Sunday, 24 November 2019

Braids - 13//ali_fawn - Wojtek the bear - The Small Press - Mother Mariposa - Alexandria Miallot - Approachable Members Of Your Local Community & Dulcie

Braids have released 'Eclipse (Ashley)' accompanied by a video, the indie art rock band manage to achieve everything that genre bundle suggest, doing so fabulously. === 13//ali_fawn pack energy and creativity into 'Future Swim' a blistering and imaginative rocker. === It's our fifth feature for Wojtek the bear who continue to create personable and oh so likable alt rock as is the case with 'Some States'. === The Small Press have released their debut E.P 'Is This What You Want?' with five really fine indie pop and rock songs the Sydney band are lively and catchy. === We have a new video from recently formed Mother Mariposa entitled 'Pilot Light'. It's a creative ten minutes of dreamy, imaginative and blissful music and it's very addictive. === From Vancouver Island Alexandria Miallot just shared 'Someone To Keep You Warm' a short electro rock song with depth and a sample of this weekends new album release from her entitled 'Benevolence'. === Two bands for the price of one and a new video thrown in as well, now that's a bargain as Approachable Members Of Your Local Community & Dulcie share 'Strangest Places' an upbeat indie pop and rock song with bags of wonderful for good measure.
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Braids - Eclipse (Ashley).

Montreal-based indie art rock band Braids announce the release of their new song "Eclipse (Ashley)." Along with the official video, "Eclipse (Ashley)" marks the trio's long-awaited return and the first taste of their forthcoming new album releasing next year on Secret City Records. Dedicated to the singer's best friend, it's a song that sinks deep into a feeling of reverie for nature, the love found in friendship, and the vital essence of personal reflection.

"'Eclipse (Ashley)' is a love song made for my best friend Ashley Obscura," stated singer Raphaelle Standell-Preston. "During the car ride to go and view the total solar eclipse, we were fretting about not having glasses to stare at the sun, you know, those funny ones that look like you’re sitting down to watch a 3D movie. Amongst the chatter Ashley said 'we should take this opportunity to think about what eclipses us in our lives.' BAM. REFOCUS. We all took this sentiment with us as we sat on the side of the quarry, as the moon came to hug the sun. We sat in silence perched amongst the tall grass, the wildflowers, the rocks and glistening water, closed eyes, reflecting. Returning to the studio, the song poured out of us in one shot."

The definition of an eclipse is "the total or partial obscuring of one celestial body by another." With effortless beauty, Braids have crafted a balm to combat the dark forces that cross us. To overcome the fears that plague us, the planets eclipsing our planetary bodies, the patterns that bind us, the anxiety that grips us, the heartbreak that breaks us. The balm is the perfect antidote to such darkness and chaos: that of hope, pleasure and, above all, always love.

Braids is comprised of Standell-Preston, Austin Tufts, and Taylor Smith. Formed in 2007 in Alberta, they have solidified a decade-long reputation for their musical ingenuity and established themselves as one of Canada's most acclaimed art rock bands, garnering two Polaris Prize shortlists and winning the 2016 Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year. With Standell-Preston's vocals as the pillar of their sound, Braids weave organic and electronic elements together amidst a lyrical landscape that is intimate, explosive, and emotionally-immersive. Their albums have earned praise from Pitchfork, NPR, New York Times, T Magazine, NME, and The Guardian among many others. They have supported or toured with artists such as Toro Y Moi, The Antlers, Wye Oak, Purity Ring, and Friendly Fires along with festival appearances around the world including Glastonbury, Primavera, Osheaga, Hopscotch, and SXSW.


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13//ali_fawn - Future Swim.

Detroit-based producer and multi-instrumentalist Alister Fawnwoda AKA 13//ali_fawn releases ‘Future Swim’, the first single lifted from forthcoming album ‘Ruby Beach’, due in Summer 2020 and mixed by Welsh powerhouse David Wrench (Caribou, FKA Twigs, Sampha, Shura, The xx, Young Fathers, +++). Born in Motor City, Fawnwoda cultivated his musicianship through learning violin and piano from a young age. Honing his métier, he studied music, poetry and visual arts at The University of Miami and then the Tibetan Buddhist-founded Naropa University.

In 2016 he moved to LA to work under the tutelage of Hans Zimmer as an intern for the following three years. In 2019, Ali moved back to Detroit to quench a hankering for eclectic collaborations, both as a producer and as a musician. To date, he’s worked on projects with producers Cole M. Greif-Neil (Beck, Ariel Pink), Gordon Raphael (The Strokes), Sonny DiPerri (DIIV, Animal Collective), Marta Salogni (Björk, The xx), and many more. Additionally, he’s joined forces with musicians including Alex Carapetis (Nine Inch Nails, The Voidz), Jenny Lee Lindberg and Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint), Mauro Refosco (Talking Heads, Atoms for Peace), and Philip Peterson (Portugal. The Man).

"’Future Swim’ is about time-travel and death, and contemplates whether or not the two are intertwined as one thing," notes Fawnwoda.

"Musically and instrumentally we wanted to give the feeling of time warping and stretching as in the intro, and then skyrocketing forward in a linear fashion. Lyrically, the song is about a man who stands at the edge of a sea cliff, and hears the ocean beckons him in. In his head he hears this as an invitation into a portal in which he can go to another time and place; specifically the past to prevent the death of his loved one."

With a keen eye for aesthetics, Fawnwoda enlisted photographer Daisuke Yokota to curate the visual side of the project. Daisuke and www.anothersomething.org share some words regarding the colour photographs, “With this series,” Yokota explains, he “tried not to take pictures,” and instead sought to “draw out the physical aspect of film.” Another Something talk through the physical process,“Yokota layered sheets of unused large format colour film and applied unorthodox developing methods before scanning the results. Here, documentation is replaced with darkroom alchemy in order to show that the essence of photography rests not necessarily with the camera, but in film itself.”

Fawnwoda was influenced by Daft Punk’s breakthrough album, Homework in addition to electronic artists like Suzanne Ciani, Aphex Twin, Helena Hauff and composer Arvo Pärt. Alister’s work is a combination of all these interests, with a deep passion for production processes that harkens back to his love for The Beatles’ White Album.

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Wojtek the bear - Some States.

Scottish Fiction are delighted to present some states, the latest and last of this year's releases from Glasgow's five-piece wojtek the bear. some states completes the band's quartet of singles released during 2019, all of which are now collected on a limited edition 12" vinyl, old names for new shapes.

some states sees the band continue their fruitful working relationship with acclaimed producer Jamie Savage at Chem19 Studios [The Twilight Sad, Miaoux Miaoux, The Phantom Band, RM Hubbert]. some states taps straight into a rich vein of melancholy with it's early '90's alternative guitar line and laid back vocals.  The addition of strings to the bands permanent sound, once again serves to enrich and lift the track with soaring runs that create a lasting smile that only just the right piece of music can do.

Lead singer, and chief lyricist Tam Killean explains how the song came about, "it's a song about that particuarly painful end section of a failing relationship when it feels like all you're doing is arguing with the other person over the most ridiculous things, look who used the last of the toothpaste and didn't replace it.  The title comes from that old(ish) Scottish expression - "I've never been to America, but I've been in some states!"  I just really liked that dark, self-depreciating humour of it.  I think it's that ability to see the humour in the darkest of times that allows us to get through things sometimes."

The video for the single, shot by Kris Boyle, sees the band expand on the darkly-comic theme of failure with a Nigel Mansell obsessed Killean trying, and failing, to emulate his hero's exploits on the track.

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The Small Press - Is This What You Want? (E.P).

Packing a punch with their bright pop-punk bravado, Sydney’s The Small Press are back, releasing their debut EP Is This What You Want?

Energetic and upbeat, the four-piece’s radiant take on pop-punk shines across the project’s five tracks. Opening the EP with their three previously released singles, now remastered for this project, the opening is a brilliant introduction into The Small Press' clever indie punk mix. Whether it be the fast paced ‘Not Afraid to Love You’, boppy ‘Console Kids’ or feel-good ‘Remona’, each single stands out with it's own individual aesthetic.

Easing into ‘This Is Falling’, the first of the unreleased tracks, the group’s versatility is demonstrated brilliantly as they slow things down for this heartfelt piece. Ending on a bang, ‘8 Bit Summer’ is a scorcher which boasts gritty guitar lines and an addictive melody. Contrasting with the lively instrumental, lyrically the track is about a terrible relationship, the emotions during, and the aftermath. "It’s a song about those days when you should be outside basking in the sun, but instead you just can’t help but do nothing, stay inside, sleep in and play videos games," singer Maddie Gilholme explains.

Their three aforementioned singles were released last year, and saw spins on triple j’s Short.Fast Loud and Lunchtime shows, alongside praise across triple j Unearthed. Spending the majority of the year relentlessly gigging and honing their sound, the band have gone on to support the likes of Thelma Plum, dave and High Tropics.


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Mother Mariposa - Pilot Light.

Mother Mariposa is the new project of Jsun Atoms (The Upsidedown, Daydream Machine, PIA) and Thomas Mudrick. For those unfamiliar, Atoms' band The Upsidedown made a name for themselves with TV placements on shows that include HBO's True Blood, Showtime's Ray Donovan, and most recently FX's Animal Kingdom. The band went on to tour extensively with artists such as The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Raveonettes, Psychedelic Furs, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Echo, and the Bunnymen, Allah Las, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Jagwar Ma, and friends Hope Sandoval, Luna, and The Black Angels.

As one could imagine, being around such an esteemed group of artists has to have some effect on a person. Out of The Upsidedown comes a band two years in the making. Joining forces with New Zealand’s Dan Fernie-Harper (Ride Into the Sun, The Dunes), Austin Barone (Lola Buzzkill), and Trask Schulte (Paste), Mother Mariposa have created a melding of electronica, psychedelia, and post-punk brilliance.

The band is proud to announce their debut album titled The Monarch Key. On first listen, many people think the music draws comparisons to dance music, but the spacious, droning tracks are actually the product of a five-piece band with guitar, bass, keyboards, and drums.  Lead single "Pilot Light" was written with consultation from legendary indie artist Dean Wareham (Galaxie 500) who described the new record as "Epic." The Monarch Key by Mother Mariposa is out everywhere now via Little Cloud Records.


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Alexandria Miallot - Someone To Keep You Warm.

Hailing from Vancouver Island, the genre-blending “swoon rock” artist Alexandria Maillot released her sophomore album ‘Benevolence’ on November 22nd 2019. Armed with razor-sharp wit and hopeless romanticism, Alexandria dissects narratives from personal life-experiences and delivers through sometimes schmaltzy and sometimes electropoppy instrumentation and arrangements. For this, she’s often been compared to heavyweights such as Feist, Stevie Nicks and Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard.

Maillot has already accumulated an impressive list of credits including being scouted by esteemed Canadian producer and songwriter David Foster (Christina Aguilera, Madonna, Whitney Houston) aged twelve, collaborating with Randy Bachman (Ringo Starr, The Beach Boys), and securing a feature on the Opera Winfrey network.

Touring extensively across Europe and Canada performing at festivals such as Reeperbahn and Iceland Airwaves, Alexandria is no stranger to the live-circuit. Her debut album ‘Time’ also saw her playlisted across national radio and gained her critical acclaim internationally across industry peers and fans.

With her second full-length ‘Benevolence’, we see a change in the Canadian singer-songwriter. On tracks like ‘I Never Liked Your Friends’, we see her exploring a more sardonic side to her songwriting, while ‘Make It Out’ comes from a darker place; she says it’s “a song about depression; the lack of motivation that plagues the day, where solace is only found in sleep at night.”

‘Someone To Keep You Warm’ sees the soloist showcasing menacing synthesisers after a Kelsey Lu-esque introduction. Themed around the joy she gained after seeing her ex struggle to find a lover, the singer had this to say about the schadenfreudian number; “It’s a song about watching a former partner struggle to find companionship and getting enjoyment out of it.”

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Approachable Members Of Your Local Community & Dulcie - Strangest Places.

Approachable Members Of Your Local Community invite you to join them in another cathartic boogie as they release new single and accompanying video today for ‘Strangest Places’ - a collaboration with fellow Australian indie-poppers, all-female 4-piece, Dulcie. The new release proceeds their forthcoming, Love Thy Neighbour EP, out Jan 31st and comes as the band prepares to showcase at SXSW in 2020.

From the depths of suburban Australia has emerged a commercial partnership so robust, so well-negotiated, that the foundations of our earthly existence have indeed been shaken. ‘Strangest Places’ captures the essence of the band collaborative spirit, “The story of our interstate partnership (with Dulcie) began in the greenrooms of Australia, in what we call the Bitter Winter of 2019. We immediately developed a collaborative commercial relationship with a strong grounding in mutual respect and synergies. Hands were firmly shaken, and the deal was done: a song was to be made. 'Strangest Places' is about making new friends, being in wacky places, and getting up to the business of life.” says Micky Fisher (Bassist) AMOYLC.

Following standout sets at BIGSOUND 2019 and support slots for Polish Club, half•alive (USA), Kira Puru and Joyride and more, the EP marks a culmination of their growth as a band over the last 24 months and features the previously released singles ‘On + On’ and ‘Citrus Fruit’. Working with creative director Giulia McGauran on visuals and writing with the likes of Japanese Wallpaper and Alex Lahey, Approachable Members know that collaboration is key to a successful community. Whatever you come for, Approachable Members Of Your Local Community just want to make you feel at home, and share their little slice of suburban paradise with you.


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Saturday, 23 November 2019

Emmrose - The Pairs - The Know - Big Fox - Ben Watt - Ducks Unlimited - Brooke Bentham - Lilla Parasit

Emmrose has a new single entitled 'Hopeless Romantics'. With hints of Latin music and Emmrose's melodic and engaging vocals this is feisty and catchy affair. === The Pairs have shared 'Will And A Way' where beautiful vocals and harmonies are accompanied by a gentle acoustic backdrop on this mesmerising track. === Formed in late 2018 The Know have a new video for '143', a dreamy and atmospheric song that seemingly glides along. === Folk singer-songwriter Big Fox has just released 'All I'm Trying' the Sweden based artist's vocals are sublime on this gentle song. === We featured 'Sunlight Follows The Night' back in September and Ben Watt returns with another video, this time for 'Balanced On A Wire' that once again suggests his forthcoming album 'Storm Damage' is going to be rather special. === We first featured Ducks Unlimited back in July and they return now with 'Gleaming Spires' which is another vibrant, melodic and charming song. === It's just over a month since we shared 'All My Friends Are Drunk' by Brooke Bentham who now returns with 'Perform For You' a fabulous track, and another massive teaser for next February's album release. === Rounding off today's musical round up we have Lilla Parasit with 'Feather Soul' where the bands brand new track exudes originality, plenty of hooks and a refined indie rock feel.
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Emmrose - Hopeless Romantics.

Darkly emotive pop artist Emmrose returns with another single “Hopeless Romantics”. As the title suggests, it delves into the frustrations of modern dating and unrequited love – hoping for something more, and feeling hopeless as a result. Though just sixteen years old, NYC-native Emmrose delivers intense, self-reflective lyrics, and cleverly catchy pop melodies that keep listeners coming back for more.

“The song is about a hopeless ‘relationship’ I had last year,” shared Emmrose. “I’d wonder whether or not it was real the entire time. On some days he’d say the nicest things and then I’d hear nothing at all. I felt used, really.” The lyrics reveal the heart-break of the story, opening with a question, “Is this it? Is this all we’re gonna be?” It’s the hope of a budding relationship, that becomes crushed when the feelings and expectations of one side are raised, teased, and left unreturned; dashed against the rocks in inevitable hurt. Emmrose’s lyrical honesty cuts deep, in hurtful anger stating, “I think you knew, I was never good enough for you.” She went on to share, “When I had first written this song, the lyrics were what I was afraid of. That I ‘wasn’t good enough’ and that we were’t going to be anything more than ‘friends with benefits’ or whatever that means. Of course, all this then happened – and it took me forever to get over it.” Continuing in the vein of previous singles, her lyrics are deeply introspective and poetically written. Relatable, yet never predictable, her music explores the swells and depths of love, relationships, and emotion with stunning finesse. Emmrose never shies from being her honest self, even if that means admitting feeling like a hopeless romantic in the modern world.

“Being so connected with phones and social media can definitely get your hopes up,” mused Emmrose, reflecting on her own experiences as a high school junior. “People can text you at any time, and be in touch so much that it begins to make you think ‘wow this person must really like me’ even though in reality they might just be stringing you along.”

Sonically, the track continues Emmrose’s exploration of a dark pop palette, but also pulls in uptempo, Latin-inspired flair. “When I first began writing this song my dad mentioned that it sort of sounded like a Spanish bull-fighting song,” laughed Emmrose. “I originally wrote it on the ukulele, and kept going with that vibe because I thought it was fun and felt really natural to try something new.” Producer/engineer Michael Abiuso (Behind the Curtains Media) commented further on the development of the single. “I recall Emmrose having such fantastic melodies and lyrics floating around; at the time she was just learning new chords on ukulele. The easiest thing I could think of to play along with her on guitar was just moving one major chord back-and-forth a half step, giving a very Latin-esque feel to the track. I could see a look of excitement on her face and that she was internally cooking up some ideas! She returned to the studio within a few days with “Hopeless Romantics” fully structured with chords, melodies, and lyrics that I absolutely adored. I then showed her some Bjork tracks such as “Hunter” to get some sonic pallet influences and the rest is history.”


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The Pairs - Will And A Way.

The Pairs don’t quite fit any particular genre and they like that! With three unique songwriters at the helm, The Pairs create a diverse repertoire using their individual lives as inspiration. Employing music as a tool for sharing stories of life’s challenges, hope and hilarity, The Pairs inherently connect with their audience through their emotion-full performances. Powered by 3 classically trained vocalists and a former punk rock drummer, their unique blend of harmony and rhythm will hug your eardrums and inspire you to dance!

The album “Noise” is a collection of songs written from a place of hope, hilarity, tragedy and questioning. With lyrics, unique interpretations of rhythm, and unpredictable, sometimes haunting harmonies, this album articulates the idea that at any given moment a multitude of perspectives exist. The word “noise” is representative of the often chaotic experience of human life— whether it’s the noise of the world around us, the internal noise we try to make sense of, or simply the noise we can’t help but make as we fumble our way through our own beautiful journey.

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The Know - 143.

The Know began in late 2018 when Daniel Knowles suggested to his wife, Jennifer Farmer, that instead of traveling home for the holidays (to the UK and Texas respectively) that the LA based transplants stay put and try to create music together, just the two of them. This would be the married couple’s gift to themselves. For the next few weeks, they isolated themselves in their home studio with no real plan except a mutual love of Beach House, Julee Cruise, Ye Ye, The Jesus and Mary Chain, 60's girl groups, and the evocative storytelling lyricism of Patsy Cline and The National.

The first result was lead single '143.' Inspired by Tom Waits’ ‘(Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night’, the dream pop song melds autobiographical with fantastical lyrics and unfolds as a series of conversations, images, and hazy recollections of a night out. Their love for ethereal, dreamy atmospheres is shown in ‘143’, glistening with warm melodies, thick soundscapes, and quirky spontaneous flares. Four more songs quickly followed in the wake of 143, tracks that provide an unflinching look at the couple. The EP often delves deep into the duo’s personal lives by honestly narrating stories from their relationship and life experiences against a kaleidoscopic sonic palette.

Recording together wasn’t entirely new to the couple, a few years prior they had made an album as “Ghostel” with a friend providing vocals. Knowles, previously a producer and guitarist for UK shoegaze band “Amusement Parks on Fire” and live sound engineer for bands like Cigarettes After Sex, Sharon Van Etten, and Phoebe Bridgers, recorded the project while Farmer became a co-writer and bassist for the first time. They’d later have one of their songs featured prominently in the trailer for Oscar nominated film, “Mustang.”

The debut EP which was produced, mixed, and mastered by Knowles while Farmer handled the band’s visuals further reiterates their wish to craft something wholly their own. In addition, Knowles solely played all of the instruments while Farmer, for the first time, took on lead vocals. With a strong desire but no professional training and a deep seated fear, so intense in fact that previous attempts had reduced her to tears, Farmer’s voice emerges as courageous and powerful.


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Big Fox - All I'm Trying.

Malmö, Sweden-based artist Charlotta Perers AKA Big Fox returns six years after her last album release with fourth single lifted from upcoming full-length “See How the Light Falls”. Initially due for release in May 2018, Charlotta received some news which derailed the campaign. “A few weeks before the album was supposed to be released, I was diagnosed with Lymphoma,” she says. “It all happened very quickly and it was almost like entering a parallel world with a different time scale, rules and priorities.” The process permitted a much deeper sense of perspective to come to light for Perers; “Life suddenly became very intense, very here and now - but that amplified positive experiences too. But it felt good to know that the album was waiting for me on the other side. It was a reminder of something else, the someone I was outside the hospital.”

18 months down the line, Charlotta is better and “slowly reclaiming my life back”. The period of gestation gave the finished album more gravity and significance for the songwriter. “When I listen to it now, I actually like the album even more,” she says. “I have some distance from it. When you’re in the middle of the process, it's easy to get caught up in the details and not really hear the song anymore.” Following sync placements on Charmed, You’re the Worst and MTV’s Catfish, Big Fox’s 2013 single “Shadows” has surpassed 2million+ streams on Spotify alone, while her total streaming numbers exceed 3.6million. Charlotta didn’t allow “See How the Light Falls” to be rushed. Taking two and a half years to finish, and five years to release the album, Perers laboured over it, allowing it to unravel and accumulate organically.

“My experience of creativity is that I get this vague feeling of being pointed in a certain direction,” she says. “It rarely explains itself more than that. But I’ve learnt that if I give it time and attention then things slowly start to move and grow into something, like with the lyrics, I can search for the right lyrics for a long time, even give up, and then some months later it’s as if the missing words find me rather than the other way around.” Produced by Tom Malmros (Alice Boman, This is Head), the full-length explores varying sonic avenues, showcasing instrumental eclecticism in the form of subtle brass blasts, swelling cello and scintillating synthesisers.

At times new single ‘All I’m Trying’ can feel aurally reminiscent of Cate Le Bon or a deeply deconstructed Aldous Harding. Big Fox comments that she found it difficult to pen the lo-fi feat; “Some songs are hard to write about. They just move like a slow train, as if they had no intention of causing any big fuss or drama. But they are sincere, honest. Every word is carefully selected, every synthesizer questioned. And the more time you spend with them, the more you start loving them. That’s how I feel about “All I’m Trying”.”

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Ben Watt - Balanced On A Wire.

Award-winning musician-writer-DJ Ben Watt releases a new song "Balanced On A Wire" ahead of his forthcoming new album Storm Damage (out Jan 31) together with an atmospheric performance video filmed at the legendary RAK Studios in London where the album was recorded in April earlier this year. The video and track, which BlackBook called "...one of the most visceral pieces of music he's ever recorded," gives a flavor of Watt's powerful new "future-retro trio" which will tour in support of the album. Additionally, Watt's first US dates in almost three years are also announced today. The US tour kicks off on March 31 in Washington, D.C. and will make stops in New York, Minneapolis, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and more.

"My kids were teenagers leaving home for the first time when I wrote it,' says Watt of the new song. "I was moved by their mixture of anxiety and determination. It reminded me of being nineteen myself, standing on the edge of something new, how you cope, how you need to open up when the other half of you is screaming 'no'. And I realised I still felt like that now sometimes. Perhaps that feeling never really leaves you."

Recently, Watt released the single "Sunlight Follows The Night" and "Irene," featuring Low's Alan Sparhawk on electric guitar and harmony vocal. Stereogum called Sparhawk "...an ideal accompaniment for the song’s central substance, which amounts to Watt crooning with earthy singer-songwriter gravitas over a finger-picked metal resonator guitar and a synthetic tape loop." Following the release of "Irene," Flood Magazine published an in-depth and inspiring conversation between Sparhawk and Watt.

Storm Damage - a hybrid contemporary acoustic-electronic set - completes a compelling trilogy of albums since Watt's late-flowering return to solo songwriting and singing six years ago after ten years as an acclaimed DJ-remixer-label boss and seventeen in best-selling duo, Everything But The Girl with Tracey Thorn.

"My closest half-brother died unexpectedly in 2016, only four years after my half-sister," he says of events surrounding the album's origins. "I got stuck for a year, angry inside and angry at the political world casually detonating around me. I felt half powerless, half driven. When the songs finally came, some were dark, yes, but there is always room for light. Always. I just tried to put that across." Emotional and inventive, Storm Damage is released on Unmade Road through Caroline International.


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Ducks Unlimited - Gleaming Spires.

Ducks Unlimited are sharing their breezy new single, ‘Gleaming Spires’ – this is the latest to be taken from their debut EP, ‘Get Bleak’ which is due out next Friday (Nov 29) via Bobo Integral.

‘Gleaming Spires’ follows hot on the heels of last month’s ‘Anhedonia’ release, as well as the Brooklyn Vegan and Paste-tipped EP-titled track. It’s an effervescent new C86-tinged cut that rides the buoyant jangle-pop twang of Sarah Records and Postcard-signed acts – The Chills, Orange Juice, The Go-Betweens, etc. The new tracks –self-recorded and produced by the band in guitarist, Evan Lewis’s bedroom – add to previous singles (produced by Josh Korody, also Dilly Dally, Weaves) that found the quartet support Rolling Blackouts CF, The Goon Sax and Weyes Blood.

Speaking about the single that thematically addresses hometowns and the push-pull relationships we share with them, frontman Tom Mcgreevy says: "It’s about the emotional energy that gets put into hating a place. I feel like the manic intensity with which I've heard friends sometimes shit on the town they live in is often pretty transparently an exercise in the displacement of issues in other parts of their lives.”

“There's also this thing I've always found oddly charming about Toronto where, as a colonial leftover it has a bunch of streets named for various royal things, but normally in a vague way,” he continues. “‘King Street’ and ‘Queen Street’ being the major ones, but there are also some other names that either reference British history ('Victoria Street') or just have a kind of Camelot vibe (at least in my head) like 'John Street’.”


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Brooke Bentham - Perform For You.

Brooke Bentham has announced the release of her debut album Everyday Nothing on AllPoints on the 28th of February. She also shares a second single, ‘Perform For You’, a melancholy meditation on the power dynamics in toxic relationships. Inspired by novels that Brooke was reading at the time. She probes beneath the surface of a doomed romance from the get-go.  “It’s like surrendering to something, even though you know it’s never going to work, realising you’re so dependent on someone and knowing your presence in that relationship. It’s love in the worst way.” she says.

“‘Perform For You’ is probably my favourite, because it reminds me of lots of the music I love. Once we’d recorded that, I knew we were making an album. Musically it was exactly where I wanted to be.” Everyday Nothing follows two EPs of music shored up by intense reflection, which has earned the 23 year old many admirers and a rapidly growing fanbase.

Brooke writes sharp and eloquent songs about her experiences as she understands them, using words and music to resolve and record the tensions of young adulthood. Confronted with the mundanities of life and caught between two jobs in London, she finds intense lyricism in the struggle for purpose and direction. The album is, in her words, “in part an ode to the little moments in life, the frustration of being young and unaware of what you want, but getting older and realising you still don’t know. It’s an album I searched for myself in, filled with questions I asked myself."

Written entirely by Brooke, with a few contributions from producer Bill Ryder-Jones (who’s own album Yawn was showered with 4 and 5 star reviews last year), Everyday Nothing documents a fast-rising 23-year-old looking to make sense of her existence. So impressed was Ryder-Jones with Brooke’s observational lyricism that he said: "I've worked with some amazing songwriters in my career. I think Brooke at 23 is well on her way to being up there with Alex (Turner), Saint Saviour, Mick (Head) and James (Skelly). Her lyric writing will be overlooked because of her voice but it is her words that will set her apart from others.”

"Perform For You" follows "All My Friends Are Drunk" released early October which was the first taster of Everyday Nothing. A looser indie rock sound than her previous EPs pitched somewhere between Mazzy Star, Yo La Tengo, Sparklehorse and early Angel Olsen and nods to the ‘90s rock bands she was listening to leading up to the album being written, notably Low, Yo La Tengo and Broadcast.


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Lilla Parasit - Feather Soul.

Earlier this fall, Lilla Parasit signed with Stockholm label family Rama Lama Records (Chez Ali, Steve Buscemi's Dreamy Eyes, Julia Rakel etc.) and introduced themselves with the excellent Gaslights. Today, new single Feather Soul is released on all platforms, the second cut from the band's forthcoming, self-titled debut album which is out early 2020.

Lilla Parasit may be a new band, but the members are no strangers for fans of the Swedish psychedelic and indie scene. The band is lead by Are, who's band Melby released their debut album this spring to great acclaim, and made complete by Amanda Lindgren (Systraskap), David Svedmyr (Me and My Kites) and Jessica Klingsell.

The project started out three years ago and has since changed both names and members before finding both the perfect setting and sound. The band's grand semi-psychedelic lo-fi folk is now finally ready to reach the world's ears. Feather Soul showcases the band's softer and more melodic sides and is a beautiful piece taken from the upcoming mini album Lilla Parasit, out in March 2020.

"Feather soul is the second single from our upcoming album. The first one, Gaslights, was a mishmash of everything from the record, while this one is probably the song that stands out the most. It is much more straight-forward, both lyrically and musically. Perhaps so much so that it feels a bit off in the whole of the album, but it just had to be like that. I wrote it to my sister when she had a kind of hard time. She, and the rest of my family live in the north of Norway, almost 24 hours away by train. That was extra strange to relate to when she was unwell. So I guess that is what the song is about. "

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Friday, 22 November 2019

Armada Of Secrets - The Blue Stones - Golden Cinema - Cox's Army - Izzy Frances - Michael Malarkey - Jody and the Jerms - Piers Faccini

Armada Of Secrets feel that their new song 'Make Me Over' is a milestone for the band. It's also a marvelous and empassioned rocker of a track. === Blues rock duo The Blue Stones have a new video for 'Shakin' Off The Rust', which is a slick and potent song. === The new three track E.P from Golden Cinema is called 'Peachy Keen', and the three member band share some catchy indie rock. === Cox's Army are a bluegrass band and 'New Richmond Town' is a highly engaging track and a fine taster for thier new album. === Ollie Trevers has a new E.P. out and we have 'Can't Make It Up' and 'Stage Of Fools' to relish over, his vocals are wonderful (shades of Jeff Buckley) and the songs are beautiful as well. ===Songwriter Izzy Frances has released 'Safety' a song that showcases both her creative skils and fabulous vocals. === Michael Malarkey has a new video for 'Graveracer', his distinct vocals supported by an understated musical backdrop that gradually builds. === Jody and The Jerms new song 'He Doesn't Know Me Much At All' is a vibrant alt rocker packing plenty of hooks. === Finally today we have Piers Faccini and the beautiful song 'Could Have Been You' where his gorgeous vocals are surrounded by an enchanting musical arrangement .
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Armada Of Secrets - Make Me Over.

"This track is a milestone for the band. All of our songs come from experience, but we felt that we were laid bare with this track. So much so that we delayed releasing it, and even went on hiatus as a result of writing it. It brought all of our anxieties, fears, and accomplishments (and even lack of) to the forefront. That level of honesty scared us. This track symbolises our return, a coming to terms with who we are and what we believe in’’.

Life submerges us all in its intensity. Some rise and some fall beneath waves of self-doubt and self-destruction. On ‘Make Me Over’ Armada of Secrets offer themselves to us at their most autobiographical. Caroline Kabera’s lyrics challenge the constant cloying desire we have to remodel ourselves and to escape into hypothetical new-selves, because the grass always seems greener. Built around Carl Dawkins’ minimalistic bassline (contrary to his usual, more complex approach), the song crescendos towards its explosive choruses through subtle nuances in rhythm and colour. Kabera’s voice is full-bodied, recalling the kind of soul-influenced vocals found in nineties and early noughties sentimental dance classics.

There’s a heart-wrenching and life-affirming intensity to their performance, which the band describes as their simplest yet. ‘Make Me Over’ is a prayer for meaning, pining for an irrecoverable past and an unattainable future. It’s the sound of a band who feel every sentiment close to the bone. The song doesn’t fade out so much as stop, leaving its haunting chimes ringing in our ears long into the lingering silence beyond.

London’s Armada of Secrets is made up of vocalist Caroline Kabera and bassist Carl Dawkins. They met in music school after Kabera immigrated to London from Burundi. Carl then toured the world in a variety of bands, and Caroline kept her singing national while working hard for women’s care refuge charities - a cause close to her heart. They later reignited their explosive musical chemistry as Armada of Secrets.

A rollicking drum-and-bass-driven power duo, marrying danceable post-punk with raw, soulful singing, and deeply affecting observational lyricism, their project is a heady and untameable mix, vital and undeniable, greater than the sum of its parts. They themselves have struggled to label the sound for years. Their closest approximation comes to ‘Post Punk Power Pop Alternative Dance Rock’ but at its core they suspect it’s probably rock and soul, though they’re keen to hear what fans think. After going on hiatus when they finished writing ‘Make Me Over’, it took a chance re-listen to their tracks - with the encouragement of friends and fans - for them to come back and once more give their distinct life and light to the country’s indie scene.

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The Blue Stones - Shakin' Off The Rust.

Alternative-blues rock duo, The Blue Stones, shared a futuristic music video for their latest single “Shakin’ Off The Rust”, out now on Entertainment One. The clip finds the band and their fans jumping into the virtual world for a concert that evolves into a dance party with a strange twist. Meticulously layered with cannon-esque percussion and electrifying guitars, “Shakin’ Off The Rust” culminates in an inspiring chorus focused on fresh starts. Working with producer Paul Meany (Mutemath, Twenty One Pilots), guitarist/vocalist Tarek Jafar and drummer/vocalist Justin Tessier managed to sonically create an emotional intensity that sets the table perfectly for Jafar’s powerful vocal delivery. Having just wrapped up a European headlining tour, the band are gearing up for 2020 with a new album on the horizon and more touring to come.

On creating the video, the band stated: “We wanted to do something a little different this time around. We think it’s funny that someday — maybe sooner than we think — we won’t have to tour, but can do shows from wherever we want. The video gets a little crazy at times, but we had fun doing it.”

When Tarek Jafar and Justin Tessier formed The Blue Stones, they were facing uncertainty about who they were individually. What they did know for sure, though, was that they wanted to make music together - and, so they did. Following the success of their debut album, Black Holes, the band quickly found a following in the alternative rock world that lead to them sharing the stage with the likes of grandson, Welshly Arms, and Reignwolf. As they began working on new music, The Blue Stones caught the attention of producer, Paul Meany (Mutemath, Twenty One Pilots), with whom they would eventually enter the studio with this past summer.

Working with Meany lead to The Blue Stones exploring – and creating – music in a different way than they had before, and led to a new approach by Jafar when it came to tackling lyrics. The result was the band truly discovering who they were during the writing process. They’ve crafted something that shimmers with such purity and truth – musically and lyrically – that one can’t help but be swept up and carried off by the songs that will eventually form their as-yet-untitled sophomore album slated for release on Entertainment One next year. The duo may be redefining who they are, but their decision to pursue the rock’n’roll dream holds as strong as ever as they enter the next stage of their journey.


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Golden Cinema - Peachy Keen (E.P).

Based out of Canada’s smallest province, Prince Edward Island, Golden Cinema is a three-piece indie band with a penchant for summary melodies and bouncy rhythms. Their new EP, "Peachy Keen," is comprised of three songs. It's their first EP and leans into moodier grooves and guitar chimes.

“Our new “Peachy Keen EP” was recorded over the summer of 2019, with Derek and I recorded our parts on Prince Edward Island and Chris recording his guitar and vocals in Toronto. Due to working on a shoestring budget we weren’t all able to be in the same place, which started off feeling like a roadblock but ended up being a fun experiment!

"After the basic recording was done we sent the songs to our mixer and long-time pal, Dan Griffin (Teen Ravine, Arkells), who added some killer synths and strings and mixed the hell out of it. Dan Weston, who Chris actually plays on a softball team with, mastered the songs which was exciting because he mixes and masters records for a lot of our favourite Canadian musicans, such as Daniel Romano. We’re thrilled with how the songs turned out and can’t wait to get back to work on more music. Maybe it’s finally time for a full length album…” – Andy

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Cox's Army - New Richmond Town.

Cox's Army is a bluegrass band that performs classic and original material in the traditional style. Founded in 2016, the band is led by 'Cousin' Chuck Cox (Guitar, Lead Vocal) and features Laird Patten (Banjo), Jeff Burke (Mandolin, Baritone Vocal), and Jack Campbell (Bass, Tenor Vocal). The band keeps things traditional and acoustic, but believes that there is plenty of room for new material and innovation within that style. Their live show is built around a blend of Chuck Cox's original songs and a healthy dose of classic bluegrass songs. Authentic performance is a core value of Cox's Army. The band most often performs around a small mic cluster to deliver their signature vocal harmonies and they 'work the mic' like classic bluegrass bands to emphasize featured instrumental breaks.

Bandleader Chuck Cox originally hails from Cincinnati, OH, one of the historic centers of bluegrass music in the post-war era. After a 20 year career playing many other styles of music, Chuck found bluegrass through a search for his roots, which took him into Jackson County, KY. The search connected him with far more than he bargained for, finding many living cousins (in order of discovery): The Kirby Knob Boys, Larry Sparks, Dale Farmer (director of The Mountain Minor film), and eventually to David Harvey. Inspired by their examples as true originals, Chuck has worked hard to find his own sound and style as a bluegrass guitar picker, and songwriter.

Cox’s Army’s upcoming album New Richmond Town, planned for release in November of 2019, was recorded in the same spirit as each track is a complete performance without edits or modern studio tricks. The album was recorded in Chicago with Chris Walz producing the sessions and the tracks were mixed with the experienced ear of Rickey Wasson in Clay City, KY. Cox’s Army’s debut album Green Eyed Train, released in 2018, was recorded in the same style with production and mixing by the same team.


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Ollie Trevers - Can't Make It Up / Stage Of Fools.

‘The EP’ - Cordelia evokes themes of heartache, melancholia, catharsis and emotional claustrophobia. It is about feelings which often transcend our ability to describe them in words. With his idiosyncratic ear for melody and hooks, and a dynamic sense of opposites (light and dark, loud and quiet, bitter and sweet etc.), Ollie Trevers fires a salvo of emotionally charged numbers that cull influence from across the spectrum of popular guitar music. Cordelia is a narrative of heartbreak, showing the duality of relationships and their untimely endings. It is an exploration of unrequited love and its causes and effects: depression, addiction, disillusionment and longing.

London based singer/songwriter Ollie Trevers studied at Leeds College of Music and ICMP. He started writing and performing music at fourteen years old, harbouring artistic aspirations from the very beginning. A veteran of the band circuit, Ollie released his first solo EP Saucy Naughty Rubbish in 2018. Stylistically, the record saw Ollie exploring a powerful and energetic blend of post-punk and classic rock. His musical direction has since evolved into the five songs you hear on his new EP Cordelia.

It is a kaleidoscopic meeting of styles, channeling punk, alt rock, prog, blues, folk, and psychedelia. Ollie takes inspiration from artists such as Led Zeppelin, Ella Fitzgerald, Edith Piaf, Tim Buckley, Jeff Buckley, Pink Floyd, Queen, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell and David Bowie. Having only performed with his new band since March 2019, Ollie toured in the South of France a few months later. He plans to tour Britain, Europe and Nashville throughout 2020.


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Izzy Frances - Safety.

Songwriter Izzy Frances has placed herself firmly on the radar as one of the most exciting up and coming songwriters in the UK. Since releasing her first single ‘You Lost The War’, she’s picked up support from BBC Introducing, Impose Magazine and a number of key Spotify playlists taking her to over 10k streams in her first month.

Performing from a young age, Izzy started by singing and soon taught herself piano out of a passion for performance. Her songwriting life started in her teens when she wrote her first piece of music. She soon found a therapeutic quality to writing music that came from putting life experiences to music, though her inspiration often comes from a number of different sources.

"I've felt strongly about things that have happened in the books I've read or things that have happened in my friends / families lives and often then the songs just kind of pour out."

Still in the early stages of her songwriting journey, Izzy’s hard work and undeniable raw talent is beginning to bear fruit. Her new single ‘You Lost The War’ has been picked up by BBC Introducing, who invited Izzy to their studio for an interview and performance. She’s also picked up live shows at London institutions The Bedford and Spice of Life.

She’s now returning with her second single ‘Safety’ which reinforces her honest songwriting style and undeniable talent. An emotional piece of piano-led pop, it’s a dreamy new single that packs a songwriting maturity beyond Izzy’s years. On the new single she states:

"Safety is about stripping bare and exposing your soul in order to fully love. We're often so afraid of failure, ridicule or rejection that we feel a need to hide who we really are and to pretend the darker parts of us don't exist. But expressing these parts of ourselves should be fanning the flames of real love and strengthening that connection, not dampening it down. No fear, no judgement. 'Treat our love like a gun'"

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Michael Malarkey - Graveracer.

Multi-talented singer-songwriter-actor Michael Malarkey renders another brooding deep cut with new single ‘Graveracer’, the first offering and title track from Michael’s upcoming second full length album, due for release on 10th January 2020 via Cap on Kat/Kartel. Michael has also announced an extensive UK and European headline tour, kicking off at Manchester’s Deaf Institute on 9th January and coming to London’s Bush Hall on 10th January.

Best known as the charismatic Enzo in the CW’s television series The Vampire Diaries and Captain Michael Quinn in Robert Zemeckis’ executively produced Project Blue Book for History. The British-American talent has simultaneously cultivated a body of work that established him as a distinctive and captivating crossover talent, winning over audiences in both the music and acting arenas.

Written in 2018 between Puerto Rico and Vancouver whilst Michael was working on both the 50 Cent-produced crime drama The Oath and Project Blue Book, during a time of physical and emotional turbulence – Michael, the cast and crew were evacuated from Puerto Rico during the build-up of Hurricane Maria – an experience that has bled into the artist’s lyrical imagery through the record, perfectly depicting the tense feelings coming from the fragile balance of work and home.

“During the time I was working on the record, I escaped two hurricanes - as well as a third, I suppose, my own personal one. This record is my Odyssey in a way. It’s the journey back home after being ravaged in the seas of your own mind and finding the strength to carry on after the storm. I was left with a feeling of freedom and I found it through these songs. The opening track to the record, ‘Graveracer’, is the hearthstone of this journey. The road may be dark, but the night is full of stars”, reveals Michael.

Recorded at Tesla Studios in Sheffield, UK and produced by Michael and dark-folk maverick singer-songwriter A.A. Williams, ‘Graveracer’ is a visceral body of work and a masterful culmination of the last few years of Michael’s musical development, drawing together the strength of his unique live performances and influences in what is one of the most captivating releases of the year.


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Jody and The Jerms - He Doesn't Know Me Much At All.

Previously achieving success with The Anydays, Jody and the Jerms pick up the indie baton and look to power-pop, new wave and classic indie to light their path, with chiming guitars, 80’s Juno synth waves and Jody’s swooningly wide-eyed vocals.

Previously playing in bands who have received BBC Radio 2 plays, played major festivals and played alongside the likes of Radiohead and Supergrass, guitarist Niall Jeger and drummer Alex Bridge have hooked up with newcomer Jody on vocals to reinvent themselves as a band who are happy to ignore trends and play the music that excites them.

Now in the run up to their EP release, the band have shared a brand new single 'He Doesn't Know Me At All'; a nostalgic pop delight, that blends all those glittery, uplifting melodies and radiates the band's bubbly personality.

Looking to release their 2020 live dates in the near future, the Oxford trio are bringing back harmony-laden indie pop with an unmistakable nostalgic edge.

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Piers Faccini - Could Have Been You.

In 2018, Piers Faccini came up with the idea of releasing an EP vinyl series for his label, Beating Drum, in order to champion the kind of eclectic and talented artists the label meets and seeks out for their productions. The EP collection called, 'HEAR MY VOICE', began with three distinct and original voices from around the world, the Neapolitan songwriter, GNUT, New Zealand songstress, TUi MAMAKI and the Trinidadian poet and singer, Roger Robinson under his Folk alias, HORSEDREAMER.

For the fourth EP in the collection and wishing to highlight the series more, Piers Faccini decided to release one of his own.

In his previous albums, 'I DREAMED AN ISLAND' (2016) and 'SONGS OF TIME LOST' (2014) with cellist Vincent Segal, the songwriter had explored cross cultural routes to reach a form of songwriting without borders but for his 'HEAR MY VOICE' EP, he found inspiration in the kind of British and North American folk that coloured his first forays into songwriting and the result is vintage Faccini songwriting ; sparse, essential and poetic.

The first two songs on the EP, ‘Could This Be You’ and ‘Hope Dreams’ are dressed in the string arrangements of composer Luc Suarez, a collaborator in Faccini’s first band, Charley Marlowe in the 90’s and also feature drums played by Ken Coomer, (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo).
Two more intimate tracks, ‘Angel of Mercy’ and ‘Say You Don’t Know’ are reserved for side B, songs with with which we can picture the songwriting artisan, at work in his hideaway in the hills of the Cevennes in southern France.


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Wednesday, 20 November 2019

Hanya - Phonettes - Ben Witkowski - Papyllon

Hanya have just released 'Dream Wife' ahead of their 'Sea Shoes' E.P due out early in 2020. The gently paced song has a dreamy melodic vibe, with a refined and crystal clear musical arrangement. === Phonettes (aka Daan Hofman) has shared 'Make Up Your Mind'. His vocals exude sensitivity and add so much to this tender and lovable song. === From Australia we have Ben Witkowski with 'Mountain Man' which is a powerful and rousing song, packed with emotion and fabulously arranged. === Finally today we have European indie pop band Papyllon with 'All The Time' a solid, swirling and catchy track.
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Hanya - Dream Wife.

Brighton’s indie talent pool shows no signs of drying up anytime soon if Hanya have any say in the matter. Emerging as the latest enticing from the city’s thriving music scene, the dreamy quartet share tender lead single Dream Wife, taken from forthcoming EP Sea Shoes set for release early next year.

Marshalled by enigmatic frontwoman Heather Sheret, the band’s heady concoction of 90s-esque dream pop and shoegaze extravaganza has already conjured up early online acclaim alongside stellar supports with Honeyblood, Lazy Day and Tess Parks, and with their first trip Stateside for New Colossus Festival already lined up for 2020, the group’s profile looks set to grow further.

Discussing their forthcoming release, the four-piece explained: “Dream Wife is a song for the lovers. A throwback championing that first special someone, and the ‘honeymoon phase’ we’re all familiar with. Whether it’s an unrequited crush or the beginning of something long-term. It’s an arresting period of time that not even your mum can snap you out of with a trip bowling and some Pringles…”

Live Dates:
22 Nov – DIY Space for London (supporting Langkamer)
27 Nov – The Richmond, Brighton (single launch)
30 Nov – Hotbox, Chelmsford
17 Jan – The Hope & Ruin, Brighton (Love Thy Neighbours ‘Triptych’ Series)
11-15 Mar – New Colossus Festival, New York City.

HANYA is Heather Sheret (guitar, vocal), Benjamin Varnes (guitar), Dylan Fanger (bass), Jack Watkins (drums).

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Phonettes - Make Up Your Mind.

Phonettes is the project around the songs of Amsterdam based singer-songwriter and film composer Daan Hofman. About two years ago he started writing material from scratch with only an analog synthesizer, two guitars and a computer. He sings, plays all instruments, and wrote and produced all the tracks of the upcoming EP Algorithm Love.

The songs of Phonettes are shaped by minimalistic beats with dreamy vocal choirs, pickin’ guitars and warm analog synth sounds, even flirting with laid back techno, but preserving the song as its beating heart.

Phonettes about Make Up Your Mind: "The last track of the Phonettes EP ‘Algorithm Love, is a gospel with a twist. In ‘Make Up Your Mind’, Modular synths and minimal beats bring salvation to a troubled soul."

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Ben Witkowski - Mountain Man.

Mountain Man by Ben Witkowski is about overcoming one’s doubts and fears to become the best version of themselves. From moments of beautiful acoustic guitars and violin harmonies, to raw, powerful vocals, Mountain Man takes you on a powerful journey of self-discovery.

Ben originally wrote Mountain Man in Adelaide in 2013, once he re-discovered his love for music after going through a rough patch. The song was worked on for six years, and Ben said it changed “around 100 times”, before he finally had it recorded at Marshall Street Studios in Melbourne in 2019.

‘I wrote ‘Mountain Man’ back in a time where I was struggling mentally. I started to think of everything that made me happy, and suddenly this other version of myself appeared in my mind. Someone who believed in themselves and could chase their dreams. I decided to name this alter-ego the ‘Mountain Man’. I hope this song can resonate with other people that may be doing it tough. We can all achieve anything if we truly believe in ourselves.’ - Ben Witkowski

In 2017, Ben recorded and released a single, Army of Three. The song received very positive reviews online, particularly when it was submitted to MTV Asia’s song-writing competition, where it finished in 9th position in a public vote out of over 5,000 song entries.

After sitting down on the family grand piano at age 7, Melbourne-born Ben Witkowski fell in love with music. In his teenage years, he got his hands on as many instruments as he could. Focusing on singing, guitar, and piano, Ben began writing uplifting and beautifully emotive anthems with distinct themes of chasing dreams and making the most of life.

Mountain Man is the first of many powerful and epic songs that Ben has been working on and hopes to release to the world soon.

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Papyllon - All The Time.

Emerging European indie pop band Papyllon are five guys playing ambitious music and lyrically exploring the human psyche and its basic needs in modern society.

Fusing groove and pop with industrial bangers, they make sure feel energized, fresh and cool. Critics named their debut album world-class and their shows as impassioned, grandiose experiences.

All The Time is about being lost, being numb, being alone with your own thoughts and your bad decisions and learning to be OK with that in the long run. Not rushing and not chasing the instant answer but instead staying in the present moment, listening to your inner guidance and trying to captivate this moment´s potential with your awake senses.

In short, it is a danceable meditation. Fairy-tale-like verses with soft vocals accompanied by a danceable chorus with a guitar in the style of Niles Rogers and the synth-heavy instrumental hook will throw you in a sea of emotions, in which you'll want to swim again, and again and again…

Previous single What About Tonight got airplay in The US, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Israël and home country Slovakia, was featured in the Spotify Dutch New Music Friday Playlist, was picked up by Popmuzik (Sweden) and Graffiti Vibe (UK) a.o., and both the number of Spotify streams ánd video count on YouTube passed 10.000 plays.

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Tuesday, 19 November 2019

Debra-Jean Creelman - Grimm Grimm - Albon - Novanta

Debra-Jean Creelman has released a video for 'Smoke' ahead of her 'Triggers & Mirrors' E.P. due out on November 29th. This is refined electro pop the musical layers cleverly arranged whilst the vocals add passion and melody. === Grimm Grimm has just released 'The Ghost Of Madame Legros'  which features Laetitia Sadier, it's a dreamy and creative piece, one that just feels irresistible. === LA singer-songwriter Albon has a brand new song entitled 'Call Me Up'. It's a refreshing and bright sounding piece, a little like The Beach Boy's reborn in the 21st century. === We have featured Novanta just once before back in 2016, and the new song 'Lovers' brings us up to date, musically this is a notable leap forward as they creatively span across genres.
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Debra-Jean Creelman - Smoke.

Although she’s been making music professionally for 25 years, it wasn’t until recently that Debra-Jean Creelman felt she had finally found her voice. You could chalk it up to the confidence that comes with maturity, freedom from not having to live up to any scene or critic’s expectations, or the long hours of teaching music to bright-eyed students – but the most likely cause is the calm that comes from chaos. “I got funding to make this record right in the middle of a crash course in mortality, upheaval, and loss. The version of myself and the life that I had been clinging to had been shattered, “ Debra-Jean explains.

The result is the 6-song experimental electro-pop EP Triggers & Mirrors, a true collaboration between herself, co-writer and producer James Meger, producer/engineer Jesse Zubot, and vocalist and creative collaborator Molly Guldemond. “These songs are just as much James’ as they are mine. He built tracks around my hesitant demo vocals, and he, Jesse, and Molly supported me musically (and otherwise) as I gained confidence and momentum throughout the process. Coming out the other side of it, I feel stronger, happier, and more inspired to make music than I have in a very long time.”

The first single from the upcoming EP finds Debra-Jean at her most vulnerable, dissecting the trauma and patterns that are passed down from generation to generation. Debra-Jean explains, “I was pretty sure from a very young age that I wouldn’t be a mother.

My relationship with my mother was complex and challenging, and resulted in my not knowing her for most of my adult life. This song is about freeing myself from the traditional restrictions and societal obligations of being a woman and not passing on the programs and patterns I inherited to a child of my own.” This sentiment is beautifully captured in the prodding electronic soundscape of the track, as well as in the accompanying music video, directed by musician/filmmaker Jo Passed and featuring his mother, Barbara Bourget of Kokoro Dance.


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Grimm Grimm - The Ghost Of Madame Legros (ft. Laetitia Sadier).

Grimm by name and by nature, there’s more than a hint of the famous Grimm brothers’ twisted fairy-tale folklore to Ginormous – the third album from London-based, Tokyo-born experimentalist Koichi Yamanoha. Recalling a childhood with Humpty Dumpty and Mother Goose by his side, his latest offering marks the next chapter in a trilogy of self-discovery; a compendium of sonically astute storytelling where nightmares and dreams meet via French yé-yé and Casio beats.

“I always wanted to write an album that sounds like a funeral and a wedding at the same time,” Koichi says of the happy-sad tales extracted from the phantasmagoria of his Grimm Grimm alias’ consciousness. “I wanted to create something intimate and each album is like a different road trip I’ve taken; all with exit doors leading to the next story. It is like a warning letter to the older and younger version of me.”

An outlet for his fragile, haunted, otherworldly forays into baroque folk, futurist lyricism and electro-acoustic oddities, stories have always shaped Koichi’s world. Whether channelling the wonder of nursery rhymes from his youth to megalophobic thoughts of monolithic objects, Ginormous turns to the next page of Koichi’s sonic journey so far; its lyrics and melodies culled from the notes on his phone whilst travelling alone on trains across Europe. Between shows with Cate Le Bon, Simon Finn, Dinosaur Jr, Thurston Moore, The Undertones, Green Man Festival and Edinburgh Fringe, each note offers a monumental moment in time from every passing experience of Koichi’s emotional world; such as his feelings upon seeing the imposing Yugoslavian monuments of World War II (Spomenik’), or hearing from his many friends made along the way.

Yet, Ginormous is most affecting at its deepest, when Koichi spins personal yarns from his own dreams and memories; pointing to places where negativity can undergo positive transformation, whether capturing beauty in rainfall, the reassuring visions of those who have passed (‘Hey Graeme, Pass Me The Rotten Gun’ / ‘We Will Meet Again The Cleaner Said’) or even his own near-death experience. “I was swimming off Terugasaki in Kanagawa, Japan and the current was too strong,” he remembers. “I’d swallowed a lot of sea water and saw weird images of people gathering like being at a wedding or funeral. About 150 of them were smiling, some perhaps drunk and waving at me so I shook hands and said hello.”

Recorded in his room at home and Total Refreshment Centre in North/East London, Koichi enlisted award-winning producer Marta Salogni (Bjork, The Orielles) and Capital K’s Kristian Craig Robinson. Sophie Lowe of Peluché played clarinet and violin whilst Pete Baker and Monchan of Bo Ningen provided additional drums. Joining them; avant-garde violinist Agathe Maxx, and Koichi’s flatmate Paz Maddio, of postpunk trio Value Void, added her whispery vocals to ‘In A Glass Jar’ and the title track. “I choose words to create mood and I like the word ‘Ginormous’,” he says. “It’s dumb and funny but expresses something big in everyday life… an object, determination, relationships, or even a chair or sausage – American sized.”

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Albon - Call Me Up.

LA-based singer-songwriter Albon creates folk inspired indie rock falling somewhere between the dreamy lineage of The Beach Boys, Grizzly Bear, (Sandy) Alex G and the whimsical soundtrack to Disney’s 1953 rendition of Peter Pan.

Albon, originally from Chicago, has clearly taken in what California's Pacific Coast Highway has to offer, as his new EP Dream Weaver/Bee Keeper shines with motifs dealing with loss, exploration, and a general sense of wanderlust. The music is perfect for those long drives where you zone out and effortlessly seem to have a deep emotional journey play out in your mind. Furthermore, it’s interesting that Albon cites Peter Pan as a defining influence, as his material is indelibly linked to the nostalgia of his youth and the darkness and power associated with attaining your childhood dreams.

Alexander B. Lappin aka Albon, began making music in his Northern Chicago suburban bedroom at the age of 12. Initially, he played his dad’s nylon string guitar upside down. Lappin quotes, that playing the guitar upside down was most likely caused by his learning disabilities which included symptoms similar to ADHD. Currently, Albon’s style of writing is informed by “upside down mind” as he tends to write songs backwards, starting with the end and working his way to the beginning of the song. Lappin’s public musical career has been somewhat limited due to his perfectionist qualities, as he has a library of over 150 plus finished songs, but has only released 14. Plublossums (2014), was Albons first attempt at creating a cohesive body of work, as he wrote, engineered, and recorded everything on the record. The album was eventually picked up by LA tape label Hellhole Supermarket.

Clearly, leaps and bounds have been made as Albon’s new EP, Dream Weaver/Be Keeper, embraces space when necessary yet allows for bursts of dense sonic compositions to enlighten the listeners experience, driven by sincerity, exploration, and heavy pop hooks. The songs are embellished by myriad of orchestral instruments and interesting pop production techniques such as pitch shifted vocals and soaring harmonies. The EP was recorded at Tropico Beauty, a studio created by LA’s native Hartunian brothers which opened one year ago, but has none the less hosted acts such as Devendra Banhart, Alex Bleaker (Real Estate), and Florist amongst many other reputable artists. Dream Weaver/ Bee Keeper was tracked with the help of artist’s Cameron Wisch (Porches), Alexander Babbit (LAG), and Sasha Smith.

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Novanta - Lovers.

Highlighted by the contribution of Stella Diana's Dario Torre (vocals in "Outside noise") and Marco Barzetti, aka True Sleeper (vocals in "To realize"), "Some are stars" is a four-song EP whose making took no less than three years. During this time Manfredi Lamartina, leader of the project, has radically changed his composition approach.

Novanta is no longer a solo project, but a duo that also includes drummer Agostino Financo Burgio (Nicolò Carnesi, Hank, Moque). The sound is no longer lo-fi: cleaner, with more impact, also thanks to the work of Lucantonio Fusaro, Claudio Piperissa and Luca Ferrari, who recorded and mixed the album at Faro Recording Studio (Varese, IT).

What kind of music is "Some are stars"? Manfredi Lamartina, founder and leader of Novanta, likes to call it “ceiling-gazing”: a mix of dream pop, post-rock and synth-wave to listen to at very low or very high volumes. No middle ground.


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Monday, 18 November 2019

The Phantom Broadcast - The Just Joans - Freya Beer

The Phantom Broadcast recently released Antiquities Volume 2, which follows on not surprisingly from Volume 1 released earlier this year. Well we have them both as this band really do explore some fabulous musical directions resulting in some really fine indie, post rock and other musical influences within their songs. === Less than a month since we first featured them The Just Joans are back with a new single 'The One I Loathe The Least' it's another helping of gorgeous, melodic and stylish indie pop. === Freya Beer has a brand new single and video for 'Dear Sweet Rosie' a simmering alt rocker that's full of addictive hooks.
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The Phantom Broadcast - Antiquities (Volume 1 and 2).

The Phantom Broadcast’s Antiquities Vol II was released on Friday, Nov 1 and it follows Antiquities (Vol I), which was released in April of this year. Both EPs have been compiled on a single, vinyl LP that was released on Tuesday, Nov 5.

The band are: Evan Opitz - Vocals/Guitar, Lucy Little - Violin/Vocals, Dave Hollis - Guitar/Vocals, Nick Soria - Bass, Colin Rambert – Drums.

The Phantom Broadcast creates music that pushes the boundaries of indie and post rock with the influences of folk, jazz, classical, and metal tendencies. The results yield dynamic instrumentation where creativity and emotion are paramount in the composition of each song. Aiming to construct an architectural sonic space, the five band members collaborate on storytelling and presentation.

Having released three full lengths and two Eps since forming in 2013, the band has grown, mutated, amputated, and grown some more with each recording. After almost two years of writing and recording, The Phantom Broadcast released Antiquities on limited-edition vinyl. The themes explored on the album deal with the challenges of maintaining good mental health, the anxiety of with living and thriving in a large city like Chicago, and the hardships of the mundane. Thanks to an incredible amount of support via Kickstarter, the record was pressed to wax and is available via all online streaming platforms, at shows, and in record stores throughout Chicago.


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The Just Joans - The One I Loathe The Least.

The Just Joans’ new single “The One I Loathe The Least” is taken from their forthcoming album The Private Memoirs and Confessions of the Just Joans, due out on 10 January via Fika Recordings.  “The One I Loathe The Least” (premiered over at God Is In The TV) is a song about friendship and finding someone who hates the same things that you do. A shared disinterest can be as powerful as a shared interest, and there is often something triumphant in these relationships when it feels as though it’s just you and them against the world.

The Private Memoirs and Confessions of the Just Joans is a deeply personal collection of songs that hazily recall the past and contemplate the futility of the future. At the forefront remain the mischievous lyrics and heartfelt vocals of siblings David and Katie Pope, aided and abetted by Chris Elkin on lead guitar, Fraser Ford on bass guitar, Arion Xenos on keyboards and Jason Sweeney on drums.

The Private Memoirs and Confessions of the Just Joans is a veritable smorgasbord of misery, longing and unrequited love; stories of small town resentments, half-forgotten school friends, failing relationships and awkward workplace conversations. As David explains: “It’s a collection torn from the pages of the diary I haven’t kept over the past 25 years. There are songs about places and people I vaguely remember, feelings I think that I once may have felt and the onset of middle-aged ennui.”

Despite entering new territory with the addition of brass and strings, they have nevertheless maintained the DIY ethos that made them darlings of the underground indie-pop scene, with each song on the album recorded and produced by the band in various gloomy bedrooms around Glasgow.

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Freya Beer - Dear Sweet Rosie.

Freya Beer began her songwriting journey at the tender age of 10, this led to her performing her lyrics at the age of 16 accompanied by just her guitar.

During her time studying ‘Music Performance’, Freya Beer self-released her debut single “Bike Boy” in 2018. The single gained a positive reception from the likes of BBC Introducing and an array of music blogs. “Bike Boy” was quickly followed by the release of “Six Months”, which also received a positive reception and led to a BBC Introducing Solent Live Lounge Session and feature on Tom Robinson’s BBC Radio 6 show as well as BBC Wales.

Freya Beer’s upcoming single, ‘Dear sweet Rosie’ was recorded early this year in Manchester. The song draws from a number of literary influences including Allen Ginsberg’s ‘An Asphodel’ and Anna Sewell’s ‘Black Beauty’.

Alongside Freya’s thick guitar riff and tender vocals, I Am Kloot drummer Andy Hargreaves adapts a Led Zeppelin-esque drumming style to the song which creates a non-toppling wall of sound.

Live Dates:
Nov 30 - The Lexington, London (w/ Brix & the Extricated)
Dec 4 - 1865, Southampton (w/ Dr John Cooper Clarke)
Jan 20 - The Social, London (w/ TheBoy Least Likely To)


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Cactus Lee - Sons of Sevilla - Gwenno

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