Some words from the band - Emily Littler from Street Chant: "Pedestrian Support League is a song loosely about Auckland life. Coming back from being on tour a lot and moving back into a crummy flat in Grey Lynn I felt an extreme sense of ennui amongst my peers and especially in myself. A few years ago I had felt excitement for the future and now I was paranoid my flatmates were stealing all my margerine. The chorus “enrol to vote and so it goes, everyone dresses like us nowadays..” expresses the amusement and dissatisfaction I felt with my surroundings - amusement because I felt like I was living out some “food for flatties” cookbook cliche, but watching National win another election as well my seemingly endless ability to stagnate bought about an extreme sense of apathy.
The new album Hauora will be released in November 2015 on Arch Hill/Flying Nun.
Kicks off with a nice funky bass line and then a fine Indie tune ensues. Pleasing, accessible and bodes well for the forthcoming album.
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Betty Moon - No Good.
The story so far - Toronto-born songstress Betty Moon began her career as an artist signed to A&M Records in 1990 and released her first LP just a year later. Moon followed up her debut with five critically lauded records that have led to four CASBY Awards nominations including Best Album of the Year, Best Single of the Year, Best Video of the Year, and Best Artist of the Year. Moon has amassed legions of devoted fans by crafting edgy modern rock music in the vein of Portishead, Massive Attack, and Florence and the Machine. She captivates listeners with a powerful, sultry vocal that evokes female legends such as rockers Chrissie Hynde and Grace Slick, and iconic soulstress Sade. Moon released three records after her self-titled debut, including Doll Machine on EMI Music, STIR, and Demon Flowers.
A former teen model and dancer, Betty Moon took the Toronto music scene by storm upon her arrival. She sold over 10,000 DIY records within a few short months, all while still in school. The buzz caught the attention of A&M/Universal, who quickly signed Betty to a deal and crowned her as Canada's resident Lady of Rock.
In 2013, she was a featured performer at the world famous Sunset Strip Music Festival alongside Marilyn Manson, Quiet Riot, Black Label Society, and The Offspring. Her last album, “Amourphous,” was released in 2014 and features the first single, “Valentine,” mixed by Grammy Award-winner Chris Lord-Alge. Moon’s music has been featured in a variety of film and television spots including Californication, Dexter, Bounty Hunters, Walking the Dead, and Last Gasp. With a catalog of music now available on iTunes and Pandora Radio, Betty Moon is continuing to play shows in support of her new album. Now residing in sunny Los Angeles, Betty is ready to bring her unique brand of music to the masses on a global scale.
As you can see, this is a Depeche Mode cover. Betty puts her own touch on the song, the music is a respectful nod to the original feel, her vocals lighten the load and make this a pleasing listen. The album has so much more to offer, so if this song gets your attention, your on to a winner.
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Alpha Rev - Names.
Background - Alpha Rev, the infectious alt-pop band from Austin, Texas, isn’t just making an impact musically. They’re also making an impact socially. The band released their latest single, “Names,” less than a month ago and for the next six months, 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to Habitat for Humanity.
Additionally, Alpha Rev just completed a successful must-see summer tour that began in Austin, criss-crossed the country and culminated in Dallas. The tour, called Music Builds, is an exploration of the ongoing poverty crisis, and what Habitat for Humanity is doing to fight it. The band is working closely with the organization to inform and inspire Americans to take action in the fight against poverty. Alpha Rev’s Casey McPherson filmed his time volunteering for Habitat, and is using the footage to create both a music video and a PSA to bring in new donors. You can learn more about the campaign at PledgeMusic.
“Names is all about being able to change,” explains McPherson. “We’re all born with a name, born into an environment that we had no say in creating. For most of us, we see our situations as the way things must always be, but we forget that we are in charge of the life before us, and we can be given a new name, so to speak, if we choose. For those of us born into poverty, abuse, chaos, or whatever the negative attribute may be, we don’t have to stay there! This is what Habitat for Humanity is doing, and they have inspired this song.”
“Names” was recorded at Pierre de Reeder’s (Rilo Kiley) studio with input from several notable musicians including: Jason Faulkner (Beck/Jellyfish) on guitar, Roger Manning Jr. (Jellyfish/Beck) on keyboard and Kiefo Nilsson on bass. Steve Hardy (Pink, Alicia Keys) provided mixing, and Andy Vandette (Uncle Kracker, Dear Hunter) punctuated the song with superb mastering.
Fronted by Casey McPherson, formerly of Endochine, Alpha Rev released their debut album, The Greatest Thing I’ve Ever Learned, in March of 2007. McPherson’s honey-laden vocals, along with with Zack Loy’s impressive guitar work and Tabber Millard’s memorable drumming, helped gain the band significant buzz and a spot as the #1 indie band from Texas on the Myspace.com charts.
A lively music track backs Casy McPherson's notable and enticing vocals. This is a great song which has so many fine hooks, one that will be on repeat for me this weekend.
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