Caretaker - Little Mammoths - Jim Lauderdale - People Like You - MAP

Caretaker - Swallow.

Background - Caretaker are a rock band from Brooklyn that formed from the ashes of several other popular Brooklyn bands. They deliver high-energy rock songs that make you want to dance just as much as they make you want to punch a hole in your wall. 

Long after you’ve left the venue, their melodies will get stuck in your head and their memory will be burned in your mind. They are fronted by a real-life nanny. Members: Erin Pellnat, Eva Lawitts, Alex Pulakos, Damian Sim, and Chris Krasnow.

“Swallow” is a song about being trapped in a relationship (or any situation, really) where someone is successful in convincing you that you are constantly wrong. This gets to the point where you believe everything they say, gladly taking punishment and abuse from them and wrongfully accepting that you deserve it. So you just cut ties and set yourself free. Website here, Facebook here.

There is a vibrant pace and feel to 'Swallow,' where feisty vocals compete with an ultra tight musical arrangement, accompanied by some robust synths, that add even more colour to this very catchy song.

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Little Mammoths - Hungover In New York.

Background - Little Mammoths are a London-based Rock’n’Roll Bar Band formed in 2014, that continue charging down the vein of The Hold Steady, Drive-by Truckers and Wilco. Comprised of Matt Owens (ex-Noah & The Whale) and some of his oldest friends, Olly Cox on bass and James Besley on drums, now neatly rounded off by renowned pedal steel player Joe Harvey-Whyte, this band have the sort of chemistry most can only dream of. 

Their debut album ‘Phantom Dreams’ was recently released on vinyl in the Spring of 2017, featuring a set of raucous songs about nightly lock-ins the band were privy to over three years of touring the West Coast of Ireland and The Scottish Highlands.  Their raw energy prompted Texan legend Ray Wylie Hubbard to declare: “If your ears dig gnawing on the gritty sounds from a young, dirty, cool rock band, I just found Little Mammoths who satisfy the craving…”

The quartet’s constant gigging and tireless work ethic often result in straight sets in excess of four hours, and has seen their road-hardened material performed to ecstatic crowds alongside Mumford & Sons, Fat White Family and Bahamas and at international festivals including Wilderness, Loopallu and The Clonakilty Guitar Festival.

Little Mammoths will release their eagerly anticipated second album ‘Cargo for The Road’ this summer (23 June), with pedal steel player Joe Harvey-Whyte now firmly in the fold and backed by a 3-piece horn section. The band are set promote the record through 2017 with extensive touring around Europe, and a full UK festival run, including Glastonbury. Website here, Facebook here.

If The Pogues/Kirsty MacColl had ever needed a sequel for their fabulous 'Fairytale of New York' song, then Little Mammoths 'Hungover In New York' would be in my opinion the contender. The obvious link is in the song title, however the emotion, spirit, heart and atmosphere, draws these two very different pieces together, all for the better as far as I'm concerned.

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Jim Lauderdale - You Came To Get Me.

Background - Award winning singer and master songwriter Jim Lauderdale embarks on a UK tour in July in the company of My Darling Clementine, Sam Outlaw, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Angaleena Presley, Nick Lowe and Red Sky July. 

To coincide with the tour, Proper Records will release a new single, ‘You Came To Get Me,’ from Jim’s acclaimed new ‘London Southern’ album.  Recorded in London at Goldtop studios and produced by the recently departed Neil Brockbank along with Robert Trehern, London Southern features co-writes with Dan Penn, Joan Oates, Odie Blackmon and Kendell Marvell alongside six Lauderdale solo compositions and a host of celebrated guest musicians. 

Jim Lauderdale is both a ‘songwriter’s songwriter’, who has written/co-written many modern classics for iconic artists, as well as an intuitive sideman who has enhanced the music of a bevy of esteemed musicians. As a solo artist, he has created a critically acclaimed body of work spanning nearly 30 albums of imaginative roots music, encompassing country, bluegrass, soul, R&B and rock.

Throughout his three-decade career, Lauderdale has helped pave the way for the current Americana movement, recording albums and writing songs that cross genres from country, rock, folk and bluegrass. Jim has written many classic songs for iconic artists and worked with some of the finest performers in traditional and modern music, including Robert Hunter, Ralph Stanley, Elvis Costello, George Strait, Buddy Miller, Lucinda Williams, John Oates, Solomon Burke, Lee Ann Womack, Old Crow Medicine Show, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Blake Shelton, the Dixie Chicks, Vince Gill, Patty Loveless, and Gary Allan among many, many others. He co-hosts a weekly radio show on SiriusXM with Buddy Miller, "The Buddy & Jim Show," and is also co-host of Music City Roots, the weekly live and radio, podcast and PBS series.

Jim has won two Grammys and been honoured with the SESAC Inspiration Award, the prestigious American Eagle Award from the National Music Council along with Kris Kristofferson and in 2016, the aforementioned US Americana Music Association’s Wagonmaster Award. Tour dates on Beehive Candy's tour news page, website here.

'You Came To Get Me' oozes the class and sophistication, that an artist of Jim Lauderdale's calibre might be expected to constantly deliver. This is a beautifully constructed song, the arrangement is slightly understated, making room for feeling and personality to shine through. Whatever a persons track record might be, songs like this should never be taken for granted.


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People Like You - Variations on an Aria.

Background - People Like You will release their sophomore album entitled Verse on July 28 via Topshelf Records. Yesterday they shared the lead single "Variations on an Aria".

The five-piece Boston-based band, People Like You, formed in 2014 from the short-lived emo/math punk band, I Kill Giants, which included guitarist/vocalist Chris Lee-Rodriguez and drummer Sander Bryce. After the release of their first record, This is what you learned. on Broken World Media, People Like You expanded to include longtime collaborator and trumpet player Matt Hull, as well as vocalist/pianist Michi Tassey, and Animal Flag’s Sai Boddupalli on bass.

After several years of making a name for themselves in the small DIY house show circuit in the Northeast, the indie jazz outfit will release their sophomore album, Verse on Topshelf Records. Incorporating improvisation, classical guitar, breakbeats, a punk ethos, literary references, and beautiful pop melodies, People Like You has developed a sound that they can truly call their own. Facebook here, Topshelf Records here.

'Variations on an Aria' is a fabulous genre defying song, that pretty much confirms the above promo to be spot on. Whats more it is addictive, and ensures their sophomore album 'Verse' is a must hear for me.

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MAP - Skills To Rebuild.

Background - Los Angeles-based MAP will be releasing his new EP 'Hello Singularity (Writer's Block Part One)' on Velvet Blue Music, June 16th. The EP was mixed by Ken Ramos and mastered by Jason Martin of Starflyer 59.

Inspired by being paralyzed by the neck down from the West Nile Virus in 2014 and influenced by bands like The Smiths, Stereolab, Beach House and Future Islands, the new EP and its lead single "Skills To Rebuild" present a pensive yet joyful outlook on life.

The lyrics were inspired by my own recovery from the hospital and the simultaneous loss of my best friend Rene' from a genetic kidney disease and how it taught me fear in general is pointless. Fear can't keep your friends alive, fear won't keep someone from leaving you. I should take a chance and open myself up to the possibility of hurt and disappointment in life because whatever happens, I now have the skills to rebuild.

Basically life is too short to be afraid of heartbreak or of how people may feel about your art so get out of the house make art, kiss people, take risks, be present. If you can walk in sunshine with friends and family you are filthy rich and if someone breaks your heart don't worry you'll be fine you might even get a new song or two out of it. Website here.

There is a refreshing feel to 'Skills To Rebuild' as soon as the song begins. The background above establishes the context of the song, it's admirable that the track achieves and conveys so much more. That it's catchy, and such a well produced track, almost seems a bonus.

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Secret Bad Boy - December Baby - The Electro-Lights

Secret Bad Boy - Chicken / Double Platinum.

Background - After completing a successful mini-tour opening select dates for London’s Happyness, Secret Bad Boy is back in Chicago with a show scheduled for Schuba’s Tavern on Thursday, June 15.

Secret Bad Boy is the new project from Ezra Furman’s longtime guitarist and keyboard player, Ben Joseph, and the band’s recordings feature Woody Goss of Vulfpeck, Ezra Furman, Nick Tremulis, Packy Lundholm of I Fight Dragons, Noam Wallenberg, Brittany Moffitt, Mat Roberts, Jorgen Jorgensen and Sam Durkes. 

Secret Bad Boy has released two tracks plus accompanying music videos. Bandcamp here, website here.

'Chicken' and 'Double Platinum' are two very different songs, with one consistent feature, they are both fabulous. Actually there is more, both songs and videos have the charm of a "bad boy" the mischief is not far below the surface, plus the natural rock'n'roll is there in abundance.



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December Baby - Jimmy Choos.

Background - What do you get when you take four film students, a singer turned impromptu method actor, and a gradually escalating series of passive-aggressive scenes involving a 1950s housewife decimating an apple pie, flipping through a male pin-up mag, and destroying flowers while channelling a truly Hannibal Lecter-esque vibe? It’s December Baby’s debut music video for single Jimmy Choos, and it’s one to watch with an upcoming release date of Friday 9 June 2017. 

December Baby is the artist name for Renee Jury, a 30-something singer-songwriter from Brisbane. Having successfully released her first EP, Beneath the Surface, in 2016, December Baby’s style is best defined as alternative pop, with her songs ranging from upbeat, quirky pop tunes, through to darker, more reflective musings. 

The single Jimmy Choos was written by December Baby and produced by James North Productions in St Lucia, Brisbane. It’s a power pop song with December Baby’s deceptively sweet vocals juxtaposed against biting lyrics and jagged guitar riffs. December Baby describes the song as a “massive bitching session” about mean girls. On a deeper level though, the song is about having the freedom not to care what others think, and be true to your own values, in the face of pressure to conform. 

This theme is brought to life in the Jimmy Choos music video which has been created by four talented film students from SAE Institute in Brisbane – Kate Jorgensen (Director), Demi Bird (Producer), Brielle O’Mullane (Cinematographer) and Kaydee Ball (Editor). The film team utilise a colourful, retro aesthetic to tell the story from the perspective of a 1950s housewife who is being pressured to fit into society’s “norms”. However, instead of conforming, she shakes off all expectation in a mash-up of gradually escalating scenes where she destroys and mocks the products and values she’s being expected 
to promote. Warning: this video contains graphic images of pastry destruction and consumption, which some viewers may find disturbing. 

December Baby is excited to partner with The A&R Department to bring the Jimmy Choos music video and single to a wider audience. The release of the Jimmy Choos music video last Friday 9 June 2017 will be complemented with live shows, dates to be announced. Website here, Facebook here.

If you love some quirky charm, accompanied by some fabulously retro styled music and imagery, then 'Jimmy Choos' may well be your song of the year. This song is highly addictive!


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The Electro-Lights - Watch Your Back.

Background - It’s 2017 and the two minute single is alive and kicking as the The Electro-Lights gate-crash the year with a barnstorming rockabilly, punk injection collection of adrenalin called ‘Watch Your Back’. 

The duo (Oliver Meacham and Samuel Mahler) were formed mid-2012 emerging from the blues and rock 'n' roll roots of Mississippi and formed something truly different.

The band toured until early 2014 when singer/guitarist, Sam Mahler deployed to Afghanistan with The United States Army performing with a wide variety of bands such as The Offspring, Smashing Pumpkins, One Republic, Shinedown, The Wallflowers, Wiz Khalifa and Awolnation. 

Upon return, The Electro-Lights hit it harder than ever and returned to the road. The Electro-Lights have played across the country at many venues and festivals including SXSW. Facebook here.

'Watch Your Back' is a gritty and flamboyantly energetic collection of songs, where tumultuous punk and modern rockabilly fight it out, in short, sharp bursts of vitally exciting pure rock.

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Fast Romantics - Miranda Lee Richards - Samsaruh - Tombstones In Their Eyes - Lo Tom

Fast Romantics - Everybody's Trying to Steal Your Heart.

Background - Toronto-based indie rockers Fast Romantics have shared their new video "Everybody's Trying To Steal Your Heart". The band just released their latest LP American Love. Produced by the dynamic duo of Gus Van Go and Werner F (Arkells, Wintersleep, Hollerado), American Love is the follow-up record to Fast Romantic’s 2013 release, Afterlife Blues.

Written and recorded over two years, alternating between Toronto and Brooklyn, American Love is a nod to the type of cinematic storybook romance American pop culture has conditioned us to search for, but also explores the realities at play off the silver screen that can wreak havoc on burgeoning love. We live in a time of political and social turmoil, and the twelve songs on American Love don’t deny this, each one marked by poignant references of the time and place in which they were conceived.

Hailed as an ‘Artist to watch’ in 2017 (Google Play), Fast Romantics is comprised of Angus, Jeffrey Lewis (bass), Kirty (vocals, acoustic guitar, synth), Kevin Black (guitars), Lisa Lorenz (keyboards) and Nick McKinlay (drums). Since reforming the band in 2013, the band has released one full-length LP. Known for their incredible live shows and songwriting prowess, Fast Romantics have received many accolades, including ‘Pop Group of the Year’ at the Sirius XM Indies (2014) and more recently their song “Julia” won the prestigious ‘SOCAN National Songwriting Prize’ in 2016.

Fast Romantics are also kicking off their US, with dates available on Beehive Candy's tour news page, website here, Facebook here.

The music video sets grand expectations prior to the song beginning, however you know the budget will never allow this and a song as wonderful as 'Everybody's Trying to Steal Your Heart' can easily settle for less. It turns out however that both the video and music work perfectly well together, that said the song is just as wonderful with our eyes firmly closed.


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Miranda Lee Richards - The Wildwood.

Background - The Brian Jonestown Massacre collaborator Miranda Lee Richards releases new electronic-pyschedelic track The Wildwood from her upcoming album Existential Beast out on June 16th on Invisible Hands Music. 

Recording her first demo in Kirk Hammett of Metallica's basement, Miranda's record was passed to Anton Newcombe of The Brian Jonestown Massacre and she became a regular collaborator with the band. Having moved out to Los Angeles in the 90's, Miranda became part of the the seminal rock documentary DIG! on the Dandy Warhols and has toured with the band several times since.

Now releasing her fourth album Existential Beast, following the success of 2016's Echoes Of The Dreamtime which received 4* in MOJO & 8/10 in Uncut); Miranda's effortless, 70's influenced psychedelia is evident in the new single - Existential Beast is a political album, examining the issues of our time, but with intent of tackling these difficult and sometimes taboo subjects in a poetic and heartfelt manner. The title is also a mash-up of terms, referencing the existential crisis that has in turn arisen.

“In varying degrees, we are all still working with the animal urges of fear, competition, survival, and sexuality that are deep-seated and manifesting in different ways, depending on where people are at. Perhaps a more endearing outlook is to see this as an assignment in working with the inner child, who can at times behave like a wild beast. But like it or not, these tendencies have been revealed, within our leaders, our countries, and ourselves; it is indeed a pivotal and transformational time.” Miranda Lee Richards. Website here, Facebook here.

'The Wildwood' is the second track we have featured from Miranda Lee Richards 'Existential Beast' album due for release later this week. This is a vibrant, uptempo song with Miranda's vocals taking centre stage, and surrounded by some admirable musicianship, it's another powerful reason to check the new album out.

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Samsaruh - Golden To Thrive.

Background - Melbourne based 18 year old singer-songwriter Samsaruh today releases her debut single 'Golden To Thrive'. Despite her young age, Sam is already an experienced artist having worked with Peking Duk, Way of the Eagle, Just A Gent and performed at Splendour in the Grass while still in High School. 'Golden To Thrive' was written by Samsaruh and her producers Nightflare (Joel Dowling and Tim Coghill -  core members of Matt Corby's band) and mixed by Sean Tallman who recently mixed the Banks record.

On the track, Samsaruh said, "When I was writing ‘Golden To Thrive’ I stumbled upon the reality that stigmas and stereotypes are always going to exist and you’ll never really have control over them. But instead.. we have the power to prove the unknown and the disbelieved. So this song is my power."

From first listen Samsaruh has a musical maturity well beyond her years, performing and writing music for over 5 years now while simultaneously finishing her year 12 studies. At 16 years of age she realised her debut EP ‘Orenda’ which featured singles 'I See', 'Wicked Games’ and 'La Di Da’ - hitting 1, 2 & 3 on triple j unearthed Top 100 chart as well as being added to triple j unearthed radio rotation. Samsaruh also featured on the acclaimed Just A Gent EP track ‘Sounds of her Mind’ and took time out from her year 12 studies to perform with him at Splendour in the Grass as well as his sold out ‘Just A Tour’ late last year.

Despite her age Samsaruh is already an in demand artist, having also worked as a featured vocalist and songwriter with the likes of Slumberjack, FØRD, Kuren, Styalz Fuego and many more. Facebook here.

Just as the saying "never judge a book by it's cover" goes, We could add "never judge an artist by their age". 'Golden To Thrive' showcases Samsaruh's vocals, which exude a maturity I would relate to someone a good few years older. As for the song, it's catchy, the music and production is high calibre, and another artist arrives firmly on our radar.

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Tombstones In Their Eyes - Fear EP.

Background - Los Angeles’ rock outfit Tombstones in Their Eyes have announced the upcoming ‘Fear’ EP, to be released via Send Me Your Head Records. With this five-track release, the four-piece manage to embrace a wide range of influences, from the stoner rock of Kyuss to the warped neo- psychedelia of the likes of Spacemen 3 to the cavernous and doom-laden sounds of Electric Wizard and beyond.

Tombstones In Their Eyes’ currently line-up is John Treanor (guitar, vocals, keyboards, songwriter), Josh Drew (guitar, backing vocals), Mike Mason (bass, guitar) and Stephen Striegel (drums). Their musical influences include The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Elliott Smith and The Melvins. Recorded at L.A.’s Kitten Robot Studio with Paul Roessler (Nina Hagen, The Deadbeats, The Screamers, 45 Grave), this EP follows up their huge sounding ‘Bad Clouds’ EP (2016) and debut album ‘Sleep Forever’ (2014). “Paul knows exactly where I’m coming from and intuitively knows how to make what I’m feeling come through the speakers,” says John Treanor.

The band began life as a demo swapping exercise between John Treanor in L.A. and his childhood friend James Cooper, now in New York, but soon coalesced into a full fledged band. But collectives are always more than what you see on the surface. In John’s case, writing and performing songs is also a way of dealing with severe anxiety and depression, a way of talking about the subject without being the centre of the conversation, and a way of being subliminal rather than direct.

While such a starting point could easily see the music devolve into melancholy and self-absorption, here Tombstones in Their Eyes instead manage to move beyond that place and create music laced with celestial grandeur and a fuzzed out psychedelic majesty that looks out into the universe just as much as it looks inward toward the soul.

This music is also designed to connect rather than be insular. As Treanor says, “Everybody goes through hard periods in their life, and I hope that these songs make them feel less alone.” Tombstones create walls of sound, which are simultaneously sonorous and hazy. These are cavernous, stoner lullabies that descend into post-rock soundscapes and are wrapped in dark shoegazing dreamscapes. The cover design, created by well known psychedelic artist Darren Grealish, brings just the right image to such a mercurial collection. Bandcamp here, Facebook here.

The new 'Fear' EP explodes into action with the powerful riff's that open up 'I Want To Fly'. The EP slips form Alt rock to Shoegaze with ease, it also add in more delicate refrains, whilst throughout the power is always simmering and awaiting it's inevitable chance to return.

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Lo Tom - Overboard.

Background - The members of Lo Tom have a combined 125 years of experience playing in random bands, both together and apart. The group is made up David Bazan (Pedro the Lion), Trey Many (Velour 100, Starflyer 59), TW Walsh (Pedro the Lion, The Soft Drugs), and Jason Martin (Starflyer 59), friends who started playing music together when they were still pretty much kids. The band will release its self-titled debut LP on July 14 on Barsuk.

A conversation with these seasoned musicians about the new album they made together is an exercise in light-hearted brevity:
“These songs were painstakingly honed over the course of… um… two weekends. Then we sat on them for a while.
“We just wanted to make music together and have fun.
“Nobody is in charge… The album cover is pink.”

While many bands are a collaboration between artists with a message, a shared vision for a record, or an idea of a sound they want to create, Lo Tom is a group of friends who missed making noise together and wanted to hang out. The off-hand — almost dismissive — way they talk about the experience of making their self-titled debut masks the excellence of the music they’ve written and produced together as Lo Tom, but perhaps their casual approach to the whole endeavor is part of why it came out so great.

Recorded over two different sessions when they could find the time to spare, the four friends gathered with half-formed riffs and beats to see what would come out of it. The album’s thematic direction is loose and conceptual. The melodies recall Pedro the Lion and TW Walsh, the guitars sparkle with hints of Starflyer 59, and the songs hurtle through the major keystones of guitar rock – tight conversation between percussion and guitar, heavy fuzz, and some genuinely joyful breakdowns that give way to catharsis. Lyrics were mostly written by Bazan, who would take a melody and make up words quickly, then finish them over time.

What makes this record special is not just how it’s built on melodies and riffs and songs with the looseness and ease of four friends who have been making music together for decades, but how vibrant and energetic and smart and funny and fun it is. For fans of a particular brand of indie-rock founded in the seventies and eighties and honed in the nineties and oughts, Lo Tom is one of the best things to arrive in a very long time. Website here, Facebook here.

'Overboard' is the second of eight tracks on the self titled album. As the above background makes clear, this is a band with a wealth of collective experience. The featured song typifies the quality to be found within this collection. As a whole the album comes across as sincere without any self indulgence, it's musicians doing what they love and enjoying the experience, something the listener can easily join in with, and feel welcomed in doing so.

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Beiju - Town Meeting

Beiju - Movin On.

Background - Beiju shares the first track "Movin On" off her upcoming EP. Demain is due July 7, 2017. Raised in the outskirts of Paris, Caitlin Seager was heavily influenced by contemporary jazz and the avant-garde art world as a child before moving to New York City at 18. She began singing in the growing Brooklyn DIY scene at such venues as the storied 285 Kent alongside local stalwarts like DIIV with her group Night Manager, culminating in full-length releases on Fire Talk and Big Love. As the front singer in Night Manager she developed her acrobatic vocal style that has become her signature.

Beiju, her debut as a composer and producer, was initially a way for her to experiment with the funk and house music that resonated with her from her youth. Sonically the record nods to James Blake, kaytrananda, FKA TWIGS and FlyLo but remains grounded in her unique lived experiences. The relationship to time, and the unending struggle between motivation and action are brought to light in a blend of house, electronic and experimental pop. The forthcoming EP Demain is the result of many long nights experimenting on Ableton Live and collaboration with engineer Lillia Betz, who brought her shiny glossy touch to the production.

“Movin On” picks up the pieces and revels in newfound freedom through acid breaks and lush textural environs, culminating in a propulsive hook that sits comfortably in the classic house canon. The future bass single is paradoxically about feeling stuck in bad habits and unhealthy situations while not being able to change anything. Although the song is very upbeat, the lyrics are in contrast about feeling helpless and paralyzed. Its playful and ironic, but like any good laugh, behind the ridicule lays a darker statement. Bandcamp here, Facebook here.

'Movin On' is an intricate and yet flowing electronic song. Musically it twists and turns whilst the beautiful vocals act as a focal point. As a taster for the Demain EP, this is superb.

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Town Meeting - West Of Seattle.

Background - Town Meeting, have released the new track, “West of Seattle,” from their upcoming EP, Geography: Part 1, due July 28, 2017. 

Influenced by a wide range of musical acts from Dawes to Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, the group was formed in 2014 by brothers Luke (vocals/guitar) and Russ Condon (vocal/cajon). Dean Adrien(vocals/lead guitar), formerly of Orphan, joined in April of 2013. 

With years of music experience under his belt alongside the likes of Jonathan Edwards, Tom Rush and several others from the Boston Folk scene. Tim Cackett (guitar/bass/mandolin player) joined the band in October 2013. Tim had spent several years prior playing guitar in the various hardcore bands (Anchorlines, Hope Prevails) and his solo acoustic folk project, Poor Soul. Brendan “Babe” Condon (vocals/harmonica/percussion), the youngest brother, rounded out the group’s vocal harmonies in 2014. 

Soon after the lineup was solidified, the band played shows with Sturgill Simpson, Willie Nelson and Old Crow Medicine Show and dropped their debut, If I Die (2016). Over the past year, the five have been putting the finishing touches on the Geography series. Website here, Facebook here.

Regardless of the above mentioned influences Town Meeting have developed and crafted their own distinct and refined sound. 'West Of Seattle' just oozes Americana vibes, along with a timeless feel. Having opened for the likes of Bob Dylan, tracks like this demonstrate why, this is modern folk with a clear vintage calibre.

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The Last Dinosaur - First Blush - The Human Circuit - Deer Tick - Fassine

The Last Dinosaur - Grow.

Background - Poignant, dreamlike, beautiful: The Last Dinosaur’s The Nothing is a record to swim in. The brainchild of Londoner Jamie Cameron, it’s an album that addresses a tragic event from his teenage years, and transmutes that experience into a cathartic work of art.

At 16, Jamie had met kindred spirit James Macdonald at music college and recorded the 2004 album Good Morning Sunshine… and Goodnight with him under the name When I Was a Little Girl, a well-received debut through the independent label Where It’s At Is Where You Are. But a year later, Jamie was in a car crash that tragically claimed the life of his best friend. Out for the day with one of Jamie’s sisters and another friend, the car aquaplaned and hit another car at a junction. James’ injuries were the worst among the passengers, and when he passed away, Jamie was in a state of shock.

“I’d had a pretty idyllic life until then, nothing particularly bad had happened,” Jamie says. “That was a difficult experience to comprehend. Despite how harrowing it was, I thought came out of it relatively mentally unscathed, although in hindsight that’s a trick you tell yourself.”

Instead, he began recording with another music college friend, Luke Hayden, as The Last Dinosaur. Jamie’s parents split up, he broke up with his girlfriend, and The Last Dinosaur’s debut album Hooray! For Happiness, covered glowingly by the likes of Uncut, The Line Of Best Fit and more, attempted to come to terms with these experiences, while avoiding the real elephant in the room. “I was doing everything to avoid confronting this really big thing that happened at an age when you don’t generally experience death and loss,” Jamie says.

Afterwards, depression took hold of him, but over the course of years, he began writing, recording and amassing songs that addressed his grief and own fear of dying. The powerful The Nothing began to take shape. “It wasn’t an intention of mine to write an album about dying or anything like that, but I realised after I’d written a few songs that they all were about it in some way. It got to a point where I couldn’t really avoid it. I’d done the divorce album and it was all I was left with, trying to make sense of this thing that happened. Halfway through I realised it was profoundly cathartic, it made me felt less scared of dying.”

The Nothing is uplifting, life-affirming. Its lyrics may tackle the subject of mortality, but the gorgeous, overlapping, interlacing melodies are like drifting in a blissful reverie. ‘We’ll Greet Death’, with its strings, piano, saxophone and acoustic guitar is defiant, possessed of an emotional complexity. On ‘Grow’, Jamie’s lovely acoustic plucking forms the basis for a song about the fragility of life, while ‘The Sea’ is a meditative post-rock movement that begins in a hushed place and concludes over five minutes later in a gorgeous string-laden denouement. Although Jamie professes to a childhood love for R.E.M, Tortoise and most of all, Talk Talk, the music here is very much his own, self-penned and performed with close friend Rachel Lanskey providing viola on most of the songs. “I’ve had a very strong sense of never wanting to copy anyone else’s music, I just want to sound like me,” Jamie says.

Created between 2009 and 2016, The Nothing is a stunning, affecting album that is also a touching tribute to Jamie’s late friend. “Someone called it elegiac,” Jamie says. “I quite liked that notion.” Facebook here.

An album that's taken around seven years to create sets expectations high and the song 'Grow' suggests those expectations are going to be rewarded. It's a beautiful track, tender and touching without being self indulgent, and the arrangement and production is superb.

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First Blush - Gold.

Background - First Blush  is the brainchild of Charles Sekel, a former Julliard pre-college program kid-turned-indie musician. Sekel's music is a reflection of his battle to defeat a continuous cycle of self-destructive behavior stemming back nearly a decade. 

From his college days as a classical/jazz musician at the Peabody Institute, Sekel struggled with alcohol abuse and panic attacks, and turned to original music to help with his mental health. Now completely sober thanks to the help of music, a good therapist and assistance from his girlfriend (now wife,) he was able to pull himself out of addiction and confidently release his solo venture.

As dark and heavy as it turned out, the music video for Gold started in a pretty silly place: GIFs. I love a good GIF meme, especially if it's well-placed to maximize its comedic effect. But I began wondering if the concept of GIFs could be used in a more serious, dramatic context to invoke feelings of monotony and dread. 

The director, Adio Ash, created a variety of different scenes to explore different aspects of that underlying concept and wove them together in a TV-channel-based narrative arc, to powerful and dizzying effect." Facebook here.

Charles Sekel's vocals are both passionate and powerful when required. 'Gold' is an exquisite song, with a layered lo-fi soundtrack making the perfect backdrop for some wonderful singing. The video is equally artistic and makes for a fine accompaniment.


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The Human Circuit - Juxtaposition.

Background - Juxtaposition, the second single from The Human Circuit upcoming album, Electric City, straddles the line musically and lyrically. Lyrically about being stuck between two paths or choices, the music itself reflects this dichotomy by its forward propulsion meeting a certain lighter bounce and its jazz-inflected Indie Rock mixed with a darker melody.

Mat, The Human Circuit, on Juxtaposition: Juxtaposition illustrates a very natural state of humanity; uncertainty. The discomfort of feeling caught in the middle, forever being torn between clear choices with elusive outcomes. It so often seems we are teetering on the brinks of our lifes greatest ambitions and utter insanity.

The Human Circuit is a touring Alternative Indie-Rock band from Austin Texas. Their catchy psychedelic grooves range from the mystic vibes of David Bowie to the intricate arrangements of Arcade Fire. Their most recent album, Frequent Seas (2015) independently charted top ten on public and college radio stations nationwide.

The Human Circuit has performed with bands such as The Zombies, The Octopus Project, Boogarins, The Peach Kings, Smoke Season, Calliope Musicals, Ringo Deathstarr, and has been booked by Transmission Events, C3 Presents, among others. The Human Circuit has performed events and festivals including SXSW, 35 Denton, Pecan Street Festival, and more. Website here, Facebook here.

Our second feature for The Human Circuit and this time we have 'Juxtaposition' the bands second single from the forthcoming 'Electric City' album. It's a vibrant indie rocker, with captivating dual vocals and a sprightly musical arrangement.

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Deer Tick - Sea of Clouds / It's A Whale.

Background - For the first time in four years the acclaimed and beloved band Deer Tick announce the September 15 release of a long-awaited new album...actually, two. Never a group to stand by conventional protocol, the celebrated Providence, RI quartet will release two separate albums of original material, Deer Tick Vol. 1 and Deer Tick Vol. 2 (Partisan Records), recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis, TN. The two albums complement each other yet reflect completely contrasting styles, both of which accurately represent the two distinctive musical personalities of Deer Tick — quiet and thoughtful / loud and raucous.

Deer Tick Vol. 1 showcases the folk-driven, roots/rock style with right amount of grit, that Deer Tick is known for. Lead singer/songwriter John McCauley is a masterful introspective and observational songwriter, who documents inner struggles and external conflicts with a perfect balance of heartfelt sincerity and wry wit. The opening track "Sea of Clouds" encompasses all of what brought so many fans to Deer Tick in the first place, and also what kept them there. Guitarist Ian O’Neil’s “Hope is Big” and drummer Dennis Ryan’s “Me & My Man” expand on the group’s already dynamic range.

On Deer Tick Vol. 2, the band turns it up and lets it fly with an injection of punk-inspired garage rock at it’s finest. Clever lyrics, infectious hooks and captivating melodies pack Vol. 2 with bassist Christopher Ryan skillfully laying it down with authority and attitude. The propulsion of opener “Don’t Hurt”, edgy pop of “Jumpstarting” and rowdy punk of “It’s a Whale” reveal that there was an obvious Jekyll & Hyde approach to recording Vol. 1 & Vol. 2. Vol. 2 closes with boisterous “Mr. Nothing Gets Worse”, with all three singers taking a verse on a song that would have made The Replacements proud.

Deer Tick defines the term outlier. Their ever-evolving style has never been claimed by any one scene or genre. They encompass key elements of indie-rock, country, punk, pop, Americana, folk and so much more, which is what makes it difficult to nail them down. With Deer Tick Vol. 1 and Deer Tick Vol. 2, the question really is, why would anyone want to? Website here, Facebook here.

Two tracks are shared 'Sea of Clouds' and 'It's A Whale', one from each album. Both have an element of raw and natural enthusiasm, notable vocals and fine musicianship, after that they part ways and genres, and do so with class!



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Fassine - Gold.

Background - Fassine are pleased to share the animated video for 'Gold', taken from their forthcoming second album, 'Gourami' - released 28th July. "The video for the track is just as dramatic. Animated by James Gilleard, it shows the group, or at least a version of them, retreat to a mountain-top mansion where they’re joined by friends for some time off the grid, or so it seems.

Things soon take a sinister turn, and the real reason for the group’s getaway becomes apparent. The video is just as cinematic as the track itself, so we won't give away any spoilers."

The London trio made a name for themselves last year with their icy, cinematic take on electronic music for ‘Dialectik’, a debut album that saw them gain praise & support from the likes of Spin, Q Magazine, The 405, The Guardian, Giles Peterson, BBC 6 Music and more.

The band have a keen ear for the cinematic with their songs featuring on the backdrop of high-profile American TV drama’s including Sky Atlantic’s The Following, Fox’s Lucifer, Sony’s The Art Of More and more...

The band recently featured on artist Robot Koch’s haunting track, Spine and also re-worked his latest single ‘Heart Is A River’ released on Monkeytown Records. Website here, Facebook here.

'Gold' is atmospheric pretty much from the first few chords. The video add's a level of intrigue, whilst the song mixes beautiful vocals alongside an expansive music arrangement.


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Moderate Rebels - Bell X1 - Katie Buchanan

Moderate Rebels - Liberate.

Background - Pursuing their sonic manifesto “to use as few words and chords as possible”, London four-piece Moderate Rebels have followed their debut single ‘God Sent Us’ – a ‘Lamacq Livener’ frequently spun on BBC 6Music and Radio X – with a blistering five-track EP to be released on 2 June on Everyday Life Recordings.

“We want to acknowledge the conditions of the era we find ourselves in and generate feelings of transcending them,” say the band. To this end, ‘Proxy’ was recorded in a small South Bermondsey studio while Moderate Rebels were reacting to stimuli including (but by no means limited to) Spacemen 3, La Dusseldorf, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Roxy Music, Black Box Recorder, Jenny Hval, Death In Vegas and MGMT.

The resulting five tracks, each stamped with the quartet’s muscular hypnotic euphony, lend themselves to expansion and are being showcased at gigs via extended 15-minute versions (two per show). The second of these nights is at The Finsbury, Manor House, London on Saturday 3 June.

Moderate Rebels are among the first wave of acts to be announced for Rockaway Beach at Butlin’s Bognor Regis next January, alongside the likes of Wild Beasts, The Orb and Honeyblood. The band are currently mixing their debut album, due for release in summer 2017.

Pulsing with all the energy of Moderate Rebels’ mesmeric live shows, ‘Liberate’ sets in motion a contagious riff that surges forwards while tributaries of guitar flow over, under and through pounding motorik rhythms and a precise, gloriously aloof, vocal. “What’s intriguing about the word ‘Liberate’ is how flexible it is,” say Moderate Rebels, a band striving to achieve their own version of liberation through this intoxicating new release. The Picta here, Bandcamp here.

The vocals and harmonies on 'Liberate' are seemingly detached from the tight and efficient rhythm that drives the song forward, yet collectively the song is quite heady and oozes an inviting level of cool liberation.

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Bell X1 - The Upswing.

Background - Irish band, Bell X1, undoubtedly one of Ireland’s most beloved bands, is back with their seventh studio album, Arms, out in the UK on July 21st 2017.  Arms is the follow up to their 2013 critically acclaimed album Chop Chop, which became the trio’s third #1 album on the Irish Album Charts and their fourth consecutive album to be nominated for a Choice Music Prize for “Irish Album of the Year.”

Arms is a nine-song collection radiating with shabby grace and soft-focus elegance, but there’s also a bruised, bittersweet, romantic mood throughout. Melancholic and lovelorn in places but also spirited, determined and optimistic which speaks volumes about how the band has grown sonically over their storied career.  “This has been the most difficult record we’ve made, in terms of feeling like it was good enough to share, to let it go and no longer be just ours. That we’d made something different to what’s come before” says Noonan. “I know we’ve been crazed with doubt, occasional bum steers and misguided conviction along the way and we say thank you to those who’ve calmed the waters…”

Produced by the band and recorded in Dublin and Donegal by Tommy McLoughlin (from the Villagers) and Glenn Keating (from Jape), Arms was mixed by Peter Katis (The National, Jónsi) with Ross Dowling mixing the song “Out of Love.”  “The title Arms is about the idea that, as the world feels like it’s becoming a harsher place (maybe there’s just more damn noise?),” says singer Paul Noonan. “We seek out the comfort of the familiar and familial…arms.”

Bell X1 will be on tour throughout Ireland, The UK (in support of Tori Amos) and Australia for the rest of the year, with more dates to be announced.  This year, they’ve headlined sold out shows at Dublin’s Iveagh Gardens and Galway Arts Festival and had top billing at the 2016 Indiependence Festival in Cork. In 2015, Bell X1 played a fully sold out acoustic tour and supported Ed Sheeran for two big shows at Croke Park, one of the largest stadiums in Europe. Website here, Facebook here.

The new album 'Arms' includes 'The Upswing' which as an individual piece was recorded at least a year ago. No wonder the promo describes Bell X1 as one of Ireland's most beloved bands, the new album is just full of great songs, the featured track is just an indicator of this highly recommended new release.


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Katie Buchanan - Stand with Me.

Background - NYC-based, guitar-driven singer and songwriter, Katie Buchanan sophomore album, Who We Are When We're Standing, is due out Friday, June 9, 2017. The record is written and produced by Buchanan, mixed by Doug Schadt (Maggie Rogers, Wet, Emmy the Great) and mastered by Heba Kadry (Neon Indian, The Sea and Cake, The Mars Volta, Trust).

The indie pop troubadour “deserves a prime spot on your daily playlist,” praises City Of Tenants, and they aren’t alone in their admiration. No Depression says, “it’s these under the radar artists like Katie Buchanan that renew my belief that in the right hands rock is not dead.” Buchanan’s music is guitar-driven pop with Americana roots and a slight electro spin. Honing her production skills while studying at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music and combining them with those homegrown roots, her music is “presented on a plate of spicy true blues tradition with just the right garnish of folk, roots, country and yes - a little electronica,” No Depression continues, “The Americana will follow and it will embellish it beautifully.”

The Kansas-native grew up surrounded by music, having been born into a long line of musicians. With childhood memories of learning the blues around a campfire, you could say that songwriting is in Buchanan’s blood and comes almost as a second nature.

2014’s EP Go received praise from Surf Rock Music (“you will never get tired of hearing it”) and Guitar World (“power vocal delivery conjures up an entrancing and magical experience.”) In 2015, Buchanan released her debut album, Glow, which earned her comparisons to Bonnie Raitt and Fiona Apple from The Revue. Elmore Magazine draws comparison to “a lost peak-Tears For Fears track” in regards to the album’s stunning track “Gold.” Glow’s shimmering lead single “Honey, Don’t” was premiered by The Vinyl District, who say they found themselves “in the arms of a wide-open pop song equipped with a stuttering electronic beat and moody chorus.” No Depression says the single “has the power to draw a listener into a vacuum of colorful melody.” Website here, Facebook here.

Our second feature for Katie Buchanan this year is 'Stand with Me.' Plenty of other music reviewers have enthused over her music as can be seen by the words above. Katie does not sit comfortably in any particular genre, she does however create very desirable music, whether indie or Americana, and plenty of other styles.

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Allie & Ivy - Slothrust - The Ramona Flowers - Rips

Allie & Ivy - Money.

Background - Money is the latest indie jam from Sydney electropop singer-songwriter, Aleisha (Allie) Conlay who goes by the musical pseudonym, Allie & Ivy. This three minute pop gem boasts Allie & Ivy’s signature summer vibes, with sunshine-bright melodies, shimmering synths and chant-like vocals.

But what might initially seem to be a shallow money-loving anthem actually has a deeper meaning once you realise it is, in fact, Allie’s tongue-in-cheek way of getting the opposite point across: “Money is a sarcastic commentary on the consumeristic, money-centric society we live in right now, and the idea that we spend well beyond our means when it comes to material possessions,” Allie explains. “Greed is now normal and acceptable in our society. This song is an attempt to ridicule the status quo.”

Allie & Ivy’s fresh sound and penchant for catchy hooks and infectious melodies have gained accolades both in Australia and internationally with success in the International Songwriting Competition (2016 & 2014) and the Unsigned Only Music Competition (2016 & 2015). With new songs scheduled for release throughout 2017 and a debut EP underway the year is already shaping up to be a busy and exciting one for Allie & Ivy. Website here, Facebook here.

I had great pleasure in featuring Allie & Ivy a couple of times last year and the new song 'Money' is just as fabulous as the previous tunes. Top quality pop music with a pertinent message, this really does stand out from the crowd!

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Slothrust - Pigpen.

Background - There is a new video for Slothrust's single "Pigpen", the final track off their 2016 album 'Everyone Else'. When talking about the video, lead singer Leah Wellbaum said, “We wanted to make a music video that stands on its own as a piece of art. Everyone who worked on this had an extreme focus on compelling, surreal imagery and concepts. Our intention was to make a type of music video that we haven’t made before, and don’t see very often.”

Slothrust is Leah Wellbaum (Vocals,Guitars), 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."

Slothrust will tour North America this summer including a performance at Lollapalooza on 8/4, dates can be found on Beehive Candy's tour news page. Facebook here, Bandcamp here.

Last years 'Everyone Else' album remains worthy of a full listen at the very least. So the new video for the excellent song 'Pigpen' gives me another chance to recommend Slothrust, something I do, without any hesitation. The video is a fine creative work, if you like the song, then please checkout the album.


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The Ramona Flowers - If You Remember.

Background in Q&A form - Why The Ramona Flowers. “We named our group after the female lead (Ramona Flowers) played by the American actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead in the movie 'Scott Pilgrim vs the World’. Ramona Flowers is capable of traveling through sub-space and has 7 evil ex-boyfriends (The League Of Evil Exes), We’re big fans of Canadian cartoonist Brian Lee O’Malley’s work. “Other contenders before we decided on a name were- Winter Wolf, Wolf of Millions. For some reason we had a wolf fetish going on”.

Proud to be from Bristol. “It's just a seriously cool city to live in. It has it's own unique vibe and undercurrent, a soul that gets under your skin. Bristol is a vibrant, multicultural city with a thriving music and arts scene, amazing nightlife. It was voted the best city in Britain to live in. Not to mention, it also won EU's European Green Capital Award.

"If You Remember" (the new single). It's about two lifelong friends and one of them has hit complete rock bottom. The one friend reminds the other of better times to try to help pick him back up emotionally. The main melodic hook of the song was written in the garage. “We were playing around with operatic voices on the computer. Skipping past Pavarotti, we found a less dramatic female lead and the song progressed from there.”

When a song is played live for the first time in front of an audience. “It's exciting to release a new song into the world and to see the reaction, but it can also be a bit terrifying! When you play a song for the first time, we have a lot of stuff going on onstage - you’re trying to remember all the parts, while trying to perform and this is all mixed with adrenaline rushes and a little trepidation. Something can always go wrong.” Website here, Facebook here.

I was seriously considering moving to Bristol about fifteen years ago (for work rather than pleasure) so there's a tenuous link to The Ramona Flowers, if ever there was one. 'If You Remember' is a very catchy indie pop/rock type of song, that clearly demonstrates some of Bristol's vibrant music scene belongs to this band.

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Rips – Delay.

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. Website here, Facebook here.

We featured Rips just over a month ago, stating at the time that their album was on my want list. 'Delay' is our second opportunity to feature the band, and I am pleased to say, the album is now in my possession and all ten tracks, are as solid and good, as the two we have been able to share.

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Karl Walsh & The Happy Future - FELIN - Silas Hite - Dan Raza

Karl Walsh & The Happy Future - Wonderful.

Background - Karl Walsh & The Happy Future stunning album 'Birds' is set to be released on June 30th. The Happy Future was formed in Manchester in 2015 by Karl Walsh who was originally signed to Factory Records by Tony Wilson. Walsh, also a founder member of acoustic trio To Hell With Burgundy, played all over the world with Bob Geldof, The Pogues, Barclay James Harvest and Graham Parker before relocating to France where he wrote three novels. Returning to the UK in 2012 Walsh formed The Visitors with Mike Crook and Frederick Apps, releasing their debut album ‘Above You’ on Earliest Records.

The Happy Future’s first gigs were played as a trio with Frederick Apps on drums and Philip John on Bass. John, a multi-instrumentalist had previously fronted his own bands and enjoyed the challenge of utilising his vast musical knowledge to add a sophistication to Walsh’s catchy tunes. Frederick Apps cut his teeth playing with bands in venues all over the country. He is also an accomplished photographer and his work can be seen regularly in online magazine ‘Manchester Rocks’.

An open mic night in Didsbury called The Art of Tea led to Karl Walsh meeting Karl Markham, an extremely talented solo guitarist who was blowing audiences away with his renditions of original tapping style acoustic tunes. Having played in several bands in his hometown of Sheffield, Markham came to Manchester (where else?) to finish a music degree and took the role of lead guitarist in The Happy Future. Website here, Facebook here.

The new album 'Birds' comprises of eleven tracks of which 'Wonderful' is a fine example of the (dare I say) wonderful music to be found across the collection. Expect melodic and refined musical arrangements alongside the very pleasing vocals and harmonies, all of which has been produced to a very high standard.


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FELIN - Destruction Therapy.

Background - FELIN is a Swedish audiovisual duo consisting of songwriter/ artist Elin Blom and photographer/ director Fredrik Etoall (the “F” in F E L I N). Having worked with the likes of Icona Pop, Tove Lo, The Rolling Stones and Adam Lambert, FELIN are all about the highest quality of sound as well as image, by making the two inter-dimensional and expansive of one another. 

Being championed by Sony Music on their upcoming releases, as well as JC Jeans Company choosing their record for their national jeans ad, all eyes are on this Scandi duo as they reveal their much-anticipated material to the world.  

The upcoming new single Destruction Therapy begins with a cranked up and distorted drumbeat, which pounces out of the speakers onto the listener’s ears in an instant. Together with Elin’s cool’n’powerful lead vocal, the track rekindles the energy infused vibe of the industrialised alternative version of Gossip, early The Ting Tings and Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The song is produced in a Rangleklods-esque manner by Elin herself (yep, a female producer- still not enough of them out there) who has managed to craft this sonic hybrid of power, energy with a twinge of angst-filled apocalypse in the foreground. Website here, Facebook here.

'Destruction Therapy' is a potent mix of delicious drum beats way up in the musical mix, angry synths and the fiery and passionate vocals of Elin Blom.


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Silas Hite - Other Side.

Background - Emmy-winning composer, Silas Hite (Chef's Table, Scooby-Doo) just released a new cover song, "Other Side", originally performed by acclaimed indie-rock group, Metric from their latest album Pagans in Vegas. 

Hite has re-imagined this song as a beautifully aching indie-americana song, all while adding an 80's electronic pop flare. This new version features some of Hollywood's finest session string players including cellist, Timothy Loo, and violinist Nancy Kuo

Silas Hite is an Emmy-winning composer with music in his DNA. He began his career co-scoring blockbuster and independent films such as Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs with his uncle, noted composer Mark Mothersbaugh (DEVO). His music plays in television shows around the world, from kids shows like Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get A Clue!and Disney’s Dance-A- Lot Robot, to adult shows such as Blue Mountain State, Eureka, and Chef's Table. 

He has scored hundreds of commercials for clients such as Apple, McDonalds, and Chevy, earning him an Emmy, Adweek's Campaign of the Decade, and most recently a Titanium Grand Prix from Cannes. He’s contributed memorable music to some of the top selling video games of the past ten years such as The Sims 2, Skate 3 and The Simpsons. His music has played in such venerable institutions as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, the New York Museum of Modern Art, and The Whitney Museum. Website here.

If your going to do a cover version then 'Other Side' is an exceptional example of how to make it work. Taking the song into another genre and totally different arrangement, then adding in superb musicians, pretty much seals the deal, Silas Hite's vocals ensure it.

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Dan Raza - Pay Day.

Background - In the wake of the Iraq war, Neil Young featured a stirring song called ‘Every Little Dog’ on his ‘Living With War’ website. The track was by Indian / British singer-songwriter Dan Raza, a writer who, like Young, creates music that whilst rooted in immediate genres transcends them by being able to touch on universal feelings and concepts. His songs have a strong sense of place and an enigmatic, wistful, restless quality at their heart.

The release of Dan Raza’s critically acclaimed debut album in 2012, alongside dates with Joan Armatrading, Badly Drawn Boy, Cara Dillon, Bellowhead, Mary Gauthier, Slaid Cleaves and more, cemented his place in the UK folk and roots scene and led BBC documentary maker, James Ashley Smith, to create ‘Can’t Go Back’, a short feature film about Raza’s sacrifices and struggles for his musical dreams. 

Now with the release of his second album simply titled ‘Two’, it should be time that Raza is recognized as one of the UK’s most exciting and authentic new homegrown independent singer-songwriters with an outstanding new album of deeply written songs that every real music lover should lend their ears to.

The album features some great legendary talents backing Raza including BJ Cole (Dolly Parton, Bert Jansch), Frank Mead (Albert King, Paul McCartney), and members of Slim Chance, Geraint Watkins (Van Morrison, Nick Lowe), Steve Simpson (Eric Bibb, Ronnie Lane) and Charlie Hart (Ian Dury, Eric Clapton). The result is a finely produced album that is warm and immediate, yet has a depth and textural range that rewards repeat listening. 

Moments like ‘Shadowlands’ have a Tom Waits or Nick Cave feel with dark moody landscapes, classic sounding guitars and haunting folk instrumentation; others, like ‘Where The Rivers Divide’, suggest bittersweet blue atmospheres that ebb and flow with confidence and mastery whilst ‘Pay Day’ is a straight up gutsy folk-rock belter. The tracks are full of stories influenced by and reflecting all aspects of Raza’s travelling and personal life and the production oozes with quality. ‘Two’ is a special collection of songs which have been honed and lovingly created and should be cherished at home on nights alone or with friends. Release date 7th July. Website here, Facebook here.

'Pay Day' is natural and a little rough around the edges, the way a song like this should be. Passionate and forceful folk rock, delivered with class.

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Jason Loewenstein - Dan Wilson

Jason Loewenstein - Machinery.

Background - Jason Loewenstein shares "Machinery" video with 'Spooky Action' out 6/16 on Joyful Noise Recordings.

Jason Loewenstein has been a major force behind lo-fi pioneers Sebadoh ever since their pivotal 1991 record, “III”. Along with fellow partner in crime Lou Barlow, Loewenstein has co-created some of the most influential releases in indie-rock, including the pivotal 90's albums “Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock”, “Bubble & Scrape”, and “Bakesale”.

Way back in 2002 Jason Loewenstein released his first solo album “At Sixes And Sevens” via Sub Pop. Now 15 years later, the follow-up has finally arrived. “Spooky Action” contains 13 new songs of unwavering rock. The self-recorded, self-produced album is as solidly engaging as anything in Loewenstein's formative lineage. Bandcamp here.

Straight down the line rock, that just cuts to the chase, ensures 'Machinery' stands out. Vocals are notable despite being immersed in the mix, and the musicianship relies on skill, rather than reverb and noise.


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Dan Wilson - "Someone Like You" (ft. Kronos Quartet).

Background - On August 4, Dan Wilson will return with Re-Covered, a unique album that finds the Grammy-winning songwriter reinterpreting songs from his storied career that he wrote for and with other artists. 

Since his days in seminal ‘90s rock band Semisonic, Wilson has been an in-demand songwriter, producer and arranger for some of the biggest acts in pop and rock music like Phantogram, Weezer, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Halsey and My Morning Jacket. For his latest 13-track album, Wilson has taken songs he’s co-written with other artists and made them his own - his own arrangements, his voice, his guitar. The result is an eclectic spin on some of the biggest songs in pop music over the last 15 years as well as some gems that never quite made it big. 

“I’m hoping there are some songs on the record that everyone will recognize and think of as part of the landscape,” he says. “But then there are other songs that maybe people haven’t heard at all or they’ve only heard in passing.”

Most of the songs on the album were recorded live and mixed in an intensive week-long session at United Studios in Los Angeles, with longtime collaborators Mike Viola producing and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Pete Thomas on drums. Wilson credits Thomas, best known for his decades of work with Elvis Costello, with being central to the crafting of the arrangements. Website here, Facebook here.

'Someone Like You' is a beautiful song and this version is simply fabulous. The vocals, musicianship and arrangement are top of their class, simple as that!


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