PLEASE - IF YOU CAN SPARE US A MINUTE OR TWO - GO TO THE TAB ABOVE - 'MARCH 2012 PLEASE READ'.
*** UPDATED - 14TH MARCH 2012 ***
Project Stealth - For All True Music Lovers and All Of Our Friends!
Friends of Beehive Candy hopefully will read this and understand why we have taken this pretty sudden change of direction.
Beehive Candy knows where it's roots are. We have grown in terms of interest and regular visits thanks to you our friends. Our focus on new music and emerging bands or artists will remain.
As regards the older rarities we have featured in the recent times and the past, well we need to consider how these can be shared without upsetting those we have genuinely sought to support by cutting out the money grabbing bootleggers.
Please accept that currently we cannot re-upload deleted or missing files. As Scarlett said in "Gone With The Wind" .............. (what? you don't remember, well OK then just watch this old space).
SXSW comes around again and Austin, Texas is well and truly on the musical map for a few days. Along with many others our inbox has been filled with a good many messages for numerous artists heading that way, this is our little selection, we could not fit everyone in, so randomly chosen from our favorites list are the following acts...
Background: El Paso quintet The D.A.'s debut album You Kids!, recorded by Justin Leeah (Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Conor Oberst and the Mystic River Valley Band, Girl In A Coma), is 10 tracks of pure bliss – impeccably produced pop set apart by its merging of electronic sounds, soaring trumpet and bare bones rock instruments. Each lovingly-crafted track transcends the synth-pop formula, laden with personality by odd flashes of weirdness – whether it be secretly recorded barroom banter or glitchy chirps at the end of “Big Woman."
You Kids! has impressively bottled The D.A.’s live sound. Frontman Tyler Dudley has been known to hang from rafters, barking like a madman. Keyboards either titter in pleasure or shudder in fear at the wrath of synth maestro Cesar Muñiz. Michael Frisbey’s trumpet– alternately sad and buoyant – cuts through the din of chugging guitar, Steven Escargaza’s earworm bass, and Evan Tremper’s driving drums.
“If I was a manager or label, I would snatch these little twinks up and make them rich twinks,” tweeted a bowled-over JD Samson of Le Tigre during The D.A.’s opening set for her side project MEN in April. The D.A. has also shared stages with such indie darlings as Yelle, Foster the People, Twin Shadow, Crystal Castles, Mister Heavenly, Holy F##k, Miniature Tigers, Pomegranates and Prefuse 73. This spring they more than held their own on a bill with MSTRKRFT, CSS and Beach Fossils at El Paso’s first-ever Neon Desert Music Festival.
Upcoming shows include support for Gardens & Villa, Electric Guest, a DJ set for Of Montreal and Deerhoof, and several performances at Austin for SXSW.
3.14 Houston, TX @ Super Happy Fun Land
3.15 Austin, TX (SXSW) @ Texas Rockfest Main Stage (7th and Neches)
3.16 Austin, TX (SXSW) @ Hole In The Wall (Echo Cloud Productions Showcase)
3.16 Austin, TX (SXSW) @ Trophy's (NSN Showcase)
3.16 Austin, TX (SXSW) @ Ponderosa Live (Tradewind Showcase)
3.18 El Paso, TX @ Tricky Falls (w/ Of Montreal, Deerhoof)
3.19 El Paso, TX @ Lowbrow Palace (w/ Electric Guest)
Beehive Say: This is a charming lively song, a little quirky in a good way. It's the only song from them we have heard and if we were at SXSW it would have us racing to their first set without a doubt.
Web: Official HERE. Listen: Pastels. (mp3).
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Background: LA-based sister trio HAIM are comprised of bassist Este (24), lead guitarist Danielle (22), rhythm guitar, keyboard, and percussionist Alana Haim (19), the girls spent their childhood playing in a family band, and are able to seamlessly switch from instrument to instrument with complete confidence and ease, all while singing in three part harmony. Influenced by Stevie Nicks, Kate Bush, Eurythmics, Aaliyah, and TLC, HAIM was featured in two separate Nylon pieces this month, with the site calling their songs "bizarrely good," noting, "They're all gorgeous and have serious style, but you know what? That doesn't even matter, because these girls are really talented musicians." HAIM will be making their SXSW debut this March with more performances to be announced.
After years of playing with their parents, the girls decided to strike out on their own, adding drummer Dash Hutton to round out their live show. "I think we still have the structure of old-school rock," says Alana. "But the R&B adds the spice." Danielle has previously toured with Jenny Lewis, Cee-lo Green, and Julian Casablancas. Over the past few years, the band has opened up for Julian Casablancas, Ke$ha, Grouplove, No Age, The Bird And The Bee, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and Chief. This month HAIM played four incredible sold out LA shows including sets with Cold War Kids, Mini Mansions, Milo Greene, and Electric Guest.
3/13 - Austin, TX- French Legation Museum @ 1pm
3/15 - Austin, TX - Plugged in Showcase - Red Eyed Fly @ 8pm
3/16 - Austin, TX - Neon Gold Showcase - Karma Lounge @ 8pm
3/17 - Austin, TX - Cantora Showcase - Lambert's at 10pm
Beehive Say: Wonderful three part harmonies that are complemented by a superb mix of instruments, excuse the cliche but this is one act to really watch out for, and some!
Web: Facebook. Listen: Better Off. (mp3).
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Background: Oh Mercy, headed by songwriter Alexander Gow, is a young indie rock band with real talent. For their latest album, Great Barrier Grief, the group treamed up with Mitchel Froom (Crowded House, Elvis Costello) to record eleven tracks of evocative acoustic pop. The record was inspired by the idea of "the classic albums and songwriters who soundtrack our lives." Timeless in feel, Great Barrier Grief is a confident, purposeful album with the occasional bird noise thrown in.
The album received critical acclam, debuting at number 13 on the Australian ARIA album chart and nominated for two ARIA Awards. Abundant with singles, the album was featured on Triple J radio Australia, 3fm in The Netherlands and added to college radio stations across America while the bizarrely subtle video clip for the single “Stay, Please Stay” quickly surpassed 200,000 plays on YouTube.
Oh Mercy have toured consistently since 2009, growing a devoted audience through their own sold out shows, in support of Kaiser Chiefs, The Vaccines, Temper Trap, The Triffids and Crowded House and on the festival stage at Splendour In The Grass, Laneway and the Big Day Out.
2012 will find Oh Mercy in America for the third time in many years, with shows in Los Angeles, Austin and New York. Alexander remembers his last SXSW trip, “Austin was very cold. It was there that I bought beers as big as my face for one dollar.”
3.14 Austin, TX @ The Studio
3.14 Austin, TX @ Joe's Crab Shack
3.16 Austin, TX @ Maggie Mae's - Official Sonicbids SXSW Showcase
3.17 Austin, TX @ Maggie Mae's - Aussie BBQ
3.21 Toronto, CAN @ Hard Luck
3.22 Toronto, CAN @ Library Bar
3.24 Toronto, CAN @ El Mocambo - Aussie BBQ
3.25 Brooklyn, NY @ The Bellhouse - Aussie BBQ
Beehive Say: In the crowded indie rock market place, stand out bands are seemingly hard to spot, Oh Mercy stand out for us with their down to earth songs, excellent musicianship and pleasing vocals.
Web: Official HERE. Listen: Stay, Please Stay. (mp3).
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Background:Bonfire Nights' make swirling moody psych-pop: a clash of surf and synth, shoe-gaze with purple haze, Virginia Plain meets Jesus & Mary Chain.
With mantra like drones, shaking bones and sweet candy overtones, Bonfire Nights like to blur the boundaries. Formed by Steve, Ruth and Nicole in 2010, the band split their time between London and their hometown of Brisbane, Australia.
Adopting a minimalist ethos, the band recorded their first self-titled EP on a four-track analogue tape machine. While the approach was modest, the outcome was an eclectic mix, ranging from the menacing “Own Worst Enemy” to the sparse and dreamy fuzz of “Leave Yourself Open.”
The EP has received early kudos from Australian, Japanese, South African and British Radio. The video clip for single "Own Worst Enemy" also received rotation on Rage - the primary Australian music television program. While the track was also voted into the ‘Hot 100’ tracks of 2010 for Australian station 4zzz FM.
After a highly successful UK tour supporting Scottish indie rockers Sons & Daughters, the band are again looking to foreign shores as they plan tour dates to coincide with their official SXSW 2012 showcase.
3.13 Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live - AACC Showcase
3.16 Austin, TX @ German School - Dart International Showcase
3.16 Austin, TX @ Treasure Island - Official SXSW Showcase
3.17 Austin, TX @ Maggie Mae's - Aussie BBQ
3.24 New York, NY @ Lit Lounge
3.25 Brooklyn, NY @ The Bell House - Aussie BBQ
Beehive Say: Some bands can make it seem all so simple, whilst crafting fast moving and changing arrangements. Case in point here, and a very fine song as well!
Web: Official HERE. Listen: Own Worst Enemy. (mp3).
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Background: Combining fuzzed out pop melodies with the distorted punk attitude of late 1970's New York, Brooklyn's Beast Make Bomb craft songs informed by twenty-something college life in urban grit. Powerful yet tastefully delicate vocals by Houston native Ceci Gomez croon over distortion driven guitars (Glenn VanDyke), warm bass lines (Sam Goldfine), and locked down up-tempo drums (Hartley Lewis) on the band's two premiere EPs, Skinny Legs and Sourpuss. Bringing a pronounced energy and sonic solidarity to the stage, Beast Make Bomb's roots lay firmly at the intersection of indie pop and punk rock, inhabiting a city known for spawning the pioneers of both.
Formed as NYU students in 2009, Beast Make Bomb have toured the country in support of several acts, including Cold War Kids, Tokyo Police Club, and The Whigs. The band was also featured at Rolling Stone Magazine's 2011 SXSW showcase, sharing the stage with Queens of the Stone Age. This year, the garage-pop quartet is returning to SXSW to play a string of dates in the midst of their southern tour.
3.15 Austin, TX @ Kebabalicious, 3pm - Vagabond Showcase
3.15 Austin, TX @ Fados, 8:45pm - Rethink Pop Music Showcase
3.16 Austin, TX @ Liberty Bar, 11:30am - Mightier Than Sword Showcase 3.16 Austin, TX @ Budare's, 6:15pm - Generic Mammal Party
3.17 Austin, TX @ House of Commons, 10:45pm - Generic Mammal Party
3.21 Washington, D.C. @ DC9
Beehive Say: There is a freshness to this band and song that reminds me why I enjoyed punk and new wave the first time around. Sadly it also reminds me how old I am getting, still if I need reminding of that, then at least I get to enjoy fabulous music along the way.
Web: Official HERE. Listen: It Snowed Last Night. (mp3).
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Background:Bunny West was born on a locomotive, raised on a reservation, and steeped in salvation. The spirit of Bunny West comes alive through a style of music all her own. With ten years of playing and writing music under her belt, she has dipped her toes into every style of music and fused all of these to create her own fresh sound. Whether she draws inspiration from Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Etta James or The Black Keys, Bunny West’s distinct, chillingly powerful voice lies at the root of her music.
Her hard work and dedication has culminated into a brilliant debut album, to be released later this Spring. After working as a bartender and playing weekly gigs at Piano Bar and Hotel Café in Hollywood, Bunny West was able to pay for sessions out of her own pocket. Brother Sal, along with friend, engineer and co-producer Geoff Neal, lent a hand to get the album done in just four days. The tracks were all recorded live, within three takes and finished with limited overdubbing. Her sound is raw. Her sound is unforgettable.
As an introduction to her beautiful voice, she has recorded a video covering "Run to the Hills" by Iron Maiden. It's Bunny's voice that brings out the sincere hurt and pain in the lyrics and gives the song a whole new perspective.
Los Angeles, CA @ Piano Bar (every Monday)
3.14 Austin, TX @ SXSW - The Section 101 Launchpad (12:30 p.m.)
3.14 Austin, TX @ SXSW - Red Shed Tavern (5 p.m.)
3.17 Los Angeles, CA @ The Escondite (12 p.m.)
Beehive Say: I used to occasionally go out for a drink or two with a Parisian called Guy who was a massive Iron Maiden fan. What Guy would make of this I do not know, but after the decibels he inflicted on me, I am just glad I can here this incredible version of the song.
Web: Official HERE. Listen: Run To The Hills. (mp3).
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Background: NY-based multi-instrumentalist Delicate Steve, (aka Steve Marion) has premiered his first single 'Africa Talks To You' from his sophomore album Positive Force, due out on May 15 with Luaka Bop. Written, played, recorded, and mixed by Marion, Positive Force is an interplanetary step forward from the bedroom sounds of his debut Wondervisions.
What remains true on Positive Force is Marion's dedication to hyper-melody-- put simply, the ability to make you ready and able to sing his wordless songs. But everything is bigger here on the LP. It is a planet onto itself, a world to immerse yourself in. Wondervisions put Marion on the map, as it won praise from New York Times, Spin, American Songwriter, with the song "Butterfly" recently named one of the best singles of 2011 by NPR. Delicate Steve has shared the stage with Yeasayer and Lee Ranaldo, and toured extensively last year including dates with Battles, Ra Ra Riot, Cut Copy, Akron Family, and the list goes on and on.
3/14 Austin, TX [SXSW] - Blue Theatre (Blow Up) - 4:40pm RSVP nihao@caoker.com
3/16 Austin, TX [SXSW] - Music Makers Lot Terror Eyes -3pm
3/16 -Austin, TX [SXSW] - Takoba (Shout Out Out) - 6pm
3/17 Austin, TX [SXSW] - Mohawk Outside (Panache Showcase) - 9pm
3/18 Denton, TX - Rubbergloves
3/22 Boise, ID - Treefort Music Festival
3/24 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive
3/25 Omaha, NE - Slowdive
3/26 Milwaukee, WI - Mad Planet
3/27 Muncie, IN - The Center Stage
3/28 Pittsburgh, PA - Belvedere's
3/29 Harrisburg, PA - 29th Stage on Herr
Beehive Say: Superb instrumental mix which has atmosphere and is carefully layered, so you get to hear and enjoy all of it without having to sit and concentrate.
Web: Official HERE. Listen: Africa Talks To You. (mp3).
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Background: Washington DC-based quartet Deletes Scenes has announced appearances at SXSW '12 and a set East coast tour dates in support of their sophomore Young People's Church of the Air LP. With performances currently underway, the band will appear at this coming weekend's Savannah Stopover and Orange You Glad Festivals. Earlier this year, Deleted Scenes embarked on a nationwide tour with art-pop group A Lull, including Daytrotter, Quit Mumbling and LaundroMatinee sessions along the way.
Their newest collection of songs originated in frontman Daniel Scheuerman's basement and was recorded at the Garden Center in Hockessin, DE, with Nick Krill (The Spinto Band) and Birdseed Shirt producer L. Skell. Young People's Church of the Air mixes themes of family, love, death, and joy incorporating studio sounds and home-recorded lo-fi noise. Deleted Scenes has shared the stage with Cursive, Wild Nothing, Abe Vigoda, Black Kids, The Antlers, Medications, and Matt and Kim among others, and has performed at SXSW, CMJ, and Pop Montreal.
3/14 - Austin, TX: DC Does Texas SXSW Party at Lovejoy's
3/14 - Austin, TX: Audio Perv/Sophistic Arts SXSW Party at Peckerheads on 6th
3/14 - Austin, TX: STPP Does! Does! Does! SXSW Showcase at Casa Chapala Downtown
3/15 - Austin, TX: Popantipop SeaNow! SXSW Showcase at Brew Exchange
3/15 - San Antonio, TX: The Big Spill Music Festival at Korova
3/17 - Austin, TX: Red Ryder Showcase Swan Dive
3/19 - Atlanta, GA: 529
3/20 - Durham, NC: The Pinhook
3/21 - Philadelphia, PA: Kungfu Necktie
3/22 - Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell's
3/23 - Baltimore, MD - The Talking Head @ Sonar
3/24 - Newark, DE - Mojo Main
4/20, Washington, DC - Comet Ping Pong
Beehive Say: Mood music, with differing beats and atmospheric vocals, we just cant help but get hooked on this song, that draws you in, even if you try to resist. The song builds beautifully and fly's the flag for bands who continue to dare to be different.
Web: Blog HERE. Listen: Bedbedbedbedbed. (mp3).
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BACKGROUND: The Los Angeles synth pop duo Tic Tic Boom! is giving away the first single "For Feeling" from their upcoming EP Before the Sun Rises. The release, to be available in April, promises to be stronger, dreamier, darker, and a major evolution of their sound from their previous recordings.
Before the Sun Rises, the band's third EP, follows on the success of their 2011 release Reasons and Rhymes. Drawing inspiration from new wave, punk, and indie rock, their second EP received a wealth of praise and recognition from publications like Buzzbands LA, The Owl Mag, and CMJ, the last of which described their music as “hook-laced synthpop that casts live drums and guitars as conspicuously as it does sugary vocals and catchy synth loops.” It also earned the band the opportunity to do an official remix of one of the most popular songs of 2011, Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks,” and an invitation to showcase at CMJ Music Marathon in New York.
After a year of tirelessly playing shows and releasing acoustic versions and remixes, Tic Tic Boom! is nearly ready to release their junior EP, Before the Sun Rises. It was dubbed thus by the two’s nearly nocturnal writing and recording schedule and, as with each of their previous releases, the upcoming six-track recording showcases a different side of Tic Tic Boom! “[Before the Sun Rises] deals with concepts of life and death,” explains Francisco about the inspiration behind the EP. “How all things are cyclical and we're all just a small piece of an enormous never-ending puzzle. It's about struggling to understand your place in all of that.”
To promote Before the Sun Rises, the band will be playing live shows in the LA area as well as performing in Austin during SXSW and performing a residency at Los Angeles’ Lot 1 Café for May 2012.
Beehive Says: Lots going on here, drums and synths colliding into energetic vocals, the whole song is a frenzy of action and it works. Set as your morning alarm call and you will hit the ceiling before you leave the pillow.
Web: Official HERE. Listen: For Feeling (MP3).
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BACKGROUND: Originally a side project of sorts, twins Jaymes and Tegan Voltaire became the Voltaire Twins after winning the Triple J Unearthed Parklife competition in 2008 and receiving a personal invitation to support Ladytron. Fast forward a few years and with a single and EP release under their belt, the band has now toured Australia numerous times and played everywhere from CMJ in NYC to Laneway, Parklife, Groovin’ the Moo, and Summadayze. This March, Voltaire Twins will return to North America to perform at both SXSW and CMW. Dates and times are below.
Last fall, the indie/electric/disco foursome released the Romulus EP throughout Sydney and Brisbane. Australian critics describe the EP as “darker than the previous Cabin Fever EP with Lord of the Flies-esque themes of chaos and detachment from humanity in the wilderness.”
The lead track from the EP, "Animalia," has already been added to rotation on Triple J, FBI, and Radar Radio, and its accompanying music video, directed by Ben Young and David Le May, was recently awarded a Gold Award at the Australian Cinematography Awards. The video tells the dark, twisted tale of a taxidermist's latest acquisition - a pair of feathered twins.
The lead track from the EP, "Animalia," has already been added to rotation on Triple J, FBI, and Radar Radio, and its accompanying music video, directed by Ben Young and David Le May, was recently awarded a Gold Award at the Australian Cinematography Awards. The video tells the dark, twisted tale of a taxidermist's latest acquisition - a pair of feathered twins.
In an effort to step towards a bigger, more textural sound, the release of the Romulus EP also saw French nu-disco legend Lifelike, Sydney party-starters Purple Sneakers DJs, and Munich-based genre crusher Moullinex all contributing remixes. Fans can also “like” Voltaire Twins on Facebook and receive a code to download the single and remixes free.
Beehive Says: Catchy, very catchy. 'Indie/electric/disco' indeed! and all done to a fine standard.
Web: Official HERE. Listen: Animalia (mp3).
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BACKGROUND: NY-Berlin trio Fenster has released the single "Fantasy II" with VMAN from their forthcoming debut full-length, Bones, out on March 13 release via Morr Music. Read Fenster's Q&A with VMAN to get better acquainted with them, learn what's behind their interesting song structures, and how their bi-continental background inevitably effects their musical point of view. The group will embark on their first ever US tour including three performances in NYC surrounding their scheduled appearances at SXSW '12.
Fenster began as New York native JJ Weihl and Berlin-based Jonathan Jarzyna started experimenting with de-constructed pop music, layering subtle distortions, melodic chords and city soundscapes under dream narratives. Their new album Bones takes its narrative structure from the associative logic of dreams, weaving morbid imagery and playful fairytales together into a sardonic play against backdrops of dark forests, train rides, graveyards, mountains and seashores. With influences ranging from the Velvet Underground, to the sounds of broken records, the hum of a washing machine, or the faint melodies of oldies tunes through their kitchen radio, at times, you might be reminded of an American version of The xx.
Beehive Says: Vocals and accompanying harmonies are spot on, as this song twists and turns. Fenster are imaginative as is this song.
Web: Official HERE. Listen: Fantasy II. (mp3).
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BACKGROUND: In 2010, after the release of their debut melancholic folk LP On Claws to critical acclaim, I Am Oak was invited to be a part of over sixty-five tours and festivals throughout the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Luxemborg, Switzerland, and the UK, including a sold out show at the Unitarian Church as part of the Great Escape festival. Fast forward one year and I Am Oak have released their sophomore LP Oasem to unanimous praise, even earning “Album of the Year” at the prestigious 3VOOR12 Awards.
I Am Oak is the folk/experimental project formed around Dutch singer-songwriter Thijs Kuijken. Described by the 3VOOR12 judges as “night songs” and “songs that take you on a journey,” Kuijken’s truly unique sound is created by manipulating minimalistic sounds into complex and gentle sound arrays using his own voice as the main backbone complemented by guitar, banjo, organ, beats, and samples, all produced and arranged out of his bedroom.
On January 12, 2012 I Am Oak released the Skulk EP via Snowstar Records in the Netherlands. The first single from the EP, “Gills,” premiered on MP3.com last week. The “I Am Oak” moniker is derived from "Bergeijk," the village in which Thijs grew up. The name also contains the Dutch word for Oak ("eik") and expresses Thijs’ love and fascination for nature, a theme that is prominent throughout his impressive body of work.
I Am Oak will be making their North American debut at this year’s SXSW on March 16, 2012 at St. David’s Bethell Hall at 9pm.
Beehive Says: A gentle brooding song which flows and then kinda abruptly stops to remind us how we have drifted into the number.
Web: Official HERE. Listen: Gills. (mp3).
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BACKGROUND: Time and good karma have a funny way of repeating themselves sometimes and coming full circle. Here and now is one of those times, as we tell you the tale of Paper Garden Records’ first ever release and the Lovely Hearts Club’s newest addition – former Eagle Seagull front-man, Eli Mardock.
Eagle Seagull was the inspiration and jumping off point behind Paper Garden Records‘ entire existence back in 2005. The town of Lincoln, Nebraska brought the two together, and from there both parties grew into their early adulthood years, quickly gaining international critical acclaim. With their debut album very much at the forefront of the new indie-rock sound (think Arcade Fire and Handsome Furs), Eagle Seagull began to see shows and tours flow in from the likes of The B-52′s, Tokyo Police Club, Gnarls Barkley, Blonde Redhead, The Faint, and more. In the wake of this immediate success the big, bad major labels came calling, and needless to say, won the signing battle over the humble Paper Garden Records. After enduring nearly every major label cliche known to man and numerous setbacks to to release of their follow-up album, Eli and the band eventually decided to go their separate ways.
In the two years since the band’s demise, Eli has been hard at work recording and producing his first solo LP, “Everything Happens for the First Time”. Mixed in Brooklyn by Justin Gerrish (Vampire Weekend, The Strokes), the record is set for release in Summer 2012 and marks a new beginning for both Eli Mardock and Paper Garden. We are so excited to be working with Eli on his solo record and just couldn’t be happier about this phenomenal family reunion. Eli will be making his way down to SXSW this year as well, playing the Paper Garden/My Old Kentucky Blog party @ Uncorked on 3/15.
Beehive Says: The Arcade Fire similarities have been mentioned above and elsewhere, so what, there's plenty of room for great music and for Eli to influence others. More please!
Web: Official HERE. Listen: Everything Happens for the First Time. (mp3).
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BACKGROUND: The Lake Effect is a music collective comprised of some of the most prominent artists established during the wildly mad yet glorious punk scene in Ottawa, NYC, Dublin and UK in the late 1970’s. Fast forward to 2012, and core members of The Lake Effect and respected industry veterans Phil Hogarth and Dave Bignell have rejuvenated their passion for music as well as reinvented their sound and image to create a fervent band that emotes sonic landscapes of loss and longing, redemption and love. The Lake Effect will be releasing their inaugural EP on March 13, followed by the release of their long awaited debut full-length album due for Summer 2012 release. The Lake Effect proves that musical prowess has no expiration date, as their forthcoming EP release presents a fresh collection of indie pop-rock tracks that lightly treads on psychedelic folk.
Bringing together some of the most celebrated veterans of the Canadian music scene, The Lake Effect sings transcendent tales that are pain stakenly candid and unfeigned. With songs that were built on decades of empathetic real-life experiences and revelations, The Lake Effect has revealed themselves as a sound comparable to The Acorn and Bob Pollard …yet their incredible story of dedication to their craft puts them in the realm with fellow artists Ray Lemontagne and Leonard Cohen, whom have also been there and back a few times.
The story of The Lake Effect is basically a story of commitment, and the roots of the band’s core members, Dave Bignell and Phil Hogarth, stretch way back into the glorious murky madness of the late 70’s punk scene in Ottawa, New York, Dublin and the UK.
Bignell’s first band, the infamous Red Squares, released one of Canada’s first DIY singles in late 77, were quickly named as a ‘pick to click’ by British DJ John Peel, and subsequently went on to share the stage with the likes of Ultravox, John Cale, and XTC. The Red Squares’ dedicated fans were legion, and rare copies of the band’s seminal Transmitter single are still trading for hundreds of dollars on record collector sites and eBay.
Around the same time the Red Squares were dissolving in 1980, The Lake Effect’s lead singer Phil Hogarth was recording his first EP with Bugs Harvey Oswald at U2’s Windmill Lane Studios in Dublin, Ireland. Returning to Canada in ’82, Hogarth released a follow-up disc and spent a number of years playing high profile stages in NYC and elsewhere with like-minded bands the Fall, Bauhaus, 10,000 Maniacs, and the Ramones.
Since the 80’s, Bignell and Hogarth have dedicated themselves to many interesting art and music projects in Canada and internationally, but they have always remained committed to the same personal, political and poetical goals that inspired them in the first place. They may be older now, and much water has passed beneath the proverbial bridge, but that is clearly a good thing. Stripped of all pretension, they have finally come together, cracked the shell and found the glistening pearl within.
The Lake Effect’s songs are unique in their strength and beauty, and the band’s live performances are quickly earning them a host of enthusiastic new fans. Refreshingly relaxed, candid and chill, The Lake Effect rules the stage with an easy humor and professional grace that reflects their extensive experience as major players on Canada’s national scene. They’re smart, they’re soulful and they’re sexy, and that is what the best music is really all about. Dreams may fade and empires fall, but the beautiful songs of Lake Effect fly sky high above them all.
The Lake Effect’s highly anticipated premiere EP will be released on March 13, 2012, and digital review copies are currently available on request.
Beehive Says: As we grow older and hopefully wiser, its always a joy to hear artists with a pedigree such as these guys. Comfortable in doing what feels right musically without the need to live on past glories, and why not when the current ones are this good?
Web: Tumblr HERE. Listen: Fallen From The Sky. (mp3).
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BACKGROUND: Dan London is a singer-songwriter-guitarist-bassist (currently with The Longwalls) living in the town of Jamaica Plain, MA. Written over the course of several years in between Nashville and Boston, London's debut Happy to See Me is a record about changes—-lots and lots of changes. A smart mix of Ray Davies and East Coast cool, Happy to See Me is a midnight run through the trials and tribulations associated with becoming comfortable in one's own skin. Better late than never.
The LP features old friends Mike Quinn (Moontower Studio / Q Division) and Longwalls bandmate Kurt von Stetten.
Quoting Dan himself - "I remember hearing Ben Folds’ "Underground" for the first time, realized he was singing about the American suburban experience, and thinking, “damn, he beat me to it.” The American suburban experience is where I come from, it’s where I made my bones, it’s where I cut my teeth.
When I was 13, I wrote my first song. It was the first thing I was ever really good at. I first heard a Bob Dylan song on the local classic rock station and it changed me. True stuff. The words kept coming. I bought his book of lyrics and carried it from room to room.
I grew up in New Jersey listening to Dylan, Pink Floyd, The Dead, The Stones, The Who and the Beatles. I loved Lou Reed and found it hard find other people who did that also didn’t scare me.
I went to college for songwriting. I moved to Nashville. I played in bands and went to open mic nights. I worked in bookstores and got taken out to dinner by crime fiction publishers.
I toured for a few months with a cover band. We kept getting fired, but I got to eat fried chicken in the Savanna Holiday Inn and play volleyball on a beach overlooking a nuclear power plant in Crystal River, Florida.
Sometimes I think music saved my life, other times I think it ruined it. It depends on the day. Just don’t ask me in the morning.
I moved back to Boston. I recorded a record with a band called Nag Champa. I worked in more bookstores. Eventually I went to grad school for Library Science. I started playing bass in the Longwalls. With their help I rediscovered a love of music and a desire to—finally—make my own record".
Beehive Says: This is good old 'no nonsense' music that feels just right. Enough said already.
Web: Official (label) HERE. Listen: Little Bit About Me. (mp3).
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BACKGROUND: Violens' forthcoming album, 'True', finds the Brooklyn three-piece further amplifying their innovative songwriting with a palette of exquisitely crafted sound. The band's music eludes classification, expertly blending percussive guitar work and silky harmonies, seeking the silver lining yet to be discovered between the sounds we know and love. With a wash of 90s sonic pop drawn from artists like Pale Saints, Cocteau Twins and McCarthy, Violens paint soft watercolor notes across their compositions, adding crucial emotional depth via layered vocal harmonies.
Violens was formed in 2007 by Jorge Elbrecht (a producer, multi-instrumentalist, and founding member of the art company Lansing-Dreiden). Their debut album 'Amoral' was self-recorded, self-produced, and is best understood as digital collage; a dark, guitar and synth-pop voyage of melodic and rhythmic collision.
'True' shifts course towards a more subtle and desaturated sonic landscape. The album's first single, "Totally True," demonstrates this with its stone-washed, semi-improvised feel, celebrating bands like The Chameleons and Martin Newell's Cleaners From Venus. As the writing process for this second album began while traveling together on tour, it also showcases Violens as a more collaborative effort. Band members Iddo Arad (backing vocals, synths, guitar) and Myles Matheny (backing vocals bass, guitar) had a much larger influence on the songwriting and the album's sonic direction. Framed by Will Berman's distinctive drumming, 'True' shows the band interacting and reflecting in ways both promising and exciting.
Throughout 2011, Violens kept up a virtual songwriting diary on their website, posting musical sketches as part of a continuous dialogue with their fans. In keeping with this practice, Violens will be premiering a song from 'True' each month leading up to the release of their LP.
Beehive Says: A few comparisons above, I would add Hawkwind without the synth and acid but that might confuse some. It's a good number that fly's by and needs a second listen just to remind yourselves of what you heard first and I love it!
Web: Official HERE. Listen: Unfolding Black Wings. (mp3).
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BACKGROUND: Coke Weed is indeed an exotic specimen, an indie band that lays garlands at the ruins of rock and roll. This is psychedelic music with nary a trace of the blown out vocal or endless digital soup that is in vogue for this moment in time. Rather, Coke Weed lives in the essence of that perfect instance when the early hippies put down their beloved folk music and fixed their restless gaze on the possibilities of electric rock and roll.
For their upcoming release Nice Dreams, the band enlisted producer Nick Stumpf (former front man of French Kicks and producer of Caveman's CoCo Beware). The album was recorded completely live in ten days, and as a result, there are no overdubs. The first featured track from the album is titled "Magpie," which Coke Weed's founder Milan McAlevy explains, "is almost like the surrealist practice of automatic writing, it just came out and we had something haunting and beautiful that I can’t quite understand the meaning of."
McAlevy formed the Lil’ Fighters with Walter Martin (future member of The Walkmen) in 1999, which sparked an exchange of ideas that would take them both in very unexpected directions. Fast forward a few years and McAlevey has left behind the New York music scene to follow Coke Weed chanteuse Nina D. to Bar Harbor, Maine, the quintessential New England island tourist town. Nina and Milan quickly found guitarist Caleb Davis, young drummer Peter Cuffari and bassist Zach Soares, thus giving birth to the Coke Weed family.
In late April, the group will join fellow Maine constellation Micah Blue Smaldone for a string of ten dates along the East Coast. After that, Coke Weed will hit the road in support of The Walkmen on their North American tour in September 2012.
Beehive Says: This is one fine song where the guitar and vocals complement rather than challenge each other and yet are both standout in the mix (and the rest of the band are disciplined enough to carry the whole thing off with a gentle rhythm) .
Web: Official HERE. Listen: Magpie. (mp3).
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BACKGROUND: In advance of their debut full length album, Isle of Dogs (April 9, 2012), east London indie poppers Tigercats are releasing a free MP3 download of "Full Moon Reggae Party".
"Full Moon Reggae Party" was written in one day after an enforced absence from the studio, and recorded just a couple of days later. It's about going on the run ("I heard you stole a van, we've got some fake Gaugin's, let's go and get the cash, dance to Two Sevens Clash") but it's also the most direct love song they've ever done.
A lot of Tigercats' lyrics are constructed out of fleeting, disconnected
imagery, but "Full Moon Reggae Party" speaks straight to it's subject. Unlike
earlier songs, it was written by Duncan with Laura's voice in mind: the exuberant verses that he sings solo contrast with the richness of the chorus.
"We love to play it because it's fast and it's about breaking the law."
Catch Tigercats touring UK (March) and Spain (April). They have also just been confirmed to play the Indietracks Festival at Midland Railway in Butterley, Derbyshire in July. Tigercats' album launch for Isle of Dogs will be March 30th at Power Lunches in Dalston.
Beehive Says: Come the summer this will be perfect partying out of doors music, right now it just lifts me way up.
Web: fika (label) HERE. Listen: Full Moon Reggae Party. (mp3).
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This is Adam Ant live at the intimate and wonderful venue Mr Kyps, Poole, Dorset, England recorded last year on the 20th June 2011. Mr Kyps is a popular venue for tribute bands, however there have been a good number of bands and artists who have 'cut their teeth' at venues like this and gone on to greater glories, and acts such as Adam Ant who enjoy the interaction with a close up audience.
Since 2010, Adam Ant has undertaken a major reactivation of his musical career, performing live regularly in his hometown London and beyond, recording a new album and with two full-length UK national tours now completed.
Wikipedia tells us regarding the small tour that includes this concert - Similar acclaim was given to the five date Seaside Tour of coastal resorts in the south of England which Ant undertook on 17–22 June 2011. Local Cornish radio station The Source FM cheered the 18 June 2011 Falmouth concert on its website: "The audience goes wild. Adam stalks the stage, in control, he already knows he's got us ... he plays songs that a man in his mid fifties shouldn’t really get away with, but he does, with dignity. Here's a man who still has something to say and manages to say it with 30 year old songs...Someone boos, Adam retaliates and we're with him. There’s nothing to boo here... Did that really just happen? Did Adam Ant really just blow us all away with the best gig of the year so far? I think he did." The Seaside Tour served both as a follow-up to the main UK tour and a warm-up to Ant's appearance at Hard Rock Calling 2011 in Hyde Park on 26 June 2011, third on the bill to Rod Stewart and Stevie Nicks before an audience of 45,000. The festival's official website lauded his performance, reporting that "Adam Ant returned to London in tip-top shape this afternoon on the Main Stage in Hyde Park ...he left the stage to rapturous applause and cheers, leaving no question as to who was the real Prince Charming this weekend."
Source: Audience.
Sound Quality: Good stereo mp3@128kbps.
Genre: Alternative rock, post-punk.
Set: Full Set.
Set List:
Part One:
01. (Intro)
02. Plastic Surgery
03. Dog Eat Dog
04. Beat My Guest
05. Kick
06. Car Trouble
07. Zerox Machine
08. Deutscher Girls
09. Stand & Deliver
10. Catholic Day
11. Kings Of The Wild Frontier
12. Wonderful
13. Antmusic
14. Never Trust A Man With Egg On His Face
15. Cleopatra
Part Two:
01. Desparate
02. Goody Two Shoes
03. Viva Le Rock
04. Christian D'or
05. Lady
06. Fall In
07. Fat Fun
08. Prince Charming
09. Get It On
10. Physical (You're So)
