Lung - Velvet Flare - Johnny Payne - Value Void

Lung - Butcher.

Background - 'All the King’s Horses' marks a shift from Lung’s first album, Bottom of the Barrel. The content was largely influenced by the band’s experiences from their national tours. “We’re excited that it [the new album] is going to be out of our heads and into the world.” Wakefield explains, “The album reflects what we (Daisy, Rachelle, and me) have experienced as a band touring around this confusing and awesome country. It is a snapshot of what we have seen, lived-through, and what’s been shared with us. The record aims to take you on a journey of personal and shared struggles and goes to some pretty vulnerable places. I hope that people listening to the record get some sort of cathartic release by the end of it.”

Sonically the album has a dark, biting edge. Kate Wakefield (vocals, cello) and Daisy Caplan (drums) have developed a powerful, sinister sound created from total immersion into music culture and life on the road. Thematically, the record has a wide range, with songs directly confronting issues of consent such as “Brock” and “All the King’s Horses” in addition to more fantastical narratives of reality as in “Spiders” and a few pointed anti-love songs.  The art for Lung directly reflects these intense experiences. Their artist, Rachelle Caplan, interprets the music visually in real-time as songs are being written and consistently tours with the band.

Lung, which formed in April of 2016 and includes Daisy Caplan on drums, has played over 250 shows to date. Known for their live shows, they are looking forward to returning to the West Coast, hitting spots old and new. “I’m excited to play places we’ve never been before, to see every part of this country,” says Daisy. The two are not new to the road. Both have performed in multiple touring projects. Kate has been writing and performing solo since 2014. Daisy was a core member of the prolific rock band, Foxy Shazam and feminist punk band, Babe Rage.

When asked about what we can expect for the next record, Wakefield hinted at heavier thematic material. “This next record is going to bring something different. A lot has happened in the world since our first release (Bottom of the Barrel, Spring 2017) and this album reflects that intensity.” Tracks from All the King’s Horses show a maturation in the band’s songwriting and an evolution in content. There is a more demanding and provocative edge to the record that illustrates undeniable feelings of paranoia and unease with the onset of the Trump presidency. “We were in Texas during the election. Nobody could believe it. We were playing small towns and big cities alike. The feeling was intense; a new ‘uncomfortable normal’ began to take over,” said Wakefield on the experience. WEBSITE.

Taken from the duos brand new 'All The Kings Horses' album released this week we have 'Butcher'. Lung are a potent musical pairing, the instrumental choice adding natural individuality, and the vocals delivering plenty of attitude and emotion, this is passionate and feisty.


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Velvet Flare - My Femme Fatale.

Background - Following the release of their first album Worlds Apart in 2017, Velvet Flare announce the release of their second album Despair and Desire, which includes the latest single My Femme Fatale.

My Femme Fatale is inspired by classic 1940s/50s Film Noir. A seductive woman persuades her new lover to kill her husband for financial gain, but she ultimately betrays that lover. This dark theme is punctuated by humour with lyrics such as: “Got you what you wanted - Got his money and a room with a view - I lost my moral compass - When you asked if I could ‘just shoot him too’ - Shoot him too? Well, what else could I do?”

Despair and Desire includes the previously released single Ms Fox, which was reviewed by Beehive Candy: “.... ‘Ms Fox’ is another very impressive song. Mixing pop and indie rock vibes, the production is distinct and the gentle melody is full of hooks, in what is a top quality piece”. Ms Fox is the personification of Fox Glacier, NZ and the song is a lament for global warming.

Despair and Desire is primarily a collection of songs about relationships in various states of disintegration or buoyant aspiration. The album was recorded and engineered by Slade Gibson at Slade Gibson Audio, The Gap, Brisbane.

The release of their first album Worlds Apart in 2017 included the singles 6th of June, Animal (Arun Kendall in Backseatmafia: “Straight out of Brisbane and seemingly via the tenements of London comes Velvet Flare with Animal, a visceral, angry stab of glam rock that has all the hallmarks of an Antipodean Suede. Singer Paul English has a soaring voice, complete with eviscerating lyrics, that moves effortlessly into a falsetto…… a refreshing blast of unadorned indie guitar music with all the necessary posturing and sneer any good rock song should have”.) and Ice Age (which was No. 22 in Tomatrax Top 100 Songs of 2017). These singles and the album track The Brightest Light have all had airplay in Australia, England and Europe, and the USA. FACEBOOK.

Our third musical share for Velvet Flare comes in the form of their latest single 'My Femme Fatale'. The duel vocals really work well on this song, at times almost duelling rather than harmonising, doing so above a vibrant rocking backdrop.

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Johnny Payne - Never Stop Learning To Love.

Background - I began writing Never Stop Learning To Love on an escalator in a mall in Spain. The mall had about ten floors and by the time I got to the top I had a verse and a chorus. All that was at the top was a restaurant so I went back down.

The song is a reminder to myself to always practice tolerance and acceptance amidst chaos, the way children do. It’s about as psychedelic as I get in my writing. Not the Jimi Hendrix, Sgt Pepper version of Psychedelia, but the Brian Wilson, Disney version.

I always subscribed more to that: The idea that psychedelia isn’t entirely about drugs, but rather about a return to childlike innocence through purity of mind and a reverence for the natural world. For this reason, we felt it appropriate to shoot the video on the same beach where I spent so much time as a kid, just running around with a dog. It seemed to say everything about the song.

I recorded my upcoming solo EP with Tennis at their home studio in Denver and recruited Beach House drummer James Barone for the studio sessions. TWITTER.

Our second song from Johnny Payne is the gorgeous 'Never Stop Learning To Love'. Understated psychedelic vibes pour out, with some timeless sixties charm and fabulous hooks, this is instant replay material, and some.


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Value Void - Teen For Him.

Background - London trio Value Void share the third single, "Teen For Him", from their debut album Sentimental, due out on 26 October via Tough Love, released on limited edition green vinyl, CD and download. Last week the band played their first ever BBC6 Music session for Tom Ravenscroft. They will play an album launch show at The Stag's Head in London on 1 November.

Marta Zabala from the band explains more about the "'Teen for Him' was written in Buenos Aires ages ago, probably 2015 whilst Paz and I were working as assistants in a Social Gaming Company. It's a childish song about those moments when someone is having a personal crisis and are overcome by some weird infatuation, where the object of their desire has nothing to do with them. Like filling a gap."

This follows the singles "Babeland" and "Back In The Day." The album is instantly affecting, with an ease and clarity that suits the elegance of the lyrics: coded love songs and cool reflections on life which are all the more vulnerable and touching sung in Paz Maddio's lilting, ultrachromatic voice - a ceramic-sharp diagonal transatlantic on a pure open tone, with subtle waves of vibrato at its top end. It's a particular heart breaker on tracks such as “Babeland” and “Dead Ladies Lament”. BANDCAMP.

Having already featured the first two singles from Value Void 'Teen For Him' makes it three and does so with class. The bands individual and delectable sound is all apparent, the vocals slipping into pure London accent at times is charming, the album 'Sentimental' is now a must hear asap!

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The Mutineers - Lyla Foy - Mousewater

The Mutineers - Couldn't Get Over You.

Background - Ahead of releasing their new five-track 'Threshold' EP and launching a busy 2018 national tour schedule, The Mutineers present the first single from this EP. 'Couldn't Get Over You',  a pleasantly wistful offering guided by a longing feeling and lulling melodic line.

A bit earlier, they unveiled the new video for 'Drug For That', filmed and directed by California-based photographer and visual artist Clovis IV.  The track, previously released on 'Live At B-Side', will be offered as a bonus track on a special Bandcamp edition of the EP.

Based in Portland, Oregon, The Mutineers are a rock n roll husband-wife duo with country leanings and punk rock tendencies. With Brian Mathusek on guitar and Merry Young on drums, the couple share vocal duties. Sounding like a cross between Johnny and June with John Doe and Exene, and a bit of Nick Cave and PJ Harvey, their sound esthetic is influenced by such artists as Bruce Springsteen, X, Nick Cave, Loretta Lynn, and Elvis Presley.

“This was written specifically for Merry’s voice. I wrote the first draft of lyrics and she sculpted it to fit her style. Her world-weary delivery is the perfect backdrop to the story. The song contemplates the dual feelings of helplessness and power inside a co-dependent relationship,” says Brian Mathusek.

“The singer is struggling with self-confidence and self-consciousness. She can not decide if she has been too open or not open enough. I think everyone has someone in their life that they can’t stand, but also can’t live without, whether it’s a lover or a family member or a friend. Knowing when to cut someone off is very difficult. By the end of our song, the narrator has given up and given in to this cycle of love and hate, another lost soul.” WEBSITE, BANDCAMP.

'Couldn't Get Over You' is just one dimension of the 'Threshold' E.P. where The Mutineers mix reflective and melodic material such as the featured track, along with more gritty rock and roll. There is an engaging core sound that permeates throughout the material, one that is personal, natural and always desirable. 

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Lyla Foy - Try My Heart.

Background - London singer-songwriter Lyla Foy has just shared a new taster of her forthcoming second album Bigger Brighter, with the unexpectedly sanguine Try My Heart. Another example of Lyla laying her feelings bare, the single provides a further glimpse into the emotional journey she experienced throughout the process of writing the album. Following a premiere on Wonderland, you can listen and watch another one of her brilliant accompanying animated videos here. Lyla explains more about the song below:

With this song I’m trying to be frank about cyclical swings in temperament and I wanted to set all that talk about feelings to a driving, Krautrock-esque beat. It’s made all the more bizarre with Gina Tratt’s animated video which makes me question my sanity.

Bigger Brighter will be released on September 14th 2018, and includes previously released, BBC 6Music supported single Far Behind You featuring Jonathan Donahue of Mercury Rev, the thought-provoking No God and the beautifully enchanting Suckermoon. Also featuring on the album is John Paul White of Civil Wars for the track Bring Flowers. The record was mixed by Patrick Wimberly (Chairlift/MGMT/Solange).

In Lyla's words... From fantasy to bedlam and religion to feminism, Bigger Brighter covers some ground. With this record, one of the main things I recognise is that I’ve been more explicit with my lyrics and I feel slightly uncomfortable revealing this insight into my character.

Bigger Brighter was made with my longtime collaborator and boyfriend at the time, Oli Deakin (songwriter and producer, aka Lowpines). While I was conceiving the words and melodies, he was instrumental in the musical vision and the whole process, alongside me. Ever since we started this five years ago, it was always the two of us at its core: him and me. The production and the sound we realised could not have come about any other way. WEBSITE.

'Try My Heart' follows on from our June feature for Lyla Foy where we shared 'Far Behind You'. A softer and flowing song, it's Lyla's elegant vocals that add the melodic hooks, whilst the rhythmic backdrop adds the pace in a uncomplicated and complimentary manner.


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Mousewater - Panic Stations.

Backdrop - Mousewateris an independent singer songwriter based in Melbourne, Australia. His musical palette interlaces indie rock influences with melodic tone and colour. Panic Stations, the debut single and brings to light the loss of control that the pressures of everyday living  can manifest as anxiety for many.

“I was riding to work on my scooter one morning, it’s about an hour commute, the ride always gives me time to think and sometimes song melodies pop into my head. Wearing a helmet, nobody can hear me, so I play with the melody and lyric. When I get to work I would find some secluded spot to sing the idea onto my phone before it disappeared forever. This was the genesis for a number of the songs on the album, including Panic Stations” - Mousewater.

The track was written and recorded at Mousewater's home studio in Melbourne. All audio engineering, instrumentation and performance were also completed by Mousewater. Mousewater cut his teeth in indie rock bands touring the east coast of Australia. Years of touring had taken its toll physically and mentally and he was forced into an extended hiatus from performing and writing. Without even so much as picking up his favourite guitar for years, the drive gone, the passion for music dissolving, willingly readying himself for the post-music abyss joining so many other kindred spirits.

The year is 2016 and something was changing, inside him, some fire had been rekindled, a spark ignited and now with fuel being pumped into the empty vacuum left by an unfulfilled journey. He began to write songs again, he began to sing again, but he had some ground to make up. Songs came together quickly, the extended break had given him fresh perspectives on life and personal narratives of subjects close to his heart. Mousewater spent the next two years refining the songs he was writing. Wanting, no needing to record them, learning new processes of recording independently was inevitable. He would take his time to ensure the transition from inspiration to reality was transparent. Now complete this release is a reflective and poignant statement on the World we live in, moments that matter and the frailty of the human condition.

'Panic Stations' is a majestic and sumptuous indie song that has so much going for it. A sweeping arrangement that captivates the heart, plenty of melodic hooks and lush vocals, Mousewater has clearly put a lot into this song, and the result is that we get a whole lot more out of it.

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The Montreals - The Sea Birds

The Montreals - Y2K.

Background - The Montreals’ incorporate sleazy R&B hooks, So-Cal rock, and a dash of disco blended into your favourite smoothie. Their stand-alone singles deadheads and Sardines were positively received nationally and internationally, cartwheeling the line between polished and raucous, with the former attracting multiple radio plays on Triple J (Australia) and KCRW (United States). Y2K, the latest track from The Montreals, is now available.

Collectively, their music has clocked over 800,000 streams on Spotify and been consistently added on coveted international playlists including Fresh Finds and Indie Arrivals. The new single, Y2K marks an exciting shift in direction which will turn heads and break beds :)

Y2K combines bedroom pop with sleazy R&B hooks, and a dash of jazz hands. “It contains a bunch of weird samples (cc: lazers) - it was a G time weaving lots of subtle nick nacks in the track.” Y2K was recorded in a humble home studio in Thebarton, SA. It incorporates shitty GarageBand synthesisers and direct-input guitars with zippy, polished production. It was mixed by Steve Schram (San Cisco, Paul Kelly) & mastered by Studio 301’s Steve Smart (Vance Joy, British India) and we think it is damn wild.

Angus: “This one time at a festival, we asked the sound engineer if we could do a kazoo-based cover of Sandstorm, he said no. We said Y2K (Yes 2 Kazoo)”. Stefan: “Shower thought - what if we all died tomorrow? Y2K is about wasting all ya time when ain’t got much.”

The Montreals’ eclectic style has garnered sold-out support slots with internationally successful acts across a variety of genres, including Duke Dumont, Alpine, North East Party House and Last Dinosaurs. As well as performing at Oh Yes Festival to over 5,000 patrons alongside Pnau, and SAFIA to name a few. Their breadth of audience has allowed the band to develop a devout fanbase which traverses traditional music demographics, nationally and internationally.  FACEBOOK.

We have featured The Montreals a couple of times in the past being impressed by their fresh indie music. 'Y2K' is delightfully quirky as the band venture into new musical territory, mixing their notable bedroom pop sound with more funky and jazzy vibes, doing so in a highly contagious manner.

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The Sea Birds - The Coastline

Background - The Sea Birds second single from their debut album …blue or grey tells the intimate story of two lovers and a relationship fraying at the edges.

The Coastline’s rhythmic energy drives you to a familiar holiday destination. As the tension builds, the lovers’ emotional baggage unfolds. The chorus brings relief like rain on a stifling humid day. You’re left hopeful and contemplative. Does the couple work out their differences or call it quits after longing for the summer break?

The Coastline is The Sea Birds’ first vinyl release. The B-side features new tune Am I Over It Now available exclusively with the single. The two songs showcase the band’s indie pop rock sound, stunning vocal harmonies and a glimpse into the evolving work of this Melbourne five-piece.

Featuring a new band line up including dual lead vocalists Lara Wentworth and Loic Mamet, lead guitarist Michael Amarant and rhythm section, James W. du Plessis on drums together with Paul McAleer on bass.

The Sea Birds launch The Coastline at The Grace Darling Hotel with headline performance by Dave Arden and the Kokamara Band, and guest DJ Ritchie 1250 from PBS 106.7FM. The Coastline was produced by David McCluney and The Sea Birds, recorded at Atlantis Sound. Am I Over It Now wasproduced by David Warner and The Sea Birds, recorded at Studio One.Be. WEBSITE.

'The Coastline' is our second song feature for The Sea Birds (the last was in November 2017). This time around there is something of a rhythmic indie rock feel, with the vocals and harmonies carrying more of the melody, it's catchy and makes for a fine single from the bands admirable debut album.

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Cosmic Strip - La Lusid - Mark Sultan

Cosmic Strip - Sugar Rush.

Background - Dreamy shoegazers Cosmic Strip share their latest irresistible dose of psychedelia in new single Sugar Rush, taken from the band’s debut EP Heavenly out now.

Marshalled by supremely talented frontwoman Camella Agabalyan, the London outfit have already attracted a ton of praise with widespread acclaim throughout the online community and encouraging festival displays at the likes of The Great Escape, Citadel and Wilderness.

“I wanted to write a song about the feeling of addiction whether it’s sugar, love, a drug, whatever your vice is”, Camella stated. “I personally really connect to dreamy, druggy songs like Air, My Bloody Valentine, Beach Fossils, Slowdive, The Jesus & The Mary Chain etc so I wanted to inspire myself from that feeling but also show the darker side of addiction that you might not always get from those types of songs”. TWITTER.

Opening layer by layer with some gorgeous and refined guitar work 'Sugar Rush' builds into a dreamy and powerful rocker, where the vocals softly whisper and charm, adding even more atmosphere.

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La Lusid - Gran Canaria.

Background - La Lusid, who released a string of glittering singles in 2017, is now starting to approach a long- awaited debut album. The latest release, ”Empty Bones" and "Safe & Sound" quickly became a favorite of the Swedish national radiostation P3 and music blogs around the world. They also made top spot on Spotify Viral and the Student Radio in Sweden.

Warm, melancholic and dynamic, it’s impossible not to get drawn into their dreamy soundscape. With a sound that is reminiscent of what we love most about 60’s and 70’s analogue music, La Lusid presents themselves with high quality songwriting and sublime vocal arrangements.

They move seamlessly between genres and languages, the debut album contains songs in both Swedish and English and is as much introvert as extrovert. The debut album is recorded, mixed and produced by the band themselves, in their studio that they call ” The Ghost House”. With thoughtful, intelligent pop and clever arrangements, La Lusid has made it into the hearts of many.

"Gran Canaria" is the final single before their self-titled debut album drops on the 28th of September. FACEBOOK.

We have already featured 'Empty Bones' and 'Safe & Sound' this year and 'Gran Canaria' is yet another fabulous song from the very talented La Lusid. Once again the melodic hooks, timeless pop sound and beautiful musical presentation make this band totally standout from the crowd.

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Mark Sultan - Coffin Nails.

Background -  “Coffin Nails”, is taken from forthcoming record ‘Let Me Out’ due out October 12th on Modern Sky USA / Dirty Water Records. “Coffin Nails” features Sultan’s signature soulful vocals alongside winding harmonica and a toe-tapping guitar line, with full band instrumentation by Sultan himself. Crafted and produced in his own Imperfection Studios deep in the forests of Berlin, ‘Let Me Out’ is a return to form by the rock and roll legend whose adventurous decades-long career in music has never sounded more cohesive.

Cosigned by celebrated labels In The Red, Last Gang, Crypt, Fat Possum, Dirtnap, Goner, Sub Pop, Vice, Bomp!, Norton, Sympathy For The Record Industry, and Wick (Daptone Records), Mark Sultan has compiled an impressive discography of collaborations, side projects and solo efforts taking classic garage rock sounds and contorting them in experimental and twisted new ways.

Deep in the forest outside of Berlin, one of rock ’n’ roll’s most under the radar yet omnipresent figures is putting the finishing touches on his latest solo record, but in fact traces of Mark Sultan can be found around the world. Cosigned by celebrated labels In The Red, Last Gang, Crypt, Fat Possum, Dirtnap, Goner, Sub Pop, Vice, Bomp!, Norton, Sympathy For The Record Industry, and Wick (Daptone Records), you’re bound to have come across something with Sultan’s name on it, where over the course of multiple decades he’s compiled an insane discography built from the strength of multiple albums, side projects and top-shelf solo efforts, always with a strong deposition towards taking classic garage-rock sounds and contorting them in experimental and twisted new ways.

For this most recent effort, written, recorded and produced in his own Personal Imperfection studio in Germany, Sultan once again ups the ante, working to implement a full band and fully fleshed out instrumentation. Still encompassing the ethos of individuality and charisma that has lent him a sound that has transcended any era by which you might try to nail him down, it may be his most cohesive statement yet. FACEBOOK.

Described as 60's Garage Wop (complete with hashtag) 'Coffin ''Nails' actually fits that description superbly. Mark Sultan vocals are just right for this kind of music, his commitment to creativity that revolves around old school garage rock, is more than worthy. He is another talented artist that gives credence to the notion that the best rock and roll is always found under the radar.

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