Thursday Three: Givers - Satchmode - Christine Leakey

Givers - Growls.

Background words - Louisiana-based indie poppers Givers have announced their highly anticipated second album 'New Kingdom' will see a UK release of 8th April via Glassnote Records.

When Givers formed in 2008 in the sweaty dance halls of Lafayette, Louisiana, they knew right away that they had something special. Crafted from the improvisational and dance-fuelled atmosphere of the area's zydeco, Cajun, and jazz cultures mixed with an affection for new wave, funk, and world music, the infectious results brought a quick rise to the spotlight for the young band. Soon after forming, a fortuitous opportunity to play a string of shows with Dirty Projectors arose, bringing them swiftly to the attention of listeners outside the southwest Louisiana region. Their debut album In Light was released two years later in 2011 on Glassnote Records, backed by extensive touring. During that time, they found themselves bouncing along a global festival circuit, making their national TV debut with Jimmy Fallon and performing alongside the likes of Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Carnegie Hall.

After an extended break from rigorous touring, the band met in the peaks of Beech Mountain, North Carolina to begin collaborating for their Sophomore album. Their nomadic approach to recording led them across the Smoky Mountains to the wintry hills of the Eau Claire, Wisconsin and back down to the placid lakes of south Louisiana, causing a transformation that led them to the surface of something new and unseen. This myriad of changing influences can be felt throughout the intricate and startling New Kingdom, their most recent work.

A mixture of styles and sounds greet you with 'Growls'. The vocals and harmonies add order and direction, however musically the song retains it's melting pot of ideas. Original and very likeable.

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Satchmode - Don't Give Up On Me.

Background promo - Satchmode is a dream pop duo from Los Angeles made up of Gabe Donnay and Adam Boukis.  Collectively, they represent an eclectic diversity of musical experience, having gigged in everything from folk and bluegrass outfits to jazz combos to noise rock and funk bands. Out of this incongruous assortment of influences, they have distilled a sound that is refreshingly varied, ranging from infectious, upbeat disco grooves to rich, cinematic soundscapes. Still, their compositions are tied together by an emphasis on memorable melodies and meaningful song writing and a love for electronic manipulation.  Satchmode is currently recording their debut full-length album, to be released in 2016.

"Don't Give Up On Me" is a much faster, higher energy song that anything we've released before. But it still centers around familiar themes: regret and pain about a broken relationship, and desperate denial about the state of things." - Satchmode

Musically 'Don't Give Up On Me' blasts off at some pace and temporarily reminded me of a more upbeat OMD. Vocally the dream pop vibe is clearly present. A nice taster for their full length album due at some point this year.

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Christine Leakey - Twinkle.

Background from Christine -  I'm thrilled to share the first single entitled, Twinkle off my soon to be released second solo record entitled, Wanderlust Wishing Well.

I travelled to Los Angeles to record and self-produce my album with my friend, Fernando Perdomo who produces many including Linda Perhacs and is lead guitarist in Jakob Dylan’s project Echo in the Canyon (my drummer Matt is also the drummer in Echo in the Canyon). Twinkle is the sole track on the album that Fernando produced and I co-produced with him.

Another music related project that I’m excited to share about is that on Valentine’s Day, I officially become a published writer. I was approached along with 100 women in indie music globally to take part writing a book by 5 time Grammy Award winning producer, Devine Evans and backed by Queen Latifah entitled, Sheet Music: The Diary of a Songwriter. They are having a book launch at the Avalon Theatre in Hollywood for it on the book launch date.

Anyway, I'm really hoping that you will enjoy Twinkle which is just one music flavour from a variety of what’s to come on my second album which is a blend of upbeat songs, a few dreamy ones, some jazzy and sultry ones, other worldly, circus vibes and more with a cinematic twist and with some phenomenal surprise guests! :D Also,  if you listen at the end of Twinkle, you will hear the gang vocals who are the voices of many who are on the upcoming album with me.

Oh I do like 'Twinkle'. The originality is all to apparent, as is the heart and soul that pours through this song. Occasionally a song (and artist) comes along that really justifies the time and attention I have for music. Christine Leakey and the song 'Twinkle' makes it all seem worthwile.

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Genre Wander: Freedom Fry - Jonny Avery - The Jade Assembly

Freedom Fry - The Words.

Background words - We were messing around in the studio and came up with this hybrid, disco-folk song. It’s written from the perspective of a boyfriend or girlfriend who just needs to hear that they’re still wanted. We really liked that the lyric “Just say the words” kind of also sounds like “Je sais the words.” “Je sais” means “I know” in French. - Bruce & Marie

In February 2015, Freedom Fry started the year at #1 on The Hype Machine with their first in a series of new singles, “Shaky Ground (Hey Na Na Na).” Just a few weeks later, Spotify included them in their rankings of “100 Emerging Artists From SXSW,” where they met Belgian sensation Stromae and were asked to support his west coast tour. Freedom Fry ended the tour with the beginning of a weekly May residency in Los Angeles, then took off to well-received shows in London & Paris, and came back to tour the east coast with Communion Presents.

The French/American duo, whose stage name is a satire on US & French relations during the Iraq war, have been self-producing and releasing music since 2011 when they first met on the set of a music video. Their home base, Los Angeles, and all the warmth and sunshine of California tends to heavily bleed into their sound – which skirts the lines between pop, folk and indie-rock – always blended with danceable rhythms and a sing-a-long chorus.

I just liked the idea of a hybrid disco-folk song as soon as I read the promo for this. I was not disappointed either. There's a fresh, breezy feel all the way through. Today's big question therefore has to be, is disco-folk the way forward? 

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Jonny Avery - Captains Of Industry.

Background promo - Jonny Avery is a singer/songwriter from New Zealand who mixes soulful melodies with delicate guitar work. After moving to Wellington to complete his Masters in Music at the New Zealand School of Music, Jonny released his debut solo EP ‘Atonement for Eden’. He has had a busy year, performing regularly around New Zealand. Recently he opened for Australian heavyweights Pendulum on their ‘Rhythm And Vines’ tour. Jonny’s influences include Paul Simon, Jeff Buckley and James Taylor.

“Captains of Industry” is co written by Jonny and his dad. The first half of the lyrics were penned by Jonny’s dad before he passed away in 2000. Several years later, and unaware that the song even existed, Jonny found the lyrics in his dad’s old briefcase in the basement in his childhood home while on holiday. Jonny decided to pay homage to his dad by composing a melody and bridge so that the song could be completed. Soon after, he got his band together to record the song at a local school in Wellington. It was mastered at Park Road Productions in Wellington, the same studio that worked on the post-production of The Lord of The Rings movies.

“‘Captains of Industry’ is about corporate greed and the unacceptable treatment of natural resources in exchange for profit. It’s a difficult topic to sing about so I decided drape the song in irony by adding joyful beats and instrumentation. It’s best to interpret the lyrics as an accusation of unethical behaviour towards global corporations, rather then a song that actually praises them— I only mention this because people have come up to me after gigs asking me why I support such crazy ideas.” - Jonny Avery.

'Captains Of Industry' is pleasing both musically, with some intricate and understated musicianship, along with intelligent lyrics, that ironically have been misinterpreted by some, as Jonny states above.

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The Jade Assembly - Nothing Changes.

Background promo - Manchester has always synonymous with music. So many bands, so much attitude, so much history. Some bands concern themselves with style, neglecting substance. Some bands, like The Jade Assembly, claim to have both.

From the passion of Watson and Danny's rhythm section, to the raw power of Smed's guitar work, each song is constructed to accompany northern poet John Foster's lyrics perfectly. In Foz the band have a front man who possesses an imposing sense of belief, not devoid of arrogance - but full of commitment.

Live Dates:
Feb 7th - Soundcontrol Manchester / Sound Control to Major Tom: For David Bowie
Feb 10th - Trafford Radio: Interview and Live Performance
Feb 13th - Manchester Academy 3 with Sixty Minute Man, Liam McClair, Dirty Saint & The Brakes
Feb 26th - BeerPrest / Prestwich Beer Festival with headline act Badly Drawn Boy
March 5th - Sebright Arms, London
March 17th - Studio 2, Parr Street, Liverpool
March 25th - Engine Rooms, Skelmersdale
March 27th - B Fest, Bolton
April 1st - Late Lounge, Rhyl
April 8th - Old Courts, Wigan.

'Nothing Changes' is one really good song. Forget about all the Manchester 'swagger and attitude' hype, this is a band who have real musical substance. Looking forward to hearing more from The Jade Assembly.

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The Attics - Not Like

The Attics - Not Like.

Background promo - Returning to their roots for their latest release, ‘Not Like’ is quirky pop music, standing on the sidelines of a dancefloor. Sparse verses with minimal beats, choruses that show careful, yet catchy restraint and a twisted psych breakdown with a looping falsetto calling “hometown always is one place; she goes away, but always stays with me”. This is pop songwriting, flirting with deep layers of effected synthetic instruments and wonky bass lines.

Past singles ‘We Broke The Sky’ and ‘Ultraviolets’, from their most recent release, received attention from Australian music blogs, and secured high rotation airplay on several public radio stations across Australia, including triple j Unearthed. These tracks and their mesmerising live show have led to comparisons with acts as wide ranging as The Murlocs, Pond, Jagwar Ma and Unknown Mortal Orchestra. The Attics’ hard work and relentless gigging across Melbourne and Victoria has been recognised and paid off with a slot at the Apollo Bay and Queenscliff Music Festivals as well as securing a position on the By The Meadow line-up alongside Foreign/National, Dorsal Fins and Sunbeam Sound Machine.

‘Not Like’ was recorded with Hector Castillo (two-time x Grammy award winner – worked with David Bowie, Bjork, Lou Reed, Roger Waters) at Sydney’s iconic Studios 301. The track was then mixed and mastered in the careful hands of Isaac Barter (Canary, Life Is Better Blonde). The Attics are excited to announce their upcoming tour hitting regional centres across Victoria as well as headline shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.

Upcoming Shows:
19th Feb - The Barwon Club, Geelong (w/ Murdena, Velvet Bow)
20th Feb - The Loft, Warrnambool (w/ The Stiffys, Blackwood Jack)
26th Feb - Straight Shooters, Colac (w/ Velvet Bow)
4th Mar - The Grace Darling, Melbourne (w/ Uncle Bobby, Neon Queen, IO)
18th Mar - Union Hotel, Sydney (w/ Suiix, Space Monk, Plum)
19th Mar - The Phoenix, Canberra (w/ Wallflower, Mondecreen).

'Not Like' did enough for me to give it a second play. It's definitely a 'grower' possibly because it dares to be different and is so, so unpretentious. Quirky with heaps of style.

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Sunday Double: Highasakite - Loop Line

Highasakite - Someone Who'll Get It.

Background promo - Norway’s Highasakite return with perhaps their darkest offering to date, unveiling new single ‘Someone Who’ll Get It’ – the first lifted from the band’s highly-anticipated sophomore LP, slated for release this year. It ricochets; it resonates, with Highasakite’s signature battalion in full force. 

The track hints to the brooding premise of Highasakite’s forthcoming album, serving a worthy successor to debut LP ‘Silent Treatment’ – an effort applauded on both sides of the Atlantic and now claiming the record for longest consecutive run in Norwegian chart history, having spent 94 weeks in the Top 40. Championed by the likes of Pitchfork, NME and The Guardian, ‘Silent Treatment’ has achieved international acclaim since its release in February 2014; awarded 2x Norwegian Grammys, an Impala Nomination (European Independent Album of the Year), a Triple J Hottest 100 (AUS) placing with single ‘Since Last Wednesday’ and Album/Single of the Year listings on NPR (US).

Upon first listen, ‘Someone Who’ll Get It’ presents somewhat sinister, but not without context: “The gunshots make more sense if you hear the new album as a whole,” explains vocalist Ingrid Helene Håvik. “The theme of the album is war and terrorism. Not the war at home, like ‘Silent Treatment’, but what is going on in the world right now.”

Despite loose political commentary, the album is without agenda. The intention is not to persuade or invade but more so, an attempt to make sense of the inner turmoil born of external unrest. “It’s not a political album in the sense that I want people to side with specific party or mindset, but it has been central in my life,” Håvik says. “There are not many love songs on the album, because I haven't been in that state of mind for a long time. Global warming and war have been my main concern.” 

'Someone Who'll Get It' lands ahead of Highasakite’s first ever UK headline at London’s Hoxton Hall on February 9, with tickets having sold out just days after general announce. A new London show is announced at Village Underground on May 24, alongside a string of headline performances throughout Europe. The band has been touring nearly non-stop since the spring of 2014, including dates with Of Monsters and Men (UK/EU/US), London Grammar (US) and a 10,000 capacity show at Sverresborg Arena, Trondheim late last year.

Plenty of positive words have been written and said regarding Highasakite, and not that surprising on the strength of songs like the featured 'Someone Who'll Get It'. It's a really catchy song, maybe indie pop defines it, whatever the category the hooks will get you!

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Loop Line - Nothing About You.

Background bio - Loop Line is an indie-rock band based out of multiple locations.  They are but two men, who live in different cities. Currently, Paul lives in Minneapolis and Luke lives in Phoenix. They first met in Minneapolis, where they played together in various bands until 2009, when life got in the way and forced their musical collaboration online.

Geographically challenged ever since, they've been making music together by sending files back and forth over the internet, revising and adding to each other's demos until they become truly collaborative songs.  Hence the moniker "Loop Line," representing the musical data packets that are constantly traveling back and forth between two points, thousands of miles apart. Wakes is the follow up to their 2014 LP, Tides, which was described by L'etoile Magazine as "great, creative interesting stuff...sounds like nothing else going on [in Minneapolis] right now," and "adventurous" and "ebullient" by BandCamp Hunter.

The new EP 'Wakes' came out last Friday (29th Jan), from which 'Nothing About You' is the first track. Luke from the band tells us "We've been compared to the Beach Boys and XTC by L'etoile Magazine" which certainly left me intrigued. Having listened to the EP it's actually a pretty good description, but don't think of the band as clones of the comparisons, they have created some fine songs that stand on there own feet.


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Two Totally Different: Darla And The Blonde - Left With Pictures

Darla And The Blonde - End of the Party.

Background promo - About ‘End Of The Party’ In the finest tradition of deathless rock’n’roll, ‘End Of The Party’ is an electrifying mix of the grit and the glitter, built on an infectious glam-rock groove interspersed with sparks of searing guitar. Atop this grungy, Ziggy-like bedrock, Jen Demaris and Nina Lovelace’s crystalline voices ring out a catchy and powerful melody, which, rather than being concerned with the closing stages of a heady night out, is in fact about Hong Kong’s Umbrella Revolution of 2014: “This Is The Time And These Are The Places/Where You Must Bend To Changing Faces”. With touches of The Runaways here, Patti Smith there, ‘End Of The Party’’s absorbing progression takes in a pristine solo by guitarist Rob McCabe before climaxing in a rush of vocal harmonies, a fitting final refrain of what is a gleeful testament to the scope of Darla And The Blonde’s ambition.

About Darla And The Blonde Encompassing the seductive glamour of goth, the catchy harmonics of pop, the experimentalism of prog and the narrative traditions of folk, Darla And The Blonde are a broad-based five-piece who craft their influences into a bold and distinctive brand of dramatic alt.rock. Formed in East London by chief songwriter Nina Lovelace (rhythm guitar and backing vocals), the band are completed by Jen Demaris (lead vocals), Rob McCabe (lead guitar), Craig Page (bass) and Tom Loffman (drums). While Darla And The Blonde’s sound is influenced by the likes of Nick Cave and PJ Harvey, and their live performances take cues from musical theatre, Lovelace’s lyrics are primarily inspired by the concerns and experiences of inspirational women, both real and fictional. Darla And The Blonde’s superb single, ‘End Of The Party’, released on 18 March, will shortly be followed by a five-track EP that turns its lyrical focus to subjects ranging from age and trans gender issues to the escapades of feminine espionage, all set to the band’s impassioned and inventive alt.rock sonics.

'End of the Party' is defined by powerful vocals and an equally powerful band. It's a mixture of potent alt. rock with a brooding semi Gothic feel, and enough originality still to make it's own mark.

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Left With Pictures - Terra Firma.

Background Bio - Left With Pictures are an orchestral pop ensemble from London. Formed in 2005, they started with three hard-up, classically trained musicians who forsook the orchestra pit for the sanctuary of their keyboard player’s loft. Armed with synths, guitars, strings, kazoos, found-sounds and a shoestring budget, they began with a series of self-releases and impromptu performances in theatres, bars and bedrooms.

In 2008 LWP signed to Organ Grinder Records – with whom they have released two albums, Beyond Our Means (2009) and 2011’s In Time, an album consisting of 12 songs which were released monthly and premiered by Gideon Coe on BBC 6 Music. Over 10 years the band has won critical praise, expanded their live sound, and steadily refined their craft of inventive pop music, where the acoustic and the electronic are intricately combined. Afterlife – their first release in five years – is the result of a band evolving, and pulling apart their sound in order to explore their own innate creativity, much of which can be attributed to the appointment of Richard Formby (Wild Beasts, Ghostpoet, Darkstar, Hood) as producer.

Formby acted as a sounding board and as a voice to challenge any comfort zones the band may slip back into after 10 years together, as Tom Walker explains: "Richard’s job as producer was often to gently unpick what we’d done and refocus it. He encouraged us to change arrangements in the studio –often stripping parts away and leaving a broader, more cinematic sound. Richard is a master of vintage equipment – modular synths, old organs, tape delays, etc. – and he always had ideas about which sounds to use and how to distort, bend and re-imagine the music we made."

In many ways it’s the sound of a band reborn, which is fitting when considering their subject matter. Much of what appears on Afterlife very frankly concerns endings, death and renewal – themes which evolved over the course of the writing and recording process. Bloody Mess doesn’t mince its words with the line “I don’t know what my body will to do me today / I’m scared to go to sleep tonight.” before the album’s lead track Terra Firma (a song very plainly about dying) climaxes in a kind of folktronic, symphonic soup, bolstered by gently swelling strings, ghostly church-pew background vocals and a gorgeous looped synth motif, all preceded by the contemplative lyric “It’s easy to go on without a life you know nothing about, when you spend your days at the water’s edge.”

Left With Pictures are Tom Walker, Stuart Barter and Toby Knowles. They are joined live by Alex Gold on percussion and Mike Cranny on bass.

'Terra Firma' is the 'icing on the cake' for me this week. What an incredible song! On the basis of this one track, my personal music collection is set to expand with their back catalogue. Just wonderful.

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Two Good Ones: Halfloves - Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros

Halfloves - It's Easy To Love.

Background - Halfloves recently released their first single off their upcoming self-titled full length album out March 4th. This song and forthcoming album are produced by Imagine Dragons’ producer Brandon Darner.

Previously know as The Olympics, Halfloves have been gaining plaudits from many music and press outlets with praise for the bands energy and enthusiasm especially performing live.

Recently they announced on their Facebook page "Thanks to Nate Logsdon at Iowa Informer for including us in this list of Daytrotter sessions and calling us "the best currently active rock band in Iowa"! Indeed it would appear that these guys have been making a big, big impact on their home music scene. Just one of many quotes about the band - "This is an Iowa band you need to know... they’ve matured into an excellent indie rock band capable of weaving tones together into a bright, rocking and melodic dose of pure pop." - Ames Tribune

'It's Easy To Love' is my personal introduction to Halfloves and it's an impressive song. Somewhere between indie pop and rock, this is one of those tracks that just gets into my head and stays there.

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Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros - No Love Like Yours.

Background words - Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros announce the release date of their 4th LP PersonA via Community Music. The ten song set will be available on April 15th.

The first single is entitled "No Love Like Yours".

Singer Alex Ebert says, "We had long been a social experiment first, musicians second. Over time, though, we were emerging, by virtue of hours spent, into a group of musicians who could really play together.” The shift is tangible in the band's latest LP.

Recording the music almost entirely in one room together in New Orleans, their approach was a far cry from the ramshackle, come-one-come-all production audible on recordings of their previous albums.

Lets just say it would be very easy to throw superlatives and compliments all day long at 'No Love Like Yours'. What a great song to start the weekend to, enjoy.

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Oakes & Smith - Closer To Home (featuring Jon Anderson).

Oakes & Smith - Closer To Home (featuring Jon Anderson).

Background words - Oakes and Smith perform gentle, acoustic folk with voices blending in close harmonies. They sing soothing and soulful tunes inspired by nature, love, spirit, art and poetry. The harmonious blend of their voices creates an ethereal sound and unique quality not often heard in today's popular music, and their songs evoke a sense of wonder, expressing themes such as love, beauty, innocence and mystery. Their debut album, First Flight, mixed by Grammy-winning engineer Oz Fritz and released in November 2013, was received warmly by listeners and critics alike.

The duo has appeared at The Guthrie Center in Great Barrington, MA; the NJ Folk Project in Morristown, NJ; Infinity Music Hall in Norfolk, CT; FloydFest in Floyd, VA; the Hudson Music Fest in Hudson, NY; at Andrea Clearfield's Salon in Philadelphia, PA; at the Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, MA; and have had a weekly residency at Canyon Ranch in Lenox, MA since March, 2014. They have opened for HuDost, The Boxcar Lilies, and members of Barefoot Truth.

Both Robert and Katherine were born into musical families and started performing and writing at a very young age. Katherine, whose grandfather, great aunts and uncles, father and mother all sang, started harmonising as a teenager with her parents' Connecticut-based choral group. She then went on to perform musical theatre pieces and jazz and pop songs in high school and college productions. Katherine has also combined her love of singing with an affinity for writing, visual art, stagecraft and acting. Robert began as a kid singing and playing bass guitar in his blues-and-jazz-singing father's band. Later, he sang and played in many New Jersey-based rock bands with his brother before going on to self-produce several albums of original songs and perform in many New York City-area venues. Robert has been writing stories, songs and poems for as long as he can remember, a passion that continues to this day.

They both relocated to the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts, a peaceful place filled with natural and cultural beauty, which very much influences their sound and creative process. Ever since their first — unexpected — meeting there during the summer of 2007, they have both felt like there were unseen hands drawing them together to create something more than each were doing on their own. Since then, they have continued to let themselves be led along a path of collaboration, staying open and saying 'yes' to the possibilities it offered.

'Closer To Home' is the final song from the five track EP 'Between The Earth and The Sky'. With enchanting harmonies and vocals, this is a small collection of songs that leave a big impression. Beyond guitar, piano and drums we are treated to cello, mandolin and even bamboo flute, all of which just add to the richness of the work. If you only have a passing interest in folk orientated music, check this EP out, it really is something quite special.

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Singers & Songs: Rolla Olak - Vandaveer

Rolla Olak - 2AM

Background promo - Heavy Feather is Rolla Olak’s highly anticipated third album, released January 19, 2016 on Older Records. Heavy Feather was recorded on Vancouver Island, Canada and produced by Aaron Older (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros) and engineered, mixed and mastered by Colin Stewart (Black Mountain).

In Addition to Olak’s hauntingly appeasing voice, original song writing and refined guitar playing, the accompanying musicians on this record are impossibly well suited to this project: Kathryn Calder (The New Pornographers) sings and plays piano with great talent, Nick Petrowitch (Bend Sinister) is on percussion and plays with distinctive precision, Louise Burns (Lillix) harmonises with Olak brilliantly. Aaron Older is on synths and drum machines and Francesco Lyon (Sun Wizard) adds world-music-styled vocal arrangements. Olak’s sound is original, warm and evocative; it’s an invitation to experience a mosaic of gratifying emotions. Heavy Feather is a narrative of friendship, romance, heartache and the search for teaching and learning virtues.

Olak described “I’m usually the guy writing songs in a cabin in the woods, inspired by the beauty of nature and miles away from any distractions or fancy coffee shops. Out in the wilderness it’s easy to find the muse. These days I’m writing in a basement off East Hastings Street in Vancouver. It’s a completely different atmosphere down here” ( Shared with Nanobot) Rolla Olak’s dichotomy of a solitary man in the woods meets city slicking in East Van makes him an exceptionally well-rounded musician.

His songs combine the best of Shoegaze, Blues, Americana and Country resulting in a profoundly enjoyable musical experience. Olak is inspired by the likes of Neil Young, Randy Newman and Bob Dylan, which is evident in his authentic songwriting yet the sound is completely original. His songs tell a story, but are not obvious or formulaic. Although Heavy Feather is an emotional album it never feels sorry for itself, which is refreshing in these modern days of ours. The album is ten songs strong, flawlessly assembled, mixed with precision and worth generous listens with a new resonation every time.

'Heavy Feather' is a ten track album of which '2AM' is the opening song. With distinctive and pleasing vocals, the album gently eases the listener into a variety of styles and moods. Production is superb, helped enormously by the quality of songs and the musical professionalism. It's a case of if you like 2AM, you will love the album.

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Vandaveer - A Little Time Off Ahead (Single).

Background promo - Hearts won. Love lost. Battles waged. Demons cast. Fatherhood, fellowship and full circles. The winding road and the welcoming home. The great beginning, the great unknown and a lot of in-between, too. It's all present and accounted for on Vandaveer's fifth and career-defining LP, The Wild Mercury.

Having written his most personal collection of songs to date, Mark Charles Heidinger initially planned to strip the recording process down to as few elements as possible, pursuing a more direct, minimalist approach. But after huddling with vocalist, Rose Guerin, and long-time producer, Duane Lundy, they charted a new course, enveloping these autobiographical vignettes with a full spectrum of sound. And with more than a little help from their friends. The trio called in brothers-in-arms, J. Tom Hnatow, Robby Cosenza and Justin Craig, for a prolonged session of sonic wayfinding. What emerged is musical alchemy—these are songs fully realised; this is Vandaveer fully formed.

The album’s title is an apt allusion to the musical explorations therein, fluid and bright, reaching from the traditions of Americana into modern pop soundscapes. The end result—a set of songs honest and wry, personal yet utterly relatable—proves that solitary journeys can find deeper, more meaningful truths through collective exploration.

Heidinger's saturated vocals alternately soothe and electrify. When paired with Guerin's angelic, bittersweet alto, the two create quicksilver harmonies. Long the defining quality of Vandaveer’s shape shifting sound, this amalgam comes into full focus here. And throughout, Heidinger's undeniable gift for storytelling shines as he reflects on possibilities forfeited, on narratives yet to be formed from the raw materials of the past. These are songs from a father to a child, a musician to his muse, a band mate to a brother—songs of parting and return, of joy and melancholy, of life with all its paradoxes, of beauty, both indelible and ephemeral.

With poignant, everyman narratives and striking, folk-based harmonies, Vandaveer loosely fall under the Americana umbrella, but the band regularly elbow their way into wider spaces with a kaleidoscopic assortment of sounds. On The Wild Mercury, they're stretching the genre's fibers even further. The Wild Mercury will be released on February 19th via WhiteSpace Records and distributed by MRi / Sony RED.

'A Little Time Off Ahead' is a buoyant, breezy song, with vocals and harmonies that can't help but lift my spirit. I have only heard this track so far, however on one song alone, the album is awaited with a palpable level of eagerness.

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Tuesday At The Double: La Sera - Foxtails Brigade

La Sera - High Notes.

Background promo - The title of La Sera's fourth album says a lot by saying so precious little: Music For Listening to Music To. So, in other words, "music." After the punky heft and wildness of 2014's Hour of the Dawn, an LP that thrashed against expectation, Katy Goodman returns with a set of songs that double down on solid simplicity — the power of wry lyrics, glorious guitar, driving back beat, and the occasional pump organ groove. And as the record cover gives away, Goodman isn't alone. La Sera is a duo now — that's guitarist/co writer/new husband (!) Todd Wisenbaker standing up there. And Ryan Adams joins to produce the fruit of their union, La Sera's first live-recorded analog album, featuring 10 tunes about good love, bad love, dead men, and confused kids.

Music For Listening to Music Toopens on "High Notes," where rollicking guitar and punk drums chugga-chugga beneath Goodman's assured coo. Her lines deftly wrap the snark of Morrissey inside the sneer of Johnny Cash, and if you ask her what her favourite parts of the new album are, she'll tell you it's the scrappy stuff.

From the new La Sera record, produced by Ryan Adams 'High Notes' really is just part of the story (as is the above promo edited down considerably!). What the featured track does do, is to demonstrate what a class act La Sera are, and gives just a small flavour of a very good album.

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Foxtails Brigade - We Are Not Ourselves.

Background bio - Once you hear Laura Weinbach sing, you’ll never mistake her for anyone else. As the front woman of Bay Area indie-pop ensemble Foxtails Brigade, Weinbach breathes life into a character at once sweet and fearsome, angelic and menacing; the allusion of timidity while conjuring great power. Now, on Foxtails Brigade, the group’s third album, Weinbach ups the ante with a resounding roar, solidifying the ensemble’s lineup and distilling their dramatic arrangements into punchy pop songs that propel her and her band mates forward to soaring new heights.

While the group’s previous material, fuelled by hazy chamber-pop melodies and spectral strings, reached inwards, Foxtails Brigade detonates their sound in all directions. Bringing together a collective of Bay Area artists including arranger Anton Patzner (Bright Eyes, Pinback), multi-instrumentalist Josh Pollock (John Kale, Van Dyke Parks), bassist Joe Lewis and percussionist / film maker Dominic Mercurio, the group’s “fully realized” lineup employs a vast kaleidoscope of peculiar percussion and new found synthesisers alongside Patzner’s cinematic arrangements and Weinbach’s distinct guitar figures. Working with veteran Bay Area producer Jeff Saltzman (Blondie, the Killers), Foxtails Brigade celebrates a new found sense of directness and clarity without sacrificing an ounce of intricacy.

While themes of defeat, alienation and nihilism pervade the album’s eleven tracks, they stand in stark contrast to a vibrant parade of rich string arrangements, warm bass lines and nuanced twists and turns. On lead single “We Are Not Ourselves,” the tension inherent in the song’s title is elevated by the tick-tock of a snare and kick, hair-rising strings and sharp guitar jabs that echo Spoon’s best. Later, the cheery horns and bird sounds on “None But the Lost” provide the perfect foil for Weinbach’s harsh narrative, and the synth-driven “No Fate” shows just how effortlessly Foxtails Brigade can sneak a glossy pop-rock tune into the mix.

The band just released the lead single, 'We Are Not Ourselves,' off their new, self-titled record that's due out April 8th on OIM Records. This is one of those songs, that does more than enough, to intrigue me into wanting to hear their forthcoming album. it's fresh, quirky, adventurous and extremely pleasing, and that's just the single.

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Affairs - Play

Affairs - Play.

Background promo - Having launched into 2015 with two well received singles Brothers and Blood Science, picking up support on XFM, BBC 6Music, Radio 2 and Amazing Radio, Manchester band Affairs return with their new single Play – a melancholic synth-pop anthem featuring Jim Robinson’s signature vocal style.

Play is produced by Suede, White Lies and Pulp producer Ed Buller and recorded at The Kinks’ legendary Konk Studios. The track draws you in from the first bar with its strident intro synth-riff played by Dan Parker while drummer Michael Bradnam’s infectious tom-tom pattern boldly drives the track along. Lyrically, Play is about the complexities of relationships and how we sometimes hide behind a facade or ‘play games’ with one another. The artwork was created by graphic artist Matthew Cooper (Caribou, Wild Beasts & Arctic Monkeys) & continues a cohesive theme with previous imagery for the singles Brothers and Blood Science.

'Play' exudes warmth from the start. With an indie style soundtrack and highly distinctive vocals, the song does conjure comparisons with other bands, but without naming names, lets just say that's a positive as well. Very catchy and tempting for the repeat play button every time.

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Sunday With: SpaceCream - Beverly

SpaceCream - Killer.

Promo words - Pterodactyl Sky is a stunningly unique new album by Hollywood Glam / Prog/ Glitter Rock band SpaceCream. Pterodactyl Sky is more than a collection of songs; it's an intellectually charged revival of stellar Rock N Roll, told from the point of view of a sex-positive feminist revolutionary. Powered by the formidable vocals of Savannah Pope (hailed as "Ann Wilson in David Bowie's edition of Rocky Horror Picture Show," - Natalie, Ninja Betty) the album presents an entirely unique, contemporary spin on 1970s Glam, Glitter, and Prog Rock.

Engineered at Kitten Robot Studios by LA music pioneer Paul Roessler (Nina Hagen, 45 Grave, Elliot Smith), Pterodactyl Sky is peppered with intricate chord progressions and enticing time signatures. Its artful lyrics run the gamut from Jurassic extinction and heartbreak to tantric space exploration and literature.

Since winning 2014's LA Battle for Vans Warped Tour at House of Blues Sunset, SpaceCream has taken Southern California by storm. Pterodactyl Sky results from two years of creative energy and live performances, including sold-out shows at legendary venues like the Viper Room and Troubadour.

A description of Glam, Prog and Glitter Rock all mixed up, just had to garner some interest on my part. The featured track gives a reasonable flavour of 'Pterodactyl Sky'. Powerful vocals compete with an equally powerful band as they dip in and out of styles in what is a very likable album.

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Beverly - Victoria.

Promo words - Brooklyn-based Beverly releases their new single "Victoria" and announces the release of their forthcoming sophomore record The Blue Swell due out May 6th on Kanine Records, album art above.

"Victoria" was conceived during a snowy weekend upstate where front woman Drew Citron and guitarist Scott Rosenthal had settled to get in some uninterrupted songwriting. Their friend Kip Berman (Pains of Being Pure At Heart) drove up to pay the pair a visit. Berman had written a few guitar parts inspired by Beverly and played them the demos; Citron and Rosenthal fell in love with the guitar work that eventually turned into "Victoria", a collaboration made in pop fan heaven.

"Victoria" is the second cut from The Blue Swell following lead single "Crooked Cop" which the band shared in late fall of 2015.

Since the summer of 2014 and the release of Careers, which Stereogum dubbed an "exceptional shoegaze-pop debut album," the main driving force behind Beverly has been Drew Citron. While Beverly began as a recording project between two friends, The Blue Swell out May 6th, 2016 on Kanine Records represents a fresh start for the band.

On The Blue Swell, Citron's main collaborator is longtime tour mate and noise pop producer Scott Rosenthal (The Beets, Crystal Stilts), with Kip Berman (The Pains of Being Pure at Heart) lending co-writing talents to Victoria.  Careers is acclaimed for its "fuzzed distortion and melodic sugar" (Rolling Stone) and its variety, with Pitchfork noting how it “careens from venomous, angry punk to jangly, mild lust to blown-out emotional hangover.” While you'll still find reverb, catchy hooks and a track or two like Bulldozer or South Collins that could perhaps fit into the debut, the new album takes a less aggressive and more melodic turn.

Plenty of plaudits for Beverly from within the music press/blogs. 'Victoria' has a full on indie rock vibe, with vocals subtly placed in the mix giving a gentle tilt towards shoegaze. Whatever, it's a catchy, 'good feeling' song and should (deservedly) raise interest in the forthcoming album.

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Saturday Double: Treetop Flyers - The Minerals

Treetop Flyers - 31 Years.

Background promo - For Treetop Flyers, the last few years have been a case of needing to fall apart, in order to rebuild, and come back stronger. Two and a half years on from their acclaimed debut album ‘The Mountain Moves’, fate showed its macabre sense of humour in dramatically shifting the ground beneath the London five-piece. The grief for lost parents, broken marriages, the near-death of a close friend, the departure of long-time bassist Matthew Starritt, the loss of numerous behind-the-scenes personnel (as well as an accountancy bill that they say “would make the government weep”) led to a prolonged period of upheaval and an unsettled and anxious camp. It was perhaps natural that Palomino was to become an honest, raw, and reflective record. As vocalist / guitarist Reid Morrison puts it; “We'd been through a lot individually and collectively. Coming together to make this record was very therapeutic for us, in a sense. It brought us closer and allowed us to let go of a lot of the bullshit that we'd had to endure and negotiate in the past.”

In 2015, after everything, instead of uncovering a lost and haphazard band, their caution-to-the-wind experimentalism sees a group dragging themselves to their feet once more. Sticking together extended far beyond just getting in a room and recording. Palomino is a wholly collaborative affair – no single songwriter is solely credited on any of the record - and you sense it had to be this way. Setting the tone for the album, opener 'You, Darling You' is a reflection on the old saying "sometimes loving someone means letting them go”. In this case it's over a failed marriage, but the record picks up on some of the themes of death and departure that made up The Mountain Moves. It’s a subject the band still find, understandably, difficult to shake, as Palomino flirts with many ideas of finality. 31 Years tracks a goodbye to a friend who passed away during the recording of their debut, and St Andrew’s Cross is a lament to the passing of Reid’s father, used almost in therapy by the band as a way to reconcile the past and the unknown ahead, all at once. Interestingly, it’s the band’s own smart production (as well as tracks like Dance Through The Night and Falling Back) that injects real life into Palomino. Hope permeates above all else, which is nothing less than they should allow themselves after everything they’ve been through. Treetop Flyers emerge triumphant from the most turbulent of times. New single 31 Years, out 26 Feb on Loose. Taken from the forthcoming new album Palomino, out 11 March on CD, double LP & download.

'31 Years' suggests a confident band knowing their business and craft inside out. With stand out vocals and a band who make playing seem effortless, this is a fine rock song, that has some excellent hooks and demands your attention.

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The Minerals - Pieces.

Background promo - Based in the South Wales Valleys, The Minerals are Colenso Jones and Jodie Gibson, a couple who began writing and performing together in the Summer of 2014.

Merging elements of Country, Electro and Psychedelia, the duo's influences range from The Vaselines and Leadbelly to Mogwai and Nick Drake. The Minerals strive to retain a raw quality to their recordings with an emphasis on creating a specific atmosphere for each track.

Both musicians were involved in punk bands throughout their teens and early twenties and although their music is no longer confined to that genre, the DIY ethos is evident in their approach to writing and recording. The lessons learned within the punk period of their musical development are still very much ingrained.

The Minerals' writing process involves the merging of individual ideas which are then worked on throughout the night and recorded by morning, by which point they normally have something in place they're both happy with. 'Ball of String' and B-side 'Lo-Fi' were among several tracks written in a barn in the South of France last winter, where the band were unexpectedly snowed in for a week. A plentiful supply of wine and cheese kept them going until the thaw. They returned home having written a complete album.

Live Dates:
April 15th - The Moon Club, Cardiff (supporting Rusty Shackle)
April 16th - Snails Deli, Rhiwbina, Cardiff
Festival announcements are due spring 2016.

With some live dates announced and festival dates in planning, what better reason can we have, to share some of the excellent music from The Minerals, that they came up with last year. This duos music has plenty of diversity, edge and style. To see just how much that's the case, click (here) for some more.
 
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Start The Weekend: The Flavr Blue - Tinted Sun

The Flavr Blue - Supply.

Promo info - In celebration of the release of their EP L​ove Notes and the announcement of their upcoming tour, the Flavr Blue is proud to share "Supply". Coming after the releases of upbeat satin thrill ride "Oxygen" (feat. Jarell Perry) and sensual synth wave "Majesty", "Supply" is another eargasm that showcases the trio's ability to create multi-textured masterpieces rife with beautiful vocal layering and harmony.

After a 2015 of major milestones, including a main stage performance at Seattle’s Capitol Hill Block Party and a sold out performance with Kiesza for Red Bull's 30 Days in LA Festival, Seattle-based trio the Flavr Blue sets out in support of their newest release, the Love Notes EP, a collection that marries the group's crackling energy with a soulful musical wisdom inherited from influences ranging from Cut Copy and Miike Snow to Feist and Sade.

The band's success is driven by the way its members — lead singer Hollis Wong­-Wear, whose voice graced the Billboard Top 20 hit "White Walls" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and singer/producers Lace Cadence and Parker Joe, each with a litany of Seattle hip ­hop and R&B releases under their belts — weave their voices and eclectic experimentalism within a rich electronic landscape. It’s been that way since the beginning, when they first built tracks in a half­ bedroom turned studio in Parker's Beacon Hill townhouse. It grew as they translated the sounds to wild live shows, for crowds both charmed and electrified by their combination of heartfelt soul and energetic electronica. 2016 sees the trio embarking on their first ever national tour, in support of Love Notes.

Tour Dates:
February 11th - Black Cat - Washington DC
February 13th - Mercury Lounge - New York City
February 14th - Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia
February 22nd - Virgin Hotel - Chicago
March 4th - Rickshaw Stop - San Francisco
March 5th - Echo - Los Angeles
March 8th - Lowbrau - Sacramento
March 12th - Neumos - Seattle

We featured The Flavr View not that long ago, but this new song was just to good to ignore. We can give their forthcoming tour a quick plug as well and every ones a winner.

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Tinted Sun - Only One.

Those promo words - Toowoomba five piece indie rock band, Tinted Sun are comprised of Lara Hallaran (singer and lyricist), Jamie Sutherland (lead guitar), Callum Oliver (rhythm guitar), Jack Boag (bass guitar), and Joseph Morgan (drums). The band, all 17 years of age and younger, have been performing together in South East Queensland for the last 6 years.

Despite their young age, the band have developed their own identity, through writing original songs that offers a fresh take on familiar sounds. Tinted Sun perform a mixture of indie-punk rock with influences by greats such as Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Bon Jovi and Paramore.

Tinted Sun has been very successful in the Global Battle of the Bands competition winning the Toowoomba section for two consecutive years, placed in the Roma Battle of the Bands competition, and the acoustic section were second in the Valentine’s Day Busk competition in Brisbane in 2014. They continually perform regionally at hotels, restaurants and clubs.

“Only One” showcases the maturity of this young band, not only in the music, but the subject as well. The song explores the post-traumatic stress associated with major life changes and upheaval. The military beating of the drum provides a background for the rock guitar and lyrics, evoking the beat of a heavy heart facing life’s strain.

“Only One” was recorded at Heliport Studios at the Sunshine Coast with the assistance of producer Elliott Heinrich. All photographs of the band were provided by Paul Pugh of Pandom Images.

'Only One' is a melting pot of the bands ideas and some healthy musical influences. The net result is a more indie rock than punk song, a good one nonetheless.

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Four More: CLAVVS - Crystal Cities - SheLoom - Andy Ferro

CLAVVS - Leviathan.

Promo words - Atlanta based duo CLAVVS have just released their stunning new single titled "Leviathan." Filled with stunning vocals from frontwoman Amber Renee, she is accompanied by the intricate instrumentation of Graham Marsh. Together the two bring to the table, an honest, heartfelt, and emotional brand of electro-laced-pop that brings their sound to life. "Leviathan" kicks off 2016, one to be a high-profile year for the group, as their charming, yet haunting sound lingers in your ears; drawing you back in every timeIf not for a chance meeting at a house party in Atlanta one summer night in 2013, Amber Renee might never have met Graham Marsh, and the pair might never have realized their shared love for hip hop and Radiohead. That same love would ultimately evolve into CLAVVS, a musical partnership fronted by Amber and produced by Graham, the four-time Grammy winner behind artists like Gnarls Barkley, Kid Cudi, and T.I.

Over two years later, their music has since been featured on Kings of A&R, Jam in the Van, Largehearted Boy, and Yaqui, among others, and on the air via Album88 and Anti-Robot Radio. CLAVVS will also be featured in the 2016 Atlanta episode of The Music Voyager, a PBS series following the lives of creatives in the city. CLAVVS' first single “Sit You Down” was picked up by Fresh Finds, a Spotify curated playlist boasting 40K+ followers. “Throats,” the follow-up release premiered by Press Play, garnered over ten-thousand plays in its first month.

After a case of mistaken identity, CLAVVS (formerly CLAWS) changed the spelling of their name to distinguish themselves from other groups with the same moniker. But really, it’s their music that sets them apart. If the vibe of their latest singles is any indication, the duo is departing from the mainly organic production of their first album and into a realm of dark, hypnotic alt-pop driven by spacey synths and anthemic drums. Given that half of CLAVVS is Graham Marsh, it makes sense that the duo is navigating more progressive waters. With Amber Renee’s sultry, at times eerie, vocals floating atop the organised chaos, CLAVVS has stumbled upon new terrain that just might catapult them into more mainstream success in 2016.

Definitely atmospheric, however also quite energised, 'Leviathan' is one of those songs, that appears to be going in one direction, then builds in another, with strong vocals and defined music. Can't help but liking this song.

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Crystal Cities - Talking To Myself.

Background promo - Crystal Cities, was born on a balmy January night in the garage of Geoff Rana’s house, in Sydney's Inner West. They were jamming an older original song, and by starting in a different key after a long session, it revealed a chilled, stripped back and eerily, ethereal version of the once energy driven track. This was the new sound that inspired Crystal Cities to become the other-worldly pop band they are today!

Lead singer, Geoff Rana, is a prolific songwriter and a respected part of the Nashville Songwriters association. Geoff was chosen to write with well respected writers at The Writers Den after being spotted performing at the famous 12th And Porter venue as part of the Next BIG Nashville Music Conference.

The band released their debut single “Cut Me Loose” in 2015 to great reviews. The single gained interest across the U.S gaining rotation at radio WEQX in NY, Modern Rock 98.7 in Carolina and 92.9 in California to name a few.

Crystal Cities began working on their follow up single with The A&R Department and Platinum Artist Development in late 2015. After defining their sound with the debut single “Cut Me Loose”, the band headed back into the studio in December 2015 choosing producer Sean Carey at Church Street Studios in Sydney to begin recording their follow up single “Talking To Myself.”

The band is currently writing material for an up coming EP due for release later in 2016.

'Talking To Myself' is a mixture of vocals over a jangle pop type background. Both elements are strengths with this band, the vocal clarity and range demands attention, whilst musically things are beautifully tight and so, so pleasing.

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SheLoom - America On Fire.

From the band - Jordon Zadorozny (Blinker The Star) and  Filippo Gaetani formed a transatlantic pop duo SheLoom back in 2008. I live in Tuscany, and Jordan, lives in Canada. During the winter of 2013, our friend and indie chamber pop pioneer Eric Matthews (Cardinal / Sub Pop) joined the band.

Our first single off our new sophomore "America On Fire" is out this week.

The new album boasts a filmic, art rock bedrock tempered with elements of new wave, 70's rock and orch-pop. Outside of a rushed 10-day recording session, the bulk of this album was recorded separately, with files being sent back and forth over the internet.

The album "The Baron Of The Fjord" is to be released on February 5th 2016 on Ray Recordings. And in March we will do a small documentary of the Making Of "The Baron Of The Fjord".

I have only heard the featured track and like what I hear. 'America On Fire' genuinely has that 'timeless' feel I associate with such well crafted music. Album keenly awaited.

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Andy Ferro - Sugar and Milk.

Promo words - Today we’re thrilled to introduce Andy Ferro to the galaxy, on behalf of Rough Beast Records. Ferro, who was born in London and raised between there and Nashville, will be releasing his debut full-length Muirhead through the label on February 26th. The first single “Sugar and Milk” is perfectly exemplary of the lo-fi psych folk vibe of the album, which was entirely self-recorded on a dusty old tape machine.

Muirhead is the first release outside of his band Ranch Ghost, and is the product of Ferro’s desire to become faster and more self-sufficient in the process of releasing his music to the public. After buying a tape machine and teaching himself how to use it, the songs of Muirhead quickly began to materialize. As the lead guitar player in Ranch Ghost, Ferro wanted his solo project to feel more stark and close to home, resulting in the stripped-down feel of his new album.

Having put all his efforts that he felt possible into this collection of songs, Ferro gave the tapes to Mitch Jones (Fly Golden Eagle, Thunderbitch, Majestico) a keyboard and sound-effects guru whose playing and atmospheric additions really helped him make it feel like it was finished. Muirhead is the final stage of an artist who has been a keystone in a band, but at the same time, felt he was ready to construct his own musical arch.

'Sugar and Milk' is reasonably indicative of the seven track album. It has a simple low-fi and folk feel, however clearly a considerable amount of love and labour has gone into this work. Very catchy.

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Tuesday Two: Quiet Lights - Merival

Quiet Lights - In The Future.

Background - A long time ago, Beehive Candy featured Quiet Lights. Their new record, In the Future, was out last  Friday, Jan 15th, and it reminded me of just how much I enjoyed their somewhat distant last release.

Recorded over two to three years, In The Future features nine songs and shows Quiet Lights heads down in sound-scapes and uplifting restraint. The band describe the making of this album as "two years of entropy, agony, and ecstasy (but never apathy) of weaving layers to get it completed". You can hear and buy more on Bandcamp (here).

The featured 'title' song from the album, is indicative of the superb atmospheric dream pop Quiet Lights produce with such mastery. It is to all intents artful music, however never pretentious, and just so good for your ears and mind and soul.

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Merival - Kicking You Out.

Introductory words from Merival - Lovers is a collection, my warm debut. The 5-song EP is shaped by relationships and reflection, finding beauty and transformation in heartache.

Since landing in Toronto in 2012, I have been active in the music community, contributing to projects and collaborating with musicians including Ryan Hemsworth (Secret Songs), Torquil Campbell (Stars), Darren Seltmann (The Avalanches), Swim Good (Bedroomer) and fronting my old band First Rate People.

All of the songs on Lovers were written before I was 20. I wrote 'Kicking You Out', the second single, when I was 17 - it's the oldest song on the EP - about someone I'd been in love with for 2 years already. I'd never lived with him so I took some artistic liberties there; the idea of kicking him out was more of a premonition I had, that I would carry him with me for years and years after the fact and would need to be continually kicking him out of my mind. So far it's held true.

Lovers was recorded with my friend Asher Gould-Murtagh and mastered by Glen Watkinson at Sheepdog Studios.

'Kicking You Out' is beautiful, honest and quite charming. Vocally it is quite stunning and the gentle guitar just adds the right amount of support. You can also check out the delightful first single 'A Better Deal' (here).

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Sunday Duo: Slingshot Dakota - Golden Daze

Slingshot Dakota - Paycheck.

Background promo words - Slingshot Dakota is an indie rock band from Bethlehem, PA. Comprised of two people, this band has no shortage of volume, energy and catchy tunes. Carly Comando shreds an 88-key digital piano through multiple effects pedals and provides vocals for the band. Drummer Tom Patterson keeps the beat while energetically crushing his drums, a sight that is both entertaining and inspiring. While Comando and Patterson are influenced by their respective punk and hardcore basement scenes, their music can be described as poppy indie rock. Their live sound is loud, full and raw, but at the root of it all is an addictive rock song.

Over the course of the last three years since Slingshot Dakota's last album, 2012's Dark Hearts (Topshelf), the pair allowed themselves the freedom to write new material at their leisure as well as succumb to the temptation of outside opportunties - Comando, a commercial licensor, earned herself an Emmy Award for her song "Everyday" used in an episode of The Simpsons, Patterson wrote and recorded two albums with his doom metal band, Fog Cult, and what could be their biggest project to date, getting married.

Slingshot Dakota worked with photographer David Brandon Geeting on the album design. "He has an amazingly eclectic style, and his photos represent his interpretation of our record’s theme," explains Comando. The album cover album is a bouquet of flowers with a broken vase taped together in a sad yet hopeful way, and the back cover is the same concept but with a tree branch and leaves. "There’s something melancholy yet beautiful in his art," Comando says. "The images are bright and colorful, even though they evoke something sad." - Release Date: March 11, 2016. Label: Topshelf Records.

'Paycheck' has a punk feel, with vocals initially buried amongst a potent rock beat and fuzz laden digital piano. It's catchy straight music with a bite.

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Golden Daze - Low.

Background promo - Formed by Ben Schwab and Jacob Loeb, Golden Daze is a collaborative song writing duo. Inspired by 60's melodic rock and contemporaries like Cass Mccombs and Brian Jonestown Massacre, Golden Daze drenches their straightforward earthly pop tunes in ethereal drones and tape flutter.

The duo, originally from the Midwest (Schwab from Ohio and Loeb from Chicago), are based in Los Angeles and will be releasing their self-titled debut LP on Autumn Tone Records on February 19th.

This week the band shares album cut "Low," a track they say is "like our version of 'I Believe I Can Fly'."

'Low' opens as something of an anthem, with the vocals bringing an additional lift. The sixties melodic rock inspiration, is pleasingly evident on this song, giving it a rich overall texture.

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Synth Saturday: Meter Bridge - Pikachunes

Meter Bridge - It Was Nothing.

Background promo - Canadian synthwave duo Meter Bridge are releasing their latest single ‘It Was Nothing’ through WEATNU Records. Comprised of two tracks, this is being offered as a free download via Bandcamp. In this thoughtfully arranged and sparkly composition, moogs whistle and rhythms click into the night, as these two voices blend into a sound that is part Human League, part Blade Runner, and 100% Meter Bridge. 

Meter Bridge, who are Richard Kleef and Jill Beaulieu, have a distinctive and unmistakable sonic identity, unique from anybody else on the current electronica scene. This is led by their trademark multi-layered boy / girl melodic vocals, melded with minimalistic groove-infused alternative dance melodies teetering between retro and futuristic.

"It Was Nothing is about a public figure spreading lies that play on peoples' heartstrings... for the purpose of getting millions of people supporting a false agenda," explained frontwoman Jill Beaulieu. "This kind of hypocrisy is very difficult to expose... because ignorance is bliss."

Based in Nelson, Canada, they have been playing together since 2011, gathering an enthusiastic following amongst music aficionados and lovers of classic and contemporary synthpop. In 2014, they released their eponymous debut EP, following by the 'Slow Motion' LP in 2015, both of them drawing significant attention on the electronica scene internationally and landing them in numerous 'Best of' lists in each of these years. The Record Stache (#8 synthpop album of 2015) says their music is "evocative of Man Machine period Kraftwerk, had the German four piece chosen to invent glitchcore on their way to perfecting technopop".

This B-side for this single features a remix by Rodney Cromwell, whose debut 'Age of Anxiety' LP (2015, Happy Robots Records) introduced electronic pop lovers to some epic retro future synth music.

Distinctive synths and dual vocals, and with hints of Krautrock 'It Was Nothing' is an imaginative hook laden song. The sort that gets me digging deeper on a band.

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Pikachunes - You Are.

Background promo - Melbourne artist, Pikachunes has unveiled the first single from his forthcoming record, Allely. Premiered on Purple Sneakers, ‘You Are’, works Pikachunes’ strong, thematic vocals atop his metallic, dark undertones that he's become renowned for.

‘You Are’ conceptually follows the story of a young boy with a heavy heart, encountering the nerves that we find nestled in the pit of our stomach, to the controlled quiver of talking through our teeth once met with intimidation.

"Featuring some intimate and rather vulnerable lyrics that are quite revealing, but juxtaposed with a huge wall of sound that is his off-kilter brand of electronica, there is just something about this that has got us well and truly hooked!" -  Purple Sneakers

‘You Are’ is the first single taken from Pikachunes’ debut Monday Records album, Allely, to be available in 2016.

Live Gig - Thursday, 21st January @ The Evelyn Hotel, Melbourne.

'You Are' opens in pulsating style. Then the story unfolds, there is something as stated above quite 'vulnerable' within the lyrics, whilst musically everything is in control, it's fascinating.


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