Globetrotting: Mel Kay & Liberte - Blaudzun - Slothrust - The Rival - The Beatnic

Mel Kay & Liberte - Upside Down Town.

Background promo - Given she has been involved in music since the age of three, it’s little surprise Mel Kay chose to embark on a singing career. After years of studying contemporary music performance at WAAPA, the 22-year-old is set to release her latest singles ‘Upside Down Town’ and ‘Feel Alright’, both up-tempo tunes, mixing pop, indie and funk.

“I wrote these songs with the intention to empower young women to know their worth,” says Kay. “I want to encourage them to have the courage to stand up for themselves in a society that is often very focused on instant gratification, and objectification. I wanted to write a song about the importance of respect, as we are all intelligent human beings with a deep need to be loved and valued just as we are.”

Inspired by The Browhorn Orchestra, Lorde, Regina Spektor and Kate Miller-Heidke, Kay says she has always loved music that crosses genres. “My aim was to create music that could connect to a wide audience, while also having a very unique vibe and sound,” she said. The collective “we” Kay refers to is Liberté (pronounced “Libert-ae”), the 10-piece band she regularly performs with featuring guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, saxophone, trumpet, trombone and backing singers.

“The main challenge with recording was making sure we were prepared before we went into the studio and of course also matching busy schedules up with 10 working musicians to take into account,” says Kay on the recording process. “They are all incredible musicians and I am so stoked to be able to work with performers of their level.”

While studying at WAAPA for four years, Kay performed in multiple showcases at the Ellington Jazz Club, The Rosemount, The Geoff Gibbs Theatre, and The Laneway Lounge with a mix of original and cover bands. In 2014, she recorded her first single ‘Lonely Now’ which received commercial airplay and was voted top ballad on CD Baby. “Upside Down Town” by Mel Kay & Liberte was just released on the 7th of October 2016. Facebook here.

Beyond the fine vocals and splendid harmonies 'Upside Down Town' is a great tune that's full of top quality musicianship along with a hooky and melodic overall feel.

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Blaudzun - Jupiter.

Background - Almost two and a half years after the release of his successful album ‘Promises Of No Man’s Land’, Blaudzun returns with his new album ‘Jupiter’. His fifth full-length release, ‘Jupiter’ will be an album in three parts. Blaudzun explains: "My new album is a tryptich; a collection of songs released in three separate parts. These parts will be recorded at different times and studios. It’s really a work in progress, and that’s how it’ll stay until the final part has been released. Part I is now finished, but parts II and III are still in the works."

Blaudzun received a gold record for his third album 'Heavy Flowers' in the Netherlands; follow up 'Promises of No Man's Land' reached the #1 position in the Album Charts.

The band played several European festivals like Hurricane and Southside Festival (Ger), Bravalla (Swe), Rock Werchter and Pukkelpop (Be) and Lowlands and Pinkpop (NL), as well as CMJ and SXSW in the USA. Website here.

Title track and one of nine songs in this collection 'Jupiter' gives a feel for the music, where the rhythmic beat is often there,  with differing levels of dominance, whilst subtle melodies and twists are never far off either.

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Slothrust - Like A Child Hiding Behind Your Tombstone.

Background - Slothrust has debuted their newest video for "Like A Child Hiding Behind Your Tombstone". The band will release "Like A Child" along with their previous single "Horseshoe Crab" on their upcoming album 'Everyone Else' due out 10/28 on Dangerbird Records. With their long-awaited third album Everyone Else, Slothrust deliver ten riveting anthems that reward repeated listens. The songs grab the ear and pierce the psyche with complex arrangements and lyrical depth intensified by guitarist/vocalist Leah Wellbaum’s penetrating vocal delivery. 

Slothrust is Wellbaum, Kyle Bann (bass), and Will Gorin (drums). The trio first staked out their unique strain of jazz- and blues-afflicted rock as students at Sarah Lawrence College. The band’s 2012 debut Feels Your Pain, and its successor 2014’s Of Course You Do, established the band as a breed apart, serving up deceptively clever epics that veer satisfyingly between incandescent riffing and pop hooks, winsome anxiety and powerful heft.

“People have always had trouble comparing us to other bands, but someone recently described us as Nirvana meets Wynton Marsalis, and I loved that,” says Wellbaum. Even the band’s name inspires a beat of thoughtful consideration as the eyes take in the letters and the brain makes its snap judgement: Slo Thrust? Slot Rust? Slo Trust?  Sloth-Rust.

We all studied jazz and blues, so I often use chords and voicings that aren’t quite as conventional for contemporary rock,” she continues. “Certain harmonic movement can get stale, so I try to incorporate colorful notes to give it more depth. The improvisational spirit of blues music is also something we try to always keep with us, even in more composed playing. I am drawn to musicians a bit further outside of the rock tradition, such as John Fahey, Elizabeth Cotten, D'Angelo, and Portishead. Growing up I listened to a lot of R&B and classical music. And musicals." Website here.

Tour Dates (With Highly Suspect)
10.13.16 - St. Louis, Mo @ Delmar Hall
 10.14.16 – Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
10.15.16 – Little Rock, AR @ Metroplex
10.16.16 – Dallas, TX @ Trees
10.20.16 – Austin, TX @ The Parish
10.21.16 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Studio
10.22.16 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
10.23.16 – New Orleans, LA @ Gasa Gasa
10.27.16 – Washington, DC @ Black Cat
10.28.16 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
10.29.16 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
11.1.16 – Brooklyn, NY @ Rough Trade (Headlining)
11.3.16 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Rex Theater
11.4.16 – Asbury Park, NJ @ House of Independents
11.5.16 – Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage
11.6.16 – Salisbury, MD @ Headquarters Live
11.9.16 – Holyoke, MA @ Gateway City Live
11.10.16 – Cambridge, MA @The Sinclair
11.11.16 – Portland, ME @ Port City Music Hall
11.12.16 - Clifton Park, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall
11.16.16 - Cincinnati, OH @ 20th Century Theater
11.17.16 - Grand Rapids, MI @ The Stache
11.18.16 - Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
11.19.16 - Flint, MI @ The Machine Shop

Don't be fooled by the gentle start 'Like A Child Hiding Behind Your Tombstone' mixes in you face rock'n'roll and softer introspective moments, as the song twists and turns before coming fully together as one wonderful track.

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The Rival - Wanderer.

Background - Nashville alt-rock duo The Rival has released its new EP, Sands, making the collection available now at all digital stores.

This independent release via The Love Library marks the second in a trilogy of EP’s The Rival is releasing in 2016 and 2017. "Within a year we are releasing three five-song EPs," explains Allen Salmon of The Rival. "Waves was the first release, and we are following that up with Sands and Peaks. Each EP will focus on a different topography and different emotions. Throughout Sands there are several themes of wandering, running, and being lost that we felt spoke to us in a desert setting. 'My Own Devices' specifically speaks to wanting to find a way home, of being a bit lost." Years ago, lead vocalist and guitarist Phillip LaRue was in an accident and nearly lost use of his arm. The injury caused him to question whether he wanted to play music at all, and it wasn’t until he began to regain use of his arm that he realized music would always be a huge part of his life.   

As The Rival, Phillip and Allen have two previous releases including 2012’s self-titled debut, and 2014’s Endless EP. The band 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. Facebook here.

We featured a preview song from the new 'Sands' EP back in August, and noted at the time the just how well the duo mixed melody, choruses and the power, rock duo's can deliver. 'Wanderer' pretty much confirms they can do this over and over, as it typifies the real quality found in their latest release, an EP well worth hearing in full.

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The Beatnic - A Window On Your Soul.

Background - Nic Evans, from Shrewsbury , is a Singer, Songwriter and Guitarist whose songs have been played on BBC National Radio by legendary DJs' John Peel, Steve Lamaq and Johnny Walker.

During a varied career in the UK music business which has included working in the studio alongside Dave Anderson ( Hawkwind ), Nic has played tour supports to Robert Plant ( Led Zeppelin), Eddie Reader ( Fairground Attraction) and Mick Taylor ( The Rolling Stones ).

As well as being previously commissioned as a songwriter for Warner Bros Music, being produced by Jeff Knowler, who has produced and worked with, Blur, Paul Weller, Elbow and Goldfrapp, Nic has also written and recorded for the BBC Library, genre:- Folk/Pop/Alternative, and has also recorded music for publishers, for use in TV and Films. The new EP was released through Nub Music (Distribution via The Orchard) 17 September 2016.

The brainchild of Nic Evans aka The Beatnic, 'A Window On Your Soul' is the title track of what is a superb four song EP. With a CV like the one above, you might expect good things, however Nic seems to prefer to exceed expectations. All I can say is feel free in joining me checking out his music in greater detail, Ive not been disappointed yet.

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Weekend Wonders: Droplet - MOTSA - M.I.L.K. - Nouvelle Vague - Laughed the Boy - Brandt Brauer Frick

Droplet - Powerful Mind

Background promo - ‘Powerful Mind’ is the debut single by Melbourne’s newest and most elaborate electronic artist, Droplet. A track entirely about retrospect, ‘Powerful Mind’ attempts to empower listeners with messages of self-awareness and a complete acceptance of reality that alters one’s perception of themselves and others around the them.

“Before I started adding lyrics, the two words that kept floating in my head were resilience and perseverance, it was almost like a person in a boxing ring completely on their own, fighting someone that is invisible to others but so visible to them,” says the brainchild behind the project, singer-songwriter and producer Demi Papazoglou.

The talented Papazoglou paints a picture of a troubled past, interwoven with splashes of minimalist electronica and soaring vocals, evoking passion and drive from an artist that is committed to success. A change in tone from verse to chorus signals personal strength and assertiveness, that quite literally jumps out at listeners and demands attention.

With Droplet’s self-titled debut EP set for release in early 2017, the new single will cement Droplet as an ambitious and fierce newcomer with a project that proves through hard work and dedication, simply anything is possible. A string of live shows yet to be announced will follow up the release. “Powerful Mind” by Droplet will be released 14th of October 2016. Facebook here.

With a synthy beginning 'Powerful Mind' soon drifts into something quite special with the intriguing and soaring vocals of Droplet. They stand out even further with the understated musical accompaniment, what a debut!

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MOTSA - Colours feat. David Österle.

Background - Following his last two EP releases on Southern Fried Records, half-Austrian/half-Russian artist producer MOTSA (real name Valerio Dittrich) has announced his forthcoming fourth EP 'Petricolour', due out 4th November on his own label imprint. In tandem with the announcement, MOTSA is previewing his first taster of the EP; the melodic and beautifully textured 'Colours', featuring David Österle. You can listen to the single via the link below, which premiered via tmrw magazine, who said "it’s immaculately produced, adhering to all the constructs of semi left field electronic dance music as well as being refreshingly simple and just a good, solid listen".

Now based out of his native Vienna, MOTSA immersed himself within UK bass/electronic culture whilst residing in Scotland, becoming a student to the sounds he uncovered and finding inspiration from his surroundings. Devoting hours of energy to his compositions, his aptitude for production has only grown exponentially in the past few years. Although initially inspired by what he heard while living in the United Kingdom, Valerio has not limited himself to solely become a pastiche of a scene for which he has fond memories, but has actively sought out sounds and textures from the vast spectrum of electronic music. This in turn has allowed him to create diverse and unique tracks, which all share a common quality with their bass led, beat driven, soulful and harmonic edge.

'Petricolour' EP is written about the decline of our western society; its beauty, wealth and our opportunities having reached a peak and the onset of gradual decay. This is reflected in the accompanying artwork; the flowers symbolising deterioration but retaining some beauty and hope. Throughout the EP, MOTSA incorporates organic textures and sounds recorded from nature and his surroundings. Facebook here.

'Colours' has so much going for it. A sensitive and wonderfully layered soundtrack and the smooth flowing vocals, glide and dance together with effortless beauty.

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M.I.L.K. - U and Me.

Background - U And Me’ captures the signature sound of M.I.L.K. mastermind Emil Wilk, evoking the spirit of groove godfathers Curtis Mayfield and Shuggie Otis, alongside modern day contemporaries Jungle and Leisure. “With this track, I wanted to explore something a bit more danceable,” Wilk explains. “Not like dancefloor-explodor-danceable, but just something to soundtrack the stage of the party just before everyone starts dancing. So more like an ‘Oops Upside Your Head’ [The Gap Band] with lots of good times and head nodding than full on dance like ‘Rock With You’ [Michael Jackson].”

The track serves a synth-sensual successor to debut single ‘Following The Sun’ – an ode to summer love that had the likes of Indie Shuffle, The Line Of Best Fit, Clash and Hillydilly united in praise; culminating in a #4 Hype Machine hit. Not to mention multiple spins from Lauren Laverne at BBC Radio 6 Music and playlisting from some of Spotify’s finest.

It signals the release of M.I.L.K.’s forthcoming debut EP, promised before the year’s end, and follows a hefty festival season for the Copenhagen-based artist including Roskilde, by:Larm, Spot Festival and Trailerpark. He’s set to make his mark on the UK next month, with London live dates imminent. Facebook here.

'U and Me' has a classic sounding chorus line that is melodic and oh so catchy. What lays in between gives the song it's unique and funky edge, it's hardly surprising M.I.L.K. is already getting noticed.

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Nouvelle Vague - I Could Be Happy.

Background - Nouvelle Vague’s bossa nova cover of the Altered Images new wave classic “I Could Be Happy” is the title track from Nouvelle Vague’s first full length LP of new music since 2010, due November 4 on Kwaidan Records / !K7.

After a several year hiatus, Nouvelle Vague’s founders—French producers Marc Collin and Olivier Libaux—return with their signature bossa nova reinterpretations of ‘80s and ‘90s punk, post-punk and new wave hits. I Could Be Happy also includes the pair’s first-ever original compositions featuring a variety of vocalists. The band is set to tour Europe through the end of 2016 in support of the new album, with North American dates coming in March, 2017.

Collin and Libaux started the unique project in 2004. The band employed a legion of female singers, many unknown until their performances with the band. Over the course of four records, the band sold more than one million albums worldwide including their self-titled 2004 album and 2006’s Bande A Part—which were released in the U.S. The band toured internationally including sold out shows at Royal Albert Hall in London, The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and Olympia in Paris. Bandcamp here.

Altered Images 'I Could Be Happy' has always been a favourite song of mine, so a cover version needs to be good. Nouvelle Vague’s bossa nova cover is a fantastic variation of the song, different enough so as not to crowd the original, and absolutely charming.

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Laughed the Boy - Indifferent.

Background from the band - This song is the first track on our upcoming full length album scheduled to be released by the end of the year. It’s one of the first songs we started playing as a full band and really captures the garage-minimalist sound that will be prevalent on the album. Though bright and bouncy in melody, the song is a personal reflection on disenchantment in young adulthood.

Laughed the Boy began as my outlet for honest and unpretentious 90s nostalgia inspired songs After having more songs written than I knew what to do with, I brought my bedroom project to life when I went into the studio with my brother Sean to record their EP “Out of the Blue."

The two of us added our friend and bass player Brennan to the lineup and began playing the songs live. While rehearsing for shows,  we ended up with an album’s worth of fresh material and headed into the studio once again to record 9 new tracks that will make up our debut full length LP scheduled to be released by the end of 2016. Facebook here.

Full of fresh, bright indie vibes 'Indifferent' can only please. Theres even something of a Beach Boys surf feel to the song, and that can only be good in my opinion, play again material if ever there was.

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Brandt Brauer Frick - You Can Buy My Love.

Background - Daniel Brandt, Jan Brauer, and Paul Frick have established themselves as an ensemble of classically-trained instrumentalists who make techno. Since 2008, this Berlin-based trio has been exploring dance music production using unorthodox combinations of instruments and compositional methods. They also have an illustrious career as live performers, playing a wide range of venues from festival to club to concert hall: Glastonbury, Coachella, Montreux Jazz, Lincoln Center, Mutek, Sonar, Southbank, Centre Pompidou, Fabric, Berghain, the Kölner Philharmonie, and many more. 

The genius of Brandt Brauer Frick lies in their ability to find ways to make almost any assemblage of instruments work and ‘werk’ as dance music. Their debut album, You Make Me Real (2010), was a compendium of compelling minimalist techno tracks made with acoustic instruments. Their sophomore album, Mr. Machine (2011), came out as a live album recorded with a ten-piece classical ensemble. With Miami (2013), they began to move away from the austerity of their first two albums and to strike out in a new direction towards something darker, funkier, and structurally complex. Through their previous releases and their early stage performances in formal suits, Brandt Brauer Frick gave the impression of a classical ‘new music’ ensemble making techno; but with Joy, they more closely resemble an experimental rock band.

If their previous album, Miami, tarried with darker moods and atmospheres, with Joy Brandt Brauer Frick explore a wider range of feelings, expressing euphoria through different intensities, textures, and forms. In keeping with this refusal of convention, they draw upon genres and styles that are not conventionally associated with joy: ‘krautrock’, punk, drum’n’bass, indie rock, new wave, and pretty much every other ‘-wave’ there was in the 80s. Lyrically, the album focuses on what the band-members describe as ‘post-religious’ themes—such as struggling to find joy in times of uncertainty and instability. To describe this album as Brandt Brauer Frick’s ‘Nietzsche album’ is hardly hyperbole.

With Canadian singer-poet Beaver Sheppard lending his voice, this album could also be dubbed Brandt Brauer Frick’s first vocalist-focused, song-centric album. Although their previous album, Miami, featured guest appearances by vocalists such as Gudrun Gut, Jamie Lidell, and Nina Kraviz on some of its tracks, Joy represents the ensemble’s first experience composing and recording a whole album with a vocalist. This collaborative project required a different compositional process: one that was less centralised and more dynamic. Rather than starting from instrumental ‘bed’ tracks upon which guest vocalists would record their contribution, the compositional process began with Beaver’s fragmentary lyrics and vocal lines. Brandt Brauer Frick would then begin to develop instrumental layers, and then the rough cuts would be traded back and forth between band and vocalist, often going through numerous revisions. According to the band members, the process was very intense, but also very productive. Brandt Brauer Frick - 'Joy' Street Date, October 28th, 2016, Because Music.

'You Can Buy My Love' gives a little insight into the 'out there' nature of Brandt Brauer Frick. The new album really is an eclectic and intriguing collection of ten songs. The album defies any one musical category, it is fascinating all the way through, and almost compulsive to dip back in to. It reminds me of the first time I heard Can's album 'Soon Over Babaluma' (many, many years ago), it didn't matter what the style, category or anything else was, I was hooked and amazed. I am really thankful music can still do that to me sometimes, wonderful.

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Genre Wander: Penny Mob - Catch Prichard - H.C.Love - His Clancyness

Penny Mob - Love Not Hate.

Background bio - Glaswegian musician and actor Jamie Quinn (BBC’s “Bluestone 42”, BAFTA Award winning “Still Game” and Friday Night BBC hit “Two Doors Down”) having watched the Brit Awards in his North London flat, was totally alienated by the factory line of pretty boy X Factor types that dominate the modern music scene. He realized that the only logical conclusion was to create a band that would stand up against all of this; a band with soul and guts who sang from the heart about the world they lived in and – most importantly – would write great rock n roll songs.

After recruiting drummer Andrew Mullan, an old friend whom he met at an ‘intense method acting school’, on the grounds that they both felt the same about modern music and because – according to Quinn – “Mullan had what all the great drummers have, plenty of soul and was completely nuts. I knew straight away he was the man for the job”. It was through this meeting of minds that Penny Mob was born.

After recruiting a bassist from the dole queue in Holloway (and others since come and gone) the boys set out on their journey to become what they knew modern music needed the most: “a new, real, honest rock n roll band with balls”. Countless drunken nights, band fights & sweat fueled rehearsals later Penny Mob stuck their first demo tracks online in early 2016. The two tracks went on to garner a great deal of notoriety from radio DJ’s and music journalists alike throughout the country and along with their live performances, built around their hyper energetic, passionate, unapologetic anthem filled sets, the band have started to create a real buzz around the UK Music scene.

Renowned for both their impromptu live acoustic & full band sets – which have shocked some and amazed others – Penny Mob are building quite the reputation as the real deal rock band. Now with their newly released track “Love Not Hate” it will only go further to cement them as the ones to watch. Written by Quinn as an aim to make “the positive rock n roll track for the generation of the tired and hopeful” –  its mixture of raw indie laced with pure guitar pop & the spirit of punk coursing throughout – this new anthem proves not only that Penny Mob are a band on a mission, but that they don’t intend to stop any time soon. Facebook here.

'Love Not Hate' is a feisty indie rock song, with a simple message, surrounded by bags of energy and a wonderfully raw rock'n'roll sound.

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Catch Prichard - Hometown.

Background - Catch Prichard’s new song “Hometown” is exemplary of Prichard’s stunning debut Eskota EP in that it's absolutely mesmerizing.

Prichard’s new EP (out 10/21 via Devise Records) is steeped in traditional folk and Americana in the vein of Townes Van Zandt and features dexterous guitar work, accompanied by his powerful baritone that simultaneously conjures Anohni and Leonard Cohen. Sawyer set out to record a collection of sweet and simple songs that exalt narrative as much as they do melody.

Recorded in the middle of each night over the course of one week within the walls of an abandoned grocery store in the ghost town of Eskota TX, the result is a five-song EP resting somewhere between languid folk and forlorn country, with Sawyer’s vocals gliding over pedal steel and Moog like an oil slick on water. Website here.

'Hometown' is the second song we have featured from the stunning Eskota EP and quite frankly if I could share all five songs, I probably would, such is the quality.

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H.C.Love - Dreaming Place.

Background - When the Dulcimer starts in on “Dreaming Place”, the first look at HC Love’s upcoming album, you’re instantly transported. Inspired by the Australian aboriginal concept of Dreamtime, the song takes on an inner journey worthy of its title. "Dreaming Place" is a call to enter Dreamtime, a land out of time where one would be receptive to visions and stories of the land. Sonically, there’s a little bit of retro 90’s throwback as if the essence of Jewel and Joanna Newsom combined to create something new yet just as lovely and heartfelt.

Set to be released on November 4 is Light Breaks, Love’s introspective and ethereal sophomore album. The conceptual record has been a non-linear process and years in the making. It was inspired not only by the poetry of Shelly, Tagore and Rilke, but also by Love’s own contemplations and personal experiences. Blue Butterfly, for example, was born from her observations of a butterfly in a garden, while the song Child of Light was born out of her grandmother’s passing.

Working in an improvisational spirit, Love also added some field recordings from her walks in the forested Land of Medicine Buddha. Later in post-production, she worked with Christopher Hedge (best known for his soundscapes and award winning film scores) at The Magic Shop to add layers of additional recordings of the ocean, a drone cello, percussion and lap steel guitar to selected mixes.

While being from a family of professional musicians, H.C. Love somehow never made the connection for herself to music in that way. As a child, she studied classical piano until she was 12, played the flute in orchestra, and wrote her first piano piece at the age of 8. It would be a number of years later however, in her twenties, when she would return to music. It was at this time that she began to slowly find her voice. And it was only after the passing of a beloved great aunt, which moved her to write a song at a newly purchased upright piano, that she began to explore an approach to music that helped her access a more intuitive, improvisational approach. Website here.

I get the Joanna Newsom reference above as musically there is a hint of her earlier material, that said 'Dreaming Place' has plenty going for itself, particularly with H.C Love's intimate and beautiful vocals. Her upcoming album Light Breaks, is due out November 4th.

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His Clancyness - Uranium.

Background - The band began life as the solo project of singer/guitarist Jonathan Clancy but has since found a new form inspired by the camaraderie of life on the road. The group has evolved into a collaborative tour-hardened minimal noise-pop machine that features Jacopo Beta’s propulsive drumming, Giulia Mazza’s alien synthesizers, the commanding low thump of Nico Pasquini’s bass playing along with Clancy’s trademark fidgeting guitar work and his usual stirring lyrical resolve.

Over the last two years the band have retired to their Bologna basement HQ, Strange City Studios to put to use the newly-honed aesthetic and write a new clutch of anti-hits. Here they conducted late-night 4track experiments, embarked upon curious sonic investigations, threw the odd party and emerged with fistfuls of inspired compositions that make up their compelling new album.

Isolation Culture is a record from another place. It could be a recording snatched from a wormhole to a parallel universe where weathered Bowie statues pepper the abandoned city streets and Swell Maps’ music is piped into empty runaway subway cars. Maybe it’s the final psychedelic transmission from a radio station in flames or maybe it turned up on your lawn, delivered by an overnight tornado from somewhere that no longer exists. But what if Isolation Culture is part of the evidence that suggests that there are bands making records just like this one hidden in all the shadows in all the cities in the world? We can only hope that there are. Isolation Culture (Hand Drawn Dracula / Maple Death Records) release date: October 14th, 2016.Website here.

'Uranium is the second song we have featured from the bands soon to be released album 'Isolation Culture', and having now had a chance to hear the whole collection, I have to say this is one fine collection of songs and music. The band are firmly in the alternative alt rock camp with some intriguing twists and turns within their music. Well worth checking out. 

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Quality Not Quantity: Anousheh - On-The-Go

Anousheh - Bones.

Background promo - Electro-Pop artist Anousheh has just launched her latest, buzz-worthy single, "Bones." Anousheh's fresh style combines Pop sensibilities that offers a unique, and slightly nostalgic sound for your ears. The songstress has been garnering the praise of fans and critics alike who can't get enough of her hypnotic vocals and captivating instrumentation.

Anousheh is known for her epic melodies, and the Grammy-nominated songwriter has captivated audiences both overseas and in her hometown of Richmond, Virginia. Drawing early influences from some of her 90's music idols like Tori Amos, Bjork, and Radiohead, her songwriting style has always been rooted in introspection and metaphor. As an adult, Anousheh's love of pop music, hip hop and indie rock has focused her songwriting into hook-driven, thoughtful pop songs-- and in line with artists like Tove Lo, Ellie Goulding and Halsey. Facebook here.

'Bones' is one fine electro pop song. It's catchy, upbeat and a little hypnotic, surely that's enough for one song!

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On-The-Go - In The Morning.

Background - Russian indie-pop band On-The-Go consists of a group of talented musicians who strive to make music of the best quality. Having their first LP on the top of the Russian Charts led to performing alongside the likes of She Wants Revenge, Foster The People and The Horrors- impressive, right? Not only this, but the contemporary and element to their music has left them compared to cool artists like Wild Beasts and The XX.

Their new captivating film for In The Morning feels more like a blockbuster movie than a music video. The storyline is intense; with twists and turns along the way it’s almost impossible to stop watching. Fast action, speed chases and romance- what’s not to love? “We've done a bunch of videos with Yura and his Feel Bad Movie production team in the past three years and it is very interesting to follow the evolution of their work with us and other projects: the work becomes more and more cohesive and mature” explains bassist Dima Midbord.

As the plot unfolds, we discover that a biker falls in love with a girlfriend of a powerful businessman and becomes a tool of vengeance in her hands. She plans the murder of her man with the help of a mysterious artifact. Dragging her lover into the situation can’t end well…or can it? Content of the On-The-Go music is a mesmerising combination of local background, quest for the new sound and Russian authentic melodies backed by refined arrangements, thought-out sound and distinctive lyrics written by band leader Yura Makarychev. Website here.

The video is something of an epic feature, to the point that the music can almost be incidental. Having now listened to just the song, 'In The Morning' is an original piece of indie pop, and enough to have me checking the band out some more.

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Wednesdays Treasure: Def Neon - Roni - MFC Chicken - Hope and Social - Anna Atkinson

Def Neon - Stand Aside. 

Background promo - Welsh electro-rock outfit Def Neon have just dropped their new track Stand Aside. It's the latest offering from their upcoming, self-titled debut album due for release on the 25th of November. There's a press release about the album plus other materials available here and i'll be happy to send you a pre-release copy of the whole thing for review if you'd like.

The album will be officially launched at new DIY music festival Foundations in Manchester this November, with a UK tour planned for 2017. Hailing from Wrexham, North Wales, Def Neon are a band that fuses elements of rock, electro, synthpop and bass music to create a sound that has been described by critics as energetic, intense and unique.

The band's infectious and accessible sound coupled with their engaging live performances across the UK have proven popular with live event organisers, club promoters and fans alike, leading to a number of headline shows, festival appearances and high-profile support slots for The Orb, 65daysofstatic, Death in Vegas, Pop Will Eat Itself, The Birthday Massacre, Syd.31, The Algorithm and Sonic Boom Six. Facebook here.

The description electro rock is spot on. With the song 'Stand Aside' Def Neon really do blend full on rock music with electro and the result is fabulous. The vocals are powerful and passionate which adds to the eclectic melting pot of ideas.

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Roni - Gravity

Background -  When asked about the artist she has grown into, Roni asserts that Elvis Presley always taught her to sing. Raised on a musical diet that consisted on Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton, country music has always been in her blood. However, through her teenage years and into adult life, the eclectic artistry and raw honesty of Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Nicks have resonated with her, and been a huge influence on her own songwriting.

While she many have taken a hiatus from performance international stage, Roni kept performing in her local area and focused her energies on writing extensively. Now armed with in excess of 90 songs, Roni is in the planning stages of an album, which she teases with the release of the rather lush Baby Bird. With her close friend, the multi-Award winning Sarah Jory accompanying her on her fledgling outing, Roni is perfectly placed to return to the music scene full-time.

Following the acclaim of her single Baby Bird, Roni returns with her new full-length album See You Again Baby, which is her most touching to date. Of the record she says, 'The album is a 12 track long, laid bare gritty cocktail of bluesy acoustic Country/Rock. It contains some old and popular songs from my back catalogue plus several from recent writing sessions. I wanted to show the more genre crossing nature of my songwriting which shows [I hope] some versatility, having influences from so many different kinds of music. I am aware that people struggle to pigeon hole me, which can be a great thing to have!

It was co-produced by my now ex-husband during our separation which was incredibly difficult! He wishes to remain out of the picture. I played all the instruments except for lead guitar solo in ‘Kinda Late’ and lap slide in ‘Gravity’ .... all compositions solely by me along with all harmonies... It is truly a solo album!!' Facebook here.

'Gravity' gives a good flavour of the new album 'See You Again Baby'. The songs are often quite stripped back acoustic affairs, with a mixture of country blues and rock. Roni has melodic vocals with enough edge to give the whole collection a fine roots feel.

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MFC Chicken - Blackout Drunk .

Background - MFC Chicken is back in action with Colonel Spencer back from spending another well-dressed summer hidden deep within the Canadian Wilderness. The Chickens are ready to take Europe by storm with a new album and extended tour of Spain and the UK. After debuting an expanded all-star Deluxe line up at Spring 2016's Hipsville Festival to great acclaim and significant excitement, MFC Chicken have taken this new and improved recipe into the studio for their latest and greatest album to date, Goin' Chicken Crazy.  It keeps that same raw Chicken energy, humour and party vibe that you fans have all come to know and love while adding extra punch and power with a load of special guest talent.

In addition to the core line up of Spencer Evoy (Tenor Sax and Lead Vocals), Alberto Zioli (Lead guitar and vocals) Zig Criscuolo (Bass) and Ravi-Low Beer (Drums), the Deluxe line up includes Chuchi Malapersona (Oh! Gunquit) on baritone sax, Dan Criscuolo (The Fuzillis) on baritone guitar, Tim Harrison (The Caezars) on piano, as well as veteran Chickens The Reverend Parsley on guest keys and Fernando Terror sharing double lead vocals with Spencer on one of the albums' most lyrically inappropriate tunes.

The Deluxe Chicken line up will feature at the October 20th Dirty Water Club album launch party at Nambucca (located on the legendary birth road of MFC Chicken, Holloway Road), and at several of the Spanish dates on MFC extensive Iberian tour taking place late October/November 2016. Facebook here.

MFC Chicken serve up the finest and freshest deep fried songs as 'Blackout Drunk' from their new menu demonstrates. They are also awesome live, enjoy!!!

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Hope and Social - Sunrise Laughing.

Background - On the 30th of September, darlings of the Leeds’ DIY scene Hope and Social released their debut single “Sunrise Laughing”, from their much anticipated studio album “Feel”. This new record shows a breadth and depth that extends beyond that of Hope and Social’s already eclectic back catalogue

A sonic-smorgasbord of a single, “Sunrise Laughing” is as light, bright and fresh as it is big, ballsy and bold. Sweet, summery and non-too-serious, “Sunrise Laughing” sees Hope and Social embracing the use of the recording studio as an instrument in its own right. This band come over like a cross between Elbow having a tea party with The Polyphonic Spree. There’s a lot of joy and laughter and as their name encapsulates, much to be hopeful and social about. The video comes from the extremely talented Virpi Kettu (lead animator, Radiohead - Burn The Witch), the first of 9 videos for the album.

The story so far “Feel” is Hope & Socials 5th studio album. With a career spanning over 8 years, 10 LPs, 1000s of gigs including Glastonbury, Leeds Arena and many a pub/front room up and down the country, Hope & Social do all the things that bands do, and so much more. Whether turning their studio into a Bistro for 70 fans, hosting their boutique garden party  writing and performing the music for the critically acclaimed theatre piece “Bring The Happy” (Edinburgh Festival Fringe/Tbilisi International Festival), or traversing the length and breadth of Yorkshire, teaching 1,200 people how to play their songs for their 2014 Yorkshire Festival project “The Tour Of Infinite Possibility” (culminating in 12 gigs in 4 days, and a performance of Hope and Social’s official festival song, “The Big Wide”, at the opening ceremony of the Tour de France at Leeds Arena, in front of a live TV audience of 300 million people), Hope & Social are a band who very much enjoy throwing themselves into impossible challenges and exploring new ideas and ways of working. Website here.

Album release tour dates:
Brudenell Social Club, Leeds - Thursday 20th October
Hyde Park Picture House, Leeds - Saturday 22nd October (Feel - The Videos Premiere)
Town Hall, Hartlepool - Friday 28th October                 
The Bedford, London - Thursday 3rd November
The Tin at The Coal Vaults, Coventry - Friday 4th November
Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham by sea - Saturday 5th November
Gullivers, Manchester - Tuesday 8th November
The Lion Inn - Blakey Ridge, York - Thursday 10th November
Bilton Working Men's Club, Harrogate - Friday 11th November
Fibbers, York - Saturday 12th November.

'Sunrise Laughing' is melodic, catchy, bright and mood lifting, and has an extra level of energy that kicks in perfectly as the song builds. A real tonic for the ears and the heart.

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Anna Atkinson - When We Were Young.

Background from Anna - I am sharing my first single off my new album 'Sky Stacked Full'. "When We Were Young" is about making things together. I'm a descendant of a long line of makers. My maternal grandfather was a shoemaker who also made ornate wood carvings with a pen knife. My mother was a visual artist, phenomenal cook and quilt maker.

My ancestors from both sides of my family experienced poverty, war, suffering, beyond anything I can imagine. And yet in the face of that, they continued to make things of incredible beauty.

This new single explores my connection to the past. When I was a child, my mother had a subscription to ARTnews, and one edition had an article about a Canadian artist - Janet Morton - who knit a sweater for a house on Ward's Island. I thought it was the most amazing concept and it was the initial inspiration for the song - its working title (Sweater For A House) came from that.

In October I'll release 'Sky Stacked Full'. The songs were written over a span of ten years and recorded over a period of five months at CBC Studio 211 in Toronto, featuring the playing of co-producer and guitarist David Occhipinti. In time, I will share it in full but for now have a listen to my new single and sink into my past. Facebook here.

'When We Were Young.' is a beautiful song with Anna's vocal soaring above a splendid traditional sounding background. The video gives a peak into her past, the album is eagerly awaited.

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Globetrotting: Ipanema Cosmonauts - Lewis Fieldhouse - The Person & The People - Crocodiles - Tropical Nasty

Ipanema Cosmonauts - Kites.

Background promo - Ipanema Cosmonauts is the dream-pop, post-rock, nu-gaze, you-name-it duo formed by Alice and Serge in the cold, cold city of Saransk, Russia. Blending ambient guitar textures and pop laden progressions against effortless, serine and soaring vocal melodies, the band's thoughtfully crafted songs have a maturity and spaciousness that both hooks you in and lets you drift.

Influenced only in part by newer Russian bands, Ipanema Cosmonauts reach past cultural barriers to incorporate American jazz progressions, shoegaze lushness, pop melodies, and international collaborations with other US, European, and Japanese based artists.

Their debut release, Adrift starts with their most accessible and pop driven tracks, "Kites" and "Return", followed by their more well known tracks, "Black Helicopters" and "Washed", that originally propelled their success on music streaming services. Adrift will be released on all major digital music distributors on October 18th. Facebook here.

First of four tracks on the EP, 'Kites' demonstrates the more rockier side of the duo, they are capable of much softer and dreamy material. All is of a very high standard as they mix up the styles and consistently provide fine melodies and vocals.

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Lewis Fieldhouse - He Hath Made You Rich.

Background  - About ‘He Hath Made You Rich’ Caramelised R&B melodies and a Jeff Buckley approach to sparse, minimal, but wide open arrangements, ‘He Hath Made You Rich’ is Lewis bending the well-worn love song genre to his own experience and crafting something unmistakably fresh. His tender falsetto sounds like an alto sax as the arrangement expands into something that holds a candle to Tom Petty’s ‘Free Falling’.

About Lewis Fieldhouse. In 2013, Lewis Fieldhouse’s unswerving dedication to his craft led him through California’s Central Valley on a journey to absorb the musical heritage of his heroes. Like many things in life, it didn’t go to plan. Instead, he found himself exploring the topology of abject depression: feeling the weight of his mortality in the basement of a rundown Hollywood hostel, the sting of isolation in LA’s baking suburban sprawl. News of a personal tragedy at home and the burden of his own expectations had almost crushed the artist in him, but from the depths he began to write again. He created the persona of Theodor Washington for himself to deflect the debilitating anxiety and render the world around him through a more romantic lens. 

Each new song fed into his creativity, marking the stages of an artistic rebirth. Utterly apart from his peers in his rejection of the stale choreography of today’s media landscape, Fieldhouse presents to us his firebrand wit with a troubadour’s knack for both lyrical sincerity and absurdity. Offering snippets of life and coupling humour with calculating insight, his work evokes the sound of Eagles and Father John Misty. On his debut album Theodor Washington and the Central Valley, his ear for irresistible pop songwriting is undeniable. Three years and five thousand miles later, Lewis is making the music he has always wanted to make. Now he’s causing a positive stir amongst music blogs like The 405 and The Vinyl District, with It’s All Indie crowning him “one of the most exciting singer-songwriters in London at the moment”. Lewis’s expert take on Americana and the great american pop song comes from a place of humbled authenticity, and that alone makes Theodor Washington and the Central Valley something special. Website here.

See Lewis Fieldhouse live:
Thursday 24 November: RS Bar, Sheffield, 156 St Mary's Rd, Sheffield S2 4AX
Friday 2 December: The Ivy House, London SE15 3BE - Official Album Launch Party

'He Hath Made You Rich' builds from a slower melodic start into something quite powerful. The vocals add emotional intensity, as the song grows musically with the falsetto vocals driving it on.

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The Person & The People - Unemployment Blues.

Background - For nearly a decade, The Person & The People have been a staple in the Twin Cities music scene. After the band recorded their 2016 album Dark & Low, their long time drummer Adam Mallory moved across the country. At the same time, singer Nick Costa found himself jobless and unsure of his band’s future. 

He sat down to write an a new album and impulsively recorded the new album, Unemployment Blues. Recorded primarily in one take on a 4-Track cassette recorder in producer Dan Mariska’s basement, it is Costa’s most stripped down, honest, and soul-crushingly personal record to date.

The Person & The People will be releasing Unemployment Blues with two shows at The Warming House on October 28th and October 29th. It will be the second full length album by the band this year. Bandcamp pre order here.

'Unemployment Blues' is the first of ten well constructed songs on the new album. There is a very personal and genuine feel running throughout the album, with acoustic guitar and Nick Costa's pleasing vocals taking centre stage. It may be stripped back, however rather than feeling raw, the warmth is pretty much there in every song.

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Crocodiles - Not Even In Your Dreams.

Background - The second single "Not Even In Your Dreams" from Crocodiles upcoming album 'Dreamless'. "Not Even..." is the finale on 'Dreamless' which is do out 10/21 on Zoo Music.
 
Comprised of best friends Brandon Welchez and Charles Rowell, Crocodiles have earned their place as one of the United States’ most engaging, hardworking and consistent rock and roll bands of the past few years. Dreamless is the pair’s sixth LP, and is, at once, their most exploratory and focused release.

Whereas Crocodiles’ first two albums made their home amongst a stew of fuzzed-out psychedelia, and the following three albums explored Welchez and Rowell’s penchant for placing pop sensibilities against whirring guitars and barbed production, Dreamless sees the duo endeavoring on an artistic departure that positions their guitars in the backseat in favor of a more spacious, synthesizer and piano-driven sound.

The pair recorded the 10-track Dreamless in Mexico City over the course of 6 weeks. Having become something of a spiritual (and in the case of Welchez, literal) home to the duo, choosing D.F. as the location for recording allowed them to again hook-up with friend and occasional bandmate Martin Thulin (also a member of post-punks Exploded View). Between them, the trio shared instrument duties, with Welchez and Rowell handling the lion’s share of guitar and bass, Thulin and Welchez the live drum work, and Thulin focusing largely on keys. Facebook here.

The tenth and final track on the forthcoming album 'Not Even In Your Dreams' has a bright indie pop feel, with the piano adding to the tempo and overall upbeat musical vibe within the song.

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Tropical Nasty - Slipped Away.

Background from Amanda Alderman who made sure we heard of Tropical Nasty! - Ever see the classic, Looney-Tunes short where a snoozing cartoon was elevated into the air by an enticing, visible vapour, so powerful and alluring it often formed actual hands and sailed the sleeping soul like a magic carpet, toward the source of the deliciousness?

That’s what I experienced when Tropical Nasty’s audible effusion grazed my ears along with the Venice Beach breeze one, recent Sunday afternoon.  I was headed the other way on the boardwalk when their enchanting emanation stopped me in my tracks.  Encapsulated by their sound, I drifted right to them, just like in our treasured, vintage animation. 

Drenched with this Superband’s psychedelic funky rhythms and celestial strings, my pace quickened, my chest swelled and I swear I grew an inch taller as I neared them. When I reached the nucleus of this Pacific oasis, I joined an ungovernable myriad of beach goers who celebrated this rustic bunch of brilliant Enchanters.

This trifecta had launched an outdoor discotheque and inspired these spectators, donned in worn flip-flops and sun-kissed skin, to hop around like they were high and silly on Willy Wonka’s soda fizz. 

Who are these guys?!” I proclaimed aloud, and caught faces around me break into smiles because they were thinking the same thing.  Onlookers with mesmerised permagrins surrounded this shirtless trinity who rocked as if to win the vote of the universe’s god assembly on whether to eliminate or keep Earth. Their infectious, eclectic sound- all their very-own, original, spontaneous tunes relative to Jimi Hendrix, early, funky Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jack White, Led Zeppelin, The Meters and Bob Marley- touched everyone in proximity, overpowering them to dance and yawp. 

Meet the Wizards of Tropical Nasty:  Wondrous Drummer and lead vocalist, Myke Anthony, Bass Dynamo, Collin Bunch and Guitar- Master, Dave Tepper. 

They look like what would happen if Gwen Stefani and the original Tarzan got together and made kids.  I was surprised to discover they were from South Jersey when I had the privilege of purchasing their CD.  I was certain they were from a faraway continent, or Jupiter, and only spoke the language of music.  But they are, in fact, American buddies from Pennsville, New Jersey and they’ve been gracing L.A. with their mystic sound for a little over a year. See Tropical Nasty close-up while you still can, busking on the Venice Beach boardwalk and on the Santa Monica Pier, and follow them on Facebook here.

'Slipped Away' has some classic blues rock vibes mixed with powerful vocals and harmonies. The band add an extra funky dimension and create a very catchy and honest sound. Locals to Venice Beach would do well to keep an eye (and ears) out for these guys, the music really is full of hooks and feeling.

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Monday Mix: The Raveonettes - The New Respects - Kosi

The Raveonettes - This Is Where It Ends.

Background promo - The Raveonettes have released the new track "This Is Where It Ends" .

"This Is Where It Ends" is the ninth track release from the band's official Rave-Sound-Of-The-Month playlist where the duo will continue to upload a freshly recorded track on the last Friday of every month until December.  The 'anti-album' will feature a collection of new tracks that aren't bound by the constraints of the format.  Join the Rave-Sound-Of-The-Month and subscribe to the playlist here.

The Raveonettes also continue their new Pledge Music Campaign where fans can pledge for the CD and vinyl of the forthcoming new album. Sign up for the Pledge Music Campaign here. Bands website here.

'This Is Where It Ends' the latest song from The Raveonettes 'anti album' is melodic and quite atmospheric. Whispered vocals and a sometimes sparse musical background gently lead into a sweeping soundtrack. Love it!

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The New Respects - Trouble.

Background - Nashville's The New Respects has released its new single, “Trouble,” making the track available to purchase and stream at all outlets. “Trouble don’t you find no home by me” is the recurring message throughout this anthem, proclaiming that while there is trouble around every corner, we can choose how we respond to it. Fans of the group have responded in a much more personal way than The New Respects ever imagined, sharing anecdotes of how “Trouble” inspires them. 

It was a chance meeting in Nashville that brought The New Respects together with producer/drummer Jeremy Lutito (of indie-rock group Leagues). Lutito took an immediate liking to The New Respects' soul/rock sound, and produced this single along with the group’s upcoming project.

The New Respects is a family affair, made up of three siblings, twins Alexis (bass) and Zandy Fitzgerald (guitar), along with their brother Darius (drums) and cousin Jasmine Mullen (vocals/guitar). Since forming five years ago, The New Respects' sound has evolved from acoustic instrumentation to the vintage soul/rock feel heard throughout the new single, “Trouble.” The group is heavily influenced by the gospel music they were surrounded by growing up in Nashville, and that extends to artists including Aretha Franklin, Alabama Shakes, and John Mayer. Facebook here.

Powerful vocals and soulful rocking music spells 'Trouble'. This really is a a great song, one that has hooks that dig deep.

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Kosi - Morning After Blues.

Background - Kosi (née Akosua Gyebi) is a New York City based singer/songwriter with nappy hair and jazz roots. Although she always brings just a little drama to her compositions and interpretations, she's more than just a drama queen. She's got piercing eyes and a voice that's larger than her body. But, small as she is, she won't fit in a box. She switches styles more quickly than you can follow, from jazz, to rock, then folk, but never more than a few steps away from the blues.

She cites Abbey Lincoln and Nina Simone as her main influences, and has been compared to Tracy Chapman, India Arie, Ma Rainey, and Bessie Smith. However, despite her comparisons and influences, everything about Kosi, from her nappy hair to her sometimes bare feet, from her occasionally jarring lyrics to her now-she's-sweet-now-she's-screaming dramatic interpretations, radiates authenticity. "I am not creating anything," she says, "nor am I deconstructing anything. I am neither an iconoclast nor a follower. I am simply myself, and that is enough." She's more than enough. You definitely want to hear this girl sing... if you can handle it. Kosi is currently the lead vocalist of straight-ahead jazz group Sweet Blue Fire and indie rock group The Goddess Lakshmi.

I Know Who I Am, Kosi's fourth and latest album, is a concept album telling the story of guilt, absolution, love, and self-actualization through original jazz and negro spirituals. Along with Kosi's first two albums, Pictures of Us and One More Cup of Coffee, each of which is comprised of eight of Kosi's original songs and two jazz standards, and her third album, Ghosts Appearing through the Sound, which is a tribute to Abbey Lincoln. Website here.

'Morning After Blues' is a beautiful piano lead blues song, that provides one aspect of the music Kosi delivers. Be it blues, jazz or any other style she chooses to adopt, the consistency of engaging vocals, natural music and genuine commitment is always there.

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Genre Wander: Del Caesar - Arc Iris - Lara Filip - The Alpacas - Alton Ellis & The Flames

Del Caesar - Like They Always Say.

Background promo - Del Caesar, are a phenomenal new garage/psych trio based in Brooklyn. The band is gearing up to release their second EP, aptly titled EP 2, on November 11th through their imprint Reheated Spaghetti, and in conjunction with the announcement, they’re sharing the raucous lead single “Like They Always Say”

Del Caesar is comprised of frontman/songwriter/guitarist Aaron Lloyd Barr, who doubles as a visual artist by day, and Eric Arikian (Let’s Be Loveless) on bass and Ben Reynolds (Slang King) on drums. Recorded straight to tape, EP 2’s sound embodies riff-driven, upbeat garage rock, snarling in a way that betrays some swagger, but never hostility. Their lyrics that point to the everyday: relationships, ambitions, stuff we all experience, combined with a stripped-down mono recording sound that leaves us with songs that could have been recorded last month or in 1965.

That’s not to say Del Caesar is nostalgic… far from it. There’s no kitschy throwback dress-up, in terms of appearance or sounds. While some of the band’s songs sound like they could’ve come from The Standells or The Sonics, it’s not because the band is trying to reproduce those acts; it’s because they’re tapping into the same universal vein of youth and volume. Facebook here.

 Live Dates:
10/08 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Rock N Roll Marathon (w/ Here We Go Magic)
11/18 - Brooklyn, NY - Sunnyvale (w/ Heliotropes, No Honeymoon and Von Mons)

'Like They Always Say' has all the vital garage/pysch ingredients, bags of energy, no nonsense rock and just a hint of attitude. There's also the potency and power that rock trio's can deliver when the music is kept stripped back, case in point being this song.

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Arc Iris - Paint With the Sun.

Background - Arc Iris release new "Paint With The Sun" Video. Last month, Arc Iris released their second studio album Moon Saloon on Bella Union. The album follows their critically acclaimed self-titled debut that was released in 2014. Produced by the group and mixed by electronic producer David Wrench of FKA Twigs and Caribou fame, Moon Saloon showcases beat-heavy melodies and textural, groove-riding rhythms.

The band is currently in the midst of a massive US and European tour that includes dates with Superhuman Happiness and John Grant. Arc Iris is comprised of lead singer and lyricist Jocie Adams, keyboardist Zach Tenorio-Miller and drummer Ray Belli. Adams previously spent eight years as a key member of The Low Anthem, effortlessly zipping from hammer dulcimer to clarinet to bass to vocals, sometimes barely pausing to take a breath. iTunes here.

Second time on Beehive Candy this year and on this occasion with the brand new video for 'Paint With the Sun'. Back in June I stated "Production is superb and the musicianship is quite stunning, and add to this the exquisite vocals". 'Paint With the Sun' confirms the band are highly creative and deliver beautiful songs that are full of imagination.

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Lara Filip - The Other Side.

Background - Chicago singer-songwriter Lara Filip stepped out from behind the short-lived moniker “Birdie Wing” to release her debut album Stop Time. Stop Time, which was produced by Grammy-nominee Liam Davis, references 70’s Laurel Canyon folk rock and polished piano pop as it explores not only Filip’s personal triumph over breast cancer but universal themes like emotional/geographical distance, the preciousness of life and the power of love.

Lara Filip is a singer/songwriter, based in the Chicagoland area. With her deep connections in the Chicago music and theatre scenes, she draws the best musicians in town to collaborate on her earthy, evocative sound.

Lara attended The Chicago Academy for the Arts for vocal performance, where she met writing partner and keyboard player, Shannon Greene Robb. Shannon went off to study music at Berklee College of Music and DePaul; while Lara began working professionally in musical theatre productions. Filip went on several tours throughout the US and Canada, finally settling back home in Chicago. Website here.

'The Other Side' is one of ten really fine songs on Lara Filip's latest album 'Stop Time'. The featured song showcases the folk side of her music. Lara is equally comfortable performing quality pop (piano pop as mentioned above), her vocals are refined and the album tracks are varied and highly likable.

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The Alpacas - Artifacts.

Background - The new single off of The Alpacas debut LP is Artifacts. The Barrie Ontario group's forthcoming 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. Out Oct 14, 2016 on Willow Music.

The band's thoughts on the track: “Some of the lyrics in 'Artifacts' are about drifting apart. An occurrence that everyone experiences at one point or another in life. It's sad how natural it can seem, that things can simply fade away. However, the song also expresses a truth that it is never too late to reconnect. Time isn't a legitimate obstacle, you always have the option to reach out. It's nice to include some optimism in our music.”. Website here.

Back in August we featured the bands song 'Wax' and said at the time "the band pack power chords alongside a belting rhythm and just hook you in". 'Artifacts' demonstrates that they can consistently do the same again, with plenty of spark and energy, it's rock with passion, and music that cuts straight to the chase.

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Alton Ellis & The Flames - Rock Steady.

Background - 2016 marks the 50th anniversary for Jamaica's celebrated musical genre rock steady. Rock steady, which was a successor of ska and precursor to reggae, used elements of rhythm and blues (R&B), jazz, ska as well as African and Latin American drumming. With its irresistible slow tempo beat and more bass-heavy, stripped-down sound, it was a distinct contrast from the more upbeat, big band ska era. Although it lasted only a couple of years (1966-68), rock steady is one of Jamaican music's most influential genres and produced immortal rhythms that are still sampled and used today.

17 North Parade, VP Records' vintage imprint, commemorates the genre this year with First Class Rock Steady. The 12" double vinyl edition is available from Fri. (Sept 30) and follows its 40-track CD and digital companion box set  (released on July 1) as well as the 7" limited edition vinyl piece exclusive for Record Store Day 2016.

This new collection of First Class Rock Steady is completely remastered on black vinyl. The 24-track set expands on the 16-track 7" RSD vinyl exclusive and cherry picks the CD and digital version's most pivotal songs from some of the genre's defining artists like  Lee "Scratch" Perry, The Techniques, Desmond Dekker and Johnny Nash. It's detailed cover reflects the excitement of the era when postal mail was the only mode for sharing this burgeoning Jamaican export for worldwide consumption. Playing off of Jamaica's long history of tourism, the packaging also features images of picturesque postcards and stamps of Cricket (a Jamaican pastime), the Doctor Bird (national symbol) and Montreal's Expo '67 (World's Fair). In addition, the set includes extensive liner notes written by Harry Wise and filled with commentary from the genre's key players, including living legend Bunny "Striker" Lee, Trinidad and Tobago's late-great Lynn Taitt and the 2014 fallen icon, Hopeton Lewis.  

Just one of the songs on this wonderful collection of vintage music and also the name of the genre, 'Rock Steady' by Alton Ellis remains a personal favourite, and is now surrounded by so many other wonderful songs, from when I was very, very young (honest!).

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