Talkboy - Chernobyl Sunshine Club - Reason Define

A band that continue to impress us is Talkboy who return for a fifth time here with their new single 'All Works Out'. This time the rock aspect of the band is more to the fore, with their ability to produce melodious material still underpinning the piece.

London's Chernobyl Sunshine Club have shared a video for 'Birthdayland' a creative mixture of Alt Folk and Indie Rock that combined result in a fabulous song.

There was a time when classic hard rock appealed to me and Reason Define and the song 'Reaper' has in part rekindled that enjoyment, the melodic female vocals are at the core of that attraction and a good few hooks along the way helps.
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Talkboy - All Works Out.

Hitting up the BBC Introducing stage at Reading & Leeds Festivals later this month and primed to take full advantage, fledgling six-piece Talkboy announce the arrival of their debut EP and share glistening new single All Works Out.

Joining forces with Leeds label Come Play With Me and LAB Records once more, the sextet’s latest offering showcases their trademark, gorgeous harmonies in full flow, shifting between playful songwriting and anthemic tendencies with aplomb, and expertly spotlighting the band’s unbridled potential ahead of their biggest shows to date.

With a full summer of festival appearances (incl. The Great Escape, Live At Leeds, Y Not) under their belts, alongside an array of impressive support slots (Our Girl, Another Sky, Bully), the Leeds risers continue to build on their early promise, with increased support across the BBC Radio 1 airwaves (Huw Stephens, Jack Saunders) and glittering praise throughout the tastemaker community.

Discussing their upcoming single, Talkboy detailed: “The song isn’t this blissful unawareness that everything will be alright in the end so just shut everything out. It’s more like, when stuff does go wrong, I’m here if you want. Being friends with someone is hard and something we are still learning how to do properly, but I think if you can just do the very basic thing of turning up and be there for whoever it is that you are close to, that’s a good start”.

Talkboy’s All Works Out is out 2nd August via Come Play With Me / LAB Records and will be available on all digital platforms.

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Chernobyl Sunshine Club - Birthdayland.

Chernobyl Sunshine Club’s eclectic sound has echoes of Beck, Elbow, The National, The Flaming Lips and Arcade Fire, and comes with a boldness to their quirk that captivates the senses and purges the soul.

With a "topical" band name, and cracking live performance reputation, the band embodies a lost tribe from radioactive wastelands with shamanistic group vocals and a towering, bald headed front man who flails his arms and plays keyboards.

Chernobyl Sunshine Club are a group of Londoners whose cinematic Indie/Alt Folk, inspired by video game soundtracks and film scores, is an euphoric blend of beats and riffs that unashamedly borrows from rock, metal and jazz and even classical music. Originators and musical explorers, Chernobyl Sunshine Club set out to prove that when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.

Chernobyl Sunshine Club formed in late 2016, hit the London club scene and recorded their debut single, 'When Death Was A Boy (2017).’ Frequently playlisted in the UK and US, it was followed up by single 'Pelagius (2018)' which earned support from Tom Robinson on BBC 6 music among others.


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Reason Define - Reaper.

US hard-rock outfit 'Reason Define' announce the arrival of their latest single and official music video for the explosively hook-heavy track 'Reaper'

Featuring a guest appearance from fellow Charlotte (NC) habitant and Never I frontman Jacob Peters - 'Reaper' is a fresh mix of the version featured on the all-female quintet's self-released 'In Memory' album unleashed earlier in 2019. Consisting of Paolina Massaro (Vocals), Caitlin Rutkowski (Bass/Vox), Sav Ruff (Guitar/Vox), Syd McVicker (Drums) and Shelby McVicker (Guitar).

The fast-rising Reason Define have drawn upon a myriad of influences to create music that brings together metal-edged guitar riffs, tension building dynamics and anthemic vocal lines. With an every growing army of fans around the world, the band possess the determination, talent and sheer ambition to reach greater heights of recognition outside their US homeland.


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Boy Scouts - Theo Bard - Lillimure

We have a couple of recent videos for Boy Scouts namely 'Expiration Date' and 'Get Well Soon'. There are seven other songs on her forthcoming album 'Free Company' due out at the end of this month. Whilst both songs give a good feel for the album, there are plenty more highlights in store ans some exquisite musical moments, I have a feeling this album will be getting plenty of attention.

'Forget' by Theo Bard is a fascinating song, where electronic textures weave around his distinctive vocals which at times seem like a further musical layer within the piece, it's also a tad addictive.

Lillimure has a new album out from which we have selected 'I Feel' and 'Lady In A Mirror' to share. Whether she is in Soul, Folk or Pop mode or even a mixture of all three, her music is melodic often very catchy and the attention to musical detail behind her refined vocals is notable.
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Boy Scouts - Expiration Date / Get Well Soon.

As Boy Scouts, Oakland-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Taylor Vick makes the kind of music that hits like good advice from a beloved friend. It's generously warm and inviting, built atop her open, searching voice, but it doesn't shy away from tough emotional truths.

Vick's songs survey the damage that can come from loving other people with curiosity and grace. Her new album, Free Company – her first for ANTI- Records set for an August 30th release - is her most vital and incisive work yet, a stunningly tuneful rumination on heartbreak and loss that is always galloping toward the horizon. So far, two singles have been released as tasters of the record to come.

Watch Taylor perform “Get Well Soon” on a couch floating through Los Angeles via balloons; the video was directed by Ramez Silyan (Lil Peep). Watch Taylor celebrate her birthday surrounded by friends in the new music video for “Expiration Date”. Her producer Stephen Steinbrink joins her in the clip, contributing harmony vocals to the song; Madeline Kenney (Hand Habits) directed the video.

The album’s opener, "Get Well Soon" reckons with the difficult epiphany that comes when you've worked overtime to help someone you love, only to realize they won't meet you in the middle and help themselves. "It's a hard thing to say. You're hoping somebody will eventually feel better, but there's also this weird new distance between you. You can't do anything else, but you still really hope that they're OK," Vick says.

With its jangly electric guitar chords and sky-high vocal melodies, "Expiration Date" tackles that universal human quandary of impermanence. "Everything changes all the time. Nothing will last forever," says Vick. "It's such a hard concept to grasp because we just get so attached to things and people and situations. But stuff can't stay how it is forever. That's also to be said about bad stuff that happens. It won't weigh you down forever."

Her tightest and most cohesive collection of songs, Vick recorded Free Company in a tiny studio her friend Stephen Steinbrink set up inside a rented shipping container--a unique spot that ended up being perfect for her. "It's a windowless little room, but that made me feel really comfortable," she says. "We did it in the comfort of a weird, atypical recording space."



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Theo Bard - Forget.

After first introducing himself to us with his beautifully composed debut EP ‘You Give’ in 2015, Theo Bard has spent the intervening years pushing his music further into electronic realms than ever before. Inspired by a new generation of songwriters augmenting their music with electronic sounds, he has developed a unique voice as both producer and songwriter and has returned to reveal his new brand of dark, experimental pop.

With a thunderous opening, new single ‘Forget’ is a haunting exploration of lost love that demonstrates Bard’s artistic prowess. Eerie synths and melancholic lyrics portray a sentiment that seethes with sincerity. Though distorted vocals are often devoid of expression, Bard injects them with the depth of emotion you’d expect from a song that laments the realisation that an ex has well and truly moved on. The processed effects only work to heighten the track’s unnerving atmosphere and perfectly complement the experimental instrumental. The sonic space that would typically be occupied by traditional snares and drums is filled with inventive alternatives (sampled from ice and snow), making Bard’s creative intention clear as every element of ‘Forget’ strives to standout.

Elaborating on his new release, he explains, “‘Forget’ is a dark, raw confessional about a traumatic experience. I was still in love with my ex-girlfriend when a big group of our friends were going away on holiday together. I wanted to be part of it. She was going to be there with her new man, but I didn't want to miss out and anyway, there were lots of other people I could hang out with. I could give them a wide berth and it would be fine, right? One night I woke to the unmistakable sound of their voices coming through the wall. I tried to cover my ears, wanting more than anything to 'unhear' the sound, but it was too late. Completely upset and spun out, I left the next morning, returning to London as fast as I could. All I wanted was to forget what I'd heard and what it meant. At the time, I was pushing my music in the direction of a new sound, telling people my new music was 'melancholic electronic' and I realised how perfect the story was for the new vibe. Once I had the concept of the song in my head it came out so easily.”


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Lillimure - I Feel / Lady In A Mirror.

We have a brand new album from Alternative Folk/Soul Pop Singer/Songwriter Lillimure. Lillimure has been writing and singing songs since as long as she can remember and is is proud to finally release her first debut full length album simply entitled “Lillimure”.

Lillimure never considered songwriting her career path until a life-altering gymnastics injury. After tearing a ligament in her wrist, she found that making music was the only thing that emotionally satisfied her. Previously releasing singles,including the songs "WDYTM" and also “Something” earlier this year, she is particularly excited to share this collection of work in its entirety now. Iit has been a dream of hers to have live musicians on every track, and to be able to work with the same musicians she plays with live also in the recording studio.

"This project has been a dream come true. From getting all the players on the track, to finalizing the art. This album represents different parts of my life in summation and I'm so excited for it to finally be out in the world. It is a continuation my musical journey, and I am thrilled to share."

Lillimure is a 20 year-old Indie artist from Westchester, New York. Her music follows her honestly through her experiences, creating an intimate vibe with the listener. Combining hip-hop music's fast-paced lyricism, folk music's storytelling, and soul music's intimate vocals, Lillimure offers a brand new, personal sound. She hopes her music can make people laugh, cry, and feel everything in between.

Her experience includes gigging locally and nationally in venues such as The Bitter End (NYC), Rockwood Music Hall (NYC), The Viper Room (LA) and The Bistro (SF). You may also have seen her at the New York Botanical Garden's 2019 Spring Uncorked Festival, and the 2019 Pleasantville Music Festival.


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Dry Cleaning - Bug Martin - Konrad Sheane

Dry Cleaning have released a video for 'Magic of Meghan' ahead of their debut E.P due out in a couple of weeks. Influences there may be but this band still carve out a unique style and sound, kind of indie pop meets garage rock with this song.

Classic Americana with plenty of humorous twists and the juxtaposition of still feeling fresh, somehow Bug Martin has the knack of mixing timeless and modern together, within this really fine new album 'Gutterball'.

Despite coming from the East Coast of Ireland Konrad Sheane is decidedly in touch with Texan rock on 'The Devil's Whiskey' and we are reliably informed that this is just one stopping off point for this musicians repertoire of styles.
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Dry Cleaning - Magic of Meghan.

London's Dry Cleaning today announce their much-anticipated debut EP - "Sweet Princess" - set for release August 16th on the It's OK imprint.

It continues a period of fervent activity from the band who despite having no music online, and have already seen significant interest as early headline shows and a tour in support of NYC's Bodega quickly marked out Dry Cleaning as possessing something entirely different to the rest of the pack - their wiry, excitable post-punk and new-wave paired as it is to surreal, detached vocal narratives in the form of a predominantly spoken word delivery.

Firm friends for years, the band (Lewis Maynard, Tom Dowse, Florence Shaw & Nick Buxton) only started making music after a karaoke party in 2017 inspired a collaboration. They wrote instrumentally to begin with and six months later Shaw, a university lecturer and picture researcher by day, joined on vocals with no prior musical experience. They recorded the six-track Sweet Princess EP before playing their first show only last year.

When they started they knew they wanted to make simple music, direct and uncomplicated. The musical influences were clear - the Feelies, the Necessaries, the B52s and Pylon as a starting point. The garage / rehearsal space had a huge influence on the sound as it was so small and intimate; anything unnecessary was to be left behind. A discussion among the four band members about how to make the prospect of performing as comfortable as possible for Florence (a first timer) ahead of the band’s first rehearsal as a four piece, led to her using her speaking voice. There were several references for this; Will Powers, The Anaemic Boyfriends and Grace Jones among others.

The video for "Magic of Meghan" was made by Sheffield based artist Lucy Vann. Vann investigates, records and reinterprets overlooked behaviours and occurrences in the everyday, in this case through moving image, but she also works with photography, writing, sound, objects and performance. Her work balances between a state of tedium and interest, and attempts to reveal something beyond the immediate surface of daily life.


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Bug Martin - Gutterball (Album).


Philadelphia-based roots man Bug Martin delivers twangy alt-folk stylings which evoke classic dust bowl Americana, injecting the genre with modern storytelling and more.

Bug Martin is a storyteller. Born in the basement of New Jersey, Bug is a singer-songwriter who explores inner space to create moody, twangy alt-music conscious of americana, blues, roots, and folk.

Bug's tunes evoke existential and confessional themes, often with tongue planted firmly in cheek. After spending several years germinating in Baltimore's bizarre arts scene where Bug wrote and recorded several self-released albums and EPs, a course has been set northbound once more to a new homestead in Philadelphia.

The new Gutterball, travels cross-genre relaying tales of hapless love and drunken wisdom stumbled upon along the way.

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Konrad Sheane - The Devil's Whiskey.

Konrad Sheane is a singer/songwriter born to a farming family on the east coast of southern Ireland. With an impressive two-decade drumming background, he moved to the UK to embark on his solo career.

His music is steeped in the blues with four on the floor bass drums, electronica and great pop hooks. Taking influence from a plethora of rock and blues legends, including artists such as Johnny Cash, Yelawolf, Pink Floyd, his style of blending blues and EDM influences shapes his sound uniquely making work both cinematic and syncable.

Konrad’s latest single, ‘Devil’s Whiskey’ has the ability to transport you from drinking whiskey at your local pub to speeding down a Texan highway on a Harley. The bold and repetitive chorus ‘suck on my gasoline,’ represents a punk/ anti-establishment notion of doing what’s right for yourself and disregarding others disapproval, scepticism, or criticism. Konrad’s husky yet sensitive baritone tells tales of his country upbringing, city life and lust for freedom, his voice digging crevices rich with heartbreak, homeland, and heritage.

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The Promised - Shannon and Susannah Davey - The Be Positives - Katrina Parker

The Promised debut single 'We Could Be In Love' has just been released. It's a vibrant and upbeat roots meets country piece where every element sparkles with style.

Shannon and Susannah Davey's song 'We've All Got Our Story' mixes folk and blues together so well, that at just over two and a quarter minutes duration my first instinct was to play it again (and again).

'Like Everyone' by The Be Positives is a striking rocker of a song, from a band who are certainly not trapped in any one particular genre, with this track they just happen to be in full garage rock mode.

Just a couple of weeks back we first featured Katrina Parker and the title track for her new album 'Stars.' We now have the only cover song on the album, the classic 'Ring Of Fire' and she really does take the piece in a very different and imaginative direction!
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The Promised - We Could Be In Love.

The Promised started out as a roots/country duo consisting of Jesse and Noelle Burch. The pair met in 2018 while performing with their respective bands at the Cloverdale Rodeo. A mutual respect for music sparked a writing session, where it became clear their musical chemistry was undeniable. Blending genres and experimenting with their different influences created a synergy for writing catchy and original songs.

Spending most of their time together writing for the next 4 months created an interesting dynamic, and in September of 2018, they were married, and their dreams of playing music together started to take shape.

The two teamed up with an incredible group of musicians from across western Canada and The Promised was born. They were accepted into the 2019 Breakthrough Country music project Top 12 with only one live show under their belt and after two rounds of competitions they were named 1st Place Grand Prize winners.

Working with Bailey Way Entertainment at the Warehouse Studios, their debut single “We Could Be in Love” was released July 29th, 2019. The Promised has a busy summer ahead playing at Sunfest on Friday, August 2nd and the Southern Alberta Music Festival August 10th.

With tight harmonies and a powerful sound, their music captures you within it's story. Their chemistry on and off stage is undeniable and their energy will keep you wanting more.


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Shannon and Susannah Davey - We've All Got Our Story.

Songwriter and author, Shannon Davey is a storyteller of great investigative spirit, together with his wife Susannah, Shannon and Susannah Davey are releasing We’ve All Got Our Story - a song of grit and integrity.

We’ve All Got Our Story is an eye witness account of the current ‘Poverty Street’ zeitgeist as observed walking the streets across Australia and northern America.

‘At one level it is about our attitudes to the poor but it goes deeper, to what is the heart of our contested civilisation.’ - Shannon Davey

Shannon’s musical DNA is from the ancestral, Irish convict blues memes of the Van Diemen’s hinterland, growing up on the high unemployment coast where gospel met surf culture. He spent decades grafting music in disadvantaged schools as a way up for kids.

In the wake of his book Spirit of Tasmania, Shannon has more to share as a songwriter, and uses the fuzzy slide of the ‘dirty south’, blues harp and aching vocals, alongside Susannah on mandolin and backing vocals with Col ‘Shore Break Barrel’ Clay on lead, to push a message of social justice, grass-roots power and life lived conviction.

We’ve All Got Our Story was recorded by megatoneproductions in Australia’s oldest Congregational Church, a small, privately owned, somewhat decrepit, 1833 sandstone chapel, home to a mass burial of convicts.

We’ve All Got Our Story’ is an anthem for our times, an ear to the engine room of the West, a ride on the horns of the crossroads dilemma, a cry for mercy in the wilderness of populism, a summary of the law and prophets, ... a justice boogie!

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The Be Positives - Like Everyone.

The Be Positives is a northern conundrum. Consisting of Mike Seal (Guitar, Piano & Vocals), Rob Hatton (Bass & Vocals), Simon Mayne (Lead Guitar & Vocals) and Callum Darley (Drums & Vocals), they were splayed across Merseyside to Sheffield, all sharing an affinity for McCartney, Dylan, Kinks and Nick Lowe, and later, converging on Manchester, they hankered for gigging at grotty pubs across the city. Now united, the four-piece invoke mad-pop affirmation through berserk instrumentation laced with smart lyricism.

Two of the members are also of the Slovenly Records garage-rock outfit Proto Idiot, who’ve been supported by the likes of Dork, Loud And Quiet, Louder Than War and VICE – the latter described them as “[sounding] like The Kinks, Soft Boys, and TV Personalities all at once—and they're stupid and stompingly brilliant”. The dim-witted moniker made way for The Be Positives’ nonsensical debut ‘Monkey (Cheetah)’, which received praise from Louder Than War – and now they return, accepting societal homogeneity through second-slice ‘Like Everyone’.

Of the same vein as Cut Worms, filled with Lemon Twigs-esque zest, second slice ‘Like Everyone’ flaps about with math-rock melodies and striking signatures –  you never know quite where you stand – aligning it both musically and conceptually, feeding into Mike’s howls of “we’re like everyone…”

The band elaborates; “Like Everyone was originally intended for Proto Idiot but the weird timing of it threw us and it got shelved. I'm glad we revived it for The Be Positives as it’s understated and simple, yet the concept behind it is far from…. It was also one of those rare occasions where a song falls out of the guitar fully-formed, which doesn't happen often. We’re like everyone…”

The quartet’s self-titled album encapsulates their varied musical influences, from their garage fueled opening track ‘Like Everyone’ to the Nilsson tinged mad-pop of new single ‘Monkey. The Be Positives certainly don’t attach themselves to one genre. Expanding on ‘Like Everyone’, the band said “The song was written very quickly on acoustic guitar in Mike and Callum's kitchen. It was originally intended for Proto Idiot. You could sum the theme of the song up by simply saying, we all make mistakes; we're all the same.”

The Be Positives release ‘Like Everyone’ on the 30th July and the debut full-length will be out on all platforms from the 3rd September 2019 via White Zoo Records.

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Katrina Parker - Ring Of Fire.

Many have thrown their hat into the ring with the unconventional country classic "I'm One Fire."

Folk pop songstress Katrina Parker is the latest to dig up the ominous textures of the fabled track. "It ended up taking a darker, more dramatic turn" Katrina notes. "A bit of a Westworld meets Deadwood meets The Andrews Sisters vibe."

The track is the only cover on Katrina's forthcoming desert folk pop-tinged LP Stars. Katrina Parker’s new album, Stars, reflects the duality of a childhood spent in rural North Carolina and an adulthood in LA, shifting between sinuous Southern roots and starry Laurel Canyon magic. Parker describes it as “Sparkling Desert Pop/Folk with a lot of warmth, a little bit of magic, and a touch of banjo.”

Producer Josh Doyle of 3 Theory Music knew it was important to not overwhelm the songs with ornamentation, leaving Parker’s rich and tender voice front and center. The resulting recordings are clearly made from a place of confidence, channeling the clear-eyed nuance of Gillian Welch, the emotionality of Hozier, and the deep-rooted Americana of Over the Rhine.

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