Monday Music: Bonnie Prince Billy - Chief Ghoul - Carly Jamison

Bonnie Prince Billy - Most People.

Background - The first track from the 'Refugee' compilation album has surfaced. 'Most People' is the contribution from Bonnie 'Prince Billy. 

Featuring Richard Dawson, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Linda Thompson, Alasdair Roberts, Ricky Ross, BMX Bandits and many more, the 'Refugee' album is a united effort from some of folk’s most esteemed and cult figures, who’ve contributed an original or unreleased song each to the ‘Refugee’ project.

‘Refugee’ (out digitally on June 3rd through Brainfog) is a highly significant collaborative recording project which reflects, through song, the issue of the refugee crisis in its many forms, from Syria and beyond. It’s been curated by Scottish folk artist Robin Adams, who called on his close friends and musical colleagues from around the world to contribute to the project.

Each track is an unreleased original song, with contributions from the likes of the above artists. All proceeds go to the MOAS organisation (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) who’ve saved more than 13,000 lives since 2013 in the Mediterranean Sea. Read more on them at www.moas.eu.

The first song from the 'Refugee' compilation is this superb acoustic piece from Bonnie Prince Billy. Gentle and understated, something this artist excels at, the song 'Most People' is touching and provoking. With this legitimate cause in mind, I'm sure the collection of musicians involved will deliver equally fine songs.

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Chief Ghoul - Let Me In.

Background promo - Blues rock outfit, Chief Ghoul, announces the release of their latest album, Damned, their fourth release to date and Lee Miles’ solo follow up to III. Chief Ghoul is Lee Miles (guitar, vocals, songwriter), Chase Coryell (bass) and Justin Brown (drums). The band started as the brainchild of Miles, who began his career in song writing as a solo artist under the name Chief Ghoul. Seeking to expand the project’s sound, Miles recruited Coryell and Brown.  premiered their latest single for “Roll Baby Roll, Kill Baby Kill” on Diffuser.fm, with Lee Miles saying, “This song is my ode to the exploitation films of the ’60s and ’70s. They were gratuitous and they were awesome. Not too many movies get made like that anymore and I actually think that’s a good thing.” The Revue said, “Whether he’s telling stories about individuals on land or sea, Miles has established himself as a songwriter to watch. For that matter, he’s not just a musician, but a storyteller.”

Hailing from Louisville Kentucky, Lee Miles moved to Chicago at 21. “Chicago is a gritty city and I mixed that sound with Louisville and ended up with a good merge of the two. I wrote about things that I was going through and there has never been a different feeling for me across my albums.” The band is now based back in Miles’ home in Louisville , where Chief Ghoul’s latest installment, Damned, was written - don’t miss it!

'Let Me In' has a haunting feel to it (sorry could not resist). Actually I guess it's a bluesy lament, set just right as a predominately acoustic piece, with Lee Miles vocals so naturally gifted for this type of music.

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Carly Jamison - Dynamo.

Background promo - Anyone who thinks that rock music is dead has not been following the stream of new singles that have been emerging from songwriter and recording artist Carly Jamison over the past 6 months. First there was the "The Devil's Trying To Bring Me Down" which graced Halloween party playlists world-wide. Then there was "Christmas May Have To Be Postponed", a brand new original Christmas song inspired by vintage rock and roll that reached #1 on the Hypem Twitter Music Chart. "100 Goals" ushered in the new year with high intensity blues rock to super-charge New Year's goals and resolutions. Now, just in time for tornado season, she has announced the release of "Dynamo", an exciting brand new rock and roll song.

Carly States - "It's a totally autobiographical song. There are several people in my life who have told me that when I visit it's like a tornado or hurricane hits, so I thought that would be a fun subject for a song! Plus, I just started hearing it playing in my head one day so it really just wanted to write itself."

The single was produced by Tres Sasser who also produced her previous singles. He said, "We were inspired by 80's guitar riffs and mixed them with stacked Prince-like vocals that are instantly memorable. The song moves and hops seamlessly through the 80's, 90's, and 2016 and takes the idea of a sing along solo to a new height. Chris Tench's guitar work really complements the subject matter and seals the deal musically."

It was recorded at The Sound Shelter in Franklin, TN. Players on the track include Chris Tench on guitars, Tres Sasser on bass, Elton Charles on drums, and Mike Webb on keyboards. It was engineered by Brett Ryan Stewart and mixed by Joe Costa (known for his work with Ben Folds, Ke$ha, and Brad Paisley) at The Sound Shelter. It was mastered by Pete Lyman at Infrasonic Mastering (known for his work with Jason Isbell, Courtney Love, Fall Out Boy, Sturgill Simpson, and others.)

There's something of a retro feel to 'Dynamo'. It's pretty much a no nonsense rock'n'roll piece, with Carly's vocals driving the song forward as much as the drums and bass. Add in a little classic rock guitar and you have one fine song.

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Genre Wander: Corbu - Allie & Ivy - Helix Pulsar

Corbu - Polygon Forest.

Background promo - New York neo-psyche band Corbu are streaming ‘Polygon Forest’, the first track from their forthcoming debut album. With its choral harmonies and tribal drumming over shimmering, glacial synths ‘Polygon Forest’ is a glorious and uplifting trip, taken from their album Crayon Soul, out 5th August 2016 via 3 Beat (EU) & Big Picnic (US).

Recorded and produced by the band, Crayon Soul was mixed by Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, Tame Impala, MGMT). A vivid exploration inspired in part by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Graves’ lucid dreams, Crayon Soul is a truly realised vision. “It’s a journey through a series of “gates”, or events that you pass through with the narrator,” says Graves of the album. “At each event, you change and shift into a new part of the story.”

Extremely visual, Corbu create captivating, kaleidoscopic visuals to accompany their music. Encouraging listeners to paint their own path through Corbu’s world, Crayon Soul includes a colouring book, as well as artwork inspired by each of the twelve songs.

Crayon Soul follows two acclaimed EPs, We Are Sound and Everything You Imagine Is Real, which garnered praise from the likes of NYLON, Stereogum, The Guardian, NME and more, as well as capturing the attention of Jessie Ware, who personally requested the band to remix her song ‘You & I (Forever)’. 

The album is a feast of ideas and thoughts captured musically with considerable imagination. 'Polygon Forest' is just one dimension of an epic album, that explores differing musical styles. First time around the listener can't be to certain just how the next song will develop, giving a sense of journey and discovery. That said, there is a constant overall feel to the album, in part due to Jonathan Graves vocal skills. It's a refreshing listen, no wonder that the attention is already there.
 
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Allie & Ivy - Get Hi.

Background - About "Get Hi" “'Get Hi' is about my housemate’s battle with cocaine addiction,” Allie explains. “He absolutely loved to party and lived only for the weekend but his substance abuse had seen him get into thousands of dollars in debt, which put a massive strain on his relationship. He was constantly beating himself up about it, saying he was going to give up the party lifestyle and pay back the money he owed, but as soon as the weekend rolled around he’d get so excited and be up to his old tricks again. He just couldn’t resist the temptation.” - Allie

Bio: Allie & Ivy is indie electropop singer-songwriter Aleisha (Allie) Conlay, from the sunny northern beaches of Sydney, Australia. Writing songs since the age of 11 and picking up the guitar at 14, Allie was schooled in music at a very young age by her father, a guitarist and record collector from London with a passion for 60s music.

Having developed a deep infatuation with The Beatles at age 11, Allie had dreams to one day front an all-girl rock band called The Ladybeetles but unfortunately never managed to find her Paul, George or Ringo. Not one to let that get in the way of her plans, Allie conjured up alter ego Ivy, giving her the comradeship, confidence and support a real band couldn’t.

Allie & Ivy’s fresh sound and penchant for catchy hooks and infectious melodies have gained accolades both in Australia and internationally. With new songs scheduled for release throughout 2016 and a debut EP underway the year is already shaping up to be a busy and exciting one for Allie & Ivy.

Well there is always some room for unashamed pure pop when it's this good. As with any good indie pop piece, it's awash with hooks and upbeat all the way, sometimes that's more than enough.


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Helix Pulsar - Rapture.

Background promo - France's electro rock synthpop outfit Helix Pulsar has announced they will soon release their debut LP 'Beyond the Wall', a 12-track debut EP that was produced by Britain’s Creative Music Studios, which is based in Brentwood. ‘Rapture’ is the lead single from this album.

Most often likened to The Danse Society and Clan of Xymox, they count Depeche Mode, The Cure, Archive, Mesh, IAMX and Muse among their key influences. They also seem to draw inspiration from such themes as sexuality and the addictiveness therein. “This song is about how it feels to surrender to the burning desire of one’s lover… a perfect blend of sensuality and wild instincts as well,” says Estelle Flaujat.

In early 2014, Olivier Rennesson (formerly of Shiny Darkness) joined forces with Estelle Flaujat, who had, until then been involved in gospel and jazz. They united over a shared love of synthpop and electropop and founded Helix Pulsar. Both educated in classical music (piano for Olivier, piano / violin for Estelle), they compose their music as absolute electro synthphonies - note by note, pulse by pulse. After relocating from Nantes to Lille (northern France), they chose to add a rock dimension to their synth pop vibes and welcomed guitarist Steve Boudoux, and their sound came to adopt the sense of pulsating electro rock waves, with contrasting yet engaging rhythms and distinctive harmonies.

"We’ve been crafting this album over these past 2 years composing with our busy private lives. This album is grounded in our personal history, helping us to expel our inner wounds from the past but also celebrating our love and life together," explains Olivier Rennesson. 'Beyond The Wall' will be released on May 6.

The semi-industrial and hypnotic beat makes a perfect background for the duo's vocals. There are a few name checks in the promo and they make sense, however there is a unique and quite addictive feel to this song, that leaves me keen to hear more.
 
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Quality Not Quantity: The Insatiables - Stillwater Giants - ISLES - The Broadcasts

The Insatiables - I Know My Scars.

Background promo - Perth based indie-popsters The Insatiables are gearing up for the May 9 release of their second EP 'Impatient Creatures', with a live launch May 22 at everyone's favourite watering hole The Rosemount Hotel.

Spearheaded by lead single 'I Know My Scars', the six track EP was recorded at Underground Studios with resident producers Mark McEwan and Brody Simpson. 'Impatient Creatures' treads the alternative path, not shy of a trumpet melody or a cinematic sub effect, ultimately providing an expansive landscape. The moodier tracks could sit on a shelf with artists like Lana Del Ray and London Grammar where cyclical guitar and piano riffs swirl around a commanding vocal line.

Following on from their debut 'Let Go of Limbo', which quickly saw the group play the 2013 WAMi Saturday Spectacular showcase, The Insatiables are now armed with an inviting 2016 release that is both lyrically and musically passionate.

'I Know My Scars' is the second of six really good songs on the forthcoming EP. The band have a distinctive indie pop sound that runs through the collection, plenty of melody and well crafted material.

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Stillwater Giants - Montage.

Background bio - Gearing up for the imminent release of their debut album, lovable Perth scamps Stillwater Giants announce the release of 'Montage', the second single from the upcoming LP.

Brotherhood. It’s a word thrown around often, but for Stillwater Giants, it’s now gospel.  These days, two years can seem like a lifetime between new releases. For this Perth four piece it was a necessary hiatus that’s helped to turn them from boys to men, both within their song writing and the mateship that hard times bring. After originally being Unearthed by triple j in 2012 to play the Groovin' the Moofestival, this group of young guns from Margaret River began their steam rolling journey across the country. Swiftly finding themselves warming up the stage for the likes of The Delta Riggs, Birds of Tokyo, Stonefield, Ball Park Music, British India, The Rubens and Regurgitator, they also clocked festival time at Future Music, Parklife, Southbound, St Kilda Festival,as well as heading to US taste maker festival CMJ. The lads were even given the unique pleasure of being the first ever band to perform at the brand new Perth Arena when it opened.

With an intention to head back into the studio for a quick six month follow up to their hugely successful single and EP ‘Fly Under the Radar’, things went slightly awry as they sometimes do. This once cheeky group of musos - who were famous for their happy-go-lucky attitudes and not taking life too seriously -turned. Internal conflicts ensued, university degree debts went up and personal differences almost drove the band apart. Then, something amazing happened. They began recording. The decision to record all parts to their new album live at RADA Studios with Matt Gio (Birds of Tokyo, Katy Steele, San Cisco) presented a chance to bond but also to write new material, together. Inspired by the rawness and evidence of mistakes heard by other artists who recorded live such as Eddy Current Suppression Ring and Parquet Courts, they began.

Continuing to write helped pull the band back from a period of stagnation and the results are stunning. With their fun-loving attitudes back in-tact and a polished new live show,complete with equally polished Dad jokes,this certified party band are finally ready to unleash the very first Stillwater Giants full-length to the world. Long live the Stillwater Giants wolf pack.

Indie rock song 'Montage' is one catchy piece. The band have kept things simple and concentrated on making a foot stomping number, with vocals and harmonies providing as much melody as the perfectly timed chord changes.

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ISLES - The First Act.

Background promo - London-based ISLES are set to release their new single The First Act.


The indie-pop quartet is made up of Goldsmith students: Amber, Luke, Miles and Oliver - a 75% Northern group of friends who now reside in South London.

Taking references from bands such as Orange Juice, Neil Young and REM, the band manage to perfectly blend art school sensitivities with an alternative, bluesy sound. The band spent most of 2015 writing and touring across the UK. Bury Me is their first track of their double A –side single Bury Me / The First Act which will be unleashed on line over the coming month.

Bury Me, the first track to be released, is a soulful song with rugged, dreamy vibes. The melancholy female lead-vocals work perfectly in tune with upbeat guitars, ambient drums and backing vocals from fellow band mates.

Despite being described as indie pop in the press release, ISLES could slip into a number of genres quite comfortably. As regards 'The First Act' vocals are dreamy and delightful, and the music is bright and breezy, almost hinting that summers on it's way. Looking forward to hearing more.

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The Broadcasts - This Is Life.

Background promo - The Broadcasts are a four piece Alt Rock/Acoustic band who are based just outside of Cardiff, South Wales. Previously signed to indie label Right Recordings, the band released a double A side single recorded by legendary producer Stuart Epps (Oasis, Elton John) before leaving their label to pursue an alternative path.

Since forming in 2012 The Broadcasts have played at the BBC Club, London in front of music industry professionals, supported bands like Press To Meco, Dead! and Owen Paul in Cardiff as well as sharing the bill with BBC Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens at Newport Student Union. The boys recorded their debut nine track album in May 2015 at the beautifully scenic Mwnci Studios in Pembrokeshire, embarking on their first UK Tour shortly afterwards. Adam Walton of BBC Radio Wales' Introducing Show, described their music as "Heart on your sleeve, gritty Rock" and that's exactly what to expect from this storming eponymous debut album.

The album is released digitally on June 3rd and will be available on CD from June 17th.

One of nine songs on the new album, 'This Is Life' gives a good flavour of the alt rock side of the album, with super tight musicianship and gutsy vocals. There are some more acoustic based songs that add to the whole in a very positive way,  indeed the band seem quite happy to explore different ideas. It's creative without being pretentious, and there is plenty of good old feisty rock'n'roll.

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Four For Friday: Kid Cupid - The Aves - Winter1982 - AM

Kid Cupid - Siren.

Background promo - After joining forces only a year ago and already being compared to huge acts including London Grammar and Young Galaxy, the London-based indie-electro quartet Kid Cupid are definitely ones to watch in 2016.

Their upcoming new single Siren is the perfect introduction to what’s yet to come. Filled with backing harmonies highlighting the importance of the lyrics and topped with Laura’s incredible vocal delivery instantly draws comparisons to Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry.

Produced by the band themselves, the track ticks all the right boxes from start to finish. It consist of attention-grabbing lyrics, flowing real-world analogies as well as plenty of space for the listener’s diy interpretation. Their clever use of a broader range of instruments such as the snare drums to add the captivating rolling and additional tribal drum patterns resemble the likes of Jungle as well as Bastille’s hit Pompeii. Siren is the lead track taken from their forth-coming EP, and it will be available for sale and download everywhere 3rd June 2016. 

There's a couple of comparisons in the promo above, both have some credibility. Kid Cupid are not however clones, and a reasonably distinct and attractive sound emerges with the song 'Siren'. With a solid beat and rich background vocals, Laura glides above and hints at what is still to come from the bands eagerly awaited EP.

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The Aves - We Were Young.

Background promo - Adelaide's favourite garage kids The Aves have lifted a new single 'We Were Young', a definite highlight from their cracking debut album 'Good News'. Vocalist/guitarist Lucy Campbell says of the track, "For a long time this one was called 'Complicated Chords', because the structure took so long for us to get – the chorus never repeats itself. In the studio we faffed about with it for a long time just to get that rhythm right. The guitar solo had nine takes and Thomas’ hands blistered so much he had to stick them in methylated spirits between takes. Lyrically We Were Young takes cues from Bruce Springsteen, it’s a nostalgic, bitter sweet call back to when I was a teenager. In a lot of ways The Aves have grown up together and this song epitomises all of that energy for me."

With three impressive EP's, a Big Day Out slot thanks to triple j and a stack of touring under their belts that includes Canada's NXNE Festival, New York's River Rocks and Brisbane's Bigsound, The Aves have become known for their high energy live shows, infectious pop-smarts and tongue in cheek lyrics. Initially taking cues from a varied range of the greats like Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, The Kinks and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, 'Good News' is an album that's both energetic and textured - an ode to Adelaide, Hollywood and suburban dreams. 'Good News' is out now through all good digital retailers via Firestarter Distribution and via the band on CD.

How time flies, it was just over five months ago that we featured The Aves for the first time and after a few positive words finished with "more please", so thank you! If anything the band have an even stronger song with 'We Were Young', which besides being extremely catchy, demonstrates a more developed sound, all of which makes the album a must have.


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Winter1982 - Friend.

Background bio - Winter 1982 are Phil Barber (vocals, guitar) and Luke Phillips (piano, bass) from Birmingham. Trampled by their increasingly grey and relentless nine to five existence, they wanted to make music that spoke about their existence, sometimes beautiful, other times desperate and depressing, both knew their experiences could be drawn upon to create haunting alternative folk...  

Phil says "I have always written music, making little acoustic songs and recording them, very roughly. We are a duo so once I have something I like I send it to Luke. If he likes it too we work on it together, building in piano, bass, drums etc. We like songs....or maybe are just compelled to write songs....about life, love, hurt, doubt, mistrust. Basically what it is to be flawed human beings fumbling through life. I think everyone is continuously falling in and out of love, feeling great, hurt, happy, depressed, haunted and we are all trying to deal with that - sometimes privately -  the songs tend to be about those very human experiences. I've always loved soulful music that can be as dark as it is beautiful."

The duo, who have drawn comparisons to Ray Lamontagne and Ben Howard, have had support from both Amazing Radio and BBC Introducing.

Winter1982 are releasing 'Worry' on the 13th May, it's a beautiful song that unfortunately, I cannot feature here at the moment. Having been so impressed by the track, I pretty much wanted to share something, and the song 'Friend' makes for an excellent substitute. The duo create an expansive sound, laden with well crafted music and vocals, and creative song writing.

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AM - Precious Life.

Background promo - "Precious Life", produced with drummer Joey Waronker (Beck, Yeasayer, Atoms For Peace), is the new single from Los Angeles songwriter AM, with the album of the same name following on May 20. Returning from an ultra prolific period with electro-soul partner Shawn Lee (Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra), AM summons a dreamy sound on his new solo outing. With Waronker behind the drums and the board and with AM doing just about everything else on synths, bass, and guitar, the two carefully craft a record that is honest and emotional, yet swings and pulses.

When Joey's name was mentioned as a possible producer I thought 'how crazy would it be to work with one of my favourite drummers'...his work on Beck's "Mutations" and "Sea Change" were a huge influence and still remain some of the best drumming on record to date.  The first day we hooked up we banged out "The World Will Go On Without You", the last track on the record.  It was so effortless and fluent...with me on the bass and Joey on drums...I think we had the whole track done by the end of the day.  I think we both new then we had to make a record together."

The first single "Precious Life" delivers a bare, soulful guitar driven track rotating the question, “Who are you, with your precious life?” which openly critiques social class hierarchies of this time. Music made for the headphones...the big ones that is. Album available in stores on May 20, 2016 on Limited Edition blue vinyl and CD.

This is a really fine song. 'Precious Life' has a classic soul feel to it, and has been produced with care and attention. Musically it's crisp and precise with enough funk and feeling to complement the dreamy soulful vocals, the album sounds very promising.

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Thursday Double Play: Jack Berry - Stone Cold Fox

Jack Berry - Coal.

Background bio - Originally from Reno, Nevada, Berry created his first album for a school project while studying in Los Angeles. After performing along the West Coast in a duo, Berry decided that he was meant for a career in music and relocated to Nashville. After several months of sleeping on a couch and working to catch the attention of the local press, Berry’s “ample supply of good hooks and riffs” (Nashville Scene) eventually gained the praise of critics throughout Nashville and beyond, earning him spots at well- known festivals, including North by Northeast in Toronto, New York City’s CMJ Music Marathon and SXSW’s Red Gorilla Festival.

Since then, Berry has logged dozens of shows from Nashville to New York City. He most recently appeared at No Country For New Nashville’s December showcase in 2015 and earned the runner-up spot in Hard Rock Rising’s Battle of the Bands. Mean Machine is poised to serve as Jack Berry’s breakthrough record, so be sure to stay tuned to the Reno-native’s every move! The new single, "Coal," is from his forthcoming LP, Mean Machine, out May 13th.

The mix of Alt rock and blues is a really good background for Jack Berry's naturally potent vocals. 'Coal' is a bruising rocker of a song with vocals and band delivering a concerted piece of in your face music. The music and harmonies are a mighty powerhouse, and Jack is the vital messenger.

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Stone Cold Fox - Firing Squad.

Background promo - The best kind of road trips are the ones that are spontaneous. You know where you want to go, you have a final destination in mind - you just don’t necessarily know how you’re going to get there. But that’s ok, because it’s all about the journey, right? Brooklyn-based four piece, Stone Cold Fox want to take a road trip with you- they’ll get you to where you want to go, you just gotta let them take the wheel, because in the end whatever will be, will be. And the soundtrack? Their forthcoming EP, Tunnel Vision.

Tunnel Vision is a stunning contradiction- a collection of journeys made up of distorted dance synths that bleed with a rock-heavy heart. Written, recorded and produced over a period of two years, the sound of Tunnel Vision resembles a mindset that is anything but narrow minded- instead, it’s a collection of tracks that skew in every which way, that ultimately steer back to it’s original course to create a wistful, cohesive sound. “Tracks started as total rock songs, then turned into chilled electro songs, eventually finding its way somewhere comfortably in the middle,” explains guitarist and vocalist Kevin. “They find middle ground with a rock core and a dancey pulse,” he adds. So, imagine a world where John Lennon is rose from the dead and conceived a love child with The Strokes while listening to LCD Soundsystem and Beat Connection - that’s the kind of world that Tunnel Vision creates.

A spacey dreamy guitar driven indie song topped with delightful vocals is how I would describe 'Firing Squad'. Sometimes that's enough, Stone Cold Fox add their little twist and it becomes more than enough.

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