Background promo - The Raveonettes have released the new track "This Is Where It Ends" .
"This Is Where It Ends" is the ninth track release from the band's official Rave-Sound-Of-The-Month playlist where the duo will continue to upload a freshly recorded track on the last Friday of every month until December. The 'anti-album' will feature a collection of new tracks that aren't bound by the constraints of the format. Join the Rave-Sound-Of-The-Month and subscribe to the playlist here.
The Raveonettes also continue their new Pledge Music Campaign where fans can pledge for the CD and vinyl of the forthcoming new album. Sign up for the Pledge Music Campaign here. Bands website here.
'This Is Where It Ends' the latest song from The Raveonettes 'anti album' is melodic and quite atmospheric. Whispered vocals and a sometimes sparse musical background gently lead into a sweeping soundtrack. Love it!
Background - Nashville's The New Respects has released its new single, “Trouble,” making the track available to purchase and stream at all outlets. “Trouble don’t you find no home by me” is the recurring message throughout this anthem, proclaiming that while there is trouble around every corner, we can choose how we respond to it. Fans of the group have responded in a much more personal way than The New Respects ever imagined, sharing anecdotes of how “Trouble” inspires them.
It was a chance meeting in Nashville that brought The New Respects together with producer/drummer Jeremy Lutito (of indie-rock group Leagues). Lutito took an immediate liking to The New Respects' soul/rock sound, and produced this single along with the group’s upcoming project.
The New Respects is a family affair, made up of three siblings, twins Alexis (bass) and Zandy Fitzgerald (guitar), along with their brother Darius (drums) and cousin Jasmine Mullen (vocals/guitar). Since forming five years ago, The New Respects' sound has evolved from acoustic instrumentation to the vintage soul/rock feel heard throughout the new single, “Trouble.” The group is heavily influenced by the gospel music they were surrounded by growing up in Nashville, and that extends to artists including Aretha Franklin, Alabama Shakes, and John Mayer. Facebook here.
Powerful vocals and soulful rocking music spells 'Trouble'. This really is a a great song, one that has hooks that dig deep.
Background - Kosi (née Akosua Gyebi) is a New York City based singer/songwriter with nappy hair and jazz roots. Although she always brings just a little drama to her compositions and interpretations, she's more than just a drama queen. She's got piercing eyes and a voice that's larger than her body. But, small as she is, she won't fit in a box. She switches styles more quickly than you can follow, from jazz, to rock, then folk, but never more than a few steps away from the blues.
She cites Abbey Lincoln and Nina Simone as her main influences, and has been compared to Tracy Chapman, India Arie, Ma Rainey, and Bessie Smith. However, despite her comparisons and influences, everything about Kosi, from her nappy hair to her sometimes bare feet, from her occasionally jarring lyrics to her now-she's-sweet-now-she's-screaming dramatic interpretations, radiates authenticity. "I am not creating anything," she says, "nor am I deconstructing anything. I am neither an iconoclast nor a follower. I am simply myself, and that is enough." She's more than enough. You definitely want to hear this girl sing... if you can handle it. Kosi is currently the lead vocalist of straight-ahead jazz group Sweet Blue Fire and indie rock group The Goddess Lakshmi.
I Know Who I Am, Kosi's fourth and latest album, is a concept album telling the story of guilt, absolution, love, and self-actualization through original jazz and negro spirituals. Along with Kosi's first two albums, Pictures of Us and One More Cup of Coffee, each of which is comprised of eight of Kosi's original songs and two jazz standards, and her third album, Ghosts Appearing through the Sound, which is a tribute to Abbey Lincoln. Website here.
'Morning After Blues' is a beautiful piano lead blues song, that provides one aspect of the music Kosi delivers. Be it blues, jazz or any other style she chooses to adopt, the consistency of engaging vocals, natural music and genuine commitment is always there.
Background promo - Del Caesar, are a phenomenal new garage/psych trio based in Brooklyn. The band is gearing up to release their second EP, aptly titled EP 2, on November 11th through their imprint Reheated Spaghetti, and in conjunction with the announcement, they’re sharing the raucous lead single “Like They Always Say”
Del Caesar is comprised of frontman/songwriter/guitarist Aaron Lloyd Barr, who doubles as a visual artist by day, and Eric Arikian (Let’s Be Loveless) on bass and Ben Reynolds (Slang King) on drums. Recorded straight to tape, EP 2’s sound embodies riff-driven, upbeat garage rock, snarling in a way that betrays some swagger, but never hostility. Their lyrics that point to the everyday: relationships, ambitions, stuff we all experience, combined with a stripped-down mono recording sound that leaves us with songs that could have been recorded last month or in 1965.
That’s not to say Del Caesar is nostalgic… far from it. There’s no kitschy throwback dress-up, in terms of appearance or sounds. While some of the band’s songs sound like they could’ve come from The Standells or The Sonics, it’s not because the band is trying to reproduce those acts; it’s because they’re tapping into the same universal vein of youth and volume. Facebook here.
Live Dates: 10/08 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Rock N Roll Marathon (w/ Here We Go Magic) 11/18 - Brooklyn, NY - Sunnyvale (w/ Heliotropes, No Honeymoon and Von Mons)
'Like They Always Say' has all the vital garage/pysch ingredients, bags of energy, no nonsense rock and just a hint of attitude. There's also the potency and power that rock trio's can deliver when the music is kept stripped back, case in point being this song.
Background - Arc Iris release new "Paint With The Sun" Video. Last month, Arc Iris released their second studio album Moon Saloon on Bella Union. The album follows their critically acclaimed self-titled debut that was released in 2014. Produced by the group and mixed by electronic producer David Wrench of FKA Twigs and Caribou fame, Moon Saloon showcases beat-heavy melodies and textural, groove-riding rhythms.
The band is currently in the midst of a massive US and European tour that includes dates with Superhuman Happiness and John Grant. Arc Iris is comprised of lead singer and lyricist Jocie Adams, keyboardist Zach Tenorio-Miller and drummer Ray Belli. Adams previously spent eight years as a key member of The Low Anthem, effortlessly zipping from hammer dulcimer to clarinet to bass to vocals, sometimes barely pausing to take a breath. iTunes here.
Second time on Beehive Candy this year and on this occasion with the brand new video for 'Paint With the Sun'. Back in June I stated "Production is superb and the musicianship is quite stunning, and add to this the exquisite vocals". 'Paint With the Sun' confirms the band are highly creative and deliver beautiful songs that are full of imagination.
Background - Chicago singer-songwriter Lara Filip stepped out from behind the short-lived moniker “Birdie Wing” to release her debut album Stop Time. Stop Time, which was produced by Grammy-nominee Liam Davis, references 70’s Laurel Canyon folk rock and polished piano pop as it explores not only Filip’s personal triumph over breast cancer but universal themes like emotional/geographical distance, the preciousness of life and the power of love.
Lara Filip is a singer/songwriter, based in the Chicagoland area. With her deep connections in the Chicago music and theatre scenes, she draws the best musicians in town to collaborate on her earthy, evocative sound.
Lara attended The Chicago Academy for the Arts for vocal performance, where she met writing partner and keyboard player, Shannon Greene Robb. Shannon went off to study music at Berklee College of Music and DePaul; while Lara began working professionally in musical theatre productions. Filip went on several tours throughout the US and Canada, finally settling back home in Chicago. Website here.
'The Other Side' is one of ten really fine songs on Lara Filip's latest album 'Stop Time'. The featured song showcases the folk side of her music. Lara is equally comfortable performing quality pop (piano pop as mentioned above), her vocals are refined and the album tracks are varied and highly likable.
Background - The new single off of The Alpacas debut LP is Artifacts. The Barrie Ontario group's forthcoming was produced, engineered, and mixed by Kevin Dietz (The Cranberries, Alexisonfire, Placebo, Nelly Furtado). It was recorded at Metalworks in Toronto and Slipone Digital in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. Out Oct 14, 2016 on Willow Music.
The band's thoughts on the track: “Some of the lyrics in 'Artifacts' are about drifting apart. An occurrence that everyone experiences at one point or another in life. It's sad how natural it can seem, that things can simply fade away. However, the song also expresses a truth that it is never too late to reconnect. Time isn't a legitimate obstacle, you always have the option to reach out. It's nice to include some optimism in our music.”. Website here.
Back in August we featured the bands song 'Wax' and said at the time "the band pack power chords alongside a belting rhythm and just hook you in". 'Artifacts' demonstrates that they can consistently do the same again, with plenty of spark and energy, it's rock with passion, and music that cuts straight to the chase.
Background - 2016 marks the 50th anniversary for Jamaica's celebrated musical genre rock steady. Rock steady, which was a successor of ska and precursor to reggae, used elements of rhythm and blues (R&B), jazz, ska as well as African and Latin American drumming. With its irresistible slow tempo beat and more bass-heavy, stripped-down sound, it was a distinct contrast from the more upbeat, big band ska era. Although it lasted only a couple of years (1966-68), rock steady is one of Jamaican music's most influential genres and produced immortal rhythms that are still sampled and used today.
17 North Parade, VP Records' vintage imprint, commemorates the genre this year with First Class Rock Steady. The 12" double vinyl edition is available from Fri. (Sept 30) and follows its 40-track CD and digital companion box set (released on July 1) as well as the 7" limited edition vinyl piece exclusive for Record Store Day 2016.
This new collection of First Class Rock Steady is completely remastered on black vinyl. The 24-track set expands on the 16-track 7" RSD vinyl exclusive and cherry picks the CD and digital version's most pivotal songs from some of the genre's defining artists like Lee "Scratch" Perry, The Techniques, Desmond Dekker and Johnny Nash. It's detailed cover reflects the excitement of the era when postal mail was the only mode for sharing this burgeoning Jamaican export for worldwide consumption. Playing off of Jamaica's long history of tourism, the packaging also features images of picturesque postcards and stamps of Cricket (a Jamaican pastime), the Doctor Bird (national symbol) and Montreal's Expo '67 (World's Fair). In addition, the set includes extensive liner notes written by Harry Wise and filled with commentary from the genre's key players, including living legend Bunny "Striker" Lee, Trinidad and Tobago's late-great Lynn Taitt and the 2014 fallen icon, Hopeton Lewis.
Just one of the songs on this wonderful collection of vintage music and also the name of the genre, 'Rock Steady' by Alton Ellis remains a personal favourite, and is now surrounded by so many other wonderful songs, from when I was very, very young (honest!).
Joan As Police Woman & Benjamin Lazar Davis - Magic Lamp.
Background promo - Brooklyn based Joan As Police Woman and Benjamin Lazar Davis will release Let It Be You on Oct 21 via Reveal Records/BFD/RED Distribution. The band will celebrate the album's release at The Good Room in Greenpoint on 10/26. Also on the bill is another of Ben's projects, Cuddle Magic.
Initially announced under the moniker ‘2001’ the duo released a pair of partner videos directed by Benjamin Gregory featuring Fred Armisen (SNL, Portlandia); one for the song “Overloaded” with Ben on lead vocals and “Broke Me In Two” featuring Joan on lead.
A deeply soulful artist, Joan As Police Woman (Joan Wasser) has famously worked with Antony (Anohni), Rufus Wainwright, Lou Reed and David Sylvian. Benjamin is a talented multi-instrumentalist who currently performs with his band Cuddle Magic, Okkervil River, and Bridget Kearney (Lake Street Dive). Joan and Ben met each other after separate trips to Africa; Ethiopia for Joan as part of Damon Albarn’s Africa Express, and West Africa for Lazar to study traditional music. They initially bonded over Central African Republic Pygmy musical patterns and wrote this album together loosely inspired by this music. The band recently performed at the BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn Festival.
The band will be touring Europe in November and December. Performing with a full band, Joan As Police Woman and Benjamin Lazar Davis will showcase songs from the new album and re-imagine recordings from the four previous Joan As Police Woman albums (Real Life, To Survive, The Deep Field, The Classic). Click Here for a full list of dates. Joan As Police Woman website here, Benjamin Lazar Davis here.
With artists of this calibre 'Magic Lamp' ought to be one fine song, and for me it's all of that. Stripped back to the vital musical ingredients the duo bring the vocals to the fore, and allow the steady rhythm, to sit nicely behind the melodic singing.
Background - Emerging shoegaze artist The Cut Losses put out a dreamy new single My Valentine. Self taught from the drum kit in Rock Band, Patrick McWilliams was a high school student playing drums for local bands, soon transitioning into the multi-instrumentalist virtuoso creator of the solo project The Cut Losses. Outcasted in his fine arts high school for having weird music tastes, the young Patrick McWilliams soon emerged as a unique voice, dominating numerous battle of the bands competitions, radio contests, and establishing a name for himself as a musician before the age of 17.
He possessed only two albums growing up: a Beatles “Greatest Hits” album, and The Beach Boys “Endless Summer,” establishing his musical foundation which emphasises the power of melody and harmony as a song’s driving force. As he exposed himself to more music, he consistently found himself making connections to these two foundational albums, particularly in bands with psychedelic references such as Tame Impala and MGMT. He additionally enjoys experimenting with electronic music. As a result, his music is described as a hybrid of 70s Psychedelic, 80s Electronic, and Motown Revival.
More than sonic influences however, The Cut Losses most remembers the feeling of isolation in their youth, and through their music hope to provide a voice for unity and acceptance. Drenched in the love for 80s music, The Cut Losses wants their music to get people to dance again, instilling fast paced tempo behind the dreamy textures and evocative lyrics touching on themes of isolation, fear of insanity, and acceptance. The two together, they hope, will inspire people to embrace all the weirdness the world has to offer.
From being pulled on stage to sing with Surfer Blood, to signing with Cedar Street Records, The Cut Losses’s musical journey has been filled with exciting, unexpected moments. Gaining hype and traction from blogs, and their opening spot for LA surf-punks Together PANGEA in both 2014 and 2015, The Cut Losses are now developing their debut album with internationally acclaimed producer Felix Fung this year. Facebook here.
I was give a choice of two songs to feature and went with 'My Valentine' as I really like the arrangement and production. With sweet chorus harmonies and the vocals immersed in a swirl of sounds, it's sometimes psychedelic feel is quite appealing.
Background - James Parry lives in Hobart, Tasmania and writes independent pop songs. After playing in bands throughout high school, he released his first solo EP, Eastern Shores, in 2008, followed by his first album, Almost At The Ivory, in 2011. James is now excited to announce his latest album In The Lights. Sweet and juicy guitar riffs, de: drums and uplifting organ support James’ straight-shooting vocals, which tell a nostalgic tale of heady young love with a dark twist. Young Emotions is the opening track from In The Lights, and ripples from its story reach the furthest corners of the concept album.
James has supported artists including Alex Lloyd, The Gin Club, Leah Flanagan, Jackson Dyer and Ryan Downey, and a review of Almost At The Ivory declared that James’, “signature voice and passionate harmonies have led him to become a solid gold chip in the Tasmanian wedge of Australian independent artists.” Inspired by what an ace drum line could do for a recording such as Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams, he used his search for the right recorded drum sound to pick a studio and settled on Toyland in Northcote, better known for heavy rock recording. The final mixing was finished at Head Gap Studio in Preston, where the likes of fellow Tassie-tinged successes Courtney Barnett, Ivy St and Augie March have also been seen. The recorded tracks were carefully mixed to find the light but definite pop sound for which James was aiming. “Young Emotions” will be in Digital Stores on the 30th of September James Parry’s Album In The Lights will be released 14th of October 2016. Website here.
Musically 'Young Emotions' is bright and breezy, with James Parry's vocals bringing in some heart and soul. As introductions go this is really positive stuff, story telling lyrics and an excellent musical arrangement, indicate the album could well be a splendid one.
Background - Birmingham born, North London raised Harlea is set to raise hell with her first offering. ‘Miss Me’ introduces a sound that pushes against conformity – music with relatable themes, played with real instruments, to pop arrangements.
The track opens with a jaw-breaking riff that instantly sets it apart from a current trend of mood-based, playlist friendly pop songs. Harlea’s distinctly British vocal reveals razor sharp lyrics, which culminate in a siren call “What do you feel when you’re not with me, is your body cold, do you miss me?”.
Harlea explains, “The song is about the intense pleasure you get from a relationship, regardless of its consequences. Giving in to an obsession, it describes the reckless abandon with which you are drawn in. 'Miss Me' expresses an emotional addiction which is felt when you are separated - even a destructive relationship can pale next to the pain of not being together." With blues inspired riffs and female-lead, incessantly catchy pop melodies, ‘Miss Me’ serves as a fitting introduction to a major new artist. Facebook here.
'Miss Me' kicks off with some feisty riffs and an expansive rock sound. Harlea's vocals mix gritty rock'n'roll moments, alongside melodic an softer choruses. The song suggests we are in for some good and interesting material to come.
Background - Southampton-raised, 22 year old London-based singer, songwriter and producer Laurel Arnell-Cullen is to release her Park EP, and has signed to iconic English independent label Counter Records (an imprint of Ninja Tune). Brand new track 'Hurricane', taken from the EP, made its radio debut recently courtesy of Huw Stephens on BBC Radio 1. The Park EP was written, performed, recorded, produced and mixed by Laurel in her East London bedroom based studio. The first taster; 'Hurricane' demonstrates a maturity of sound beyond her 22 years, her breathy vocals sitting atop exquisite melodies with heartfelt, intimate delivery.
It follows the release of singles 'Life Worth Living' and 'San Francisco', which Laurel released on her label Theia earlier in the year. The tracks saw her garner a wealth of support from BBC Radio 1, Beats1, Apple, Spotify, New York Times, The Guardian, and many more, reaching Top 3 on Hype Machine's Popular Chart and surpassing half a million plays in under a month - her Spotify listener figures are in excess of 300k every month.
With a debut album scheduled for early 2017, Park EP further enhances Laurel’s position as a phenomenal new talent, mixing raw organic production with striking yet touching songwriting and powerfully enchanting vocals, (Out 18th Nov on Counter Records). Website here. Laurel has played numerous live shows over the summer and has recently announced her very first UK headline tour, to take place this November. Dates as follows:
23rd Nov - Crofters Rights, Bristol 24th Nov - Green Door Store, Brighton 25th Nov - Eagle Inn, Manchester 26th Nov - The Attic @ The Garage, Glasgow 27th Nov - Think Tank Underground, Newcastle 29th Nov - Brudenell Games Room, Leeds 30th Nov - Servant Jazz Quarters, London.
With such a distinct and appealing voice and songs as good (and heartfelt) as 'Hurricane', it's no surprise that Laurel is clocking up big numbers on the listening front. One to watch out for, if ever there was.
Background from the band - 'I Have It' is the first single off the upcoming SIANspheric album "Writing The Future in Letters Of Fire". Coincidence or not, "I Have It" translates to "Yo La Tengo" ... and the song does have the flavour of those indie heroes. The song features local friends Earth, Wind and Choir and their soaring vocals on the choruses, it's probably our most ambitious song to date.
On the topic of perhaps the longest gestating album title of all-time (we were selling "Writing the Future in Letters of Fire" t-shirts in 2010), that title is a reference from American Gods by Neil Gaiman... just as our previous album "The Sound of the Colour of the Sun" is from Shampoo Planet by Douglas Coupland. Literary references have played an important role in our lyrics and song titles as well... "Ending is Better than Mending" is from Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, "No Space" is via No Logo by Naomi Klein and "This All Happened" is from the book of the same name by Michael Winter.
And it's our pleasure to also announce that our debut album 'Somnium' from 1995 will be released on vinyl for the first time. A 20th anniversary surprise... after the 20th anniversary has passed... we're old. Website here.
If there is a hint of Yo La Tengo in the song 'I Have It', then I would consider it as fine seasoning that just brings out the flavour. Dreamy and absorbing, the vocals and music interact beautifully as does the choir. I am left anticipating the new album, that said as it's taken this long, I reckon I can handle a few more weeks.
Background from Grog - “The video for Guiding Light has an extra resonance due to the timing, circumstances and location of its creation. It was shot against blackened and ash covered landscapes in the aftermath of the Sand Fire, named after the Sand Canyon area where I live, east of LA’s Santa Clarita Valley. It consumed thousands of acres and came within two miles of my house, directly after the day I received news of Al’s passing. You could say my whole world had turned to ash.
Previously, I’d spent a week in London visiting Al in intensive care. My mind was filled with dark visions of the destructive nature of sepsis and the harsh, cruel way in which nature often devastates and yet continues to give birth to new life, new beginnings. When the Sand Fire was finally under control I had an overwhelming urge to shoot something; maybe it was about the effort to create something, to try to let something out, or just to feel the ash and dirt on my skin.
It wasn’t until I returned from my second trip to the UK for Al’s funeral that I shot the rest of the scenic footage and the areas I explored still resonated strongly with my emotional state. No matter how massive your loss, how heavy your heart, every challenge is an opportunity to rise to your light, to take the unique familiar goodness that you miss so much and recognise it in others, and in yourself. It’s still there in your heart.
Change is the very nature of all things, and though I detest what has happened, I will be changed by Al’s death, and I must guide that change towards positivity and growth.” Guiding Light - Release: 14 October 2016. Website here.
'Guiding Light' is the second song we have featured by Grog and she continues to impress, even with a more sombre and deeper piece like this. It's a reflective and serious track, which considers the sudden passing of her close friend and Die So Fluid drummer Al Fletcher.
Background - Folk-punk/Americana singer songwriter Rue Snider will release his second solo album, Broken Window, October 7, 2016. Three singles preceded the album; “Blackout,” “Blue Skies and Telephone Poles,” and “Stories.” “Stories,” a fan favourite, was a featured new release on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter homepage.
Broken Window was written in the midst of Rue’s transition from being a full time drinker to living as a sober person. The album moves from nihilism to hope over the course of its 36 hook-filled minutes. The songs’ instrumentation including jangly electric guitars, fiddle, and organ help to offset some of the darker lyrical content. Light overcoming dark is central to the album’s theme both in subject matter and tone.
"I try to be transparent in songs about a lot of the dark corners and trying moments in my life in an effort to encourage people to move past fear,” says Rue. “This record gets into a lot of the grittiness of alcoholism and becoming sober. The songs take a serious look at death and embracing the fact that life is finite as inspiration to live better."
Rue Snider has toured America extensively for three years in support of his debut full length album Leaving To Returning and single releases, The New New Colossus and Never Met A Girl I Didn’t Love. He has made appearances at SXSW and Folk Alliance International, and shared the stage with Tom Maxwell (Squirrel Nut Zippers), Tropic of Pisces, Superhuman Happiness, Benjamin Scheuer ("The Lion"), Blue Healer, Donna Missal, and Walter Salas-Humara (the Silos). He is currently on the road in support of Broken Window. Website here.
Rue Snider has distinct and engaging vocals as 'Stories' demonstrates. Not surprising the track is something of a story, which has an Americana feel running throughout. It's typical of the overall quality of the three singles released so far, and the forthcoming album. It's definitely worth checking all his material out.
Background - “Dallas Love Field” follows Henry’s previous two singles, the endearing “Real Peach” and its ethereal follow-up, “Through A Glass”, both of which just eclipsed a combined one million streams on Spotify in the past month alone… not bad for a brand-new songwriter!
The stand-out debut called The Rains EP, is coming out on October 14th through the UK label, Akira Records. The songs that comprise the The Rains show a central interest in exploring inner worlds, observing their treasures and holding none in contempt. He was also perhaps predisposed to songwriting, having come from a long line of poets and songwriters… his distant grandfather was the 14th century English poet John Gower (friend to Chaucer and Richard II) and his great-great-great-great grandfather was George Frederick Root, the most popular songwriter of the Civil War era. Facebook here.
Live dates: 10/01 - Portland, ME - Waking Windows Festival 10/04 - Burlington, VT - Signal Kitchen (w/ Vetiver) 11/01 - New York, NY - Rockwood Music Hall (Communion Presents)
We featured 'Real Peach' from the EP back in mid August and described 'The Rains' EP from which 'Dallas Love Field' also comes as follows. Comprising of five beautiful songs, thoughtful words sung with tenderness are accompanied by an understated and predominately acoustic soundtrack. Melodic through and through, and with delicate harmonies, the EP really is something quite special.
Background and obviously very private message from Red - Dear Mike , I am driven by love. I am inspired by the emotionally authentic - the passionate, the bold, the determined - and the flawed. I grew up listening to stars like Aretha Franklin, Dinah Washington, Al Green & Tina Turner. Inspired by their work, every song I write I aim to be true.
'Damn' is about the power play between two people. The magnetism, the seduction… It’s about desire and heartbreak, about someone who has a hold on you.
We all have that one that got away and this is our soundtrack, my love letter to you. x Red.
I mean, how can I resist with a message like that! Actually 'Damn' is one very good song and well worth a feature in it's own right. A powerful pop song with Red's vocals and the potent musical soundtrack both challenging and complementing each other, it is a grand song through and through. Facebook here.
Background - Off the back of a breakthrough 2016, Robbie Miller's musical evolution continues to grow with his upcoming second EP Closer To Home (out 28 October), to be supported by a tri-state launch tour announced today.
This past year has been quite the journey for Robbie Miller, with his singles ‘The Pain’ and 'Road' both picked up for rotation on triple j, national support tours alongside Josh Pyke and Dustin Tebbutt, a gig with Michael Franti and a stellar Bigsound showcase. Capping off an already impressive year, Miller is packing up to hit the pavement once more in support of his second EP, the weight of his growing accolades behind him and an endlessly promising future ahead.
Miller's follow-up to debut EP The Faster The Blood Slows is an atmospheric and emotionally immersive experience. Closer To Home isn't just headphone music at its finest – it bares all with close, poignant moments, dramatic highs and all that falls in between. So effortlessly does Miller intimately blend all these sonic shades does he bring his uniquely raw voice to the stage, a vocal strength of which has been described “to make your knees weak”.
Miller's sound has undeniably changed since the world first met him. Recorded in various locations from a Kyogle country cabin to a Melbourne studio with Oscar Dawson (Holy Holy, Alex Lahey, Ali Barter), Closer To Home is the dawning of a new era for Miller. His melding of alternative electronic sensibilities with his folk origins is flawless, further proving himself as a talent to watch. Closer To Home (EP) is released on Friday October 28, with a launch tour across three states beginning in Brisbane. Facebook here.
'Road' is the first of five really fine songs on the forthcoming 'Closer To Home' EP. Robbie has an engaging and melodic voice, that works so well with the smooth and sensitively crafted electronic background.
Background from the band - News on the detrimental effects that our collective human selves wreak upon our poor planet always get's my mind turning. I notice others are less inclined to want to listen to, or talk about these stories because they're often told to us in a harsh, stark doomsday kind of way, so I thought maybe I would try to write the tragedies into a less alarmist, more upbeat hopeful song, maybe listeners will absorb it and think about it with a more positive tone.
The way the recording ended up, with the horns and bombast, just made me think of some strange long-lost educational TV show, and that's the direction we tried to take with the video. Our debut album is out now via The Hand! Bandcamp here.
'Welcome to the Future' is a clever and massively catchy indie rock song. The video adds some colour and fun to the whole thing, the song is more than enough on it's own, so a double helping of delight is ensured.
Background - Juno Award nominated Royal Canoe have just released sophomore album Something Got Lost Between Here and the Orbit via Embassy of Music (EU), Moorworks (Japan) and Nevado Music.
The band have since followed up with a wonderfully quirky visual accompaniment to 'Bicycle'. The animated video by Matea Radic and Bill Acheson perfectly complements the band's wildly creative take on music, and will have you smiling and/or uncontrollably tapping your feet.
Royal Canoe has always had an intensively rhythmic heart and that is more the case than ever. Their lyrics grow organically out of an addictive percussive flow and the unique topography of each track. Reinforcing their vocal and percussive core allowed them to be more adventurous with experimentation; more determined in their ongoing pursuit of the elusive musicality that can be found in collisions between digital and analogue worlds. In addition to their their usual buffet of synthesisers, effects pedals and homemade samples, late nights lead to to rabbit-holes of attaching contact mics to water bottles to play them like percussion instruments and convoluting synths through beluga whale field recordings. Website here.
If you like genre defying music then 'Bicycle' may well be a real treat for your ears. The video adds another dimension to the song, which is just so vibrant and engaging. Superbly different!
Background - Skinny Girl Diet debut new video "Bored" off their upcoming debut LP "Heavy Flow" and announce USA vinyl pre-order. (HHBTM Records). One of the most eagerly anticipated albums in years, Skinny Girl Diet’s Heavy Flow is already getting regular play on BBC Radio 6 (by Iggy Pop, no less) and the London band’s been featured in just about every music blog/magazine you can imagine.
The band won’t even be old enough to drink during their upcoming US tour, and yet Delilah Holiday, Ursula Holiday, and Amelia Cutler have been doing this for almost six years now.. SGD is raw, bleeding, and beautiful, a perfect convergence of Angela Carter and Angela Davis and The Powerpuff Girls. Inspired by punk and grunge and being alive & awake in the 21st century, their debut album—self-released in the UK so they can control the product, released in the US on HHBTM Records b/c it’s the only label you can trust—is as cathartic & angry & moving as anything we’ve heard in a long time. ‘OK’ may be the best song ever written about watching a loved one struggle through depression.
'Bored' typifies the bands uncompromising musical stance, as they continue to impress with their brand of grungy punk. Forty years on from the UK punk explosion and Skinny Girl Diet bring a fresh new and urgent sound, ensuring there is life a plenty in the genre today.
The Raveonettes - This Is Where It Ends.
The New Respects - Trouble.
Kosi - Morning After Blues.
