Alternative Take: Squarehead - Face+Heel - Problems

Squarehead - Citamenic.

Background - After a one and a half year hiatus, Melbourne instrumental electronic outfit Squarehead return to push the boundaries of what music can be with their new single 'Citamenic'.

It happens too often. You find a band you love, so you shell out for their live show - only to be bitterly disappointed by the difference between what you heard from your speakers and what you hear at the gig. It’s too stripped back, too rough, too cacophonous… you go home, dejected.

Not so with ‘Citamenic’. The track, which premiered recently on Happy, paints a picture of exactly what to expect at a Squarehead gig. The name itself, a mirror of “cinematic”, speaks volumes of the track’s vivid nature; beginning as a low-key wall of sound and building to a bubbling, celestial conclusion. ‘Citamenic’ marks the imminent arrival of a brand new two-track from Squarehead, produced by Melbourne’s P.T. Parcel, that sees the band sitting squarely in their prime.

'Citamenic' is a mixture of electronic, rock and almost jazz infused music. The expansive sound and excellent musicianship really does make this something of an epic piece. The second track 'Handmedown' is a little more stripped down, but equally well crafted and pleasing.

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Face+Heel - Mansions.

Background - Following two successful EP releases, which led to an appearance on Boiler Room and media support from Dazed, Fact, XLR8R, Wonderland, The Fader, Dummy and many more, duo Face+Heel are excited to announce the release of their debut full length album; 'Our Prince's Quarry', out 4th March 2016 on Dekalog. The first taster from the album comes by way of 'Mansions'.

Face+Heel are Luke Taylor and Sinead McMillan; a Welsh born duo now based in the culturally rich city of Bristol. The pair garnered widespread acclaim with their 'No Stars' (2012) and 'Chipped Tooth' (2013) EPs, and built a reputation for their dynamic live offering after tours throughout Europe, and a sold out show with Matthew Dear in London. 

'Our Prince's Quarry' tells the story of growing up in mid-west Wales in the 1990's and how it feels to leave the city and return there as an adult. Memories good and bad of the faded postcard towns and the people who inhabit them all year round; the returning sense of isolation felt as a younger person desperate to escape life in the margins. Remembering first loves and awakenings and looking for reconstruction after inner city burnouts.

From love songs that tale place in the last days of Dryweryn, a village flooded in the 1960's to be used as a reservoir for the city of Liverpool, to tales of delinquency and psychadelic experimentation at agricultural fairs; the album tells the story of the end of youth and the uneasy feeling that all roads lead back to home. The album perfectly showcases their brand of downbeat, minimal electronica, combined with Sinead McMillan's gorgeous, atmospheric vocal to create layer upon layer of sonic serenity.

For minimal electronica Face+Heel don't half pack a lot in. There is a richness to the music in 'Mansions' that is beautifully complemented by Sinead McMillan's classic vocals. The promo talks of 'layer upon layer of sonic serenity', and that's no exaggeration. Another album keenly awaited.

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Problems - Pretending.

Background - Adelaide’s Problems give you their brand new single and their last release for 2015; titled ‘Pretending’. Duo producer Justin Walkden and vocalist Shane Lock wrote ‘Pretending’ in a rare studio collaboration as both spontaneously shared ideas and recorded demos. As the track came together, Problems used the opportunity to explore some new sounds and techniques in production, resulting in their most complex offering yet. 

“The main elements of the song dropped out very quickly and we used that as a base to explore some new production ideas.  Lyrically, it sticks to a theme that is fairly familiar to most, being the trials and tribulations of relationships that were just never meant to work.” – Shane Lock (vocals) 

Cutting their own path through the electronic post-chillwave trend vacuum, Problems are a nuanced electronic sound full of ethereal melodies, deep bass and washed-out, down-beat percussive flourishes.

'Pretending' is both calming and quite uplifting. The whole thing cries quality, whether it be vocals, music, melody, or the overall production. Less is more, so I will say no more.

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Genre Mix: Why We Run - Jenn Vix - Vandaveer - The Chambermaids

Why We Run - A Moment To Return.

Background/Promo - Emerging only earlier this year Why We Run have returned with energetic third single 'A Moment to Return'. Their previous two singles received over 200K streams across Spotify, YouTube & Soundcloud, as well as glowing reviews via everyone from Zan Rowe (triple j) to Rob Thomas (yes, the Rob Thomas). 'A Moment to Return’ is the first track from the Sydney quartet's forthcoming debut album (due April 2016). 

Produced and mixed by Wayne Connolly (Boy & Bear, Cloud Control, Paper Kites), the song’s nostalgic lyrics and driving energy are reminiscent of indie stalwarts like The National, The Killers, Joy Division and Silent Alarm-era Bloc Party. It’s a vibrant and moving taste of the great places Why We Run are sprinting towards.

'A Moment To Return' might be a good song to play to someone, if you were trying to define what good indie rock music is. The song flows beautifully, with delicious music and calming vocals, it is hook laden and well under my skin.

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Jenn Vix (feat John Ashton) - The Woman With No Fear.

Background - Jenn Vix has been releasing music for 15 years, her self-titled debut album on her own label, coming out in 1995 received glowing reviews in Rolling Stone amongst others. Further albums included collaborations with Reeves Gabrels of The Cure and David Bowie’s band, Andy Anderson formerly of The Cure and electro industrial artist Dirk Ivens.

‘The Woman With No Fear’ is the first single from the the new ‘Strange Buildings E.P.’ which comprises of five tracks, with two of them "The Woman With No Fear” and "Weirdo” featuring former Psychedelic Furs Guitarist, John Ashton, on rhythm guitar.

No surprises regarding the driving guitar on the featured song, however Jenn's singing is superbly matched for this type of music. Vocally she reminds me in part of Julie Driscoll, and as a fan of her music (and also the Psychedelic Furs) this is a double helping of delight for me. The five songs on the EP differ quite a lot, both in pace and musical styles, all of them, are really strong. If you like  'The Woman With No Fear', grab the EP.

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Vandaveer - But Enough On That For Now.

Background/promo - Vandaveer are announcing their fifth full-length album, The Wild Mercury, out via WhiteSpace Records on February 19. The album is a career-defining release from a band that has gathered its dedicated fan base the old-fashioned way--on the road. With everyman narratives and striking, folk-based harmonies, Vandaveer loosely fall under the Americana umbrella, but the band regularly elbow their way into wider spaces with a kaleidoscopic assortment of sounds. With The Wild Mercury, they’re stretching the genre's fibers even further.

The Wild Mercury is a journey through the personal stories of Mark Charles Heidinger, but this time with far more musical collaboration outside the unit's core duo of Heidinger and vocalist Rose Guerin. Vandaveer now feels fully formed and brimmed with its potential. This record is clearly the best the band has sounded, and they already sounded pretty great. 

The lead single, "But Enough On That For Now" is a grandiose kick off to the album. Avoiding trap song writing cliches that often permeate the roots scene, Heidinger and Guerin stack lead vocals on one another to several soaring climaxes. Each phase of the song comes off like its own coda, and when you think it can’t pile on more emotion and melodious sections, it does. The track is a bold stamp, reintroducing the band to their true believers and emphatically announcing their presence to the uninitiated.

'But Enough On That For Now' comprises of stunning vocals and harmonies, that are supported by under stated, but extremely well crafted instrumentation. Sometimes when I read promo's and then listen to the music, I have to double check I've not mixed things up. On this occasion the above words are spot on, this is one fine song.

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The Chambermaids - Tall Grass.

Background - When Ollie Moltaji and Max Schramm joined founding siblings Neil and Martha Weir to form the newest Chambermaids lineup, the chemistry between the four was immediate. Rather than putting time into playing live, they began working on new material, integrating the studio (Old Blackberry Way) into the writing and arranging process. 

Songs were captured fresh and allowed to develop and morph, sometimes coming together quickly and sometimes completely reinventing themselves. The result is a dreamy and expansive take on reverb-soaked minimalism. "Tall Grass", the first single from the almost completed album, was released on Old Blackberry Way/Guilt Ridden Pop.

'Tall Grass' has been out for a month, so we are a little late on the scene with this one. Musically it's a little like shoegaze morphing with Neil Young & Crazy Horse, something that really works for me, although I think you need to listen and see if you get my drift. Vocals are softer in the mix, which also works really well, so all in all, this is one to feature late, rather than never.


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Friday Four: MRCH - Golden Daze - La Sera - Nightair

MRCH - Spin.

Background - College found the members of MRCH immersed in the worlds of jazz, opera and speciality coffee. Fast forward three years and two bands later, the trio has settled into their own unique brand of electronic indie. With two thirds of the group living in Phoenix AZ and the remainder in Sacramento CA, their songs are crafted primarily through file sharing via Ableton.

Falling musically somewhere between the creative production and ideals of Phantogram and the smart pop of CHVRCHΞS and Purity Ring, 'Spin' is an accessible, cerebral outing from the trio that has seen significant label interest already.

CMJ described their last track, ‘Highway Drivin’ as “…a big, squashy, glitter-glam beat and ice queen crooning”. MRCH holds high the principle of recreating their music live, often performing songs that are still being written, allowing their sound to evolve as “organically as possible.” Though much of their creative process happens remotely, the band plays together constantly – staying as close as their many miles allow.

It comes as no surprise that a song as good as this, is generating serious music industry interest. That the band develop songs through live performance is clearly working. If 'Spin' was released on vinyl it would get plenty of 'spinning' from me (sorry - could not resist).

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Golden Daze - Salt.

Background - Formed by Ben Schwab and Jacob Loeb, Golden Daze is a collaborative songwriting duo. Inspired by 60's melodic rock and contemporaries like Cass Mccombs and Brian Jonestown Massacre, Golden Daze drenches their straightforward earthly pop tunes in ethereal drones and tape flutter. 

The duo, originally from the Midwest (Schwab from Ohio and Loeb from Chicago), are based in Los Angeles and will be releasing their self titled debut LP on Autumn Tone Records on February 19th, 2016.

A good song, the production gives it some real edge, it could be from the sixties, and I guess by the audio quality you know it's more recent. It's the kind of song to get lost in for a while and forget about your worries.

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La Sera - High Notes.

Background - The title of La Sera's fourth album says a lot by saying so precious little: Music For Listening to Music To. So, in other words, "music." After the punky heft and wildness of 2014's Hour of the Dawn, an LP that thrashed against expectation, Katy Goodman returns with a set of songs that double down on solid simplicity - the power of wry lyrics, glorious guitar, driving back beat, and the occasional pump organ groove. And as the record cover gives away, Goodman isn't alone. La Sera is a duo now - that's guitarist/cowriter/new husband (!) Todd Wisenbaker standing up there. And Ryan Adams joins to produce the fruit of their union, La Sera's first live-recorded analog album, featuring 10 tunes about good love, bad love, dead men, and confused kids.

Music For Listening to Music To opens on "High Notes," where rollicking guitar and punk drums chugga-chugga beneath Goodman's assured coo. Her lines deftly wrap the snark of Morrissey inside the sneer of Johnny Cash, and if you ask her what her favourite parts of the new album are, she'll tell you it's the scrappy stuff. "Time to Go," which hurdles out the gate on a rocket of slide guitar and elastic bass, is another one aimed at settling old accounts - just 'cause our heroine is happily married doesn't mean she can't take swings at those who came before.

For a glimpse at the album's genesis, though, pull up duet "One True Love." When it came time to write her fourth full-length, Goodman wasn't sure where she wanted to take the music. One night she and Wisenbaker (a Jenny and Johnny touring alum who joined La Sera in 2012 and produced Hour of the Dawn) did something they'd shockingly never done before: wrote a song together. That upbeat jangle-pop cut was the result, and the rest poured out. Wisenbaker sings on two others as well - the coiffed malt shop blues of "I Need an Angel" and bittersweet rocker "Nineties," which features synth by Adams and Greta Morgan (The Hush Sound, Gold Motel). Nate Lotz (Halsey, Madi Diaz) drummed for the week long PAX-AM studio sessions.

'High Notes' is a feisty song, the single heralds the arrival of a new album next year. Having Ryan Adams on production is a plus, however La Sera is clearly a team effort and the first song is so annoyingly good, that waiting for the album seems remarkably unfair. The album is due out (on Polyvinyl) March 4th.

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Nightair - The Roses.

Background - Nightair is the musical project of Tony Davia, Brandon Miranda, Lucas Connor, and Lauren Potts. Named after the airborne disease from the 19th century, the group formed in 2014 in Orange, CA. The band’s sound has been described by OC Weekly as "honors students explaining the travails of teen relationships in a profound way that even the jocks can understand...harboring influences from acts like The Strokes, Interpol and Bloc Party."  Nightair's debut EP was released November 16, 2015 on Secret Chief Culture.

The band also tell us - After releasing the music video for “Clouds", we put the track up for sale on Bandcamp and donated all the proceeds to Sweet Relief Musician’s Fund to support musicians who are struggling financially due to illness or disability. Amongst other notable accomplishments, we have received very positive reviews from a number of renowned music blogs.

Featured song 'The Roses' is typical of the quality and high standard of their debut EP. The five songs demonstrate some real depth to the band, and whatever the influences may be, the feeling of passion and enjoyment comes through loud and clear. The video for 'Clouds' is on our BeeVids page.

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Rock Of Ages: Oracle North - Plum - The Missendens

Oracle North - Communion.

Background - Having previously collaborated on numerous projects and having released material on labels such as Kitsuné and Palms Out Sounds, Swedish four-piece Oracle North are currently getting ready to release their debut EP. Drawing inspiration from life-embracing warm and ambient soundscapes and colder forms of new-wave and punk; their new EP moves around themes as loss and alienation but never hits a dead end, rather a supposition for rebirth, for becoming your own origin.

As a complete entity ‘Communion’ is both a distinct and consummate release, which when broken down calls to mind the sounds of New Order and the Manchester post-punk scene, whilst seamlessly applying osmotic pressure in the form of darkwave textures and 80’s influenced electronic sections to merge and create an EP full of rich yet dark, atmospheric colours and an orchestrated bohemian individuality.

Talking about their forthcoming EP, the band said, “I think our music is touching on subjects like estrangement and existential anxiety, which is expressed through some sort of yearning for a more primitive experience. Aesthetically, we've been inspired by equal parts Greek mythology; the Dionysian, Apollonian dichotomy and so forth, and the late 70s, early 80s DIY culture. And Can... and Suicide.”

As touched on in the promo, there are some older post punk vibes within 'Communion', however there is far more to the song than that. It has that clean, precise sound of 'older' New Order, but enough of it's own identity and quality to grab my attention. I like it, and surely that's what its all about.

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Plum - Light Years, Dark Years.

Background - Like an old kaleidoscope pointed at the present, Plum is a psychedelic rock outfit that brings the aesthetic of 60's and early 70's music into a modern context. Velvety vocals, hallucinatory harmonies, and prismatic guitars provide soundtracks for daydreams. Formed in late 2014, Plum's members came together with the ambition of filling the void of vocal harmony and vintage guitar driven music in the modern music scene.

The high powered, heavy hitting vibes of this band seem to come almost naturally – and they should. Having formed in late 2014 the band has already had a chance to open for giants like Charles Bradley, Win Butler and The Districts. The point being – Plum are on to something special and any true fan of Chuck Berry's music should be enamored within seconds.

The problem with music like this is that it reminds me of just how old I am. Surely not you say, still it does give me a chance to compare from memory whether it stacks up against their forerunners. For me, some types of music are timeless and Plum have that feeling going for them. So whether there are comparisons with the 60's or early 70's is academic, it's great music, done well, thanks Plum!

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The Missendens - Rolling Start.

Background - The Missendens is that rarest of creatures: a kick ass band of like minded souls who have all earned their stripes the hard way, treading the boards at countless gigs in countless bands, who have come together to bring songs of undeniable importance to all who will listen. 

Like a lot of great music, The Missendens began with a lone songwriter strumming away - forgoing sleep, pouring years of passion, life's lessons, successes and failures into chords, melodies and lyrics with true meaning. Very quickly it became evident that the bagful of songs Craig Hansen had been working on were sonically too big to be done justice by one man.

Friends were called, classified ads were placed, and eventually a band of music obsessed ‘brothers’ who were born to play was formed. Not for lure of money and not to chase some elusive dream, but purely for the love of 'the song' and the thrill of the indescribable, spine tingling power of a band in step with each other.

Recorded at Surry Hills’ Hercules Street Studios and Camperdown's Church Street Studios with former lead guitarist of Thirsty Merc Sean Carey engineering, The Missendens debut album, due for release in March 2016, was recorded in a total of 10 studio days.

'Rolling Start' is one of those songs that just gets on with it. It has the hallmark of musicians who know there stuff and having read their bio above I guess that much is clear. What makes the difference is that, the chemistry evidently exists within the band. Add a good old rock'n'roll song and a love for the music from those performing it, and you arrive at a fine song like this.

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Midweek Three: Sinnet - Peppermint Heaven - Justin Sawicki

Sinnet - Houdini Hands.

Background - Aaron Spransy knows a thing or two about Midwest Manners. The Wisconsin native has been settled in Boston for some time now, playing around town as guitarist for indie-pop melody makers The Fatal Flaw, but his own musical vision recently crystallised with Sinnet. His two-mikes-and-a-laptop bedroom project now evolved into a full-fledged band. That fleshing out of sound nicely augments songs like Castlevania, a smooth-as-f66k electronic pop soul-sucker that's the lead single off, an eclectic collection of lush sounds and lively spirits on their e.p. Midwest Manners. - Mike Marotta / Boston Phoenix.

Sinnet brings to mind the dusty, stoic Midwest of Steinbeck and the "The Last Picture Show". This Boston group rips its way through a very studious, carefully arranged, and sometimes cathartic slew of inventive indie rock. - Matt Parish / Boston Globe. Sinnet has received airplay on Boston's WFNX and WMBR radio as well as features in the Boston Globe, Boston Phoenix, The Noise and The Weekly Dig! 

'Houdini Hands' is we are told, about indecision and the mysterious magic of love and commitment. Musically it is quite distinctive, the keyboards are a little reminiscent of The Doors, but there comparisons end. The video for this has a 'spooky, tongue in cheek' theme, however I just feel the song on it's own is something quite special.

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Peppermint Heaven - I'll Be There For You.

Background - After cutting their teeth playing the Chicago indie club scene several years back, Peppermint Heaven aka Juno (Vocals, Keyboards) and Spark (Vocals, Bass, Drums) separately made the long trek from Chicago to LA eventually winding up together in the summer of 2011 when they began creating their own tasty brand of 80s-influenced indie pop, replete with heavenly harmonies, Juno’s delicious keyboard hooks and Spark’s inventive bass ‘n’ beats.

Taking their name from an obscure pre-Smiths Morrissey song, Peppermint Heaven found a home at indie band playground The Bedrock in LA’s storied Echo Park area and several months of playing, writing, recording, mixing, and honing their sound followed.  After a wintry trip to London in early 2013, the boys decided that the UK would be the perfect launching pad for the band. This made perfect sense, as many of their influences hail from the UK (Tears For Fears, Pet Shop Boys, Simple Minds, New Order, Howard Jones, Psychedelic Furs to name a few). 

Having unveiled their debut EP, the aptly titled The Delicious EP, last year, the band were thrilled with the loving response the record received, including a Top 10 placing on Music Week’s dance chart. Building on their earlier efforts, the band returned to the studio impassioned by the response.

With echoes of David Bowie, Morrissey, Erasure and Pet Shop Boys, but also boasting a distinctive Peppermint Heaven edge, the duo return with their ambitious debut album Precious Things. Hypnotic album opener Stranger Than Fiction is a clear demonstration of how the boys have raised their game. An intriguing dancefloor filler which sees Duran Duran meeting New Order, Spark and Juno show that they are plenty capable of reaching the arena highs of their musical idols. Journeying through the social comment of tantric The Cage That We Live In through to the uplifting breeze of The Girl I Used To Know and the irrepressible earworm Foreign Feeling (think Heaven 17), Precious Things is an ambitious debut that delivers what the duo have always promised – a big nostalgic 80s driven, contemporary pop record.

Unfortunately I cannot share anything from the forthcoming debut album as yet, however 'I'll Be There For You' is a reasonable introduction, for those new to the duo. What I will say is the album really builds on earlier work, and the comments above are pretty spot on music wise. Due for release on 29th January, I have a feeling they may well be in for a considerable amount of attention.

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Justin Sawicki - Upsala Trees.

Background - Justin Sawicki has been active in the Hamilton Music Scene since 2003. In that time he has shared the stage with such acts as Dave Bidini (Rheostatics), Selina Martin, Tomi Swick, Tom Wilson, Terra Lightfoot, and Max Kerman (Arkells). In 2007 he recorded in Daniel Lanois’ legendary Grant Avenue Studio. In 2009 he won the Committee Award at the Hamilton Film and Music Festival, and in 2011 released his LP. The offering, Nothing For No One, has been described as "a portrait of an artist who loves to explore" and as being "eerily romantic and playful".  In 2012 the recording was nominated for Independent Album of the Year at the Hamilton Music Awards.

In December of 2015, Justin Sawicki, the songwriter's self-titled second album is set to be released. The most recent effort is more honed and mature with a strong focus on traditional roots rhythms and arrangements. This time, Sawicki offers uptempo numbers (Louise, Honey Bee), songs with humorous insight (I've Never Been a Farmer, The Polar Bear Song), and songs referencing obscure Canadian Geography (Upsala Trees). The album will have it's physical release on December 11 at the Artword Artbar in Hamilton, ON.

Taken from the new self titled album, the song 'Upsala Trees' really is just a glimpse, of some varied and very pleasing songs. There has been a considerable amount going on in Justin's life of recent times, however as an independent artist, the vast majority of delivering this album has been on his shoulders. That said musically and lyrically this is a mature piece of work, that in my opinion deserves to get noticed. Website here.

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