Friday, 11 December 2020

Remington Super 60 - Mood Taeg - Ali Horn - Wynnm - Lorna - Casual Fan

We shared an E.P by Remington Super 60 at the beginning of the year and it's good to have them back with today's new single release 'I Won't Change My Mind'. The bands smooth flowing indie music is notably melodic and intimate on this new track. ===== Mood Taeg double A side release is a feast of German musical influences from Kraftwerk to Can indeed the first song 'Corpora' is reminiscent of both bands, whilst 'Konkord' sees the duo put more of their own mark and styling into effect, both songs are wonderful. ===== We have had the pleasure of featuring Ali Horn a couple of times in the past and today's release 'End Credits' is another fine song, with a bright and rhythmic musical backdrop and his distinctive vocals adding plenty of feeling. ===== Wynnm returns for a third time this year with 'Falling From The Stars' a song that sees her attractive vocals upfront above a more restrained yet intricate musical arrangement. ===== Yesterday Lorna released her first E.P 'Who I Really Am' from which we have 'Go On And Breathe' which makes for a good representation of this imaginative singer songwriters four song collection. ===== Earlier in the year we shared two tracks from today's E.P release from Casual Fan entitled 'I've Dreamt About These Days' and I think it's fair to say all eight songs are of a very high standard where alt rock melodic and sweeping vocals and harmonies are everywhere.

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Remington Super 60 - I Won't Change My Mind.

I Won't Change My Mind is the second single from Norwegian band Remington super 60's upcoming EP, due to be released February 2021. The theme of the EP as well as this song is very personal to the band due to the breakup between Remington super 60's producer Christoer and singer Elisabeth. 

They are still good friends and have continued their musical work together Remington super 60 was founded by Christoer Schou in 1999 as a bedroom DIY project, between 1999 and 2007 the band was very active on the indie scene with several albums and EPs released on various small labels around the world. The early music style was very inspired by 60s music such as Beach Boys and Burt Bacharach but with the addition of lots of Casio keyboard blips and beeps.

Christoer has an impressive collection of small Casio and Yamaha keyboards. This resulted in the band being labeled as a Casio pop band. After 2007 the band only gave a few life signs every now and then. But since 2019 they started to produce a lof of new music again that resulted in the EP "New Ep" released January 2019. Musically they have now been labeled more or less a dream pop band by various blogs.

The band is still a DIY project although not based in Christoer's bedroom but in his living room. “Remington super 60 know how to cut a track” - Super world indie tunes “Dreamy sounds from Norway” - Tonspion.de “Remington Super 60, «The highway again». En ekte drømmelåt” - Kultur magasinet PLNTY “what matters most is that they sound just as delightful now as they did back in ’98” - Austin town hall “beautiful dream-pop” Barry Gru Remington super 60 2020 consists of: Christoer Schou, Elisabeth Thorsen and Magnus Abelsen.


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Mood Taeg - Corpora / Konkord.

Mood Taeg (pronounced mood tag) is a Scottish / German musical project located between Düsseldorf and Shanghai. Mood Taeg create music that incorporates the motorik drumming of Klaus Dinger and Jaki Liebezeit; the melodic sensibilities of Neu! and Kraftwerk; and the experimentation of Can, Cluster and Harmonia to produce instrumental compositions that are contemporary and, at the same time, fit exactly within the lineage of their influences.
 

Mood Taeg see their music as uncompromising but totally accessible. They don’t believe the form dictates the art. For them, the art dictates the form. Thus, songs may often be 10 minutes long with motorik grooves punctuated with vocal samples, ethereal synths and angular guitars. On this new single the band add extra elements to their sonic pallet. The A side, ‘Corpora’ has been tightly edited with pulsing electronics at the forefront, creating a soundscape that is as much dreampop as it is krautrock. The AA side Konkord is part of a collaboration with Dundee Poet Andrew French. Its spoken word vocals in a distinctive Scottish twang add an edgy lo-fi indie-rock dimension, akin to that of Glasgow’s Arab Strap.
 

Mood Taeg record all of their music at their home studio, Lowell’s Garden. They are also part of the wider Mood Taeg kollektiv which includes musicians, graffiti artists, DJs, photographers, painters, and video artists.

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Ali Horn - End Credits.

‘End Credits’ is a nihilistic yet optimistic track about slipping into the unknown of the afterlife. Musically joyous, lyrically dower this track perfectly sums up the highs and lows of realising our human condition as we hopelessly and defiantly trudge towards the end.

More dance-y than his previous work and making use of a wider range of interesting instruments, Ali self-produced this track at his home studio in Toxteth, Merseyside in May 2020 collaborating with Ste Cole of What? Studios to add drums and mix the track.

The only thing we know for sure is that we can’t stay here for long. We’re a speck of light reflecting off a fractured fragment of smashing glass in slow motion. There for a second and then gone. But let's have fun while it lasts. You can’t hide for the inevitable.

2019 saw Ali Horn release his debut E.P. ‘It Wears Off’, six songs exploding with hazy pop hooks and sunburst psychedelia, with themes that stray between life, death, love and paranoia.

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Wynnm - Falling From The Stars.

Falling From The Stars is a bold snapshot of Wynnm's music evolution and, with her new EP in the works for 2021, an exciting peek at what’s to come from a multi-talented artist who crafts a new world with every piece of music she makes.

New single Falling From The Stars is a downtempo, electronic, indie song, where she brings together her unique mix of styles. After 2 minutes and 45 seconds you only want to do one more thing and that is press repeat.

Wynnm about her new single: "Falling From The Stars, as a song, asks you to walk the path towards the stream of consciousness. To alter reality, and to not trust what you once trusted. A fusion of nostalgic sounds and forward vocals, winter will be better with this song."

Much acclaimed debut EP Moonwalking, released earlier this year, gave Wynnm the attention she deserved with rave reviews and radio airplay all over the world. Her music can now be heard on radio in the USA, UK, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, France, Russia, Ireland, Mauritius, Switzerland and Austria. Also her singles could be found in the Apple Music iTunes Charts in 44 countries worldwide! Falling From The Stars is released today 11 December 2020.

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Lorna - Go On And Breathe.

Who I Really Am, the first EP of singer-songwriter Lorna’s new Inspiring Conscious Pop project is coming on December 10th. The EP with original songs is the result of the Las Vegas-based singer's deep emotional conversations with followers of her new Facebook page, released right after the pandemic hit, back in May.

With a unique style that combines ambient music, Enya-like hypnotizing beautiful vocals, and emotional pop lyrics, Who I really Am, is a balm for the soul of the listeners, bringing comfort to their hearts and not rarely bringing tears to their eyes. In times when there is plenty of negativity and fear in the world, and when so many are hurting, emotional songs like “Go on and Breathe”, and “You Are Enough” transport the audience to a place of peace, hope, and positivity.

“I started this music Facebook page to create a community of people supporting each other to stay positive and to grow into self-love by developing themselves mentally and spiritually. To spread love and to comfort, but at the same time to empower them to feel strong and worthy, to overcome their challenges and to be happy”.

Soon enough, the engagement rate on Lorna’s page went through the roof, and people started sharing with her how overwhelmed, lonely and hopeless they felt sometimes, especially since the health crises started. That is how the songs of the new EP were born. With the intent of bringing positivity and encouragement.

Nowadays, even with a relatively small community of 15 K followers built in 6 months, Lorna’s Facebook engagement rate climbs up to 201 %, which shows how strongly and deeply she’s connecting with her audience when comparing these statistics to some of the biggest names on social media.*

Lorna is a multicultural influencer. Of English descent (her last name is Earnshaw), she was born and raised in Argentina and lived for years in Brazil before moving to Hollywood to teach vocal technique at a Los Angeles’ music university in 2013. She started building her Youtube channel in 2008, teaching singing lessons in Portuguese and English and helping students to believe in their dreams, with some of her videos reaching 1.2 MM views organically. As a voice coach, she has taught more than 1000 students from 102 countries with her online courses and more than 350 one-on-one students in English, Portuguese and Spanish.

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Casual Fan - I've Dreamt About These Days (E.P).

'I’ve Dreamt About These Days' was written between late 2017 and mid 2019, with most songs written while moving from Newcastle to Sydney in April 2019. Shortly after the move, friendships were made, a band was formed and songs were given shape and structure, going through several iterations before finally being captured during a week recording with Mark Myers at Big Sister Studio in Cairns, Sep 16-21, 2019.

The songs are primarily about movement between places. They were mostly written on acoustic guitar, but playing some sporadic live shows in 2019 allowed the songs to breathe and move beyond the confines of folk chords and simple lyrics.

'I’ve Dreamt About These Days' is a line in the second last song. It’s about growing up and realising that, while things are not what you thought they might be years ago when you were up late thinking about the future on a January school holiday midnight, the life we are given is usually more beautiful and meaningful than we give it credit for. In a sense, that’s what all these songs are about. Ultimately, the best thing about music is the friends we discover through making it or listening to it, and I’m grateful that writing and playing these songs has given me the chance to meet many wonderful people, who I now couldn’t imagine not knowing.

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Wednesday, 9 December 2020

Melby - Classic Water

Melby make their fifth appearance on Beehive Candy with the new song 'Common Sense'. Whether it's indie pop, rock, psych or folk Melby have the knack for creating superbly crafted music the latest single being no exception, it's another beauty from the Stockholm four piece band. ===== Classic Water have released a live version of their song 'Carthage' today. We have including the live and studio original as both versions are beautiful. I guess the easiest description for the song is indie folk however part of me feels it's more than that, whatever the case just enjoy this lovely track.

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Melby - Common Sense.

Stockholm four-piece Melby have constantly been growing since their debut with catchy single 'Human' in 2016. Last year, the band took their biggest step yet with the acclaimed debut record 'None of this makes me worry' which was followed by tour dates all over Europe. The band returned earlier this year with fittingly named single 'Things I Do When I'm Alone' and are now following up with new psychedelic pop single ‘Common Sense’.

The band often gets compared to fellow Swedes Dungen and Amason but Melby’s dynamic sound, with influences from folk, psych, indie and pop, stand out. The quartet's light, semi-psychedelic folk pop is led by Matilda Wiezell’s enchanting voice which fits perfectly with Melby’s unique musical landscape - a sound that's been called "otherworldly, and wholly brilliant" by The Line of Best Fit. The band consists of Wiezell, Are Engen Steinsholm (guitar), David Jehrlander (bass) and Teo Jernkvist (drums) and formed while living together in a Stockholm shared housing.

Common Sense is a new step as well as a development of the sound of Melby's debut, building a dreamy, psych-pop atmosphere and drawing on the more melancholy folk inspired sides that were showcased on None of this makes me worry, without losing the playfulness and sense of melody that always have been a big part of the band's sound.

Melby on the track: “During lockdown we started making music in a new way, recording demos at home and sending them back and forth to each other. Common sense was created like this, and we wanted to keep the strange and messy vibe of the original home recording. We are kind of modest people, so our version of weird and messy might not be the most weird and messy you’ve ever heard, but still. I think it’s got a bit of an edge to it?” 


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Classic Water - Carthage (Live & Studio versions).


Carthage is inspired by the story of the fall of the city of the same name, and by the Roman general who stood weeping outside the city as his soldiers burned it to the ground. He knew that at some point in the future, Rome had to fall as well. The song draws a parallel between the rise and fall of civilizations and the rise and fall of human relationships.

The songs of Classic Water bring to mind driving through dusty back roads of deserted villages, thinking back on what once was but will never be again. The surreal words of singer Tom Gerritsen are guided by stretches of intertwining melodies, alternated with brief bursts of rock and roll. 

In an earlier life, Tom released folk music as The T.S. Eliot Appreciation Society, playing over 180 shows in Europe. Seeing Classic Water perform live is a visceral experience. The debut album Concrete Pleasures was recorded and produced by Stacy Parrish (T Bone Burnett, Alison Krauss & Robert Plant) in a 14th century farmhouse in Sweden.


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Tuesday, 8 December 2020

Royal Horses - Mackenzie Leigh Meyer

Royal Horses shared 'A Modern Man's Way to Improve' a few day's ago and it's a really fine song from the South Mississippi trio. The bands desire to bend genre norms results in some fabulous music, the featured song being no exception as it mixes potent southern rock with impassioned vocals. ===== Mackenzie Leigh Meyer recently released the song 'Before You'. The Canadian multi instrumentalist country-roots singer has already received some well deserved attention and this song helps explain why, as the melodic arrangement, natural and heartfelt vocals collectively ensure the hooks dig in deep.

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Royal Horses - A Modern Man's Way to Improve.

“A Modern Man's Way to Improve is a genre bending love letter to the sounds that shaped the new South and us along with it.” - Royal Horses

Forged deep in the Piney Woods of South Mississippi, Royal Horses embodies the very best of what the region has to offer.

Featuring lyric-driven melodies that pay respect to the musical genres that helped shape the New South, including 70's rock, early blues, rockabilly, and folk, Royal Horses has managed to create a name for themselves the old-fashioned way – one high-energy performance at a time. 

The trio often bends genre norms while blazing a new path for themselves in modern music. The result is a gritty, yet powerfully-unique sound built on the strength of an undeniable musical chemistry. The band's debut record, A Modern Man's Way to Improve, was selected as an official release for Record Store Day 2020 and is now streaming on all platforms.


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Mackenzie Leigh Meyer - Before You.

Hailing from Hamilton ON, CA the 26 year old multi-instrumentalist country-roots singer has come a long way from her humble beginnings of community theatre and songwriting on the family piano. Emerging into the country music scene with her May 2018 release of debut EP “Dive Bar Diva”, Meyer is already getting praise for her unique style and enchanting vocals from industry professionals and country music fans alike.

With her song “Your Company” featured on ET Canada and more than 182,000 views on her YouTube, it’s no shocker that renowned producer Ken Scott (David Bowie, Supertramp) exclaimed “ Watch out Carrie Underwood” after working with Meyer on EP country-rock ballad “Should Have Known”.

Produced by Jeff Dalziel (2019 CCMA Producer of the Year) and written by Mackenzie, the heartfelt love ballad was a first-day-add to Spotify’s “Live Country” playlist and currently sits at the #10 position on Amazon’s “Breakthrough Country” playlist.

The track is a showcase of Meyer’s poetic and authentic storytelling paired with her unique sound and enchanting vocals.

“This song is my take on finding your soulmate” Meyer shares, “When you’re with the right person, they make everything better without seemingly doing anything, at least that’s been my experience. It’s not about the grand gestures. Love is in the little things”

“Before You” follows the heat of her debut EP Dive Bar Diva, which landed her a nomination for CMA Ontario “Roots Artist of the Year” in 2019.


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Sunday, 6 December 2020

Departure Lounge - The Ninth Wave - The School Book Depository

Departure Lounge new song 'Mercury In Retrograde' is a melodic affair, the musicianship is glorious and vies for attention with the softly delivered vocals, the only challenge is trying to pin it into any specific genre. ===== Glaswegian band The Ninth Wave new track 'Everything Will Be Fine' is now out. The bands mixture of indie pop and rock is dynamic and powerful, the vocals and harmonies add emotion on what is a hook filled piece. ===== It's been a while since we last featured The School Book Depository they have been consistently impressive and the new song 'Sunny Disposition' sees their gorgeous style of Americana once again impact wonderfully.

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Departure Lounge - Mercury In Retrograde.

"Mercury In Retrograde refers to the phenomenon whereby the planet Mercury appears, for a period of time, to be travelling backwards in the sky in relation to Earth. This happens a few times a year and is, according to astrological lore, responsible for all kinds of chaos, confusion and frustration in our lives here on the blue planet.

So that’s where the song title comes from and the lyrics document a period in a relationship when the protagonist is perhaps feeling the effects of this supposedly illusory occurrence.

Mercury in Retrograde is the only complete song we already had when Departure Lounge reunited recently to make the Transmeridian album. It had been a live staple in our first operative period around the turn of the century, but slipped through the net when it came to recording. At the reunion gigs, several people said it had always been their favourite and it still sounded fresh.

Musically, Mercury In Retrograde is a bit of an oddball, with a slow-picked acoustic guitar reminiscent of ‘Here, There And Everywhere’ offset by a Roni Size-esque drum ‘n bass groove played with brushes and double bass, accompanied by a slightly wonky Casio CZ101 nursery rhyme synth line. I’m making it sound like a car crash, but somehow it works. The way these apparently disparate elements fit together makes for a good analogy of how our band works and its celebratory chorus has proved to be a stubborn earworm."


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The Ninth Wave - Everything Will Be Fine.

Glaswegian band The Ninth Wave just released their new single "Everything Will Be Fine", the first new music to be heard since the band's Faris Badwan (The Horrors)-produced EP ‘Happy Days!’ and their AIM Award and Scottish Album of the Year-nominated debut album Infancy.

"Everything Will Be Fine" is a portent mantra to shout from the rooftops amidst some of the most confusing and unsettling times our generation has faced. Brimming with prudent positivity, the track is a product of the last 6 months the band have spent together in Glasgow.

It's immediately apparent that The Ninth Wave are moving into exciting new territory with "Everything Will Be Fine". An invigorating dose of dark emotive pop; there's a new air of confidence in the music the band are making. Not only is that confidence evident in their songwriting and production (they're currently self-producing much of their new material) – but also in the conviction of their lyrics.

"It’s a song about twisted optimism, self-reassurance and hope," singer Haydn Park-Patterson explains. "The overall message of the song seems fitting for the world that we’ve found ourselves in now. Like many of our songs, it has existed in various different incarnations. I wrote the first version of it in the summer of last year and it was originally intended to be a song for someone else’s comfort and reassurance. It was shelved until earlier this year, when I stripped it down and kept only the name of the song. It then became the twisted optimistic song that it is now after it was brought in, stripped down and rebuilt by us in the studio. It’s the happiest sounding song we’ve recorded."

The new single arrives alongside an almost 10-minute long extended 'Driving Version' of the track, which the band says: "was intended to be listened to when you’re driving alone in your car, imagining yourself in that sad but sweet scene in a movie when you’re the heartbroken but hopeful character driving off into the sunset to find yourself".

The band's new material promises to be more upfront and honest than ever before. Celebrating honesty and real life, The Ninth Wave want their listeners to find comfort in their music. They want their fans to feel safe; to be confident in who they are, and to know they're not alone with their feelings and anxieties.

“It’s a cathartic thing for both us and the listeners; we want to help with normalising being emotional and finding comfort within your sadness", the band went on to say.

With limited resources, isolation and continuing the self production they first began toying with on their 'Happy Days!' EP, "Everything Will Be Fine" is the first taste of the band's second album - due for release in 2021.

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The School Book Depository - Sunny Disposition.

This is a beautiful gem of an Americana-song, both punkish rebellious and bittersweet melancholic in its expression. Helena Lindsten’s fantastic voice effortlessly turns from soft and fragile to explosive with brutally honest and heartfelt passion that brings both Phoebe Bridges and Courtney Love to mind.

But behind this cheerful and sunny title we find an ironical orgy of frustration, boredom, angst and shortcomings that intentionally balances between tragedy and comedy. The narrator stacks low points in li life on top of each other, from job related boredom, rejection, broken collarbone and dishonorable discharge from the military, to being deprived of the fundamental right to dwell in your misfortunes in an imaginary canyon in the company of alcoholic beverages.

”If there was one, I’d be in the canyon, searching for answers in the bottle, if just not so, seems I forgot my opener at home, once again forgot to make a list."

With the album ”No depression”, the band Uncle Tupelo gave name to a new genre called ”No depression-country”. With that in mind, it might be time to add a new genre to the list?

Luckily this song, seen in its entirety, depicts the human ability to see humor in tragedy and the comical irony of life.And that is a cheerful thought is’t it? - Fredrik Solfors


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Greta Gaines - Pharmacists - Nelson Bragg

Photo - Stacie Huckeba Greta Gaines - Coming to Fruition. Greta Gaines is excited to announce the August 29th release of her new album. Bird...