Crawford Mack - Oracle Sisters - Owen Meany’s Batting Stance

Crawford Mack has shared a new video for 'Turning' a song that's taken from his recent album '‘Bread & Circuses'. We had the pleasure of featuring three other tracks from this exceptional album and 'Turning' is another example from this talented and highly engaging contemporary artist. ===== Oracle Sisters have shared 'The Dandelion' along with a video for the song. The Parisian trio have something of a timeless feel musically and have developed some atmospheric, melodic and dreamy music with this gorgeous piece. ===== Owen Meany’s Batting Stance was featured a couple of months or so back and his new video for 'Krakow' is a beautiful accompaniment for this moving and sublime song.

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Crawford Mack - Turning.

Glaswegian songwriter Crawford Mack performs with a sense of purpose and ardour in new video ‘Turning’. An ode to the legacy that people leave through their art, the new track is taken from his recently released debut album ‘Bread & Circuses’.

‘Turning’ exhibits Crawford’s diverse pallet, taking influence from his original jazz background, through to rock and classical, which he holds together with his singer-songwriter soul. Crawford comments “I wrote the track initially about being reminded of a former partner every time I hear certain music, so I flipped the roles and wondered aloud whether it was the same for her.

This track is part of my debut album 'Bread & Circuses'. It was initially inspired from messing around in Nick Drake's CGCFCE guitar tuning and trying to fit in a cello and clarinet line I'd picked up from Mozart Requiem. The guest Clarinet and Bass Clarinet feature is from Gustavo Clayton-Marucci.”

Directed and Animated by Alex Uragallo, the new abstract visual opens with a record spinning, which flourishes into everyday objects; a cleverly crafted metaphor capturing the idea that music evokes nostalgic memories. During the instrumentals of the track, colourful textured motifs created by Giulia Carisi encapsulates psychedelic-like sensations.

Of his new video, Crawford says “I got in touch with Alex Uragallo who is an animator I know from my time at college to ask whether he was interested in making a video that could use everyday objects to explore a theme of being reminded of someone every day when a song plays. Alex suggested collaborating with visual artist Giulia Carisi, to create colourful visual motifs that could be attached to the different instrumental lines, the motifs are inspired by her synesthesia when she hears the track.”

Recorded in Antwerp, the Crawford’s debut full-length ‘Bread and Circuses’ consists of ten tracks in which in his words “hopes will illustrate the conviction of an individual confronting their internal struggles, wrestling them to the ground but all the while waving a white flag of surrender.”

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Oracle Sisters - The Dandelion.

Parisian trio Oracle Sisters have shared ‘The Dandelion’, their new single and first taste of upcoming EP ‘Paris II’. The accompanying video, directed by Celia Marie and lead guitarist Lewis Lazar, is shot on double 8mm and takes the viewer through the personification of Paris. With the band as your beatnik tour guides, the video explores the gothic moods and noire spirit of the city.

Over the past twelve months, Oracle Sisters have built up a loyal and global following, blurring the lines between music and visual arts. Support for their music has come from NME, The Line Of Best Fit, W Magazine, Vanity Fair, Beats1, COLORS, BBC 6 Music, and more. This culminated in the critically acclaimed release of Paris I, mid-way through 2020.

Now, Oracle Sisters turn their attention to its sequel, their next EP ‘Paris II’ (due for release Spring 2021) with ‘The Dandelion’ the first taste of this new music. The track continues Oracle Sisters’ journey as musical auteurs that combine elements of rock, psychedelia, soul & disco into a sound that is truly their own. Speaking on the track, the band say, “the song is inspired by Chet Baker’s singing with a sort of disco back beat behind it”. Oracle Sisters’ influences are broad but also unconventional, and it’s this ability to dip into every musical style that sets them apart from their contemporaries.

With members hailing from across Europe, the band are uninhibited in their influences, finding inspiration within the art, cinema, philosophy, and music of the world over; resulting in a sound that is both sonically sophisticated and warmly familiar. Lyrically, they explore timeless narratives of love, mysticism and spirituality, scattered with intriguing insights into their own personal lives and experiences resulting in songs that are cryptic yet paradoxically familiar.

Oracle Sisters have been working hard in Greece currently finishing off their debut album. Along the road, they’ve also played impromptu shows on the island of Hydra with friends from The Murder Capital & Fontaines D.C – capturing the troubadour spirit of the band.

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Owen Meany’s Batting Stance - Krakow.

Operating under the moniker Owen Meany’s Batting Stance, Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Walker is still exploring the expanses of human emotion following the release of his debut LP, Feather Weights.

For Daniel, creating Feather Weights was a pursuit of catharsis – trying to understand his personal experiences. After delivering his self-titled EP and doing rounds of the live circuit, he collated eight thoughtful, singularly voiced stories, all recorded above a fishmonger’s shop in the Halifax Regional Municipality.

The latest addition to the Feather Weights narrative is a visual aid for the emotionally charged number, Krakow. The track itself is a reflection of loneliness and absence accompanied with lulling guitar and soft vocals. Written during the final days of an overseas tour in Europe, Daniel contemplates spending Thanksgiving alone, being surrounded by unfamiliar faces and missing important life events all whilst fulfilling his life’s passion.

Directed by Nicole Cecile Holland, the video manifests this separation, following a solitary Daniel traipsing desolate, icy wilderness, whilst constantly being haunted by memories of the people he loves despite his attempts to rid himself of them.

No stranger to telling stories, he explains the inspiration for Krakow: “It was Canadian thanksgiving but, as the lone Canadian in the hostel, was spent navigating language barriers rather than family chatter over the dinner table... During the course of the tour, I also missed out on major life events friends and family celebrated. The crux of the song is how pursuing what you love can take you from who you love.”

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Natalie Bouloudis - Lauryn Peacock - Red Red (feat) Belle Starr - Safe Upstairs - The Mahones

Natalie Bouloudis returns with her third single 'Coal' taken from her forthcoming E.P. due at the end of January. We have featured Natalie a few times in recent years and have always been impressed with her distinctive and atmospheric music which this time manifests itself in dynamic alt rock form. ===== Today Lauryn Peacock has released 'Coming Over Me Again' and it's a rhythmic indie rock song where the vocals carry the melody on this catchy track. ===== Red Red have shared their new single 'Long Black Train (Feat: Belle Starr)'. Energized blues rock and fabulously natural vocals and harmonies make this a hook filled piece.  ===== Zurich-based, New-York-raised Jonas Blumer aka Safe Upstairs has just released 'Everything Went Away' which is a gritty and addictive song, his vocals and incredible lyrics are highly engaging. ===== The Mahones lates album is self explanatory enough, it's titled 'This Is All We’ve Got To Show For It – The Best of 30 Years'. Lovers of Irish punk and Celtic rock are probably familiar with the band, if not dive in, it's streaming in full below and an absolute joy to listen to.

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Natalie Bouloudis - Coal.

‘I never noticed the stars before, I always thought of them as great big diamonds that belonged to someone. Now they frighten me. They make me feel that it was all a dream... a form of chemical madness.’ - FS Fitzgerald, The Diamond as Big as the Ritz

Gutsy folk-noir singer-songwriter Natalie Bouloudis returns with her evocative new single Coal, musing on the unravelling of a relationship, through the shimmering lyrical metaphor of diamonds and coal, colliding in a stormy soundworld. Emerging from a sea of haunting reverb and fuzzy blues tones, Coal channels Is This Desire? era PJ Harvey, the cinematic punch of Weyes Blood's The Innocents, and the poeticism of Karen Dalton, whilst also offering Bouloudis’ own unique handling of beauty emerging from the darkness.

Bouloudis sings of hard lessons learnt, soaring from vulnerable to vengeful in tone, through a dramatic gale of gritty guitar arpeggios, brooding rhythms and biting violin. “It’s that moment when reverie dissolves into a nightmare and something which once felt so precious becomes painfully worthless,” she says, reminding us diamonds might be forever but you can't expect the same level of permanence when it comes to matters of the heart.

Coal is the third single to be released from the forthcoming EP Devil Is Doubt, due to be released on 29 January 2021.

Natalie Bouloudis · Coal

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Lauryn Peacock - Coming Over Me Again.

Lauryn Peacock announces her first single in five years, “Coming Over Me Again.” Due out December 4, the single elicits phantom memories that resurrect the carefree spirit of youth. The standalone single’s uplifting beat and soaring melodies reintroduce Peacock as an artist ready to fly as she prepares for the release of her upcoming album in 2021.

Peacock wrote the song during the height of quarantine. She says, “All the time alone left me able to think, to really dig into some great memories. At times, they felt embodied, like I was being visited.” An intentional 90s production style captures the hint of nostalgia with vocals tucked into the music in a way that makes you want to turn the song up and up.

The song was recorded in the space where Alabama Shakes created their breakthrough effort.  Peacock enlisted co-producer Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Josephine Foster) and a backing band to include guitarist John James Tourville of The Deslondes, bassist Jack Lawrence of The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather fame, Molly Parden (Andrew Combs, Faye Webster, Liza Anne), and Meg Coleman, known for her other-worldly drum sound.

Lauryn Peacock rounds out the classical training in piano that reaches back into the beginnings of her childhood with 18 years of ballet and French. She toured the East Coast playing synth and organ for Philadelphia’s mewithoutYou and had the opportunity to play with Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy during two house concerts for charity. On her first records she worked with co-producer Daniel Smith (Sufjan Stevens, Danielson Family) as well as collaborated with Denison Witmer (Asthmatic Kitty Records) and composer Joshua Stamper (Sufjan Stevens collaborator, National Endowment for the Arts, MacDowell Fellow). This all contributes to WXPN proclaiming: “Lauryn Peacock has the range of a musician who’s been playing her whole life.”

Lauryn Peacock · Coming Over Me Again

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Red Red - Long Black Train (Feat: Belle Starr).

Coming from the crossroads of Europe, Red Red(USA/BE) is an unlikely cross-pollination between psychedelia, 70s guitar rock, blues and hip-hop turntablism. 

Led by an ethnomusicologist and multi-instrumentalist from Ohio, Red Red is formed from the finest musicians from the Belgian roots, blues, and jazz music scenes. 

Turntablist DJ Courtasock fills out the lineup, adding layers of sampled sounds from all over the world. Long Black Train, their first single for the NAKED label, puts all of Red Red’s influences together into a sound that is both completely new but still has something for fans of The Black Keys, Howlin’Wolf, Urban Dance Squad and Led Zeppelin. The B-side, the American roots traditional In The Pines, turns the song on its head with sounds and rhythms from North and West Africa.

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Safe Upstairs - Everything Went Away.

There's an incredible coolness in Safe Upstairs' new single 'Everything Went Away'. 

It's been recorded by Zurich-based, New-York-raised Jonas Blumer: He's the man behind Safe Upstairs. After gaining a lot of attention with his former singles in spring, he now sings about severe topics.

Or to say it in Safe Upstairs's own words: "There are always more than enough reasons to be sad and depressed. Sometimes you just have to be able to press pause end enjoy a couple of minutes without questioning the decisions you made in the past. They were probably all wrong. But that's ok. You will always have your memories of the good old times, as you might call them".

All tracks have been created in Safe Upstairs' own home recording studios.

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The Mahones - This Is All We’ve Got To Show For It – The Best of 30 Years.

The Mahones are a Canadian Irish-punk band, formed in 1990 by Dublin-born Finny McConnell, as a one-off band for a St. Patrick's Day party. Encouraged by a positive reception, McConnell decided to pursue the band full-time. The Mahones have released thirteen albums to date with their most recent, Love, Death, & Redemption, being released in 2018.

The Mahones’ music has appeared in several major films. They co-wrote and recorded the title track for the 1996 film Celtic Pride. Their song "100 Bucks" was featured in the 1998 film Dog Park. Their song "Paint The Town Red 2010" was featured in the climactic final fight scene of the 2010 film The Fighter. Their song "A Little Bit of Love" is in the 2011 film Irvine Welsh's Ecstasy.

Heralded as pioneers of the Irish punk scene, beloved six-piece outfit The Mahones, have announced a special 30th Anniversary retrospective, This Is All We’ve Got To Show For It – The Best of 30 Years to be released via True North Records today December 4, 2020.

This comprehensive retrospective captures many special moments with surprise guests on intimate stages over the decades.

THE MAHONES · 30 Years and This Is All We've Got To Show For It (Best of 1990 - 2020)

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Kate Boothman - Sham Chewali - Focus Your Audio - Lorraine Nash

Kate Boothman releases '17' a song that she tells us was pretty much written and fully formed in just twenty minutes. That's impressive considering the depth and beauty of this track, I guess it took a little longer in the studio, either way it was time well spent. ===== Yesterday Sham Chewali released 'Yer Not Wrong' a song that opens with traditional folk sensibilities and gradually develops into a more modern piece, where alt rock is a reasonable reference point. ===== Last week Focus Your Audio shared a video for 'Over There' a song that has already gained plenty of attention for the Vancouver-based duo as their mixture of natural roots and Americana music resonates so well. ===== Lorraine Nash has just released 'Winter Sun' along with a video, we first featured her in October and the new song is another beautiful and creative contemporary folk song.

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Kate Boothman - 17.

Kate has gained a reputation as a solo performer, playing stripped-down acoustic sets as the invited opener for established songwriting talents like Joe Pernice (Pernice Brothers), Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star), Ana Egge and Robyn Hitchcock.

“17 is one of those songs that emerged fully formed. I wrote it after a particularly heavy day during a particularly heavy time in my life. I was overworked, overwhelmed, under-slept, heartbroken, and generally confused. I got home at around 11 pm after being away for a while. I lay down on the floor for an hour and when I finally got up I wrote the entire song in only 20 minutes or so.

The songs meaning is quite literal. It’s about that confidence and arrogance that comes with being a spicy youth, and then all of a sudden you’re an adult and you realize you knew nothing. You look back and can’t help but examine everything you‘ve learned and lost.”

Kate Boothman · 17

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Sham Chewali - Yer Not Wrong.

Sham Chewali delivers an enchanting treat with his new single  Yer Not Wrong. The track seamlessly marries elements of  traditional folk and alt rock, creating an experimental and  intriguing sound.

Opening with melodic guitar and smooth harmonies the song builds  energy, culminating in a stunning guitar solo. Yer Not Wrong is  bought to life through the slick production, cementing the  tracks magnificence.

Sham’s music beautifully reflects his roots growing up in Bury  in Lancashire and the many years spent playing the venues of  Manchester. Yer Not Wrong captures the distinct sound that comes  with the territory, reminding us once more the might of the  Northern music scene.

Sham breaks down the barriers of being confined to a single  genre, instead offering a multi-layered and authentic sound  which has been compared to musical geniuses, the likes of Guy  Garvey, Nick Cave and Richard Hawley.

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Focus Your Audio - Over There.

Vancouver-based duo Focus Your Audio's latest single "Over There" has been picked up by radio stations across the country and has received rave reviews from around the world, including here at home by Canadian legend Ron Sexmith. With over 15,000 streams in its first week, it's easy to understand why they've been coined "one of Vancouver's best kept secrets" by legendary Canadian producer, Adam Hurstfield. Their new Roots-infused, Country/Americana track was produced by Canadian music powerhouse Mike Young (bassist - Mother Mother) and engineered by Karl Dicaire (Mother Mother, Iskwe, Big Wreck).

The duo have just released their brand new music video for "Over There", directed by Jonathan Fluevog, music industry leader turned film director and son of iconic Canadian shoe mogul John Fluevog. Filmed in Ladner, BC, the video is a perfect compliment to the lyrics, melody, and overall meaning of the song. Sarah moves through the picturesque forest alone, as she performs the lyrics about a couple having trouble grasping how an argument allowed them to drift apart. With Bobby playing guitar and Sarah meeting him in the clearing amidst the sunset, the video for "Over There" perfectly captures the emotion and meaning of the song.

Comprised of Sarah McArthur and Bobby McAloney, Focus Your Audio is a duo that focuses heavily on the integrity of a song. Often compared to Fleetwood Mac and Lady A, the two musicians have an Americana/Roots/alt-country sound that is hard to define but easy to listen to. Legendary Canadian artist Ron Sexsmith commended their brand new track and commented on the song's "imagined production and nice contemporary vibe".

"Over There" is a song about a disagreement - a truthful peek into the lives of the couple who make music together. A vulnerable, honest, call out to a partner, Focus Your Audio both lyrically and sonically takes the listener through the unsaid aspects of a disagreement with music that matches the emotion of the song. The anthemic chorus, Sarah's undeniable vocal and lyrical talent and Bobby's musicianship all tie harmoniously together. As a quest to figure out how they got into the position they're in and what they can do about it, the tune will resonate with all listeners who have ever had an argument and wondered why they got there and how they can fix it.

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Lorraine Nash - Winter Sun.

Following up the successful release of her debut EP Wildflower and its well-received singles, ‘Wildflower’, ‘Changing Tides’ and ‘River’, multi-instrumentalist songwriter Lorraine Nash releases new single ‘Winter Sun’ November 28, 2020.

As evenings start to draw closer with summer heat long gone ‘Winter Sun’ captures the bright light of romance alongside the chill of disappointment. Lorraine’s song writing is filled with lyrical beauty and her newest single ‘Winter Sun’ is no exception. ‘Winter Sun’ is a brand new song from Lorraine and offers a glimpse of an artist expanding her range and growing into her art.

With the current Covid-19 restrictions in place Lorraine consulted with producer Herring Ahern and drew up a plan to record ‘Winter Sun’ remotely before being sent to studio for finishing touches. It was then mixed and mastered in Clonmoyle East by Herring Ahern with bass and drums from Jason O’Driscoll.

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The Last Morrell - Call Me Spinster - Gillian Stone

The Last Morrell first came our way back in March this year and it's good to have him back with the new song release 'Picking at Stitches'. Once again the melodic vocals are just gorgeous and the music arrangement develops into something quite stirring, add in his magnificent video and this truly is a superb and creative piece. ===== It's just over a month since we first featured Call Me Spinster and they return with another beautiful track entitled 'Two Hearts'. The sister trio are once again fabulously timeless with wonderful vocals and harmonies as a dreamy vibe runs throughout this "oh to" short song ===== Gillian Stone has recently released 'Bridges' and despite the fact we are a couple of weeks late to the show, this exquisite and captivating song remains a must share. 

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The Last Morrell - Picking at Stitches.

Not very often do we see an artist create their own music video in quite the way The Last Morrell has done with his animated video for Picking at Stitches, the second single from his debut EP, ‘Sarcasm’. During the first period of lockdown this year The Last Morrell turned a lifelong fascination with animated music videos into a pursuit of his own. 6 months later the artist has built a set, a character and created a series of 5,000 individual photographs that when played together, tell a story of coping with depression as beautifully as one could ever imagine seeing.

The song itself is a tip of the hat to The Last Morrell’s younger self as he explains, “I wanted to address some feelings I’d had as a teenager and even as a young man that I’d never quite been able to process and put into words until recently. Growing up is really hard and school can make or break a person. Picking at Stitches is about opening old wounds and forcing yourself to confront how your worst experiences have shaped you as a person, it’s therapy. And the video accompanies it beautifully I think, most of us can relate to those days where you feel unable to even leave the house. I kind of hope this video will make people cry, sort of.”

The song starts with a lonely piano and The Last Morrell’s unmistakable voice, painting a picture of a teenager alone in his room watching the time fly by. We are led to a chorus with soaring falsetto and a deep rumbling bass, synths murmur underneath whilst The Last Morrell confronts an inability to face the outside world. The middle 8 is where this song really takes off, we climb upwards with The Last Morrell, here a hint of the promised sarcasm pokes through though it doesn’t for a second disturb the grandeur and boldness that the music delivers. It’s a brave piece of music, poignant and visually compelling with all of the usual components The Last Morrell is becoming known for; vintage synthesisers, powerful vocals and piano playing with cinematic arrangements.

And with regards to learning to animate The Last Morrell has this to say; “It takes an excruciating amount of patience to do stop motion animation but I learnt so much from Youtube and I was very lucky to have a friend who could lend me a very expensive camera for the whole process. It’s definitely a labour of love to say the least but I have a profound admiration for anyone who can do this professionally”.

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Call Me Spinster - Two Hearts.

Chattanooga sister-trio Call Me Spinster shares a dreamy new single “Two Hearts” off their self-titled EP, which releases December 11 via Strolling Bones Records. Accompanied by a charming, surreal video shot during quarantine, “Two Hearts” is an optimistic meditation on the ups and downs of relationships, illustrated with the trio’s wistful melodies and reflective, earnest lyrics. It was featured this morning via Magnet, who said "'Two Hearts' epitomizes the album’s fleshed-out version of a timeless sound that hints at the past while steering just clear of preciousness… And the comfy familial vibe is undeniable.”

“‘Two Hearts’ was written after a fight with a loved one, and like many of our songs, in a bathtub. It is about a moment in a relationship when expectations suddenly shift, but faith that the ‘seeds and rinds’ of what was there in the first place will remain through difficult times,” the group explains. “As we worked on the video in the spring of 2020, the song itself took on a new meaning. We, like millions of others, navigated the dreamlike ocean of highs and lows of relationships in quarantine - condensed into a tiny fish tank - finding that the essential components of love and connection can be distilled through stress and hardship rather than broken.”

Featuring three sisters – Amelia, Rachel and Rosalie – Call Me Spinster is an extraordinary example of the transcendent musical bond only siblings can share. With unorthodox instruments and pristine vocal harmonies, the trio blurs old-timey traditions and modernized pop fun with a streak of self-aware humor. Showcasing their quirky, catchy lyrics, Call Me Spinster’s debut single “Here You Are” filters Debbie Harry energy through a 60’s girl group chord progression. MXDWN recently praised the song, calling it “an excellent blend of retro rock that is a perfect pick-me-up during a global pandemic.”

Produced by Drew Vandenberg (of Montreal, Toro y Moi) in Athens, GA, the Call Me Spinster EP transforms the group’s merry-go-round instrumentation with left-of-center arrangements and a full studio band. In the middle of recording, however, the pandemic forced the trio to return to Chattanooga, where they finished vocal tracking, overdubs and even full songs, with the help of video chat tutorials from their producer. They laid down accordion tracks in the bathroom, enlisted boyfriends to help out with handclaps, and had to re-record takes marred by a dog snoring in the background, but the process resulted in a brilliantly unpredictable collection of five eclectic new songs. The Call Me Spinster debut is a welcome introduction to this trio’s wide-reaching yet somehow singular sound, and a testament to a group that never takes the most traveled route.

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Gillian Stone - Bridges.

Gillian Stone is a Toronto-based multi-instrumentalist who aims to reconcile tenderness and dark emotion in her work. Her music is an exploration of inner and outer landscapes, turbulent feelings, recovery, and the juxtaposition of femininity and imperfection. She uses vulnerability to create a safe space to explore the dichotomy of beauty and discomfort.

Stone’s vocals and playing have been featured on projects by Alli Sunshine (FORCES), The Fern Tips (Beams, Ace of Wands), Völur (Blood Ceremony), and Althea Thauberger. She has appeared in music videos for Clear Mortifee, Robert DeLong, Alli Sunshine, and Juno nominee Tara Kannangara.

Her background in jazz and ethnomusicology has heavily influenced her work. She has studied Javanese and Balinese gamelan, performed with Russell Hartenberger and NEXUS (principal percussionists of the Steve Reich ensemble), and performed with Brazilian cavaquinho virtuoso Henrique Cazes. 

Fascinated by her Icelandic heritage, Stone explored the popular music of Iceland and the diaspora in Canada as part of her graduate work in ethnomusicology. Her upbringing on Vancouver Island also led her to Coast Salish hip hop and the soundscape and scene of the Cascadian bioregion. Stone uses an interdisciplinary approach to explore disparate genres in order to produce a singular sonic environment.

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