Emily Kate - Kelly McMichael - Neighborhood Brats - Breathe Panel

Emily Kate - The Whole Time.

Recording artist, Emily Kate perfectly bridges the gap between country and pop with her unique sound and lyrical storytelling. Born and raised in Toronto, Emily Kate’s love for music started at a very young age. She grew up inspired by her musical family and influenced by Taylor Swift, Keith Urban, Kelsea Ballerini, and Danielle Bradberry.

Pulling from real life experiences, her music conveys relatable thoughtful messages weaved with fresh, soulful melodies. Her meaning filled lyrics coupled with her warm sound is often described as Kelsea Ballerini meets a motivational speaker.

“I want to be able to say something with my music. For people to connect with themselves and feel inspired when they listen…while also having fun.” – Emily Kate

Working with CMAO nominated Producer of the Year, Shawn Moore, her anticipated debut EP All In, reveals a strong willed female artist, sure to impact the lives of current and future fans. Giant, the first single off her EP, became available August 7, 2020 and its empowering message has gained popularity amongst her fans and also Canadian Country Radio. Having over 500 plays on Sirius XM and many other stations across Canada.

Keeping up with the momentum, Emily Kate released her next single off her EP, All In, which has reached Top 50 on the Sirius XM charts. This song has touched that relatable experience when we sometimes pick the wrong guy, and makes you want to hold up a lighter while you sing and sway. The second last song, Space, showcases a more vulnerable side. The soaring lyrical story centres on Emily Kate’s strong belief that every little thing in our lives happens for a reason. It’s all about timing and Space brings that metaphor to life throughout the stellar songwriting and effortless production overlay.

Emily Kate · The Whole Time

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Kelly McMichael - I Missed Out On Everything.

Kelly McMichael is known for her commanding vocals, classic songwriting, and unique ability to conduct powerful musical forces whether making bedroom beats, rocking a Gibson SG or serenading softly on the piano. She has fronted RENDERS, Thelma & Louise, and The Gloss and Rouge.

Her debut full-length album Waves (available now) displays a wide range of rock sounds and marks a transition from her electronic-based project ‘RENDERS’. It has taken years to find the right circumstances to bring these arrangements to life, and she finally found them by the ocean with the support of engineer, co-producer and drummer Jake Nicoll (The Burning Hell), and multi-instrumentalists Maria Peddle and Sarah Harris (Property) from St John's.

After years of experience and searching for the right pieces, I've created a collection of my best songs played with my favourite musicians infused with the magical energy on this whacky and amazing island of Newfoundland. It's a celebration of resilience, marked by this ridiculous cover photo of me - tired and proud on a cranky horse, smelling the salty air, wondering what magical surprises are in my future, remembering the golden fields of my rural Ontario past. - Kelly McMichael.

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Neighborhood Brats - Confines of Life (Album).

 Neighborhood Brats is a California punk band formed in 2010 by vocalist Jenny Angelillo and guitarist George Rager. Originally based in San Francisco, Rager and Angelillo relocated frequently around and between northern and southern California during the band’s formative years.

In 2013, publicity, positive reviews and regional US touring attracted enough attention for the band to begin touring Europe, which would become a mainstay for the band’s road activity. By the end of 2019, the band had completed five European tours, and multiple headlining and direct support tours throughout the United States and Canada.

In 2021, Neighborhood Brats will release their third LP, Confines of Life, which was recorded in 2020 as Los Angeles shut down in response to the incoming pandemic. The album will be released on May 28th via Dirt Cult Records in the US and Taken By Surprise Records in Europe.

Dirt Cult Records · Neighborhood Brats - Confines of Life

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Breathe Panel - Lets It In.

Today, Breathe Panel have announced that their new album will be released on September 17th on FatCat Records via the sharing of title track ‘Lets It In’. With members divided between London and Brighton, Breathe Panel come together to produce music that is as effortless as their name suggests. Recorded live to tape by esteemed producer Ali Chant (Aldous Harding, PJ Harvey, Katy J Pearson), Lets It In was recorded with no agenda other than the enjoyment of making music together. The resulting album is ultimately positive in outlook, centering around themes of falling in love, moments in places, light, breathing, walking, urban living and finding beauty in a sometimes heavy environment.

Living together in a shared house in East London, frontman Nick Green and lead guitarist Josh Tyler would start writing songs together as an escape from the restlessness of the city. “A sort of meditation from the mess”, says Nick. With the arrival of the lockdown, their immediate surroundings became even more vivid and influential as spring turned to summer last year. “I've been reading about Psychogeography and the weird link between where you are and how you feel and how sometimes those two things can align to make you feel like you're in a sweet spot just for a split second or an afternoon,” explains Josh.

Nowhere is the essence of the album found more precisely than on the album’s title track which documents a relationship blossoming at the first signs of the summer. “The single highlights what I was seeing at the time; light, windows, day-to-day goodness and being in a good place,” explains Nick. “Once that song came together I felt like we'd landed on the sound of the album,” says guitarist Josh. “I was struggling to write a line for it but it slowly began to flow in a practice in Alex's kitchen. I like how it's a turn of phrase that feels close to something you might say on a daily basis but never think twice about,” he continues.

For a band who are at their most comfortable writing songs together in a living room, swapping drum kits for cushions, it’s unsurprising that the music Breathe Panel produce is as rejuvenating to listen to as it is for them to produce. The result is a second album that sounds real and present in the moment, evoking the moments in time in which it was made, calling to mind the warm 90’s indie-rock of bands like Acetone and The Sea and Cake. Breathe Panel is here to soothe the collective soul in 2021.

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Peter Drucker and Alyssa Messina - Low Hummer - Abbie And The Roses

Peter Drucker and Alyssa Messina - Pathetic.

Songwriter turned accidental frontman; Peter Drucker has developed a style that loosely threads the line between an out-of-phase Kanye blended with “Montana” era John Mayer. He creates melodies with infectious enthusiasm, and a lyrical intensity spanning a well crafted collection of glimpses into his mind.

Youthful and ambitious, Peter burst onto the scene in 2018, with an armoury of tracks ranging from electric guitar driven synth-pop, to catchy, heartfelt string-centred ballads; all aided by a uniquely soulful voice and a dominant sense of groove that leaves listeners mumbling choruses into the night.

Based out of Toronto, he is performing and writing every chance possible, honing and developing his craft by working with local and global talents such as Laguil (J-SOUL, DVBBS & lil Baby), Roy Hamilton III (George Nozulka, Mia Martina) & Kevin Howley (of Running Red Lights).

“Each song tries to say something. If people don’t talk about it, don’t respond, then it’s back to square one. But every day I wake up excited, sketching a little bit closer to whatever that truth is.”

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Low Hummer - The People, This Place.

The People, This Place is the fast, urgent post-punk track from rising Hull band Low Hummer that complains about the mundane. 

Over a driving bassline, punchy drumbeat and "keep breathing" chants, vocalist Dan Mawer performs an intense and anxious stream of consciousness about pressure, stress and excess.

Following a BBC Radio 1 playlist, 6 Music support and 6 Spotify Editorials with their last single, Low Hummer have announced their debut album 'Modern Tricks For Living' to be released on 17th September on Dance to the Radio.

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Abbie And The Roses - What You've Done.

Abbie and The Roses are an alternative pop band formed in London in 2018 by vocalist Abbie Rose, guitarist Nick Crowe and backing vocalist Maeve Brennan. The band first burst onto stages with their infectious debut single “All This Time”. Mixed by world-renowned engineer Geoff Swan (Ed Sheeran, Liam Gallagher, Kings Of Leon, Charlie XCX, Years & Years), this disarmingly honest break-up tale heads straight to the heart and just won’t let go. 

Abbie and The Roses’ self-penned and self-produced debut single showcases their expansive sound and deeply personal songwriting, delivering a sharp hit of raw honesty rarely heard in recent years. Following the success of their first two studio releases and one live acoustic track the band have been in the studio working on collection of new songs ready for the new year. 

As 2020 draws to a close the band release their third studio single ‘Atmosphere’ a heartbreaking piano ballad fitting for the difficult times 2020 has brought upon us. They look to 2021 with positive energy as it’s set to be a huge year for the band. They prime to hit stages once again with an all new storming set of soul-stirring songs, with their sights set on the stratosphere!

Song info: This song was written last year during a really difficult breakup for our lead singer Abbie, it is a reflection of the complicated emotions she felt for her ex and touches on the anger and heartbreak she felt during a difficult and lonely time. Without wanting the song to be a big xxxx Off she wanted to say I hope you’re happy with your decision and I wish you well because she knew eventually she would be fine.

Abbie & The Roses · What You've Done

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Mad Symphony - Heather Walton

Mad Symphony - The Next Door.

Mad Symphony has released its debut self-titled album worldwide on MR Records. The band also recently world premiered the video for The Next Door. Talking about what was the inspiration for the video The Next Door, David Groves said, "The Next Door is a song about trying to make the right choices in life for ourselves and how those choices don't always work out the way that we had hoped for or planned.  Game shows such as The Price is Right and Let's Make A Deal were the perfect backdrops to dramatize this lyrical theme in a compelling and often comical way."

As to why did the band pick this song for a video, David adds, "The Next Door is a song that perfectly encapsulates all the elements that make up Mad Symphony. Soaring harmonies and melodies are woven through interesting and ever-changing rhythms. Chunky guitar riffs blend with the bass and keyboards in a cacophony of instrumentation. Mostly though, we just wanted to see our lead guitarist get decapitated by an angry rabbit....and this song is perfect for that!"

“It ain’t over, never over, ‘til we do it all over again!” is the hook-line and rallying cry from Vancouver-based melodic prog-rockers Mad Symphony on their forthcoming single ‘Do It All Over Again.’ While channeling the sounds of classic rock bands such as AC/DC, The Who and Led Zeppelin, Mad Symphony infuses their songs with modern elements of heavy guitars, elaborate keyboards and massive vocal harmonies to create a sound that is both contemporary and instantly recognizable by music fans of all ages. Examining the themes of love, loss, and betrayal with songs such as ‘Sell Me Out,’ ‘Reality Check’ and ‘Wasted in Oblivion,’ Mad Symphony seeks to illuminate the pressures and struggles faced by all who live through these confusing and rapidly changing times.

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Heather Walton - I Wanna Know.

Born in California, Heather Walton is an American singer-songwriter living in Utah, USA. She composes her music with the acoustic guitar and piano, her favorite being the electric guitar. Some of her influences are: Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Christina Aguilera (all the divas). Along with Elton John, one of her favorite artists. 

As a contemporary vocalist that adores romantic music, Heather is aspiring to achieve this vibe in her upcoming work. She enjoys tapping into her feminine and sensual side, her most authentic nature. She hopes to spread light with her music and lyrics, as her mission is to help all feel love, the highest of all values. Heather started releasing covers on YouTube in 2018 and was discovered by a Canadian mastering engineer, François Rocheleau. 

He began mastering her covers and encouraged her to release original compositions. In 2020 she was contacted by Mtec Academy Music Production from London, UK. They released 7 singles together. Early 2021, Heather signed with the renowned Italian Sonos Music Records Intl. Label (Maffucci Music). Out in May her new single “I Wanna Know” which will be the first of a long collaboration with them and the arranger Ermanno Corrado, who runs his recording studios and video production facility.

I want to know more about the possibilities of the purest human emotion… love. This is the basis of my new single “I Wanna Know.” It’s an anthem for the world, but especially dreamers. About a big ideal based on one’s innermost desires and feelings that have a deep meaning in the most passional way. It’s about overcoming boundaries and quest for light. My hope for “I Wanna Know” is that it will spark the listener to analyze their deepest desires on the subject of love, and then strive to reach new heights in their relationships, emotions, fantasies, and dreams. Love is the highest of all values after all.

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This Is The Deep - Laurence Murray Project - Roxanne de Bastion - Melby

This Is The Deep - The Best Is Yet To Come (Part 1 - EP).

East London 7-piece psych-pop collective This Is The Deep today release their debut EP 'The Best Is Yet To Come (Part 1)' - out now via B3SCI Records, with new track "Let Her Go" also out now.

Over the last two years This Is The Deep have quietly established a cult live following through support slots with HMLTD, PVA, and Family Time, as well as their own sold out cross-over events at venues such as Windmill Brixton, Moth Club and The Shacklewell Arms, combining immersive art and video installations with live performances from acts including Sinead O'Brien, Opus Kink and Baby Vanga.

Written, recorded and produced by the band at 'The Sauna' – their HQ in Hackney Wick – the EP is a wildly inventive introduction to the band. Across its 8 tracks, the band switch seamlessly between explorative psych-rock, glitchy art-pop and stomping indie rock.

What started out as late night recording sessions between flatmates Ranald Macdonald, David Bardon and Oscar Robertson - quickly spiralled into This Is The Deep’s carnivalesque troupe of seven musicians.

Drawing as much from artists such as Suicide, Death Grips, and the scores of Angelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet) and Ennio Morricone, as from the glittery pop-disco of the Scissor Sisters, This Is The Deep weave together personal stories with wider ideas and anxieties about the times we’re living through - from the loss of ‘real’ experiences to the feeling of being constantly watched by technology.

"Ultimately, we want to transport the listener somewhere completely different with the music.  A landscape that can offer a different perspective on the real world or a just place to enjoy and escape from it," the band explain. "To us, The Best Is Yet To Come (Part 1) isn’t saying that everything is getting better. It’s about feeling that things today aren’t ‘The Best’ and although you can’t say exactly what it will look like, hoping that one day something better will come."

This Is The Deep consists of post-punk royalty Susie Honeyman (Mekons) on fiddle, Sammy Silue on guitar and vocals, Ranald Macdonald on synth and vocals, Hannah Tilson on trombone and vocals, David Bardon and Oscar Robertson on bass and drums, with electronic drums and percussion from Liam Toon.

This Is The Deep · The Best Is Yet To Come (Part 1)

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Laurence Murray Project - NPD.

Laurence Murray Project recorded their sophomore release ‘NPD’ at the UK’s most remote recording studio: Black Bay Studio on the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland. This setting helped create the sense of intrigue and mystery to this stunning psychedelic and rock infused single.

Featuring swirling twelve-string guitar parts, vibraphone and audacious drums reminiscent of late 60s and 70s Psychedelia, ‘NPD’ is both pleasing on the ear and edgy with Laurence Murray’s gritty vocal summoning smoky emotions. Lyrically, the track involves a dark take on themes of deceit, infidelity and delusion, whilst adventurous instrumentation and percussion parts create an apt musical backdrop for an exploration of the complications and intricacies involved in a modern-day romantic relationship.

On the single, Murray explains, ‘“NPD” is ultimately a track about duplicity and how we are all susceptible to manipulation at any given time. It’s about having a light bulb moment where many seemingly small & insignificant red flag moments come together at once to create a much larger picture.’

“The lights are on and the room is empty” is the sudden realisation of being duped all along. The screaming guitar solo and outro section of the track acts as a symbolic release from being controlled and abused. It is a ‘shackles are off and now it’s time to heal’ symbolic moment of Laurence Murray Project’s debut 11-track album ‘Still’, set to be released in mid-late 2021.

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Roxanne de Bastion - Molecules

Rising singer-songwriter Roxanne de Bastion announces the release of her cathartic second album ‘You & Me, We Are The Same’. The ten songs were written by Roxanne, then recorded and produced with Bernard Butler, during the two-year period Roxanne was losing her father. However, ‘You & Me, We Are The Same’ is not a sad album. It has moments of euphoria, of fun, of falling in love, as well as falling apart, because as Roxanne explains “all those things still happen, even in our darkest chapters.”

As producer Bernard Butler explains “Roxanne sings great modern pop songs about being Roxanne in 2019. I really enjoyed making this album, I think we created something emotional and special.”

New single ‘Molecules’ is a slice of hypnotic, invigorating and intelligent dark-pop fusing elements of psych, folk, and a love of late 60s production, with Roxanne’s sound taking inspiration from artists like The Beatles through to Regina Spektor. Roxanne’s pure vocal is both contrasted and complemented by the screaming violins and vigorous guitar riffs, the latter, alongside the video’s stylised black and red silhouetted imagery, a nod to The White Stripes’ influence. The track’s drum sound is actually clapping and Roxanne hitting things like tambourines and floor toms in Bernard’s living room.

Lyrically, ‘Molecules’ raises some divine questions in its refrain “You can shout at molecules and see them react…that might be God, they might have mislabelled that.” As Roxanne explains “What if we got it wrong? If there is such a thing as divinity, maybe it’s more on a modular level.”

To celebrate the album’s release, Roxanne de Bastion has announced she’ll return to the Moth Club, London on 12th October, with full band and live audience. The show marks a year since Roxanne’s virtual gig at the venue during the start of the pandemic, which was broadcast worldwide and recorded for her 10” vinyl ‘Live at Moth Club’ EP.

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Melby - Concorde

Stockholm four-piece Melby have constantly been growing since their debut with catchy single 'Human' in 2016. In 2019, the band released their acclaimed debut record 'None of this makes me worry' which was followed by tour dates all over Europe. During the pandemic in 2020, the band have worked on new material in a new way. From these sessions, we've previously heard the prog/psych inspired 'Common Sense', the dreamy but melancholic 'Old Life', 'Somewhere New', a dynamic track inspired by classical counterpoint composition and the indie pop gem 'Magic'.

New single 'Concorde' is another taste of the band's dynamic indie pop, psych and folk blend that continues to win them fans with every release and step they take. 'Concorde' might just be their smoothest track to date, as they in their own way resemble contemporaries like TOPS, Tennis and more.

Melby tells us about the new single: "Concorde is a song about the luxury that is always dependent on other people."

On 'Concorde', Melby continues to cement their role as one of the most interesting Scandinavian acts around, a band so home and accomplished within their sound that they're now ready to continue to experiment with it without losing their characteristic. The new material was mainly written and straight-away recorded in the studio in close collaboration with producer Alexander Eldefors, this is a completely new way for a band that previously in many cases have toured material for years before recording them.

The band often gets compared to fellow Swedes Dungen and Amason but Melby’s dynamic sound, with influences from folk, psych, indie and pop, stand out. The quartet's light, semi-psychedelic folk pop is led by Matilda Wiezell’s enchanting voice which fits perfectly with Melby’s unique musical landscape - a sound that's been called "otherworldly, and wholly brilliant" by The Line of Best Fit.

The band consists of Wiezell, Are Engen Steinsholm (back-up vocals, guitar), David Jehrlander (bass) and Teo Jernkvist (drums) and formed while living together in a Stockholm shared housing.

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Georgia State Line - Melissa Sullivan - Tautologic - Charm Of Finches

Georgia State Line - Every Time.

Honest, agile, and refreshingly self-assured, Georgia State Line’s unique brand of country-infused melancholy yields music that’s equal parts heartsick and hopeful.

The stage moniker of Australian singer/songwriter Georgia Delves, Georgia State Line blends both vintage and contemporary sounds to craft songs steeped in Tennessee sunsets. Delves’ voice is effortlessly colourful, lyrical and textural with a depth and grace to rival even the most revered of talents.

“Every Time” is the first single lifted from Georgia State Line’s highly anticipated new album due later this year. Georgia says “it’s a song about making friends with the consistency of change; acknowledging what isn’t meant for you and celebrating the courage it takes to let it go. It highlights the quiet strength found in choosing to feel joy for what once was, and the power that comes with putting yourself first”.

The visuals were shot in Victoria’s beautiful Wimmera region on Wotjobaluk Country, the atmospheric single capturing the triumph of heartbreak.

“Every Time” was recorded at James Cecil’s studio, Super Melody World in Macedon, Victoria over 2019. It features some of Australia’s most celebrated Americana musicians: Tom Brooks on electric guitar and pedal steel, Laura Baxter on bass and backing vocals, Patrick Wilson on drums, percussion and piano, and of course Georgia Delves on lead vocals and acoustic guitar.

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Melissa Sullivan - Marcella.

American singer-songwriter, Melissa Sullivan announced the animated music video for the song “Marcella” from her debut album Late Last Night (Daring Sparrow). Directed by Gabriele Fabbro and Illustrated/Animated by Serena Viganò in Milan Italy, the “Marcella” lyric video that follows an adventurous bird who travels through city and space to find his love. The song and video for “Marcella” takes its inspiration and theme from love being the key to create change. With everything happening in our world today; the pandemic, climate change, the division in countries, the goal was to create a video with hope. 

What started as an original song Sullivan used to sing to her husky dog Anastasia was then brought to Jimmy Edwards for lyrics. Her melody envisioned a bird flying over the ocean for love, which Edwards lyrics fit perfectly. It was then transformed into a Brazilian influenced Bossa Nova beat when fleshed out in the studio and made its way onto her debut album. 

“I have always been inspired by Gilberto Gil, Antonio Calos Jobim and the Bossa Nova sound,” said Melissa Sullivan. “My album Late Last Night is an ode to some of my favorite music and is a blend of jazz, pop, and blues of original songs and covers. Gabrielle & Serena’s video beautifully embodies the song’s theme of love being the key to create change via their imagery of lost connections between imaginary lovers.” 

Sullivan’s Late Last Night album combines both original songs and newly realized standouts from The Great American Songbook and was recorded at Sir Tiger Studio and produced by Peter Adams, Will Gordon, Ed Maxwell and Melissa Sullivan.

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Tautologic - Wheels Fall Off (Album).

 Tautologic is in its third decade (plus or minus a hiatus or two) of making “perfectly normal music for slightly odd people.”

Wheels Fall Off is the first Tautologic album to feature a line-up of the band still intact at the time of its release - Ethan Sellers (keys/vocals/production), Patrick Buzby (drums), Nathan Britsch (bass), Chris Greene (saxes), Emily Albright (violin, vocals), and Jay Montana (guitar). “New guy” Montana has - at the time of the album’s completion - been with the band for 10 years, making this the longest-lived line-up in Tautologic history.

Tautologic had some help from special guests - Tom Culver (cello), Johnny Showtime Janowiak (trombone), John Moore, Jr. (trumpet), and Sellers’ own children. Sellers kept the guest list limited, otherwise - preferring to celebrate the band’s talents and stage-honed interplay.

Tautologic completed most of Wheels Fall Off even before releasing its 2018 album Re:Psychle. Determined to capture their live chemistry, Tautologic recorded roughly half of the album at a single live full-band session with Rick Barnes at Chicago's Rax Trax Recording in late 2013. Sellers recorded overdubs at his home studio, culminating in a COVID-19-inspired recording binge in the spring and early summer of 2020. An Illinois Arts Council grant generously defrayed the cost of Barnes mixing the album and provided a more urgent timeline to complete the album.

The music for Wheels Fall Off is an organic mash-up and a study in contrasts. Sellers’ composed pieces leave openings for in-studio improvisation. Male and female vocalists trade leads and harmonize. Short vocal-centered songs co-exist with long instrumental epics. Prog-rock and fusion workouts share space with Afro-Caribbean, zydeco, funk, blues, and samba grooves. There are organic whole-band recordings, and layers of one-man-choir vocals, one-woman string sections, guitar armies, horn sections, synthesizer mini-odysseys, and post-production audio mangling.

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Charm Of Finches - Gravity.

We have the new single from Australian eclectic chamber indie folk sister duo Charm of Finches. Entitled “Gravity” the track follows the tremendous success of their recent single “Treading Water” and is part of their upcoming full-length album to be released later this year.

“Gravity” reflects on the many dangers of “toxic positivity” and how this can cause people to avoid the inner-work of dealing with painful and uncomfortable feelings, such as sadness and grief.  The song features the sisters’ gorgeous emotion-laden and harmonious vocals, with sublimely beautiful instrumentation composed of cello, ukulele, banjo, violin, harp and guitar, and a tender smooth, stripped-down melody laced with bittersweet nostalgia and deep melancholia.

The duo are signed to AntiFragile and have been acclaimed by the likes of NPR, and have been added to popular Spotify playlists including Fresh Folk, Lush + Etheral and Infinite Acoustic.

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Alice Hubble - Big Little Lions - Jesse Roper - Gawain and the Green Knight - Rvrside - Lipstick Jodi

Alice Hubble - Power Play.

London-based synth-pop artist Alice Hubble has shared her comment on the #metoo movement in the form of new single ‘Power Play’ alongside news that her new album will be released later this year. Described as the work of ‘one lady at home with her enormous collection of synthesisers’, Alice Hubble mixes melancholic pop, layered vintage synths and elegant vocals, reminiscent of Ladytron, Ashra and Goldfrapp. 

Her debut album 'Polarlichter', inspired by the 70’s recordings of Tangerine Dream and Sally Oldfield was released in September 2019 to much critical acclaim. Earning the project support from the likes of BBC Radio 6 Music’s Lauren Laverne, Steve Lamacq and Gideon Coe as well as acts like Damo Suzuki, Advance Base, Pram and Beak> with whom she played live.

Where ‘Polarlichter’ offered a soundscape of pastoral solace, new single ‘Power Play’ is a much more direct offering. Written in March 2020, Alice found herself channeling a lot of anger into the single. “The track is my comment on what happens in a post #metoo world, once the worst offenders have been ‘cancelled’ and caught and the news stories have been had. Has something changed?  Does society move on and go to the next issue?” explains Alice. 

The song references the mass hex of Brock Turner, when witches around the world joined together to hex the Stanford swimmer convicted of sexual assault. “I am fascinated by this form of collective digital activism,” she says. “In honoring this, Power Play is the closest thing I’ve written to a protest song”. ‘Power Play’ wassout on 19th May on Happy Robots and is available to download and stream via all digital platforms, with a new album to follow this Autumn.

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Big Little Lions - Only A Friend Like You

Big Little Lions have been described as ‘a blissful marriage of new folk and sophisticated pop’. Prolific songwriting, infectious folk-pop style, and an offbeat, memorable live show. 

This award winning duo consists of Helen Austin and Paul Otten who, despite living thousands of miles apart, have found a way to connect and create music together. Despite being in two different countries, they have found common ground to share their message. Call it destiny, or call it fate, call it a necessary progression for these modern times. 

Helen lives in British Columbia, Canada and Paul lives in Cincinnati, OH. But the distance provides the necessity to create in a new way. Using technology as their ally and their differences as their strength.  Their monthy single releases are their way of getting through this pandemic while all the usual album cyle release plans don’t make sense anymore. Their music is jam-packed with emotion and tight harmonies, the sound of two people working side by side.

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Jesse Roper - Does Anybody Know.

Canadian rocker Jesse Roper continues to tease music from an upcoming album due later in 2021, dropping a serendipitous, Motown-infused new single, “Does Anybody Know” this week. Roper hit the studio earlier this year with JUNO nominated producer Gus Van Go (Arkells/Sam Roberts Band/The Stills) in Brooklyn, NY.

Discussing how the track came about Roper, notes, "It was kind of funny how the song came about. I’d been listening to a lot of Leon Bridges at the time and it was just a matter of time before I wrote something in that fashion. The song is about a guy who’s been dumped and is confused and looking for his ex all around town. I was in a relationship when I wrote it, so it had no particular meaning to me. But months later, after I got home from a long tour, my girlfriend met me at her door and informed me that she no longer wanted to be in a relationship with me. I was shocked and hurt and suffering from all those feelings. The song now felt like foreshadowing to my own future, and I was almost embarrassed to sing it.

But Gus loved it, and went straight to it. The song came together quickly and it was my introduction to his way of doing things,  which I immediately loved.  The tones were rich and the song ended up being really groovy. It was also the first song that Josh Dion played drums on. That guy is next level pro and my mind kind of blew watching him lay it down in one take.

It’s one of my favourites off the upcoming album. I’ve since played it to the girl who broke up with me. She loves it too. And now we’re actually back together. Maybe because she liked the song. I don’t know."

“Does Anybody Know” follows the March single “Horizons,” showcasing a new side to Roper's musicality with a focus on his powerhouse of a voice. Roper is quick to give credit to working with Van Go, who pushed him to explore new musical directions. “Recording with Gus helped take things to a whole new level. Everything was broken down to the finest details and nothing was allowed to sit at just ‘ok’. He really cared where the songs were headed and that they ended up just right. It was all about getting the vibe right.” And right it is.

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Gawain and the Green Knight - Fingers.

Leading up to the June 11th release of their new EP, A Sleeping Place, Gawain and the Green Knight have released the single, “Fingers.” Filled with allegory and inspired by literature and mythology, the duo calls their sound, “folk for people who like to listen to music while pacing mournfully yet poignantly through the streets, pretending they’re the protagonist in a very beautiful film.” 

“Fingers” is “a love song for my soon-to-be husband [bandmate Mike O’Malley], simple as that,” says singer/guitarist Alexia Antoniou, and one of her only auto-biographical songs. She found inspiration in an unusual place - on an airplane, when they were unable to get seats together. “I had been reading Madeline Miller’s Song of Achilles and finished it mid-flight and was just completely emotionally devastated. I wasn’t just teary-eyed, I was outright weeping- so much so that the woman next to me took one look at me and started turning up the volume on her little headrest TV,” Antoniou recalls. “I managed to make meaningful eye contact with Mike across the aisle, and with a few gestures of the head, he agreed to meet me near the airplane toilets so I could cry some more on him. ‘Fingers’ was inspired by that whispered conversation.”

O’Malley produced the song with that same intimate, hushed atmosphere. “I wanted to ride the line of all-the-way-in-love and all-the-way-scared. And I wanted Alexia to sound like she was alone in the dark with a torch,” he says. “Sparseness and reverb seemed the order of things - a little Rhodes piano here, a little bowed bass there.”

Inspired by the etymology of the Greek word for cemetery, which simply means “a sleeping place,” the EP sits comfortably in the deep, sometimes dark, parts of the subconscious, arranged in such a way that you remember why life can be so joyful in the first place, its tempo anything but sad. “I think of this EP as a love letter, full of desperate affection, to anyone who has ever been alive and been scared to die,” Antoniou states.

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Rvrside - Beautiful Life.

Indie-rock band, RVRSIDE, release their debut EP, Bullet With Butterfly Clips, today May 21, 2021.

Consisting of front-woman Jessica Vaughn, a songwriter and vocalist whose music has been heard on a variety of top networks, including Netflix, MTV, NBC, ABC and more, songwriter and producer Curtis Peoples, who has a storied musical past as a songwriter for artists like Pierce The Veil and Third Eye Blind, and producer Colin creeV, who has produced big names like Jez Dior, hot up-and-comers like Traces, and even Third Eye Blind (of which he is a band member), Rvrside came together over a love of grunge, pop, and dirty synths.

Taking inspiration from the spirit of the 90s, Bullet With Butterfly Clips welcomes listeners into RVRSIDE’s world, “a little dark but not too self-serious,” with a mix of originals and a few choice covers. Three new songs from RVRSIDE appear alongside hypnotic reimaginings of quintessential 90s hits. The next single, “Beautiful Life” (out 4/23), turns the Ace of Base bop into a sinister alternative pop anthem, while “Love Me Like The End Of The World,” is “a love song for the apocalypse.”

Rvrside · Beautiful Life

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Lipstick Jodi - Don't Wanna Know.

Lipstick Jodi, the Grand Rapids trio led by powerhouse non-binary songwriter, vocalist, guitarist Karli Morehouse, want you to know who they really are with their latest single, “Don’t Wanna Know.” Out now, the track is featured on More Like Me, Lipstick Jodi’s sophomore album due June 4 via Quite Scientific.

Discussing the single, Morehouse stated, “The first demo I made of ‘Don’t Wanna Know’ was the first spark of Lipstick Jodi's renewal for me. It seemed like the light at the end of a really long tunnel. I was feeling stuck in time in the eyes of the people around me; like I was being judged constantly for my past. I felt like no one wanted to know me past surface level, or know me for who I really was and who I would become.” 

With More Like Me Morehouse closes the books on everything that got them to this place. All the raw emotions and experiences of childhood, teenage complexity and early adulthood angst are explored and expressed in depth - soundtracked by adrenaline rush of synths, guitar-fuzz and propulsive drums. When Morehouse sings, they blast through the sounds in triump.

Listening to More Like Me is like thumbing through a journal of self-improvement, self-doubt, self-preservation, and self-celebration - words sometimes written in a steady hand and sometimes scrawled angrily on the page. Through their music Morehouse explores the deepest valleys of their mind, celebrating small victories, right after a big fight, or driving fast yelling out the car window on the treacherous road of trying to do better. While the songs contained are wildly infectious, Morehouse could not be more clear what this album means to them. A little more mature, a little wiser, a lot more confident about what they want from their music, what they want to say as a queer artist, and what they want from life. More Like Me is just that.

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Edouard Landry - Diane and the Gentle Men - Semihelix

Edouard Landry - Words.

’Edouard Landrys songs are a mix of pop, rock, folk and catchy melodies. 

The Sudbury, Ontario artist was nominated for the ‘Best Male Performer’ category at the Gala des prix Trille Or (2017), ‘Francophone Artist of the Year’ at the Country Music Association of Ontario Awards (2020). 

His albums Pomme plastique II and L’escalade were nominated ‘Best Album by a Francophone Artist’ at the Northern Ontario Music and Film Awards (2017 and 2019). 

Ed will be releasing his first full-length English-language album, Be Here Now, on June 4, 2021.

Edouard Landry · Words

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Diane and the Gentle Men - The World is a Goner.

“The World is a Goner” is the first single from the newest album coming from Diane and the Gentle Men. Written at home during a pandemic, she says “the song came about from looking for alternate ideas for creativity, while dancing around my house by myself in an effort to feel alive and well. We sometimes take for granted that when we are out and about on a daily basis, inspiration is endless. 

Being forced to stay indoors for a longer period of time allowed me to venture down a rabbit hole of podcasts, You Tube documentaries, old radio programs and television programs of yesteryear. The song emerged when I was feeling content about being locked in and lonely, seeing the world through a window and being grateful I wasn’t sleeping on the street. Like the cover, the crooked dilapidated house not wanting to fall, I found Influence from old films like King Kong, Mad Max, American Graffiti and songs by Diana Ross and the Supremes, Otis Redding, and of course, The Kinks. 

I got to work this song up with Derek Cruz (Jesse Malin band) for a live broadcast I was working on and then when things felt a little more safe, we went out to Atomic in Brooklyn with the other guys in Jesse Malin’s band and put down the song. My other players were unavailable at the time because of the pandemic (they have kids). I am grateful to Derek Cruz, James Cruz, Randy Cover Art Gillian Stoll Schrager and Rob Clores for their musicianship and of course for Malin and his never ending generosity not to mention Merle Chornuk and Geoff Sanoff for their genius. 

Lastly, Don Dilego, producer, writer and friend at Velvet Elk Records who tirelessly puts out my records while delivering great tunes himself. I feel very lucky to be a part of a beautiful music community.” The video for the new single was filmed by Photographer/Artist Dina Regine in an afternoon in an apartment in NYC and edited by Dave Stekert, with whom Diane has often collaborated.

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Semihelix - Recoil.

“Recoil” by Austin, Texas based dreampop trio Semihelix, including Geannie Friedman-guitar and vocals, Kevin Martin- bass, and Valdemar Barrera-drums, was produced and mixed by Matt Gerhard (Spoon, Future Islands, !!!) at The Hen House in Austin, and mastered by Max Lorenzen (Shearwater, A.Sinclar, Spoon). Video artwork and production by Via Nuon.

The story behind the stop animation storyline involves the 1993 movie Ruby in Paradise where Ashley Judd in the movie leaves in her car to pursue a new life. It coincides greatly with the story behind the song "Recoil." The song has to do with resilience from going through a hard time and building yourself back up to heal and move on from the bad situation.

It’s also about finding close friends who have your back and how important it is to show the people close to us gratitude. After being bullied in her life in various situations, Geannie speaks about the importance of being your own best advocate, having other people’s backs and reaching out to close friends when things get hard.

In the lyrics “I am going down, I am coming around,” it’s about how time heals all wounds, and how we may feel down now but things will turn around and get better.  In the lyrics “you are going down, you are coming around,” it’s about how we are not alone. We all struggle, and we all get through tough times. The knowing we’re not alone makes it a bit easier to reach out to a friend when feeling down, we are never a burden. We help each other out, that’s what real friends are there for.  We recoil from a dark place with our own support for ourselves and the support of others.

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Yndling - Little Arrow

Yndling - Cotton Candy Skies.

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.

Following the release of her debut single “Childish Fear,” Yndling is unveiling the sweet and euphoric “Cotton Candy Skies.” After feeling sad and a bit heartbroken for a while, Yndling found herself in a state of self pity she couldn’t pull herself out of, almost taking comfort in the familiar feeling of being down. She confides, “The idea for the song came as I was walking home one evening and the sky was really brilliant with pink clouds all over. Normally I’m quite good at making small moments like that lift my mood and feel better, and it kind of struck me that I hadn’t really been doing that well on being present in my life lately.”

The first lyrics of the song goes, “Cotton Candy Skies, my life is floating by, and with the fear of no surprises, my mind it’s in the thinnest of slices”, touching on her feelings at that moment in time and how life seemed to be slipping through her fingers. The song acts as a reminder to shake yourself out of the funk, and to recognise your emotions without being overwhelmed with them. Through whimsical synths, an intoxicating groove and deliciously breathy vocals, Yndling draws us into her dreamy, pastel-coloured paradise.

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

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Little Arrow - People Of The Volcano (Live Greenman Session, 18/08/2014).

It’s been 10 years since Little Arrow emerged with their debut album, ‘Music, Masks & Poems’ way back in 2011. In marking this monumental milestone, we also celebrate the life and music of frontman, William Hughes, who we sadly lost to cancer in December 2018.
Available for the first time on vinyl, and accompanied by a raft of bonus digital tracks, ‘Music, Masks & Poems’ completes the collection of existing fans, but also acts as the perfect introduction to a stellar, much-missed songwriting talent. Alongside the original album, the release will also include the following digital tracks:

Vessel of Fear - Winter Villains
People of the Volcano - Ben Sharpe
The Viewers Are All Human – Sky Barkers
Poetically Diseased – Quiet Marauder
One Helium Balloon - Callum Duggan
Beneath The True Blue - Ivan Moult
Easy Now - Farm Hand
Loss Um (Remix) - Echoes
People Of The Volcano (Live Greenman Session, 18/08/2014)
Poetically Diseased (Live at Four Bars, Cardiff, 18/12/14)
Boat (Live Campfire Version, 27/08/2011)
Loss Um (Live Greenman Session, 18/08/2014)
Flat Earth (Live at Gwdihw, Cardiff, 21/04/2015)
War Drones (Live Field Recording, 13/09/2016)
Medicine Moon (BBC Radio Wales Session, 24/09/2014)
Pier Mountain (BBC Radio Wales Session, 24/09/2014)
Flat Earth (BBC Radio Wales Session, 24/09/2014)
Government Bodies (Live Field Recording, 02/04/2014)

With ‘Poetically Diseased (Live from Four Bars, Cardiff)’ released last month, next up, out 26/04, is ‘People of The Volcano’, a previously unheard live session recorded for a Greenman session back in 2014.

Brimming with themes of hope, love and community, the album remains an expansive, airy and understated folk-tinged gem. Label owner and Little Arrow drummer Rich Chitty elaborates in his accompanying liner notes:

“From the tranquil opening of ‘Bitten Blues’ to the vivid imagery in ‘Aeroplane’; the lyrics felt old-worldly but familiar. Full of hope, but tragic. Wetting its toes amongst the mayhem, as Will puts it in ‘Poetically Diseased’. It was intimate, strange and personal yet somehow relatable, as though it talked of your pain and your joy, all through metaphors nearly lost to time. ‘Easy Now’ and ‘Beneath the True Blue’ were haunting and heart-breaking. ‘People of the Volcano’, ‘Boat’ and ‘Poetically Diseased’ were optimistic but borne of that same curious cloth. To this day, it remains my favourite part of Will’s back catalogue.”

The release charts some of the many aspects of Will’s artistic life with a ‘Words & Art’ booklet showcasing his sculptures and lyrics; all accompanying the heavyweight, marbled blue vinyl of music. The digital reissue will also include bonus live recordings spanning Little Arrow’s career alongside interpretations of the album tracks re-recorded by some of Will’s closest friends.

bubblewrap.collective · Little Arrow - People Of The Volcano (Live Greenman Session, 18/08/2014)

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Lucy Grubb - Bandicoot - Claire Whitehead

Lucy Grubb - You Don't Do Anything.

Norfolk-born songwriter Lucy Grubb is excited to announce the release of her long awaited third EP ‘Waste My Time’ due for release this summer - 4th June 2021, including first single ‘You Don’t Do Anything’ out now.

Known for blending of modern Americana with Country undertones, Lucy has built a prestigious reputation with the release of two previous EPs. 2017’s debut ‘18 Miles’ was named Best UK EP of the Year by country website Belles & Gals, followed by second EP ‘Dear Walter’ receiving a 5* review from Maverick Magazine.

After years of honing her skills at UK festivals such as Glastonbury, Red Rooster and Latitude, Lucy most recently headlined The Den Stage at Cambridge Folk Festival to a ‘rapturous reception’ - Nic Rigby, BBC News. Lucy has also showcased at 2020’s AmericanaFest UK and was set to perform at the renowned Country2Country Festival at the O2 London in March, which has now been postponed until 2022.

Recording began in late 2019 in a countryside recording studio in North Norfolk; a home from home for the band, also doubling as their rehearsal studio. Subsequent recording sessions resumed in pockets of lockdown freedom throughout 2020, with the process becoming flexible and adaptive, and comprised of many ‘band zoom calls’ using the treacherous countryside broadband.

“When we started this process I wasn’t sure what to expect at the end of it. Now I can quite confidently say that these songs sound like me, and they sound like my band, and it is my sound. At 23 I know I have plenty more to learn, and my music will change as I grow, but these songs are a product of the last year of my life.” Lucy Grubb

The tracks on Waste My Time explore elements of relationships with ourselves and others, opening with the title track representing the strength and resilience shown by friends facing difficult times and being OK with not being in control of everything. You Don’t Do Anything takes the EP to another level musically with almost tongue in cheek ode to Lucy’s beloved Country music. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, closing track When It Rains is a raw and openly emotional song; and despite its undeniable focus on sadness, it also shows it is perfectly normal to feel that way and one day you will get out of it.

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Bandicoot - Worried Blues.

For Bandicoot "Worried Blues inhabits a world of paranoia, born from a fear of lost love. It carries you down labyrinthine streets like a nightmarish memory, with a contagious strutting rhythm which never lets you stop moving along with it.”

Never missing a beat or taking time to catch their breath Bandicoot are back with a new and impressive single.

‘Worried Blues’ starts with forceful piano chords and an anguished emotional vocal from Rhys Underdown, channeling John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band primal scream as a voice from the dark. When ‘Worried Blues’ intro releases into a riff full of Talking Heads strutting art rock/ dance punk directness it leaves no doubt, Bandicoot are ‘The Sound of Young Wales!’.

Libertino · Bandicoot - Worried Blues

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Claire Whitehead - No Right Way, Louise.

Canadian folk-country songstress Claire Whitehead whisks listeners on a journey with her latest project, Thelma: A Country Opera — available now! And if the name sounds familiar, it should… Built through interpretation of the character Thelma of Thelma & Louise, Whitehead has churned a fable into a nine-track release about the fearlessness of the human spirit — including album closer, “No Right Way, Louise.”

“Thelma: A Country Opera is a ‘coming-of-agency’ story,” Whitehead explains. “It’s about the transformation of self and relationships when someone becomes disillusioned with the rules of our world.” As a storyteller, Whitehead commiserates with the protagonist through a series of emotion-driven songs that speak to Thelma’s internal journey, and the album’s live performance features video clips from the film to cue songs.

For its part, “No Right Way, Louise” chronicles Thelma’s ongoing dedication to her best friend. Whitehead’s delicate but piercing vocals churn out a near-plea to Louise as our heroine succumbs to the inevitability of failure to live a life of restraints, and rules. “And they’ll chase us down,” Whitehead coos, “And they’ll spit from a truck. So hand me that gun, cuz i’m I'm all out of luck.”

To tie the song together, Whitehead has self-produced a subsequent music video — a first in her lengthy career. “To make this video, I tried to celebrate the song’s theme of prioritizing female relationships, while working under the constraints of the pandemic,” Whitehead reveals. “This was the first official music video I’ve made, or released, and I did it completely DIY on camera phones and editing on my laptop.

“I was lucky enough to have my sister, Anne, to film the footage and a friend and vocalist from London Ontario, Imogen Wasse, who sings live with me and fosters a lot of positive energy in our performances. “The result has me feeling comfortable being silly on camera, while capturing the power of women working creatively together to make great things.”

For this track and album, Whitehead’s transfixing vocals, well-established melodic harmonies, authentic country twang with the truth bleeding in between the lines transports the listener into an entirely different place and time. “No Right Way, Louise” has Thelma declaring the final lessons of her journey, celebrating friendship, love, and resistance to the wrongs of our world. A multi-instrumentalist and veteran songwriter, where the album shines is Whitehead’s power to transcend you into the character’s story. Whitehead urges you to let go of reality for just a moment, while you walk Thelma’s path with her.

And as her journey unravels track by track, Whitehead grants the listener permission to read the finest print of detail on the most sacred part of a woman’s heart — her spirit. Whitehead’s ability to fully immerse herself into the arms of Thelma’s character and expose her layers far beyond what the silver screen wanted us to watch, is a testimony to this songstress’ uncanny ability to transform into whomever she needs to be to get the song right.

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BOI - Abigail Lapell - Wild Earp & The Free for Alls

BOI - Ribidires.

New Welsh outfit 'BOI' have announced their highly anticipated debut album entitled 'Coron O Chwinc' which will be released on the 25th June via new Welsh label Recordiau Crwn.

'BOI' create a big, melodic, unapologetically drum and guitar driven sound, with lyrics and melodies that explore the big issues of our times and the human state. These 10 songs off “Coron O Chwinc” were recorded in various spaces around Wales, and were then mixed in the capable hands of Dafydd Ieuan (Super Furry Animals).

Band Members/Aelodau'r Band
Keyboards/Allweddellau - Osian Gwynedd
Lead Vocals/Canwr - Rhodri Siôn
Guitar/Gitâr - Ifan Emlyn
Bass/Gitâr Fas - Heledd Mair Watkins
Drums/Drymiau - Dafydd Owen

Osian Gwynedd and Rhodri Siôn were members of Beganifs/Big Leaves for 15 years and more, and recorded several albums and EPs under various labels, with their hits including Seithenyn, Meillionen, Cwcwll and many more. The group gained huge success in Wales during the 1990 and 2000s and performed throughout the UK and further afield with bands such as Catatonia and Super Furry Animals. Their English-language single Racing Birds was Single of the Week on Mark and Lard’s Radio 1 show.

Recordiau Crwn · BOI - Ribidires

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Abigail Lapell - Fortunate Son.

Call it prairie noir or Canadiana desert rock: Toronto’s Abigail Lapell sings haunting, gorgeous modern folk songs. Her solo albums have won two Canadian Folk Music Awards—Contemporary Album of the Year (2017) and English Songwriter of the Year (2020)—reaching #1 on Canadian folk radio and over 11 million Spotify streams.

“Fortunate Son” is Abigail Lapell’s intimate rendition of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s protest song about the Vietnam war with the lyrics touching on the wider power structures and class dimensions behind that conflict. 

In today’s context, Lapell relates the message to the movement for climate justice; how the pain caused by the climate crisis or the coronavirus pandemic are distributed so unevenly throughout society between the haves and the have-nots.

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Wild Earp & The Free for Alls - Ain't It a Shame (When Your Horse Goes Lame).

With a respectful nod to the old masters of classic country and a defiant scoff at the purists, Wild Earp & The Free for Alls mix pensive trail songs with jumping rockabilly, spirited bluegrass, rowdy rock, and, occasionally, the dark corners of folk. Tales of heartache, sinful living, and celebration abound in the new album, Dyin’ for Easy Livin’, an infectious 12-song collection served up with a load of wit, wisdom, and a wild streak that keeps you guessing.

With his long, curly, locks, thick handlebar ‘stache, and of course, wide-brimmed cowboy hat, Earp exudes a look that’s far more quintessential Austin than Chicago, where he and the band are based.

“It turned out to feel really organic,” Earp says of the process of making the album, adding that he continues to enjoy the challenge of playing with traditions and classics and pushing them in a direction that uniquely reflects the essence of Wild Earp. “There's a little country, a little rock, a little swing … a whole lot of whatever,” as Earp describes it, shying away from the oft-used term “Americana.” “Everything we do is at least adjacent to country and western.”

From the first note — or rather, horse’s whinny — of … Easy Livin’'s lead-off track, “Ain’t It a Shame (When Your Horse Goes Lame),” Earp and his band of masterful musicians take the listener on a smile-inducing, toe-tapping romp through barrooms, casinos, fairgrounds, and bedrooms. Throughout, tasty Telecaster licks (courtesy of Jed Taylor, with George Hurden on jaguar), velvety pedal steel (Brian Wilkie, and on the rocking, catchy “Playin’ With House Money,” Robert Daniels), and perfectly-placed piano runs (Sean Hughes) provide an awesome accompaniment to Earp’s vocals, delivered with a knowing wink and a smile that pulls you right into the punch lines. 

But before you go thinking this is another cheeky, novelty throwback act, know this album is far from one-note. There’s a good balance here, between barroom, three-minute rousers and introspective thinkers. The endearing backing and sometimes-lead vocals of Kiley “Sweet Sassy Molassey” Moore add a nice sweetness to the surly, particularly on the stunner “Two ‘Til Midnight,” written by bassist Charlie Malave.

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