Xul Zolar - Fime - The Dollyrots

We have the brand new video for Xul Zolar and the song 'Nightfalls'. Musically it is somewhere between alt rock and indie with a definite experimental feel to the arrangement, the video is a fine accompaniment to a very fine song and E.P.

Fime have a new video for 'Solo / Together' which is a powerful indie rocker with a subtle melody and potent chorus line, it bodes well for the five song E.P due in October.

It's official The Dollyrots know how to party as is witnessed by the song and video for (drum-role please) 'I Know How to Party'. This is a hook filled and upbeat punk track that simply exudes good vibes.
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Xul Zolar - Nightfalls.

Cologne based indie four-piece Xul Zolar shared the new three-track 'Nightfalls' EP on August 23rd via Asmara Records/Kitsuné.

Alongside two recently released tracks: 'Perfume' and 'Nightfalls', the ‘Nightfalls’ EP includes the new single 'Your Ways'. A harmony of analogue and digital, the new single creates an atmosphere that is melancholic yet blissful.

Speaking to the rationale of the EP, the band explain "instead of moving on straight to work on our second full length we opted for the EP format which is a perfect playground to experiment and try things out. One aspect in which the songs of the EP differ from those on our record is that, while retaining electronic elements and influences, the sound is more ‘band-like’. For example while we often used triggered drums and samples on the all of the drums and percussion on the EP are played live and recorded. Another major difference to the last record is that the tracks on the EP are the first ones on which we worked as a four piece. We never follow a strict formula and though the tracks on the EP are in our opinion a clear continuation of our previous work, they are different enough to keep both the listener and us excited."

Since forming in 2011, Xul Zolar have gained recognition for their captivating sound and live presence, including performances at major European festivals Dockville, c/o Pop, Immergut and Incubate, as well as support shows and tours with the likes of Battles, Future Islands, Balthazar and SOHN. Having honed their craft, they have earned the label of being one of the most promising indie acts to come out of Germany in recent years.


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Fime - Solo / Together.

The band channel a slew of 90's influences to maximum effect, and it's made all the more potent by the crisp production, courtesy of Melina Duterte.

 Recorded at the groups LA house (which they share with Duterte), "Solo/Together" is buoyed by call & response vocals and enveloping, reverb drenched guitars.

The nostalgic verses move with almost doo-wop-esque romanticism that perfectly juxtaposes the triumpant euphoria of the song's chorus.

Fime are an LA based band comprised of Beto Brakmo, Chase Cook and Maxine Garcia. Their new 5-song EP, Sprawl, comes on the heels of 2018's Outside EP, and follows the bands move from the Bay Area to LA. Sprawl is scheduled for release this October, and see's the band harnessing contemporary influences like Spirit of the Beehive along with classic alternative rock a la Sonic Youth, Pavement, and My Bloody Valentine.


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The Dollyrots - I Know How to Party.

Filled with anthemic hooks and super-charged verses the Dollyrots new album Daydream Explosion is out now on Wicked Cool/The Orchard. "I know how to party is a song poking fun at ourselves and making the point that life is supposed to be fun. No one is perfect but everyone can party!" – says Kelly Ogden.

With production by the band and longtime producer John Fields, the Dollyrots' signature punk n’ rock style shines through with hard-charging guitars, tantalizing hooks, and punked-out percussion.

The twosome has had great success taking the DIY approach with their last three releases hitting the Billboard charts. Their 2017 album Whiplash Splash debuted on both Billboard’s Heatseekers chart at #13 and Billboard’s Independent Albums chart at #31. The band’s 2016 live album/DVD Family Vacation: Live in Los Angeles debuted at #15 on Billboard's Heatseekers album chart, and Barefoot and Pregnant garnered their first chart appearance, peaking at #7 on Billboard's Heatseekers.

This time around they have decided to join forces with Stevie Van Zandt’ s Wicked Cool Records/ The Orchard for the new album release. A label that evolved out of Van Zandt's weekly syndicated radio show Little Steven's Underground Garage, as it became clear to him some of the best Rock and Roll wasn't receiving the support it deserved. The duos alliance with Wicked Cool began with the singles “Get Radical” in 2018 and “Everything” this spring.


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Rebekah Hawker - Candy Ambulance - Cold Reading

Rebekah Hawker has released 'Kempenfelt Bay' a stunning country folk song which places her on a par with many a fine artist who inhabit the world of Americana or should that be Canadiana.

We have featured Candy Ambulance just once before back in 2017 and now we have 'Road Valium'. The trio mix grunge rock with a dash of pop sensibilities on this track and do so splendidly.

Lucerne based Cold Reading have a new single entitled 'Present Tense', which is our third feature for the band and follows on from 'Through the Woods, Pt.1.' shared earlier this year. The bands alt rock is a little softer this time, the melodic hooks and impassioned vocals are notable.
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Rebekah Hawker - Kempenfelt Bay.

Arguably, the defining characteristics of a modern musical artist with breakout potential are aesthetic in nature. Carefully chosen fonts are assigned to enigmatic monikers and pseudonyms; vowels optional, excessive punctuation encouraged. In this environment meticulous stage curation is a limiting factor, with the correct fabric and lighting acting as key nutrients for rapid stage eutrophication. Rebekah Hawker’s defining characteristic is that she, inarguably, needs no such frivolities to capture and hold one’s attention.

The ability to command an audience is a quality that most of us do not possess and yet every great performer must. And it is in her contrasts that Rebekah Hawker manages to achieve this perfectly. On one hand her lyrics and melodies are a serious affair, evoking powerful images that resonate unbiasedly. They can be fierce or they can be fragile, but they can never be taken lightly. They speak of a life lived, not imagined, giving an authenticity to the ups and downs strewn throughout her musical tales. Yet on the other hand, her audience interaction and stage persona are so wonderfully light and refreshing that she transforms what could be a sombre experience in a joyful, cathartic journey. Humble, self deprecating, earnest and consistently hilarious, she smiles often and easy, and it takes only one look through a typical crowd to see that it’s contagious. Sometimes, a performer can be said to never leave a dry eye in the house. With Rebekah, there is never a frown.

There is an undeniable sense when watching her perform that you’ve been gifted that rare chance to see an artist before they were famous. Someone you will tell your friends and colleagues about, subtly bragging years later that you were there first. Yet in describing her, it’s always with a slight vagueness and allegory. It is so easy to liken and compare her to artists we hold dear to our hearts, in more of a spiritual homage than direct similarity, for though Rebekah may be singular we can all find something familiar and comforting within her music. She coaxes out vivid memories and emotions, her music amorphously accompanying them as though there all along. Somehow, Rebekah Hawker exists as part of our past, present, and undoubtedly our future. Are you listening?

Rebekah Hawker is a country folk singer-songwriter from Barrie, Ontario, that city you drive through on your way to the cottage. She sounds like an equal-parts mix of the following artists: Kathleen Edwards, Joni Mitchell, Kacey Musgraves, Patsy Cline and Martha Wainwright. She has played in venues across Canada, most recently as an artist on the Via Rail Train. You can catch her on tour this summer in support of her debut EP, ‘Careful Women,’ out August 23rd.

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Candy Ambulance - Road Valium.

NY grunge trio Candy Ambulance return with a raw new single “Road Valium” today. A delicious blend of punchy grunge-rock is splashed with twist of punk antics and pop hooks to build the band’s unique and addictive sound. Self-deprecating lyrics are served in cheeky, brash manner, while diving deep into intimately personal truths. “Road Valium” comes off Candy Ambulance’s upcoming album Traumantic, out September 13th.

“This song is very on-brand me,” shared vocalist Caitlin Barker. “The subject matter is pretty dark – Iʼm admitting that I seek chaos and attention in order to distract myself from deeper wounds – yet Iʼm delivering it in an incredibly cheeky manner. Iʼm flirting, Iʼm drawing you in and Iʼm letting you know that the ride is gonna be a rough (but usually pretty fun) one. When I say “every time I find a spot to lie in I get so uncomfortable” I mean it. If I stopped partying or chasing men Iʼd go absolutely bonkers.” The single, and upcoming album, reflect heavily on Barker’s personal experiences as she confronts trauma, past relationships, and self-analysis in therapy.

““Iʼm in bed with everybody, I know” is something I wrote as a joke about how I canʼt stop hooking up with my friends, but upon reflection, I know it could be relatable to people. What other energies to you bring home with you when you lie down to sleep?” shared Barker. An incredibly open admittance, Barker notes the support of bandmates bassist Jesse Bolduc, and drummer Jon Cantiello as crucial to her comfort in addressing hard truths. Splashed with a fiercely brash and brazen delivery, they speak honestly, revealing the truth: we’re all human, we’ve all got problems, and you might as well enjoy the time you’ve got.

Candy Ambulance has found their niche of gritty grunge, served up with a dash of punk antics and glued together with irresistible pop hooks. Their upcoming full-length Traumantic, due out September 13, 2019, was notably recorded and produced by The Replacementsʼ Tommy Stinson and includes a slide guitar collaboration from Josh Marre (Blue Ranger, Pinegrove). Raw, emotive, and deeply personal, Barker summarizes the album as “the sum of my life experiences with men.”

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Cold Reading - Present Tense.

Lucerne-based Alternative Rock band Cold Reading introduces the second part of their three-part concept album with their new single 'Present Tense'. The eponymous EP will be released on September 27 via Krod Records.

After releasing 'Part 1: Past Perfect' in May and achieving notable successes beyond the confines of their scene, they are ready to strike a new path. Where the first part was mainly influenced by the rawness of the Emo-/Post-Hardcore movement of the late 90s or early 2000s, part two offers a sound which moves away from the niche the band has been inhabiting so far. Now they are drawing inspiration from contemporary Indie and Pop music to complement their classic sound with new atmospheric elements.

With their new single 'Present Tense', the band foregoes the traditional dynamics and roaring guitars and thus delivers their most straightforward song yet. Cold Reading combines the lightness of Death Cab for Cutie, the drive of The National and the sensuousness of From Indian Lakes on 'Present Tense'. The vocals and the message are the core of the song. As regards content, singer Michael Portmann explains the song as follows:

"The title track 'Present Tense' is about consciously dealing with my feelings. I appeal to myself to break free from old patterns of repression and to allow the Now, even if the feelings can be painful. I tend to put my painful memories in a box and lock them away. I do not want that anymore. I want to be mindful and feel my own self. Only if I manage to do so in the moment, I know that I’m alive. "

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ROCH - Moon Panda - Shhe

We have a brand new track from ROCH entitled I Love To You. With a gentle pace, a soothing atmospheric musical landscape and Roch's beautiful vocals gliding above, this is a wonderful song.

Moon Panda were featured here a couple of times last year and we catch up with them with their latest song 'On The Attack'. This time they have shared a refreshing mixture of indie pop with a few splashes of dream pop and some psychedelic vibes for good measure.

Shhe has shared 'Saint Cyrus' and what a refined and dreamy song it is. It's accompanied by an intriguing video, the track itself was recorded in just one take, impressive to say the least.
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ROCH - I Love To You.

ROCH just released an atmospheric new track, 'I Love To You'. Inspired by a phrase coined by feminist writer Luce Irigiray, in an attempt to rephrase and reposition “I love you” in order to liberate language – 'I Love To You' utilises homemade percussion, analog synths, and eerie atmospherics – standing as another stark and intriguing example of what to expect from her debut full length album due for release early 2020.

"I am interested in relationships, and what language we use to portray the everyday", ROCH explains. "Sometimes you need to reinvent language to capture the essence of the relationship."

Co-produced with Ben Christophers (Bat For Lashes, Nakhane, etc), ROCH's spiralling R&B-tinged pop creations are something completely unique.

Previously supported by the likes of Pigeons & Planes, The Line Of Best Fit, The Sunday Times, The 405 and many more, 24 year old Kate Miller's (aka ROCH) music is like nothing else. Otherworldly, romantic, challenging - her songwriting and production brings together lucid synths, intriguing electronics, reverb-laden drums, and enchanting guitar passages - all complimented beautifully by her chilling vocals.

Inspired by crossovers of space and language; rethinking the “mundane and ubiquitous ideas” found in every day life. The bridging of grand scale and domestic scale is a concept Miller has been exploring in her work since her time studying performance and sculpture at University of the Arts London’s Central Saint Martin’s college, and continues to probe in the impassioned synth pop she makes as ROCH.


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Moon Panda - On The Attack.

The creative vision of Californian songwriter/bass player Maddy Myers and Danish guitarist Gustav Moltke, Moon Panda are a band that create hypnotic, mellow atmospheres with dreamy soundscapes. Their debut single ‘Rabbit’ received a lot of positive attention, reaching #1 on Hype Machine’s Most Popular Chart.

Latest single “On The Attack”, which accompanies the announce of their new EP, Pastel Pools, carries over this wondrous sound, combining soft vocals with slick, sultry guitars.

Recalling the inspiration behind the track, Myers says: “On The Attack is basically an account of my long distance relationship woes. Going back and forth between self-reliance and feeling like an unattached wild animal, chasing affection and adoration.

Waiting for a text back, a call, some proof that I'm missed. Hopefully it outlines that chaos that can happen inside you when you just want that warmth and acceptance.”

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Shhe - Saint Cyrus.

Shhe is the alter-ego of Scottish-Portuguese artist and producer SU Shaw. Shaw wraps carefully constructed electronic soundscapes around delicate yet self-assured vocals, and Saint Cyrus is the next piece of the puzzle introducing the world to the enigmatic Shhe. The artist’s upcoming self-titled debut album tracks a period of intense personal change, due for release 11th October on One Little Indian Records.

The musician only had to release one single, Eyes Shut (which premiered on Dazed), to find herself signing a record deal with One Little Indian Records and opening for Kathryn Joseph on her February UK tour.

“Saint Cyrus is named after the area that I was living in at the time - in the same house that I wrote and recorded the entire record" says SHHE. "The house backed onto a main road so recording during the day wasn’t possible. Most of the vocals were recorded during the night. The synth line which enters half way through the track was also recorded during this time, half awake, half asleep. I only recorded one take, that's the take that you hear on the record.”

She continues; “The track is in constant transition. When I wrote it, I was thinking a lot about identity. How no one is ever complete. Things are added, taken away, obscured, manipulated; certain characteristics, behaviours. In the track there are parts that disintegrate, disappear, are reintroduced elsewhere. But the words stay the same. Living there (in Saint Cyrus) was the only constant when everything else was in transition at the time. I think that environment encouraged a lot of change in my life.”

The outro to 'Saint Cyrus' is made up of layers of disconcerting, visceral movements of sound, tugging the song in multiple directions as synths and drums oscillate between the ears, smothered with lilting melodies that linger long after they are heard. SHHE has found herself on the precipice of unlimited creativity and she’s ready to dive in headfirst. Her debut record is only the beginning of this journey


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Fletcher Gull - Darrin Bradbury - The Needs - Moddi

Fletcher Gull has shared a beautiful song entitled 'Hypothermia'. A personal account of enduring in sub zero temperatures, if you excuse the well intentioned pun, this song exudes warmth and feeling.

We featured the title track from his forthcoming album earlier this month, however Darrin Bradbury is more than welcome back with another taster called 'Breakfast', where once again his lovable humour and observations are very engaging.

The Needs latest single 'Hey Wake Up' is a smooth and pleasing indie pop track and a fine indicator for their debut album due out early next month.

Our fourth feature for Moddi is the enchanting 'New Dawn'. Moddi produces modern folk of the highest calibre, his passion and commitment is second to none and the beauty of his music is quite stunning.
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Fletcher Gull - Hypothermia.

When one life ends another has already happened. Fletcher Gull has braved through salt and sun and the naked winter to deliver 'Hypothermia', a song that might have saved his life.

Sleeping under canvas in the sub-zero Rocky Mountains of Canada, ’Hypothermia’ sees the Melbourne based musician reflect upon a glacial night where he sought warmth in song writing. “I was so cold I thought I might die, so I had to sit up and try to get my blood flowing any way I could in an attempt to ensure my limbs didn’t fall off." After being pushed to his limits, the result is a song which is a personal account that’s layered with warm, uplifting tones, quirky instrumentation and a dizzying bridge, matched alongside Fletcher Gull's unique vocal qualities to deliver an audacious indie-pop song.

'Hypothermia' was produced and engineered by Gab Strum and Luke Bertoz, mixed by Gab Strum and is from the forthcoming debut EP by Fletcher Gull - Remember That You're Gone.

A residency throughout July at Swamplands in Melbourne and an intimate appearance at Old Bar last night has seen Fletcher Gull and his band debut and refine their live show before an anticipated set of showcases at BIGSOUND in September.

Fletcher Gull's music IS HERE FOR YOU, as you chronicle your way through life and your reasons to get up in the morning. 'Hypothermia' is out everywhere now.


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Darrin Bradbury - Breakfast.

Mixing humor with obvious-once-you-hear-them observations on mundane, everyday life, Darrin Bradbury’s unique wit makes for songs that are instantly relatable; this is evident on “Breakfast,” the second single from his highly-anticipated new album Talking Dogs & Atom Bombs, slated for release on September 20th via ANTI- Records.

Produced by Kenneth Pattengale (The Milk Carton Kids), Talking Dogs & Atom Bombs is a collection of songs born from dealing with depression and the pressures of life in the only way Bradbury knows; by poking fun at it. “It’s an album trying to combat depression, to laugh your way out of depression, and to be honest and accurate with that depression,” Bradbury quips. “I try to write things that make me chuckle, and that chuckling is usually making peace with the existential dilemma of both the times and life in general.” Pattengale recounts, “For awhile there Darrin and I would meet about once a week at my neighborhood coffee shop under the guise of me dispensing advice to him, despite repeated warnings that I am NOT in the advice giving business. As these things go, there was not much to say, and not much to learn—just friendly commiseration about the torrential weather bashing at the faces of anyone who dares to attempt a career in music. So maybe it was apt that I took the wheel for Darrin’s album about depression. Captain and co-pilot leading a more diverse Ship of Fools in circles out at sea.”

Described as a “stellar singer and songsmith” by Nashville Scene, Bradbury enlisted the help of only one other writer for the entire album—ANTI- label-mate, friend, and fellow esteemed Nashville musician, Jeremy Ivey. The tracking of Talking Dogs & Atom Bombs was completed in a similarly simple way; using the same combo of musicians for every song on the record. Aside from producer Pattengale’s mellotron and vocal contributions and the aforementioned Ivey’s bass and piano playing, only two extra musicians were called to round out the band; Alex Muñoz on additional guitars and Dillon Napier on drums. The only exception is the lone guest vocalist on the album, modern outlaw country queen and longtime supporter of Bradbury, Margo Price, who adds a somber harmony to a track titled “The Trouble With Time.”

Talking Dogs & Atom Bombs will be Darrin Bradbury’s first release on ANTI- Records. “Darrin possesses a wonderful, darkly sardonic sense of humor and a matter of fact wisdom that reminded me of some of my favorite writers from Chuck Berry to Mose Allison to John Prine,” says ANTI- founder, Andy Kaulkin. “I haven’t heard anyone do this sort of thing on this level for a very long time. His songs keep me on the edge of my seat.”

“When I write, there are things that I want to get away with,” Bradbury says. “I want to get away with the line, ‘I woke up this morning and I got out of bed / Tripped on my pants and fell on my head.’ ” Overall, Talking Dogs & Atom Bombs is a beautifully refined version of Bradbury’s writing; going for broke, connecting the dots, and doing it with blunt honesty that brings it all home. “If I can get you to take that seriously, and not skip a beat when you listen to it, that's what I want.”


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The Needs - Hey Wake Up.

Formed by Kvelertak’s guitarist Maciek Ofstad and two-time Norwegian Grammy winner Bendik Brænne, power pop collective The Needs are releasing their debut album on September 6th 2019 via Jansen Records.

On their latest single ‘Hey Wake Up’, the band experiment with 90’s power-pop. With upbeat melodies, buzzing guitar riffs and a chorus that swells as the song goes along, the track has shades of RIDE and Teenage Fanclub.

The band’s debut is inspired by the adrenaline withdrawal that professional musicians experience between tours - days spent on the beaches, time spent with loyal dogs.

The line-up is completed by Brænne’s older brother and former scientist Mattis, drummer and possessor of the most Norwegian sounding name of all time Nills Jørgen Nilsen, and Knut-Oscar Nymo of punk rockers Oslo Ess. ‘Hey Wake Up’ is available everywhere Friday 23rd August.

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Moddi - New Dawn.

The activist and artist Pål Moddi Knutsen is releasing his brand new single ‘New Dawn’. A song about how we tend to use our language to hide away unpleasant truths. This he’s doing in a duet with Hollow Hearts-vocalist Ida Løvheim, on a bed of strings by Trondheimsolistene.

New Dawn is inspired and is built on real military metaphors which have been used by Norwegian politicians about our participation in the wars in Afghanistan, Libya and Iraq. The artwork which is a photo taken by Odd Andersen, illustrates the point; we believe we’re looking at a beautiful sunrise over the town Mosul in Iraq, but in reality we’re looking at a burning oil well after what is left after the US military “Operation New Dawn”.

Moddi, the moniker of 32-year-old Pål Moddi Knudsen from Northern Norway, was an activist before he was a songwriter. This is unmistakably evident in his previous project ‘Unsongs’ - a collection of banned songs across the world, and Moddi continues to defend and advocate for the most important and relevant issues that we’re faced with today.

After touring with his backpack full of forbidden songs for 4 years, Moddi is now ready with new original material. The album Like In 1968 is released 13th of September, and is a celebration of the everyday activism and the hope, in a time many consider as a hopeless time.

New Dawn’ is the third single from the upcoming album ‘Like in 1968’, a celebration of the future hope and everyday activism. Moddi will be embarking on a small Norwegian tour in celebration of his album. This is the preliminary tour list:

LIVE DATES
01.11 - Driv, Tromsø
02.11 - Sinus, Bodø
06.11 - Østre, Bergen
16.11 - Rockefeller, Oslo.

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