August & September Releases - A Taste Of Something Special

Connie Constance - debut EP "In The Grass" released 25th September 2015 on Black Acre.

Some background words provided - Connie danced from a young age, having left school at 16, she moved to Hoxton where she began working professionally as a dancer, further opening her mind and soul to music through movement.

In 2015 a friend introduced Connie to UK musician Blue Daisy, their friendship was instant and Blue swiftly became her producer and mentor. Together they set about carving a uniquely tripped-out sound. Wild dreams punctuated by stark reality.

Speaking of her collaboration with Kwesi Darko AKA Blue Daisy Connie says; “Imagine your uncle is god and he only let's the people who enter his heaven know who he really is. (His heaven being a dark and cave like studio filled with stories of the utmost enjoyment of solitude). That's what working with Blue is like.”

At just 20 years of age, Connie’s aura surpasses the time she’s been on this planet. She wanted to create music for her generation that breathes escapism from the cuts and bruises of young British life, penning lyrics on buses and trains. Her poetic words capture snapshots of modern living awash with shades of Erykah Badu. Growing up Connie listened to a lot of London born and bred artists like The Jam, The Libertines and Amy Winehouse, and you can hear echoes of their sound in her rich writing world.

The featured song 'Stars' is an incredible debut for Connie Constance. The vocals, music and production seemingly scream style and class. A touching song delivered with heart and natural soul, I just want to hear more.

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The Frightnrs - EP, "Inna Lovers Quarrel", coming via Diplo's Mad Decent on August 28th.

Background info provided - New York four-piece ensemble The Frightnrs have announced their latest EP, Inna Lovers Quarrel, coming via Diplo's Mad Decent on August 28th. The band takes inspiration from vintage Jamaican rocksteady combined with 80s rub-a-dub, plus a touch of ska and punk influence for a unique sound that redefines what reggae sounds like in 2015. 

They had recent success with their soaring cover of Etta James' "I'd Rather Go Blind" on New York's renowned Daptone Records, as well as airplay from reggae radio legend David "Ram Jam" Roddigan. The Frightnrs have made a real deal reggae record, polished by veteran NYC producer Victor "Ticklah" Axelrod. In Diplo's own words, "close your eyes and get transported to Kingston, Jamaica, 1981."

Catch The Frightnrs performing at Pioneer Works in Red Hook, Brooklyn on August 16th.

Any band that takes inspiration from Jamaican 'Rocksteady' tends to achieve two things with me, both get noticed and remind me just how old I am getting. With a song of this class I guess it's worth it, in fact no doubt about that, if you are going to do rocksteady, reggae, or ska, then check this band out as a benchmark on how to do the said genres.



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Quality Not Quantity - And We Mean It

Ancient River - Keeper of the Dawn.

Ancient River, the sonic brainchild of singer/songwriter James Barreto, is an ever-evolving source of rock n’ roll and psychedelia, its influences flowing from the swampy roots of the American south to the far reaches of space.

The band's origins can be traced back the music scene in Gainesville, Florida and its thriving home grown DIY scene. Barreto began recording local bands, producing several albums as well as creating music for local independent films. His house soon grew into a fully-fledged home studio/rehearsal space, where like-minded musicians could be found tirelessly sharpening their wide range of sounds, encapsulating everything from noisy shoegaze and psychedelia to classic Americana.

Locked away in the pursuit of his sonic vision, it took two years for Barreto to take Ancient River to the stage, emerging with an unmistakable space-rock guitar sound and creating a captivating live show accompanied by entrancing psychedelic visuals.

Keeper Of The Dawn is the albums title track, an album that anyone from a sixties Doors fan through to a modern day psych rock music lover via early Floyd and so many other bands, will find absorbing. Individual in style and remarkably varied in pace and instrumental dominance this is one for any alternative playlist. Website (here).

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Monk Parker - How The Spark Loves The Tinder.

On August 28th, 2015, Monk Parker releases his debut solo record on the Bronze Rat label (London/Berlin). "How The Spark Loves The Tinder" was written during the breakup of Parker's band The Low Lows & his relocation from New York City back home to Texas. There, over the following three years, hundreds of hours of music were recorded with over 30 musicians (including members of Okkervil River and The Polyphonic Spree), largely in the welding shed of the family farm outside Austin.

Here Parker serves up a funereal but majestic alt­Americana, in which stately, dreamlike waltzes build to explosive, gospel ­tinged climaxes. Revolving around a slew of steel guitars, vintage organs and brass, the intricately orchestrated songs evoke Stax/Volt balladry and a woozy Phosphorescent-­style country narcosis. Alternating with a cacophony of buried noise melodies, this is the bed on which his damning, redemptive stories of carnality & affection lie (“Sadly yes I know just where to go, where to go / Sadly yes we can all three see the bright writing on the marquee”, goes the first line on the record, from a song about a love triangle gone inexplicably right).

Alt-Americana at it's best. I love it when an album arrives and has such a positive impact, stirring the emotions and pleading to be listened to again. Does not happen often, thank you Monk for making it happen here.

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Dusty Boots - Rebel On A Rainbow.

Sydney musician and adventurer Dusty Boots has released his latest single, the slow, atmospheric and folky Rebel On A Rainbow. The title track from his 5 track EP, the single is about slowing down in life to enjoy the important things such as nature, relationships, and adventure. 

Created with the help of his friends, Dusty Boots takes a natural and organic approach to his music, resulting with a collaboration of like-minded music lovers. In 2012, husband and wife team Jess and Jonny Dustow created lifestyle and adventure blog Rebel On A Rainbow. Sick of society's expectations of buying a home, having a full time job, and living a life focused on money, they decided to find a lifestyle that allowed them to focus on what they found important, and encompass their sense of adventure.

The title track is a soft gentle journey of a song, beautifully building and so, so atmospheric. Alt music meets alt lifestyle.

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Little Fox - Edits.

Little Fox (Simone Macarounas) forays back into the fray with new single 'Edits'; a follow up to her debut EP 'Warrior'. 

Instantly captivating with a glitchy, eerie intro, ‘Edits’ moves away from Little Fox’s more earthy fuzzy tones with a cleaner sound. Still revealing her subtle darker side, it’s a song that is a soundtrack to a very obvious breakdown, highlighting the destruction of other people’s opinions and commentary about a person’s life. This is just the first in a string of singles set for release this year and a follow up EP due late 2015.

If only Top 40 Radio in my part of the world was full of songs of this calibre, rather than the factory produced, 'target market aged 9-12 bilge', that seems to dominate. Looking forward to hearing more.

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Turk Tresize - Album - If It Is To Be

Turk Tresize - If It Is To Be - The album that nearly got away...

Well the bio has this to say - Turk Tresize is the embodiment of dusty backroads, Australian rock ‘n’ roll. Turk’s music drifts through the best decades of Rock ‘n’ Roll and takes his listeners on a story-telling trip through time.

Raised on his family’s farm in Cannons Creek, Victoria, Australia, Turk is a music man that has embraced the hand that life has dealt him. Turk has managed to perform music across the globe, operate a successful annual music festival and launch a record label that released his highly-touted debut album, Soul Casino. He has accomplished this while fighting a deep-rooted battle for the family’s land. Turk continues to tell his intriguing story in the form of song with his sophomore album, If It Is to Be.

‘If It Is to Be’ draws attention to Turk’s rock roots while sharing stories of hard-won lessons he learned while growing up. The album takes you on a musical journey. It is a classic rock album with sounds varying from a 60’s and 70’s Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd vibe with songs such as “Whole Lotta Crazy” and “Too Much”.  Songs such as “Lipso” combine Doo-wop stylings with alternative rock sounds. The song “Car Park” stands out on its own as a political anthem and “has a real tongue-in-cheek, jam it up your ass, feel to it, which I like,” says Turk.

The ultimate driving force behind ‘If It Is to Be’ lies in the track “Sweet Monica,” a tribute to Turk’s mother who lost her battle with Multiple Sclerosis with Turk by her side. The song gives listeners a glimpse into Turk’s heart with the lyrics “If it is to be, it’s up to me”, a motto Turk’s mother recited to him throughout his life. These words make up not only the inspiration for the album, but Turk’s entire life. “Life is what you make of it, and it is up to you to put the pieces together to live the life you are meant to live,” says Tresize.
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Somehow when I first received this album back in the middle of May, it slipped through the net. Some promoters bombard us with the same artist over and over and some just give us a gentle reminder, the latter tends to work for me. So when I was prompted today I was kicking myself that I had not picked up on this artist and album earlier. The pedigree of the production should have hit my radar - produced by Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Hurray For The Riff Raff, Benjamin Booker) mastered by John Baldwin (Sly Stone, Willy Nelson, Hurray For The Riff Raff).

'If It Is To Be' was released one month ago, and has a natural gritty roots feel, that takes Rock'n'roll and blues rock up a notch. Turk clearly loves his craft and immerses himself in both the lower key blues numbers and the heads down, full on rockers. His vocal range and passion really is the icing on the top. That this album deserves to be noticed way beyond the shores of Australia is the understatement of the year. If rock in any form is your passion, this is a must have - Website (here).

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2015 - Out Of Our Inbox - July - Three

YOKOTA - Minimal Background - At 21 years old, singer-songwriter-producer YOKOTA, has released her indie-pop single 'Blindside' fusing elements of elements of soul, jazz and hip hop to create her her poppy brass fueled single.

Currently recording in her home studio on Sydney's north side, YOKOTA's debut EP is set to thread these common elements and will be unleashed later in 2015.

So this really has to be a case of letting the music do the talking, which is fine. Actually it's a whole lot more than fine as I am sure you will find out, so give this totally enjoyable song a listen.

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The Bulls - Background - The Bulls, Anna Bulbrook of The Airborne Toxic Event (and sometimes Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes) and Marc Sallis of The Duke Spirit, are sharing the title track off their new record Small Problems, today in advance of the song's release Friday and the full EP on August 28th.

The two musicians had run into one another several times on the touring circuit over the past few years, and finally pulled the cord on a collaboration once the topics of the subversive albums of the 80s new wave scene, and the 90s shoegaze that followed it. After the release of their debut single "Come Unwound" and the apparent adoption of the new outfit by both artists' fan bases, the EP became a "must have" by fans and a "must do" by Bulbrook and Sallis.

The Bulls will be headlining the renowned Monday Night residency at Los Angeles' The Satellite in August. The five free Monday Night shows will support the release of Small Problems.

A little bit more dream pop than shoegaze, this is an enticing taster for the EP to come. 

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Drinks - Background Bio and being Thrilled - Birth Records & Heavenly Recordings are thrilled to announce the signing of Drinks, the new project from Cate Le Bon and Tim Presley, aka White Fence, whose album Hermits On Holiday will be released August 21. "Tim, do I like that dog?" A strange question, a queer query, an odd ask. The answer surely already known unless one mind knows the other. Which would appear to be the case with Cate and Tim. With Tim and Cate. 

Cate, born in West Wales, raised under the shadow of a woolen mill, dressed by the field and by the rain. Tim, from San Francisco, grew under and over the bridges and streets, combed by corners and by concrete. 

A more different musical upbringing you couldn't dream up. One a black thread strung through the eye of American hardcore, she a shard of glass tapped through a solid wall. Loop the thread around the shard and you have pendular device for predicting the sex. Will it be a boy or a girl?

They both like to drink, coffee mostly and sometimes each other. And once the drinks are drunk out it comes. The mud slicks and the plates click. Drinks is a solo project, not a collaboration. It has one mouth, one set of lungs, one mind and four legs. Drinks are the sound of hermits on holiday, having the time of each others lives.

I cannot easily describe this song. I like it otherwise I would not feature it, actually I like it tons, especially the way it develops and grows. Nope still can't describe it, please listen.

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Joni In The Moon - Background - Joni In The Moon’s mesmerising aural flights have been turning heads skywards, with multiple songs nominated for WAM Song Of The Year awards, triple j kudos rolling in and strong community radio airplay around Australia. Yet their upcoming single War & Porn is set to spin them into an interstellar orbit, stargazing siblings Joni and Josh Hogan’s otherworldly take on folktronica and world beats moving in a more heavy synth/electro pop direction, yet with a heavenly dose of experimentation to keep things uniquely ‘The Moon’s.

Whilst based in Perth, it’s easy to get lost in Joni In The Moon’s infinitely layered universe and wonder what planet they’re from. War & Porn’s evolution in sound is also matched by more politically and socially charged directions than previous work. As Joni explains, “War & Porn is my reaction to how awful it feels watching the news and feeling powerless to help. It's about first-world problem guilt, and the personal battle I go through comparing my own white privilege against global atrocities. It's the issue I have with a western media saturated with sex and violence, and how that infects the minds of our youths who then grow up to perpetrate such things.

A thought provoking song, sadly so much of western media seems to have become desensitised treating sex and violence as comodities to trade in. Serious subject, excellent musical piece, the lyrics speak volumes.

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Jess Penner - Brief Bio - Jess Penner is a cheerful and cheeky, creatively ADD artist from Los Angeles. Raised on a banana farm in Hawaii; Jess is also a dinner party throwing, hen raising, people loving, thrift store shopping, self professed tomboy who hates musicals and tilapia but secretly loves painfully slow BBC miniseries and booty dancing alone in her bedroom.  Since signing her first record deal at age 15 - Jess has spent the last 18 years making a career as a professional musician via touring, album sales, licensing deals, and working as a songwriter / producer.

Her new record, "Good Times" is officially out and about. Most of the songs on this project are super fun, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed the process of making them.

Always like to hear some upbeat songs and Jess Penner delivers. This six track EP is a must for anyone who knows her music and a fine intro for the rest. The final song (I Walk This Road) also shows off her softer side, however lets finish with 'Good Times' (Beehive Candy's permission to dance granted).

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Sundays Minimalist Alternative Take

Paul Mac "Anechoic [Everybody's Singing]" (feat. Tim Derricourt) - Love Club vs Stereogamous.

I tried a little experiment. I had an idea for a song called 'Anechoic'. I was looking for a collaborator to bounce ideas off. One of my favourite whimsical vocalists is Tim Derricourt (Dappled Cities). We workshopped the concept and came up with a kind of choir of lovers leaving planet Earth, singing in space where no-one can hear you, but it feels good. Letting go and drifting into the unknown. Or something like that! It made sense at the time.

Dark and light, broody and moody and upbeat all rolled into one. Official website (here).

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Hardkiss - Revolution (Hardkiss Remixes)

The new Hardkiss single Revolution is a calling to arms to citizens who are tired and sick of the apathy and complacency in our collective hearts. There's so much at stake now. We need to rise above the profane and blasé. Fight your own personal revolution. Go to war with the mundane. Welcome to the revolution!

In the 1990's Hardkiss were a defining force in the infiltration of dance music in the USA. At a time when the mainstream were spellbound by Nirvana and Pearl Jam, Hardkiss were a breath of fresh air. Their vinyl releases and DJ sets lifted the spirits and opened the doors to a shift in taste and attitude.  Referenced in hush tones by Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers and Sasha, Hardkiss were the early revolutionaries of DJ culture and EDM.

I took the Robbie Hardkiss Mix one of four on this single, lively and fresh each mix is as distinct as you would expect, quality stuff. Facebook (here).

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True Science - Pedestal

Perth indie-electronic act True Science lift the bar with their latest single Pedestal. The result of a recent trip to Los Angeles with funding thanks to the Department of Culture and the Arts in WA, and by invitation from Songs Publishing (Lorde, M83), the recording process saw the band work alongside some of the best in the business. Lead singer Vive Oldham recorded the vocals with renowned voice producer Suzy Shinn, while the music was produced by LA based Patrick Giles. It was then mastered by Don Bartley at Benchmark in NSW.

Pedestal follows True Science’s previous single Soldier further into the world of electronic music, taking inspiration from the experimental chillwave and trip hop of Odesza, Flume and FKA Twigs.
A combination of award winning songwriters and the big voice of Vive Oldham out front, indie-electronic outfit True Science is a collection of scientific minds putting music under the microscope.

Indie - electronic music, transformed by excellent vocals and the music balancing the whole thing, it may be scientific but it has soul. Facebook (here).

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Tribe Society - Pain Told Love (feat. Kiesza)

A brand new collaboration from pop starlet Kiesza and her Lokal Legend labelmates Tribe Society on single "Pain Told Love." "The Kiesza collaboration was totally unplanned. We were all coincidentally in an apartment together for the first time and she had 30 minutes before having get to the airport and fly to England. She had heard a demo of our song “Pain Told Love” and pointed out that she really liked it. She was humming the melody and wee all thought it sounded great. Rami, the mutual connection between both of us said, why don’t you get in the booth and sing down a verse? She nailed it in less than 20 minutes and that was a wrap!"

Atmospheric, beautiful and dreamy, a perfect match.

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Translational Drifts: Moogfest Vol. 1

“Translational Drifts: Moogfest Vol. 1,” is the first EP in a series of free digital recordings that feature contemporary acts reinterpreting seminal electronic music influencers that have shaped past Moogfest line ups. This digital free EP comes in celebration of this week’s Moogfest ‘Save The Date’ announcement in its new location Durham NC. The three-day event will run from May 19-22, 2016. We'd love if you can share this EP with your readers along with the Date for Moogfest 2016.

You have just got to listen to these, it's as simple as that - incredible and free, what a gift!

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