Tuesday At The Double: La Sera - Foxtails Brigade

La Sera - High Notes.

Background promo - 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/co writer/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 Toopens 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.

From the new La Sera record, produced by Ryan Adams 'High Notes' really is just part of the story (as is the above promo edited down considerably!). What the featured track does do, is to demonstrate what a class act La Sera are, and gives just a small flavour of a very good album.

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Foxtails Brigade - We Are Not Ourselves.

Background bio - Once you hear Laura Weinbach sing, you’ll never mistake her for anyone else. As the front woman of Bay Area indie-pop ensemble Foxtails Brigade, Weinbach breathes life into a character at once sweet and fearsome, angelic and menacing; the allusion of timidity while conjuring great power. Now, on Foxtails Brigade, the group’s third album, Weinbach ups the ante with a resounding roar, solidifying the ensemble’s lineup and distilling their dramatic arrangements into punchy pop songs that propel her and her band mates forward to soaring new heights.

While the group’s previous material, fuelled by hazy chamber-pop melodies and spectral strings, reached inwards, Foxtails Brigade detonates their sound in all directions. Bringing together a collective of Bay Area artists including arranger Anton Patzner (Bright Eyes, Pinback), multi-instrumentalist Josh Pollock (John Kale, Van Dyke Parks), bassist Joe Lewis and percussionist / film maker Dominic Mercurio, the group’s “fully realized” lineup employs a vast kaleidoscope of peculiar percussion and new found synthesisers alongside Patzner’s cinematic arrangements and Weinbach’s distinct guitar figures. Working with veteran Bay Area producer Jeff Saltzman (Blondie, the Killers), Foxtails Brigade celebrates a new found sense of directness and clarity without sacrificing an ounce of intricacy.

While themes of defeat, alienation and nihilism pervade the album’s eleven tracks, they stand in stark contrast to a vibrant parade of rich string arrangements, warm bass lines and nuanced twists and turns. On lead single “We Are Not Ourselves,” the tension inherent in the song’s title is elevated by the tick-tock of a snare and kick, hair-rising strings and sharp guitar jabs that echo Spoon’s best. Later, the cheery horns and bird sounds on “None But the Lost” provide the perfect foil for Weinbach’s harsh narrative, and the synth-driven “No Fate” shows just how effortlessly Foxtails Brigade can sneak a glossy pop-rock tune into the mix.

The band just released the lead single, 'We Are Not Ourselves,' off their new, self-titled record that's due out April 8th on OIM Records. This is one of those songs, that does more than enough, to intrigue me into wanting to hear their forthcoming album. it's fresh, quirky, adventurous and extremely pleasing, and that's just the single.

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Affairs - Play

Affairs - Play.

Background promo - Having launched into 2015 with two well received singles Brothers and Blood Science, picking up support on XFM, BBC 6Music, Radio 2 and Amazing Radio, Manchester band Affairs return with their new single Play – a melancholic synth-pop anthem featuring Jim Robinson’s signature vocal style.

Play is produced by Suede, White Lies and Pulp producer Ed Buller and recorded at The Kinks’ legendary Konk Studios. The track draws you in from the first bar with its strident intro synth-riff played by Dan Parker while drummer Michael Bradnam’s infectious tom-tom pattern boldly drives the track along. Lyrically, Play is about the complexities of relationships and how we sometimes hide behind a facade or ‘play games’ with one another. The artwork was created by graphic artist Matthew Cooper (Caribou, Wild Beasts & Arctic Monkeys) & continues a cohesive theme with previous imagery for the singles Brothers and Blood Science.

'Play' exudes warmth from the start. With an indie style soundtrack and highly distinctive vocals, the song does conjure comparisons with other bands, but without naming names, lets just say that's a positive as well. Very catchy and tempting for the repeat play button every time.

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Sunday With: SpaceCream - Beverly

SpaceCream - Killer.

Promo words - Pterodactyl Sky is a stunningly unique new album by Hollywood Glam / Prog/ Glitter Rock band SpaceCream. Pterodactyl Sky is more than a collection of songs; it's an intellectually charged revival of stellar Rock N Roll, told from the point of view of a sex-positive feminist revolutionary. Powered by the formidable vocals of Savannah Pope (hailed as "Ann Wilson in David Bowie's edition of Rocky Horror Picture Show," - Natalie, Ninja Betty) the album presents an entirely unique, contemporary spin on 1970s Glam, Glitter, and Prog Rock.

Engineered at Kitten Robot Studios by LA music pioneer Paul Roessler (Nina Hagen, 45 Grave, Elliot Smith), Pterodactyl Sky is peppered with intricate chord progressions and enticing time signatures. Its artful lyrics run the gamut from Jurassic extinction and heartbreak to tantric space exploration and literature.

Since winning 2014's LA Battle for Vans Warped Tour at House of Blues Sunset, SpaceCream has taken Southern California by storm. Pterodactyl Sky results from two years of creative energy and live performances, including sold-out shows at legendary venues like the Viper Room and Troubadour.

A description of Glam, Prog and Glitter Rock all mixed up, just had to garner some interest on my part. The featured track gives a reasonable flavour of 'Pterodactyl Sky'. Powerful vocals compete with an equally powerful band as they dip in and out of styles in what is a very likable album.

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Beverly - Victoria.

Promo words - Brooklyn-based Beverly releases their new single "Victoria" and announces the release of their forthcoming sophomore record The Blue Swell due out May 6th on Kanine Records, album art above.

"Victoria" was conceived during a snowy weekend upstate where front woman Drew Citron and guitarist Scott Rosenthal had settled to get in some uninterrupted songwriting. Their friend Kip Berman (Pains of Being Pure At Heart) drove up to pay the pair a visit. Berman had written a few guitar parts inspired by Beverly and played them the demos; Citron and Rosenthal fell in love with the guitar work that eventually turned into "Victoria", a collaboration made in pop fan heaven.

"Victoria" is the second cut from The Blue Swell following lead single "Crooked Cop" which the band shared in late fall of 2015.

Since the summer of 2014 and the release of Careers, which Stereogum dubbed an "exceptional shoegaze-pop debut album," the main driving force behind Beverly has been Drew Citron. While Beverly began as a recording project between two friends, The Blue Swell out May 6th, 2016 on Kanine Records represents a fresh start for the band.

On The Blue Swell, Citron's main collaborator is longtime tour mate and noise pop producer Scott Rosenthal (The Beets, Crystal Stilts), with Kip Berman (The Pains of Being Pure at Heart) lending co-writing talents to Victoria.  Careers is acclaimed for its "fuzzed distortion and melodic sugar" (Rolling Stone) and its variety, with Pitchfork noting how it “careens from venomous, angry punk to jangly, mild lust to blown-out emotional hangover.” While you'll still find reverb, catchy hooks and a track or two like Bulldozer or South Collins that could perhaps fit into the debut, the new album takes a less aggressive and more melodic turn.

Plenty of plaudits for Beverly from within the music press/blogs. 'Victoria' has a full on indie rock vibe, with vocals subtly placed in the mix giving a gentle tilt towards shoegaze. Whatever, it's a catchy, 'good feeling' song and should (deservedly) raise interest in the forthcoming album.

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Saturday Double: Treetop Flyers - The Minerals

Treetop Flyers - 31 Years.

Background promo - For Treetop Flyers, the last few years have been a case of needing to fall apart, in order to rebuild, and come back stronger. Two and a half years on from their acclaimed debut album ‘The Mountain Moves’, fate showed its macabre sense of humour in dramatically shifting the ground beneath the London five-piece. The grief for lost parents, broken marriages, the near-death of a close friend, the departure of long-time bassist Matthew Starritt, the loss of numerous behind-the-scenes personnel (as well as an accountancy bill that they say “would make the government weep”) led to a prolonged period of upheaval and an unsettled and anxious camp. It was perhaps natural that Palomino was to become an honest, raw, and reflective record. As vocalist / guitarist Reid Morrison puts it; “We'd been through a lot individually and collectively. Coming together to make this record was very therapeutic for us, in a sense. It brought us closer and allowed us to let go of a lot of the bullshit that we'd had to endure and negotiate in the past.”

In 2015, after everything, instead of uncovering a lost and haphazard band, their caution-to-the-wind experimentalism sees a group dragging themselves to their feet once more. Sticking together extended far beyond just getting in a room and recording. Palomino is a wholly collaborative affair – no single songwriter is solely credited on any of the record - and you sense it had to be this way. Setting the tone for the album, opener 'You, Darling You' is a reflection on the old saying "sometimes loving someone means letting them go”. In this case it's over a failed marriage, but the record picks up on some of the themes of death and departure that made up The Mountain Moves. It’s a subject the band still find, understandably, difficult to shake, as Palomino flirts with many ideas of finality. 31 Years tracks a goodbye to a friend who passed away during the recording of their debut, and St Andrew’s Cross is a lament to the passing of Reid’s father, used almost in therapy by the band as a way to reconcile the past and the unknown ahead, all at once. Interestingly, it’s the band’s own smart production (as well as tracks like Dance Through The Night and Falling Back) that injects real life into Palomino. Hope permeates above all else, which is nothing less than they should allow themselves after everything they’ve been through. Treetop Flyers emerge triumphant from the most turbulent of times. New single 31 Years, out 26 Feb on Loose. Taken from the forthcoming new album Palomino, out 11 March on CD, double LP & download.

'31 Years' suggests a confident band knowing their business and craft inside out. With stand out vocals and a band who make playing seem effortless, this is a fine rock song, that has some excellent hooks and demands your attention.

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The Minerals - Pieces.

Background promo - Based in the South Wales Valleys, The Minerals are Colenso Jones and Jodie Gibson, a couple who began writing and performing together in the Summer of 2014.

Merging elements of Country, Electro and Psychedelia, the duo's influences range from The Vaselines and Leadbelly to Mogwai and Nick Drake. The Minerals strive to retain a raw quality to their recordings with an emphasis on creating a specific atmosphere for each track.

Both musicians were involved in punk bands throughout their teens and early twenties and although their music is no longer confined to that genre, the DIY ethos is evident in their approach to writing and recording. The lessons learned within the punk period of their musical development are still very much ingrained.

The Minerals' writing process involves the merging of individual ideas which are then worked on throughout the night and recorded by morning, by which point they normally have something in place they're both happy with. 'Ball of String' and B-side 'Lo-Fi' were among several tracks written in a barn in the South of France last winter, where the band were unexpectedly snowed in for a week. A plentiful supply of wine and cheese kept them going until the thaw. They returned home having written a complete album.

Live Dates:
April 15th - The Moon Club, Cardiff (supporting Rusty Shackle)
April 16th - Snails Deli, Rhiwbina, Cardiff
Festival announcements are due spring 2016.

With some live dates announced and festival dates in planning, what better reason can we have, to share some of the excellent music from The Minerals, that they came up with last year. This duos music has plenty of diversity, edge and style. To see just how much that's the case, click (here) for some more.
 
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Start The Weekend: The Flavr Blue - Tinted Sun

The Flavr Blue - Supply.

Promo info - In celebration of the release of their EP L​ove Notes and the announcement of their upcoming tour, the Flavr Blue is proud to share "Supply". Coming after the releases of upbeat satin thrill ride "Oxygen" (feat. Jarell Perry) and sensual synth wave "Majesty", "Supply" is another eargasm that showcases the trio's ability to create multi-textured masterpieces rife with beautiful vocal layering and harmony.

After a 2015 of major milestones, including a main stage performance at Seattle’s Capitol Hill Block Party and a sold out performance with Kiesza for Red Bull's 30 Days in LA Festival, Seattle-based trio the Flavr Blue sets out in support of their newest release, the Love Notes EP, a collection that marries the group's crackling energy with a soulful musical wisdom inherited from influences ranging from Cut Copy and Miike Snow to Feist and Sade.

The band's success is driven by the way its members — lead singer Hollis Wong­-Wear, whose voice graced the Billboard Top 20 hit "White Walls" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, and singer/producers Lace Cadence and Parker Joe, each with a litany of Seattle hip ­hop and R&B releases under their belts — weave their voices and eclectic experimentalism within a rich electronic landscape. It’s been that way since the beginning, when they first built tracks in a half­ bedroom turned studio in Parker's Beacon Hill townhouse. It grew as they translated the sounds to wild live shows, for crowds both charmed and electrified by their combination of heartfelt soul and energetic electronica. 2016 sees the trio embarking on their first ever national tour, in support of Love Notes.

Tour Dates:
February 11th - Black Cat - Washington DC
February 13th - Mercury Lounge - New York City
February 14th - Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia
February 22nd - Virgin Hotel - Chicago
March 4th - Rickshaw Stop - San Francisco
March 5th - Echo - Los Angeles
March 8th - Lowbrau - Sacramento
March 12th - Neumos - Seattle

We featured The Flavr View not that long ago, but this new song was just to good to ignore. We can give their forthcoming tour a quick plug as well and every ones a winner.

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Tinted Sun - Only One.

Those promo words - Toowoomba five piece indie rock band, Tinted Sun are comprised of Lara Hallaran (singer and lyricist), Jamie Sutherland (lead guitar), Callum Oliver (rhythm guitar), Jack Boag (bass guitar), and Joseph Morgan (drums). The band, all 17 years of age and younger, have been performing together in South East Queensland for the last 6 years.

Despite their young age, the band have developed their own identity, through writing original songs that offers a fresh take on familiar sounds. Tinted Sun perform a mixture of indie-punk rock with influences by greats such as Pink Floyd, Nirvana, Bon Jovi and Paramore.

Tinted Sun has been very successful in the Global Battle of the Bands competition winning the Toowoomba section for two consecutive years, placed in the Roma Battle of the Bands competition, and the acoustic section were second in the Valentine’s Day Busk competition in Brisbane in 2014. They continually perform regionally at hotels, restaurants and clubs.

“Only One” showcases the maturity of this young band, not only in the music, but the subject as well. The song explores the post-traumatic stress associated with major life changes and upheaval. The military beating of the drum provides a background for the rock guitar and lyrics, evoking the beat of a heavy heart facing life’s strain.

“Only One” was recorded at Heliport Studios at the Sunshine Coast with the assistance of producer Elliott Heinrich. All photographs of the band were provided by Paul Pugh of Pandom Images.

'Only One' is a melting pot of the bands ideas and some healthy musical influences. The net result is a more indie rock than punk song, a good one nonetheless.

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