Elrichman has just shared his new single 'Seeking Grey Skies' and makes his second appearance here this year, the song itself quickly reminded me of his sophisticated and lovable modern pop. === We get to feature a third song from New Fries this year in the form of 'Lily' the final single from their forthcoming album 'Is The Idea Of Us', out on August 7th. Once again their unique and pleasingly original musical styling works wonders, the album is keenly awaited.
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Elrichman - Seeking Grey Skies.
Elrichman – the project of Paul Erlichman – has shared his new single, 'Seeking Grey Skies' – this is the latest in a string of Aquarium Drunkard and Line of Best Fit-supported singles to be lifted from his new album Heaven's Mayor which is out September 4 on Madrid-based label, Bobo Integral.
The new album follows 2014's Young, Healthy and Wonderful as well as Paul's more recent material as part of Goosebump (previously called Germaphobes) and Ducks Unlimited. Emerging from the same scene as Kiwi Jr, the aforementioned Ducks Unlimited and Ellis, the new record packs in a bunch of Toronto-based talent – Alex Gamble helms production duties (previously worked with Fucked Up and Alvvays) with further contributions coming from Zach Bines (Weaves) and Jon Pappo (Hooded Fang), as well as the Boston-based Anh Phung (Twisted Pine) who provides some magnificent flute work on the new track.
Heaven's Mayor touches on the sounds of 80s indie, wonky-folk and "country music for the urban environment" – there are hints of Huey Lewis & The News, Orange Juice and Roxy Music scattered throughout, as well as a nod to the recently disbanded Nova Scotia-based project, Mauno.
Thematically, Erlichman looks to delve into honesty and how we present this to ourselves in a world hell-bent on consuming – more on this idea in the press release below – with 'Seeking Grey Skies' in particular turning to the idea of finding comfort in dissatisfaction. It's certainly a highlight for me on the record with a fairly carefree meander through the sounds of the 80s picking at yacht rock and jangle-pop aesthetics.
New Fries are sharing the final single from their forthcoming album Is The Idea Of Us, out on August 7th through Telephone Explosion (Badge Epoque Ensemble, Pantayo, Chandra, Scott Hardware). The band's first new material since 2016's More (produced by Holy Fuck's Graham Walsh), "Lily" is a perfect example of New Fries' glitching and fidgeting No Wave inspired meditations.
On the new track, the band offered, "Lilydale, New York is a caged community inhabited almost exclusively by mediums--those who communicate with the spirit world. It is a community of liars and people with special spiritual gifts. People across North America travel here to connect with the deceased. Anni spent many summers in Lilydale as a kid--her grandfather was a medium."
The Toronto-based experimental legends are one of the best kept secrets in the city, and with their new album they delve deeper into their unconventional, ever-changing sound. Working closely with Carl Didur (Zacht Automaat, formerly U.S. Girls), they settled on a fresh new direction. Focusing more on space and repetition, finding the in-between and reflecting on it, examining that transition. Is The Idea Of Us is anxious in its repetitions and unsure of genre, a reflection of musicians and non-musicians making music together; New Fries insist on doing it differently.
May Have have shared their first single 'May Have (Misunderstood)' from their forthcoming E.P due August 28th.The song is a rich mixture of gorgeous vocals and harmonies surrounded by lush synths and more. === Paper Fishes brand new album 'Instant Happiness' has just been released by the UK Indie Folk and Folk Rock band, it's packed with hook filled and imaginative tracks ( and it's streaming in full below). === Girlhood have been gaining considerable attention through BBC radio and it's well deserved as the fabulous new song 'Sister' demonstrates. === Obscura Hail share 'Doomer' which is a powerful and distinctive rocker that just oozes warmth, passion and determination.
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May Have - May Have (Misunderstood).
Saturday night dance party. Gutwrenching lyrics. Perfectly placed synths. May Have’s new EP, Misunderstood, draws influences ranging from Sylvan Esso to Daft Punk.
Originating as a three piece, Maerin Hunting’s songwriting and soaring vocals are elevated by the contagious energy of the rhythm section, Sebastian Balk-Forcione (drums) and Matt Rousseau (bass/synths).
Adding Dan Rougeau (guitar) and Emily Rockarts (vocals and keys), May Have has added depth to their sonic palette.
With an impressive array of synths, samples, guitars and other goodies, May Have lights up the dancefloor. Their hook filled songs get stuck in your head all – night – long.
Recorded by the acclaimed producer Leo Abrahams (Brian Eno, Editors) at Livingston Studios in London, Instant Happiness is the debut album by UK alternative rock band Paper Fishes.
Rooted in Americana but moving easily between lo-fi rock, country, folk, blues, punk, and gypsy-folk, the album is tied together by Andre Levy’s distinctive vocals and his incisive and humorous lyrics, backed-up by the band’s precision and versatility.
The album boasts prestigious collaborations with Leo Abrahams (Florence and the Machine) on lead guitar, Mirek Salmon (Moscow Drug Club) on accordion, Rosa Conrad (Gabby Young and Other Animals) on guest and backing vocals, Jenny Glester (Liverpool Philharmonic) on violin, and Paul Cuddeford (Bob Geldof) on steel guitar.
Paper Fishes’ core lineup comprises singer & songwriter Andre Levy (lead vocal, piano, rhythm guitar), Simon Edwards (Fairground Attraction) on bass, and Aram Zarikian (Seamus Fogerty Band) on drums.
London-based BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra and 6 Music-tipped duo, Girlhood have just dropped their new single, 'Sister' – it was premiered on Lauren Laverne's Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 6 Music.
The new single from the pair, Christian Pinchbeck and Tessa Cavanna comes in line with the announcement of their debut LP – Girlhood out October 23 on Team Talk Records – and follows previous tracks that have earned support at Loud & Quiet, Wonderland, The Line of Best Fit, Complex and more. More recently, the band earned success with their single 'The Love I Need' that was tipped at R1 and 6Music and found comparisons to The Avalanches, Moby and Fugees, as well as scoring BBC Radio 1's Introducing Track of the Week with 'Bad Decisions' – in a time of live shows, they also opened for Poliça and performed at Visions, Iceland Airwaves and Latitude.
’Sister’ is another sunkissed cut from the pair, welding together tar thick grooves and Screamadelica-esque choruses – as with previous singles, this new one focuses on womanhood and what it means the group’s lyricist, Cavanna. Speaking about the track, Tess says: "For me, 'Sister' is about celebrating love in all her shapes, colours and sounds! These beautiful people throw their loving arms around us! I am thankful for Love and for ALL my sisters!"
Obscura Hail is helmed by songwriter Sean Conran. After releasing a prolific amount of music online via Patreon over a number of years as a way to document his life, Obscura Hail released the Zero EP via Dot Dash Recordings last year. They've supported the lovely Soaked Oats over in Melbourne.
Balanced out by Tamara Issa (bass, vocals) and Kaelan Edmond (drums), Obscura Hail combines biting guitars, beautiful harmonies, atmospheric acoustic percussion, loops and drum machines to deliver something dynamic and existentially curated.
About Doomer from Sean: The instrumentation is our heaviest yet, to give a voice to the guilt, shame, anger and frustration that comes with feeling powerless. It's rhetoric is about the purpose of power in the presence of crisis and its roots are in the motivation and awareness given to me by punk songs growing up. I wanted the narrative to express the discovery of this voice breaking through blissful ignorance, in favour of real change extending beyond experience.
We wanted the lyrics to stand on their own as a sea shanty or lullaby, to allow the song to exist in multiple forms without losing the impact. Tamara and I were binge watching the news around Greta Thunberg and the support she was receiving, and so the song emerged from the restlessness. Born in the age of information, the Doomer is fatalistic, apathetic, a symptom of the overwhelming awareness of suffering outside of their control.
Francesca Louise has just released a beautiful E.P entitled 'Melancholic Antidote'. Comprising of six songs, the collection moves from gentle and personal tracks to more powerful arrangements as the singer-songwriter delivers a memorable mixture of folk and folk pop tracks. === Immaterial Possession share the new track and video 'Tropical Still Life', we featured 'Midnight Wander' in May and this gorgeous psychedelic song ups the stakes even further for their forthcoming album.
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Francesca Louise - Melancholic Antidote (E.P).
Francesca Louise is a London based singer-songwriter originally from the North West of England. Combining stunning folk/pop songwriting, sparkling with Joni Mitchell influence and Carol King inspired vocals which tell a thousand secrets, Louise’s sound reaps authenticity and pure honesty. Bleeding with meditative melodies opening a door to escapism, her music acts as a melancholic medicine to people's lives. Inspired by the likes of Billie Marten and Lucy Rose, as well as Fleetwood Mac and strong piano players such as Tom Odell and Rae Morris, Louise’s music channels emotion and intimacy through her use of conversational instrumentation and poignant lyricism.
Louise’s upcoming debut EP entitled Melancholic Antidote is a collection of personal experiences, life lessons, emotions and growth. Detailing topics such as love, career, family, goals and themes which resonate with the general listener on a more personal, intimate level, with the hope to create music which is of comfort, enjoyment and reassurance. Louise confides, "The release of Melancholic Antidote is a nerve-wrecking concept to me, but I anticipate a feeling of self-release and acceptance of all the events/moments I have written about to create what is now my first official EP release. I am giving my whole self to the listener with this record, and though some may appreciate that and enjoy the music, I really hope that this extends to them finding solace and comfort in all that I have created. I hope that my music stays with people and finds its way within everyone else’s lives, as well as my own."
A standout track on the EP is "Seasons Change" holds strong inspiration from Joni Mitchell's Ladies of the Canyon and The Staves' Dead & Born & Grown. Highlighting on the challenges and life decisions that we all inevitably make at many moments as we grow up and old, "Seasons Change" gives us the reassurance that we aren’t alone, that things can be better than they are perceived and that maybe, just maybe, someone somewhere craves your life’s catalogue of experiences rather than their own. The songwriter shares, "It’s a song of SILVER LININGs and LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDEs and WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHERs. Take your pick, there’s an uplifting catchphrase hidden in this song if you look hard enough."
Louise has seen success having supported the likes of ANashville based indie folk-rock duo The Harmaleighs, brit-pop band Echobelly at St Pancras Old Church in London and Juanita Stein, the former singer of Howling Bells. With radio plays and live sessions with BBC Introducing and independent radios alike, as well as taking festival slots in 2020, Francesca Louise is making her way up the musical ladder and is showcasing her capabilities across the UK.
Immaterial Possession have Released a new psychedelic track and music video for ''Tropical Still Life." Exploration of the power in finding animation in an object, or a still-life, and using that insight to shake the self from the stillness in a void. Traversing self-preservation in a relentlessly defeating world. Directed by Jason Thibodeaux of the Nightshade art-troupe out of Portland, OR. The band's self titled debut is out July 31st on on Secretly Canadian distributed Cloud Recordings.
Immaterial Possession was conceived by Atlanta natives, Cooper Holmes and Madeline Polites, whom share a history of the underground DIY Atlanta music, theater, and arts scene. The duo moved to Athens and was soon granted the seasoned drummer, John Spiegel, and eventually fulfilled with Kiran Jeremy Fernandes (keyboards, clarinets, flutes)- descendant of Elephant 6's beloved John Fernandes (Circulatory System, Olivia Tremor Control, Cloud Recordings).
All members bring forth a spectral hue unique to the ear- with Holmes' dark and driving punk-rooted base interwoven with Spiegel's vast repertoire of drumming artistry and sacral ardor. Polites, inspired by the musical scales of the Greeks and Spanish, weaves from her haunting bedroom classical guitar and transposes to a grittier electric. Fernandes' hands dance fearlessly along the keyboard as well as clarinet, offering windows into far away eastern lands as a light in the looming darkness.
The group's vocal charm is shared by both Holmes and Polites, tying the dynamic of the band into an intricate bow- sometimes in relatable rawness, other times by billowing operatic impulses. All together they create a sort of entrancement exclaimed as distinctly rare. "Immaterial Possession", the debut LP to be released on Cloud Recordings, is as much a visual journey as auditory. With Holmes, Polites, and Fernandes all sharing ties to surreal and abstract theater, each song on the album creates a distinct 'world' of impression and mystery. The album commences with the apocalyptic fury of "Midnight Wander" to "See Through Stares"- the catching pop tale of altering the past through the present. It takes you through the psychedelic landscapes of "In the Loom", the hallucinatory darkness of "Accidental Summoning", towards the final 'Night Cap'- a soft, but inescapable ushering into the depths of the ancestral dream state. Cover tin-type by Salvage Sparrow.
The Gina Furtado Project latest single 'The Things I Saw' has a new video, the song is described as a "unique blend of driving contemporary bluegrass and acoustic pop influences" which is spot on for this fabulous track. === Nicky William just released 'I Fell In Love With Her' along with a video that adds to the story, it's a superb song and what can I say, the vocals are simply stunning. === It's been a while since we last featured Juanita Stein so we welcome her back with the new song and title track from her next album 'Snapshot' a reminder of why we got more than a little excited about her music in 2018. === Speaker Face have just shared 'Phosphorescence' and it's a beautiful electronic song with notable vocals and a refined musical arrangement.
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The Gina Furtado Project - The Things I Saw.
The Gina Furtado Project has released a video for "The Things I Saw" the group's latest single. “The Things I Saw” — produced by Thomm Jutz is a unique blend of driving contemporary bluegrass and acoustic pop influences, and of personal memories with a universal spirit, exemplifying the evolution of today’s acoustic music scene through Furtado’s fresh, distinctive approach.
The song describes a personal, literal journey to a sacred and well-loved place in order to seek — and find — solace and redemption from a hectic world. "'The Things I Saw’ was inspired by my experiences growing up on the Shenandoah River,” Furtado says. “All throughout my childhood, I went to the river when I needed comfort of any kind. No matter what happened in my life, good or bad, the river was always the same. The plants and critters and smells and sounds became like old friends; always welcoming and beautiful in every way, and always more powerful than whatever it was that could possibly bring me down.”
“I imagined a secret society whose mission was to fight Hatred with Love,” she continues. “I've taken that little vision into my adult life, and enjoy trying to spot members of this secret society (and trying to be one myself!)....they can be flowers, animals, sunsets, people you pass on the street...anyone or thing who refuses to let darkness and negativity take over and instead chooses to exude pure and unstoppable love.”
Formed by innovative artist Gina Furtado, The Gina Furtado Project brings unique musicianship and songwriting that breaks free from the assumed constructs of traditional music modalities and makes a new musical statement influenced by emotion, played with the highest skill, and expressing an enormous verve and vitality.
Furtado, known for her work as the banjo player for Chris Jones & The Night Drivers, she has a long history with her banjo. Born and raised in Front Royal, Virginia, Gina began touring up and down the east coast in her tween years with her siblings, earning countless ribbons from fiddlers conventions, a strong reputation in the regional bluegrass scene, and a stamp from Bluegrass Today as “absurdly talented.” She later played in a number of regional acts before making her international touring debut with Chris Jones and the Night Drivers soon after joining the group in 2016. While touring, she is joined by Drew Matulich on guitar and Malia Furtado, her sister, on violin, who each bring experience and energy to the band.
Now based in Asheville, NC, Matulich grew up in Georgia and began playing guitar at 8. While studying music in college he performed with several bands of various styles in and around Georgia and Florida before immersing himself in the Bluegrass scene of Western North Carolina. He has toured and recorded with Billy Strings, made a guest appearance on Roland White's album and shared the stage with the likes of David Grisman, Bryan Sutton, Sam Bush, Cody Kilby, and Sierra Hull.
Malia’s musical journey began at the age of 3 with classical violin lessons and took a turn, when she attended her first festival, Galax Old Fiddlers Convention, a few years later. Since then, she has performed with a number of different groups, taken home a range of prizes, graced the stage of numerous venues up and down the East Coast and given private lessons in both bluegrass and classical playing. Malia is the Director of Education at the Front Porch Music School in Charlottesville, VA, and currently teaches adult continued education courses in bluegrass fiddle at Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave, VA.
Raised in a musical household, singer-songwriter Nicky William took inspiration from the likes of Joni Mitchell, Patti Smith and Nick Cave. Usingold Americana, to the itchy and edgy outsiders to mould his alternative-folk sound, the Swedish artist is set to drop his new offering ‘I Fell in Love with Her’ via Icons Creating Evil Art.
Since the release of his debut album ‘Set You Loved Ones Free, We Have You Surrounded’ in 2017, Nicky has perfected his craft by maturing his sound capabilities. As a result of experimenting with idiosyncratic alternative-folk and complex song-writing, the artist has since secured a signing with Stockholm-based label Icons Creating Evil Art.
Layered with a sensational blend of deep mellifluous strings and Nicky’s husky vocals, upcoming single ‘I Fell in Love With Her’ dwells deep into a love interest who not only captivates the singer-songwriters heart, but everybody else’s too. With others fascinated by her, the song highlights the feeling of self-doubt and not being good enough for that person.
Talking to us about the inspiration behind the track, Nicky tells us: “Fell in love is a song where the idea behind it is quite childish and naive, the feeling of not being desirable is probably pretty universal but this idea of a romantic interest that everyone is condemned to pine for in hopelessness may not be so realistic, but I still felt that it was the feeling I had felt many times and I wanted to convey that feeling in the song.”
Accompanying the new track is a sombre music video featuring Nicky and his desired flame. Directed by Claudio Marino, the visuals portray a rollercoaster of empty emotions and longingness. In the visuals, viewers see Nicky who metaphorically appears to be a ghostlike figure, who fails to be recognised by his love interest. No matter how close he tries to get to her, nothing is ever good enough as her attention is diverted elsewhere.
Juanita Stein has announced her third album 'Snapshot' will be released via Nude Records on 2nd October in all formats. Juanita has now shared the album's title track, a wonderful introduction to the themes and the sounds of the record. According to Mojo the song " whoops and devastates about how grief unhinges memories like the harshest magic".
“It feels fundamental to understanding the devastation and eerie silence thrust upon us after his sudden death,” begins the Brighton-based, Australian songwriter Juanita Stein, discussing the moment of great sadness that inspired her new record. “It was a daunting task to sum up the life of one man such as my father. He was endlessly inspiring, charming, deeply talented and passionately spiritual. He admirably, and at times frustratingly, carried the torch for his own musical career until the very end.”
It’s within this processing of a life well-lived and attempting to wrestle with the tides of her own grief, that what would become the album began to ebb and flow out of Stein, who first became known for her work as singer and guitarist in Howling Bells. “After I felt I had enough songs,” Juanita explains, “I was moved to reach out to producer Ben Hillier, who I’d been a fan of since hearing records he made with Clinic, Elbow ad Doves to see if he might be interested in making this album with me.”
Unlike her first two solo albums, “America” (2017) and “Until The Lights Fade” (2018), which were made in just a few weeks and both at studios in the US, ‘Snapshot’ was recorded over the course of eight months at Agricultural Audio, not far from Juanita’s home. As she says, “This allowed me the time and distance I so craved. Ben was deeply concerned with allowing the songs to breathe and to take the right shape. We laid down all the defining guitar parts and vocals which were then beds for the band to come in and lay their parts on.”
As the record began to take shape, Juanita “called on my brother, Joel Stein, (guitarist in Howling Bells) to play lead guitar, I knew only he could harness the exact frenzied energy needed for the songs. Both he and I were both going through something pretty momentous and I wanted to shift that energy into the music. Evan Jenkins on drums alternated between freeform and thunderous on some tracks, light and barely-there on others. Jimi Wheelwright on bass held it all together beautifully.”
The result is a record that feels crafted from a life lived as much as it was clearly excavated from loss. It’s a record that strives to capture more than a passing moment and succeeds in laying its hands on something bigger than most of us will ever fully understand.
"Phosphorescence" is a complicated love song for the west coast of Canada: British Columbia.
We feel so welcomed by the land and connected to the nature where Trent grew up, but recognize that many people were displaced to allow our presence.
"Phosphorescence" is a thank you letter to those who were here long before us, specifically the Coast Salish, and the early 1900s Japanese settlers, who were interned during WWII. We hope to see this beautiful place through their eyes.
We love the tactile hammer sounds of the rhodes, and the fingers plucking the violin, like a cascade of drips to help paint the west coast landscape. Ruby's voice was recorded three different times in unison and mixed all around your head, so it feels like you’re swimming in the ocean of her voice.
