Gently Does It: Joseph Sant - Glass Face

Joseph Sant - Nor'easter.

Background promo - Joseph Sant is a musician living in Brooklyn, NY, hailing originally from Seattle, WA. He deals in lush, green, mountainous musical textures hewn out of his Pacific Northwest. He composes with angular shapes, the noise of subway brakes, off-kilter grids, and the encroaching sea.

His debut, Sea White Salt, is influenced by New York’s coasts, imperilled as they are by climate change, reshaped in an instant by catastrophic storms, and prey to wolfish markets. These songs explore the connections and analogies between forces of nature, impassable social barriers, and the gravity of all-consuming love and persistent dreams.

For Sea White Salt, Joseph collaborated with his good friend and producer Gabriel Galvin, erstwhile proprietor of Four Foot Studios in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn. They recorded Sea White Salt in a few overnight marathon sessions in the dead of winter, just before Four Foot Studios was evicted, casualty to the overheated real estate market synonymous with that neighbourhood. Fellow Brooklyn artist Stirling Krusing plays lap steel on the album. Long-time collaborator Tyler Graham plays drums. These artists, together with bassist Georgia Tan, form the five-piece band that now plays under Joseph Sant’s moniker. Release date: January 14, 2016.

'Nor'easter' is the third of four tracks on the forthcoming EP. There's a relaxed pace to the EP, the featured track is fairly typical of the style, however expect gentler offerings as well. The whole thing is a solid piece, great vocals and musicianship, and really good production, make this a pleasing collection, of rather classy songs.

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Glass Face - Roses.

Background promo - Glass Face recently released their debut EP, ‘You Are Nowhere’. A dream pop group based out of London, Ontario in Canada, Glass Face's members include Amelia Fraser on vocals, Cole Sefton on guitar, Dylan King on synths, and Rowan Grice on drums.

Fresh on the heels of their ‘Hotline Bling’ cover, which was featured on Spotify’s "Chill Covers" playlist, ‘You Are Nowhere’ marks the first official release from the band, composed of five original self-penned and self-produced tracks. The band describes the EP as an amalgamation - a cage match between folk, post-rock, and electronica. It’s twenty minutes of discovery: an exploration into the sound of four young Canadians who all bring distinct influence to a project which they foster with an evolving sense of direction.

‘You Are Nowhere’ features Glass Face’s debut single ‘Holland’, which received a high profile placement on MTV’s Teen Wolf and made the band one of the most Shazamed artists of the week. ‘Roses’, the second (and current) single lifted from the EP, is a mesmerizing atmospheric pop song with heartfelt vocals and a huge orchestral arrangement, which has already succeeded the bands cover of ‘Hotline Bling’ on Spotify’s official “New Music Friday” playlist. ‘Underkept’ is a two-part journey that takes the listener from a vocal-ridden dreamscape head first into an instrumental wall of pure sound and energy. Finally, the EP’s last track, ‘Wild Wood’, shows a softer side to the band, driven forward only by a grand piano and Fraser’s raw and powerful vocals.

A six track EP if you include the one minute 'Outro', it starts with the featured song 'Roses'. The band deliver a distinct and atmospheric sound, however what really makes them stand out is the song writing and the genre spanning musical interpretation. From dream pop to shoegaze via indie folk, Glass Face are not afraid to experiment, and importantly, they do it very well.

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Monday Double Up: Twin Ages - Sophie and The Bom Boms

Twin Ages - Outlaws.

Background promo - Formed in Melbourne’s inner South East, from the ashes of original angry, young band Junk and Jill, that featured various musicians and produced a couple of independent releases, Twin Ages has come a long way conquering everything you could throw at a band, from a broken hand in a broken down van to dating every Yoko in Melbourne. 

Their passion is now supported by an arsenal of stories presented to you in the form of cut throat rock and blues. Twin Ages have played some of Melbourne’s most prestigious venues, (Espy, Cherry Bar, The Vineyard, The Hi- Fi Bar, The Brunswick hotel, Revolver, etc, etc) to large crowds. The unique sound these guys produce is unlike anything else coming out of this generation, combining a throwback to traditional Blues, a lot of rock and even some heavy undertones. Their style is one of a kind and marks them for future fortunes. ‘Sabertooth’, their 2nd release is already receiving airplay in Melbourne, and the new stripped back 3 piece line up is, “the best they’ve ever sounded” according to their fans. Twin Ages pedigree is formidable, featuring two sons of Melbourne’s legendary Blues Band from the 80’s and 90’s. “Outlaws” by Twin Ages will be released 15th of January 2016. 

'Outlaws' has all the guts and swagger of The Black Crowes, back in their early days. Add to that the potency of a three piece band, one that knows how to mix rock and blues, and you arrive with Twin Ages. This is seriously one fine rock'n'roll tune.

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Sophie and The Bom Boms - Big Girls.

Background promo - If you’re not familiar with Sophie Stern, the Los Angeles native is a former pop songwriter that was signed to Dr. Luke’s camp. After spending a few years writing for some huge names, she decided to launch her own project, inspired by everyone from Erykah Badu to Tom Tom Club. Also, her father is a famous actor that had a huge role in one of the best holiday movies ever..(Stern…)

For her forthcoming EP, Sophie collaborated with two amazing producers - David Elevator (won three Grammy’s for his songwriting/production work on Beck’s “Morning Phase”) and Dan Dare (Marina and the Diamonds, Charlie XCX and MIA). The result is an exciting, innovative, fun new sound. “Big Girls” sets it off.

'Big Girls' is a nice slice of punchy indie pop. It's bright and it's fun, with a funky bass line driving the whole thing along.

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Alternative Take: Zaflon - Colder

Zaflon - Nightmare Division (feat. Gilan-Music).

Background - An ambient and sinister down tempo, LDP 1 is the debut EP from South London innovator Zaflon. Two songs featuring Zaflon’s latest collaborator Gilan_Music among the cyclonic sub-bass, abstracted guitars, harmonic piano and crooked percussive breaks.

The featured track is described as follows - ‘Nightmare Division’ (feat Gilan_Music) – is the first of two tracks featuring Gilan (both the low male vocal and high female vocal are sung by her). “This track uses a lot of samples of river noises that I recorded on the Thames riverbank, including the hull of a big old barge being hit with a stick. There are flies, doors and breaking watermelons in there, too, among plenty of other things. Abstracted guitars and an outro consisting of an old piano and a 909 drum machine play out as a modern nocturne. The river driftwood vibe is a theme that runs throughout LDP 1.” 

'Nightmare Division' is the second of four tracks on LDP1. You can stream the entire EP as one piece (here). I can't really add much to the description above, the sheer amount of work and attention to detail that runs throughout the EP, makes this a must hear for anyone, with a liking for trip-hop or down tempo ambient music.

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Colder - Your Kind (Kasper Bjørke Remix).

Background - Following the digital release of “Many Colours”, Colder keeps digging on his post-punk approach to the contemporary electronic scene, using the raw material of his long awaited third album to come up with a remix EP for lead single “Your Kind”, and a limited edition vinyl of the album featuring unreleased B-sides. Including four guest artists from different horizons and a remix from Colder himself, the Remix EP of “your Kind” manages to blend in a various mix of influences with great results:

Influenced by the new wave and krautrock scenes, Kasper Bjørke seemed like a match made in heaven for the remix of a Colder song. With his take on “Your Kind”, the versatile Danish producer chose to put an emphasis in of the late 70’s influences already distinctive in Colder’s music. The result is a minimalistic song filled with troubling, addictive beats, making you reach for the replay button instinctively.

Featuring Matias Aguayo, Kasper Bjørke, Barney Khan, The Left Hand Path and an exclusive club mix by Colder himself. 

The sheer level of difference and interpretation between each remix on this EP is remarkable. My natural liking for Krautrock made the Kasper Bjorke remix an instant favourite for me. Can't argue with the description above, however the other versions are equally worth checking out.

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Saturday And: Slow Culture - Shields

Slow Culture - Hoax.

Background promo - Slow Culture is the musical child of four guys who spent their adolescence saturated in music. The culmination of various lineups and bands dating back to 2009, their music holds within it the personality of four people who've effectively grown up together. It started (as all promising bands do), when Jack, Ben and Lee decided to form a band even though two didn't play an instrument. Ignoring this basic requirement, the three carried on. With Payton joining later, opting for bass synth, the groups sound was cemented, developed from a wide variety of influences. 

The product of various lineups dating back to 2009, Slow Culture could be described as the meeting place of psychedelic and alternative rock. Their debut single, “Hoax”, alternates between quiet withdrawn verses and raucous choruses, layered with psychedelic sounds reminiscent of early Pink Floyd. Recorded at Free Energy studios in Camperdown and produced by the legendary Phil Punch, the singles reliance on experimentation in the studio is clear. Layers of guitar effects, synths and a cigarette lighter used as a guitar slide are the meat on the bones of a song held together by the incessant practice and revision that the band undertook prior to recording. 

The band describes how the song “came out of an acoustic jam [they] just happened to record years ago”, the name taken from a biography of Brian Jones which was sitting in the corner of the room. Stating that the single has taken on so many forms that it’s almost “unrecognisable as the same song”. “Hoax” will be released 15th of January 2016.

I don't know why, but Radiohead sprang to mind when I started listening to 'Hoax'. It's certainly not a copy of their style, Slow Culture from this song at least, have quite an individualistic sound. Whatever, I like 'Hoax' and it's easy to understand the psychedelic meets alternative rock reference above.

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Shields - Mezzanine.

Background promo - Shields embody the Playlist Generation. While other artists publicly decry music streaming services, Shields have been shaped by the diverse artists whose music they might never have heard through more traditional means.  Shields’ musical output is a reflection of these diverse influences, and their debut album ‘How Can We Fix This?’ has a genuinely broad appeal whilst at the same time refusing to conform to a simple description.

After hitting the live circuit heavily (including support tour dates with Placebo and Everything Everything, and performing at Glastonbury and the BBC6 Music Festival in Newcastle), the band crafted a tight sound and a solid body of songs, ready to record this debut. The development of their unique sound has been largely due to their DIY approach to production. Using their own studio space to record a vast range tracks over a 12-month period, the band caught the eye of double Grammy award-winning producer Adrian Bushby (Muse, Foo Fighters) who helped them complete their debut album.

Bushby said, “Shields, in my opinion, are one of the best bands I've heard in a long while in both songwriting and performance. They are an incredibly fresh and original-sounding band who I think will go on to achieve great things.” The recent single ‘Face to Face’ captures the kind of innovative alt-pop instrumentation and delicate harmonies that saw 2012 single ‘Mezzanine’ (also on appearing on the album) featured as iTunes’ single of the week and garnering praise from sources as diverse as Kylie and Zane Lowe. Shields – How Can We Fix This? is out 26th February 2016 on Kaleidoscope Records.

'Mezzanine' is the third of ten songs on the forthcoming album, and typifies the quality and vibrancy of the album. The band have toured a lot and worked hard to develop their pristine sound, something that becomes clearer the more you hear from the album. Work and effort aside, this is great music, after all that's what it's all about.


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Friday Pairing: Anna Rose - Powerkompany

Anna Rose - Start A War.

Background promo - At first glance, one wouldn’t guess that Anna Rose, the adorably petite blonde with the sugary name, is a fearless, unabashed, mind-blowingly talented Rock and Roll powerhouse.  But, Rose, in fact, is walking, singing proof that big things most definitely come in small packages.   It’s no wonder that Pancakes and Whiskey declares her a “complete badass.”

Anna Rose is gearing up for the release of her new EP, Strays In The Cut, a collection of six mesmerizing tracks that find the singer/songwriter pushing her musical boundaries. “I am very much an album artist and a storyteller, so the idea of scaling it all back to the size of an EP was a challenge in itself. It forced me to look at the songs in a different way, the production, everything. These six songs needed to tell the whole story. The limitations I placed on the length made the process so much more imaginative in every other aspect.” shares Rose.

Strays in the Cut is the much-anticipated follow-up to Rose’s Beyond a Pale Horse, which Flashwounds declared a “deep swirl of Blues and Rock and Roll” that “beautifully represents the many dark and beautiful corridors of the human heart.”  Beyond a Pale Horse introduced us to Anna Rose’s dynamic voice and effortless command of the guitar; each song highlighted by attitude and pure grit.  Undoubtedly, Beyond the Pale Horse cemented Rose as a veritable force, with hard-driving Rock and dirty Blues coursing through her veins. 

In 2012, Rose also gained attention for her sultry take on Arcade Fire’s “My Body is a Cage,” which is currently available for download on iTunes. Cover Me Songs premiered the track, affirming, “The sparse cover showcases her effortlessly soulful singing.” Since then, Rose has shared the stage with a variety of notable artists, including: Crystal Bowersox, Howie Day, Teddy Geiger, Tyler Hilton and founding member of Live, Ed Kowalczyk. The consummate artist, Anna Rose lets her spirit shine through with every performance, while captivated fans hang on every note. Anna Rose is set to play the Brooklyn Bowl on January 27, 2016 with more dates to be announced soon.

 'Start A War', may be a little laid back, however the tension and drama in Anna Rose's voice simmers, as this gentle bluesy song unfolds. If the EP is as good as this, we have something special to look forward to.

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Powerkompany - Can't Cry.

Background promo - Powerkompany's compound noun name is hardly coincidental; by the sound of their first single off their upcoming two-part LP Fever & Chills, it's completely possible that they are a fully functioning power station (but not the Robert Palmer/Duran Duran supergroup). "Can't Cry" features vocals by the band's Marie Davon that are so massive that not only has the song been probably powering our entire office like a mini nuclear reactor, but it gives Diane Lane's performance in Streets of Fire a run for its wallet. 

Fever & Chills was recently completed at Chase Park Studio in collaboration with Andy LeMaster of Bright Eyes and Azure Ray fame. The two-part LP is made up of two sides of six songs that reach into the depths of the most orchestral music that permeated a more fun era in pop music, like in the 1980s, although there are hints of cabaret whimsy throughout that wouldn't be uncomfortable living in a dark, 1920s opium brothel. The album is out February 5th 2016, and its playful score and powerful vocals are a must for anyone who loves their favorite records to dabble in the cinematic. 

'Cant Cry' is just a taste of what is one very good album. Songs are imaginative, diverse and some are splendidly big in production. The sheer variety that comes across, in the twelve tracks that make up the album, left me wondering why they chose 'Cant Cry' as the 'streamed' song. I guess you have to start somewhere, and it's a good song, it needs to be to get on the album.


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