Midweek Muse: Twilight Fields - Lucina Luchii

Twilight Fields - All the Love I Can.

Background - Twilight Fields is from Northern Canada and makes a mixture of atmospheric and psychedelic rock and influences from progressive rock, ambient, dream-pop, psych-folk and shoegaze.

"All the Love I Can" was originally conceived as part of a Beach Boys cover ep of the song "All I Wanna Do" from the "Sunflower" album. When I dropped that idea half finished, I decided I still really liked one of the original compositions I had intended to include, "All the Love I Can", which emphasizes the theme of unconditional love of the original song.

The production pays homage to the wall of sound production style practised by Brian Wilson and Phil Spector. "False Friend" is an old song redone in an ambient pop style and deals with the subject of betrayal. Facebook here.

We are told by Twilight Fields regarding the new song  'All the Love I Can' - "I thought it would be a good way to start the year... it actually has a positive feeling! And I have a feeling that this year we will need those".  'All the Love I Can' may be an expression of positive feelings, I would add it's one very beautiful track (as is it's companion False Friend) and in terms of paying homage, I think it's a case of job done, and very well at that.

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Lucina Luchii - Fly High.

Background - Lucina Luchii pairs up with the high-flying D/A Music Group this winter for the release of ‘Fly High’ – a silky smooth, vocal and keys combo that merges the stunning vocalist’s beautiful aural tones with a clean and reflective instrumental. Rolling along at a steady 74BPM – the production starts out stripped back with just mellow piano chords and Lucina’s voice holding the centre stage. As ‘Fly High’ grows we’re treated to a full course of half-time rhythms, soulful brass glides and subtle low end bass notes which come together to create a reflective backbeat to Lucina’s memorable vocal performance.

Released via the reliable talent stable of D/A Music Group, the collective once again introduce us to a talent that’s capable of garnering international plaudits. High end, modern crossover Pop/Soul/R&B is hard to find outside of the household names which makes D/A’s A&R efforts all the more impressive. If this is a sign of things to come, we can no doubt be looking forward to an exciting year ahead for both the group and Lucina alike. Facebook here.

'Fly High' is a rich and gently building song where the vocals and music are so well matched. Production is sensitive allowing Lucina's vocals to hold centre stage, with the soundtrack adding just enough to ensure the hooks dig in.

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Heat - Overnight (Album release & Tour Dates)

Heat - Lush, (from the album Overnight).

Background - One only needs to take a quick glance at the bands that Montreal quintet Heat have been compared with to get a firm grasp on the visceral, wholesome noise they produce. From the brash pop of Echo and the Bunnymen to the post-punk leanings of Psychedelic Furs, this is a band that proudly take their place in the great alt-rock lineage, delivering rousing, thrilling anthems for the disenfranchised. Initially starting as “as an excuse to get together and drink”, Heat has grown in to something far more significant - and new record Overnight offers their most notable work to-date.

Recorded at Montreal’s Breakglass Studio, the recording process was something of a rocky road for the band but the resulting record is a vehement leap forward, and one that looks set to cement Heat’s status as one of Canada’s most formidable exports. Led by the band’s three founding members, Susil Sharma (Vocals, Guitar, Synth), Matthew Fiorentino (Guitar, Synth), and Raphael Bussieres (Bass),  Overnight feels resolutely solid; old-school aesthetics delivered with a defiantly fresh-faced outlook.

Showcasing the bands shadowy undertones, lead single “Lush” is a heavy-hearted meeting of dark sentiments and inventive instrumentals, while closing track “Chains” offers something altogether more sparkling; a wildly ambitious seven-minute trip that matches Sharma’s slurring, hangover-ridden vocal with colorful washes of spaced-out, guitar-led soundscapes that sits alongside the likes of Preoccupations and DIIV at the forefront of the current alternative scene.

Co-produced by Grammy Award winner Alex Newport, who has worked with the likes of Death Cab and At The Drive In, Overnight is another significant milestone in Heat’s turbulent, tempestuous journey, but it’s a record that sees the band thriving in their current predicament. Ragged, raging, and unrestrained – they’ve simply never sounded better. Overnight will be released on January 20th 2017, via Topshelf Records (US)/The Hand Recordings (CAN)/Rallye Records (JP). Website here, Facebook here.

Tour Dates:
02.02.17 - Montreal, QC @ Ritz PDB
02.04.17 - Quebec, QC @ L’Anti
02.08.17 - Ottawa, ON @ Dominion Tavern
02.09.17 - Toronto, ON @ Baby G
02.10.17 - London, ON @ NZK Palace
02.11.17 - Guelph, ON @ Hillside Inside Festival
02.12.17 - Hamilton, ON @ Casbah
02.24.17 - Sherbrooke, QC @ La Petite Boite Noire
03.04.17 - Saint-Hyacinthe, QC @ Zaricot
03.14.17 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
03.15.17 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
03.16.17 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
03.17.17 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
03.18.17 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
03.19.17 - Austin, TX @ SXSW
04.18.17 - St John, NB @ Callahans Pub
04.19.17 - Sackville, NB @ Thunder & Lightning
04.20.17 - Halifax, NS @ Seahorse Tavern
04.21.17 - Fredericton, NB @ Flourish Festival
04.22.17 - Moncton, NB @ Claude’s House

Sharing the song 'Lush' as the single and as a taster for the album 'Overnight' may be in part, something of a well considered Chess move. It's a fine alt rock song in it's own right, that said, it's almost an understatement of just whats in store on the album. I guess the move is pretty straight forward, if the song gets your attention, the album will blow you away. So maybe it's a pretty smart move as well. Alt rock that veers towards punk attitude in places and a touch of grunge elsewhere, keeps the whole album interesting and pretty much addictive the whole way through.

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2017 and the beat goes on: Vaudevileins - Melanie Crew

2017 and the beat goes on, musically it's a little quiet on the new material front, how long for we shall see....

Vaudevileins - Sea Anemone.

Background - Chicago’s Vaudevileins released their new LP Magician on vinyl, CD, and digital download back on Nov. 18, 2016. Along with Jeff Julian (vox/guitar), Brennen Chouinard (drums/vox), and Bill Aldridge (bass), Evan Mohler joins Vaudevileins on lead guitar for the band’s second full-length recording, which will be their first release on vinyl.

The 10-song album is the culmination of a multi-year songwriting and recording effort at Aldridge’s Third City Sound in Joliet, Illinois. Bill engineered the project, and the band worked with their long-time collaborator Jeff Halland, who mixed and mastered Magician for digital and vinyl at his home studio in Minneapolis-St. Paul.

“We are really excited to finish Magician and have people hear it,” said Julian. “We think these are our best songs to date and we’re really proud of the production and the finished product.” Website here, Facebook here and Bandcamp here.

OK so we are still doing a little catching up on recent releases, this time with Vaudevileins and we feature the opening song 'Sea Anemone' which typifies the bands no nonsense, indie rock music. Fresh and powerful, I get the sense this is a band that just loves to perform.

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Melanie Crew - Parade.

Background - Melanie Crew is a London based singer and musician writing gentle acoustic music with soulful melodies.  Her second EP, Further Away, was released in October 2016, following the release of her first EP, Until the End, in August 2015. Melanie has received radio play from BBC 6 Music and BBC Kent, as well as numerous local stations.

​Born in West London, and now living in East London, Melanie's music is influenced by favourite artists including Elliott Smith, Roddy Woomble, Neko Case, Hem, and Kathryn Williams.

​Melanie is also interested in writing and photography, and her website includes favourite blogs and photos. Bandcamp here, Website here and Facebook here.

From the second EP 'Further Away' we feature the second track 'Parade'. Melanie Crew writes and performs melodic and gentle acoustic based songs with her beautiful vocals making all the difference. It's good to see she is getting some UK radio attention, with songs this good, that's well deserved.

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Tea Leaf Green - Live at Sierra Vista January 2004

It's been a while since we have featured a live concert and so to end the year, here is a very good recording of a band  some will know, and hopefully many more will get to hear, know and enjoy...

From the Internet Archive (IA) this is Tea Leaf Green live at Sierra Vista on the 9th January 2004. Tea Leaf Green (TLG) is a five-piece jam band from San Francisco Bay Area, comprising Josh Clark (guitar and vocals), Trevor Garrod (keyboards, vocals, guitar, and harmonica), Scott Rager (drums and percussion), Cochrane McMillan (percussion), and Eric DiBerardino.

Tea Leaf Green began in the fall of 1996, when Scott Rager met Ben Chambers on the campus of San Francisco State University (SFSU). Chambers was the group's original bass player but left in 2007; he is featured on the band's first four albums. Rager and Chambers began playing together, practicing in Chambers's bedroom in a back house off Church Street in San Francisco's Castro District. In early 1997, Clark, a childhood friend of Rager, moved from the Los Angeles area to San Francisco and became the third member of the band. Garrod, also a SFSU student, joined soon after.

In the late 1990s, Tea Leaf Green began gigging throughout San Francisco, becoming the de facto house band at the Elbo Room for a period in 1999. The band's first album, eponymously titled, was released that same year and featured twelve original compositions, included songs such as "Professor's Blues," "Asphalt Funk," and "California," all of which remained part of the band's live repertoire for years. Over time, the band pared down the all-inclusive sound featured on the first release and formed a more focused style of songwriting inspired by Garrod's Dylanesque musings and Clark's unabashed, frenetic soloing.

Tea Leaf Green continues to maintain a steady, if often arduous, schedule, playing clubs and other assorted venues across the country. Known for extended psychedelic, rowdy, and exploratory live shows. Other unofficial, but sanctioned, performances are available through archive.org. The group, independent and often on the periphery of the mainstream music industry, continues to rely on grassroots expansion of its music through the diligence of its fanbase, community forums, and web-based music avenues such as jambase.com.

Source: Soundboard.

Sound Quality: Very Good - Full stereo (SBD + 2(Oktava012(Card)) > MOTU828 > Apple iBookG3 Taped by Steven Fabing).

Genre: Rock (in many forms).

Set: Full Set.

Set List:

Hot Dog >
Kali-Yuga
Bootlegger
Vote on Tuesday
Reservoir
Papa's in the Backroom
Precious Stone
Freedom
Been So Long
Who Am I (What's My Name)?1,2
My Bastard Brother
The Invasion
The Garden (Part II)
Professor's Blues
Earth and Sky
Warmup
Loony Bin
Snoop
Tequila
Killing in the Name3
Baseball Jam

Links: Official site here.

Comments: You can stream the concert below. For download files in either FLAC, MP3 or OGG VORBIS format, visit the Internet Archive (here).

Listen:

Weekend Rockers: Fox Medicine - Blonde Summer

Fox Medicine - Financial Elevator.

Background - We are told that Nee rides broomsticks and likes to gypsy around. Vanny likes to tinker and get stuff done. The pair met at a Melvins show in Chicago, and describe their sound is heavy glittery noise. They go on - "We like secluded areas and are rarely social. Our influences are stoner rock, doom metal, post punk, peanut butter and good beer. PS. Reject reality and live life as art".

The most recent release Noise Nurse is a compilation album of songs written by Nee while living in Toronto, Canada in the time frame between 2008-2011. She worked at a psyche/dementia ward as a nurse during the time of those songs, and drew a lot of influence from her surroundings.

Most of the songs were written for projects like My Flea Circus + Goldie Luxx, etc, however little promotional effort was used, as they were mostly just for fun + for friends and were performed at local clubs and venues in Toronto's thriving music scene at the time. Nee's writing style is evident in Fox Medicine and throughout the former projects, but continues to be curiously unique and peculiar. This section is an homage to that timeframe and songwriting phase and comes with visuals + vids! Website here. Bandcamp here.

I have chosen to feature 'Financial Elevator' from Fox Medicine's 'Based on Need' EP, for the simple reason it's my favourite track. Probably the noisiest duo we have featured this year, that's heavy glittery noise for you!
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Blonde Summer - Beer On Ice.

Background - Dangerbird Records announces Microdose, a monthly single release and live event series celebrating new music from our neighborhood (LA's Eastside) and beyond. This platform will serve as a launchpad for up-and-coming artists, uniting and expanding our artistic community.  Monthly singles will include an A-side and B-side, and each artist will perform live at Dangerbird's Silver Lake based HQ/event space.

The series will launch on Jan. 12, 2017 with a release of a new single from Blonde Summer and live show that same night at Dangerbird Records. “Beer On Ice” was the last single from LA’s sun-bleached slacker-rock outfit Blonde Summer, released via Dangerbird Records back in November.

The A Side “Beer On Ice” and B Side “Sha La La” are both returns to what Chris Pope, the band’s mastermind, does best. Telling stories thru fuzzed out vocals, of Lazy Days, Wanderlust and Liquor Store Romances.  The band’s stripped down approach to the Beer On Ice single is a departure from last years electronic infused Paradise e.p., resulting in a truer brand of rock that Blonde Summer fans have come to love over the bands 6 year, 4 e.p. career.

Blonde Summer’s Chirs Pope admits “there was a bit of hibernation” following the Paradise e.p. A necessary period where the band could get back to their roots. Hang out with their girlfriends, find jobs, quit jobs and get lost.

'Beer On Ice' has a cool almost lazy laid back rock'n'roll feel, that occasionally likes to pack a riff or two of full on energy into your ears.

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