The Fluids - Coyote Run - Jenn Vix - The Limiñanas

The Fluids - Sign N' Drive.

Background -  “Sign N’ Drive” is the frenetic and addictive second single that The Fluids have shared from their forthcoming debut album No Kidding! (out October 27th via Axis Mundi Records. Self-proclaimed as America’s Newest Band™, The Fluids were introduced to the world earlier this month with their undeniable, critically-acclaimed debut single “Creatures”, which the New York Times said "...vibrates with the giddy energy of the city’s early-2000s rock scene — the sound is tight, the vibe is loose, the singer’s accent is adopted.”

With their debut full-length, No Kidding! flying high as their banner, The Fluids are storming the front lines of cultural trendsetting with ripping guitar solos and saddlebags filled with tequila sodas, calamari, and what they claim to be the best pot in the city (based on how great this album is, I’m inclined to believe them?!).

The band has drawn apt comparisons to everyone from the Talking Heads and Berlin-era Bowie, to The Modern Lovers and Echo & The Bunnymen. No Kidding! was produced by Matthew "Pickles" Iwanusa of Caveman, and sounds like it could've come out in the late 70's and become an instant no-wave/post-punk classic, but here we are in 2017 with one of the best albums of the year that we can call our own. Facebook here.

Loud upbeat guitar driven rock music is juxtaposed by some beautifully frenetic vocals on 'Sign N' Drive', a powerful slice of alt rock, with the emphasis very much on ALT.

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Coyote Run - Love From Far Away.

Background - Kasie Shahbaz (Coyote Run) is a multi-instrumentalist from Southern California who by middle school, obsessed with heavy prog rock, and by adult life spent all her nights roaming the hills listening to folk singers under full moonlight. 

Her music is some culmination of those experiences. Inspired mainly by religious experience in nature and in relationships, her music wanes between punk angst and psychedelic ecstasy. She currently resides in Los Angeles, Berlin, and New York where she hides from the city and records herself.

This record was recorded at Shabaz's home in Los Angeles, on porch steps at her parents house in Oceanside, and mostly at a home studio on Catalina Island. It is a sonic elegy of heartbreak, desperation, relief, surrender, and transcendent, sometimes personal, love. In folk jaunts, it lightens and celebrates the simple weight of longing. In driving breakdowns, it tries to break through entrapment. And in psychedelic plateaus, it may find periods of rest. Look out for Coyote Run's upcoming album, "Infinite Disappearance of Fear" dropping this fall. Bandcamp here, Facebook here.

'Love From Far Away' mixes dreamy & melodic vocals plus imaginative harmonies, alongside a laid back soundtrack that leans towards psychedelic rock music. Collectively the layers of sound are gorgeous.

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Jenn Vix - Complicated Man.

Background - Alternative singer-singwriter Jenn Vix has announced she will release her new EP ‘Unlocked’ on October 20, preceded by the first single ‘Complicated Man’ released last Friday.

Based in Rhode Island, Vix is an American solo electronic-rock recording artist, songwriter, producer and recording engineer, who has, over the years, ventured into other genres including alternative rock, trip hop, darkwave, modern new wave and electro-industrial.

This five-track release sees Vix at her best. With weighty lyrics surrounding personally challenging experiences, her vocal delivery on ‘Complicated Man’ has earned her comparisons to Shirley Manson of Garbage.

“Complicated Man is about covert and or destructive relationships. This EP is inspired by feelings I had when I became ill, and I almost died due to a misdiagnosis, then surgery, and how I made it through it. It also deals with thoughts and feelings I had about people who were in my life at the time of this experience,” explains Jenn Vix.

“I wanted to explore different sounds, and it felt good to do so. After my illness, it took me a year and a half to be able to even listen to music again. Change is scary, but it can also be refreshing. I recently had to burn a few bridges, but they say that the brightest light can come from the bridges you burn. I agree.”

This album involves John Ashton, original guitarist of The Psychedelic Furs, who appears on the track ‘Unlocked’. He previously collaborated with Jenn Vix on two tracks (‘The Woman with No Fear’ and ‘Weirdo’) on her five-track EP ‘Strange Buildings’. Bandcamp here, Facebook here.

The second of five tracks on the 'Unlocked' EP is the new single 'Complicated Man'. There is a remix of the featured single and the title track really is something that fans of The Psychedelic Furs ought to check out. That said this is very much Jenn Vix's show & it's an imaginative, creative collection of material.

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The Limiñanas - Istanbul is Sleepy (feat. Anton Newcombe).

Background - French psych duo The Limiñanas have released their new single ‘Istanbul Is Sleepy’ through Because Music. Featuring Anton Newcombe (The Brian Jonestown Massacre) and produced at his Berlin studio, the single is taken from their ‘Istanbul Is Sleepy’ EP out 17th November.

Reflecting on the single and their collaboration with Newcombe, Lionel explained, “’Istanbul Is Sleepy’ is like the classic dream where you become the hero, the Captain Blood or Midnight Sultan(??). The one who rescues and seduces Maureen O’Hara or Ava Gardner. Anton is singing and playing guitar on the track. He was inspired, in particular, by The Cult during their ‘Rain’ period. Last year, Mojo magazine asked us to record a cover for a special Kinks tribute. 

We chose ‘Two Sisters’. Marie and I were thinking for the vocal part it would be great to approach Anton Newcombe, having opened for The Brian Jonestown Massacre at Le Trianon in Paris. The work began like that. We had an album to record and we decided to finish it with him. During the Christmas week we took our demos, flew to Berlin and recorded at Anton’s studio. Six days later we had a finished album”.

One of France’s most beloved treasures, The Limiñanas are Marie (drums/vocals) and Lionel (guitar, bass, keyboards and vocals). Hailing from Perpignan, the duo straddles the boundary between psych, shoegaze, and yé-yé. With hazy, reverb-laden hooks, combined at times with noisy distortion, and fronted by effortlessly cool vocals, reminiscent of Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot, the band is at once timeless and quintessentially French. Website here, Facebook here.

Psych music through & through, the music video just adds to the feeling and mood that 'Istanbul is Sleepy' creates. Dark and hypnotic waves of sound are taken even deeper with the vocals, it's a song that could well appeal to Goth music fans of times gone by.

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Aurganic - Broken Stems - The Patient - Janileigh Cohen - Verandan

Aurganic - Meander.

Background - We had 20 songs written for this release but only 9 made the cut. The making and production of this album took over 2 years to complete. A lot of parts were re-recorded, songs' structures changed, and ideas scrapped. The lack of deadlines helped us find new sounds and experiment with production. This album was completely self-produced. It also marks the first time we handled our own mastering. 

Aurganic is a window into a collaborative thought and emotion of two individuals who dedicate most of their time to the craft of music and sound creation. Separated by distance and connected by technology Aurganic was one of the original online collaboration projects to appear last decade. Rooted in friendship, the project proved its longevity with four independent releases to date.

Aurganic is an experimental electronic/alternative studio project of two long-time friends Michael Kossov and Leo Pisaq. Originally high school classmates, they were members in a number of local punk rock bands until life and distanceseparated them for a number of years. They reconnected musically in 2010 finding a lot of common ground. This time it was electronica, art rock and jazz that dominated the ideas. The reunited duo recorded instrumental sessions in New York and worked on their completion via internet resulting in a self-titled EP. They soon discovered how well they complimented each other with Leo's strong production skills and Mike's compositional ideas.

In September 2017 Aurganic came back with the third full length release "Distant Echoes & Close Encounters". Joey Aguirre was recruited to handle drums and Michael laid all the vocals on the record. The album was completely self-produced giving unlimited creative and production freedom. While overall songwriting is similar to Deviations, post rock and synth rock influences permeate this record from its beginning to an end. Website here, Facebook here.

Of the nine songs that make up 'Distant Echoes & Close Encounters' I chose 'Meander' to feature as I think it is pretty representative of the quality and feel of the album. Both vocals and music are fresh and imaginative, something that remains constant across the collection.

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Broken Stems - Rest Assured.

Background - Broken Stems, a San Diego band formed in 2011 was on the verge of collapse just 7 months ago. Their bass player had just quit, their drummer had to move back to Vermont for the spring and summer and their lead singer was about to have a baby, which historically doesn’t blend well with a touring rock band. This was a crucial point that many bands face and ultimately why life can get the better of those childhood rockstar dreams.

The three remaining members decided to get together just for fun to jam out in their old practice space and see what happened. They expected very little to come of it, more of a “let’s have some beers” kind of a practice. But something magical happened on that night. Brad Sweet (keyboards) set up his bass amp to really crank the bass notes on the keys and Jesse Gawlik (guitar/singer) turned up his octave peddle to fill in the low end from his guitar. They didn’t really know how things would sound without a bass player.

They started playing and magic happened, within the night they wrote the song “Rest Assured”. More of a reassurance to themselves that things would work out in the end; have faith in what you’re doing because we’re heading for blues skies. 

That was in the spring of 2017, a lot has happened in just a few months and the world right now more than ever could use some reassurance. The calming words sitting over roaring electric guitar solos that collapse into moody dynamic verses sets a classic tone of rock and roll. 

This is the first single the trio has released together of 5 new songs they recorded in Joshua Tree in a cabin that a friend let them use. The recording was self-produced and recorded by the band and surely lays a foundation of things to come for the San Diego blue-rock band. Website here.

Broken Stems conjure up some potent blues rock with 'Rest Assured'. With passionate vocals and swaggering musicianship from a trio who clearly love playing, the track has a live feel to it, and a very fine one, at that.


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The Patient - Extension 9.

Background - Elephant 6's Robert Schneider & W. Cullen Hart are The Patient. There comes a time in one’s day to day existence where you egg a friend to get something done. Such is the case with The Patient. 

Started as a collaboration between co-founders of the Elephant Six Recording Company, Robert Schneider (Apples in Stereo) and W. Cullen Hart (The Olivia Tremor Control), they’ve recorded for almost 20 years with nothing to show for it. This release changes that. Chunklet’s A&R staff challenged Robert to finish but one song and “Extension Nine” is the finished product. 

Recorded in Athens inside a geodisic dome, “Extension Nine” is more Talking Heads than Syd Barrett, accidental more than deliberate. Hart is on guitar and sound effects, Robert on vocals, Ben Mize on drums and multi-instrumentalist/luthier/wizard Scott Baxendale on guitar, Mellotron and all sorts of whirring noises. All recorded at Scott’s studio in Athens. This is their first release.

When it was suggested that The Patient do a split single with Robert Schneider’s favorite Atlanta band, Breathers, everything came into place quite quickly.

Beautiful swirling psychedelic vibes are there from the opening chords of 'Extension 9'. The songs fabulous drum lead reprise and what follows makes the song something very special.

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Janileigh Cohen - Sister.

Background - Bolton folk singer-songwriter Janileigh Cohen released her new single Sister on 29th September through Funnel Music. “Janileigh is a star in the old fashioned sense of the word. It’s in her blood. She comes straight from the heart and stole mine as soon as I heard her sing” - Beth Orton.

Janileigh is an artist whose voice truly does all of the talking. Vocally and lyrically miles ahead of her young years, she writes on both piano and guitar, with a stunningly emotive voice and a sound influenced by the likes of Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen. Her lyrics tell a personal story; exposing the joy, disillusionment, confusion and romance of life.

Following her previously self-released EP As a Child and cover of Blues Run The Game, which featured on the US TV drama This Is Us and has over 100,00 plays on Spotify, new single Sister is an ode to family. A stripped back and beautifully raw track with an intimate piano intro, the song delicately builds to a chorus full of honest emotion. As Janileigh says, “it’s a very personal song written for my sister, so she knows that I'm always there for her even if I'm far away from home.”

Janileigh has honed her craft busking in her Northern hometown and around Europe, along with performing at open-mic nights, and is a must-see live. Website here, Facebook here.

Gracious and sensitive 'Sister' is beauty in musical form. Janileigh Cohen's vocals are as Beth Orton put it above "star quality". The song complete with a simple musical arrangement allows the melodic vocals to stand out even further. I try to avoid writing this to often however Janileigh Cohen is definitely one to watch out for in the months to come.

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Verandan - Follow The Money.

Background - Just prior to the release of their debut s/t EP, Verandan share another taste with 'Follow The Money'. Verandan's debut EP is released via Soliti on the 9th October. The EP will be available via Digital services and Ltd. edition cassette.

The themes of the track are set in a possible near future reality; 'Follow The Money' discusses what it means to people and communities when they become entirely redundant as commercial opportunities and monetary institutions move elsewhere. Feeling conned and left behind by the neoliberalist project, while at the same time feeling as if one  should have known better – the implication here being ”there's nothing here, follow the money”.

Verandan is a new project by Ville Hopponen, who has previously played in different bands throughout the years; Cats On Fire, The New Tigers, Pöllöt and Le Futur Pompiste. Aiding and abetting Ville on his new adventure are a magnificent supporting cast; Aleksi Peltonen (Puunhalaaja, Henna Emilia & Houreet), Aki Pohjankyrö (Black Twig, LOVE SPORT), Kaarlo Stauffer (Black Twig) and Sampo Seppänen (Sofa Pets, Kynnet). Verandan were formed in late 2015 around songs written by Hopponen. Facebook here.

We featured 'Short Dream' from the forthcoming EP earlier this month and 'Follow The Money' is another welcome share prior to the release. Last time I stated "each song is as good as the featured track & from a personal perspective sometimes better" I will allow you to decide if I feel this is a better track, it's all a matter of perspective & personal taste, & this piece tastes real good.

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Son Little - Aiming For Enrike - Jeremy Tuplin - Fool Heavy

Son Little - O Me O My.

Background - Son Little has just announced an exciting UK and Euro 'New Magic Tour'. After the release of the brilliant 'New Magic' album via Anti- he will be hitting the road this December to perform across the UK and Europe. The tour begins in Manchester and includes a date at London's Omeara from which he will then be travelling on to dates in Berlin, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, and more.

The New York Times described Son Little’s singing as "a voice so careworn it’s almost otherworldly” while Culturefly called the Grammy Winning singer-songwriter and producer, “an Otis Redding for the 21st Century.” Son Little’s anticipated full length album New Magic has finally arrived in stores.

Each of the tracks on New Magic’s draw from the diaspora of American blues and soul that includes not only modern R&B, but also rock & roll and hip-hop and transforms them into a singular sound that is propelled by his mesmerizing and soulful vocals and production that artfully balances between rustic immediacy and hip hop cut-and-paste. 

Son Little first came to the public’s attention through his collaborations with The Roots and RJD2, and has since toured worldwide with artists as diverse as Mumford & Sons, and Kelis, Shakey Graves and Leon Bridges. In addition he won a Grammy for his work producing Mavis Staples. Website here, Facebook here, tour details on Beehive Candy's tour news page.

Every component of 'O Me O My' exudes quality, commitment, and passion. Son Little's vocals are simply fabulous, the musical arrangement competes for attention and the timeless feel of the song just adds more.

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Aiming For Enrike - Front Runner.

Background - The forthcoming album, “Las Napalmas”, is a “to be or not to be” project, both for the listeners and the band. If you throw yourself into its musical whirlwind, which Tobias and Simen from Aiming For Enrike do every time, we’re pretty sure that you soon will catch on as well. Inside it’s atmospheric, it’s staccato, it’s fierce and it’s fascinating. But most of all it’s a lot of fun.

The common denominator for their music has always been energy and explosiveness, and there’s no doubt that you will be served that on “Las Napalmas”. Songs like “Nibloninan Car”, “Moustache” and “Lactic Acid Trip” hit you like heavy blows in your midriff. In addition, you get slow and more sonic songs like “Social Window”, “Front Runner” and “Hi Ball”.

It may not sound like it, since the songs throw you around with infernal power and firm intensity, but Aiming For Enrike is actually only two musicans: One guitar and one drumkit. Even though it may be difficult to believe it – the album was 100% recorded live in the studio, with only those two musicians in one room.

Together, Aiming For Enrike have created their own universe where everything is centered around what happens between the two of them in a rehearsal space, in a studio and on a stage. What you see is what you hear, and what you hear is pure joy. For the listeners and for the band. Facebook here.

'Front Runner' demonstrates the skill & attention to detail the duo have put into the forthcoming album. Hypnotically rhythmic and addictive the track has tremendous clarity within the mix & a level of freshness that just pulled in my attention.

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Jeremy Tuplin - Astronaut.

Background - London-via-Somerset newcomer Jeremy Tuplin will release his debut LP ‘I Dreamt I Was An Astronaut’ in on 29th September 2017 via Folkwit Records. Following on from his 2 independently released EPs (2016’s Open Letters and 2014’s Carry The Fire EP), his music was described in The Telegraph Culture section as ‘Stunningly candid… A distinctive deep vocal that has hints of Leonard Cohen and Bill Callahan.’

The album was recorded with long-time collaborator Mark Estall, mostly in his new Marketstall Studio in South Bermondsey (with extra recording taking place in both Tuplin’s and Estall’s living rooms). Musically the new songs take a different direction to the earlier released EPs, combining electronic and synthesised sounds with more acoustic and organic instruments for a ‘retro-futuristic feel’ to branch into a genre which could, possibly, be described as ‘space-folk’.

The theme that underpins his debut album is escapism: “It’s the late 2000 and teens and everyone needs escape in some form or other, from jobs, London, reality, girlfriends, the internet, anything.  You can find it in alcohol, prescription drugs, or in dreams, which are all legitimate methods, but I also found it by getting really into space and the cosmos, which is another, connecting theme in the album (Albert Einstein Song, Where The Light Ends, Robot Love, Astronaut etc). It’s always good to be dragged back though, even if it’s by the things you thought you were trying to escape from, relationships, love, or friends’ weddings, (Kathleen, Did We Lose The Fight?, Feel Good Hit etc)”

Tuplin migrated to London from Somerset in 2011. He has gigged all over the UK but has found a home from home with London’s Lantern Society collective. A busy summer saw him play at Boomtown Fair, and the album launch show on 26th October at Paper Dress Vintage Hackney Central will be followed by tours of the UK and Spain. Facebook here.

With a fabulous vocal range that can and does hit some deep notes, Jeremy Tuplin only needed an average song  & I would have been hooked. 'Astronaut' just happens to be wonderful & should sell the new album in it's own right.

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Fool Heavy - Gusto (album).

Background - The ‘90s are back in a big way- just ask Long Island garage-rock duo Fool Heavy. Seamlessly melding elements of the era’s grunge and alternative wave they’ve forged a sound that’s somehow both nostalgic - in its carefree self-deprecation and Cobain-esque guitars - and modern, with a steadfast aggression akin to today's apathetic millennia. Fool Heavy’s got the guts, the glory, and just the right amount of angst to bring forth the best parts of the musical culture that defined a generation. Generation X, that is.

The band’s inaugural LP, Gusto which is out this week and available as a pay-what-you-want release on Bandcamp, pays homage to a world that’s grown sarcastic, impatient, and sick of being unheard. The eight-song debut calls upon a youthful apathy, with outrageous highs and flickering lows in way that’s cathartic, familiar, and unapologetically honest. Singer-songwriter Taylor Berke (ex-Soda Bomb) and co-vocalist Sam Coughlin are unafraid to hold a mirror to themselves in a raw display of conviction in both the delivery, and the message itself – life is shi; live it up while you can. Through the span of the record, they’ll convince you to do just that.

Michael Abiuso of The Gay Blades and The Venetia Fair recorded, mixed, and mastered Gusto at Behind the Curtains Media‘s studio in a way that raises a glass to its ‘90s predecessors. Dialing in thrashing drums, melodic mid-range bass and a hell of a lot of reverb, Abiuso serves as both producer and puppet-master to hone in a sound that’s unique to the duo. Each note, each squeal of feedback, and each and every distorted holler feels relevant and important. And while Gusto may be Fool Heavy’s freshman effort, its clear that this isn’t the pair’s first rodeo.

The writing is strong, it’s authentic, and it engages over and over. With witty lyrical quips and ethereal hooks, the band’s double vocal dynamic proves to be the driving force behind songs that refuse to be predictable. It’s a powerful record and a promising first-offering from two minds venturing off the deepest ends of mania. If it’s any indication of what Fool Heavy has to offer this world, you’re in for a frenzied and fearless ride. Bandcamp here, Facebook here.

Garage rock & a huge layer of passionate attitude & energy resonates throughout the new album 'Gusto'. They do soften the pace on occasion allowing the listener to pause for breath, thankfully we are allowed to embed the whole album, so feel free to check it all out below.

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Year of October - The Prids

Year of October - Lost.

Background - Nashville, Tennessee - Gritty Music City blues rock band, Year of October, is excited to release new single "Lost", from their impending October LP, “Trouble Comes”. “Lost” is a heavy blues rock groove with chunky guitar tones and a classic rock beat. Self-described as "fuzz soul", husband-wife fronted band, Year Of October blends Josh's metal and blues background with Phlecia's jazz and soul-drenched vocals. 

Prior to this release, the singer-guitarist-drummer trio played over 250 shows a year throughout Tennessee, Kentucky, and the South after releasing their critically-acclaimed last album Golden Days. They have built up a loyal fan-base, and have received raving media attention from a number of notable outlets. 

Phlecia says of the new project, “We like to take influences from all genres of music. We find inspiration in everything and I think if something is good then it doesn’t necessarily have to sound just like us to be a major influence. Website here, Facebook here.

The second feature this month for Year of October with the brand new track 'Lost'. It's another feast of blues rock goodness & again the vocals just ooze soulful passion whilst the music is potently determined.

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The Prids - Summer Cult.

Background - Portland-OR based, noise pop band, The Prids, share their new single and video, "Summer Cult," from their forthcoming album.  Do I Look Like I'm In Love? is due out via This-a-Way Records. The album was recorded at Rock nRoll B&B on Sauvie Island, 15 miles north of Portland. It was recorded and co-produced by Sean Flora (The Shins, The Black Keys, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks). The band is currently on tour supporting The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. 

Lead single and title track, "Do I Look Like I'm In Love?", is a dark reflection on modern life and its meaninglessness. Being a part of the scene for over 20 years, the band has reflected upon the way modern culture has changed independent music and autonomy. Having spearheaded the Pacific Northwest DIY scene, bassist and vocalist Mistina La Fave, vocalist and guitarist David Frederickson, drummer Gordon Nickel and keyboardist and bassist Tim Yates, The Prids's career has spanned over 20 years. The band has toured alongside Built to Spill, among other notable acts, and Henry Rollins is a long time fan. Having faced a life altering brain hemorrhage in Spring 2015, La Fave and the rest of the band are set to pick up where they left off with this forthcoming release. The album comes out on the band's own DIY label, This-a-Way Records, which has been instrumental in the band's culture for the past 20 years. 

Do I Look Like I’m In Love? illustrates the Portland dark pop band’s mettle through keen lyrical observations, but also in its attention to sonic detail and song craft—this record couldn’t have been made by any other band at any other time. “Do I Look Like I’m In Love?” and “The Shape” both swirl and build like dreams filled with grey skies and the flickering faces of past friends and lovers. These songs nudge up against the air-brushed punk of “Lie Here” and the bass-driven “Colliding,” which recalls the dazed jangle of early R.E.M. More than two decades in, The Prids have made the best and most cohesive album of their career. Facebook here.

The music is stripped back to start & gradually adds some layers to build into a refined rock soundtrack. This is a very fine match for the vocals and harmonies on 'Summer Cult' where the understated melody and swathe of hooks make for a stand out song.


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