine tracks - 'High and Vibrate' is a smart EP. There is variety between the songs, however guitars and harmonies reign supreme.

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Fridays Refreshing Rock Double

No waffle, short sharp details and a couple of songs to 'knock your socks off'. If you remember the 'air guitar' craze, then feel free to strap yours on and play along, it's not only cheesy DJ's who can say "the weekend starts here".....

Jacuzzi Boys - Sun.

Some details - Miami's own Jacuzzi Boys have announced the release date to their forthcoming Happy Damage EP and reveal their new song "Sun". The track is the second single from the EP recorded at Torche Studios in Miami and slated to drop on September 18th via their recently launched MAG MAG label. The Jacuzzi Boys' (Gabriel on guitar, Diego on drums, Danny on vocals) signature Miami party sound is unmistakable on "Sun" where they provide the theme music to the Summer blues.

A hypnotic rhythm and beat drive both guitars and vocals in this 'semi-surf' rock blast, what's more it's a free download. Website (Here).

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Zurich - Alone.

And the details - 'Zurich' are an English Rock Band from Oxford who play widescreen post-punk rock with a nod to the darker side of eighties electronic pop. Earning an impressive live reputation in a competitive Oxford music scene, the band comprise of Adrian Banks (Bass & Vocals), Chris Gillett (Guitar & Vocals) and Leigh Taylor (Drums & Samples).

Zurich have just finished working on their highly anticipated debut EP 'Small Wars' with award winning producer Gary Stevenson.

Another feisty rock song that sets standards high for this emerging band. Real energy and a sound that begs for more. Website (Here).

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Thursdays Perfect Pair

Private Island - Bear Hands.

Background - Southern California based six-piece Private Island released their debut EP 'A Good Look' in the fall of 2014, and is set to premiere their first studio single later this year. Blending an alt-rock vibe with a hint of retro and funk, Private Island has drawn comparisons to acts such as The Kings of Leon and Young the Giant. Private Island is Christian Lum, Tommy Nickerson, Cameron Anderson, Michelle Guerrero, Tim Barbour and Roger Mawer.

Missed them first time around and Bear Hands is from the EP and is also free to download. Anyway sorry for being so late but this is to good not to feature. New music from them later this year according to another music blog!

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The High Learys - Letters To Alice.

Background - The High Learys are an Australian rock band formed in Perth Western Australia in 2011 by lead singer and bassist Jamie Turner, keyboardist and vocalist Michael NuA, Guitarist, MaA Williams and drummer Mitchell Benson. They have released one album, and a number of singles. Their single Clear My Mind charted at no. 1 in the AMRAP charts in 2014. They have toured internationally as well as around Australia.

The band was formed by cousins Jamie Turner and MaA Williams in late 2011, not long after the band recruited Michael NuA and former drummer Adrian MacMillan. The band started playing shows around Perth in 2011 and became well regarded for their cover versions of songs from the 50's and 60's as well as their original compositions.

In December 2012 the band recorded their debut LP Here Come The High Learys at Poons Head Studios in Fremantle, Western Australia with award winning producer Rob Grant, who has worked with the likes of Tame Impala, Miley Cyrus and Lenny Kravitz. The album was released on May 22nd on 12" vinyl through German label Soundflat Records and by December that year it had reached the highest selling album on the label for the year 2013.

In August 2014 the band went back into Poons Head Studios to record their next single Clear My Mind with producer Rob Grant. It was then released on 7" vinyl through Soundflat Records in late October. Shortly after it's release the single was used in both a Bose Headphones and Sportscraft commercial.

Oh this just has an incredible sixties 'far out' feel to it. Timothy Leary meets 'Alice' on a trip... Solid modern production and both the song and the musicians are so spot on. Fill the charts with this type of music and we can all enjoy a new 'summer of love'.

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Wednesdays Subtle Twist of Genres

CJ Hooper - By My Side.

Promo words - CJ Hooper is more than just an independent singer-songwriter blessed with oodles of talent, he’s also possibly Australia’s most unknown and understated. By My Side is the first official independent release from the acoustic based Sydney solo artist who plays multiple instruments and delivers distinctive vocal harmonies and falsetto. By My Side was recorded in Sydney at Stereo Missile Recordings with the help of well renowned producer and engineer Steve Peach.

“By My Side is a smokey, atmospheric journey that I loved working on. The acoustic guitars are hypnotic, the vocals are smooth, and the songwriting is top notch. Highly recommended!" – Steve Peach, Missile Recordings, Sydney.

‘It’s an uncomplicated love ballad in appreciation of having someone really special to share life’s journey. Not everyday is perfect, but sharing it with your soul mate is pretty close to it”, says CJ Hooper

Currently recording a new album set to be released in 2016, you may see CJ Hooper playing in a corner at your local bar over the next 12 months as he unleashes his repertoire of songs. Expect to hear more from this solo independent artist who’s inspiring and personal music is destined to connect with audiences.

Calm, collected and yes perhaps understated. For those in need of something a little more gentle and with distinctive vocals, I would suggest CJ Hooper and this tender song.

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The Main Squeeze - Angelus.

Promo words - Chicago-based rock n’ roll-funk band, The Main Squeeze, who just dropped their new single "Angelus.", the track is from their upcoming sophomore album, Mind Your Head which was produced by former American Idol judge, Randy Jackson.

The five-piece, consisting of Corey Frye (vocals), Max Newman (guitar), Ben “Smiley” Silverstein (keyboards), Reuben Gingrich (drums) and Jeremiah Hunt (bass), found its roots in Bloomington, Indiana’s live music scene back in 2010. The band refined their sound with local shows before touring over 160 dates nationally in 2014. They’ve performed at some of the country’s biggest festivals, including Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, Summer camp and Gathering of The Vibes. In addition, they were hand selected to play the Rolling Stone Super Bowl XLVI Pre-Party and won the Venetian Macau international battle of the bands in China in 2012.

Vintage soul fans will love this. Everything about this song is classic soul at it's finest and what's more, it's happening now! A modern classic and no less.

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Mieke - Sleeping Alone.

Mieke tells us - I needed to make something honest and raw. Something strange and vulnerable. Something thoughtful and free. Something that was authentic to where I'm at. For this EP I worked with Don Kerr and Howie Beck (Feist, Hayden, Bahamas), people I trust. Don records out of his house so we did the vocals in his dining room and the instruments in his basement. That let me fully connect with the feeling I had wherever I wrote the songs- in Toronto, in Tokyo, in my small town high school, or in London- and to go back to that moment.

I grew up in a forest in Ontario and spent much of my childhood wandering around out there recording songs on my little tape player. I’d mail them to radio stations with my autographed school picture and then listen eagerly to the radio expecting to hear them.

I've played shows for many years, but when I finished university I needed to make money somehow to focus on music. When I found out modelling could be a decent part time job, I started modelling and acting part time. Whenever I travel to make music or model, I learn more about myself as an artist. These songs were largely written on these travels- in Tokyo, London, New York, and LA. Everywhere I go changes me and helps me grow as an artist and a human. :)

Oh this is a really charming song. Making a song that is personal and yet not indulgent is a craft within itself. Excellent vocals and really fine production make it quite special.

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Instanika - Vroom Vroom.

What they say - We are a band that hales out of Toronto Ontario: Carlo Rubino lead vocals, Joe Porier guitar, Gordemsons drums, Micheal Kendel keyboard, produced at Micheal Kendel Studio, in Toronto.

Carlo and Joe got together with Gord to put together the 10-song album. Carlo Rubino had the lyrics and put the music melodies with guitar players Joe and Gord. Mike added his keyboard and Procussion experties after went into their studio to start recording the album Moonrain.

Carlo met Joe Porier at Joes job giving guitar lessons, Carlo approached him with his songs and Joe thought they are worth recording and we started to get together with writing sessions the really worked well, this song came easily to Joe to write the guitar parts and structure.

We played a couple gigs at the velvet underground looking for more gigs to perform around the city and eventually get tour someday. We are currently recording another 10 album, which will be completed next year, and getting distribution starting in America through Zoran distribution looking forward to it.

Well this new music round up has been far to gentle. Fixing that are Instanika and the gritty Vroom Vroom. It's a little rough around the edges, has a live feel and just grooves along fine. An antidote for tedium.
 
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Dub Is A Weapon - Charlottesville 2005 (Internet Archive)

From the Internet Archive this is Dub Is A Weapon performing live at the Outback Lodge, Charlottesville, VA, back on the 9th July 2005. This is a remarkable band whose live dub performances are a real treat to enjoy.

Describing the formation of Dub Is A Weapon we quote the following - “It can’t be done, man!” That’s what Dave Hahn, mastermind behind Dub Is A Weapon, heard when he first floated the idea of a live dub group, as he and his mates listened to some prime 1960s King Tubby cuts in the band van. “Everyone seemed to think you could only do dub in the studio,” Hahn recalls.

Hahn set out to prove them wrong, with skills learned live and on the road, and with help from a Jamaican beatnik percussionist, an old high school friend, and young upstarts from the Brooklyn scene. Together they’ve honed their live take on the genre’s spaced-out grooves.

Concise Background - Founded in 2001, Dub Is A Weapon has set out on a mission to curate the history of dub reggae by offering their unique perspective of dub studio techniques live on stage.The band has spent the last 10 years honing their craft on stage through headlining club tours across the country, supporting the likes of Antibalas, John Brown’s Body, Easy Star All Stars, as well as providing the backing music for the legend of the scene Mr. Lee “Scratch” Perry on his tours throughout North America. 

Dub Is A Weapon’s national debut record titled Vaporized (released on April 26, 2011 by Harmonized Records) has managed to bring all those experiences together in a studio effort that was recorded in the tradition of old jazz records: live in studio. “From the Black Ark days of Lee Perry to Tubby's Waterhouse dubs and discipleship of King Jammy, it's good to see that DIAW are carrying on the torch for dub fans worldwide. Vaporized not only exemplifies the evolution of dub but pays tribute to its history by retaining key characteristics that make quality dub music what it is.” (Chuck Reinemann).

Recording Details: Source mk4 > kc5 > cmc6 > m248 > mme > d8 (48k), Lineage R500 > SRC2000 > DATport > Wavelab 5 > SHNtool > FLAC (lvl 6).

Sound Quality: Very Good - A clear well produced stereo recording, that does this genre proud.

Set List:

Set 1.
01 - Intro/Tuning
02 - Etymology
03 - Insurrection
04 - Rip Van Winkle
05 - Armed and Dangerous
06 - Fever
07 - Han Fei Tzu
08 - Undefeated

Set 2.
01 - Intro/Tuning
02 - Dub is a Weapon
03 - Asheville
04 - Codename
05 - Sadr City
06 - Infinity
07 - Bruce Lee
Encore.
08 - Indestructible

Comments: There are FLAC, Ogg Vorbis and mp3 files along with the streaming material over at the Internet Archive (here).

Stream Below:

Forget The Superlatives - Just Listen!

Science and the Beat - Mean Streak.

Their Bio - This is how the world ends: with deafening indifference and retread of age-old strife. How we choose ride to out this wave varies, but still falls into the principle camps of acceptance and denial. Science and the Beat choose the latter, wanting to live moderately in their impact but decadent within themselves; feeling and loving in productive ways that give meaning to their lives. Science is the means to try and make sense of it all. The beat informs the rhythm and the approach. Nothing else matters.

Multi-instrumentalists Tasha Katrine and Rob Zilla have been carving out their creative vision since being introduced in their teens. The approach has been dexterous, mixing live shows with elaborate video and lighting installations – most notably as More Machine Than Man. As a fixture in the Goth Industrial scene, the pair was conscious of the expectations and rigid identity that develops with a long-term project. To keep those limitations from becoming self-imposed, the mission became letting creativity have free reign.

Future Blue, then, sounds like actualisation: two people growing into their cynicism and finding it to be just as potent as their youthful yearnings. Produced by Wade Alin (Christ Analogue, The Atomica Project) Future Blue pulsates with clean, taut synths that create something like a strop for the sharp and decisive use of guitar. Katrine’s voice has an inherent dewy quality that belies her on-going struggle with Sjogren’s syndrome: an immune disorder that affects the salivary glands responsible for producing moisture in the throat. Their relocation to Seattle from Boston was in search of a more favourable living climate: mild and humid. Extreme cases have resulted in a complete loss of voice and it is pushing Katrine to not only make the most of her voice but to also utilise instruments as well.

The song 'Mean Streak' really does conjure up an element of meanness, the almost stalking vocals will follow you around, warning us not to take any chances. Oh just listen, see if you get my drift.


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Marielle Allschwang - Dead Not Done. (Title track from album).

Background - Marielle Allschwang (Group of Altos, Death Blues, Hello Death) warps and distorts traditional folk music to conjure monsters, angels, and sinister pastures on debut solo album, “Dead Not Done,” to be released Aug. 11 on Gloss Records.

Channelling her first-generation American ancestors as inspiration, Allschwang revels in the sadness and strength of exile, poverty, and identity. Though not overtly political, Allschwang explores feelings of distance, separation, and being a stranger in the world. Intimate tales emerge from minimalist soundscapes.

Milwaukee born and raised by a memoir-writing grandmother, poet father, and singing mother who learned guitar from a nun in the Philippines, Allschwang is now a frequent collaborator in the city’s burgeoning experimental and folk scenes—contributing vocals (and gong) to Jon Mueller’s multi-disciplinary project, Death Blues, violin and vocals in the 16-piece post-rock super group, Group of the Altos, and guitar and vocals to dark-folk outfit Hello Death. All the while, Allschwang has been exploring her musical identity as a solo artist.

Allschwang credits her involvement in Altos as a turning point in her artistic path. Here she had a fertile arena for collaboration and exploration, and formed a close artistic relationship with fellow band mate Adam Krause, who nudged her to compose songs together for the audio-visual zine, Lemon o Books, in 2012. That collaboration introduced more experimental elements into Allschwang’s music, many of which appear on “Dead Not Done.”

Delicate guitar melodies and tape loop murmurs are now familiar friends, but “Dead Not Done” also features numerous contributions by members of Altos. Bowed metal chair legs and sounding barn wall tremors marry Allschwang’s storytelling with tactile mystery. Generations old, the narratives are animated and revived by a daughter, a granddaughter, and her guitar.

There is a certain beauty here that reminds me in part of Kate and Anna McGarrigle at their most intimate and traditional. Add to that a more electric and heavier sound on some songs and I think, I am as close as I ever will be, in describing this album. In summary a brilliant surprise and an album to play over and over.

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The Rightovers - Blue Blood (Album).

Background and Bio - The Rightovers' ten song LP Blue Blood was released on July 31, 2015, (on aquamarine vinyl via the band's Trebleplane imprint, and on CD and digital via Seattle's Jigsaw Records. Both the vinyl and CD will be distributed worldwide by Darla).

  The Rightovers began under the name Conceptus in the mid-2000s as an outlet for Chris Holmes’ first crudely-recorded songs. Taking inspiration from lo-fi forbears like Pavement, Ween, the Television Personalities and the Clean and combining it with the peerless pop of The Records and The Raspberries, Holmes spent his nights and weekends recording modest odes to fun, fear and failure in his L.A. apartment.

After relocating to San Diego, Chris found a group of like-minded collaborators, and first group Conceptus took shape as a fully-functioning band. The lineup remained together for three years, performing frequently and recording a debut full-length, Trebly Feelings. After growing weary of the crowded Southern California indie scene, Holmes pulled up stakes and relocated to Hawaii to pursue a Master's degree (and further indulge his surfing obsession). The isolation of island living turned out to be a musical blessing, allowing him to refocus his songwriting. Holmes spent his first summer off back at his parents’ house in Sun Valley, Idaho, where he set about tracking a second record, the new Blue Blood.

Holmes recorded instruments and vocals for the chiming, charming collection of songs in his basement over the course of three months before calling in pals Mike Kamoo (The Loons) to play drums, and Sarah O’Brien to add backing vocals. Holmes mixed the record upon returning to Oahu’s North Shore. The release of Blue Blood is already drawing close interest from pop devotees from around the world, and Seattle’s indie pop-centric Jigsaw Records is helping get the word out about The Rightovers’ new record as well.

Keeping it upbeat, straight down the line and thoroughly enjoyable, The Rightovers have a natural flare for jangle come indie pop and rock. What's more important they don't follow a 'safe' format and can mix it up without losing their core style.

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Sundays Alternative Take - Someone Stole The Genre

Basecamp - Watch My Back.

Intro words - Nashville trio Basecamp announce their new EP, Greater Than out August 21st via OWSLA. The EP is a fully realized collection of R&B-tinged dance tracks inspired by the group’s admiration for art and the more technical aspects of electronic music.

Cool vocals over a sparkling soundtrack that pauses and shifts along, their delight in the art of electronic music is clearly defined.

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Pure Phase Ensemble 4 - Morning Rise - (from the album).

The details - Pure Phase Ensemble 4 feat. Mark Gardener (RIDE) to release 'Live at SpaceFest' LP - Pure Phase Ensemble is an international music collective, created especially for the SpaceFest festival in Gdansk, which takes place annually in December and is organised by the Nasiono Association. The city of Gdansk plays host to this blossoming music festival each year in the first week of December, at which time numerous select musicians from Poland and abroad gather to take part in a special workshop series. They collectively compose a concert's worth of music, which they then present live to the festival-goers. Each year, this unique performance is recorded live and subsequently released as an LP.

The programme for each workshop is jointly curated by Ray Dickaty, a British saxophonist improviser and former member of Spiritualized (1997-2002), and Karol Schwarz (KSAS), who also manages Nasiono Records. Along with these two key figures, every festival involves a new musical director - a legendary, internationally recognised musician, who is invited to co-curate the workshop.

During the latest SpaceFest, Mark Gardener, the frontman of celebrated shoegaze pioneers RIDE who also recently released an LP with Robin Guthrie (Cocteau Twins), occupied this seat of honour.  Past participants include Laetitia Sadier (Stereolab), Chris Olley (Six By Seven), Steve Hewitt (ex Placebo), and Jaime Harding (Marion).

This is a fascinating album and the genres delved in to include - shoegaze, space rock, indie rock, alternative rock, post-rock, dreampop, and ambient. Therefore the featured track is just part of the story, one that has so much to offer and in my opinion, something quite special.

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Wallace - Beauty (Ft. Sampa The Great).

Background - Australian based future-soul singer Wallace has followed up her stunning debut with another stellar track. Beauty is song is about finding beauty wherever you are and finding strength and inspiration internally.

"This is essentially me talking to myself (which I do a little too often). The chorus is me reminding myself that I create my own success: "Caught ya, caught ya, caught ya sewing new starts into my sky" and for lack of a better metaphor every cloud has a silver lining: "Caught ya, caught ya, caught ya re-arranging my clouds", says Wallace.

Inspired by Electric Wire Hustle, Georgia Anne Muldrow and Muhsinah, each verse explores different concepts. The first, stumbling across beauty in a place you didn't expect to find it. The second, realising it's ok to pursue something you're passionate about, and the third learning from a bad experience and growing despite it. Sampa The Great lends a rap to the track,  with her strong, sincere lyrics adding an even more "girl power" element to the music. Be sure to check out Wallace's debut Vinyl Skip, released earlier this year.

Future soul singer and songwriter Wallace Gollan’s music is an exciting mosaic combination of blues, soul, and jazz. She creates music in spaces unfamiliar, addresses silences with harmonies so detailed it is simple and expressive that words are not needed to understand her message. She possesses a type of sound others have labeled in the vein of Erykah Badu, Little Dragon or Carmen McRae. With a contagious smile, a humble personality and a rare name to begin with, Wallace Gollan is set to make some serious heads turn in the music industry.

Soul grooves over a modern soundtrack, Sampa The Great provides a 'pause' that works and the whole thing has that timeless soul feel through Wallace's stunning vocals.

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Silvertron Youth Choir - Spaceship Sunlight (from debt album).

Biography - Doubling down on the zany, beer-battered inflorescence of past projects such as Mongoose Thompson and Nodding Tree Remedies, Thomas Mudrick and the Silvertron Youth Choir take the more hilariously warped happenstances of previous projects and turn them up to 11 with Our God Is A Possum God, the newest release from Mudrick and his Oregon based crew of merry pranksters. As with the aforementioned projects, as well as the prodigious and ever-expanding back-catalogue of Thomas Mudrick’s own solo records (most recently 2013’s (((boing))) and 2014’s Abiqua), Our God Is A Possum God draws listeners into a web of sprightly, imaginative musical vortices that follow none but their own internal piper. With the Silvertron Youth Choir, Mudrick and long time co-conspirator and drum whiz Ian Hartley (The Shivas) cobble together a gem of a record that’s both hilarious and strange, often at once.

Silvertron Youth Choir isn’t short on inanity, assembling what could at times be described as children’s music made for (and seemingly by) mightily stoned adults; a pin wheeling, day- tripping, hipping and hopping, skipping and jumping ramble through the worm hole into a range of delightfully visual and guffaw-inducing ditties tackling all manner of subjects, such as: pies made of whiskey and bacon, soda pop downloading computer programs for red necks, water spider birds on the tundra, philosophical mayonnaise, peanut butter trains, cosmic hybrid creatures riding forklifts, pamplemooses, and, as a lyrical coup-de-grace of sorts, Justin Beiber mounted triumphantly atop a giant rodent.

If all that sounds like an earful of nonsense, it is, and that’s the point. The crux of Silvertron Youth Choir’s tune-wrangling is in their ability to spool out numbers that make liberal use of deft musicianship and pop/folk song craft while remaining ridiculously irreverent and often wickedly funny, eliciting a sense not unlike those uncontrollable belly laughs one gets after too many bong rips. As with so much of Thomas Mudrick’s past work, Our God Is A Possum God is firmly indebted to the Old Masters’ use of dada-inspired non-sequitur as a way to contort the quotidian nature of mainstream pop and rock: early Beck, Zappa, Ween, the Residents, They Might Be Giants, etc..

Weirdly wonderful and the vision of Justin Beiber mounted atop a giant rodent is reason enough to include. Featured track is one dimension of a genre undefinable album, hence the Zappa & They Might Be Giants references above.

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