Sunday, 31 January 2021

Aistè - Strictly Elizabeth - Kue Varo - Cousin Mouth - Heavy Feather - Belle Tower

Aistè - Where You're Going Today.

Rising independent pop powerhouse and 2021 One To Watch Aistè has released new single ‘Where You're Going Today,’ premiered on Hayes FM, and the accompanying official music video, premiered on A1234. Completed during lockdown, both the track and the video are entirely written and produced by Aistè herself.

The gorgeous visuals for ‘Where You're Going Today’ see Aistè reconnect with the pure and uncontaminated freedom, both physical and creative, that she found herself drawn to during the pandemic.

While waiting out the stay-at-home orders in her hometown in Lithuania, she started exploring her connection with the innocent child that she once was, free from the routines and chaotic energy of her daily life back in London. She found inspiration in the introspective and nostalgic feelings that surfaced, and this, combined with the creativity and restlessness that burst at her seams while in lockdown, produced a powerful moment of soul-searching and contemplation that she artfully translated into music.

‘Where You're Going Today’ is born out of the persistent feeling that there must be something larger, something almost holier than the capitalistic games we are trapped in, and that reconnecting with the child that lives within and guides each one of us is the best way to awaken ourselves from the stupor we've been living under.

"Change is inevitable, this much we've learned in 2020," says Aistè about her journey with new music. "We’ll change homes, countries, partners, ourselves in the pursuit to achieve our dreams and thus fulfilment. When all is said and done, after all these transformations, do we still remember the person who dreamed those very dreams? Is he, is she still around?"

'Where You're Going Today’ follows the release of latest singles, magnetic and futuristic ‘Mojo' and anti-capitalist anthem 'Money Is Life,' the official video for which was nominated in the Best Director category at the 2020 KlipVid Awards. After testing the waters with previous tracks ‘My Only Friend’, ‘Say When’, and 'This Will Happen’, as well as the bewitching ‘Blue Dawn’, Aistè breathes a new creative fire.

 

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Strictly Elizabeth - These Little Things (I Get From You).

Strictly Elizabeth, announced today the launch of her second track from her monthly Full Moon Series, with the release of “These Little Things (I Get From You)” available now via all digital platforms. This is the second installment of new music to be released on the full moon since it launched last month.

Produced and Mixed by musician Ira Ingber, “These Little Things (I Get From You)” is a previously unreleased song of her own composition released via her own Data Water Records with virtual distribution by Dash/Go. 


“We launched the Full Moon Series in the spirit of releasing what is complete to make room for new creative action and collaboration,” said Jessica of Strictly Elizabeth. “This month’s track, “These Little Things (I Get From You)” is about the person you become through habit and patterns of behavior.”

This is a deeply personal track for Jessica, who started to see that she was imitating the men she was in love with and wrote this song about that piece of self-discovery. She found that although she is much more aware of it now, it’s still a deeply ingrained pattern from childhood. The video for this song explores this theme.

The Full Moon Series next installment will be released on the next full moon, February 27, 2021 and subsequent full moons throughout the year. This series is a platform to release what’s complete and make room for new creative audio and visual pursuits coming from Strictly Elizabeth this year.

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Kue Varo - No.

"As the only female-presenting member in a lot of past projects, I was often designated the 'mom role,'" said Kue Varo songwriter, Katrina Spreen (they/them). "As much as this identity was imposed, I enabled it, and had to come to terms with my inability to say 'no.' Sometimes when you mean to do right by someone, it can be misplaced, and you have to learn to do right by yourself first."

"No" hails from Kue Varo's debut LP, Daffodil-11, which Spreen recorded at Montreal's St Zo Studio. The album features Matthew Spreen on rhythm guitar, Chris Dadge (Alvvays) on percussion, Scott Munro (Preoccupations) on synth, and Rena Kozak (Child Actress) on bass and production duties.

"Daffodil-11 is a reference to Kurt Vonnegut's Slapstick, which is my absolute favourite book of all time," said Spreen. "It’s roughly about human decency for human decencies sake, without attachment to outcome. This album starts with an angry introduction to the planet, and ends with me trying not to bury her. It’s a very vulnerable and sometimes uncomfortable undressing."

The seven songs on Daffodil-11 each have one of two personalities attributed to them.

"Although I believe strongly that traits assigned a gender are silly, I enjoy exploring duality in the form of gender to help come to terms with what was imposed onto me," Spreen said. "Gender presenting is a fun visual way for me to do so through my art. Each song on this album has one of two personalities attributed to it: the mod princess light and magnificent of the 1960’s and the grungy 1970’s/90’s beatnik poet/failed artist who is bitter and feels entitled to be. These traits simultaneously exist within me and it’s incredibly liberating to lean into them as a form of expression and creativity."

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Cousin Mouth - New Memories.

Detroit’s psychedelic R&B outfit, Cousin Mouth, has released a new music video for their single, “New Memories,” an introspective story of facing your past, present, and future. The track is about learning to overcome past experiences and use them to find inner peace. “New Memories” is the first single off their upcoming album, MayflowerPeacemakerHolyredeemer, which is available for digital and vinyl pre-order now. “New Memories'' is available for viewing on YouTube and for streaming on Spotify.

Directed by Zach Hagy, the video starts with a groovy, persuasive guitar intro that shows Cousin Mouth’s lead singer Alex Burns, entering an old Cadillac. He takes a compelling drive through different parts of town, curiously passing by different versions of himself. The past experiences, selves, and relationships we all live with weigh on the present versions of ourselves. “This song is some of my reflections on how we confront and coexist with the past and how it affects our present and future,” says Burns. He eventually is face to face with himself and “The Muses,” who are played by background vocalists Supercoolwicked (Morgan Hutson) and Salakastar (Aja Dier). Burns is forced to battle the reality of what is in front of him and reflect on the life he wants to lead. The ability to overcome and live peacefully with this conflict is the central message Cousin Mouth wants to portray.

Cousin Mouth is the brainchild of songwriter and producer Alex Burns. Their sound is inspired by artists like James Blake, D'Angelo, and Todd Rundgren; moody and sultry R&B with some pop influence. The tone of their recently completed upcoming album, MayflowerPeacemakerHolyredeemer, reflects their signature groove, beat-based style mixed with a psychedelic-dreamy sound. When naming the band, "Mouth" came from Burns being a singer foremost, and "Cousin'' comes from the familial connection they access through music and the community that it builds. This is their second studio album following their 2018 debut album, Medusa released by Detroit record shop and label Paramita Sound.


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Heavy Feather - Love Will Come Easy.

Root rockers Heavy Feather are back with new music. Their upcoming sophomore album "Mountain of Sugar" is to be released by The Sign Records in spring 2021. The third single leading up to the album is entitled "Love Will Come Easy" and is out now on all streaming platforms.

When Heavy Feather's first album "Débris & Rubble" (2019) was released, it became praised by both press and audience; taking the band out to tour Europe. Now it ́s time for their second album, "Mountain of sugar"; an even rawer, heavier, and harder release than the previous one, still with the root rock and psychedelic touch at the very core.

“Mountain of Sugar” consists of 11 roots-rock tracks oozing with a 70‘s sound and feel, filled with attitude and raw vocals from blues singer Lisa Lystam. Catchy hooks and roaring guitar riffs are based on influences from the greats of the 60s and 70s, drawing inspiration from bands such as Free, Cream, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. The band then adds their own unique touch to the tracks, creating a unique and intricate sound that few can deny.

2020 started off with the band going into the No Regrets Fonogram Studio in Stockholm to record an album filled with soul and creativity. Still with musical roots in the '60s, the result was a rock album with a modern twist that undoubtedly fills a void on the rock scene today. Just like their first album, this one was also recorded together with the producer Erik "Errka" Petersson. With some help from Pink Floyd's former mixer table, he gave the songs completely new dimensions. In addition, the band had the honor to work with Magnus Lindberg, who has previously mastered bands such as Lucifer and Imperial State Electric.

Heavy Feather's single "Love Will Come Easy" is out now on all digital platforms. Their album "Mountain of Sugar" will be released by The Sign Records on April 9, 2021 on vinyl, CD and digital format.

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Belle Tower - Small.

Belle Tower is the lo-fi indie folk rock project of Tiohtià:ke/Montreal + Xwilkway/Halfmoon Bay based artist, Isabella Harned. Belle Tower is the genesis of Harned’s solo writing endeavours, after being an original member of the Montreal indie folk band, Saint Lo.

Isolation, solitude, pain, love and healing are key themes at the heart of Belle Tower’s collection; songs that explore heavy and vulnerable subject matter such as childhood trauma, resisting the male gaze, and embracing one’s identity.

With contributions from main collaborators Ben Robertson (Winona Forever, Schwey), Scott Boudreau (Mauno), and strings from Audreanne Fillion (Lovelet, Feelings Meetings, Crusssh), Belle Tower showcases ethereal vocals, dreamy guitar lines, and varied layered instrumentation resounding a sonic lightness in the upcoming EP ‘tend to’, out April 27th, 2021.

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Saturday, 30 January 2021

Paragon Cause - Ade - Chateau Chateau - Sarah McQuaid - Dallas Moore - IS TROPICAL

Paragon Cause - Making Up For Lost Time.

Life will start to come back to us. "Making Up For Lost Time" is an optimistic song with a sense of longing, a glimmer of hope through the long fog of isolation, whether it be from an old relationship or this last year.

The dreamy video for "Making Up For Lost Time" perfectly captures the emotions and beauty at its core. When you close your eyes after looking at someone you love, the image sits on your retina and slowly fades away, but the memory remains in your head, distorted. It's about time rushing forward and never able to catch up to your future plans. Lost opportunities and warning your past not to make the same mistakes, but feeling it is inevitable.

"Making Up For Lost Time" is the lead single from our full-length album Autopilot due in 2022, produced by The Raveonettes' Sune Rose Wagner.

By the end of the song, we would like for you to be excited to begin the next chapter in your life. Don't settle. Take chances, make mistakes, and acknowledge those same missteps. It's never too late to make up for lost time. - Paragon Cause

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Ade - Something Good.

Adeola “Ade” Fabola is a Manchester based singer/songwriter whose upbeat acoustic pop is laced with rootsy folk, world music and jazz. His intricate figer picking and soft, soulful vocals combine effortlessly into a sweet feel good vibe that has drawn comparisons to Jack Johnson, Tracy Chapman and Nina Simone.
Ade’s journey began in Kano, Nigeria where as a child he learned the piano and the guitar, laying a solid music theory foundation to his expression. 

Ade continued his musical self-development by moving to Manchester in 2018 where his immaculate dress sense and intrinsic aptitude for entertainment has been wowing audiences at festivals, lounges and cafés alike.

Ade Fabola’s quest is to take pleasure in the small things, like realising after a show that a member of the audience seriously thought he was will.i.am. It could have been entirely plausible at a sold out Matt & Phreds, Manchester’s Iconic Jazz club, where many legends have played.

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Chateau Chateau - Come On Steven.
 

Come on Steven is a relaxing indie-pop song about watching the scenery change through a car window while thinking of the happy memories shared with friends along the way. From the desert’s teeth jutting from green cacti ribs to beach sands and tide pools, Come on Steven is the soundtrack to next summer’s road trip adventures.


Chateau Chateau is an evolving community of musicians led by power couple Alex and Rachel. With beginnings in an abandoned aerospace warehouse in 2018, Chateau Chateau has grown into Tucson’s favorite self-deprecating-glam-rock band - dusty and sparkly at the same time.


Previous singles from Chateau Chateau have already been played on radio in a.o.: Germany, Belgium, USA, Canada, The Netherlands, Australia, Phillipines, UK, Austria, Sweden, New Zealand, Luxembourg, Switzerland and France. Singles from the band also entered the iTunes / Apple Music charts in: Spain, Belgium, The Netherlands and France.


Alex (vocals and guitar) and Rachel (vox and keytar) have perfected the art of playing off of each other's strengths to make the ideal pair. Tom (drums), Jordan (keyboard and guitar), and Zach (bass and guitar) fill out the group.
The band works from Alex’s home studio, where they write, demo, and record every song since their debut single, Crisis Party. During those first recording sessions, the band developed their creative bond and technical process, with each member’s insight and personal touch being implemented along the way. In addition to songwriting, the band takes pride in doing everything from start to finish, together, including recording songs, printing shirts, building props, and sewing stage costumes.


The band has often been noted for their colorful, flamboyant, and party-like vibe that is best on display in their wild and freaky live shows. Despite this festive atmosphere surrounding the band, you can find a much darker, sobering, and visceral imagery in their lyrics, as they frequent the deep end of subjects like mental illnesses, addiction, and suicide. The result of this blend between music and lyrics is a self-deprecating dramedy of five self-loathing introverts imploring their audience to sing and dance with them while they shoot confetti cannons and wave a 6’ tall magnifying glass.


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Sarah McQuaid - The Silence Above Us (The St Buryan Sessions)

“The Silence Above Us” is the first single from The St Buryan Sessions, Cornwall-based singer-songwriter Sarah McQuaid’s forthcoming new album and video series filmed and recorded in the beautiful church of St Buryan, parts of which date back to the 11th century.

The St Buryan Sessions had its genesis last spring, when Sarah’s gigs and tours were cancelled due to COVID-19. Wary of the technical pitfalls of live-streaming, she decided instead to pursue a long-held dream of making a live album.

“I’ve always believed that there’s an element of magic in a live concert that’s really difficult to replicate in a studio,” she explains, “plus a lot of my songs have evolved and changed since I originally recorded them. I also felt like the standard of my own performances had really turned a corner in the last year or so, and I
wanted to capture that on video — but with multiple cameras and high production values, not just somebody’s random film on a phone from the back of the room.”

Sarah set up a crowdfunding campaign on the FundRazr platform, and by the end of June it had reached over 100 percent of its £5,000 target, enabling her to hire an impressive team consisting of her longtime manager and sound engineer, Martin Stansbury, who produced, recorded and mixed the project; mastering
engineer Stuart Bruce; Cornish filmmaker and director Mawgan Lewis of Purple Knif, who worked previously with Sarah on videos for her 2018 album If We Dig Any Deeper It Could Get Dangerous; and Eden Sessions veteran camera operator John Crooks.

“We wanted to try and somehow re-create what anyone would hear and see at a typical show,” Martin recalls. “Of course, what we wouldn’t have was an audience, so we looked for key factors that would influence Sarah’s performance. We decided to use her local church, a space she’d been singing in as part of the choir ever since she moved to Cornwall. We set her up as if it were a regular gig, no flash studio mics, just the same touring PA and monitors she’d walked onstage to a thousand times, so it would be truly home territory. There was a set list and she was to play her set and we would record it.”


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Dallas Moore - The Rain.

Outlaw country mainstay Dallas Moore has released the first single and title track from his upcoming LP The Rain at The Boot. The single will be available on all streaming platforms January 29, with the full album slated for an April 9 release date.

2020 started like any other year for Dallas Moore. On the heels of his 2019 LP Tryin’ To Be A Blessing, Moore and his band were booked to perform over 300 shows for the tenth year in a row, prepped and ready to continue tearing up asphalt between dive bars and honky tonks across the country. However, as the global pandemic brought the live music industry to a screeching halt, Moore suddenly found himself with something he wasn’t familiar with after all those years of constant touring: downtime.

“I do most of my writing when I'm riding my Harley Davidson Road King or cutting grass,” Moore notes. “Our tour schedule had been so heavy for the last several years that I hadn't been doing very much of either. All of a sudden I found plenty of time to ride my bike and write.”

The songs came quickly, capturing a sense of renewed energy that Moore found in his downtime. “I hadn't written a song in nearly two years,” he recalls, pointing to the silver linings of being pulled off the road. “All of a sudden, eleven songs poured out in a three-week span. That makes The Rain different from anything I've ever done after all these years of constant touring.”

Make no mistake, though — The Rain is not a pandemic/quarantine-concept record — it still bears the timeless honky-tonk swagger for which Moore has become acclaimed over the years. From the flint-and-tinder autobiographical swagger of “Every Night I Burn Another Honky Tonk Down” to the timely awareness of “Better Days” and the album’s anthemic title track, this is Dallas Moore at the height of his craft -- a bona fide troubadour continuing down the path, even if the path might look a little different after 2020.

Moore and his band returned to Nashville’s OmniSound Studios — quickly becoming the band’s home court — to track the album, once again tapping the renowned Dean Miller as producer. Moore’s self-proclaimed “Honky Tonk Dream Team Band” consisted of Chuck “Lucky Chucky” Morpurgo (Moore’s guitarist of 25 years), Tim Galloway and Guthrie Trapp on guitar duties, Jenee Fleenor (CMA Instrumentalist of the Year) on fiddle, Chad Cromwell on drums, Steve Hinson on pedal steel and dobro, Gordon Mote on piano and organ, Lex Price on bass, Sweepy Walker on harmonica and Perry Coleman on backing vocals.

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IS TROPICAL - Hummingbird.

We are continuing working on our song sketches and home recordings and with the help of our dear friend and producer JP Sancho and with the blessing of Axis Mundi Records, Giovanna Ferin and United Talent Agency, we’re pleased to release music from our upcoming fourth LP, COLA SPIRIT.

This collection of tracks is inspired by Lawrence Krauss on A Universe From Nothing, the unicorn tapestries, and a desire after this intervening period to pinpoint the unreal locus.

Of the many people deserving of our gratitude up until now: former agent, greg lowe & the mystery jets. We thank you for strengthening us. During recording we utilised a(n) solina strings alongside our ageing bodies.  We offer sincere contrition and apology for getting obliterated and lost at melt and needing rescue.

May our intentions redeem us, and our actions absolve us. With all of the above, in plenitude, with memories of catch 22 and beyond. For ten of the best years of our lives shared together. In dedication to the future.

Friday, 29 January 2021

Beth Henderson - Subsurfer - Jane Inc - HALLI - Lemon Cash

Beth Henderson - Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?

Brooklyn based folk singer-songwriter Beth Henderson has released her debut E.P. Questions. Lyrically and vocally rich, the piece serves as a reflection of love and loss in Henderson’s life and the confusion that comes with trying to make sense of it all.

Written and performed by Beth Henderson, with production and instrumentation by Julian Giamo, the four song EP featuring singles “Wild One” and “Lovers from London” ponders the meaning of love while accepting there are no finite answers.

“Looking back on the loves and losses of my life, there is one thing that binds them all together—questions. With this EP, I’ve tried to put together the thoughts and feelings that still linger from relationships long gone in an attempt to make sense of what romance, at its core, means to me,” says Beth. “I’ll let you know when I have it figured out, but, in the meantime, I’m proud to present to you Questions straight from my heart.”

Beth Henderson is a folk Americana singer/songwriter from Brooklyn, New York. With a sound that flips easily between grounded assuredness and crystalline vulnerability (reminiscent of Laura Marling, Liza Anne, and Gillian Welch), Beth writes songs of loss, love, and relationships that just don’t quite work.

Born in Delaware, Beth first found her way to music through theater and began to perform once moving to New York City, at venues including Rockwood Music Hall, The Wolfhound, and Gold Sounds. She’s proud to kick off 2021 with her debut EP, “Questions.”

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Subsurfer - Hollow.

You can have everything you want and still feel down. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel and those difficult times are necessary to get to the other side. That’s the message of Subsurfer’s upcoming rock single, “Hollow” due out January 27.

Lead singer, David Montalbano says, “I had a lot of friends who have personally not made it through these dark times. It’s had a profound effect on me and the writing of the song. I want people and friends to know we are all in this boat together, and though it may look like I have everything that anyone would want, the Covid reset has affected me in profound ways as well.”

Subsurfer went back to the studio with, Brian Karscig, the engineer who produced their second album. The band wanted to capture the darkness and uncertainty of the moment, which is something they went through at the time they recorded that album. At the same time, the hope of light at the end of the tunnel is captured with back up singers and light keyboards.  Montalbano’s melodic-pop-driven vocals dance within the grunged-out guitars, serving as a reminder that light can be found within even the darkest of times.

Subsurfer’s name is not an accident. David Montalbano. of the coastal San Diego based band quite literally writes lyrics as he surfs. Subsurfer came out of being in the surfing world. Montalbano says, “I used to compete professionally and all my songs came from there but most thought they came from a different, more personal place.”

The band who originally formed in 2010 has released three full-length albums: We Are Stars (2011) produced by Brian Karscig (Louix XIV), Devil’s Lounge (2013), LA LA LA (2015) produced by Steve Albini. The Bittersweet EP followed in 2019. They’re currently working on their fourth album, Subversive, due out in mid-2021. Weeds Season 8 featured, “Girl on Girl”, off their first album, We Are Stars.

Subsurfer is David Montalbano (rhythm guitar/lead vocals) Don DeOliveira (lead guitar/backing vocals), DJ Jansen (drums), and Barry Sinclair (bass).

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Jane Inc - Steel.

Toronto-based experimental-pop artist, Jane Inc. (aka Carlyn Bezic who's part of U.S. Girls, Ice Cream and Darlene Shrugg) who's today sharing her new single, "Steel", the latest to be taken from her forthcoming debut album, Number One, which is out via Telephone Explosion Records on March 19.

Tipped so far by The Line of Best Fit, NPR, Brooklyn Vegan and Earmilk, unlike Carlyn's previous musical output, this is solely her project, written and produced by herself. She worked with a few extra hands on the record – members of U.S. Girls, Aquakultre and Scott Hardware contributed, as well as esteemed Toronto producer, Steve Chahley (Badge Èpoque Ensemble, Kathryn Williams) – but the fact that this is solely down to her is pretty representative of how deeply personal this record is to Bezic, emerging as an unraveling of her views on mental health and the role which social media/the internet can play in damaging it.

Sonically, the album brings with it a real myriad of different sounds, blending the worlds of off-kilter R&B with crystalline pop-sensibilities – her affinity for Prince adjacent sounds occasionally manifest, alongside touches of fuzzy rock, psych, and slick disco. Thematically, the album looks to unpack a whole host of pertinent themes – particularly in today's overconnected world – that look at online identities and the temptation to bring them to reality, how we make sense of the world when we feel complicit/victimised in its wrongdoing (climate change, etc), and how we understand and make sense of our mental health, relationships and structures.

I think Carlyn is doing something really interesting with this debut album, tackling some important issues in a frank and earnest manner all under the cloak of this shimmering experimental-pop. I think if you're into anything by U.S. Girls, Amen Dunes, or the likes of Melody's Echo Chamber, then there's a lot to love here, particularly with the warm fuzzy guitars, and blinging synthesisers.

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HALLI - Body Never Lies.

HALLI is an art-pop artist currently based in Dublin, Ireland. Her music is a collection of minimalist synth-pop songs, equally indebted to the direct lyricism of Angel Olsen, as it is to the alt pop sensibilities of fkaTwigs.

Having released her debut single “FUKC FEAR” in October 2018 produced by Luke Potashnick, (65k Spotify streams), and after two years spent writing and recording across three different countries (The Netherlands, The U.K and Ireland), HALLI returns in 2021 with new single “Body Never Lies”.

A song that details the importance of having an open and honest relationship with your body, HALLI goes on to explain:

“Having moved to rural Netherlands as an act of self-isolation (under the guise of an artistic retreat) I eventually ended up bedridden from self-neglect. During this time, I was forced to recognize that my body deserved the same level of care as my emotional and mental wellbeing - and that there are repercussions to ignoring that balance. I think the song was a way to finally admit that I was mistreating myself. It’s an honest reminder of the body's fragility and how it will always mirror how it is treated.”

It comes supported by a video made by HALLI herself. She explains, “I filmed and edited the video over the course of a few weeks. It’s made up of several short vignettes all related to the theme of body dysmorphia and self-image. I wanted to explore the theme of delusion we can experience when looking at ourselves and the voyeuristic nature of identity. I used my own body and intimate camera work as tools for this.”

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Lemon Cash - Wine Tonight.

There’s a saying when life hands you lemons, make lemonade. Ottawa-born brothers, Cory and Jeff Papineau live by this saying. So much so, that they named their band Lemon Cash.

The band’s name was inspired from the brothers childhood when they ran a neighbourhood lemonade stand. The two brothers would come home each day celebrating their hard-earned “lemon cash”. To this day they share similar interests in music and continue to write and record music together.

They grew up in a very musical family along with a little sister, Taylor, who would often sing and help write songs in their music room at home. When the 3 siblings were very young, they wrote and recorded a jingle for their answering machine on their home phone line: “We can’t take your phone call, we’re busy through and through, but leave your name and number and we’ll get right back to you!” in acapella with three-piece harmonies.

While still young children, their father left home and their mother took on the challenging responsibilities of raising three kids on her own. The relationship with their father remained complicated growing up which inevitably had its challenges along the way while transitioning into adults. When times became tough, music was their therapy. It was the wisdom from songs and artists that gave them the strength to deal with situations without the guidance of a father. Music was also the lemonade that they used to make their mother happy.

From this the boys realized the magic and power of music and how much of an impact it does have on people. Cory and Jeff continued to steer that magic into forming the band, Lemon Cash.

Lemon Cash started out as a cover band, forming an alternative rock band with some local friends from their hometown of Ottawa, Ontario. The band had success playing lots of gigs, receiving radio traction and formed quite a substantial following for only a couple of years of playing together. After 3 years of playing as a five-piece band, the members of Lemon Cash decided to part on good terms and ended their days as a rock band.

Looking to evolve their music, Cory and Jeff found their sweet spot and transitioned into the country world where they would come to realize this is where their tastes and personalities fit best.

The inspiration to switch to the country genre came from their parents: Jeff Sr. and Sandra. They introduced Jeff and Cory to country music at a very young age. Listening to a wide range of artists such as Patsy Cline, George Jones, George Strait, Dolly Parton, Tim McGraw and Garth Brooks. These country legends became the inspiration for the brother’s beginning to write and perform their own songs with their signature blend of harmonies and a tinge of their love of rock music thrown into the lemonade of Lemon Cash.

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Tuesday, 26 January 2021

Melby - Goan Dogs - Venus Furs

Melby - Old Life.

Stockholm four-piece Melby have constantly been growing since their debut with catchy single 'Human' in 2016. In 2019, the band released their acclaimed debut record 'None of this makes me worry' which was followed by tour dates all over Europe. Cancelled tours in 2020 lead to the band working on new material in a new way. 'Common Sense' was released in December and 'Old Life' now follows alongside an animated music video made by Isabelle Friberg.

On the melancholic folk inspired 'Old Life', Melby continues to cement their role as one of the most interesting Scandinavian acts around, a band so home and accomplished within their sound that they're now ready to continue to experiment with it without losing their characteristic. The new material was mainly written and straight-away recorded in the studio in close collaboration with producer Alexander Eldefors, this is a completely new way for a band that previously in many cases have toured material for years before recording them.

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 tells us about Old Life: "Old Life consists of an upbeat, sort of entangled, rhythmic foundation, playing against gloomy and almost dreamlike melodies on top. It sounds a bit like flying, looking down at the landscapes and people passing by beneath you. You're flying fast, but there's also this peacefulness to it. That feeling ties into the lyrical theme, that revolves around moving to another country, and leaving your old life behind."

The band consists of Wiezell, Are Engen Steinsholm (back-up vocals, guitar), David Jehrlander (bass) and Teo Jernkvist (drums) and formed while living together in a Stockholm shared housing.


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Goan Dogs - Drinking On A School Night.

Having garnered press support from the likes of BBC Radio 1’s Huw Stephens, the Bristolian outfit Goan Dogs gear up to release ‘Drinking On A School Night’, a promising guitar pop-anthem that lands as a new taster of their highly anticipated debut full-length ‘Call Your Mum’.

Consisting of 12 tracks, new album ‘Call Your Mum’ which lands on February 5th, 2021, sees the five-piece utilise dark elements of experimental electronica with warped guitar chords to contort and sculpt an unconventional structure into an exquisite piece of indie-pop with universal accessibility.

Discussing the inspiration for the album, the band say “It’s top advice for anyone in the privileged position of having a mum they can talk to. The album is filled with lost people, unfulfilled people, confused people, heartsick people and anxious people.”

This is evident on new their newest taster ‘Drinking On A School Night’. Connecting jangly guitar pop with skewed experimental synths, the songs raw energy is kept in check by Goan Dogs innate sense for structure, along with frontman Luke’s hazy vocals.

The band say of their new single: "Drinking on a school night is our latest piece of existential dread put to music. It’s a hypothetical glimpse into the future, where nothing much has changed apart from the fact that we’re older. Except it's irresistibly catchy and the vibe is straight fire. You’re not going to know whether to drown your sorrows or start dancing. We suggest you do both."

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Venus Furs
- New Inspiration.

Following his self-titled debut full length last year, Venus Furs has shared a new video for track “New Inspiration”. The moody, late-night song has an encompassing psych rock sound with lyrics inspired by classic literature.

Venus Furs is the moniker of Montreal’s Paul Kasner, a multi-instrumentalist, writer, producer and self-described “perfectionist”. In the preceding years the act has taken many forms, supporting the likes of The Horrors and The Twilight Sad as he worked on refining and determining exactly what Venus Furs was meant to be. After years of hard work and multiple hurdles, Kasner is on the verge of releasing Venus Furs, a rigorously crafted set of songs that voyage heedlessly through sonic and mental terrain in a way that could only be the product of a single idiosyncratic mind. 

This speaks to his remarkable determination to create the album he long envisioned, and has now realised with the dazzling Venus Furs. Once you press play on the self-titled record you’re immediately welcomed into a world of sound that sits at the nexus of psych rock and garage rock, shot through with grand melodic hooks that echo the British alternative scene that he’s always greatly admired, all produced with a finely-tuned ear and precise hand.

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Anna Smyrk - ZOCO - Howling Bells - TCBYML

Photo - Michelle Grace Hunder Anna Smyrk - This is a Drill . Naarm/Melbourne based singer-songwriter Anna Smyrk shares a poignant moment o...