Sunday, 10 March 2019

Holly Abraham - The Wild State - John Southworth - Alf Hale

'Refine In Fire' by Holly Abraham exudes atmosphere as the acoustic guitar and soft layers of electronic sounds combine to make a sophisticated backdrop for her beautiful vocals. We featured 'Air Runs Out' by The Wild State just over a month ago, and 'Youth' is a contrasting follow up, the bands musicianship is striking and the vocals add real character. John Southworth shares a memorable song where the simple key changes, understated musical arrangement and his personal and tender vocals are just splendid. We have two of the eleven songs that make up 'The Rainy Season' album due out in May, between them they give a good flavour of what to expect within this very fine collection of songs.


Holly Abraham - Refined In Fire.

Refined in Fire is the 2nd single and the captivating title track of Holly Abraham’s forthcoming debut EP. Haunting vocals accompanied by melancholic acoustic guitar, and intricate electronic details create an atmospheric track that maintains both vulnerability and power.

Regarding the single, Abraham says: “Refined In Fire is inspired by a difficult season a group of friends and I went through a few years ago. It’s a reminder that though we never desire painful life experiences, they are necessary for growth and change to occur in us as people. Though it can be raw and messy, it is always worth the gold found on the other side - we just have to remember to look for it.

Holly Abraham is a mellow indie folk singer/songwriter originally from Wales, now based in Bristol. Combining deep, soulful lyrics with raw, misty vocal tones, Holly creates mesmerising melodies which will leave listeners both captivated and enamoured.

After spending the first half of 2018 on a soul-searching trip to Australia and Cambodia, Holly solidified her ambient sound and developed her identity as a solo artist. Inspired by musicians such as Novo Amor and Of Monsters and Men, Abraham began working closely alongside Norwegian producer and lead singer of indie-pop band Firewoodisland - Stian Vedoy. Together they produced Abraham’s debut single “Shore”, which picked up love from BBC Introducing in the West, Indie playlist-curators like Alex Rainbird Music and Indie Folk Central and have accumulated over 18.000 streams on Spotify in only 3 months.


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The Wild State - Youth.

With the release of their powerful debut single 'Air Runs Out' last month, enigmatic new Brighton band The Wild State were instantly earmarked as ones to watch, garnering high praise and comparisons to likes of The War On Drugs and Bon Iver. Today they have shared their follow up track, 'Youth'; a beautiful, melancholic and orchestral ode to juvenescent love.

Speaking about the track, the band's drummer and one of two lead vocalists Oliver Spalding explains "The whole song is viewed from the perspective of someone looking back on their youth, and the intense, desperate and very real love that comes with naivety. Those feelings we experience when reminiscing are rose tinted and dreamlike and that's exactly what we wanted to re create in music".

The Wild State began making music together whilst studying songwriting together at BIMM, and worked in earnest to create their beauteous debut album. From the strength of their initial demos, the band signed a publishing deal with IAMSOUND Music and have now returned from recording their forthcoming debut LP 'Light Along The Waves' in Connecticut, with legendary producer Peter Katis (The National, Interpol, Kurt Vile).

The two singles released thus far are an epic and emotionally rich introduction to the British band, who are already garnering excitement industry wide for their impeccable live show.

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John Southworth - I Loved My Girl.

John Southworth is an archaeologist of love, sifting through relics and artefacts, the compost of this world’s memory, revealing stories that feel caught in slow motion, in mid-air, no beginnings or endings. Everything has always existed in this chaotic present; once distant stars now the altars of Tin Pan-Schubert Alley. Today, the prolific artist shares 'I Loved My Girl', the beautiful first single from his new album, Miracle in the Night.

Out 3rd May on Tin Angel Records (Nicholas Krgovich, Crack Cloud, Trembling Bells), the songs of Miracle in the Night read like a stoic’s recital of an untraceable lieder. Carefully, each is a gradual, unfurling cadence. You may recognise his long-time band ‘The South Seas’ - gentle and steady, calm and restrained, playing just before dawn, a solstice cabaret in a megalithic tower. The endless red curtains from the Lynch dimension rise and fall around you.

Talking about the album, Southworth said: "The songs exist in a kind of inner dimension I like to regularly visit, outside the bubble and the babble. They only really work at night. And only can be really sung in the still of the night. Each a kind of nocturnal prayer. Each containing a little miracle. A little spell. Designed to get you across the almighty swinging bridge, from here to eternity!"

In this world, John Southworth lives in Toronto with his family, teaches the art of song, appears in films and wanders the parks looking for clues. This is his 12th full-length release, arriving on the hooves of 2016’s Small Town Water Tower, which crosshatched a glam-pop ooze into the rigorous comparative mythology of 2014’s epic Niagara. Similarly rich with symbol and folklore and pristine melodies, Miracle in the Night offers us a delicacy of fantasy, focusing our attention into a state of constant revelation, alive in song.

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Alf Hale - My Lover's Arms / Naive (from The Rainy Season Album).

"The Rainy Season" is the second full length album from singer/songwriter Alf Hale which is due for release May 10th.

Having spent almost a decade in the wilderness, Singer / Songwriter Alf Hale had a spectacular return to the music scene with his EP 'Misanthrope' which chronicled his remarkable journey from the depths of alcoholism to his eventual redemption.

This was swiftly followed up by his debut album 'City on a Hill' which saw Alf, accompanied by fiddle player Jade Morris, channel the dark underbelly of Southern American Country, Folk and Blues infused with his unmistakable English charm.

Hoping to build on the success of his first two releases comes "The Rainy Season", which sees Alf yet again take on a new musical direction. Unlike City On a Hill, a more stripped back affair, The Rainy Season saw Alf take to the studio with a full band in tow delivering a fuller, darker sound. 


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Friday, 8 March 2019

Julia Rakel - Paige Stark - Hush Pup

Julia Rakel's music might be described as lo-fi, however it's also packs a dreamy punch with the layers of gentle sounds and her seductive vocals. We've featured Paige Stark once before as a solo artist, along with several Tashaki Miyaki appearances, and she continues to really impress with her latest offering 'Depression Song'. It's less than a month since we first shared 'The Hours' from Hush Pup, 'Oasis' is a very welcome follow up where their experimental pop is once again blissful and endearing.

Julia Rakel - You're Not Getting It.

Umeå-via-Malmö Swedish musician and producer Julia Rakel is the latest addition to Stockholm indie label Rama Lama Records' (Melby, Steve Buscemi's Dreamy Eyes, Chez Ali etc.) roster. Debut single PDFILWM was released in January and have since grabbed the attention from influential Swedish media as well as international blogs, calling it a "lo-fi gem", followed by People in February. New single You're Not Getting It is out now and is the third and final look into Julia's peculiar bedroom pop before her six track debut EP on March 15. 

Just like previous singles You're Not Getting It is the result of hours of music making in the lonesome bedroom. Julia works at the well-known Malmö studio Tambourine and her credits include sound design and music for the award-winning short film Plankton. With her expertise as a producer she's refined her stripped-down sketches to a daydreaming beautiful soundscape that develops with every listen. This, put together with Julia's individual vocals and often ironic lyrics, create a intimate and memorable sound that there will be plenty more of during the upcoming months.

Debut EP indie fEElz lands on March 15. A six track creation that according to Julia is a try to deal with the very different kinds of relationships we have with each other and ourselves through "a lot of irony, drum machines and way too many choir parts". The tracks treat universal topics such as forced acquaintances, love, desperate attempts to be understood, how we feel about our egos and a sad celebration of friendships.

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Paige Stark - Depression Song.

Paige Stark (of Tashaki Miyaki) releases "Depression Song."

Paige Stark is a songwriter, multi-intstrumentalist, & producer from Los Angeles, California. She has released records with her band Tashaki Miyaki & contributed production to fellow Angelenos L.A. Witch & Cherry Glazzerr as well as her own band, Tashaki Miyaki.

This is her debut solo effort. It was recorded by Grammy winning engineer Cassidy Turbin (Beck) with contributions by Jon Brion.

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Hush Pup - Oasis.

Inspired by the films 3 Women and Paris Texas, "Oasis" is about a feeling of blurriness. Sometimes the blur feels blissful and sometimes it feels like a loss of identity. Going in and out of this blur, occasionally you find something to cling to, that's the oasis. Sonically the track is inspired by dusty landscapes and Danny Elfman's music in Pee-wee's Big Adventure.

Hush Pup makes experimental pop music that sounds a lot like driving at night through the board game Candy Land, 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. Forming for a show in 2012, they have since played across Canada, the U.S. & Europe.

Their EP ‘Flower Power’ & LP ‘Panacea’, a romantic film-inspired album, will be released on a double cassette with Lone Hand (lonehand.xyz) in March 2019.


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Thursday, 7 March 2019

Sarah P - The Ninth Chapter - The Arthur Brothers - Trouble in the Wind

We featured the 'Maenads' E.P by Sarah P. back in January however the video for the excellent title track is well worth a share. Australian six piece band The Ninth Chapter mix the genres and styles up with a funk meets folk kinda song. We featured The Arthur Brothers a couple of times last year and now we have an award winning video from them for what is a really good song entitled 'Violet Hum'. Trouble In The Wind share a gorgeous rocker with plenty of passion and feeling to round things off today.

Sarah P. - Maenads.

Maenads is a disco-inspired song about those nights that are empty of feelings. The video's visuals are a fast-forward to Sarah's life in Berlin - rather secluded, away from distractions. "This isolation-by-choice gave me time to process life events that had shaped me."

The song's video features Sarah and Sabina Smith-Moreland cast as a bird that symbolizes mental illness. The video shows the importance of coming to terms with own struggles while not letting them overtake one's life. "I’ve been struggling with depression and anxiety for a long time, but I'm convinced that it's possible to control one’s mental health, rather than living a life controlled by mental illness," Sarah shares.

"Mental illness never truly goes away, but learning more about it can help understand what’s going on inside your body and mind and therefore, control it better."

Sarah P. on the filming of the video: "For the last part of the Maenads trilogy, I decided to film in Berlin - where it all started for me. This video is perhaps my least “ethereal” work-to-date - with “ethereal” being a word that’s often used to describe my work. Berlin isn’t ethereal - it’s boxy and well structured in its chaos. Berlin’s light is very different compared to the light in Athens; in Berlin, the light is moody and arrogant - especially during the winter, where it makes rare appearances. Maenads was filmed at Theaterhaus Berlin - a space that felt homely and brought me closer to my drama school years. I had the pleasure to work with photographer and visual artist Colette Pomerleau and dancer Sabina Smith-Moreland. For the coloring of the video, I worked once again with David Hofmann who previously colored the other two parts of the Maenads trilogy. Although the concept and set are meant to symbolize my life in Berlin, my “Greek Maenads” (Clio “Lil Cli” Arvaniti, Dora Pantazopoulou, Rania Ainiti, Marianna Pagrakioti) make a special appearance on Maenads TV. The additional visuals were filmed & edited by George Geranios, on a rooftop in Athens - the concrete jungle. Lastly, Apostolia Gogara is responsible for the fantastic hair and makeup of the additional visuals."


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The Ninth Chapter - My Own Time.

The Ninth Chapter possess a powerful ability to groove. Layering elements of funk, blues and folk, the Australian six-piece revel in exciting songwriting that takes listeners on a diverse musical journey. With over a decade of touring and three EPs to their name, the band successfully launched their first full-length over the weekend with two massive shows -  to keep the good vibes flowing, The Ninth Chapter will be taking their hot show through NSW and Qld over the coming months.

As an amazing live outfit The Ninth Chapter are renown for pairing its heavy groove with thumping horns, but on record the group sculpt a vast landscape of sounds, moods and tempos - a definitive representation of where The Ninth Chapter's musical evolution has taken them. Led by Jaz Munro’s bluesy vocals and slinky guitar, the ablum is a showcase of The Ninth Chapter's dynamic sound: the driving rhythm section of bassist Daniel Bowland and drummer Zac Page, the expansive percussion of Glen McClymont, and the richly layered horn section of Dillon Carlsson and Tom Hilliar.

Following on from the aptly titled taster What's Going To Happen Next, new single My Own Time is the band in total cruise control - one arm out the window and enjoying the ride. Smooth and summery, it is a song that celebrates travelling at your own pace – an ethos very much at the band's core. With its members scattered across Australia's beautiful north east coast, The Ninth Chapter perfectly encapsulate the laid-back lifestyle of Australian beach culture.

With the band proudly committing to a non-digital recording process with Geoff Wright at Lucky Boy Analogue studios in Byron Bay, The Ninth Chapter presents the group in all their glory – from the broad spectrum of genres they span, to their irrepressible live energy. It is a true reflection of their journey thus far. But beyond all else, The Ninth Chapter is a band about mateship... the kind of brotherhood that feeds creativity – both collectively and for the individuals within it. This more than anything provides the chemistry that makes the band's debut album so true to their hearts.

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The Arthur Brothers - Violet Hum.

The Arthur Brothers; an artistic alliance centered around the biological brothers Matt and Danny Arthur and the producer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist J. C. Wright. After the releases of ‘Ninth’ and ‘Flawless’, tracks that demonstrated the darker, brooding side of the band, The Arthur Brothers released ‘Violet Hum’ on March 1st via ClearLight Records/Declared Goods.

A rollicking musical collage that seductively takes you on a journey through mad unexpected scene changes.  Beginning with a 1930’s wireless parlour sound which transitions quickly through 70s nonchalant pop, sun drenched Beach Boys-esque a cappella vocal bridges, Welsh colliers choir breaks, a calypso beach party scene, and even a ‘The Who - Sellout’ style radio ad break.

It features a horn section that included trombone and trumpet from Tim Hart and Pablo Mendelssohn (member of The Specials horn section and the Book of Mormons House Band) and a string section led by violinist Sarah Anderson (Chrome Hoof, Deep Throat Choir).

The eccentric, eclectic nature of this musical collage of a song is brilliantly manifested in the award winning animated music video by Tribambuka (Anastasia Beltyukova) who used a mixture of different techniques and styles to take the viewer on a crazy journey with the brothers through strange and whimsical worlds on the back of a grumpy fish to messy abstract subconscious states of mind, where chaos and cosmos collide.

The video has been recognized at a number of international film festivals including, Best Music Video, Feel The Reel International Film Festival 2018, Glasgow, UK and International Animated Film Festival ReAnima 2018, Bergen, Norway, along with numerous other events.


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Trouble in the Wind - Fall Guy.

Presenting the new music video 'Fall Guy' from San Diego Trouble in the Wind. This video marks the lead single off of their album 'Hammer On'.

Trouble in the Wind has been labeled as folk, Americana, alternative, country, surf rock …etc but the Southern California quartet likes to brand themselves as “rock and roll”.

The band’s stripped-down organic sound is a multi-instrumental collective fronted by songwriter Robby Gira, whose staggering powerful voice creates the center of attention of their songs.

The band is completed by musicians Kyle Merritt, Trevor Mulvey, Larry Doran providing lush instrumentation including accordion, upright bass, brushes, banjo and electric guitars. Trouble's songs are emotional at the core and blend a range of styles from ballads to surf folk to soulful rock.


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Wednesday, 6 March 2019

Porteau - The Hold Steady - Rock Eupora

Vancouver duo Porteau are about to release their debut album 'Water’s Gate' on March 15th. 'Penelope is one of ten songs in the collection and is a good indicator of the quality and beautiful sounds they create. The Hold Steady confirm they still have the knack to write and perform great new songs with this first offering from them this year. Rock Eupora have shared a video for 'Inbetween' a sumptuous rocker that suggests the new album will be rather special.

Porteau - Penelope.

Porteau is the creation of Victoria Williams and Craig Stevenson. The Vancouver duo’s debut album Water’s Gate transports listeners to a world of pragmatic mysticism. Layers of lush vocals and washes of light, modulated guitar are the foundation of their songs. Pulling the record into diverse moods and through vivid textures, their sound weaves through folk-inspired passages, celestial soundscapes, and electronic flourishes. Ethereal and expansive, Water’s Gate is Porteau’s open space for experimentation, and carves a wave into their own unmapped styling.

Collaboration between the couple came about by happenstance. Victoria saw a painting of Andromeda by Gustave Doré and was instantly captivated. She asked Craig if he could help her write music that sounded like the painting looked – cold, urgent, yet liberating. A mutual understanding and inspiration was found from this piece of art. It was a driving and unifying force that was the genesis of Porteau. Using this as a catalyst, a record naturally revealed itself. Sounds which had been independently cultivated now flowed together and a confluence of ideas began to occur. They were heavily influenced by both traditional folklore and the West Coast landscape. Porteau uses this imagery as a backdrop to explore and unearth personal experience.

The couple spent their evenings piecing together the songs on an acoustic guitar. They called upon longtime friends to join them and bring to life their vision of a lush and diverse instrumentation on each track. Utilizing their background in jazz, many moments were improvised in studio, allowing each musician’s natural voice to come through. These recordings of Water’s Gate did not occur overnight – the process took place over the course of many years. Layer by layer, they added individual instruments to the arrangements. With rock-driven drums, fluid basslines, heavy synth, crystalline pedal steel guitar, and pads of unified horn lines, Porteau’s full band sound was slowly brought to life.

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The Hold Steady - The Last Time That She Talked To Me.

The Hold Steady are releasing their first new song of 2019. “The Last Time She Talked To Me” arrives at all DSPs and streaming services via Frenchkiss Records on Friday, March 8. The song is now available exclusively at The Hold Steady’s Bandcamp page. Fans can download the single by donating to The K + L Guardian Foundation, a fund set up to benefit the children of Unified Scene founder “jersey” Mike Van Jura, who died in November 2012.

Recorded at Isokon Studios in Woodstock, NY, with producer Josh Kaufman and engineer D. James Goodwin, “The Last Time She Talked To Me” is the ninth in an amazing series of THS single releases over the past 15 months, a string that includes “Confusion in the Marketplace” b/w “T-Shirt Tux,” “The Stove & The Toaster” b/w “Star 18,” “Eureka” b/w “Esther,” and “Entitlement Crew” b/w “A Snake In The Shower.” Additional performers include Stuart Bogie and Dave Nelson on horns and Annie Nero on backup vocals. All of the aforementioned singles are available now at all DSPs and streaming services as well as the official Hold Steady Bandcamp HERE.

The Hold Steady are visiting London this week for “THE WEEKENDER,” a sold out three-day concert event that will see the NYC-based band taking the stage at London’s Electric Ballroom on Friday, March 8 and Saturday, March 9, followed by a limited capacity third show at Oslo, in Hackney, London on Sunday, March 10. In addition, an exclusive screening of The Hold Steady’s acclaimed 2009 documentary, A Positive Rage, will be held the afternoon of Sunday, March 10 at the Picturehouse cinema in Hackney.

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Rock Eupora – Inbetween.

Neither here nor there: that’s a tough place to be. Sometimes I only feel halfway present. It’s hard for me to live in the now — I’m always looking for the next best thing, always en route. I get so caught up trying to plan and control my future that I miss a lot of realtime fulfillment.

It's safe to say that most of us stay too busy - which I think is partly a reaction to what we value as a culture. We associate worth and meaning with accomplishments. I think it’s good to be driven, but I think it’s more important to be present. I’ve been trying to love myself (and others) right where I am and without qualifications or conditions. I believe that humans are inherently valuable! And if that’s the case, maybe the in-between is what it’s all about

This confession is how Clayton Waller, the Nashville-via-Mississippi fuzz pop artist known as Rock Eupora, opens his self-titled album. With three albums under his belt and an established position in the Nashville rock scene, Waller has developed Rock Eupora’s sound into a perfect blend of punchy guitars and unforgettable melodies.

On the new album, Waller contends with the challenges of a 20-something-year-old searching for his place in the world.  Written, performed, and produced by Waller himself, Rock Eupora is simultaneously Waller’s most cohesive and sonically adventurous album to date.

Recorded in a professional studio as opposed to his typical DIY approach, the change in setting allows the depth of detail in each track to be fully appreciated. Seamless transitions weave the songs together in what resembles a stream of creative consciousness — yet, every song tells a story strong enough to stand on its own. With a slight eighties influences and what Waller describes as “psychedelic tendencies”, Rock Eupora makes for a well-developed follow up to 2016’s Soon the Sun Will Come.

Commitment to his craft is what has carried Rock Eupora this far, garnering attention from venerable local media such as Nashville Scene and national outlets like PureVolume. It is evident that Waller really believes every word he’s singing, making it easy for listeners to believe, too. This sincerity is what gives Rock Eupora the ability to connect with people of varying ages and backgrounds, a gift that doesn’t come naturally to all artists. In a live setting, Rock Eupora comes to life as a full band to create a fast-paced and action packed rock-n-roll experience


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Anna Smyrk - ZOCO - Howling Bells - TCBYML

Photo - Michelle Grace Hunder Anna Smyrk - This is a Drill . Naarm/Melbourne based singer-songwriter Anna Smyrk shares a poignant moment o...