Friday Uplift: Rabid Young - Peter Henry Phillips - Indiago

Rabid Young - Not Enough.

Background - At some point in 2014, Las Vegas musician Eric Rickey found himself at the end of a well-travelled road wondering where to go next.

That year Eric’s previous band, Most Thieves, had opened for the Killers through Europe and Canada, playing arenas and getting a taste of international success. Reflecting on the experience Eric explains: “We had all the opportunity in the world but for whatever reason it didn’t pan out.” That tour culminated in a home town show at the Cosmo on New Year’s Eve where they played for thousands of people before the members decided to take a break from the project. It was at this pinnacle, looking out at the sea of eager faces, when the words “rabid young” popped into his head.

Back in Vegas, Rickey joined up with friend and fellow musician Jackson Wilcox (A Crowd of Small Adventures) and the two began plotting their new endeavour with fellow Most Thieves alum Bobby Lee Parker (guitar), as well as Matthew Long (drummer for Roky Erickson) and Alex Stopa (The Silver State, Big Talk). Each of the band members’ musical pedigree was solid but they were all involved in more “heady” forms of rock. This was going to be an unabashedly deliberate attempt to go in a pop rock direction under the new banner. The newly christened Rabid Young decamped at Eric’s studio, Electric Animal, which is usually booked up by local talent (Eric provides bands an affordable place to track when he is not working in the audio department for Cirque du Soleil).

The result is the bands freshly minted self-titled debut EP, mixed by Grammy winning engineer Adam J. Odor. While the songs are influenced by classic rock, the production palette is strictly 21st century and one can tell that plenty of thought went into deconstructing the radio pop that took hold of the charts in the 80's and fusing it with its not-so-distant cousin; current top 40; straight forward lyrics cut right to the heart of the matter, melodies leap from the speakers and a metric ton of shimmering keyboards cascade over the methodical beats.

'Not Enough' is from the bands debut EP released today, and is indicative of the five songs on the EP. It's a creative mix of synth pop with a rockier edge, all of which have a generally bright and breezy feel to them.

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Peter Henry Phillips - I Wanna Go.

Bio and Info - Canadian singer-songwriter and producer Peter Henry Phillips will make his highly anticipated American debut at Culture Collide in Los Angeles on Thursday, Oct. 8 at Taix and Friday, Oct. 9 at The Champagne Room. 

Peter Henry Phillips has been working on his solo project for over five years. The Origin is inspired by nature and the beauty surrounding our daily endeavours. Phillips’ mesmerising melodies have a soothing quality, maintaining a symbiosis with the charismatic and introspective feel of the album. With the cinematographic opening piece “The Wind,” the joyful first single “I Wanna Go,” and the Lennonesque “Burn & Crash,” Phillips has solidified his place among today’s elite songwriters.

In addition to having written, composed, and produced The Origin, Peter played keyboards, guitar, bass, and pedal steel. According to Peter, his debut full-length captures his generous nature and his impassioned approach to life: “This album represents my desire to exist and to share my passion for life, music, and humanity. It has helped me to remember where I’m from and to better know where I want to go.”

Peter Henry Phillips, known as Pilou in Canada, became a fixture on the Quebec scene via his work with artists such as Jorane, Ariane Moffatt, and Tomas Jensen. The Asbestos native also collaborated with Maxime Morin, better known as DJ Champion, as the lead vocalist for his last two albums, Resistance and °1. In 2010, Pilou became one of Quebec’s most beloved singers when he performed on the television show Belle & Bum.

During the past decade, Peter has worked as a producer for a variety of artists, including Marie-Jo Thério (Chasing Lydie), Philippe Brach (La foire et l’ordre), and Sébastien Lacombe (Territoires). The multi-talented artist performed on the original soundtrack of Denys Arcand’s last movie, Le règne de la beauté, which included two of his original songs in the score.

'I Wanna Go' is one of those songs that feet cannot stay still to, it kinda makes me feel I need to march along to it. Really fine vocals and a sweeping production, make this a really nice engaging tune.

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Indiago - Been So Long.

Background provided - Mixing the perfect blend of a funky rhythm section and ambient guitars, with the heaviness and huge Rock sound the band is known for, the new single ‘Been So Long’ is a breath of fresh air from Adelaide Hills rockers Indiago. 

Off the back of their Independent EP in 2013, and single release ‘Fleetwood' earlier in the year, the new track is a true testament to the complexity and diversity in the young band's song writing.

Heading back to Hothouse Audio, St. Kilda, and joining forces once again with legendary Producers Craig Harnath and Jez Giddings (Jet, Kingswood, The Living End, Ash Grunwald, Dan Sultan), this could be Indiago's most up- beat and positive songs to date.

"We wanted to write something more uplifting," says lead singer Will Solomon, "something people could move to, while still staying true to our signature sound."

The constant moving of funky bass, played by AJ Janus and the scattered, intricate drums of Shane Cox, teamed up with wailing, reverbed guitars from James Fishers and Harry Townsend, opens the song with a head-nodding, but smooth intro. Frontman Will Solomon compliments the vibe with a catchy, soulful melody that flows through the music. In true Indiago style, the song builds and builds, and climaxes with three huge guitar tones, thrashing drum and bass and gritty vocals that soar across the track, leading into a double-time ending of full-on, fast paced Rock-and-Roll.

The vocals demand attention, whilst the rest of the band demand you just love the whole song. There is an underlying power in the music that is constrained, to allow the positive feelings to run free.

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Drive-By Truckers - Live at Cooley's House, 2003 (IA)

From the Internet Archive (IA) this is the Drive-By Truckers in a private family and friends performance at band member Mike Cooley's House in Gardendale, Alabama, USA.

It is an incredible acoustic performance with superb audio quality and as one reviewer put it " this recording is amazing. I was having a few beers listening to it and the next thing I know I'm doing shots of Elijah Craig and singing out loud like a jackass".

Of the time before and around this session Wikipedia say's - After three years on the road, a tight-knit group of musicians emerged and began work on 2001's double album, Southern Rock Opera. The album weaves the history of Lynyrd Skynyrd into a narrative about a fictitious rock band called "Betamax Guillotine," whose story unfolds within the context of the South during the 1970s. Southern Rock Opera was originally released independently on Drive-By Truckers' own Soul Dump Records on September 12, 2001, and garnered praise from fans and critics alike. In order to meet the new demand brought on by, among other things, a four-star review in Rolling Stone, Southern Rock Opera was re-issued by Mercury and Lost Highway Records in July 2002. Soon after, Drive-By Truckers were named Band of the Year by No Depression.

Before Drive-By Truckers went on tour in support of Southern Rock Opera, the band ran into a problem when they were left with only two guitarists (Cooley and Hood) following the departure of Rob Malone in late 2001. The band added fellow Alabamian guitarist and songwriter Jason Isbell (originally from Greenhill, Alabama) to their line-up as the band's third guitarist. During his five years with Drive-By Truckers, Isbell's compositions became as highly praised as those of Cooley and Hood. After signing a new deal with Austin-based record label New West, Drive-By Truckers set about recording the follow-up to Southern Rock Opera. The result was 2003's Decoration Day, which, like its predecessor, received much critical praise. It was another concept album, containing characters who are faced with hard decisions about marriage, incest, break-ups, revenge, murder, and suicide.

After years of producing and playing with Drive-By Truckers, bassist Earl Hicks left the band on December 22, 2003. Hicks was immediately replaced by studio bassist Shonna Tucker, then wife of guitarist Jason Isbell. Tucker had previously guested on Decoration Day playing upright bass on the Cooley-penned track, "Sounds Better in the Song."

Recording Details: AKG 483 -> HHB PDR-1000. Lineage Tascam DA-20mkII -> S/PDIF -> HHB CDR830 -> EAC -> Cool Edit Pro(DSP) -> shntool -> CDWave -> mkwACT -> SHN -> FLAC. Taped by Chris Pennington.

Sound Quality: Excellent (your in the room with them).

Set List:

01) Zip City
02) Lookout Mountain
03) Decoration Day
04) Winter Wonderland
05) Love Like This
06) Too Much Sex, Too Little Jesus
07) Outfit
08) Where The Devil Don't Stay
09) Murdering Oscar
10) When The Pin Hits The Shell
11) Do It Yourself
12) Danko/Manuel
13) George Jones Talkin' Cellphone Blues
14) Uncle Frank
15) Goddamned Lonely Love
16) The Company I Keep
17) Little Pony And The Great Big Horse
18) Never Gonna Change
19) The Day John Henry Died
20) Tales Facing Up
21) Bulldozers And Dirt

Website: Official Here.

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

Stream Below: 

Wednesday Double: Eleven Eleven - John Byrne Band

Eleven Eleven - The Original.

Background - Eleven Eleven is a formation of two bands who morphed together back in 2012. Consisting of Kaitlin Brown on vocals, Max Heaslip on bass, Otto Falson-Ree on drums, and Harry Brown on guitar, they mix the worlds of riff-rock and sweet melodic vocals to create huge, unique walls of sound. Eleven Eleven have been recognised on several occasions, being nominated at the Music Oz awards, working their way into the Top 50 of Triple J Unearthed several times and hitting number one with the track ‘King Tide’, as well as gaining a 5 star review from Alex Dyson on Unearthed, who commented that "Some people are young, some people rock. These guys cover both categories, then smash the categories against an amp and walk off the stage flipping the bird at the crowd."

Eleven Eleven is currently working on new material whilst they release their new single ‘The Original’ through The A&R Department. 'The Original was the very first song we ever wrote as a band. It came out of a jam we had at our very first band practise, and a couple of weeks later with a bit more fine trimming and streamlining it became the song that it is today. This song came about as we were sick and tired of the monotony of modern music. We wanted to make something different, riffy, and heavy, as well as having catchy melodies and some unique harmonies.” ‘The Original’ was recorded at Paradyme Studios and mixed at Hercules Street Studios.

Rock with a chunky bass and a driving rhythm, courtesy of some sharp guitar playing and pounding drums. It's just right for Kaitlin Brown's vocals. It's rock and it's straight to the point.

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John Byrne Band - The Immigrant And The Orphan.

Background - Philadelphia-based Celtic Folk / Americana group John Byrne Band are pleased to announce the release of their new record on Philly-based label Ri-Ra Records.

The John Byrne Band is led by former Patrick's Head front man and Dublin native John Byrne. Their debut album, After the Wake, was released to critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic in 2011. With influences ranging from The Chieftains to Planxty to Bob Dylan, John’s songwriting honours and expands upon the musical and lyrical traditions of his native and adopted homes. On this LP, John's band features members of Amos Lee, Calexico, The Fractals, Huffamoose and The Modern Inventors.

In late 2012, John Byrne had a new batch of songs written for the follow up to his critically acclaimed 2011 album After the Wake. Then, as often happens, life intervened. An accident that left him needing surgery and months of recuperation, coupled with personal tragedy and loss, left him staring at a body of work that held, for him, little meaning anymore. “The songs were fine, they were good songs, I just couldn’t find myself in them anymore, “says Byrne from his home in the Fishtown neighbourhood of Philadelphia. With Byrne’s fan-base clamouring for a promised new release, John and his touring band recorded 2013’s Celtic Folk, a collection of folk tunes from Ireland and America that the band had been sliding into their live sets during the After the Wake tours.

The album, which would eventually make the Folk DJ Charts, entering at number 36 (FolkRadio.Org), gave Byrne the time he needed to reflect and write. “I wrote about the bad stuff and the amazingly good stuff that came out of the bad,” he reveals. The result of this is The Immigrant and the Orphan, an album of 12 songs that Terry Roland of No Depression magazine in LA, who stumbled upon the band on their recent Kickstarter campaign, calls “Some of the finest songwriting I have heard this year, each tune on this album carries an honesty, integrity, and quiet passion that will draw you into its world for years to come”.  Roland had only heard rough mixes that Byrne felt comfortable sharing with the writer after an interview. “There is anger, joy, sadness and reflection in the songs, “says Byrne, “But most of all I wanted to get to the very deepest root of each situation, to be open, to be exposed, but to leave the listener room to enter, interpret and find their own meaning in the songs.” Byrne’s skillful handling of the subjects has led to some of his most honest yet accessible songs to date, as witnessed in the first single Dirty, Used Up, Chewed Up, Screwed Up Love, a defiant folk-rock song with strong echoes of John Hiatt and Lucinda Williams. The B-Side, Sing on Johnny, is an homage to his Father.

The band features: John Byrne: Vocals, Acoustic Guitar: Rob Shaffer, Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Banjo, Dobro, Tambourine, Vocals: Andrew J. Keenan, Acoustic and Electric Guitars, Banjo, Dobro, Ukulele, Pedal Steel, Vocals: Maura Dwyer, Violin and Cello: Dorie Byrne, Accordion, Trombone, Vocals: Walt Epting, Drums: Vince Tampio, Trumpet and Flugelhorn: Jim Stager: Bass, Ken Pendergast: Bass, Jaron Olevsky: Piano and Organ, The Modern Inventors: Backing vocals.

The role call alone shows that this is far more than a solo effort by John Byrne. If any element of Celtic Folk or Americana is your thing, then this album is an absolute yes. John has a very listenable vocal range and each song is a journey within itself. Despite the size of the cast, the attention to detail and gentle feel in some songs, makes for a very uncluttered and enjoyable album.

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Tuesdays Genre Mix: The Pacers - Victoria Celestine - Absinthe Rose

The Pacers - Losing Touch.

Background - The Pacers draw their influences from the sixties Psych/Garage scene, mixing it up with their own unique ideas to create unforgettable and  energetic live performances in the same vein as The Stooges and The Stones, with a healthy dose of freak out psychedelia.

The band formed in the late summer of 2013 when Alexander Friedl and guitarist Harry Stam met under what they describe as "mysterious circumstances". With a shared interest in all things 60's and a desire to escape the monotony of everyday life, they duo picked up their guitars and began writing songs. 

A former band mate of Harry, bass player Jay Creswell, was next to join The Pacers, closely followed by drummer Jamie Yuan. With the line up complete, the band set about making a name for themselves on the underground music scene, playing a string of venues primarily in north and east London which have earned them a loyal and ever increasing fan base. 'Losing Touch' is their debut single.

The Band: Alex Friedl - Vocals, Guitar, Harry Stam - Lead Guitar, Jay Creswell - Bass, Jamie Yuan - Drums.

A modern twist on what was the music of my youth (yep - that old), 'Losing Touch' is an excellent introduction, genuinely leaving me wanting to hear, a whole lot more by this band. A must listen and a reminder that there is much to mine from past musical styles, and opportunities to put your own slant on things.

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Victoria Celestine - As We Grow Old.

Background - Coming off the success of her second single, “Something More,” innovative and avant-garde artist Victoria Celestine has released her anticipated third single, “As We Grow Old”.  The sultry and energetic track is the latest off of Victoria Celestine’s upcoming debut EP (due for release within the next year). The first single off of the EP, “Wasted Tears” was released in June 2015 with accompanying music video. With the pop synth rhythms reviving their way back into popular music, Victoria is a stand out new artist bringing 80’s style to her video similar to the likes of Walk the Moon’s “Shut Up and Dance.”

Not to be overlooked as another cheeky pop artist Victoria Celestine is truly the odd one out.  Having spent her early years growing up on two ends of the world, France and in San Antonio, Texas, music became Victoria’s fluent language. With piano as a first instrument, she expanded her horizons by picking up the guitar as a teenager once moving back to the US and has never looked back. Combined with the talent of song writing, she is a unique force to be reckoned with.

Coming across Victoria at an open mic in down town San Antonio, Gordon Raphael (producer of The Strokes, Regina Spektor and more) invited her to have her first studio experience recording her first seven songs acoustically.  Harnessing her song writing capabilities, Victoria has placed in the International Song writing Competition four years in a row.  She was also a nominee in the International Acoustic Music Awards and has charted on the iTunes Charts. Look for these three songs that she produced with Blake Harnage (of Versa) when she was only 17, on an EP next year.

Bright and breezy synth pop, plus Victoria's vocals seemingly just right for this style of music. The production is light with neither the soundtrack or the vocals, disturbing the other, highly enjoyable.

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Absinthe Rose - Stories Of Our Youth, (From the album 'Black Earth').

Biography - Absinthe Rose is a Boston based Folk band consisting of singer songwriter Kimbo Rose on acoustic guitar and vocals and a core rhythm section of well-seasoned Boston area music veterans. The band mixes different styles of music including Folk, Americana, Gypsy Jazz, Blues, Punk and whatever else they feel like into a original and diverse sound! Regular touring and a tight live performance mixed with a strong DIY ethic and both personal and political subject matter has quickly gained the band notoriety in the underground DIY music scene! 

The musical brainchild of singer songwriter Kimbo Rose and was originally formed in 2008 as a solo acoustic project based out of the Medford and Ashland Oregon area. In 2009 Kimbo Rose relocated to Boston MA and self-released her debut CD entitled Digging Ditches & Escaping Holes on her newly formed DIY record label she named Screech Owl Records. This was a ten-track solo acoustic album of material she had been playing for years in Oregon and recorded in Boston. In the spring of 2010 Kimbo Rose partnered up with Bill on Bass, Josh on Banjo, Nick on Electric Guitar and Rich on Drums and the band as you know it today was born! 

They recorded their debut EP with the full band entitled “Consistency Through Scepticism And Awareness” in the fall of 2010 and began playing out around the Boston area! Soon after the band embarked on their first extensive West Coast US tour in the spring of 2011 and hasn't stopped since. In the winter of 2012 they recorded their full-length album entitled The More That We Learn, The More We Learn That We’re Wrong which was released in the spring of 2013! Since then Absinthe Rose have toured the US and played regularly throughout the North East and East Coast! 

The band entered the studio in the spring on 2015 and began recording their new full length album entitled Black Earth which was self-released on the bands own label in September of 2015! This record turned out to be their most dynamic and eclectic album to date showing the bands true diversity and Kimbo's full range of lyrical and musical influences! The band is presently making plans for a full US and European Tour in 2016! The rest is 'herstory' yet to be written!

Arguably The Pogues were the first folk/punk band, albeit with a mixture of Irish traditional numbers, along with their own original songs. Absinthe Rose take on a variety of genres, that create a bigger melting pot, and they do it very well. The featured track is the only one I could find that can be shared, the album version may be a better mix, and what an album! Full of energy, attitude and angst, Absinthe Rose deliver a powerful mixture of songs, that demand yours and my attention.

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