Rev Rev Rev - Arlo Parks - Eyesore and The Jinx - Toronto Tabla Ensemble - Freezing Cold - Sara Ontaneda

Rev Rev Rev are back for a second appearance here with a new video and song '3 Not 3', a sub three minute blast of primal rock, with the vocals buried deep into the mix, this is pretty hypnotic music.

Arlo Parks shares a video for 'Second Guessing' a smooth and refined song where her beautiful vocals are surrounded by a gently rhythmic soundtrack.

Liverpool trio Eyesore and The Jinx new song is 'Leisure Time'. The vocals menace and dare you to not pay attention as the band deliver some potent rock hooks.

We are always on the look out for original and different music and Toronto Tabla Ensemble track 'Dream Symposium' is just incredible as is the video.

We have the full debut album from Freezing Cold which is entitled 'Glimmer'. The bands music is somewhere between alt and indie rock, and they carve out a consistent band sound, the vocals are really good for their musical style and the musicianship is tight and shifts from full on rock to gentler arrangements with apparent ease. This is a debut album to be proud of. 

Sara Ontaneda has just released 'Hey Maria' a gentle, highly melodic and wonderfully crafted indie pop song, where her vocals exude charm and beauty.
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Rev Rev Rev - 3 Not 3.

Clocking in at less than three minutes and set to visuals that are equally unsettling and apocalyptic, "3 not 3" is consumed from start to finish by primal percussion, thick distorted guitars and walls of feedback and distortion. All casting a dark menacing shadow through which, trying to break through, are Laura Iacuzio’s saccharine yet still somewhat foreboding vocals.

Since the release of their self-titled debut album back in 2013, Rev Rev Rev – based in Modena, Italy – have repeatedly been hailed as one of the finest new shoegaze bands, clocking up airtime and praise from BBC 6 Music, NPR, Drowned In Sound, Clash Magazine and Bandcamp Daily.

The quartet is set to embark on a tour touching United Kingdom, France and Switzerland next month.

Live show schedule runs as follows:

Thursday 17th Oct Bremgarten (CH), KuZeB
Friday 18th Oct Paris (FR), Supersonic
Monday 21st Oct Southend-on-Sea (UK), Railway Hotel
Tuesday 22nd Oct Bristol (UK), The Lanes
Wednesday 23rd Oct Hull (UK), New Adelphi
Thursday 24th Oct Northampton (UK), Garibaldi Hotel
Friday 25th Oct Nottingham (UK), The Chameleon
Saturday 26th Oct London (UK), The Waiting Room.


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Arlo Parks - Second Guessing.

It's been an extraordinary few months for Arlo Parks, who just recently celebrated her nineteenth birthday. In amongst the study and subsequent sitting of her A-Level exams, the London based musician/poet signed a record deal with Transgressive, headlined her first London show, played to a packed out crowd at Glastonbury Festival (where she was also invited to perform live on BBC television), debuted her live offering across Europe and found herself nominated for an AIM Award. Now, as she readies herself for a lengthy tour across the UK as main support to Jordan Rakei, she has announced the release of her eagerly anticipated second EP and shared the first single, 'Second Guessing'.

'Second Guessing', a song about doubt and the expectation that adulthood should be characterised by stability and having everything under control, is in Arlo's words, "an exploration of the existential misery that comes from a desire to be successful in a way that pleases everyone. However it's also a song about strength and the possibility of self fulfilment". Its rhythmic, melodic soundscape plays spotlight to her delicate vocal, and the story being told through her hard truth-telling lyrics. With one listen, it is easy to see how she increasingly considered the majestic voice of Generation Z and has won over fans including Killing Eve's Jodie Comer, Lily Allen and Amandla Stenberg.

Growing up in South West London, half Nigerian, a quarter Chadian and a quarter French, Arlo Parks learned to speak French before English. A quiet child, she'd write short stories and create fantasy worlds, later journaling and then obsessing over spoken word poetry, reading American poets such as Ginsberg and Jim Morrison and watching old Chet Baker performances on YouTube. These days she references Nayyirah Waheed, Hanif Abdurraqib and Iain S. Thomas as her favourite modern poets, and it is clear that their works are as influential on her song writing as any musician. Books too, such as The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. Parks says, "the way Murakami writes in that book is how I aspire to write my songs; gritty and sensitive and human."

Fela Kuti's 'Water' and Otis Redding's 'Sittin On The Dock Of The Bay' sound tracked Arlo Parks' childhood, but it was aged around 13 that she discovered King Krule; an artist who would heavily influence the music she writes today. Later listening to more hip-hop (from Kendrick Lamar, MF Doom and Earl Sweatshirt to the more confessional sounds of Loyle Carner) and rock (Jimi Hendrix, Shilpa Ray and David Bowie), as well as the subdued, pained sounds of Keaton Henson, Sufjan Stevens and Julien Baker, Parks explains, "I would write stories so detailed you could taste them, while maintaining the energy and life of the hip-hop I loved."


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Eyesore and The Jinx - Leisure Time.

Eyesore & The Jinx return with their new single and freshly announced live dates, including a free headline London show at the Waiting Room on 4th October.

Their previous singles saw them commenting on social media isolationism and an overall doomed feeling in society due to the current political landscape. Twitchy, socially minded, acerbic post-punk has always felt natural for Liverpool trio Eyesore & The Jinx. There was never a plan to be a ‘political band’, it’s purely the result of writing about what they see and feel in their lived experience.

Leisure Time feels like a new phase. A very different tempo, a different groove, a different approach –  sharpened in the studio with producer Daniel Fox, also known as the bassist from Dublin’s much loved Girl Band. The track sits right at the centre of their live set, surrounded by two minute assaults – but they are all singing from the same hymn sheet. What Eyesore & The Jinx do very well is create absolutely dreadful characters that live at the heart of each track. Reflecting modern life in Britain without the need to preach political views.

“From the perspective of an unhinged holiday maker, ‘Leisure Time’ points a greasy, heavily lotioned finger at the care-free nature of the British expat. Whose enduring commitment to enjoying themselves, at the expense of other cultures, remains as visible and as grotesque as ever. It is, in short, a sun-stroked blather on the most miserable of holidays.” Josh Miller – Eyesore & The Jinx

Eyesore & The Jinx are part of an exciting group of bands and artists that make up the cohort of Merseyside taste-makers Eggy Records. The label acts as a co-operative, a supportive group of creatives and misfits who have built something very special, recently profiled by the NME. There seems to be a spotlight on what is happening with this group of artists, with Eggy being selected to host a showcase at this year’s BBC 6Music Festival, of which Eyesore & The Jinx headlined, not to mention Eyesore’s recent trip to Russia to play two festivals as part of the UK Russia Year of Music with label mate newbies STORES. Their first international trip as a band was certainly a memorable one.

Their sphere of influence is quickly expanding out of their home region. Their last two singles received extensive national radio support, including a 6Music Roundtable win for ‘On An Island’ produced by Jonathan Hartley from iconic Liverpool psych-surgeons Clinic. Their most recent single ‘Swill’ was the first track they recorded with Daniel Fox alongside Matt Freeman at Fresh Goods Studio, Birkenhead. This relationship worked very well and the band headed back in soon after to record their forthcoming EP. Leisure Time is the first single to come from this future release, funded by a special PRS Foundation Momentum fund in conjunction with Liverpool City Council.

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Toronto Tabla Ensemble - Dream Symposium.

For over 25 years Toronto Tabla Ensemble (TTE) has produced ground-breaking music that crosses cultures and borders. A Canadian pioneer, TTE started collaborating in the 1990’s with Japanese Taiko, Flamenco, Kathak dance, and Rock ‘n Roll with the Tea Party. Founded by Artistic Director Ritesh Das, TTE has a JUNO nomination and recently received a Global Music and Independent Music Award in 2019 for their album Bhumika.

Their latest music video Faceoff has been screened at international film festivals receiving accolades from around the world. Their music has been licensed for commercials, films and as the theme music for CBC Radio’s Metro Morning. What sets TTE apart is their ability to draw from the rich depths of North Indian Classical percussion to create rhythms and grooves anyone can dance to. TTE is not fusion nor is it World Music; this ensemble creates Canadian born music with a traditional influence bringing together the best of the world for an incomparable listening experience.

About Dream Symposium - 'Dream Symposium' is based on a traditional Tabla composition that is usually taught at an early stage of learning. Ritesh Das was influenced by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and composed this as a performance track featuring many different percussion instruments to create an orchestral feeling. “In preparation for the seventh album we wanted to create a music video for 'Dream Symposium' that included the youth and to focus on their strength as players, but also keep a sense of fantasy and humour.”

TTE are delighted to be attending WOMEX ’19 in Finland this October 2019.


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Freezing Cold - Glimmer (Album).

Freezing Cold came together in early 2017 as friends. Having spent time growing up together in the New York DIY music community in bands like Bridge and Tunnel, Weed Hounds, and Aye Nako had the members Jeff Cunningham (guitar & vocals), Angie Boylan (drums and vocals - who is also currently the touring drummer for Sleater Kinney), and Nick Rice (bass) have all known each other for years.

They released a 3-song demo, making a music video for their song “Shape of Escape” and playing shows throughout the North East of the US. Their introspective heart-on-the-sleeve style of indie rock mixed with the unspoken musical magnetism that brought them together was evident in their early performances.

The band’s debut album combines lush sounds with earnest storytelling, creating music that is reminiscent of Lemonheads, Throwing Muses, Sebadoh, Archers of Loaf, Ride, with a dash of punk, rounding out select tracks with keyboards and a few with a string section. Listening through Glimmer and standout tracks “New Ways to Wait”, “Parentheses”, “Teenage Insights”, and “Squint to See” the band defy simplistic genre comparisons. The only thing that the listener can be sure of is that these songs are inward in their thinking and played close to the chest. Their influences are as varied as the members, which shines through in the varied pace and approach of Glimmer.

Glimmer not only introduces us to a band at the beginning of their stride, but also to a group of individuals with a passion for their craft. The album was recorded and mixed by engineer, producer, and recording artist J Robbins (Against Me!, Promise Ring, Lemuria, Jawbox) at Magpie Cage Studios in Baltimore in March of 2019.

Make sure to catch Freezing Cold when they’re in your area as the band plans on touring the US and Europe in the near future. The band will celebrate the release of Glimmer at the Footlight in New York on September 28th.

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Sara Ontaneda - Hey Maria.

Multi award-winning Ecuadorian-American singer songwriter (based in NYC) Sara Ontaneda's music is often described as alternative pop, Sara incorporates folk, R&B and South American sounds into her unique signature sound.

About "Hey Maria": The inspiration behind "Hey Maria" came when the singer was visiting her family in Ecuador and the TV was on. The news channel she was watching was talking about the shocking statistics of Femicide and Violence Against Women in Latin America and the world. The singer realized how a lot of times women are judged unfairly when getting into these situations.

Sara Ontaneda is an award-winning singer-songwriter based in New York City. Her music is a colorful blend of Pop, R&B and Folk sounds with heart-felt lyrics in both Spanish and English.

Sara discovered her passion for music at a young age. At age 7 she started piano lessons and at age 9 she joined her school's choir in Miami, Florida. Throughout her childhood, splitting time between Guayaquil, Ecuador and Miami, she studied classical music. The love for music placed her in Berklee College of Music where she majored in Contemporary Writing and Production. She graduated with honors and received scholarship awards for her efforts.

After a year of hard work, Sara finished her first EP, "Marte y Júpiter" where she took the roles of writer, recording engineer, and producer. The EP was released on July 14th, 2015 and received numerous positive reviews from journals in Latin America and Spain. This led Sara to tour in Ecuador as well as many cities of the US, including festivals like South By Southwest (SXSW 2017), MUSIKFEST, South Florida Folk Festival, and others.

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Kristina Stykos - Brudini - Ted Z and The Wranglers - Ben Watt

Kristina Stykos has released a new album entitled 'River Of Light'. The country/folk singer has delivered a superb collection of material where the lyrics take you on a variety of journeys. The music can be gritty, stripped back or warm and exuding Americana rock styles, what remains at the centre is Kristina's unique vocals that convey emotion, determination and more, and the comparison to Patti Smith is a fair one albeit more regarding the delivery than the sound. With thirteen songs this really is a musical feast to enjoy.

We have to go back over two years for our only other feature for Brudini that said, the new song 'Pale Gold' adds credence to the old cliche "it was well worth the wait". The musical arrangement is simply wonderful and Brudini has distinct and captivating vocals, put simply I can't wait for the November album release.
 
Ted Z and The Wranglers return just weeks after our first taste of the bands music with new song 'Corner Store'. Once again the classic country rock vibes are everywhere, the bands instruments spar with each other and the feel good nature is notable.

We have a brand new video for Ben Watt and his song 'Sunlight Follows The Night'. An emotional and poignant song, the musical set up is around piano, double bass and drums, that allow Ben's voice to carry the feeling on this wonderful song.
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Kristina Stykos - River Of Light (Album).

Award-winning outlaw country/folk singer songwriter exemplifies pure determination and a fiercely independent spirit. Kristina Stykos's dark, self-produced, poetry-soaked music, lyrics and original vocal cadence bears resemblance to rock n' roll/punk icons like Patti Smith. Her recording studio, Pepperbox Studio, is solar, wind and generator powered.

In 2017, Stykos was diagnosed with spasmodic dysphonia, a disorder that
makes speaking and singing difficult or even impossible. That doesn't stop Kristina from continuing to write and record new music; it simply changes how she does it.

Stykos describes the album "River of Light" as 'an exciting departure from anything I've done before.' "I'm a poet-musician working at the outer boundaries of the music industry, and I believe that we can all take control of our own message."

Kristina Stykos is a music producer, recording engineer, songwriter, radio host, podcaster and musician based in Vermont.

Kristina solidified her launch as an audio engineer in 2008, earning a certificate in studio production from the Berklee School of Music. As of 2019, she holds producer credits for upwards of 30 albums created at her hill-top recording loft, Pepperbox Studio: a solar, wind and generator powered, fully off-grid facility. She is also founder-owner of a small, Americana label, Thunder Ridge Records.

Her recent albums include three collaborative projects: The Detangler (2018) with Ariel Zevon, daughter of Warren Zevon; Beautiful Blood (2013) with singer-songwriter Steve Mayone of Brooklyn NY, and Raven (2011), with Grammy-nominated pianist Philip Aaberg of Montana.

Kristina's newest solo album River of Light (2019) brings in Jackson Browne guitarist Val McCallum, along with other notable friends & session players.

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Brudini - Pale Gold.

A demo of the song was written 5 years ago, and in a world that seems to be turning darker, the narrative turned out to be strangely prophetic for the artist, who was once an owner of Soho´s tiny literary-bohemian bastion The Society Club.

“The release coincides with the UK leaving the EU, and me ultimately abandoning London, the liberal, multi-cultural bastion which has been my home for the last 13 years. And the song echoes my sadness over both these events, yet maintains a sense of hope for a new future and shift in my priorities as I return to my homeland, Norway, to be closer to my three year old daughter.”

Pale Gold is the 3rd single from forthcoming debut album From Darkness, Light which is due for release in November. It follows the critically acclaimed singles Reflections and Emotional Outlaw.

Growing up amidst the mountains and fjords of Bergen on Norway’s southwest coast, with a Norwegian father and a Thai mother, a sense of otherness, of not quite fitting in, led Brudini to travel. To Tokyo, to Paris, to New York and eventually to London and the high-stakes world of city traders. A world of huge wins and heavy losses – lucrative but not entirely fulfilling.

While his daytimes were spent in the rapid pace trajectory of a modern capitalist society, evenings were increasingly passed in Soho, amidst a world of artists, musicians, performers and poets. A chance encounter with Babette Kulik eventually lead him to become part-owner of now legendary bohemian-literary Soho outpost The Society Club. As part of this hidden, free-spirited scene of creatives, Brudini began to conjure his music - singing in underground venues in Soho and Hackney armed with guitars, piano and analogue synthesizers, flanked by a rhythm section of local jazz musicians and drawing praise from NYC punk legend Danny Fields (Iggy Pop, Jim Morrison, The Ramones) in the process.

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Ted Z and The Wranglers - Corner Store.

Ted Z and The Wranglers, of Southern California, deliver outlaw country-charged rock. Ted's catchy story-songs are fully-realized tales of love, regret, getting older and getting in trouble. The band stirs up it's Americana influences, featuring quick picking and bluesy slide guitar over galloping train beats and swinging shuffles.

The Wranglers are Collin Mclean (bass), Jackson Leverone (lead and slide guitar, vocals) and Jordan Lipp (drums). The band has honed it's sound on big stages and in biker bars alike. They get audiences dancing and bring them back for more.

Ted Z and The Wranglers were signed to Rip Cat Records in 2015. Their first label release, Ghost Train, was recorded at Yellow Dog Studios in Wimberley, TX and produced by Monty Byrom (Big House, Eddie Money). 2017 Winner Hard Rock Rising LA, Jam in The Van (2017) Headlined Sturgis Buffalo Chip (2018).

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Ben Watt - Sunlight Follows The Night.

Completing a compelling trilogy of albums since his late-flowering return to solo songwriting and singing six years ago, Ben Watt releases his fourth LP, Storm Damage on January 31, 2020, and with it a new sound and fervency. The first track to be shared is "Sunlight Follows The Night" with an accompanying video by award-winning film maker Rahim Moledina, who wrote and directed the video for the title track from Watt's album Hendra in 2014.

"Dawn always breaks out of darkness," says Watt of the song. "For all the struggle there's always a way out."

"I needed a fresh approach," says Watt, 56. "The album came out of an intense period of personal anguish and political anger. Sometimes repeating yourself musically feels disrespectful to the sharpness of your feelings. You have to search for a new way to capture the energy."

Across four decades Watt has maintained a committed forward-looking course, from the ardent echo-drenched folk of his early solo work with Robert Wyatt, through seventeen years as musical mainspring and co-lyricist in the best-selling Everything But The Girl with Tracey Thorn - and ten at the helm of his smart electronic label Buzzin' Fly - to his recent moving non-fiction and mid-life solo albums, the award-winning Hendra (2014) and Fever Dream (2016).

New album Storm Damage is no exception. Sonically adventurous, lyrically detailed and engaged, the album - written and produced by Watt - is a personal journey through anxiety and change cut through with an insistent defiance.

"My closest half-brother died unexpectedly in 2016, only four years after my half-sister," he says of events surrounding the album's origins. "I got stuck for a year, angry inside and angry at the political world casually detonating around me. I felt half powerless, half driven. When the songs finally came, some were dark, yes, but there is always room for light. Always. I just tried to put that across."

Sonically the album forgoes the acclaimed twin-guitar approach of its two predecessors, and boldly shifts focus onto - in Watt's words - "a future-retro trio" of upright piano, double bass and hybrid acoustic-electronic drums, set against a half-lit backdrop of lone analogue synths, spiralling echo spins and impressionistic 'found sounds' adapted from online public-domain recording archives. Low's Alan Sparhawk makes a guest appearance on electric guitar and harmony vocal.


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Helga - The Handsome Bandit - Artificial Pleasure - Mr Ben & The Bens

Helga has released a collection of five songs on her new E.P 'The Autumn Lament'. Each track is distinct, the moods change as does the level of power or melodic construction and overall this is one very compelling E.P.
  
The Handsome Bandit have shared a video for 'Believe You Me' a song described as progressive piano pop/rock, I could not put it better I'd just add that it is exceedingly catchy.

It's been some time since we last featured Artificial Pleasure they return with 'Side By Side Together' a hook laden and vocally led alt rocker that is the first taste of their new album due next year. 

Mr Ben & The Bens have released a video for their recent single 'Transmissions' a sprightly indie pop song and ahead of the forthcoming album 'Who Knows Jenny Jones?' due in October.
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Helga - The Autumn Lament (E.P).

Hailing from the dark forests of Dalarna, Sweden, HELGA re-emerges from the wilderness to release her intense second EP ‘The Autumn Lament’ on September 20th.

Writing from the solitary confines of her cabin with just a guitar for company has given Helga’s songwriting a unique sense of introspection. Employing an eclectic blend of pop, metal, post-rock, goth, folk and classical influences to devastating effect, Helga tells us that the new songs are:

“a musical translation of my inner and physical world. I personally love reverb-drenched music and sounds, drawing inspiration from my dream world, the misty forests, and Swedish folk music.”

In a time when the environment is ever more under threat, it’s only natural that meditation upon the state of the world, while full of beauty, is tinged with darkness and melancholy.

Opening with the previously released pop-goth destroyer 'Mörker' we are immediately transported into a sinister and engaging landscape. Tribal drums, throat singing a la The Hu and ominous strings soon give way to churning bass and razor edged metal breakdowns, with Helga’s haunting vocal remaining a solitary guide through the dark.

Elsewhere across the 5 tracks on ‘The Autumn Lament’ we find Kate Bush meets Opeth influenced tracks like 'Into The Light' and 'Worlds Apart'.

Proving that despite proudly emerging  from black metal roots, Helga is willing to embrace modern pop and folk elements. Distinctly melodic without giving up it’s unsettling character, it makes for an eclectic, unique blend, and cements Helga’s status as one to watch on the dark pop / nu-goth scene.


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The Handsome Bandit - Believe You Me.

Celebrated as “a refreshingly catchy new band that’s fearless, demands the stage, and charms their audience!” The Chicago Band, The Handsome Bandit discovered its unique cocktail blend of Pop-Rock with a sprinkle of Swing when two creative singer-songwriters merged their artistic passions.

Eric Niequist’s powerful lead vocals and edgy bass riffs weave alongside the intricate piano melodies and warm vocals of Allison Hogan. The Handsome Bandit will have you energized and enthralled with their foot stomping sing-alongs, dynamic ballads, and thunderous anthems!

“Believe You Me” an original work by The Handsome Bandit. This track is progressive Piano Pop/Rock changing tempos and written in compound time. Influencers: Panic!, Fall Out, Queen, Ben Folds, The Dear Hunter


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Artificial Pleasure - Side By Side Together.

Mixing style, art school flair and an arsenal of killer songs, London’s Artificial Pleasure made a strong impression with their debut album ‘The Bitter End’. Earning the support of NME, The Guardian, The Independent, The Line of Best Fit, Dork and Clash, the four-piece inspired references with LCD Soundsystem, Talking Heads and Brian Eno while making music entirely on their own terms.

Now Artificial Pleasure have morphed into 2.0 mode as they drop their brand new single ‘Side By Side Together’. It’s the first taste of their second album which will follow in 2020.

‘Side By Side Together’ represents a confident evolution in Artificial Pleasure’s sonic approach. While it plays on their love of the greats of the Stax Records era, their rich textures of synths ensure that the track looks boldly towards the future rather than merely playing homage to the past. Topped by frontman Phil McDonnell’s charismatic vocal and complemented by vocal harmonies from JYLDA and bass/synths from Sam Mason (of Die Mason Die), it’s anthemic future-soul played with the vibrancy of road-hardy touring band.

McDonnell wrote the song in the back of the band’s tour van while driving through Europe at night. It was subsequently recorded with engineer Moritz Kerschbaumer (Foreign Poetry) in his studio in Hackney Wick, East London.

‘Side By Side Together’ is a love song about friendship and the need for unity and kindness in a world that is progressively getting more fd,” says McDonnell. “The long nights, long drives, the hardships, the fun, the falls and high points of touring all bind us together in a way that goes beyond friendship and they are experiences that bond people for life, regardless of distance.”

Artificial Pleasure’s Phil McDonnell (vocals/guitar) and Dom Brennan (synths/production) are life-long friends. By the time they were adults, their individual projects didn’t share much common ground: Brennan was producing ear-bleeding electronica while McDonnell was playing the hugely demanding repertoire of Frank Zappa in a touring cover band. But friendship and a shared passion for music overcame such expectations, and they recruited jazz/funk specialist Lee Jordan to provide the grooves to complete their vision for Artificial Pleasure.

Renowned for their inventive visuals, especially on ‘Wound Up Tight’ which pushed McDonnell’s endurance to the max, Artificial Pleasure also gained respect for their theatrical life show - a confrontational mix of Sid Vicious hedonism and Bryan Ferry suave.

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Mr Ben & the Bens - Transmissions.

Mr Ben and The Bens share the video for their recent single "Transmissions", taken from the forthcoming album Who Knows Jenny Jones? which is out on 25 October via Bingo Records. Mixing psychedelic indie-pop with funky Chic-style bass-lines, the song is a danceable cosmic disco number. The video follows Ben as he dishes out free basslines to the unsuspecting public of Sheffield.

"Transmissions" is a pivotal track on the album, which is the story of a shrinking violet called Jenny Jones in 1970s Sheffield. The song is about Jenny’s abduction by aliens in a graveyard where the aliens impart disco knowledge to her through signals transmitted via a sensory deprivation tank.

Mr Ben and The Bens is the brainchild of polymath Ben Hall. The record is an experimental pop exploration of a kitchen sink narrative with a celestial twist. Originating from Lancaster’s thriving co-operative scene (home to The Lovely Eggs among others), Ben is now based in Sheffield and his adopted city has had a profound influence on the concept of the new album.

Mr  Ben and The Bens head out on tour in October, starting in their hometown of Lancaster and ending in their adopted city of Sheffield.

On Tour in October:
Fri 25 October: Lancaster - Yorkshire House
Sat 26 October: Huddersfield - Northern Quarter
Sun 27 October: Newcastle: Cumberland Arms
Tue 29 October: Manchester - Gulliver’s
Wed 30 October: Nottingham - Rough Trade
Thur 31 October: Cardiff - The Moon
Fri 1 November: London - Sebright Arms
Sat 2 November: Sheffield - Delicious Clam.


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Lucie Tiger - Hollywood - Jordan Mackampa - Shhe - Winola Oak - Between Suns feat. Crudded Badz

Lucie Tiger shares the A and B side for her new single namely 'Apple Tree' and 'Baby Don't You Go'. The singer songwriter delivers a fresh sounding mixture of folk and country rock, her vocals are upbeat and melodic and the musical arrangement just right for these two tunes.

Opening with their new single 'Parachute' Norwegian three piece band Hollywood have just released their new album 'Close To You'. Quoting their promo for the album "Close To You” is a record full of guilty pleasures, grandiose choruses and cinematic lyrics wrapped in a sound of 80s and 90s alternative pop". It's a very honest description making my life easy, it's also an album worth hearing in full.

Back in 2017 we featured Jordan Mackampa a couple of times and it is a real pleasure to share a new song from him entitled 'What Am I'. Beautifully arranged and allowing Jordan's incredible vocals to shine, this is a timeless soulful song, I really hope it's not too long until we hear more from this very talented artist.

It's just four weeks since we first featured Shhe who returns today with another captivating song entitled 'Emma'. We described the previous track (Saint Cyrus) as "refined and dreamy" and this piece progresses from there adding atmosphere and feeling to her increasingly impressive repertoire.

Winola Oak has already gained our attention in a big way twice this year, firstly with a stripped down version of her debut single (He Don't Love Me) and then last month with 'Break My Broken Heart' a song that has attracted huge attention. She returns with both a stripped version and a live one for this fabulous track.

Between Suns feat. Crudded Badz share a fine video for 'Fractured Life'. The feisty vibe and mixture of genres are equally matched by the music video, on paper I am far to old for a song like this, but it is just so catchy and imaginatively produced.
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Lucie Tiger - Apple Tree / Baby Don't You Go.

Lucie Tiger is excited to release her newest single Apple Tree and its B-side Baby Don’t You Go, two songs that show her reverence for decades gone by while staying fresh and modern in a world that desperately needs more love.

Recorded and produced at Delta King Studios in Sydney (The Middle Kids, Dean Lewis, Guy Sebastian), Apple Tree is a glorious melting pot of slide guitar and organ, delivering flashbacks to when Dylan went electric mixed with Australia’s newest export, The Teskey Brothers. Meanwhile, Baby Don’t You Go is an ode to those in love and those who want to be in love with soaring vocals grounded by barn dance drums and stunning piano lines.

‘Apple Tree paints a picture of a beautiful place in the countryside,’ explains Lucie Tiger, ‘all it needs is the love of your life to show up and it’ll be perfect. Baby Don’t You Go is a classic love song but with an old-school blues twist right at the end.’

After releasing the single, Lucie Tiger will be heading over to the United States to tour Chicago, Nashville, Muscle Shoals, Memphis and Clarksdale - cities and towns that mean so much to her, inspiring and almost magical places. Especially when it comes to Clarksdale, where Robert Johnson sold his soul to the devil. As well as playing shows, Lucie will also be recording in some of the most famous, historic studios in the history of modern music - Sun Studios in Memphis (made famous by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, as well as Chris Isaac, more recently) and FAME Recording Studios in Muscle Shoals (which has hosted the Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin, the Allman Brothers, not to mention Tim McGraw and the Dixie Chicks in recent years) to name a couple.


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Hollywood - Close To You (Album).

Norwegian three-piece Hollywood is the new consummate of, until recently, solo artists; Billie Van, Jonas Alaska and Mikhael Paskalev. Like their collective namesake suggests, the band invokes not only a hallmark of dreams for the aspirational through equally dreamlike compositions, but also the melancholy and heartbreak of the most that don’t ‘make it’. Unironic and unabashed panoramas of late-80s high-school romance sheen with nostalgia, while some tracks reveal cinematic melodramatics, painting the full-length with a range of conceptual textures.

New Single ‘Parachute’ crawls like a Cigarettes After Sex-esque alt-rock ballad, beginning with vintage harpsichord synthesisers which act as a central theme to the track. And meeting with a delicate fervency, the softly spoken tones of Alaska move from the monophonic, to the polyphonic when fellow band members harmonise and craft a draft of sound.

The project is the result of a creative excess amongst three close friends. After contributing to each other's solo successes for the last decade, the time was finally ripe to begin blurring their boundaries and discover a bolder, more playful approach to their songwriting.

The band was conceived around the same time they set up their own record label ‘Braveheart’ and studio in Oslo. A fresh vehicle for their own individually established artistic careers as well as their newest collective pursuit.

“Close To You” is a record full of guilty pleasures, grandiose choruses and cinematic lyrics wrapped in a sound of 80s and 90s alternative pop. The new record is produced by the band themselves over a period of two years, and mixed mostly by their own Mikhael Paskalev. The result is an unusual and interesting voyage, which takes many turns between different styles of songwriting and production. Hollywood has been playing some of Norways key festivals already, such as Villvill Vest and Øya. This autumn they will tour Norway’s largest cities with a more intimate concert experience.

Hollywood release ‘Parachute’ and their debut album ‘Close To You’ on the 20th September via their own label Braveheart.

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Jordan Mackampa - What Am I.

Jordan Mackampa steps further into his true self with 'What Am I'. The questioning single is executed with soulful resilience against a backdrop of resplendent horns, harmonious percussion and orchestral strings - and if you listen closely - a funk undertow.

It's the kind of song that sweeps you off your feet, carried by Mackampa's powerful-yet-amicable vocals reminiscent of Lianne La Havas .The zenith of the track, around the three minute mark, is especially poignant as the songwriter pivots between uplifting instrumentation and his own sense of unknowing. He repeats’ "what am I supposed to do?" capturing the feeling of a generation, lost. As the track comes to an end, Mackampa leaves us without an answer, left to ponder the question on everyone’s lips. ‘What Am I’ was produced by Dani Castelar (Paolo Nutini).

Sarah Speaking on the track, Jordan quotes: "What Am I is a modern take on Marvin Gaye’s classic ‘What’s Going On’, highlighting the state of the world right now, from multiple wars in different territories; how the earth is dying, to the border control problem & how it’s been dealt with. It’s a lot of ‘hopes and prayers’, changing of display pictures to blue, but all trickling down to a stop soon after, as it’s no longer in the forefront of the media.

I wrote this song in the mindset of how I need to do more but don’t know how because I am only one man, trying his best to make change within the means available."The London based soul singer is the combination of his Congolese roots and midlands upbringing. His soul soaked, indie driven tracks swim in the sounds and stories of the cities he’s inhabited over the years. Inspired by his mother’s love of the great soul singers, Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers and Curtis Mayfield, Jordan combines his timeless vocal with catchy melodies and heartfelt lyrics to create an exciting hybrid of alternative pop and soul which will enchant and uplift in equal measure.

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Shhe - Emma.

Scottish-Portuguese artist and producer SHHE has today shared a brand new single taken from her forthcoming self-titled album. Emma is a pulsing reflection of an unhealthy relationship. SHHE is the alter-ego of solo artist Su Shaw, a captivating songwriter who wraps carefully constructed electronic soundscapes around delicate yet self-assured vocals. 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.

"This is not a song about unrequited love. It’s about something that feels more destructive" said SHHE. "There’s an internal drone that you hear from the beginning, this constant reminder, an uneasiness. It feels a bit symptomatic of motion sickness. It's overpowering. And there are all these mixed messages, this confusing build up of hopefulness and hopelessness.

"It’s about a relationship that is unhealthy. You still have unanswered questions and you’re still trying to make sense of everything. The track is about the aftermath of that. It’s about letting go. It's about seeing things how they really are. It’s about reclaiming strength through that process."

To question her own identity, SHHE had to first deconstruct it. This involved leaving her former life in Fife, including her relationship, and relocating to Dundee, where SHHE found herself in the company of creatives – dancers, musicians, visual artists – who helped to widen her musical vision. One of those people was photographer Harry Clark, who was also a dancer with Scottish Dance Theatre at the time, and who collaborated with Shaw on her first outing as ‘SHHE’ on the attention-grabbing single Eyes Shut. Incorporating visuals in the form of contemporary dance gave Shaw a wider understanding of how other mediums could impact and enforce the message of her work; the video for the single told the story of a love affair and a journey of self-discovery between two male dancers.

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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Winola Oak - Break My Broken Heart (Stripped / Live Versions).

Swedish born, LA-based artist Winona Oak releases a haunting stripped version of new single “Break My Broken Heart” via Neon Gold Records / Atlantic Records. Earlier this week, Winona Oak shared the live piano performance video.

Winona Oak about “”Break My Broken Heart”: “You have to be brave to love someone with all your heart. But the biggest risk in life is to not take any risks at all. As long as we’re breathing, what’s one more scar?”

Born and raised in the Nordic forests of Sweden on a small crop of land called Sollerön - known as the Island of the Sun - Winona Oak is every bit as enchanting as her origin story. With a childhood spent encountering more animals than people, she grew up a trained horse acrobat and pursued creative expression however she could, writing poetry and songs from a young age. Born into a musical family, Winona sang throughout her youth and began playing violin at 5 years old and piano at 9 years.

After moving to Stockholm to pursue her passion for music, a leap of faith to attend Neon Gold Records’ writing retreat in the Nicaraguan jungle in 2017 led her to Australian electronic maestro What So Not. She would go on to co-write his next two singles "Better" and "Stuck In Orbit", eventually stepping into the spotlight as both the writer and featured artist on his 2018 single "Beautiful" HERE, which took home the 2019 AIR Award for Best Independent Dance Single at the Australian Independent Music Awards.



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Between Suns feat. Crudded Badz - Fractured Life.

Following last year’s extraordinary debut single, Sun Ra, with its eye-frying psychedelics and glam strut, their brand new single is Fractured Life, a song about life on the road which in the space of three-and-a-bit minutes hits disco, hard rock, grime and ends up somewhere hot and exotic.

Featuring grime artist, Crudded Badz, the track showcases Between Suns’ universal appeal; where grime and rock have met to form a relationship that stands as a testament to both worlds.

Produced by music legend Nick Tauber (Thin Lizzy; Marillion; Toyah), their disregard for convention and expectations set them apart as one of the most exciting rock acts in years. The combined talents of songwriter and guitarist, Paul Lisak and astonishing vocalist Nausicaa, no reference points will make sense, yet your mind will try to compute some order to their kaleidoscope of musical freakery – Jimmy Page sharing a house with Judy Garland; Boney M scrapping it out with Jimi Hendrix; Abba joined in marriage to Ravi Shankar by Reverend Ice Cube. Forget everything you’ve ever heard – Between Suns are the real deal.

Detroit – New York – Seattle – Leytonstone. The new music hub of the world is in East London and it’s all wrapped up in one band. Fine artist and guitar virtuoso, Paul Lisak and French operatically trained chanteuse Nausicaä met despite circumstances seemingly conspiring to keep them apart. Signed up to an online company designed to pair up singers looking for musicians, Paul was not even in the market for band mates and was in the habit of deleting the daily deluge of email notifications as soon as they hit his inbox. For reasons unknown, on this particular day, he deleted all but one. Days later, he opened it to find a young French girl looking for a band - a classically trained singer who had left France for London and the music scene which had provided so many of her favourite artists, despite being unable to speak a word of English. Their united determination to challenge the norm through their art led to an extraordinary musical relationship which over three years and the expert stewardship of the legendary producer, Nick Tauber is finally ready for the world to taste.


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