Fruit & Flowers - Clustersun - Vanilla Gorilla - B. Squid

Fruit & Flowers – Out Of Touch.

Background - Brooklyn-based "surf noir" garage psych band Fruit & Flowers announce their debut EP, Drug Tax, due out June 30th via Little Dickman Records. Fruit & Flowers are one of the most active bands in the NYC area, and have been deemed one of "NYC's Hardest Working Bands" by Oh My Rockness. The band embarks on its third tour of 2017 in July to Canada and the Midwest in support of Drug Tax. Fruit & Flowers' exuberant, electric performances draw a local following. Ana Becker's angular, expressive guitar style and Lyzi Wakefield's gritty rhythmic backbone merge a post-punk heaviness with psychedelic warmth. Committed and charismatic front woman Caroline Yoder summons a fervent energy, surrounded by distinct, warm and refreshing three part harmonies, the bedrock of Fruit and Flowers' sound.

Conceived in a Bushwick loft with broken AC during the summer of 2015 by Caroline on bass and Shaw Walters on drums, the band was soon joined by Lyzi Wakefield and Ana Becker on guitars and vocals. The band agreed to play its first show at Northside festival just weeks after formation and wrote the record in a furious fit of hot nights and inspired mornings. The band became fully realized when Shaw handed the role of drummer to Jose Berrio (drummer-cum-art director), whose inimitable style elevates the strong rhythmic character of the band.

Drug Tax was born out of necessity, capturing the grit and rush of New York City summer and the newfound chemistry between the bandmates. Weaving together the perspectives and expressions of the band's multiple songwriters, Drug Tax unfolds to present the unique and varied voice of Fruit & Flowers. Lead single "Out Of Touch" is about the ennui of a missed love opportunity, with soaring, sultry vocals, beachy surf rock riffs and fuzzy bass. Album tracks range from the sultry moody and beautiful "Dark Surf" to the post-gothic title track "Drug Tax." 

Drug Tax was recorded at Thump Studios in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The EP was engineered and co-produced by John Thayer, and mixed and mastered by George Harris. Jose Berrio designed the band's logo and album art. Website here, Facebook here.

'Out Of Touch' is described spot on in the above promo, with it's sultry vocals, beachy surf rock riffs and fuzzy bass. All I would add is that the song is pretty persuasive in demanding a second play.


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Clustersun - Raw Nerve.

Background - Clustersun has just released the psychedelic shoegaze offerings of their sophomore album ‘Surfacing To Breathe’, via Seahorse Recording. Three years after their debut album ‘Out Of Your Ego’, this 4-piece outfit from Catania (Siciliy) have raised the sonic bar, delivering a more complex and layered mixture of gazey reverberations, a massive walls of sound, psychedelic soundscapes and dreamy melodies.

Formed in 2013, Clustersun is Marco Chisari (vocals & bass), Mario Lo Faro (guitars), Piergiorgio Campione (synthesizers, keyboards & backing vocals), and Andrea Conti (drums).

Featuring eight tracks, ‘Surfacing to Breathe’ was produced by Clustersun and Alessio Pindinelli (La Casa Al Mare). Combining shoegaze, psychedelia, post-punk and dreampop, the band’s signature cosmic/spacey dark vibe is still intact with lyrics invoking a dreamlike sense of melancholy and emotional fragility.

“The sophomore album is a very tough step for every band, especially if it comes after a strong debut, as our ‘Out of Your Ego’ was,” says Marco Chisari. “We are so much happy and proud of how ‘Surfacing to Breathe’ came out, mainly because we’ve managed to capture how the band sounds live.” Facebook here, Bandcamp here.

'Raw Nerve' is but a glimpse of the power contained within the multi layered psychedelic shoegaze album that is 'Surfacing To Breathe'. Despite the initial impression of an all out aural assault, the detail and craftsmanship becomes quite apparent as does the dreamier elements contained within.


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Vanilla Gorilla - Rainbow Girl.

Background - Vanilla Gorilla announce the release of their new single ‘Rainbow Girl’, out Friday 19th May 2017.  Vanilla Gorilla consists of 5 young dudes from the Mid North Coast of NSW, they all share a passion for the earth, creating art and music that they share ever so well with audiences all over.

Drawing from influences of their surroundings they create their own salt water infused rock and roll, with every individual adding their own touch to create Vanilla Gorilla.

Vanilla Gorilla started off playing in garages and school grounds in 2012, since then they have toured up and down the East Coast, with their own headline tours and festival slots. With E.P ‘Colour Flow’ under their belt and newest single ‘Rainbow Girl’ due for release this week, the future is looking swell as can be for the boys.

Speaking on the recording process of ‘Rainbow Girl’ the band commented; “We began by playing the song live, where bass, drums and rhythm guitar were recorded. Then Dylan mixed it and added lead guitar and vocals over the top and added effects when needed.” They added “It probably took 2 months all up to complete because we don't see each other very often - some of us have moved away for University” Instagram here. 

The creativity is apparent right from the opening notes on 'Rainbow Girl'. The music and vocals drift around each other as the atmosphere and power unfolds. Forget the radio edit version, this deserves the full six minutes on any discerning station.

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B. Squid - Radio Silence.

Background - LA based vocalist and lyricist B. Squid announces the release of her music "Radio Silence", the # 1 track from her November 2016 album Cloud 9. "Radio Silence" takes you into B. Squid's world, and most of the video takes place in the recording studio. B. Squid fuses together elements of lyrical flow, jazz, and indie to create her own new, creative and forward-thinking new independent genre. The music showcases B. Squid's larger than life persona. She definitely seems to sparkle and shine.  The music video for "Radio Silence" was featured on an independent pilot about a bulimic girl called "Binge the Series. It is the opening track for the pilot and has received more than 400,000 plays.  

Ohio born, Squid was raised in Ypsilanti, MI, Cleveland, OH and Miami, FL.  Upon graduation from film school at the University of Miami, she pursued film production work in New England and NYC before relocating to her current home in Los Angeles where she resides and works for acclaimed production companies and film/TV directors.

After debuting her first recording alongside a no-budget, self-made video on YouTube, Squid was invited to screen the video at an event but refused, positing that a 30-minute hip hop set would have a far greater impact.  Two months and five new songs later, B. Squid performed her first-ever live show to a full house at O'Brien's Irish Pub in Santa Monica.  Squid was immediately invited to return the following month marking the start of her first residency.   

Six months later, camera in hand, Squid introduced herself to a legendary and actively prolific lyricist named Abstract Rude.  She entered his famed SBRC (sixteen bar rap competition), proved her chops and their partnership was born.  Within two months, a bevy of nationwide Keep The Feel tours began featuring Squid as an opening act and her sound has been evolving on stages before live audiences ever since.  True to her film side, Alyson "B. Squid" Bruno has now directed over twenty music videos and photographed more than six tours and dozens of stages for Abstract Rude as well as many other KTF and Rhymesayers artists. 

In 2015, Squid paired up with local New Orleans composer Ratty Scurvics to record her debut LP Cloud 9 which dropped in November, 2016 on Keep The Feel Ent. Website here, Facebook here.

Funky and feisty 'Radio Silence' mixes melodic rap vocals with a genre straddling arrangement, that is both vibrant and catchy.


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Humble Fire - Wall of Ears - Matt Maltese - Major Love Event - Annie Angel

Humble Fire - Taliesin.

Background - Humble Fire’s second album Builder (out July 14) explores physical and emotional experiences around loss and reconstruction, from family deaths and failed romances to the shocks and stresses they have navigated as a band. Through those experiences, they’ve come to appreciate that reconstruction isn’t something you can tackle on your own: it requires an entire crew. Builder, then, is as much about that process of putting yourself back together, as it is about the relationships that can help or hinder that process. Since Humble Fire’s members have known each other over the past five or so years, they’ve all shown up for each other in different ways as part of that reconstruction crew. They’re lucky to have found family in each other in that way.

Somewhat accidentally, the album also ended up being about working out questions of identity. ‘Who am I now, in this world without my parents in it’, for example? ‘How can I take care of others without losing myself?’ When the band first listened back to the fully assembled album, they realized it had become a sort of therapy in working out some of those questions. More broadly, Humble Fire’s collective identity is also something they try to be very intentional about. As a DC-based band, they’re immersed in and identify with the tradition of DIY independence and social awareness typically associated with the politics of hardcore punk (despite not working in the genre). They strive to embody those values as a band as much as in their personal lives.

Humble Fire owes its origins to Craigslist, which first brought guitarist Dave and singer Nefra together through another project and later recruited Xaq, bassist, who responded to Dave’s ad with a purposeful manifesto that will forever go down in band history. While not the band’s original drummer, Jason had long been a friend and active musician in the DC DIY music circuit before signing on in 2016. In its current form, the band celebrates the diverse musical influences that each member draws from–from bluegrass and classical, to punk and hip hop–weaving addictive rhythms and vulnerable vocals through tightly wound guitar and bass melodies. Facebook here.

Giving some flavour for the bands second album 'Builder' we have the song 'Taliesin'. In terms of refinement and quality it's a fine example of the bands output, however the band draw on a considerable amount of ideas and styles making for a fabulously varied and desirable collection of material.

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Wall of Ears - Floating Off the Line.

Background - Wall of Ears is a Seattle-based psychedelic pop band, centered around the ongoing musical vision of CW Lott. Wall of Ears performances are collaborative and immersive experiences, drawing from a number of artistic genres. Each Wall of Ears project seeks to create a surreality we can all live in together. 

After releasing two acclaimed and well-received records as guitarist for As Cities Burn and playing in prog-glam outfit Moon Honey, CW Lott wanted to start fresh and locate his own vision. Wall of Ears was birthed in 2009 as a way to documents Lott's unhinged lo-fi homemade experimental recordings, made on drum machines and loop stations and eternal layers of cheap radio shack synthesizers. This eventually swelled into the material that ended up on the debut record Perfect Organ Assembly (Broken Circles, 2013) which showcased a wild palette of influences, from ambient pop weirdness to uncompromising forays into noise and texture. 

Lott left Louisiana to dive into his other life of writing literary fiction and moved to Western Massachusetts to work on a novel about the alien mind. He got sidetracked and ended up composing Hello Beautiful Nothing with the poet / guitarist Jon Ruseski over dense winters and moon-lit snow walks. Lott decided to move to Seattle to dive into the thriving psych-scene and find a full band, which happened just three weeks after relocating to the Soggy City. With a four-piece lineup consisting of Bryant Hammonds, Tony Pettigrew and Derrick Wright, Wall of Ears finished the record in their home studio known as The Sound Shrine. 

Hello Beautiful Nothing is both a reflection and a mantra on disintegrating the boundaries between ourselves and the hyper-complex world humming around us. This record furthers WOE's musical evolution with engaging pop and layers texturized so densely they move through one's ear like a dream. Facebook here.

'Floating Off the Line' has some classic psychedelic nuance, coupled with an expansive pop/rock soundtrack and suitably matched vocals. The video completes the circle with colours and images that seemingly live out the song.


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Matt Maltese - No One Won The War.

Background - Matt Maltese has shared, his second single of 2017 entitled "No One Won The War", produced by The Maccabees Hugo White. When speaking about the track Matt states,"We lovely humans seem to be on an eternal hamster wheel of conflict and reparation. And nobody wins. Not the people at the bottom or the people at the top." "No One Won The War" is the B-side of a Café Bleu Recordings / Atlantic Records release alongside the previously released A-side "As The World Caves In".

At the age of 20 years old, Matt Maltese is already fully embedded in South London’s thriving music circle. Last year alone, he hosted his own residency in Brixton whilst playing alongside hotly-tipped local acts such as HMLTD, Goat Girl, Fish and Shame. The latter add to an already eclectic collection of artists who have influenced Matt Maltese in some way - the heavy tones of Leonard Cohen, the dirty wit of Jarvis Cocker, and the social commentary of fellow Londoners King Krule and Loyle Carner. These influences place further emphasis on the sense of political unrest that underpins Matt's rich and undeniably accessible songwriting. Facebook here.

Matt Maltese's rich vocals and a distinct piano lead musical arrangement ensure 'No One Won The War' is striking from the outset. Add in the intelligent lyrics and we have a thoughtful, worthwhile and beautiful song.

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Major Love Event - Sandy Sound.

Background - Founded in Athens, GA and based in Portland, OR, Major Love Event is an indie pop duo comprised of long-time friends Rebecca Van Damm and C.k. Koch.  Rebecca writes, sings and plays whimsical, lovelorn, evocative songs amplified and enriched by C.k's dynamic and eclectic multi-instrumental stylings and production. 

Though they met as teenagers, it was over a decade before Van Damm and Koch joined musical forces. Playing in separate projects for a number of years, this is the duo's first endeavor as Major Love Event.

On May 12, Major Love Event just released "Sandy Sound," the first single off of their self-titled album released on June 16th. The DIY record, which was recorded in their homes, brings a playful and enticing sound to your ears and will have you quickly falling in love with the band. Facebook here.

Crisp indie pop where expressive and pleasing vocals are accompanied by an imaginative musical soundtrack. 'Sandy Sound' is all of that, produced to a high standard and extremely catchy.

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Annie Angel - Strange.

Background - How does one introduce a Swedish artist and producer who due to her transcending music and artistic vision has rapidly become one of the most anticipated new acts across the entire Stockholm music scene? Perhaps we can begin by repeating what everyone is saying already…

This multi-talented artist called Annie Angel with debut single Strange is already sounding like an established artist who is bound to explode any minute now. This is what Swedish National Paper SvD had to say about one of her performances at Södra Teatern: ”Annie Angel has a very strong artistic expression. The music varies, it stands on classic pop-rock-soul-ground and is still independent towards music history." All the while Noisey DK calls Annie "a superhuman that goes above and beyond most human capabilities" it is clear that she has a unique spot in the international pop music scene today and is ready to claim it.

Strange - called an escape route through Manchester, California, the 70's New York new wave-scene to Stockholm - is Annie Angel's debut. Her writing, arranging, recording and producing - also produced with Nille Perned (Kent, bob hund) - with as well as her striking vocals, comes to life in 5 minutes of music that could be Talking Heads as well as Amy Winehouse.

Since Annie Angels’s music is on its way out of Sweden and into the world now, we’ve decided that the best way to properly introduce her to the public is to simply let the music and the voice speak for themselves.

The song title might be 'Strange' however the song is anything but. It's creative, sits comfortably across genres, and has emotion, depth and vital musical ingredients that ensure it's many hooks dig deep. Deserves to be heard!

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Edie Green - Quin Galavis

Edie Green - Smalltime Viticulturist.

Background - Influenced by the diversity of artists such as Hiatus Kaiyote, The Pixies and Radiohead, Perth indie-rock outfit Edie Green have put forth their swirling second EP The Sea It Binds You, featuring new single Smalltime Viticulturist.

Lovingly crafted by four kindred souls and expertly captured by engineering guru Dave Parkin (Jebediah, Abbe May), the final product is a tantalising swirl of fuzzy riffs, world and jazz inspired beats, topped with sweet and sultry vocals - designed to quicken the heartbeat and sooth the mind.

Of Smalltime Viticulturist vocalist Sophie Wiegele says "Smalltime Viticulturist stemmed from one of our more abstract jams, with a quick, jutting verse that contrasts with a smooth refrain where the silky guitars and spacey vocals take over. As a band that's creatively influenced by their surroundings we based the track on a time when touring, on a day off we set-up in the middle of a large vineyard in Margaret River and just jammed all afternoon!"

Having recently supported San Cisco while notching up slots at the Fairbridge Festival, Hidden Treasures Festival and Festival of the Winds, Edie Green are set to launch their new
EP May 26 at Jack Rabbit Slims in Perth. Facebook here.

'Smalltime Viticulturist' is a vibrant indie rock track, with a fabulous rhythm arrangement that helps spice things up. Vocals add the melody and change the pace on this catchy song.

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Quin Galavis — Question.

Background - Quin Galavis has been an active participant in the Austin music scene for the last fifteen years. A founding member of critically acclaimed bands The Dead Space, and False Idol, Quin also performs under his own name.

His sophomore solo album, 2016's immersive, ambitious double-LP, My Life in Steel and Concrete, appeared on multiple end-of-year top ten lists and was spotlighted in an Austin Chronicle feature story.

The record's soundscape is as varied and challenging as the themes it explores, and it features a host of Austin’s diverse musical elite: Thor Harris (Swans/Shearwater), Sabrina Ellis (Sweet Spirit/A Giant Dog), Graham Low (A Giant Dog), and Ian Rundell (Ghetto Ghouls), to name a few.

June 16th he'll release his third LP, The Battery Line, (Super Secret Records) which will be supported with local shows, and an album tour. Bandcamp here.

One of ten tracks on 'The Battery Line' album and 'Question' is a good example of what to expect with this new collection of material. A constant flow of alt or indie rock songs where delivery is tight and paced, the expertise is there in abundance, as are some finely penned songs.

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Pascoe - Sparks - The Mrs - The Avulsions - Mauno

Pascoe - Lorelei.

Background - Pascoe is an artist from the isolated streets of Sydney’s day-dreamy suburbia, where small town gossip meets city seclusion. Pascoe is excited to announce the release of her debut single ‘Lorelei’, an introspective narrative of a ruined woman.

After finishing up her music degree, she decided to focus on developing her songwriting. The 22-year-old songstress has been collecting dark tales and crafting them into melodies, capturing an honesty for the mechanics of the human mind.

Seductive synth and thundering drums come together in this brooding marriage of folk and pop to support Pascoe’s sweet vocal as she tells the story of the forlorn siren Lorelei. During a storm driven blackout, she was moved to write about the seductress and the tragedies that befell her lovers.

Produced by Cameron Robertson and Joey Wenceslao of Glades, the dark single tells the tale of a young woman torn apart by the collision of her public and private selves, how she is perceived by herself and others around her. Inspired by the portrayal of women in history and literature, Pascoe observed the intricacies of the relationships around her to construct her own modern take on the fable.

Let this stunning track transport you to the murky depths of the ocean and drown you in a salty reminiscence for poor lonely Lorelei. Facebook here.

'Lorelei' mixes electronic pop sensibilities with more folk orientated vocals resulting in a fabulous song. Story line lyrics are melodically delivered, whilst the music adds depth and a darker feel.

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Sparks - What The Hell Is It This Time?

Background - Sparks (featuring Californian brothers Ron and Russell Mael) have just released "What The Hell Is It This Time?", the new single from the highly-anticipated album Hippopotamus (due September 8, 2017). Sparks are famed for writing songs about unlikely subjects and do not disappoint with "What The Hell Is It This Time?" – “an often uttered phrase when people listen to a new Sparks song,” according to Ron Mael.

Recorded in Los Angeles, Hippopotamus sees Sparks take the pop form, shake it up, and create an album that is adventurous, fresh, and idiosyncratically ‘Sparks.' Described as “the smartest, most consistently evolving band in the history of rock”, and internationally-acclaimed as pop pioneers, Sparks’ music has always been innovative and instantly identifiable.

The title track "Hippopotamus" was first played on BBC Radio 6 Music after Sparks' set at the 6 Music Festival in Glasgow. The song was received with delight on its March 24 release. Together, the two songs "Hippopotamus" and "What The Hell Is It This Time?" are now available for instant download with the full album pre-order here, website here, Facebook here.

I've been a fan of Sparks music for rather a long time. Their distinct and arguably totally unique sound never ceases to please my ears. 'What The Hell Is It This Time?' continues their musical journey where seemingly nothing is ruled out (or in). They just continue to create music, it's what they do, and they never disappoint.


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The Mrs - Blink of an Eye.

Background - The Mrs combines modern pop sensibilities with soulful, vocal harmonies to create songs as meaningful as they are infectious. 

An all-female band here to remind you to be true to yourself and live that YOLO life, The Mrs is on a mission to give you something different, because they are something different.

In 2014, The Mrs released their "Magic Mirror" video, which featured their first single, "Enough." It became a viral success, gaining over 5 million views on YouTube, and finding its way onto Good Morning America and The Queen Latifah Show. 

It's now been translated into multiple languages by fans. In 2017, The Mrs was a breakout act at SXSW, and released their first full-length album in March of that year. Website here, Facebook here.

OK so I clearly slept through The Mrs viral success that was 'Magic Mirror' and so 'Blink of an Eye' is my personal introduction to the band. I'm not complaining, this is one feisty rock'n'roll tune with bags of passion and hooks galore, a good enough place to play catch up from I would say.



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The Avulsions - Mars. --- Mauno - Waste.

Background - Flemish Eye is happy to announce a new collaboration between two artists from across our country: a limited-edition split 7” featuring Halifax-based Mauno and Saskatoon’s The Avulsions.  The 7” will be strictly limited to only 300 copies and primarily available on the merch table as both bands go on tour over the spring, including dates next week at The Great Escape in Brighton, UK.

The 7” record features a song from each artist,  each one complemented by an illustration by Chad VanGaalen. Some limited copies will be available in the Flemish Eye shop and in select retailers — but mostly you will have to grab one of these from the bands when you see them on tour over the next month!

The Avulsions - Saskatoon, Canada-based band The Avulsions quickly started to make noise after their formation in 2015 — despite only playing 20-30 shows in Western Canada and with only a handful of songs available online. Centred around the songwriting of vocalist, guitarist, and synth player Samantha Renner — who draws inspiration from an extensive background in classical music and a deep reverence for classic noir-pop groups like The Cure and Martin Hannett-era Factory Records acts — The Avulsions envelop her tunes in darkly lush, intricately ornamented arrangements, betraying a superb collective attention to detail and subtlety.

Mauno - Formed in 2014, Nova Scotia’s Mauno has been working relentlessly at bringing their unique pop rock to as many ears as possible. Driven by the collective boredom, excitement and curiosity of its 4 members (Eliza Niemi, Nick Everett, Adam White, Scott Boudreau), they take their various backgrounds in classical, folk, and math-rock and turn it into something unpredictable and new. Mauno plan a  full length album on Idée Fixe in fall 2017.

Facebook The Avulsions here, Mauno here, live dates on Beehive Candy's tour new page.

Two bands and one shared 7" single. The Avulsions provide a powerful wall of sound with vocals a little Nico like (not a complaint!) on the rather haunting 'Mars' song. Mauno are gentler in their delivery with melodic vocals singing above a tight rhythmic musical arrangement. It's an intriguing combination and it works.

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The Lovely Days - Hawkmoon - Vandana - Chastity Brown

The Lovely Days - Mornington.

Background - “Arms Wide Open is a new collection of songs about welcoming the power of possibility into your life. It explores hopefulness, vulnerability, openness & retreat; but learning how to deal with life’s uncertainty and that it doesn’t always go the way we plan." Tennyson Nobel (Vocals/keyboards).

Like many bands, The Lovely Days started in a garage but with a bit of a difference– brothers Holden and Tennyson Nobel were only five and seven at the time. Most days, they squeezed in behind the Mitsubishi to learn their chops from their songwriter Dad. It was the start of a mad, musical immersion - Mozart one day, McCartney or Radiohead the next.

As soon as they got their drivers licences, they hightailed it to Melbourne from hometown Mullumbimby and hooked up with old school buddy Stephen Dickie and new found friend Jackson McIvor to form The Lovely Days. The Lovely Days emanates musical vibes resonant of the 60’s and 70’s: not to recreate a golden age but purely to invent a new one, authentic, hopeful and always in a groove with stand out harmonies and passionate musicality. The Lovely Days are; Tennyson Nobel [Keyboards, Vocals] - Holden Nobel [Bass, Vocals] - Stephen Dickie [Guitar, Backing Vocals] - Jackson McIvor [Drums]. Website here, Facebook here.

One of five tracks on the new E.P. and 'Mornington' is a zappy and energetic indie pop meets rock type of song. Upbeat and with a message, the band also carve out a defined and individual sound.

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Hawkmoon - Hologramatic.

Background - Hawkmoon are the collective musical identity of Pat Hehir, Liam Hehir and Reuben Aptroot. Their soon to be released debut album The Saturn Return is an album produced to fill a void in the current musical landscape, where distorted guitars, eclectic songwriters and ‘rock’ have gone underground.

After numerous live gigs, festival appearances and EP releases with earlier incarnations of Hawkmoon and Reuben's Ultrafeedy, the three would be brought together in 2013 under the Hawkmoon banner to create music that was thoughtful, challenging, bold and fresh.

On the heels of the album’s first single Silverline, comes Hologramatic, the second single from the album and one of the more unique and distinct songs the band has recorded. Like the rest of the album, Hologramatic was recorded in Reuben’s home studio and produced by the band.

“Hologramatic was one of the last songs we put together for the record”, says Hawkmoon lead singer and guitarist, Pat Hehir. “We wanted to do something different with this song and had a lot of fun experimenting on it in the studio, like creating loops out of objects in the garage. It has a U2 Achtung Baby-feel, combining a live rock band with processed sounds. From a lyrical perspective, the song captures one of the main themes of the album. One of identity and questioning your place in the universe.” Facebook here.

'Hologramatic' mixes exuberant harmonies and somewhat calmer vocals together which alone, makes the song stand out. Add in the feisty alt rock music and we have one very appealing teaser for the album.

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Vandana - Jaan.

Background - Vandana is pleased to share the last single from her new EP, Nox Anima. Fusing elements of disquieting electronica with alternative pop, Vandana’s angular, intense music embraces womanhood and otherness as if from inside the mouth of a cave. Her multicultural lifestyle, from India to London to Brooklyn, has influenced her wildly eclectic and self-assured material, which arrives steeped in the knowledge of ancient Indian traditions and fables as well as in assorted vehicles of abstract art and thought.

Inspired by musical pioneers like Aphex Twin, Thom Yorke and Miles Davis as well as the vibrancy of Bollywood, the Gothicism of The Cure and the evocativeness of Fever Ray, Vandana also takes her cues from purveyors of subversion like Edgar Allan Poe, Lars Von Trier and Henry Miller. In this latest material, the naturally introverted singer brings her insular and mysterious writing process to life via slow-dripping, throbbing synths, creating an atmosphere that’s arcane, exotic and brooding.

An instinctive and intimate record - and one that was created in Vandana’s home studio during a period of solitary retreat - the six-track EP makes for a truly absorbing listen. The whole EP twists about on a mixture of abstract and visceral themes, building you up before submerging you in swirls of throbbing sound that threaten to unsettle your very core. Website here, Facebook here.

'Jaan' has a mysterious feel from the word go. The vocals and electronica seemingly take different paths and at the same time compliment each other as the song builds in richness.

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Chastity Brown - Wake Up.

Background - Following the success of previous release Backroad Highways, a performance on Later ... with Jools Holland with single Colorado and a US tour supporting Ani DiFranco; Chastity Brown has announced the release of her new album Silhouette Of Sirens through Red House Records on May 19th.

An artist who can plumb the depths of sadness in a single note, then release it in the very next breath, Chastity Brown melds folk, pop and soul on her Red House debut, Silhouette of Sirens, weaving together a poet’s lyrical ear and a soul-laid-bare quality. The album’s 10 original tracks introduce us to a new voice – a songwriter of power and conviction who isn’t afraid to bare her heart as she sings of heartbreak, need and love. The album will be released on May 19, 2017 on CD, vinyl and all digital formats.

Based in Minnesota, but with roots in Tennessee, Chastity grew up surrounded by country and soul music. In the full gospel church of her childhood, she played saxophone and drums and found her singing voice and a passion for music. Her first show was in Knoxville, TN, and then it was on to Minneapolis. Since then, she’s been  featured on NPR’s “Favorite Sessions,” CMT, American Songwriter, The Sunday Times, Paste Magazine, Independent and others.

Chastity Brown's vocals exude a mixture of passionate determination, with a little vulnerability. That's enough to make 'Wake Up' grab my attention, however the added pace and energy of the music, pretty much ensures I'm gonna have to hear more.

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