Silent Riders - Black Needle Noise (With Bill Leeb) - Her Crooked Heart - Scratch Massive - Psymon Spine - Beta Days

Silent Riders - I See You.

Background - Fresh from acclaim for their self-titled debut album, Danish electronic trio Silent Riders have now unveiled the video for single ‘I See You’ and it’s full of great slightly Blair Witch-esque fuzzy woodland horror imagery.

This Copenhagen-based trio seemed to have sprung from some murky unknown world, if we are to believe the statements of the band themselves. Little is known about Lu, Gee and C who comprise the group, or what is behind the masks they wear during their performances. They might have materialized from shadows in the woods, lurking in the dark until they were ready to share their sounds with the world. This mythical sphere that they have created for themselves is accessible through their music, which is a vision of electronic music that is organic and alive with both warmth and danger. 

Led by the sultry voice of Lu, we are taken into the dark woods of the Silent Riders with almost cinematic brilliance as Gee and C mans the machines that weaves the atmospheric dronings of this world. A world that could be easily mistaken for one created by David Lynch or Tim Burton. The rhythms that form the path to this domain have been tried and tested by previous travellers, known to us by names like Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire or Tolouse Lowtrax. 

With "I See You" they offer up a brilliant pop diamond of all the elements of their sound palette. With Lu in her most soulful voice, bouncing off of an almost funky drum machine, all drenched in layers of dark analog ambience. i-D Magazine described the track as “the complete opposite of coziness and conviviality with a pulsing piece of moodtronica that wouldn't sound out of place on the upcoming Twin Peaks revival”, whilst BBC 6 Music’s Nemone, Radio X’s John Kennedy and Amazing Radio have also supported it with airplay. Facebook here.

Dark rumbling synths and a slow haunting rhythm provide the backdrop for 'I See You'. The compelling and soulful vocals add even more mood to the song, and the video is in harmony with both the music and the whole vibe of this song.


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Black Needle Noise (With Bill Leeb) - A Shiver Of Want.

Background - Through his project Black Needle Noise, legendary producer John Fryer has paired up with Bill Leeb, founding member of the industrial music group Front Line Assembly and also dream electronica project Delerium, on a new single ‘A Shiver of Want’.

This is a titillating offering, creating its own imaginary sonic playfield where Nine Inch Nails meets Massive Attack. Here, John Fryer and Bill Leeb show impressive longevity and innovation, indicating how interesting and relevant they still are to the genre, never ones to simply use technology by the manual. 

Recognized as one of the most innovative sonic architects on the music scene, his imprint has been massive over the years, being formative in developing the trademark sound we associate today with such bands as Nine Inch Nails, Cocteau Twins and, of course, This Mortal Coil (as one of only two constant members, along with Ivo Watts-Russell, providing keyboards, strings and synthesizer sequencing). 

John Fryer started his career in 1979 at London’s Blackwing Studios (London) and soon began working with seminal bands on the 4AD, Mute, Rough Trade and Beggars Banquet record labels, including Depeche Mode, The Wolfgang Press and Cocteau Twins. His achievement in helping develop the latter’s pioneering ethereal and ambient sound ultimately led Watts-Russell to recruit Fryer as his partner for This Mortal Coil.

Bill Leeb is an electronic musician and record producer, best known as a founding member of the industrial music group Front Line Assembly. Though the band has had consistent underground success, Leeb's most widely known efforts are through his side project Delerium, which had a major worldwide hit in the late 1990s with "Silence” featuring vocals by Sarah McLachlan, which reached number three on the UK music charts and has been described as one of the greatest trance songs of all time. Facebook: Black Needle Noise here, Front Line Assembly here, Delerium here.

'A Shiver Of Want' is both innovative and menacing. It's also exceptionally addictive both vocally and musically. Synths and whispered vocals slip in between eruptions of sonic intensity. It's like a piece from a modern day Gothic opera performed in a dark shadowy theatre.

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Her Crooked Heart - Are You Good You Are.

Background - Her Crooked Heart is the new name; the new music of Rachel Ries – multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, hired gun, singer. Her Crooked Heart’s first release, To Gentlemen (CD & 7” vinyl EP), hits the ground spinning May 5, complete with Rachel’s own limited edition artwork and featuring members of Bon Iver & Field Report.

Along with numerous and diverse collaborators through the years, Rachel has proven herself ever-curious to expand her sound, her scope, and sail on past the confines of ‘singersongwriter.’ After all, sometimes what the heart wants is a syncopated horn line and a string section; a choir of angels and a bass synth, leaving exaltation and devastation.

But one thing has remained true since Rachel’s first homespun release: her sly and compassionate voice, excavating the depths of an all-too-human heart, armed with levity and a pen. It’s the messy humanity that’s of interest here. The trying and failing; the loving and losing and loving again. The choosing to be brave even when you’re shaking in your tattered boots. So please, make welcome: Her Crooked Heart. She’s been here all along.

This quartet of tunes on the EP is culled from a larger, rollicking session recorded in the woods of WI, winter of 2016/17. The songs on To Gentlemen are a snapshot of the album yet to come; an album that is in turns disarmingly spare and deeply danceable. All the songs wade through the ever-rich and roiling waters of loving, leaving and finding new life again. Website here, Facebook here, May tour dates on Beehive Candy's tour page.

The first of four songs on the forthcoming EP is 'Are You Good You Are' which typifies this charming and imaginative collection. Rachel Ries vocals are charismatic and melodic with some fine musicianship supporting her across each track.      

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Scratch Massive - Standing By My Door.

Background - With their extraordinarily epic and artful musical poetry, Maud Geffray and Sébastien Chenut – the two sonic warheads who make up the electronic music group Scratch Massive – have always been able to enrich sensory experience in a way that brings together the fringe and the extremes, the here and there, the past and the future, with a never-disappointing desire to express the blues of the soul and the blues of the world.

The Parisian /L.A DJ/producer duo has made its mark with icy grooves and epic productions, a perfectly-executed musical path that has led it to become one of the driving forces of French electronic music of the last 20 years. After the dark and melancholic convulsions of its studio album Nuit de rêve, Scratch Massive invites us to intimately explore new heights through the sublime images and existential travels of a moved teenager in Los Angeles presented in Junior – the new project series of director Zoe Cassavetes.

This intense musical duo has undertaken a veritable revolution, giving body and soul to their latest project. Recorded under the Los Angeles sun at Atwater Studios, Junior is a troubling and enraptured vision of The California Dream - the one that always seems to slip away at the last moment from under the feet of Logan, the film’s disappointed heroine. On this album, Scratch Massive trades in (temporarily?) its somber ways and the dark beauty of its electronic odes for a new pop sensibility nourished by the grand air of the Pacific Ocean and the frenetic rhythm of a city that never sleeps.

Quite simply, with Junior, Scratch Massive has made a modern electronic album, perfectly at ease with the influence of pop, as a way to revisit and reexamine its clichés, its stylistic effects, and the hungry nostalgia for the 1980s. Bordel Records Facebook here.

One of sixteen tracks on the new 'Junior' album is 'Standing By My Door' featuring Maud Geffray on vocals. The song does have some 1980's influences, at one point it was almost like listening to Blondie and Gary Newman merged together (and that's meant as a compliment).

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Psymon Spine - Yoana.

Background - Psymon Spine, are an incredible young experimental pop band based in Brooklyn, who are releasing their debut album You Are Coming To My Birthday, via Axis Mundi Records on June 9th. This week, the band is sharing its pulsing, psychedelic first single “Yoana”, along with its awesome (also: NSFW) kaleidoscopic video, ahead of their PopGun show w/ Mr. Twin Sister and iDeath (Andrew from MGMT) at Brooklyn Bazaar this Saturday, April 29th.

Psymon Spine's constantly shifting sound is informed by the band’s varied musical backgrounds, which range from house music to punk, West African music, Tropicália, gamelan, and more. The songs that comprise the new Psymon Spine album partner fuzzy synths with distorted bass lines, lush vocal harmonies, and fast dance beats coupled with flowing string arrangements.

In 2013, the band met and began collaborating with Graham Dickson of London-based band Crystal Fighters, who would go on to start Axis Mundi Records and sign them, eventually releasing their acclaimed debut EP in early 2015. The next several years would be spent writing and recording their album, touring, DJing, and performing alongside the likes of Mr Twin Sister, Is Tropical, Juan MacLean, Guerilla Toss, and MGMT’s Andrew VanWyngarden (who they DJ with at The Lot radio often!). Website here, Facebook here.

'Yoana' helps give an indication of just how experimental Psymon Spine are, but only an indication. The new album deserves to be described as eclectic, as the music shifts genres, momentum and styles without notice. The featured song is chameleon like, as it moves pace and intensity and defies any one genre.


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Beta Days - This Art Ain't Mine.

Background - Beta Days are proud to release the first single "This Art Ain't Mine", from the upcoming debut album, S.T.T. This first track kicks off with bright, jangly guitars and a light melody that wisps away the listener. The lush, guitar pop sound is reminiscent of indie champions Wilco and Real Estate. Pensive, dreamy rock. Beta Days is the one-man project of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Bill Bierce. The project evolved from Bierce's late night writing sessions that would start around 3 AM, as it was the only time neighbouring bands at his practice space weren’t around to drown him out. Isolation and lack of sleep began to wear down, and at several points, Bierce began to seriously question everything. Depression and stagnancy ensued over many months, but eventually, there was enough material to record a proper full-length LP. 

With his friend Andrew Grant (H. Stone) hitting record and providing emotional support during Bierce’s many breakdowns, S.T.T. (Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday - an acronym for the days of the week they would record) was recorded throughout 2015 in Grant’s private studio in Rhode Island.

Sadly, Bierce's mother passed away during the album's mixing, while simultaneously his father occupied a long-term hospice stay from a head wound which had left him in a vegetative state a few years prior. Everything had once again been cast into doubt, but Bierce stayed the course and completed the record mid-2016. The end result is a hazy reflection on idealized youth, relationships, isolation, and the drudgery of adult life. All of this is presented through a prism of evasive lyrics and tightly arranged instrumentation, leaving the listener to draw their own meanings from the songs.

Bierce expanded the project into a live band shortly after completing the record, including his ex-Wandas bandmate Keith McEachern on bass. The group has enjoyed the contrast of raw energy with more guitar-oriented live performances. Beta Days debut full-length LP, S.T.T. will be released everywhere June 23rd, 2017. Website here, Facebook here.

As first singles go 'This Art Ain't Mine' sets expectations high for the debut album. The guitars are vibrant and the vocals smooth and natural, there is a hint of alt rock throughout, alongside some refined indie vibes.

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Morganway - Artificial Pleasure - Low Island - Hannah Aldridge

Morganway - Hurricane.

Background - Originating from North Norfolk’s rural outback, Morganway’s fiery, Americana-influenced style is packed full of powerful riffs, charismatic five-part harmonies and compelling, honest song writing. The band was established by twins Callum (acoustic guitar, lead vocals) and Kieran Morgan (lead guitar), and features Yve Mary B (lead vocals), Matt Brocklehurst (keyboard) and Simon Tinmouth (drums).

The Norfolk five-piece pride themselves on the high standard of their engaging live performances, and they have caught the eye of a range of festivals. Subsequently, they recently headlined The Open's prestigious OH1 festival, in their hometown of Norwich, on the Banking Hall stage. Other early 2017 shows include London gigs at The Troubadour, The Islington and The Bedford, as well as a special headline performance at Cambridge’s muchloved Portland Arms.

Morganway released their second EP ‘The Hurricane EP’ a few days ago, following the glowing reception of their debut EP ‘No Tomorrows’ last year. Website here, Facebook here.

We featured Morganway last month and the new video for 'Hurricane' provides us with an opportunity to share the title track from their latest EP. The Americana influences give the band a natural, honest sound and their fine compositions and all round delivery is a delight.


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Artificial Pleasure - Like Never Before.

Background - After just a handful of tracks, Artificial Pleasure have earned plaudits for their dancefloor-friendly, art school-styled electro-pop with many critics placing them as descendents of influential and timeless greats such as Talking Heads and David Bowie.

The latest stage in the quartet’s introductory mission comes with the release of their brand new track ‘Like Never Before’ which also acts as the title track to the band’s debut EP of the same name. While ‘Like Never Before’ echoes the sparkling riffs and vociferous funk grooves of their recent tracks, it’s also a track that’s darker-hued in nature. An almost industrial introduction imbibed with doomy synths sets a cinematic tone before Phil McDonnell’s crooning baritone and an insistent clatter of cowbells switches the tone from apocalyptic to animated.

In addition to ‘Like Never Before’, the EP is completed by the opener ‘All I Got’ - the first of Artificial Pleasure’s tracks to reach a wider audience - as well as the recently issued follow-up ‘The Hand On My Shoulder’.

The band maintain a firm DIY ethic. Almost all of their material is self-produced and self-mixed, with McDonnell and Brennan leading the way with the arrangements before Brennan’s self-taught engineering skills heighten the strength of the finished track. All of the songs are written with live performance in mind – the result being an exertion of raw energy: no tricks or gimmicks, just pure adrenaline. Website here, Facebook here.

We featured the fabulous video for 'All I Got' last month describing the track as "High Octane rock'n'roll that is delivered in an effortlessly cool manner, and head turning vocals". The latest song to be released by the band is 'Like Never Before' which is an electro pop beauty. Powerful synths and a robust beat provide the backdrop for the defining vocals, another magnificent song!

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Low Island - Rest Your Head.

Background - Hot on the heels of landing over a million streams at Spotify, Low Island add to their burgeoning discography by sharing the brand new track ‘Rest Your Head’.

After ‘Holding It Down’ blended menacing vocals, dancefloor intensity and a cacophonous wall of sound, ‘Rest Your Head’ drops down the gears to present a very different angle to this intriguingly multi-faceted band. Its groove is a dreamlike trance in which mellifluous vocal harmonies head a soothing production rooted in hypnotising synths and downtempo beats.

Low Island was formed as an accidental by-product of a theatre score composed by Jamie (vocals/guitars/keys/electronics) and Carlos (vocals/guitar/keys). The pair, who also enjoyed some success in the world of dance music with a residency at The Warehouse in Leeds, called upon bassist Jacob with whom they’d played in an alt-rock band as teenagers. The line-up is completed by percussionist Felix, who previously toured with the Brooklyn jazz ensemble Snarky Puppy.

They introduced themselves to the world with the ‘Just About Somewhere’ EP, which prompted comparisons with the likes of Caribou, Arthur Russell and Grizzly Bear, and it was soon followed by ‘Holding It Down’. Low Island’s radio support to date has included Huw Stephens, Phil Taggart and MistaJam (who picked the band as a recent New Name) at Radio 1, and at 6 Music by Tom Robinson, Tom Ravenscroft and Lauren Laverne. Facebook here.

'Rest Your Head' is very different from a track we featured by Low Island back in January. This is a flowing, dreamy and tranquil song where the melody is warm and hazy. This band have talent and are firmly on my musical radar.

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Hannah Aldridge - No Heart Left Behind.

Background - In literature and in songwriting, the American South is where writers go to face their fears. Hannah Aldridge doesn’t just dip her pen into the well of the South, the Muscle Shoals native embodies it. With every song, she’s facing down demons of a life once lived from substance abuse to failed relationships and scars from the lashes of the bible belt. 

“Gold Rush” is Hannah Aldridge’s second album, a follow up to her 2014 debut “Razor Wire.” While that album launched her career, drew the attention of music writers and sent her touring across the world, “Gold Rush” shows a more mature and introspective artist with more life experience - and music experience - under her belt. The honesty Hannah Aldridge crafts into each track is off-set by her stubborn, maybe defiant, nature, which gives her music a hopeful silver lining. 

“I start writing with ‘this is how I’m feeling and I need to talk about it.’ Doing that helps me sort out my own thoughts on it. My music is an introspective look at the things that happened in my life. It’s me trying to sort through and put feelings into words,” she said. Hannah Aldridge is the daughter of Muscle Shoals legend Walt Aldridge. An Alabama Music Hall of Famer, Walt Aldridge is a prolific and decorated songwriter of countless Number One and Top Ten hits recorded by the likes of Lou Reed, Reba McEntire, Travis Tritt, Earl Thomas Conley, Ricky Van Shelton, Ronnie Milsap, and Conway Twitty.

Mixing her personal life and the sounds of her hometown, Hannah Aldridge’s new album also draws in influences from across the rock genre. Working with people with one foot in country music and one foot in rock, Hannah Aldridge makes a fresh kind of Southern Rock styled by Southern Gothic storytelling. You can hear it in “Gold Rush”’s ode to burning out, or in the yearning of “Burning Down Birmingham”, and anthem-for-the-lonely “No Heart Left Behind” – a track that is shot-through with wild riffs.

Hannah Aldridge shares the video for new single "No Heart Left Behind." New album "Gold Rush" is out in the UK on June 16 via Rootsy Music. July UK tour dates can be found on Beehive Candy's tour page, Website here, Facebook here.

If you fancy a slice of lively, passionate, southern rock then 'No Heart Left Behind' from Hannah Aldridge ticks all of those boxes. If the new album is on a par with this song, then I reckon a considerable number of music lovers will be very satisfied.


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Lara Smiles - Mankind - Rebecca Raw - Bonzie - Jet Rewind

Lara Smiles - Lies.

Background - Fusing an intriguing mixture of indie and electro styles, the music of Lara Smiles is guitar-driven, synth-inspired and brimming with layers of alt-pop. Self-written and produced by the legendary Youth, ’Lies’ will be included on her long awaited debut album due out in the late autumn of 2017.

She has also recently worked with The Orb and Jah Wobble and will be a featured artist on upcoming new album releases by both. 

Influenced by many genres of music, Lara started out writing punk and soul tunes on her guitar, but all-night raves in her teens led to a love of dance music and experimenting with samples. 

Her previous single releases have received airplay on BBC 6 Music and XFM/Radio X. She has also performed at some of the world’s largest venues and will make her fifth appearance at the Glastonbury Festival this summer. The new single 'Lies' is out 19.05.17 (WonkyPop Records). Website here, Facebook here.

The guitar fronted music on 'Lies' is dynamic and a little funky, whilst Lara Smiles vocals add some spirit and edge, as the atmosphere builds, on this hook fuelled track.


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Mankind - Three Handfuls Of Dirt.

Background - With their previous releases leaving the Stockholm underground and warehouse scene well and truly shaken, Mankind are back with a new single from their upcoming EP “Death”. With Sweden already getting drunk on disorder, it’s about time the rest of mankind joined the madness.

With previous track “Blood, Sugar” produced by no less than Gordon Raphael (The Strokes, Three Trapped Tigers) and propelling into aurally calculated chaos within a matter of seconds, new single “Three Handfuls Of Dirt” almost seems reticent… key word: almost. The song kicks off with a surprisingly regiment Spector-esque bass beat and nonchalant vocals, (seemingly) following a linear climb. And just as we settle with this steady structure Mankind do what they do best and, with the retro vibe of The Doors and the rawness of The Jacques, they smack down a true frenzied climax on our unsuspecting ears.

With a savagely unexpected finish, engulfed by suddenly recognizable silence, we’re left in a vulnerable pit of adrenaline… alone, on the bus. A must see live single which will be out 28th April everywhere via Lazy Octopus. 

The first of four songs on the forthcoming EP and the first thing that struck me with 'Three Handfuls Of Dirt' are the vocals. Comparable to Jim Morrison both by their depth and richness, they need and receive a band that can deliver some potent and dominant rock music. It's a fabulous EP and by the time you get to the last track Mankind have delivered enough of their own creativity and originality to establish their own identity.

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Rebecca Raw - Connection.

Background - Rebecca Raw is a British singer/songwriter whose songs are a unique blend of pop, soul and folk elements. Growing up in suburban London, Rebecca began learning the cello at the age of seven and shortly after, picked up the clarinet too. She sang in choirs throughout her younger years and the classical tradition was the backbone of her training right up to her obtaining a music degree from Cambridge University.

Alongside this, she developed a love for performing jazz, soul and pop music and once she graduated, Rebecca began dividing her time between teaching the cello and performing as a singer at events. Having always been fascinated by great lyrics and captivating melodies it was only natural that she herself would begin to explore the craft of writing songs. 

Her debut EP ‘Deep Within’ (2017) is a bold statement which partners intimate storytelling with a rich, contemporary sound.  Her honest and thought-provoking lyrics are the heartbeat of this offering and her smooth, mesmerising voice is the compelling communicative vehicle that defines this release. 

Rebecca tells authentic musical stories with insight, warmth and sensitivity. She comments that "each song was born as a personal response to a challenging time but hope prevails in my life and I always try to encapsulate this in my music.  As others reach into the heart of these stories I hope that they will discover for themselves more treasures of this rich, wonderful, crazy thing called life." Website here, Facebook here.

'Connection' is the first of five tracks on 'Deep Within' Rebecca Raw's debut EP. Her engaging and melodic vocals stand out above an elegant and subtle musical arrangement. There is plenty of variety across the collection, each song makes it mark, sometimes quite gently and on occasion with a little more energy added to the soundtrack.

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Bonzie - Combback.

Background - Bonzie shares new track "Combback". The song is the second single to be released from her forthcoming new album, Zone on Nine, out May 19th. “All of my songs basically start as a conversation I’m having with myself alone in my room,” says 21-year-old Nina Ferraro, who’s created under the moniker of Bonzie since age 17.

Produced by Ferraro, in collaboration with Jonathan Wilson (Father John Misty, Conor Oberst) and Ali Chant (Perfume Genius, Youth Lagoon), Zone on Nine follows Bonzie’s recently released double singles As The Surface Rose and How Do You Find Yourself, Love? On the title track to the former, Ferraro spins a beautifully sprawling reverie from a song first composed on “this old piano I grew up with, the day before it was going off to someone else,” as she explains. “I was in this unfurnished house—the last bones of the house I grew up in—with literally only myself, this piano, and walls.” Merging orchestral flourishes with electronic experimentalism, the self-produced “As The Surface Rose” is paired with lyric-free B-side “Half Full” (a sparse and dreamlike track recorded at Wilco’s famed Chicago studio The Loft).

In tracking the path from her first time songwriting to the continent-crossing production of Zone on Nine, Ferraro notes that a certain sense of purpose has endured in her artistry. “I’m always open to taking the song wherever it wants to go—more like I’m a vessel for the song itself, rather than a person who’s actually making the song,” she says. And with Zone on Nine, in all its unbridled grandeur, each listen illuminates the unending wonder that’s sparked so much of her songwriting. “I think we’re here to experience things and express our experience, and to notice and enjoy how we each have our own different perspective,” says Ferraro. “I feel obligated to participate in life that way, on a very visceral level. To me there’s a rhythm that already exists in the world, and I want to be a part of that.” Website here, Facebook here.

We featured the first single from the forthcoming album a few weeks back and new song 'Combback' is another irresistible song where the vocals are beguiling and the understated music slowly wraps itself around the song.

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Jet Rewind - Someone Else.

Background - Stockholm indie rock act, Jet Rewind, have shared their new single "Someone Else". 

Stockholm based indie rock act Jet Rewind's shares the same name an old VHS-player that allows you to rewind tapes within 60 seconds. For the band, Jet Rewind symbolizes a certain nostalgia and a dream to go back to something long forgotten. 

Consisting of Samuel Heiligers (vox) Johannes Palmroos (bass) Emmanuel Hailemariam (guitar) & Anton Haeffler (drums), the project is still in it's infancy with "Someone Else" being the band's first single.  "Someone Else" is a hopeful guitar-based song about finding your element. Facebook here.

'Someone Else' is a melodic indie rock song, where the band keep things simple, allowing the delightful chord changes and appealing vocals to work there charm.

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Emily Keener - Rips - Spirit Bunny - Northern National - Vulgarians

Emily Keener - Light & Sound.

Background - Emily Keener is a eighteen-year-old singer/songwriter from Wakeman, OH. Since her exciting journey into the Top 12 on NBC’s The Voice, Emily has been writing and recording diligently in an effort to capture the energy of this most transformative year.

Emily started playing the guitar when she was 11 years old and began writing songs when she was almost 12. A natural curiosity and passion for music quickly got her performing frequently and writing constantly. Almost 6 years later, she has written over 100 original songs and released three EPs and two LPs. Her songs are distinctly original, and the ideas she manages to express in them belie a soul that seems to be much older than seventeen. Before training with renowned vocal coach, Joan Ellison and master guitarist, Tony Schaffer, Emily was entirely self-taught and thrived on the time she spent locked away with a guitar and a notebook.

Quote From Emily: "'Light & Sound' was so much fun to create. The open space we filmed in and the lighthearted lyrics really meshed together well, and I was very happy to have friends working on it with me. The director, Andrew Schaeffer (Monocle), is a stand-up fella and he does great work. Kassandra Lee choreographed her dance routine, and performed it wonderfully. The whole video has an easygoing charm and it always makes me smile.” Website here, Facebook here.

The lyrics feel as if you are listening to one side of someone else's conversation, and they are supplied in a delicious, melodic manner that is captivating from the start. Add in the imaginative sound track and 'Light & Sound' really is a refreshing and original piece, with a video to seal the deal.


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Rips – Malibu Entropy.

Background - Brooklyn based Rips have quickly built a reputation amongst NYC showgoers, winning them over with their virtuous melodies and sheer ferocity amidst an endless flurry of shows. Their songs may channel late '70s New York City bands like Television and The Feelies, but Rips propels these references into something new. 

Their self-titled debut, produced by Austin Brown of Parquet Courts, is eleven tracks of buzzing guitar riffs driven by a charged rhythm section, all set under lyrics that are actually worth a damn.

Rips (the record) takes cues from the moonlighting era of rock, while delivering a set of songs distinctly fit for the modern age. Once described as a “hyperreal rock n’ roll group”, the phrase “borne forward ceaselessly into the future" is more what they’re going for here. So break an old habit. Let your hair down (or up). Rips will take you there. Facebook here, Label here. Tour dates on Beehive Candy's tour page.

'Malibu Entropy' is an impressive two and a half minutes of timeless rock, resplendent and sincere, the band calmly turn up the power when required, the vocals for me have that late 70's NYC band feel as mentioned above. There is an emotional under current that clinches it for me, the album is on my wan't list.

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Spirit Bunny - Disco Horseride Montage.

Background - Arriving brashly via circuit-bent Casio keyboards and buzzing Commodore 64 synths, Brisbane experimental pop three-piece Spirit Bunny have just released their cacophonous self-titled debut LP (Detonic Recordings), premiered through Grain Zine. Spirit Bunny will also kick off a six-date LP launch tour at Canberra's Lobrow Gallery tonight, to be followed by Sydney, Melbourne, Wollongong, Adelaide and Brisbane.

Though Spirit Bunny work predominantly with "retro" instruments, their frenzied, motif-driven sound is anything but. Despite the lack of guitars, Spirit Bunny's chaotic blend of broken sound bears as much in common with noise-guitar-pop bands as dark synth-wave groups. Recorded in drummer Cameron Smith's studio Incremental Records (Velociraptor, Deafcult, Danyl Jesu), the album has so far received praise from industry figures at FBi, 4ZZZ, 3RRR and Who The Hell, and plenty of airplay on the wings of singles Amen Skew (current), Disco Horseride Montage and fan favourite Marshmallows.

A DIY band through and through, a Spirit Bunny debut full-length release was perhaps always inexorably fated to explore consumer culture as a central theme. Intermittent cut-and-paste lyrics are paired with discomforting corners of sound to both criticise and celebrate the way we consume. By way of protecting each physical copy of their album with a bright cardboard case, hand-painted by the band, Spirit Bunny's ethos is apparent before a listener even removes the vinyl from its sleeve. Facebook here, Bandcamp here. Tour dates on Beehive Candy's tour page.

The opening track from Spirit Bunny's brand new album is 'Disco Horseride Montage'. It's a wonderful introduction to a highly creative collection of material. What could so easily slip into chaos, actually comes to order with the sonic disarray, building into one fabulous song, go check the album for more.

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Northern National - MoneyBlind.

Background - Offering a southern vibe to alternative music, Dallas, TX based band, Northern National is setting sail for stardom. The five-piece rock band formed in August 2016 and released their debut EP, The New Age, later that year. Produced by Dan Stringer (X Ambassadors, Ms. Lauryn Hill), The New Age features 5 indie-rock gems, including their debut single, "Love Is Fire", which caught the attention of Spotify.

"Love is Fire" was featured on Spotify's Discover Weekly playlist and charted on Spotify's Viral 50 worldwide. Music curators such as Topsify, Filtr, and even Coca-Cola, have also featured the song on their playlists.  Since the release of The New Age, Northern National's songs have been streamed over 700,000 times and counting.

Sonically, Northern National has been compared to bands such as X Ambassadors, Catfish & The Bottlemen, Kings of Leon and Imagine Dragons. With an ever-growing fan base across the US, they aim to set out on their first national tour this year. The band considers the legendary House of Blues in Dallas their second home and have played festivals such as SXSW and Red Gorilla. Northern National has shared the stage with notable artists such as Andy Grammer, Echosmith, Mat Kearney, MAGIC!, and more. 

Their latest single, “MoneyBlind”, released in April of 2017, proves that the group has a good head on their shoulders and is ready for the next step in their career. Teaming up with producer, Dan Stringer once again and mastering by John Davis of Metropolis Mastering (U2, Lana Del Ray, Royal Bloods), the single seamlessly bridges the gap between southern, indie, & alternative rock in a little under four minutes. “To us, “MoneyBlind” is a reminder that however much success we achieve - to not sacrifice the people, morals, and loved ones that matter most in your life. The road might be slower, but it’ll be worth it in the end,” the band states. Website here, Facebook here.

High calibre alt rock with some refined and melodic vibes ensures 'MoneyBlind' is quick to get noticed. Indie and southern rock flavours creep in through the vocals and a slick burst of guitar magic.

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Vulgarians - Of Humdrum Consumption.

Background - Hull’s Vulgarians are sharing their thunderous new single ‘Of Humdrum Consumption’ – the second track to be taken from their new EP titled Almost-Instinct, Almost True due out on May 5th 2017.  Produced by MJ of Hookworms (TRAAMS, Eagulls, Pulled Apart By Horses), the EP is to be closely trailed with a full UK headline tour (full dates below) throughout May taking into account a date at London’s Old Blue Last on May 23rd. 

Speaking about ‘Of Humdrum Consumption’ frontman Ryan Wilson-Preen says; “In many ways the song sounds more typical of an earlier Vulgarians’ track in regard to the discordant feedback but shows an indication that we’ve moved forward and can write something more. We’ve finally allowed our Krautrock fascination to be absorbed into a new, vulgar life.”

Following a chance encounter after a gig at Brudenell Social Club last year, Hookworms’ frontman MJ invited Vulgarians to record their next EP at his Suburban Home studio in Leeds, also offering up his production services. Speaking about working with MJ, Wilson-Preen says: “We’re all really big fans of his work with Hookworms and he’s also produced many of our favourite records. We knew he could certainly add his experience, but also bring his music knowledge to the table.”

Taking its title from work by Hull poet Philip Larkin, Almost-instinct, Almost True finds Vulgarians in their most pulse-quickening but focused form, demonstrating a marked progression in sound from their previous release. There is a heftier emphasis upon the bass and groove within songs; bassist Jodie Smith and drummer Connor Cheesman find a progressed alliance in the rhythm section that plays into Vulgarians’ newly found sleaze. Whilst shades of the Morphine, Sonic Youth and Jesus and Mary Chain records which soundtracked the writing of Life’s Successful Death still show, Almost-Instinct, Almost True is driven by the same barbed energy propelling influences from Rowland S. Howard, PiL and Iggy Pop. Hands Around The Waste’ is the finest example of Vulgarians’ musical and lyrical dynamic. Split down the middle in two contrasting demeanours, the song finds the humour in a taxi drivers’ dark stories, incongruously mixing monumental choruses with sparse verses. Facebook here, tour dates on Beehive Candy's tour page.

Full of anxiety and sounding oh so close to the edge, 'Of Humdrum Consumption' is a feast of punk panic, that somehow manages to mix passion with noise and arrive with some remarkable hooks, you just have to play it again.

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Nic Kain - Shinbone Star - Fjorka - Kurt Swinghammer - Slow Caves - The Gin Pennies

Nic Kain - New Ways Unfold.

Background - Enigmatic Australian artist Nic Kain announces the release of his first international single ‘New Ways Unfold’, due to be released April 28th. New Ways Unfold from Nic Kain is an upbeat indie-grunge, anti-folk anthem with arty electro inlays and catchy phrasing. The track is a unique blend of styles with subtle nuances of feel while the lyrics are a poetic invocation and offering of Nic’s unique artistic expression. Nic puts out a call for everyone to connect to the earth, get creative, open up and be advocates of peace in these tumultuous times of change and upheaval. 

Recorded at Studio Avalon by conscious roots artist / producer Murray Kyle and mixed by ARIA award-winning producer Govinda Doyle (co-producer of Angus & Julia Stone's Jet Plane), New Ways Unfold is a culmination of Nic's multi-faceted artistry and fiercely creative, yet nostalgically familiar style. On writing the track Nic said, “New Ways Unfold invokes a way of being, a way of opening up to new experiences, creative learning and flow. I just started do, do, doing over a simple chord progression on a beat up old steel string acoustic and the song just came through.” 

Seamlessly transitioning between song writing, electronic sound design, visionary art/abstract painting and spoken word, Nic has long paid homage to the eclectic, deriving ideas and styles from a diverse range of genres. For years he has captivated audiences at alternative music festivals around Australia with his unique instrumental inclinations and virtuosity on the flute. 

Based near the internationally renowned seaside town of Byron Bay on Australia's north east coast, Nic's music has been shaped by his spirited bohemian lifestyle and exposure to myriad influences. Although his song writing is now reaching mainstream audiences, his musical journey began decades ago. Today, Nic is best known for fusing electronic and acoustic anti-folk styles with spoken word and rhyme. He is adept at merging various genres into his creative field of play and collaborating with other talented artists in the studio. Bandcamp here, Facebook here.

'New Ways Unfold' has a rhythmic, acoustic folk feel with Nic Kain's vocals providing the melody early on. It takes a beautiful twist round the halfway mark as the music creatively builds and adds another dimension to an already fine song.

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Shinbone Star - Whiskey & Gin.

Background - Shinbone Star (Man Who Shot Liberty Valance for those that don't recognise the reference) is the band we all dream of being a part of... talented musicians, good people, creative artists. Sporting a range of tasty covers and originals we cover the blues spectrum with a bit of southern rock and country around the edges.

Band member Michael Woodrow tells us - My band Shinbone Star has just released a new album.  We are based in Melbourne (Australia mate!) and are currently number 1 nationally on ReverbNation for blues. We have been picked up by many stations internationally that play blues music.

The first track on the album was also the opener for the launch show. Played out on the Lady Cutler showboat (Blues Cruise) it was the start of a great afternoon and evening of blues to an adoring audience! Facebook here, Reverb Nation here.

If you like your blues with some passion and top quality vocals and musicianship then 'Whiskey & Gin' has all of that. The title song from the album gives some feel for the collection. The bands suggestion that country and southern rock also influences their material is a fair one, they can and do mix up the styles, however holding centre stage throughout is their natural blues music.


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Fjorka - Sick Kids.

Background - Originating from the Emerald Isle, progressive pop outfit Fjokra (pronounced Fee-okra) come with their new single Sick Kids – a magical concoction of percussive beats, synth-pop melodies and rock guitars overlaid by scat vocals from duo lead vocalists Fi and Annie Bea.

Sick Kids follows the band’s debut EP Thought Steps which gained radio support from Steve Lamacq & Tom Robinson (BBC 6Music), Dan Hegarty (RTE 2FM), Gary Crowley (BBC London) and Vicky Blight & Pete Donaldson (Absolute Radio).

Sick Kids was written, recorded & produced by lead vocalist/frontman Fi (full name Fiachra Mac Oireachtai) who’s inspiration behind the beats came from militaristic drum-led groups like the Swiss Drum Corps & US College Lines saying “as a drummer myself, I love the energy & volume of noise created by those large collections of players & wanted to recreate that level of energy on the record”.

Fjokra are Annie Bea (vocals/percussion), Freddie Draper (bass), Jack Richardson (guitar), Filippo Galli (drums) and main vocalist, visionary and songwriter Fi. Facebook here.

The beats are impressive enough, and the vocals are stupendous on 'Sick Kids' a fascinating song with plenty of hooks and a chorus that nails it!

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Kurt Swinghammer - Jack Layton and Grace Appleton.

Background from Kurt Swinghammer - I turned on the TV one morning to see CBC News anchor Peter Mansbridge with tears in his eyes announcing the death of Jack Layton, the charismatic leader of Canada’s left wing New Democratic Party. It was a sad start to a new day, but then later that afternoon my mom died.

These two people were very important to me for entirely different reasons, and as often is the case with significant personal experiences, it inspired me to write. It became the first piece that developed into a song cycle called 'Another Another'.

Shortly afterwards I was invited to be the first Artist In Residence at the National Music Centre in Calgary, Alberta, which gave me access to their world-renowned collected of exotic synthesizers. This track includes the rarely heard Clavivox invented by Raymond Scott in 1952. I enlisted multiple Juno Award recipient Michael Phillip Wojewoda to engineer the recordings and he ran everything through the infamous Rolling Stones Mobile desk, which was used on Sticky Fingers and Led Zepplin 4, and gets a shout out in Deep Purple’s iconic “Smoke On The Water”.

It was absolutely exhilarating to be surrounded by literally hundreds of fabled electronic instruments associated with seminal modern composers such as Edgard Varèse and Brian Eno. Eno’s ambient classic “Music For Airports” was actually the only album in my collection that my mom ever expressed appreciation for. I played it constantly in her care facility room during her final days, and I used this single common cultural connection as an aesthetic inspiration to reflect on her life. Website here, Facebook here.

A personal song that is both winsome and a little sad. 'Jack Layton and Grace Appleton' is gently melodic and creative, the synths add a little more character towards the end of what is for me an enchanting track.


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Slow Caves - Glares.

Background - Slow Caves have shared their video for 'Glares'. The band says of the video, "Most of the video was shot last summer, on the last day of our trip to Denmark. We wanted the video to reflect how we are as a band internally, and kind of give people a taste of what it's like to hang out with us. 

So, we handed the camera to our cousins, Kristian and Martin, and just kind of goofed around. We shot most of the footage at their school in Silkeborg (where Oliver and Jakob were born). The scenery there is unreal. We think the vibe of the video matches the song and our personalities really well. It's light-hearted and very sentimental and nostalgic.”

Formed in Ft. Collins, CO in 2014, Slow Caves consists of Danish born brothers Jakob and Oliver Mueller (vocals, guitars) rounded out by childhood friends David Dugan (guitar/bass) and Jackson Lamperes (drums) who offer a relaxed and surf-y update on 80's synth, 90's jangle and early aught's indie rock. Website here, Facebook here. Tour dates on Beehive Candy's tour page.

'Glares' is a bright uplifting indie rocker with bags of charm. Melodic vocals and sparkling music combine and provide a very appealing song.


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The Gin Pennies - Film Noir.

Background - ​Front woman Shanelle Lewis​, has a voice for the ages, honed from her childhood in a musical family who would stay up nights playing songs around the campfire. Lewis moved from rural Ohio to Los Angeles, and quickly caught the attention of Randy Wooten, a prolific songwriter (The Bloody Lovelies, Willodean) and co-founder of Cheap Lullaby Records (Joan As Police Woman, Teitur, David Mead).

The Gin Pennies play pop songs enveloped in an old school sound that includes percussive guitars, upright bass, violin and trumpet. A close listen reveals intriguing non-period and genre specific surprises like chromatic harmonica, and lush chord sequences. 

There's a unique slant to their tunes that sets them apart from the masses; it's as if Lake Street Drive travelled back to the 1920's Paris and made a record with Django Reinhardt. It’s an engaging mixture of era and vibe, where modern-day California indie-pop meets 1920s French juke joint. Facebook here.

'Film Noir' is a magnificent song. Quintessential music and vocals that by the audio quality are clearly of this era, hark back to the music of bygone times, with style and charm. This is a piece that deserves any superlative you might care to give it.


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Escape From Yesterday - Blondie - Noel Cowley - The Darts - Airpark - Frenship

Escape From Yesterday - Same Old Scene

Background - Escape From Yesterday are a four piece pop-punk band from Murray Bridge, South Australia. With tunes much to the style of bands such as Blink-182, Paramore and Fall Out Boy; Escape From Yesterday have taken the Adelaide music scene by storm in less than a year of forming. They are now ready to release their brand new single, Same Old Scene. 

The track is about breaking out of your hometown and embarking on your own adventure. Inspired by the band members personal struggles, hopes and dreams, Same Old Scene displays the bands edgy yet approachable style. The combination of punk-rock and funk influences gives the band’s music a very “Funky Punky" vibe. Same Old Scene addresses some very relatable issues that young people face, and the band hopes that the themes in this song will inspire others to take a leap of faith and pursue their dreams. 

Same Old Scene was recorded in a brand new studio that has been installed into local venue, The Station. It was recorded by members of Escape From Yesterday, and mixed by Jordan Holmes, vocalist and lead guitarist for the band. “Same Old Scene was written with the intention of inspiring others, but also ourselves” says Jordan, “Sometimes, we need to remind ourselves that we’re capable of more than we think, and we just need to believe in ourselves.” 

This year, the band is working non-stop on a debut album, which will hopefully be “released by the end of 2017”. The demo version of their track Run Along has seen positive reviews with Music SA’s Matthew Hayward noting it as “a rousing call and response number featuring some heavy distortion and developing pop sensibilities”. Same Old Scene is rapidly becoming a fan favourite at their live shows. They carry with them heavy sounds and an exciting presence on stage. Pop-punk single ‘Same Old Scene’, due to be released April 28th. Facebook here.

'Same Old Scene' mixes robust guitar fronted rock with more melodic and appealing vocals. Put together they make for a top-notch song, one that suggests a second listen is in order, at the very least.

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Blondie - Long Time.

Background - Blondie has premiered the video for latest single “Long Time,” off of the band’s 11th studio album Pollinator, out May 5th (BMG) “Long Time” is the third track from the remarkable new album that perfectly demonstrates the blend of Blondie's pioneering past with new influences from modern music's great innovators - the track is a collaboration between Debbie Harry and Dev Hynes (AKA Blood Orange).

Set in the city where Blondie's story began over four decades ago, the video for “Long Time,” sees the band in a chaotic, fast-paced New York City. Scenes flip between front woman Debbie Harry recklessly driving in a yellow cab and the band playing on the city streets. The video was shot and directed by Dikayl Rimmasch, who also worked with Beyonce on her Lemonade album videos and on her Formation World Tour. Rimmasch also directed the video for Pollinator's debut single “Fun”.

Blondie’s sound and sensibility is as fresh on Pollinator as when they first topped the charts. The band has enlisted an eclectic group of songwriters for their most collaborative album to date. Those offering their own interpretation of the band’s legacy include superstar Sia, British singer Charli XCX, Dave Sitek (TV On The Radio), Nick Valensi (The Strokes), Johnny Marr (The Smiths) and Canadian movie blogger and indie rocker Adam Johnston (an Unkindness). The LP, produced by John Congleton (Franz Ferdinand, St. Vincent, Sigur Ros) and recorded at NYC’s famed studio The Magic Shop, also features vocals from Joan Jett, cross dressing comedian and singer John Roberts and The Gregory Brothers (founders of Songify the News). Laurie Anderson appears on a special hidden track on the CD version.

Blondie will bring their one-of-a-kind live magic to the stage when they kick off their North American co-headlining Rage and Rapture Tour with Garbage on July 5th. The band has also announced a return to the iconic Roundhouse in London on May 3rd to celebrate the release two days later of their remarkable new album. Website here.

Many (many) years ago I went into my local record store to see if they had the brand new (debut) Blondie album. They did not and the shop manager was pretty underwhelmed when a younger version of me suggested they were going to be huge. I ordered a copy and a week later went back to collect. It was one of those fabulous moments when I could not get home quick enough to play it. Sadly like so many record stores it closed many years ago, Blondie on the other hand are still delivering the goods as 'Long Time' confirms. I'm looking forward to Pollinator, albeit without the youthful energy this time around.


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Noel Cowley - Spring You Bring.

Background - "Stay-at-home-dad-singer-songwriter", to give Noel Cowley his full, snappy job title. This Londoner - and now honorary Essex man - who grew up in Ireland sees music as an essential accompaniment to his life as a parent, together with wife Katrina, of toddler triplets.

It's a far cry from two decades spent flitting in and out of service industry jobs while concentrating on living a musician's life outside of work hours. These days parenting is the focus with music the sideline, and both roles are the richer for it. If there's one continuous thread that runs through Noel's life in music, it's his writing, recording and performing partnership with younger brother Ewan Cowley, the Dublin based musician, producer and solo singer-songwriter/composer.

The two Irish brothers learned to play the guitar together as teenagers, busked pop hits in the streets of Derry and formed and fronted a glam-punkypop band (The Bexleys) in the early 2000s. Latterly they've been collaborating on Noel's solo music, their Beatles and Beatles-inspired influences such as Crowded House and Squeeze sustaining a love of creating easily hummable melodies married with emotive lyrics.

The culmination of the Cowley brothers' work together so far is Noel's debut album produced, arranged and co-written by Ewan. The album is set for release in the summer of 2017 on Indie label Nub Music and the first single from it, Spring You Bring, is out now. Website here, Bandcamp here.

With a sprightly piano rhythm and the impeccable vocals of Noel Cowley, 'Spring You Bring' is a bright uplifting song, given extra vigour as the music develops.


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The Darts - You Got Me.

Background - Formed in 2016, The Darts are the explosive union of Nicole Laurenne (The Love Me Nots, Zero Zero, Motobunny), Rikki Styxx (The Dollyrots, The Two Tens, Thee Outta Sites), Christina Nunez (The Love Me Nots, The Madcaps, Casual Encounters), and Michelle Balderrama (Brainspoon). 

The debut EP was self-released by the band on ten-inch vinyl in October 2016, with a second EP released in January 2017. The band signed to Dirty Water Records, which re-released the two EPs as one full-length digital album in January 2017. A second full-length album is very much anticipated this summer with six new tracks already in the can and another six almost ready.

“I knew it was special before it even was the beginning,” Nicole said of her new band. “These three women are musicians I have performed with for years and years, watching them and wanting to do this kind of project with them. When Michelle and I finally talked about writing some songs together for real in 2015, it was almost like a fully-formed idea in my head. And it has been so easy to make it all come to fruition, like nothing I’ve ever done before. Even just getting in a van with these people is special. They’re just fun, supportive, hilarious, goofy, and no one takes herself too seriously, which is a pretty hard quality to find in good musicians, if you ask me.”

With two tours of the southern and western United States with Oakland’s all-girl rock duo Steel Cranes and France's Weird Omen under their belts, the Darts are gearing up to take their music overseas for a European tour this May which Louder Than War Magazine describes as "dirty, rough around the edges, good ol’ dive bar rock n roll". Website here, Facebook here.

With some UK and European dates coming up in May and June (see our tour page) it seems like a good enough reason to feature The Darts again, this time with the rather potent 'You Got Me'.


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Airpark - Plenty To Pine For.

Background - Last month, Nashville-based alternative pop/rock duo Airpark released their debut EP Early Works, Volume 1 via Eugenia Hall Records. The band have just shared their video for "Plenty To Pine For". 

Raised in New Orleans, the Fords grew up surrounded by music, from the Crescent City's jazz to the soul of Irma Thomas and Allen Touissant. Later while living in Nashville, the two rekindled the music connection they'd kick-started back home, finding popularity as The Apache Relay performed alongside the likes of Jenny Lewis, Mumford & Sons and more. Michael and Ben move at a deliberately different speed with Airpark, thus finding new musical territory to explore. 

Taking their cues from a wide set of influences — the rhythmic world music of Tinariwen and Lijadu Sisters; the production of Air, Damon Albarn, and Fiona Apple's The Idler Wheel; the tenor vocal range of Big Star's Alex Chilton and Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham, with the occasional pop crooner delivery of Harry Nilsson — the two unveil their new direction with Airpark's debut EP, Early Works, Volume 1. 

It's a sound that targets the feet and the head. It's pop music for thinkers. It's dance music for wallflowers. And with the brothers pulling triple-duty as songwriters, multi-instrumentalists and co-producers, Early Works, Volume 1 is their most forward-thinking project to date, pairing the band's growing ambition with musical chops to match. Website here, Facebook here.

Our second feature for Airpark this time with 'Plenty To Pine For'. This is another beautifully crafted song, the duo's ability to write and perform intelligent pop to a high standard is notable, as is their commitment which gently drifts to the fore as the track develops. We featured their current tour dates on our tour page last time around.


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Frenship - 1000 Nights.

Background - The new video from Frenship is entitled "1000 Nights". When talking about the video the duo states, "We originally had the idea for the video out on a camping trip in Stanley, Idaho. We had just received the song back from mastering and took the first listen on the shore of Lake Stanley at the base of McGown Peak. This place inspired the idea, look and feel for the 1000 Nights video. With the idea in place we sought out a director that could fully capture beautiful shots outdoors and filmmaker Matt Kleiner perfectly fit the bill for this.  The video was shot at Diablo Lake in Washington State." The 'Truce' EP is out now on Columbia.

There's a strong contrarian streak in Frenship, the Los Angeles-based duo of James Sunderland and Brett Hite. James grew up in Colorado and relocated to LA after 4 years of college studying production, where he was part of a DJ duo that didn't work out. Brett grew up in Spokane, Washington with a passion for soccer. An injury led him to discover a burgeoning interest in music and he began to play coffee shops and small venues after college as a singer/songwriter.

Brett and James met while working retail in LA and began to realize they each brought something to the table musically that the other could appreciate. They describe their hypnotic production as a combination of the twosome's affection for 80s-styled pop.

The duo signed on with Columbia Records and subsequently released their debut EP, Truce, in September 2016. Frenship's platinum-selling single “Capsize” was one of the most viral hits of 2016, surpassing 20 million streams in its first month and collecting over 300 million to date. Spotify crowned them #2 Breakout Artist of the year due to the song's chart performance. Facebook here.

'1000 Nights' might slowly fade in, however once the beat kicks in, alongside he distinct and gratifying vocals the song begins to standout. That might have been enough, however the chorus explodes into being, adding something of an anthem vibe taking a fine song even higher.


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Megafauna - Childcare - Reverse Family

Megafauna - Welcome Home.

Background - Cosmic vintage metal and melodic neo-psychedelia meld seamlessly in Megafauna’s fourth LP 'Welcome Home. Consequence of Sound described the album, released in May as "Megafauna's most ambitious and imaginative record to date, like St. Vincent for people who love the Melvins."  

The Austin-based band led by guitar goddess and singer Dani Neff dives deep into the sounds of soul exploration leveraged on the powerful rhythm section of drummer Zack Humphrey and alternating bassists Will Krause and Bryan Wright.  With 'Welcome Home', Megafauna eschew the progressive rock stylings of their earlier work and reach back toward the proto-metal haze of Black Sabbath and Sir Lord Baltimore while ushering it skyward with sharp melodies and the space-rock production work of Curtis Roush and The Bright Light Social Hour.

The album was crafted throughout 2015 in the cloistered bungalow studio of The Bright Light Social Hour and given a muscular mix by veteran engineer Erik Wofford (Black Angels, Bill Callahan). Through a deep look inside and above for new awareness, Megafauna has forged their most vital work to date. 

The self proclaimed thinking woman's hard rock band draw their influences from maximalism, nature, Psychedelia, circus arts, shredding, splatter paint, reading aloud, modern dance, touring compulsively... and sleeping. Website here, Facebook here.

As I understand it Megafauna's album 'Welcome Home' is going to be released on the 27 May 2017 in the UK, it's actually been around for a while on Bandcamp. This is a really good collection of songs that take you through so many rock genres, with a consistent style and ardent, impassioned delivery.

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Childcare - Dust.

Background - Childcare finished 2016 playing their biggest shows to date – in front of thousands as part of Bastille’s nationwide arena tour. This came hot on the heels of the band releasing killer single ‘Film Club’ to comprehensive acclaim. ‘Film Club’ was the first taster of a new EP that also features the stellar ‘Kiss?’ and represents an emphatic statement sure to cement the adoration of all those newly turned on to the London quartet courtesy of that tour. 

It all started when Ed Cares, one of west London's most in-demand male nannies, was overheard humming a song he had written, by Katie, aged six, who persuaded him to form a band. Josh, eight, boldly proclaimed: "You're probably my second favourite artist after Katy Perry."  And so, after sourcing some neighbourhood musicians capable of living up to Josh’s heady billing — specifically Emma Topolski (bass), Rich Legate (guitar) and Glyn Daniels (drums) — Ed soon had an able band to perform with under the only logical moniker in the circumstances: Childcare. Having honed their vivid and visceral live show on stages including Reading and Leeds festivals and now some of the land’s major concert venues.

About ‘Dust’. A riff on the End of Days itself, ‘Dust’ finds Childcare tackling mankind’s inevitable extinction with haunting vocal melodies, scalding guitar work and gutsy rhythms, plus a choral finale courtesy of a choir of heaven-sent angels. The third track to be shared from the ‘Made Simple’ EP, the song’s subject matter is certainly a departure from the band’s acclaimed previous tracks ‘Film Club’ and ‘Kiss?’, as frontman Ed Cares explains:

“Having released some music about kissing mums and fancying a girl, I thought it only appropriate that we now tackled the impending end of the world in a global warming/nuclear strike scenario. ‘Dust’ describes a roasting high-temperature cooking experience and the final thoughts of a man approaching his maker.” Facebook here.

Fervent and succinct vocals and a tight rhythmic soundtrack with plenty of energy, makes 'Dust' a very memorable and impressive song. Lyrics are affecting, the piece as a whole quite compulsive.

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Reverse Family - Legend of Pierre.

Background - Ever had that dream where an insect invades the ear and sets up home to mercilessly tease and torment thereon in? If so, a form of similar reality is about to be unleashed as the Reverse Family step forward to announce themselves with a sound which trespasses and festers in the psyche. The difference is that this is set to be the most welcome invasion of ears as it crawls with relish into the imagination.

With a tongue in cheek lining to the lyrical reflection shaping songs which spreads into the music itself, Reverse Family is a beguiling adventure with a nod to the past and a grip on an imagination as fresh as it is, well quite simply a touch loco. Website here, Facebook here.

Taken from the album 'My Songs About Life Mid Crisis' released a few weeks ago we can share 'Legend of Pierre' which can only be an indicator of the extraordinary twelve tracks in this collection. Sometimes quite "out there" other times a little quirky, always energised with plenty of rock instinct, I found this one of those albums, that's a little like exploring a new and exciting place for the first time!


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