Double Take: Pink Milk - The Vernons

Pink Milk - Drömmens Skepp.

Background - Hailing from Sweden, Pink Milk are a captivating rock concoction. Influenced by the dreamy shoegaze and gothic minimalism of 90s acts like The Jesus and Mary Chain, Cocteau Twins and Cranes - as well as cult movies and series like Twin Peaks and True Romance - the band’s gloomy, glittering sound casts a languid, moody spell that invites addiction and demands repeated listens...

This latest track ‘Drömmens skepp’ (Ship Of A Dream) is their tortuously dark take on a traditional Swedish folk song…(Staffan Percy’s 1979 version of a Bo Setterling poem). Originally commissioned by Swedish Television, Pink Milk's natural first interpretation was deemed too unhinged, too subversive for prime time consumption and thus was banished to the realm of the underground before resurfacing today to bewitch listeners once more…

Swirling and crashing like a twisted fairytale lullaby or a mermaid siren calling from the cavernous ocean, the band have managed to transform this sweet, traditional song into an apocalyptic assault of syrupy, existential noise. The song describes a heavenly, ghost ship glimmering on the horizon and Pink Milk themselves take a devilish turn across thunderous waters with this one, their first since finishing their Swedish tour and the first before playing a number of select UK shows in early 2017. Website here, and Facebook here.

'Drömmens Skepp' is just something else. Dark and brooding does not come into it, and to describe it as atmospheric would be a case of over simplification. I just love this uncompromising song, they have observed their influences in detail and taken the music further, more please.

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The Vernons - She's Not Mine.

Background - Fresh off the back of a return run of shows, Gold Coast blues rockers The Vernons have just unveiled their video for pensive new single 'She's Not Mine'.

While the clip paints an expressive picture of love gone wrong, this isn't your ordinary break-up song. Front man Jonny Nyst explains, "A break-up can spur a roller-coaster ride of emotions and that's really what the song is all about. One minute you can feel completely regretful and the next minute you can feel utterly betrayed. She's Not Mine really emphasises the darker times of all of that."

First hitting stages in 2012 and quickly notching up a well deserved 2014 Big Day Out slot, The Vernons have since supported the likes of Hoodoo Gurus, Wolfmother, Stonefield, The Rubens, Gang of Youths and more. With three EP's under their belt that include the Queensland Music Award winning track 'To The Sky' and sizzling single 'White Wine' (which is now set to crack 300,000 YouTube hits), The Vernons are crafting a genuine catalogue that offers up classic feeling modern blues.

Bunkered down in the studio for most of 2016, writing from a darker palate as first taster 'She's Not Mine' showcases, The Vernons are set to storm into 2017 and release their most focused material to date in the form of EP #4. 'She's Not Mine' is out now via all good digital retailers. Website here and Facebook here.

With a funky and feisty feel throughout 'She's Not Mine' packs a whole load of power and energy, in what is one very cool and unpretentious piece of rock music.

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Tuesday's Two: Quiet Boy - December's Children

Quiet Boy - Redeem.

Background - Redeem is the first single to be revealed from Quiet Boy’s debut EP Earwig, due for release in Spring 2017. The track showcases a bold song writing and vocal approach that comes directly from the heart. It's hooky, infectious, heartbreaking dream-electronica.

Quiet Boy is a solo project produced by Nick Trepka. Envision Scott Walker soundtracking Stranger Things: This is a visionary reimagining of childhood led by one of the UK’s finest musical creatives. Quiet Boy's multi-instrumentalist band are: Russell Ditchfield, Emily Sills, Alexandra Braithwaite and Stuart Roberts.

Quiet Boy describes his music as a ‘coming of age symphony’. Drawing on his vast musical memory from nursery rhymes through to contemporary electronic music, he chews up and spits out influences, creating something utterly new. Quiet Boy is a project born out of nostalgia, but far from throwback. Website here, Facebook here.

'Redeem' mixes intricate music with more rhythmic vocals and just unfolds from there. Changing tempo and style along the way kept me intrigued and leaves me looking forwards to more.

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December's Children - Waiting Room.

Background - “Waiting Room” is a re-imagining of Fugazi's hardcore classic in December’s Children’s unique Americana style. The Waiting Room EP has received strong early support from commercial and public stations in the U.S. that supported the last album, radio play in the UK and Canada, and regional print press coverage. The band has two television appearances scheduled for 2017, including a full episode feature on Prairie Musicians on PBS. A tour in support of the new album is scheduled for spring of 2017, building on their very successful 2015 tour in the upper Midwest.

December's Children saw tremendous success in 2015 with their debut album, Skeletons with over 100,000 streams and downloads, airplay in over 20 states and three foreign countries, and is still growing at a progressively faster rate. Waiting Room follows it up with a wide ranging EP that is led off with an Americana style cover of Fugazi's seminal classic. The album also includes four originals - "Suit of Gold", "Dogs of War", "Infinity + 1", and "Fallout". The group's third Brink Records release will be out next summer. Thank you for your support of this truly unique group!

Two versions of the video for "Waiting Room" were produced. One has been released and the other, a colorized variant of the original, came out on December 16, 2016. The video for "Suit of Gold" comes out in January. Website here and Facebook here.

If your going to re-imagine a song then an Americana makeover seems as good a place to go as any. December's Children have done just that with 'Waiting Room' whilst retaining the energy and passion of the original.

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Quality Not Quantity: Miss Chain & The Broken Heels - Colette Kavanagh

Miss Chain & The Broken Heels - Uh Uh / Standing The Night.

Background - It’s been quiet for some time for Miss Chain and The Broken Heels, the extensive touring after their second album (The Dawn, released by Burger, Bachelor and Tre Accordi), band members went their own way to persue solo careers, starting a booking agency, buidling a studio, and just taking a breath, italian style. After few months things started to get togetheragain, they did some shows in the spring of 2016 and baboom: Here is their new classic two song single, fresh and new, as if there hasnt been some kind of hiatus. 

You can easily hear it exactly 1 second after you let the needle drop on the Side A track, after few chords Miss Chain and the gang ooozes a warm feeling into your head and heart! Hell, they are back, with all the goodtime melodies enriched with their typical melancholy vibe. While the first track is a classic uptempo powerpop tune, the flipside presents a slower hipshaker, and although the velocity has been taken out this one is still a fine, mellow mood maker that leaves you hungry for more!
 
This single has been pressed in limited edition, so you should hurry to snatch a copy. Both albums has been sold out as did most of the other releases of their meanwhile huge discography. A couple of shows are planned for the last two months of 2016, a bigger tour through europe is in the works for 2017, as well as a third full length. Bandcamp here and Facebook here.

'Uh Uh' and 'Standing The Night' are a couple of upbeat Rock'N'Rollers that just groove along, with a classic and oh so pleasing feeling, from start to finish.

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Colette Kavanagh - Hold On.

Background - Colette Kavanagh is a singer-songwriter originally from Blessington, Co. Wicklow.  She now lives in Calverstown, Kilcullen, Co. Kildare in Ireland.

She attended the Holy Faith Convent in the Coombe, Dublin 8 where she was taught singing and dancing from the age of 7 by the Holy Faith nuns and grew up with her father playing piano and her mother singing along while encouraging all the children to join in Sunday afternoon singing around the piano.  
  
In 2007 Colette was asked to be a guest singer on a 10 day tour of Ireland with Johnny Cash’s guitarist, Bob Wootton from Nashville, Tennessee.  This tour gave Colette the confidence to begin writing and recording her own songs eventually leading to her debut album ‘Further Down The Line’ drawing on many country influences. Colette has been regularly performing in Dublin and the surrounding counties as well as having many requests to sing at numerous events including RTE television’s ‘Franc’s DIY Brides’. 
  
In 2014 Colette’s song “Rebekah’s Lullaby” was used in a short film “Skunky Dog” written and directed by James Fitzgerald of OIC Media and has won 13 awards to date to include Winner of Best Short Drama at the Royal Television Society Awards in RTE. In November of 2015, Colette started working and recording her new songs with Martin Quinn Producer and Owner of Jam Studios in Kells, Co. Meath which are getting extensive radio and internet airplay on BreezeFM, EastCoastFM, SpiritRadio, SouthEast Radio to name but a few and all across the USA.

Her music videos, including fan-favorites “Hold On”, “Someday” and her latest release “Last Kiss”, have received an especially warm reception in the US market. These videos have appeared on television screens spanning from New York City to Los Angeles and everywhere in between via music video outlets such as Bongo Boy TV, THECOOLTV, R n R TV, Video Diversity and H2O Television, to name a few. Website here.

Colette Kavanagh is another artist who slipped quietly under our radar earlier this year, and the song 'Hold On' is just to fine a piece to ignore. A gentler more middle of the road ballad, may not be the first type of song you might expect here on Beehive Candy, however Colette has such a dreamy melodic voice, so why not!

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Sunday Double: Anousheh - Tobin Sprout

Anousheh - Get to You.

Background - Electro-Pop artist Anousheh has just launched newest buzz-worthy single, "Get To You," for your listening pleasure. Anousheh's fresh style combines Pop sensibilities that offers a unique, and slightly nostalgic sound for your ears. The songstress has been garnering the praise of fans and critics alike who can't get enough of her hypnotic vocals and captivating instrumentation.

Anousheh is known for her epic melodies, and the Grammy-nominated songwriter has captivated audiences both overseas and in her hometown of Richmond, Virginia. Drawing early influences from some of her 90's music idols like Tori Amos, Bjork, and Radiohead, her songwriting style has always been rooted in introspection and metaphor. As an adult, Anousheh's love of pop music, hip hop and indie rock has focused her songwriting into hook-driven, thoughtful pop songs-- and in line with artists like Tove Lo, Ellie Goulding and Halsey. Facebook here and Website here.

With a deep bubbling synth soundtrack Anousheh's vocals melodically glide effortlessly above the soundtrack of 'Get to You'. It's a catchy Electro pop song where both vocals and music compete to hook you in.

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Tobin Sprout - Future Boy Today/Man Of Tomorrow.

Background - How do you bring a child’s curiosity to life? For Tobin Sprout, formerly of indie rock icons Guided by Voices, the answer is to revisit it with the wounded tenor of an aging piano man; someone searching, desperately, for his place in the cosmos. The Universe and Me is Sprout’s sixth solo album; hatched during a seven-year gestation period that included unearthing lost recordings (the single, “Future Boy Today/Man of Tomorrow” for one, was being saved for GBV), and digging through a treasure chest of memories in his home studio in Michigan, where Sprout composed behind his shambling grand piano and trembling, boyish voice. Each home recording was captured live with Sprout’s new band — which led to marvelous imperfections.

The Universe and Me takes  a deliberately primitive approach that focuses on feeling, as opposed to production. The result is a vague bridge  between the ballads of psych-era Beatles,  and the haunting vulnerability of Daniel Johnston’s Hi, How Are You?. It’s no surprise, then,  that Sprout penned and illustrated his own magical children’s books as The Universe and Me  plays like a deceptively dense reimagining of simple subjects like comic books, finding your purpose in life, and growing old.

Many of the 14 tracks acts like a diorama of a boy’s imagination, like “Future Boy/Man of Tomorrow,” which was inspired by Sprout's fascination with superheroes from his childhood. The wistful "When I Was A Boy" is a short, stunning ballad relating childhood grounding to adulthood. “Walk Across the Human Bridge” is a heavy-hitting rocker driven by shredding and lyrics describing the decline of humanity. “Tomorrow From Heaven” is about dealing with the sadness that follows death. Pasted together as a collage, as opposed to a rigid whole, and we have  the soundtrack to Tobin Sprout’s life.

The Universe and Me will be available on Burger Records on February 3rd, with a limited pressing of a baby blue vinyl for the first 300 copies. Following the release, Sprout and his new band will embark on a nationwide tour. This will be his first tour in over a decade, supported by Burger Records, who’ll be reissuing Sprout’s mid-'90s Matador albums — Carnival Boy and Moonflower Plastic — in the months ahead. Website here.

'Future Boy Today/Man Of Tomorrow' is an honest rock song with swirls of psychedelic overtones adding a real richness to the piece. This is one of the more energised "full on" songs from the forthcoming album, which mixes the styles and pace of material, whilst delivering fourteen individual and very solid tracks. 

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Genre Wander: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - The Darts - Vibronics meets Conscious Sounds

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Fireproof.

Background - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s 2005 self-released debut album set a precedent for how bands might begin to approach making music independently. The record — which vocalist/multi-instrumentalist/songwriter Alec Ounsworth wrote entirely by himself— received widespread critical acclaim and was named one of “The 50 Most Important Recordings Of The Decade” by NPR.

In the ensuing years, Ounsworth has continued pushing himself creatively, releasing three additional Clap Your Hands Say Yeah full-lengths (for which he again wrote all of the music and lyrics) and issuing two solo projects. The group has also grown a robust international fanbase: In 2015 alone, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah toured in Latin and South America, Japan and Europe. All of these experiences have helped Ounsworth refine his vision for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, as the group heads into its twelfth year and the release of its fifth album, The Tourist.

Like previous Clap Your Hands Say Yeah records, The Tourist nods to Ounsworth’s musical heroes—a group that includes artists such as John Cale, Robert Wyatt, Tom Waits and Nick Cave. However, this album also shows a natural progression from previous records. “Better Off” and “The Vanity Of Trying” are lush, keyboard-augmented songs, while “A Chance To Cure” and “Ambulance Chaser” are rhythmically askew, and the sighing “Loose Ends” is delicate, acoustic-based folk-rock.

No matter what the style, however, The Tourist‘s arrangements are laser-sharp and deliberate, without feeling labored-over. For example, “Down (Is Where I Want To Be)” combines piano flickers with anxious keyboards, gnarled electric guitars and teeth-baring drums—but yet feels cohesive, not chaotic.

The Tourist emerged from a period where Ounsworth was doing a lot of intense soul-searching, and processing personal events that irrevocably shaped his life and future. But although most of these songs came together during this time of reflection, he considers the record to be cathartic—an exhale of sorts, rather than a collection of songs where he was indulging in self-pity or letting things stagnate or fester.

“The album was a type of purge,” he says. “A purge of certain emotional confusion that manifested itself in the last several years. It was not an easy album to make, by virtue of the fact that it was an emotional time for me.”

Having that space and freedom to explore as part of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah is crucial to Ounsworth and a vital part of the band’s identity. As anyone who’s seen him perform a living room show will attest, this mindset also often results in songs with dramatically different arrangements. But as a musician and leader of an independent project, Ounsworth prides himself on honesty across all aspects of the band, from live performances to the studio. Website here and Facebook here.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah are one of those bands where the wait for new material always seems worth it and 'Fireproof' suggests that remains the case. As for the song well in part it's a juxtaposition of being understated and gentle, whilst the rhythm is funky, fresh and energised. What's more the arrangement is just right for the thoughtful lyrics and there delightful delivery.

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The Darts - Running Through Your Lies.

Background - The Darts (US) are an all-grrrrl garage-psych-rock supergroup featuring Nicole Laurenne (The Love Me Nots, Motobunny, Zero Zero), Rikki Styxx (The Two Tens, The Dollyrots, Thee Outta Sites), Christina Nunez (The Love Me Nots, Casual Encounters, The Madcaps), and Michelle Balderrama (Brainspoon).

The band formed in early 2016 when, after watching each other’s bands from the sidelines for years, Nicole and Michelle realized there was no good reason why they shouldn’t just start writing songs together already. With six songs ready, Rikki and Michelle recorded their tracks in Los Angeles and then Nicole and Christina tracked their parts in Phoenix. Arizona producer Bob Hoag then masterfully stirred the mess together over a piping hot console. The results are two smoking 10” vinyl EPs full of garage riffs, girl-group harmonies, fuzz bass, farfisa organ, badass drum fills, and all-around lo-fi-turned-hi-fi goodness.

Soon after their October 2016 release, the singles “Running Through Your Lies” and “Revolution” enjoyed instant radio airplay and  “Take What I Need” was selected by Sirius/XM’s Underground Garage channel as “The Coolest Song In The World 2016.” The band played its first live show in October, 2016, and signed with London’s Dirty Water Records shortly thereafter. The Darts will tour across the southern US in January 2017 with Oakland’s all-girl rock duo Steel Cranes, and then… The Darts will invade Europe on tour in May 2017. Bandcamp here, Facebook here.

The first of six tracks on the EP and 'Running Through Your Lies' immediately lets the listener know that The Darts have some real depth to their music. Mixed with more feisty garage rock, the collection of songs may be small in number, but they pack a punch and demand your attention throughout!

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Vibronics meets Conscious Sounds - Half Century Dub  - 50 years in the mix.

Background - As Dub Reggae music becomes a global force, Vibronics & Conscious Sounds present an album that celebrates 50 years of dub music. Dougie Wardrop & Steve Vibronics present an album that takes classic music from each decade of dub, starting with 1970s Jamaica music right up 2010s worldwide dub sounds. The two prominent UK Dub producers will take each decade in turn, as the listener is catapulted across half a century of roots rocking Reggae music. This unique dubwise concept album will feature reworking of classic tunes from 1970s, 1980s, new versions of crucial music from the Conscious Sounds & Vibronics back catalogue from 1990s & 2000s and some brand new future dubs for the 2010s. Dubwise music across 50 years.

Vibronics meets Conscious Sounds and Half Century Dub - 50 years in the mix 2 X Maxi 10" includes a Limited Edition Vinyl singles January 2017 and also Vinyl / CD / Digital Album Release January 2017. Website here.

If you go to their website (link just above) there are nine songs to listen to, unfortunately we cannot embed the music here, however to wet your appetite a little, we have Vibronics - Furious Dub & Conscious Sounds Mix (Taken From Personal 10), as an indicator of the quality and musical delights due in January.

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