Background - From the somewhat sparse, yet unique catalogue of adventurous, high-quality rock music coming out of Scandinavia in the late 60’s, the sole album ‘Get Dreamy’ by The Dream has been one of the most hunted treasures. Originally released in 1967, the album proves that the youth of Norway were just as happy swinging as their Blighty cousins. It also marks the beginning of guitar legend Terje Rypdals journey from beat music and pop into new musical territories, which would ultimately lead him to become a key player in the European jazz world.
Any album that opens with a track (‘Green Things’) describing the heartbreak of aliens abducting your love, is clearly out of this world. But ‘Get Dreamy’ somehow fits there, and it doesn’t feel alarming when it takes you with it. Getting lost in the cosmos and making a great time out of it was the aim in ’67 and The Dream follow the tradition well. Having clear references to The Beach Boys (Driftin’), Floyd (‘Aint No Use) as well as some truly lust-filled riffs that sound like unreleased Hendrix tracks from a lost session, The Dream’s highly personal and almost fearless take on free rock and psychedelia was, actually, the first of its kind in Norway. With elements of jazz, glam horror (Hey Jimi), hazy sounding pop and the occasional whimsical Vaudeville-vibes so typical of 1967, it is a special slice of vinyl from the era.
Round 2 proudly presents this rarity and true Norwegian classic, remastered from the original tapes and with liner notes written by Rypdal aficionado and guitar ace, Reine Fiske (Dungen, The Amazing).
Comprising of ten tracks the reissue of 'Get Dreamy' takes us back to 1967, a time when a good number of bands were beginning to test the conventional pop music boundaries and psychedelia, was well into its first flourish of experimentation. The Dream however seemed to have already absorbed much of those values which is notable across the album, however the riff driven full on rock adds considerably more to the album. So there were most people in Great Britain thinking the Norwegians were still churning out their Nordic folk music, and it turns out they were having their own little summer of love...
Background - Analog Candle are pleased to share the first single from their upcoming EP. Hailing from New York City via England, Chicago, New Orleans and Boston – Analog Candle is an expressionist, avant-garde dream-pop collective formed by producer and songwriter Callum Plews.
Originally from England, Callum was inspired to create Analog Candle after collaborating with an array of musicians while living in the magic and bustle of New Orleans. The project began over six years ago, after Callum realised he was more comfortable with the concept of others performing and interpreting his creations than he was embodying them completely himself. Bringing together performers from the realms of avant-garde, folk and emo, the initial group began recording at Callum’s bedroom studio, and self-released a number of songs online under the moniker, Analog Candle (a reference to the Arcade Fire album ’Neon Bible’).
Influenced by the early albums of Animal Collective and Broken Social Scene, experimental-pop outfit Xiu Xiu (Callum has worked with Angela Seo in the past), acts like Arcade Fire, Beach House and the surrealist and absurdist creations of literary heavyweights like Haruki Muramaki, Franz Kafka and Sylvia Plath - the ‘art-rock’ collective is also largely dedicated to the hybridization of pop music and production technique. In this way, after settling in NYC, the Winter ’15 EP became the culmination of a variety of cultural and musical viewpoints. Facebook here.
'Trier' is a gentle and very atmospheric song where the vocals and harmonies are a delight. Melodic and soothing, this really is a dreamy and warm song.
Background - The Captain’s Son combines indie surf pop, beautiful layered harmonies and classic garage rock n’ roll. Taking influence from 60’s artists and modern indie groups, the band have succeeded in crafting a unique sound all their own.
The Captain’s Son is Paige Byrd, Jarred Hayden and William Hopkins. Together they have the ability to blend catchy warm guitar melodies, laid-back harmonizing vocals and upbeat drum rhythms, reminiscent of early California surf pop. Hailing from Springfield, Missouri, the band formed after Byrd and Hayden started playing together as teens. Hopkins later joined the band and after realizing they shared the same passion for music, it encouraged them to continue their journey together as The Captain’s Son.
The Captain’s Son’s latest self-titled release found inspiration from self-discovery, growth and the realization of having freedom to create your own path even in a time of chaos. Lead vocalist Byrd describes how the music was influenced by time, place and everyday experiences. He confesses, "anything from the culture, the weather, the scenery, or the people you're with will influence what we write”. The laid-back and care free approach to the EP was designed to encourage their fans to feel free, "free to do what you want and be who you want, realizing your mistakes and accomplishments, and embracing all of the ups and downs and uncertainties life brings you”. The group explain how the whole process of recording was a fun and loose-hinged pursuit, during a period where they would listen to underground and analog recordings, which ultimately resulted in the desire to capture that exact sound. Byrd explains, "If there wasn't vinyl on the record player, the radio was on or there was a tape in the tape deck. The warmth of that old analog sound constantly filled the room”.
The leading 'Walking Around Purposely' captures the three-piece’s signature sound with jangling guitars, catchy melodies and upbeat, driving drums. In ‘For Free’ the elements of fuzzed out psych rock are paired perfectly with soul pop harmonies. The Captain's Son self titled EP is set for release March 10th. Website here and Facebook here.
'Walking Around Purposely' is a delightfully uncomplicated track with the band coming across as laid back and comfortable. Well that's the case until around the halfway mark, when the energy levels are stepped up and the bands garage rock capabilities are put squarely in the listeners ears!
Background - Multi-platinum selling Canadian rockers Big Wreck are set to return with “Grace Street”, an album that continues to build on the creative momentum of their two previous JUNO-nominated releases, “Ghosts” and “Albatross”. The first single to be taken from the new album is “One Good Piece Of Me”.
Co-produced by Garth Richardson (Rage Against The Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers), the sonic diversity on “Grace Street” is indeed stunning. Heavy grooving tracks such as the lead-off single “One Good Piece Of Me” and “Digging In” rub shoulders with the atmospheric “A Speedy Recovery” and the epic seven-minute instrumental “Skybunk Marché,” while other tracks feature added touches such as Miles Davis-style muted trumpet, wine glasses, a sample of a child’s heartbeat, and a Leslie speaker guitar solo recorded on a mountainside adjacent to Richardson’s B.C. studio. Facebook here.
Taken from the forthcoming 'Grace Street' album 'One Good Piece Of Me' sees the band demonstrating their rock'n'roll credentials with a mixture of power and melody. The album explores differing ideas with the band testing new boundaries and seemingly stepping up a gear or two on the creative front, and in fairness carrying this off with real style and passion.
Background - The Stockholm-based band Alexandria muddling through the post-ironic middle class obstinate age. Their semi-electronic pop weaves together playful groove with muffled rhythms. Out of their combination of intoxicated palm tree sensualism, heard in their previous hit ”Secret Beach”, and melancholy influences from job anxiety arises an exciting harmony.
In short: umbrella drinks meets ”back to the grind”.
The band has found an unconventional and dim world of sound of catchy melancholy, where shimmering synths engulfs the listener in a dream-like state. Alexandria has created their own sound where realism and escapism is in a state of equilibrium.
- "Most good videos we've seen involve dancing in some way, so we figured we should also give it a shot. We told Adam Tonér about the idea and he transformed it into this super nice video."
The single will be followed up by the album ”Bossa” which is their first full-length. ”Bossa” will be released January 26th 2017 on Lab259. After that, the band will embark on a tour of Sweden. Facebook here.
We featured Aexandria last November describing their music as melodic and expansive. 'Home' continues that trend, with some cleverly layered sounds that surround the vocals and drive the melody.
Background - In the space of just three tracks, Oxford quartet Low Island have inspired glowing comparisons with the likes of Caribou and Radiohead, as well as earning Radio 1 airplay courtesy of Huw Stephens and Phil Taggart, and they’ve been added to Spotify UK’s Fresh Finds and New Indie Mix playlists.
Although still in their early twenties, Low Island share a rich and varied musical background which informs their current synthesis of styles. Carlos (vocals/guitar/keys), Jamie (vocals/guitars/keys/electronics) and Jacob (bass/keys) first played in an alt-rock band together in their teens before Carlos and Jamie instead embraced dance music with some success: they held a residency at The Warehouse in Leeds; DJed at festivals such as Glade and Gottwood; and their original productions received Radio 1 airplay.
Drummer and percussionist Felix adds another dimension to his bandmates’ background in live bands and electro. In addition to touring with the Grammy-winning jazz/rock/soul fusion collective Snarky Puppy, Felix has also performed with the band’s found member and pianist Bill Laurance.
Such reference points operate as a waypoint en route to a richer palette of sounds which encompass electronic and live elements while also balancing raw performances with carefully nuanced productions. Their influences include Arthur Russell, Caribou and Grizzy Bear. Facebook here.
Deep rich vocals are accompanied by a stripped back and potent rhythmic rock soundtrack. 'Recent' has the sound and calibre I would expect from a more seasoned band, it would seem fair to state that Low Island are ahead of the game in that respect!
Background - Freedom Fry is about to release a ton of great new music to follow up last year’s “Shaky Ground” single which is approaching 6M plays on Spotify, leading up to their debut album, and here’s the first single of the year. Prior to the release, “Awake” has been synced already in a handful of places including the Netflix show “Love” and the film “Baby Baby Baby.”
The name “Freedom Fry” – a satire on French/US relations during the Iraq war. The French & American duo have racked up over 40 appearances on the music blog aggregator, including SEVEN Top 10s and TWO #1s. While independent, they’ve amassed over 20-million combined streams on Spotify & SoundCloud and received support across airwaves from radio tastemakers KCRW, KEXP, BBC Radio 2, Radio 6, SIRIUS XM, WXPN, RTL2, and beyond.
Freedom Fry’s music, which heavily bleeds the warmth and sunshine of their home state of California, skirts the lines between pop, folk and indie rock – always blended with danceable rhythms and a sing-a-long chorus. Website here, Facebook here.
There is nothing like a well produced bright and breezy indie pop song to lift the spirit and 'Awake' does that in style. Delicious harmonies and vocals and a hook laden melody makes this song really stand out.
Background - Straight from the frozen tundra of Winnipeg, Manitoba, to the sunlit shores of Los Angeles, California, came the two Canadians. They met in the confines of a summer session at United College, due to an aversion to math. They soon discovered an equally shared love of music.
Over the years the two have worked as songwriters, musicians and producers in both the film and music business. Through it all they have maintained their passion for melodic pop music. Culminating in this latest endeavour "Delusions of Grandeur", reflections of both writers weave in and out of the CD. John the optimistic, methodical one and Graham the moody, contemplative one- blended in more or less equal parts.
Hope is a necessary ingredient for any artist, and speaking as an emissary for the team, we hope that some part of this latest project touches you in some small way.
Delusions of Grandeur is our 21st century evocation of the golden age of pop music , mainly the 60’s with an emphasis on the wonderful productions of the Beatles and George Martin though the influence of the Who , the Beach Boys , the Zombies and others can be heard throughout. It is designed to be listened in it’s entirety , complete with segues and transition pieces, That is perhaps a bit of an archaic concept in and of itself in this age of single downloads but we had a great time doing them nonetheless. Website here.
Although 'Delusions of Grandeur' has been around for a little while now, Nub Music have picked up on the duo and hopefully their wonderful music will reach a wider audience. 'Mr. Robertson' is typical of the wonderfully creative re imagining of all that was good about sixties pop music. Love it!
Background - New York-based singer-songwriter Lesley Barth is a master of fusion. The daughter of an opera singer and an actress, she grew up in a very musical and creative household, studying classical piano, devouring Romantic poetry, and swimming in 60s/70s pop, rock, and soul. Following a few years of teaching music in Philadelphia, Barth moved to New York City 5 years ago and has been consistently building a name for herself.
After performing around top NYC singer/songwriter venues for a few years and capturing audiences with her strong voice and compelling lyrics, she released her debut EP, “Good Like This,” as a surprise to her supporters on her 28th birthday in summer of 2015, quickly building a loyal and devoted fanbase off of its warm reception. Only several months later, in partnership with OvationTV and Rockethub as part of their first “Creative Studio” of artists, she was able to crowdfund her first full-length album from the growing number of supporters who were hungry for more from Barth.
The album “Green Hearts,” out January 27th, 2017, was made at Brooklyn’s Mission Sound, where Barth recorded her debut EP in 2014. Elements from disco, folk, country, blues, and retro pop have been woven together by themes of longing, soul-searching, and young love in her first full-length album. Website here and Facebook here.
The new album 'Green Hearts' is packed with melodic and creatively varied songs that are produced to a very high standard. 'Just Like Summer' showcases Lesley Barth's superb vocals with one of the more uptempo tracks in this high quality collection.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Down (is Where I Want To Be).
Background - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, heads into its twelfth year and the release of its fifth album, The Tourist. Like previous Clap Your Hands Say Yeah records, The Tourist nods to Alec Ounsworth’s musical heroes—a group that includes artists such as John Cale, Robert Wyatt, Tom Waits and Nick Cave. However, this album also shows a natural progression from previous records. “Better Off” and “The Vanity Of Trying” are lush, keyboard-augmented songs, while “A Chance To Cure” and “Ambulance Chaser” are rhythmically askew, and the sighing “Loose Ends” is delicate, acoustic-based folk-rock.
Ounsworth spent about a week recording The Tourist at Dr. Dog’s Philadelphia-based studio with a drummer and bassist. After that, he and engineer Nick Krill spent a few months “tidying things up” and recording additional embellishments: backup vocals, keyboards, guitars and more percussion. That gives The Tourist more of a band feel than the last album, and contributes to why the record possesses a musical lightness. The dreamy opening track “The Pilot” especially has a lilting edge, courtesy of Smiths-reminiscent acoustic guitars strums and Ounsworth’s hiccupping, conspiratorial vocals.
The Tourist was then mixed by Dave Fridmann, who also worked on two previous Clap Your Hands Say Yeah albums, 2007’s Some Loud Thunder and 2014’s Only Run. Ounsworth says he and Fridmann are on the same musical wavelength, which makes their long-time working relationship an anchor of sorts. “Dave and I don’t necessarily stick with what’s easiest which is fine and anxiety-inducing, in a good way,” he says. “He challenges me to do something a little bit different.” Website here, Facebook here.
The new single release 'Down (is Where I Want To Be)' is taken from 'The Tourist' album, due out on February 24th. We featured the first single (Fireproof) last month, and our enthusiasm for the forthcoming album remains buoyant with this powerful and pleasing song.
Background - The Raveonettes have completed their Rave-Sound-Of-The-Month series with December's release of the final track "Pendejo." The full digital album will be available February 17th, with the CD out April 21st & Vinyl release set for Record Store Day on April 22nd via Beat Dies Records.
The Rave-Sound-Of-The-Month playlist began at the start of 2016 where the band would upload a freshly recorded track on the last Friday of every month throughout the year. The 'anti-album' features a collection of new tracks that aren't bound by the constraints of the format.
The Raveonettes also continue their new Pledge Music Campaign where fans can pledge for the CD and vinyl of the forthcoming new album. Sign up for the Pledge Music Campaign here. Website here and Facebook here.
We featured Octobers song release (This Is Where It Ends) and thought it a good thing to dip back into the series of music, with the last one 'Pendejo'. Atmospheric, vibrant and something of an epic piece at twelve minutes long, The Raveonettes complete their Rave-Sound-Of-The-Month series in epic style.
Background - Out on February 3, Bandit Queen is a folk fabled concept album that began with a 19th century horse thief named Belle Starr. The title track “Bandit Queen” documents the creative transition from concision, which was central to Sarah Beatty's first album Black Gramophone, towards a supersonic mythological expansion that happens in the new album. There are all kinds of mythologies telling people who they are and who they aren’t. "With this song, I wanted to invite the dark parts into the storyline and inspire listeners to be their whole, real, bodacious, outlawed selves".
Bandit Queen really came into existence in the 19th century through the historical account of an exceptional and flawed woman. Sarah Beatty says When I read about Belle Starr, the fabled bank heist mastermind turned horse thief, she grabbed my attention immediately. And from that original inspiration, I began imagining and contemplating all kinds of stories that rarely get told about women, even in the 21st century. Each of the songs on this record tells a different story, and as a collection they become the spine of a whole other adventure. Website here and Facebook here.
Sarah Beatty has created one very fine album that takes the listener on a musical journey that mixes Americana with Folk Rock, Blues and pretty much every genre in between. Final song is the acoustic version of the title track 'Bandit Queen' and is one of thirteen fabulous tracks. This is one of those albums that deserves to be heard, and hopefully many will do just that.
Background - Nashville's The New Respects has returned with a new single, "Money," releasing the track today at all digital music services. 2017 is shaping up to be a breakout year for The New Respects, having recently signed with Credential Recordings and music distributor Caroline.
“'Money' was written while we were in college, when we didn’t have much,” reflects the band's bassist Alexis Fitzgerald. “The chorus says 'life ain’t about money,' and that’s true; we found happiness at a time when money was tight, and we wanted to share that sentiment with our fans. Our producer, Jeremy Lutito, helped us create a fun chorus and rhythm that would allow our audience to let loose and enjoy life in the moment." It was a chance meeting in Nashville that brought The New Respects together with producer/drummer Jeremy Lutito (of rock group Leagues). Lutito took an immediate liking to The New Respects' soul/rock sound, and produced this single along with the group's previous two tracks, "Trouble" and "Hey," which landed on Spotify's U.S. Viral 50 Chart.
The New Respects is a family affair, made up of three siblings, twins Alexis (bass) and Zandy Fitzgerald (guitar), along with their brother Darius (drums), and cousin Jasmine Mullen (vocals/guitar). The group is heavily influenced by the gospel music they were surrounded by growing up in Nashville, which extends to artists including Aretha Franklin, Alabama Shakes, and John Mayer. Looking ahead, The New Respects will showcase as an official artist at this year's SXSW in Austin, TX. Website here, Facebook here.
Second time around on Beehive Candy for The New Respects this time with the funky and feisty 'Money'. The band are energised, the song is full of hooks, the chorus says 'life ain’t about money,' and we agree.
The Dream - Get Dreamy (Round 2) 3 March 2017.
