Quality Not Quantity: Divan - Earth Heart

Divan - Sale Of Lakes.

Background promo - There's a lot of life in the city. Growing up in the idyllic Irish countryside and finding a place amid the alien, urban sprawl had a huge impact on Divan. Their music; all pulsating rhythm, soaring vocals and oscillating guitars, draws on a rich tapestry of styles and sounds, which evolves into a real statement of intent: the desire to understand art and its relevance in modern life.

 Singer, Jamie Clarke writes: 'I think always having an innate desire to surround yourself with activity & action when all you've known is peace & tranquillity comes out in our music. It draws me to people, and also to the art that I love.'

The lyrical narrative in Modern Knowledge weaves its way through such themes, affecting not just today's artists and creators but everyone that, like Jamie, is drawn to the bustle of something more than what was known... From experimenting with accessible but unusual time signatures in ‘Shards’ to exploring vulnerability both lyrically and vocally in ‘A Clarity Appears’, the heart and soul that runs through this record is achieved via subtle nods to the likes of Radiohead, The National and Richard Hawley, as well as the band’s own profound voice and subject matter.

There are mournful sparks of looped piano from Brent (Knopf) in ‘Darkened Room’ and dark melodies inspired by the encompassing warmth of Sufjan Stevens…while frontman Clarke’s subtly reedy voice is reminiscent of Benjamin Gibbard in his more delicate moments. Major chords are utilised to strengthen the depths alongside jolting, haunted stabs of guitar and the end result is compelling, intense and overwhelmingly thoughtful; demanding repeated listens.

Going by the song 'Sale Of Lakes' the transition from rural to urban life for the band Divan, has at least at a musical level paid off. Having gone in the opposite direction, I personally think both can help with musical creativity, however the urban sprawl does spark passion and reality, the case in point being this really fine song.

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Earth Heart - Homesick.

And the band say - We're a garage/street rock band from Allston, MA. Our influences range from local acts such as Fat History Month and Krill to the Mouldy Peaches, the Melvins, and Cat Power.

We formed in February 2013 when Katie and Matt met at the old All Asia Cafe in Central Square, Cambridge. She was working on a solo project at the time, as she didn't have a band. She mentioned she needed a drummer and Matt volunteered without having heard her songs. We played a show the next day without rehearsing and have been playing together ever since. We continued as a duo (guitar and drums), playing extensively in the Boston area at venues such as TT The Bears Place, Middle East upstairs, O'Briens, Out Of The Blue Gallery and Zuzu, as well as a handful of basement shows in Manchester NH.

We self-recorded and -released five EPs along the way, and completed our first full-length, professionally recorded album in January 2016 with Shaun Curran at Napoleon Complex in Somerville, MA. The following month (January 2016) we were joined by Natan Keyes on bass. Our plans are to continue playing locally and tour for the first time this summer. 

'Homesick' is a little bit punky and garage, and a whole lot raw unrefined energy. It's good old rock'n'roll with attitude, and it never ceases to please.

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Midweek Double: Ghost Wave - Pip Blom

Ghost Wave - All U Do Is Kill.

Background promo - New Zealand’s Ghost Wave return with their sophomore album Radio Norfolk. Following on from 2013’s Ages the latest album sees the duo explore deeper into their psychedelic sound, while adding a more electronic focus to their sunny warped songs.

From the opening track onwards Radio Norfolk is a series of trippy, psych hooks filled with clashes of keys, organs, and percussion. Taking minimal cues from their previous work, Radio Norfolk’s songs dance through a colourful, hyperactive rhythm sets (All U Do Is Kill), dazed, dub-laden melodies (Honeypunch, Blues Signal ’79), 70s jangle gems (Don’t Ask Why, Slow Cone Descent), the album offers no limit to the duo’s vision.  It’s the album they started a band to make, in the first place. On top of this, they aptly brought on the talents of Spaceman 3’s Sonic Boom to master the record.

With a less serious, yet more focused, approach to their craft and seeking good times only, they created  individual production personas (Malcolm S/ Dr Billy) and huddled up for a year in their Auckland studio, Breeze N Soul (named after the Kool & The Gang song). 

Ghost Wave started life in 2012 as the brainchild of Matt Paul (Vocals, Guitar). What was a initially a project relegated to a small room in Auckland, New Zealand over time the sonic chemistry he was cooking up caught the attention of fellow music maker and soon-to-be collaborator Eammon Logan (Drums). Together they self-recorded what came to be their self- titled EP and followed this up with debut album Ages.

Inspired by skate vids, Persian rugs and the music of Little Richard, you could simply characterise Ghost Wave by jangly guitars underpinned by motor-style rhythms and a unique melodic sensibility. Yet, with Radio Norfolk they have gone further than that, creating something even more captivating and intriguing. In their own words it’s “ ...the countdown to the meltdown.” Radio Norfolk is out in New Zealand on 8th of July and worldwide on 5th of August. The next single Honeypunch drops on 24th of June.

Ghost Wave play their album release show on 8th of July at the Las Vegas Strip Club Auckland - with special guest Peach Milk.

Second time around on Beehive Candy for Ghost Wave this time featuring the song 'All U Do Is Kill'. It's one of ten tracks on the soon to drop album 'Radio Norfolk'. It's worth reading the second paragraph of the promo description above (and it saves me repeating much of it), this is a band who create fine songs, test the boundaries and can musically charm your socks off.

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Pip Blom - Hours.

Background promo - Pip Blom has released her new track ’Hours’ online. Pip Blom is a 19 year old artist from Amsterdam. DIY is in her genes. She writes, records and releases her own indie pop tunes with a twist. Although she just started releasing her material in 2016, her rough diamonds with catchy melodies have already found their way to an international audience. The songs have been featured on influential Spotify play lists with more than 150.000 plays.

When she was 15 years old, Pip started playing a three-string Loog guitar and in a month she wrote 13 songs, recorded them and released them under the name Short Stories. With the album, Pip ended up on the front page of worldwide tech website ’TechCrunch’ as they did a feature of Loog guitars. She writes and records everything on her own but she brings her songs live as a four piece band. Tours in the Netherlands and England are scheduled for the band in the near future for her and the three other Amsterdam youngsters; Tender Blom, Bowie Thörig and Berend Kok, who accompany her on stage.

Two of Pip’s songs, Hours and Truth will be released on a limited edition 7” single via the Norwich based Grunt Grunt A Go Go label on the 1st of July. Hours is now available on all platforms.

'Hours' is just so delightful. Musically it's a stripped back piece, that gently grows as the melody supports her hypnotic vocals. Wonderful!

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Genre Busters: Prison Escapee - SPC ECO - Closely

Prison Escapee - Gunslinger.

Background Bio - Prison Escapee is the moniker of Erik David Hidde located in Los Angeles, CA. After running the independent record label, Housewarming Records, out of New York from 2011-2013, Hidde has since decided to put all his focus into his original music. Inspired by equal parts post-rock, electronica, lo-fi field recordings, and film soundtracks, Hidde has been investing the hours into his music when he returns home from his day-job until he puts himself to sleep. Both his debut and sophomore albums were written, recorded, produced, and mixed in his living room.

Hidde was raised in Fort Hunter, a hamlet located in upstate New York by a christian family, which is represented in his music. Surround by water, Fort Hunter is also a common subject in his music, which subject matter often includes reflecting back on his childhood. Other subject matter includes loss, which is centred around his close friend's prison cell suicide. Hidde was brought up singing in his church, and all-county chorus in grade school. The first music he ever produced was in college, and was part of his multimedia degree. It wasn't good, but it brought something out in him and also filled a void. He then went on to record short looped songs using a digital camera microphone for his vocals, and later created original music dedicated to his late friend. He was also the lead singer of a five-piece rock band that often played in upstate New York. After years of writing, recording, and practising production, he started Prison Escapee in 2015 and has since been releasing his melancholic electronic, rock songs.

What a delight the song 'Gunslinger' is. In the ever crowded music world, it's always very good to hear music that is made out of appreciation for the art, and that remains unpretentious, moving and so accessible.

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SPC ECO - Out Of My System.

Background promo - SPC ECO  release lead single "Out of My System"  from upcoming album "Anomalies" (Saint Marie Records), August 19th, 2016. It was less than a year ago SPC ECO (pronounced Space Echo, a name that’s part riddle & part publicly-traded stock) released Dark Matter to ecstatic reviews, and here they are back already with Anomalies. Dean Garcia, famously of Curve, and singer Rose Berlin, famously of SPC ECO, are on a creative hot streak. With yet another album scheduled for later in the year, there’s nothing left for Saint Marie records to do but sit back and enjoy the ride.

Anomalies continues the parade of alternate-universe pop hits they’ve come known for, existing somewhere beyond genre, somewhere beyond understanding. Its beats provide the missing link between trap and trip-hoptrap-hop? The sharpest father-daughter team since Ryan and Tatum O’Neal in Paper Moon. And if you’ve never heard of Paper Moon then that must mean SPC ECO is very sharp indeed.

'Out Of My System' is the first taste of the forthcoming nine song album. It only hints at what's in store on the album, where SPC ECO dig even deeper, and create music that fills entire landscapes. Saint Marie Records suggest they are on to something special with the August release, having listened I think it fair to say, that they are not overstating matters.

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Closely - Still Here.

Background words - "An eclectic mix of indie pop / house vibes with bottle taps and other wild percussive elements, "Still Here" is a summer jam with a nostalgic feel."

Closely was formed accidentally. Michael posted on Kijiji looking for a female singer for a project he was working on & the only response he got was a male guitarist (Joel). 

Michael and Spenser were writing slow, dreamy pop and Joel was writing electro jams. After a few practices and a lot of experimenting "Closely" was born.

'Still Here' is my first taste of Closely, and the promo we received does not give much away either. It's a good song, with excellent production, and as summer jams go, a generous offering.

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Genre Wander: Vallens - Shaun Black - Graveyard Lovers

Vallens - Devour.

Background - Vallens debut album Consent (out June 24 via HDD). The songs on Consent are quite dark and discuss important issues to songwriter Robyn Phillips, such as the title track of the album "Consent." The song is about various issues around consent, consent to have a stranger talk to you, no means no, why women have to do something triply better than a man to just be considered, and the ever underlying sense that women only do things for the attention of men.

Robyn Phillips created Vallens in late 2014 to serve as her performance alter ego, secretly constructing her own world of music alone while playing guitar and gigging in various Toronto projects. The Vallens moniker allowed Robyn to introduce her own sound within the scene under the influence of namesake, David Lynch’s Dorothy Vallens.

Conjuring the likes of Rowland S. Howard, Wire, Angelo Badalamenti and Portishead; Vallens has been living deep in the construction of her first record, Consent (Due June 24th, 2016 on Hand Drawn Dracula). The album was recorded and produced by Josh Korody (Beliefs, Nailbiter) at Candle Recording in Toronto, as well as with Jeff Berner (Psychic TV) at Galumium Foil in Brooklyn, NY.  The themes on Consent evoke the tension and stratosphere of Robyn’s early years and what it means to be female in our society.

In the past year Vallens has expanded to a full band (Colin Morgan - drums, Marta Cikojevic - synth & keyboards and Devon Henderson - bass) who have shaped and influenced Robyn’s further writing. The project debuted live in 2015 and quickly captured the attention of music critics, promoters, and the local music scene. Vallens has since been invited to perform at NXNE, Pop Montreal, M for Montreal, and CMJ, as well they've shared the stage with Frankie Cosmos, Freak Heat Waves, Porches, Mourn, Ringo Deathstarr, U.S Girls, A Place to Bury Strangers, Speedy Ortiz, Dilly Dally and La Luz.

'Devour ' is one of ten tracks on the debut album 'Consent'. It's a varied album with sometimes bleak and distant shoegaze music. The featured song sits somewhere in the middle of overall band sound, full of dreamy and haunting sounds, I guess it's pretty representative. Overall this is a good album that breathes some new ideas into the shoegaze genre, Vallens appear to have quite alot to offer.

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Shaun Black - Time.

Background - Hailing from the Yarra Valley in Melbourne, Shaun Black’s influences include Paul Kelly, INXS, Counting Crows and Matchbox 20. His debut album Refraction is a collection of Aussie Acoustic-Rock taking you through a very real, down to earth journey. This eclectic album has tracks ranging from Rock, Roots, Reggae, Country, Pop and Blues-Rock. The first single “Time” is a Blues-Rock ballad with a mesmerising vibe.

“Time” was recorded at Oakland studio in Upwey, a town that sits in the hills surrounding Mt Dandenong, east of Melbourne. It was co-produced by Phil Smith and Shaun Black and features Mike Maguire on lead guitar and Emma Hales with her resonating backing vocals.

“This song is about something we all seem to not have enough of. In today’s world full of smartphones and deadlines I think we all feel at some point in time that we need to get back in touch with ourselves and our own lives,” says Shaun on the creation of the song.

The first single from the album 'Time' is a really well put together bluesy song, with that timeless feel this type of music so often has, when performed well. A great introduction and the promo words above are spot on, I look forward to to hearing more.

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Graveyard Lovers - Storm.

Background - Indie garage rock band, Graveyard Lovers, announce the release of their album, Past The Forest of the Fruitless Thoughts, just out, June 17th. The band signed a publishing deal with Roundhill Music and their music can be heard in movies, TV shows and commercials, namely on the Season 6 finale of Shameless on Showtime. Graveyard Lovers recorded their two-part album, Past The Forest of the Fruitless Thoughts, in rural Connecticut at The Radar Studio with Will Benoit (Bad Rabbits, Ellie Goulding, Caspian). Part 1 will be released this June, and part 2 is due out later this year. CraveOnline declares, “It's as if the best parts of the Saddle Creek family spent a Summer with the Pixies and burned their White Stripes records in a distancing ritual that only deepened the connection to some of the most viscerally passionate sounds of our time.”

Graveyard Lovers, founded by core members Zach Reynolds (vocals, guitar) and Tricia Purvis-Reynolds (drums), produce "big, loud primal rock and roll...throwback, non-pretentious music.” (Huffington Post) Hailing from New Orleans, Zach Reynolds moved to New York in 2009 to pursue a solo music career.  After meeting drummer Tricia Purvis, the pair found they had both a musical and romantic chemistry. In 2010, they began to co-write songs together in a home studio. The band released their highly acclaimed, debut album, Dreamers, in 2013 and soon after,  recruited Zach’s brother, Joel (Junius, Prosthetic Records, Driftoff), to play bass. Now, the band welcomes their sophomore, two-part album, Past the Forest of the Fruitless Thoughts, this year. 

'Storm' gives you a clear idea of what's in store on the bands new album. Blistering no nonsense indie and garage rock songs demand your attention, along with some less energised but still very hook laden music. Five songs on part one set standards high, however somehow I think the band will maintain this with ease.

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Quality Not Quantity: Renders - Arc Iris - La Legacie - Chain Wallet

Renders - Running Through The Night.

Kelly McMichael (Renders) has this to say about the featured song and forthcoming EP - The song is my 'take back the night' anthem, inspired by Slutwalk, dedicated to empowering those of us who feel vulnerable walking at night, and to protest victim-blaming. It's the first track off my Self-titled EP. The EP is out July 8th.

On this EP, I am looking both inwards towards the emotional core and outwards to the dance floor. I write about the fluid and complex relationships we face - relationships tied to personal growth, inner struggles, and the multi-faceted world of human relations. This debut EP is about claiming space and demanding acceptance. Writing from an emotional intelligence; and singing for the fluid and tangled forces tied to nature. Keeping a keen ear to both classic and contemporary pop music.

There are four really cool songs on the EP and featured track 'Running Through The Night' is the opener. Beehive Candy featured Renders in the latter part of 2015 and we were impressed back then. Her music remains consistently pleasing and there is considerable variety packed into the new EP.

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Arc Iris - Kaleidoscope.

Background - On August 19, the New England based Arc Iris will release a new album called Moon Saloon. Produced by the group and mixed by electronic producer David Wrench of FKA Twigs and Caribou fame, the album showcases beat-heavy melodies and textural, groove-riding rhythms.

Lead singer and lyricist Jocie Adams, Tenorio-Miller, and drummer Ray Belli form the core of Arc Iris, all virtuosic musicians in their own right. Adams spent eight years as a key member of indie darlings The Low Anthem, effortlessly zipping from hammer dulcimer to clarinet to bass to vocals, sometimes barely pausing to take a breath. As the band members see it, Moon Saloon works like a song cycle that parallels the arc of everyman’s passage through modern day dilemmas. According to Adams: “The album is meant to be cathartic. There’s an imbalance in everyone’s lives. When there’s often so much going on, we yearn for simplicity.”

The album starts with “Kaleidoscope”, mimicking a kind of fanciful stroll down the street, and ends with the title track, a delicate soliloquy in a strange, desolate landscape. The album sometimes offers a sharp counterpoint to the mean-spirited nature of current American political discourse. One example is “Paint with the Sun,” a paean to those who help others in need. Soaring over each song is Adams’ ethereal voice, often joined in close harmonies with other members of the band.

Tour dates:
7/5: Brooklyn, NY - C'mon Everybody
7/12: Brooklyn, NY - C'mon Everybody
7/19: Brooklyn, NY - C'mon Everybody
7/21: New Haven, VT - Cafe Nine
7/26: Brooklyn, NY - C'mon Everybody
9/9: Elizabethtown, NY - Otis Mountain Get Down

'Kaleidoscope' suggests there will be considerable quality across the awaited album. Production is superb and the musicianship is quite stunning. Add to this the exquisite vocals, and waiting another couple of months for the rest seems a bit of a tease.

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La Legacie - Dinner.

Background - La Legacie is an award winning band of 5 with Vermillion and SouFire. La Legacie is based out of Northern France and are all English except their drummer, Baptiste who is French and their Lead guitarist and Pro Engineer, Benoit (who is also French, but completely bilingual), making La Legacie a bilingual band.

La Legacie has their our own recording studio which they create classics out of. Originally setup purely for writing and recording songs for the band, but now they are opening it up for others to use. (www.dusktodawnstudios.com) Dinner is La Legacie's latest single, described as a cheeky song.

'Dinner' may be 'cheeky' however it's one really good listen. The band are clearly making good use of their own studio, and there is plenty of room on Beehive Candy for good quality music that can add a smile anytime.

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Chain Wallet - Muted Colours.

Background - You can’t deny that there is something sorrowful behind the Bergen-based, lo-fi dream/psych pop trio Chain Wallet, and you can’t hide that their music suits the environment wherein it was created. It may be a cliché that it always rains in the band’s hometown, but when you play Chain Wallet’s self-titled debut album, it’s not too difficult imagine the mist hanging heavily over their indie dystopian vision of Bergen.

Even though feelings of nostalgia and melancholy lurk in the Scandinavian shadows, it’s not difficult to find indie-pop gold in its purest form, glittering below the heavy layers of synth and reverb. Tracks like ‘Shade’ and ‘Abroad’ have an up-tempo urgency to them which calls to mind bands like Motorama, whereas other dreamy psych ballads like ‘Muted Colours’ and ‘Stuck In The Fall’ occupy a rich and hazy middle ground between Diiv and Wild Nothing.

On their debut album, Chain Wallet explore themes of betrayal, idleness and crushed dreams against the backdrop of an existential breakdown; The album is loosely based in the same universe, and portrays different aspects of the quarter-life crisis, ensuring that ‘Chain Wallet’ hits on a visceral, teenage level, amongst the shimmer and haze of the lo-fi soundscape that they conjure.

Frode Boris from the band explains the band’s ethos and sound - “We want to capture the acute distress of an afflicted character; his self-indulgent pity, gradual loss of touch with reality and his forlorn attempts on returning to normal life. The abrupt disintegration unveils interesting tensions between urgency and inertia. The album is about fragmented memories, unfulfilled ambitions and the quiet whisper of a stranger.” Self-title debut album due out 7th Oct 2016 via Jansen Plateproduksjon.

Having read the bands promo material I was left wondering what to expect. 'Muted Colours' is actually a pretty bright song, with lot's of dreamy vibes and psychedelic leanings. The bands brand of Indie pop, has another fan.

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