Wednesday, 24 August 2016

Five On Wednesday: The Rival - Catch Prichard - Swaai Boys - Magic Trick - Unity Floors

The Rival - My Own Devices.

Background promo - The Rival Unveils New Single; Announces EP. Nashville alt-rock duo The Rival has unveiled the first single, "My Own Devices," from its upcoming EP, Sands. "My Own Devices" was premiered by Substream Magazine which says the track is a, "...massive new jam..." and that Sands, "...offers huge indie rock anthems, catchy choruses, and softer, elegant moments strewn throughout. We can tell you confidently that it’s a release you’ll want to visit repeatedly this fall."

"My Own Devices" will be commercially released and available at all digital outlets on August 26. The Sands EP is slated for release on October 7.

The band wrote the track from the perspective of a, "...family member that has been through hell with their partner and it’s been difficult to watch. We wrote ‘My Own Devices’ by putting ourselves in their shoes, imagining what it must feel like to try and fix what is broken and get back to that sense of home. Musically, we wanted to pay tribute to some of the great ’90s albums we grew up with, from Jeff Buckley to Weezer, and experiment with a sound that felt like home to us."

Sands is the second in a trilogy of EP’s The Rival is releasing in 2016 and 2017. The first EP, Waves, featured an electronic, synth-heavy, sound that reflected an upbeat summer vibe. On Sands, the duo showcases some of the most raw and intense tracks Phillip LaRue and Allen Salmon have arranged together. Since forming in 2012, The Rival has seen incredible TV/Film success with its songs used in everything from Apple’s iPhone 5 launch, to commercials for Target, Nike, Sony, Microsoft, and ESPN. Individually, Phillip and Allen have numerous songwriting credits including Phillip’s #1 country hit “Whiskey In My Water” performed by Tyler Farr, plus Allen Salmon’s credits as a producer, mixer, and writer which includes collaborations with MuteMath, Fleurie, Katie Herzig, and Neulore among others.  


It's not to surprising that an alt-rock duo will come across powerfully, there is usually far more distinction between the instruments for starters.  'My Own Devices' has that power, however you can add in melody an attention grabbing chorus and emotion within this song. The Sands EP sounds very promising.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Catch Prichard - Eskota.

Background - Steeped in Americana, and with a voice that simultaneously conjures Anohni and Leonard Cohen, Catch Prichard is the work of Sawyer Gebauer. He spent several nomadic years living all over Europe and touring in support of his previous project Brittsommar, including stints in Sweden and a dilapidated warehouse in Berlin, before returning back to the US to work on the Eskota EP.

The entirety of the Eskota EP was laid down in one week within the walls of an abandoned grocery store… when he and engineer Brad K. Dollar first arrived, the building was overrun with wasps, and rattlesnake skins littered the floorboards. In time, the space was reclaimed, night fell, and recording began. Sawyer set out to record a collection of sweet and simple songs that exalt narrative as much as they do melody.

The result is Eskota, a five song EP resting somewhere between languid folk and forlorn country, with Sawyer’s weighty baritone gliding over pedal steel and Moog like an oil slick on water. Eskota, like all of Sawyer's work, is a testament to change, but it is change that can be found closer to home.


Beyond the delicate folk/country acoustic music, the first thing that grabbed my attention on this song are the deep and graceful vocals of Sawyer Gebauer. 'Eskota' is one of five Root's type songs and all of them in my opinion, absolutely demand you stop what your doing and listen. That a musician in a genre such as folk or country can continue to surprise or even amaze is quite something, I reckon Catch Prichard has just done that.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Swaai Boys - Dana Of Dendur.

Background - Swaai Boys are proud to announce the newest crumbling desert pop single off their upcoming collection of songs Hot Sand! Dana Of Dendur is based on a love story from Swaai Boys' percussionist Helmut's youth. The Temple of Dendur is an intact Egyptian temple housed in the Sackler Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where a high school girlfriend of Helmut's had a summer internship. Her name was Dana. Helmut said she was tasked with categorising hundreds of shabtis in the galleries near the temple -- Egyptian Blue funerary figures -- which was apparently very boring and lonely.

The Swaai Boys were having a few mai tais at the museum's roof garden one summer afternoon when Helmut told his fellow Swaai Boys about the affair -- Helmut would meet Dana at the end of her shift, they would cut the lines, sneak into the temple, throw pennies in the water, and make out under the palms.

Often staying until the museum closed, Helmut and Dana would wander the wing looking at Queen Nefertiti's jewelry and crumbling pharaoh sarcophagus's. At one point, Dana said she knew hieroglyphs, and tried to decipher the insanely long Book of the Dead papyrus which lines a corridor there. They were in paradise, but was all too good to be true. They drifted apart after the summer, and Dana left a fond hole in Helmut's heart. A few weeks later Helmut ran into Dana at an opening at the Hemingway Gallery on 55th Street. She was quite cold and aloof to him. Her wealthy, stuffy parents had never liked Helmut, and she seemed to have grown into the mold.

Swaai Boys 'Dana Of Dendur' is about foiled young love -- how funny and sad it can be watching people grow up and change, sometimes in such a short amount of time. Especially astute in the shadow of a 2000-year old temple preserved immaculately under stippled glass that mimics its original Nubian lighting.


'Dana Of Dendur' is three minutes of bliss. If the story line above doesn't get you, the song should do. The band are members of the renowned Explorers Club, and if their explorations create songs like this, then keep on exploring and charming us please!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Magic Trick - Forest Of Kates.

Background - Magic Trick shares two new tracks from new LP. And it’s a wide variety of shapes you’ll find on this album. Take this less as a conscious display of versatility (although it does demonstrate Cohen & Co.’s ability to shape-shift) and more as a result of the freewheeling, haphazard recording environment described above. A ghostly choir of female voices open the album like a seance. And the spirit they conjure proceeds to flit about over the course of the ensuing ten tracks, animating various stylistic forms, from the baroque pop of “Forest of Kates” to the icy post-punk of “I Held the Ring.” There’s the air-tight R&B groove of “Startling Chimes,” the krauty “Purest Thing,” a jammy side-to-side trot that moves “First Thought” along, taking a detour into country before culminating in a glorious Grateful Dead indebted coda. But throughout, it’s Tim’s lyrics that are pushed to the front of the mix. This album is a display of solid songwriting – collectively fleshed out, but from Tim’s composition book, and with Tim’s lyrics about family and about himself. These songs are the sound of his friends helping him suss through the conflicts of his new dual existence as father and musician, between old self and new.

Magic Trick’s 2013 offering, River of Souls, opens with Cohen asking, “Should we live from the mirrors other side?” Maybe, what you have here on Other Man’s Blues is an attempt to do just that. You can hear that his scope is widening, is being forced to widen by his circumstance. These songs are full of empathy. They reckon with notions of sacrifice and devotion, acknowledge the “winds of desire” and admit that “musings come from below” like a force of nature. Our protagonist is mid-transformation or maybe even pre-transformation. He is able to “regard his gruesome self” only because he is becoming a new man. Both sides are present. Which is the Other Man? Who is Tim Cohen? What is this magic he is trying pull off? Is it a trick? Or true sorcery? Either way, he must evolve.


'Forest Of Kates' is our second song feature for Magic Trick from the forthcoming album and it's another really fine song. Full of melody, exquisite harmonies and beautiful vibes, it compares well with the other track release First Thought which you can also check out Here. The album is eagerly awaited.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unity Floors - Give and Take.

Background - Mates for a decade Gus Hunt and Henry Gosling have made themselves a strong part of Sydney’s DIY scene as Unity Floors. Their ability to create such a racket performing modestly on guitar and drums, has gained them respect in the scene and make them welcome regulars stages across Australia.

Their commentary of the banal happenings as twenty something’s comes naturally to the pair, their music like a noisy catch-up between old mates. Having never lended their talents to other bands, Unity Floors’ sound has natural fluidity, delivered fast with genuine familiarity and honesty. Their unique set up and ability to create vastly accessible, skuzzy garage tunes has gained them a loyal fanbase over the years.

Their debut LP, Exotic Goldfish Blues (Popfrenzy Records 2013) received great commendation from press and radio and even, surprisingly a feature in The Inbetweeners Two film with their hit single “Nice Fit”. In 2016, the Sydney favourites returned to the studio to record their new album with producer Nick Franklin. Life Admin is the result and once again it showcases the boys’ ability to belt out one great honest and crappy tune after another. 'Life Admin' is released on Friday 23rd September on Popfrenzy Records.

Live Dates:
Saturday 8th October 2016 - Brisbane Hotel, Hobart TAS 
Saturday 22nd October 2016 - Old Bar, Melbourne VIC 
Friday 28th October 2016 - Chippendale Hotel, Sydney NSW


Another powerful duo Unity Floors song 'Give and Take' has a back to basics feel to it, cutting out everything but guitar, drums and vocals and creating some very decent indie rock. It's highly likable as is the video.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tuesday, 23 August 2016

Four On Tuesday: Steve Young - Gabrielle Portelli - The Glorious North - Feuds

Steve Young - Home for the Summer.

Background bio - The world has been the musical home for singer/songwriter Steve Young, these past years, its length and breadth travelled as his talents as a session guitarist were sought and embraced by a host of popular artists. Recently though, it has been his own magnetic fusion of acoustic pop and alternative country which has been drawing attention and acclaim across the globe with increasing success.

Steve began his musical career with a London based rock band, which took him around the UK through several national tours. From there his string craft saw him play with the likes of Lionel Richie, Peter Andre, Gareth Gates, Delta Goodrem. In 2007, Steve was invited to become the touring guitarist for Darren Hayes, the former Savage Garden front man; a job that took him from The Royal Albert Hall and Wembley Arena to Sydney State Theatre, across Europe, Canada, the USA, Australia as well as a host of TV & Radio performances including BBC Radio 2’s Terry Wogan & Jo Whiley.

Steve Young is creating a stir all of his own now, and in a landscape calling out for something fresh to immerse in, his music is a tonic growing in popularity and vocal acclaim by the day. After a successful run of gigs supporting Nashville Country Star (and daughter of June Carter / Johnny Cash) Carlene Carter, acclaimed Blues Singer Jo Harman, sold out support gigs for Ramin Karimloo at the Union Chapel & Islington Assembly Halls in Jan and another sold out show for Time Out London’s ‘Rising Stars of UK Country‘ at 229 The Venue in March – 2016 most definitely started with a ‘Bang’.

As autumn draws closer, Steve announces 'Anyplace, anytime, you choose! Tour' Why…. Do I have to choose when you hear me live? Why can’t you? Who says it has to be your local venue, why can’t it be at your place of work? your favourite coffee shop? a local bookstore or even your front room? All I need is a guitar and a space to stand – you do the rest! I want to set a record for the number of gigs preformed in three months (Oct, Nov, Dec). More (Here).


I featured Steve Young over on BeeVids a while back. 'Home for the Summer' really does show just how good his music is, its a delightful, breezy song, full of good time summer vibes. As for Steve's late autumn and early winter, it looks like he is going to be a very busy man, with his unique tour plans, find out more on his website (link above).

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gabrielle Portelli - The Voice.

Background - Gabrielle Portelli joined a choir and had her first television appearance at the age of 3. At the age of 9 she started taking individual voice lessons and competed in local singing competitions where she won first places and Grand Prix till the age of 13.

Gabrielle represented Malta abroad and won the best voice award in Romania in 2013 and first place and third overall in Macedonia in 2011. She joined a classical singing choir where she performed in live concerts accompanied by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra backing Joseph Calleja and Hayley Westenra among others.

In 2013, Gabrielle sang as a soloist with the Malta Youth Orchestra. In 2014 she was awarded by the ABRSM board of examinations for obtaining the Highest Distinction result in singing. Since then, she obtained Distinctions in music theory, piano and musical theatre. Gabrielle performs regularly in towns with live bands and orchestras. Last December she had her first experience in an oratorio.

Passionate about opera, musical theatre and crossover, Gabrielle aspires to start performing in theatres as she pursues her studies at University and travel abroad.


I'm not sure what genre I would even attempt to put this intriguing song in. 'The Voice' could so easily be from a stage musical, and yet there are operatic overtones, and to mix things up even more, Celtic styles within the music. That Gabrielle Portelli has a classical voice and a beautiful one at that is a given, and the song is pretty special. I would love to hear her explore even more musical genres, but as a starting point, she has grabbed my attention, and I cannot wait to hear more.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Glorious North - Strange New World.

Background - Country slackers The Glorious North aim to lead you into the beautiful darkness with songs about whiskey, woe, lost loves and loaded Lugers. Like the love children of Hank Williams and Dinosaur Jr, The Glorious North mix tremolo, twang and temerity to fashion swaggering country rock that will make you wanna cheer, cry and puke into your Stetson . . . possibly all at the same time. If you like your country music dark and a bit dog-eared, then it's time you got the glory with The Glorious North.

Welcome to the Glorious North is the Melbourne four-piece's debut album. Following up last year's EP Dang!, Welcome to the Glorious North mixes early Paul Kelly with Creedence Clearwater Revival to fashion a sound that is supercharged country pop. The opening track, ‘No Soul to Save’, sets the lyrical tone with a tale of love gone wrong on the outlaw fringe, complete with a chain-gang choir's "oohs" and "aahs".

The album was recorded and produced by Dave Rogers (Ben Lee Band) at The Channel Studio, Melbourne Arts Centre. Warm valve amps and even warmer guitars shape the sound, with fiddle, harmonica, Hammond organ and mariachi trumpet adding to a soundscape that swells and shrinks like like the tide of a river (with bodies dumped in it, of course). Being ensconced in the Melbourne pub scene since 2014, The Glorious North are adept at adapting their live sound without straying from their slacker country style -- the gents are as at home in the intimate acoustic surrounds of the Gem Bar & Grill as they are fully amped up in front of 5,000 juiced-up punters at Brisbane's Beer InCider Festival.

Upcoming Shows:
10 September @ The Brunswick East, Brunswick
16-17 September @ Beer InCider Festival, Brisbane
18 September @ Woolly Mammoth, Fortitude Valley
2 October @ Standard Hotel, Fitzroy
14 October @ The Gem Bar & Grill, Collingwood
30 October @ Yarra Hotel, Collingwood


'Strange New World' is a mixture of country rock and Americana, so much so, that I had to double check the band are from Melbourne as I am writing this. There are twelve glorious (pun intended) songs on the new album 'Welcome To The Glorious North' and there is not one that lets the collection down. If this type of music is your thing give them a thorough check, there is something really cool going on here.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Feuds - River Of Wine.

Background - Brisbane band Feuds today release their debut EP Stay Lost, which they will launch at Brisbane's The Bearded Lady on Thursday Aug 26.

Stay Lost was recorded largely at guitarist Perry Walker's farm in Noosa over what was supposed to be just one week. But the band found that the freedom of working outside a studio was the perfect nurturing environment to hone their sound, and the EP ended up taking the better part of a year to complete.

The result? An impactful and honest exploration of life - and all the uncertainties it brings. Says frontman Jeremy Hunter, "None of the songs resolve in a lyrical way, they just ask questions, or pose difficult realities, and refuse to give closure on them. That’s sort of the meaning behind the EP title Stay Lost - sometimes you have no choice but to remain confused. But the title is also a suggestion, in that you can choose to live with uncertainty, you can choose to be lost, and that might be a good thing. Nobody is more dead inside than someone who thinks they know everything; they’ve stopped growing."

Feuds is the reinvigoration of a project that's existed for some time now. Having previously performed alongside Holy Holy, Bad//Dreems, The Belligerents and Harts, the band now have the perfect setup to start afresh and launch their new vision. The release of Stay Lost threatens a formidable force in Feuds, and it's only the beginning. 


With a jangly guitar sound and easy vocals the song 'River Of Wine' waits until the first chorus before it explodes into a more rock based track. It's less reliant on riff's and more on energy and melody, and it works.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Monday, 22 August 2016

Blonde Redhead - Masculin Féminin (Vinyl/CD Album Release).

Blonde Redhead - This Is The Number Of Times I Said I Will But Didn't (4 Track Demo).

Background - Blonde Redhead has always produced at a furious rate, and the early years of the band were some of their most fruitful, with two excellent albums on Steve Shelley's wonderful but short-lived label imprint Smells Like Records, as well as a handful of stand-alone singles which all contained album-worthy tracks. Numero Group has lovingly compiled this release to document this period in the band's history - these singles are all long out of print and the albums are being made available on vinyl for the first time ever (having originally been issued in that weird period around 1995 where some labels were CD-only).

Weighing in at 37 tracks, Masculin Féminin compiles the band’s first two albums for Steve Shelley’s Smells Like Records (self-titled and La Mia Via Violenta), their period singles, extant demos, and radio performances across four LPs or two CDs. Dozens of previously unpublished photographs illustrate two lengthy essays on this essential New York band’s formative years.

Tour Dates:
10/11 –  New York, NY – The Co-Cathedral of St. Joseph
10/13 – Washington DC – The Howard TheatrE
10/14 – Durham, NC – RJ Reynolds Industries Theater


Featured song 'This Is The Number Of Times I Said I Will But Didn't' is the second track from the forthcoming release we have featured you can find our June feature (here). Having had a chance to listen to the whole collection now, I am reminded just how good the band were at that time. Beyond the original album re-issues we have something of an eclectic assortment of songs. There are a couple of 4 track demos plus the featured song, KCRW session material, 7 inch single releases, an outtake and other rarities. This is all fascinating and makes an excellent account of the period, alongside the two original album releases. Genre wise, its a mixture of indie rock, post punk, and just plain out there alternative rock songs. This was for many of us, our introduction to the band some twenty years ago, somehow I envy those who may hear their material for the first time through this release. It's still as vibrant, passionate and natural, enjoy!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunday, 21 August 2016

Quality Not Quantity: Fatal Jamz - The Pressure Kids - Solid Effort

Fatal Jamz - Jean Paul Gaultier.

Background promo - LA powerpop songwriter Fatal Jamz will release his sophomore album 'Coverboy' on September 30 via Lolipop Records. Fatal Jamz' Marion Belle has long been one of LA’s most whispered about cult stars. Lauded by punk legends Steve Jones, Kim Fowley, Don Bolles and more, he has helped keep the frontman alive with a voice linked to the feral and lush past of rocknroll. His early aughties groups The Drugs, and later Bowery Beasts put him on the map as a flamboyant torch singer, but it was 2013’s underground anthems Rookie and One of the Girls that established him as a seminal pop auteur. Without a doubt the music behind his Johnny Thunders-esque image has cast a shadow on his generation, while he has fallen, uncategorizable, through the industry cracks for almost a decade. Until now.  

"Fatal Jamz was born out of a desperation to keep pursuing music at a time when almost all seemed lost for me," Belle says. “I was working with Autistic kids and had given up my day job. I was eventually living off of everyone around me, and felt pretty much rejected by the path I had chosen.” With a small budget he hooked up with bass savant Dan Horne (Beachwood Sparks, The Lily's) and recorded Fatal Jamz’ debut ‘Vol.1’  at Horne's Lone Palm studio in Echo Park. The album was later released on Portland's infamous Gnar label, as well as Burger Records, but despite critical acclaim the group was unable to tour. In 2014 the music found it's way to Cullen Omori of Smith Westerns who became an overnight devotee and asked the band to support their Western Sky Tour with Sky Ferreira. My girlfriend and I had a trip to Europe planned and that turned out to be a turning point for me. She found this book in the Roughtrade shop in London called Bowie in Berlin that I read on trains while we were traveling, all about the albums he made with Iggy and Eno, that fertile time, and I had the idea to make my own trilogy, but about L.A. and my journey there as a lead singer.” 

On February 8th 2016, Lolipop Records released Obsession, a limited edition EP, mixed by New Wave legend Gavin McKillop (Echo & the Bunnymen, Adam Ant, Heaven 17) which sold out overnight. In June, 17 & Hung, an EP produced with reclusive ingenue Evan Collins Conway (Holy Shit) was released on San Francisco weirdo label Death Records. With the upcoming release of 'Coverboy', a manifesto recorded over 3 years in a skid row penthouse, and the first taste of his Lead Singer Trilogy, Belle and cohorts open up the gates on a sunlit inferno where today’s starlets and ravishing poor boys play for glory.


'Jean Paul Gaultier' has all the vital power pop ingredients. Upbeat, melodic and distinct in sound, it also has that "little something" that L.A. seems to add to this type of song. With an album due late September, this track sets things up nicely.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Pressure Kids - Catherine in Moonlight.

Background in brief - Nashville-based indie rock favourites have just released “Catherine in Moonlight,” a sparkling anthem that’s the first single off their newest project, a forthcoming collection of songs that will have staggered release dates throughout the band members’ upcoming senior year of college.

The band met as college students after moving to Nashville, Tennessee, having arrived there from different parts of the USA.

Live Dates:
Aug 27 2016 - Exit/In Nashville, TN          
Sep 16 2016 - Concerts on the Dock Huntsville, AL.

Bright sounding guitars launch 'Catherine in Moonlight' and as the vocals and band fully kick in, the whole thing just shines. Melodic indie rock, with really pleasing vocals and harmonies, this is one very good song.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Solid Effort - Too Far Gone.

Background - Solid Effort are five young men (Amaan, Harry, Nick, Patrick and Phanos) from Australia creating scrappy, high energy tunes that come with a laid back coastal sensibility. Taking time between Sydney and Wollongong (south coast New South Wales), Solid Effort have been working on their self-characterised genre of "leisure punk" since forming last year. "Too Far Gone" is their new single and first on Popfrenzy Records.

Solid Effort's 2015 debut EP, "Ballad of Bulli" was created, recorded and dedicated to guitarist, Patrick's garage secured them praise in press, radio play and a three show EP launch.

Fitting between the frantic pace of Minuteman and the soft, woozy synth of kraut hero's, Solid Effort's live performance makes for exciting viewing - with the band often going off script, repeating a well liked melody, or extending the never-ending finale of their barraging anthem "Automatic Wives". Over the last eighteen months, they've supported home-grown heroes, Hockey Dad, The Pinheads, Palms, Gooch Palms and The Goon Sax as well as international indie familiars, Fat White Family, Alvvays and The Courtneys. More recently, Solid Effort have once again taken to Patrick's garage and are working on their debut LP to be released in 2017.


There is something of a classic indie rock feel to 'Too Far Gone'. The vocals swagger with rock attitude over the rich guitar fronted soundtrack, that in itself swirls around, and before you know it, the songs over! Oh well play it again (and again)... 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday, 20 August 2016

Genre Wander: Rainbow Reservoir - Audience Killers - Sunshine & The Blue Moon - Anna Of The North

Rainbow Reservoir - Coco Sleeps Around

Background promo - Cardiff-based DIY pop imprint Odd Box Records are releasing the brilliant new 7" - Coco Sleeps Around - from Oxford's insatiable Rainbow Reservoir. With the full EP to be released September 10th the band are now sharing the title-track from the new record.

Despite being a relatively new band this is melodic power-pop at it's absolute best and is sure to thrust the band into popular acclaim. On one side the track is sublime, quirky pop but there's a feisty, angst-ridden undercurrent beneath the track. If you're a fan of Tullycraft, Cars Can Be Flue, Waxahatchee and Horowitz then this will definitely be your bag. Vocalist Angela was asked to describe their wistful pop, explaining that "it's punk in spirit and upbeat, has lots of rhythm, and can be romantic but with a dark side".


From the first note 'Coco Sleeps Around' demands attention. Rainbow Reservoir create a measure of punk angst surrounded by melodic hooks, feisty vocals and good old no nonsense rock. The four song EP is more of the bands most welcome and addictive music.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Audience Killers - Patterns.

Background - Latvian synth-pop trio, Audience Killers, release the music video for their next single, "Patterns". The track is from the group's debut album, Floating Islands, which was released in May 2016.

Audience Killers create a fluid blend of synth-pop and electro-pop that often draws comparisons to Mew and Passion Pit. Their debut album Floating Islands delivers this and more with warm, inviting synths, dreamy guitar lines, and ethereal vocals. Petrovs's striking falsetto is sure to bring to mind flashes of M83's Anthony Gonzalez. Lyrically, Floating Islands acknowledges the idea that one person has the ability to affect the lives of many with positivity and inclination.

Childhood friends Normunds Petrovs (vocals/guitar) and Arletta Supe (keyboards/backing vocals) only began writing and making music in 2009. Rounding out the trio, Petrovs and Supe met Edgars Oplucans (drums) during a live studio session in early 2010 and swiftly released their first two singles.

Audience Killers then released their debut EP Footprints And Heart in July 2012 and have since performed across much of Europe at The Great Escape, Reeperbahn Music Festival, and Tallinn Music Week, and released a standalone single, "Two Bare Feet," to much acclaim. This year's debut album release marks a major step for the promising Latvian band.


'Patterns' is a dreamy, atmospheric song that gently glides along, slowly building momentum until it becomes a melodic and vibrant piece (almost a case of three songs in one). The music video really is an ideal match.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sunshine & The Blue Moon - Sunshine & Lucy.

Background from the band - I'm a bit of a sap, I love the idea of Love. Is there true love? Do we create this love based on instincts or fantasies, or is love itself an instinct? When it comes to how love is created, I don't mind any which way, I'm just happy to have experienced, or at least to have witnessed it. I wanted to try to capture that with a warm music video shot on film, giving the impression of a long lost burgeoning romance captured on warm film, maybe found in a dusty box, on a dusty shelf somewhere, to be viewed with a smile, as a reminder, a vignette of the very thing that drives us. Our debut album comes out on September 16th via The Hand, we're calling it 'Welcome To The Future'.

Sunshine & the Blue Moon choose to experiment not only with sound, but mood as well, expanding their aural landscape beyond common signifiers. Blending influences and ideas from across genres and eras spanning from early blues, folk and country, to 60's rock and soul, through eclectic 90's grooves. One listen may place you on a rural road with your sweetheart, feeling the summer breeze as it rolls through the trembling leaves. While another might place you in a pulsing dream wanting nothing more than to escape the hot city streets, to shake and dance the through the night.


One of nine songs on the debut album, 'Sunshine & Lucy' gives a flavour of where the band go with their music, it's certainly not the only style you will hear though. For example the following song (Depression) is a mixture of funk, blues and energy. What's consistent is the really tight musicianship and some exceptional vocal styles. As debut albums go, this is of a very high standard, the band have set expectations high, and I reckon they will deliver on that.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anna Of The North - Us.

Background - Anna of the North is the music project of Norwegian singer Anna Lotterud and her producer Brady. She has just got off tour with Kygo and is a staple on Spotify playlists.

Originally from a small town north of Oslo, it was in Melbourne that she met Brady, and gained the Anna of the North moniker.

Two songs The Dreamer and Baby, have gained the top spot on Hype Machine, establishing a sizable listenership and following. The new song 'Us' confirms that Anna of the North are far more than a one two hit wonder!

Live Date:
Sep 20th 2016 - The Lexington, London, United Kingdom.

'Us' is a smooth electro song with a hypnotic groove and Anna Lotterud wonderful vocals. In what is a crowded part of the music world, Anna Of The North stand out, in part because they focus on the key ingredients of the song and deliver an uncluttered and yet expansive pop sound.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Furious Seasons - Look West (Album Release)

The Furious Seasons - Longshot.

Background bio - The Furious Seasons "look west" biography "David Steinhart's been a perennial cottage industry goldmine for those who carry torches for soft, finely crafted, windswept pop. David writes and sings warm, literate, sober, preoccupied folk pop, always well-crafted..." Jack Rabid/The Big Takeover "David is still one of my nominations for best relationship lyricist, but he's become one of the rare ones to let adulthood and marriage inform songs that would previously have capitalised on failure and youth." The War Against Silence

The Furious Seasons' 5th release, "look west" is a perfect departure from last years lush and orchestrated "My Love is Strong".  With "look west" David Steinhart's penchant for catchy melodies and story line lyrics are still firmly intact but this time they are tackled by an acoustic trio that highlights the stories and creates a warmth that David and his brother Jeff haven't achieved since the early days of their mid 80's band Pop Art.  Jeff Steinhart plays a stand up bass for the first time in his career and guitarist Paul Nelson's agile solo's and harmonies helps "look west" create a sound all it's own.  Not folk in the traditional sense, the folk/pop album soars with deep personal stories and melodies that will stay with you for long stretches.

This is Steinhart's 21st album in total and although his previous bands Pop Art and Smart Brown Handbag often dabbled in acoustic presentations, this is the first album to go all in on the concept. The album concept was born out of months of 3 piece shows played in Southern California, including shows in support of John Hiatt, David Lindley and A.J. Croce. Scott Campbell recorded a few of the tracks live in a home studio in Hollywood set up for Shelby Lynne. Tim Boland at White Light Studios in North Hollywood recorded the lion share of the album.

On "My Terrible Song" Steinhart sings about wanting something so badly that you lose track of what's important in the process. On Summer Flame Steinhart writes about the passage of time while looking back on opportunities missed.  "You were a summer flame/ so blue and warm and deep/ wishes and whims I had that have drifted off to sleep/ were light and alive while you were mine to keep/ when the sun was still on my face." The mood lightens on "Sadly Matched" a song about a man who loves Los Angeles so much that he's willing to let his dream girl move away without him. "Now your memory plays like a movie with a melancholy end/ and I play the part of the villain with a stance I can't defend/ but as I look to the future on this Christmas day/ it's 80 degrees here on the beach and I think I'll be ok. "look west" is like those beautiful Los Angeles days, warm, breezy and imbued with California feeling.


'Longshot' encapsulates the overall craftsmanship and creativity that has gone into the bands fifth release (and David Steinhart's twenty first album) 'Look West'. The album was released last month, so apologies for the delay, this work is however, way to good to overlook. Iv'e included the full promo piece above for two reasons. First of all it's a very honest representation of the album, and secondly, it's written considerably better than I could put it. For those unfamiliar with The Furious Seasons and to help position them it's worth mentioning, that they are playing with Donovan for his Sunshine Superman Tour at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills on October 8, 2016.  They've also recently opened for John Hiatt, David Lindley and A.J. Croce. For me this a collection of adorable songs, delivered with sensitivity, the music is first class as are the wonderful lyrics and their superbly matched delivery.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Friday, 19 August 2016

Weekend Wonders: Skybaby Siren - A Shoreline Dream - Touché Amoré - John K. Samson - Ptarmigan

Skybaby Siren - Day By Day (feat. Elia).

Background promo - Hailing from Sydney but now residing in London, producer/songwriter Craig Beck, aka Skybaby Siren, has been an established artist and writer for years. After finally deciding to start investing in his own music, he began releasing tracks periodically as an outlet from his usual work producing music for others. A multi-instrumentalist he see's the value in collaborating with singer-songwriters to enhance the music he composes and hopes that this somehow strikes a chord with music lovers.

Skybaby Siren’s latest release is ‘Day by Day’, featuring the vocal stylings of Elia and showcasing what the band self-describes as their brand of Sonic Psychedelic Rock Pop. It’s a sleekly produced track, that shows off the act’s typically 80’s influenced style, with hints of the serene pop of modern dream rockers DIIV. Elia’s cool vocals float through the song, ushering in the infectious harmonies of the track’s smooth chorus.

‘Day By Day’ is about being in a relationship where one person is more ahead with feelings than the other. It's about wanting to stay in the relationship but getting scared and wanting to control the pace.

The previous release, ‘I Love Everything About You’ - was cowritten and was the first Skybaby Siren track to feature Elia. Elia is a singer/songwriter from Melbourne. A graduate of the Australian Institute of Music, Elia's music style is mellow electro containing influences of Contemporary Jazz and Popular music. Since her first release in 2013, Elia has been composing all genres focusing mainly on top line work. It was through this work she began collaborating with Skybaby Siren.


 The band not only are releasing this brand new single, but an accompanying music video. The promo video explores the life of Neon, a young agoraphobic girl who lives "day by day" in a wardrobe taken care of by her very loving and understanding boyfriend Sam. Frustrated by the lack of human touch and the need to want to help Neon find her happy place Sam devises a very clever and cute solution to encourage Neon out of her little tiny house. (View here).

'Day By Day' definitely benefits from the inclusion of Elia on vocals, on what is a smooth, catchy pop/rock song. It's a collaboration that works, leaving us with a polished melodic piece.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Shoreline Dream - Whirlwind.

Background - 'Whirlwind' is the third single from the ever-evolving new record by A Shoreline Dream, which is being released song by song before its completion. This new track dives into the harsh reality of the constant changes occurring around us and the fact that everything continues to speed forward throughout our short lives. Originating in Barnum, Colorado, A Shoreline Dream is Ryan Policky (vocalist/guitarist/producer) and Erik Jeffries (guitar). Together, the two crafted this latest 'Whirlwind'.

With the recent death of singer Ryan Policky's father, and a murder occuring right next door to where A Shoreline Dream writes, practices and records, the motivation to finish and release this track was high on the band's to-do list for the summer. Riding a fine line between alternative rock, goth and post-punk and with a bass heavy overtone, the song dips and dives into layers of guitars and vocal chants, heavily influenced by the changing of seasons, and the speed of life for this band now celebrating its 10th year of music experimentation.

As autumn comes and the release of 'Whirlwind' hits, new music will be developed that brings in the next wave of what’s to soon become A Shoreline Dream’s first vinyl album. A Shoreline Dream makes what is best described as “progressive shoegaze”, combining lush sampled textures, organic instrumentation and vocals layered like a synth. Their sound is an invigorating mixture of sounds from the likes of Bauhaus, Ride and Sigur Rós mixed with early Dead Can Dance.

Over the past decade, the band has produced numerous acclaimed releases under their own label (Latenight Weeknight Records) and has intensively collaborating with legends such as Ulrich Schnauss and Mark Kramer. Recently they landed distribution by cult UK indie label Rocket Girl Records while recording with Ulrich in Leytonstone, and have also remixed an Engineers' song for progressive label gods K-Scope.


It's been a few years since we featured A Shoreline Dream, the song 'Whirlwind' confirms their consistent status of creating sonic delights. They can develop something nearing a wall of sound, and yet leave enough room for melodic hooks, that for me ensures a compulsive second listen.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Touché Amoré - Skyscraper.

Background - 'Skyscraper' is the closing track off the band’s new album Stage Four, out September 16. In addition to front man Jeremy Bolm singing melody, the song also features guest vocals by acclaimed singer-songwriter Julien Baker.

As Jeremy Bolm explains “I'm a Leonard Cohen fanatic, and I feel he figured out early that his range can be brought to life with the accompaniment of a beautiful female voice over his. So taking a page from his book I asked Julien to join me on the track. I adore Julien and her talent. I couldn't have been more excited when she was down to do it.”

'Stage Four' is the band’s follow-up to their 2013 critically-admired album 'Is Survived By…' . It was recorded in Studio City, California with producer Brad Wood. Fans can pre-order 'Stage Four' at toucheamore.com and receive previously released tracks 'Palm Dreams' and 'Displacement' as instant downloads. Pre-order bundles are also available at toucheamore.com.

Since forming across 2007 and 2008, the Burbank, California band’s sound, with its melodic sonic assault and impassioned vocals, has grown tighter and more refined throughout their upward-moving career. Lead singer Jeremy Bolm, guitarists Nick Steinhardt and Clayton Stevens, bassist Tyler Kirby, and drummer Elliot Babin have created a trajectory for themselves through hard work and dedication. And now with Stage Four, their fourth and biggest album to date, they are cementing their status as one of rock music’s most talented, relatable, and visceral acts.


'Skyscraper' may have a hint of Leonard Cohen about it vocally and the inclusion of Julien Baker is a master-stroke, however this is an original song in it's own right. It is also a massive tease as we have to wait another four weeks for the album.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

John K. Samson - Postdoc Blues.

Background - Singer/Songwriter John K. Samson Enlists The Rhythm Section From His Renowned Band The Weakerthans For Much of His Second Solo Album,  Winter Wheat, Available From Epitaph/ANTI, October 21st, 2016.

Inspired by the search for connection and community, his hometown of Winnipeg, and our individual and collective struggles with addictions to drugs, screens, and fossil fuels, John K. Samson’s new full-length album, Winter Wheat, is a sprawling, masterful and timely work by a writer at the peak of his powers.

Winter Wheat was produced in garages and homes through a Winnipeg winter by Samson’s partner and collaborator, Christine Fellows, and his Weakerthans co-founder and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Jason Tait, and mixed in the spring in Toronto by Robbie Lackritz (Bahamas, Feist). The spare and thoughtful arrangements also feature Greg Smith of The Weakerthans on electric bass, Ashley Au on double and electric bass, Leanne Zacharias on cello, and Shotgun Jimmie on electric guitar.

Several of the 15 songs, most directly Select All Delete, Vampire Alberta Blues, and VPW 13 Blues, are inspired by Neil Young’s enduring 1974 album On the Beach, and that record’s honest and unvarnished spirit is evident throughout Winter Wheat. Postdoc Blues follows an aging student struggling to maintain faith in the possibility of a better world, while Fellow Traveller is loosely based on the life of the British art critic and Soviet spy Anthony Blunt. 150 years of Winnipeg’s history is revealed in the two and a half minutes of Oldest Oak at Brookside, and Samson’s recurring characters Virtute the cat and her troubled human companion (from The Weakerthans songs Plea from a Cat Named Virtute and Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure) make their final appearances in 17th Street Treatment Centre and Virtute at Rest.

Like the crop itself, which is planted in the fall, sprouts, goes dormant through months of snow and rises in the spring, Winter Wheat is a determined, beautiful, resilient response to difficult and extraordinary times.


'Postdoc Blues' certainly suggests that we are in for something a little special with the October album release 'Winter Wheat'. The song is gently melodic, and has a crisp, defined sound allowing all elements to shine.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ptarmigan - O Zephyr.

Background from the band - 'O Zephyr' is about the best example of what Ptarmigan is as a band. In the track, acoustic instruments like banjo and mandolin are layered and blended with synthesized and electronic textures. This rich layering is what we are constantly trying to achieve as a band. Lyrically, the song is my attempt to come to terms with the source of my musical creations and inspiration. I think of art as a sort of palimpsest, that is, a manuscript that is constantly written, wiped of its contents, re-written, but on which the traces of previous creations remain.

I don't think of any music as purely original, but interesting re-imaginations or tapestries of previous cultural creations. I think we've sort of learned to embrace our nerdiness as a band, which is pretty critical to understanding our music. We are all really inspired by fantasy and mythology and this definitely comes out in our music. There is a certain epicness to it, though we really try to maintain a level of good aesthetic taste. (August 26th release date, Eastern Canada tour planned for October).

Release shows:
Aug 26, 2016 - The Spill - Peterborough, ON w/ Nick Procyshyn
Aug 27, 2016 - Burdock Music Hall - Toronto, ON w/ Isla Craig
Sept 1, 2016 - Baltimore House - Hamilton, ON w/ Grey \ Water and Dizzy

I have to say I can't help but agree with the sentiments in the second paragraph above regarding the originality of  music in general. 'O Zephyr' therefore does pretty well in that it does have some unique attributes, and more importantly is one fine song. Maybe it's time for us all to embrace our nerdiness, if it leads to high quality music....

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thursday, 18 August 2016

Over the next few days, Beehive Candy will be making a few changes, that we hope will improve both our visitors experience, and improve the support we provide for new artists, and new music releases.

These will include placing all new music video features on the home page. BeeVids will stay in place for the time being, however all new video features will be on this page. We are also working on improving page loading time, along with a number of other ideas, that we look forward to introducing soon. As always thankyou for dropping by.

Four More: The Alpacas - The Wicked Whispers - Coast Modern - Henry Jamison

The Alpacas - Wax.

Background from the band - In some ways our new single is about being happiest playing a gig. But it's also about how being social when you don't always want to be is a trade off for doing what you love. Getting what you want also means keeping yourself in check.

Musically, it’s as if Johnny Ramone joined The Strokes as a 3rd guitarist. Lyrically it's also inspired by the song 'Left of the Dial' by The Replacements from their 1985 album 'Tim'.


Our forthcoming album was produced, engineered, and mixed by Kevin Dietz (The Cranberries, Alexisonfire, Placebo, Nelly Furtado). It was recorded at Metalworks in Toronto and Slipone Digital in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. 


The Alpacas are Nick Harper, Greg Lee, Brett Garner, and Brent Lee: a four-piece rock and roll band from Barrie, Ontario. The Alpacas aim to write honest, hooky, and heavy tunes that strike a balance between raw and refined. The Alpacas live show is loud and quiet, fast and slow, tidy and unkempt –– but above all, The Alpacas look to create some good time vibes and entertain an audience.

With a tight indie rock feel, 'Wax' explodes with the choruses and just rocks in between. The band pack power chords alongside a belting rhythm and just hook you in.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Wicked Whispers - If I Set You Free.

Background promo - The new double A side single “If I Set You Free / Zodiac Girl” released on 21st Sept via Electone Records. Two years on from their debut album Maps of The Mystic, and with a plethora of sold out vinyl releases and UK / EU tours under their belts, Merseyside’s fast-rising psychedelic sons The Wicked Whispers return with news of a brand new double A side single release in If I Set You Free / Zodiac Girl.

Though rather than re-tread the ground that brought the band their initial swell of attention, these new tracks reveal the band to be revelling in a new-found focus; ideas come fully formed, hooks latch on instantly, and where once their bristling fountain of creative concepts threatened to overshadow the songs underneath, their more direct approach to the craft is a refreshing shift to their own more distinctive strain of the genre.

If I Set You Free, punctuated with organ flourishes, dramatic guitar stabs, and a tumbling vocal melody, calls to mind The Coral at their best, while Zodiac Girl – the perfect counterpart to If I Set You Free - shows the band’s more wistful and thoughtful capabilities, with its soaring refrain of “Zodiac Girl”.

Live Dates:
Oct 6 This Feeling, Water Rats, London
Oct 21 Buyers Club, Liverpool
Oct 27 Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
Nov 26 Vortex Lounge, Cumbernauld


The video for 'If I Set You Free' is a sixties psychedelic feast of colours, whilst the song oozes those timeless vibes of days gone by. The band bring their own fresh ideas to the table and create a spectacular sound. Highly recommended!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coast Modern - The Way It Was.

Background - Step onto a jungle cruise with Coast Modern and explore the wonders of the new track, 'The Way It Was'. A few Coast Modern facts - 10 million streams across three songs with previous songs, "Guru", "Animals," and "Hollow Life" hit #1, #2 and #3 on HypeMachine respectively. 

The band played their first shows at SXSW this March, toured with The Wombats, BØRNS this Summer and plan a US tour with The Temper Trap this Fall, plus festival appearances at Bumbershoot, The Meadows and Life Is Beautiful.

Live Dates:
September 2 - Bumbershoot - Seattle, WA
September 19 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR***
September 21 - Commodore - Vancouver, BC***
September 23 - Life is Beautiful - Las Vegas, NV
​September 25 - Gothic - Denver, Colorado***
September 27 - Varsity - Minneapolis, MN***
September 28 - Metro - Chicago, IL***
September 29 - Majestic Theatre - Detroit, MI
September 30 - Phoenix - Toronto, ON***
October 1 - The Meadows - Flushing, NY
October 4 - Royale - Boston, MA***
October 5 - TLA - Philadelphia, PA***
October 6 - 930 Club - Washington, DC***
October 8 - Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, GA***
October 9 - 3rd and Lindsley - Nashville, TN***
October 11 - Granada - Dallas, TX***
October 12 - White Oak - Houston, TX***
October 13 - Emo's - Austin TX***
October 16 - Observatory North Park - San Diego, CA***
October 17 - Observatory - Orange County, CA***
October 18 - Belasco Theatre - Los Angeles, CA***
October 19 - Warfield - San Francisco, CA***
*** supporting The Temper Trap​
 

'The Way It Was' is one of those songs that demonstrate a band that are happy to do their own thing. There is a loose feeling throughout, along with sing along vocals, ideas galore, sometimes a little quirky, often happy, this is one fine song

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Henry Jamison - Real Peach.

Background - Henry Jamison, is an extraordinary songwriter who will be releasing his debut EP called The Rains on October 14th via Akira Records, and has now shared “Real Peach”, the brilliant first single from the EP, ahead of its official release this Friday, August 19th and a brief Northeast tour later in August.

Assuming that a person’s interesting lineage or pedigree in such things has any relevance at all, which is certainly unclear, Henry Jamison was perhaps predisposed to songwriting. His great-great-great-great-great-great-great (etc.) grandfather was the 14th century poet John Gower (friend to Chaucer and Richard II) and his great-great-great-great grandfather was George Frederick Root, the most popular songwriter of the Civil War era.

Probably more relevant is that his mother is an English professor and his father a classical composer who gave him a Korg 8-track recorder and his first guitar, so Henry has some talented writing roots in his bones, and the songs that comprise The Rains prove this to be fact. These songs show a central interest in exploring inner worlds, observing their treasures and holding none in contempt. They run the gamut from an earnest reckoning with romantic upheaval ("Real Peach"), to a knee-jerk and distorted view of the same ("Through a Glass"), to storm-driven dreamscapes ("The Rains" and "Dallas Love Field").

Live Dates:
8/25 - Burlington, VT - New City Galerie
8/27 - Brooklyn, NY - Pete’s Candy Store
8/28 - Portland, ME - The Garage
8/29 - Cambridge, MA - Zuzu


'Real Peach' is typical of the overwhelming quality of the October EP release 'The Rains'. Comprising of five beautiful songs, thoughtful words sung with tenderness are accompanied by an understated and predominately acoustic soundtrack. Melodic through and through, and with delicate harmonies, the EP really is something quite special.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday, 17 August 2016

Midweek With: The Heroic Enthusiasts - Heartracer - Cosmonauts - Hiva Oa - Apothek

The Heroic Enthusiasts - Summer Serenade.

Bakground bio - On Monday, New York indie rock band The Heroic Enthusiasts released their new EP The Second Three on JamTom Music. Inspired by experiences traveling in Italy and France, The Second Three builds on the band's polished indie rock sound that is reminiscent of definitive 80’s post-punk groups such as Echo and the Bunnymen and The Smiths.

Back in the 16th century, the Catholic friar and astronomer/philosopher Giordano Bruno gazed up at the stars enraptured by the poetry he saw in the elliptical patterns playing out in the sky. For Bruno, math, science, art, and romance were all one and the same ­­ a perspective that resonated so much James Tabbi and Tom Ferrara that they chose to name their band after Bruno's epic work Gli Eroici Furori -- literally "On the Heroic Passion" but commonly known as "The Heroic Enthusiasts." Much as they did for Bruno, numbers for this band function as a window into matters of the heart.

Both math majors and music lovers of Sicilian descent, Ferrara and Tabbi understand that form derives its beauty from a dance between precision and an intangible quality that can't be quantified. Yes, they write songs that stick in your memory and make you want to sing them out loud. But they also add discreet touches of sophistication, leaving a note out of a chord, for example, so that your ear strains to hear it and then introducing contrast by adding the note they've been implying all along. The way their guitar lines mesh together brings to mind the approach of master weavers and designers as much as it does musicianship in the conventional sense.

The Second Three follows the success of The Heroic Enthusiasts’ debut effort, Memory Wheel, released in February of 2016. "Summer Serenade" sets the tone of the EP, wrapped in themes of summer love and relationships of the past, present and future. Inspired by experiences traveling about in Italy and France, The Second Three builds on the bands polished indie rock sound that is reminiscent of 80’s classics like Echo and the Bunnymen and The Smiths.


We featured The Heroic Enthusiasts back in February with their debut release, Memory Wheel. Featured song 'Summer Serenade' from the bands brand new EP sees the band continue to impress. It's one of three superbly crafted songs, their brand of indie rock has depth, heartfelt vocals and an expansive musical sound.
  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Heartracer - Hollow.

Background - Chris and Chip Cosby grew up in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia. Early on, the brothers took a liking to 80’s pop culture from Nightmare on Elm Street to Back To The Future to the super cheesy martial arts movies starring Jean Claude Van Damme. It was a time when the United States economy was booming, people still bought records, Blockbuster still populated every street corner, and social media wasn’t the dominant influence on society. However, more importantly for the brothers this decade represented the golden era of catchy melodies and pop sensibility. The nostalgia for this period of their lives became the foundation of what would eventually become Heartracer. Chris and Chip had finally come together after years playing separately. After all Chris wasn't always aware of his music ability. He grew up watching his older brother Chip play in bands his whole life, but it wasn't until the suicide of a close friend that Chris realised his musical ability. As a mechanism to cope with his grief Chris began playing on the piano in his parents living room, using singing and songwriting as a form of catharsis.

In the summer of 2014 Chris was inside his home studio above his garage next to a broken AC unit playing a little melody and singing the words "If you go where I go, then you'll fall where I fall." A simple, yet poignant line about transcendence. A song about the way a song should make you feel if you will. Why are human beings drawn to sound? What is that we love music so much and how does something so simple make us feel so much? That was the inspiration for what eventually became the single "Heartracer." Little did the brothers know that at this time this song would come to define their signature and distinctive retro-electro pop sound and would eventually be chosen to be their identity. The pulsing and shimmering synth in the sweat of a summer afternoon paved the way to their sophomore release Summer Gold. This EP showed confidence and maturity in the direction of Heartracer's signature and distinctive sound and gave Heartracer their first national exposure. Since then Heartracer has toured and played with several international acts to at capacity crowds Future Islands, Jimkata, Banks, Pvris, Joywave, The Peach Kings, Priory, and Third Eye Blind.


'Hollow' begins with a dreamy musical feel, that comes alive with soaring vocals and from then just continues to build. Melodic, with a wonderful interface between the guitars and singing, put simply this a superb song.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cosmonauts - Party At Sunday.

Background - Cosmonauts came into being in 2009 in outer space or Orange County, depending on the way you like to look at things. The band was originally formed by Derek Cowart and Alexander Ahmadi after he heard Cowart play a Spaceman3 song solo at a show in their home town of Fullerton, CA. The two were students at different high schools but as it turned out, of the same musical school of thought: two lovers of lo­fi, adorers of the atmospheric, kindred pop­loving spirits. The two bonded over the Velvet Underground and Brian Jonestown Massacre, and quickly turned their mutual appreciation club into a band. Cosmonauts have been making music ever since, picking up bassist James Sanderson and a host of different drummers along the way (the spot is currently filled by Mark Morones). Now residing in Los Angeles, they’ve put out a number of releases (including three full length albums) through Burger Records and various other labels.

They’ve toured extensively through the US and Europe, and played alongside Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Pixies, Slowdive, Black Lips, Belle & Sebastian, and more, though Cosmonauts don’t exactly fit neatly into the fabric of their scene: too psychedelic to be punk, too punk to be psychedelic, and too absorbed in making their own brand of music to care. Their latest offering, A­OK!, is out August 19th via Burger Records. 


From the imminent album release AOK! the track 'Party At Sunday' showcases the band in a more laid back mood. It's a calming, melodic and atmospheric piece, and only one aspect of their material. The ten track album has some real rockers, the occaisional energetic wall of sound piece, and bags of imagination. Hard to pigeonhole, the new album for me is bursting with well delivered ideas.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hiva Oa - Seskinore.

Background - Belfast duo, Hiva Oa are pleased to share their brilliant and brooding new single Seskinore on Gold Flake Paint today. The track is taken from their forthcoming EP, mk2 (part 1) - out September 16th.

New material from Hiva Oa has been a long time coming. Sometimes, it seems, a period of inactivity is better for a band than one of constant creation. With the release of their forthcoming EP mk2 (part 1), core members Stephen Houlihan and Christine Tubridy departed Edinburgh, returning to their native Ireland seeking renewed inspiration. Hiva Oa retain the mystery and ambition of their former incarnations, but inject a heavy thrum to their intricate patchwork style, and turn their attentions to themes of fear, loneliness, abandonment and awakening.

On lead single A Great Height the band continue their controlled experimentation by marrying primal, dizzying electronica and a swelling bass hum, with minimal guitar patterns to create a tightly wound, suffocating and intense atmosphere that sets the tone for the EP. Somewhat appropriately it’s an anxious listen, the influence of Thom Yorke on vocalist Stephen Houlihan here provides the forlorn, and almost hopeless, punctuating refrain “…and I fall from a great height.”  Elsewhere Seskinore demonstrates their skill in developing percussive motifs that flit from the suspenseful and shuffling, to eruptive, deafening, conclusions. A powerful resolution to each composition is never far from the minds of Hiva Oa.

The latter part of mk2 (part 1) begins to bring subtler intricacies to the fore. Christine is awash with swathes of gentle guitar, gifting the four-minute piece a transcendent quality that, coupled with another yearning vocal, offers the listener a brief glimpse into one of the EP’s more intimate moments, in this near-fearful, dream-like, serenade. Closing track Jonny Brazil again shifts unassumingly from sinewy indie-rock before revealing a raft of squalling guitars and inter-playing vocal melodies. Hiva Oa have become masters of developing atmospheres proving that, for them, a visit to old pastures has worked wonders.


Second time around on Beehive Candy, and on the strength of this hopefully not the last. Hiva Oa have the knack of keeping the listener guessing where any given song is going, even when well into the piece and 'Seskinore' is no exception. In our last feature I descibed Hiva Oa as producing "intense and swirling music" with the new single I would add, powerful and hypnotic.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Apothek - Invited.

Background - Together they have “a confidence that evades other artists early on” (Stereogum), but for Apothek’s Morten Myklebust and Nils Martin Larsen, this is one debut that has been years in the making. News of the pair’s eponymous debut album – ‘Apothek’ released September 30 via Propeller Recordings – materialises with new single ‘Invited’, which rather aptly contains one of the oldest elements on the record.

“The chorus for ‘Invited’ was originally meant for a different project,” Larsen explains, “but at some point, we started playing around with it during an Apothek session and realised we had to use it.” From somewhat subdued beginnings comes perhaps the most immediate pop song on the album – impressive from a duo already hailed “so joyously epic” by The Guardian.

It hints to the intricate and meticulous nature of Apothek’s full-length foray, a labour of love blurring the boundaries between electronic and organic. “All over the record, we had this mantra that what felt like an integral part of the band’s sound was trying to make acoustic sounds sound really mechanical and mechanical sounds sound acoustic,” Larsen says. “We spent a lot of time reamping synths, running them through different gritty effects and trying to make my old piano sound like a strange synth.”


Apothek create vibrant, melodic and distinct songs, that clearly work for me, as this is their third feature in around a year. In a few words, joyously luscious and emotionally intriguing.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cactus Lee - Sons of Sevilla - Gwenno

Cactus Lee - Got A Heart Like Rainwater Blues. This spring Cactus Lee released a new self-titled album (with R. Crumb artwork) via the este...