Black Cat Biscuit, no well-trodden paths or worn-out covers, but a surprisingly foxy cocktail of fresh songs, marinated in a special gumbo hot sauce. Five driven musicians, who earned their stripes by playing in different bands over the years, decided to get together in 2015. The band was selected for the finals of the Belgian Blues Challenge in 2017 and won the Belgian Blues Challenge in 2018. They will represent Belgium on the European Blues Challenge in 2019. This single “Parrot Woman” gives you an idea what to expect on their forthcoming first full album ‘That’s How the Cookie Crumbles’, bound to be released on 22 February 2019. Influences of West Coast Swing, Shuffle, Jazz, Boogie, raw Slide and Texas Blues to name a few, are definitely present in their music. On top of that, writing and playing honest songs, coming straight from the heart, is the main red thread within Black Cat Biscuit. So strong the audience experiences these energetic vibes. Even if blues ain’t your cup of tea, you will be moved for sure! Now sit tight, hold on to your socks and enjoy! WEBSITE.
Exquisite and timeless blues with a simmering level of natural rock and roll tension, is having given this some thought regarding 'Parrot Woman', my best attempt at trying to describe this feast of a song. The video captures the mood, I'm new to Black cat Biscuit, however I'm guessing they are superb to see live, and listen to for ages.
Jane's Party - Wait For You. Janes Party tell us - “Wait For You” was written in the months following our return from opening Tom Odell’s “No Bad Days” tour in Europe. There’s a real vulnerability in coming home from a huge tour and not knowing what the future has in store.
Writing the song was a sort of therapy that helped us come to terms with how we were feeling, and turning that into inspiration and excitement for what’s to come.
The energy that emanates from a packed venue is exhilarating, and the whole tour we wished for something simple to sing at the top of our lungs that could be shouted back, no matter the language barrier.
While driving home from a show one eerie night this past summer, we asked Devon to throw on the Drive soundtrack to help set the mood. Instead, he mistakenly (or with clairvoyance) put on the song "Drive" by Cars. Right away we knew that we had to try recording the song with a dreamy, synthwave inspired feel.
Our friend Kirty agreed to jump on board and instantly brought “Drive” to life, singing lead on the second verse and harmonies on the choruses. FACEBOOK.
'Wait For You' is a breezy and melodic indie rocker that packs plenty of upbeat energy. It's one of those catchy songs that are hard to resist giving a few more (& more) listens...
With LeBarons debut full-length Summer Of Death, Chris MacDonald dares you to keep your grip or let loose, either way you’re in for a trip. Summer Of Death (2018) is a milestone almost two years in the making. Production started in January, 2017 at John Dinsmore’s Lincoln County Social Club recording studio where previous magic was made by artists like The Strumbellas, Timber Timbre, The Wooden Sky, and Elliott Brood. This unhurried approach allowed the band imbue each song with its own unique character. The result is a rich, complex album that reveals itself with each listen.
Working with two JUNO-nominated and award winning producers John Dinsmore (Timber Timbre, The Strumbellas, PUP, NQ Arbuckle, Donovan Woods, Sarah Harmer); and Jason “Cone” McCaslin (Sun K, Operation MD, The Strumbellas, Sum 41), LeBarons have distilled their sound into a versatile spirit. Accessible, radio-friendly arrangements like “Quiet” and “Brand New Sound” mix seamlessly with moody cocktails like “Waste,” the title track “Summer Of Death,” and the lead single “Long Highway.” Both veteran producers are long-time collaborators with the band and each has carved a unique niche in the band’s sound: Dinsmore, dark and brooding; McCaslin, large and anthemic.
LeBarons are 100% independent and have never been involved with a record label or professional management. Dinsmore and McCaslin are long-time collaborators whose involvement arose from organic relationships and a mutual love of the music being created. Music at its best is a craft of passion.
This is LeBarons’ full-length album and takes the band into new territory as they push the boundaries of alt-country. Chris MacDonald’s lyrical storytelling is still center-stage, but now framed by arrangements soaked in reverb and drenched in feedback. The result is a dynamic album full of visceral emotion and tense with potential energy.
Summer Of Death is the sound of highways at night; passing cars in the rain; the wind blowing past an open window. Summer Of Death is the sound of a song fading out in the distance at the start of a long, strange trip. These are the sounds restless souls hear when everything else grows quiet. BANDCAMP.
'Brand New Sound' is one of eleven tracks on the new 'Summer Of Death' album. The band register somewhere on the Americana scale, with Alt Country being one suggestion. As the featured song demonstrates they can and do up the energy levels on occasion with some vibrant rockers.
The musicianship is superb throughout, and the vocals, dual vocals and harmonies are gorgeous and so in keeping with the genres and styles the band present. You can head over to Bandcamp (link above) for the whole album, it's packed with great tunes and deserves a listen at the very least.
Frederick The Younger - Everybody Wants To Take You For A Ride.
Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, some of Jenni Cochran’s earliest memories are of writing songs. Returning to the USA after working in Vietnam for a few years, she met Aaron Craker (guitar, keys, vocals) who was performing with his band Dr. Vitamin.
The two immediately bonded over their shared love of Elliott Smith and The Beatles. They formed Frederick The Younger a few years later, releasing their first full length record “Human Child” in 2017.
The band is their bond, formed on groovy garage pop, soulful vocals, a hint of Broadcast and 60s pop with a modern twist. There is an earnestness to their newest songs on a forthcoming EP, due out early 2019, that rings true - the kind of sincerity born from experience.
These songs feel alive and well-lived, tragic, nostalgic, beautiful, and contemplative, all with a solid hook. “Everybody Wants To Take You For A Ride”, the first track taken from that EP, is a beautifully delivered, moody alt-pop piece that introduces a slower sound aesthetic to what they have to offer - the track is officially out now. TWITTER.
The new song 'Everybody Wants To Take You For A Ride' is our fourth feature for Frederick The Younger as the duo once again impress Beehive Candy. Melodic, atmospheric and moving, this is a beautiful song that simmers with emotion and feeling.
YOWL - John the Collector. Peckham five-piece YOWL have announced their new single 'John the Collector'. The single follows the release of YOWL's third single for ‘Warm (In The Soft White Fire Of Modern Living)’ and is being released with DIY for Jäger Curtain Call ahead of their headline show, which will be taking place on 15th November at The Lexington, London (with support from Sister Talk and Lumer).
The single was recorded at London’s Tileyard Education Studios. Speaking about the single, singer Gabriel Byrde says: “It’s a loose delve into the male psyche. It’s about a guy who tries to open up a little more and realises the only way he can do that is to murder his friends and stick their faces onto his walls so he has someone to talk to at all times.”
Following Jäger Curtain Call the band have two more shows lined up for 2018 including a show at Rough Trade Bristol on 8th December alongside Hotel Lux, Squid and more, as well as a sold-out end of year IDLES AF Gang Xmas party at Record Junkee in Sheffield on 15th December with John, Heavy Lungs and an IDLES DJ set from Joe Talbot.
'John The Collector' serves as a taster for what's to come from the YOWL in 2019, FACEBOOK.
Now this really is something to write home about! 'John the Collector' is the second song we have shared from YOWL (you have to go back to April for the other one), and it's a sublime, feisty and massively catchy affair. The vocals are phenomenal, the band are tight and funky, it's a little like Talking Heads merged with Devo, and the South London boys have done themselves proud with this song.
Norwegian 21-year-old Amanda Tenfjord releases her debut EP ‘First Impression’, unveiling brand new track ‘Pick a Card’.
After phenomenally received first three singles, ‘First Impression’, ‘No Thanks’, and ‘Let Me Think’, Amanda has gained a reputation for herself as a bit of a sass-pot. From calling out shallow personalities on ‘First Impression’, (with lines such as) “I like you better out of site ‘cos you’re a social parasite”, to saying ‘No Thanks’ to time-wasters, Amanda’s not afraid of making a statement. Her third single ‘Let Me Think’, about taking a minute to stop and evaluate how happy you are with a situation, continues to exhibit her playful nature and her ability to create pop bangers. Her final track from the EP, ‘Pick a Card’ rounds off the EP with a slower melody showcasing Amanda’s outstanding vocals, while covering the deeper subject of making choices.
First Impression EP is “a very special ride” Amanda says. “I have gotten to know myself in a different way musically - more playful and fun than in my previous work - which has been really interesting”. Regarding the final unreleased track, ‘Pick A Card’ was another song co-written with Askjell, one of Norway’s hottest writers.
“It's been great working with Askjell. ‘Pick a Card’ is a very personal song, about making choices in life - something I'm very bad at, and it felt really good to put that into words. It's been exciting to work on this EP, but I can't wait to start working on the next one.” TWITTER.
The 'First Impression' E.P. comprises of four tracks. It's gorgeous uncomplicated pop that's crammed full of hooks. Add in the intelligent lyrics and an individual style that sets Amanda Tenfjord so apart from, the artificial sounding production line chart music of today, and you have a really impressive collection of material.
Mel Parsons has been at the forefront of the indie-folk movement in New Zealand, forging her own path as an independent, self-managed artist. Coming off the new album Glass Heart, "Just ‘Cause You Don’t Want Me" is a break-up song that cuts through with hard-hitting lyrics but deceptive sonic simplicity, reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac. Alternating between both heartbreaking and triumphant, "Just ‘Cause You Don’t Want Me" sees Parsons opening up about the end of a relationship through sweeping big drums and upbeat, catchy melodies.
With a stunningly simplistic and crisp video to match, Mel Parsons is entering the competitive realm of indie-twinged folk with guns blazing, establishing herself not only as an expert songwriter and performer, but as a person with a genuine story to share.
Mel Parsons, on her upcoming album Glass Heart: "It was a particularly fertile writing period... songs were falling out all over the place, and I have learnt over the years that when that feeling of inspiration comes knocking you really have to drop everything and get that shit down.”
Glass Heart is an extension of Parsons’ previous work, while still retaining her trademark poignant storytelling. Parsons takes on a with bigger and fuller sound with a darker vibe under the guidance of legendary American producer Mitchell Froom (Crowded House, Suzanne Vega, Elvis Costello, Missy Higgins, Randy Newman, Lindsay Buckingham/Christine McVie) and a talented cast of musicians. They include bass player Kaveh Rastegar (John Legend, Sia), guitarist Adam Levy (Norah Jones), drummer Ted Poor (Andrew Bird) along-side Froom on keyboards. WEBSITE.
The video is clever, that said, the song 'Just 'Cause You Don't Want Me' is fabulous. Indie folk meets indie rock on this extremely catchy track, where Mel Parson's vocals are perfect for the style.
'Robot' is the second single to be taken from the eagerly anticipated debut album by Cardiff's Post-Punk / New Wave trailblazers Silent Forum.
Robot is a jittering, adrenaline fuelled shot of energy. The song speaks from the perspective of a jaded and stressed office employee against an unlikely dance punk backdrop. "I feel a shortage of high pressure in my life/ I need the office chair/ I need spreadsheets I hold dear/ I love coffee, I hate beer".
“Robot is a fun character piece. The world already has enough breakup songs, or songs about partying - I thought it'd be funny to write something about a disgruntled office worker. Its not a song about me - I have a far more positive outlook than whoever this song is about.” Richard, singer of Silent Forum. BANDCAMP.
Back in July we featured 'How I Faked The Moon Landing' from Silent Forum (it didn't seem that long ago) and the new song 'Robot' is another fine song, in fact last time around we said that the band has "one engaging and resplendent sound", I think this new piece pretty much proves we were not exaggerating.
With honest, heartfelt songwriting and an unmistakable sound, Asheville-based Tellico has crafted Woven Waters, an album that blends the group’s bluegrass sensibilities with British Isles influences, creating an eclectic collection of poignant folk songs. The album is available now from Organic Records.
The group worked with noted Irish musician and producer John Doyle and Grammy-nominated engineer David Arnold, to record Woven Waters in Johnson City, Tennessee. With Doyle’s guidance, Tellico created and recorded arrangements in the studio. The practice brought the group to open, uncharted territory in their musical landscape. There, they built on their distinctive core sound and found a new level of awareness to texture and melody. Augmented by Doyle’s contribution on bouzouki, the chord choices and rhythmic dynamics intertwine to create a sense of weaving the natural flow of each song’s intent, inspiring the album’s title.
Tellico’s members Anya Hinkle on vocals, guitar and fiddle; Greg “Stig” Stiglets on vocals, upright bass and harmonica; Aaron Ballance on dobro and lap steel guitar; and Jed Willis on mandolin and telecaster, were also joined by drummer David Brewer. The effect of this studio line up offers a sound that is Appalachian Americana.
At Tellico’s core is the voice and guitar of Anya Hinkle, evoking tones of Gillian Welch. Her sound is rooted in the mountains of her native southwestern Virginia, but seasoned by travels across the world. With arresting honesty, her singing and songwriting comes from the heart. The foil to Hinkle can be found in fellow songwriter, vocalist, bass and harmonica player, Greg “Stig” Stiglets. Inspired from the stories and events of daily life, his attention to melody and groove help to further showcase the instrumental prowess of the band. WEBSITE.
The new 'Woven Waters' album is worthy of a listen by anyone who has a liking for modern bluegrass, British or Irish folk music and all stops in between. Excellently crafted music and enticing vocals, are just a part of Tellico's beauty, the lyrics are thoughtful and the bands natural sound transcends genres, pulling the varying styles together, in a talented and desirable manner.
Deanna Petcoff tells us - My new single “Stress” is about frustration, loss of hope and acceptance of a situation that will never be fixed.
The unbearable weight of not feeling good enough for the person you want; thinking they might want you back but can’t follow through with their flirtatious actions is a common feeling. I wanted to encapsulate the frustration that accompanies this.
Way too often, I find that feeling is described by leaning heavily on the sadness that it comes with, ignoring all of the anger in it, as well. I wanted to show the range of emotions women feel with the loss of love that aren’t just the sadness of heartbreak.
Ultimately, in the end of “Stress,” she’s done playing with this person and wants the situation to be over so they can both get on with their lives. Making the decision to be done with that kind of situation is difficult but often necessary. I decided it was worthy of a song. TWITTER.
It's apparently part of modern life to experience 'Stress' and although I am told that positive stress is good for us, I still can't help feeling that none at all would be just fine. Anyhow I guess this song is dealing with emotional stress and all that goes with it, particularly from a female perspective. From a male perspective I will just say it's one very fine song, that will be getting a good few more listens on my part.
Molly Hanmer & The Midnight Tokers - Fool's Run (Different Song).
Stuck in a Daydream, the debut album from Los Angeles based quartet Molly Hanmer & The Midnight Tokers, might be labeled Americana, and accurately so, but throughout are hints of blues, rock and roll, folk, psychedelia, even Bossa-Nova that makes it a unique sound in its own right.
Unlike albums where every track sounds the same, Stuck In A Daydream switches it up, making you stamp your boots on the floorboards and clap along on one track; and weep, pull out your journal and express bottled up feelings on the next.
The album is the product of Hanmer teaming with two industry pros who share her musical views, producer Marvin Etzioni (co-founder of Lone Justice) and engineer Sheldon Gomberg, a two-time Grammy winner, along with her talented band, The Midnight Tokers. BANDCAMP.
The first track I listened to on the new 'Stuck In A Daydream' album was 'Fool's Run (Different Song)'. It's the third of twelve songs in this collection (the rest should also play thereafter, if not the link above will do the trick).
Anyhow, it's a fine song to say the least, and one that provides a fairly representative feel for the album (in terms of quality and imagination), that said expect variety as the band comfortably settle into different genres, doing so with an eclectic mixture of emotions and styles.
The Triple J-tipped, Sydney-based atmospheric-pop duo, Micra, just shared their soaring new single, ‘Child Grows Old’. Following support in their home country based upon debut performances and early demos, the band, comprised of Bulgarian born and raised singer-guitarist, Ivana Kay and Australian multi-instrumentalist, Robbie Cain will support the string of single releases with debut performances in the UK and US in 2019.
Co-produced by the band alongside emerging Sydney producer/mixer, James Christowski, the reflective ‘Child Grows Old’ draws on influences ranging from Ariel Pink through to Beach House and Zero 7, working with glittering soundscapes and rich atmospherics. Speaking about the new single, Cain says: “The song explores a time in life which felt like nothing had changed for too long. Waiting around for something to happen without knowing where to begin. It's an internal conversation about forcing yourself to jump into the next phase of life and facing the obstacles that come out of that.”
The pair initially met - as if by serendipitous fortune - when were coincidentally sat beside each other at an Unknown Mortal Orchestra show after both arriving alone. That chance encounter would blossom into a musical alliance that culminated in the formation of Micra in early 2018. FACEBOOK.
Last month we featured 'Plastic' from Micra describing that track as "a dream pop song which occasionally moves towards shoegaze." They have quickly followed up with 'Child Grows Old' and it's another imaginative song. There's less shoegaze and a more feisty rhythm resulting in a catchy, electro rocker, with the vocals adding melody, clearly Micra are capable of differing styles and plenty of gorgeous hooks.
Evi Vine - Sabbath (single edit) - Featuring Simon Gallup.
Ethereal alt-rock outfit Evi Vine presents 'Sabbath', a sweet and heavy preview of their long-awaited long-play 'Black Light White Dark', due out in early 2019 on vinyl and CD, as well as digitally. This powerhouse track features Evi Vine's gossamer vocals and precise orchestration, cleverly woven together with bass guitar by Simon Gallup of The Cure and guitar by Peter Yates of Fields of the Nephilim.
Produced by Dave Izumi (Nordic Giants, Ed Harcourt, Magic Numbers) and mixed by Phill Brown (Talk Talk, Jimmy Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, John Martyn, Robert Palmer), this album also features contributions from several other celebrated artists. Apart from Simon Gallup (The Cure), this album also involves Martyn Barker (Shriekback, Billy Bragg, Marianne Faithfull, Goldfrapp), Peter Yates (Fields of the Nephilim), and Geraldine Swayne (Faust).
As a group, Evi Vine is joined by Steven Hill, Matt Tye and David 'GB' Smith. Their music explores the dark elemental nature of the human heart, as well as environmental and post-apocalyptic themes. Evi Vine’s sound is both sublime and haunting. Creating a unique and uncompromising atmosphere, the effect is reverential, physical music, evoking a rare experience that is beautiful, sparse and deeply intimate.
“I know a lot of people are being shaped by experiences in our lives, ghosts of childhood, self-destructive pain and sorrow, all our personal struggles, doubt, and change. I can feel the earth dying and it makes me so sad. We write reflective songs about the circular patterns of man, and reflecting beauty and violence in the world,” says Evi Vine.
“We recorded live for the first time, which meant we were perhaps able to express the energy in the room together, vibing off one another and experimenting with new sounds, in a new space. Writing in the room was a new experience for us. Its the first time we’ve gone in with no finished songs. We had a few ideas and riffs but took the time to let them breath and worked on them until we felt we had captured a special moment. After producing two albums essentially at home, this feels like a re-birth for the band.” WEBSITE.
'Sabbath' opens with a wall of sound as fuzzy guitars and a powerful rhythm compete with each other. The music drops the energy and some atmospheric vocals enter the piece, but not for long as the music powers up again on this epic roller-coaster of an alt rock ride.
From the opening electronic bass hook, moving on to the epic chorus, and ending with the mesmerizing new wave ending, Sparkling emphasize their ability to write catchy and mature pop tunes set in a cool and powerful production.
The single is from their forthcoming album Felonious (coming in 2019). It’s a song about letting go of old demons - and most of all a song about the knots and beauty of life.
While working on the album the last couple of years, Sparkling have teamed up with renowned film festival CPH:PIX who has used excerpts from the duo’s cinematic pop music in the festival trailers screening in movie theaters all over Copenhagen.
They have toured intensively in Denmark incl. SPOT and Skanderborg Festivals, been artist of the week on Hitquarters.com, and collaborated with producer/remixer Dave ‘Rave’ Ogilvie (Bowie, N:I:N...).
On the forthcoming album, Sparkling have made new allied from the sparkling (pun intended) Copenhagen music scene. Besides Oliver Hoiness and Peter Buch, there are musical contributions from jazz saxophonist Jesper Løvdal, guitarist Anders Mathiasen (Murder, Vessel, etc.), guitarist David Rosenkilde, pianist Steen Rasmussen, and Benjamin Vinding on berimbau. FACEBOOK.
The vocals are distinctive and engaging on 'Say Goodbye to the Ragged Tiger' and when the chorus kicks in they are gorgeous. A refined electro pop song that is beautifully layered, this is extremely catchy.
Hayes & Y have returned with a brand new single, 'Blue'. It follows recent track 'Always So Simple, Always So Cold' which was featured on Spotify's UK Viral Top 50 chart. Already picking up plays at BBC Introducing and BBC 6 Music, the group adds a little more insight into their latest creation;
"Blue is the first in a series of songs we've named after colours. It is about loneliness, insanity and imaginary friends. "Blue" is a song about longing, masquerading as a dance track. The most ambitious work we've done so far, challenging ourselves and hopefully, our audience."
With band members that hail from as far afield as Bulgaria and Finland before settling in Manchester, Hayes & Y collect their influences to create their very own sound. Their strong chemistry and rich musicality are manifest in their effortlessly sleek, immediate and addictive brand of pop - which has been compared to the likes of Jungle and Nile Rogers - with CLASH going on to comment on their "infectious funky yacht pop, their bleached out sound recalls everyone from Jungle to Kool & The Gang. 'Blue' will only serve to increase the hype around the quartet, an irresistible new single from the group." TWITTER.
Exuding style and sophistication 'Blue' refuses to sit in any one genre, as moments of funk, hints of stylish pop and a slick dance groove, come together and deliver a fresh, hook laden song.
Saint Clair is today sharing the live video for recent single ‘I’ll Stay’, directed by her sister, Tamsin Topolski. The new live clip trails the five-track EP, ‘D2’ - out now via her own Dearly Beloved imprint which takes its logo from a drawing sketched by her grandfather, the artist Feliks Topolski.
“‘I’ll Stay’ is a particularly dark, emotional song that I was keen to reimagine with my live band, especially with the addition of string players,” explains Saint Clair, “I enlisted the help of my sister Tam as director who has an amazing eye and knew exactly how to encapsulate the epic yet intimate nature of the song.” Speaking about the live video, director Tamsin says: “We wanted to expose and highlight the raw emotion at the core of this live version of the song. We wanted the music and the visual movements to build cohesively to a climax, moving out of darkness into hope and finally relief.”
Saint Clair - named after her mother’s Scottish ancestry - is the alias of French-speaking North Londoner Emma Topolski. The first in a family of painters, actors and journalists to pursue music, her professional trajectory began as a gigging jazz singer, as she puts it, “Playing three or four times a week, getting ignored in the corner of a five-star hotel”. A testing stint, it now more than repays itself in Saint Clair’s easy integration of a love for old standards, soul (Stevie Wonder) and classic rock (The Beatles), with her affinity for the electronica-rooted modern soul of the likes of Son Lux and James Blake.
‘D2 follows Saint Clair’s 2017 debut EP ‘D1’, and arrives alongside wilder collaborative projects which have taken her on the road as a backing vocalist for long-time friend Laura Marling (in whose Reversal Of The Muse project she also participated, alongside HAIM, Dolly Parton and Marika Hackman), and seen her sing BVs for Ghostpoet and Dua Lipa. Emma is also bassist and singer for infectious London 4-piece Childcare. FACEBOOK.
The new live version of 'I'll Stay' is beautifully performed. With a sparsely furnished room and light flooding into through the windows, the video puts the focus on the performers who are engrossed in this tender and passionate song, where quality and atmosphere smoothly rub shoulders.
Hero Fisher's new album has finally dropped and to accompany this excellent and long-awaited release Hero has made a video for one of the lead tracks called 'Life Through Closed Eyes'.
‘Glue Moon’, Hero says of her new album, (in part inspired by Marilynne Robinson’s 1980 novel Housekeeping,) ‘is the place in my mind I’d go to when I was writing a lot of the tracks on the album. For Hero, Glue Moon is an idyllic sense of mental calm, the image of a pale moon above a still lake at dawn. After a year of triumphant singles, including ‘I Let Love’, ‘If I Die And Nothing Happens’ and ‘Lonely’, she is now releasing her long-anticipated second album, and while she’s kept much of what worked about her debut album Delivery, including her collaboration with guitarist and musical director ‘Saul Wodak’, Glue Moon finds Hero wading into deeper creative waters.
The addition of rising Italian co-producer Marta Salogni (Sampha, The XX, and MIA) adds vibrant new sonic avenues to her expansive sound. From the spectral majesty of opener ‘Bird of Prey’ and the propulsive bass honking crawl of ‘Binder’ Glue Moon is a serious sonic and lyrical display of an artist arriving at the peak of her powers. With its expert production and wide emotional palette, on Glue Moon Hero Fisher channels the spontaneity and deep poeticism of narrative songwriters like PJ Harvey and Nick Cave while offering something new and vital. Glue Moon arrives with the video for her brilliantly atmospheric and ambient ‘Life Through Closed Eyes’.
British-born, French-raised and London-based, Hero Fisher (yes, that’s her real name) has had a career that has so far seen her collaborate with Alison Mosshart and Boy George in the Mark Ronson-scored ballet Carbon Life, open for The Rolling Stones and Neil Young at Hyde Park, and get shortlisted for the 2014 Glastonbury Emerging Talent Prize. In 2015 she released her debut album, the critically-appraised Delivery which won her fans in The Horrors and Blur. By turns a blistering rock and roller in the vein of Patti Smith and PJ Harvey, and an experimental folk storyteller à la Jeff Buckley, Hero Fisher resists easy generic categorisation with her protean and cinematic musical storytelling.
Able to expertly strike a variety of different narrative poses, she is at once the spurned lover and the fired-up rabble rouser, predator and prey. With Glue Moon previous singles ‘Sylvie’, ‘Push The Boat Out’, ‘I Let Love’ ‘If I Die And Nothing Happens’ and ‘Lonely’ Hero’s lyrical imagination proved unique and bountiful. Glue Moon adds to her magical body of work and takes her sound into uncharted territory. It’s a testament to her limitless artistic range as one of the most magnetising rising stars around. WEBSITE.
Over the last year and a half we have been mightily impressed by everything that's come our way from Hero Fisher. I have to say her brand new album entitled 'Glue Moon' is as spectacular as I had hoped for, the creativity, performance and production being top notch.
Having already featured the singles 'Sylvie', 'I Let Love', 'Lonely' and 'If I Die and Nothing Happens' we now have a new music video for 'Life Through Closed Eyes' that's five of the thirteen tracks on the album (yep, I know it only took one hand to work that out). So what of the rest? Well you can expect even more musical explorations, each song has impact and the variations in style or direction are given some consistency through Hero Fishers vocals and personal feelings that are there in abundance.
Hailing from the "Silver City" of Meriden CT, the band Farewood has been cultivating their style of ethereal rock for almost two decades.
Led by the husband and wife songrwriting team of Lou (vocals, guitar) and Leah Lorenzo (vocals, bass), and bolstered by the propulsive rhythms of long time drummer Kyle McCarthy and guitarist Eric Ieraci.
Farewood have emerged again with a new album of dream weaving, ethereal rock. Compelling from start to end, 'Under Burning Sun', the group's latest offering is their boldest yet, and perhaps the high water mark of their career. WEBSITE.
If you like your rock music to have plenty of melodic hooks, intriguing lyrics and a distinctive musical arrangement that gives clarity to each musician, then 'Under Burning Sun' consistently delivers along those lines.
Described as ethereal rock, that's better than any overarching categorisation that I could come up with. The quality is constantly good, whilst there's enough feeling and passion to give the album a personal and emotional vibe.
To recap - Multi-instrumentalist Paul Farran originally hails from Montreal, Canada, and proficiently practices the poetic baritone of the city's patron saint, Leonard Cohen. But Farran’s influences extend far beyond his roots, having lived internationally and travelled extensively, including his work for the United Nations in Rwanda, Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Viet Nam.
Paul began his music career in the alternative rock band Pacer which released two albums between 1998 and 2003, chalking up hundreds of shows each year. But balancing globe-trotting work and new family obligations made it hard to keep his role in the band rolling, and he reluctantly shelved his music ambitions to make room for new dreams. In 2008, Paul and his wife walked 400 miles of the “Camino de Santiago,” an ancient route that crosses Northern Spain, and tied the knot at the end of the journey. In 2016, they undertook another life-changing trip, both quitting their UN jobs to backpack with their young kids on a half year trip from Africa to South East Asia and back, then onwards to Europe.
It was during this journey that Paul revived his musical aspirations and conceived The Camino Side Project, with the Spanish word “Camino” meaning path or way. He put his master’s degree in international relations to good use, enlisting the musicians he met along the way and reviving musical links from his past to join him in documenting his travels, inspirations and introspections. This musical journal turned into 11 songs about 11 countries, each entry reflecting on the genuine experiences in life that impact one’s own perspectives and decisions. Often Paul’s guests provided an additional instrumental texture and on other tracks it led to full blown collaboration, like with Vietnamese hip hop artist Radical on “Highbeam”. WEBSITE.
We featured 'Vilma's Soundtrack' just a few days back and now we have another track to share called 'Wheels'. Then we said "The production is superb and refinement and quality are key elements, along with the heart and feeling that is always there", I reckon this adds weight to that summary of the album, if these couple of tracks have impressed you, check out 'of movement & music', it's got plenty more songs of this quality.
“Orange” is about the weird twilight-zone feeling that happens sometimes at sunset – when things suddenly don’t feel real, like everything around you is a movie.
We originally submitted the demo for “Orange” (produced by Samantha Martin) to the Canadian Songwriting Competition and wound up winning in the Under 18 category. Joel Plaskett was one of the judges and we got to spend an afternoon with him in Halifax picking his brain about music, songwriting, and production. It was amazing.
We then went back into the studio and co-produced the final version with Guillermo Subauste who engineered two of the songs on our last EP and our last single, “Be You”. The recording experience was fun because we had really strong ideas of what we wanted “Orange” to sound like and we were able to manifest those ideas with Guillermo’s help.
We’re currently hard at work on our second EP which will be released in the future through Hidden Pony Records and are super lucky to be a part of the Slaight Music family after winning their It’s Your Shot competition. Thanks to that, Kevin Drew heard our music and really liked it – we were so excited when he came to one of our shows in Collingwood! TWITTER.
'Orange' is a superbly arranged song, where musical hooks (and there are a ton of those) compete with the gorgeous vocals and harmonies. It's my introduction to Moscow Apartment, and I am totally impressed by this piece, it's vibrant, catchy and reading the background from the duo above, gives some folk in the music industry a very positive thumbs up.
Lo-fi pop duo Malihini will release their debut album 'Hopefully, Again' through Memphis Industries on 8th March 2019. Produced by Richard Formby (Wild Beasts, Ghostpoet, Darkstar), 'Hopefully, Again' was written in Sicily and recorded at the remote Giant Wafer Studios in Wales. Malihini, aka Rome-based couple Giampaolo Speziale and Federica Caiozzo, have unveiled the first single to be taken from the album, the soulful, superficially pretty ‘Hopefully Again’: its languid drums and woozy electric guitar hook-line usher in a sort of conversation between circling lovers – Caiozzo taking the first verse, Speziale the second, the two combining for the redemptive and addictive “Love is coming back” chorus line. “It’s about when you’re first really into one another”, explains Speziale. “When you try to be someone, as seen through the eyes of the other. It's about flirting, and the moment when you come back from the slowness of depression, you dress up and you’re ready to confront with the fastness of love/life again".
'Hopefully, Again' is accompanied by a video filmed and spliced together by the band themselves from footage of their travels to Rome, Portugal, Sicily, Iceland and London.
Their name may mean ‘newcomers’ in Hawaiian, but Malihini deal exclusively in the music of lived experience and time-honed emotional intelligence, their disarming musical universe never less than distinctive, yet resonating with a confessional, modern European pop sophistication of a kind elsewhere purveyed by the likes of Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jose Gonzalez and Our Broken Garden. Listening to the ten co-written songs that grace Malihini’s exquisite debut long-player, 'Hopefully, Again', can sometimes feel like eavesdropping on a couple’s intimate emotional dialogues, such is the ingenuous honesty of the duo’s writing. Yet combined with their minimal, yet opulently textured arrangements (“classic songwriting matched with pared-down electronics”, according to Clash), crammed with subtle melodic hooks and an embarrassment of earworm choruses, they transform the personal into the universal with a delightfully unforced eloquence. FACEBOOK.
Warm and sensitive 'Hopefully, Again' has tender duel vocals that work beautifully together. The video makes everything personal to Malhini, adding a level of intimacy, whilst the song charms and works it's way into your own world.
Gabriella Rose is based in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho (outside of Spokane), and her forthcoming Lost In Translation EP was produced by Chris Molitor. The songs on the EP wander through the secluded halls of her mind, as she glides through memories of her late grandmother whose life came to an abruptly devastating end, her own journey into adulthood, and much larger social issues facing the world. Molded in the raw poeticism of Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground, Rose’s stories come from a deeply broken place. Her grandmother’s appetite for literature clearly rubbed off on Rose, whose own rich storytelling is plentiful across her new EP. In Gabriella’s words regarding her debut single, “The song is a wistful melody about how I wish I could reach people around me,” framing imagery of the Greek myth Icarus as an impetus for the story’s revelations. “I see others sometimes like that: the ideal of what I would like to be. But then I see them fly too close to the sun and melt their wings. So I don’t know if I want to be like them completely, it's a dilemma.”
Rose was homeschooled until sixth grade, and coming from an early dysfunctional family life resulting from her parents divorce, she became hyper-aware of relationships and her place within them. Rose is quick to acknowledge that despite the familial turmoil of the past, her entire family has banded together around her music. Over the years, when visiting her rather eccentric father in North Hollywood, she recalls late night recording sessions just for fun then diving into such popular films as Clockwork Orange, Pulp Fiction and Blue Velvet with a cup of coffee at midnight.
Of course, things weren’t always so rose-colored, and she remains tight-lipped on those not-so-perfect circumstances. Her roots inject even more piercing context to her forthcoming Lost in Translation EP. Her voice houses her turbulent past, the loneliness, the uncertainty, and the gloom. But in analyzing her truth, she comes to shine a light for those who continue to fight for their lives in the shroud of darkness. When left to such devices, Rose is a vision and an artist ready to turn pop music on its head. FACEBOOK.
'Lost In Translation' is fabulous, maybe that's all that needs to be said. It's atmospheric, catchy, there is a level of emotion that courses throughout and like I said, it's just fabulous...
Foxton Kings - Burn. Following on from their single Money Money, Perth's Foxton Kings have added yet another smouldering rock song to their arsenal with the fittingly-titled Burn. Full of rhythmic swagger, Burn oozes confidence and charm as it delivers a banquet of meaty riffs and catchy melodies.
Honing the turbulent, all-consuming emotion of falling in love with a complete stranger, Burn sounds as enchantingly lustful as it should.
Produced by Andy Lawson, Burn is taken from Foxton Kings' 2019 EP offering With Love. Full of yearning and desire, Burn pays homage to the age-old ache of unrequited romance... a song written for lonely lovers everywhere.
The combination of Joel Stevens, Cliff Johnson, Dane Koek and Alex Barker brings out the best in all of them. The band's chemistry, both in writing and performance, is their biggest asset, and reveals itself in everything they do. Bringing pop sensibilities to stirring rock songs without diluting them, Foxton Kings will be showcasing their new material this November with a series of single launches across Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. FACEBOOK.
'Burn' is a feisty, high energy piece with plenty of rock and roll attitude coursing through it's veins. A sub three minute blast, this is a mighty tease for their E.P.
BlackieBlueBird are the vocalist Heidi Lindahl and the composer Nils Lassen; together they create delicate torch songs of reverb and echo that captivate the listener with resonating guitars, lap steels, mandolins and a choir of mermaids that sporadically embraces Heidi’s golden voice. The echoes of love and longing, hellos and deceiving goodbyes live within her unique and clear vibrato. Ghost River symbolizes a subterranean river of memories that flows beneath our cities while on the surface we live our lives behind walls, among buildings and clamorous streets, ever pursuing our hopes and dreams. Unaware that deep within we are influenced by the Ghost River, we fulfill what lies in our destinies as tiny twigs floating along the flow of a gentle water stream. Resembling a dream, Ghost River is an album that dwells in a drumless, cinematic atmosphere filled with romantic soundscapes of yearning desire and melodic choruses that caress the ear in a liberating and cathartic way. All songs are written and produced by Nils Lassen. The album is a cooperation between T&E Records, Poisonic, and afmusic. Ghost River will be released on Vinyl, CD and as a download on 23rd of November. BANDCAMP.
The third of twelve tracks on the forthcoming 'Ghost River' album is the delectable song 'Flying Too Close To The Ground' a piece that well demonstrates the sheer creative quality that is present in every song.
This is a fabulously refined collection of music, with some beautifully crafted material that might be termed dream pop, although the depth and sophistication of the album doesn't feel conveyed enough through just that one label. If the featured track appeals to you, then make sure you you check out the album, it really is that good!
Bradford’s resident desert rockers GRDNS showcase Hydraulic Lover, a masterful slice of psych-pop taken from their debut EP, released via UK label Dance To The Radio later this month.
Marking their boldest exploration into psychedelia to date, the band’s newest effort builds on widespread plaudits throughout the blogosphere (DIY, Clash, Dork), debut festival appearances at Live At Leeds/Gold Sounds and numerous support slots alongside fellow rising acts including Gengahr, Husky Loops and whenyoung.
Discussing their upcoming release, frontman Jacob Lyons stated: “Hydraulic Lover is about accepting all the bad attitudes, stupid shit and low vibe activities you get up to when you’re young. It’s the idea that song people treat each other like sexbots and the action of love is more hydraulic than passionate”.
Produced by James Kenosha (Pulled Apart By Horses, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Rhodes) GRDNS’ Hydraulic Lover is out 15th November via Dance To The Radio and will be available on all digital platforms. GRDNS is Jacob Lyons (vocals/guitar), Sam Gledhill (guitar), Cameron Harrison (bass) and John Fitzpatrick (drums)
Live Date: 15 Nov – Salt Beer Factory, Shipley (supporting PINS) TWITTER.
GRDNS are clearly doing something right especially if you measure that, by the number of appearances they have made on Beehive Candy this year, with the latest track 'Hydraulic Lover' notching them up to four features since February. Opening with some fuzzy guitar riffs, the band are soon into their vibrant and catchy alt rock style with those gorgeous psychedelic overtones adding some real edge.
London electronic music outfit Rude Audio have announced 'Rumble on Arab St' as the final single off their new 'Rude Redux' EP, accompanied by a video created by Robert Bell.
This new release sees the band refine their trademark sound, fusing their love of woozy dub with throbbing electronics. Here, house music, flecked with Arab and Indian vibes, also shamelessly cavorts with dub. These five tracks go down easy and brings you into sci-fi trance mode.
Ahead of this release, Rude Audio previewed 'To The Sun', complete with a new virtual reality-inspired video, directed by Ali Ingle, as well as 'To The Half Moon', for which Robert Bell also created the video.
Earlier Andrew Weatherall, premiered several tracks from the new EP on his radio show. This EP appeal to fans of Weatherall himself, as well as The Orb, Future Sound of London, Duncan Gray, Adrian Sherwood, On-U-Sound, Hot Chip, and Jagwar Ma.
Based in South London, Rude Audio is a collective with a history of putting on fantastic underground parties, releasing the occasional dubby Balearic opus, engineering for the disparate likes of Paul Weller, Lemon Jelly and Royal Blood and generally mooching about anywhere that doesn’t have bouncers or operate a dress code. WEBSITE.
We shared 'To The Sun' from the 'Rude Redux' E.P. back in August and commented at the time "If dub or electronic music in any shape or size is of interest to you, then dive head first into Rude Audio's music, your in for a very pleasant musical journey". 'Rumble on Arab St' the final single from the collection, I would suggest confirms that our comments regarding Rude Audio's music were reasonable to say the least.
Ahead of their forthcoming European tour, which starts in Copenhagen on 27 November, Buffalo Tom share the new video for "Overtime", a song that appeared on their recent album Quiet and Peace, out now on Schoolkids Records. The video was directed by Rachel Lichtman from Network77.com (an absurdist music-and-comedy sketch web series). It was edited by drummer Tom Maginnis' daughter Marlena. Singer-guitarist Bill Janovitz explains more about the video: "The idea came from the song lyric. Rachel wanted to depict a real woman at various points in her life, from childhood into motherhood. She had some of her own Super 8 footage of her mom Susan. When Rachel loaded it with the music, it just seemed to synch up perfectly. There was this footage of her mom from childhood to motherhood, all Super 8, which has to be a fairly rare case for someone of that generation. So it is all real vintage footage of one person's pivot points, from young childhood to young adulthood. Also Tom’s daughter Marlena Maginnis edited the video, so its all in the family!" Quiet and Peace is a compelling 11-song set that finds the trio—singer-guitarist Bill Janovitz, bassist-vocalist Chris Colbourn and drummer Tom Maginnis—simultaneously mining their best-known sonic elements while breaking new ground on emotionally resonant new tunes such as "All Be Gone," "Roman Cars," "Freckles" and "CatVMouse." Buffalo Tom's first collection since 2011's Skins, Quiet and Peace was mixed by John Agnello (Kurt Vile, Sonic Youth, The Hold Steady) and marks the band's first collaboration with producer and fellow Boston alt-rock legend David Minehan, renowned ex-leader of the Neighborhoods. WEBSITE. European Tour Dates: Tue 27 Nov - Copenhagen, DK - Pumpehuset Thu 29 Nov - Berlin, DE - Bi Nuu Sun 2 Dec - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso Tue 4 Dec - Bristol, UK - Fleece Wed 5 Dec - London, UK - Electric Ballroom Thu 6 Dec - Birmingham, UK - Institute 2 Sat 8 Dec - Eindhoven, HOLLAND - Come as You Are Effenaar
'Overtime' typifies the sheer quality of Buffalo Tom's music, in this case as Americana and Alt Rock seemingly merge together beautifully. The video makes for a fine companion.
The Arthur Brothers began life as a recording project and quickly grew into an artistic alliance centered around the biological brothers Matt and Danny Arthur and the producer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist J. C. Wright. Their music is inspired by a mutual obsession for inventive song-craft and a cross-generational love of classic albums with dramatic, bold and intriguing productions.
Driven by a devotion to the recording process and a passionate desire to make a record full of mystery, melody, diversity and depth - the Arthurs and Wright, along with a coterie of talented contributors have been on a long and challenging creative expedition.
The Arthur Brothers’ second release is a song of icy emotion and heartfelt soul searching about the complexities of broken love and human fallibility. The regretful and remorseful narrative plays out with Matt Arthur's tortured, distorted vocal set into a mountainous and cinematic backdrop of dark majesty that conjures up images of Himalayan vistas and arctic landscapes.
Cavernous drums, moody pianos, visceral guitars, and the ominous drones of accordions, harmoniums and drunken trombones all punctuated by the haunting backing vocals of J. C. Wright and Danny Arthur. ‘Flawless’ is out now on ClearLight Records / Declared Goods. TWITTER.
There is something quite expansive and dramatic about 'Flawless'. The second single (we shared their first in September), The Arthur Brothers create an imaginative atmosphere with stirring harmonies, mysterious vocals and a powerful soundtrack, two songs in and they are firmly on our radar.
Grascals - Heartbreak Hall of Fame. The award-winning Grascals bring a new single from their forthcoming album with the song “Heartbreak Hall Of Fame.” Smooth but driving with a classic sound, “Heartbreak Hall of Fame” merges vintage Country with modern Bluegrass in just the right way, a combination the Grascals do so well. Written by Larry Joe Cox, Ray Edwards and Dicky Minor, it tells the story of unrequited love and a man whose suffering is endured through this bitter lament. “Somewhere in the record books, There will be your name. And a list of all the hearts you broke while you played your cheatin’ game”
Lead vocals are performed by the band’s young, talked-about singer John Bryan with sterling Grascals harmonies by the recognized voice of Terry Eldredge and the resonant baritone of Terry Smith. “Heartbreak Hall of Fame” is the most recent single from this band’s upcoming release that follows the success of their 2017 release, Before Breakfast.
Great musicians will always find a way to make good music, but for great musicians to make great music, they must form a bond – one that, more often than not, goes beyond the purely musical to the personal. For The Grascals, that bond has been forged at the intersection of personal friendships, shared professional resumes and an appreciation for the innovative mingling of bluegrass and country music that has been a hallmark of the Nashville scene for more than forty years. WEBSITE.
We don't feature that much traditional country music on Beehive Candy however 'Heartbreak Hall of Fame' has something special about it and works for me. I suppose the modern Bluegrass element is what does the trick for me, that and the superb musicianship that is impossible to ignore, and the characterful vocals.
Welsh dream-pop outfit Kidsmoke share their urgent new single Rising Sun, the first from their upcoming album expected next year. The track is a pulsating psychedelic journey, spatially and sonically.
Produced by Bill Ryder-Jones and Russ Hayes, Rising Sun reveals a raw, driven and far-flung sound with an unwavering energy, with incorporating influences from My Bloody Valentine’s Suesfine. With lyrics of fortitude and resilience combined with dreamy vocals and harmonies, the band throwback to their indie heritage.
Both the music and lyrics showcase the strength of Kidsmoke’s sound: ‘The first two lines I wrote for Rising Sun were ‘I don’t want to follow’ and ‘I feel your love” describes frontman Lance Williams, ‘I wanted the song to be centred around those lyrics, so I started thinking about how they could be linked somehow. The song ended up being about pushing against what other people expect of you, even if that pressure is coming from the people you are closest to.’
The waves made by Kidsmoke’s shimmering brand of indie-pop do not stop in their native North Wales. With a sync-feature on Charlie Brooker’s Netflix series Black Mirror, they burst into 2018 with single Sister Sadness (named one of Steve Lamacq’s ‘6Music Recommends’ tracks of the year), were featured as The Sunday Times’ ‘Breaking Act’, supported Gaz Coombes and were invited by Robert Smith to play his Meltdown Festival in support of The Joy Formidable.
The band have spent the summer in the studio with long-time producer Russ Hayes, and recording with Bill Ryder-Jones, for their forthcoming debut album expected next year. TWITTER.
'Rising Sun' is our second song feature for Kidsmoke following on from 'Sister Sadness' which graced our pages back in February this year. This is more of a refreshing indie rocker musically, however the dream pop sensibilities are present through the melodic and engaging vocals and harmonies.
Henry Jamison’s songcraft has been praised as being “written like the Great American Novel. He crafts his lyrics with metaphor, juxtaposition, and a certain poeticism resonant of vagabond folk heroes or members of the literary canon” (Billboard), and Henry will prove that to be true ten-fold on his upcoming album ‘Gloria Duplex’ (out Feb. 8, 2019 on Akira Records).
The new album, which was produced by Thomas Bartlett (Sufjan Stevens, The National), and features strings by Rob Moose (Bon Iver, Arcade Fire, Phoebe Bridgers) and mixing by Patrick Dillet (Rhye, David Byrne), creates a lush and enveloping environment for the Burlington, VT musical bard to hold a magnifying glass to the topic of masculinity in 2018.
Henry Jamison has just released “Boys” the second single from ‘Gloria Duplex’ which finds him exploring the ways in which boys are indoctrinated into one-dimensional men. “The crux of this song is contained in the line ‘we used to feel our rage just like the sea, now we get it on an installment plan” he explains.
“I'm talking about myself and I'm talking about the repression that many men unknowingly experience today, that is both a cause and a result of an insatiable drive to prove ourselves. What could our vital forces yield if we weren't taught to stem them off into needless power games almost from our first breath? I don't know, but I'm willing to guess that it wouldn't be the insane "race to the bottom" in which we're now engaged.”
Elsewhere on the album, Jamison can be found sitting in a boardwalk bar drinking whiskey while pondering emotional repression, reflecting on the socio-economic divide of our culture while watching a group of chummy, Ivy League students ride a train out of NYC, and detailing overt expressions of masculinity lived out through a game of Grand Theft Auto.FACEBOOK.
It has been a while since we last featured Henry Jamison an artist who has consistently impressed Beehive Candy. The new single 'Boys' is gentle and gorgeous, with absorbing lyrics delivered with natural feeling, and the musical backdrop is soft and yet sublime.
