Tunabunny - Ed Prosek - King Washington - Alexa Dark - Carter Lou & The Project

Tunabunny - Blackwater Homes.

Background - Tunabunny release second new track in three years "Blackwater Homes" and announce the pre-order of their 5th album also a double "PCP Presents Alice In Wonderland JR" released June 23rd on HHBTM Records.  

PCPPAIWJR creates a universe of sound, music for the internet age. As our access to music expands, its entire history sits at our fingertips just waiting to be heard.  Just waiting to inspire, this is the future of music—a glorious eclecticism that results in something original and urgently now. You can hear echoes of T Rex, Slits, Electrelane, Chills, Human League, John Cage, John Cale, GBV, Beefheart, Ono, Eno, Fine Young Cannibals, Fleetwood Mac, Luc Ferrari, Bananarama, ? and the Mysterians, Smiths, Syd Barrett, Sun Ra, and on, and on.

You’ll want to know about the title, you’ll have questions about the title. Turn on your TV, open up your laptop, sift through your phone, pay attention to the surreal dystopian nightmare all around us. PCP Presents Alice In Wonderland Jr is quite simply what it means to be alive in 2017. Facebook here.

We featured 'Incinerate' earlier in the month and then along comes 'Blackwater Homes' and a chance to share a second song from the bands forthcoming album. As regards the album we said "The album takes us from psych to indie rock and a whole load of other places. Sometimes it's quite avant garde other times hook laden and sparkling, there is never a dull moment", I think the new song might just reinforce that!

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Ed Prosek - Flesh & Blood.

Background - Californian singer-songwriter Ed Prosek releases new EP Flesh and Blood Part 1.

Recorded in Berlin, the artist has flipped the perspective from his previous work, with his new output yielding a much darker, heavier sound. Prosek brings together his singer songwriter roots and a more complex exploration of raw sound, instrumentation and arrangement, moving away from his folkier roots.

At the end of April he teased with "Tear It All Down", a track inspired, in part, by post-apocalyptic 2009 film, The Road. "Tear It All Down" tells a story of perseverance, but ultimately hopelessness. Borne out through both the lyrical themes and the music itself, it’s as if the very weight of the sound of the chorus is the burden of uncertainty carried by us all, and the emptiness of the verses, the stark and brutal void of the calm before the storm. The fear of the unknown is a palpable presence within the song.

Prosek’s evolution from acoustic singer songwriter to this new direction has been a natural progression through both his personal growth as an artist, and a reflection of a less certain world. Ed Prosek will be on a headline tour throughout Germany and the Netherlands in May, with festival dates and international showcases throughout the summer. Website here, Facebook here, live dates on Beehive Candy's tour page. 

Title track from the EP (Part 1), and 'Flesh & Blood' gently grows into a rich and layered singer, songwriter piece of notable quality. One of three songs it demonstrates well Ed Prosek's ability to turn up the power and emotional feel with great effect.

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King Washington - My Reflection.

Background - LA-based indie rockers King Washington have just released the official music video for their second album single "Superman," from their forthcoming studio album Potential. The album is due out May 19 in digital, CD and LP formats, and is available now for pre-order (here). The Pledge Music pre-order is also live (here), and includes exclusive bundles with signed product. 

"Superman" captures the frustrations of the artist - the feelings of not being good enough despite countless time and effort to improve and succeed. It buddies up to the band's inspiration behind the album title Potential and together, both titles reflect the push-pull of trying to get recognized, while also balancing the need for outside gratification to mark one's assessment of their own talent. The video crystallizes this as the camera follows fine artist Danielle Lee throughout her day as an aspiring artist. Ultimately, as King Washington's Tyson Kelly points out, "There is an underlying message that good things come to those who perservere." 

Drawing from diverse influences such as Grizzly Bear, The Crash Kings, The Talking Heads, The Beatles and Crosby, Stills & Nash, Los Angeles’ own King Washington are in the midst of creating the New California sound. By fusing classic vocal harmonies and lyrical melodies with a contemporary approach to songwriting, the band has created a unique sound that is as creative as it is familiar.

This album sees members Tyson Kelly (guitar, keys, vocals), George Krikes (lead guitar, vocals), and Billy Lee (bass, vocals) joined by David Contreras on drums. With two albums behind them, and a tour history that includes playing over 150 shows across the US since 2014 (sharing the stage with the likes of The Artic Monkeys, Collective Soul, and Ambrosia), King Washington plans on continuing the trend of blowing audiences away across the nation... as one of LA Weekly's top live shows in Los Angeles. Facebook here, live dates on Beehive Candy's tour page. 

The vocals and harmonies stand out on 'My Reflection' an indie rocker that has plenty of melodic hooks, along with a feisty beat that gives the song an additional dimension to the overall piece.


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Alexa Dark - Blur.

Background - Alternative rock songwriter and guitarist, Alexa Dark, announces her debut EP, Empty Drinks/Empty Hearts, due out August 2017. The album was produced by Angelo "Doc" Velasquez (The Weeknd's Trilogy, The Fray, Christina Perri) and mixed by Patrick Kelly. 

Raised between Spain, London and Germany, now based in New York City and London, the songs are inspired by Alexa Dark's transient lifestyle. The songs were written in bedrooms, planes, between drinks outside East London clubs during early  morning hours and on the concrete of various metropolitan cities. Conceived in heartbreak, in transit and from boundless nostalgia, these tracks intertwine cultural and personal narratives, influenced by the Spanish singer songwriters played in her childhood kitchen, in addition to female rock legends such as Patti Smith, Debbie Harry and Kim Gordon. 

Empty Drinks/Empty Hearts is a collection of songs cultivated in the brief moment when the party is over, when the sobriety comes just before the morning does. "Blur" is one of the first songs Alexa wrote and has evolved to cater to many different relationships and situations throughout her life. It's a "fuck it" anthem, of sorts, but still portrays vulnerability, baring her bones. "Nothing More" is an "anti-love" song, about loving but in an untraditional sense. Referring to the EP's title, "Empty Drinks" is a party anthem that encapsulates the sober realization and reflection on the emptiness felt at the end of the night. Website here, Facebook here.

Alexa Dark's vocals are well suited to alt rock, tuneful with just a little rock'n'roll edge. 'Blur' is one very catchy song, the music is a little understated allowing the song both lyrically and through it's fine delivery, to shine through.

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Carter Lou & The Project - Do Or Die.

Background - Lead by Washington, D.C.-based musician Carter Louthian, Carter Lou & the Project's beginnings stem from tragic circumstances. The night before he was set to go to college, Lou snapped: his two best friends had recently killed themselves a day apart, and his girlfriend had just broken his heart. 

Combined with the reality of the packaged post-college suburban life he was heading toward, he felt even more emptiness. He boldly told his parents that he wasn't going to university in the morning and has chosen to pursue music instead. Since then, the band has packed out numerous headlining shows and earning a prestigious endorsement from PRS Guitars. 

"Do Or Die" is the first single from Carter Lou & the Project's forthcoming self-titled album, produced by Mark Williams and Rick Beato (Shinedown, Needtobreathe). The single's lyrical content arises from Lou's past heartbreak and finding the strength and trust to fall back in love again. Facebook here.

'Do Or Die' is a tight, rhythmic rocker that doesn't try to be anything else. Energised music alongside passionately natural vocals makes for a fine personal introduction to the band.

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Hanne Hukkelberg - Quiet Boy - Stutter Steps

Hanne Hukkelberg - The Whip.

Background - One of Norway’s most acclaimed, influential and vital artists, Hanne Hukkelberg returns in extraordinary form, with her first new single in five years — ‘The Whip’. Self-produced by Hanne herself, ‘The Whip’ is a complex, schizophrenic four minutes of supremely intelligent pop music. This will come as no surprise to fans of Hanne’s previous work, with the new single bringing her sound right up to date — sounding more relevant, and just as intriguing as ever, aligning with the electronically manipulated tendencies of modern pop music.

‘The Whip’ signals Oslo based Hukkelberg’s forthcoming fifth album, joining a nationally adored and internationally acclaimed back catalogue including ‘Featherbrain’ (2012), ‘Blood From A Stone’ (2009) and Norwegian Grammy Award-winning debut LP ‘Rykestrasse 68’ (2006). 

The new track straddles the divide between electronic and organic, both in terms of premise and production; contemplating a cyber society embroiled in, and consumed by, filtered reality. “The Whip is a combination of personal experience and a wider observation of society and how I feel people are living their lives, striving for this unrealistic idea of perfection,” Hukkelberg explains.

“I wanted to write about how nice – and necessary – it is to need someone. To be vulnerable in a society that encourages us to look like someone that has everything, all of the time, and doesn’t actually need anything.”

'The Whip’ features the stunning guest vocal of Highasakite’s Ingrid Helene Håvik – one of Hukkelberg’s many cohorts, with past collaborators including Todd Terje, Jaga Jazzist, Jenny Hval, and Emilie Nicolas. Website here, Facebook here.

'The Whip' mixes gorgeous synths and beats with delicious vocals, as the two elements bounce around each other. Maverick pop of sorts, that is incredibly addictive.

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Quiet Boy - Supergirl.

Background - Quiet Boy’s ‘Supergirl’ developed from a very dark time in principal member and songwriter Gaz Tomlinson’s life. The track, taken from upcoming debut EP ‘Earwig’, works through negative and positive cycles of thought, with its slow burning tempo and acoustic lo-fi meets electro-glitch sound palette.

The song was initially an ode to Tomlinson’s partner, musician and performer Brigitte Aphrodite, and the loss of a major book of her poetry (‘Throwing words into the ocean’) on a night spent on a Hastings beach. The video revisits the same stretch of beach but the track takes on a new persona as ‘Supergirl’ confronts the misunderstanding and persecution of LGBTQ individuals and their relationships.

Gaz explains, “For the visual we wanted to subvert the surface meaning of the song. Supergirls can come in any form and be different things to different people. In this case this is what the song means to band member Alex Faye Braithwaite.”

He adds, “the song ‘sung by a man about a woman’ acts as a counterpoint to the video, where we see a ‘woman singing about a woman’. The words on her body express the stigma attached to her sexuality, and the bravery involved in washing them away”

Their 4 track debut EP ‘Earwig’ includes Amazing Radio and BBC Introducing favourite ‘Redeem’. There is much to delve into and savour, both musically and lyrically – the collection was produced (with Gareth Tomlinson and band member Russell Ditchfield) by Nick Trepka (Emmy The Great, Speech Debelle).

Quiet Boy is a collaboration between 5 musicians led by Tomlinson. They are: Gaz Tomlinson, Russell Ditchfield, Emily Sills, Alexandra Braithwaite and Stuart Roberts. With a series of festival appearances and shows across the UK including Glastonbury Festival in June, Quiet Boy are a must-see live. Website here, Facebook here, live dates on Beehive Candy's tour news page.

Lo-fi and at times quite spartan music, ensures that when the song ups the power, it also unleashes passion and emotion. 'Supergirl' beautifully defies specific categorisation, the video adds to that, it's not necessarily experimental, it is gorgeous.


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Stutter Steps - Submarine.

Background - Stutter Steps debut new track 'Submarine' from their upcoming 12" Floored on Blue Arrow Records, due for release on June 2nd, 2017. Stutter Steps released their debut album on Wild Kindness records at the end of 2015. Group mastermind Ben Harrison, a curator at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, and collaborator with Dean Wareham (Galaxie 500/Luna/etc.), crafted one of the bittersweetest indiepop debuts in years. 

Critics who took the time to listen were stunned. With its jangling guitars and plaintive organ, its literate heartfelt lyrics and the skip in its step, Stutter Steps sounds like the missing link between early Flying Nun and the Go-Betweens (geographically, this would put then in the middle of the Tasman Sea and I hope they’ve got a boat).

They return now with a new six-song EP, Floored, on Blue Arrow Records, home of Jonathan Richman among others, that expands on the promise of the debut. Harrison has the rare ability to combine emotions in a song, so ‘Encino,’ with its wistful chords and lyrics of regret, becomes greater than the sum of its parts. The organ on ‘Weak Restraint’ makes you dance (Stutter Steps has never sounded more like The Clean than they do here) while the words make you weep. It would take a heart of orange granite not to be moved. Facebook here.

We featured Stutter Steps in March and the latest track 'Submarine' pretty much confirms our initial enthusiasm was well founded. Melodic with plenty of heartfelt vibes, it's another fabulous track.

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Kylie Odetta - Swimming Tapes - Rival Cavves - High Signs - Monogold

Kylie Odetta - Stress.

Background - 19-year-old Kylie Odetta has always been able to access a musical maturity that transcends her age. By 6 she was playing piano fluidly, by 12 she was recording her own material in her own iconic style and, as of 2017, has clocked in hundreds of shows that include opening slots for Gavin DeGraw, Colbie Callait and Mat Kearny. 

The slow-burning R&B that is saturating the mainstream as of late was always in alignment with Odetta’s sensibilities, culminating in 2016’s High Dreamer EP which was a pivotal moment in her musical trajectory, both personally and professionally. Its bluesy ballads accessed the lower register of her sultry voice, drawing comparisons to contemporary soul torchbearers like Yuna, Lianne La Havas and Adele and securing coverage in outlets as varied as Paste and The Music Ninja. 

Odetta’s mellow yet modern aesthetic was molded from a youth spent listening to both top 40 radio while entrenching herself in the pantheon of jazz pianists: Ellington, Monk, Coltrane, etc.… The symbiosis between pop and blues has always been apparent in her unique style and is something she drew on heavily when returning to the studio earlier this year. The name of her newest EP, Undertow, plays on her intention to follow her muse and not defer to mainstream trends - moving in a direction that is different from that of the surface current.

Undertow is due out May 19th, website here, Facebook here.

If I describe 'Stress' as resplendent, beguiling and similar, I might still be accused of understating just how good this song is. Kylie Odetta is young, pretty and can sing, enough these day's to have TV talent shows falling over themselves to hype her up. A closer listen at both her vocals and piano skills, suggests there is some real depth to Kylie's musical interpretation and naturally developed talent. Resplendent, beguiling? go watch and listen (here), and decide for yourself!

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Swimming Tapes - Queen's Parade.

Background - London-based indie band Swimming Tapes share new track "Queen's Parade". The track was produced by Adam Jaffrey (Palace, Gengahr, Leif Erikson). Stay tuned for more details on the new EP which will feature the single, to be announced soon. The band have announced a number of UK tour dates, including stops at The Great Escape and Dot To Dot Festivals, and a headline show at The Lexington.

The now London-based five piece arrived in 2016 with a self released demo track, ‘Souvenirs’, which quickly won them acclaim from the blogging world. Follow up tracks ‘Set The Fire’ and ‘Cameos’ saw them reach the top spot on the Hype Machine chart, earned the band their first play from BBC Radio 1, and tipped them well over 1 million track streams on Spotify. Swimming Tapes rounded off the year with the release of their debut EP, named after their first single ‘Souvenirs’, on burgeoning London indie label Hand In Hive, and have firmly cemented themselves as ones to watch for 2017.

"Queen's Parade" is available digitally now via B3SCI Records (US) and Hand In Hive Records (UK). Swimming Tapes are Robbie Reid (guitar + vocals), Louis Price (guitar + vocals), Jason Hawthorne (guitar), Paddy Conn (bass), and Andrew Evans (drums). Facebook here, live dates on Beehive Candy's tour page.

Swimming Tapes clearly have an ear for a fine melody and 'Queen's Parade' is no exception. Bright indie music with some appealing vocals and harmonies, backed by some glittering guitar lead music makes for a very catchy track.

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Rival Cavves - Creep.

Background - Marissa Longstreet and Matthew Lieberman first encountered one another in 2012. An LA native, Lieberman's new group Magic Bronson was looking for a rehearsal/studio space and had stumbled upon a warehouse in the San Fernando Valley that seemed to fit what they wanted. Upon arrival, Lieberman met the owner's sister who happened to be Longstreet. 

Having recently moved to LA from upstate New York, Longstreet was fronting an indie dance band and just getting her feet wet in the LA music scene. Over the next 3 years Lieberman and Longstreet found themselves playing multiple shows together with their respective bands.

Fast forward to 2015 when Lieberman moved into the same North Hollywood neighborhood as Longstreet. They began to hang out more frequently and spent a lot of late nights listening to Lieberman's record collection and showing each other new music and bands. Using his vintage Roland Juno-106 Synthesizer, Lieberman began making beats influenced by these hangouts and started giving them to Longstreet. 

Armed with a mic and laptop she began putting Lieberman's beats into garage band and tracking vocal ideas. Within a few weeks they had a number of songs and Rival Cavves was officially born. The duo debuted in June ’16 with the buzzed single “EZ Way Out” which Indie Shuffle called "a dream/synth-pop electronic jam that exudes LA vibes and LA swag.”  Their 7 song self-titled debut expands on their unique ability to fuse dream & electro-pop in the best possible way. Lieberman’s array of glitchy synths and sweeping soundscapes provide the perfect springboard for Longstreet’s bouncy, poetic and hypnotic vocals. Facebook here.

'Creep' builds around a focused synthy rhythm and some understated and yet menacing and plaintive vocals, now there's a juxtaposition. Or in English, it's a fabulous electo song.

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High Signs - A Much Larger Ocean.

Background from High Signs - We just released our new single “A Much Larger Ocean”. It’s a song about the struggle to remain positive without clinging to empty hope or unfounded optimism.

Staying present, grounded, and connected to what and who we care about is more of an action than a desire, but it is one that needs to constantly be teased out. Even if we can find this piece of mind for just a moment, it is something we can hold onto and continue to find strength in. If nothing else, it is a mindset to aspire to.

After forming in the basement of a DIY venue in Toronto, we reset our approach to music in 2016, focusing on writing songs that are honest and simple. “A Much Larger Ocean” exemplifies our process, and acts as an introduction to our full-length debut “If So, Then What?”.  Recorded by Collin Young at B-Town Sound, and mixed by Jesse Gander (Japandroids, White Lung), the album will be released this summer. Facebook here.

'A Much Larger Ocean' launches itself like a whirlwind going at breakneck speed and refuses to ease off. Two and a half minutes of perfect rock uproar, now that's enough to wake a good few listeners.

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Monogold - Naked.

Background - Brooklyn-based Monogold have just shared their artistic new video for "Naked," taken off of their latest release, Yolk, out now via Chill Mega Chill Records.

Since the release of 2015's Good Heavens, which was Monogold's acoustic-based effort, they have torn down any preconceived notions that they or anyone else had of them. After completely stripping down their sound for Good Heavens, the Monogold boys took this new foundation of simplicity and started building with their signature, catchy power-trio melodies and hooks. They still like to go deep on the lush soundscapes, but their songs have become a bit more focused and driven by the instrumentation and the vocals. 

With their new EP in hand titled, Yolk (Chill Mega Chill Records) out now, Kelly, Apuzzo, and Falotico are giving the world a small taste of what is to come in the future of the band. The four song EP is a prelude to another full-length record which is in the process of being mixed right now. As with their new found musical simplicity, the lyrical content will tackle the simple things: breastfeeding, giving birth, being born, sex, bugs, and more.

There's about two albums worth of songs written, and Monogold couldn't bear to keep them to themselves anymore. Facebook here, Bandcamp here.

An intriguing music video that's charming in it's own right, just happens to be accompanied by a fabulous and equally artistic song that is 'Naked'. Warning this is exceptionally catchy!


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CIITY - TAWLS - Sophia Kennedy - Martin Simpson - Lød - Witching Waves

CIITY - DNVR.

Background - Dallas based Indie-Pop band, CIITY, have been creating music since 2015. Their highly anticipated new single, ‘DNVR’, just might end up in your summer playlist.

The latest single from their EP Parallels, the song was recorded at The Lair studios and produced by Matt Noveskey: owner of Austin based Orb Recording Studios. Singer Carter Davis says, “‘DNVR’ is about not seizing the opportunity you were given and having to live with the regret of never having the fulfilment you wanted.” 

This song is an Electronic/Alternative mixture that creates a cloud of ambient swells, driving drums, and catchy synths to peak interest in the listener. A perfect match for fans of The 1975, St. Lucia, Foster the People, and Coldplay.

CIITY, has been making waves across the North Texas community since the release of their first single, ‘Late Night Confession’, in October 2016 and continue to lure new listeners with their creative lyrics and unique sound. North Texas radio stations like 91.7 KXT and 96.7 the local ticket frequently feature their newly released EP. Website here, Facebook here.

With a smoothly textured electronic feel and some fine and distinctive vocals 'DNVR' is a vibrant and pacy indie song.

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TAWLS - 2+2.

Background - TAWLS is a treasure chest of original songs and stories which draw on an eclectic mix of folk, nursery rhymes and electronica.

Their debut single, ‘2+2’ bursts into our ears with the nostalgic sounds of a playground. It whisks you into day-dreams of simpler times, while tackling grown-up questions about relationship fights and compromise. “We’re supposed to be grown up, so how come it feels like we’re still just two kids trying to navigate the monkey bars?” say TAWLS on the meaning of ‘2 + 2’. It’s a melting pot of influences; textural production, an understated singing approach and unexpected rhythmic punctuations. One may hear elements of Sufjan Stevens, Regina Spektor and Hiatus Kaiyote.

Written and recorded in bedrooms across the country from Perth WA to Mittagong NSW, this song possesses a whimsical attraction and an infectious hook that will have you groovin’ in your boots.

This is the work of two musical nomads, from Perth, to Sydney to Berlin they live and breathe, creating and collaborating with music. TAWLS are euphorically uplifting.

‘The Adventures of Wonderchild & Little Seal’ (TAWLS) is a chronicle of the musical escapades of Anna-Kat (Wonderchild) and Ronan Chapple (Little Seal). Anna-Kat and Ronan both completed the Bmus (Jazz Performance) at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Facebook here.

Inventive and sprightly '2+2' mixes melodic vocals, alongside some intricate electronic sounds where the rhythm twists and turns creating a beautifully different song.

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Sophia Kennedy - Build Me A House.

Background - Elegant, melancholic, sometimes menacing, with smoldering piano melodies, desolately whistling organs, and a jaunty jaw's harp loop; kissed by the golden Californian sun, or shrouded in gloomy, dreary fog: Sophia Kennedy is currently the most versatile composer in German pop music – not to mention the greatest singer. Her debut album "Sophia Kennedy" reveals her as a dramatic romanticist and distanced diseuse, as a deft lyricist and master of melody. In her eleven songs, she travels from doo-wop to dubstep, from classic crooning to breathless R'n'B, from Frank Sinatra to Beyoncé. Her talent for songwriting is deeply rooted in history, yet it seeks nothing but the present: both historically versed and timelessly beautiful at the same time.

Sophia Kennedy produced and recorded the album together with Mense Reents, best known for his work with Die Vögel and Die Goldenen Zitronen. Together they developed the spartan arrangements and electronic textures that determine the willfully dense sound of this album. Often, Kennedy's voice is the only instrument that pursues a harmonic development over the repetitive structures. Then she doubles and multiplies her voice and sings alongside herself in a choir. She shines with bold syncopation over a hobbling piano, as well as in the field of the melancholic lament that suggests a late Beach Boys ballad. This results in multi-dimensional, highly individual music, which easily escapes all the traps of inwardness: just as her lyrics unfold from seemingly simple wordplay to subjective confessionals without ever regressing into the euphuistic pathos of romantic self-reflection.

This is the first songwriting record to be released on Pampa Records, and yet "Sophia Kennedy" is perfectly at home on this label, which for almost a decade has been making the connection between tradition and modernity, avant-garde inventiveness and pop sensibility. One can detect different traditions and historical impressions in every track – yet you can forego all the analysis and simply enjoy the craftsmanship with which Sophia Kennedy creates an absolutely contemporary musical language from her knowledge of classic songwriting: "I want to take tradition to the limits, to where it becomes extreme," she says, yet it sounds so easy and not at all preconceived. The unheard-of refinement of this music lies in its apparent simplicity: "You just can’t be afraid," says Sophia Kennedy, "that it turns out to be pop music." Facebook here.

If Sophia Kennedy's distinctive and delightful vocals don't get you on 'Build Me A House' then the piano lead and innovative music surely will. It's the only song I have heard from the new album and it's good enough to ensure I will check out the rest.


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Martin Simpson - Blues Run The Game.

Background - World renowned guitarist, singer and songwriter Martin Simpson releases his 20th solo album in 40 years ‘Trails & Tribulations’ on September 1st 2017 via Topic Records. The brand-new studio album, his first new solo work since 2013’s widely praised ‘Vagrant Stanzas’, will be available in standard and deluxe CD, digital download and standard vinyl (the latter through Vinyl 180).

‘Trails & Tribulations’ is a collection of songs about nature, about travels and about real life stories. There are traditional songs, poems and contemporary songs by great writers, and songs that I had to write because nobody else knew what I wanted to say. I travel, I learn songs, I write and try to get better at the skills required for me to do my job. I look at the world as I pass by, on the road, out of the train window, or as I stop and pay close attention to the square foot under my nose. There is so much to see and to hear and to inspire and to try and understand. I had a huge amount of fun playing and recording these songs, using different instruments, different noises, old friends and new ones, all of whom brought so much to the mix. Martin Simpson, April 2017.

Produced and engineered by Andy Bell, ‘Trails & Tribulations’ features some of Martin’s most inventive playing yet, showcasing his virtuosity on a variety of instruments including acoustic guitars, resonator guitars, Weissenbown lap steel guitar, electric guitars, 5 string banjo, ukulele – and voice.

Guest musicians on the new album are: Ben Nicholls (string bass and electric bass guitars), Toby Kearney (drums and percussion), Nancy Kerr (fiddle and viola), Andy Cutting (diatonic accordion and melodeon), John Smith (electric guitar and backing vocals), Helen Bell (strings), Amy Newhouse-Smith (backing vocals) and his daughter Molly Simpson on vocals. Website (includes tour details) here.

With his musical track record 'Blues Run The Game' reassures us that Martin Simpson can still turn out an inventive, original and top quality song. Melodic and with wonderful musical craftsmanship, the album may be a few months away, however I reckon it will be well worth the wait.


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Lød - Folder

Background - Danish group Lød have shared the icy, brilliant  "Folder" ahead of their first EP for Tough Love Records (worldwide ex-Denmark) & Part Time (Denmark). Limited to 300 copies on 12", you can pre-order the 4-track EP here.

The four original members of Lød formed after graduating school in Copenhagen, inspired by the post-punk that was prominent in the fervent, close-knit music community of the city. The first version of Lød was very much birthed in this same shadow: loud and heavy.

With time and addition of a fifth member, their sound began to rely less on distortion, foregoing aggression for a greater focus on melody and rhythm. Bands like LCD Soundsystem & Kraftwerk provided further inspiration and it became an ambition for Lød to create music that - while never taking the easy route - could make people dance. With their debut EP, released via London-based label Tough Love, they have very much achieved this. They're a dance band, in the same way one might consider NEU a dance band.

The recording of Folder began in October 2016 with engineer Julius Pedersen, who helped the band shape tracks that had taken more than six months to write. The result is a 24-minute, four song debut EP sung in Danish. You might consider it uncompromising were the songs not so accessible.

And despite their length, these are 'songs', with defined melodies and structure. Looping and monolithic, early commentators in their home country have noted a “trance-punk” aspect to their sound. Such nomenclature can be tedious, but it's not a million miles from the truth. Bringing to mind the likes of Preoccupations in their similarly propulsive take on post-punk, Lød add a further glacial edge indebted to both early industrial and no wave. Facebook here.

Now trance punk is a new genre for me, however it does help convey what the new track 'Folder' is all about. Rhythmic and potent, even at eight minutes length this is both addictive and play again material.

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Witching Waves - Better Run.

Background - Odd Box is delighted to be reissuing the debut album 'Fear Of Falling Down' by Witching Waves. The record was originally released on the Soft PowerRecordings (now sadly defunct) in 2014. It has long since sold out and the record sells for ££££s second hand. When Witching Waves approached the label with this idea it seemed to make perfect sense.  Here's some words from the band on why they wanted to reissue the LP.

Graeme from Soft Power came up to me after our set in front of literally no one in Edinburgh. It was our third gig with our new bass player, who had learned the songs in a soundcheck before an equally empty room in Manchester. Graeme said to me “I can’t wait to hear the EP, if even you wanted to do an album, we’d be up for that”. I politely thanked him, as my adrenaline soared. We were going to make An album based on this man’s very poor judgement. 

We had like five songs, and wrote six more. We recorded it. I agonised over every snare hit, and we made our first ever LP. Fear Of Falling Down came out in December 2014. I don’t think it made any charts. I think Tom Ravenscroft might have played ‘Better Run’ on his show. And we continued going up and down the country playing to almost no one.

Something strange happened though, ‘Better Run’ had a great video by Moe Meade, and a lot of people liked it. The record had received a glowing review in Drowned In Sound, and Norman Records, my favourite record shop, had deemed it worthy. Then the record sold out in less than a couple of months. All of our copies went in no time and before we knew it we were being asked where our LP was, and how people could get their hands on it. 

We’ve made another record since then, and that has done alright too. People still ask me about FOFD though, and seem at least moderately sad or genuinely put out when I say that we don’t have any left. One of those people happens to be Pete Dale out of Milky Wimpshake. Now it’s time for Fear Of Falling Down to get another shot, and be available to at least the people who asked for it the first time. Thanks to Trev from Oddbox this is possible, and maybe, just maybe, we’ll play to some people in Edinburgh. Bandcamp here.

The featured music video for 'Better Run' is mentioned in the promo above. It typifies the music found on the reissued 'Fear Of Falling Down' album, where unpretentious, hook laden totally natural songs are the norm.


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Zak Fleisher - Peaking Lights - Miranda Lee Richards - The Hurt

Zak Fleisher - Decisive.

Background - Zak Fleisher, a 23-year old Australian, is a multi-instrumental and talented singer songwriter. He starting playing guitar at age 7, there has been no looking back since.

Zak is excited to release his new single ‘Decisive’, through The A&R Department, marking his followup to debut ‘Green Girl’. In late 2015, Zak decided that it was time to take the leap of faith and play solo, playing shows in Western Australia, Melbourne, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Barcelona, Tel-Aviv and Vancouver. ‘Decisive’, which was originally written in late 2015, is broadly about making a decision with someone regarding a relationship. 

“For me it means either a ‘yes let’s go for it’, or a ‘no not for me’ attitude rather than the grey area of let’s see how this pans out. Either way, I can deal with the answer, the real trouble is getting that answer because people are too conscious of hurting other people’s feelings, which shows a higher degree of empathy but also a lack of those essential interpersonal skills that people use to have”, Zak said. “At the time of writing this, I was seeing someone I really had fallen for. All I wanted was a simple answer and the only way it seemed I could get that answer was through song.” 

‘Decisive’ was recorded at Head Gap studios in Melbourne and Produced by Finn Keane. Facebook here.

Some vibrant and breezy guitars provide a contrasting background for Zak's smooth vocals, on 'Decisive' a catchy indie song, that's both melodic and refreshing.

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Peaking Lights - I'll Be In The Sky.

Background - Peaking Lights new album 'The Fifth State Of Consciousness' is out 16th June 2017 on Two Flower Records. "A  journey thru an alien landscape where the dream world tells stories of lost innocence, finding strength and seeking an enlightened state of being after trials and tribulations all wrapped up in  two syrupy dubbed to the bone balearic pancakes sprinkled with powdered psychedelia.” — Peaking Lights

Peaking Lights’ fifth studio album, "The Fifth State Of Consciousness", is a 12-track, double LP produced in the band’s Dreamfuzz studio over the course of the last two years. 

Musically, the album shifts through many states from beginning to end, resembling a car journey through foreign landscapes. A sense of wonderment flows with each track and with every listen, new sounds and eccentricities begin to surface. Bringing together their love of Psychedelic music, House, Electronic and Reggae, each song lives and breathes it’s own life but as an album, remains knitted together by Peaking Lights’ tight, conceptual writing. Facebook here.

'I'll Be In The Sky' is the second track we have featured, that's taken from Peaking Light's forthcoming album 'The Fifth State Of Consciousness'. The song features some rich synth sounds, that provide a beautiful backdrop for the dreamy vocals, which in turn add to the overall atmospheric feel.

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Miranda Lee Richards - Lucid I Would Dream.

Background - Following 2016's Echoes Of The Dreamtime (4* MOJO & 8/10 Uncut); LA-based Miranda Lee Richards has announced the release of new album Existential Beast on June 16th via Invisible Hands Music. Existential Beast is a beautifully constructed album characteristic of the effortless, 70's influenced, country-tinged psychedelia, evident through Miranda's work. 

Existential Beast is a political album, examining the issues of our time, but with intent of tackling these difficult and sometimes taboo subjects in a poetic and heartfelt manner. The title is also a mash-up of terms, referencing the existential crisis that has in turn arisen.

“In varying degrees, we are all still working with the animal urges of fear, competition, survival, and sexuality that are deep-seeded and manifesting in different ways, depending on where people are at. Perhaps a more endearing outlook is to see this as an assignment in working with the inner child, who can at times behave like a wild beast. But like it or not, these tendencies have been revealed, within our leaders, our countries, and ourselves; it is indeed a pivotal and transformational time.” Miranda Lee Richards. Website here.

Taken from the 'Existential Beast' album due out next month we have 'Lucid I Would Dream'. Comprising of ten songs, the featured track is a good indicator of what to expect. Folk and country orientated music with plenty of melodic hooks, is taken further with some dreamy psychedelic influences that add richness and originality. Overall the calibre of the new album is very good, and should have a wide appeal.


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The Hurt - Sleeping.

Background - 'Sleeping' is an epic and brooding masterpiece. Co-written by Rikki Turner (Paris Angels) and Stephen Evans of Cabbage, the song is dark and beautifully sinister; Lo-fi American Gothic meets Cave and Cohen. 

Turner's baritone is commanding yet vulnerable, perfectly complimented by the eerily beautiful backing vocals of Jaq Gallier against a backdrop of mournful strings. Polished and pristine have no place here, 'Sleeping' is raw and pensive, it hisses and crackles with emotion.

The single marks the return of prolific songwriter Rikki Turner and his musical collective The Hurt. Having spent the last eighteen months collaborating and co-producing on Manchester's dynamic music scene, Turner unveiled the products of these studio sessions with the release of Summer 2016's critically acclaimed new single 'Berlin' along with a free download of Nico's 'One Last Chance'.

Returning to the studio, March 2017 has seen him emerge once again to launch Blindside Records in conjuntion with the enigmatic Lady D and Steve Balance, a familar face on Manchester's music scene. Facebook here.

The vocals are deep and haunting, whilst the music builds in layers making 'Sleeping' a very individualistic and fabulously dark song. The backing vocals by Jaq Gallier give the piece further depth and character, enjoy!


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