Silly Boy Blue shares her brand new single “The Riddle” today, February 15th. Silly Boy Blue (real name, Ana Benabdelkarim) is a singer-songwriter and producer from Nantes, France who was recently snapped up by Columbia France. The new single is exemplary of her adventurous and emotive songwriting and stirring vocals. It follows her previous single, “Goodbye”, which showed a more pop side of the young musicians’ talent; Ana’s vocals shine and soar with the yearning lyrics, whilst the production holds a melodic, pulsing beat.
“The Riddle talks about someone I never could decode. I wrote this song to remember to always keep focusing on hope, that there is always a place where we feel like we belong. Hence the chorus' mantra "Somewhere, you could be fine somewhere, you have to find somewhere, he's not the one". To finally find your own bedroom, where you feel safe” says Silly Boy Blue of the song.
For the accompanying video, Ana headed to the subways of Prague. She says, “In the music video we aimed to translate this absolutely crazy feeling about obsession, that no one besides you can stop, and when you realize it's time to let go. It takes place in Prague, Czech Republic, and it was the most intense two shooting nights of my life - continuously getting down the escalators for several hours- it most likely got close to the frenzy state I felt while writing the song.”
Silly Boy Blue is a young singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer based in Paris, who started her music career in the band Pégase. Ana now embodies her music through her solo work, choosing to name her project “Silly Boy Blue” after the David Bowie song that tells the story about a boy who breaks all the rules. Playing with light and shade, Silly Boy Blue sings teen pop anthems and breakup songs and has a passion for 90’s music, movies, and style. Silly Boy Blue recently appeared on YouTube channel COLORS, featuring on Isaac Delusion’s show. She has just finished her debut album, which is set for release this year.
Western Column is the songwriting project of Glasgow based DIY musician Christopher Devine (Dutch Wine/Stock Manager) whose second single ‘Hear not Say’ is due for release via Negative Hope Records on February 12th 2021.
‘Hear not Say’ gives delicious guitar-centric layers of feeling with a shoegaze bent, as Devine’s dreamer vocals float over a driven guitar wall that spills over with a momentum that will have you wanting to listen again.
Following on from sun drenched debut single ‘Golde’, ‘Hear not Say’ is the perfect follow up as Devine continues to build a name for himself as a solo artist
“Having only been the third song I’ve entirely written myself, I feel like I’m still finding my feet and trying different things to see what sticks. “This track was a good bit of fun trying out ideas and more than anything it was a really good learning experience.”
‘Hear not Say’ was recorded, mixed and mastered Melissa Brisbane, who also provides guest vocals on the track.
Your favorite Brooklyn gentlemen have donned suits and returned with a love song for the acid lounge. The gin-soaked single "Dry Martini" goes down easy, stirred with a blend of reverb-addled guitars, candlelit-drums, and sultry vocals
"Dry Martini" conjures forlorn feelings of a love so close you can taste it, and yet so irresistibly out of reach -- "Far beyond the horizon you'll find / a never ending lie / to hold on to."
Dry Martini gently drifts into view, the vocals exude some late night bluesy emotion, the music is restrained yet somehow ups the intensity of the piece. Red Sun Radio may be new to our ears however the song feels like an old friend, one to share a few drinks with, maybe Gin, although I'll settle for some Bourbon or a large single malt Scotch.
Helsinki-based ethereal storyteller GEA has announced the release of her haunting, timely new single/music video "Truth Between the Lies", out February 12 via Fragity Records. GEA's powerful lyrics encourage us to seek out the truth, especially when it's not easy to do so. With what's happening in the world right now, the timing of this release is not a coincidence. Musically, "Truth Between the Lies" is ominous, electro-infused dream pop with touches of menace and beauty.
When I wrote this song I had no idea how relevant this message would be now, when it is being released. We can't pretend that constant lying wouldn't have a profound impact on our society and souls. Truth is an absolute necessity. Truth will set us free!
Truth Between the Lies is a song about the bad things we do when we think no one is watching. It's about the lifestyle where people close their eyes about immoral things, and think they'll get away with them. It's about the dangerous sense of comfort and false sense of safety we get from money, career and consumption. It's about our planet not being able to carry the weight of our choices any more. It's about everyone's soul mission wanting to be manifested instead of focusing on doing what brings the easiest income. It's about the truth running eternally through our veins no matter how much we would benefit from the lie.
The stunning animated music video for "Truth Between the Lies" is brought to life by BYNEW (Producer) and Raimi Nikkari (Animator).
Samantha Margret writes music for the girl who wants to own her history, her body, and her feelings. Samantha likes big jewelry and every kind of fruit she’s ever tasted, and she’s a conscientious journaler. Her ballads tell stories about acceptance and showcase her soulful voice, and her pop songs are not afraid of a good time. She tries to never write the same song twice, and is always up for a giggle.
Samantha gets her second first name from her great grandmother. Margret was born with a second “a” in her name, but she gave it up after falling in love with a traveling salesman who had only seven letters in his name. Did she want them to match? Did he dislike the letter “a”? Three generations later, Samantha was born on the same day and given the same name with the same odd spelling. As she grew up in San Francisco, struggling to convince teachers she was spelling her name correctly, Samantha took to poetry and songwriting. She learned by copying Sara Bareilles songs on the piano at school, and by writing songs instead of going outside. Did the gift of a missing “a” lead to the wordplay Samantha uses in her music to this day? Probably not, but who can really say?
Her compelling EP delivers powerful vocals with a passionate and sentimental look into her past with love. The melancholic ballad "Mine" revels in the revisit of heartbreak and betrayal, while “Negative Space” delves deep into the absence of someone you love with the mixture of sweetness, pain, and nostalgia.
"Everything has two sides—every great personality trait comes with a few bad habits, every good feeling eventually gives way to an equal opposite; that's what I believe. And, every holiday has space for celebration and sadness. This EP is my gift to people who want to settle into Valentine's day with a little heartbreak this year." - Samantha Margret
Reclaiming for a new generation the poetry of Dylan, the stark beauty and unhinged Rock and Roll of mid-70s John Cale, and Badfinger's melancholic timeless songcraft, this is Bandicoot. Their sound flows like post-industrial blues through Swansea's rain-soaked concrete streets.
Bandicoot have earned a ferocious reputation, thanks to their raucous, overflowing live shows that spin euphorically from post-punk and krautrock to glam stomp and art-pop sensuality at the drop of a note.
‘Dark Too Long’ is Bandicoot‘s debut single on Libertino, a song they describe as a “frenzied cry of desperation from the depths of excess and loneliness, influenced by the driving rhythms of NEU! and Can.”
"Bandicoot are wired instinctively to the cathartic screams of John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band, the lustful danger of The Velvet Underground, and CAN's cinematic propulsion. They are the art-house provocateurs of Warhol's Factory brought to life on Swansea's rainy streets" - Libertino
"Having recently returned to attention’s radar with the singles Good Times, & Not In My Name, UK rockers The Mojo Slide now keep ears focused with their latest single from the album 'Manic Panic'
With their first album, Twist Your Bones, an extremely well received 2015 encounter springing a host of eagerly played singles on radio shows and stations worldwide anticipation for its successor has been patient if eager. It is a release which looks like following suit with its lead single already luring great support the way of the band and we only expect Not In My Name to do the same.
Ridiculously infectious and skilfully flirtatious in its grooves and hooks, Not In My Name instantly entangles ears with a great juicy melody, its wire of temptation escaping the guitar of Mike Fennaand soon joined by the melodic lures of fellow guitarist Matt Legg alongside the rhythmic swing of bassist Dan Savage and drummer Michael Graham. Amidst it all vocalist Mark Wilks adds his only creative infection, his voice almost dancing on the strands of sound making up the contagion.
Increasingly manipulative by rousing verse and anthemic chorus, Good Msn Down is one of those songs which just gets under the skin, for us eclipsing its predecessor and ensuring the release of new full-length, Manic Panic cannot come soon enough, an encounter you can also soon find us exploring on The RR.." - Pluggin' Baby - The Ringmaster Review
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.
Kalbells—the collaborative art-pop project of Kalmia Traver, Angelica Bess, Sarah Pedinotti, and Zoë Brecher—today shared their new single “Pickles,” a fun and buoyant track featuring multimedia artist/rapper Miss Eaves off the upcoming full-length, Max Heart, releasing March 26 via NNA Tapes.
The sophomore album from Kalbells, illustrates the formidable love Kalmia Traver (Rubblebucket) discovered with her touring band turned bandmates. Together, Angelica Bess (Giraffage, Body Language), Zoë Becher (Hushpuppy, Sad13), Sarah Pedinotti (Okkervil River, LipTalk) and Traver, practice both listening and accountability, rejoicing in their queerness, and promoting each other to be their most genuine selves.
The result is Max Heart—ten vibrant and subtly layered tracks of mesmerizing psychedelic synth-pop. Common groove language is a rare medicine to happen across, which is why, as a group, playing together has been not only exciting, but healing. Max Heart harnesses this magnetic power for a collection of songs that are packed with inspired tension and daring surreality. Read the full bio here.
Max Heart is available to pre-order on standard black & "Salty Pickle" green vinyl, as well as on compact disc and digital formats here. The album will be available on "Red Marker" red vinyl exclusively from local indie record stores.
Reality Anonymous - The Ghost Host, Vol 1 (Album).
Reality Anonymous is the brainchild of Lyn Vaus and the debut album The Ghost Host, Vol. 1 features contributions from Rob Myers (Thievery Corporation), Alex Rowney (Soft Candy), and Kenthany Redmond (Kenthany Redmond's Infrared Quintet).
Basic tracks, helmed by Joe Tessone, were cut with Blase Settecase at Mystery Street Studios. The album was mixed by Philip Stevenson at Rat City in Chicago and mastered by the legendary Bob Olhsson in Nashville.
Lyn Vaus is now based in Chicago and is a veteran of the Boston post-punk band Carnal Garage, who had a song featured in the hit SCI-FI movie The Lawnmower Man. After the band dissolved, Vaus moved to LA and got a job as a story editor at a film production company. Bouncing back and forth between LA and Boston for several years, his subsequent film credits include The Darien Gap, Next Stop Wonderland, and the micro-budgeted Temptation, starring Annette O’ Toole and Elisabeth Moss.
That film rekindled his interest in playing music and he began writing the psychedelic songs that eventually appeared on his first solo record The Floating Celebration, which was recorded in Washington D.C. with musician/producer/Night World label head, Philip Stevenson.
Parisian psyche-pop band La Femme released the video for their new single “Le Jardin,” taken from their highly anticipated third album Paradigmes (out April 2nd via the band’s label Disque Pointu, distributed worldwide by IDOL). Shot in the south of Spain between Granada and Sevilla, the “Le Jardin” video is an excerpt from the band’s forthcoming full-length feature film, which will be released in conjunction with Paradigmes.
Released in time for Valentine’s Day, “Le Jardin” is a tender melancholic ballad, and La Femme’s first song in Spanish. “The lyrics were written during a trip to Spain a few years ago,” the band explains. “This is kind of an old-school slow dance which underlines how fate can be random and fragile. The moments we go through, sometimes very sudden, from shadows to light, and vice-versa. All of this, in a Romanesque scenery of the historic city of Sevilla, where the Holy Virgins are omnipresent on the walls, overlooking at mankind and its madness.”
The two main songwriters who started the band together, Sacha Got and Marlon Magnée, are the traditional heart of La Femme, and their vision is consolidated on stage by the masterful rhythm section of Sam Lefevre and Noé Delmas (bass and drums, respectively), and sublimated by the vocal talents of female singers like Alma Jodorowsky, Clara Luciani, Clémence Quélennec, Grâce Hartzel and Jane Peynot. Within this album of beautifully-curated electropop you will hear everything from coldwave to yéyé, Kraftwerk to the Velvet Underground, all distilled and sequenced and psychedelicized so that it sounds uniquely La Femme.
Anya Hinkle - What's It Gonna Take (feat. Graham Sharp).
For as long as people have written songs, they’ve written songs that respond to and reflect on events in the world around them. And so, when Organic Records’ Anya Hinkle and her neighbor, Graham Sharp (Steep Canyon Rangers) got together to write on the day that news broke of the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers, it was almost inevitable that what would emerge was a meditation on the gulf between American aspirations and American reality.
“In fraught moments, you usually write what you need to write, to process what's going and find the words to move forward,” says Sharp. “This was the case with ‘What's It Gonna Take.’ My first instinct as we were writing was to look inside myself and what I could do. It was a very raw moment to see the pain of George Floyd and the Black community and know that I needed to account for myself in that moment.”
“Writing was the only way to really open up to things we often keep locked inside, things that aren’t pretty to examine, that are scary in fact,” Hinkle adds. “It helped us get honest about that, to push through some kind of strange fear of admitting how clearly some of us benefit from the system and others just lose over and over again. I don’t think the song does anything except to invite people to take a look at this sparkling mess and admit it’s there and needs to be reckoned with.”
As events continued to unfold, the pair worked to complete the song, and when it was finished, Hinkle began to think about how to record it. With Sharp’s participation an obvious ingredient, she reached out to a couple of other western North Carolinians and invited them in. “When we went into the studio to cut the single,” she recounts, “we asked a master of the sacred steel guitar, DaShawn Hickman, and gospel singer Wendy Hickman to join us in asking ‘what’s it gonna take?’ Bringing in their voices was an important part of processing the difficult summer, building trust and beauty through song. Only by listening to Black voices are we going to know what it’s gonna take.”
Hailey Whitters - How Far Can It Go? (feat. Trisha Yearwood)
Rising Country star Hailey Whitters releases “How Far Can It Go?” (feat. Trisha Yearwood) from LIVING THE DREAM, a deluxe edition of her critically-acclaimed breakthrough album THE DREAM that will be released on February 26 via Pigasus Records / Big Loud Records / Songs & Daughters. The deluxe album finds Whitters moving from fantasizing about “the dream” to actually living it, calling upon her close friends and collaborators Brent Cobb, Jordan Davis, Hillary Lindsey, Little Big Town, Lori McKenna and Trisha Yearwood to contribute vocals to the fresh tracks.
"When I wrote this song with Nicolle Galyon and Hillary Lindsey, we were drawing inspiration from all of the '90s female powerhouses I grew up listening to on Country radio,” explains Whitters. “This song reminds me of something I would've been singing along to on the radio, driving my old truck back in high school. We all know that young couple back in our hometowns with 'forever in their eyes,' and the feeling of wondering if they'll be able to make it work when they go off to college. Those story songs in Country music were relatable to me then (and now), and I hope there's a generation of Country music fans that still find them just as relatable today.”
“How Far Can It Go?” (feat. Trisha Yearwood) follows Whitters’ current single “Fillin’ My Cup” (feat. Little Big Town), which has racked up more than 4 million streams globally since its debut and was just named SiriusXM’s Highway Find. Watch Whitters chat with SiriusXM The Highway’s Storme Warren and MC Callahan HERE. Whitters also recently released “Glad To Be Here” (feat. Brent Cobb) and “The Ride” (feat. Jordan Davis) from LIVING THE DREAM.
“All of the artists featured on this project are responsible for me being able to hang up the apron strings and make music full-time,” says Whitters about LIVING THE DREAM. “The royalties from Little Big Town’s cut on ‘Happy People’ helped pay for part of THE DREAM, Brent Cobb and Jordan Davis were two of the first artists to take me on tour, Lori McKenna and Hillary Lindsey are my two songwriting idols and favorite co-creators, and Trisha Yearwood is one of the first artists that got me excited about moving to Nashville and pursuing Country music. I wanted to show fans full circle what ‘living the dream’ looks like for me – from where I started with ‘Ten Year Town’ to the bucket list moments that have resulted since I released my record, THE DREAM. I felt it was important to show them what can happen when you don't give up on yourself.”
Kelseidoscope has released her latest single, ‘Wouldya Bee.’ The track, performed and written by Kelseidoscope and produced by Randy Kalsi is available on all streaming platforms today February 12th.
This latest single explores the importance of harmony in the world, and features Kelseidoscope’s cheerful vocals, along with her ukulele playing, to create a sweet and freeing soundscape that we all need in 2021.
“The chorus of Wouldya Bee first came to me while on a date at a bee sanctuary but I didn't finish the song until years later. For a long time I thought romantic relationships were a distraction from personal and spiritual development, until I later realized love can be one of the greatest motivators,” says Kelseidoscope. “Similarly to how the teamwork of bees makes the sweetness of honey, the sacred bond of a loving relationship can overflow to bring more sweetness into the world at large. Shortly after I came to these realizations I decided to finish the song and incorporate these insights into the lyrics of this fun-loving, joyful tune!” More singles for this artist are underway in 2021 with an album also expected.
Kelseidoscope [Kelsey Eide] is a Canadian singer-songwriter whose mission is to create music with a lens to heal and inspire. “Kelseidoscope” is not only a play-on-words via her name but is indicative of her process as a musician: repeated reflection. She digs deep into life’s beauty and trials offering positivity, hope or emotional processing with her high consciousness lyrics, catchy choruses and warm, embracing vocals.
From teaching English in Korea to organic farming in her hometown of Timmins Kelseidoscope has a multitude of enriching life experiences she credits for forming her unique approach to music. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Community Development which deeply influenced her outlook on life and the themes of her songs. She has lived and volunteered in many parts of the world including teaching English in Korea, volunteering at an Elephant Sanctuary in Thailand, and working as a TV Presenter in Shenzhen, China. While living in Shenzhen her sister Kylah tragically passed away, motivating her to pursue her dreams full-heartedly. Kelseidoscope is motivated by supporting others to feel life’s greatest emotions and instill confidence and self love. Each of her songs have layers of stories, adventures and meaning she is committed to sharing with the world.
Wolves have long appeared as symbols in songs—spectral embodiments of solitary spirit animals driven by otherworldly passions and a mystical sense of freedom. After all, everyone from Duran Duran to the Los Angeles punk band X have invoked the hungry wolf in their songs detailing their most uncanny allegorical excursions into the night.
With her latest album, titled The Fever Returns, Atlanta-based singer, guitar player, and songwriter K Michelle DuBois pushes the boundaries of her Southern-inflected indie pop songs toward mysterious new and nocturnal terrain. Throughout the album, unlikely musical bedfellows—highly cultivated guitar tones, boundless pop production, and metaphysical imagery—placed side by side form singularly pleasing and full-bodied combinations.
The album’s opening title track comes to a head with a lingering rumination. DuBois sings: “Broke free from a comfort zone / Was it really that good? / Or were you just hiding / Seeing things you ain’t seen before / Walk right through an open door / You get so excited.”
Her words cast light on a path snaking through songs with titles such as “Heaven,” “Firestar,” and “Baby Witch,” each one finding the earth, the moon, the stars, and the elements taking on deeper and higher meanings amid her bounding melodies.
It’s in the song “Strawberry Moon,” though, when the wolves come out. The music builds subtly at first. The sound of wolves howling in the darkness blend with lingering percussion and synth lines, all resonating on the same spectral frequency. DuBois eases into the song, adding texture as she sings, “I was hunted beneath the Strawberry Moon / All told, my sole purpose was finding a place / Finding a place where we could stay wild.” The sound of her voice, and the shape of her words stir up a pensive atmosphere. It’s here in the midst of “Strawberry Moon” where she reveals the vital essence of The Fever Returns, and it’s message of looking deep within to make sense of her place in the world.
“It’s about finding your powers and your strengths—honing them,” DuBois says. “Let them be the impetus for you to leave your comfort zone, and to go out and experience new things, and to open new doors.”
The album’s title, and its opening number came to DuBois in the Spring of 2019, while she was stuck in bed, fighting a months-long illness. “I was spending a lot of time at home, much like right now,” DuBois says. “I had a horrific fever that was coming and going, and then I started thinking about it in different terms, like a fever for life, or whatever your passion may be, and ideas started coming together.”
Following swiftly on from last year’s Tiny Men Parts EP, Quiet Marauder re-enter the sonic fray with their latest Bubblewrap Collective long-player, The Gift, on 9th April 2021. Taking a strong divergence from the bombastic pop-punk of its predecessor, The Gift sees backing vocalist Kadesha Drija step to the foreground for the majority of the album, standing afront a richly crafted, multi-instrumental acoustic-folk backdrop.
Recorded pre-pandemic, January 2020, in The Burning Hell’s (Canada) pop-up Snowbird Studios, aka an art deco villa in Riofreddo, near Rome (Italy), this release marks another chapter in the ongoing international collaboration between the bands. For this album, Quiet Marauder’s (Wales) contributions of acoustic guitar, bass, trumpet and layered lead and backing vocals are granted further textural depth from their Canadian counterparts. These include minimalist harmonic splashes of flute, piano, organ (Jake Nicoll), electric guitar, bouzouki (Darren Browne) and bass clarinet (Ariel Sharratt).
Returning to the conceptual songwriting approach of previous releases MEN and The Crack And What It Meant, The Gift charts the narrative of a troubled teenage girl (Willow) haunted by visions of a mysterious house fire. Willow’s path is traced through well-meaning foster parents, teenage love interests, time-bending superpowers, distrust of domestic appliances and, ultimately, her own memories; covering themes of self-identity and the fallibility of human recall. Though the album marks a more overtly serious tone for the band, the sensitive subject matter is delicately handled through their trademark low-key, observational and, sometimes, darkly humorous lyrics.
Welcome to Borito's time machine - music that sends you back your summer vacation. The album is all about bringing back innocence, the freedom of loving, living and creating without the obligations and disappointments of adulthood.
Borito’s debut album, "What we Have Now", is independently produced by band members Yael Copeland and Shahar Levi. Yael and Shahar are Tel Aviv musicians. They met in a music festival where Yael was performing and Shahar was the sound engineer. As their relationship developed so did the music of Borito.
Borito songs are fun, danceable, dreamy and colorful arrangements influenced by contemporary indie pop bands, a love for post-funk and storytellers from the best of the rock and folk traditions. The band received a lot of attention with their first three singles.
The songs are being played in radio stations around the world: UK, The Netherlands, and South Korea & of course Israel. Playlists, international blogs and magazines are featuring the songs and complementing Borito's unique sound. Borito is rounded out with two additional talented musicians: Sivan Dahan and Yoni Deutsch, both accomplished indie musicians that add their own sound and personality.
Altogether, the fantastic four create a colorful world of sound that is not limited by genre. In an age where we are surroundedby major challenges, global changes and an unknown future, the album celebrates the sweetness in life that can be easily forgotten.
Prolific songwriter and consummate performer, Emily Coupe, delights audiences of all ages with her latest release, ‘Nursery Rhyme’ due to be launched worldwide on February 12th.
The Australian born, Los Angeles artist releases this song as a follow up to the highly successful “Quarantine Christmas” which received airplay and video exposure in Australia and Japan.
Her latest release further demonstrates Emily’s strength as a lyrical melody writer and creative arranger. The song, features the critically acclaimed, multiple solo album, Australian pianist, Timothy Davey.
Reflecting the title, the listener is taken back to their childhood with the interplay of a familiar nursery rhyme enhancing the haunting message of Emily’s song. Available on all streaming platforms on February 12 ‘Nursery Rhyme’ is a not to be missed hit song for Emily Coupe.
Dark-alt pop duo Charlotte Spiral impressed with their debut EP Ideal Life in February 2020, garnering widespread critical acclaim, a Union Chapel show in support of Alice Boman, a Rough Trade Recommends showcase, and support from BBC6 Music. A year later, they’ve teamed up with Speedy Wunderground’s Dan Carey (Kae Tempest, Bat For Lashes, Sia) once more for their evocative new EP New Light. Confronting and examining loss, escapism, dissatisfaction and comparing oneself, the EP will be released on April 9th.
Recorded both remotely and in-person with collaborator Dan Carey throughout the last year in and out of lockdown, New Light is both a reaction to, and a product of, Charlotte Spiral’s experience of an extended period of self-reflection.
Lead single and title track ‘New Light’ examines the internal conflict between living in the moment and wishing you were elsewhere, and thanks to social media, comparing your own life to others. Speaking about the song, lead singer Amy Spencer explains that it was written in response to a personal battle that will be familiar to many; “It’s simply a message to myself to live more in the present and stop imagining how things could be, especially nowadays when it's so easy to get distracted and compare yourself to other people”.
Charlotte Spiral is a collaboration between Amy Spencer and Avi Barath; two musicians that have been involved in multiple projects respectively before coming together to form the duo. Having met at Goldsmiths, the pair connected due to their mutual love of artists such as Rufus Wainwright, Julia Holter, Moses Sumney, Yann Tiersen and Beach House, and their inherent desire to write music that is lyrically driven and built upon organic piano melodies.
KIM HON explain the origin of ‘Bach o
Flodyn’: “The riff and song were formed as a result of watching a
documentary about Robert Johnson, and then we tried to emulate his
acoustic guitar skills. Of course, we didn’t get to play anything like
Johnson played but this song was born as result anyway”
As with
every KIM HON release you don’t know what to expect and are always taken
on an unexpected journey towards the uncharted horizon.
‘Bach o
Flodyn’ is the sun setting on a joyous imaginary festival field, bathing
the audience in a golden warm rays. The stars come out one by one to
the hypnotic bluesy groves of KIM HON at their most magical.
Innovative indie-folk duo The Sea
The Sea – frequently lauded for their immaculate vocal harmonies and
unusual arrangements – has had a particularly fruitful 2020. Comprised
of Chuck and Mira Costa, the duo released four highly acclaimed singles
before dropping their damn-near-flawless full album, Stumbling Home,
during the dwindling days of summer.
Now, The Sea The Sea is
starting out the new year by releasing “Stumbling Home: Oil on Paper,”
the official video for Stumbling Home’s title track. And the video is
something to be admired.
Directed and painted – yes, painted – by
Zachary Johnson of The Made Shop, the video uses the rotoscope
technique and brings a series of stunning oil paintings to life. “The
technical feat of this film is less the massive number of oil paintings
but in the incredible meticulous way they’ve all been conceptualized and
arranged musically with the song,” describes Chuck.
The Sea The
Sea previously collaborated with Johnson to create the video for the
song “Waiting,” which appeared on the band’s 2014 debut album, Love We
Are We Love. “We’d been waiting for the right moment to collaborate with
Zachary and the Made Shop again since making video for ‘Waiting,’”
explains Mira. “And there was something about ‘Stumbling Home’ that
kept eliciting images in the style of his paintings, so we immediately
reached out.”
Rather than using the continuous motion that
characterized the video for “Waiting,” Johnson wanted the video for
“Stumbling Home” to focus more on fleeting moments, lit up and frozen in
fading vignettes, while still maintaining the sense of a roving camera
eye.
“We eventually came up with idea of painting various people,
unmoored from their surroundings, each passerby an individual
moving against an inky emptiness of black,” explains Zachary. “We
couldn’t be more thrilled with the way this turned out,” says Mira.
Katy Kirby has released the fourth and final single from her highly anticipated debut album Cool Dry Place out February 19 on Keeled Scales (via Secretly Distribution), the critically acclaimed indie label home to the likes of Tenci, Buck Meek, Sun June, Twain and more.
“Portals” is Kirby’s gentlest offering to date, an off-kilter introspection at a relationship’s end: if we peel apart / will we be stronger than we were before / we had formed ourselves together / in a temporary whole / and if we reunite, will we still know / the things that we had learned before? / we’re not boxes, doors, or borders / we were portals.
Kirby’s ability to blend wit with heart over inventive, affecting melodies has positioned her on shortlists for the most anticipated albums in 2021 by Vulture, Vice, Stereogum, The Line of Best Fit, and Paste Magazine. Just last week, Kirby was spotlighted in an extensive profile by VICE’s Noisey Next, who hailed her upcoming album as “the best debut album of 2021 so far.” Bob Boilen of NPR All Songs Considered has praised Katy for ”putting her own twist on pop” and tastemakers at Consequence of Sound, Under The Radar, Earmilk, Austin Town Hall and more have echoed enthusiasm.
Says Katy: I’ve always been uneasy with the idea of alternate universes, or realities. Even choose-your-own-adventure books used to stress me out. I wondered if it might be equally interesting and more helpful to consider “alternate universes” something as simple as other people. Around the time I wrote this song, I had been considering what I’d retain from a relationship if or when it ended—what I might be left with in the long run, after it didn’t hurt anymore. I realized that it’d be an alternate version of myself. Hell, how many parts of whatever I call a self aren’t even accessible without a particular interaction? “Portals” is me thinking about the alternate, purely interior worlds that slide open with each person/universe we intersect with, and if what we think of as “closeness” to that person has anything to do with what gets opened.
POSTDATA, the solo music project of Wintersleep frontman/songwriter, Paul Murphy, is to return on March 5, 2021, with his third record, Twin Flames (out via Paper Bag Records). Murphy is today sharing the visual accompaniment for the recent single, "Nobody Knows."
A breathtaking and introspective new album, brimming with deep wonderings and intricately excavated soundscapes, Twin Flames – which comes co-produced by Bristol-based Ali Chant (PJ Harvey, Perfume Genius, Portishead) – borrows its namesake from the centerpiece song on the album. Twin Flames is about a storm, but perhaps more importantly, it’s also about a fire burning through it. Paul says that being in a storm can be a freeing and powerful experience. “You’re navigating this place…you can’t really see super far in front of you,” he says. “I kinda like that place.”
Described by The Guardian as "a song that sounds as if it’s surfing an avalanche on a copy of Rumours," "Nobody Knows" is an infectious late night kitchen-party acoustic number that finds Murphy rhyming off a laundry list of his faults and failings: “I’m not good when the party’s packed/I’m not good when there’s nobody left/I’m not good when I’m all by myself, I fear for my health.” The accompanying video, directed by Chris Mills, comes part-inspired by the general weirdness surrounding performance videos and the act of trying to capture that live energy in an often empty room. Murphy and Mills here have taken the idea and twisted it into a dystopian, pandemic world where performances take place in hazmat suits and at obscure, outdoor locations.
Speaking about the video, Murphy says: "During the first lockdown, when I was gearing up for planning the video, my brother Michael and I were talking about performance videos and the general weirdness of them, but then about how it’d be kind of interesting to try one with all the COVID protocols in place. So, I think it started as a dystopic idea for how shows in the future would be or something to that effect. Chris loved the idea and thought he could expand on it with different visual techniques. We made some dialogue for it. Planned out scenes. The only issue is that we couldn’t travel to actually be in the same room to do it."
Today, NYC-based dream-pop duo Phantom Handshakes are sharing "No Better Plan," the first single off of their new album, No More Summer Songs, coming on April 30th via Z Tapes.
The band adds that it's, "about the consequences of pleasing someone else’s wishes at the expense of following your own dreams."
Born out of quarantine, Phantom Handshakes is a collaboration between Matt Sklar (Exiles) and Federica Tassano (Sooner, Mônetre). Their first album, Be Estranged, was released last year on Z Tapes.
No More Summer Songs was written, recorded and mixed entirely by Phantom Handshakes at their respective homes in New York City and mastered by Carl Saff at Saff Mastering in Chicago.
Marcelo Deiss is a Brazilian born, London based artist whose music dances between indie, blues, folk and rock. His music approaches subjects that we face everyday. Constantly bombarded with advertising, fake news and social media, we become numb to the real world and lose touch with ourselves, while simultaneously the planet is dividing itself. Marcelo’s music is a reflection of this and how we can so easily lose track of what’s real and what’s not. He opens up discussions about these subjects and stands up to them, fighting for change.
His upcoming EP Hurl features six tracks, all delving into the world’s issues and how we can truly make a difference if we put our minds to it. Leading single “ONE” is a song about finding the strengths to fight back and standing together before it is too late. The organ-filled song is packed with emotion and feeling, lifting spirits up and showing others that we’re capable of great things.
Then there is “On the Way Out!” - born during the American elections and tackles political issues. It’s satirical nature and quirky instrumentation adds a sense of comic relief to a sober situation. “JuVenTuDe” is about the youth living in these troubled times. Minimalist guitar arrangements and mellow vocals provide comfort, reminding listeners that better days are ahead. “Fragments (Tell Me About It)” is about falling through the rabbit hole and being down and lost, overcoming those feelings and coming out alive on the other side. Raucous guitars and roaring organs make you feel as if you’re being born again. “Chiba City Scene” like the name suggests, was inspired by the book Neuromancer and is about the greedy higher power in charge. The track features sweeping strings, raindrop sounding piano and a singing guitar, all of which tell a story without any words being needed.
Title-track “Hurl” was written two years ago and talks about the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and standing up to the men. Bringing the EP to a close, it’s high energy and clashing instruments make it impossible to ignore what Marcelo has to say.
Spending time in both London and Sao Paulo, the musician is able to explore new sounds as well as new topics. The commute between these two cities influenced Marcelo immensely, he shares, “To immerse yourself in a new culture can 100% change the way you think. That really shaped the pursuit of subjects I was interested in whilst writing the EP. Just by observing people we can learn a lot about ourselves.” Interestingly enough we tend to behave the same across the world. We are different yet have so many things in common. The idea of writing about society came from his experiences of being immersed in these two cultures. Through the rawness of his music and the sheer gravity of his lyrics, the Brazilian artist is creating music to stimulate emotions. Hurl is currently available worldwide.
Russian Baths have unveiled a re-imagining of their single "Responder," titled "Responder (Night)." The new version strips the original's waves-crashing noise-rock to its melodic, atmospheric core leaving flittering keys and percussion and Luke Koz and Jess Rees' vocals laid bare.
The band details; "Striving to control others (emotions, desire, behaviors) corrupts. This seems like a chronic symptom of the worst in masculinity.
A responder talks back, but does it listen? Not equipped with the tools to be vulnerable, one voice denies reality, refuses to connect, exerts more control, idolizing restraint ("the way I held every face card") and admonishing its counterpart ("you way you scolded me"). With denial (to self and other), all's bound to collapse. Both know it will happen. Neither wants it.
I guess it's also an exploration of the big 80s breakup love ballads of the Patty Smyth featuring Don Henley variation, but the dark sexual politics of the heartbreak are more explicit. This is the night version.
I was listening to a lot of the xx and Sinead O'Connor when we wrote it and when re-recording it, I was listening to PJ Harvey almost exclusively. I wonder if this bleeds into the atmosphere."
Shane Pendergast is a folksinger from Tracadie Cross, Prince Edward Island. He learned to play by ear at an early age, immersed in a culture of family kitchen parties; by age 13 he was performing professionally on stage.
Shane’s connection to Maritime folk music dates back to the efforts of his great-grandparents, preservers of folklore in P.E.I. Shane is carrying the torch forward with his own songs, inspired by rural life and Maritime history. At age 22, Shane is known as an “old-school troubadour,” performing upwards of 200 gigs a year. In 2020 he released his debut album, “Place to the Name.”
“Shortly after the track was recorded, I received the word that a close friend of mine passed away. The song is about loss, so it took on an added meaning. The music video footage is from a show I played at Toronto’s TRANZAC Main Hall. That was the last night that I saw my friend Alex.
I find it surreal to look back at the footage of him, not to mention the big crowd that was gathered. Nobody knew that the world would slip away a few weeks later with the COVID-19 lockdown.”
British-Italian artist Piers Faccini today announces his new album ‘Shapes Of The Fall’ for release on April 2, 2021 through Nø Førmat! (Oumou Sangaré, Blick Bassy & Mélissa Laveaux) / Beating Drum. Featuring collaborations with Ben Harper and Abdelkebir Merchane, ‘Shapes Of The Fall’ is Faccini’s seventh album in a career spanning over twenty years and collaborations with the likes of Rokia Traoré, Ballaké Sissoko and Vincent Segal. The announcement arrives alongside the first track lifted from the album, ‘The Real Way Out’.
In the Gabriel Garcia Marquez story A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings, the author reflects on the opposing facets of human nature, like the two sides of a spinning coin landing randomly either on cruelty or compassion. Faccini’s new album ‘Shapes Of The Fall’, speaks of something similar - asking, which part of our nature will prevail in the modern world; will we, as the very old man with broken wings, learn to fly again or are we destined to fall? It’s an unsettling question which permeates tender new single ‘The Real Way Out’ - a consideration of regret and sorrow that is nonetheless leavened with a real sense of hope. Speaking about the new track, Faccini says; ‘The Real Way Out’ is a love song to life itself in the shape of an enigma, the unsolved mystery being, the impossibility of reconciling a perfect love with our imperfect identities.
Recorded live in a farmhouse studio in the French countryside, co-produced by Fred Soulard - ‘Shapes of the Fall’ draws heavily on Faccini’s own ancestry, on southern Italian, Arab-Andalusian and Sephardic modes and rhythms, bridging southern Europe with the Near East and Africa. Beginning with his fascination with Tarantismo from Puglia and the last known example of trance ritual and music in Europe, the album crosses the narrow straits of the Mediterranean, accompanied by two Algerian brothers and master instrumentalists, Malik and Karim Ziad, to interplay with trance traditions in the Maghreb and in Berber and Gnawa culture.
The songs on ‘Shapes Of The Fall’ - with string quartet arrangements provided by Spanish composer Luca Suarez - are steeped in rhythm, blending Faccini’s custom-made hybrid fretless instrument, the guitar-oud, bender & tamburello frame drums, karkabous castanets and handclaps to compelling effect.
As a whole, ‘Shapes Of The Fall’ is characterised by an elegiac quality - a thoughtful collection of songs with parallels not only to humans’ destructive effect on the ecosystems of the natural world around us, but also to the internal monologues of our own lives, our own reflections. How have we strung the beads of our lives together? What choices, what actions will determine our rise or fall?
Miesha & The Spanks offer a dynamic mixture of punk, garage and hard rock embellished with straightforward lyrics, gritty production and hard hitting performances. Inspired by proto punk classics like The Runaways, MC5 and The Stooges, and 90s riot grrrl/grunge like L7 and The Gits, M&TS conjure an energy that hits you in the face, throwing you into a world of killer riffs and sweaty gig venues.
Originally a punk rock kid from the East Kootenays, front-woman Miesha Louie started this project a decade ago after moving to big city Calgary, AB. She toured and released like crazy, building momentum and a reputation for her DIY approach, with any drummer up for the challenge. Joined by Sean Hamilton five years ago, he brought big Bonham style that’s intuitive like John Freese, always creating the right feel for the song.
Recorded in Brighton UK, their 2018 release Girls Girls Girls was produced by Danny Farrant of punk legends The Buzzcocks. The album reached #1 on Earshot!’s National Loud charts, and had singles hit #7 on CBC 3’s R3-30, and #1 on the Indigenous Music Countdown. It received multiple adds on SiriusXM Canada, and was even given attention from Rodney Bingenheimer’s Sirius XM show in the US. At the YYC Music Awards, Girls Girls Girls brought home Rock Recording Of The Year and Single Of The Year (“Summer Love”), as well as securing Miesha as Female Artist Of The Year.
Taking a brief hiatus while Miesha birthed twins, M&TS are back with their next release, Singles EP. While the Covid-19 pandemic did slow down production, the duo have put their full weight behind first singles “Unstoppable” and “Wanna Feel Good” – a juggernaut garage rock banger and a gritty fuzzed out anthem, respectively – reminding us that sometimes head first, full throttle, is the only way to get it done. Both songs received adds to SiriusXM Canada’s CBC Radio 3 and Indigenous Peoples’ Radio, with features on The Verge and Rodney Bingenheimer Show. Wanna Feel Good charted Top 10 on the Indigenous Music Countdown.
What was meant to be a mixed tape of self-serving, standalone tracks for radio and licensing, Singles EP instead became a collection of songs influenced by the immediate life-changing effects of life during lockdown. Working with Western Canadian Music Award winning artist/producer Leeroy Stagger was meant to reign in Miesha & The Spanks, to clean up the noise for crisp, polished songs – but visited from the ghost of punk rock past, Stagger instead turned it up (way up) and imbued their crunchy mono-guitar sound with extra doses of fuzz and feedback, guaranteed to get the blood pumping.
“I Want Fire” is the third single coming in hot ahead of Singles EP, boasting a catchy as hell chorus, and conjuring the urge to explode we’re all feeling after nearly a year of restrictions and lockdowns. For those who want to burn it all down or light it up, I Want Fire is open to interpretation. This song rocks hard, and serves as a strong representation of what’s to come.
Hearing a new talent finding her voice is always an exciting musical moment, and though “Something You Didn’t Count On” might not be Jaelee Roberts’ literal debut, it marks her arrival on the scene in a way that almost demands recognition. With support from award-winning bassist/producer Tim Surrett (Balsam Range) and a group of supremely skilled and empathetic musicians, Roberts’ first single for Mountain Home Music Company more than fulfills every expectation for the young singer-songwriter.
“Jaelee’s is a name you should remember. I’ve got a feeling we’ll be hearing it a lot in the future,” says hit country singer/songwriter and 2-time IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year Shawn Camp, and he’s right. “Something You Didn’t Count On” underlines the point, offering both the song itself — co-written with another grass-inflected singer-songwriter, Theo MacMillan — and a confident performance that stands out boldly from the music supplied by an all-star crew that includes Surrett; 2-time Mandolin Player of the Year, Alan Bibey; 5-time Banjo Player of the Year, Kristin Scott Benson; guitarist Tony Wray (Blue Mafia, John Cowan Band) and fiddler Jimmy Mattingly (Dolly Parton, Garth Brooks, The Grascals).
“‘Something You Didn’t Count On’ is about anything that happens in life unexpectedly,” says Roberts. “The main theme is about love coming out of nowhere, but it really has so many underlying meanings, and that’s why I love the song so much. The melody and lyrics came to Theo and I pretty quickly and, interestingly, the storyline comes from either the male or female perspective. I think my favorite line in the song is ‘you don’t always look for what you find’ which is the focus of what the song is all about!”
Indeed, while the group turns in typically burnished backing, energetic solos and razor-sharp harmonies from Flatt Lonesome’s Paul and Kelsi Harrigill, Roberts is in full command as she delivers the song’s well-crafted story of an unexpected love capable of sweeping past every doubt and obstacle. And though it’s more providential than deliberate, “Something You Didn’t Count On” may serve, too, as a metaphor for the jump start the single should give to her career.
Our brand new album, Lost in Bloom, is about three things: abandoning arrogance, resenting the people we loved, and being scared of growing up. A collection of profound changes and adjustments have happened over the past two years, in all of our lives. Whether it was deep self-reflection on how we treated our friends, relationships ending, or the anxiety of a global pandemic – the years between 19 and 21 were eventful.
The song, "20 Year Dream," is about being happy for the people you used to love. Accepting that you were standing in the way of their growth—and that they’re better off without you. My favourite lyric is you've got your own sense of loving, and it let me down. I wrote this track sitting in a garden in Johannesburg, tipsy from an evening at a rooftop bar in Maboneng. I had just cried after a hard call, recognizing that I was letting so many of the people I love down.
Let's reflect on how our energy has the power to make others either feel warm and loved, or cold and rejected. Whether it's actual adolescence or arrested development, a lot of us aren't conscious enough of our impact and responsibility in the world. It's such simple things. How you share good news. How you argue with your significant other. Make space for the people you love to say what they need to say, and be who they need to be.
Lost in Bloom is about a few young men learning that growing up isn't about ambition, but rather kindness. - The Neighbourhood Watch.
Hadda Be (formerly Foundlings) walks the line of early 90's fuzzy indiepop, reaching for the stars britpop, and somehow still finding ways to keep it all danceable and sharp.
The band was formed under the name Foundlings in 2018, spread across joint hometowns of South London and Brighton. Their first two singles, ‘Misery’ and ‘Horizon’, received generous airplay on BBC 6 Music and Radio X, as well as Melita Dennett’s BBC Introducing the South. The following year saw the release of the band’s debut, eponymously-titled EP via their new record label, Last Night From Glasgow. In support of the release, the band took to the road, performing at festivals across the UK and selling out their two release shows at the Sebright Arms (London) and Stereo (Glasgow).
In 2020, with the departure of the band’s original bass player, a new member, a recent introduction to parenthood, a debut album in the works, brexit-induced political turmoil, coronavirus and a US trademark dispute to boot, the newly replenished four-piece made the change to Hadda Be. Taken from Allen Ginsberg’s poem Hadda Be Playing on the Radio , the new name reflects a fresh outlook for the band, a keener understanding of its sound and a heightened sense of purpose.
The aptly titled Another Life , the band’s forthcoming debut album, was recorded in five days at Brighton Road Studios in between the two national lockdowns. The intention of the album was to create a body of work that captures the energy and spirit of the band, something that sets them apart: “There’s a vibrancy and an energy to our live shows, a distinct personality that we wanted to immortalise in our debut album. The songs were mostly recorded live, with some overdubs here and there. Due to the coronavirus lockdown restrictions, the recording of the album was delayed twice. By the time we finally managed to get into the studio, we had the songs down to an extent that we recorded most of them in only a few takes.” That immediacy is palpable throughout the album, the band achieving what they set out to do, capturing their spirit over the course of five intense and unforgettable days.
