Genre Wander: Benny Mayhem - Limestone Chorus - Cowtown - Justin Llamas

Benny Mayhem - Song For Absent Friends.

Background promo -  Benny Mayhem has covered a lot of ground, literally and figuratively. Written in a hotel room in the Austrian Alps, his latest single 'Song For Absent Friends' is both a tribute to and a product of, the songwriter's considerable world travels. From being a guitar-strumming teenager in his bedroom at the turn of the millennium, to a decade as the shirtless-and-writhing frontman of Perth rock monsters Project Mayhem, to performing 450+ shows in nine countries worldwide... the musical journey of Benny Mayhem has its own overfilled passport.

From a home base on the west coast of Australia, Benny Mayhem has toured the world in a way that few other artists have considered... as a wandering troubadour. And through this lifestyle choice, Benny has toured continental Europe twice and the UK thrice; working his way up from busking outside tube stations to the UK's festival circuit within two years. But, more importantly, he has met people and seen places that have changed and forever enriched his life.

Both a hook-laden sing-along and a song from the heart, 'Song For Absent Friends' is an ode to the people that have helped shape Benny's journey and, indeed, the person he is today. Equipping himself with a new live band, 'Song For Absent Friends' finds Benny embellishing upon his trademark folk-punk sound with some Sunnyboys-style Australian power pop and a touch of Californian punk. And why not indeed...

From here on, Benny has two touring formats: solo and full-band; both of which will visit Australia and Europe over 2016/17. And as he already prepares to get back on the road, Benny will be studio-bound, adding the finishing touches to his most interesting and personal album to date. Nostalgic, yet ushering in a new era, 'Song For Absent Friends' headlines this fresh chapter in the tale of Benny Mayhem while recapping the story that came before it. It is the perfect introduction of the shape of things to come.

Vocally it's a little bit folk, and musically it's fairly power pop as mentioned above, however combining both elements 'Song For Absent Friends' can't help but have that folk punk feel to it, mostly in this case due to Benny Mayhem's vocal delivery. What matters though, is that it's a fine old song.

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Limestone Chorus - Woods & Water.

Background - Woods & Water was written while experiencing an unfamiliar juncture in life and it's the first you'll hear of the new album 'Deer Friends'. Lacking understanding and a sense of personal direction, the tune describes the search for familiarity. The rediscovery of people and places who make us feel whole, safe and grounded. The song is driven through memory and nostalgia, pulling on emotional connections that shape a person.

Our debut album, 'Deer Friends', is heavily rooted in the merging of two themes, our love for Mother Nature and a love for human connection. These themes are what flows from one song to the next and what we hope you begin to get a sense of with this first song. In this song we celebrate the interweaving of nature, love, friendship, moments, and memory. The album 'Deer Friends' is due out July 29th via our friends at IndoorShoes.

'Woods & Water' typifies the overall high quality of Limestone Chorus's debut album. This is a band who clearly love their music and deliver a mixture of alt rock through to Americana type songs. It's easy on  the ears, however some of the songs get quickly through to the heart.

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Cowtown - Tweak.

Background - Cowtown are to release their 4th studio LP Paranormal Romance this August 19th with Athens, Georgia label HHBTM Records in the USA on ghostly white vinyl. The Sheffield DIY label Audacious Art Experiment and new Folkestone label and record store Hot Salvation will release in the UK on limited pink vinyl.

Formed in Leeds 12 years ago, but like Gang Of Four, born in a variety of other places, Cowtown are made up by David Michael Shields (drums), Hilary Knott (keybass/vocals) and Jonathan Nash (guitar/vocals) and play econo, dynamic, over-stimulated rock music that embraces a heavily abridged history of rock n’ roll. Serious about fun, the band are a firm favourite of BBC 6 DJ Mark Riley, performing music with an emphasis on positive expression and confronting collective anxieties, creating live shows that focus on what they enjoy and discarding the rest.

Picking up from 2013’s Dudes Vs. Bad Dudes (released by TAAE and the band’s own label City Hands) their latest offering is wildly economic, clocking in at 23 mins across 12 tracks. Drawing influences from bands like The Coneheads, Devo and The Breeders, as well as films such as Teen Wolf and Ghostbusters, songs are later distilled into their absolute fundamentals. It’s not about what they want but what they need, with the delivery being as urgent and tightly wound as possible.

Paranormal Romance was recorded amidst the floods that swept through the city last winter by Matthew Johnson (Hookworms/Suburban Home) at the band’s practice space, Tranquility Base and later mastered by Tom Woodhead (Forward Russia) with artwork by fellow Hookworms pal Jonathan Wilkinson a.k.a Idiots Pasture. The album encompasses the centralised DIY affair that Cowtown have come to epitomise as one of the longest running bands to come from the LS6 area. Jamming econo, recording econo and propelling themselves econo.

Friday 22nd July -  Festival 23, secret location
Saturday 23rd July - Bluedot Festival, Jodrell Park, Cheshire
Sunday 24th July - The Harley, Tramlines, Sheffield
Friday 26th August - Album Launch at The Brudenell Social Club w/ Crumbs and Milk Crimes
Saturday 27th August - The Audacious Art Experiment Summer Weekender, The Picture House, Sheffield
Saturday 17th September - Freakender, Old Hairdressers, Glasgow
Friday 23rd September - Liverpool Pyschfest, Camp and Furnace, Liverpool

'Tweak' is a blast of punk rock'n'roll with hooky vocals, and harmonies that fits really well, even if they remind me immediately of a classic Bangles song. Mind you with the whole song, coming in at around one and a half minutes in total, you hardly have time to notice!

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Justin Llamas - Got It Out For Me.

Background - “I’ve always been an artist...and art can be expressed in so many differ-ent ways.”
Originating from the Bay Area, Justin Llamas is an emerging Pop artist who describes his style as “edgy and aggressive with a dark undertone.” He first emerged online in 2010 when he started uploading covers to YouTube. In only a few years he gained over 2 million video views and a loyal fan following. His most popular video to date, a cover of Sia’s “Chandelier,” gained so much attention that it was even shared by the original artist on most of her social sites, gaining over 700,000 views.

Justin’s voice has been described as a “melting pot” of Pop, R&B, and Alternative Soul--which he considers to be the result of his mixed up-bringing and widespread interests growing up. From music to dance, and comic books to animation, he believes all of his interests have shaped him into the eclectic artist he is today. His electrifying talent caught the eye of Vena Brewer, previous man-ager of Grammy-nominated artist Keyshia Cole. With a storytelling voice and an unstoppable drive, Brewer believes Justin to be the next big artist to ambush the music scene.

Now, Justin is releasing his first original project with his debut EP Gold. The EP’s title song features vocals from multi-platinum artist Amina Harris, while the EP’s title itself was inspired by the California Gold Rush and the “journey” those make to follow their dreams--something he considers a necessary step in his own life.

'Got It Out For Me' is the first song on Justin's five song debut EP. It's honest pop music and does not pretend to be anything else. What really works for me is the mixture of mature understated production, and the overall focus on Justin Llamas vocals. With so much #### in the Top 40 charts these days, surely there's room for a song like this, to raise the standards.

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Magnificent Monday: Don DiLego - ChrisP ft Mercy - Babaganouj

Don DiLego - Drive Like Pirates (single edit).

Background - Magnificent Ram A, the new album from musical troubadour Don DiLego, out last week via Velvet Elk / One Little Indian Records. Seeing  it’s roots form in Portland, OR with producer/engineer Gregg Williams (Blitzen Trapper, Dandy Warhols, The Decemberists), and wind it’s way back East to the wooded Pennsylvania retreat that is Velvet Elk Studios, DiLego has released a stunning collection of songs, laced with gorgeous melodies and haunting vocals.

Many of the original sessions found their way onto his last album, 2012’s Western & Atlantic, which won an Independent Music Award for “Best Roots/Alt Country Album.” The remnants of those original sessions form the foundation of a project he’s long thought about…a collection of click-track free analog recordings that embrace their imperfections and happy accidents.

On the heels of producing the recent releases from Jesse Malin (New York Before the War, Outsiders) and Hollis Brown (Loaded, 3 Shots), Don set aim at finishing the album that’s never been far from his mind. An album that would be, perhaps, less meticulous in process than his critically acclaimed Photographs of 1971.

From the thunderous drone of the opening track “Karma King,” to the more intimate and personal one-take vision of “Idiot Heart,” it’s his most ambitious set of recordings to date.

From the new album Magnificent Ram A, we feature the single edit of 'Drive Like Pirates' which is one of ten good quality songs on the album. It's a varied collection of music that leans towards Alt Country & Americana, but is happy to stray beyond those confines, leaving the listener wondering, quite whats coming next. Anyhow if those sort of genres grab you, then grabbing this album seems a reasonable action.

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ChrisP ft Mercy - Dress Up.

Background from Chris and Mercy - “Dress Up” is a new collaboration by Brooklyn songstress Mercy Weiss and Christopher Pellnat (us).

We would like to suggest a song that we believe is interesting, not because it breaks any new ground harmonically, musically, or in terms of genre-jumping or genre-erasing,  No, this song is interesting simply because it makes you smile.

And it's not a smile of derision or condescension (we hope).  "Dress Up"  is a fun boy-girl duet with impish charm - no "irony" and no apologies. We are unsigned and DIY.

'Dress Up' is pretty well summed up by Mercy and Chris above. It's also pleasing to see that a good number of folk have already had a listen. Just to add my penny worth, it's a sweet, fabulous duet, and the understated production, exposes the real talent of this fine duet.

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Babaganouj - Sorry.

Background promo - Drenched in Brisbane pride, power pop-rock outfit Babaganouj have grown a legion of fans since their 2011 inception. While keeping with their distinctly Australian style, The Nouj’s sound is reminiscent of Teenage Fanclub, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and Yuck, taking inspiration from Creation Records and Flying Nun classics.

In 2014, the band gained national radio attention with their releases ‘Too Late For Love’ and ‘Bluff’. This success took them on headlining tours, as well as prominent billing on The Blurst of Times Festival tour. Driven by Charles Sale’s signature on-stage power lunges, the Triple J Unearthed favourites have supported the likes of The Preatures, Smudge, Veruca Salt, The Lemonheads, Northeast Party House and The Creases.?

Continuing their powerhouse rise, 2015 saw Babaganouj play at the inaugural Mates festival in Sydney, Brisbane’s Bigsound conference, and come in as finalists for Qmusic’s Billy Thorpe scholarship. They also released their singles ‘Can’t Stop’ and ‘Hit Song’ to a head-boppingly enthusiastic reception.?

With their EP “Pillar of Light” released earlier this year the trio have undertaken the ambitious project of recording another two EPs in 2016. By undertaking three releases in 2016 the band will expand the scope of their craft, showcasing each members vocal and songwriting talents. This has allowed the band to focus their power-pop racket while exploring new styles and themes. In everything ‘Nouj produces are infectious lyrics, intense riffs and unreal magnetism.

The new single “Sorry” is taken from the second of three EPs due for release this year. 'Sorry' showcases rhythm guitarist Ruby McGregors undeniable song writing ability and sugar sweet vocal skills. Their 2nd EP for 2016, “Hard to Be” is due for release in early August.

Friday 19th August 2016 - Sydney, Oxford Art Factory - NSW
Saturday 20th August 2016 - Melbourne, Croxton Front Bar - VIC

We featured Babaganouj a while ago, and 'Sorry' well deserves a feature. It's a feisty song, mixing power pop and plenty of rock, beneath the perfect fit vocals and harmonies. Another play again song.

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Quality Not Quantity: Curse Of Lono - Black Surf - Alphabetic

Curse Of Lono - Five Miles.

Background - Curse Of Lono was formed in London in 2015 by singer Felix Bechtolsheimer following the breakup of British roots pioneers Hey Negrita.  The five-piece have been busy recording their debut album with producer and Boxed In front-man, Oli Bayston. What started as a casual jam with a few friends quickly yielded a stunningly cinematic record, with the dubut EP due for release this October.

The band have also created 'The Doghouse Sessions' and will be releasing one each month, Felix explains:

On April 10th we invited our friends form Ont’ Sofa into ‘The Doghouse’, our rehearsal room in London, to record and film us for an afternoon. We wanted to capture what our songs sound like when we’re playing them live in the room where we get together every week and where many of them were conceived, with no overdubs or studio trickery. We managed to get ten tracks down and we will be releasing one of these a month for the next ten months as ‘The Doghouse Sessions’.

Live -  Wednesday 20th July @ The Old Queen's Head - Angel.

'Five Miles' is pretty representative of the quality, craftmanship and hook laden, alt rock music Curse Of Lono create. The Doghouse sessions are going to be a real treat by the look of things and we will dip in and out of them on BeeVids, starting with the song 'London Rain'.

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Black Surf - Sink.

Background - Black Surf return with blistering new surf-grunge track "Sink" from upcoming EP "Let's Pretend It's Summer", Out August 26th on Cowboy Records.

Black Surf have an unusual backstory having formed in 2014 through the wonders of FaceTime and Dropbox. The fruits of their exchanges between Leeds, UK and Sydney, Australia have come to form their debut EP Let’s Pretend It’s Summer, recorded at Greenmount Studios (The Cribs, Pulled Apart By Horses, The Vaccines).

Black Surf specialise in the kind of fuzzed-up, adrenaline-shot indie-rock that’s straight to the point and doesn’t outstay its welcome. The reckless pace of new track Sink’s synth-flecked bubblegum buzz is matched only by its enthusiasm and wild abandon. Talking of the track, vocalist Ali Epstone says;

"Sink is essentially a song about the conflict and battle of harnessing the stillness within us, in this fast-paced whirlwind of life. We have become Human-Doings and lost sight of the Human-Being. Most people are experiencing either attraction or aversion in any given moment, either wanting to be somewhere else for pleasure or relief in the future or stuck dwelling in the past. Being present, finding peace in the space between the constant need for sensations in this day and age can be a rarity, so I wanted to document that in some way and spread the love maaan."

As the song winds up to start, you are right to expect an explosion of musical pleasure and 'Sink' delivers. Surf Grunge is an apt description, however the energy and emotion really carries the song.

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Alphabetic - French Boyfriend.

Background - For such an ostensibly uncomplicated song, Alphabetic’s smooth new single ‘French Boyfriend calls to mind a veritable trove of melodies and feelings, some contemporary, some classic. The lead single to their debut album Touch (released July 15) features velvety riffs and chords that hint at a musical affinity with the luxurious side of pop music, perhaps a nod to The Cure. But lyrically the song is creepy and voyeuristic - a kind of modern retelling of the Talking Heads hit ‘Psycho Killer’ without the murder. Guitarist and co-vocalist Walter Heale’s verses project him into a car outside an ex-beau’s house in Paris wondering ‘what’s so great about french boys anyway?’ as he sees her going to bed with another man. Rebecca Lever's charming voice (lyrically in character as the object of his affection), rebukes him as she thinks ‘about calling the police again’. Fun and totally flippant, it’s also a love song to Paris - a city which the band hold dear in their hearts, and listening to the buoyancy of the music, it’s also an influence which seems to have seeped into the cracks of their songwriting.

The seeds of Alphabetic were first sown when Raph - bassist and producer for upcoming debut album Touch - took a break in the Caribbean after a long stint on the road. Upon deciding to get together his teenage jam buddies they set about revisiting some of their old songs as adults. Though they reside in London, Alphabetic have always been rootless. The first time they made music together was in the mountains in Italy - in a rented house almost getting snowed in. But three weeks later they emerged with the seeds of an album and a live set. Their first rehearsals took place in a converted barn out in the countryside before they relocated to studios around London. Alphabetic’s music resists categorisation - as at home on the dance floor as they are in headphones, they evoke the art-school eccentricity of timeless groups like Talking Heads and Roxy Music, but they also belong firmly in the present. Their playful lyricism and musicality calls to mind LCD Soundsystem while their smooth and bright sensibilities achieve a similar end to the critically overlooked Talk Talk. In a nutshell, Alphabetic are experimenters, and they aren’t beholden to space and time. With tunes as colourful as theirs, today’s often monochrome indie scene gleams that much brighter.

'French Boyfriend' is melodic and rather catchy. Musically it's bright and breezy and the vocal interplay works a treat. It's a good taste of the album, in as much that, this is the quality of music to look forward to.

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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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