Wednesday, 27 April 2016

Wednesday Rock Blast: The Lost Poets - This Party

The Lost Poets - Insubordia Pt. II.

Background bio - The Lost Poets - a mysterious dark impact from Sweden. Their faces are unknown and covered by a tar like substance. Wearing top hats and suits. Even though strange and dark, the music is full of beautiful melodies, positive elements and unique vocals.

The Lost Poets originates from Stockholm, Sweden. Their only release is an EP from 2014 "Insubordia", and the single "Mouth". Both received raving reviews internationally and in a very short time they have become hugely sought after.They are to be included in Dolph Lundgrens forthcoming feature film "Without YouI'm Nothing" and they opened for "Volto" (Tool drummer Danny Carey's band) at the infamous Viper Room on Sunset Boulevard merely weeks after arriving to Los Angeles. The Lost Poets are also currently working on the short film "Tales from Insubordia" and the children's book (!) "The Lost Poets".

The Lost Poets are a two-man extravaganza who brings the listener to another world. Through their mysterious appearances they express all emotions between everything and nothing. Truly beautiful, gritty raw and immensely powerful.

The ten track album has been out for a couple of months, but only came my way this week and is to good to pass by on. With a distinct & powerful earthy rock sound and a flare for creative songs, The Lost Poets are one potent band. Shades of early Pearl Jam through to even David Bowie, however that said they are more than capable of original pieces. Like the featured track, then you will love the album.


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This Party - Taste.

Background promo - A chance encounter at a Smiths tribute gig in early 2015 led to the formation of Brighton's This Party, a band that fuse sharp bass lines with infectious melodic hooks. Charismatic front man Matt is as well known for his energetic on-stage performances as he is for his strong vocals.

New single 'Taste' is two and half minutes of guitar driven indie rock. A clear statement of intent from a band that have very quickly established themselves as one of the UK's most exciting prospects. The single is the first release to come from the band's own record label Moscow Lets Go.

Produced by Junk Scientist (The Rakes, Larrikin Love), This Party's debut single 'Movie Nights' was picked up by BBC Introducing South and featured by BBC 6 Music's Steve Lamacq throughout Autumn 2015. 'Movie Nights' was selected by Gigslutz as their 'Track of the day' and featured by BBC Introducing South's Melita Dennett as a tip for 2016.

'Taste' is a two and a half minute blast, of classic British indie rock. Musically it's as tight as anything and the highly charged vocals add to this mini feast, of guitar driven rock.

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Tuesday, 26 April 2016

Tuesday Mix: Lauren April - The fin. - Wendy James

Lauren April - Picture On The Wall.

Background promo - At the forefront of the bustling Country Music scene in the UK, Lauren April launches herself to the top of the most promising new artist’s lists with the remarkable debut single “Picture On The Wall”, released Monday 16th May 2016.

“Picture On The Wall” comes from a very personal place, showcasing April’s unique ability to connect with audiences through her vivid storytelling and prolific song writing. The debut single resonates with emotive, relatable stories of the lessons learned in love and with tension building musicianship that oozes with modern flair.

Lauren was discovered after astounding audiences with her souring vocals and her ability to connect at open-mic nights in her home town of Nottingham. Word soon spread leading to spins from BBC Introducing, nationwide airplay across all regional BBC Radio stations on Mark Forrest’s evening show and Nottingham Trent University Radio becoming keen supporters of the 20-year-old singer and self-taught guitarist.

Tipped to be the next big name in UK Country Music and her debut EP out later this year, Lauren April takes to the road in May and June supporting The Sons Of Pitches, winners of BBC2 TV’s ‘The Naked Choir’:

11/05 Rhyl, Pavilion Theatre    Supporting The Sons Of Pitches
19/05 Newbury, Arlington Arts Centre    Supporting The Sons Of Pitches
20/05 Brighton, The Great Escape
28/05 Morecambe, The Platform    Supporting The Sons Of Pitches
02/06 Southport , Atkinson Theatre Supporting The Sons Of Pitches
17/06 Deal Astor, Community Theatre Supporting The Sons Of Pitches

Although 'Picture On The Wall' is described as country music, I would suggest it's broader than that, and will appeal to a wider audience beyond pure country fans. However you categorise it, this is a really good song and Lauren's vocals are just right for the part.


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The fin. - Through The Deep.

Background promo - About ‘Through The Deep’ There’s a theme running through the beauteous new EP by The fin. that permeates more than just the song titles. Oceanic imagery features heavily in Yuto Uchino’s lyrics, as references to ship, shore and submersion loom large. The singer articulates these tales of impermanence and transition to a shimmering, sophisticated indie art-pop backing that will be familiar to fin. fans, even though there’s a greater electronic influence to this EP, as synths carry more of the weight, melodically and rhythmically. 

About The fin. “At the end of the day, we just want to be seen as borderless.” Yuto Uchino. Hailing from the vibrant Japanese port city of Kobe, The fin. are a reputed and singular attraction in their homeland due to their stylish Europhile blend of synth-pop, chillwave and dream-pop, complete with English lyrics addressing universal themes of everyday uncertainties. Often referenced alongside the likes of Beach House, Phoenix, Metronomy and M83, the quartet have, since forming in 2012, performed before thousands of rapturous fans at major Japanese festivals including Fuji Rock, Rising Sun and Viva La Rock. Not content with such acclaim in one country alone, Yuto Uchino (vocals and synths), Ryosuke Odagaki (guitar), Takayasu Taguchi (bass) and Kaoru Nakazawa (drums) set their sights worldwide and in 2015 embarked on a major tour of the US, which included a performance at SXSW, before making their first forays into Britain with a handful of dazzling shows in support of their debut UK EP, ‘Night Time’. Their much-anticipated return to these shores this spring comes in the wake of a second British release and a growing recognition that there’s an act of rare, sophisticated beauty creating a big noise in the East. It’s time to turn your gaze to The fin.  

April 27 Tokyo,JP - Studio Coast (The Last Shadow Puppets support)
May 13 London, UK - The Finsbury
14 Southampton, UK - The Alex
15 London, UK - Old Queens Head
19 Reading, UK - The Purple Turtle
21 Brighton, UK - The Great Escape
26 London, UK - Tooting Tram & Social
27 Portsmouth, UK - The Edge of The Wedge

We featured The fin back in November of last year. The new five song EP is so good the least I can do, is mention it. The beautiful title track 'Through The Deep' is incredibly catchy and the understated indie feel and vocal harmonies are pretty special.

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Wendy James - Indigent Blues.

Background promo - Originally from London, now a resident of NYC, Wendy James wrote her latest album ’The Price Of The Ticket’ in its entirety, with the exception of two inspired cover choices, 'It's Alright Ma' by Bob Dylan and 'You're So Great' by Fred 'Sonic' Smith. Recorded in her adopted city, 'The Price of the Ticket' is available on vinyl, CD and via digital download. The record reached No.13 in the Official UK Indie album chart and No.15 in the Official UK Vinyl album chart. It is presented with arresting and beautiful artwork by Kym Ellery and Roze Hooij.

From the album comes a double A side single that showcases Wendy's Garage Rock and Roll credentials perfectly. 'Indigent Blues' is an infectiously upbeat song that Wendy wrote to evoke English 60s Pop. She says "I wanted to create a carefree, suburban London sound, a distinctly English feel, inspired by the movie Georgy Girl and it’s theme tune by The Seekers. There was a period in the late fifties to sixties, where theatre, music, playwriting, and politics, all came together. There was a great sense of optimism but also naivety in young English people. I’m not talking about the hipsters on Carnaby Street but slightly more removed, where they were just wearing their mini skirts for the first time. A tremendous sense of optimism."

'Bad Intentions and a Bit of Cruelty' is bursting with New Wave energy, attitude and raw Rock and Roll. The video, filmed in Paris sees Wendy walking through the city as dawn breaks, champagne bottle in hand, the very embodiment of Art Rock.

Wendy James has spent her entire adult life in the public eye, her musical evolution recorded in a huge body of work, both through her first band Transvision Vamp and as a solo artist. An icon born of the late eighties and early nineties pop punk scene, Wendy's talent, style and attitude led Miley Cyrus to proclaim that Wendy was her original pin-up; whilst Wendy's principles as an uncompromising artist, songwriter and musician have led to an alignment with her own musical inspiration Patti Smith. Indeed this album sees her working with Lenny Kaye of The Patti Smith Group together with Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols and James Sclavunos of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. The album's cover versions feature Iggy & The Stooges' James Williamson on guitar/bass and Steve Mackay on Baritone Sax. Wendy James has achieved what few can or have: longevity and a forward motion trajectory in New Wave Garage Rock.

Live Dates:
Thursday 19th May - Brooklyn Bowl, London
Thursday 26th May - The Fleece, Bristol
Friday 27th May - Mello Festival, Throckmorton Airfield,Worcester
Saturday 28th May - Kasbah, Coventry
Sunday 29th May - Darwen Live, Town Hall, Darwen
Wednesday 1st June - The Venue, Derby
Saturday 4th June - Esquires, Bedford

The double A side single is a reminder of just how talented Wendy James remains. The featured song 'Indigent Blues' really does capture a carefree sixties feel, with real pop sensibilities. The other song 'Bad Intentions and a Bit of Cruelty' has Wendy's trademark post punk or new wave credentials. All in all these are two fine songs from a very good album.


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Monday, 25 April 2016

Monday Music: Bonnie Prince Billy - Chief Ghoul - Carly Jamison

Bonnie Prince Billy - Most People.

Background - The first track from the 'Refugee' compilation album has surfaced. 'Most People' is the contribution from Bonnie 'Prince Billy. 

Featuring Richard Dawson, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Linda Thompson, Alasdair Roberts, Ricky Ross, BMX Bandits and many more, the 'Refugee' album is a united effort from some of folk’s most esteemed and cult figures, who’ve contributed an original or unreleased song each to the ‘Refugee’ project.

‘Refugee’ (out digitally on June 3rd through Brainfog) is a highly significant collaborative recording project which reflects, through song, the issue of the refugee crisis in its many forms, from Syria and beyond. It’s been curated by Scottish folk artist Robin Adams, who called on his close friends and musical colleagues from around the world to contribute to the project.

Each track is an unreleased original song, with contributions from the likes of the above artists. All proceeds go to the MOAS organisation (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) who’ve saved more than 13,000 lives since 2013 in the Mediterranean Sea. Read more on them at www.moas.eu.

The first song from the 'Refugee' compilation is this superb acoustic piece from Bonnie Prince Billy. Gentle and understated, something this artist excels at, the song 'Most People' is touching and provoking. With this legitimate cause in mind, I'm sure the collection of musicians involved will deliver equally fine songs.


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Chief Ghoul - Let Me In.

Background promo - Blues rock outfit, Chief Ghoul, announces the release of their latest album, Damned, their fourth release to date and Lee Miles’ solo follow up to III. Chief Ghoul is Lee Miles (guitar, vocals, songwriter), Chase Coryell (bass) and Justin Brown (drums). The band started as the brainchild of Miles, who began his career in song writing as a solo artist under the name Chief Ghoul. Seeking to expand the project’s sound, Miles recruited Coryell and Brown.  premiered their latest single for “Roll Baby Roll, Kill Baby Kill” on Diffuser.fm, with Lee Miles saying, “This song is my ode to the exploitation films of the ’60s and ’70s. They were gratuitous and they were awesome. Not too many movies get made like that anymore and I actually think that’s a good thing.” The Revue said, “Whether he’s telling stories about individuals on land or sea, Miles has established himself as a songwriter to watch. For that matter, he’s not just a musician, but a storyteller.”

Hailing from Louisville Kentucky, Lee Miles moved to Chicago at 21. “Chicago is a gritty city and I mixed that sound with Louisville and ended up with a good merge of the two. I wrote about things that I was going through and there has never been a different feeling for me across my albums.” The band is now based back in Miles’ home in Louisville , where Chief Ghoul’s latest installment, Damned, was written - don’t miss it!

'Let Me In' has a haunting feel to it (sorry could not resist). Actually I guess it's a bluesy lament, set just right as a predominately acoustic piece, with Lee Miles vocals so naturally gifted for this type of music.

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Carly Jamison - Dynamo.

Background promo - Anyone who thinks that rock music is dead has not been following the stream of new singles that have been emerging from songwriter and recording artist Carly Jamison over the past 6 months. First there was the "The Devil's Trying To Bring Me Down" which graced Halloween party playlists world-wide. Then there was "Christmas May Have To Be Postponed", a brand new original Christmas song inspired by vintage rock and roll that reached #1 on the Hypem Twitter Music Chart. "100 Goals" ushered in the new year with high intensity blues rock to super-charge New Year's goals and resolutions. Now, just in time for tornado season, she has announced the release of "Dynamo", an exciting brand new rock and roll song.

Carly States - "It's a totally autobiographical song. There are several people in my life who have told me that when I visit it's like a tornado or hurricane hits, so I thought that would be a fun subject for a song! Plus, I just started hearing it playing in my head one day so it really just wanted to write itself."

The single was produced by Tres Sasser who also produced her previous singles. He said, "We were inspired by 80's guitar riffs and mixed them with stacked Prince-like vocals that are instantly memorable. The song moves and hops seamlessly through the 80's, 90's, and 2016 and takes the idea of a sing along solo to a new height. Chris Tench's guitar work really complements the subject matter and seals the deal musically."

It was recorded at The Sound Shelter in Franklin, TN. Players on the track include Chris Tench on guitars, Tres Sasser on bass, Elton Charles on drums, and Mike Webb on keyboards. It was engineered by Brett Ryan Stewart and mixed by Joe Costa (known for his work with Ben Folds, Ke$ha, and Brad Paisley) at The Sound Shelter. It was mastered by Pete Lyman at Infrasonic Mastering (known for his work with Jason Isbell, Courtney Love, Fall Out Boy, Sturgill Simpson, and others.)

There's something of a retro feel to 'Dynamo'. It's pretty much a no nonsense rock'n'roll piece, with Carly's vocals driving the song forward as much as the drums and bass. Add in a little classic rock guitar and you have one fine song.

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Sunday, 24 April 2016

Genre Wander: Corbu - Allie & Ivy - Helix Pulsar

Corbu - Polygon Forest.

Background promo - New York neo-psyche band Corbu are streaming ‘Polygon Forest’, the first track from their forthcoming debut album. With its choral harmonies and tribal drumming over shimmering, glacial synths ‘Polygon Forest’ is a glorious and uplifting trip, taken from their album Crayon Soul, out 5th August 2016 via 3 Beat (EU) & Big Picnic (US).

Recorded and produced by the band, Crayon Soul was mixed by Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, Tame Impala, MGMT). A vivid exploration inspired in part by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Graves’ lucid dreams, Crayon Soul is a truly realised vision. “It’s a journey through a series of “gates”, or events that you pass through with the narrator,” says Graves of the album. “At each event, you change and shift into a new part of the story.”

Extremely visual, Corbu create captivating, kaleidoscopic visuals to accompany their music. Encouraging listeners to paint their own path through Corbu’s world, Crayon Soul includes a colouring book, as well as artwork inspired by each of the twelve songs.

Crayon Soul follows two acclaimed EPs, We Are Sound and Everything You Imagine Is Real, which garnered praise from the likes of NYLON, Stereogum, The Guardian, NME and more, as well as capturing the attention of Jessie Ware, who personally requested the band to remix her song ‘You & I (Forever)’. 

The album is a feast of ideas and thoughts captured musically with considerable imagination. 'Polygon Forest' is just one dimension of an epic album, that explores differing musical styles. First time around the listener can't be to certain just how the next song will develop, giving a sense of journey and discovery. That said, there is a constant overall feel to the album, in part due to Jonathan Graves vocal skills. It's a refreshing listen, no wonder that the attention is already there.
 
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Allie & Ivy - Get Hi.

Background - About "Get Hi" “'Get Hi' is about my housemate’s battle with cocaine addiction,” Allie explains. “He absolutely loved to party and lived only for the weekend but his substance abuse had seen him get into thousands of dollars in debt, which put a massive strain on his relationship. He was constantly beating himself up about it, saying he was going to give up the party lifestyle and pay back the money he owed, but as soon as the weekend rolled around he’d get so excited and be up to his old tricks again. He just couldn’t resist the temptation.” - Allie

Bio: Allie & Ivy is indie electropop singer-songwriter Aleisha (Allie) Conlay, from the sunny northern beaches of Sydney, Australia. Writing songs since the age of 11 and picking up the guitar at 14, Allie was schooled in music at a very young age by her father, a guitarist and record collector from London with a passion for 60s music.

Having developed a deep infatuation with The Beatles at age 11, Allie had dreams to one day front an all-girl rock band called The Ladybeetles but unfortunately never managed to find her Paul, George or Ringo. Not one to let that get in the way of her plans, Allie conjured up alter ego Ivy, giving her the comradeship, confidence and support a real band couldn’t.

Allie & Ivy’s fresh sound and penchant for catchy hooks and infectious melodies have gained accolades both in Australia and internationally. With new songs scheduled for release throughout 2016 and a debut EP underway the year is already shaping up to be a busy and exciting one for Allie & Ivy.

Well there is always some room for unashamed pure pop when it's this good. As with any good indie pop piece, it's awash with hooks and upbeat all the way, sometimes that's more than enough.


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Helix Pulsar - Rapture.

Background promo - France's electro rock synthpop outfit Helix Pulsar has announced they will soon release their debut LP 'Beyond the Wall', a 12-track debut EP that was produced by Britain’s Creative Music Studios, which is based in Brentwood. ‘Rapture’ is the lead single from this album.

Most often likened to The Danse Society and Clan of Xymox, they count Depeche Mode, The Cure, Archive, Mesh, IAMX and Muse among their key influences. They also seem to draw inspiration from such themes as sexuality and the addictiveness therein. “This song is about how it feels to surrender to the burning desire of one’s lover… a perfect blend of sensuality and wild instincts as well,” says Estelle Flaujat.

In early 2014, Olivier Rennesson (formerly of Shiny Darkness) joined forces with Estelle Flaujat, who had, until then been involved in gospel and jazz. They united over a shared love of synthpop and electropop and founded Helix Pulsar. Both educated in classical music (piano for Olivier, piano / violin for Estelle), they compose their music as absolute electro synthphonies - note by note, pulse by pulse. After relocating from Nantes to Lille (northern France), they chose to add a rock dimension to their synth pop vibes and welcomed guitarist Steve Boudoux, and their sound came to adopt the sense of pulsating electro rock waves, with contrasting yet engaging rhythms and distinctive harmonies.

"We’ve been crafting this album over these past 2 years composing with our busy private lives. This album is grounded in our personal history, helping us to expel our inner wounds from the past but also celebrating our love and life together," explains Olivier Rennesson. 'Beyond The Wall' will be released on May 6.

The semi-industrial and hypnotic beat makes a perfect background for the duo's vocals. There are a few name checks in the promo and they make sense, however there is a unique and quite addictive feel to this song, that leaves me keen to hear more.
 
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Cactus Lee - Sons of Sevilla - Gwenno

Cactus Lee - Got A Heart Like Rainwater Blues. This spring Cactus Lee released a new self-titled album (with R. Crumb artwork) via the este...