Wednesdays Genre Mash

American Pinup - Committed.

Background - Fronted by Lauren West, who combines sultry crooning with a raspy rock and roll growl, American Pinup draw from influences from across the spectrum of alternative music. The result is a blend of pop-savvy melody and punk rock attitude. The band is rounded out by Rob Peralta – guitar, Tim Robbins – bass and John Casale – drums.

Following two full-length albums and two EPs, multiple national tours, and countless appearances at festivals such as Vans Warped Tour, The Fest, and SXSW, American Pinup have carved out their own niche. A tireless, DIY work ethic has propelled the quartet from obscurity to a coveted spot on the Alternative Press list of “100 Bands You Need To Know” in 2014: They’re about to release a new collection of songs, “The Radio EP”—4 tracks that take the NY based indie rock quartet’s savvy power pop/punk sound to a new level.

A little rock swagger as punk meets pop, American Pinup just get on with playing their way, the results are fine with me.

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Saux x The Septembers - Work.

Background - Australian duo The Septembers and Amsterdam based producer Saux team up to produce woozy single Work, the product of a spontaneous jam session on a rainy day in Amsterdam. With a prominent beat, the multi-layered, warm soulful vocals weave in and out of the sparse instrumentation, lamenting a spiral towards a broken relationship, and the pain of love lost.

Saux has released a consistent stream of sultry, soulful remixes and originals, and this track is no exception. Recently having released a single featuring Jefferey James, stayed tuned for Saux's upcoming EP.

The Septembers: The Septembers are a uniquely soulful duo from Australia. Having just relocated to Berlin, the duo have been honing their sound, and creating music with both local Australian, and international acts. Having been 9 months since last hearing from the pair, they are finally ready to give a taste of some new music. The Septembers are produced by James Chatburn, who has had a slew of impressive releases over the past year.

Saux: Fully devoted to soulful sounds and sultry voices, producer Saux has a flair for swift transitions from warm electronic music to underground pop to tropical melodies. He combines soulful sounds with electronic precision and warmth, and has received recognition from BBC, Majestic Casual, FACT Mag and more.

Calming and quite majestic, sometimes 'less is more' or 'keeping it simple' can create a musical gem, this being a case in point.

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Oak Tree Suite - Lo Ammi.

Background - Oak Tree Suite admit that even they are surprised about the continuous string of achievements and opportunities this last couple of years have bought with them; but the 2014 J Music Award finalists are continuing to cause a stir both on the western coast and abroad. 

Two EP’s down, the band that has supported Evermore (2013), RAN (Indonesian Pop Artists, 2011), and written an Original Sound Track for indie film The Right One are busy working on their latest single, ‘Lo Ammi’, due to be released on the 18th of September. Produced and tracked live by James Newhouse at Real2Reel Studios, ‘Lo Ammi’ is the first track that, according to front man Matt Garrod, not only captures Oak Tree Suite’s live sound and energy but also pushes the band to new limits. 

Matt explained that, “‘Lo Ammi’ was born from the desire of wanting more and a lack of contentment with the present. The idea that not having the latest thing, or a nice house is a bad thing seems to be something of an illusion. Sometimes those that appear to go without are actually the most content and kind hearted people we know.” 

A soft beginning that builds into one fine song, both vocals and guitars work in harmony over a tight developing rhythm. Put simply 'it works'.

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Kayah Duen - Stay Alright.

Background: Kayah Duen is a 5 piece indie pop/rock band from Sydney. With a wide range of influences including Josh Pyke, Death Cab for Cutie and Bombay Bicycle Club, Kayah Duen create a satisfying blend of upbeat acoustic guitar, catchy hooks and funk filled bass lines. 

Starting out in high school, the band was originally a 4 piece with Jamie on vocals and guitar, Seen on lead guitar, Jesse on bass and Pete on the drums. The quintet was complete in 2014 when Nat filled the Nat-shaped hole in the band. Her delicate voice, keyboard and tambourine skills have undoubtedly added a new dimension. Comprising of your typical mix of Aussie, Chinese, Dutch and Scottish blood, the band have bonded over their mutual love and respect for cheap Thai food. 

The past year has been a busy yet exciting time for the group. They have gained immense performance experience in 2014 playing at Manning Bar, Hermann’s Bar and at Sydney Uni’s annual Verge Festival. The band were also guests on the Sydney Uni’s radio station SURG FM. This year has seen Kayah Duen work on their debut single ‘Stay Alright’ with renowned Sydney producer, Michael McGlynn, who has worked on the exciting projects of Little May and L- Fresh The Lion. 

‘Stay Alright’ was recorded, mixed and produced by Michael McGlynn at Vienna People Studios, Annandale NSW.

Light and breezy indie pop with a touch of rock. I am loving the whole thing from the brief harmonies that add so much, through to the whole band playing with such sparkle.

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Tuesdays Double Play - A Little Indie Pleasure

Literature - The English Softhearts.

Philadelphia indie-pop outfit Literature just undertook a short tour with Baltimore's Expert Alterations. The two groups will be releasing a split 7" together on Square Of Opposition Records.

And part of their Bio - Philadelphia, PA's Literature features Kevin Attics, Nathaniel Cardaci, Chris Schackerman, and Seth Whaland. Attics, who'd written for numerous music trades as a teen, met Cardaci and Whaland at the house venue they both operated in Austin, TX. Cardaci and Whaland each ran small imprint labels and, a million adventures later, the trio decided to form a band. Upon moving to Philadelphia the group befriended Schackerman who also joined the fold.

Autumn of 2013 saw the band begin work on their second album, Chorus, with lauded engineer Gary Olson (whose body of work includes records by Crystal Stilts, Mad Scene and The Beets) at his Marlborough Farms studio in Brooklyn, NY. As a beautiful autumn turned into one of the harshest winters in recent memory, Olson and the band began stretching out, enhancing the album with studio techniques dating back to the late 60s including true-tape flanging, sending vocals through Leslie speaker cabinets, and the same analog style of automatic double-tracking created at Abbey Road Studios. The result is an album that is as immediate as it is timeless, full of effortlessly catchy and well-crafted tunes that echo pop legends like Smiths and Orange Juice. All of that time in the studio has resulted in a rich, considered sound that puts the band's arranging and playing front and centre. Chorus is one of the most exciting pop records in years, and marks Literature at true contenders.

OK so not the new track but one from last years 'Chorus'. It's upbeat, cheery, and a healthy reminder that it's not to late to discover this fine album. You can also check out the new video for 'The Girl, The Gold Watch And Everything' over on our BeeVids page.

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Silverbird - Lyfe (from the album Pureland).

Background - Pureland is Silverbird's debut album and is released on September 18th 2015.

Songwriter Tim Barr founded Silverbird after spending several years on New York's vibrant music scene playing gigs as part of Lana Del Rey’s band, opening for The Blow, and studying and playing with Dizzy Gillespie’s pianist protegee Mike Longo.

Barr and English producer Kristopher Harris recorded Silverbird’s debut EP 'Surface Life', released in May 2014 to critical acclaim. Joined by Corey Davis on bass, Dan Whaley on lead guitar and Jacob Schuab on drums, Silverbird were soon selling out venues across NYC. With influences as diverse as Wilco, Heartless Bastards, and Sparklehorse, their music strides fearlessly through an ever changing emotional landscape. Infectious melodies and swirling, intricate rhythms combine to provide an absolutely enchanting soundscape.

2015 has already been incredibly busy for the band. The year started with two packed shows at the Brooklyn Night Bazaar and Black Bear, with many more shows and a tour to come. The track 'With the Spirits' from Surface Life was selected for the All Saints spring playlist and the song will be played in their 110 worldwide stores for three months. Tim is also featured on the packaging for Cakewalk’s Sonar Artist production software.

Lively and thoughtful indie rock, the featured track combines their softer side along with a more energetic start and finish, a good taste of a fine album.

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The Apples In Stereo - 40 Watt Club, 2006 (Internet Archive)

From the Internet Archive this is The Apples In Stereo Live at 40 Watt Club, Athens, GA, USA on the 12th August 2006. Legend holds that the legendary 40 Watt Club, was so named because in the early days the venue was lit by precisely one 40-watt light bulb. That’s not quite true, but it’s a good story, and in rock and roll mythology, the truth is always trumped by a good story.

Made famous by the booming Athens indie scene of the 1980s, the 40 Watt Club wasn’t initially a commercial enterprise at all. Like so many things in Athens during that era, the venue was a DIY endeavor from the get-go – a small rehearsal space and unofficial party spot operated by local scenester Curtis Crowe. The small studio was, at one point, lit by a single light bulb. But by the time it became a regular venue for Athens bands, the electrical situation had improved.

The Apples in Stereo are an American psychedelic pop and indie rock band associated with Elephant Six Collective, a group of bands also including Neutral Milk Hotel and The Olivia Tremor Control. The band is largely a product of lead vocalist/guitarist/producer Robert Schneider, who writes the majority of the band's music and lyrics. The band's sound draws strong comparisons to the psychedelic rock of The Beatles and The Beach Boys during the 1960s, as well as to bands such as Electric Light Orchestra and Pavement, and also draws from lo-fi, garage rock, new wave, R&B, power pop, punk, electro-pop and experimental music.

In August 2006, longtime drummer Hilarie Sidney officially announced her departure from the band during the band's closing set at the Athens Popfest music festival in Athens, Georgia. Her replacement, John Dufilho, lead singer and principal songwriter of The Deathray Davies, was announced in October 2006. 2006 touring member Bill Doss of The Olivia Tremor Control also quietly joined the band "officially" as its new keyboardist. John Ferguson of Big Fresh and Ulysses joined the Apples in 2007, also playing keyboards, and wearing a Doctor Who-esque space suit on stage.

Recording Technical Details: Soundboard> Nomad Jukebox 3]+[Neumann KM-184(DIN)> Lunatec V2> Nomad Jukebox 3. Lineage HDD> ProTools(Elastic Audio)> Reaper/Wavelab (*Mix/DSP)> CDWave

Sound Quality: Very good soundboard, well mixed and balanced.

Set List:

01) Skyway
02) Do You Understand?
03) The Rainbow
04) Open Eyes
05) Go
06) Rainfall
07) Hypnotic Suggestion
08) Stream Running Over
09) Can You Feel It?
10) Play Tough
11) Please
12) Ruby
13) Strawberryfire

Website: Facebook - Here.

Comments: There are FLAC, Ogg Vorbis and mp3 files along with the streaming material over at the Internet Archive (here).

Stream Below:

Sundays Alternative Take - Less Is More

Nick Artic - Melodia.

A little of his Bio - After years of exploring the house scene as part of the crowd, the swift transformation from music junkie into a professional player in the game of electronic dance music seemed imminent for Dutch DJ and producer Nick Schoonheim. With the night lights luring, the DJ decks calling and the urge to create his own sounds growing rapidly, he adapted the Nick Artic moniker and set out on a mission. This rookie is more than ready to storm the world and conquer it bit by bit – one beat at a time.

If tropical house is intended to transport us to some far away sun drenched Caribbean Island, then the tune 'Melodia' has cracked it. What's more it's available as a free download!

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COMMAND Q - Dolphin.

Background - COMMAND Q aren't your typical dance duo and they're definitely not making typical dance music. The two musicians currently teach classical percussion in Western Australia, but when the school day is over the guys return to their studio to produce electronic music that they describe as "a listening journey into an eclectic sound scape of worldly percussion, heavy bass, wild animals, and strange choons." Listen to their latest single, "Dolphin", released 17th August on Skrillex's free-release imprint, NEST, and you'll understand exactly what they mean. Actual dolphin calls and splashing water samples are used throughout the track (NOTE: No dolphins were harmed in the making).

Unique, intriguing, exciting and awash with variety of changes, not to mention a barrage of effects. Definitely not your typical dance duo.

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Landside - Landside Pt I.

Background - Landside is the first collaboration between Italian producers Hunter/Game and Icelandic duo Kúra. Kúra’s electronic dub work and Hunter/Game’s techno and house roots form deep, melancholic ambient music with an intense central groove, as Fanney Osk’s vocals interweave with melodic synths. Landside Part 1 is a visionary journey into ranges of uncharted soundscapes, merging abstract atmosphere with boundless emotion. Max Cooper’s remix of “Still There” is an eclectic vision of a deep flow, with vocals floating over a strong, dark baseline. Benjamin Damage’s remix of “Silence Before the Storm” is a straight techno tool, digging groove lines into ambient melodies and mellow vocals.

Contrasting styles and backgrounds combine to provide some atmospheric and very cool tracks. Fanney Osk's vocals provide the final part of these enjoyable works.


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