Thursday, 12 May 2016

Quality Not Quantity: Major Leagues - Gregory Alan Isakov

Major Leagues - Someone Sometime.

Background promo - Since releasing their acclaimed debut EP in 2013, Brisbane four-piece Major Leagues have been busy touring throughout Australia with shows alongside the likes of Alvvays, Beach Fossils, Sebadoh, WIld Nothing and Wye Oak as well as local talents, The Preatures, San Cisco and DMAs. The band returns with their sophmore EP 'Dream States'.

Dream States was recorded in Brisbane by local producer/engineer Miro Mackie at Plutonium Studios, and mixed in Brooklyn by Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Blouse member, Jacob Portrait and Fergus Miller from Bored Nothing.

"With great pride, we're thrilled to be putting out this collection of songs that came together over the last eighteen months. It's been way too long between drinks, and in that void we've lived a world of goodbyes, fleeting romances and hard realities. Many of these stories have made their way onto this EP”- Jacob Knauth

The recent singles, ‘Someone Sometime’ and 'Better Off' were the band’s first music since their debut EP Weird Season, which was heavily supported by Australian radio in 2013 and 2014, achieving nearly six-months of continuous rotation airplay from triple j, a #3 position on the 2013 triple j Unearthed most played artist list, and support from community stations including FBi, Radio Adelaide, 4ZZZ, RTR, RRR, SYN and 2SER. The single achieved triple j high rotation and extensive support from community radio stations, while the band toured consistently with a headline tour in July, and alongside San Cisco on a 13-date national regional tour in September and October. Last month they also joined Canadian indie stars Alvvays on an east coast Australian tour.

'Someone Sometime' is one of six very good quality indie songs on 'Dream States'. The band deliver melodic indie rock music, which has clearly been honed over time, into a musically tight sound, which complements the dreamy vocals so very, very well.

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Gregory Alan Isakov - Liars.

Background promo - Gregory Alan Isakov is pleased to share his beautifully haunting new single, 'Liars' taken from his forthcoming album with the brilliant Colorado Symphony. The beauty of Gregory Alan Isakov’s latest album is realizing how much it surprises and rewards the listener. It burns slowly, not unlike a campfire that blazes one moment and then crackles the next. A song might begin with the barest of bones, with Isakov’s resonant voice closely synched to his acoustic guitar. But then the orchestral layers begin to pile up, transporting the songs to cinematic heights.

Gregory Alan Isakov with the Colorado Symphony marks a milestone for the singer-songwriter, who’s beloved for the spectral intimacy of his recordings and live shows. Set for release on June 10 on Isakov’s own Suitcase Town Music label, the album finds Isakov cracking his catalog wide open to see what else he—and we—can learn about them. The album features songs from Isakov’s previous three studios releases, along with the debut studio recording of “Liars,” a fan favorite that’s been a staple of his concerts for the past few years. The album will be released on limited-edition LP, CD, and digitally.

With orchestral arrangements by Tom Hagerman (DeVotchKa) and Jay Clifford (Jump Little Children) and with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra’s Scott O’Neil conducting nearly 70 clas-sical musicians, these are older songs cast in new and revelatory hues.

“I’ve always had this hunch that you can manifest whatever you really want if you dream hard,” Isakov says. “I think I wrote down this idea a bunch of times, thinking it would be so incredible. And when it finally happened, I was just over the moon.” - “It’s not that I thought these were better versions than the ones we put out before,” he adds, “but I think these versions are so different, and this collaboration with the symphony gave the songs a whole new angle.”

The kernel for the album was a 2013 collaboration between Isakov and his band and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra at Boettcher Hall in Denver. Since then, Isakov has performed again with the CSO at Red Rocks, as well as with the Seattle Symphony and the Oregon Symphony orchestras. This summer, he’ll collaborate with even more: the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, and the National Symphony Orchestra—all part of a tour that kicks off in early June.

The featured track 'Liars' is the only song I have heard from the forthcoming album. It's a beautiful piece from Gregory Alan Isakov, and from this song alone hearing the album becomes a must happen. The production balance between Gregory and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra is spot on, neither party dominates the other and yet both stand out with great clarity. That they complement each other is a must and by the sounds of it, they really do.

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Wednesday, 11 May 2016

Albums On There Way: Jake Morley - Dave Hanson - Ziemba

Jake Morley - Watch Yourself.

Background promo - The London-born singer called Jake Morley, is no stranger to a spotlight of national & international tours, festival performances, glowing press reviews or being supported by the likes of BBC Radio 2 and 6Music. Things were once happening for him with the release of his debut album ‘Many Fish To Fry’. Many individuals were beginning to take notice, people were getting behind Jake, attended his shows, the word kept spreading and things were looking up.

That was until a severe mental obsession over the follow-up album swallowed Jake whole. Lost and feeling the absence of his father, Jake withdrew from his life by entering the fearful, doubtful and dangerous inner reality. In that dark frame of mind the voices in his head were all-consuming and no song of his was good enough…

Taken from the upcoming album The Manual, (3rd June on Sandwich Emporium Records) the new single 'Watch Yourself’ brings us openly straight into Jake’s anxious and frightened mind. He duets with a choir of his subconscious, berating himself for being “a beautiful shambles, barely holding it together” whilst his unconscious mind says otherwise.

Luckily Jake has held it together by exploring his emotions far beyond anywhere he’s been to before, and then being able to express them as frankly as the likes of Gotye, Peter Gabriel and Hozier. Across all the complex layers of Calum McColl’s production and Jake’s most touching vocal performance to date, 'Watch Yourself’ is an intimate yet relatable soundtrack of every broken human mind out there simply trying to piece it all back together.

I probably use the expression "just a taste of what's on the album" or words to that effect, way to often. With the fascinating featured track 'Watch Yourself' it's more of an understatement. The Manual is a superb album, with eleven differing songs put together with consistent quality and natural passion. I am in danger of boring you to death with superlatives, rather lets just say check out the album, it's something very special.

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Dave Hanson - Midday Sun.

Background promo - After touring with Mumford and Sons and Sheryl Crow as well as performing on The Tonight Show, Dave Hanson decided to leave his successful band The Dunwells to pursue his dream of making his own music. Whilst spending the last 5 years travelling across America, these moments provided Dave with inspiration to write and create his new album. He is certainly not a new artist, but this is a new direction in the music we may associate with his former band. The treble has been toned down on his guitar to leave a rather smooth sounding end product…

After being told he was “so laid back he was almost horizontal” this explains Dave’s cleverly titled debut album Almost Horizontal- which not only provides us with an insight onto his experiences, but demonstrations his abilities as a new re-invented singer-songwriter. His debut album is made up with eleven songs, in which he not only plays guitar, but also writes all the lyrics and takes up lead vocal duties himself. Notable tracks include 2015’s single Blind Faith, along with Midday Sun and Joanna, whilst Small Town Sinner and Make Hay offer a different twist from guitarist turned front man’s song writing skills.

Throughout Midday Sun there is a clear bluesy rhythm and vibe. It’s completely unique how Hanson fuses the genres of blues and reggae whilst leaving a modern edge. The lyrics provide us with an insight into his time in the States, the listener almost feels like can relate to moments along the long and windy roads of a career in music. His vocals have been likened to those of John Mayer, however, with a more British twist. The indie guitarist is still in there (somewhere), but each song shows a strong influence of the blues and it comes across clearly in the delivery.

Interestingly, Dave uses storytelling in his lyrics, for example throughout Por Favor Senor- where the listener is left to decide themselves whether it’s true. Moreover, in Small Town Sinner Hanson expresses his (bad) experiences of Internet dating through the lyrics. Joanna has simultaneously modern feel; sonic comparisons to The Black Keys can definitely be made. With relaxed and cool vocals in the verses joined with a catchy and groovy chorus-this track will have anyone tapping along feeling like they’re the mean streets of America. Every track on the album feels like a different part of his journey, whilst he showcases his musical spectre of sound throughout. Dave Hanson’s Almost Horizontal album will be available in all the usual places on the 3rd June 2016. 

If you happen to find yourself in Café Nero sometime in June, checkout the live dates below and you might get to see Dave playing the album live. 

Tour dates (CN – Café Nero):

26th May – Album Launch, The Bedford London
31st May - CN Heathrow terminal 2     
1st June - CN Heathrow terminal 2
2nd June - CN Heathrow terminal 2
3rd June Album Launch – Seven Arts, Chapel Allerton Leeds 
6th June - CN Edinburgh
7th June - CN Newcastle
8th June - CN Leeds
9th June - CN Manchester
10th June - CN Sheffield
11th June - CN Birmingham
13th June - CN Cardiff
14th June - CN Bristol
15th June – CN Brighton
16th June - CN London
19th June - Southampton Notes Café (JJ Nichols support)
21st June - Birmingham, The cellar (JJ Nichols support)
22 June - Grimsby Yardbirds club (JJ Nichols support)
23 June - Chester, Live Rooms (JJ Nichols support)
25 June - Milton Keynes, Craufurd Arms (JJ Nichols support)
25 June - CN Old Compton St - Gay Pride Festival
28 June - Piano Works, Farringdon - CN promoted show
10 July - Cornbury Festival - 11am on CN Stage

'Midday Sun' is the new single from former guitarist of The Dunwells, Dave Hanson. It's melodic and deep reggae vibes, provide an excellent backdrop for Dave's bluesy vocals. Musically the song builds in content, whilst the background harmonies are delightful. As a foretaste of the new album, this has grabbed my attention.

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Ziemba - With The Fire.

Background promo - Ziemba is the performance moniker of René Kladzyk, a NYC-based artist and musician. Yesterday she shared "With The Fire," the 2nd single from her forthcoming debut LP.

"With the Fire" features a forthcoming music video that was shot in the ruins of Kladzyk's childhood home in Forestville, Michigan. This house has sat abandoned for 20 years, but is still filled with all the things that were there when Kladzyk was a small child, now in an extreme state of dilapidation. Its become a sort of nostalgia museum, inhabited by small animals, bees, and mold that have slowly transformed the furniture, toys, and artifacts of Kladzyk's youth. There's a magic in seeing the passage of time so viscerally; Kladzyk's sandbox now has a 30 foot tree growing out of it, the flaking paint hangs from doorways in lace-like chandeliers, the barn has been completely swallowed by ivy.  The house reveals the death of Kladzyk's childhood through these explosions of life and growth. Kladzyk's house provides a bittersweet encapsulation of the song and the album themes, demonstrating the passage of time through objects and traces.  In this vein, her debut album will be accompanied by the release of a limited batch incense, created with cedar, lilacs, and other plants harvested from the verdant yard of Kladzyk's childhood home.  Created in partnership with bio dynamic herbalist & perfumier Pretty Hole Collective, this incense will be something to burn while listening, a material reminder of the creative capacity of destruction.

Tour Dates 
05/29 - Brooklyn, NY - Trans Pecos 
05/31 - Detroit, MI - Lo & Behold release party 
06/01 - Detroit, MI - El Club 
06/02 - Ann Arbor, MI - Arbor Vitae 
06/03 - Chicago, IL - Cafe Mustache 
06/04 - Madison, WI - Arts & Literature Lab 
06/05 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry 
06/09 - Seattle, WA - Barboza* 
06/10 - Portland, OR- Lacuna* 
06/11 - Portland, OR - Valentines* 
06/12 - Sacramento, CA- Red Museum* 
06/13 - Reno, NV- Holland Project* 
06/14 - Oakland, CA - The Night Light*
06/15 - San Francisco, CA - Vacation* 
06/17 - Los Angeles, CA - Basic Flowers*
06/18 - Flagstaff, AZ - Firecreek
06/21 - Tucson, AZ - Hotel Congress
06/24 - El Paso, TX - Warszawa
06/26 - Austin, TX - Hotel Vegas
06/28 - Nashville, TN - Fond Object
06/30 - Atlanta, GA - Mammal Gallery
07/02 - Richmond, VA - The Sour Haus
07/03 - Baltimore, MD - The Crown
* = w/ Sam Mickens 

Last month we featured Ziemba with 'It Curls Itself' and described the song as "a vocal piece of beauty and originality". 'With The Fire' is another song from the forthcoming ten track album. By comparison this song showcases Ziemba against a more comprehensive musical background and continues to impress. It takes me from interested to must hear, wonderful!

Tuesday, 10 May 2016

Tuesday &: The Burning Hell - Of Clocks and Clouds

The Burning Hell - Men Without Hats.

Background promo - The seventh Burning Hell album is a collection of eight short stories drawn from different sections of the bookshelf of the brain. A murder mystery rubs shoulders with a biography, while a romance leans against a prison diary. There’s a killer priest, a nameless band lost in Yorkshire, and Elvis and Michael Jackson moon walking their way into space and/or global annihilation. Despair and hope go hand in hand here, and although Mathias Kom’s song writing has never been wordier, the stories never stranger, and the band never louder, the essence of The Burning Hell remains constant: life is not really so bad, as long as you can laugh a little and you have something decent to read.

The Burning Hell is the alter-ego of Canadian songwriter Mathias Kom, and the band has been on the road in one form or another since 2007, playing everywhere from festivals like Glastonbury and Dawson City to bars, living rooms, abandoned bunkers, and a mental asylum in rural France. Musically, The Burning Hell runs the gamut from introspective folk to hyperactive rock and roll, and so the band can adapt to its surroundings like a karma of anthropomorphic chameleons, taking the audience on a supermarket-cart ride through hooky, upbeat pop songs, dark ballads about pet euthanasia, and anthems for barbarians, economic conferences, and love.

On occasion, Mathias goes on the road as a duo with clarinetist Ariel Sharratt, and their debut album “Ariel Sharratt & Mathias Kom: Don’t Believe The Hyperreal” came out in November 2015. More often, Mathias and Ariel are joined by bassist Nick Ferrio, drummer Jake Nicoll and guitarist Darren Browne. The Burning Hell released Public Library, a new album of distorted story-songs, in April 2016, and they’ll spend the better part of the spring and summer in their natural habitat: the tour van.

Wed 11th May - DeBarras, Clonakilty, Ireland
Thu 12th May - Start The Bus, Bristol, UK 
Fri 13th May - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff, UK
Sat 14th May (Matinee) - Eagle Inn, Salford 
Sat 14th May (Evening) - Eagle Inn, Salford 
Mon 16th May - Arden Road Social Club, Halifax, UK
Tue 17th May - The Crescent, York, UK
Wed 18th May - The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, UK 
Thu 19th May - The Drouthy Cobbler, Elgin, UK
Fri 20th May - The Hug & Pint, Glasgpw, UK 
Sat 21st May - Village Hall, Mickleton, Durham
Sun 22nd May - Spanky van Dykes, Nottingham, UK
Mon 23rd May - MIMA, Nottingham, UK  (FREE show at Institute of Modern Art www.visitmima.com) 
Tue 24th May - Oslo Hackney, London, UK
Wed 25th May - Hope & Ruin, Brighton, UK 

Thu 26th May - Moshi Moshi @ Tom Thum Theatre, Margate, UK

'Men Without Hats' is a lyrical wonder, and gives a hint of what you will hear on the album. Musically it's as tight as anything and the melody will get you if the words don't. The band are a bit of a challenge for our 'family friendly' format (hmmm) but that's the nature of rock'n'roll, it's no surprise that they are getting noticed either.

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Of Clocks and Clouds - She Had To Go.

Background bio - Named one of the Top 25 New Music Critiques by music Connection, Of Clocks and Clouds have been praised for their “enchanting arrangements, intensifying interludes and attention grabbing guitar riffs.”(Artsy Magazine)

Founded in 2013, Joe Salgo and Ross Procaccio were born and raised in Brooklyn, a borough that has become an international brand. The pair pride themselves on standing apart from the shoegaze indie rock scene, which has erupted throughout their hometown, crafting a sound that pays homage to the days of L'amours, CBGB's and Coney Island High.

Inspired by acts like The Black Keys, Pink Floyd, Beck and Queens of the Stone Age, OCAC combine classic and modern rock with tinges of electronic and psychedelic influences. “She Had to Go” from their forthcoming, self-produced album, Better Off, due out July 15th, - Vocals, guitar, electronics / Joe Salgo - Drums, vocals, electronics / Ross Procaccio.

'She Had To Go' is a punchy piece of Alt rock and no mistake. The power, rock duo's can create in is notable, however this pair pay attention to the detail and composition, rather than compensate with a wall of noise. The song should put the forthcoming album on plenty of folks radar.

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Monday, 9 May 2016

Monday & Guitars At The Ready: Great Outdoors - Maths And The Moon

Great Outdoors - Dad's Oasis.

Background promo - Guitars have been with us for so long now, it's hard to feel refreshed by them, but it still happens from time to time. With the warmth of a technicolour cartoon comes 'Dad's Oasis', the debut release from Great Outdoors. Amidst working on releases with Totally Mild, Full Ugly, Lehmann B Smith and Free Time, productive overachiever Zachary Schneider has used up his spare time to slowly chip away at a solo LP. Since the bands conception in 2011 the group have remained incredibly selfish, with no releases.

Dad's Oasis was recorded by engineer/house mate Rhys Corr then mixed at Phaedra Studio's with the masterful John Lee (Lost Animal, Pikelet), the album pokes its head and shoulders above the tarpit of guitar-pop emanating from Melbourne, Australia. Rich refreshing textures swell in your speakers with a mercurial nature. These sounds all brought forth by the width and movement of Lehmann Smith's bass, the skewed and warped sound of Schneider's guitars and the lyrical drumming of Johathan Mendelovits. Almost bordering on chamber pop, we hear from old friends like Bass Clarinet, Saxophone and Marimba. However, we're left with enough space to absorb everything in our own time, as the group do away with Phil Spector's wall of sound.

Lyrically, we hear the perspective of a person ducking and weaving their way through relationships in this post-internet generation of 20-somethings ready to call out anything and everything. Themes of betrayal and relationships based on depression and abuse are the perfect juxtaposition to this sunny, bright and uplifting record. Maybe it's because that's how it feels to be in one. We are left with an overall feeling of buoyancy, the album being a real time gestation of a relationship and its release being the break up.  

'Dad's Oasis' is the title track and one of nine thoughtfully developed songs on the album. It's a collection of indie pop and rock music, laden with melodic songs, intriguing lyrics, and exceptional production. Every song has character, there are no passengers on this album, and the featured track is a worthy introduction.


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Maths And The Moon - Futurist.

Background promo - Maths And The Moon are back with their second full-length album 'Familiar Strange'.  Lost in the forest with nothing but shadows, memories and strangely familiar characters, Maths And The Moon present the listener with a collection of thrilling new songs. Brand new tracks 'Magic' and 'Boomerang' sit in full-tilt alt-rock territory alongside recent single 'Futurist' (09.03.16), whilst 'Amongst Trees' and 'Psych-Seeing' weave the listener down a more obscure path into the woods.

The band generate a direct and focussed noise throughout the album, whilst keeping it fuzzy at every opportunity. Catch them live at selected UK shows this Summer "Familiar strangely comes to greet me, I shake his hand but he’s a hologram" 'Boomerang'

Recorded and produced by the band in their Southampton studio, the album will be available directly from their bandcamp page (Here) and across all major digital stores. Maths And The Moon are Andy Fielder (guitar/vocals), Luke Taplin (drums) and Matt Hirst (bass), and formed 2010.

The album 'Familiar Strange' comprises of nine enticing songs, that will appeal to those who enjoy the flavours of Alt Rock music, and quite probably to many more people as well. The band mix up the styles, there's some slow builders, full on rock pieces and even some softer material. Featured song and opening track on the album 'Futurist' gives an idea of what's in store, in what is a pretty cool album.

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Imogen Clark - Baba Pen & The Bim Bam Band - Home Counties

Imogen Clark - Choking on Fuel (Album). We are a little late to the parade regarding Imogen Clark's new album 'Choking on Fuel'...