Globe Trotting: Woodes - Velvet Bow - Elijah Ford - Aloric

Woodes - The Thaw. 

Background promo - Acclaimed Melbourne based artist/producer Woodes releases her new single 'The Thaw', following on from her debut solo single 'Daggers & Knives’ which was added to radio rotations and praised online in Australia and beyond. With the new single 'The Thaw’; Woodes creates another powerfully beautiful track, combining her poetic lyrics with a textured production to construct a song set in a wintery realm.

Woodes will be hitting the road this August as she joins Dustin Tebutt as the support act for his 'First Light' Australian national tour. Her previous single 'Daggers & Knives' has ticked over 250,000 total plays and was been added to rotation on; triple j unearthed, FBi Radio, SYN, profiled on Spotify Australia and various US college radio stations.

Woodes has previously been in the spotlight for her collaborative EP with producer Elkkle, garnering instantaneous praise across the radio and blog-o-sphere in Australia as well as internationally. More recently her track 'Flash Mob' was revealed as one of the top 25 songs played in 2015 across triple j unearthed radio. Woodes is currently collaborating with local and international artists including Kilter, Milwaukee Banks, Set Mo, Kintaro, FØRD and Golden Vessel. Woodes is set to release her debut EP in September 2016.

You can catch Woodes supporting Dustin Tebbutt around the country:

Thursday 4 August - Bryon Theatre, Bryon Bay NSW
Friday 5 August - Foundry, Brisbane QLD
Saturday 6 August - Sol Bar, Maroochydore QLD
Thursday 11 August - Northcote Social Club, Melbourne VIC 
Friday 12 August - Northcote Social Club, Melbourne VIC
Saturday 13 August - Workers Club, Geelong VIC
Thursday 18 August - Newtown Social Club, Sydney NSW
Friday 19 August - Newtown Social Club, Sydney NSW (Sold Out)
Saturday 20 August - Transit Bar, Canberra ACT
Friday 26 August - Jack Rabbit Slims, Perth WA
Saturday 27 August - Jive, Adelaide SA.

Already getting considerable attention after just couple of days, 'The Thaw' is a fascinating and quite addictive song, that is produced to a very high standard. I reckon Woodes is one to watch out for, to say the least.

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Velvet Bow - Lily Fuzz.

Background promo - Back with their second offering for 2016, Victorian coastal outfit Velvet Bow present ‘Lily Fuzz’ - A layered and complex piece that highlights the progression of the young five-piece band now based out of Melbourne.

Although the playful and familiar Velvet Bow sound is present in the track, there is a moodier undertone that weaves its way throughout ‘Lily Fuzz’. With a heavier focus on lyrics and technique, this track presents a slightly more guarded feel in comparison to other offerings from the band in recent times; a nudge at the idea that these kids from the coast might just be growing up.

Front man Ben Wade describes the track as a look into the, “ever-present, but not always so apparent optimism of adolescence.” With humble beginnings and hours of bedroom recordings stemming back to early 2013, the band appear to be working towards truly finessing their sound. Until then, each track will continue to fluctuate and reflect the fast moving, ever-changing landscape around them.

After receiving an overwhelming response to their heavily surf-inspired last track ‘Bombora’, Velvet Bow have worked to produce something that shines more of a spotlight on their musical developments and are set to release their debut EP by the end of 2016. With recording by Zac Barter (Canary, Life Is Better Blonde) and flawless production by the highly regarded Steve Schram (Eagle and the Worm, San Cisco, Paul Kelly), ‘Lily Fuzz’ is a transitional piece that takes a band most well known for its carefree surf sound to a competitive player in the Melbourne music scene.

Although ‘Lily Fuzz’ presents a slightly more melancholic approach, that addictive surf-rock sound triumphantly marks its place, with this track swelling to an amalgamation of guitar heavy, chaotic fuzz and layered vocals towards the close of the track. As they work towards the release of their EP, Velvet Bow have been playing regular slots regionally and in Melbourne, as well as hitting the studio to focus on fine-tuning their sound in 2016. July will see them take on a 13 date national tour to launch ‘Lily Fuzz’. “Lily Fuzz” will be released 29th of July 2016.

Sun 17th July - Alex Surf Club (Sunshine Coast)
Mon 18th July - Rics Bar (Brisbane)
Tue 19th July - New Tattersall Hotel (Lismore)
Fri 12th August – Mynt Lounge (Werribee)
Sat 27th August – Barwon Club (Geelong)
2nd September – Torquay Board Riders (Torquay)
3rd September – The Catfish (Fitzroy, Melbourne)

'Lily Fuzz' is one good song, that in part sounds a little like, a pacier, darker, San Cisco song (maybe not as dark as 'Wild Things'...). Anyhow it's my first listen to Velvet Bow and I am massively impressed and keen to hear more.

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Elijah Ford - Try As You Might.

Background bio - Elijah Ford is a California native turned Austin-based musician, songwriter and producer, who began his solo career after breaking from touring with Oscar and Grammy award winning musician Ryan Bingham. Ford put out his first solo record Upon Waking in 2011, and an EP called Ashes in October of 2012. After spending the last two years touring Europe & the U.S., Elijah and his band, The Bloom, are releasing a new full length album called As You Were on September 16th, 2016.

Elijah is no stranger to industry, as both of his parents have been life-long musicians. Elijah Ford is the son of former Black Crowes' guitar heavyweight Marc Ford, and toured as part of Ford Sr's Fuzz Machine at the age of 17, before getting the gig with Bingham, where he stayed until 2012. The younger Ford has surely taken some valuable rock n' roll notes from his father, but has also put together a sound that's completely his own.

The new album, entitled As You Were, was recorded at Austin's legendary Arlyn Studios. Produced by Stew Jackson (Massive Attack, Phantom Limb) and engineered by Jacob Sciba (Gary Clark Jr., Willie Nelson), it pushes the pop-rock sound of the Ashes EP into groovier, more hook-filled heights. Joined on bass by Jesse Ebaugh (Heartless Bastards) & guitar by Ricky Ray Jackson (Phosphorescent, The Happen-Ins), The Bloom has crafted a concise, powerful slab of rock n' roll with honest and direct songwriting.

Ford was also recently chosen to be a part of the elite ATX6, an innovative music export project that selects six of Austin’s emerging musicians each year, and sends them to international music festivals where they represent the Austin music community. The chosen six represent a variety of genres, and will be traveling and performing together at several festivals around the world from September 2016 through January 2017.

The first of ten fine tracks on the September 2016 release 'Try As You Might' sets the pace for a feast of rock'n'roll songs, indeed your well over half way through the collection before anything gentler is presented. Simple equation, like featured song = explore the album!

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Aloric - When Doves Cry.

Put Simply - The new track 'When Doves Cry' has been released from London-based Aloric. It is a tribute to Prince with elements of Sigur Rós & PJ Harvey thrown in.

"a breathtaking experience that feels too surreal to be believed. This rendition is arguably the best cover of a Prince song I have heard" ~TheRevue

"just about as fitting a tribute to the purple one that you could imagine...an earnest emotion that is impossible to fake. Wonderful stuff" ~Overblown

"an evocative tribute to the late legend... a wondrous experience and a fitting piece to remember Prince by" ~AnthemReview

Aloric manages to merge the influences of three fundamentaly great music talents into one, with this almost perfect musical tribute to Prince. But don't just take my, or the three above opinions for it, this version of 'When Doves Cry' is so worth listening to.

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Genre Wander: Wildhoney - Birdtalker - Eight Bit Tiger - Georgia Ruth - Katie Burden

Wildhoney - Horror Movie.

Background - Four great bands, two great labels and two continents meet on this stellar mini-LP. Frequent collaborators Slumberland Records and Fortuna POP! team up to bring you 'Continental Drift,' a smashing eight song sampler of some of the finest pop out there in 2016.

Baltimore's Wildhoney have been making music together since 2011, forging a fresh sound from raw materials of shoegaze, punk and good old indiepop. 2015 saw the release of their debut LP and follow-up EP, and now we've snagged two top-quality exclusive tunes for this compilation.

'Continental Drift' is out August 26 [pre-order] featuring tracks from Wildhoney, Mercury Girls, The Spook School & Tigercats.

Wildhoney Tour Dates:
7/15 Boston, MA @ The Democracy Center w/ Literature, Bent Shapes
7/16 Philly, PA @ PhilaMoca w/ Literature, Hurry, Free Cake for Every Creature
8/12 Raleigh, NC @ Ruby Deluxe w/ Jenny Besets and Essex Muro
8/13 Atlanta, GA @ Wrecking Ball Fest w/ L7, Deerhunter, Ceremony, Turnover and more
8/14 Richmond, Va @ Gallery 5 w/ Big Baby and Christi
8/26 Baltimore, MD @ The Crown w/ Soul Cannon, Creepoid, Flasher and Shinji

'Horror Movie' is a nice slice of dreamy indie pop. It's one of two songs on the forthcoming "mini sampler" album, and considering who they are sharing space with, this could well be a pretty special collection of songs.

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Birdtalker - Heavy.

Background - Nashville alternative group Birdtalker has released its debut single, "Heavy," and announced the release of its debut EP, Just This.

Since releasing on June 24, "Heavy" has amassed over 240k streams at Spotify, debuting at #19 on the Global Viral Chart, and #26 on the U.S. Viral Chart. "Heavy is about embracing vulnerability and choosing to act from a place no longer tethered to resent, doubt, or insecurity," reflects Birdtalker's Zack Green. "It’s about choosing to live from a place of acceptance and peace over fear." The group's debut six-song EP, Just This, was recorded in Nashville at Glass Onion Recording Studio with co-producers JD Tiner (Erin Rae) and Dan Fernandez (Great Peacock), and will be independently released on August 19.

Birdtalker began with Zack and Dani Green, a newlywed couple, writing a few songs together in their spare time. Friends in Nashville began to take notice, and the duo quickly grew into a five-piece. In its brief time performing together Birdtalker has had notable appearances opening for The Strumbellas and Escondido. Looking ahead, the band will announce an EP release show in Nashville in support of Just This EP. 

'Heavy' is the single release and the second track out of six on the forthcoming EP. This is a fabulous song, with stand out harmonies and a beautifully delivered soundtrack. Powerful and emotional alt rock, the EP is keenly awaited.

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Eight Bit Tiger - Move Dance Feel

Background bio - “We don’t do things the easy way” is somewhat of an understatement for the intercontinental electronic band Eight Bit Tiger. With their new record Move Dance Feel, the band has shown that making a great album is no longer constrained to physical proximity, but can be accomplished in the cloud.

Inspired by the funk band Chic and pop legend Michael Jackson, Eight Bit Tiger has taken a strong influence from the annals of music history. The band’s sound is a mixture of 70s funk and 80s inspired electropop combining signature bass lines with vintage synth sounds.

Eight Bit Tiger was formed in 2011 in Chicago, USA by the Widman brothers Erik and Kent who were at the time transitioning from their indie rock roots. Following great praise of their debut album, the band changed course when Erik moved to Stockholm, Sweden in 2012. Determined to keep the music alive, the brothers built two recording studios in their respective apartments 6888 kilometers apart (for American readers, that’s 75328 football fields). The music had now left the physical plane and entered the digital cloud. Sonic experiments and song ideas were sent back and forth, like synapses between neurons, ultimately leading to the creation of Move Dance Feel, three years in the making.

The new album harkens to an era of high tops, colorful leg warmers, and dreams where anything was possible. Simultaneously, the human factor is counterbalanced by a glimpse into the sonic future from a 80s perspective, where robots have taken over and created a sound of their own. While the band’s previous release Parallel Synchronized Randomness sounded more like a rock band wading into the shallow end of the electronic music pool, Move Dance Feel, is a synth-heavy swan dive into the deep end.

Well if the song 'Move Dance, Feel' has done anything for me, it's made me feel younger than I am. It's one of seven sonic delights that ooze retro sounds, thanks to the vintage synths in part, but mainly due to the infectious enthusiasm behind each song.

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Georgia Ruth - The Doldrums.

Background - Welsh singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Georgia Ruth has announced a new album Fossil Scale, due for release on October 7, 2016 via Navigator Records. The record is the follow up to 2013’s Welsh Music Prize winning Week Of Pines - a feat Georgia never contemplated she’d achieve for her critically acclaimed, bilingual debut album. The record prompted The  Guardian to tip her as ‘One of the British folk discoveries of the year’, with Georgia going  on to be twice nominated in the 2014 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, alongside radio support across Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music. UK live dates to support the release of Fossil Scale are expected to be announced shortly.

Switching out her previous go-to writing tool - the harp - for a piano in search of a more expansive yet ambient sound, Georgia headed into the familiar setting of Snowdonia’s Bryn Derwen Studio in January 2015, to lay down the foundations of what would become Fossil Scale. When the sale of the studio just 5 days into recording threw plans awry, recording time was then split between studios in London and Cardiff – in the case of the latter, at friends and collaborators Manic Street Preachers’ Faster Studios (Georgia sung on ‘Divine Youth’, a track that featured on the Manics’ Futurology album). The album was finally pieced together in Mwnci Studios, co-produced with Italian producer Marta Salogni (Phil Selway, Eliot Sumner) and long-time collaborator David Wrench (Caribou, Bat For Lashes) some 11 months after those initial sessions began.

'The Doldrums' is a such a wonderful song. The gentle understated musical soundtrack, has glimpses of it's own beauty, and provides the perfect foundations for Georgia Ruth's exquisite vocals. The album Fossil Scale is released on October 7 via Navigator Records, definately one for the must have list.

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Katie Burden - I Can See It Clear.

Background bio - Katie Burden’s stylized atmospheric rock and shamanistic delivery often conjure up the ghost of Jim Morrison but in a modern context, falls somewhere between Bat for Lashes and Joan As Police Woman.

After being raised in a small hippy town in Colorado, Burden spent her formative years bouncing around NYC and later San Francisco. In 2012 she moved to LA and after attending a meditation retreat, synchronistically fell in with a group of blue chip musicians including drummer/producer Norm Block (Mark Lanagan, Sweethead and Jenny Lee of Warpaint) and guitarist Jen Turner of Here We Go Magic and Exclamation Pony.

Katie happened to have hundreds of song sketches recorded as voice memos on her phone and after she played them for her new friends there was no looking back.  Block stepped into the role of producer while Turner helped flesh out the recordings that became Burden's debut EP My Blind Eye. The 5 song set was released on Norm’s Cautionary Tail label and was met with critical kudos from Buzzbands LA, Impose and a video premiere on USA Today who noted the debut had a “mysterious, experimental appeal.” The EP also made a fan of Jenny Lee (Warpaint) who asked Katie to sing backup vocals on her newest LP right on!

Katie toured My Blind Eye up and down the West Coast, being welcomed into major musical hotspots including The Deer Lodge in Ojai, Hotel Utah in San Fran and El Cid back in LA where she opened for Jenny Lee. Upon her return she felt pulled back into the studio where she began tracking her follow up full length, Strange Moon, with her now tightly-knit band of collaborators. The dark and moody undercurrents of the new material called for Burden to dig deeper into her emotional well, something that she struggled with when performing the songs. “I have a hard time feeling emotions sometimes” the songwriter notes. “Art makes me less afraid to feel and also less alone.”

'I Can See It Clear' is from the forthcoming album Strange Moon, that is being released via Cautionary Tail on September 16. The featured song has a very haunting alternative feel to it, making it difficult to catagorize in any one genre. The above bio's decription of the music being akin to "Bat for Lashes and Joan As Police Woman" becomes apparently clear as the song progresses. Whatever... it's a must play again (and again) song for me.


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Globe Trotting: Joe Nisbet Jr - Late Hala - Cameron James Henderson - Georgia Reed

Joe Nisbet Jr - 'Judge Not'

Background promo - Following his critically lauded first album (The Gospel According To Mr Niz), KFM Records is delighted to announce the release of Joe Nisbet Jr's first self-penned song, "Judge Not" on Monday 18th July.

"The positive things people said about the first album gave me the confidence to start writing and recording my own material, which turns out to have a different sound, but doesn't stray far from the usual obsessions - good times, regrets, early r'n'b, drinking, and a bad attitude to authority.

Given the nature of the lyric, I knew the song had to be urgent and honest, so we recorded it very quickly and very live with a group of good friends who just happen to be brilliant musicians - they contributed a level of personality and attitude that you don't often get in the studio - and I think that comes across - although it sounds like a badly behaved gospel meeting in a New Orleans hip-hop club, it's actually a punk record at heart."

“Judge Not just got my bones, makes me happy. I don't why, but I'm crazy in love with this song. I can't remember when something last made me feel so happ!!! Tell your friend,it's such a wonderful song, I haven't danced alone like this in years!!!xxxxx   I got to stop playing it or I'll wear it out...just one more time though....here we go again.....”

As it says above 'Judge Not' is Joe Nisbet Jr's first self penned song, and wow what a superb start! It's got the hooks, melody, upbeat feel good vibes and every other expression I so often use, to describe a song like this. "Follow that" I think to myself, and somehow I reckon Joe may very well do so. 

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Late Hala - Good Thing.

Background  - Late Hala are a Psychedelic/Rock band from London formed in 2015.

Late Hala are cousins Dan and Alexi from London town who started playing guitars together at an early age through a mutual love of the blues scale. Unfortunately life got in the way and a ten year break ensued until 2015 when they both found themselves living in East London.

Using Fuzzy Guitars, Pianos, Delay Pedals, Xylophones, Organs, Samples and accidentally recorded police sirens they created their debut EP 'Dark Clouds'. According to the bands Facebook page, they are now in the process of recording their debut album. 

'Good Thing' is a brand new song from Late Hala, and what a fine song it is. The psychedelic vibes are there from the start, along with something of a sixties American West Coast feel, in part due to the harmonies, and a pretty cool achievement for a band from my old home, London. It's always a grand thing when a song ends leaving you wanting to hear more and Late Hala have done that for me!

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Cameron James Henderson - Lifeboat.

 Background promo - Sydney based blues-folk troubadour Cameron James Henderson is pleased to announce the arrival of his debut album 'Storm Rollin’ In'. No stranger to the stage or studio via his many contributions to the work of others, 'Storm Rollin’ In' follows Henderson’s first venture into solo territory after 2014’s well received 'Distorted Hope Blues'.

Recorded in the Blue Mountains inside a solar powered cabin deep in the bush, the new twelve track collection was produced by much loved folk-artist and good pal Chris Gillespie. Dynamically moving from stomping band tracks to Dylan-esque finger pickers, the record features minimalist arrangements mixed with spontaneous elements of rain, birds and other mountain sounds picked up during the sessions. 'Lifeboat', with its signature pulsing guitar lick, is the first single to be lifted that embodies the raw ‘in the moment’ production and honest feel that reflects Henderson’s piercing songwriting style. Cameron says of the track “Lifeboat is about broken relationships and the frustration of not being able to fully understand someone you love. It looks forward to a time when the brokenness of this world will exist no longer and hopes for the lifeboat to arrive to save us from the rising waterline.”

Boasting a resume that includes forming the psych-surf blues band ‘Dubious Blues Trio’, who released an album in 2014 with the instrumental cut 'Shoemound' airing on triple j, Henderson also composes for film while keeping his chops up with Zombie Cats, Chris Gillespie, Sam Newton, Lyre Byrdland and the Mogadishu Family Band. With a string of launch shows in New South Wales, Canberra and Victoria this week Cameron James Henderson is well and truly set for a busy Spring and Summer. 'Storm Rollin’ In' is out July 15 via all good digital retailers and on CD via Bandcamp.

Thursday July 14 @ Smith's Alternative, Canberra (9pm, $10)
Friday July 15 @ Goulburn Club, Goulburn w/ Joe Conroy (7.30pm, $10)
Saturday July 16 @ Gold Dust Lounge, Bendigo (9pm, Free)
Sunday July 17 @ Golden Vine Hotel - 'Ewes, Brews, Stews & Blues, Bendigo (12.30pm, $15).

The clarity between guitar and vocals makes 'Lifeboat' something quite special. I love the power within the song despite the initially understated soundtrack. Cameron's vocals are just right for a song like this and the developing blues feel as the song progresses, is for me, the icing on the cake.


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Georgia Reed - Helen.

Background - ‘Helen’, the intense, dark and immersive new single from Perth’s Georgia Reed tells the story of a young girl spiralling headlong into hopeless despair.

Written from an outsider’s perspective, the song’s lyrics, “I can’t save you tonight” pave the way for its thundering climax, and further showcase her fierce and brooding signature sound introduced in her previous release ‘Waiting For You To Run’.

“It’s a sad song really, she’s drowning and she can’t see it,” says Georgia.

‘Waiting For You To Run’, Georgia’s debut single, saw her receive fervent support and airplay at triple j and triple j Unearthed Radio. Following a hugely successful launch show to a sold out crowd at The Odd Fellow in Fremantle, Georgia went on to grace the stage as support for the likes of Olympia, triple j’s KLP and Stillwater Giants.

Produced by James Newhouse at Reel2Real Studios and Mastered by Grammy Award Winner William Bowden at King Willy Sound (Gotye, Little May, Empire Of The Sun, Children Collide), ‘Helen’ is a story of lost hope, lost control and a young lost soul.

Second time around on Beehive Candy this year for Georgia Reed, this time with the new song 'Helen', which is due for release on the 5th of August 2016. Georgia has wonderfully distinct vocals and she makes full use of her range with this powerful song. The song may be intense and dark in part, but it builds into a storm of emotion, with anthemic dimensions, love it.

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Genre Wander: Giant Head Collective - Emma Cook - Tempesst

Giant Head Collective - This Time I'll Fight.

Background - Giant Head Collective are a group of musicians who have come together to write and perform a unique crossover style of music.  We blend Americana and Rock with a Celtic undertone. Our philosophy is, that no matter what we do, it has to have a strong sense of melody.  

One minute you could close your eyes and think you are in Seattle, and then travelling via the Appalachian Mountains across the Atlantic to Scotland.  If you love to listen to music that takes you on a musical journey, then please check us out. 

Our journey is a long one and we would love your company along the way! Members: Mark Breingan - Guitar, Brian Robinson - Pipes & Mandolin, Colin Rodger - Vocals, Allister Weir - Bass, Scott Dawson - Drums. Bands Website Here.

From the bands latest album 9 Tales (released last month), we feature the song 'This Time I'll Fight'. This is such a fine album comprising of course of nine songs, that the band describe as, a blend of Americana, Seattle Rock and Celtic Rock. The band have clearly worked hard in developing their sound which really does defy categorising, however one things for sure, they create consistently good music, as the album ably demonstrates.

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Emma Cook - Sixteen.

Background bio - Emma Cook knows what it means to struggle. The Toronto indie-folk singer was well on her way to making a name for herself before a falling tree branch caused a serious head injury and forced her to take a hiatus from music to focus on recovery. After a three year battle with Post-Concussive Syndrome, Emma is releasing a two-part EP this summer and fall of 2016. The first installment, Counting Sheep, showcases Emma’s storytelling ability and beautifully expressive voice. Produced by Mitch Girio (Emma-Lee’s Never Just a Dream) and supported by amazing guest musicians Gary Craig (Kathleen Edwards, Jann Arden), Christine Bougie (Justin Rutledge) and Bryden Baird (Feist), the EP leaves us wanting more, so it’s a good thing that the 2nd installment will be available in a few months. The cover of Counting Sheep, in stores now, shows a single tree branch, an ode to the artists ongoing fight to recover from her injuries and the power of music to get us through the hardest of times.

Before her injury, Emma had logged over 100 shows across Canada, the US and the UK and had official showcases at NXNE, CMW & Indie Week. She was a 2008 Toronto Independent Music Awards nominee and received an Ontario Arts Council grant to record her second album “Hit & Run.” Written and co-produced by Emma, both of her albums have garnered fantastic reviews and sought the attention of campus radio, CBC and the Verge on XM Satellite Radio. The Ontario Arts Council again backed the young artist, awarding her an International touring grant which took her from Toronto down to Mississippi and back in Feb and March 2009, with stops at SXSW, and NYC’s famed Bitter End.

In early 2016 Emma began writing songs again. “They just started pouring out of me” she said, “I am channeling all of my loss and frustration, all of the pain and hardship of the last few years.” Emma will be going into the studio to record later this year and hopes to release her third full length album in 2017. Bandcamp page Here.

The EP 'Counting Sheep' opens with the beautiful song 'Sixteen'.  Emma has an infectious voice and pens thoughtful and engaging lyrics. Musically the songs just glide along, in part because of the skilled musicians and also the terrific production. As a foretaste of what might be on her third album, this is a teasingly good collection of songs.

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Tempesst - Broke Down Blues.

Background promo - Far from the poor man blues such title would suggest, Tempesst approach their latest with reckless abandon and full-bodied revelry. Following back-to-back #bangers, ‘Tidal Wave’ and ‘Too Slow’, new single ‘Broke Down Blues’ celebrates the strange euphoria encountered at breaking point, or somewhere thereafter. Down and out, but richer for it.

“It’s an ode of sorts,” explains vocalist Toma Banjanin. “It’s meant to feel more liberated and triumphant than a whining, entitled artist crying about not having any money. It doesn't represent breaking point, it's celebrating what's already broken.” Since ‘breaking’ onto the scene mid–2015, Tempesst have worked their way up the proverbial ladder; hotly tipped, ones-to-watch-listed and publicly adored by the likes of Noisey/VICE, DIY, NME, Drowned In Sound, BBC Radio 6 Music (Lauren Laverne), Radio X (Maz Tappuni, Communion Presents) and triple j.

Fresh from The Great Escape, NME Awards 2016, Live At Leeds, Liverpool Sound City, Bushstock Festival and recent tours with Albert Hammond Jr and Gary Clark Jr, Tempesst announce a new London headline at Moth Club on September 29. It follows two sold out shows (their first ever headlines), the latest of which called on support from Tame Impala’s Jay Watson under his solo moniker GUM.

There is a little bit of swaggering confidence with the song 'Broke Down Blues', and that's understandable as it's got so much going for it. Melody and hooks galore and a chorus line that just takes it all up another level, and a massive feel good factor makes for one very good song.

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Monday Double: Kyle Britton - Gringo Star

Kyle Britton - Riddle.

Background bio - Inspired by the quiet musings of troublesome love and the path to understanding, the emotionally evocative music of indie-folk singer-songwriter, Kyle Britton, epitomises storytelling in its truest fashion. Britton’s distinctive sound combines undeniable dark undertones with roving melodies and atmospheric refrains, offering a unique experience for his listeners.


“Riddle”, the first of two singles, is a song detailing the demise of a poisonous love affair and the enduring pain that follows. “Never able to accept love again, every man who she came across from then on was in for a world of pain and heartbreak”, confides Britton. As the song builds, the Belle Epoque-inspired strings render the listener to a melodic montage.

On “Villain”, Britton successfully demonstrates diversity as both a lyricist and performer. The dramatic self-confession, encapsulates its audience through the use of defiance against typical folk arrangements, opening us up to our ‘villainous’ side.

Britton enlisted help from Los Angeles’ most seasoned musicians including Kyle Crane on Drums (Daniel Lanois, Elle King) and renowned violist, Ginny Luke (Rihanna, Dave Matthews Band). Famed engineer, Darryl Swann (Macy Gray), made sure to highlight Britton's warm and natural vocals.

Perhaps it was growing up in a military family which led to Britton's desire for non-conformity and individuality. Britton expressed on his father's influence "I grew up with my dad telling me that if music is not evoking an emotional response it's not doing its job."  The EP is a demonstration of Britton’s continuous hard work towards his childhood dream. His natural dedication has led him from ‘fake-playing’ his 7-year-old rendition of Def Leppard’s ‘Pour some sugar on me’ to creating an EP that actively analyses his decisions in life, whilst convincing us to do the same. Riddle was released July 8th worldwide.

'Riddle' may be a song about (and we quote) "the demise of a poisonous love affair and the enduring pain that follows", it's also a very touching and beautiful song, that showcases the musical and vocal talent of Kyle Britton. It's also just one aspect of his songwriting and music on the four track EP, which I have to say is quite exceptional.

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Gringo Star - Heading South.

Background promo - Nevado Music is thrilled to welcome Atlanta, GA psych-rockers Gringo Star to their expanding label roster. Gringo Star will release The Sides And In Between on August 26. Gringo Star’s Nick Furglueles told Pure Volume, “‘Rotten' to me, is about not letting societal standards prevent you from doing or expressing how you want and not waiting till it's too late to do what you love.” He adds, “It's about an establishment designed to keep people in check, and dismantling that establishment.”

Gringo Star are insouciant explorers, tossing the paddles overboard and drifting on the currents of their lackadaisical curiosity across a rippling sonic ocean, out to the far edges of rock & roll. Shots pulsing from a vintage Leslie speaker, their guitars, keys and vocals create the psychoactive ingredients of their echo-slathered, doo-wop-indebted indie gems; psychedelic garage bangers, gritty R&B shuffles and spaghetti western weirdness. Taking cues from Santo & Johnny, The Stooges, Ritchie Valens, Marc Bolan, Percy Faith, Sam Cooke, the men working on the chain gang—uh! ah!—they’re all here, their electric ghosts reaching across time, tapping Gringo Star on the shoulder like the crossroads devil to Robert Johnson, bestowing secrets, passing torches.

If you know a little about brothers Nick and Peter Furgiueles’ roots, it all makes sense. “Our grandad started out in radio in the ’40s and ’50s in Columbus, GA.,” Nick explains. “He was a huge promoter of R&B back when it was still super segregated, and he was playing black music and putting on shows with Little Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Sam Cooke & the Soul Stirrers, a lot of Gospel shows. So we grew up hearing all these stories, listening to all this music. Our grandfather was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame posthumously. And my grandma—all her photo albums are like Jackie Wilson shirtless backstage, hanging out.” Not to mention how Nick and Peter used to raid their parents’ record collections, cutting their teeth on the likes of Buddy Holly, The Animals and The Kinks. “Our favorite music comes from the ’50s,” Peter says, “and that music influenced all the ’60s bands we like.”

The band has toured relentlessly across the U.S. and Europe building a diehard underground following while sharing bills with everyone from Cat Power and Feist to The Black Angels and Weezer, and also touring with Wavves, Best Coast, And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead and fellow Atlantans The Black Lips.

'Heading South' is but a flavour of Gringo Star. The band have a very distinctive sound that they take in many different directions. One consistent feature is the hooks within their songs, another is the difficulty in placing the band in any particular genre (which is a plus). The album is consistently appealing across all ten tracks and well worth checking out.

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