Alternative Take: A Dead Forest Index - Red Sleeping Beauty - United Sounds of Joy

A Dead Forest Index - Myth Retraced.

Background promo - A Dead Forest Index has shared the second cut from their debut album In All That Drifts From Summit Down, out April 29th on Sargent House. “Myth Retraced” features guitar contributions from Gemma Thompson of Savages, resulting in a song that is both intense and beautiful.

Landscapes both seen and felt, real and imagined, lie at the heart of In All That Drifts From Summit Down, the vast debut full-length release from nomadic duo A Dead Forest Index. Comprised of brothers Adam Sherry (vocals/guitar) and Sam Sherry (drums/piano), the group crafts ethereal and intensely intimate compositions that defy trends and labelling, instead shaping an aural experience as organic as it is unpredictable. Forsaking instrumental complexity in favour of richly dense vocals and an otherwise minimal palette, the band evokes heaviness with the atmosphere they create rather than through blunt force. Teaming-up with Sargent House on the heels of a recent European tour supporting label mate Chelsea Wolfe, A Dead Forest Index are poised to introduce their sound to a global audience in 2016.

A Dead Forest Index was initially the solo project of Adam Sherry, begun in 2008. By 2010, it had evolved into a collaboration, with Sam Sherry supplying percussive depth to his brother’s distinctively hymnal approach to vocals, itself characterised by cyclical harmonies and experiments with drone. Untethered by place (or, for that matter, era), they’ve spent the past few years developing their sound, touring extensively between 2012-2014, and issuing the EPs “Antique” and “Cast of Lines” in the process. The latter was released by Jehnny Beth of Savages’ Pop Noire label, a precursor to the collaborative Savages/A Dead Forest Index composition and performance titled “In What I’m Seeing; the Sun” for the Barbican’s Station to Station Festival in 2015.

In All That Drifts From Summit Down, their debut album, is a testimony to the sublime divinity of nature and the cold reality of time’s passage. Unfolding over 13 tracks, the album imagines natural phenomena as poetic metaphor for the human condition, the lyrics evoking stone, cold air, unyielding emptiness and erosion, while the enveloping warmth of Adam Sherry’s layered, choral vocals makes for an intriguing contrast.

We featured the band in early February, however, I just love this second song from the forthcoming album and could not resist giving them another share. The band are touring the USA from late April right through to June. Gemma Thompson's additional guitar contribution to this song adds just that little something extra, to a band who musically, already have a lot going for them.

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Red Sleeping Beauty - Mi Amor.

Background bio - 2016 is a big year for Swedish indie pop legends Red Sleeping Beauty (named after a song by 80’s Marxist band McCarthy). They’ve not only done their first live appearance in 20 years time, they will - more importantly - release their first album in 19 years time! Labrador released a first single called "Mi Amor" on March 25.

Red Sleeping Beauty formed in Stockholm in 1989 by singer Kristina Borg, singer/guitarist Niklas Angergård (Acid House Kings), guitarist Mikael Matsson (The Shermans), and bassist Carl-Johan Näsström. They made a huge impact on the international indiepop scene with two fantastic albums and a series of singles and EPs. Their first release was in 1992 with EP Pop Sounds (Marsh Marigold), followed by four 7"s all on different pop labels (Somersault, Motorway, Grimsey, and Sunday) before returning to Marsh-Marigold for the first full length Bedroom. They then signed to the legendary Siesta Records to release their fifth single Sick & Tired, their second album Soundtrack, and a compilation of singles.

Red Sleeping Beauty have always been fans of drum machines and vintage synthesiser. On ”Kristina” they’ve cultivated their love for electronic instruments and made up strict rules for the recordings: they only use analogue synthesisers and allow themselves to trim them with one acoustic guitar per song. The result is a heartfelt mix of memorable pop melodies and timeless electronica.

On ”Kristina” Red Sleeping Beauty is a duo consisting of vocalist Niklas Angergård and Mikael Matsson with help from Kristina Borg on vocals on four songs. The album title is a tribute to her.
- She’s had a tough struggle with cancer but things are looking brighter now. We expect her back as a full time member on the next album, the band states. ”Kristina” is the band’s first album in 19 year’s time. But that doesn’t mean the members have been disconnected from making music all these years. Niklas has released numerous albums with Acid House Kings on Labrador while Mikael Matsson has released several albums with both The Charade and The Shermans on Skipping Stones Records and Shelflife.

The return is by no means a temporary one. Red Sleeping Beauty is back for good. The writing and recording process has never been more inspiring and ”Kristina” is about ten times better than anything we’ve done in the past. You’ve only just seen the beginning of Red Sleeping Beauty 2.0, says singer Niklas Angergård.

'Mi Amor' has deep rich synth's that mix beautifully with the acoustic guitar and drums. Add to that the lush vocals and gentle melodies and you have a really good timeless piece of music. It bodes well for the album due out quite soon.

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United Sounds of Joy - The Sun That Hides A Darker Star.

Background promo - United Sounds of Joy is a new London, UK-based collaboration between Michael J. Sheehy and former Dream City Film Club band mate Alex Vald. Their self-titled debut album is released in North America on April 1st 2016 on Bronze Rat Records on CD/LP/digital formats, having recently been released in Europe to much critical acclaim.

Almost two decades removed from each other’s musical energies, Vald and Sheehy have reunited to craft some heart-rending, mind-bending music. Coming on like Joe Meek and Goldfrapp entangled in some ancient machinery, the first listen track 'The Sun That Hides A Darker Star' is a magnificent, shimmering sound that the BBC’s Lauren Laverne described as: “If David Cronenberg directed a spaghetti western, we reckon it would feel a little like this.”

"Don't call it a reunion" insists Michael J Sheehy "…we're not even a band in the traditional fashion". Dream City Film Club were signed to Beggars Banquet within a year of forming in 1995, released an album and recorded two Peel sessions before Vald was unceremoniously kicked out. "Alex was dismissed because he was the only decent human being in the band", says Sheehy, "we were intent on dismantling the band from the off, everyone was pulling in different directions, each with his own very particular variety of personality disorder, drug abuse or mental illness, and if all that stuff hadn't of got us then I'm sure we would have buckled beneath the weight of our very lofty pretencions."

Featuring contributions from Fiona Brice (Midlake, John Grant, Placebo) and Gemma Ray, the album is full of alluring, devious pop noir, the songs immersed in an eerie, crepuscular pool of fuzzy, warmly welcoming psychedelics. United Sounds of Joy traverse a road to a new and rewarding gothic chanson.  The beautiful cover is by Russian artist Aleksandra Laika.

The album was released in the UK a short while back, with just one sold out release show. It's a refined and absorbing collection of songs, of which the featured track gives some idea of what to expect. The songs are consistently pleasing, ideas are imaginative and everything has the feel of delicate and careful construction, with the bands hearts close to the end piece.

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Genres Mixed: Palumbo and the Funk - Broen - The Loom

Palumbo and the Funk - Get It Right.

Background words - Boasting a line up from around the world Palumbo and the Funk have been regulars on the London scene with audiences loving their Rock/Funk vibe. BBC Introducing have been early champions along with Gary Crowley who described them as "a musical powerhouse".

Palumbo and the Funk  got a kick start in with their award winning self produced EP, Rock The Funk which won the Jazz/Funk/Fusion Category at the Independent Music Awards (IMAS) in 2014.

The title of their debut album “All The Rage We Are”, is a take on the famous jazz tune “All the things you are” and encapsulates a “funk rock sound” but the genre becomes more “rock with horns” with each track. Musically, it’s groove with sonic depth and you find more hooks each time you hear the tunes.Lyrically, there’s a story to tell in each song.

“All The Rage We Are”was 2 years in the making and features 10 instruments - Drums, bass, keys, guitar, tenor sax, alto sax, trumpet, 1 X lead vocal, 2 X BVs and was produced by Dion Palumbo and Alex Fletcher with input also from the renowned Richie Stevens (Boy George, Joss Stone, Gorillaz, George Clinton).
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I missed this band last year when they released their album 'All The Rage We Are' however it's such a great listen that giving them a belated mention only seems fair. Featured track 'Get It Right' typifies the excellent music this band generates both in the studio and in their natural live environment. This is swaggering funk rock from the  London based funk rock collective formed in 2011 by guitarist, front man and Australian singer songwriter Dion "Blindman Jumbo" Palumbo.

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Broen - No, My God.

Background promo - It’s the dark side of ladies night – the heels, the dresses and alcohol-fuelled messes. Norwegian quintet Broen glam it up on latest offering ‘No, My God’, with vocalist Marianna Røe pondering post-club frivolities: “We bumping round like a party of T-Rexes, wearing tiny little freaky dresses”.

Beneath the track’s gleaming exterior lies a somewhat existential brood: “It’s about ignoring your problems, and drinking, partying and instagramming your problems away,” Røe explains. “And then getting lost in who's right, who's wrong and all the different voices that argue Which God could or should help… ‘No, MY God’.” The track captures Broen’s genre-clashing, gloriously indeterminate charm, serving a synth-illating instalment of Britpop, hip-hop and West African rhythms. Stream/embed ‘No, My God’ below...

‘No, My God’ is taken from the band’s forthcoming debut EP ‘Yoga’, released May 6th via London-based singles club 0E0E. The four-track EP includes acclaimed singles of last year ‘Iris’ and ‘Boy’ – earning the collective praise of The Guardian, Consequence of Sound, KEXP and BBC Radio 6 Music’s Lauren Laverne.

'No, My God' has a quirky marching beat around which swirl both instruments, vocals and melodic harmonies. The song disappears into some kind of hip hop spell, then the craziness resumes. It's fascinating and quite addictive.

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The Loom - 01 Fire Makes.

Background bio - The Loom – a band from Brooklyn that has been called a “Next Big Thing” by the New York Times, “Best of What’s Next” by Paste Magazine, and a “World Café Next” band by WXPN – will release their second album Here in the Deadlights on April 22nd via Crossbill/Stereocilia.

However, Here in the Deadlights is not the record they set out to make upon returning from touring their debut album in mid-2012 (they made that album too, but more on that later). Instead, Deadlights both reflects and was made in the midst of the extremely difficult time that unfolded for band leader John Fanning upon their return: a life upending split from his longtime partner and best friend of fourteen years, the nearly lost mind and period of psychic and existential searching that followed, and the heavy lifting of rebuilding it all out of that collapse.

These circumstances, combined with the band’s collective and long-percolating obsessions with repetition, groove, atmosphere, and dissonance, honed across several hundred shows throughout the US and Canada and as far away as Poland, informed the shape of the new record.

Deadlights was recorded with producer Kevin McMahon (Titus Andronicus, Real Estate) at Marcata Recording in upstate New York, and finds them digging more and more heavily into these inspirations, stacking organs on top of organs and undergirding endless tangles of words with noisy guitars, set against horns run through delay pedals, all while maintaining the spirit and craft that led Daytrotter to write that The Loom “makes us believe that they’re the fathers and mothers of our cold and jagged memories, those that may or may not even be our memories for they feel so distant.”

Driven by psych-influenced guitars, songs like “I Am Not Young” and “Fire Makes” push towards connection and against the incessant passing of time, while “Ten Thousand Tiny Field Mice” is the repetitive, bracing sound of a mind unraveling (complete with manic saxophone breakdown from Phantom Family Halo’s David Lackner, who plays on “Fire Makes” as well).

There is a considerable amount to discover within the forthcoming album. Across nine tracks the band dig deep with ideas and passion, resulting in something that is clearly quite special to them, and as importantly, for the listener. Vocally superb and musically inventive, the album reflects the circumstances of John Fanning to the point where his emotions are shared, almost on a one to one basis. In the days of singles, EP's and on-line streaming, The Loom remind us that whole albums remain a musical journey of art in there own right.


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Quality Not Quantity: ARMS - The Heroic Enthusiasts - Hein Cooper

ARMS - Keep It Light.

Background promo - ARMS and Paper Garden Records have teamed up yet again to release the project's second full-length album, Patterns, which is set to be released worldwide in late May. With influences stemming from David Bowie and German rock band, Neu!, Todd Goldstein says the song 'Keep It Light' is "an open letter to the voices in my head that delight in telling me to tone it down, to rein it in, to not frighten or disturb anyone with my behaviours or feelings."

ARMS' Patterns takes the cinematic mood pieces and coy lyricism of previous ARMS records—the noisy, homespun Kids Aflame (2008) and its widescreen sequel Summer Skills (2011)—and cranks the volume: The melodies leap from the speakers, the sound is crackling and urgent. The songs on Patterns are as keenly aware of their place in the continuum of wry, melancholic songwriters (the Cohens, Merritts, Wainwrights, and Stipes that Goldstein likes to cite) as they are willing to twist those conventions into off, intriguing new shapes.

The landscape has changed dramatically since Todd’s mid-2000s stint playing guitar in New York cult heroes Harlem Shakes—guitar-forward, songwriterly indie pop has returned to its niche roots; it’s a contracting field. But rather than closing up shop, Goldstein and his now-10-year-old ARMS project respond to that revelation with their most eclectic, emotionally generous album yet. Patterns is the sound of a songwriter with nothing left to prove, displaying a hard-won lyrical compassion and a sureness of craft born from a lifetime of listening, playing and drinking deep of the music he loves.

The chunky powerful opening riffs lead into equally potent vocals. Add the soaring guitar that occasionally drops in and a relentless beat and the result is pretty special.

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The Heroic Enthusiasts - Falling of the Drop (We are One).

Biography - Back in the 16th century, the Catholic friar and astronomer/philosopher Giordano Bruno gazed up at the stars enraptured by the poetry he saw in the elliptical patterns playing out in the sky. For Bruno, math, science, art, and romance were all one and the same ­­ a perspective that resonated so much James Tabbi and Tom Ferrara that they chose to name their band after Bruno's epic work Gli Eroici Furori -- literally "On the Heroic Passion" but commonly known as "The Heroic Enthusiasts." Much as they did for Bruno, numbers for this band function as a window into matters of the heart.

Both math majors and music lovers of Sicilian descent, Ferrara and Tabbi understand that form derives its beauty from a dance between precision and an intangible quality that can't be quantified. Yes, they write songs that stick in your memory and make you want to sing them out loud. But they also add discreet touches of sophistication, leaving a note out of a chord, for example, so that your ear strains to hear it and then introducing contrast by adding the note they've been implying all along. The way their guitar lines mesh together brings to mind the approach of master weavers and designers as much as it does musicianship in the conventional sense.

Numbers and emotion may not seem related, but when you listen to the band's new EP Memory Wheel, you'll hear why the connection makes sense. Or maybe you'll just hum or dance along instead. And that's okay too. These guys wouldn't have it any other way.

The band's new EP 'Memory Wheel', comprises of four really powerful songs. It's hard to pick one out as the best, however as 'Falling of the Drop' is the only one I can share, at least that problem is easily solved. Lyrically intelligent and musically full of hooks, this really is a mathematically sound EP.

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Hein Cooper - Overflow.

Background promo - Australian singer-songwriter Hein Cooper dropped new track 'Overflow' this week ahead of debut album The Art of Escape release on April 1.  

Overflow is "a celebration of two bodies coming together in the physical world and transforming into something more spiritual rather than physical. It’s slightly non-sensical and drifts through imagery to capture the imagination rather than reality" explains Cooper.

His debut album The Art of Escape, due out April 1, 2016 via Indica Records (Phantogram, Half Moon Run) is now available for pre-order via iTunes.  The much anticipated recording was produced in Montreal by Marcus Paquin (Local Natives, Arcade Fire, The National) whom Cooper praises for his involvement: "It was a really collaborative process, he had a lot of great ideas that built the songs up in a way that got the ideas out of my head and into the record." Not afraid to mesh acoustic with electronic and equally proficient in both lush and stripped back moments, the album is an accomplished start for the young artist who embraces light and shade in equal measure. The title track "The Art and Escape" and "Rusty" are both immediately available upon purchase.

The last twelve months saw Hein Cooper collect some pretty amazing achievements:  two singles on triple j, spins on the BBC, a slot at Falls Festival, record deals across three continents, the best part of a year crossing the globe playing festivals from the UK and Europe to Canada, and opening slots with James Bay, Sophie Hunger & Half Moon Run.

There is a sparkly feel to the music as the song commences, that is well suited to Hein Coopers vocals. Bright, lively and well produced 'Overflow' is a good song that can't but raise interest in his debut album, due in a week.

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Thursday Three: The Blessed Isles - The High Learys - Animalia

The Blessed Isles - Caroline.

Background promo - They say good things come to those who wait, and in the case of Brooklyn’s The Blessed Isles, the adage bears out. After five years of recording in studios across four states, the band stands poised to inject a much-needed dose of substance into the shoegaze bloodstream with their debut LP, Straining Hard Against the Strength of Night. Not satisfied to merely recreate the genre’s trademark textures, vocalist and guitarist Aaron Closson (The Hourly Radio) and multi-instrumentalist Nolan Thies (N?TIONS) put a premium on songcraft, fashioning melodies that seamlessly reinforce the tell tale shoegaze soundscape. At their core, these are finely wrought pop songs that would shine in any genre, but are fully realised in the gossamer intricacies and stentorian pulse of Straining.

Lead track “Caroline” encapsulates everything distinctive about the resurgent genre, featuring a tidal wave of guitars that propels the chorus into the stratosphere. In contrast, “Chase Away the Sun” is a study in measured restraint, conjuring a desolate terrain of heartache before breaking into a lush and expansive refrain. The record manoeuvres deftly between aggressive figuration's and cathartic release, a tension that compliments Closson’s plaintive vocals and evocative lyrics.

Completed while Closson finished graduate studies at Yale and between Thies’ busy tour schedule, Straining manages to sound effortless and fresh, making an essential contribution to Saint Marie Records’ already impressive roster. This is a record for anyone who is susceptible to the charms of sonic dreamscapes but who is unwilling to sacrifice the fundamentals of songwriting that connect listeners to the music they love. It’s sure to become a mainstay in the genre for years to come.

The Blessed Isles "Straining Hard Against the Strength of Night" (Saint Marie Records), Release Date: May 20th, 2016.

The forthcoming album is a collection of ten songs and kicks off with the featured track 'Caroline'. The song gives a good feel for what is a very breezy and refreshing album, not necessarily two words I would normally associate with Shoegaze orientated music. Indeed the album drifts in differing directions from the core style, with indie rock along the lines of New Order being one reasonable reference point. As a whole this is a pleasingly good collection of songs, that are, coherently and tightly delivered.

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The High Learys - Cabinet.

Background promo - The High Learys are a four piece inspired rock band from Perth, Western Australia consisting of Jamie Turner (lead vocals/bass), Michael Nutt (keys/vocals), Matt Williams (guitar) and Mitchell J Benson (drums). Forming in 2011, they have released one album, and a number of singles. In 2013 the band went over to Europe to play shows in Germany, France, Italy, Spain and England. In August 2014 the band went back into Poons Head Studios to record their next single “Clear My Mind” with producer Rob Grant. It was then released on 7" vinyl through Soundflat Records in late October. Shortly after it's release the single was used in both a Bose Headphones and Sportscraft commercial.

During November and December 2014 the band embarked on a second European tour, playing shows in Germany, Spain and England. Their single “Clear My Mind” charted at no. 1 in the AMRAP charts in 2014. the band have released multiple records and have two European Tours under their belt, 2016 finds them causing quite a stir overseas as well as on their home soil.

The making of new single, “Cabinet”, was the first time the band had ventured into recording entirely by themselves. Produced and engineered by the band’s keyboard player Mike Nutt and recorded over the summer of early 2015 at various houses and studios. The finishing touches where added at Blackbird Studios with Dave Parkin. “We’d been talking for a while about recording ourselves so we decided to knuckle down and give it go. We found that doing it this way gave us a lot more creative control in our recording process and enabled us to take our time with tracking to make sure it was exactly how we all wanted it to sound,” says the band.

“Cabinet” explores the insecurities of a young mind. Someone who feels lost in their ways, but at the same time shares the burdens of adolescents with their other half. Look out for national touring from The High Learys later in 2016!

Upcoming Shows:
Sunday 27th March - Babushka **Single Launch**
Saturday 21st May - Mojo’s Bar

'Cabinet' is a catchy song, with distinctive vocals and a really good musical soundtrack. Somehow the band manage to sound both very modern and fresh, whilst I'm certain I am also hearing a sixties vibe throughout the piece. Whatever... it's a great song!

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Animalia - Face On.

Biography - Animalia is a dark electronic artist based in Toronto, Canada, producing high-energy shows with live drums. Her music sways with the use of thumping beats and astral synths. Her quirky voice belts out haunting melodies, while she takes up the stage with her aggressively intimate performance.

Jill Krasnicki started performing music as a bassist at the age of 17 in her hometown of Tasmania, Australia. For 10 years, she played various venues and festivals and toured around Australia, Ireland and parts of Europe, eventually landing in Toronto, in 2009.

At the start of 2012, Animalia was born as a dark folk acoustic act and saw the release of her DIY first EP “To the Waking, the Shaking and the Volatile”. Her second EP “A Wave to Wash the World Away”, incorporated beats and by the start of 2014, Animalia had left her guitar-based songs behind and had become a fully electronic act.

Her debut album “Mouth Full of Teeth”, was released in June 2014 and was featured in NOW Magazine, Noisey and Exclaim!, charting at number 3 on the national college electronic charts.

Animalia will release her second album “(dissonance)” in early 2016 with the singles “Little Earth” and “Paradise” coming shortly before. In 2015 she performed CMW, NXNE, SummerWorks and POP Montreal among other shows in and around the Toronto and Montreal area.

And to quote Animalia - The world seems to toy with your emotions, picking you up and then dropping you back down just as quickly. 'Face On' plays with the idea of being in an actual relationship with the world – the world being the collective of life and it’s events – and in a moment of hopelessness I ask it how and why can it be so cruel and yet, how can I remain so deeply in love with it at the same time.

One of eight songs on 'Dissonance' the song 'Face On' helps the listener anticipate what to expect from the album. Both vocals and music are highly distinct in nature, with each song so very well crafted with extreme attention to detail. It's music as art, without self indulgence, but with considerable passion and intent. I have to say, as 'dark electronic' artists go, Animalia really does shine a light (oops), this is one of those albums that I can't help but want to play again (& again).

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