Genre Wander: Sinderins - We Are Bandicoot - The Fontaines - TheROAMies

Sinderins - Fayre.

Background promo - The band’s name is taken from a confluence of roads in the band’s home town of Dundee.  Very appropriate this is too, since this band is truly the result of a meeting and a meshing of talents and minds. Producer Matt Lawrence allowed the band to capture the essence of what makes the music special, distilling not only the foam and the energy, but also the eeriness and otherness that sits at the heart of their sound. With hundreds of gigs already chalked up, and the schedule for 2016 filling fast–don’t doubt their commitment.

The single is energetic and cheerful, with an uplifting tone. Vocalist, David, manages to highlight the incredible ability to his vocal range and it’s clear to see the amount of talent that Sinderins have is extraordinary.

On Fayre, David Webster hits and sustains a high note across four bars. Initial attempts to record this fell short so, channelling something he had read about Thom Yorke leaping into a fjord, Webster asked his band mates to douse him in ice water before he ran to the mic.  That first take is the one that was used on the final record…

With Fayre the band have created something that draws on tradition; the tradition of the Folk scene, sure, and on their own personal histories. It is where ideas, techniques, traditions and friends – old and new – come together. Fayre is taken from Sinderins upcoming album and will be available at all the usual places from 13th May with the album to drop in June.

Tour Dates:
Tues 17th May – The Groucho Club, London
Wed 22nd June – Mad Hatters, Inverness
Thur 23rd June – Café Drummond, Aberdeen
Fri 24th June – Venue TBC, Dundee?
Sat 25th June – King Tuts, Glasgow
Sun 26th June– King Tut’s, Glasgow

'Fayre' may well be dominated by the incredible vocals of David Webster, however that is in part down to the superb musicianship, that provides such a professional and powerful backdrop. What a fantastic song, yet another must have album beckons.

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We Are Bandicoot - The Reason.

Background promo - Kent five-piece We Are Bandicoot have been topping the lists of Indie taste makers throughout 2016. The raucous new single “The Reason” out Monday 16th May shows just why the young experimental muso’s are causing such a song and dance, literally.

God only knows how many amps We Are Bandicoot must have blown up in the making of “The Reason”, the grooving, fuzz-heavy powerhouse of an indie-rock banger. The downright erotic guitars pulled straight from the top shelf of guitar tones, crashing drums and inventive vocal hooks and harmonies have secured the attention of more than just the Internet’s most revered bloggers.

Not content with invading our screens, We Are Bandicoot are now attacking the airwaves with multiple spins on BBC Introducing from Tom Robinson and plays coming from far and wide with the likes of Radio Kaos Caribou in France and The Justin Wayne Show in Montana, both champions of the band.

Following shows with Broken Records, Moullettes and Heg & The Wolf Chorus, the trendsetters from the South East will be on the road throughout May & June including a special show at The Great Escape Festival. “The Reason” is released by Blizzard Records on 16th May 2016.

19/05      Brighton, The Great Escape
20/05      Milton Keynes, The Stables - Supporting Heg & The Wolf Chorus
02/06      London, Dublin Castle
05/06      London, Slaughtered Lamb
07/06      London, Alley Cat Bar
23/06      Maidstone, Earls - Single Release Show
25/06      London, The Garage - Supporting The Phantom Sound

We Are Bandicoot have created something quite wonderful with the song 'The Reason'. Vocals and harmonies are carefree yet powerful and the band play with equal cheer and swagger, it's a good one.

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The Fontaines - Cold.

Background promo - If, after listening to The Fontaines’ debut EP, you find yourself at a loss for how to describe them, don’t worry. The brother-sister duo (Charlotte, 21, sings; Hank, 26, plays guitar) don’t want to make music that’s easy to pin down. “We call it New-Wop,” Hank says, adding that the he really wants his music to be “swoon-worthy,” to have that indescribable sense of a song taking over your heart, a feeling he’s had when listening to Miles Davis...and Beach House. For Charlotte, it was hearing The Drifters in grade school that made her realise what kind of sound she wanted to play with in her own music.

Hank moved to Los Angeles in 2008; partially for his health, but also, he adds, because he “wanted to live in a culturally important city where I could be in warm weather and still go out and hear rock n' roll at night.” Charlotte, who always knew she wanted to sing (perhaps because she shares a birthday with Frank Sinatra), followed suit after she graduated high school, determined to follow her brother into the music business.  Charlotte found herself inspired as she watched him “play every dive bar and small social gathering in town.”  Hank says of the early years, “She and I both knew that getting up on stage to perform always beats sitting around and then regretting it afterward.”  It simply made sense to join forces.

Charlotte came up with the name, chosen for reasons as eclectic as their music: she was inspired by Trip Fontaine, a gentlemanly but troubled character from Jeffrey Eugenidies’ 'The Virgin Suicides'; the French poet Jean de la Fontaine; and, finally, Johnny Fontaine, the Frank Sinatra pastiche from 'The Godfather', because she loved his “over the-top persona”.

 By 2015, The Fontaines were playing wherever and whenever they could.  “We try to make our shows as unpredictable and spontaneous as possible; we’re constantly pushing ourselves to step it up.”  They also began to write compulsively. Hank estimates they’ve written over 300 songs in two years.  'Dusty Springfield', which is set to be the group’s fourth single, was written the night before it was recorded. “We actually already had a different song with the name ‘Dusty Springfield’,” Hank explained.  “We didn't like it, but we still wanted to record a song inspired by her.  The other guys in the band were shocked when we showed up to record a new song with the same title.”  The Fontaines’ self-produced new songs were recorded in downtown L.A. and mixed by Matt Linesch (Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes).

'The Fontaines EP' recently reached #121 on the CMJ college radio charts, #14 on the KKBB specialty radio charts, and #48 on the FMQB specialty radio charts.  In addition, "Paul Newman" was recently debuted as "Today's Top Tune" on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic.  The band made their CMJ debut in 2015 and will be appearing at this year's Canadian Music Week and other international festivals. The Fontaines will release their second EP, 'II' on June 24th 2016.

The featured song 'Cold' showcases The Fontaines "new wop" sound pretty well. There's one softer, gentler song on the new EP the other two tracks have the positive spontaneous vibes of 'Cold' which really does come across as having a modern twist, on a timeless classic sound.

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TheROAMies - Me and My Shadow.

Background bio - The ROAMies are a refreshing listening experience and an adventure for your soul. This fun duo/band's music is a playful marriage of Alexa James' hooky melodies, upbeat lyrics and unique vocals with Rory Partin's soulful voice and heartfelt lyrics fused into a one of a kind sound. After touring together, fans continually asked them to combine their sound into one. Honoring that request, The ROAMies was formed. Deeply rooted by their passion for travel, adventure and people, they’re a duo that you will definitely want to "follow," "like," and "subscribe" to as they ROAM around the world.

Alexa James has recorded several professional studio albums, has had a #1 song and five other Top 10 songs. She was named Hot Adult Contemporary Artist of the Year with the L.A. Music Awards. Rory Partin has also garnered a #1 radio single and has performed in over 30 countries. His soulful vocals and piano-based grooves leave you wanting more! They recently won the award for Best Theme Song in a Comedy at the LA Webfest and Best Soundtrack at the Maverick Movie Awards. Once you see this duo live, you will know this is just the beginning of an enjoyable adventure.

May 7th @ Masia de la Vinya, Temecula, CA- 12:00-4:00
June 10th @Moonlight on The Mountain, Birmingham, AL
June 11th Rory Partin's Big Band plays at Centennial Park in Nashville, TN
June 12th @Chattanooga Farmers Market, Chattanooga, TN
June 13th @Blue Plate Special in Knoxville, TN  at noon!

Our official US 40-date summer tour starts June 30th- here are a few sneak peaks:
July 5th- Inside The Music Room Radio Show, Dallas, TX
July 20th- Rockwood Music Hall, New York City, NY
August 12th - Gray's on Main, Franklin, TN
August 13th- Smith's Olde Bar, Atlanta Room, Atlanta, GA
August 31st- Mercury Cafe, Denver, CO

The duo say of the song 'Me and My Shadow' - "It's a fun little ditty that we covered. Frank Sinatra and Sammy Davis, Jr. did a great version of the song (of course) We used their version to inspire our own. ". It's a fun version and what's more it's free to download, everyone's a winner with this charming version!

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Double Delights: Cerise - Popincourt

Cerise - St. Nick.

Background promo - LA by way of Chicago songstress Cerise is set to release her debut album 'Smoke Screen Dreams,' on June 24. 

Although music has been integral to Cerise's life since as far back as she can remember, it was her teenage days spent listening to such dark and romantic luminaries as The Cure, Bauhaus and Siouxsie And The Banshees that had the most dramatic effect. "That was the first time music really spoke to me," she remembers. "The darkness and beauty of those bands seduced me into this other world and having a big interest in music. But it always seemed like it was the hardest thing in the world to actually do. To me, being a musician in a band seemed like being a ballerina- like you had to be trained for it from the age of six to become this amazing artist."

With Cerise's interests in modelling and photography initially taking a front seat, any thoughts of being a musician were put on the back burner until she met Peter Gabriel protégé Joseph Arthur in 2003. The Ohioan singer-songwriter taught Cerise the key idea that anyone could be a musician, and there's never a better time to be a musician than right now. "He's happy to try anything and write a song with anyone if the inspiration is there. So I would hang out with him a lot and just help with some vocals or whatever else he needed at the time. That got me interested in how music is created. Before that, it was a process that was hidden from me." It was a laissezfaire attitude to creativity that Cerise put into practise herself when she decided to buy a guitar as a present for herself. Within three weeks, she was writing her own songs under the continued encouragement and mentorship of Arthur. It was then that Cerise began to realise that even if you do put your favourite artists on a pedestal, trying to clamber up to that level yourself is the most challenging and exciting journey that anyone can ever undertake.

Some of the songs on Cerise's upcoming album have been crafted over a period of several years but her decision to work long and hard before unveiling her music publicly is already paying off. Helped by the mixing talents of Matt Boynton (Bat For Lashes/MGMT), layers of sound and texture gives her music a cryptic, dreamlike allure while Cerise's voice also helps enhance the ethereal feel by managing to inhabit a starkly beautiful place somewhere between Nico and Hope Sandoval. That otherworldly feel is something that Cerise is determined to bring to her live performance too. "I'm trying to create an atmosphere when I'm on stage," she concludes. "I like it when a live show has a feeling that envelops you and takes you to another place entirely. That's the thing I loved about the bands I heard growing up- the way they could transport you without you even realising."

The song 'St. Nick' is one of two songs I have heard from the forthcoming nine track album, and both bode well for the release. With the featured song there is a darker brooding feel within the music that makes for an excellent backdrop to Cerise's vocals. My impression across the two songs is that of dream pop with some deeper vibes, all good so far.

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Popincourt - I Found Out.

Background promo - Some try all their lives to record the new “Village Green” (The Kinks) or the new “Never mind the bollocks”‘ (The Sex Pistols). Popincourt would prefer a follow up to “Café bleu” (The Style Council). The project might seem less ambitious but it is certainly more original, probably more realistic and no less genuine for someone who has always been influenced by Paul Weller. A man not only attached to the heritage of Small Faces, The Herd, and The Jam, but one who also lives in the 21st century – without dismissing the 80s, or at least what remains worth listening in 2016, such as The Style Council therefore, Elvis Costello, XTC or Aztec Camera (the aerial guitars of ‘The Risk of losing you’ or ‘I found out’); the 90s and the touch of British jazz that the trumpets bring to ‘A new dimension to modern love’, acid jazz maybe, he would rather call it ‘Blue eyed soul’; the 2000s and a Burgalat production, full of vintage keyboards (wurlitzer, philicorda…) and sophisticated cords like on ‘The First flower of spring’.

Popincourt was created over several years. From the first bands in Rouen, Nantes, Bordeaux and Paris, before a formative exile to London, where he founded ‘les Hommes Responsables’ with Phil King, ex bass player of Lush and Jesus & Mary Chain, followed a return to France where he will collaborate with Perio and play the organ in concert with French Boutik. During all these years, the man himself had time to appreciate what makes a difference: an entire devotion to the verse/chorus/transition above and beyond technical virtuosity; the overall importance of melodies; the groove in the service of the songs, not the other way round. The repertoire is built over a decade. An unreleased EP to taste the water in 2013, before moving to the next level. A small team is formed with people met at concerts. Hervé Bouétard, the drummer of Bertrand Burgalat, is behind the drums . Ken Stringfellow on the bass following his time with the Posies, Big Star and R.E.M. Gabriela Giacoman, the singer of French Boutik, is doing the backing vocals. Sébastien Souchois, the composer of the soundtracks for ‘Candidat’ and ‘Mes amis, mes amours’, arranged the brass and supervises the production. Finally it is at the studios of Nicolas Dufournet, ex-business partner of Michel Gondry and Etienne Charry at the heart of Oui Oui, that the Popincourt’s album is recorded.

To sing about love stories is not always easy, but here is someone who has lived more than 25 years without succumbing to the model that so often makes French rock ridiculous. In fact he sings in English claiming “It is easier and more natural in terms of what I listen to”. A French album for the British maybe, but certainly not a revival album!

The above comment in the final paragraph "A French album for the British maybe" brought an instant smile to my face. OK so we Brits and our neighbours have a little bit of history, but why not? The song 'I Found Out' certainly has the influences of some fine British bands, and stands on it's own right, as one very catchy melodic pop/rock song. I shall return the complement and play some fine Françoise Hardy or possibly even Serge Gainsbourg songs later today...

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Quality Not Quantity: Monk Tamony - Post Death Soundtrack

Monk Tamony - Leaders.

Background promo - NYC indie duo, Monk Tamony, officially releases the next instalment off their forthcoming self-titled debut EP, Monk Tamony.

“Leaders” follows debut single, “Back Of The Building." Pancakes & Whiskey raved of “Back Of The Building," The track is rife with rolling guitar riffs and a solid back beat which gets our blood pumping for more from this new exciting duo.” Comprised of TJ Rosenthal (Vocals, Guitar) and Joe Zdaa (Drum, Vocals), the stellar, two-piece band produces super charged, hard-driving rock with unmistakable New York City attitude.

Zdaa and Rosenthal first met in 2002 at Dark Room, a discreetly hidden bar on Ludlow Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. “Joe was a bartender,” describes Rosenthal. “And I was a DJ and a regular patron. It was always a scene, and I’d go some nights just make sure I wasn’t missing anything.”

In the fall of 2015, Monk Tamony put the finishing touches on their debut EP. The dynamic duo has already garnered new fans along both coasts and while Zdaa and Rosenthal might call Monk Tamony a happy accident, it’s clear that they’re purposeful about their craft. Their EP is coming later this summer and will be available for purchase on vinyl.

“I can’t wait to see where the Monk Tamony story goes,” shares Rosenthal. “The fun part is not knowing. But, as long as we continue to make songs that mean something to us, we’ll continue to put them out there.”

With deep drums and a bass line that resonates 'Leaders' has a full on rock vibe throughout. There's a modern slant within the track, accompanied by a striking classic riff and vocals that plead for your attention. Good old solid rock, done well.

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Post Death Soundtrack - You Can't Go Back.

Background bio - Post Death Soundtrack is a Canadian inter-city music collective consisting of Kenneth Buck, Steve Moore and Jon Ireson. Founded in Calgary in 2007 by Buck and Moore, the band now operates out of Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto using the magic of the internet to collaborate across the country. The group creates thought-provoking music by weaving together electronic, industrial, pop and rock sounds. Side-line.com calls their sound “indefinable" while Reflections of Darkness calls them "by no means music for simple minds”.

On September 16, 2008, founding members Buck and Moore released Post Death Soundtrack’s debut full length album Music as Weaponry. Taking influence from bands like Massive Attack and Skinny Puppy, ‘Music as Weaponry’ earned top reviews from publications such as Industrial.org, Side-line Magazine and Sphere Magazine who called the record "a chaotic concoction of crossover madness" adding "this is the soundtrack to your escape from the average". Their popular cover of Dead Can Dance's ‘Anywhere Out Of The World’ was met with praise overseas in Europe.

Also that year, the group recruited bassist and producer Jon Ireson with whom Buck and Moore had shared various stages with in previous incarnations. Jon, in turn brought on Colin Everall to help out on piano and drums. In 2010, Post Death Soundtrack released their single ‘Ultraviolence’ with accompanying video, directed by Jeevin Johal. Along with the release of new music (‘Little Alice’ and ‘Our Time Is Now’) and a series of remixes from Music as Weaponry, the band assembled for a rare live performance opening for industrial pioneers Front Line Assembly.

Now after a 3 year hiatus, Post Death Soundtrack is back with The Unlearning Curve. The latest 9 track collection is an eclectic narrative about dropping concepts, healing and venturing into the unknown. Equal parts Alice in Wonderland, J. Krishnamurti and dream language, The Unlearning Curve pulls as much from psych era Beatles and David Bowie as it does from modern industrial rock. The record was recorded at a number of studios, primarily in Vancouver. It was mastered at Suite Sound Labs, Vancouver and the album cover is an original painting by Toronto artist Kayla Aileen Brown. The album is available as a free download as well as in limited edition vinyl format.

The featured track 'You Can't Go Back' gives some feel of the depth and creativity from the new album (Release date: May 27, 2016). That said the album takes off in so many different and wonderful directions, it's hard to think where to begin to describe it. As an indicator think of an album that travels from psychedelic rock to trip hop, via electronic and other places and your headed somewhere in the right direction. Whatever the categories, it's got me hooked.

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Three Good Ones: Winters End - Bad Sounds - Joana Serrat

Winters End - Thoughts.

Background promo - Winters End have released their new single Thoughts, the follow-up single to their critically acclaimed 2015 single Mayfair. Comprised of siblings Marissa and Christopher Pinto, Winters End are a Sydney-based indie, electronic duo. Formed in October 2011, they have toured twice internationally for the Indie Week Music Festival in Canada and the Youbloom Music Festival in Los Angeles in 2014.

Winters End's follow-up release to their critically acclaimed 2015 single Mayfair, comes in the form of Thoughts. Thoughts was recorded in Sydney at A Sharp studios and Studios 301 with esteemed record producer Lachlan Mitchell (The Jezabels, The Whitlams, The Vines).

 If you combined the wistful synth sounds of Stevie Nicks, Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush and added an Adele-like narrative, complete with heart wrenching and honest lyrics, the result would be Thoughts.
Thoughts is a beautiful piano-based track which starts sparsely and progresses with layers of synths and strings, expressive drumming, and a soaring lead vocal. This progression results in the creation of the 'big' sound that Winters End have become known for.

It was last August that we had the pleasure of featuring Winters End for the first time, back then we described the track Mayfair as "a powerful and stirring song". New single 'Thoughts' continues to see the duo develop and produce high quality indie pop, the latest offering is both melodic and powerful, if anything surpassing their previous work.
 
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Bad Sounds - Avalanche.

Background promo - Following debut single 'I Feel' in December 2015, and receiving praise from everyone from The Line Of Best Fit to Noisey and radio spins from Zane Lowe (Next Hype), Phil Taggart, Annie Mac and Huw Stephens at Radio 1, Bad Sounds return with the release of new single ‘Avalanche', out 29th April via Killing Moon Records.

Co-produced by Duncan Mills (Peace/Spector), the Bath based 5-piece take their upbeat-pop sound to new levels; fusing cheerful pop hooks, fuzzy guitar lines and an undeniably addictive chorus, bringing sounds of the 70's and 80's into the 90's Brit-Pop era, with a twist.

Bad Sounds play a run of UK festivals in support of the single including appearances at Field Day, Dot To Dot and The Great Escape.

UK Tour Dates are as follows:

20 May - The Great Escape, Brighton
28 May - Dot To Dot, Bristol
12 June - Field Day, London
2 September - Festival No. 6, Portmeirion.

This is one of those instantly addictive songs. In fact the above promo has pretty much used up all the immediately apparent descriptions of what is such an uplifting song. If you have not got the energy to dance to it, then just enjoy the enormous smile it puts on your face.

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Joana Serrat - Cloudy Heart ft. Neil Halstead.

Background - Joana Serrat on Cloudy Heart - "Cloudy Heart was built together by David Giménez and myself. The song talks about the very moment when a couple feels like strangers, after coming out of a long journey through darkness together. I like the light that chorus spreads around and the strength that suddenly appears in this part. I feel that it's a generous and genuine song.

While we were writing it, we knew Neil Halstead (Slowdive / Mojave 3) should sing in this song. We met whilst playing in the same festival in Barcelona few years ago. Neil listened to the demo version and said yes immediately. He then went on to play electric guitars on two other tracks on the album - Lonely Heart Reverb and Lover."

It's not surprising that Joana has already received considerable attention both in the mainstream music press and on radio. This is such a gorgeous song, simple as that really, a gorgeous song.

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