New Sincerity Works - Just Like Vapor / Love To Love The Love.Background - New Sincerity Works was formed in the summer of 2014 by creative powerhouse Mike Tittel (ex-Loud Family, current drummer for Roger Klug Power Trio, photographer, artist, and music producer). The band was created in the image of what all bands should look like, themselves. The songs combine modest, heart on your sleeve themes with indie-pop, Americana, and 1980's guitar/synth driven new wave. A decidedly familiar, yet fresh presentation. The band has invited comparisons to a second distant cousin of Alex Chilton as well as Guided By Voices, Paul Westerberg, Phoenix, and The Postal Service. Perhaps best summarized by a fan from North Carolina "The music is like hearing your best friend sing. And who wouldn't want to hear that?"
"I always wanted to be in this kind of band, playing guitar and singing, but nobody ever asked me because I'm a drummer. I've played drums since I was eight years old and I've been at the back of the stage all my life. So I made the band happen. Actually, I made a record first, then decided to play it live with a band. The music won't shock anyone to the core. But it might make people who never sing, sing. And it is just fun to be in bands. Everyone knows that." Mike explains.
Tittel's pensive songs stick with you like all good melodies should. "I wrote many songs in my life. None of which I thought were very good. I think in the end I hadn't experienced enough emotionally to have anything worth writing about. But as life progressed, I started to really depend on songwriting as an emotional outlet."
Everything or nothing, depending on who you ask. Mike adds, "New sincerity is a legit post-modern aversion to cynicism and skepticism. It's a movement of sorts. I thought this described my creative compass really well. I think the best songs are universal and descriptive of genuine emotion, so the name fit my idea of this project. It is also a reference to Austin bands I loved in the nineties, like The Reivers." Facebook here.
Taken from the recently released 'Wonder Lust' album we have two music videos 'Just Like Vapor' and 'Love To Love The Love'. The two songs are representative of the sheer quality and creativity that is channelled throughout the album. Melodic hooks are everywhere, the band slip between different rock genres with ease, the one constant is the catchy nature of the material and it's beautiful delivery.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Background - Power-pop trio The Persian Leaps dropped a new music video for their single "Even Less", off their recently released EP Bicycle Face. The video takes a deep dive into the single's lyrics; showcasing a world of bizarre and comical surrealism, all housed in the (very real) Center for Lost Objects (located in Saint Paul, MN).
Vocalist and frontman Drew Forsberg shares, "The music video for "Even Less" is a departure for us. I've always wanted to shoot a video in an antique store or similar environment with shelves of interesting objects in the background. Coincidentally, my friend Amy Buchanan, who has a background in film, recently opened a vintage store in Saint Paul, MN called Center for Lost Objects. The store was the perfect location for shooting the video, and even the name fit the theme I had in mind for the video. We collaborated on the story and filming of the video."
The video takes the theme of the song to an absurd extreme. In the chorus of "Even Less" Forsberg delivers the heartbreaking line, "If I was nothing when I was with you, I'm even less than that right now" and the bridge provides a sombering reflection of emptiness and abandon, "Now, come see the empty man, laid out wide open." Forsberg shares that this line served as the direct inspiration for the video. "I play a character who's lost everything and sunk so low that he's living in purgatory in a place called the Center for Lost Objects. Every night, he's awakened and fed a meal before baring himself to artists who have come to see and sketch the "empty man." This is as low as he can fall, and he's appearing nightly... for eternity."
Surreal and dreamlike in many ways, the video's simple style provides an ironic balance; the chaos of the dark humored scenario and lyrics, countered by the bright, upbeat melodies of the song. As the band would agree, it's a perfect example of a Persian Leaps specialty, and will have you listening closer to all of their tracks. "Even Less" comes off the band's fifth EP Bicycle Face, which was released last month via Land Ski Records. Bandcamp here, website here, Facebook here.
We featured The Persian Lip back in August 2016 and the song 'Even Less' is a welcome feature from a very fine EP. We were impressed with the band last time around & the new material is in the same power pop/rock vein with slick musicianship and passion fuelled vocals.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Background This week neo-psychedelic outfit Blue Sails dropped the brand new single, "Beloved", from their upcoming self-titled debut record.
Blue Sails is the product of brothers Mitchel and Max Bell. After leaving their hometown in Wisconsin to attend college in Chicago and Milwaukee respectively, the bustle of the city began to wear down on them. The brothers both found themselves growing increasingly anxious and desperate for a certain type of peace that they only found when back in rural Wisconsin.
The wilderness won them over. Mitchel and Max built a home studio to fit their needs, and they began recording songs that channeled the thematic juxtaposition of the tension they felt from living frantic, anxious urban lives, and the short relief they'd receive when working on songs in their newly found oasis.
The result is an 8-track epic that weaves a sonic blend harkening back to the likes of Pink Floyd, Spiritualized, and MGMT. After hearing the record, a friend and poet convinced the duo to release the music to the world, and Blue Sails was born. The self-titled full-length from Blue Sails will be made available worldwide on October 20th, 2017. Website here, Facebook here.
A guitar intro that has echoes of another musician & band of high standing (Echoes - get it?) is soon overtaken by a feisty rhythm and 'Beloved' becomes Blue Sails own sound. Seriously, if you are going to throw in a few Dave Gilmour licks and you can do it this well, then why not.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Background - There's something about the sweetly melancholic indie rock of Fragile Animals that just tingles the spine. From their blissfully catchy-but-sombre melodies, to the exquisite daydreamy voice of singer Victoria Jenkins, the Sunshine Coast three-piece create music that moves with an effortless glide. Capturing this essence, Fragile Animals introduce themselves impressively on their debut EP, Light That Fades.
Start to finish, Fragile Animals' debut is a joyous listen. Each new song affirms the band's signature sound yet reveals a slightly different side – from the simmering, beat-driven Smaller Circles, to the radio-friendly hooks of single Light That Fades, all the way through to the haunting finale of Home. For a band at the very beginning of their career, their first offering feels so detailed and finely crafted... a testament both to the skill of the individuals in the band and their chemistry together.
Evolving from one person's bedroom-written songs, Fragile Animals consists of Victoria Jenkins (vocals/bass), Daniel Parkinson (guitar) and Kyle Shipton (drums); an ensemble capable of creating an incredibly detailed sound using just a few core elements. Rather than being instantly transparent of their influences, Fragile Animals merely imply. The aim is more to just try and be themselves, which is exactly what the EP catches them doing. The end result is music that is rich but subtle, where each song is detailed and coloured but allowed enough room to soar.
With a handful of irresistible songs, and a sound that is comfortably familiar yet wonderfully original, Fragile Animals have appeared seemingly out of nowhere as one of Australia's must-see new bands. First and foremost at home on stage, Fragile Animals are now ready to head out on tour and find their fans. The release of Light That Fades gives them all the cause they need.Facebook here.
An indie rock song with the emphasis on rock 'Light That Fades' mixes melody, riffs and gentler vocals together and comes up sounding extremely good.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
