Another Sky have shared 'Fell In Love With The City' and announced their debut album will be released in August, the song itself is a mixture of refined indie rock and some notable vocals from Catrin Vincent. === Chris Bell has been active in the music industry for some time and now he has shared a new song entitled 'Whispering Town' which exudes both quality and heart. === Hannah Frances is a new artist from Melbourne, Australia and her first single from a forthcoming E.P is the rather special 'Wolf' which more than hints some fine new songs on are there way. === Alt rock band Shuffalo share 'Stay On Me' which is one of those tracks that stand out in a crowded musical genre.
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Another Sky - Fell In Love With The City.
Another Sky have announced the release of their debut album I Slept On The Floor, due for release on August 7th via Missing Piece Records / Fiction. They have also released their brand new single “Fell In Love With The City,” by far their most ambitious and euphoric track to date.
On “Fell In Love With The City,” Catrin Vincent (vocalist / lyricist) had to say: "I hate breakup songs. I don't know why, it’s the most universal feeling. Maybe because the world has so many of them. Moving to London was a dramatic shift from small-town life where it didn’t even occur to me I could do music, where this vision of me as a housewife who never amounted to anything felt inescapable, in to a bigger world, of people from all over, of new ideas and a new version of myself.”
On the music video, which was directed by Vincent herself: “We asked if any of our fans had an old mini DV tape camera, and they came through (thanks so much Peter Kavanagh, Victoria Wai and Henry Kenyon). We tried to capture the excitement of being on the road for the first time, replicating the feeling of moving to London seven years ago. “Fell In Love With The City” is the second song we ever wrote as a band and we wanted to make a video that embodied the way you'd film a partner, but you're filming a city instead".
Chris Bell has been writing and recording music since the late 90’s. Born in Dunnville, ON, his introduction onto the Canadian music landscape happened via his high school, post hardcore band Chore. They released three full length albums for Sonic Unyon Records and after extensive touring and studio time with Chore, Bell began venturing out into the solo realm releasing his first independent record, Time Between Failures, in 2001.
The formation of Alive and Living after Chore disbanded in 2004, was an even further extension of this softer, more folk oriented approach and kept Bell busy writing, recording. Alive and Living released an ep called PLO in 2004 and toured extensively in Eastern Canada. More recently Bell has been touring and recording, as the bassist, with the eastern Canadian rock band Wintersleep. Appearing on the band’s last release, In The Land Of, Bell shifted his role from the bands live sound engineer and tour manager to band member. He has worked with many prominent Canadian acts as a live sound engineer; Broken Social Scene, Stars, Basia Bulat, Arkells and the aforementioned Wintersleep to name a few.
These many projects and varying roles have led Chris to his most recent project, self-produced, Division Street. The album touches on all of Bell’s previous sensibilities while offering the most immediately accessible songwriting and multi-faceted production values to be heard in his already high quality body of work. It is the culmination of his years as a budding and driven musician/producer into a finely balanced song cycle that, while bouncing between folk rock and hard rock, coheres into a listening experience that captivates, soothes and gets the toes tapping throughout the track listing.
Having the freedom to work on the album entirely independently and free of any deadlines or technical challenges means that the listener is rewarded with multiple layers of lush vocal harmony, an eclectic range of percussive elements and, as always, Bell’s trademark guitar work making these songs impossible to forget, even after just one listen.
Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Hannah Frances, is a new name on the music scene and is now inspiring major interest thanks to her beautiful and captivating music.
“Wolf” is the first single from her forthcoming EP and showcases her melodic sound that has gotten critics and fans raving. “Wolf encompasses strong feelings associated with betrayal - we all know a wolf who wears sheep’s clothes”, says Hannah.
Hannah Frances’ music has been described as ‘a sweet and dark musical terrain that traverses folk, pop and the sounds of the singer-songwriter generation of artists who trail blazed out of Greenwich Village in the 60’s’.
Having cut her teeth in open mic nights and backyard concerts around Melbourne, Hannah has now moved her career onto support performances for local and international artists. Melbourne may be a long way from the famous New York region that spawned many musical storytellers, but its echo can be heard loud and clear in Hannah’s intoxicating blend.
Hannah cites Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac and Lana Del Rey as major influences on her unique music style - which is both haunting and hypnotising – and a quality that comes with the stamp of longevity.
Introduction from Shuffalo - Our new single, "Stay On Me," was inspired by the narrative of portals in iconic stories we grew up on: Chronicles of Narnia, Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland.
"Stay On Me" is available everywhere now, inviting you to choose your own adventure as it pulls you into another world and takes you on a journey. The song explores many important topics such as climate change, mortality salience, love, and the fight for a better tomorrow.
The mood starts off slow before it falls down the rabbit hole, two lovers (in a dangerous time) walking down a dirty alley with bursting neon and vines crawling through the cracks while nature takes back the city. The song travels with the pair as they question their past, live in the moment, and explore future challenges.
Hey Elbow have released 'Nurture/Aptitude' a song that sees the Swedish Dream Pop band drift into a more powerful and deeper sound which becomes increasingly irresistible. === Sergeant Buzfuz share 'There's Idiots, Then There's Idiots With Money' accompanied with a video, the bands slick no nonsense approach mixes natural rock and cutting lyrics together, doing so with finesse.
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Hey Elbow - Nurture/Aptitude.
After returning earlier this year to release their captivating single ‘Missit’, Swedish dream-pop outfit Hey Elbow are back once again to share another wonderfully broad and ethereal offering, ‘Nurture/Aptitude’, lifted from their forthcoming full-length ‘WE THREE’.
Created around a loop the band recorded by mistake, ‘Nurture/Aptitude’ sees the group deliver a wonderfully warm and enticing return that manages to juggle deep and emotive atmosphere with a cacophonous symphony of drums and synths. Taking cues from their usually sweeping output, this newest cut sees them showcase a bright and energetic direction as they look to ready us for their highly-anticipated third album ‘WE THREE’, arriving on the 18th September via Adrian Recordings..
Speaking about the new release, the band said, "’Nurture/Aptitude’ is a somewhat catchy track coming from us. The song is based on a loop that we recorded by mistake in the rehearsal place. It was a vocal harmony that by accident was cut to a super short segment at the same time as a coffee cup crashed into a microphone. We can’t really remember but the loop disappeared and we panicked. A few months later in the studio the loop suddenly appeared and we could include it on the recording. It is a pop tune but needed a frame. We did a longer intro and an ambient outro. So it became an Hey Elbow song. For the impatient listener, we also did a convenient but lazy edit.”
Sergeant Buzfuz - There's Idiots, Then There's Idiots With Money.
Since writing the last Sergeant Buzfuz album, 2015's "Balloons For Thin Linda", songwriter Joe Murphy has lost both parents, got married, been a victim of a smear campaign (as a whistle blowing union rep), co-founded charity QQF (a theatre company for adults with special needs) and relocated to his native Sheffield. Joe has also continued to co-run Blang, the DIT* label he started in 2005 (including working on the first album from ex-Fall members Brix & The Extricated) and has worked part-time in special needs schools in London and Sheffield to fund the recording of "Fox Pop" (out 3rd July).
"Balloons For Thin Linda" received positive press but life events got in the way of much live promotion. The band recruited Joss on bass, Stu on slide guitar and Polly on backing vocals and released the "Humble Pie" EP in 2017. The debut album from the new line-up is finally here. It's the seventh Buzfuz album. It's got tunes bursting out all over the place, lyrics from the head, heart and fist and is rich in variety with two-minute pop songs, ballads, post-punk, freakbeat and strands of the band's Celtic DNA.
Opening track ‘There’s Idiots, Then There’s Idiots With Money’ “is about me imagining I'm attending one of those Mansion House dinners where the Chancellor gets summoned to report to the City.” Says Joe. It’s a stomping working class anthem that quickly gets under the skin with intricately woven shuffling guitars and percussion that make way for a psychedelic flute solo. Second track ‘Theresa McKee’ is a refreshing lively blast of pop peppered with mandolin and acoustic guitar, showing off the band’s more folky roots with finesse.
Other album highlights include ‘Who Art In Seven Hills’, a clever and humorous re-work of The Lord’s Prayer replacing names and places with those of Joe’s native Sheffield (a la Ian Dury's Bus Driver's Prayer). The interlude makes way for the jollity off-kilter harmonies of quirky ‘Rare & Racy’, a busker-esque jam about a second hand record/book shop in Sheffield which had to close when the Council, having to obey new Tory Government planning laws, approved the property owner's plans to turn the building into flats.
‘Fill In The Blanks’ and ‘Rear View Mirror’ are other great moments of raw and instantly familiar catchy classic punk on this album which celebrates real lives and real musicianship through the band’s own unique lens. The album, with its Squeeze & Kinks like anti-folk chant singalongs and storytelling is a perfectly crafted antidote to chart pop, Brexit and the current state of the world. It’s fun and meaningful and a constantly surprising delight from this band who are well sewn into the fabric of the UK music scene.
Buzfuz have played three live 6 Music sessions for Marc Riley and Tom Robinson and had lots of radio support from Gideon Coe as well as press acclaim across the board including from the likes of NME who described them as ‘Universally Charming’.
Julian Taylor has just released his new album 'The Ridge' and from the opening moments of the title track I just felt I was in for something quite special. Julian's vocals are something to envy, as he surrounds himself with fabulous backing vocals and excellent musicianship on what could be loosely described as Americana at it's finest. === Electronic synth pop duo Rosa Ama have shared 'Oku (Night Version)' and it's a smooth, danceable and seductive song. === From The Mojo Slide we have 'Good Times' which is a potent alt rocker, the vocals are notable as the band deliver some tight, gritty rock. == We have two of the twelve tracks that make up The Purple Shoes new album (Small Town Fairy Tales) namely 'Melody's Eyes' and 'Strange'. Both give a good representation of this very fine album that travels from alt rock to folk and plenty of other excellent musical destinations.
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Julian Taylor - The Ridge (Album).
My grandparents used to live in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, on a beautiful piece of farmland surrounded by the Golden Ears Provincial Park, as well as the Fraser and Alouette Rivers. When I close my eyes and think of my happy place, that is where my mind takes me.
I wrote “The Ridge” to contemplate what life was like back in my grandparents’ day and what life is like now. My grandfather was Mohawk and my step-grandmother cared for me like her own.
She was quite brave to take that on because there was a lot of prejudice back then, which still exists today. This song is my way of pointing out the importance of innocence in a world that is divided.
Electronic synth-pop duo Rosa Ama share “Oku” (Night Version) on Casablanca Sunset Records.
On Oku Night, the duo navigates between smooth synth pop and funky house. Their cleverly crafted creation is highlighted by Harks’ buoyant soft falsetto vocal and Vhyce’s euphoric Ibiza inspired beats. Each delivering their own unique melodies melded together into one bouncy and groovy house single.
The release comes after sharing both of their previous Rosa Ama singles, “Ethers” and “Lost on the People,” on Casablanca Sunset. The ‘Day Version’ of Oku was also released in July of last summer on Kitsuné Musique as their debut single.
The Mojo Slide is a group of musicians, hailing from Cambridgeshire, united in their passion for blues-inspired alternative music.
Formed in 2011, they released their debut album 'Twist Your Bones' in November 2015 on DO IT Records. The album features a contemporary mixture of classic rock 'n' roll, and blues rooted alternative rock. They have had radio play on BBC, Absolute and Planet Rock, amongst others, and have since signed with Nub Records.
The Mojo Slide are:
Mark Wilks (vocals)
Mike Fenna (lead guitar)
Matt Legg (rhythm guitar)
Danny Savage (bass guitar)
Michael Graham (drums)
Though they may sound like they’ve stepped straight out of 1968, The Purple Shoes are very much artists of 2020, their timeless mix of deftly-crafted melodies, jaw-dropping harmonies and story-telling lyrics combining into the heady swirl of Small Town Fairy Tales, their brand-new album is out now! Comprising singer Marie Dance; singer and guitarist, Michael Bickers and aided and abetted by double-bassist Richard Dadson and Stomp legend, Theseus Gerard on drums and household percussion, The South coast of England’s best-kept musical secret is shortly to let loose on a world which is sure to embrace the folk-rock dreamworld The Purple Shoes seem to have plucked straight out of the minds of some of the greatest singer-songwriters of the 1960s and 70s.
Meeting by pure chance after her three-year experience in Thailand and a collection of half-completed songs, Marie Dance and Michael Bickers’ musical union in picturesque Shoreham-by-Sea feels like the culmination of a journey of not only miles but eras. Their spine tingling harmonies immediately bring to mind classic acts such as Simon & Garfunkel and Fleetwood Mac and their songwriting would easily lead you to believe you were listening to songs from the booming counterculture of the Sixties. To reinforce their rock n roll ideals, they travelled the UK and Ireland (in their now deceased Ford Focus, “Athelstan”!), honing their onstage craft and wowing fans, their interaction with audiences becoming as well-loved as their songs. Eschewing pedals and studio effects, The Purple Shoes’ sound is made all the more breath-taking by its truth and honesty – their songs live and breathe in the moment, capturing the sheer majesty of their harmonies and the earworm grooves which come courtesy of Dadson and Gerard, the latter making his name as percussionist and choreographer of world-famous percussion troupe, Stomp.
Small Town Fairy Tales is a collection of 12 songs written over the past two years and, as the title suggests, tells the story of life and love in a recognisable locale of characters we all see in our own lives. Relatable, uplifting and perfect escapism from our current locked-down lives, Small Town Fairy Tales is an invitation to have fun, unwind and remember why you fell in love with music in the first place.
Andy Cook new album 'I'll Be Fine' is streaming in full below. This is a highly original album, musically it sits somewhere between indie and alt rock but drifts beyond there, the production is stunning and the musicianship on a par, Andy's vocals add even more distinction and character, this is class to say the very least. === We have another album in full below, this time from Jenny Reynolds and her new collection entitled 'Any Kind Of Angel', where the singer songwriter delivers some beautifully refined Folk and Americana songs. The storytelling lyrics are notable and the genuine nature of the album enticing. === We featured Sandtimer a couple of times last year and they return with 'Different Seas' which is a reinterpretation of an old song of theirs and it's absolutely stunning (why say more). === Having already shared two songs from her new album we now have the full collection as Jess Knight releases 'Best Kind Of Light'. Mixing blues, roots rock and timeless soul, this is everything the two singles promised and a healthy dose of more. === Sun Cutter debut single is 'Daylight Star' and it's a refreshing singer songwriter piece from an artist who has been through something of a personal storm over the last year or so. === If you like dreamy psychedelic pop then Cold Beaches have something special for you in the form of 'Problems and Heartache (I Got Them)'. === Fans of out there song titles should already be pleased with New Fries brand new song 'Arendt / Adler / Pulley Pulley Pulley Pulley', lovers of genre spanning and originality should be equally delighted, this is strangely addictive.
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Andy Cook - I'll Be Fine (Album).
As a child, Andy Cook was afraid to sing. After years dodging performances in school music classes, he decided it was time to face his fears. Yet 2017 EP In Space and 2018 follow-up Modern Man still bore traces of that childhood anxiety: vocals surrounded by reverb and delay, melting into swelling banks of guitar. This time around, Cook is determined to recognize his voice for the instrument it really is; putting it front and center on new record I’ll Be Fine.
A former hockey player from the Midwest, Cook found new worlds opening up to him as he toured his first records across the country. It was a stop in New York, folded into a tiny Brooklyn bedroom, that helped to crystallize his voice into something he was finally ready to share. This city of dreams—and of harsh realities—was the catalyst Cook needed to push forward with his own dreams in the midst of seemingly unending uncertainty. Recorded live to tape at Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, Minnesota, I’ll Be Fine bristles with a closeness not heard in Cook’s earlier work. With co- production by Matthew Molnar (Sunflower Bean, Friends, Kissing is a Crime) and Jeremy Ylvisaker (Bon Iver, Alpha Consumer, Andrew Bird), Cook is able to anchor a tighter sound with firmer, bolder foundations.
This revamped sound bolsters appropriately direct lyricism, as befitting an artist finding a long-awaited confidence in the stories he chooses to tell. Even the album title I’ll Be Fine faces down the consumerist narratives that bombard us, challenging these ideas of what we should buy, how we should look, who we should like, and how we should talk—instead encouraging us to find a way to be more and more okay with ourselves, however that is.
“Life doesn’t have to be about how many people like your Instagram photo, but it’s hard not to feel devalued when we always feel behind, not good enough,” Cook acknowledges. It’s exactly this pragmatism that makes Cook an artist of note in 2019. His singular narratives have been refined with a close-knit team and released in the self-effacing knowledge that they have to compete for attention with the entire contents of Netflix... and yet Cook still chooses to put them out there. Cook summarizes I’ll Be Fine this way: “These songs are for everyone who’s trying to take our voice from inside and bring it out. It’s scary, but we’ve got to say what we want if we’re going to be heard.”
Native New Englander, Jenny Reynolds, based in Austin, TX, since 2003, is a singer-songwriter, guitarist and storyteller. She performs Americana and folk music finger style on the guitar, and when strumming goes for percussive guitar patterns that make people feel like moving. Jenny grew up in a family that loved music and experienced it together, by listening to albums and going to shows.
At five years old she fell in love with the guitar, and her first one came from Sears. Some of the songs she learned, in the beginning, were “Blossom,” and “St James Infirmary.” Her songs are stories that evoke feelings; and her lyrics expose questions and issues about the human experience. Jenny is releasing her new album, Any Kind of Angel, on Friday, June 19, 2020. As the album unfolds, it is equally tender and powerful. She describes her music, “As a love child from a three-way with James Taylor, John Mayer, and Gillian Welch.”
Any Kind of Angel Jenny’s fourth album was produced by Mark Hallman and André Moran at Congress House Studio, in the heart of Austin. “Mark and André don’t just record what a person can do. They helped me discover what I can do as a guitar player, then they helped me develop that sound, then we recorded it. Hockey great Wayne Gretsky said, “I don’t skate to where the puck is. I skate to where it will be.” Mark and André help me discover where my music will be. This is why I don’t want to record anywhere else. I like what Mark did with Ani DiFranco’s record Dilate (her first studio record), and all of Eliza Gilkyson’s recordings.”
The musicians playing on Any Kind of Angel include Jaimee Harris (harmonies), Scrappy Jud Newcomb (electric and nylon-string guitar), Warren Hood (fiddle), BettySoo (harmonies, mandolin), Oliver Steck (cornet), Jenifer Jackson (harmonies), and Nate Rowe (bass). “Generally the people I like to play and record with are people who listen to others as much as they listen to themselves, much like jazz musicians do. We may not be playing jazz, but we are responding to each other with that kind of attentiveness and creativity.”
Sandtimer have a new single. It’s called ‘Different Seas’ and is a solo piano-led new version of one of their oldest songs, featuring a more reflective and contemplative accompaniment than the upbeat shuffle of the original.
Crafting their arrangements with intricate, interwoven guitars and captivating vocal harmonies, composer Rob Sword and oceanography student Simon Thomas began performing as Sandtimer in 2014, building a small but passionate following on the UK acoustic circuit.
Soon expanding their ensemble to include Rachel Thomas on bass and vocals and Alex Jackson on percussion, as well as embarking on tours to northern Europe and Canada, Sandtimer have found an international audience for their music in the tens of thousands.
After a steady stream of EPs and singles over a period of several years, Sandtimer released their debut full length album, everything is on hold, in 2019. With eleven songs that walk the fine line between hope and despair, and inspired by a wide span of artists and musical styles, everything is on hold reflects the world in its current state- full of chaos, often full of sadness but also, perhaps, full of hope.
Calgary soul-roots singer-songwriter Jess Knights debut full-length record, "Best Kind of Light" is released today.
Commenting on the recently released title track Co-written with Donovan Woods in a Toronto diner over slices of pie, the ballad about a graceful end to a relationship presents Knights’ luminous voice in its rawest form. “I know you’re lonely/I’m lonely, too/But I won’t dare call you/Even though I want to,” she sings, channeling that yearning tug-of-war to go back. It’s a relatable sentiment to anyone that’s left a relationship and chosen instead to move on.
“It’s a choice to move on from any relationship with grace and integrity,” Knights says. “‘Best Kind of Light’ traces a reflection on what was with a recognition of what is, and a choice to remember the good and hopefully learn from the not-so-good.”
Best Kind of Light weaves together Knights’ influences in blues, roots and revivalist soul, and features an array of songsmiths and sidemen, including award-winning producer Joshua Van Tassel, Joey Landreth, R. Grunwald, and others. The lineup adds dimension to Knights’ songs while bringing into focus the moody, dimly lit spectrum of her classically-trained voice. Able to traverse sultry ballads and raise-the-roof-off-the-church soul with ease, this dynamo performer is bound to leave an impression.
Daylight Star is the debut single by Sun Cutter (aka Kevin Pearce), out June 19th on all digital platforms. Taken from the forthcoming eponymous debut, released later in 2020 on Bronzerat Records.
Two years ago Sun Cutter (who is from Colchester, England) suffered a heart attack (on a golf course!), whilst still in his early 30's. As well as having to redress his excessive living, his rehabilitation involved writing and recording the Sun Cutter project.
It is a reflective album of contradistinction; a timeless classic whose vocals, lyrics and craft bring to mind the warmth of Richie Havens, Cat Stevens, Van Morrison and Tim Buckley while displaying - on songs like 'Hold Out’ and ‘Don’t Fail Me Now’ - a more contemporary sound that nonetheless refuses to bow to the whims of fashion.
Co-produced with pal Dean Honer (The Moonlandingz, I Monster, Keeley Forsyth, Eccentronic Research Council). Kevin spent the tail end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020 on tour with Turin Brakes before the pandemic cut it short, with cancelled festival appearances such as Bearded Theory and Glastonbury. Touring will resume when... you know....
Cold Beaches - Problems and Heartache (I Got Them).
"Problems and Heartache (I Got Them)" is a dreamy psychedelic pop feel-good music video created and produced by Sophia Nadia (Cold Beaches). The song features dream pop synth chords, reverberated guitars and gentle, crooning vocals. Nadia shows her vulnerability in this track by transporting to a place where the music is intricate, but to the point, as are her feelings.
Cold Beaches is the psychedelic rock n roll brainchild of Sophia Nadia. The project began in 2015 when Nadia moved from the suburbs of Washington DC to Richmond, Virginia. There she met Connor Wood, the late frontman of local Richmond band 3 Legged Dog, and was convinced to start a solo project. Since releasing her debut DIY lo-fi album, Aching, in 2016, Cold Beaches has toured around the continent, with the lineup changing to whatever could work for the band to tour. Consistently described as an “unapologetic do-er”, Nadia’s career dedication has shown more than most. From incessant touring around North America starting at 16 years old to moving to Chicago only a few years later in the fall of 2017, it was evident Nadia did not want to waste any time. When not on the road, you can find Sophia in her home or at the studio, writing and recording her next release; each one further in both garage rock and orchestral composition and heartbreaking honesty than the last.
Drifter is the first energetic, live recorded and thoroughly orchestrated album Cold Beaches has released yet. With honest lyrics ranging from the heartstring-pulling losses of friends and relationships to the optimism of independence and liberation from depression and anxiety, Sophia Nadia sings these 10 tracks with a newly founded voice of empowerment and fervent energy. Capturing the infamous vivacious reputation Cold Beaches has deservedly earned through years of live performances around North America, Drifter forges new ground. It combines the influences of the plain-spoken lyrical integrity of 90’s Pavement and fluctuating modern composition and arrangement. Equipped with an orchestra of instruments and talented local musicians, Drifter’s instrumentals transition effortlessly between hard garage rock (Ty Segal) to indie surf pop (La Femme). With these newly discovered weapons in hand, Nadia steps away from the lofi sound she’s known for and starts her move towards a new era of songwriting and album construction.
It is essential to listen to Drifter right now in the midst of this tidal wave of isolation that the world is feeling, which is right where Cold Beaches’ consistent expression of loneliness has always thrived. It is an album that people from all walks of life can openly interpret and apply their feelings individually, and find that they are in good company. Cold Beaches especially wants to create a space where marginalized people in the music industry can feel understood and important. Feel important, feel confident, and feel understood when you listen to Drifter. Cold Beaches understands what it is like to gain and lose, love and fall out, and lastly, just to be alone.
New Fries are sharing their latest single, the mind-bending, genre-defying, tongue-twisting "Arendt / Adler / Pulley Pulley Pulley Pulley", the second single from their new album Is The Idea Of Us. Out on August 7th through Telephone Explosion, it is the band's first new material since 2016's More.
On the new track, the band offered, "Something about the women obscuring their gender and traditional roles (intentionally or otherwise) to do their work without interruption or expectation. Being contrarians, shrill. Seeking truth without taking care of emotions. Often their work is forensic, razor-sharp, and bright with clarity.".
The Toronto-based experimental No-Wave inspired band are one of the best kept secrets in the city, and with their new album they delve deeper into their unconventional, ever-changing sound. They worked closely with Carl Didur (Zacht Automaat, formerly U.S. Girls), resulting in a new direction, focusing more on space and repetition, finding the in-between and reflecting on it, examining that transition. Is The Idea Of Us is anxious in its repetitions and unsure of genre, a reflection of musicians and non-musicians making music together; New Fries insist on doing it differently.
Natalie Schlabs has a new single released today entitled 'Go Outside'. Its one of nine songs on her 'Don't Look Too Close' album due in October and put simply if you like this track you are going to love the album! === Hannah Georgas returns to Beehive Candy three months after we first featured her, this time we have the new single 'Dreams' where a stripped back musical arrangement is just right for her enticing vocals. === Tempesst make their sixth appearance with us and have announced that their debut album 'Must Be A Dream' will be released at the end of September, in the meantime we have the new single 'On The Run' and it's another really fine song from these talented multi genre rockers.
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Natalie Schlabs - Go Outside.
The new single from singer/songwriter Natalie Schlabs "Go Outside" has been released today. Natalie says the song is about "getting off my damn phone and going outside, experiencing the world person-to-person, close up."
It's particularly resonant right now as people are beginning to emerge slowly from quarantine (or if you live where I live, a little too quickly in my opinion haha). Here's to hoping that folks will be encouraged to embrace the world in person and not via screens in the new "normal" we're entering!
"Go Outside" is from Natalie's forthcoming LP Don't Look Too Close, set for release on October 16th.
The songs were all written about the tension/push-pull of close relationships, inspired by reflections during her pregnancy with her first child - would she raise him differently than how she was raised? What would she teach him? How will he handle the knowledge that she's human and makes mistakes? How will she keep that knowledge from hurting him? Each song features her gorgeous voice and lyrical prowess as they tug on heartstrings and offer perspective.
Earlier this year Toronto's Hannah Georgas shared a pair of singles "That Emotion" and "Same Mistakes," — the first released in early March just before the scale of our pandemic crises had become clear, the second a month ago at the height of quarantine.
The first sampling of a forthcoming collaboration with producer Aaron Dessner of The National, the singles received a rapturous response. Today, Georgas is announcing of her new album All That Emotion, a full length collaboration with Dessner that is due out September 4th on Brassland & Arts & Crafts. and sharing her new single "Dreams."
"I have been thinking about what this album represents to me and it is resilience," says Hannah. "It's about finding hope and a way out the other side of tough situations. The hardships we go through make us grow into stronger people. The album is about healing, self reflection and getting up again at the end of the day."
Of newly released single "Dreams" she writes: "In my past, I have let my insecurities play into relationships and have pushed people away because I have felt like I'm not deserving of love. This song explores the idea of breaking down those barriers of insecurity and being more open."
London-based indie-rock quintet Tempesst have today announced their debut album Must Be A Dream will be released September 30th, via Pony Recordings. Along with the album announcement, the band are also releasing the album’s first single “On The Run”, out today alongside a candid studio video directed by the band’s very own Andy Banjanin.
A vivid, expansive sample of the band’s upcoming full length; “On The Run” and the forthcoming album follow Tempesst’s two previously released EP’s ‘Adult Wonderland’ and ‘Doomsday’, both widely lauded for their '60s and '70s influenced indie-psych fusion.
On new single "On The Run" the band layer vocal harmonies on top of reverb heavy instrumentation orchestrated far and wide into a massive psychedelic pop exploration. It’s all brought back to earth by Tempesst vocalist Toma Banjanin’s slithering baritone and stories of death, substance abuse and the loss of innocence forever.
Speaking on the new single, singer Toma shared: “‘On The Run’ was written about a close friend who disappeared for a decade and returned as someone completely different, and it’s an ongoing trauma. When I connected the music to the lyrics to try and finish the song, it felt like it had a rolling rhythm, so the chorus fell into place from there. For me, this song carries a lot more emotional weight.”
Consisting of Sunshine Coast, Australia born twin brothers Toma (vocals, guitars) and Andy Banjanin (drums); the band is rounded out by fellow Australian’s Kane Reynolds (keys) and Blake Misipeka (bass), and Swiss/American guitarist Eric Weber. Now all residing in London where upcoming debut album Must Be A Dream was written and recorded, Tempesst have become well known for their sweeping, psych-touched indie rock.
Produced by longstanding collaborator Elliot Heinrich, and mixed by Claudius Mittendorfer (known for his work with Parquet Courts, Temples, Yak, and Sorry), Must Be A Dream came together at the band’s very own Pony Studios, a studio space that Tempesst built themselves in Hackney, East London. A massive step forward from their previous short format releases, Must Be A Dream is a wide-eyed excursion of folk-tinged psychedelia with nods to Spiritualized, Galaxie 500, the Flaming Lips and the Beach Boys.
Ten tracks of psychedelic pop grandiosity, combining the classic teachings of Laurel Canyon-esque folk harmonization with bombastic sensibilities found in the works of Love, ELO, Pink Floyd, Wings and more. Must Be A Dream is a paradox of complexity and musical prowess shrouded beneath deceivingly simple pop melodies, producing a dense, sun-kissed record that explores themes of identity, purpose, ageing, love, loss, substance abuse, the death of loved ones and remembering the beauty beneath it all.
Marie-Clo shares an original & thought provoking indie pop song called 'Animals Eating People'. === Venus Furs has just released 'Paranoia' accompanied with a video, the song is a powerful indie rocker, the subject matter unfolding both lyrically and visually. === Released yesterday Prinz Grizzley new single is 'Magdalena' and it's a striking Americana piece, with echoes of Nick Cave and bags of originality.
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Marie-Clo - Animals Eating People.
A true creative chameleon and seasoned traveler, Marie-Clo is a born performer who ropes her audiences into a feverish pitch in both official languages; thanks to “hooked on phonics”. Singer-songwriter and dancer, her eclectic indie pop tackles current themes & conscious lyrics, but also conjures a colourful and enchanted world.
Marie-Clo began her artistic career on stages worldwide performing in musicals, but honed in soon thereafter on her true passion project, music. She is currently promoting the first of three EP’s which will make up her full-length english album entitled Shell(e). A conceptual feminist narrative, it is slated to be fully released in 2021, produced by Polaris shortlisted drummer/ producer Olivier Fairfield (Fet Nat, Timber Timbre, Leif Vollebek), with the support of the Ontario Arts Council, the Canada Council for the Arts, and FACTOR.
In 2017, Marie-Clo won TFO’s pan-Canadian tv search for francophone artists Planète BRBR and was given carte blanche to participate at the Granby International Song Festival 2018, as well as at the Petite- Vallée Song Festival 2018. Following these, Aero chocolates bought her song “Sablier” for a 52-week run national commercial in which she stars.
She celebrated the independent release of her debut EP Faune which has since been playing on numerous radio stations across Canada, on Sirius xm, and joined numerous editorial playlists on Spotify. Radio-Canada named her Ontario’s number one artist to discover in 2018 as part of a 13-artist list, Canada wide, for each province & territory. Her latest single Red Flag topped CBC (#2) & Sirius XM’ (#4) top 10 charts for many consecutive months & was featured as a Sirius XM exclusive single. She recently had the pleasure of playing Ottawa’s Bluesfest, the National Arts Center, Place des arts in Montréal & opening for Ariane Moffatt.
I wrote "Paranoia" as an examination of mental health, looking at a bout of anxiety and depression. The accompanying video attempts to capture the associated feelings of isolation and alienation, running after and away from yourself, and the discomfort of being alone whether you're in a crowd or on your own. Coincidentally, it was filmed just before social distancing was put into effect – a foreshadowing to the isolation we are all currently experiencing.
For me, anxiety is a combustible nervous energy of caring too much about small details. At the time of shooting, I felt out of place in my home and in the world, roaming the city at night while feeling more and more isolated. We did our last night of shooting just a week before the quarantine began, with all the editing being done while the pandemic unfolded. This brought an entirely new meaning to the word isolation and the experience of anxiety and stress.
Hart: "Paranoia" director - The intro was captured in the first ever demo of the song, recorded on an iPhone; I started to strum my guitar to discover that my amp was off, turned it on and captured a delayed swell that couldn't be recreated as perfectly as it was caught that day.
Austrian singer-songwriter, Prinz Grizzley, announced his new single, “Magdalena” released yesterday. The single carrying Prinz Grizzley’s wife’s name is both a passionate love letter to the woman he loves and a dedication to all strong women out there. It’s off the Beau Bedford (Leon Bridges, The Texas Gentlemen) produced album, To My Green Mountains Home, due out June 26.
Every note Prinz Grizzly sings feels like a searing redemption enrapturing the depths of the soul, “I know I did hurt you / caused deep cuts to your very soul / but a proud woman like you never once lost control.” A mandolin tangos in an apologetic embrace as the drums rhythmically pulse to a soaring heartbeat of a man in love. Beau Beford’s guitar solo highlights the gentle sorrow and vulnerability that ripples throughout the song.
On the upcoming album, Prinz Grizzley performs music from the heart. A heart heavily influenced by “mountains, forests, stubbornness, warmth of heart, religiosity and part of a very simple life.” It is a mix of Austrian alpine culture expressed through the sounds of Americana. To My Green Mountains Home is a search for meaning and identity in love, manhood, life’s tragedies, family history, and home. It’s about leaving behind what you’ve known to arrive in truer, greener pastures. It’s the hero’s journey as a quest within the mountains of Austria and the caverns of the soul.
Prinz Grizzley began discovering the richness of country and Americana music on his debut album, Come On In. On To My Green Mountains Home he establishes his own signature style by enveloping Americana and country music’s essence into the fold of his own journey musically and philosophically. Nashville based artist Erin Rae, whose 2018 album received Album of the Year honors from the likes of Rolling Stone, sings harmony vocals on the song “Drifting.”
Prinz Grizzley and Bedford chose to record the album in Austria because it gave Bedford an insight of who the artist is, where he’s from, and what inspires him. It also allowed Prinz Grizzley’s backing band, The Beargaroos, to play on the record to display the energy of the band’s live show. They recorded over the course of ten days at Nautilus Studios in Dornbirn, about 25 minutes from where Prinz Grizzley lives.
The Northern Belle have released another song from their next album, this track is entitled 'Late Bloomer' (we shared 'Gemini' a few weeks back), and again the Norwegian bands ability to make catchy and timeless music is highly notable. === Andrea and Mud have released their new album 'Bad News Darlin' and it's streaming in full below. In April we shared 'Lines' as a foretaste of the collection and the other ten tracks have really lived up to expectations as the duo's Surf Western easily pleases. === From Watford in the UK we have Lakes and their new single 'Kids' which features Dan Lambton, together they create a refreshing, jangly and melodic indie rock song.
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The Northern Belle - Late Bloomer.
Ahead of their next album The Northern Belle have released 'Late Bloomer'. Written as an examination of personal relationships, the new album by The Northern Belle is aptly titled We Wither, We Bloom. The Norwegian septet is among the pioneers of the nordicana scene that has been gaining momentum in the US the last few years. Fronted by prolific singer-songwriter Stine Andreassen (also of folk quartet Silver Lining) and armed with pedal steel, slide guitar, lush harmonies, a string quartet and their secret weapon, the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle, The Northern Belle have developed their own unique brew of pop-oriented americana and folk music. Imagine Fleetwood Mac fronted by Jenny Lewis in a country mood.
Brimming with melodic tunes and clever lyrics, We Wither We Bloom is the band's third studio album, albeit the first to be released internationally. Having made the difficult decision to quit her day job to pursue music, Andreassen and The Northern Belle received widespread praise and a Spellemann nomination (Norwegian Grammy) for the 2018 album Blinding Blue Neon. In the spring of 2019, Andreassen traveled to Nashville for three months to write the follow-up. The welcoming and thriving music scene found east of the Cumberland River sparked a creative songwriting spell that resulted in this inspired collection of tracks. The distance from home allowed for new views on friends, family, love, loss and homesickness, resulting in the band's most personal album to date.
Constantly evolving as a band, The Northern Belle’s sound in 2020 is inspired by contemporary acts such as Erin Rae, Kacey Musgraves, Phoebe Bridgers and Marit Larsen, as well as legends such The Beach Boys, The Byrds and Glen Campbell. All resulting in a record that pays tribute to its inspirations while also showing true originality.
Atlanta-based surf-western duo Andrea & Mud have officially released their latest LP Bad News Darlin' to critical acclaim from American Songwriter, Wide Open Country, Lonesome Highway, Americana Highways, Cowboys & Indians Magazine, and more leading up to the release.
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
Watford, UK indie rockers Lakes are debuting a new track titled "Kids" featuring Dan Lambton (formerly of Real Friends).
The band says: "As well as being lucky enough to have Dan Lambton (singer of Real Friends until very recently) on a track, we are also super lucky to have the songs recorded by Steph Carter in Watford (guitarist in Gallows), produced and mixed by Neil Strauch in Chicago (who has worked with Owen, Owls, Joan Of Arc, Iron & Wine, Slow Mass) and mastered by Zach Weeks in Massachusetts (at Kurt Ballou's GodCity Studio), with artwork by Dylan England (of the band Del Paxton)."
"We met Dan through Instagram after he tagged us in a photo of a tattoo he had just got of the artwork from our debut album and some lyrics from our song "Ontario". This obviously blew our minds! We met up at the Real Friends show at The Electric Ballroom in London and he was the absolute best host and kindest man. We stayed in touch and we are so honoured to have him sing on this."
"Neil Strauch has recorded so many of our favourite albums and it's been a dream having him long-distance-produce these songs for us. Paul from The LP Cafe was doing an Audiotree session in Chicago last year with Nervus and Neil happened to be mixing it, so Paul gave him a copy of our debut album and then the rest is kinda history!" - "These two songs are also the first to feature our new vocalist Blue Jenkins who joined the band in February."
"Warning Signs features another guest vocalist Ed Hutchinson from the legendary Watford hardcore band Incoherence, helping out with those screams at the end! We're excited to be working with Know Hope Records for this 7" and also for our second album which is due out next year. We're huge fans of Vinnie Caruana, Sleep In, String Machine and all the other great bands on that label and the guys there are super nice."
Robert Jon and the Wreck have a new album 'Last Light On The Highway' and it's streaming in full below. Fans of southern rock from the Allman Brothers through to The Black Crowes will simply love this rootsy, soulful album, for those not so sure, dive in and enjoy. === ElectroBluesSociety feat Karin Roerdink have just shared a cover version of Amy Winehouse's 'You Know I'm No Good' giving it a respectful and refined rendition. === Unspoken Tradition share a fresh and natural Bluegrass song called 'At the Bottom Again' the musicianship is fabulous and the vocals are spot on for this genre.
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Robert Jon and the Wreck - Last Light On The Highway (Album).
Unless you have quarantined yourself too long and too isolated you must at least have heard of Robert Jon and the Wreck. With 8 albums and an impressive live reputation under their belt we are very proud to be part of their team now and to be distributing their latest rocking masterpiece across Europe.
Official release date for CD and Vinyl release through retail is July 19 and rightfully so the media have already received the album with unprecedented praise and airplay.
All you want from great music is there: the songs, the playing, the singing and the production. And then to top things off for Robert Jon and the Wreck there's this soulful Southern groove.
Their 9th European tour is still scheduled for September and we will cross our fingers for that, but at least we can now get our shot of Southern Blues from one of the hottest bands in Southern Rock and their album "Last Light On the Highway".
ElectroBluesSociety feat Karin Roerdink - You Know I'm No Good.
Second single from a session that ElectroBluesSociety did with Dutch singer Karin Roerdink; and again a cover version from a famous Amy Winehouse song.
KuvVer Records is a sub label from Black and Tan Records. Specially created to release refreshing cover versions of well known songs in any musical style.
This track is released digital only and available on all the download and streaming platforms.
There is something unique in the way that musical forms reflect the changing cultures from which they emerge, and few artists better illustrate the dynamic than western North Carolina’s Unspoken Tradition, whose acclaimed 2019 release, Myths We Tell Our Young, tapped into both the restlessness and rootedness of their native soil with songs like “Dark Side of the Mountain” and “Land” and prompted Bluegrass Unlimited to describe them as a group “at once part of the tradition and shapers of a new sound.”
Now the quintet is back with an even more adventurous approach, beginning with a new single, “At The Bottom Again.” Written by Justin Carbone and producer Jon Weisberger, the song offers intense foreboding through a lovelorn lyric and insistent, ominous chords and rhythms, with only a brief pause for contemplation before returning to an intense, yet irresistibly catchy final chorus. And though it tells a personal story, the theme of an unexpected downfall resonates with today’s headlines.
The single also introduces a newcomer to the Unspoken Tradition lineup, as veteran bassist Sav Sankaran — with a distinguished performance and recording resume — supplies dog whistle high tenor harmonies to the powerful and familiar lead vocals of founding member and guitarist Audie McGinnis. Established members Zane McGinnis and Ty Gilpin drive the pocketed groove on banjo and mandolin and fiddler Tim Gardner’s aggressive fiddle and baritone vocal give “At the Bottom Again” its emotive power.
“Bluegrass music is a powerful combination of Anglo-Celtic fiddle music and Southern African-American blues. During tough times, times of uncertainty and times of hardship, blues music has been a vehicle for expressing pain, and 'At the Bottom Again' leans heavily on that tradition. We wanted to bring all our intensity to this song, and it reflects the emotions we all share when things get off track and take unexpected turns,” adds Gilpin.
“This song has all the elements of a quintessential Unspoken Tradition track — a hard-driving groove, soaring vocals, and perhaps most importantly, a relatable, heartfelt storyline,” notes Sankaran. “With Jon producing, Audie and I could really dig into the motivation behind the lyrics with the benefit of the songwriter’s perspective to guide us, and the guys did an amazing job of combining technical prowess and musicality to add some incredible instrumental breaks.”
“The band has always been super selective when deciding what to record,” Audie McGinnis adds. “So when we heard ‘At the Bottom Again’ there was no question. The lyrics tell a story many of us know all too well, and I personally love the chord changes and moves in the song. I think our excitement and eagerness to play it show through on the recording — it’s got just the right amount of grit!”
