Background - By way of Asbury Park, Levy & The Oaks delivered their 8-song self-titled LP last week for purchase, stream and download here. Delivering a one-two punch of Indie Pop and Grassroots Rock, the collection was written and recorded in their homestate of New Jersey. Today, the record is available on all DSPs.
The four-piece band seamlessly blend clever lyrics, spangled melodies and heady arrangements, while putting a tasteful spin on modern (and not so modern culture). Inspired by Duane's own struggles, the LP is about growing up, finding yourself, and ultimately, personal acceptance.
The debut track off the LP, “Slowly in the Water” set the tone for the album. "In my experience, the best songs are the ones that come organically, explains Okun.“That’s the case with “Slowly in The Water”. The track channels the emotional state of feeling lost, and the journey to self-awareness. "Out Of The Blue" was the motivation behind starting the band and writing the record,"it just comes so naturally to us. As soon as we're in a room together, things just start falling into place. It was time for something new, something fresh. 'Out Of The Blue' is the song that made us realize what the future could hold if we just kept doing what we love to do together", proclaims Lou.
Comprised of Duane Okun (lead singer/rhythm guitar), Lou Panico (bass/backing vocals), Chris Colon (lead guitar/backing vocals) and David O’Neal (drums), members of Levy & The Oaks have played all over the world with acts like Incubus, All American Rejects, Say Anything and many others. Additionally, they performed at CMJ and South by Southwest with a variety of mainstream acts.
“We’ve been in a band with each other since we were 15,” shares Okun. “My biggest musical influences are these guys. We love to make music, and we’re not concerned about trying to fit in. We never fit in anyway. Website here.
'Slowly In The Water' is a catchy, melodic, laid back rocker. Vocals and harmonies are pristine and the band play with an easy slick manner. The band clearly love their music, and deserve to be heard.
Background - Danish electro-pop duo going by the name of Feel Freeze are set to break waves in the UK whilst continuing their successful rise back in Denmark. Scandinavian music is a treasure trove for new talent and Feel Freeze are the perfect example of this, following in the footsteps of the likes of The Knife and Lykke Li- there are big things coming for this dreamy pop pair. The duo consisting of Mathias Vinther Liholt and Raymonde Gaunoux have received praise for their memorable live performances, supporting the likes of Thomas Dybdahl and Cymbals Eat Guitars. This included GAFFA raving about the band’s performance, that they deliver “so much musical energy, that they can barely contain it”.
Their latest self produced single, Wet My Tongue, was mixed by Peter Iverson and mastered by Anders Schumann (Medina). The track is very sonically interesting- not only does it have dreamy, electro-pop elements including dry electronic beats of The XX, but the use of an acoustic guitar introduces a folk feel, completely setting it apart from others in its genre. Vocally, we can hear hints of Grouplove, whilst the use of synth gives it a retro feel. If you’re a fan of Stranger Things, you’ll totally hear the eerie 80’s influence in there.
"Wet My Tongue is a musical journey that takes off in a light acoustic setting, but transforms itself into an eerie melancholic universe with cutting guitars, deep bass-drum and bubbly synthesizers. It takes place in the internet-time where people spend their days looking at pictures of each other on screens. It increases our need for physical contact. A growing desire. A cry for nearness. Wet My Tongue." Explained the band. Wet My Tongue will be released via Swedish label Icons Creating Evil Art. Facebook here.
With flowing vocals and harmonies and a soundtrack that builds beautifully, 'Wet My Tongue' is dreamy and yet quite energised. Feel Freeze put lots into this song, yet its smooth uncluttered and full of hooks.
Christine Leakey - Je Danse Dans Le Discotheque Avec Toulouse Lautrec.
Background from Christine - I’m thrilled to share my latest self-produced circus inspired single that I recorded in Los Angeles and Canada, *Je Danse Dans La Discotheque Avec Toulouse Lautrec* from my forthcoming second solo album, *Wanderlust Wishing Well*.
The music video by the very talented Sandra Powers features my friends, Timur Bekbosunov (Timur and the Dime Museum and opera singer), Matthew Setzer (Skinny Puppy and he sewed his green gorilla costume), Brett Loudermilk the skeleton (sword swallower with Spiegelworld), Mario Marin as Lautrec, Ghosty the dog and yours truly, the doll.
If you listen closely to the recording, you will hear that I used a vintage foley stage (sounds like stomping and kicking leaves and a pipe around) from the world’s oldest sound studio in Hollywood now called, Winslow Court Studios. The studio has such a rich history – It was built by the owner of the Los Angeles Railway at the turn of the last century and during the 60s and 70s was owned by Liberace. You can feel the history in the room and imagine all the wonderful talent over the decades who have experienced it.
Je Danse Dans La Discotheque Avec Toulouse Lautrec is one of my earliest songs that I wrote prior to an injury that left me unable to play for years. As well, it’s one of the very few pieces I’ve written on a piano. Involved in the recording are my friends Fernando Perdomo and Matt Tecu who are in Jakob Dylan’s band, Echo In The Canyon, Kristian Hoffman (El Vez, Prince Poppycock) and more. Facebook here.
'Je Danse Dans Le Discotheque Avec Toulouse Lautrec' defies genres, however I guess it sits comfortably somewhere between eccentric, lovable and surreal. The video is delicious, as it takes your imagination into a circus of the bizarre and theatrical. Musically it twists and turns with whimsy and engaging effect. Creative and pleasing, the album will be one to look out for.
Background - Howlite is the reincarnation of Melbourne musician and visual artist Alison Thom. The moniker alludes to a mineral, thought to bear properties that calm the wearer and release old pains. In a way the shift is also a catharsis for Thom, who unburdens herself of her name and her folk roots to delve into pop music, a darker territory of layered vocals and synthetic sounds; freed from the past to create anew.
‘Storm Chaser’, the lead single from upcoming EP Reasons, underwent many incarnations prior to its final release, including a session with Mark Lang (Skipping Girl Vinegar) and Nick Huggins (Two Bright Lakes), at the latter’s beachside studio, which set Thom down the path of using synthesiser samples and creating loop tracks. Inspiration struck with Melbourne artist and producer Michael Robinson, and the two set about creating a hybrid of sounds, taking elements from Scandinavian pop artists like The Knife and Aurora, the dreamy guitar fuzz and soft harmonies of Daughter and a homage to the grand scale drumming patterns of Florence and the Machine. The goal was to create something bittersweet – uplifting and emotional.
“The whole EP came about as a result of a huge breakdown I had in 2013,” Thom explains. “I basically threw out all my old songs, had a huge crisis of conscience and identity and slowly began to address all the elements of my personality I was unhappy with – depression and anxieties, my behaviour in relationships, my destructive tendencies. ‘Storm Chaser’ was born from that; the constant and seemingly inevitable choice to walk into the worst situations for me, to volunteer myself as martyr or siren – deliberately leading myself or others into danger. I wanted to make a beautiful song about being a terrible person.” Howlite celebrating the release with a launch on November 11, venue soon to be announced. Facebook here.
'Storm Chaser' flows on layers of synthy sounds with the vocals gliding smoothly above. The eruption of guitar sounds as the song suddenly builds takes everything up a notch, in this catchy song.
Background - Drastic Decline Records will release the new single by South London six-piece Severed Limb on Nov 12. To launch the single the band will play a benefit gig for 'Musicians Against Homelessness' at Brixton Windmill on Nov 12.
Since forming in 2009 Severed Limb have become stalwarts of the South London circuit and beyond. They have played numerous BBC sessions including one for Steve Lamacq at the legendary Maida Vale Studios. They have played to a full house at the Royal Albert Hall opening for Imelda May. They have released records with Damaged Goods, Serious Types and more. They were named in Hot Chip's "dream festival line-up" alongside Brian Eno and Aphex Twin. They have busked and gigged around Europe on numerous occasions. Bass player Si Mitchell taught Joe Strummer everything he knew... about backgammon.
Recorded to one-inch tape at the all analogue Chuckalumba Studios in Dorset, 'Bela Lugosi' sees the band move away from the punk skiffle sound they made their own. "We didn't want to be associated with bands at festivals who wear waistcoats, so you mutate and survive". Washboards, accordions and acoustic guitars are replaced with organs, full drum kit, and garage-heavy guitars. "The evolution feels natural. You learn your craft playing roots music in the street and then you plug in and see what happens." Website here.
It's hard for me not to think of Bauhaus (and their song Bela Lugosi's Dead) with the song title 'Bela Lugosi'. However this is a very different song. The band cook up a funky, beefy, rock'n'roll piece, with some retro vibes thrown in for good measure. Rather than giving you the creeps, this one just creeps under your skin, and stays there.
Background - Hailing from the landscapes of Edmonton, Alberta Canada comes a humble story of a solo singer/songwriter and performer - Nathaniel Sutton. While predominantly delivering folk-based indie-rock, you'll discover deeper splashes of alt-country, pop and EDM sensibilities with eclectic influences that parallel elements from artists like Folk Implosion and Beck.
Nathaniel Sutton (aka Hail Taxi) struck some inevitable fate when he was approached by Engineer Records back in 2005 (with him being a huge label fan and buying releases over the years) and was asked to submit some of his own material to their label staff. The intrigue of who took notice to his relentless dedication/purchases as a label fan, soon realised that Nathaniel was a musician himself and developed a bond with the label as an emerging artist. This relationship would eventually lead to the release of his debut album 'Dramatic Scene' in 2005.
Now, being in his early 30's, Nathaniel Sutton returns to Engineer Records under his new moniker, Hail Taxi, and with his appropriately titled EP 'Apart For So Long'. The 5 track offering contains vibes of familiarity yet foreignness and maturity that can only be heard to understand. With the prospect of strong connections, brilliantly written music and strong work ethics, Hail Taxi is a name that is becoming more recognisable by the day; with no intentions of stopping anytime soon. Facebook here.
I actually had to stop watching the video for 'Crystal Clear' just to check out if the song was being enhanced by the wonderful images. The simple answer is no, it's as catchy without the film, together though its a wonderful combination of sight and sound.
Background - New Zealand's reigning queen of goth pop, So Below (a.k.a Madeline North) releases her brand new single 'Hard', now available to download and stream worldwide.
Produced by Leroy Clampitt (Taste Nasa) and Aaron Short (The Naked And Famous), 'Hard' showcases North’s growing songwriting sophistication, delivering her signature synth sound combined with an undeniable earworm of a pop chorus that will echo in your brain for days. Says North of the new single, "Hard is definitely the most aggressive song I've ever written, with a pretty strong pop element. I love catchy pop melodies, if it doesn't get stuck in your head it didn't do its job!" The music video for 'Hard', directed by Susie Francis will follow in December 2016.
After leaving her native New Zealand in 2013, Auckland’s Madeline North began exploring her vocal talents, inspired by her new surroundings. Layering heavily processed vocals and harmonies over simple yet dark laptop beats, North began to formulate her style into what would so uniquely become So Below. Wanting to carry on this darker, moodier style of electro-pop, North reached out to fellow Kiwi musicians Aaron Short (The Naked And Famous), Sam McCarthy (Kids Of 88, Boyboy) and Leroy Clampitt (Taste Nasa) to help her produce her demos and ultimately complete what was to become So Below’s debut self-titled EP, released in March 2016. With an immediate debut at #5 on the NZ iTunes Alternative chart, the track ‘Sleep’ earning Top 25 placement in Spotify Canada’s Viral Chart and ‘Far’ peaking at #22 on the Hype Machine chart, this global admiration paved the way towards international collaboration and a Remixed version of the EP followed in September 2016. Facebook here.
'Hard' is the second song by So Below, we have featured on Beehive Candy. Madeline North continues to produce atmospheric music. and on this occasion, where her vocals drive the melody above a darker synth backdrop.
Background - A Glimmer of Hope or Skin or Light was a dance/theater/cabaret/glam-rock musical created by veteran choreographer/director KT Niehoff. Commissioned by Seattle’s ACT Theatre, the event was performed to sold out houses in 2010 and again in 2015. This soundtrack to that experience, set to be released on December 2, 2016, emerged out of those haunted and humidly elegant performances – a "raucous, daunting thing" dripping with an intense appreciation for the moment.
Creators KT Niehoff and Ivory Smith (AKA) Eat the Apple began collaborating in 2010. They both have a long history of projects across artistic platforms, creating multi-dimensional experimental performance work. They share a similar background and are deeply moved by both the bizarre and traditional.
This soundtrack draws on Smith and Niehoff’s diverse history, creating an end result that is both theatrical and authentic in a raw way, an album that is both all over the map and totally cohesive. It's intended to be consumed in one big bite. Websites - KT Niehoff and Ivory Smith.
'Houdini' only hints at what's in store on the fabulous 'A Glimmer of Hope or Skin or Light' album. The clue is in the description above that is, dance/theatre/cabaret/glam-rock musical. For me once the album commenced with 'Carny' there was no option but to listen to the rest. Recommended for those in search of different.
Background - The Last Exposure releases their brand new single ’Human’, following the success of their debut ‘Echo’, ’Human’ is an uplifting song about not feeling as though one belongs in their body and does not in fact feel human. The Last Exposure offer an early 90’s alternative rock punch fronted by sassy and powerful vocals. They take pride in their performance - its rock, it’s loud and it’s fierce.
The Sydney band has been playing gigs in the city, non-stop since it’s inception in 2015, in that short life span supporting the likes of Hands like Houses, L-Fresh the Lion, Columbus, Camp Cope and Philadelphia’s Cayetana. The band met while studying their music degrees at university, travelling up to two hours each way just to rehearse and write together. With finishing their courses, they decided to take their original material and continue as The Last Exposure.
Chelsea Barnes, singer, says, “It’s a song about getting to the bottom, feeling that low and really hating yourself for it! I wanted the song to be uplifting. I wanted it to say ‘Well hey, you may feel low but you’re not alone and you’re beautiful’.”
The band recorded and produced the single with Australian record producer Lachlan Mitchell at Parliament Studios (formerly Jungle) in Leichhardt, Sydney. Facebook here.
Mixing power and passion 'Human' is a fine rocker of a song. There's a video for it (here), for me however the audio stands on it's own, in a fine alt rock piece.
Background - Following the success of their recent single ‘Age of Reason’ and the response to its cinematic video, Uncle Lucius have confirmed the next UK/Europe single from their latest album ‘The Light’ (Boo Clap/Thirty Tigers) as a double A-Side: ‘Don’t Own The Right’/‘Flood Then Fade Away’. The band have also confirmed a full list of European tour dates in October & November including seven UK dates, with support from Curse of Lono:
31st Oct - Greystones, Sheffeld 1st Nov - Fat Lils, Witney (nr Oxford) 2rd Nov - Maze, Nottingham 3rd Nov - Academy 2, London 4th Nov - Prince Albert, Brighton 6th Nov - Hug & Pint, Glasgow 7th Nov - Musician, Leicester
In their own words: “We are beyond psyched about our return to the UK. After touring relentlessly in the states for the better part of a decade, we have become a bit jaded with most of the American audience. It seems the majority of people here have fallen victim to the blatant pandering and watered down lyricism of popular music that has, by design, taken over the mainstream. Our first foray into Europe earlier this year showed us that there is an audience that actually listens to and ‘gets’ our intentions. We are thankful for another opportunity to meet and perform for this crowd.” Website here.
'Don't Own The Right' has a fine if slightly surreal video, but oh boy! I just love the song. Vocals are naturally good and the band just buzzes with raw rock energy!
Parlour Tricks - (what i think about when i think about) Bodies.
Background - Saying Farewell to Parlour Tricks, NYC act debut final EP: (what I think about when I think about) Bodies.
Described as "a sonic fusion of HAIM and Lucius", and with a knack for creating impossibly infectious harmonies layered over building drum lines, Parlour Tricks captured the hearts of audiences in their hometown of New York and beyond.
This week, they arrive with their new EP, (what i think about when i think about) Bodies - a bittersweet collection of tracks that marks the final release for the band who have announced that they will be disbanding.
"I want to tell you about those nights in the studio, in Nashville and in New York, when everything gelled beautifully, when we felt the enormity of making something good. I want to explain these things, but even then it wouldn’t paint a full picture. You had to be there. We were lucky enough to be there." - Parlour Tricks frontwoman, Lily Cato. Website here.
So it's a fond farewell to Parlour Tricks, it's been a while since we featured them and you can listen to the full EP below from what is was a consistently good source of beautiful songs. Enjoy '(what i think about when i think about) Bodies'.
Background - Chicago's Soft Ledges make dark, angular, delicate music with the belief that the secret to lost is found and the only way in is through. Formed in 2015 by songwriter Shelley Miller (vox/piano/guitar) and Chris Geisler (bass), the band (joined at live shows by drummer Raul Cotaquispe) is set to release their self-titled debut album November 18.
Miller and Geisler, both veterans of the Chicago music scene (Miller as a singer/songwriter, Geisler in the Hamburglars, TAFKAV and several other punk bands), started Soft Ledges with a mission to make brave, honest music beyond the bounds of genre...and to challenge the self-perceived limits of what they were "allowed" to do as musicians and people.
The result? Miller's fevered, urgent whispers and screams on La Niña and Seven Stories. Geisler's bowed electric bass, awash in reverb, on Highlight Reel. Fingerpicking and distortion pedals. Last call, last chance lullabies.
Soft Ledges recorded their debut album spring 2016 at Kingsize Soundlabs (Chicago, IL) with engineer John Abbey (who also mixed and mastered). On it, Miller sings and plays drums, guitar, piano and several other instruments, while Geisler plays bass, plus guitar and drums on a couple tracks.
'Seven Stories' is just one element of the debut album due soon. Soft Ledges explore different themes, sometimes potent and feisty, sometimes in a more understated manner, with moods shifting from song to song. It's one of those albums where it's hard to predict whats to follow and I like that, especially if the quality is there. In this case it's there in bucket loads.
Background from Anna Atkinson - 'Sky Stacked Full' is an album about possibility. Musings on childhood memories, human connection, anxiety, the joys and perils of solitude, death - what it means to be in the world.
The songs were written over a span of ten years. There is a song I wrote for my father seven years after he died. There is a song I wrote for my mother three years before she died.
I'm fascinated by endeavours that take a long time. Slow moving, sometimes imperceptibly slow. Like quilting, writing a novel, making an album. Things for which there is no virtue in hurrying. Baking bread, snowshoeing up a mountain, knitting, gardening, growing up. In fact, they are processes we cannot hurry, try as we might.
The album was recorded over a period of five months at CBC Studio 211 in Toronto, and features the playing of co-producer and guitarist David Occhipinti. Facebook here.
Earlier this month we featured 'When We Were Young' by Anna Atkinson stating at the time that "the forthcoming album is eagerly awaited". First track on the album is 'Snowshoe' and it is beautiful, as is the whole collection of songs. Vocals are wonderful, the song arrangements allow every element to shine through, and the creativity is there in each melodic piece. Well worth checking out.
Background - Born in Washington DC and raised in Virginia, Scott Taylor plays the true blues; stirred up in Motown hot sauce, simmered in funk and seasoned with southern soul.
The singer-songwriter has spent a life entrenched in music. After years spent with his youth choir, Taylor began his professional career backing headlining artists who toured the Northwest and has also collaborated with Cover Girls, Joyce Sims, Little Louie Vega, and Barbara Tucker of Strictly Rhythm Records. He bounced around several notable blues labels as he honed his solo style, finally hitting the UK dance charts with his 1991 single “Not So Far Away” on Back Beat Records.
Most recently Scott has found a home at Fetal Records out of Annapolis where he is putting the finishing touches on his first album for the label, a collection of songs he describes as “unfiltered and strait from the gut”. The bluesman has been laboriously tracking his new material, collaborating with blues guitar virtuoso Tony Fazio with Charlie Sayles playing harmonica on several tracks, while still finding time to play piano at Church on Sundays. Facebook here.
If you like your blues natural and with all the vital roots and passion then 'Tennessee' gives a flavour of what's in store on the first album. Scott Taylor is the real deal, and well worth keeping an ear out for.
Background promo - With a Big Moon support slot this autumn and SXSW in the bag, Trudy and the Romance’s scurvy ascent has been as pestilent as the plague, infecting hearts and minds everywhere. Labelled ‘50s mutant pop’ by assorted members of the press, their previous single ‘He Sings’ sallied lecherously up to number 7 on the UK Spotify viral charts. Their freakbeat flavoured skiffle clearly strikes a chord with legions of mutant fans everywhere and is a broken bottle to the face of blind conformity.
6Music’s Steve Lamacq is a bona fide fan. After seeing them live at their packed-out debut London headline show at The Victoria this July he promptly made them artist of the week. Further feverish support on the wireless has come from Radio 1’s Huw Stephens who included ‘He Sings’ in his Best of BBC Introducing, John Kennedy at Radio X and further afield in LA's KCRW.
With more material in the works and more gigging before the year is out, whatever Trudy and the Romance are cooking up will be a drunken witch’s brew of lovesick sea shanties and rabble rousing ditties. To all those who thought the age of romance in music is long dead, Trudy and the Romance stand defiant as mutated specimens of a bygone era. Website here.
Live dates: 29 October Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow *The Big Moon 30 October Picture House Social, Sheffield *The Big Moon 01 November The Bodega Social Club, Nottingham *The Big Moon 02 November Waterfront, Norwich *The Big Moon 03 November Scala, London *The Big Moon 04 November Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar, Brighton 05 November Yellow Arch, Sheffield *Slow Club 18 November 02 Academy 2, Liverpool *Supporting Honeyblood 25 November The Finsbury, London *Rockfeedback Club Night 13 - 19 March, SXSW, Austin, US.
' My Baby's Gone Away' has a thumping beat from the first chord, and eclectic vocals and harmonies that dance above some delightful bar room bluesy rock. It's natural and engaging and I would guess, just perfect for performing live.
Background - “Nervousness Fangs” is Johnson’s first output since his 2016 Record Store Day 7” single “Inclined”, which is currently in contention for a 2017 Grammy nomination for Best American Roots Performance. If you’re a Grammy voter, please do keep him in mind! ;)
Perhaps best known as the drummer in the indie rock super group Monsters of Folk alongside Jim James, Conor Oberst, M. Ward and Mike Mogis, Will Johnson has had an incredible career as a singer-songwriter and musician.
He’s fronted various influential indie bands like Funland, Centro-matic and South San Gabriel, along with collaborating with legendary artists like Jason Molina on their joint Molina and Johnson album in 2009 (Secretly Canadian). He also teamed up with Jay Farrar, Jim James and more on the Woody Guthrie archive project New Multitudes, a project that created a tribute album of new music from Guthrie’s unrecorded lyrics to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Guthrie’s birth. Facebook here.
Live Dates: 11/05 - Dallas, TX - Tree’s # 11/30 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre (Sold out) % 12/01 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre (Sold out) % 12/02 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre (Sold out) % 12/15 - Montgomery, AL - Montgomery Performing Arts Centre % 12/16 - Lafayette, LA - Acadiana Center For The Arts % 12/17 - Thackerville, OK - WinStar World Casino % # - w/ Bob Mould % - w/ Jason Isbell
'Nervousness Fangs' is a fine acoustically driven song. Will Johnson's definitive vocals are backed by gentle vocal harmonies, in what is a beautiful roots based song.
Background - Paris, Ontario pseudo-rockers Bad Reed channel a multitude of popular influences into unique snapshots of passion. Small-town art-pop going big places...
The quartet released their first professional studio EP mid-2015 online for free and are now touring south east Canada supporting this new music release. The group's second release is slated to hit the market in early 2017. "Their self-titled EP is just three songs long but provides vivid glimpses into their sound, which has a strong melodic drive and an equally forceful punch of power guitar lines." -Chris Kompanek, The Huffington Post, January 27, 2016
Bad Reed is Costa Chatzis on percussion, Austin Sharpe on bass, Sydney Sollazzo on vocals and keyboards, and Graham Walker on guitars. Hailing from small towns and diverse backgrounds, this group consists of members with varying music tastes. Their sounds are likened to acts from Hozier andJack White to Snarky Puppy, The Mars Volta and Amy Winehouse.
Bad Reed is engaging and danceable. Overcoming the odds and getting even. Bad Reed is coming for you... Expect to hear them on more radio stations, to see them touring farther, and hitting harder for years to come. Website here.
Latest single 'Stained Glass' kicks off with a deep bass line and builds as band and vocals kick in. It's a funky rocker, production is meaty and clear, and there is enough melody to support the very real energy that runs throughout the track.
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Blood and Glass - Whiskey.
Background - Blood and Glass will have a new video for Whiskey, the first track off the album Punk Shadows which is set for release in winter 2017 on Simone Records. The video, directed by visual artist Brigitte Henry, draws us into a world of lost disco, as kitsch and strange as a David Lynch film, in which Morgan and Lisa play ghostlike characters. Just like the song, the clip is both sombre and playful.
Blood and Glass is moody punk fronted by a woman, but this is in no way girly music. Their song Whiskey was written for the guy in the Pink Floyd tee shirt sitting alone at the bar. The over-thinker. The one who enjoy s being an oddball. The one who goes home alone every night and falls asleep with his hand down his pants. So, in fact, this song is for all of us; we've all been that guy once or twice.
Punk is not a hair style. It is not a fashion statement. Punk is the expression of inner freedom, says Lisa Moore, front woman of Blood and Glass. Their upcoming album, Punk Shadows is catchy and moody at once. It is playful and full of colour yet cinematic and full of emotion. Website here.
With a dark thunderous beat and breathy vocals 'Whiskey' is somewhat hypnotic, until the chorus line takes the listener into another place. The video perfectly captures the songs feel, intriguing and seductive, and with very deep hooks.
Background - Irish trio whenyoung have announced their second single Actor, which will impact on 25th November. Actor is the follow-up to debut single See How They Run and is an immediate burst of melodic rock ‘n’ roll with a swarm of unruly jangly guitars, commanding drums and sweet yet punchy vocals. Despite an untainted youthful sound, lyrically the song has a profound meaning. The band say;
“Actor is about contorting your character to fit into a disfigured view of the perfect self in order to belong. It's about acting every day and projecting artificial images of yourself through social media and in real life interactions with others. This helps to reassure you that you are important, relevant, interesting and necessary but behind it all there’s a sinking feeling. It’s not you. It’s an act. It’s tiring.” “These days we’re all doing it. It seems to be essential but there has to be another way, an honest existence.”
whenyoung are Aoife Power (Vocals/Bass), Niall Burns (Guitar) and Andrew Flood (Drums) who originate from Limerick in Ireland but are currently based in London.
First meeting as teenagers, sneaking into the only indie bar of their city in Ireland, they bonded over cheap vodka and The Velvet Underground. Soon after, Niall moved to London, with Andrew and Aoife quickly following, and here they began writing songs together. After a handful of packed out London shows, Whenyoung have just announced a further date at Shacklewell Arms on 24th November. Facebook here.
I like 'Actor'. It's melodic, powerful (but not overpowering) and the balance between Aoife's melodic vocals and the bands potent performance is just right.
Background - Spanish songstress Joana Serrat has revealed her new video for 'Cloudy Heart’, directed by Manson. The song, taken from Joana’s 2016 album Cross The Verge, is a shimmering pop-like duet with Neil Halstead (Slowdive, Mojave 3) and also features The Wooden Sky’s Gavin Gardiner on guitar. Describing the inspiration behind the video, Joana explains:
“We wanted to capture the contrast of the song’s lyrics by matching them with the dark and the light in the video. I like the fact that we also shot some of it on the beach (it’s actually a really cool detail that links me to Neil [Halstead]’s home) and it’s beautiful the idea of singing to someone that you can’t see but you can feel. I love all the superimposed images that represent the chaos and doubts of the multiple people we can become when nothing’s clear. I love that dusky Lynch road. The heart’s paths are not clear and easy.”
Following on from her September shows opening for The Jayhawks, Joana Serrat has been confirmed to support The Handsome Family in Europe in February, which will be immediately followed by three headlining shows in The Netherlands, before heading to Austin, TX in March for her SXSW debut. UK dates TBA. Facebook here.
'Cloudy Heart' reminds me in part of a gentle Camera Obscura song. Nothing wrong with that, the comparison benchmark is set high, and it's a long way accent wise from Spain to Scotland. This is a beautiful melodic song, the video captures the mood very well, and I'm left hoping Joana and Neil might consider another collaboration.
Background - The brand-new dream-pop single from Gemology, a collaborative bi-coastal duo comprised of NYC’s prolific singer/songwriter Joanie Wolkoff, and LA-based producer/multi-instrumentalist Natasha Chitayat. "Come Around” stands still in time with joyful synth accents, radiant guitar, ethereal vocals and a gripping message that radiates a steady glow even under the duresses of our current reality.
Wolkoff and Chitayat are not your average pen pals. The two first shook hands in 2014 while they were trapped in a Brooklyn recording studio during a torrential rain storm. By the time the storm had passed Gemology was officially alive and kicking, followed soon after by their anthemic first single, "First & Last” In their words, “We wrote "Come Around" together through the digital ether with an entire continent between us. When we do hang out on the same soil, we get to be our giddy, goofball old-soul selves and get fired up over bubble tea and urban wildlife... and of course, we dish the dirt about love. We wanted to capture that energy and gift it, distilled in a song, to people at any age, in any location or any walk of life. "Come Around" is a love song shimmering with uncertainty and euphoria.” Facebook here.
'Come Around' has a melodic synthy musical background that comes to life even more with the dreamy vocals. Oozing with atmosphere, this is a delightful and soothing song.
Levy And The Oaks - Slowly In The Water.
Feel Freeze - Wet My Tongue.
