Rachel Beck shares 'Warrior' where her beautifully distinctive vocals glide above a refined musical backdrop. === Less than a month since we featured 'Skeleton Couch' Seablite are back with 'High Rise Mannequins' and again their mixture of dream pop and shoegaze impress. === Arabnormal have a pretty unique opening for 'Digital Veil' on the video version of the song. I think I'll stick to the audio version in the longer term but it's well worth seeing. === The trio Adwaith release 'Lan y Môr' tomorrow on Welsh Music Day, and it's a natural rocker that packs plenty of feeling. === We shared a song from Vundabar back in 2017 so it's been a while however 'Petty Crime' is a catchy and slick indie rocker, so welcome back. === From Ted Jasper we have the intimate and intricately arranged 'Stone Cold Kisses', it's a taste of what's to come on his 'Equinox' E.P next month and a very fine one at that.
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Rachel Beck - Warrior.
Glowing with catchy pop hooks, Rachel Beck distinctive piano melodies and emotive vocals are captivating audiences across Canada. Her upcoming release, Stronger Than You Know, is a celebration of strength and resilience. Its a gentle call to action -- a call to stand up, to speak out, to be present, to love fiercely. The record shimmers with layered synths and lush strings, balanced by dynamic percussion and bass. But the focal point, the unifying force throughout, is Beck's stunning voice.
Based on the success of her multi award-winning debut album, one might presume otherwise, but this Prince Edward Island songwriters journey to a career in music was anything but conventional. After completing degrees in psychology and education, teaching high school for ten years, and giving birth to three beautiful children, Beck found herself seeking a creative outlet. That outlet quickly transformed into passion and a wave of momentum following the release of her first single, Reckless Heart, which topped the CBC Music Top 20, ranked #4 in the CBC Music Fan Favourites of 2018, and earned a SOCAN #1 Award.
Mere months after releasing her self-titled debut, Rachel Beck took her own advice and leapt, leaving the security of her full-time teaching position to hit the road. Tour highlights include performing for Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, appearing twice at the legendary Stan Rogers Folk Festival, opening the 2019 ECMA Gala Awards Show, and playing beautiful festivals and venues from the Rogue Folk Club in Vancouver, BC to the Imperial Theatre in Saint John, NB.
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Seablite - High Rise Mannequins.
Bay area shoegaze / dreampop 4-piece Seablite debut title track "High-Rise Mannequins" off their upcoming 10" EP. (Emotional Response Records).
2019 finished with critical acclaim across the board for SEABLITE’s lives shows and their excellent debut album topping many Year End “Best-Of” lists. There was even a surprise and welcome placing at #36 in Good Morning America’s top 50 albums of the year, rubbing shoulders with some industry giants!
The new year sees the band off to a flying start, with a brand new 4 song 10inch EP, that builds on their growing stature as songwriters and performers. Recorded by Alicia Vanden Heuvel (The Aislers Set, Poundsign etc), in San Francisco, the new recordings capture the band at an exciting moment in time, as they take their place amongst the growing list of Bay Area fuzz-pop indie-greats.
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Arabnormal - Digital Veil.
After 3 albums Antwerp’s noisiest outfit The Hickey Underworld evaporated. They never announced a break up, they just ceased to be… but the genie’s back out of the bottle. Well sorta… Frontman and main songwriter Younes Faltakh is the sole survivor and teamed up with ex Das Pop member Niek Meul. The pair set up camp in Niek’s studio in Oslo and recorded 10 eccentric, mysterious and groovy tracks. Guitars do a lapdance wrapping their tormented strings around a worked up rhythm section while Younes’ hoarse growl sounds as familiar as it does threatening.
Birthed in post-punk, heavily infused by Eastern psychedelica, and described by their record label [PIAS] as alternative world music, most refer to Arabnormal as ‘a manically zonked-out flying carpet ride’.
Read the above and listen to Arabnormal’s new single ‘Digital Veil’ and you’ll know that doesn’t make any sense at all… ‘Digital Veil’ is a sweet, sophisticated and too cute to cuddle soft rock gem. To honour the late Hickey Underworld tradition of psycho-facemelting video’s, Arabnormal’s visual companion for their latest single is quite something. Does your mouth get wet thinking of a make-up sandwich? Well, here’s the recipe.
When performing live, Younes Faltakh is joined by The Hickey Underworld member Jonas Govaerts, Mich Beniest (ex-Deadsets) and Millionaire members Damien Vanderhasselt & Sjoerd Bruil.
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Adwaith - Lan y Môr.
CAN, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Ventures and The Breeders are all here in ‘Lan Y Môr’, but ultimately what you hear in Adwaith’s new single is the fearless songwriting of Hollie, Heledd, and Gwenllian, following their creative instincts.
‘Lan y Môr’ is another musical highlight in a growing catalogue of emphatically individual and emotionally rich songs from the 2019 Welsh Music Prize winners. The single is built from the surf guitar and bass interlocking riffs of Hollie and Gwenllian that dance over Heledd’s driving motorik beats.
Hollie Singer, the band’s guitarist and vocalist explains how they adopted the traditional Welsh folk song ‘Ar Lan y Môr’ to be theirs.
“The original inspiration for this song was the surf rock riff I came up with. We chose to use the lyrics to ‘Ar Lan y Môr’ as they fitted well with the vibe of the track. I’ve wanted to have a cover in the set for a little while now and this was so much fun to make completely our own.” ‘Lan y Môr’ is released especially for Welsh Music Day 07.02.2020.
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Vundabar - Petty Crime.
Vundabar share a new track, 'Petty Crime' and an accompanying video from their upcoming album, Either Light, out 13th March 2020 on Gawk Records.
It’s clear the 'Petty Crime' video was inspired by The Sopranos. "Tony Soprano was an inspiration while we wrote this album. He's this simultaneously despicable yet endearing character who's searching for meaning, desperately wants to change but is plainly doomed, so to channel a little Ton' felt right.
We wanted to create a sense of transition and anticipation, so we chose to use cars, motels, treadmills, pools and parking lots. They're all liminal-in-betweens or places where movement doesn't necessarily bring you anywhere.”
'Petty Crime' follows the album’s lead single 'Burned Off', which won praise from Stereogum, Consequence of Sound, NYLON, Under the Radar and more.
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Ted Jasper - Stone Cold Kisses.
Cornwall-raised and London-based artist Ted Jasper is today announcing his new ‘Equinox’ EP with the first single ‘Stone Cold Kisses’, alongside news of a headline show at London’s The Waiting Room on April 21st. Doubling up as a house DJ/producer as well as a fully-fledged songwriter carving out jazzy, hip-hop-infused downtempo, Jasper has quickly becoming a fast-rising name on the London scene since his 2018 ‘One Day’ EP on Jamz Supernova’s Future Bounce imprint. Arriving off the back of the follow-up ‘Back For More’ EP (2019) and support from 6 Music, Complex, Mixmag, Boiler Room, Radio 1 and 1Xtra, Jasper’s five-track ‘Equinox’ EP is due for release March 6th via Au Contraire. You can stream the opening track, ‘Stone Cold Kisses’, alongside some accompanying visuals here: hyperurl.co/6iwfjo
Pairing his smooth, intoxicating vocals with a breezy head-bopping beat, crisp guitar loops and textural piano chords, ‘Stone Cold Kisses’ is a perfect example of the symmetry Jasper has been able to find between his club-oriented DJ sets and production, and his work as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist (surprisingly, though, 2019’s ‘Back For More’ EP was the first time he stepped in front of the microphone.) He says of the track:
“At least once a month I’ll go through all my unfinished projects and see if there’s anything that jumps out at me. I had this cute garage beat that felt really open so I started building it up and I ended up creating an arrangement that I was really excited to sing on. A lot of the time I’ll upload the instrumental to Soundcloud and then listen to it through headphones and go on big walks around London or Cornwall. I’ll just keep walking until I get it, no matter how long it takes. I love putting little references to things I’m reading or thinking about in my songs – Icarus flying too close to the sun, Caliban being kept prisoner by Sycorax in The Tempest, those are all there in ‘Stone Cold Kisses’ – and that comes a lot easier when I’m on the move."
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Thursday, 6 February 2020
Tuesday, 4 February 2020
Aminah Hughes - Rizo - Cold Reading - EnnieLoud
Aminah Hughes has shared 'Tell Me It's Over' accompanied by a video, the song is a refined ballad with soulful overtones and a timeless gospel chorus. === Rizo has a new video for her single 'Hit Of You' the song is gorgeous, the video adding some risque intrigue, but it's the song that works for me. === We featured a couple of songs from the new three part concept album by Cold Reading last year, and from the third part we have 'Tree Diagram' this is a highly imaginative indie rock band. === From EnnieLoud we have a song and video entitled 'The Best I Can Do' a genre defying piece, that's rich yet musically minimalist, the vocals adding passion and emotion.
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Aminah Hughes - Tell Me It's Over.
When Aminah Hughes steps on stage she does more than fill the room with her honeyed voice. She draws her audience into nostalgia, calling us to remember the beauty and rebelliousness of an analogue world. “Inspiring” and “strong” are words that are often passed around at her performances as she embodies the empowerment we are all aching to feel. “An intelligent and vocal woman of extraordinary musical talent -a powerful musical force” (Robert James, GANGgajang/Yothu Yindi), Aminah is unafraid to touch the rawness, giving voice to pain, laying it bare, and finding the light in its grace.
A seasoned performer in Australia and Europe, Aminah has shared stages with Tommy Emmanuel, Declan O’Rourke, Maria Doyle Kennedy and Waterboys fiddler Steve Wickham. She has been featured in US magazines, appeared on Irish TV, RTÉ and BBC Radio and performed with various orchestras both as a flutist and singer. She appeared on eleven albums in Australia and Europe before producing her debut album, Blue Wooden Boat. Recorded in Ireland, USA, Australia, and Germany, the album features special guests Emmanuel, Wickham and Nashville gospel singers, The McCrary Sisters. Mixed in Nashville and mastered in Memphis by Grammy award-winning engineers, the album marked her debut as a producer and launched her independent label, Blue Wolf Records. It has earned her a growing list of accolades including a nomination at the Independent Music Awards in New York.
“A strong, soulful singer” (All About Jazz), her voice appears on a variety of productions, including Australia’s Who Do You Think You Are? and NBCUniversal game, Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock. An award-winning screenwriter and director who also helms her own music videos, Musical Notes Global (New York) cite Aminah as “a true Renaissance woman.”
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Rizo - Hit Of You.
Grammy-winning artist Rizo (formerly known as Lady Rizo) has returned with a new video for her single “Hit of You”. Rizo’s new video comes as she kicks off a string of west coast dates, where she will be performing her new show “Losing the Lady”.
“Losing the Lady” seductively peels back the layers of Rizo’s alter-ego; and she explores the delight and trappings of our shadow selves through her own songs along with the tunes of Sasha Fierce (Beyoncé), the Thin White Duke (David Bowie), and Camille (Prince). “To those that have seen her perform live, she is a superstar. For those that have not yet had the pleasure, you are missing out on a life altering adventure,” says EARMILK. Rizo’s west coast tour comes after debuting “Losing the Lady” at Joe’s Pub (The Public Theater) in New York for 4 nights.
The New York Times once referred to Rizo (né Amelia Zirin-Brown) as “a formidable belter who can sustain phrases and notes even when sprawled on her back on a piano and scissoring her legs.” They’re not alone in that enthusiasm. Rizo has collaborated with Moby, Reggie Watts, and Yo-Yo Ma, the latter on his Songs of Joy & Peace album, which won a Grammy Award.
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Cold Reading - Tree Diagram.
Lucerne, Switzerland based Indie quintet Cold Reading just released their long-awaited three-part concept album 'ZYT' on January 31st.
Cold Reading are going off the beaten path for the realisation of their second album 'ZYT'. In the form of a concept album, Cold Reading explore the subject of time both musically and lyrically, and try to approach this elusive concept from different perspectives.
The album consists of three EPs - Past Perfect, Present Tense and Future Continuous, dealing with the past, the present and the future, respectively. The album, which is also available as double gatefold vinyl with interchangeable artworks, also contains an audio book, elaborating on the ‘Through the Woods’ song-trilogy, of which one song can be found on each EP.
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EnnieLoud - The Best I Can Do.
Sweet without being saccharine, sentimental without being mawkish, ‘The Best I Can’ is a poignant reflection on the twin poles of femininity, and the quiddities of being human and vulnerable. Framed as a series of statements to one’s weaker self, ‘The Best I Can’ is a slow bounce hinged around a minimal and addicting bassline. Written by Cassandra, whose R&B tinged vocal recalls the halcyon days of Lauryn Hill, the song was produced by band member Fabio Rizzoli, aka BeeOff, and recorded and performed by the band at the SAE Institute of London. Beau Vallis (Kelly Rowland, Pharrell, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg) assists Fabio with the mixing and masters it himself.
On ‘The Best I Can’ EnnieLoud have found a style that mixes neo-soul melodics with the ambient soundscaping of artists like Portishead and Goldfrapp, adding technical flourishes used by live DJs - drum and bass filters, synth arpeggiators and samples. The video was directed by Juanmi Cuesta and choreographed and performed by Italian danseuse Colette Gasparini. It follows a young girl as she dances with tireless passion in the immensity of a disused warehouse. ‘The Best I Can’ is a sincere expression of inner-strength, a genre-defying testament to self-definition in the face of very human doubts.
EnnieLoud are a trio of musical innovators from diverse points on the map who coalesced to craft their unique sound in the cultural melting pot of north London’s Wood Green. The plurality of their adoptive neighbourhood is channeled into their music, which crosses cultural and generic boundaries to arrive at a sound which can loosely be defined as ‘alt-soul’. Street-dancing singer/songwriter Cassandra fronts the dexterous trio, which also includes Berlin producer/DJ BeeOff and multi-instrumentalist Ross. Together they have received international acclaim, co-writing ‘My Faults’ with top Italian DJ Vincenzo Callea, before getting remix treatment from Grammy-winning producer Yoad Nevo (Goldfrapp, Sia, Moby).
The single was released in Germany and Italy, where it hit national radio playlists and made waves across Europe in France, the UK, Greece and Russia. The accompanying video won ‘Best Video Clip’ at the New York City International Films Infest Festival and became a finalist at the 2018 Los Angeles Cinefest. Their first official single ‘In My Room’ was released in July last year and hit the blogosphere to much acclaim, receiving coverage in the UK, Mexico, USA, Canada, France, Belgium and Kenya. Receiving its premiere on Clash, ‘In My Room’ went on to be playlisted across Spotify, hitting ten thousand streams in three weeks. It’s early days, but EnnieLoud are quickly proving themselves a vital and beguiling new act on the international circuit.
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Aminah Hughes - Tell Me It's Over.
When Aminah Hughes steps on stage she does more than fill the room with her honeyed voice. She draws her audience into nostalgia, calling us to remember the beauty and rebelliousness of an analogue world. “Inspiring” and “strong” are words that are often passed around at her performances as she embodies the empowerment we are all aching to feel. “An intelligent and vocal woman of extraordinary musical talent -a powerful musical force” (Robert James, GANGgajang/Yothu Yindi), Aminah is unafraid to touch the rawness, giving voice to pain, laying it bare, and finding the light in its grace.
A seasoned performer in Australia and Europe, Aminah has shared stages with Tommy Emmanuel, Declan O’Rourke, Maria Doyle Kennedy and Waterboys fiddler Steve Wickham. She has been featured in US magazines, appeared on Irish TV, RTÉ and BBC Radio and performed with various orchestras both as a flutist and singer. She appeared on eleven albums in Australia and Europe before producing her debut album, Blue Wooden Boat. Recorded in Ireland, USA, Australia, and Germany, the album features special guests Emmanuel, Wickham and Nashville gospel singers, The McCrary Sisters. Mixed in Nashville and mastered in Memphis by Grammy award-winning engineers, the album marked her debut as a producer and launched her independent label, Blue Wolf Records. It has earned her a growing list of accolades including a nomination at the Independent Music Awards in New York.
“A strong, soulful singer” (All About Jazz), her voice appears on a variety of productions, including Australia’s Who Do You Think You Are? and NBCUniversal game, Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock. An award-winning screenwriter and director who also helms her own music videos, Musical Notes Global (New York) cite Aminah as “a true Renaissance woman.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rizo - Hit Of You.
Grammy-winning artist Rizo (formerly known as Lady Rizo) has returned with a new video for her single “Hit of You”. Rizo’s new video comes as she kicks off a string of west coast dates, where she will be performing her new show “Losing the Lady”.
“Losing the Lady” seductively peels back the layers of Rizo’s alter-ego; and she explores the delight and trappings of our shadow selves through her own songs along with the tunes of Sasha Fierce (Beyoncé), the Thin White Duke (David Bowie), and Camille (Prince). “To those that have seen her perform live, she is a superstar. For those that have not yet had the pleasure, you are missing out on a life altering adventure,” says EARMILK. Rizo’s west coast tour comes after debuting “Losing the Lady” at Joe’s Pub (The Public Theater) in New York for 4 nights.
The New York Times once referred to Rizo (né Amelia Zirin-Brown) as “a formidable belter who can sustain phrases and notes even when sprawled on her back on a piano and scissoring her legs.” They’re not alone in that enthusiasm. Rizo has collaborated with Moby, Reggie Watts, and Yo-Yo Ma, the latter on his Songs of Joy & Peace album, which won a Grammy Award.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cold Reading - Tree Diagram.
Lucerne, Switzerland based Indie quintet Cold Reading just released their long-awaited three-part concept album 'ZYT' on January 31st.
Cold Reading are going off the beaten path for the realisation of their second album 'ZYT'. In the form of a concept album, Cold Reading explore the subject of time both musically and lyrically, and try to approach this elusive concept from different perspectives.
The album consists of three EPs - Past Perfect, Present Tense and Future Continuous, dealing with the past, the present and the future, respectively. The album, which is also available as double gatefold vinyl with interchangeable artworks, also contains an audio book, elaborating on the ‘Through the Woods’ song-trilogy, of which one song can be found on each EP.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
EnnieLoud - The Best I Can Do.
Sweet without being saccharine, sentimental without being mawkish, ‘The Best I Can’ is a poignant reflection on the twin poles of femininity, and the quiddities of being human and vulnerable. Framed as a series of statements to one’s weaker self, ‘The Best I Can’ is a slow bounce hinged around a minimal and addicting bassline. Written by Cassandra, whose R&B tinged vocal recalls the halcyon days of Lauryn Hill, the song was produced by band member Fabio Rizzoli, aka BeeOff, and recorded and performed by the band at the SAE Institute of London. Beau Vallis (Kelly Rowland, Pharrell, Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg) assists Fabio with the mixing and masters it himself.
On ‘The Best I Can’ EnnieLoud have found a style that mixes neo-soul melodics with the ambient soundscaping of artists like Portishead and Goldfrapp, adding technical flourishes used by live DJs - drum and bass filters, synth arpeggiators and samples. The video was directed by Juanmi Cuesta and choreographed and performed by Italian danseuse Colette Gasparini. It follows a young girl as she dances with tireless passion in the immensity of a disused warehouse. ‘The Best I Can’ is a sincere expression of inner-strength, a genre-defying testament to self-definition in the face of very human doubts.
EnnieLoud are a trio of musical innovators from diverse points on the map who coalesced to craft their unique sound in the cultural melting pot of north London’s Wood Green. The plurality of their adoptive neighbourhood is channeled into their music, which crosses cultural and generic boundaries to arrive at a sound which can loosely be defined as ‘alt-soul’. Street-dancing singer/songwriter Cassandra fronts the dexterous trio, which also includes Berlin producer/DJ BeeOff and multi-instrumentalist Ross. Together they have received international acclaim, co-writing ‘My Faults’ with top Italian DJ Vincenzo Callea, before getting remix treatment from Grammy-winning producer Yoad Nevo (Goldfrapp, Sia, Moby).
The single was released in Germany and Italy, where it hit national radio playlists and made waves across Europe in France, the UK, Greece and Russia. The accompanying video won ‘Best Video Clip’ at the New York City International Films Infest Festival and became a finalist at the 2018 Los Angeles Cinefest. Their first official single ‘In My Room’ was released in July last year and hit the blogosphere to much acclaim, receiving coverage in the UK, Mexico, USA, Canada, France, Belgium and Kenya. Receiving its premiere on Clash, ‘In My Room’ went on to be playlisted across Spotify, hitting ten thousand streams in three weeks. It’s early days, but EnnieLoud are quickly proving themselves a vital and beguiling new act on the international circuit.
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Monday, 3 February 2020
Fassine - Les Flâneurs (Feat Hanna Turi) - HMS Morris
Fassine make their fourth appearance on Beehive Candy with the brand new song 'Bloom' ahead of the third album 'Forge' due in March, the track mixing a powerful chorus with more melodic and beautiful vocals. === Les Flâneurs has released 'Your Days' which features the impressive and delightful vocals of Hanna Turi, plus the fabulously arranged musicianship of Alex Marchetti. === HMS Morris new single is 'Babanod' (meaning Babies) the Welsh language song is passionate and expansive, the music growing in depth, the hooks building throughout.
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Fassine - Bloom.
Fassine’s third album FORGE (March 27), and first on Trapped Animal Records & Cargo Records, is a tribute to the unassuming heroes on the fringes of society.
New single ‘Bloom’, out today, is a response to the obsession of perceived beauty in perfection. Addressing this disconnect, the band asks if something is more beautiful when it is broken.
'Bloom' flips violently between states, from the tranquil verse, where Sarah Palmer’s sweet, manicured vocal is backed by just a propulsive bass, to the apocalyptic chorus of crashing drums and ear-bleeding synths.
Forthcoming record 'FORGE' is bolder than ever, elevating the London trio’s distinctive take on electronic music with heavier, more aggressive instrumentation. Fassine has garnered acclaim from The Guardian, The Independent, Clash and more with comparisons spanning Trent Reznor to Berlin-era Bowie.
Since their last release, Fassine’s XTC cover of “That Wave” appeared on the Sky Arts documentary on the seminal band, This Is Pop. Their track “Whatever It Takes To Help You Sleep” played as the backdrop to Netflix’s first feature film “Velvet Buzzsaw”, and ”Leaves” was featured on Oprah Winfrey’s Queen Sugar.
‘FORGE’ literally means to ‘create something strong and enduring’. And with this album, Fassine have embodied the grit and grime of their personal heroes to weld into existence an industrial and hard-hitting piece of craftsmanship.
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Les Flâneurs - Your Days (feat. Hanna Turi)
"Your Days" follows the trip-pop of “Dark Souls”, released in December, that got attention and airplay worldwide. “Your Days” was born out of the spontaneous collaboration with swedish singer Hanna Turi, whose emotional lyrics and top class songwriting, along with the well-received album “Tracks in the Water” (2015), have led to several performances at South by South West (SXSW) in Austin and gigs at legendary places in New York and worldwide.
Alex Marchetti, the man and producer behind Les Flâneurs' project, remembers his first meeting with Hanna, during her Italian tour: “I met Hanna during a house concert in the place where I produce music, a medieval farmstead hidden in the countryside. When she arrived with her band she seemed to be worried, like thinking: 'where the hell am I? My agent will have to know!' She didn't know I was doing concerts in that place since several years.
The audience sat in silence, mesmerised, during the whole performance, totally taken by the music and Hanna's impressive voice. At the end of the night she told me it was the best show of her tour, because of the respectful and loving attention she got. Then she gave me the most wonderful present: she turned the simple melody I was composing into “Your Days”, a dreamlike naive pop song.
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HMS Morris - Babanod.
Following a tour of Japan, a Welsh Music Prize nomination and a gig-filled 2019 HMS Morris are back with their new single 'Babanod' meaning 'Babies', will be released on February 7th (Dydd Miwsig Cymru – Welsh Music Day) on Bubblewrap Records. 'Babano d' is the first in a series of singles slated for release in 2020, during which the band will also be developing a theatre show ready for performance in 2021.
The impetus for writing 'Babanod' was the awkward moment in your friend’s wedding when someone feels compelled to reassure you that “you’ll be next”. In that situation, surrounded by married couples and young children, how do you assert your right to a slightly alternative lifestyle, something other than just moving directly from graduation to marriage to parenthood, without sounding like a total dick? Better to smile, bottle it up, and release it in a song when you get home.
'Babanod' will be available digitally from all the usual platforms.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Fassine - Bloom.
Fassine’s third album FORGE (March 27), and first on Trapped Animal Records & Cargo Records, is a tribute to the unassuming heroes on the fringes of society.
New single ‘Bloom’, out today, is a response to the obsession of perceived beauty in perfection. Addressing this disconnect, the band asks if something is more beautiful when it is broken.
'Bloom' flips violently between states, from the tranquil verse, where Sarah Palmer’s sweet, manicured vocal is backed by just a propulsive bass, to the apocalyptic chorus of crashing drums and ear-bleeding synths.
Forthcoming record 'FORGE' is bolder than ever, elevating the London trio’s distinctive take on electronic music with heavier, more aggressive instrumentation. Fassine has garnered acclaim from The Guardian, The Independent, Clash and more with comparisons spanning Trent Reznor to Berlin-era Bowie.
Since their last release, Fassine’s XTC cover of “That Wave” appeared on the Sky Arts documentary on the seminal band, This Is Pop. Their track “Whatever It Takes To Help You Sleep” played as the backdrop to Netflix’s first feature film “Velvet Buzzsaw”, and ”Leaves” was featured on Oprah Winfrey’s Queen Sugar.
‘FORGE’ literally means to ‘create something strong and enduring’. And with this album, Fassine have embodied the grit and grime of their personal heroes to weld into existence an industrial and hard-hitting piece of craftsmanship.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Les Flâneurs - Your Days (feat. Hanna Turi)
"Your Days" follows the trip-pop of “Dark Souls”, released in December, that got attention and airplay worldwide. “Your Days” was born out of the spontaneous collaboration with swedish singer Hanna Turi, whose emotional lyrics and top class songwriting, along with the well-received album “Tracks in the Water” (2015), have led to several performances at South by South West (SXSW) in Austin and gigs at legendary places in New York and worldwide.
Alex Marchetti, the man and producer behind Les Flâneurs' project, remembers his first meeting with Hanna, during her Italian tour: “I met Hanna during a house concert in the place where I produce music, a medieval farmstead hidden in the countryside. When she arrived with her band she seemed to be worried, like thinking: 'where the hell am I? My agent will have to know!' She didn't know I was doing concerts in that place since several years.
The audience sat in silence, mesmerised, during the whole performance, totally taken by the music and Hanna's impressive voice. At the end of the night she told me it was the best show of her tour, because of the respectful and loving attention she got. Then she gave me the most wonderful present: she turned the simple melody I was composing into “Your Days”, a dreamlike naive pop song.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HMS Morris - Babanod.
Following a tour of Japan, a Welsh Music Prize nomination and a gig-filled 2019 HMS Morris are back with their new single 'Babanod' meaning 'Babies', will be released on February 7th (Dydd Miwsig Cymru – Welsh Music Day) on Bubblewrap Records. 'Babano d' is the first in a series of singles slated for release in 2020, during which the band will also be developing a theatre show ready for performance in 2021.
The impetus for writing 'Babanod' was the awkward moment in your friend’s wedding when someone feels compelled to reassure you that “you’ll be next”. In that situation, surrounded by married couples and young children, how do you assert your right to a slightly alternative lifestyle, something other than just moving directly from graduation to marriage to parenthood, without sounding like a total dick? Better to smile, bottle it up, and release it in a song when you get home.
'Babanod' will be available digitally from all the usual platforms.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, 2 February 2020
AM Clouds - AyOwA - Howie Payne - Delune
AM Clouds mix and merge rock styles and arrive with a sumptuous and rich overall sound as is witnessed by 'Tune Me In' a fine taster for their 'Rainmaker' album due later this month. === It's been a while since we last shared some new material from AyOwA so 'First Frost' makes for a more than welcome return by the electronic duo and their fabulously individual sound. === On Friday Howie Payne released 'Into Daylight' a gorgeous mixture of alt rock and lovable psychedelic vibes. === Sister duo Delune have a brand new release entitled 'Lavender Too' which put simply is short in duration but absolutely beautiful.
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AM Clouds - Tune Me In.
Oregon-based AM Clouds craft adventurous roosty indie rock that traverses both the internal and external landscapes of human experience. Their hometown of Bend offers extreme climate changes and expansive beauty, prompting them to coin the term ‘high desert rock.’ Even their name, AM Clouds, was derived from a phrase that was constantly broadcast across the Oregon weather forecast.
Meshing classic and alternative, the band connects the dots between several eras of rock music, from angular indie to psychedelic noise jams, equal parts Neil Young and Meat Puppets, Tom Petty and Uncle Tupelo. Their debut EP, War of Love, was released in 2017, and was welcomed with open arms by local press, picking up heavy rotation on KPOV and KRFM. “We’re located in a rugged, remote place, where culture has a tendency to be overshadowed by nature,” Moon relates. “I think people really connect to hearing their majestic surroundings captured musically with a bit of cinematic flair.”
Made up of Bruce Troy Moon (lead vocals, lead guitar), Graham Boostrom (rhythm guitar, vocals), Pete Ficht (bass, keys, vocals), and Dan Paggi (drums, vocals), the band is both immediate and relatable, comprised of musicians committed to their individual tone but more invested in serving the overall sound. Since their inception, they’ve played across Central Oregon, sharing the stage with veteran roots rockers the Mother Hips and Portand’s psych rock pioneers King Black Acid.
Their forthcoming LP, Rainmaker, was tracked at the Firing Room in Bend, Oregon with engineer Dayne Wood and mixed by Portland producer Jeff Stuart Saltzman (The Black Keys, Death Cab for Cutie). The album is due to drop February14th.
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AyOwA - First Frost.
With the release of electronic duo AyOwA’s new single First Frost on January 31, 2020, it marks the band's first release in English. The single proceeds the coming debut album Amoeba (September 2020).
Since the beginning, the duo has been synonymous with evocative electronic compositions, consisting of Hannah Schneider's spheric vocals and Nicolai Kornerup's significant synth productions. After extensive touring around Europe, the new music has come to life, passing frosty country roads, dark lakes and broken hearts. With First Frost they channel their mutual love of subtle dark pop songs and electronic soundscapes.
The song First Frost is about a couple who has experienced their whole life, and towards the end sets out in the first winter frost to disappear together. It is the sound of a lasting pact, of infinite love and strength. A sound of crackling snow under your feet, and of clarity of the heart.
In September 2018, the duo released their 2nd EP Farvel - a powerful selection of songs about light and dark, break ups and new life. In the autumn of ’18, AyOwA supported Faroese artist Eivør on her European tour. With 14 shows in Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Bulgaria and UK and two more showcases in London in Aug. 2018 on a Notting Hill Arts Club, the duo has expanded its audience beyond the country's borders.
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Howie Payne - Into Daylight.
Howie Payne has just released a new single ‘Into Daylight’, the first blast of new music from the former Stands frontman since 2017’s critically praised solo album release, ‘Mountain’. The track arrives just ahead of a sold-out London headline from Payne coming up on February 5, 2020 at the Old Queen’s Head, with further full band shows for 2020 to be announced shortly.
Shifting up through the gears from the blissfully understated songwriting which characterised much of both ‘Mountain’ and Payne’s Ethan Johns-produced 2009 debut, ‘Bright Light Ballads’, the clattering ‘Into Daylight’ buzzes along atop the attack & recoil of darting electric guitar lines (with all instruments on the recording played solely by Payne). Speaking about the lean, self-produced and self-mixed track - which zips by in barely two minutes - Howie says; “The first person I played it to said; ‘It sounds like if Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac and early Pink Floyd were the same band’...I’m having that thank you very much. It's the first full on electric rock and roll tune I've put out since I was doing The Stands, definitely the most psychedelic, and the first guitar solo I've cut for a while. I've been listening to a lot of rock and roll and rediscovered my love of playing the electric guitar, and of volume and it sent me off in a new, heavier direction. ‘Into Daylight’ is a pure rock and roll song, it’s loud, fast and exciting to play live. I can see us absolutely jamming the shit out of it at the shows down the line.”
Payne came to widespread recognition in the early noughties - far beyond the buzzy, fertile local scene of his beloved Liverpool (his brother Sean is drummer for The Zutons, sister Candie is a visual artist & musician) - via his solo-project-cum-band, The Stands. Highly regarded both by critics & musical luminaries alike including the likes of the Stone Roses, Spiritualized, Jack White, Noel Gallagher and Bill Ryder-Jones (the latter two both of which made appearances on the band’s debut album), The Stands toured variously alongside Paul Weller, The Libertines, The Coral and Oasis. The band released two enduring albums (2004’s debut ‘All Years Leaving’ and the following year’s ‘Horse Fabulous’), burning as brightly as they did briefly, before Payne disbanded the outfit in late 2005.
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Delune - Lavender Too.
Sister duo Delune are graduates of Columbia University, the NYC based duo is quite incredible. In the past, they’ve been compared to artists like Lana Del Rey, but if you check them out, I’m sure you’ll see they have a sound and identity all their own.
The girls of Delune, Kate & Izzi, lived in Berlin, teaching music in a refugee camp.
They’ve taught songwriting at Rikers Island and in 2018 they released two records and videos “Wild West Side Highway,” and “Those Days.” Starting this week, the duo will be releasing one song a month leading to an August album release date for a concept album titled, Pierrot, in homage to the sad clown in Commedia Dell'Arte: the fool in love, who breaks the fourth wall; constantly trapped in a cycle of falling in love, getting his heart broken, and repeating the cycle.
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AM Clouds - Tune Me In.
Oregon-based AM Clouds craft adventurous roosty indie rock that traverses both the internal and external landscapes of human experience. Their hometown of Bend offers extreme climate changes and expansive beauty, prompting them to coin the term ‘high desert rock.’ Even their name, AM Clouds, was derived from a phrase that was constantly broadcast across the Oregon weather forecast.
Meshing classic and alternative, the band connects the dots between several eras of rock music, from angular indie to psychedelic noise jams, equal parts Neil Young and Meat Puppets, Tom Petty and Uncle Tupelo. Their debut EP, War of Love, was released in 2017, and was welcomed with open arms by local press, picking up heavy rotation on KPOV and KRFM. “We’re located in a rugged, remote place, where culture has a tendency to be overshadowed by nature,” Moon relates. “I think people really connect to hearing their majestic surroundings captured musically with a bit of cinematic flair.”
Made up of Bruce Troy Moon (lead vocals, lead guitar), Graham Boostrom (rhythm guitar, vocals), Pete Ficht (bass, keys, vocals), and Dan Paggi (drums, vocals), the band is both immediate and relatable, comprised of musicians committed to their individual tone but more invested in serving the overall sound. Since their inception, they’ve played across Central Oregon, sharing the stage with veteran roots rockers the Mother Hips and Portand’s psych rock pioneers King Black Acid.
Their forthcoming LP, Rainmaker, was tracked at the Firing Room in Bend, Oregon with engineer Dayne Wood and mixed by Portland producer Jeff Stuart Saltzman (The Black Keys, Death Cab for Cutie). The album is due to drop February14th.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AyOwA - First Frost.
With the release of electronic duo AyOwA’s new single First Frost on January 31, 2020, it marks the band's first release in English. The single proceeds the coming debut album Amoeba (September 2020).
Since the beginning, the duo has been synonymous with evocative electronic compositions, consisting of Hannah Schneider's spheric vocals and Nicolai Kornerup's significant synth productions. After extensive touring around Europe, the new music has come to life, passing frosty country roads, dark lakes and broken hearts. With First Frost they channel their mutual love of subtle dark pop songs and electronic soundscapes.
The song First Frost is about a couple who has experienced their whole life, and towards the end sets out in the first winter frost to disappear together. It is the sound of a lasting pact, of infinite love and strength. A sound of crackling snow under your feet, and of clarity of the heart.
In September 2018, the duo released their 2nd EP Farvel - a powerful selection of songs about light and dark, break ups and new life. In the autumn of ’18, AyOwA supported Faroese artist Eivør on her European tour. With 14 shows in Poland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Bulgaria and UK and two more showcases in London in Aug. 2018 on a Notting Hill Arts Club, the duo has expanded its audience beyond the country's borders.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Howie Payne - Into Daylight.
Howie Payne has just released a new single ‘Into Daylight’, the first blast of new music from the former Stands frontman since 2017’s critically praised solo album release, ‘Mountain’. The track arrives just ahead of a sold-out London headline from Payne coming up on February 5, 2020 at the Old Queen’s Head, with further full band shows for 2020 to be announced shortly.
Shifting up through the gears from the blissfully understated songwriting which characterised much of both ‘Mountain’ and Payne’s Ethan Johns-produced 2009 debut, ‘Bright Light Ballads’, the clattering ‘Into Daylight’ buzzes along atop the attack & recoil of darting electric guitar lines (with all instruments on the recording played solely by Payne). Speaking about the lean, self-produced and self-mixed track - which zips by in barely two minutes - Howie says; “The first person I played it to said; ‘It sounds like if Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac and early Pink Floyd were the same band’...I’m having that thank you very much. It's the first full on electric rock and roll tune I've put out since I was doing The Stands, definitely the most psychedelic, and the first guitar solo I've cut for a while. I've been listening to a lot of rock and roll and rediscovered my love of playing the electric guitar, and of volume and it sent me off in a new, heavier direction. ‘Into Daylight’ is a pure rock and roll song, it’s loud, fast and exciting to play live. I can see us absolutely jamming the shit out of it at the shows down the line.”
Payne came to widespread recognition in the early noughties - far beyond the buzzy, fertile local scene of his beloved Liverpool (his brother Sean is drummer for The Zutons, sister Candie is a visual artist & musician) - via his solo-project-cum-band, The Stands. Highly regarded both by critics & musical luminaries alike including the likes of the Stone Roses, Spiritualized, Jack White, Noel Gallagher and Bill Ryder-Jones (the latter two both of which made appearances on the band’s debut album), The Stands toured variously alongside Paul Weller, The Libertines, The Coral and Oasis. The band released two enduring albums (2004’s debut ‘All Years Leaving’ and the following year’s ‘Horse Fabulous’), burning as brightly as they did briefly, before Payne disbanded the outfit in late 2005.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Delune - Lavender Too.
Sister duo Delune are graduates of Columbia University, the NYC based duo is quite incredible. In the past, they’ve been compared to artists like Lana Del Rey, but if you check them out, I’m sure you’ll see they have a sound and identity all their own.
The girls of Delune, Kate & Izzi, lived in Berlin, teaching music in a refugee camp.
They’ve taught songwriting at Rikers Island and in 2018 they released two records and videos “Wild West Side Highway,” and “Those Days.” Starting this week, the duo will be releasing one song a month leading to an August album release date for a concept album titled, Pierrot, in homage to the sad clown in Commedia Dell'Arte: the fool in love, who breaks the fourth wall; constantly trapped in a cycle of falling in love, getting his heart broken, and repeating the cycle.
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