------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Need to Say" is Caroline Blind's second offering of her upcoming album The Spell Between, due out in February 2020. This new dark and atmospheric composition comes a month after the release of "God Damn The Sun," an homage to the classic Swans hit. "Need to Say," sounds delicate and ethereal; it features Rich W. of The Wake in bass, and it was produced, mixed and mastered by Gordon Young.
The song is about the last few hours you have with someone you love, and it was written when one of Caroline's friends was in the process of losing one of their parents. "It reminded me of when I lost my father in 2015. The song tries to capture the moment of when you know you are (or may be) in your last moments together with someone very close to you. You try to be present, you try to be strong, and say all the things you never said, or that you want to say, or should say, but even if, and as, you find the words, you realize how futile, senseless and meaningless they are in the face of loss. Shares Blind. "Time as we know it is about to end. It's so hard to not grieve in advance, but if you can find a way to put the grieving off, you may receive the true gift, the gift of the time you ~do~ have," she continues.
"Need to Say" is one of the few original songs that will be included in Blind's upcoming album. The Spell Between is a gothic love letter to some songs that inspired Caroline throughout her career, combining covers, reworked Sunshine Blind tracks, and original new material. The record features collaborations by Rich W. of the Wake, Dave the Dramedy, David Wolfenden of Red Lorry Yellow Lorry, Ashe Ruppe from Delphine Coma, and Gordon Young from Joy Thieves/Pretentious Moi/Children on Stun/ The Dream Disciples.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ebony Buckle is a London-based singer/songwriter. Hailing from the seaside town of Townsville, Australia, Buckle was encouraged into the entertainment industry by her parents, studying singing, violin, piano and drama and before long she completed a degree in opera singing. Taking listeners on a whimsical leftfield-pop journey with her complex harmonies and imaginative storytelling lyricism, Buckle sings about topics covering everything from romance and broken hearts to disgruntled mermaids, lonely whales and alien invasion.
Realising that the only way to be in true control of her own creativity and express herself authentically was to start her journey as a solo artist, Buckle jumped in head first and has not looked back since. She confides, “I am a naturally shy person and sometimes find it hard to be myself in front of other people, but music has really helped me connect to my true self. I feel like the songs I write come straight from my brain and they are a true expression of who I am”.
Following the release of her debut single ‘The Mermaids Said No!’, the quirky songstress is introducing her follow-up single entitled ‘Susan’. A track dedicated to her imaginary best friend and alter ego, Susan the Raptor. Mixing elements of whimsy folk, with fanciful pop melodies and infectious lyrics, all baked in to one big Ebony Buckle cake, the delightfully eccentric musician has created a delicious sound, bursting with vibrancy and charm. Emitting a joyous feeling with a hint of melancholy, the track highlights the singer’s operatic trained vocals, which shine brightly throughout. Buckle reveals, “Susan was born one night after too much prosecco and the name just stuck. She is the carefree, risk-taking and sometimes reckless side of me. I think we are all made up of many different personalities and I just decided to name one of mine! Mostly we wanted to make a really joyful track that would make people smile”.
Reminiscent of Regina Spektor meets Kate Bush, Buckle is inspired by other strong female artists who have forged their own path into the music industry. Aspiring to create music which will help others realise their most authentic self and encouraging people to always take life with a pinch of salt, Buckle confides “I hope it inspires people to be true to who they are. To not be afraid of being different and to know it's ok to express themselves”.
The singer come actress has performed in West End plays, as well as a BBC drama, where her role as a Geordie folk singer saw her music reach number 1 in the iTunes World Music Charts. She has also received extensive airplay from numerous BBC stations across the nation, as well as garnering blog attention. In the words of The Mind Monster Solution author Hazel Gale, “It’s a rare thing to find music that speaks so directly from (and to) the heart. Wonderful!” Buckle continues to feed our imagination with her beautifully kaleidoscopic music. ‘Susan’ is currently available worldwide.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bury St Edmunds’ England resident garage rockers Gaffa Tape Sandy today share the visuals for recent offering My Desperate House, and announce news of their first ever UK headline tour, set to take place March 2020.
Following on from critically acclaimed sophomore EP Family Mammal out earlier this year via cult indie label Alcopop! Records, the riotous trio will be looking to capitalise on their growing momentum, with much-lauded displays at Glastonbury and Latitude (BBC Introducing) seeing them become firm favourites on the live circuit.
Discussing their new video and upcoming live dates, the band stated: “We really wanted something which showed footage of how much we’ve loved gigging over the last three years, from travelling to Germany and Iceland, to gigging up and down the UK with Skegss, Indoor Pets and SuperGlu, as well as some of the people who’ve helped us along the way. It’s a big kiss from us to you”.
“To say we’re excited about our first UK headline tour would be a massive understatement. To make it even better, we get to do it all with our best buds Beach Riot. We have been wanting to go on tour together for what feels like forever, so to have it all come together is rewarding, gratifying and beautiful”.
“This is super huge for us, so if we’re stopping by somewhere near you, come help us make these shows wicked. We need you now more than ever to come and shout our songs at us and dance around. We’re gonna have a banner, a van, and everything!” Produced by George Perks (SuperGlu), Gaffa Tape Sandy’s My Desperate House is out now via Alcopop! Records (Art Brut, Kagoule, ITOLDYOUIWOULDEATYOU) and available on all digital platforms.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colour of the Jungle are a five-piece rock band, whose captivating songwriting and raucous energy has been resonating with audiences from Munich to the South coast of England. Their catchy-but-emotional, approachable-yet-raw sound is built upon sexy bass-driven rhythms and edgy instrumentation, creating music that sticks in the head and the heart.
The group of five friends initially started jamming for fun before swiftly moving to the studio where they soon discovered their true potential and recorded their debut EP The Jungle Book. The four-track release perfectly captured the complex basslines of John Harris, confident drum beats of Dan Fiford, rhythmic riff and leads of Joe Costello and Brendan McVeagh, and intriguing lyrics of Jack Evans. Colour of the Jungle succeed in combining each individual's unique styles, forming a fresh yet genuine fusion of sounds.
Following the release of ‘Steel Tray’ which garnered both critical and commercial acclaim, the band are dropping ‘Humblebee’. The single narrates the current environmental crisis and how years of ignorance from the human race has taken its toll on the planet. It highlights how our selfish acts have caused us to forget the bigger picture and are ultimately destroying our future. ‘Humblebee’ was sparked from life events and retains the feeling of authenticity and honesty throughout the lyrics. Evans confides, “My sister had gone to a bee farm after her fight with leukaemia and my friend was struggling with a cocaine habit. These events inspired my lyrics. Everyone has stuff going on whether it’s happy or not. I try to deal with my ups and downs by writing songs and each one marks that point in my life”. Showcasing plucky guitars and gritty vocals which showcase Evans impressive range, the track builds into an upbeat anthem reminiscent of The Milk Carton Kids. Their broad palette of sounds and textures allow the band to craft an engaging and diverse sound.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New West Records will release a 10th Anniversary Edition of Randall Bramblett’s 2010 studio album The Meantime on January 31st. The 14-song set was produced by Bramblett and recorded and mixed by John Keane at John Keane Studios in Athens, GA. The new, deluxe edition of the album includes two previously unreleased bonus tracks from the original sessions and will be available on vinyl for the first time. Remastered for vinyl by Jason NeSmith at Chase Park Transduction in Athens, GA, The Meantime will be available as a double LP pressed on Limited Edition Burnt Orange Vinyl and housed in a gatefold sleeve.
At the time of its release, Bramblett was best known as a multi-instrumentalist and for his appearances as a saxophonist with Steve Winwood and Traffic, Widespread Panic, the late Levon Helm of The Band, and more. The Meantime was viewed as a sonic departure for the songwriter, finding him performing some of his earliest songs on grand piano.
Bramblett states, “The Meantime reflected my need at the time to record a quiet and beautiful record with grand piano, upright bass and drums. I had all these songs, old and new, that were never going to fit into the guitar based records I had been making. Most importantly, subject matter of love, grief and yearning needed a lot of space and we dedicated ourselves to keeping the production very simple. I think we did a good job giving these songs what they needed to shine.”
Randall Bramblett’s solo career began in the 1970s with a pair of albums on Capricorn Records. Joining the rock-jazz fusion group Sea Level, he wrote & co-wrote a number of the group’s songs, including the single “That’s Your Secret.” Bramblett was approached by Traffic co-founder Steve Winwood in 1988 and spent the next 16 years touring in his band. It was on the road he began writing his own songs with newfound confidence and inspiration. Teasing his listener with unexpected humor while fleshing out fully lived-in characters with human ambition and godly stature, Bramblett continued his storied career with a continual pageant of reinvention and true conviction. 2017 saw the release of his latest album, Juke Joint At The Edge Of The World. Met with critical acclaim. American Songwriter said the album was “...so consistently captivating and creative, it’s impossible not to return for multiple listens.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Los Angeles-via Indiana songwriter/musician Stone Irr shares the new video for his single "Fine With Me" from his latest LP Performance out now via Darling Recordings. Full of cautious energy, "Fine With Me" showcases his restrained songwriting skills and intricate vocal harmony. The accompanying video is an exploration in experimental animation with abstract visualizations.
Stone explains, “'My buddy Tyler reached out and wanted to do a CGI video for one of the tracks from my album. Fine With Me felt like the best fit since it has a noticeable dynamic range - starting off with solo guitar and vocals and building to a full ban. Plus it’s a short song - so there’s a shorter amount of visuals to render! We wanted to do something conceptually ‘out there’— essentially I gave him some references (colors, art pieces, the episode of the Simpsons where Homer eats a hallucinatory pepper) and wanted to give him free rein to interpret them as he liked. Tyler is a brilliant artist in every capacity (visually, musically, etc) and he made a video that matched exactly what had been spinning around in my head. There’s a lot of fun and beautiful imagery in this 3D world he made - all acting as little nods to the lyrics in the song."
Stone Irr’s new, second album Performance is equal parts heart-on-the-sleeve Midwestern indie and warm, West Coast pop, reflecting the artist's Indiana upbringing and recent move to Los Angeles. Stone's growth as an artist, songwriter, and arranger since his 2017 debut album Sinner is obvious on the standout track "All We Want Anymore." The song features a bright, Beatles-like melodic structure and a cascading finale of strings and horns that pushes Stone's voice deep into the mix.
That voice, often multi-tracked with layers of harmonies, is Stone Irr's defining quality. It floats through the record, at times whispered and ethereal and at others gritty and broken, reminiscent of Thom Yorke, Jessica Pratt, Jens Lekman, and Sufjan Stevens.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Singer-songwriter/guitarist Brooke Annibale announced today a new batch of tour dates for early 2020. US dates kick off in February and will be followed by her first ever European tour which includes stops in the Netherlands, Germany, France, and the UK. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.brookeannibale.com.
The announcement follows the release of a new reimagined acoustic version of her song “Under Streetlights” from 2011’s Silence Worth Breaking. Of the song, Brooke stated “We are just a few weeks away from the end of this decade, which I'm finding is causing me to reflect quite a bit. 'Under Streetlights' was written and recorded at the beginning of the decade in 2010 and has changed my journey in so many positive ways. This song was written in 2010 up in the stunning mountains of Austria.
It was been requested by so many people over the years, no matter how old it gets. It has been danced to as a first dance for a very sweet newlywed couple. It was my first song placed in a TV show. It was the first song I recorded for the album Silence Worth Breaking back in December 2010. All that to say, it has been a very special song to me, so I'm releasing an acoustic version for it today that I recorded in my house.”
