Four 4U: Parlour Tricks - The Little Unsaid - Foreign Architects - Unnveig Aas

Parlour Tricks - Lovesongs.

Promo words - Parlour Tricks released a new Double A side single yesterday (5th October) – the two tracks ‘Lovesongs’ and ‘Requiem’ will be out on cool New York label Bar/ None Records. Catchy and charming ‘Lovesongs’ is an electro synth pop earworm - think dreamy Goldfrapp, complimenting ‘Requiem’ a beat heavy, rhythmic track that is layered with the mystical and airy vocals of Lily Cato.

The band are lead singer and songwriter Lily Cato, bassist and synth player Brian Kesley, drummer Terry Moore and guitarist Angelo Spagnolo, They met at college and first played together on a whim when Cato decided to try her hand at song writing. A few months later Cato asked Morgane Hollowell and Darah "DeeDee" Golub (also friends from college) to join when she realised that nearly every song she'd written was begging for three female voices. Influenced as much by the Andrews Sisters as she is by Vampire Weekend, Cato’s first few years of song writing kept the lyrical spotlight away from herself and instead found inspiration in other people’s stories, newspaper articles, and books. “I write a story for a song the same way you might write a story for a novel” says Cato.

Matching clothing and synchronised dance moves is as integral to a Parlour Tricks show as the music but its all about, making sure that everyone is having a blast both onstage and off is paramount to all six members.  ‘Village Voice’ named them 2014’s Best Pop Band in New York City, so it seems like a mission accomplished. The band recorded their forthcoming new album in Nashville working with producer Emery Dobyns (Patti Smith, Antony & The Johnsons, Noah and the Whale).  Dobyns played a key role in harnessing the band’s ever-evolving sound, allowing them to explore and experiment but creating cohesion within the ten tracks that ultimately ended up on the album due out in early 2016.

Two quite different songs from Parlour Tricks, the featured track is a synth pop wonder, with stand out vocals and harmonies, and a soundtrack that just hooked me in. Requiem is for me even better, both very good songs.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Little Unsaid - Can We Hear It?

Background - The Little Unsaid was stewed up in the badlands of West Yorkshire by multi-instrumentalist, producer, poet and songwriter John Elliott. After beginning as a solo project, The Little Unsaid has evolved into a growing community of touring musicians and producers blending folk, electronica, orchestral music and a meticulous song writing craft with John’s haunting, androgynous vocals.

Following on the heels of two well-received, crowd-funded albums, his third, Fisher King, is the result of traumatic personal crisis, reflected in the music’s genre-hopping complexity, lyrical honesty and moments of cathartic release. It was recorded over four weeks in a London basement, in the middle of Highgate Cemetery, in the steeple of a crumbling Islington church, and on a tiny island in the middle of the Celtic Sea.

The album was mixed by Graeme Stewart, long-time Radiohead engineer and producer of Jonny Greenwood’s solo work, which has included producing and mixing the music for Hollywood movies such as There Will Be Blood and The Master.

The songs on Fisher King are part-inspired by books that John became obsessed with during his self-imposed isolation in the hills of West Yorkshire in Winter 2014. These include Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov, Dante’s Inferno, The Death of Bunny Munro by Nick Cave, and The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot (a poem from which the album title was taken). The tone of these literary works correlated with John’s own explorations of the destructive nature of human desire and the loss of faith in the face of catastrophe, which has bled its way into all of the songs on the album.

The lead single 'Can We Hear It ?' was selected by Catherine Cunning Coco Media & Artist Management in collaboration with Mark Gardener of OX-4-Sound and front man of legendary Oxford band Ride, who also mixed the single during breaks from their recent world tour.

You know that moment when you hear an artist or band for the first time, and you stop doing anything, to concentrate and just take in the song. Well 'The Little Unsaid' did that very thing to me this afternoon. The featured track is just so imaginative and having listened to some other tracks this is for me, one very special collection of songs.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Foreign Architects - Fall.

Background - Foreign Architects are about to release their second single for the year, ‘Fall’, on October 16th. Foreign Architects have had a massive 2015 so far, having supported ARIA Award winning Australian band Eskimo Joe before releasing their last single, ‘Clover’. The band continued to capitalise on this success, being selected to take part in the Singapore-WA Music Exchange, which saw the band perform at Beerfest Asia in Singapore, a festival attended by over 30,000 punters. 

Foreign Architects are a Perth based Indie-Pop duo made up of singer-songwriter Matt Burke and his drummer cousin, Andrew Barnett. With a huge sound combining a multitude of guitar and bass amps, layers of harmonies, the unforgettable songs and energy of their live show will leave you wondering how it was produced by only two people on stage.

Produced by Lance Robinson and A&R Department head Matt O’Connor, ‘Fall’ is a powerful alternative rock song with a driving beat, reminiscent of fellow Aussie bands Violent Soho and Grinspoon.

'Fall' doesn't waste time getting started and we are straight into a hook laden, indie rock song, with vocals that ride smooth, over a solid timeless musical piece.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Unnveig Aas - Run.

Background  - Unnveig Aas has quickly become known as the small soft-spoken woman with the big sorrowful voice. 

Within a few years she has touched audiences in clubs, venues and festivals all over Norway, played support for Judy Collins, John Fullbright and Daniel Romano, and additionally performed for a sold-out festival tent in Bremen. Now comes the new material. EP released 9th of October.

As the promo is a little on the minimalist side, all I know at present is what is stated above. The song is absolutely charming, Unnveig has a beautiful voice and the music just carries her along. A country feel which leans a little towards Emmylou Harris on this track (see that as a massive compliment), I cannot wait to hear more.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sundays Alternative Take: Soothing, Grooving and Dancing

Tom Swoon Vs Ale Q & Sonny Noto - Alive.

Promo words - Released through Ultra Music on September 25th is ‘Alive’, the collaborative single from Tom Swoon, Ale Q & Sonny Noto. Producers/DJs Ale Q and Sonny Noto have gone head to head with Polish artist Swoon for this track, and the results are nothing short of epic.

A stirring piece of progressive house, the tune almost bubbles into action at the start before effortless vocals soak over the top of the bass line, and complementary piano twinkles add a further expressive edge. As the electro-edged beat really starts to take hold, there is another soulful intermission - before the power and intensity reaches a dance floor ready climax.

Actually the promo words are pretty much spot on. Progressive House fans will love this energised and driving song, the vocals if anything help calm the whole thing down, so we can pause for breath.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Flavr Blue feat. Jarell Perry - Oxygen.

Background - After a summer of major milestones, the Seattle­-based trio the Flavr Blue is about to deliver their most anticipated release yet: The L​ove Notes​ EP, a collection that marries the group's crackling energy with a soulful musical wisdom inherited from influences ranging from Cut Copy and Miike Snow to Feist and Sade.

The band's success is driven by the way its members — lead singer Hollis Wong­-Wear, whose voice graced the Billboard Top 20 hit "White Walls" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and singer/producers Lace Cadence and Parker Joe, each with a litany of Seattle hip ­hop and R&B releases under their belts — weave their voices and eclectic experimentalist within a rich electronic landscape. It’s been that way since the beginning, when they first built tracks in a half­ bedroom turned studio in Parker's Beacon Hill town house. It grew as they translated the sounds to wild live shows, for crowds both charmed and electrified by their combination of heartfelt soul and energetic electronica. Even Questlove tweeted his affection for the band’s live performance after watching their set at the Brooklyn Bowl. In celebration of the release of upcoming EP L​ove Notes, the Flavr Blue is releasing "Oxygen" (ft. Jarell Perry).

As 'bonus' songs go this is top quality. A mixture of electro and house sounds, and a mixture of fine vocals, make this a very good track.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Exploding Clouds - Drive The Car.

Background - Hailing from Miami, Exploding Clouds is Michael Barksdale's synth-pop project. Exploding Clouds started as Barksdale's solo experimentation's back in 2010 as an alternative to his darker alter ego, Culture Prophet. After many years of performing and producing with other bands and aliases, he decided to revisit his previous work and bring it back to life. Exploding clouds is about positivity, gazing into the horizon, and looking beyond what the eye can see. 

The recently released nine track EP features beautiful electronic ambient songs reminiscent of Tycho, Com Truise, Washed Out and Caribou.

This is a pleasing track, the song flows beautifully, with vocals that are immersed in the mix and drift along with the gentle and soothing soundtrack.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stevie Wonder - Superstition (Lliam Taylor Remix).

Background words - Not many artists could re-imagine the music of a legend like Stevie Wonder and do justice to one of his hits, but 19-year-old west coast producer Lliam Taylor is up to the task. Following more mellow remixes of Defunk's "Saturday Night" and Craig David's "Fill Me In," Lliam's "Superstition" remix sees him taking a harder, more dance floor-friendly edge, with lush breakdowns balanced out by groovy bass lines over a thumping house drop. The instrumental complements Stevie's vocals beautifully, and instantly modernises the classic song.

Formerly known as Kezwik, Lliam Taylor has toured with Datsik and landed at #1 on the Beatport Dubstep chart. Never aiming to be pigeonholed in just one genre, Lliam has been broadening his sound to embrace other electronic styles and has set his sights on the world of house. A true musician through and through, Lliam aims, with every piece of music he writes, "to create a song that tells a story and makes you feel something from start to finish, whether it be intense feelings or just the need to dance".

Fair play to Lliam, this has taken the original song, successfully into another style or genre, and Stevie Wonder's voice comes across so distinctly, that it is even more 'stand out' than the original. As an old Tamla Motown fan, I was ready to rip this apart, instead I have to admit, it's a remarkable version.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mauro Picotto - The Whistle (Radio Edit).

Promo words - In October, Picotto will be releasing his ninth studio album From Heart To Techno on his own imprint Alchemy Records. The new album finds Mauro churning out what he does best: full throttle tech-house and techno built for sweaty dance floors. Ahead of the full release of his album, Mauro has channelled his inner jazz-man for the albums first single The Whistle, which is available for free download to wet your appetite. The track features jazzy pianos, funky vibes, and, of course, a whistle-along melody as jackin percussion propels the song along to euphoric grooviness.

This just puts a smile on my face. Everything about 'The Whistle' is just so bright and fun filled. Dance floors will be in for a punishing, as soon as this one plays.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday Double Selection: Sloom - Tohearmeroar

Sloom - Magic Cup.

What we are told - Sloom is a rock n roll band from Sydney’s Inner West, whose members are Chris Diamond and Cristian Di Paolo on guitar and vocals, Dane Macintosh on bass and Jamie Graham on drums. Coming from a variety of musical backgrounds they set out together to create their own original music. After recording their first EP, Kahayalan in 2014 Sloom has refined their sound and are set to release their first single ‘Magic Cup’. 

Produced and recorded by the band, ‘Magic Cup’ captures the spirit of their live performances and draws inspiration from an older era. ‘Magic Cup’ might resonate with fans of John Dwyer, Ty Segall and any living thing that likes their music energetic and fun! Sloom are playing a show at Frankie’s Pizza on Hunter St on October 11, come down and grab yourself a slice of Sloom.

The live feel to 'Magic Cup' gives the song natural, raw energy. The retro feel for me, is in the vocals, whilst the no nonsense rock soundtrack retains a fresh sparky sound. Put together the whole song works, so very well.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tohearmeroar - The Atlantic.

I would love to tell you all about Tohearmeroar, however beyond the fact they are a musician/band from Queens, New York, (USA), it would appear everything else is on 'a need to know' basis only.

Anyhow our music feature policy remains 'if we like it and we can feature it, we will'. One thing Tohearmeroar have been generous with is the amount of songs they have shared on Soundcloud. Some more on the Facebook page (here).

'The Atlantic' is the latest song, and having checked out the others my first impression is one of a developing maturity in the music and singing. Vocals are stand out, there is a passion that just can't help but come across in the featured track. It just sounds so very much, music from the heart.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------