Background - Micah Olsan is a versatile singer, songwriter, guitarist and tape machine enthusiast who's sound falls somewhere between Nick Drake and Michael Kiwanuka. Olsan’s energy, talent, and seminal sound have made him one of Milwaukee’s longtime beloved musicians.
A one-man sound machine, Micah Olsan bucks the trend of overly-produced perfection choosing instead to focus on capturing a moment in time and preserving it for posterity. Using his voice, guitar, and a few old machines, Olsan wanders through dimensions of Americana, Soul and Psychedelia.
With every offering on the ‘Open Space’ EP blurring the lines of archetypal styles, it’s no wonder that Micah Olsan hunkered down at National Studio with a handful of prodigious guest musicians to create the perfect cocktail of melodrama and focus into four deceptively simple tracks. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
The first of four tracks on Micah Olsan's 'Open Space' EP is the featured title track. The song exudes Americana musical sensibilities whilst Micah's vocals are warm and genuine. It typifies the quality across this varied and unpretentious collection of music, one that has many hooks and originality.
Background - With well-established singles like "I'm In Love with You" and "I Believe", Endre Nordvik's first album "Suburb Hero" is due for release on January 12, 2018.
"Suburb Hero" contains ten pop songs that falls within the boundaries of the soul inspired indie and Americana genre. “Suburb Hero” was Recorded at Demningen Studio in Norway, with producer Eirik Grønner, the album is well crafted with top-class musicians, a great sound, and solid songwriting.
"Suburb Hero" is my first album and, I'm very proud of it! says Endre Nordvik. I have worked for more than 2 years, together with producer Grønner, and I'm humble of what we've achieved.
The songs are written by Grønner and me, except for 2 songs that I have written myself. World Idol winner Kurt Nilsen has also been involved in the writing process and participates in three songs where “Let The Good Times In” is a duet with Kurt. FACEBOOK.
'Superb Hero' the forthcoming album from Endre Nordvik is a collection of ten beautifully crafted songs. 'Like Old Friends' and 'Sometimes' two very fine tracks, provide the listener with the opportunity to hear some of the variety and scope found within this collection. The musical arrangements are consistently well constructed, the vocals, harmonies and in the case of 'Sometimes' duets are melodic and very engaging, and the catchy nature of every piece, whether gentle or full bodied is notable. Endre Nordvik is providing us with a very fine new musical start to 2018.
Background - Missouri-based post-punk synth wave duo Kudzu have announced their forthcoming album 'Defeated', slated for release in early 2018 via Push & Pull Records. This album is a reaction to mounting disappointments and frustrations with increasingly frustrating and disappointing realities.
On this 9-track long-play, Kudzu delivers a cheerfully caustic synth pop assault with psychedelic underpinnings, like paint fumes you'd happily dance to. The offerings range from post-punk (Defeated) to synth pop (One Purpose, No Backbone) and tracks with a darker more industrial sense (Balking The Grave). If that's not enough to intrigue you, the vocal delivery oscillating between John Lydon of Sex Pistols and PiL fame and the cold sinister lyricism of Al Jourgensen's Ministry in the band's earliest phase.
Based in Springfield, Kudzu is Seth Goodwin (vocals, synth, and drum programming) and Mark Gillenwaters (vocals and guitar). Influenced by bands such as Tears For Fears, The Cure, Spectrum, Guided by Voices, Sympathy Nervous, and This Heat, they've managed to concoct a sound original from any of them.
"A lot of these songs come from a place of disenchantment with punk and "diy" scenes i've dedicated too much time to and the resulting dissociation as i've continued to have involvement in those scenes," says Seth Goodwin. "A documentation of a transitional period that im sure a lot of people feel as they start to feel parts of them age out from this type of lifestyle but dont know how to do anything else."
'Defeated' was recorded by Adam Schoeller and Jonathan James at No Coast Recording, and mixed by the latter, with Shay Rainey creating the cover artwork. FACEBOOK, BANDCAMP.
'No Backbone' and 'Some Cops' are two of the nine tracks that make up the forthcoming 'Defeated' album. This is an impressive collection of mostly high octane post punk material, with plenty of synth lead music. Echoes of John Lydon ride alongside the pairs own modern and creative musical developments, resulting in an addictive album that begs to be heard performed live.
Background - One of the surest signs it's summer in Perth is the wave of brilliant new music that emanates from the city every year. A perfect case in point is Social Misfit, the debut EP from indie five-piece Almond Soy. Opening with the band's energetic single Happy Ever After, the EP is a triumph of mature songwriting and the boundlessness of youth.
Undulating through varying moods and tempos, Social Misfit shows off the multi-dimensional talent of the band. I Could Be The One is more beat-driven and swaying; awash in an ocean of synth and reverb... leading perfectly into the bouncy third track Whiskyand its dance floor rhythms and duelling guitars. The EP closes with the tranquil I Always Wanted The Moon, creating a beautiful ambience with its layers of nonchalant vocals, orbited by spacious guitar riffs and subtle horns.
Taking these beautifully written songs and giving them the sonic grandeur they deserve, The Money War's Dylan Olivierre has excelled in his duties as producer. While there is no definitive 'Perth sound' to speak of, Social Misfit has certainly encapsulated the mood of the city. Laid-back yet adventurous, Social Misfit balances warmth with a cool breeze; allowing each song to radiate without being overbearing. Each song is bursting with unique character, yet they flow together as one coherent work of art.
Starting out as a bedroom project, Almond Soy have developed at an unbelievable pace. Formed at the end of 2016 and lead by brothers Brandon and James Stockbridge, the band has evolved into a sophisticated ensemble, exemplified by Social Misfit. Driving each note is an emotional energy that shows the band's natural chemistry. Now ready to kick things into the next gear, Almond Soy will be heading out on their first Australia-wide tour in January 2018, following up a run of sold-out headline shows in their home city. FACEBOOK.
Upbeat and fast paced music is accompanied by more measured vocals on 'Happy Ever After' a refreshing indie song that is both energised and catchy.
Background - Percival
Elliott are an indie-folk rock duo from the south coast of England.
Formed by the belief that true friends can create something meaningful,
Olly Hite and Samuel Carter-Brazier united to grace audiences with their
poignant lyricism and neo-nostalgic melodies and have since been
captivating listeners at sold-out shows across the UK.
Titled
in memory of Hite’s great grandfather, Percival Elliott, born in 1883
was an inventor who created one of the first ice-cream emporiums in
Brighton. After discovering a dusty box of trinkets in the back of
Hite’s family attic, the untouched time capsule unveiled Percival
Elliott’s mysterious inventions, engraved ice-cream paraphernalia,
haunted photographs and time honoured war medals. The revelation of
these long-forgotten hidden treasures became embedded within the duo’s
imagination and musical creativity and thus Percival Elliott was
reborn.
“Forever” is the first single to be released off the duo’s upcoming album Save Your Soul. Inspired
by the likes of Jeff Buckley, The Beatles and Father John Misty,
“Forever” is a gracefully heartfelt and atmospheric song about eternal
love. Hite reveals, “Forever is about a chance meeting with someone.
Sparks and butterflies, even if it’s just for a second, that feeling can
last forever”. The use of yearning lyricism seamlessly blended together
with Hite’s celestial vocals and Carter-Brazier’s soothing guitar,
“Forever” succeeds in crafting a song of compelling honesty and
authenticity.
The
duo are known for their signature style of hard hitting piano melodies,
rhythmic guitars and retro vocal harmonies, all underpinned by a string
quartet. “Forever” illustrates the band’s desire to create music that
makes the hairs on your neck stand up, “We want to make the listener
feel alive” Hite expresses.
Percival
Elliott's successes to date include a national tour with numerous UK
charting artists, as well as collaborating with the likes of Fatboy
Slim. Percival Elliott are now ready for the next chapter of their
musical endeavour with the highly anticipated release of Save Your Soul due early 2018. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
Indie folk may have become something of a crowded place, however songs such as 'Forever' suggest there is plenty of mileage and opportunities for creative people to continue to build upon. This is a melodic and superbly arranged song, the vocals are smooth and pleasing, the music builds instrumentally and adds even more to this engaging piece.
Background - Old Fort, North Carolina band Yellow Feather, which features vocalist Casey Kristofferson, daughter of Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge, released their debut album, And Gold, arlier this month.
Yellow Feather also features guitarist/vocalist Hunter Begley (who stars in the video for the album’s first single “Lucille”) and lap steel player Charlie Wills and the album features drummer Herschel VanDyke and bassist Robert Parks along with a slew of special guests!
And Gold was recorded at Echo Mountain Studio in Asheville, NC with producer Rorey Carroll, mixed at Café Rooster Records in Nashville w/ sound engineer Gabe Masterson and mastered by Alex McCollough (Jim Lauderdale, Amanda Shires, Todd Snider) at True East Mastering in Nashville.
Mountains call many to their bosom. Born sheltered by the winding valleys, amidst time-worn peaks, or discovered down a shady dirt road, songs and humans alike, have many origins. Hunter Begley found himself in an eastern descent past Asheville, past the weird, and staring at truth. In the small town of Old Fort NC, searching for a room to fit his bed and guitar,he found a loft belonging to Casey Kristofferson. What became of the friendship that followed was the band, Yellow Feather.
Music in moments. Stories in sunsets. Poetry in progress. This is how songs are made. Kristofferson weaves lyrics and melodies perfectly, while Charlie Willis works the lap steel into a smooth, sometimes rhythmic, but always haunting eulogy to the past. WEBSITE.
'Lucille' is one of twelve songs on the recently released 'And Gold' debut album. The album is a melting pot of gorgeous Americana rooted music, where vocal duties are shared, melodic hooks are a constant feature and the band are just so good. Like featured song = Love the album!
Background - White Birches' music has been compared to Depeche Mode, Cocteau Twins and Sisters of Mercy mixing sweet piano and alarming guitars with dark wave synthesizers. Haunting pop melodies with dark lyrics.
The band formed in the summer of 2013 and their debut EP Stands of White Birches was recorded during the fall of 2013 and released april 2014 followed by a 10 day tour in an old station wagon. One year later, in April 2015, their debut album Dark Waters was released. Dark Waters was nominated in the catogory "Best Synth" at the swedish "indie grammy awards" Manifestegalan.
In the fall of 2017 White Birches signed with the label Progress Productions and their second album is to be released during the dark winter of 2017/2018. The duo consists of Jenny Gabrielsson Mare and Fredrik Jonasson. WEBSITE.
We featured Jenny Gabrielsson Mare a couple of times back in 2016, and now as one half of White Birchs she returns to Beehive Candy with the song 'Howl'. Her vocals are immersed in Fredrik Jonasson's richly textured keyboard sounds as the song flows along growing in energy and passion. The video is also Jenny's handiwork, the song is very much a team effort.
Background - Twenty-three years ago, this quotation foretold a great career for Little Axe aka Skip McDonald. The musician had already had a taste of fame with the Sugarhill Gang Backing Band / Tommy Boy Co-operations and their Hip Hop Masterpieces, writing music history along the way. Then he rolled out Little Axe and gave the blues a new, groovy face! Releases on legendary labels like Okeh Records, Realworld, On-U Sound and majors like Sony, BMG, Warner, etc. followed.
On-U Sound label mastermind Adrian Sherwood has always given Skip a platform to present his entrancing blend of blues, gospel, cajun, dub and trip hop: pioneering and authentic at the same time. His sound takes the essence and sound samples from blues legends such as Howlin Wolf, Leadbelly and Son House and distils them to create musical visions that are both penetrating and highly hypnotic. Little Axe has released seven albums to date; London Blues is his eighth official album. Old mates, like Mark Stewart (Pop Group and Maffia), Doug Wimbish (bass player for Living Colour), Keith LeBlanc (drummer), Perry Melius (drummer for African Head Charge) have provided assistance – and JebLoy Nichols collaborated on writing.
London Blues sticks tenaciously to tradition – to the blues – but at the same time is infused with a plethora of musical lingos (see above ….). On London Blues, Skip McDonald’s creative team is even more sophisticated and innovative than on the predecessor albums. Amazing instrumentals (Be Thankful), a touch of gospel (Deep River), splashes of trip hop with blues harp (Next Week Thursday) and delta blues meets dub (When I Rise) – the album meticulously follows a trail between Chicago and London, blending all the stepping stones to form a smooth, irresistible pathway.
The title track and featured song 'London Blues' is typical of the album as a whole, a vibrant collection of songs, where reggae and blues collide with other styles resulting in some wonderful material. There are even some dub versions along the way. Top musicianship and refined natural vocals, this is a very fine collection.
Background - Stalking Like Candy are celestial beings, transcended from the ennui of terrestrial life. Indomitable. Their latest single Can You See The Light builds on the Cyberpunk universe of movies like Blade Runner and books like Neuromancer. It tells the tale of a street urchin from neo-Tokyo, her rise out of the slums, and the nostalgia she retains for the neon alleyways of her childhood.
Stalking Like Candy combines a Pixies post-punk ethos with synths, beats, raps, and soaring melodies and harmonies. The lineup is Thida G (vox, synths, samples), Dr J (aka Jamie Q) (vox, guitar, synths, ukulele and stuff), Gabe (vox, bass), and Aleŝ ‘jazz hands’ Svoboda (drums). The band grew out of Locos, a covers band that’s been demolishing the Coogee covers scene since early 2016. Stalking mostly plays originals, but they love reinterpreting a few classics to really get the crowd pumping. You’ll see.
Can You See The Light was born on a rainy winter’s morning when Jamie Q was playing around on his son’s ukulele. The song lay dormant for a year before exploding into a Cyberpunk, synth-pop extravaganza in late 2016, when Thida G added her uplifting vocals to the intro and choruses.
The track is set in neo-Tokyo. It tells the tale of a street urchin who watches the rockets arcing over the city on their way to Sky Wheel, a space station like Freeside in Gibson’s Neuromancer. The girl is mentored by Yukio, a down-on-his-luck exec who’s living out of a pod in Shinjuku. In time she makes it out of the slums to herself walk on Sky Wheel. But she can’t forget her roots – the neon alleyways of her youth are forever her home. The messianic cry, Can You See The Light, refers to seeing the flames of the rocket boosters – they are the only light that can be seen in the night sky. But the ignorant slum dwellers think these flames are a sign from God. The children’s voices that shout back ‘Yes, I can see the light!’ speak of hope for a better life. In the video clip, the band cruises the night-time city streets on their rollerblades, the lights of the city mirrored in the neon light-up wheels of their blades. This aesthetic is reminiscent of the glowing umbrella handles in the original Blade Runner.
The song was co-produced by Jamie Q and Syd Green at MonoNest, and mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound. While the Moog analogue synths are a big part of the track, the coolest aspect is the intro and chorus vocals that were run through a Leslie rotating speaker. This gives them their shimmering, old-world quality, which is of course what Cyberpunk is all about – the cutting edge mixed with the archaic. The greatest challenge in recording the track was getting the acoustic guitar just right – exploiting its percussive qualities, but not losing the chords themselves. FACEBOOK.
'Can You See The Light' has a bright synthy & guitar driven vibe that contrasts beautifully with the determined vocals and vibrant harmonies.
Background - Joe Rusi is out with his 2nd solo album ”À Tout le Monde from…” (BIGHCD1703) on Big H Records (CD and digital). This is the follow up to the album ”Who I Am” which was nominated for Norwegian Grammy/Spellemann in 2015.
”À Tout le Monde From…” is also recorded in New Orleans with legends like Doug Belote (drums), John Papa Gros (piano), Cyril Neville (The Meters), Mark Mullins & the Levee Horns and George Porter Jr (bass, the Meters) in the rhythm section. Arne Skage Jr. (Reidar Larsen and Rita Eriksen) has produced this soulful album recorded at the Music Shed in New Orleans in the late summer of 2017. Joe Rusi is fronting the band with his impeccable guitar playing and soulful vocals. His performance really makes this an album that that stands out from the crowd, brimming with New Orleans vibe and swampy grooves.
Joe started out on violin when he was 6 years old, picked up the guitar at 10 and became a professsional musician at 15. In 2001 he relocated to Flekkefjord on the Norwegian West Coast and has been a force to be reckon with ever since. He has become a favourite on the local club scene and on Norwegian festivals. He also did a US tour back in 2012. Off stage he teaches music at Lundheim Folkehøgskole.
"Joe Rusi's guitar playing is simply great." Rick Peckham (Assistant Chair of the Guitar Department, Berklee College of Music) Since 2013 Joe has had his own radio show ”Blues with Rusi” on Radio Kvinesdal (local station). He has recieved the ”Celebrity Scholarship” from Berklee Collage of Music with Masters Certificate in Songwriting and Guitar (with Steve Vai, Paul Simon, Herbie Hancock and Mark Mothersbaugh in the jury). FACEBOOK.
Rich with New Orleans flavours 'À Tout Le Monde From New Orleans' is a gorgeous funky, soulful, blues song with some fabulous musicianship throughout. There is a respectful nod towards Dr John here, however Joe Rusi really does carve out his own signature style on what is a fabulous album.
Background - Glorious folk-pop trio Belle Miners have released a stunning music clip to accompany their latest single, 'Night Flight'.
Taken from their 10-track debut album Powerful Owl, Canadian friends and musicians Felicia Harding and Marina Avros and Australian-based Jaime Jackett blend beautifully into the starry night sky of the Kimberley in outback Western Australia. Their soaring harmonies and delicate instrumentation pop against a sparkling violet vision of moonlit horizons and Magpie geese flying to roost over a blood-red sunset.
The video captures the emotion behind the song's lyrics and deep personal meaning for Jaime, as well as the strong connection Belle Miners have with Australia's birds and the freedom of its landscape. "I imagined myself as a spirit, having left my body, soaring out into the vast expanse beyond our blue-green planet, flying through the cool air like I always wished I could as a child", says Jaime.
The birds were filmed by Simon Mustoe (Belle Miners Manager and founder of Wildiaries) and Nick Hayward (whose most famous work includes the Lyrebird sequence from Attenborough's Life of Birds). The footage was originally collected over 150 days, for a tourism series about Australia's people, nature and places - and even includes a film about Broome Bird Observatory where Jaime now works.
Jaime's reasons for thinking about death are deeply personal - she spent 11 years with a brain stem tumour deemed inoperable. Fortunately, one of the world's leading brain surgeons Dr. Charles Teo removed the tumour and Jaime is now cancer free. The song serves as a powerful and poignant reminder to never give up. Belle Miners will take their songs and stories on tour around Australia in January. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.
We first featured the Belle Miners back in September and now we have another fine song 'Night Flight'. Last time we described their music as "melodic and with delicious vocals and harmonies", well that is obviously a hallmark of the trio. The bands Australia tour details can be found on their website.
Background - Alternative singer-singwriter Jenn Vix phas teamed up with Danny Chavis of shoegaze pioneers The Veldt to present the 'Into The Veldt Mix' of 'Complicated'. Featured on her new ‘Unlocked’ EP, this new version is trippy with psychedelic underpinnings and a very urban gazey vibe.
Here Danny Chavis re-envisions this song, contributing guitar and other instrumentation. As a principal member of The Veldt, he has a rich history of collaborations with the likes of TV On The Radio, Mos Def and Lady Miss Kier (Deee-Lite), and touring with Phantogram, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Pixies, Throwing Muses, Echo & The Bunnymen, Cocteau Twins, Manic Street Preachers, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Oasis, Chuck D, Living Colour, and Schooly D.
The accompanying video for this track was directed, produced and edited by Renan DeAraujo, a 27 year old, Brazilian filmmaker who loves to tell stories with light and rhythm. The video features Jenn Vix herself, along with actor Michael French. Not long ago, Vix presented the new video for the original version of 'Complicated Man', working with the same team.
"My interpretation was to put Jenn's personality on the screen, and in particular, the overall feeling of the trck; a mysterious and delicate mood, at the same time. I was trying to express the character's point of view," says DeAraujo.
Based in Rhode Island, Vix is an 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.
We featured the original version of 'Complicated Man' back in October and now we have 'Complicated Man (Into The Veldt Mix)' We described the 'Unlocked EP' as "an imaginative, creative collection of material" something this version of the song (which is also part of the EP) helps put more light on.
Micah Olsan - Open Space.
