Honey Moon - Swanes - Le Boom & Æ MAK

Honey Moon have released 'IF I Could Only Dream' a fresh and vibrant jangle pop song that exudes classic pop vibes from decades ago. Toronto duo Swanes have created a lush, rhythmic and dreamy electronic piece in the form of 'Dreams Of Iceland'. Irish electronic-pop duo, Le Boom have teamed up with Æ MAK to share 'Dancing Bug' accompanied now with a fabulous video, adding a little extra to this upbeat song. 

Honey Moon - If I Could Only Dream.

London jangle-pop crooners Honey Moon stomp into 2019 with new single If I Could Only Dream, teaming up once more with Manchester label Heist or Hit  (Her’s, Pizzagirl, Baywaves, Guest Singer). It’s the first jangly slice of sound the quintet have delivered since last year’s acclaimed Four More From… EP, which drew fans from tastemaker tomes DIY and DORK magazine to BBC 6 Music and legendary cratedigger Elton John.

Distilling their trademark doo-wop sound to first principles on the new single, Honey Moon capture snatched moments of 50s/60s jukebox culture. Bright, plucky 50’s sounding guitars, lively baselines and poppy drums carry the song as a confident and direct strut through the ballroom, whilst vocalist Jack Slater Chandler serenades with a commanding quiver.

As Jack posits: “'If I Could Only Dream' is about change, transition and wishful thinking. It's about trying to right some wrongs. Sounds quite corny for someone in their mid-twenties but it was written during a cycle of change in my life that needed documenting in some way, and ended up in a sweet ditty. A sunny little pop song - one for the tried and tested mooner.”

The months between the last release and this return have been busy for the lovelorn boys. Support tours with label mates Her’s as well as fellow retro dreamers FUR have kept them on the road, before burying their heads in mixing desks and vintage equipment at The Nave studio in Leeds, with producer Alex Greaves (Working Men’s Club, The Orielles, Heavy Lungs).

The 5-piece will be performing their biggest headline show to date at The Sebright Arms in London on April 26th,  with an appearance at Are You Listening? festival also in the calendar.

Honey Moon are… on the drums, Glenn Rawcliffe, on the bass and vocals Joey Julliard, on lead guitar and vocals Zach Urch, on keys Daniel Moore and on guitar and lead vocals Jack Slater Chandler.

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Swanes - Dreams of Iceland.

Radio 1-tipped Toronto duo, Swanes, comprising of brothers Michael and Stefan Bildy, are today sharing their new single, ‘Dreams Of Iceland’. The lucid new cut follows previous releases on French/Japanese label, Kitsuné (Parcels, Hot Chip, Simian Mobile Disco) and will be supported with a date as part of Canadian Music Week where they will perform at The Garrison, Toronto on May 7, 2019.

With production that is coloured by rich atmospherics and vibrant idiosyncrasies, ‘Dreams Of Iceland’ is another expansive step forward for the pair. Drawing on ancient Nordic song forms, melodies, and recorded folklore, ‘Dreams of Iceland’ cuts a fine curve between icy electronic soundscapes and tropical pop, looking to explore various tropes of relationships through sultry vocal harmonies and an earworm chorus hook.

Alongside tips from the likes of Colors and Bandcamp Daily, as well as continued support from David Dean Burkhart’s esteemed YouTube channel, SWANES have found success on influential Spotify playlists such as ‘Indie All-Stars’ and ‘Fresh Finds’. The pair, who were recently highlighted by Australian electronic heavyweights, Future Classics (Flume, Jagwar Ma), have plans to tour North America extensively later in the year.

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Le Boom & Æ MAK - Dancing Bug.

Irish electronic-pop duo, Le Boom, comprising of Christy Leech and Aimie Mallon, and fellow Dubliner Æ MAK (Aoife McCann) are now sharing the video for their new BBC Radio 1-supported collaborative single, ‘Dancing Bug’. The new music is shared alongside news of Le Boom’s largest headline to-date, a stop at the 1250-capacity Olympia, Dublin on October 11, 2019 - tickets available here. The new date will follow a summer of festival touring and a brief May run, taking in stops at Thousand Island, London on May 3, 2019 and further dates at Live At Leeds and Hit The North - all dates below.

Following the impeccably choreographed ‘Just Want To’, the compelling melodies of ‘Dancing Bug’ - which visually finds Leech, Mallon and McCann gliding through the streets of Stoneybatter, Dublin City - is the latest cut from the forthcoming EP, ‘All Of My Highs’, set for release May 3, 2019. “‘Dancing Bug’ is about falling into your bedroom after a bad day and dancing like fire to your favourite song; to escape the stuff you just had to deal with,” says McCann. “That energy taking you off into the other world that you're visualising as you dance.”

Speaking about the musical coming together, McCann continues: “I’d always loved Le Boom's live shows - myself and my mates dancing ourselves into the ground, high energy and love. Myself and Christy met at The Great Escape last year and got on like a house on fire. We were both like 'I like your music - I like your music, cool'. We wrote Dancing Bug in a couple of hours late last year. Loved every minute.”

2018 signposted an exciting milestone for Le Boom, it was a year that found the pair performing across some of Europe’s largest festivals, including Primavera, Longitude, Body & Soul and Electric Picnic, whilst also taking their eccentric live show to Reykjavik, New York and Bilbao. The year also found the duo selling out an Irish headline tour - including a stop at Dublin’s 1000-capacity District 8 venue - and achieving playlist success at Spotify, attaining spots on ’New Music Friday’ & ‘Hot New Bands’ amongst others.


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JYLDA - Josh Del - Todd Warner Moore - Charlie Hole - Portland

'Reeled' from JYLDA is dreamy, melodic and her vocals are alluring, add in the vibrant beats and the song is indeed extremely catchy. Josh Del is another artist where the vocals are a key ingredient, their natural Americana instinct coming to the fore on 'Rolling Stone' a timeless country piece. Todd Warner Moore has just released 'Love & Change' an album comprising of thirteen songs, where his musical talents explore a variety of genres, and with excellent production this is a fabulous collection of music. Charlie Hole latest song 'All The Roads To Heaven' is just beautiful, the singer/song writer brims with feeling and the melodic hooks do the rest. Expansive, atmospheric and dreamily seductive 'Expectations' by Portland is a mixture of emotion, calmness and power, now there's a combination.

JYLDA - Reeled.

JYLDA is Italian-German Gianna Gehlhar's musical alter ego. Now based in London after a stint in Berlin, she releases her debut TWITCH EP, produced with Beni Giles (Otzeki, James, Marcus Foster).

JYLDA's voice finds a playful connection with sensuality and rhythm comparable with Robyn, Jessy Lanza or Little Dragon. It all revolves around the pop song, but with a darkness reminiscent of St. Vincent, Grimes and Lykke Li. JYLDA's operatic roots give her voice a unique captivating siren-like intensity, drawing you into her enchanting world.

JYLDA states: "Twitch gives an insight into different parts of my personality. The songs are like short stories about melancholy, dance, playfulness and sensuality. In all of them I’m looking for the connection between body and mind and the hidden irony of every tale.“

Twitch is the first release from JYLDA since moving to London last year. During that time she's been writing and collaborating with a series of exciting artists including Blakey, Ah!Kosmos, Hugh, Salt Ashes, Pillars and Kirk Spencer, the results of which will be seen in future releases in 2019 following her debut EP coming out.


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Josh Del - Rolling Stone.

Josh Del is a singer/songwriter from the Coachella Valley. He grew up escaping the desert heat by playing guitar and writing songs in studios.

His gravely voice and bluesy playing have earned him comparisons to some of the greats in Americana history.

Rolling Stone is a stirring, soulful roots-rock ballad built around his dusty vocals, rich keyboards, and an earthy, muscular arrangement.

And in just three minutes, it does the near-impossible: Makes you put Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, Mick, Keef, Otis Blackwell, The Who and the rest out of your mind for three minutes. Which begs the question: How does it feel, Josh?

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Todd Warner Moore - Love and Change (Album).

We have a new album from pop/folk singer-songwriter Todd Warner Moore entitled 'Love & Change'. Even though Todd's mainstay is along the lines of acoustic driven songs, he has a knack for capturing different sounds and eras of Americana and Folk music reminiscent of greats such as Bob Dylan, Neil Young and especially the Irish overtones of Van Morrison.  Todd also releases a steady flow of instrumental fare, reaching into ambient and cinematic territory. "Love & Change" is the sound of a perceptive, lyrically gifted artist perfecting his craft.

Originally from Kansas City, Kansas, U.S.A., Todd Warner Moore has penned a diverse catalogue of music over time. His newest album contains dashes of Folk, Americana, 70s Singer/Songwriter, Classical, Jazz, and Gipsy music.

In the 90s, Todd co-wrote songs and toured with Acoustic Juice through the American Midwest, delivering ery songs to students in college towns. Later, in Budapest, Hungary, he performed solo melodies in tea houses, where his expat band Tea Thieves would come to life. Over several years, the energetic band would release three albums. Before leaving Hungary, he nished his album titled Long Days. Todd has lived on Lamma Island in Hong Kong for the last eight years, where he plays at small festivals and pubs.

Spark was his second full-length album in 2018. Now Todd is back with another full-length release "Love & Change", which finds him further honing his songwriting craft.

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Charlie Hole - All The Roads To Heaven.

Born and raised in the coastal town of Bournemouth, UK, Charlie Hole’s story began when he heard Damien Rice’s ‘O’ at the tender age of 14. From that first listen, his desire to reach the same emotional depths became clear; realising his ability to create emotive and fearless tracks, learning and evolving throughout.

After a chance meeting with the well-respected guitarist and producer, Jim Cregan (Rod Stewart, Katie Melua, Family), the pair began working closely together, with Jim mentoring Charlie and teaching him about the world of songwriting while always pushing him to develop his own style and sound.

Finding comfort in beautifully crafted words over effortless melodies, Charlie Hole is one of the most exciting young singer-songwriters around.

Coined by Rod Stewart as an emerging talent with a gift for writing ‘beautiful songs’, Charlie has always been destined for great things. With a brave and honest voice, tackling relatable subject matters for all audiences, Charlie Hole shares his personal stories of broken dreams and lost love in the pursuit of happiness through his powerful and commanding songwriting.

With inspirations ranging from legends such as Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen and Tom Waits, Charlie has been writing music and touring his songs across the UK and Europe for over 10 years, playing well over 1000 gigs, and has supported notable artists such as Billy Ocean and Steve Harley. Charlie has also taken his live shows to an intimate level, doing a Living Room Tour of fans houses to only a handful of guests. The tour was close to his heart as he is heavily involved with Sofar Sounds, after bringing the monthly events to his hometown of Bournemouth.

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Portland - Expectations.

Finalists in Belgian’s magazine Humo’s Rock Rally 2016 and winners of broadcaster Studio Brussel’s ‘De Nieuwe Lichting’ 2018. Their packed festival summer and completely sold out club tour took them all over Belgium in 2018. Portland creates dreamy, everlasting storytelling songs.

The band’s debut single ‘Pouring Rain’ gained more than a million streams on Spotify, under their own management. Their subtle rework (upon request of Studio Brussel) of alt-J’s ‘Matilda’ gained popularity faster than expected and was released as a successful second single.

Their rise in popularity didn’t go unnoticed and last summer Portland proudly teamed up with [PIAS]. The first result of this partnership was ‘Lucky Clover’, an emotional, dreamy and subtle piece of harmonic prose, whose greatest strength is the harmonies and interaction between front duo Jente Pironet and Sarah Pepels. The single got picked up on radio in Flanders, club shows sold out quickly and an invitation to play this year’s Rock Werchter and Pukkelpop festivals followed.

Gearing up to release their debut full length album after the summer, Portland now proudly presents their new single ‘Expectations’. An epic and cathartic love song using lush strings, chimes, timpani, electronics and electric guitars to counter Jente and Sarah’s remarkable voices. “‘Expectations' is about high hopes, deep disappointments and very abstract interactions between attractions, rejections, doubts and certainties,” Jente explains. It’s a bold move and a step up from their previous output, still retaining the same otherworldly, dreamlike quality.


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GURU - Wy - Kris Kelly - Silent Forum

'Fixation' from GURU is a formidable punk rocker, the vocals are fierce and not to be left behind, the band are equally forceful. We have already featured a couple of gorgeous songs from Wy's forthcoming album and the final teaser 'Swedish Summer' ups our anticipation even more! We are a little late sharing Kris Kelly's music video for 'Birthplace' but this is such a wonderful song, it simply has to be featured. Cardiff (Wales) based Silent Forum's third single 'Safety In Numbers' is imaginative and not easy to categorise, so we will file under creative post punk, indie something.

GURU - Fixation.

Brighton’s endless production line continues to reinforce their status as one of the UK’s finest indie hotbeds and in punk sensations GURU they’ve certainly found another to add to the growing list.

Bursting out of the blocks with their rollicking third instalment Fixation, the rising quartet demonstrate all the makings of a band ready to make a name for themselves with their raucous live shows, having torn up stages throughout the UK on their recent sold-out tour alongside fellow risers Lady Bird.

Switching out the distortion driven guitars in favour of Dick Dale inspired licks and a clearly discernible chorus, their latest effort possesses an all-round groove, dealing with irreconcilable differences between people as part of a natural human condition, and follows encouraging early comparisons to the likes of Shame and Fat White Family.

Detailing their upcoming release, front man Tommy Cherrill explained: “Lyrically I’ve focused on the irreconcilable nature of some relationships I’ve failed to repair from earlier years of my life. I realised I wasn’t alone in having these botched relationships and so began writing the verses from the third person as an imagined narrator of others who’ve fallen out. Sometimes things just don’t work out and I’m not making a judgement call on whether that’s a good thing or not, we just wanted to write a blood number one for the Billboard Hot 100, ha”!

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Wy - Swedish Summer.

Ahead of the release of their highly anticipated second album 'Softie', Swedish duo Wy have today shared the final taster of the new record; the melodic, captivating and haunting 'Swedish Summer'. The song was the first the band wrote for the LP, which is due for release in one week via Hybris and Beatnik. Accompanied by another stunning video, directed by the band's singer Ebba.

On the meaning behind the song, Ebba explains: "Swedish Summer is about having too high expectations on yourself. It was actually one of the first songs we wrote for the album. We were growing tired of the tempo of our debut album and this track really helped us break away from it and have more fun with our songwriting. The name "Swedish Summer" was just a working title because we wrote it during the summer last year, but we kept it because it fit the sound so well. It's a funny name, because the lyrics are kind of dark."

The band's earnest eleven track sophomore album includes the previously released, BBC 6Music supported singles 'Pavements', 'Softie' and 'Tired II'. It follows their debut LP 'Okay', which became something of an underground sensation and garnered the highest praise with comparisons to Slowdive, Cigarettes After Sex and Mazzy Star. The new record is set to further cement their position as one of the most exciting bands around right now.

The forthcoming album is very much a statement on the turbulence of human existence, written from Ebba's experience of being bipolar. With their clarity in emotion and unapologetic use of lyrics, it's an important record in more ways than one. She explains, "'Softie' is an attempt at proving there is more than one way of being a functioning human being. The album is about coping, growing out of your fears, learning how to distance yourself from your anxieties and the ups and downs that comes with being bipolar. 'Softie' is ultimately about releasing the pressure from yourself and that's what we have been doing in the process of writing these songs. We ended up with a record that was turbulent, back and forth and non-conforming. And we love that, because it feels very 'us' and we really wanted our second album to hit you in the face rather than rock you to sleep."


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Kris Kelly - Birthplace.

Kris Kelly is pleased to share the song and video for his newest single “Birthplace.” Throughout the song, Kris explores the idea and concept of one’s birthplace, and what that means on a deeper, wider scope, provoking the listener to examine and dissect their own genesis.  

The accompanying video, executively produced by the widely-recognized and acclaimed Alma Har’el, and directed by Adi Halfin (Radiohead/Batsheva Dance Company), is a gorgeous counterpart to the track.  

“For the ‘Birthplace’ video, I explained to director Adi Halfin what the song meant to me, and she came up with this beautiful concept. The video unfolds like a dream. There is me, the narrator, in a room, away from the outside world, juxtaposed by these different characters on the exterior, each one very different from the other, in different emotional states, relating to their environment in different ways. There is struggle, peace, conflict, harmony. And there is definitely an element of surrealism and there is not a linear storyline or sense of time. It’s a dream. And like in a dream, to me anyway, the characters all represent different pieces of the main character. I ended up relating to each character in my own personal way, and I think the viewer will have their own experience as well,” explains Kris. “Birthplace” will appear on Kris’s new record Runaways, due out Summer 2019.


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Silent Forum - Safety in Numbers.

‘Safety in Numbers’ is the third single released by the Cardiff based Post-Punk / New Wave four piece Silent Forum on Libertino. Following on from the swaggering, off-kilter, infectious pop energy of ‘How I Faked The Moon Landing’ and ‘Robot’, ‘Safety in Numbers’ explores a far more reflective musical landscape. This is a song that “expresses the importance of looking after your friends......that time will forget us, but that our relationships are the most meaningful thing we can achieve in life.”

Yet again Silent Forum delivers a song very much on their terms, a song that resonates with kindness and a musicality that captures your heart.

Performing under the name Silent Forum since late 2015, the four-piece deemed Wales' most promising band blends shadowy Post Punk with uplifting, inspiring New Wave. They move unpredictably from serious and direct to playful and overblown.  Since they signed to Libertino records their sound has taken an ambitious turn, gathering praise for epic singles like 'How I Faked the Moon Landing' and 'Robot'. They have an eagerly awaited debut album set for release later this year.

Destroy//Exist "The sound sophisticated and playful at the same time, certainly reminiscent of the artful progressive pop sound of XTC, the nerve of Wire and the new wave idiosyncrasy of Squeeze and Talking Heads, while maintaining the entirety of the quartet's fervent originality."

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Zoe and Cloyd - Sandtimer - Thin Lear

We have some splendid and totally natural roots music from Zoe and Cloyd, the musicianship is just right and the dual vocals and live feel to the song adds even more character. Sandtimer have just shared 'Dormant' along with a fine video, their indie folk is outstanding and the vocals are wonderful on this addictive song. 'Death In A Field' from Thin Lear (songwriter/producer Matt Longo) is a beautiful piece, where his vocals are just so engaging and the musical arrangement is seemingly pristine.

Zoe and Cloyd - Looking Out For You And Me.

Roots duo Zoe & Cloyd have released a video for their latest single, “Looking Out For You And Me,” a song that illustrates today's issues of change and how it affects us. It warns against allowing self-interest and short-term gain to take precedence over the well-being of future generations.

Husband and wife artists Zoe (Natalya Weinstein) and Cloyd (John Miller) blend their long-crafted folk harmonies with fellow bandmates Kevin Kehrberg on bass and Bennett Sullivan on banjo. The tight musicianship, great flatpicking and impassioned message shows Zoe & Cloyd's ability to play hard-driving, traditional Bluegrass with a message modernized for the times.

The song was written by Miller, who says, "'Looking Out For You And Me' asks us to look critically at the ones making decisions related to our collective well-being and that of future generations."

Zoe & Cloyd spring from deep roots in American music. Founding members of the acclaimed Americana trio, Red June, and long-time veterans of the Asheville, NC music scene, Natalya Zoe Weinstein and John Cloyd Miller released their second full-length album, Eyes Brand New, in spring of 2017. Highlighting their emotive songwriting and signature harmonies, this album showcased the breadth of their collective musical spirit, seamlessly combining original folk, country, old-time and bluegrass with sincerity and zeal. Zoe & Cloyd’s debut recording, Equinox (2015), was met with high acclaim and the pair has continued to gain momentum with a 1st place win at the prestigious FreshGrass Festival Duo Contest along with performances at MerleFest, Music City Roots and more.


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Sandtimer - Dormant.

Dormant follows on from a string of laid-back indie folk singles that Sandtimer have published over the last year, but moves into deeper, darker territory with dense percussion, haunting vocals and spiky acoustic guitar.

An indie folk band might be considered an unlikely outfit for Robert Sword, a classically trained pianist, and Simon Thomas, an Oceanography graduate, to end up in. However, these things can happen in unusual ways. Sandtimer create music that often centres around the passage of time, including themes of reflection, escapism and hope.

Their recordings have been featured on a number of national radio shows in the UK, as well as several prominent blogs and playlists. Now operating as a full band, with Rachel Thomas on bass and vocals, and Alex Jackson on percussion, they have performed on the UK acoustic circuit frequently, as well as touring western Canada and northern continental Europe.


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Thin Lear - Death in a Field.

Inspired by the passing of a loved one, Thin Lear’s latest single Death In A Field is a complex story about death and rebirth. As per artist’s words: Initially, I just had the opening line of the song: “I’ll survive as a child/All hungry and wild/Life overwhelming is life at the start.” I just really liked the concept of someone nearing the end of their life, and thinking about being reborn, being a baby again, and looking forward to the tremendousness of experiencing life for the first time. Someone at the end of existence feeling the tug of something new, and terrifying, and potentially beautiful. And then the choruses came out of that. Waking in the morning, or “drowning in an evening of lovely black sky,” indicate a kind of serenity in being swallowed up by eternity, and finding some sort of comfort in that.

When I started writing the song, I had recently watched someone I love pass away in a brief, but organic way, and there were moments in their process of dying that seemed to bring revelations to them. The character in the song is of my own invention though. This character isn’t perfect, and is well aware of that, and is simply being honest about what they’ll miss the most, and what they’re looking forward to. And it isn’t always flattering, but it’s true to the character.

The song aims to connect the listener to a feeling or a memory of something sad or wonderful from years ago, maybe something they haven’t thought about in a while…a person or a moment. Songs I love really do that for me. Sometimes it’s hard for me to know how I’m actually feeling, so music allows me to dig past any confusion, and really uncover pieces of who I am and what brings me emotion. So, yeah, I hope the song opens a heavy door in someone’s mind - Thin Lear.

Thin Lear, the project of Queens-based songwriter/producer Matt Longo, evokes the restless expansiveness of 70’s-era studio obsessives. Pulling influence from the insular worlds of Astral Weeks, Tim Buckley, and Shuggie Otis, Thin Lear finds the middle ground between the spontaneous electricity of a live room and the pristine meticulousness of careful, deliberate production. With sweetly plaintive vocals, often compared to Harry Nilsson and Cat Power, melodies hover over orchestral flourishes, gleamingly processed guitars, and ethereal organs and pedal steel, all backed by the kinetic sway and thump of a jazz combo. Songs careen from ornately warm ballads, to psychedelically-tinged folk, to propulsive grooves, with rushes of color and lush walls of sound.

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