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
We just wanted to share with you this new lyric video. This song is taken from our latest "Live On Stage" Album.
The song "Sealed Souls" deals with the madness of War. Sometimes a song is just a little more then just a song.
Sometimes a song is also a message. And Sealed Souls is this kind of song. About the insanity of war and all the suffering it brings. Sometimes images speak louder then words. But combine Lyrics, Music and images and maybe it becomes even more powerfull!!
The BluesBones is a band of 5 passioned and experienced musicians, playing blues/rock with undiminished feeling and skill. Their original songs vary from blues rock over mellow and sensitive blues ballads, swampy slide to more heavy rock. This extended range of styles generated a diverse fanbase in Europe and beyond.
The band, formed in 2011, released its debut album in 2012 and was elected public's favorite at the Belgian Blues Challenge the same year. The band was declared winner of the same contest in 2016 and finished 2nd out of 26 countries at the European Blues Challenge in Horsens/Denmark in 2017. The BluesBones played over 400 shows all over Europe and performed at festivals like Blues Peer festival, Ribs & Blues festival, Moulin Blues, Swing Wespelaar festival, Scinawski Blues Festival, Cahors Blues Festival, Breda Jazz, Randers Blues Festival, Blues‘n Jazz Rallye, …
The BluesBones had the pleasure to share the stage, be support act or jam with artists like King King, Jimmy Vaughan, Seasick Steve, Tommy Castro, Guy Forsyth, Laurence Jones, Danny Bryant, The Nimmo Brothers, Jimmy Thackery, Dan Patlansky, …
Canadian band Leahy’s brand new album, Good Water, brings the five women of the group – Leahy sisters Julie, Erin, Maria, Siobheann, and Denise – freshly to the fore, in singing and especially songwriting, along with brother Frank on drums, and introduces the newest addition to the band, Xavier, son of Frank, on accordion.
As the songs on Good Water took shape, a new edge to the band’s sound began to emerge with the addition of electric guitars which spurred them on to explore the outer edges of their traditional/Celtic/folk/roots musical origins, pushing well beyond that footing.
The record’s latest single, “Tears,” is another colour and sensibility in Leahy’s music journey. It reflects the fact that the band members are influenced by so many different genres and this comes out in different ways. Here is a nod to a rock style – with a very heartfelt deep lyric. It’s a beautiful contrast that is not soft and not hard – it’s grounded which is consistent with their sound over the years.
Since my sophomore year high school, I’ve been single-handedly writing and producing original music in my garage studio. What started out as a few singles evolved into a fully polished album. I am inspired by classic rock legends of the 1960s and 70s such as The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, The Moody Blues, The Small Faces, and The Rolling Stones.
I intend to bring sounds from these unforgettable decades back into the spotlight in the next few years. My plans are to start my own band after high school and continue to create and perform new music in the Dallas Fort Worth area.
The Album: "In The Story To Be" is a rock concept album that represents my personal story of struggles in a way that aims to connect and relate to people that listen to it. The album consists of songs about false hopes and miseries, all the way to uplifting songs about learning how to live strong once again. Part of the reason I wrote some of the songs I did was to replace the music I grew up to love because at a point in my life, I was scarred by heartbreak and couldn’t listen to them without feeling sorrowful.
I aim for my music to connect to those moving through their own darkness so I can give hope for what is to come for everyone’s future no matter where they are or what they are going through. All guitars, percussion, keys, and vocals were proudly recorded on my own, and the tracks were all mixed and mastered by myself. Would love it if you could take a listen!!
Heavy Feather release "Sometimes I Feel", the fourth and final single leading up to the Swedish root rock band's upcoming sophomore album "Mountain of Sugar". "Sometimes I Feel" stands out from the rest of the album as guitarist Matte Gustafsson takes on the role as lead singer. Delivering a psychedelic, organic tune that brings the true sound and feel of the late 60's to the modern world. "Sometimes I Feel" is released on The Sign Records February 26.
When Heavy Feather's first album "Débris & Rubble" (2019) was released, it became praised by both press and audience; taking the band out to tour Europe. Now it ́s time for their second album, "Mountain of sugar"; an even rawer, heavier, and harder release than the previous one, still with the root rock and psychedelic touch at the very core.
“Mountain of Sugar” consists of 11 roots-rock tracks oozing with a 70‘s sound and feel, filled with attitude and raw vocals from blues singer Lisa Lystam. Catchy hooks and roaring guitar riffs are based on influences from the greats of the 60s and 70s, drawing inspiration from bands such as Free, Cream, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The band then adds their own unique touch to the tracks, creating a unique and intricate sound that few can deny.
Yndling is the dream pop project of Norwegian artist Silje Espevik. This musical endeavour is the result of wanting to take complete creative control over her music. Through delicate soundscapes and oscillating synths, Yndling invites listeners into her own world, offering a place of escapism and resonance through her lyricism.
Her debut single “Childish Fear” is composed of a hushed, muffled bassline, beatific drums, flows of shimmering synths and hypnotic, celestial clouds of production, creating an engrossing paradise of sound and a melancholy atmosphere. Produced by Adrian Einestor Sandberg, the track drips in intimacy creating a stunning contrast to the story behind the tune which entails her fear of intimacy. Yndling divulges, “The song is about that stage in a relationship where there isn’t really that much new and exciting to discover about each other, and capture the fear that I might not be enough once the shimmering glow of first expressions fade.”
The dream-pop artist has an ability to create magical, dreamy soundscapes that are haunting and emotive, originating a fresh new sound and giving insight to an array of mixed emotions allowing listeners to have a raw view of her heart. “Childish Fear” gradually develops a thicker texture resulting in a full bloom of sound. The vocals are tender and ethereal, the backing vocals are almost unrecognisable as a voice floating throughout the track creating a wash of a dazy utopia to indulge in. Yndling shares, “I wanted to communicate a mood or a feeling with the song that evolves and becomes more consuming as the track unfolds.”
Yndling takes influences from artists and bands such as Beach House, Tops, Crumb, Hatchie and Mazzy Star. When it comes to songwriting, the Norweigan artist often allows her feelings or experiences to engross her for a while in order to fully submerge herself in the reality of the emotions. She explains, “I think there is so much power in letting a feeling or experience be all-consuming, just for a little while, and I really need that to write music.” Along with always trying to be as honest and vulnerable as possible, Yndling has an understanding that when writing, it is important to “throw away the fear of being too honest or maybe telling a truth that’s not recognized by everyone else and that may feel a little too close for comfort.” Yndling offers a kaleidoscope of imagination and feeling throughout her music and ensures her lyrics are just as positively affecting.
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) tipped so far by MOJO, The Guardian, Secret Meeting, Brooklyn Vegan and more. He's today sharing his new single, "Inside Out", which features Murphy's friend, Andy Monaghan of Frightened Rabbit, on synthesiser/keys.
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.”
"Inside Out", which comes off the back of the Guardian, FLOOD and Under The Radar-tipped single, "Nobody Knows", is one of the new album's crucial cornerstones, welding together crystalline indie-pop sensibilities with a swooning melody and an infectious singalong chorus. It arrives as something that is unashamedly optimistic with Murphy keen to create something which acts as a guiding light through the pandemic, something which celebrates rather than dwells. Speaking about the track, Murphy says: "I didn’t really know what to do with this song at first. It has this open-hearted feeling to it and I usually try and mess with a song lyrically or darken it up when there’s something musically so light and warm. I don’t know why that’s always the inclination. For this though, and maybe it was because I completed it during the first lockdown period, I wanted to really celebrate that warmness or joyous quality, to lift it up. I hope that it lifts you up a little bit too."
Canada's new alt-country heroes ONTARIANS release "No Regrets," the second single from their debut album The Greatest Short Story Never Told, due out March 12. Like its preceding single "Time," "No Regrets" -- available on all digital platforms and Bandcamp -- evokes the spirit of the alt-country insurgency's heyday of the 1990s, with its simple video offering a glimpse of the freedom we've all been missing over the past year and hope to get back to soon.
ONTARIANS singer/guitarist Frank Deresti describes the band's approach in broad terms by saying, “Between glasses of Pernod, car troubles and lots of laughter we wrote songs about various stages of life we found ourselves in—past, present, and a hypothetical future. Once we had a clear goal in mind, it was like a reservoir of creativity was released that had been building up for a long time.”
The band's other co-founder, multi-instrumentalist Craig Smith adds, "“The general guiding rule has been ‘anything goes.' Frank and I pursued any idea either of us came up with, as long as it felt good. And even though the album took two years to finish, when we were together in the studio there was a real sense of urgency to be productive. We didn’t have the luxury of living in the same city, so I think all of that concentrated effort really comes across on the album.”
The members of the band ONTARIANS don’t live in Toronto, although their sound isn't far removed from the distinctive brand of country rock that ruled Toronto’s Queen Street West during the glory days of the Horseshoe Tavern, the Cameron House and the Rivoli.
This past year has been the ultimate test of whether familiarity breeds contempt. When you're marooned at sea together, all sorts of things start to creep in. More insidious than contempt, the people we're locked in with start to become a piece of furniture in our lives.
Days on repeat. Love ignored.
Our producer Dan Hosh (City & Colour, Arkells) asked us if we had anything slower and more melancholic to round out the upcoming EP. "Caught in a Dream" is it. Lightning struck and within a few days all the pieces, including the dreamy intro/outro, fell together.
Lyrics were drawn from the zeitgeist (pre-capital raid, so talk of enemies at the gates and insurrection must have been in the ether) to describe those mundane struggles of a relationship.
Melbourne dream-pop 4 piece Aeroplane Mode are ready to hit the skies again with their sophomore single and videoclip for 'In A State'.
Mastered by Joe Carra (Babe Rainbow, San Cisco) the band have been able to create their own take on the dream-pop genre with rich jangle guitars, sweeping synths and honest lyricism. 'In A State' was inspired by the notion of growing up and the acceptance that comes with embracing change. As the band's bassist and songwriter Carlos explains: "The main concept that ‘In A State’ explores is that of a typical boy-meets-girl scenario, and the butterflies associated with a first crush". Exploring different vocal aesthetics and soundscapes, the single leans into a more upbeat tune and borrows the vocals of band's guitarist Brandon. "It is our mission with this single to make clear to our audience that we have two frontpeople in the band." continues Carlos.
Releasing alongside a video clip, the video features a series of the band playing amongst different colour washes, between playful scenes of lead singer Brandon, that embraces the band's aesthetic of nostalgic vaporwave, full of soft and dreamy textures. Recorded at Red Door Studios in Collingwood and produced by Melbourne based creative Nick Bond.
Having only released the one single 'Settle Down', Aeroplane Mode caught the attention of notable industry figures including James Tidswell (Violent Soho) who released the song on his Domestic La La Record Club and Brae Fisher of Dear Seattle who has taken them on for management. Along with this the band have been played on TOPS on Triple J Unearthed and received national radio play on Triple J, as well as being added to Spotify Editorial playlist ‘fuzzy’.
Comprised of members of DIET, alongside the unique talents of frontpeople Sinead and Brandon, Aeroplane Mode is set to woo fans of #1 Dads, Hatchie and Beach House. So, turn your devices to Aeroplane Mode, kick back and enjoy this flight.
Jillette Johnson has released a celestial music video for her reflective single “Many Moons.” The track is off her latest album It’s a Beautiful Day and I Love You, which just released on February 12.
“‘Many Moons’ is a coming of age story, and a reflection on all the phases of my life so far,” explains Jillette. “I worked with the super talented Grant Claire to make a video that told the story of where I came from, where I am now, and where I believe I’m headed. I wanted to use lots of color and to make it feel like a spacey fever dream, where all these disparate worlds kind of collide into one.”
It’s a Beautiful Day and I Love You injects Jillette’s intimate, piano-written songs with irreverent lyrics, buoyant pop melodies and a shot of guitar-driven, alt-rock muscle. Produced by Joe Pisapia and written entirely by Jillette, the album has garnered praise from Rolling Stone, NPR Music, Refinery29, No Depression and more.
American Songwriter said "Boasting a series of mesmerizing melodies, [It’s a Beautiful Day and I Love You] begins with the eerie and elusive 'Many Moons' and subsequently negotiates its way through to songs that become even more effusive and expressive.” UNCUT adds, “her latest uses country as a springboard into '60s pop, '70s rock, and Noughties indie...It's an adventurous palette that suits her well.”
In late 2020, Jillette launched her original “Artist Brain” interview series, showcasing intimate acoustic performances and conversations with other artists. Streaming live on her Instagram every other Thursday, previous guests include Jaime Wyatt, Molly Parden, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Elle Varner, Maggie Rose, Katie Pruitt and Lillie Mae. Upcoming episodes will feature Andrew Combs and Grace Weber, with more guests to be announced.
PEP the NYC-based nostalgic pop group featuring frontwoman Karys Rhea (former drummer of Starlight Girls) is sharing a surprise two-video farewell for singles “Like a Movie” and “Run”, self-released Friday, February 26. This goodbye marks the end of a six-year run for a locally beloved band and celebrates music born out of Brooklyn venues in the 2010s.
“Like a Movie” is a haunt of doo-wop dream sauce, equal parts lovesick and buoyant. It comes with a silky video (dir. Dorian Duvall), shot with Rhea’s actual ex-boyfriend, going through the motions of a contrived love story fantasized and divine. “Run” is a glittering and joyful good time, previously released in 2017 but now with a brand new video, composed of careful quick harmonies, jangly splashes of color, and extremely catchy bass lines.
PEP originally began as the solo project of Starlight Girls drummer Karys Rhea. In the fall of 2011, she started humming doo-wop and Mo-town style melodies while practicing monotonous drum rudiments for hours at a time. These drum parts and vocal melodies became the foundation for PEP’s debut album, … Presenting PEP!, released in 2017.
After years of settling into a tight-knit act, PEP says farewell this year with the release of a new single, “Like A Movie”. Their updated brand of 60s doo-wop (nu-wop…if you will), became a seven-piece live outfit with back-up singers and choreographed moves reminiscent of retro pop girl groups. PEP is celebrating with their goodbye, years of music built out of Brooklyn venues in the 2010s, and a culture unabashedly retro but with a dreaminess that captured the hearts of listeners for a feel-good nostalgia PEP created with their tunes, fits, and fun.
Melbourne based Romanie unveils her intimate new single Anything (But Myself Around You). Produced by James Seymour (Feelds, Merpire) at Small Time Group, and mastered by Isaac Barter, the track was written in February 2020 right before Covid changed our lives significantly.
Speaking about the inspiration for Anything (But Myself Around You), Romanie says, The song is about how everyone wants to show their best selves to social media, at work, even to their close circle of family and friends. We always try our best to be happy but I think sometimes we also just need to be a bit more real and call out if it's not okay. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we want to speak out against someone, but we don't really dare to break the peace. Noting names like Lucy Rose, Julia Stone and Phoebe Bridgers as inspirations, Romanie opens her heart in her songs unveiling melancholic and sometimes personal topics of moving from her home country of Belgium to her new base in Melbourne.
I made the big trip across the ocean to Melbourne in October 2019 to start a new adventure at the other side of the world. Leaving everything behind that felt familiar - insecurity and overthinking were my first few friends I unpacked from my suitcase. I had to start over what I had left behind in Belgium (playing shows regularly, releasing my first EP Feelings, having a good network and friends). Seeing all the creative energy and talent in Melbourne, I soon got a bit overwhelmed and started to worry I would never find my feet in the music industry. This creative energy however, made me want to work hard and practice my craft to grow and figure out where I want to go with my music. I was very lucky to land in a network where I am inspired every day. I think I've never written as many songs as I did in the past year. - Romanie
Nashville-based singer/songwriter Elise Davis released a new song “Empty Rooms” from her forthcoming album Anxious. Happy. Chill. out on April 16 via Tone Tree. The song premiered on Apple Music’s Record Bin Radio with Kelly McCartney over the weekend and was featured by The Boot, who called the album "...a 10-song record about falling in love and changing perspectives." Last month, Davis announced the new collection with “Yellow Bed,” following the release of three singles in 2020 (“Ladybug,” “The Grid,” and “Flame Color”).
“I started writing this song right before the pandemic, around February 2020,” explains Davis. It began as a reflection of how I have spent my whole adult life. I began writing songs when I was 12 years old and never looked back. I've played in many empty rooms, coffee shops, hotel lobbies, restaurants, dive bars - I've also played in front of thousands of people in sold out clubs, theaters, music festivals. At the end of the day, regardless of the ups and downs, I know that playing music is what makes me feel whole and how I want to spend my time on this earth. After writing this the pandemic became in full swing and the reality of playing live music completely changed. It is interesting because now this song has added layers of meaning. Rooms all over the world that are usually full, are now empty rooms.”
Anxious. Happy. Chill. was recorded just days after wrapping her honeymoon in Arizona, where she finished writing the album in the Sonoran Desert outside Tucson. Davis recorded the album with producer Teddy Morgan (Carl Broemel) at his studio in Nashville, TN. With the Covid-19 pandemic already in full swing, Davis and Morgan worked together for a month while maintaining their physical distance, communicating through the glass windows of the studio's isolation booths and playing the majority of the instruments themselves. Drummer Fred Eltringham (Sheryl Crow, The Wallflowers) joined them for a single day to lend the album its unique, percussive pulse.
“Making this album was a unique experience to say the least. Normally, I go in with a band and we all sit around and play through songs. We hang out and have drinks, making it a social and creative experience. This time my producer and I were never in the same room. We wore masks to get to our spots in the studio, then spoke through glass on headphones,” explains Davis. “For 8 years I wrote for publishing companies in Nashville that set me up on scheduled co-writes. Those experiences helped me grow as a writer and I learned a lot. But to write this album almost entirely on my own brought me back to my roots. At the end of the day I prefer writing on my own more than anything, and I got back in touch with that again. I also played guitar on most of this album which I don't usually do. I usually hire guitar players whose skills are better than mine. But, me playing on the recordings makes them feel different. I hear myself in them more. This album is about love, success/failure, dislike of social media, aging, summertime, and most importantly, it's honest. I am so happy to be sharing my third child, Anxious. Happy. Chill., with the world.”
Charlotte Jacobs is sharing the music video for her new single, "Other Half". Charlotte describes the track as, "I think this song is about being close to another half- which can be another person, but I think also another part of yourself, and I think the images used in the video translates the music really well."
Brooklyn-by-Belgium vocalist Charlotte Jacobs transposes her world into music. Sights, movements, sounds and places coalesce, reflecting the artist’s surroundings in lush electronic unison. Born and raised in her parents’ art gallery in a small village in the Flanders countryside, Jacobs’ dense avant-pop arrangements pull influence from visual art, poetry and contemporary dance, converting one artistic medium into another. After spending several years performing in Belgian electronic trio SEIREN while studying jazz vocals at The Royal Conservatory of Ghent, Jacobs began writing her own material, experimenting with vocal manipulation and unorthodox song structure.
Despite performing with multiple collaborative projects, as well as composing video game and film scores, it wasn’t until Charlotte Jacobs relocated to Brooklyn in 2017 when she began to thoroughly find her voice. It was there she embarked on a new eccentric musical exploration, collaborating with New York’s cohort of producers and artists while delving into the textures, shapes and colors of her own vocals in her Crown Heights bedroom. 2019 saw the release of Jacobs’ debut Fishtale EP, a lurid collection of forward-thinking pop tied together with the help of producer and engineer Zubin Hensler (Half Waif, The Westerlies, Hannah Epperson). Influenced by jazz vocalist Betty Carter, Bjork’s vocal-centered Medulla and Tirzah’s wheezing pop loops, Charlotte Jacobs’ music upends expectations, subverting tradition through playful fusions of style and genre.
London-based independent artist Hannah Scott is fast cementing her place as one of the country’s most exciting new songwriters, with her emotive, personal songs and striking voice. Hot on the heels of her recent sync success which saw her song No Gravity open an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, she releases Drawn To Darkness,the fourth and final single from her forthcoming Help Musicians-funded album.
The song expresses the beauty and depth she finds in sadness. Co-written and produced with long-standing creative partner Stefano Della Casa (Ultra Music Publishing), Drawn To Darkness expertly combines organic, live elements with electronic sounds.
The two artists have struck a perfect balance between Hannah’s traditional songwriting craft and Stefano’s unique cinematic production. Further highlights for the pair include opening for Madeleine Peyroux to an audience of 2000 at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre and travelling across Ireland with Paddy Casey to open shows for him in Dublin and in a tiny Irish speaking village near Galway! Their music has also been featured on BBC Radio 2 including a live session with Dermot
It is pure melancholy that is transformed here into a bittersweet fairy talesque Brothers Grimm style. With 'The Huntress Obeyed' a new indie band from Lucerne enters the music scene: Laddermen.
Singer and guitarist Leopold Oakes hails from Texas, where he played in several indie and hardcore bands which taught him to express emotion through music. In 2019, Oakes left Texas to redefine the concept of home, as well as his musical work, in Switzerland. Together with musicians from previous projects, they created «Laddermen», a construct of melancholic, dark and haunting rock music. 'The Huntress Obeyed' is a spherical post-punk song about cocaine addiction in Austin, Texas and the darker side of the excessive party scene there.
Laddermen will release their debut album later this year. Their haunting songwriting and deep dramaturgy, for which they draw inspiration from English bands, should splash the indie scene with another palette of color.
This week sees the launch of an international partnership between the National Eisteddfod and the SUNS Europe Festival – the European Festival of Performing Arts in European Minority Languages. The partnership is a celebration of music rising above linguistic borders, with the first project combining Welsh with Friulian, the indigenous language of Friuli, northern Italy.
This first collaboration features Welsh band, Adwaith and Friulian musician, Massimo Silverio, with the song, Yn y Sŵn (Nijo), released on 26 February. Two versions of the song have been recorded, a Welsh and bilingual version in Welsh and Fruilian, and both Adwaith and Massimo Silverio feature on both versions. The word ‘Nijo’, the title of the bilingual version, is an ancient Friulian word meaning ‘Nowhere’, and when writing the words, Massimo Silverio thought of all the feelings, words and language which ultimately reach ‘Nijo’.
Welcoming the partnership with the SUNS Europe Festival, National Eisteddfod Chief Executive, Betsan Moses, said, “This partnership between the Eisteddfod and the SUNS Europe festival shows how we can successfully collaborate with other countries and cultures across the world.
“I’m confident that the fact that we’re both festivals celebrating minority languages binds us together, and I hope this is a solid foundation for us to further develop this relationship and other projects in the future. We’ve created something quite magical with this first collaboration, and I’m sure everyone will agree that the song – be that the Welsh or bilingual version – is amazing.”
Leo Virgili, SUNS Europe’s Artistic Director, added, “I want to thank the Eisteddfod for this brilliant idea. Collaborating with Wales at this specific time has even more importance for us. We strongly believe in a Europe that goes beyond Brexit, banks, and state agreements. A real Europe able to express proudly its diversity, sharing the power of indigenous languages and cultures.”
Francis Lung (ex-WU LYF) is announcing his second album, Miracle (out June 18 via Memphis Industries) with this first single, "Bad Hair Day".
This is the second album from Tom McClung – the real name behind the Francis Lung moniker – following his 2019 debut, A Dream Is U, which scored support at the Times, MOJO, Uncut, NPR, Best Fit, Paste Magazine and more. He recorded the new album at the idyllic Giant Wafer studios in rural Wales before self-producing in collaboration with Brendan Williams (Dutch Uncles, Kiran Leonard) and Robin Koob (who co-arranged and performed strings).
The opportunity to self-produce and maintain that creative control is something that somewhat plays into the album's deeply personal themes which represent a period of introspection for Francis as he reflected on his own struggles with mental health, substance (ab)use and, relationships.
There's something disarming about the breezy, sunny art-rock and power-pop, but underneath that, Miracle is a cathartic process for Lung which finds him tackling these demons in a brutally honest and open manner; the album is intended to celebrate the healing process whilst being aware of and accepting of the darker sides of the human psyche. This first single, "Bad Hair Day" demonstrates Francis' step-up in widescreen, kitchen sink power-pop, a sound not too far from Pet Sounds and Brill Building pop.
The Los Angeles-based artist Petey and Miya Folick released a new single “Haircut” via Terrible Records. The duo co-wrote the song and recorded it together in Miya’s apartment, and also collaborated on an official video for the track in Petey’s backyard featuring Folick shaving her own head.
“Haircut is a very fun song I wrote with my friend Miya about getting an extreme haircut and not wanting to talk about it,” explains Petey. “I hope you like it. it was really fun to make. We recorded it in Miya’s apartment.”
“Petey started this song and showed it to me. I immediately related. Just scroll through my feed to see a history of emotional haircuts. I really love the way it turned out. And it’s one of my mom’s favorite songs that I’ve made!” said Miya Folick about the track.
After signing to the Los Angeles-based Terrible Records (Claud, Empress Of, The Voidz) in late 2019, Petey has released 3 EP’s (Car Practice, High Life From The Bottle on the Beach, and Checkin Up on Buds) as well as 2 singles. Petey and Miya Folick previously collaborated on his single “California - Prius Edition” which appeared on High Life From The Bottle On The Beach. UPROXX said, Petey is a unique creature, combining elements of emo, electronic, and folk music into a sound that is unmistakably Petey.
Singer songwriter Laurr shares a mystical lyric video visual for latest single release "Sell My Soul."
"The inspiration behind Sell My Soul came from what people did or would be willing to do for money during quarantine in April. I myself had to work three jobs to keep from feeling insecure in a time of uncertainty. While others decided to take some unsavory paths, which were also very tempting to me. In the end, would those less savory paths be worth "selling your soul" over, and what is the dollar really worth? With the help of my producer/co-writer Corey Lawson, I feel we were able to capture the meaning of the lyrics with a driving bluesy melody and dark tone,” Laurr explains.
The alternative country songstress premiered the lyrical visual on Music Crowns. Laurr’s musical inspirations derive from the wide spectrum of genres her parents would listen to throughout her life. From Sublime, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Amy Winehouse, to Jamey Johnson and Johnny Cash.
Growing up in a small town, Laurr never thought she would be chasing such big dreams. From the big Utah mountains to the hills of Tennessee, she has had quite the journey as a songwriter and artist. Growing up, Laurr always had a huge imagination and would use my fireplace as my stage, and whatever furry creatures were around as an audience. They would not only listen to her made-up songs, but also my interviews with Ellen DeGeneres, and Jay Leno. Although she loved my imaginary stage, in school other kids would get frustrated at her, because it always seemed she was the main character in any school performance. She would say the best part about this journey is getting to reopen that imagination and revive her small-town child star persona as she grows into a musical artist.
Austin-based musician Danny Golden announced an April 23rd release date for his new EP Changes. The announcement comes with the first single “I Can’t Change” — Under The Radar praised the song’s “inviting melodies and plainspoken lyrical approach” along with its “towering layers of shoegaze guitars and crashing percussion.”
Changes follows Golden’s 2018 full-length Old Love. “It’s been over two years since I last put out new music, and I felt that ‘I Can’t Change’ had to be the song to break the silence,” Golden says. “The period between my last record and now saw me dealing with a lot of changes in my life, and in my approach to making music; I don’t think that’s more evident anywhere than on ‘I Can’t Change.’”
The song starts with a cymbal crash from Jeff Olson (White Denim, Balmorhea) and a wall of electric guitar sound courtesy of guitarist Ben Brown (PR Newman). These players along with Sam Pankey (Balmorhea, Mother Falcon) on bass, Mary Bryce (Smiile) in backing vocals, and Spencer Garland (Black Pumas, Matthew Logan Vasquez) on synth make up the EP’s core backing band. Other collaborators include David Ramirez (who produced the EP song “L.A. County”), and John Michael Landon (who produced “I Can’t Change” and “Alien”).
“I Can’t Change” is at once abrasive and inviting, like a friend pulling up with the aux at full volume. Your senses are a bit overwhelmed, but you know you want to get in, and that you’re bound for a good adventure. “The song is an expressionistic postcard and a story of supplication,” Golden says. “You can agonize all you want about choices in your life, but either way, change is going to happen to you. Taking what’s dealt to you and allowing change within yourself determines your quality of existence. I think we all experience periods of listlessness and malaise, often when we’re seeking answers without knowing the questions. Recording ‘I Can’t Change’ was a chance for me to give lyrical and sonic form to feelings that had been too abstract to understand.”
The Stars of Disaster started playing together in February 2019, in Pittsburgh. They’ve been playing out since May 2019. The songs started coming in 2014, when Anthony Schiappa came home. He’d made a go of it as an airline baggage handler in upstate New York, an academic in NYC, and an exile in Scandinavia. Back in his Steubenville, OH, basement, trying to stave off the terrors of clock-punching and memory. That’s when he rediscovered his childhood love of making loud music.
He started recording the songs in Pittsburgh, with friends old and new. They were done guerrilla style: in friends’ apartments, in Anthony’s sister’s house, in clubs during off-hours, anywhere. Eventually, they had a record: Love Won’t Save You.
To come alive onstage, the record needed a band. And it has one: Kate Daly (the hi-frequencies) on bass, David Brockschmidt (Benefits) on drums, and Chicago native Jesus Geoffrey Martinez (Burning Luck) on lead guitar.
Anthony’s main influences are Guided by Voices, early R.E.M., and early Ween. Amid these touchstones, you will hear Anthony’s own style. It’s a blend of claustrophobic themes and non-stop get-down that Kate calls “composed mania.” Mike Baltzer of Benefits calls the aesthetic “Rust-Belt garage psych.” Joe Tarowksy from Action Camp says “It’s like Teenage Fanclub came from the Ohio Valley.
There are times where you end up working with a band which had a huge impact on your youth and helped shaped your tastes over the decades, and while The Catenary Wires only started in 2014. The main two people behind the band Rob Pursey and Amelia Fletcher have made music as Heavenly, Marine Research, Tender Trap, and more providing a blueprint for the indie-pop scene over the last thirty years. This new Catenary Wires "Mirrorball" is set to be a classic and essential listening like the rest of their catalog. Both Rob & Amelia are available for interviews, guest editor features, mixtapes, you name it. Being in the UK under lock down they have time to make your interview or feature dreams a reality. Just let me know. I also have a few copies of the vinyl single promo copy wise that will be able to ship in mid-March, but it will be first dibs kinda set up. Hope you enjoy this new single as much as I do.
The Catenary Wires formed in 2014, initially as a duo. Amelia Fletcher and Rob Pursey had previously been in Talulah Gosh, Heavenly, Marine Research and Tender Trap. The first Catenary Wires album "Red Red Skies" (Elefant/Matinée Recordings, 2015) was a marked departure from the fuzzy sixties-inspired girl-group pop of their earlier bands. It was more acoustic, emotive and melancholy.
The band have just completed their third album, to be released in June 2021. The first single "Mirrorball" is a love song inspired by eighties discos. It will be released on Shelflife (US) and their own new label, Skep Wax (UK and rest of world).
The band’s name refers to the chain of curves made by the overhead cables seen suspended from pylons or above electric trains, cables that can seem to lead you off to somewhere different and unknown. Mirrorball takes two lonely single people, and takes them for a night out in an 80s disco. Surrounded by divorcees and middle-aged drunks, will they be too shy to talk, or will they find some love action? Is this going to be heaven or hell?
This is definitely the most positive and the most romantic duet The Catenary Wires have ever released. With delicate – and not so delicate – musical tributes to the 80s, Mirrorball starts off skeptical, but ends up falling in love with the music of a decade that was pure, unsubtle, tasteless and synthetic. The 80s disco turns out to be heavenly!
Rob and Amelia (ex Talulah Gosh, Heavenly) started The Catenary Wires as a duo, but they’re a full band now - and this record really feels the benefit of inspired contributions from Fay Hallam (keyboard), Ian Button (drums) and Andy Lewis (bass).
The Catenary Wires write songs for grown-up indie kids. They don’t pretend to be 23 any more, but they do remember what it felt like. The song is a combination of joy and regret, innocence and experience. MIRRORBALL is the first single from upcoming album Birling Gap.
Wy are a band strongest at their most vulnerable. The Malmö indie duo, Ebba and Michel Gustafsson Ågren, have showcased their musical skills across two albums, 2017’s Okay and 2019’s Softie which gained them recognition from KEXP, Line of Best Fit, NBHAP, Tonspion, CLASH and more as well as tours in Germany, Scandinavia and the UK. But what makes them stand out as a band is the raw, brutal emotion they capture in their music.
A Wy song at their best sounds like opening it all up, and letting the feelings flow where they will, letting the pain, anger, fear, hope and love steer the song. Those emotions are spun into the band’s skyscaping, cinematic sound, and turned into music that has a force behind it, a power that hits you, even when it's at its softest. And that power that illuminates the band’s songs is more present than ever on their new album Marriage which is out on May 7th, Dream House is the first single.
Marriage is the first record since signing to Rama Lama Records (Melby, Steve Buscemi's Dreamy Eyes, Chez Ali etc.) and the sound of Wy moving forward and backwards at once. Leaving the more produced style of last album Softie behind, it turns to the simpler sound of their earlier work for music that’s rawer and sharper. On both the indie-rock and the pop songs of this album, there’s less between the listener and the heart of the song - this is music that’s very direct, both in theme and sound, with melodies that hit cleanly and leave nothing even trying to hide. It’s the work of a band that have grown into themselves and what they do, and making the strongest songs of their career.
The Storm Petrels are a four piece indie pop band who came together in 2020 to bring some joy to these dark days.
The brainchild of songwriter and producer Pip Dusalle, they herald from both sides of the Atlantic and bring influences from as far afield as Belly, the Breeders, and Abba! The band have just released their first EP - Seasons - with a song for each season.
It begins with the upbeat optimism of Spring, moving on to the jangly guitars and catchy melodies of Summer, then the sweet lyrical nostalgia of Autumn.
The EP finishes with Winter - an intense ballad about love, loss and loyalty. Their music comes from the heart with the aim of lifting and inspiring during these challenging days.
The band contacted us directly and I have to say this really is a superb collection of songs. I'm all for upbeat, positive and heartfelt music, The Storm Petrels are all of that, along with being original and notably creative.
The Phoenix Foundation - Beside Yourself (with Fazerdaze).
New Zealand sextet, The Phoenix Foundation have shared "Beside Yourself" featuring fellow NZ talent, Fazerdaze (out via Memphis Industries).
The band returned late last year with their sixth album, Friend Ship, which secured some positie reviews at MOJO, Uncut, PopMatters, American Songwriter, KEXP and more – it featured some neat collabs with Tiny Ruins, Nadia Reid, Anita Clark and the NZ Symphony Orchestra becoming something of a celebration of the NZ music scene, really hammering home the sense of community that exists.
This new single acts as a continuation from that release, enlisting another NZ talent in the form of Fazerdaze (who released her Pitchfork-tipped debut album, Morningside in 2017). Adding somewhat to this NZ feel of the recent record, the band have collaborated at length with Taika Waititi previously, scoring the acclaimed soundtrack for Hunt For The Wilderpeople as well as providing tracks for Boy, Eagle versus Shark and What We Do In the Shadows – in October, the band were in conversation with Jemaine Clement of Flight of the Conchords fame.
Chris Pellnat is a songwriter from Hudson, NY, USA. In addition to solo work and collaborations, he also plays electric guitar in the band, The Warp/The Weft.
His new album released a few days ago is called 'Crossing'. Chris explains why that's the album title.
"Why Crossing”?
Crossing the line
Crossing over
Crossing the rubicon
Crossing the divide...
"You get the idea: This album is about moving on to something new and unexpected - musically, spiritually and as part of the natural arc of life. But it’s not a dreary lecture - it playfully upends indie norms in a distinctive way, with lots of dulcimer, vibraphone and guitars."
Chris and the band The Warp/The Weft have been featured here a number of times in the past. I never tire of hearing new music from either party, the freshness, creativity and warmth is always notable. Although these day's I rarely comment on new material (it's a given that I like it - see the comments on the top of the sidebar), I'm happy to make Chris Pellnat and the new album an exception.
Lorette West, MB's folk-pop musician Kevin Roy Kratsch — known professionally as the cosmic Canadian balladeer that is Mister K — has just released his debut album, In Event of Moon Disaster, and single “Tamarack” — available now!
To celebrate, Mister K has recorded a live, acoustic rendition of the song from the comfort of his own backyard in the region of Lorette West. The powerful performance of “Tamarack” features the aspiring musician’s wife Avery on backup vocals and guitar — and their adorable bulldog Luna, for emotional support.
Mister K points out that one of the sonic “easter eggs” found in the new album comes from his little canine companion; every time the word “moon” is sung on In Event of Moon Disaster, Luna rings a bell.
“If you listen hard enough,” he adds.
Overall, In Event of Moon Disaster is described as a musical journey through highs and lows, or “a pendulum swung through the hardship of darker days” (like the song), according to Mister K. Inspired by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it’s ultimately about overcoming adversity, emerging from the darkness and finding the light at the end of the tunnel; or even some sense of hope.
“I saw an angel in the marble and I carved till I set him free” – a Michelangelo quote that would be etched in my mind as I started on my new journey in sobriety. A journey that, at first, would reveal the painful truth about myself and then reveal the genuine beauty and generosity of others. Finally with all my desperation and vulnerability revealed and all my substantial failures confessed, I could be free. Free to have others lead me, free to have others teach me, free to start over.
The album, Real Love, is in part about that spiritual journey and in part about the rediscovery of music and art. I wrote these songs to help me heal and to help me grow. “Emotionally insecure, wrought with fear, anger and self-doubt…all of it, buried under an ego designed to deceive and manipulate the truth of who I was to others and to myself” – this is the harsh and critical self-analysis where the story of Real Love begins.
Addiction and alcoholism defined almost my entire adult life. They were the tools I would use to self-medicate from a disease I didn’t know existed, or at least one that I couldn’t dare admit to having. A disease that eventually, would destroy, from the outside in, everything I ever knew or cared about. My family, my friends, my career, until it had nothing else to destroy but me. By the end of the chaos, with everything and everyone that was ever important to me, injured and gone, I was left with one critical question. How do I move on from here?
The answer was one step at a time with the encouragement and generosity of friends. The potential that my story could perhaps help others, as others had helped me, fuelled me as I embarked on this recording project to tell my story. Not a story about rags to riches or infamy to greatness but just one of hope. For all those that have or still wander the depths of chaos and despair, the self-destructive calamity that is addiction, as I have, there is a way out of that darkness, there is light, there is hope. There is that angel in all of us. This is my story of Real Love.
For the second and third singles of her new album and video series The St Buryan Sessions, Cornwall-based singer-songwriter Sarah McQuaid delves deep into her back catalog to resurrect “Charlie’s Gone Home”, the first original song she ever recorded as a solo artist, then jumps forward again with “The Day Of Wrath, That Day”, a powerful instrumental composition for electric guitar.
Originally recorded on her 1997 debut album When Two Lovers Meet, “Charlie’s Gone Home” wasn’t a brand new song even then, Sarah recalls. “I’d actually written it back when I was still living in Philadelphia, so it would have been the late 1980s or early 90s. I can remember very clearly the day I wrote it – back in those days I was still thinking of myself not as a songwriter but as a folksinger who happened to write an occasional song when inspiration struck, so to speak.
“I remember reading an interview with some poet whose name I can’t remember, where she said that when she felt a new poem starting to arrive it was like an oncoming train, and she had to rush to her desk to be there ready with pen and paper when the train pulled in to the station.
“Well, this song hit me exactly like an oncoming train, only one that was barrelling along at full steam with whistles blaring. It really knocked me for six, and I remember just sitting on the sofa crying and trying to wipe the tears off my guitar so they didn’t mark the finish – not because it was a sad song but just from the overwhelming emotional impact of writing it.
“It’s been kind of a special song for me ever since, and a lot of people have told me it’s a special song for them, too – at least two different people said ‘Well, I hope “Charlie’s Gone Home” is going to be on it’ as soon as I told them about the project.”
From Joce: Allow my new single "Cross My Heart" to transport you to summertime. This will be one to listen to at max volume, driving in the car on a comfy summer night.
When I was first starting to write my own music, it was very tame and folky, just me and an acoustic guitar. I really wanted to explore other genres, and started listening to some Otis Redding, Janis Joplin, Earl Hooker to feel that sound that comes from an old soul. And all of a sudden, this straight blues idea came to mind, and I said "Damn! I gotta get on this!"
It was a fantastic experience working with Erin Costelo and Colin Buchanan (Paper Lions) on this song. In my day-to-day life I am very easy-going, almost to a fault. When it came time to say "yes" or "no" or "I don't like that" during recording, I struggled a bit. But I learned very quickly that only I know what I want it to sound like, and nobody is going to know if I don’t tell them!
Glasgow-based Folk outfit The Gracious Losers have done the near-impossible, cutting a full record with a 15-piece band. As one-man acoustic shows and sparse live sets dominate the musical landscape, Gracious Losers, headed by songwriter and guitarist Jonathan Lilley, have succeeded in draping listeners in a full-bodied orchestral experience on their new album “Six Road Ends,” while leaving ample room for vulnerable stripped-down moments and opportunities to get down.
The Gracious Losers are a 9-piece supergroup, featuring members of Sister John, Thrum, God Help the Girl, The Parsonage, Sporting Hero and the Berie Big Band, The Gracious Losers draw on their shared and disparate musical influences including celtic folk, 70s psychedelia, and outlaw country. The album title, 'Six Road Ends' refers to an arcane place in Northern Ireland, where six rural roads haphazardly converged at one perilous junction. The crossing no longer exists, and thus has assumed a mythical quality despite once being very real - a place of stuckness, hesitation, and risk. Lilley’s intricate songwriting reflects these themes, feeling at times planted in an intersection and at others moving lightspeed toward uncertainty.
The lead single “Loath to Leave,'' premiering on Here Comes the Flood, follows the throughline of impermanence with a lightly plodding funk groove, unexpectedly melancholy lyrics, and decaying organ frills alluding to a peaceful evaporation. Wailing slide guitar propels listeners along as the track evolves through what feels like time and space. The track’s video underscores the detachment from spacetime, as Lilley and vocalist Amanda McKeown fluctuate freely between chairs in a “perpetual state of magic” before disappearing altogether. The duo can be seen in a state of waiting in a liminal living-room, passing the time by checking watches or kicking the ground, before resolving the tension created by transitional moments with a sense of relief.
With precision, drive, and wit, three-piece garage rock band, Crocodyle, has a unique ability to articulate the otherwise inexplicable.
Coming off the release of their last single, “I Feel Good,” which set the internet positively abuzz last summer, Crocodyle is dropping their newest track, “Passenger Seat,” along with its accompanying video. “This song is a direct address to all your special someones,” shares Crocodyle.
“Whoever makes you feel like the coolest version of yourself, whoever is the easiest to laugh with, whoever feels best by your side. It’s nice to have somebody who you know you can run to when nobody else makes sense, and ‘Passenger Seat’ is a rocker dedicated to whoever that is for you.”
The video for “Passenger seat” was filmed in and around residential Nashville under the artistic guidance of Seth Endelman. Endelman is a Nashville-based videographer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and label owner.
“Passenger Seat” is the latest single from Crocodyle’s forthcoming EP, Sharing a Twin Bed, which is set for release in April. Sharing a Twin Bed was produced by Lincoln Parish, the former lead guitarist for Cage the Elephant. Parish left Cage the Elephant in 2013 to follow his passion for producing.
“Crocodyle hits every note that defines punk rock for me,” says Parish. “Their music is young, energetic and fun whilst still maintaining pop sensibilities of artists well beyond their years, I’m excited to see what’s next for these dudes!”
Crocodyle has played in cities all over the US and toured the UK, making a stop in Ireland. Spotted at a small club in Dublin, they were invited to do two sets at Ireland's "Coachella," Electric Picnic, headlined by Kendrick Lamar and The Prodigy.
