Cuddle Magic - Baron Minker - Castle Black - Andria Piperni - Freya Beer

Cuddle Magic have given us a feel for their forthcoming album with 'What If I' and its an exquisite chamber pop song, we've received two other tracks and I have to say this is a very promising album. === Baron Minker shares the addictive new song 'Anthem of the Rich and the Bored' his genre mixing music, is impressive and some. === Brooklyn's Castle Black have a new video for 'Dead In A Dream' where the bands post punk influences combine with some powerful rock vibes. === Montreal singer song-writer Andria Piperni just released 'Coming Home To You' and it's one of those songs that stands out in the seemingly crowded Neo Soul/R&B world. === We are a little bit proud to have been ahead of the crowd with Freya Beer and her last single and are equally content to just share her latest song 'Arms Open Wide' which is equally hook filled and wonderful.
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Cuddle Magic - What If I.

Cuddle Magic—the New York/Philadelphia-based chamber-pop sextet—today announced their upcoming full-length Bath is releasing on Northern Spy Records. The album's lead single "What If I" is out now and, like the full album of single takes, was recorded entirely in a bathroom nestled amid 23 microphones and the space's natural reverb.

“What if I” is the first and only song in 15 years of being a band that every member of Cuddle Magic wrote a song together," says Cuddle Magic guitarist/vocalist Benjamin Lazar Davis. "The track started when Cole Kamen-Green brought in this amazing seed that was a little loop he found in a Johann Sebastian Bach chorale.

Then Christopher McDonald joined us to work on another section that would later become the bridge. Much later, Kristin Slipp and I took out the old seed and soon had the chorus melody, & it was that night that Alec Spiegelman and David Flaherty showed up and together we would complete the lyrics to the song and put the finishing touches on the melody and form."In keeping with the spirit of the album, Cuddle Magic will be announcing a contest this week wherein fans enter to win essential bathroom supplies such as bidets, squatty potties, and toilet paper simply by following the band’s Spotify page.

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Baron Minker - Anthem of the Rich and the Bored.

A beautiful, dreamy endeavor - Baron Minker carves out a thoughtful balance between worlds both savage and serene. What results is a sound like the singularity. An underground cadre of Terminator-like cyborgs who long not for violence, but for love and existential cohesion. It’s Skynet’s art rebellion. It’s an exercise in restraint and self-indulgence. The collective dissonance the album paints comes together like a scene of androids and humans together in search of meaning amid the unfolding of a new universe.

Blending indie sheen with understated vocals and a penchant for eclectic absurdity, Baron Minker delivers liquid sonancy with vivid, imaginative landscapes that melt into deep, reflective pools of sound. This self-titled debut weaves in and out through a sparkly mix of shoegaze and 70’s psychedelia and by the time you’re out the other side, you’ve traveled lightyears. The journey across these electric cosmos stretches space and time and lands firmly on satisfying ground. Simply put, this album is a lot of fun.

The album traverses the world it creates with urgency and attentiveness. Lyrical explorations of the ever changing nature of human interactions, both within society and the self, texture the tracks. There are moments like ‘Anthem of the Rich and the Bored’ saturated with dread and hysteria that move into electro-grooves of the dystopian ‘Covered in Concrete’. Allowing itself moments of tranquility, ‘Dodgeball’ is a rippling, well placed refueling in this interplanetary journey. The ethereal and self-reflecting ‘Cocomo Hum’ blends beautiful, swirling vocals with electric smoothness that feel like a conversation between a moon and nearby satellites, while the closing track ‘Nice Chompers’ addresses despair and the hope that rises from it’s conquering. All in all, Baron Minker offers up a smooth, deep, personal, connected electricity (a connectricity, if you will) that grows more pleasant with each listen.

Stay tuned as Baron Minker announces more material leading up to his June release, and watch “  "Anthem of the Rich and the Bored,”” to get a taste of what the future holds!

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Castle Black - Dead In A Dream.

Brooklyn's Castle Black are thankful that they can share their new video for “Dead in a Dream” during a time of social isolation, when they otherwise would not be able to create a music video in quite the same way.  Their original plan to have a live show event with special video screening has been canceled, but they can still celebrate the video through online means to mark the occasion.  Bars are closed, more shows are canceled, and music fans and bands alike are adjusting to our new reality.  The video, shot last August in Brooklyn, NY, was filmed and directed by the talented Jeff Allyn Szwast, who also filmed and directed their videos for “Dark Light” and “Broken Bright Star.”

Castle Black has been steadily releasing widely praised EPs over the last several years, and are a band now known for their unique post-punk math-grunge style, relentless work ethic, intense live performance, and love of the road.   With their March tour canceled, and shows for the foreseeable future canceled, the band, and bands in general, are operating in a completely new environment.   For a band as busy and productive as Castle Black, this is a time to think of new ways to reach people, especially people who are feeling the emotional effects of social isolation.

This week the band premieres a new visual star, with their music video for "Dead in a Dream," which comes off Castle Black's EP Take Her My Life, released last November.  The EP received wide adoration and accolades from both fans and press alike.  “Their songs defy the average and are powerful and hard-hitting, always focused on hitting that trademark hook you’re waiting for.” – PureGrain Audio  “[Dead in a Dream] is a creepy, saber toothed masterpiece … It’s one of the half dozen best songs of 2019 so far …” – NY Music Daily

The video unexpectedly soars with social relevance, giving viewers an ebb and flow among various states of dream and reality.  Social isolation can bring about the need for a strong imagination, as well as a strong reliance on memories to re-create emotions that may not be easily accessible during this time.  Celent notes, “Having this video, which is like a relic of a time now seemingly so far in the past, is really special for us, because we are now living in a vastly different environment.  We could not make this video now.  We have no idea when things will be even slightly back to normal to make another video, let alone to get back to playing shows and to recording an album.  The recurring lyric in ‘Dead in a Dream’ – ‘take me back in time’ – has taken on new meaning in this new world. This video, for us, is a brief jaunt back in time, a brief reprieve from everything horrible that is happening.”

The themes in "Dead in a Dream" further explore Castle Black’s love of challenging reality and exploring dark themes in a cinematic way, as can be seen in their two other music videos also directed and filmed by Szwast, “Dark Light” and “Broken Bright Star.”  Once again, Szwast shows his artistic prowess in “Dead in a Dream” when it comes to framing, mood and elevating ambiguity, to perfectly match the music. The band chose to use masks from the very talented Carolyn Watson-Dubisch of Artisan Masks; these handmade paper maché masks lend an eeriness and a mysterious quality that completes the dream aesthetic of those scenes.

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Andria Piperni - Coming Home To You.

Montreal singer-songwriter Andria Piperni blends neo-soul, R&B, and jazz to create a sound that feels both fresh and familiar. Her love for creative expression started as a young girl, often found dancing and singing to R&B sensations such as Alicia Keys and Janet Jackson.

While spending much of her time training and teaching as a dancer, scribbling lyrics in notebooks, and learning piano from her father, she developed a deep passion for storytelling and human connection through music. Inspired by both the intricacies of everyday life and the narratives of her vivid dreams, Andria’s music combines authenticity and fantasy to craft a compelling and meaningful experience.

In November 2018, her debut single Say Something made its way onto Canada’s R&B/Soul iTunes chart and garnered acclaim from EARMILK, Vents Magazine, Bong Mines, and more. Andria has since released three singles, earning spots on major Spotify playlists such as New Music Friday Canada and Just Vibing, and has collaborated with a variety of artists including writing and featuring on house DJ Andrew Pololos’ hit single Never Be The Same, which spent several weeks on Spotify’s Viral 50 Canada chart. Her music has also been played on CBC and Stingray radio stations worldwide.

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Freya Beer - Arms Open Wide.

Follow up to January’s magnificently received Dear Sweet Rosie, receiving great support at 6Music notably by Lauren Laverne and Marc Riley (who had Freya in for a live session), Freya Beer returns with new single ‘Arms Wide Open’ (produced by Pete Hobbs from The Boy Least Likely To who also produced Mostar Diving Club).

Alongside Freya’s tender vocals and thick guitar tones, it features an incessant, tribalistic driving drum beat from I Am Kloot drummer Andy Hargreaves.

Regarding the this new release, Freya says: ‘I tried to convey a ritual style sound accompanied by a tribal drumming beat which drives the track forward.

The tubular bells helped contribute towards the overall ceremonial atmosphere of the song. Lyrically, I’ve experimented with exploring the subject of talking about the darker undertones of a relationship’.

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Carmanah - Eleri Angharad - Reliant Tom - NIIKA

Carmanah new song 'Best Interests' is a soulful and expansive rocker that slowly lets it's musical hooks dig in deep. === From Swansea, Wales Eleri Angharad has shared 'Blank Walls' where her beautiful vocals are notable on this singer-songwriter piece. === Our second feature this year for Reliant Tom comes in the form of 'The Sky Is Falling' which has some post rock vibes as it builds in intensity and refinement. === from NIIKA we have her brand new song 'The Cage' along with a very fine animated video, the track itself is centered around some mesmerizing vocals and a sophisticated musical backdrop.
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Carmanah - Best Interests.

Like the rainforests from which their name derives, the steady beat of the west coast can be found within the sound of Carmanah. From muddy blues-funk to light soaring melodies, Carmanah creates music that curves and tumbles through valleys and over peaks guiding the listener on a celebratory sonic journey.

Recognizing Carmanah’s passion for their home and the ways it influences their music, renown producer Gus Van Go (The Arkells, Sam Roberts, Wintersleep) coined the term “West Coast Soul” to describe their unique sound. The band’s first album, Speak in Rhythms produced two #1 CBC Music tracks, the effervescent ‘Roots’ and shimmering, brooding ‘Nightmare’, setting the tone for this new west coast sound.

With one album behind them and one ahead, Carmanah is crafting a musical niche of their very own, a vintage blend of the intuitive and the technical; a blend that lies somewhere among roots, rock and blues — all seamlessly woven together by Laura Mina Mitic’s soulfully luminous vocals.

Iris, their forthcoming album is a natural evolution and a moody counterpoint to their debut. Recorded between the wild forests of B.C. and the concrete high rises of Brooklyn, Iris is a heartfelt offering, a tapestry of thoughtful stories for our time. Undulating rhythms and bountiful instrumentation create a rich sonic backdrop for driving melodies and potent lyricism. The first track ‘Mountain Woman’ shows rousing vocals layered atop of propulsive rhythms, a joyful assertion of feminine energy and natural power. Lead single ‘As I See You’ is one of the gentler songs on the album, a sultry composition that speaks of friendship and holding up the people you love while valuing what they love in you. It’s a track that carries a compassionate message; “By embracing those who love us, within ourselves we can find a sense of home and belonging in our own skin”, says Mitic, “By caring for the environment around us, we also care for ourselves.”

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Eleri Angharad - Blank Walls.

Swansea based singer/songwriter Eleri Angharad will release her much anticipated new single 'Blank Walls' on Friday, April 17. The track has been written solely by Eleri Angharad and was produced and recorded by Lee House at Fieldgate Studio.

2019 saw Eleri burst onto the country scene with the release of her debut album 'Earthbound' which has since racked up thousands of Spotify streams – an impressive feat for an independent artist coming out of Wales. The title-track was even A-Listed on BBC Radio Wales showcasing the support she has across the nation.

Last year also saw the Swansea artist touring the globe on a headline tour playing intimate shows across Europe and even played Glastonbury Festival. 2019 was a huge breakout year for the artist who delivers a mix of country, and pop sonic sounds throughout her musical output.

The European support and radio play signals that 2020 is going to be a big year for Eleri Angharad who shares 'Blank Walls' this April. Speaking about the track, the Welsh performer says: “ Blank Walls tells the story of a fragile, chaotic relationship. A series of fragmented moments you're constantly trying to string together into something solid"

'Blank Walls' delivers a Kacey Musgraves esque production overlayed by the hauntingly beautiful vocal of Eleri Angharad which evokes Clare Bowen's sweet style. The track is a country gem that will delight her loyal fan-base whilst also inviting new listeners to discover her eclectic and unique sonic blend.

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Reliant Tom - The Sky Is Falling.

Brooklyn-based experimental art-rock duo, Reliant Tom shares new song "The Sky is Falling" which MXDWN calls, "methodical," and "mesmerizing." The song plays upon themes heard in the lead single "Nevermind the Garbage" and carries dark, cathartic undertones. Singer Claire Cuny took inspiration from the tragic passing of her father who died suddenly in 2018 on the day of the band's last album release no less. Accompanying the track is a music video the band shot while in quarantine. Reliant Tom's new album 'Play & Rewind' is out May 8th via Diversion Records.

Tracing their origins to a chance meeting at a DIY show in Brooklyn in 2015, the Brooklyn-based post-rock electronic band and experimental performance art Reliant Tom is centered around its core creative duo, Western Massachusetts-born, Brooklyn-based composer Monte Weber and Dallas, TX-born, Brooklyn-based choreographer and vocalist Claire Cuny. The duo’s collaboration is a seamless synthesis of their individual talents and interests – sound design, wearable technology, modern dance, and hook-driven, yet genre-defying songwriting.

“Reliant Tom gives me the outlet to explore both pulse driven works while maintaining the other musical elements which I find fascinating - timbre, aleatoric processes, and interactive technologies,” Weber explains. Adds Cuny, “Our ultimate goal with Reliant Tom is to be a multi-media performance experience that straddles the line between pop and experimental music - and philosophizing about what that even means, and is that even possible as ‘experimental pop’?”

Thematically, the duo’s two previous releases, 2016’s self-released, self-titled EP and 2018’s critically applauded, full-length debut effort Bad Orange, touch upon the pitfalls of digital communication and the generally blasé nature of modern social interaction – through the guise of avant-pop and avant-punk-influenced musical devices and arrangements featuring electric guitar, vocals, a hybrid electro-acoustic drum kit, synthesizers, and Weber’s Kontrol Instrument, which he developed while studying at the Paris-based Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music as a way to make electronic music more tactile and immersive in its performance.

Slated for a May 8th, 2020 release through Chicago-based Diversion Records, Reliant Tom’s sophomore effort Play & Rewind is a decidedly bold and self-assured step forward: Cuny’s sultry and expressive vocals while being prominently placed front and center, effortlessly glide over lush yet spacious arrangements of shimmering acoustic

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NIIKA - The Cage.

From NIIKA we have the gorgeous new video for "The Cage," animated by Derek Barber, AKA Perhapsy.

Here's a quote from NIIKA on the song & video: I started writing The Cage while sitting on an enormous face of granite in Yosemite National Park, and feeling the vastness of that place. Now we're all stuck inside, keenly aware of our confines, and the incredible weight of this crisis. I suppose now this song becomes an offering of hope, and a reminder of the beautiful, terrifying sense of smallness we can experience when we're immersed in nature.

A reminder of life, space, the passage of infinite moments, blood pumping through tired legs on a hike, yelling into open air on a mountain or in a crowded bar, joy. The animation was conceived and created entirely by Derek "Perhapsy" Barber- I don't think there's been a better time to engage with a bit of genius whimsy.

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Smoke Fairies - Brudini - The Shacks - Chelsea Williams - Kluster B

Smoke Fairies have just released a new track entitled 'No Matter How This Goes, Just Make Sure That You're Kind', we've already featured three songs from their recent album and this one is another spectacular piece. === Brudini returns with 'Radiant Man' which is a beautiful calm singer-songwriter piece. === Retro indie rockers The Shacks released 'Wings' and it opens as an understated song before adding more melodic layers. === Los Angeles artist Chelsea Williams new song is 'Wasted' which is an upbeat and hook filled track with bags of charm. === So far this year we have shared three songs from Kluster B new album 'b' and it's a pleasure to now share the full collection that has just been released.

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Smoke Fairies - No Matter How This Goes, Just Make Sure That You're Kind.

Smoke Fairies (Jessica Davies & Katherine Blamire) have just surprised fans by releasing an exclusive and unheard new track “No Matter How This Goes, Just Make Sure That You're Kind”.

Recorded with producer Phil Ek in Seattle last year for their recent critically acclaimed ‘Darkness Brings The Wonders Home’ album the track was initially held back. However, the band Feel the song to be so pertinent to the current world health crisis they wanted to share its message of love.

The track comes at a fruitful time for Smoke Fairies who this week sit at Number 1 in both the physical and vinyl Official UK Singles Charts with “Elevator” a Limited-Edition 7” picture disc. The single’s sales pitched the band at #1 in both charts topping The Weeknd and Bon Iver respectively.

This follows the album from which ‘Elevator’ taking a #1 in the Rock Album Charts at the start of February as well. Forced to abandon live plans to celebrate the release of “Elevator” by playing a series of intimate in-store shows and signings the band moved their single launch on-line and managed to raise money for the Red Cross in the process.

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Brudini - Radiant Man.

Having become a fan favourite at his live shows, Brudini’s new single Radiant Man unfolds like a Greek tragedy. A protagonist with good intentions, fighting on, crushed against a tidal wave of forces beyond his control.

Recorded in a basement studio in Stoke Newington without any use of a click-track and on analogue instruments only, Radiant Man has a timeless, soothing feel, and features jazz drummer Derin Bayhan (Istanbul) and Casper Hoedemaekers (Netherlands)  on double bass. It was mixed and mastered at legendary NYC analogue boutique studio Sear Sound (John Lennon, Lou Reed, Ryan Adams ++) by Grammy-winning engineer Jeremy Loucas and Brudini.

Radiant Man is the 4th single from forthcoming debut album From Darkness, Light which is finally due for release on May 15th. It follows the critically acclaimed singles Reflections (which is currently is getting solid support on BBC6), Emotional Outlaw and Pale Gold.

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The Shacks - Wings.

Retro indie rockers The Shacks make their return with the bottom heavy, feel-good anthem “Wings.” With enticing vocals and pulsing guitar, The Shacks’ new single cuts its way through the speakers from the first note, offering listeners an escape from our recently altered reality.

“Wings” is equal parts new sonic landscape and familiar territory for The Shacks. The group made an impressive first mark on the scene with their hit “This Strange Effect”, which soundtrack a worldwide iPhone commercial. The Shacks continued to build their fanbase touring internationally in support of their debut album Haze with groups such as Khruangbin and Chicano Batman. It’s no doubt that their initial success and esteemed touring schedule lead them to this infectiously catchy and tasteful crowd pleaser.

The unique, ebullient beat that backs “Wings” is attributed to the pumping guitar line, which is actually three baritone guitars playing in harmony. “A baritone guitar is halfway between a regular guitar and a bass. It’s also known as a tic-tac bass,” said Max Shrager, guitarist and producer for The Shacks. “It’s an unusual instrument, but you can find it throughout various genres.”

“Wings” is sure to be an anthem for the spring and will give The Shacks’ fans a taste of new music to come. The Shacks are currently finishing up their new album, which is due early 2021.

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Chelsea Williams - Wasted.

Los Angeles artist Chelsea Williams has released “Wasted”, the latest track off her upcoming album Beautiful & Strange, which drops on May 8 via Blue Élan Records. Encapsulating Williams’ unrelenting positivity in the face of misfortune, the upbeat new song depicts a destructive relationship nearing its end with clever lyrics wrapped around sunny pop hooks and a brilliantly infectious chorus. Accompanied by a triumphant new video, “Wasted” was featured this morning at Earmilk, who said “It’s complexion in disguise, perfectly aligning dynamic layers of guitar chords and a simple backbeat. It periodically sneaks in other subtle instruments, jovial and innocent, never once letting you escape its irresistible charm."

“There’s nothing like the freedom you feel when you get out of a toxic relationship,” explains Williams. “I was a master of toxic relationships in my 20s. ‘Wasted’ is a summary of some of my experiences wrapped up in a fun little musical package.”

Beautiful & Strange showcases Chelsea Williams’ diverse musical palette, as she blends catchy pop sensibilities with elements of roots, psychedelia and jazz and incorporates everything from toy pianos and singing saws to sweeping string arrangements and a symphony of harmonicas and keys. Whether she is dissecting relationship dynamics or examining the very notion of destiny, Williams’ charming, confident songwriting and airy, nuanced vocals maintain an underlying current of optimism. The result is a cinematic collection of songs that are equal parts whimsical spontaneity and mature sophistication. NPR Music recently featured the album’s debut track “Red Flag”, with Stephen Thompson calling it a “fantastic earworm” and declaring “Williams’ brightly rendered Americana songs dispense poppy, anthemic uplift and earthy grit in equal measure.”

Chelsea Williams honed her skills busking at Santa Monica’s Third Street Promenade, where she captured the attention of passersby including Ron Howard and Sheryl Crow. This eventually led to a high-profile TV commercial singing in Maroon 5’s “Playing for Change” version of their hit “Daylight”, as well as a record deal and a Singer-Songwriter of the Year award from the Hollywood in Music and Media Awards. Williams’ 2017 release, Boomerang, garnered praise from critics including Rolling Stone Country, who describes her sound as “K.T. Tunstall, Sheryl Crow and Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild on a confessional girls’ night out.”

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Kluster B - b (Album).

Kluster B (fka Kluster) are putting out their second album, 'b'. A lot has happened in all the five members lives since the first album, civic (2018). The band was very shattered during the period that the music was written, being far apart from each other both geographically and emotionally, which resulted in turns within the music none of the members could have foreseen. A band crisis emerged, a crisis that was processed in the studio during the recording week, something that has left its clear marks on the record. In the end, the recording of b was an enriching experience for the band, coming out stronger than ever on the other side, with a new name and a new record. There was now nothing left to lose.

Kluster B was founded by four friends and a virtual drummer in Malmö 2014, a real life drummer joined in shortly afterwards and the gang was complete. Since then, the quintet has been active on as well the Malmö indie scene as playing shows in Berlin, Copenhagen, Stockholm, supporting acts such as Frankie Cosmos, Omni and Nicole Sabouné. Debut album 'civic' was released in 2018 and Kluster received praise from Line of Best Fit, BBC Radio 6, major Swedish music magazines and more.

The band returned earlier this year with new single 'Counterpart', the first taste from the  sophomore album that will be released on April 17th. b is like diving in to 10 different swimming pools of Kluster B's playful sound - a melting pot of broad influences such as pop, punk, noise, lo-fi, indie and jazz. It is a development of the sound we got to know on their first album. The interplay and paradox between the complex and simple is still there but the quintet have this time allowed themselves more time and space to experiment with almost jamming and evolving parts that hypnotizes the listener.

The members have a history as academic jazz players, forming Kluster B after longing to find a collective process free from strict genre playbooks and narrow-minded academic rules. A process that resulted in Kluster B's captivating characteristic dynamic and turning points, alternating from melodious to dissonance, complex to simple.

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Discovery Zone - Juliper Sky - Soë Blue - Pam Tillis - Dougie Poole - Walter Martin

Discovery Zone shares 'Blissful Morning Dream Interpretation Melody' which is a rather fine song title and an equally pleasing and soothing electro piece. === Our third feature for Juliper Sky in just a few months is for new single 'Infinite Jets' which follows their recent E.P release and is another impressive song from the band. === Soë Blue has released her debut single 'Karma' and what a gorgeous and refined soulful track it is. === Pam Tillis recently released 'Looking for a Feeling' a sultry country song with a touch of bluesy vibes. === From Dougie Poole we have 'Vaping On The Job' ahead of a new album due in June, the track itself is a mixture of country with a touch of rock & roll. === Finally today we have Walter Martin with the topical 'Quarantine Boogie' an amusing and thankfully listenable song on the current situation (& we have received plenty that are hard going to say the least) anyway this is also for a good cause as you can see below.
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Discovery Zone - Blissful Morning Dream Interpretation Melody.

What are dreams? Where do they come from? How can we share our dreams? New York-born, Berlin-based musician and filmmaker JJ Weihl is set to release her debut solo record as Discovery Zone having previously played bass and sang in acclaimed experimental pop band Fenster. 'Remote Control' is out via cult Berlin label Mansions and Millions on June 5th.

Today, Discovery Zone shares ‘Blissful Morning Dream Interpretation Melody’. On the single, Weihl says “The title is a quote from a five hour-long Wagner Opera I saw called “Der Meistersinger von Nürnberg”. Sitting in the Munich Opera house surrounded by strangers and listening to music that was written long before I was born, I had the distinct sensation of experiencing time travel. I had this feeling that I was listening to the inside of Wagner’s mind - of being transported into someone else’s dream."

The accompanying video is a commercial for invisible wearable tech that allows you to download and share images from your dreams, Blissful Morning Dream Interpretation is the name of this revolutionary new product. The video was made by Weihl,  in isolation at her home in Berlin. It is composed of stock footage and artificial faces generated by GAN technology. It poses the question - how do humans dream of computers and how do computers dream of humans?

Her album Remote Control, with its palette of chimes, chirps and shimmers, is a glowing meditation on our contradictory moment in history. In her hands, the limitations of the default setting form a territory of unbounded experimentation, from the system-notification synth funk of “Dance II” to the trance incantations of “Blissful Morning Dream Interpretation Melody.” There are bits of sound collage and a lot of operatic robot choirs woven through tight emotional electronic pop.

Weihl implements drum machines, vocoder, sound collage, theremin and electric guitar, creating a small laboratory both in the studio and on stage. The experimental aspects of Weihl’s music are reflected in the spectrum of playful aesthetics, maintaining a strong focus on emotional and accessible pop melodies. Nostalgia is mixed into more synthetic sound worlds, each song dipping into past and future sonic landscapes.

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Juliper Sky - Infinite Jets.

Juliper Sky have made significant strides in the seven months since their inception, catching the eyes and ears of Spotify’s editorial taste makers with several highly regarded playlist placements, including ‘The IndieList’, ‘Hot New Bands’ and ‘New Music Friday’, receiving over a quarter of a million streams in the process.

Meanwhile, the band have gained national and international radio support from the likes of BBC Introducing, BBC Radio, Radio X, Amazing Radio and KEXP.

Following on from a busy 2019 and the release of their debut EP ‘Visions of a New Age’ in March 2020, Juliper Sky are set to release their hotly anticipated single ‘Infinite Jets’ today 17/04/2020.

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Soë Blue - Karma.

Here comes a new soul- and pop-voice that deserves being heard: Soë Blue from Zurich surprises with her debut single 'Karma'. As its title already says, her karma spreads pleasant feelings, warmth – and a lot of positive vibes.

But despite this fact, 23-year-old had to conquer doubts all over again. She had to learn that money rules the world – specially in the music-business. This painful experience has influenced the emerge of «Karma».

More than ever, such a positive soulpop-anthem is necessary at the moment. Due to corona-crises Soë Blue had to postpone her record release-party. She, who is blessed with a soulful and slightly darkly timbred soulful voice.

Soë Blue has got a great fascination for the Montreux Jazz Festival. That's where her love for music – and her inspiration – comes from. She's fascinated by the likes of Adele, Amy Winehouse, Simply Red, Alicia Keys, Joss Stone and Aretha Franklin. They all, however, have inspired her current sound.

After «Karma» there's more modern soulpop on the way, as Soë Blue will release more singles. And – as soon as the crises is over – she will tour with her strong band.

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Pam Tillis - Looking for a Feeling.

Restless and unwilling to compromise, Pam Tillis has released her 12th studio album Looking for a Feeling.

At times genre defying, Looking for a Feeling is a rootsy ramble with spiritual and philosophical underpinnings and seventies overtones.

Driven by percussive acoustic guitar strums and a funky drum pattern, the production provides Tillis with enough space for an expressive vocal performance that ranges from a Dylanesque tumble of words to the gritty gospel soul of Mavis Staples. -Jon Freeman, Rolling Stone (Looking for a Feeling Single)

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Dougie Poole - Vaping On The Job.

Dougie Poole, the Brooklyn-based country musician and songwriter, will be a familiar name to many in the DIY music scene. After coming of age in Providence, Rhode Island Poole has long had ties to several artists in the experimental music scene including Jerry Paper with whom he toured nationally while playing in Paper's live band, and in 2019 he appeared on the Drugdealer album Raw Honey, drawing praise from Pitchfork for his "sad-eyed Elvis croon" on the track "Wild Motion."

He released his solo debut Wideass Highway in 2017, which was his first public experiment with country music and became an immediate favorite of publications like The FADER, who praised his ability to bring classic country songwriting into a "contemporary space" with an album that "articulated a generational self-consciousness." Exploring a hybrid of synth pop and country music, with a wry sense of humor and often cutting observational insight the album established Poole as a forerunner in a class of musicians who grew up in a post-genre ecosystem, equally as likely to be influenced by Ariel Pink and Animal Collective as Dolly Parton and Dwight Yoakam.

Today, Poole is announcing is Sophomore LP The Freelancer’s Blues, out June 12th on beloved Brooklyn indie Wharf Cat Records (Palberta, Bambara, Public Practice), with the lead single "Vaping On The Job." As this first single makes plain, Poole's latest LP sees him graduate from the drum machine and synthesizer bedroom country experiments of his first album to a full band with honky-tonk harmonies, wailing pedal steel, and carefully constructed arrangements that whole-heartedly embrace the country sound he only hinted at on his debut.

Produced by Jonathan Schenke (PC Worship, Gong Gong Gong, Public Practice), who produced the full LP, "Vaping On The Job" is a perfect encapsulation of Poole's skill as a songwriter, and of how deftly he bends the country idiom to tell stories that are true to his experience and those of his city-dwelling, romantically alienated and financially precarious peers. Verse by verse he follows the stories of a a delivery driver with an art degree, a midtown tech startup employee and the bartender they tell their woes to with a blend of humor and earnest compassion, backed by his tightly-drilled backing band whose blend of steel guitar and the occasional synth texture create a backdrop that settles with surprising comfort somewhere between Alan Jackson's early '90s output and the alien warmth of R. Stevie Moore.

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Walter Martin - Quarantine Boogie.

Renowned songwriter and Walkmen co-founder Walter Martin released today a new song "Quarantine Boogie (Loco)." Recorded at home in isolation, the song features guest vocals from Matt Berninger of The National (who also appears in the video) along with horn accompaniment by Stuart Bogie. Walter is working with City Harvest, a non-profit organization providing support to those affected by COVID-19 and supplying food to NYC public school kids in need. Walter has started "Walter Martin's Team" and the first goal is to raise $10,000.

"I made this song hoping to make enough of a fool of myself to inspire people to join my City Harvest team and donate money," stated Walter. "They are doing amazing work feeding people in NYC right now, and helping get food to public school kids who rely on school breakfast and lunch. I hope you can laugh at my song during these hard times and please join my City Harvest team and donate HERE."

Walter released his latest album The World At Night earlier this year, his fifth solo effort since The Walkmen announced their hiatus in 2013. It was met with widespread critical acclaim from Pitchfork, Noisey, Billboard, Vogue, Paste, Flood, and NPR Music who raved, "Whenever the state of the world gets me down, I listen to him and I always feel better." Last month, Walter also released two surprise albums on Bandcamp called Common Prayers and Green Beans & Tangerines, both comprised of various unreleased songs from his prolific archives, including unused B-sides, demos, alternate track versions, and more.

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Marie Dahlstrom - Andrea & Mud - Sandmoon

Marie Dahlstrom just shared 'Wandering' and it's a lush and beautiful soulful song, her vocals are fabulous as is the whole arrangement. === Andrea & Mud have released 'Lines' as a foretaste of their next album due in June, the surf-western duo are in splendid form and the album is all on a par with this fine song. === We first came across Sandmoon back in January and they are back with 'Empty' and it's another refined indie folk song from this creative band.
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Marie Dahlstrom - Wandering.

Danish, London based artist Marie Dahlstrom continues to tease the release of her upcoming debut album Like Sand, with soulful new jazz-inflected cut "Wandering".

One of the more experimental, electronically-charged tracks on the album – Marie creates an image of a ship being adrift at sea, not being able to navigate to shore again. “I wanted the song to feel like being lost," Marie explained. "Something I feel like everyone goes through at some point in their life - and something I feel a lot of musicians can relate to when navigating their career as an artist.”

Brought up on some of soul and R&B’s greats; recalling the likes of Edwyn Collins, Womack & Womack and Gloria Gaynor being on regular rotation in her family home in Roskilde, Dahlstrom also cites the discoveries of Dwele, Musiq Soulchild, SWV, Dire Straits, Lucy Pearl, Erykah Badu, Kirk Franklin and Fleetwood Mac in her teenage years as key points of inspiration in her musical upbringing.

Moving to London 9 years ago from her hometown of Roskilde in Denmark – Dahlstrom has made a significant name for herself in those years for her warm, jazz-tinged, soulful R&B.

Now, she is preparing to release her long-awaited debut full length album Like Sand, out May 22nd. Recorded between LA, Copenhagen and London, Like Sand features collaborations with the likes of South London soul singer James Vickery, California based songwriter and producer Jeremy Passion, Brooklyn based singer/producer Elijah Fox, British guitarist Beau Diako and more.

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Andrea & Mud - Lines.

Atlanta-based surf-western duo Andrea & Mud have announced a June 12 release date for their latest LP Bad News Darlin' and have shared the first two singles from the album at Wide Open Country and Glide Magazine. Both tracks will be available on all streaming platforms April 17.

Surf-western music is a vigorous elixir - blending spaghetti westerns with rough-edged, honky-tonkin’ classic country. Atlanta-based duo Andrea & Mud draw upon genre stalwart Junior Brown, who coined the “surf-western” term, into their own special mix, tossing in heartier blues stock ala Shovels & Rope. Their songwriting is uniquely potent, and with their new album, Bad News Darlin’, they extract parts of themselves to cope, mend, observe, and grow.

Consummate storytellers, Andrea Colburn and Kyle “Mud” Moseley bury their instruments and melodies in the earth’s dusty shell. Each song is soaked in style, immersive and heightened like a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack 一 think Kill Bill or Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood.

The duo co-produced the record with Damon Moon at Standard Electric Records in Decatur, Georgia, and the roster of musicians is impressive. Players include Tre “Danger” Watts (upright bass), Adam Higgins (electric bass, organ), Will Derr (drums), Bradley Daugherty (drums), “Smoking” Brett Resnick (pedal steel), Liz Sloan (fiddle), Chad Paulin (trumpet), Jim Ivy (saxophone), and Matt’s Blues (Matt Jordan on piano).

These 11 tracks are ragged, transportative, and electric. “Birmingham, AL 8:30 AM” is a bluesy, late-night swiller, as they tie together a real-life story about a debaucherous night in the Yellowhammer state that carried on well after sunrise. Then, a song like the boot-scootin’ “Used Car Salesman” depicts a tale about a greasy, sleazy salesman and his hooker. With “I Ain’t Home,” they bite off their most straight-arrow country tune, a thick pluck reminiscent of Loretta Lynn with a smooth Conway Twitty charm. Together, Andrea & Mud are a match made in heaven, their stories forever intertwined. Separately, their backstories could not be more different.

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Sandmoon - Empty.

Sandmoon, an indie folk/rock band led by Lebanon-based musician Sandra Arslanian, is set to release their third single from their forthcoming album, “Empty”—a gorgeously measured and thought-provoking ode to a lost love and the consequences both melancholy and uplifting. The moody mid-tempo track employs a dark beat augmented by sharply executed atmospherics on guitar and electronics that ebb and flow and culminate into a cathartic crescendo.  Capturing the mood beautifully is the accompanying video shot by Cesar Award-winning Paris-based director Hany Tamba (After Shave). The striking black and white video showcases the band performing on a computer screen and  removed from a compelling, quietly intense and haunting series of images (starring actor Didier Vinson).

Sandmoon continues to create substantive music with emotive themes and an unerring sense of style that springs from Arslanian’s multi-cultural upbringing—born in Lebanon with Armenian roots and raised in Belgium.  Produced by Faddi Tabbal at Tunefork Studios in Lebanon, the song features Arslanian on  vocals, backing vocals, synth and additional guitar; Sam Wehbi on guitar, Georgy Flouty on bass and Dani Shukri on drums.  “Empty” is the third single taken from their forthcoming album, Put A Gun/Commotion, which will be released later this year and the follow-up to their recent single “Angels.”

Says Arslanian: “’Empty’ is about realizing how wrong some of your life choices have been and how liberating it is when you let go of them. The emptiness that ensues is an opportunity to care and dare again.” Adds Tamba: “What I like about ‘Empty’ is that it is both melancholic and uplifting. Sandra’s hauntingly beautiful and mellow vocals flow graciously through to the end.  There’s something very fluid and organic about ‘Empty,’ a song about the void left after an emotional break-up. There’s a sweet sadness to it, but also optimism.

For the visuals, I chose not to ‘tell a story,’ but to simply capture the emptiness while remaining faithful to the haunting atmosphere that the song generates. Slow and graceful images in black and white seemed appropriate, with a slight hint of color when we see Sandmoon on the computer screen.  In the end, what is important is that the images and the music become one. I hope I have succeeded in doing that.”

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Suzy and The Lifeguard - Richard Edwards - Emily Keener

We have already featured a couple of impressive tracks from Suzy and The Lifeguard 'Anima' E.P due May 1st and now we have a third song entitled 'Loolluby', which is a calm and dreamy ballad. === We have to go back to January 2017 for the last appearance of Richard Edwards on Beehive Candy still the new song coincidentally entitled 'January' makes for a fine return, it's a beautifully textured and melodic piece. === Following on from 'Do You Love Me Lately' Emily Keener returns with 'Boats' ahead of the album, 'I Do Not Have to Be Good', due out May 22, the new song is gentle, sincere and intimate folk music.
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Suzy and The Lifeguard - Loolluby.

Mental health is seemingly being torn apart at the seams amongst the Covid-19 crisis. Suzy & the Lifeguard’s new ballad, “Loolluby,” presents a soothing elixir, while also questioning what is real and what isn’t in the battle within mental illness. “Loolluby” will be released on April 6.  It’s off the EP, ANIMA, produced by Grammy award-winning recording and mix engineer, Phil Joly (Patti Smith, Lana Del Rey, Daft Punk).

“Loolluby” serves as a melancholy backdrop to its darker meaning. Paradise’s vocals comfort as they fade in and out of focus, mirroring the inner drawing in and out of a person grappling with mental illness. Keys gently twinkle, punctuating that dream-like state where the struggle with reality exists for the person suffering from mental illness and the loved ones impacted by it.  “Loolluby” snaps in and out of reality as Paradises soothing vocals transform into a haunting interlude on the song’s bridge when she sings, “Wasn’t if different / didn’t it matter.” Suzy Paradise says, “It basically describes loving someone who is ‘there’ and then suddenly not; how that prompts you to question what is real.”

The chorus encapsulates the overall message of the song: “ So I keep digging underneath / You’re there deep down / You have to be / Or was I just imagining? / You seem so far away.” It enacts Bob Marley’s message, “My home is in my dome” within three key points. We can self-soothe by seeking refuge from an otherwise chaotic world by looking inward. We can find peace by not needing anything from others. And we can exude unconditional love and be happy with an experience regardless of the outcome.

The ANIMA EP due out May 1, embarks on a shadowed journey of neon nightlife and moody ambiance. Recorded in Kauai at a friend’s chocolate farm/music studio, Paradise says, “It’s vibier than the last record. It’s a bit darker overall, but it’s also still silly and fun. I feel like it’s an honest reflection of not only what I have experienced in the last five years but also the fun and magical space we were in.”

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Richard Edwards - January.

Today Richard Edwards has announced his new album The Soft Ache And The Moon will be released on June 12th. Edwards has also shared a lyric video for the single "January." Both graceful and impassioned, "January" blends introspective, searching lyrics with lush orchestration to create a compelling lead album track. Edwards is the former frontman and guitarist for Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, who released six albums between 2006-2014.

"I wrote this song, like so many on the record, while dancing alone in my house," writes Edwards. "I had an idea that by moving the body while singing, my melodies might bend and twist in ways they hadnʼt during years of sedentary writing. I was correct. The song is about a reoccurring dream when Iʼm sick."

The Soft Ache And The Moon was produced by Richard Edwards and Mike Bloom, and mastered by Grammy-winning engineer Greg Calbi (Kacey Musgraves' Golden Hour, Tame Impala's The Slow Rush). Reflecting on the album's creation, Edwards writes, "As has been the unfortunate case for the past few years of my life, upon getting started on a new record, I fell ill and had to make other plans.

I built a small studio in my house, where I was stuck for over a year of illness, and worked on finishing it long distance with my Los Angeles based band. It is more or less about things never quite getting back to normal after a personal cataclysm. And hopefully its actually about more than that, too."

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Emily Keener - Boats.

Cleveland indie-folk artist, Emily Keener, announces the April 13 single release of “Boats.” Through tender, breathy vocals Keener reflects a snapshot in time, capturing what it feels to be safe and understood.   It’s off the album, I Do Not Have to Be Good, due out May 22.

Keener wrote “Boats” after sailing Lake Erie on a summer night under the stars. It was her first time on a sailboat; everything was calm and there weren’t any other boats or people in sight. That peaceful tranquility exudes every note even as the chorus releases and the song concludes into a feedback-soaked space. She says, “I wanted to write a song that was so simple, just about appreciating the loves in your life and the moments we get lucky enough to end up in every now and again.”

On her upcoming album, I Do Not Have to Be Good, Keener colors her plaintive and introspective lyricism with a frailty that longs for connection and understanding. When Keener began working on the new album with Dalton Brand at WaveBurner Recording, she consciously broke away from the belief in perfection and purity as being necessary, or even possible.

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Rosie Carney - Maleena - Alla Igityan

Rosie Carney has released a new single 'i spoke to god' alongside her new E.P. We shared 'When I Look At You' a month ago and this is another gorgeous track from this consistently creative artist. === Maleena shares 'Don't Forget Me' and it's a refined modern pop song with beautiful vocals. === From Alla Igityan we have 'Sad Song' which may have sad sentiments lyrically, but it's also a refined and very pleasing piece.
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Rosie Carney - i spoke to god.

Rosie Carney releases new single "i spoke to god" alongside new EP i dreamed i was the night today. The EP was made in New York with Thomas Bartlett (Doveman), known for his work with Sufjan Stevens, Vagabon, Florence & The Machine and more, after the success of her debut album Bare.

‘i spoke to god’ was written in Rosie’s family home in Ireland after a 3-month tour, as she explains: “I was very heartbroken at the time and I remember it rained nonstop for a week and I literally didn’t leave my bedroom. All in all, the melody came first, fairly quickly and the lyrics followed slowly after as a poem but made up of gibberish.”

“I basically floated around my room like a ghost talking to myself,” she continues. Despite the title, she says “I’m not religious and I didn’t actually speak to god (disappointing I know), but when I did speak to myself, I pretended it was being heard by something much bigger than all of this.”

Although it comes from a place of pain, "i spoke to god" has an edge of optimism: “this song is predominantly a breakup song, but the message is very much one of self-reflection during a time of obsessing over someone who didn’t love me anymore.” "i spoke to god" follows previous single "when i look at you", an intimate cut capturing the last 10 tumultuous years of Rosie’s life which featured her bravely dancing on camera for the first time.

The EP follows Carney’s critically acclaimed debut album Bare which saw NPR write; “her songs feel lived-in and worn, conveying a bruised ache well beyond her years” and glowing reviews from The Line of Best Fit (9/10), Mojo, The Sunday Times and Uncut. "i spoke to god" is available on all online platforms April 10th alongside upcoming EP i dreamed i was the night, via Color Study, a self-described “personal pop” indie label founded in 2019 by her manager Spencer Kelley.

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Maleena - Don't Forget Me.

18-year old pop artist and high school senior, Maleena, today released a heart-wrenching video dedicated to the worldwide class of 2020, who are increasingly seeing their schools closed for the rest of their senior year due to the coronavirus pandemic.  The video for “Don’t Forget Me” bounces between scenes of current-day Maleena isolated in her cap and gown and scenes of future Maleena looking through a box of memories from her senior year, including a newspaper documenting the school closures.

“It is heartbreaking to know that we, as the Class of 2020, have unexpectedly already spent our last days in our schools without a proper goodbye,” said Maleena.  “But, I want to let all my classmates throughout the world that we are not alone in this.  We are bonded together by these unprecedented events and we will be a stronger generation because of them.  We can’t forget that and we can’t forget each other.”

Maleena began her musical career in 2010, in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. She has been involved in numerous musical groups, ranging from the hard rock band, Chip & The Charge Ups, to Pittsburgh Youth Chorus.

Maleena has been performing her own songs in shows that feature singer-songwriters since 2017. She has been writing music for the entirety of her life and finally made a breakthrough in her music career with the release of “Uninvited” in 2019.  She continues to write and record her original music and plans to release a 6-song EP in 2020.

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Alla Igityan - Sad Song.

Being a software engineer by profession and a singer/songwriter by passion, I am super-blessed to enjoy two distinct yet exciting careers at the same time. Back in school life, when everyone was preparing for university, I decided to opt for vocal lessons along with getting apt at playing violin and guitar. That marked a new phase of my life. From turning on karaoke to pretend myself performing at my concert to actually recording my favorite songs and uploading them on YouTube, I eventually achieved that level where I wrote my first song.

While I love the extensive troubleshooting and technical exposure of my day job as an engineer, singing is an entirely different world for me. Having Bob Dylan, Jason Isbell, John Prine and many other amazing songwriters as my inspiration, I strongly believe in openly expressing my ideologies and personality in the songs I write.

I was born and raised in Yerevan, Armenia, and even though in the last couple of years I started performing at the local bars/pubs and having success there, in 2019 I left my comfort zone to move to Berlin, Germany. I believe being a part of a much bigger music community will bring more challenges, and will also let me learn and grow even faster.

This song is about unwanted changes that sometimes happen in our lives. It doesn’t matter if you stay strong and believe that it’s gonna work out for the best - sometimes you just can’t help but feel sad. I wrote this song a couple of years ago when I was going through something similar in my life, when I wanted to go back to the way everything was before. With everything going on in the world at this moment this feels like an appropriate time to play this song.

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MYNTH - Forever Honey - Lesley Barth - Percy

MYNTH just shared 'Laurel' which is the first single from their third studio album due in September, the song itself is a gorgeous mix of guitar led Electro music and lush vocals. === We had the pleasure of sharing 'Christian' by Forever Honey a few weeks back and they have returned with 'Twenty-Five' which is another refreshing mixture of melodic pop and rock. === Lesley Barth first single from her forthcoming album is 'Woman Looking Back at Me' a hook filled song that combines Blondie style disco beat with reflective lyrics. === UK band Percy just released 'Love Song' accompanied with a video, the bands powerful post punk sound remains intact with addictive vocals, it's a fine taster for their next album ‘Seaside Donkeys’.
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MYNTH - Laurel.

'LAUREL’ was out yesterday April 10 and is the first single from MYNTH’s 3rd studio album (SHADES | MYNTH), which will be released in September 2020.

With their new single, the twins Giovanna and Mario have refined the sound of MYNTH, whilst maintaining their signature electronic trip hop vibe. In ‘LAUREL’ the guitar is at the forefront, creating gloomy and edgy mood, balanced with a dreamlike state of mind.

‘LAUREL’ is an unobtrusive companion on the road to nowhere on a mild spring night, providing insight into a bizarre and surreal world of sounds and images. Director of the video Gabriel Hyden worked with the twins, and all three took inspiration from David Lynch to bring their vision to life. They play with impressions of a foreign sphere. In the context of self-isolation, emotions are taking shape and embody a nightmarish feeling of oppression, which occasionally gets burst by hopeful sunrays and bright soundscapes.

It’s when loneliness and lust for life ask the protagonist for a dance, she realizes she’s trapped in her own dull and seemingly perfect world, owning everything she needs. But more and more she’s losing the ability to live in the moment. Everything moves past her, she tries to figure out what’s happening in the world, and in her loneliness she almost becomes the voyeur of these little puppets out there in the carousel that rotates ever faster. A spinning top that draws the audience into madness. "I run away, I run away" - over and over, we run away.

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Forever Honey - Twenty-Five

Forever Honey's second single "Twenty-Five" came out yesterday Friday, April 10, along with an accompanying music video.

Forever Honey is the Brooklyn-based project of Liv Price (lead vocals, guitar), Aida Mekonnen (lead guitar, vocals), Steve Vannelli (drums), and Jack McLoughlin (bass).

Finding common ground over a love of the jangly guitar-driven pop of the late ‘80s and harmony-saturated rock of the ‘60s, the four draw lyrical inspiration from personal experiences and self-reflection.

The band’s first single “Christian” was released at the end of February and appeared on Spotify’s Fresh Finds: Indie editorial playlist.

Forever Honey's debut EP "Pre-Mortem High" is slated for an April 24, 2020 release.

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Lesley Barth - Woman Looking Back at Me.

We are excited to share the first single, "Woman Looking Back at Me" from NYC singer-songwriter Lesley Barth.  The track is a reflection on negative self-talk and chronicaling Lesley's journey of transformation as she quite her corporate job to rebuild her sense of identity.

Lesley's remarks on the "Woman Looking Back at Me":

Woman Looking Back at Me is a song I wrote on the bus after going to a friend’s holiday party where I felt super self-conscious and self-critical.  I had begun meditating daily and I think that caused the flash of inspiration - all of the sudden, I thought, “wait a second, who is this bitch criticizing me nonstop in my mind?”  Putting some distance between my negative self-talk and my true self was really helpful, and, you know, why not set it to a Blondies-inspired disco beat?

Lesley's remarks on the album I wrote this album during the process of completely uprooting my life, and recorded it as I was still navigating a life without structure and regular paychecks. It's an album for these uncertain times where many people feel their lives have been stripped to the bone, they've woken up from a daydream, and they weren't sure what tomorrow would bring because that's where I felt I was when I wrote it.  Almost all the savings I had for quitting my job got wiped away by healthcare costs, and I had to scramble."

We urge you take some time with this heartwarming collection of beautiful songs. "Big Time Baby" is out 5/15/2020.

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Percy - Love Song.

Yorkshire based Percy gained notoriety in the early nineties when their home brand of left-field post-punk led to a record deal with legendary Leeds label Mook Records and consequently airplay from John Peel & Steve Lamacq. They made ‘single of the week’ in Melody Maker and rode the wave of minor indie celebrity status.

Songwriter/lyricist Colin Howard (Vox / Guitars) and Andy Wiles (Bass) have continued to operate as ‘Percy’ since, undergoing several line-up changes over the years, most notably with ex-Housemartins’ Hugh Whitaker joining them on drums between 1997-2004. Whilst Colin and Andy have been together such a long time developing an almost telepathic connection, they both agree that there has never been as much energy and eclectic productivity in the band since they were joined three years ago by Jason Wilson on drums and Paula Duck on synths.

A lover of improvisation, Jason brings some real hammer to the tracks when required and amazing subtlety when space is needed. Paula's synths bring a flourish and depth that, while commonplace in the proto-indie bands of the eighties, has all been swept away by the standard modern band set-up of guitar, bass and drums.

The process for new album ‘Seaside Donkeys’ started with the invitation from Vinyl Eddie Records of York to release an album on 12” vinyl. The band were inspired with the prospect of a vinyl album as this was something that had eluded them to date. There was a conscious intent to team up with a top level engineer and studio sympathetic to the band’s sound so they recruited Isaac Minnis at Crooked Room Studios in York, who has also recently been involved with breakthrough recordings by The Howl and The Hum and Avalanche Party.

True to the band’s punk ethos the album was recorded with the full band in a live room, with minimal separation and minimal overdubs. The recording included a number of songs so fresh the band were sight-reading as they were being recorded. In some cases, the final lyrics were yet to be written and the lyrics simply improvised on the day. This purposefully delivers that fresh and immediate sound to the recording, creating a white-knuckle ride for the band and listener alike at times.

First single from the album is double A-side ‘Seaside Donkey’ and ‘Love Song’. Out on April 3rd, they are poignant and relevant to a country and planet on the brink of unchartered waters, choc-full of slang from the north-east, and clearly showcasing the depth of style and quality among the band, whilst future single ‘Will Of The People’ with its in-your-face riff and swirling synths offers an ageless rage of being dragged off into isolation in a future that obsesses over the good old days, prophetically in the UK’s recent trials.

Elsewhere on the album ‘The People Who Drank Themselves to Death’ is a witness to decades of decay in the North of England. A memento mori to larger than life characters cut down to size by a culture that expects a daily excess of alcohol. ‘Big Lil’s’ is a fanciful story of a visit to the fabled pub of the same name on the Headrow in Leeds with its mock-saloon doors and a crowd that goes quiet when you enter the room.

The whole collection represents the gritty realism of the 2020s. There are big issues out there to wrestle with, and maybe this album just says: You are not alone out there. The album photography by Paula Duck, shot over multiple visits to Scarborough on the north-east coast is a witness document of the place before the impact of CV-19 and what Brexit will become.

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