We begin today with Native Harrow and her gorgeous new video for 'Happier Now' a superb and natural indie folk song. Benedict Benjamin share's a fresh and unpretentious rocker with the emphasis on melodic hooks and an upbeat pace. At the time of writing this, Alice Phoebe Lou's new video for 'Galaxies' has already had close to forty thousand views, which is unsurprising, both the song and the video are sublime and totally moreish. We have featured Lowland Hum just once before and they are more than welcome back with this subtle and catchy albeit rather short modern folk song. Grace Acladna mixes quite differing genres together in style, in what is a very pleasing, original and refreshing song. We finish today's round up with Kuri and an original sounding and catchy folk based song, I say 'based' as it morphs comfortably beyond that genre, sounding really good as it does so.
Native Harrow - Happier Now.
Indie folk-pop artist Native Harrow, out of New York's Hudson Valley, has released the official video for the title track off their forthcoming record Happier Now via Different Time Records.
"’Happier Now’ is essentially my own anthem," says singer-songwriter Devin Tuel. "I had this very powerful year of touring and making things happen for myself and feeling like I was getting out from under the waves, but people close to me would still say, ‘Do you ever sing any happy songs? Why are you so sad?’ and I think that that is such a shallow thought to have about any art."
"My songs aren’t meant to crush people, but I live in reality and sadness and struggle have a lot to do with the reality of the human experience. So 'Happier Now' is me saying I could be happier if it makes you feel good, but I won’t because this is who I am, these are my songs, and I like them melancholic."
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Benedict Benjamin - Aint Easy.
Benedict Benjamin is Ben Rubinstein, formerly of The Mariners Children and Peggy Sue. He has just released ‘Ain't Easy’, the first single from his forthcoming album ‘Truant,’ a driving and melodic piece of sixties influenced garage rock.
After writing and recording his debut, Ben turned to a more full band sound for his second album. The early sixties Everly Brothers influences are still present in the melodies, but now there is an urgency and grit to the instrumentation that sits somewhere between The Velvet Underground and Tom Petty or more recent forbears such as Kevin Morby and Angel Olsen.
Speaking on the release of 'Ain't Easy', Benedict said: "This song's about how much work you’ve got to put into anything in order to make it work. It’s about how hard it sometimes is just to keep things afloat and not pack it all in. You go through good spells where everything is great and bad spells where everything feels crap and difficult. When you’re in one of the latter you either persevere or you just give up, and this song’s about the persevering."
His songs undercut the dream-like beauty of early sixties pop music with lyrics both frank and poetic, creating a powerful Lynchian duality that makes the heart swell and the head spin.
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Alice Phoebe Lou - Galaxies.
Having been ensconced in the studio working on her forthcoming album, Paper Castles, Alice Phoebe Lou is pleased to release the new single, "Galaxies."
South African singer-songwriter, Alice has just announced a series of live shows in Europe, as well as North America, having sold out two Cape Town shows in February, which pre-empts her forthcoming album due 8th March. Overseen by Grammy winning producer Noah Georgeson (Devendra Banhart, Joanna Newsom), "Galaxies" follows previous track, "Skin Crawl," described by The FADER as ‘powerful and stunning,’ and is once again accompanied by visuals that portray Lou’s charm and elegant fragility.
The track, as Alice herself explains, “Happened on a rainy moody day in Berlin, my friend Harry Charles & I wrote this song while lying on the carpet of my room. Space had become such a theme in my life & music, not in a scientific way but more in a metaphorical sense; drawing parallels between a planet in the expansive universe & the way that one's tiny & seemingly insignificant existence interacts with the world.
This song is about being nothing & everything. Abut being overwhelmed by the weight of existence while simultaneously being in awe & wonder of it all. 'Galaxies' came to life the first time we played in the Planetarium in Berlin; we've played 13 shows there now & every time I see the visuals come to life & the audience being swept away by the combination of the song with the projections of flying through the galaxies, the song makes so much sense”.
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Lowland Hum - A Drive Through the Countryside.
Lowland Hum have shared a new single from their highly anticipated new album Glyphonic out May 10. Titled "A Drive Through the Countryside," the song is a serene rumination on nature's expanse with ominous undertones. The band tell us, "This one stems from a poem Lauren wrote after feeling both moved and disturbed by the beauty of a drive through the countryside in rural VA. It explores the glory of the landscape here and the horrors of our local history as it relates to slavery and exploitation."
Lowland Hum tour about 200 days out of the year and have done so with the likes of Josh Ritter, The Oh Hellos and more. The indie pioneers will headline a national album release tour this spring including key stops in Nashville, Los Angeles and and New York City. Shows begin this month and the full list of dates is below.
Today's release follows critically hailed singles including "Salzburg Summer," "Raise The Ring" and "Slow," all of which have proven to be steadily infectious. Since album announcement, Lowland Hum have shared the new music at captivating sessions like Paste Studios and City Winery and garnered attention from enthused tastemakers including Billboard, Garden and Gun, Popmatters, Atwood Magazine and more. Glyphonic is the band's fourth studio album and a masterful exploration of the power of restraint, to be released May 10.
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Grace Acladna - When I Saw You.
Grace Acladna, producer, singer, song writer and multi instrumentalist from Hounslow, London has released her long-awaited new single 'When I Saw You'. The first single to be lifted from new EP 'Phonophobia' out this Spring via Hometown Records, Grace has a unique pop sound of her own - fusing nu-house, soca, electronica and dub; partly inspired by her Egyptian, English and Bajan heritage.
Self-produced and written by Grace - ‘When I Saw You’ was written at a time when she had found herself part of a friendship group of overly serious and self conscious people.
"It was really hard to have fun without looking over your shoulder to see who was judging you for it," Grace said. "For me - fun and liberty go hand in hand - so finally I met someone who encouraged me to love and dance freely. This song is a celebration of that relationship and every joyful encounter I’ve had since."
Speaking on the video accompaniment, Grace said: "Our idea behind the video was to convey the soul of the song in an unadulterated way that didn’t take itself too seriously. I was looking at clips of Anna Karina dancing in ‘Vivre sa Vie’ & ‘Bande à part’ as my inspiration for being carefree and not letting anything or anyone steal away your confidence or joy."
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Kuri - Sort Sol.
The new single from British Columbia artist Kuri is entitled 'Sort Sol'. The cinematic folk tune features sweeping acoustic guitars, Irish laced fiddles and harmony rich soundscapes. Reminiscent of Sigur Rós meets Fleet Foxes, ‘Sort Sol’ combines earthy traditional folk and chamber pop for a stunning release.
Though he may be a singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and producer, Kuri chiefly describes himself as “an observer.” His keen insight and sonic curiosity thread together an intriguing framework of carefully constructed and composed alternative on 2018’s debut Human Nature EP [Nevado Music] and the forthcoming 2019 debut album. The foundation remains rooted in organic performances, classically infused orchestration, jazzy freeform spirit, cinematic ambition, and ultimately inspired observation.
“I like to watch, analyze, and create systems in my brain,” he affirms. “As a solo artist, I enjoy the freedom to express exactly what I want by drawing on what I see.”
Born and raised Scott Currie in the city of Abbotsford, British Columbia, he found himself constantly looking outward. The small Mennonite community he grew up in incited “a sense of questioning everything to figure out why we do what we do.” As the youngest of four brothers, mom bought him a drum set to jam with his guitarist siblings. Soon, he transitioned from behind-the-kit to an old piano in the house by the age of twelve. After a string of high school bands, he founded Oh Village and generated a palpable buzz even competing in “B.C.’s Best teen Band” competition.
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Tuesday, 19 February 2019
Saturday, 16 February 2019
Saltwater Sun - Emily Breeze - Fever High - Ghost Caravan
We have to go back to March last year for our only other feature for Saltwater Sun, however their sprightly guitar sound, pleasing vocals and fresh rock feel is there in abundance on this fine new song. Emily Breeze mixes spoken word and song on 'Ego Death' a dark and brooding piece that is also very addictive, whilst the remixes take the track into some fascinating new dimensions. Fever High last graced our pages almost a year ago to the day, and their brand of vibrant Electro pop is again catchy, dynamic and hard to resist. 'Love Me If You Dare' is our second song share from Ghost Caravan whose refined music mixes subtle funk vibes, gorgeous vocals and a musical arrangement that is tight and polished.
Saltwater Sun - Blood.
Reading’s guitar pop sensations Saltwater Sun hurtle into 2019 with blistering new single Blood, the first track taken from forthcoming EP The Great Deceiver out this April.
Punctured by explosive guitars and deftly fusing elements of shoegaze and indie with the edginess of garage rock, the quintet’s typically addictive latest effort follows their 2018 return with heavyweight singles The Wire and Hot Mess, and explores a much more personal element of their songwriting.
“Since the death of my father, I’ve come to know joy as sorrow-tinged throughout each altering epoch and mundane happiness in my life”, states frontwoman Jen Stearnes on the origins of the track. “With age, I mourn less for my loss and more for his, and so endeavor to carry his memory so that he might live on through me. It’s deeply personal, yet completely universal; Blood is about finding solace in the idea that we might transcend death through lineage”.
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Emily Breeze - Ego Death (Single and Remixes).
Bristol based chanteuse Emily Breeze is set to release second single “Ego Death” on the 8th March 2019.
Recorded at Rockfield studios and produced by Stew Jackson (Massive Attack, Nick Cave, Tom Waits), “Ego Death” has already received airplay from Tom Robinson (BBC Radio 6) and was earmarked as his favourite track on forthcoming Emily Breeze album “Rituals”. This single will be accompanied by remixes from Former Bad Seed and David Lynch composer Barry Adamson, Retro Futurist improv maniacs Modulus III and Giallo Disco deviant Antoni Maiovvi.
Seductive as it is cynical, “Ego Death” is a misanthropic fantasy inspired by Emily’s unsavoury internal monologue during her bus ride to work through the bowels of Bristol town centre to an industrial estate on the outskirts of the city. A departure from Breeze and band’s trademark lounge noir offerings, this song sees (Rob Norbury lead guitar, Andy Sutor drums, Duncan Fleming organ and Graham Dalzell bass) in full synth sleaze mode to offset Emily’s tragicomic lyrics such as “I drink a joyless cup of Gregg’s coffee” and “Today’s specials are ego death coupled with a side of nameless longing”. This is dysfunctional pop at its finest for the deranged, disillusioned and dishevelled, as glossy and menacing as Pulp and as smooth and as subversive as Serge Gainsbourg.
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Fever High - Just A Ghost.
Brooklyn's Fever High released “Just a Ghost,” the latest single from their upcoming Avec You EP (out February 22).
“'Just a Ghost' is about the frights of bumping into an ex- a haunting figure that can pop up at any moment stirring up all the hurt and pain all over again. At first you try to dodge the ghost, but one day you face it and find that you've grown. That it no longer possesses the ability to hurt you anymore.” - Anna Nordeen
The duo — multi-instrumentalists Reni Lane and Anna Nordeen — have found fans in places like Billboard, NPR Music, BlackBook, Bitch Media, The New York Times, The Guardian, and Interview Magazine who described the group’s sound as a “fizzy blast of electro-pop.” The Avec You EP also features production from Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne, Ivy) who produced the indie-pop duo’s 2017 album FHNY and their 2016 debut EP All Work. The EP’s title track was featured on Spotify’s New Music Friday and Indie Pop playlists upon release.
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Ghost Caravan - Love Me If You Dare.
“Love Me If You Dare” is Ghost Caravan’s love letter to retro pop.
Says lead vocalist Shaina Silver-Baird, “I get to sing through the roller coaster ups-and-downs of falling for a new lover and the internal war between confidence and vulnerability, ego and doubt that is inherent in explosive love. It’s both a challenge (love me if you dare) and a plea (would you follow me?I would follow anywhere!). One of the things I love most about “Love Me If You Dare” is that, just like the emotions it represents, the track takes you on an unexpected journey; musical arrangements change and double back, beats alter, breaking your expectations. It’s somehow cool and fiery, groovy and experimental all at once.”
“Love Me If You Dare” was produced by Graham Stairs. Recording this song felt like a breeze. Despite it’s challenging nature, the band including Juliana Iannuzziello on keyboards, Michelle Faehrmann on five string electric cello and Sarah Riegler on drums and percussion has been playing it live off and on for a while now, so we already had a groove that we could sink into. The most challenging component was identifying and capturing the many layers; from two counterpoint bass parts to multiple layers of percussion and harmonies.
The song was co-written by Martha Johnson and Mark Gane of Martha and the Muffins who had a worldwide hit in the 80’s with the song Echo Beach and toured with Roxy Music. Three of their albums were co-produced by Daniel Lanois (Peter Gabriel/Brian Eno). The dance mix of another one of their songs, “Black Stations/White Stations,” was number 2 on the Billboard Dance Chart, only beaten out to the number 1 spot by “When Doves Cry” by Prince.
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Saltwater Sun - Blood.
Reading’s guitar pop sensations Saltwater Sun hurtle into 2019 with blistering new single Blood, the first track taken from forthcoming EP The Great Deceiver out this April.
Punctured by explosive guitars and deftly fusing elements of shoegaze and indie with the edginess of garage rock, the quintet’s typically addictive latest effort follows their 2018 return with heavyweight singles The Wire and Hot Mess, and explores a much more personal element of their songwriting.
“Since the death of my father, I’ve come to know joy as sorrow-tinged throughout each altering epoch and mundane happiness in my life”, states frontwoman Jen Stearnes on the origins of the track. “With age, I mourn less for my loss and more for his, and so endeavor to carry his memory so that he might live on through me. It’s deeply personal, yet completely universal; Blood is about finding solace in the idea that we might transcend death through lineage”.
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Emily Breeze - Ego Death (Single and Remixes).
Bristol based chanteuse Emily Breeze is set to release second single “Ego Death” on the 8th March 2019.
Recorded at Rockfield studios and produced by Stew Jackson (Massive Attack, Nick Cave, Tom Waits), “Ego Death” has already received airplay from Tom Robinson (BBC Radio 6) and was earmarked as his favourite track on forthcoming Emily Breeze album “Rituals”. This single will be accompanied by remixes from Former Bad Seed and David Lynch composer Barry Adamson, Retro Futurist improv maniacs Modulus III and Giallo Disco deviant Antoni Maiovvi.
Seductive as it is cynical, “Ego Death” is a misanthropic fantasy inspired by Emily’s unsavoury internal monologue during her bus ride to work through the bowels of Bristol town centre to an industrial estate on the outskirts of the city. A departure from Breeze and band’s trademark lounge noir offerings, this song sees (Rob Norbury lead guitar, Andy Sutor drums, Duncan Fleming organ and Graham Dalzell bass) in full synth sleaze mode to offset Emily’s tragicomic lyrics such as “I drink a joyless cup of Gregg’s coffee” and “Today’s specials are ego death coupled with a side of nameless longing”. This is dysfunctional pop at its finest for the deranged, disillusioned and dishevelled, as glossy and menacing as Pulp and as smooth and as subversive as Serge Gainsbourg.
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Fever High - Just A Ghost.
Brooklyn's Fever High released “Just a Ghost,” the latest single from their upcoming Avec You EP (out February 22).
“'Just a Ghost' is about the frights of bumping into an ex- a haunting figure that can pop up at any moment stirring up all the hurt and pain all over again. At first you try to dodge the ghost, but one day you face it and find that you've grown. That it no longer possesses the ability to hurt you anymore.” - Anna Nordeen
The duo — multi-instrumentalists Reni Lane and Anna Nordeen — have found fans in places like Billboard, NPR Music, BlackBook, Bitch Media, The New York Times, The Guardian, and Interview Magazine who described the group’s sound as a “fizzy blast of electro-pop.” The Avec You EP also features production from Adam Schlesinger (Fountains of Wayne, Ivy) who produced the indie-pop duo’s 2017 album FHNY and their 2016 debut EP All Work. The EP’s title track was featured on Spotify’s New Music Friday and Indie Pop playlists upon release.
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Ghost Caravan - Love Me If You Dare.
“Love Me If You Dare” is Ghost Caravan’s love letter to retro pop.
Says lead vocalist Shaina Silver-Baird, “I get to sing through the roller coaster ups-and-downs of falling for a new lover and the internal war between confidence and vulnerability, ego and doubt that is inherent in explosive love. It’s both a challenge (love me if you dare) and a plea (would you follow me?I would follow anywhere!). One of the things I love most about “Love Me If You Dare” is that, just like the emotions it represents, the track takes you on an unexpected journey; musical arrangements change and double back, beats alter, breaking your expectations. It’s somehow cool and fiery, groovy and experimental all at once.”
“Love Me If You Dare” was produced by Graham Stairs. Recording this song felt like a breeze. Despite it’s challenging nature, the band including Juliana Iannuzziello on keyboards, Michelle Faehrmann on five string electric cello and Sarah Riegler on drums and percussion has been playing it live off and on for a while now, so we already had a groove that we could sink into. The most challenging component was identifying and capturing the many layers; from two counterpoint bass parts to multiple layers of percussion and harmonies.
The song was co-written by Martha Johnson and Mark Gane of Martha and the Muffins who had a worldwide hit in the 80’s with the song Echo Beach and toured with Roxy Music. Three of their albums were co-produced by Daniel Lanois (Peter Gabriel/Brian Eno). The dance mix of another one of their songs, “Black Stations/White Stations,” was number 2 on the Billboard Dance Chart, only beaten out to the number 1 spot by “When Doves Cry” by Prince.
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Friday, 15 February 2019
Leem Of Earth - Vilma Flood - Hush Pup - Grace Inspace
Leem Of Earth return with another really fine song to share, we featured a track from their Chapter One release last October and with Chapter Two they continue to develop some intriguing and creative music. Vilma Flood's vocals are something special in their own right, add in some superb song writing and refined musicianship, and we arrive with something unique and beautiful. Hush Pup tell their story for the new song 'The Hours' a gorgeously melodic and dreamy track crammed with hooks. It's back to July last year for our first Grace Inspace feature, and the new song was worth the wait after the debut E.P, as we are treated to some fabulous protest pop that is both clever and very catchy.
Leem Of Earth - Only So Many Ways.
On Chapter Two, Florida band Leem of Earth continue the musical expedition they began on Chapter One (which was released in Oct.). This three song release expands on the sound and the story. The sound is a nod to the vibe of the best nineties bands part romance and part grunge. The band cites The Innocence Mission, Radiohead and Sunny Day Real Estate as some of their favorite bands from the period.
With Chapter Two, the band adds in otherworldly aspects. "Water" is a Peter Gabriel-style conversation with a skeleton. In "Faithful Lights", the sun and moon watch over the dreaming narrator, and the music swells and surges with synth, voice and rhythm section all keeping pace with each other. "Only So Many Ways" features guitarist B's towering electric, while N on bass and E on drums are vivid and relentless, and LM's velvety voice wraps it all up.
Producer Jeremy SH Griffith (Johnnyswim, SUNBEAMS!) lends his synth expertise and creates a couple of codas from tiny pieces of the songs. Leem of Earth's sound and vision is ethereal and not all that easy to describe, but we think that's definitely a good thing.
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Vilma Flood - Fan of You.
Vilma and famed producer Tobias Fröberg explores musical landscape way beyond the blues- and country influenced sounds of her 2016 debut album. Up coming ”Moodswinger” was recorded at Fröberg’s studio on the Swedish island Gotland in the darkest hours of December, with a constant fire going to keep the cold out.
Inspiration was drawn from the following artists, all tied together by their strong voices, dark lyrics and fragile, detailed soundscapes: Melanie Safka, Ane Brun, Leonard Cohen, Karen Dalton and Alela Diane.
The tracks were built around the pedal steel, slide guitar, big sounding drums, harmony vocals and Vilma’s vibrating, immediately recognizable voice.
”Moodswinger” will be released on April 26th, with first single ”Fan of You” out now!
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Hush Pup - The Hours.
We’re Hush Pup & we make music that sounds a lot like driving at night through the board game Candyland – soft cotton candy trees brush up against the windows of your glass car as you ride toward a friend's cabin nearby the molasses swamp.
“The Hours” is a song about kindness. It's about being sweet and slow as a practice. It’s inspired by a scene from an Allen Ginsberg documentary where he conducts a workshop that integrates spirituality into artistic practice.
Watching this, I felt as if he had created a kindness crew. “The Hours” is written from the perspective of this crew. They're taking time to be gentle & they're high on that concept. The video for “The Hours” was made by members of our kindness crew. Emma Thais Holland & Jameel Mulani combined their super-8 footage with colourful karaoke text.
Our Flower Power EP & Panacea, a romantic film-inspired album, will be released on a double cassette with Lone Hand (lonehand.xyz) in March.
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Grace Inspace - Paradise Syndrome.
English-American musician Grace Inspace introduced herself with her ‘Protest Pop” sound last year and has announced a brand new single Paradise Syndrome released on 14th February.
The single follows her debut EP release Lazy Grace’s Apocalyptic Kitchen Vol.1 which featured the singles Tame Teens, Watersource, Uncertain, CA and Go Slow. The 4-track EP was produced in part by John King of the Dust Brothers and featured Steve Perkins of Jane’s Addiction and Nick McCabe of The Verve.
22-year-old Grace has a mature head on her young shoulders, with politically-charged character-driven lyrics amidst collaged soundscapes, which address current issues in the world in a humorous and refreshing way.
Paradise Syndrome kickstarts 2019 with a unique musical style; it's melodic and catchy chorus is Capital "P" Pop, but the track also puts the "on" in conscious with a satirical message about a culture that insists on high comfort levels.Grace says; “It’s about the condition that haunts the western world; feeling unsatisfied and anxious even though all your needs are met.”
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Leem Of Earth - Only So Many Ways.
On Chapter Two, Florida band Leem of Earth continue the musical expedition they began on Chapter One (which was released in Oct.). This three song release expands on the sound and the story. The sound is a nod to the vibe of the best nineties bands part romance and part grunge. The band cites The Innocence Mission, Radiohead and Sunny Day Real Estate as some of their favorite bands from the period.
With Chapter Two, the band adds in otherworldly aspects. "Water" is a Peter Gabriel-style conversation with a skeleton. In "Faithful Lights", the sun and moon watch over the dreaming narrator, and the music swells and surges with synth, voice and rhythm section all keeping pace with each other. "Only So Many Ways" features guitarist B's towering electric, while N on bass and E on drums are vivid and relentless, and LM's velvety voice wraps it all up.
Producer Jeremy SH Griffith (Johnnyswim, SUNBEAMS!) lends his synth expertise and creates a couple of codas from tiny pieces of the songs. Leem of Earth's sound and vision is ethereal and not all that easy to describe, but we think that's definitely a good thing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vilma Flood - Fan of You.
Vilma and famed producer Tobias Fröberg explores musical landscape way beyond the blues- and country influenced sounds of her 2016 debut album. Up coming ”Moodswinger” was recorded at Fröberg’s studio on the Swedish island Gotland in the darkest hours of December, with a constant fire going to keep the cold out.
Inspiration was drawn from the following artists, all tied together by their strong voices, dark lyrics and fragile, detailed soundscapes: Melanie Safka, Ane Brun, Leonard Cohen, Karen Dalton and Alela Diane.
The tracks were built around the pedal steel, slide guitar, big sounding drums, harmony vocals and Vilma’s vibrating, immediately recognizable voice.
”Moodswinger” will be released on April 26th, with first single ”Fan of You” out now!
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Hush Pup - The Hours.
We’re Hush Pup & we make music that sounds a lot like driving at night through the board game Candyland – soft cotton candy trees brush up against the windows of your glass car as you ride toward a friend's cabin nearby the molasses swamp.
“The Hours” is a song about kindness. It's about being sweet and slow as a practice. It’s inspired by a scene from an Allen Ginsberg documentary where he conducts a workshop that integrates spirituality into artistic practice.
Watching this, I felt as if he had created a kindness crew. “The Hours” is written from the perspective of this crew. They're taking time to be gentle & they're high on that concept. The video for “The Hours” was made by members of our kindness crew. Emma Thais Holland & Jameel Mulani combined their super-8 footage with colourful karaoke text.
Our Flower Power EP & Panacea, a romantic film-inspired album, will be released on a double cassette with Lone Hand (lonehand.xyz) in March.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grace Inspace - Paradise Syndrome.
English-American musician Grace Inspace introduced herself with her ‘Protest Pop” sound last year and has announced a brand new single Paradise Syndrome released on 14th February.
The single follows her debut EP release Lazy Grace’s Apocalyptic Kitchen Vol.1 which featured the singles Tame Teens, Watersource, Uncertain, CA and Go Slow. The 4-track EP was produced in part by John King of the Dust Brothers and featured Steve Perkins of Jane’s Addiction and Nick McCabe of The Verve.
22-year-old Grace has a mature head on her young shoulders, with politically-charged character-driven lyrics amidst collaged soundscapes, which address current issues in the world in a humorous and refreshing way.
Paradise Syndrome kickstarts 2019 with a unique musical style; it's melodic and catchy chorus is Capital "P" Pop, but the track also puts the "on" in conscious with a satirical message about a culture that insists on high comfort levels.Grace says; “It’s about the condition that haunts the western world; feeling unsatisfied and anxious even though all your needs are met.”
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Tuesday, 12 February 2019
Edmond Jefferson & Sons - Talkboy - Orla Gartland - The Great Escape
Swiss band Edmond Jefferson & Sons create a beautifully atmospheric vibe with a level of energy simmering and slowly building both vocally and musically. Talkboy's lively indie rock/pop is infectious with 'Someone Else For You' going someway to explain the growing interest in this fine band. We have a thought provoking and personal song from Orla Gartland where her melodic vocals are outstanding. The Great Escape take us on a creative sonic journey with delicious vocals and a beautifully constructed musical arrangement with hints of psych and quirkiness, leaving me looking forward to the series of releases they have planned for the year.
Edmond Jefferson & Sons - The Winter.
Oscillating between explosive riffs, dark rock and soft ballads, their music is perfectly harmonised by organic sound textures and a mesmerising voice...
A few weeks after unveiling the single "Helsinki", Swiss 70's alternative / explosive-blues rockers Edmond Jefferson & Sons shared another excerpt from their upcoming effort with the music video of "The Winter".
The song will feature on the band's second full-length album also called 'The Winter' and planned for CD, LP & Digital on March 8th through Hummus Records (Emilie Zoé, Killbody Tuning, H E X....).
“The Winter is a melody that resonates in the wind, a wanted notice addressed to sweetness. Hills just before nightfall, that moment when everything takes on a blue colour, a feverish guitar line that appears in the air, a mild cold soothes the forehead of the one who thinks he is inconsolable.” (Josette Seydoux, vocals).
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Talkboy - Someone Else For You.
Capitalising on their growing status as one of the city’s hottest prospects, Leeds indie risers Talkboy share addictive new offering Someone Else For You.
Partnering up with Leeds label Come Play With Me and LAB Records, the sextet’s first release of 2019 continues to showcase their remarkable versatility with delicious melodies and compelling guitar work firmly justifying the growing hype surrounding the Yorkshire outfit.
With the obvious influences of contemporaries Alvvays and The Big Moon nestled deep within their sound, the band’s glowing brand of indie pop has already drawn acclaim from the online community and support slots alongside the likes of Bully, Caro and Our Girl, owing much to their budding live reputation.
Discussing their forthcoming release, guitarist Tim Malkin revealed: “Someone Else For You is our first venture into the scary world of the love song. It’s a very honest account of a relationship I had that wasn’t even really a relationship. In retrospect, it was one of those that meant a whole lot more to me than it did to the other person, it’s weird to look back and think of all the things you did to try to impress someone. Ultimately, I think you just have to be you, which is sometimes a lot easier said than done”.
With a slew of releases in the pipeline and several festival appearances already lined up (including Live At Leeds), 2019 promises to be a thrilling year for the fledgling six-piece.
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Orla Gartland - Why Am I Like This?
Dublin-born, London-based singer-songwriter Orla Gartland returns with a new single ‘Why Am I Like This?’. With a songwriting skill, perception and maturity that belies her young years, Gartland has created an existential pop track for her generation. ‘Why Am I Like This?’ articulates what many suffer but simply can’t put into words – feelings of social anxiety, self-doubt and the strain of that constant negative voice in one’s own head.
“Maybe I’m an old soul in a young body,
Maybe you don’t really want me there at your birthday party.
I’ll be there in the corner,
thinking right over everything single word of the conversation we just had.”
- ‘Why Am I Like This?’
With comparisons already made to the confessional and cathartic pop of Stevie Nicks, Gartland has a reputation for being brutally honest and always personal in her writing, with ‘Why Am I Like This?’ being her most vulnerable and inward-facing song to date. She expands: “’Why Am I Like This?’ started with me reflecting on a couple situations, filled with regret and forever fixated what I could have done, what I could have said. As the chorus hits we cycle around the same question again and again, as if stuck in a loop - Why Am I Like This?”.
‘Why Am I Like This?’ is a soul-searching pop ballad coloured with a pop, with Gartland taking inspiration from the multi-layered, characterful indie sounds of artists such as Regina Spektor and St. Vincent.
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The Great Escape - Possibilities.
About to return with its third full-length Pulsing Synchronicity, an album to be released as a series of stand-alone singles throughout 2019, Venice-based trio The Great Escape unleashes brand-new track “Possibilities” this week – an incredibly sweet and sexy, psychedelic trip that zooms in on life’s countless possibilities.
Back with a brand-new, seductively minimalist sound that’s nevertheless still raw around the edges, “Possibilities” perfectly encapsulates The Great Escape’s new approach: playful, sexy and flirtatious, the single manages to feel confident and mysterious at the same time. Whereas singer Hanna Leess’ voice sounds more like a modern-day northern fairy queen (think Icelandic mic slinger 2019), it’s a psychedelic underwater tune that, in its eclectic minimalism, mirrors the countless possibilities we face as human beings – and the resulting uniqueness of each moment that passes.
Boasting lush and warm production, “Possibilities” comes with all sorts of surprising, quirky elements: Slowly drifting through the aquatic maze, the Rhodes are somewhat reminiscent of Jim Morrison’s hey-days, while early hip-hop roots shine through in Leess’ experimental call-and-response lyricism (featuring cat meows!). A shape-shifting and bubbling sound collage that also incorporates classic movie samples, Mellotron harps, guitars, and a Theremin, it’s an irresistible 4-minute trip through a futuristic wonderland of sonic opportunities…
Releasing the new album as a series of stand-alone tracks over the course of 2019, The Great Escape continue to break new ground visually as well: The cover art to “Possibilities” is the first in a series of 9 original artworks created to accompany each track (8 tracks plus album cover) – a spectacular collaboration with up-and-coming artist Gino Belassen from Phoenix, AZ that is going to see its gallery premiere once all tracks are unleashed. For the new single, Belassen concentrated on a fittingly minimalist palette, relying on fingernail scratches that reveal dark layers underneath a pink surface.
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Edmond Jefferson & Sons - The Winter.
Oscillating between explosive riffs, dark rock and soft ballads, their music is perfectly harmonised by organic sound textures and a mesmerising voice...
A few weeks after unveiling the single "Helsinki", Swiss 70's alternative / explosive-blues rockers Edmond Jefferson & Sons shared another excerpt from their upcoming effort with the music video of "The Winter".
The song will feature on the band's second full-length album also called 'The Winter' and planned for CD, LP & Digital on March 8th through Hummus Records (Emilie Zoé, Killbody Tuning, H E X....).
“The Winter is a melody that resonates in the wind, a wanted notice addressed to sweetness. Hills just before nightfall, that moment when everything takes on a blue colour, a feverish guitar line that appears in the air, a mild cold soothes the forehead of the one who thinks he is inconsolable.” (Josette Seydoux, vocals).
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Talkboy - Someone Else For You.
Capitalising on their growing status as one of the city’s hottest prospects, Leeds indie risers Talkboy share addictive new offering Someone Else For You.
Partnering up with Leeds label Come Play With Me and LAB Records, the sextet’s first release of 2019 continues to showcase their remarkable versatility with delicious melodies and compelling guitar work firmly justifying the growing hype surrounding the Yorkshire outfit.
With the obvious influences of contemporaries Alvvays and The Big Moon nestled deep within their sound, the band’s glowing brand of indie pop has already drawn acclaim from the online community and support slots alongside the likes of Bully, Caro and Our Girl, owing much to their budding live reputation.
Discussing their forthcoming release, guitarist Tim Malkin revealed: “Someone Else For You is our first venture into the scary world of the love song. It’s a very honest account of a relationship I had that wasn’t even really a relationship. In retrospect, it was one of those that meant a whole lot more to me than it did to the other person, it’s weird to look back and think of all the things you did to try to impress someone. Ultimately, I think you just have to be you, which is sometimes a lot easier said than done”.
With a slew of releases in the pipeline and several festival appearances already lined up (including Live At Leeds), 2019 promises to be a thrilling year for the fledgling six-piece.
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Orla Gartland - Why Am I Like This?
Dublin-born, London-based singer-songwriter Orla Gartland returns with a new single ‘Why Am I Like This?’. With a songwriting skill, perception and maturity that belies her young years, Gartland has created an existential pop track for her generation. ‘Why Am I Like This?’ articulates what many suffer but simply can’t put into words – feelings of social anxiety, self-doubt and the strain of that constant negative voice in one’s own head.
“Maybe I’m an old soul in a young body,
Maybe you don’t really want me there at your birthday party.
I’ll be there in the corner,
thinking right over everything single word of the conversation we just had.”
- ‘Why Am I Like This?’
With comparisons already made to the confessional and cathartic pop of Stevie Nicks, Gartland has a reputation for being brutally honest and always personal in her writing, with ‘Why Am I Like This?’ being her most vulnerable and inward-facing song to date. She expands: “’Why Am I Like This?’ started with me reflecting on a couple situations, filled with regret and forever fixated what I could have done, what I could have said. As the chorus hits we cycle around the same question again and again, as if stuck in a loop - Why Am I Like This?”.
‘Why Am I Like This?’ is a soul-searching pop ballad coloured with a pop, with Gartland taking inspiration from the multi-layered, characterful indie sounds of artists such as Regina Spektor and St. Vincent.
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The Great Escape - Possibilities.
About to return with its third full-length Pulsing Synchronicity, an album to be released as a series of stand-alone singles throughout 2019, Venice-based trio The Great Escape unleashes brand-new track “Possibilities” this week – an incredibly sweet and sexy, psychedelic trip that zooms in on life’s countless possibilities.
Back with a brand-new, seductively minimalist sound that’s nevertheless still raw around the edges, “Possibilities” perfectly encapsulates The Great Escape’s new approach: playful, sexy and flirtatious, the single manages to feel confident and mysterious at the same time. Whereas singer Hanna Leess’ voice sounds more like a modern-day northern fairy queen (think Icelandic mic slinger 2019), it’s a psychedelic underwater tune that, in its eclectic minimalism, mirrors the countless possibilities we face as human beings – and the resulting uniqueness of each moment that passes.
Boasting lush and warm production, “Possibilities” comes with all sorts of surprising, quirky elements: Slowly drifting through the aquatic maze, the Rhodes are somewhat reminiscent of Jim Morrison’s hey-days, while early hip-hop roots shine through in Leess’ experimental call-and-response lyricism (featuring cat meows!). A shape-shifting and bubbling sound collage that also incorporates classic movie samples, Mellotron harps, guitars, and a Theremin, it’s an irresistible 4-minute trip through a futuristic wonderland of sonic opportunities…
Releasing the new album as a series of stand-alone tracks over the course of 2019, The Great Escape continue to break new ground visually as well: The cover art to “Possibilities” is the first in a series of 9 original artworks created to accompany each track (8 tracks plus album cover) – a spectacular collaboration with up-and-coming artist Gino Belassen from Phoenix, AZ that is going to see its gallery premiere once all tracks are unleashed. For the new single, Belassen concentrated on a fittingly minimalist palette, relying on fingernail scratches that reveal dark layers underneath a pink surface.
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