Sundays Alternative: Venkman - Eastward - The Beat Corporation

Venkman - Andrew, You're Horizontal Again.

What's the story - Venkman are Kate, James, Tom, Danny & Dave who create off-kilter funk from their hometown of Lichfield, UK, citing influences as diverse as Influenced by Michael Jackson, Kate Bush, Prince and Thomas Dolby.

Having already been featured on 6 Music and BBC Radio in England and Scotland, Venkman were responsible for the most watched BBC Introducing session ever with their cover of Michael Jackson's 'Leave Me Alone'. They were also selected to feature in the Best New Music of 2015 on their local Introducing show.
The band, who have already played with the likes of Carina Round, Outfit, Turbowolf and Coasts, next play live on 11th November with Dutch Uncles at The Hare and Hounds in Birmingham.

The release of their EP 'Kakkorhaphiophobia' follows the success of their debut single 'Martial Law' and epitomises Venkman’s quirky brand of melancholic funk with haunting male/female harmonies.

This is a fabulous EP and the featured track really is, just one dimension of four very enjoyable tracks, from this creative band. They could be referenced as quirky, I think it far better to say imaginative, adventurous and unrestrained. Highly recommended!

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Eastward - Old Green Thumb.

Background - Quickly following his debut single ‘Old Green Thumb’ Melbourne Producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist ‘Eastward’ (Eden Altman) continues to intrigue with one of the most thought provoking and captivating music videos of the year. Made by renowned UK director Ian Gamestar (Kodaline and Scouting for Girls) 
  
Using a fascinating concept, the video is an exercise in morphing the sterile computer world with that of nature in all its organic grit and beauty. Inventing a character for this concept video, Eastward uses eclectic imagery to explore zany experiments of the fictional Dr. E. Kollisch of the ‘Eastward Institute’. Colourful and vibrant, it quickly transitions from shot to shot of organic wildlife, conducted experiments and alarming facts. Bluntly challenging his audience Eastward invites anybody to try eating a digital meal, summarising the concept perfectly.

This inventive video and single, with its driving rhythm section and shimmering, synthesized melodies is the first taste of Eastward’s ‘Laurie Came Home’ EP, due for release February 4th 2016.

The video is featured now, over on our BeeVids page. I personally think the music stands up in it's own right, however the video actually does add something to 'the story'. Musically for me, 'Old Green Thumb' is imaginative and very pleasing.


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The Beat Corporation - Slaving For The System (radio edit).

And the promo say's - The Beat Corporation are Manchester duo Jody Spence and Tyler Daly. They came together to create music with no limitations and to share a common goal, to make music with no boundaries. 2014 saw The Beat Corporation have releases on legendary dance label Champion Records (Robin S, Faithless) and they have now teamed up with Supersonic Media to present their “Slaving For The System” EP.

The EP kicks off with the title track “Slaving For The System”, a melodic house meets electro funk tune with a bass cab-busting groove that you want to hear over and over again. This is followed by the piano meets tech house banger “Got That Thing” which is sure to mashup dancefloors globally and is already receiving great early support from the guys at Kiss. “No Pressure” is the third track on the EP and is a soulful tech house tune with a fat techno bassline. “DJ Dealer” rounds up the package with its driving electro/bass that evokes thoughts of Green Velvet producing Mutant Disco.

I have to say there is something quite addictive, regarding the title track on this EP. So much so, that I only listened to the whole EP when I decided to feature it. As their promo states there is plenty of variety in this collection, I'm just struggling to get past the hooks of the first song. The release date is 15th December 2015.

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Saturday Pairing: Beliefs - Georgi Kay

Beliefs - Leaper.

What we are told - Toronto shoegaze band Beliefs are set to release their sophomore album 'Leaper' on November 13 via Hand Drawn Dracula. 

Beliefs started abruptly when Josh Korody and Jesse Crowe met at good friend and former Bassist, Patrick McCormack's birthday party and couldn't stop talking about the music of the 90's. Through the love of My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth, the memory of reverb and fuzz was revisited and Beliefs was formed.

Since their formation in 2010, Beliefs have released a two song single and b-side (Untitled, 2012 HDD) as well as a full length record (self titled, 2013 HDD, Manimal, No Pain In Pop) and are currently set to release their follow up, Leaper via HDD on November 13. Beliefs have been lucky enough to share the stage with fantastic artists such as; A Place to Bury Strangers, Disappears, The Breeders, Toy, Algiers, Moon Duo, Beach Fossils, and Suuns.

Beliefs are prolific artists and musicians in the Toronto music scene, with Crowe recording in projects Praises and Rolemodel, and Korody as a founding member of Wish and Nailbiter as well as producing countless projects at his Candle Recordings studio. Beliefs are now set to present Leaper at shows and to festivals such as Supercrawl, Pop Montreal, and New York's CMJ along side the Hand Drawn Dracula family.

Straight into a fuzz laden wall of sound, 'Leaper' gradually mellows into a cleaner piece with vocals lifting in the mix. Every part is cleverly layered and the music is at times quite dominant, but very assessable. Shoegaze fans should adore this song.

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Georgi Kay - God Of A Girl.

Background words - Perth’s Georgi Kay is a musical chameleon. You may know her dark and brooding song ‘Ipswich’. You may know her from past tours with Alpine, Clubfeet and Ed Sheeran. How about her performance as troubled musician Melissa in Jane Campion’s multi award-winning BBC drama ‘Top of the Lake’? Or maybe you’ve heard her haunting theme for the Netflix series ‘Residue’? Or perhaps you know her from her collaborations with French-noir DJ Brodinski, rapper Bloody Jay or her co-writes with M-Phazes, Mag and Nash Overstreet? Oh, and there’s ‘In My Mind’ - the platinum-selling, ARIA-winning, Grammy-nominated dancefloor anthem recorded with Ivan Gough/Feenixpawl, remixed by Swedish House Mafia’s Axwell.

Whichever version of Georgi Kay brought you to this point, her new EP Origins, due for release in early 2016 brings the strands of her past together, showing a mature artist with a strong commitment to songwriting and a strong sense of her own muse. With her unique and distinctive voice and sound - part Sia, part Massive Attack, part Lorde - Georgi Kay is creating some of the most interesting and intelligent pop music in Australia. 

The first taste of her EP comes in the form of ‘God of a Girl’. The inspiration for the song came from the film adaptation of Stephen King’s ‘Carrie’, exploring reality and fantasy within the psyche of an abuse victim and the mental results of being pushed to breaking point. Released globally on Monoki through Parlophone Records, the track is available for free download for fans from Georgi’s website (HERE). 

“I’ve been working hard, experimenting and collaborating with some talented people who have helped influence and inspire me to create a body of work that best represents me as an artist. I can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks of the EP,” said Georgi. “It’s also really important for me to share ‘God of A Girl’ - a song that represents me in my purest form, with all the fans and supporters who have been with me on my journey over the past few years. It’s the shape of things to come.”

The deep synth sound and slow beat that introduces this song, have a strong hypnotic feel. Then add Georgi Kay's vocals and the song really does move up to something quite special. Music and vocals are perfect for each other in what is a powerful and intriguing song.

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Friday Three: Kissing Party - Private Island - The Salt Riot

Kissing Party - Trash. (from the album - 'Looking back it was romantic but at the time i was suffocating).

Background - Getting it's release on Hot Congress Records on the 2nd November 2015, just some of the comments made about Kissing Party include - Tired of Ty Segal? Bored with Beck? Wanna slit your wrists at the thought of another Jack White album... From the Mile High City comes Kissing Party, your new favourite band whether you like it or not. - This Is Indie Slop...

How much emotional weight can one impart in a two minute pop rock structure? Such is the game Kissing Party plays, as sampled on their new album "Looking back it was romantic but at the time i was suffocating'. At the forefront of the 'Slop Pop' movement, Kissing Party is the sound of debt, regret, heartbreak, hair dye & Pennsylvania. This is the band's second release on Denver's Hot Congress Records (Denver, USA) available on CD, Vinyl, Cassette and download. Kissing Party has nearly perfected what it was already doing best: making straight ahead, two-minute pop songs that stick to the mind like glue."  - The Onion A.V. Club

"Kissing Party encourage even the wallflowers amongst us to take to the dance floor, or at least give us a reason to drink up."  - Three Imaginary Girls

"Pure among douchebags and fashion victims." - Jason Heller (NPR, Pitchfork).

So the band and the music has been around for a while, still better late than never regarding Kissing Party. One commentator put as 'early nineties indie with a twist'. Can't disagree with that, there is something annoyingly good going on musically, slop pop they call it, and I am loving slop pop. Facebook (here).


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Private Island - Enough.

Background - If you can’t purchase your own private island, listening to the band may just be the next best thing. And, if you haven’t yet fallen for the band, now is the perfect time to pop in those earbuds, get comfortable and soak up some sweet, musical sunshine.

Private Island, the Southern California-based sextet is gearing up for the release of their newest single, “Enough.”  Featuring snaky guitar licks, memorable lyrics and a spacy synth interlude, “Enough” perfectly exhibits the band’s remarkable ability to blend alternative rock, retro funk and that unmistakable California sound.

“Enough,” was recorded, produced, mixed and mastered by Bob Curtain at The Alamo, “Enough” is the first single off of Private Island’s highly anticipated sophomore EP, ‘Sunbreak’ which drops in the first half of 2016.

Comprised of Christian Lum, Michelle Guerrero, Tommy Nickerson, Roger Mawer, Tim Barbour & Cameron Anderson, Private Island has drawn much-deserved comparisons to acts like Kings of Leon and Young the Giant. In the Fall of 2014, Private Island released their debut EP A Good Look, which set the Internet positively abuzz, garnering nearly half a million streams in the first year.

This song mixes genres into one compelling sound. Musically it stands out as a superbly crafted song, whilst the energy and upbeat vibes come crashing through, giving the song a distinct and highly enjoyable edge.

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The Salt Riot - Boom. (from the album 'Dead Star').

Background - The Salt Riot is a passion trio that comes on strong and as big as stadium rock, that is somehow as intimate as a favorite LP from your childhood heroes. Pre-release single “Boom” has already gotten lots of YouTube love as the band has been playing oodles of shows in the Emerald City and elsewhere.

The band blend an eclectic mix of creative influences into the engaging, driving alternative rock sound known as The Salt Riot. Their first full length Dead Star was recorded and produced with innovative veteran David Miner at Chartreuse Muffin Studios. (Three songs, “Would You Walk?”, "Nameless" and “Giver” were recorded and produced with Jack Machin at Mighty Maverick Studios). They had worked with Miner on an earlier EP, and say that sculpting their first full length there felt like creating “in their second home.”

What is Dead Star about? “Soooo many things,” Julia says. “But most importantly its name derives from perception. A ‘dead star’ is still seen millions of miles away but it is actually gone. It only lives in our perception. I like the duo translation of the fallen rock star, fallen icon, the results of the fallen ego. Once on top of the world, burnt to a crisp. The album is released on 20th November.

The album I guess sits somewhere between Alt Rock & Indie. It's engaging and 'Boom' is a reasonable indicator of what to expect. They have the ability to sound pretty stripped back, so that each instrument & the vocals are distinct, and stand out, and yet the power is always simmering away. It's got passion and has that something, that draws me back for another listen.

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Yonder Mountain String Band - San Francisco 2007 (IA)

From the Internet Archive (IA) this is Yonder Mountain String Band Live at The Fillmore Auditorium on the 21st April 2007.

The Yonder Mountain String Band (abbreviated YMSB and referred to by some as just "Yonder") is an American progressive bluegrass group from Nederland, Colorado. Composed of Dave Johnston, Ben Kaufmann, Adam Aijala, Allie Kral, and Jacob Joliff the band has released five studio albums and several live recordings to date. Founding member and mandolinist Jeff Austin left the band in 2014 due to creative differences and conflicting career goals.

Just some of the bands history - In December 1998, the four musicians formed Yonder Mountain String Band which was to open for a band at the Fox Theatre in Boulder. They have since developed both a bluegrass and jam band fanbase, and can often be found on tour. Their debut album Elevation was released on Frog Pad Records, an independent record label run by the band, in fall 1999. From 1999 to 2001 they performed as one of the many attractions at NedFest, a music festival held in the band's hometown. By 2000, the group was also playing larger venues, such as The Fillmore in San Francisco, California. The band has released several live albums with material from live performances, but fans are welcome to record the concert they attend for themselves, as the band is taper-friendly.

There were several tapers during this early period that worked hard to document the band and spread recordings. Sandy "Bigfoot" Alexander, "Bluegrass" Brad Burleson, Josh Parsons, and Mark Burgin all contributed heavily to documenting Yonder during these early years. Jeff Austin once said that when these guys started to follow Yonder around recording them, that they felt like Yonder had started to make a mark. Burleson went on to work for the band as monitor engineer, as well as recording every show. Both Alexander and Burleson were inducted into the Kinfolk Hall of Fame for their efforts in documenting YMSB during these early years, particularly the unplugged encores that Yonder became known for during that time period.

In 2005, their recording of "Think for Yourself" was included on the album This Bird Has Flown – A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles' Rubber Soul.

Recording Details: Source: SBD > Edirol R4 (24/48), Lineage: R4 > PC > Soundforge 7.0 (resample/dither, slight re-eq) > CDWave (tracking) > FLAC frontend > FLAC16.

Sound Quality: Excellent - soundboard.

Set List:

Set 1
01 Intro
02 Idaho
03 Keep on Goin'
04 Two Hits and the Joint turned Brown
05 Keep on Goin'
06 Damned if the right one didn't go wrong
07 Rain Still Falls
08 Crooked Hitch
09 Goin' across the sea
10 Sometimes I've Won
11 Classic Situation
12 Boatman
13 King Ebeneezer
14 Mother's only son

Set 2
01 Intro
02 Kentucky Mandolin
03 Too late now
04 New Deal Train
05 Spanish Harlem Incident
06 Just the Same
07 How 'Bout you?
08 If there's still Ramblin' in the rambler (let him go)
09 Up on the Hill Where they do the boogie
10 Ramblin' Reprise
11 Finally Saw the Light
12 Ten
13 Angel
14 Follow me down to the riverside
15 Angel
16 Ten

Encore
17 Encore break / banter
18 Sharecropper's son
19 Steampowered Aereoplane
20 Granny Woncha Smoke Some

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: