Jesse Jo Stark - Daniel Carlson - Autobahn - Slothrust - Joey Sweeney & The Neon Grease - Belle Miners

Jesse Jo Stark - Deadly Doll.

Background - A rustle of atmospheric guitar emits a slight twang as her airy delivery casts an unshakable spell. Produced by Jason Lytle [Grandaddy, Band of Horses] and co-written with Chris Garcia [Lana Del Rey, Demi Lovato], the songstress plucked the title from a personal book of phrases she carries around with her. 

Ultimately, this lithe and lush ballad showcases both her pen prowess and powerhouse voice. For the uninitiated, picture a Quentin Tarantino- created femme fatale crooning in a natural-lit seventies Laurel Canyon haunt, and you’ll be halfway there. 

“At the time, I felt like ‘Deadly Doll’ was my alter ego. It still is, depending on my mood. Lyrically, you can interpret it many different ways. I love combining these spooky elements and soft, eerie country tones into a beautiful anthem. The song got me through a tough time. I hope it does the same for listeners.” - Jesse Jo Stark. Facebook here.

The music opens with a dark and moody feel and Jesse Jo Stark's vocals are suitably matched. 'Deadly Doll' is a brooding and atmospheric song which becomes more expansive as it develops.

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Daniel Carlson - Cloudy People.

Background - Daniel Carlson is one of those artists that you can’t help but recognise as a truly creative artist. In the making of his fourth album ‘Not A Drawing’ and arguably a future classic it is worth noting the thought process behind the making of something that, in an age of very transient and mass produced ‘art’, is a wholly refreshing approach, whereupon every detail is painstakingly managed in accordance with the creation of something valuable to cherish.

From the album cover artwork, Daniel explains, “I've been working with well known, in the art world - visual artists for my covers from the start. Thus far, they've all been people who I've gotten to know in NYC. The process is this: I reach out and ask if they'd be interested in doing the art. If they agree, I give them an early version of the (still in-process) record and they're responsible for both the artwork and coming up with a title for the album. The artist this time around is Nayland Blake, whose work has been shown internationally since the 1990s. I've chosen this route because, basically, I think the cover and title - when done well - can really shape how the listener takes in the record. And I think cover art - in general - is mostly a dead art and want to remind people how considered it can be. It's getting to the point where half the reason I'm making the records is to work with these artists whose work I admire so much.”

On the recording side Daniel says, “Initially, I was going to work with the same crew as "Me You You Me" (all L.A. session dudes - all amazing musicians). But, once I got done with what I thought were the demos, it was clear to me that they had a feel that was worth keeping. So then I thought that maybe I'd go out to L.A. and do some overdub sessions with those guys, but by the time I had time to do it, the songs had evolved even further. At that point, I decided that I'd finish it up in NYC and reached out to famed producer Michael Leonhart to see about him helping me finish, but it didn't look like he'd have time in the near future. However, we did spend an afternoon listening to what I had and he had a key piece of advice: "less Paul McCartney, more Pink Floyd," which was where I'd wanted to go anyway (more synths, more dreaminess).” Website here.

'Cloudy People' is a soothing and timeless sounding track. Gentle, lush and sincere, the musical arrangement is rich & yet a little understated. The vocals are a delight and the video adds some further intrigue.


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Autobahn - Future.

Background - Leeds post-punk quintet Autobahn have just shared their excellent new single "Future", a standout from their upcoming second album "The Moral Crossing". Frontman Craig Johnson says of their latest cut:

"The song is about looking forward and supporting one another through darker times. It’s an attempt to be positive.

This is probably the closest we’ve got to a pop song, there’s definitely influence from the likes of Human League and Gary Numan in there. I remember trying to work out how to structure this type of song, so we leaned on the Wham! classic Club Tropicana for a leg up."

The album will be released by Tough Love Records on a selection of physical formats – including CD, a red vinyl pressing for indie stores, 100 red vinyl pressing with a poster available exclusively through Bandcamp / Tough Love Records and, finally, a 100 grey vinyl pressing only available for their hometown through Leeds record stores. Facebook here.

It's just over a month since we first featured Autobahn and the new single 'Future' is more than worthy of a share. Smooth flowing, rhythmic and again with just a hint of Krautrock vibes, it's another superb tease for the forthcoming album.


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Slothrust - Sex And Candy.

Background - Slothrust's cover of Marcy Playground's hit single "Sex And Candy" hass been shared. The song will be featured on the band's new covers EP entitled 'Show Me How You Want It To Be' out 11/10 on Dangerbird Records.

Slothrust is Leah Wellbaum (Vocals,Guitars), Kyle Bann (bass), and Will Gorin (drums). The trio first staked out their unique strain of jazz- and blues-afflicted rock as students at Sarah Lawrence College. The band’s 2012 debut Feels Your Pain, and its successor 2014’s Of Course You Do, established the band as a breed apart, serving up deceptively clever epics that veer satisfyingly between incandescent riffing and pop hooks, winsome anxiety and powerful heft.

“People have always had trouble comparing us to other bands, but someone recently described us as Nirvana meets Wynton Marsalis, and I loved that,” says Wellbaum. Even the band’s name inspires a beat of thoughtful consideration as the eyes take in the letters and the brain makes its snap judgement: Slo Thrust? Slot Rust? Slo Trust?  Sloth-Rust. 

We all studied jazz and blues, so I often use chords and voicings that aren’t quite as conventional for contemporary rock,” she continues. “Certain harmonic movement can get stale, so I try to incorporate colorful notes to give it more depth. The improvisational spirit of blues music is also something we try to always keep with us, even in more composed playing. I am drawn to musicians a bit further outside of the rock tradition, such as John Fahey, Elizabeth Cotten, D'Angelo, and Portishead. Growing up I listened to a lot of R&B and classical music. And musicals." Facebook here.

Slothrust have put their own style and feel to their cover of 'Sex And Candy'. Potent and determined the song has some real rock'n'roll swagger at times, alongside a good few hooks.

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Joey Sweeney & The Neon Grease - Digital Light.

Background - “Digital Ice” is the newest offering from Joey Sweeney & The Neon Grease's forthcoming project. Although Sweeney is a jack of many trades and quite technologically savvy (he's the publisher of Philly cityblog Philebrity, co-curator of the literary fest The 215 Festival, and a creative director at Quaker City Mercantile), he penned this song about the druggy kind of relinquishment that we all have with our respective screens, and about how in those moments, the sadness of this reality is reflected in the light those devices throw right back at us. 

Joey Sweeney is a long-established fixture of the Philadelphia songwriting scene dating back to the early 90’s, having previously fronted the influential Philly bands The Trouble With Sweeney and The Barnabys. “Digital Light” follows The Neon Grease's first two debut singles: the awesomely fun, rollicking first single “Baptized In Vibe”and the second offering “Black Ice”, which features back-up vocals from Renée LoBue, the singer from Elk City. 

Sweeney's hard at work on the debut album from The Neon Grease, whose new songs draw inspiration from sources as disparate as 1970s Philly nightlife folklore and Denis Johnson’s The Incognito Lounge. In their new songs, chiming guitars, classic rock sax solos and rainy bedroom Velvet Underground listening sessions all blend together. In these songs are little stories of triumph over dirty circumstance and grace under pressure, with the friendship of an urban family “street band” woven throughout. Facebook here.

'Digital Light' is our second feature for Joey Sweeney following on from 'Black Ice' which we covered in August. I would describe this track as alt rock with some Americana undertones. It's also a musical delight and suggests the new album will be worth the wait.

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Belle Miners - Fall In Love With Me.

Background - With dense vocal harmonies, clever lyrics and a liberating, joyous sound, Canadian/Australian trio Belle Miners celebrate love and equality in 'Fall in Love with Me', the lead single from their forthcoming debut album Powerful Owl. The song is the true story of a poet who travelled four days to express her love to guitarist and vocalist Marina Avros. 

Amidst the intense local debate on marriage equality in Australia, Marina says "It’s really interesting to see the positive role music has in the debate on same sex marriage. We meet lots of people on tour who love the song and it doesn’t matter who they are. They just say how great it is, to have someone express themselves as gay and to sing about it. That means a lot to me”.

“But the love people express”, says Marina, “is universal and that’s what the band is for. We formed the year Jaime got married and Felicia is about to. Why shouldn’t we all be able to? No-one should be afraid to be in love, in the same way you shouldn’t be afraid to have your heart broken. Everyone is the same in that sense”.

'Fall in Love with Me' was the first song Belle Miners sang together and was the seed for everything they've done since.

Life-long friends, Belle Miners are Canadian musicians Felicia Harding and Marina Avros, and Australian-based Jaime Jackett. The trio formed in Australia in 2015 and have performed three national tours since. Their name was inspired by the rhythmical intonation of Bell Miners in the Australian bush, following a night of stealth camping near Mullumbimby when "the otherworldly sound of these vagabond birds, like hundreds of bells, filled the air" says Felicia. Powerful Owl will be released on Friday 3 November 2017 via MGM Distribution. Website here, Facebook here.

Melodic and with delicious vocals and harmonies 'Fall In Love With Me' is an upbeat and charming song. The production is superb, if Powerful Owl is half this good, then we are in for a treat.

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Blitzen Trapper - Flora Cash - Velvet Volume - Veronica Bianqui - To Kill A King

Having just returned from a week away, yesterday I opened the Beehive Candy inbox, where hundreds (& I mean hundreds) of messages expectantly awaited our attention. As editor (well it sounds good) I had hoped to get a couple of updates out last week, but heroically failed to set up any Internet connection in West Cornwall, or take along the various passwords required for others to assist. So a week in a remote wonderful timber chalet in the middle of a beautiful woodland setting, far from any mobile connection, was just right for me, not so for Beehive Candy. That said it really is worth getting totally off the grid and as much as I love music, I would do it again tomorrow if I could. Anyhow let the catch up commence....

Blitzen Trapper - Rebel.

Background - Earlier this year, the Portland, OR-based Blitzen Trapper accomplished a unique feat for a rock band who has been releasing albums and touring for the better part of two decades: a staged musical titled Wild & Reckless that ran for 28 performances at Portland Center Stage. The band is announcing a new album of the same title that was born from the stage production and as a companion to their 2008 breakthrough album Furr.

"'Rebel' is a song about a guy who for the love of a girl follows in his father's footsteps only to find it to be a scam," explains principal and frontman Eric Earley. "After several tries at the American dream he ends up selling cocaine to blue bloods in the Hollywood hills. Something of a lost Raymond Carver story with shambling near-country soundtrack."

The album Wild & Reckless was born from the stage production that the band spent the better part of a year producing. The half musical, half rock-opera dealt with heroin abuse, desperation, true love and western power structures. The story evoked a bygone era of Portland with this sci-fi love story, featuring a rock-and-roll score that paired unreleased songs with favorites from the band’s catalog.

Following the success of the production, the band took 7 original songs from the production and developed the theme further into the 12 songs that comprise the new album Wild & Reckless.

Frontman Eric Earley also sees the record as a companion and extention of their 2008 album Furr. "Wild and Reckless” is something like a cross-eyed stepchild to Furr, in that it chronicles the darker dystopian stories of rural and suburban west coast death-drive via a riffing psychedelic landscape. Ten years after Furr with all its talk of murder and the end of the western world, it seems there's more to tell."

Blitzen Trapper is Eric Earley (songwriter/singer), Erik Menteer (guitar, keyboard), Brian Adrian Koch (drums, vocals), Michael Van Pelt (bass) and Marty Marquis (keyboard, vocals). Wild & Reckless was produced by Eric Earley and Michael Van Pelt and was recorded by Gregg Williams at The Trench, in Portland, Oregon.  It was mixed by James Brown (Foo Fighters, Kings Of Leon, Blitzen Trapper's All Across This Land) at The Union. Website here, Facebook here.

'Rebel' is a fine alt rocker with more than a hint of Americana about it. Getting on for two decades of recording & touring, Blitzen Trapper can clearly still pen and produce some catchy and high quality music.


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Flora Cash - Roses On Your Dress + You Are Healing.

Background - Flora Cash is a Swedish/American couple who formed through a collaboration on Soundcloud. Shpresa Lleshaj and Cole Randall’s shared passion for music fosters their creativity, inspiring them to musically explore the complexity of relationships in their music.

In short, Shpresa Lleshaj and Cole Randall’s shared passion for music fosters their creativity, inspiring them to musically explore the complexity of relationships in their album. The darker side of love is a theme demonstrated in the tone of the “Roses On Your Dress” music video and the lyrical desperation to understand your lover. Listeners will recognize the cinematic qualities of a melancholic Lana Del Rey ballad, accompanied by Cole’s brooding male vocals.  

The music video takes place at a fabulous mansion, where the lovers inhabit two worlds: the modern middle class living outside, and the wealthy aristocracy living inside. The couple only interacts inside the mansion, showing affection until the relationship takes a turn for the worst. The wealthy couple fights as the middle class couple calmly watches them. In the end, the relationship falls apart because money cannot sustain happiness.  But that’s okay, because nothing lasts forever (and it’s fine). They have each other and that’s all that really matters.

“Roses On Your Dress is a track about individuality, struggling to make a distinctive mark upon the world and the ways in which that struggle affects each of us. It also touches on the challenges of being marginalized; an “outsider” …and the brutality with which different societies, including our own, work to shame and strip us of the uniqueness which contributes to our own inimitable vantage points.” - Flora Cash The album is out everywhere now via the Swedish label Icons Creating Evil Art. Website here.

Two songs to share 'Roses On Your Dress' and 'You Are Healing' and both are powerful and imaginative tracks. Flora Cash deliver an expansive, lush sound where emotions simmer and the music adds to the beautiful feeling they create.

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Velvet Volume - Look Look Look!

Background - With their youthful candor, it didn’t take the three rock sisters long to play themselves into the hearts of rock fans everywhere. Even though the latest single Look Look Look! relates to growing up, there is nothing slowing the three Danes down.

The onrushing sisters sing about loafing about and the bad habits. That comes with not yet having figured out how to structure your life. “This track was written at a point in our lives, where we all had to get used to time with restlessness and insecurity” says Noa Lachmi.

In the almost Sofia Coppolan music video directed by Daniel Aude, viewers are invited into the dream world of a young woman holding onto unaccountable playfulness, while also exploring her own true self. The restlessness is so thick you could cut through it with a knife, while sisterhood and self-absorption is embraced wearing shiny whigs. The single Look Look Look! is a taste of the upcoming debut album, which will be released on October 6th. Facebook here.

Some feisty no nonsense rock comes along in the shape of 'Look Look Look!' The three sisters might be wearing shiny Whigs in the video, however the energy & attitude suggests this is all part of the game, not a front to hide behind.


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Veronica Bianqui - Victim.

Background - Vocalist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Veronica Bianqui integrates the raw energy of garage rock with the passion of classic soul and R&B, and the pop sensibilities of 60s girl groups while maintaining an intense yet playful edge. Perhaps it’s her background in musical theatre, jazz, classical, and even Indian classical music, or her mother’s propensity for blasting The Beatles and Joe Cocker around the house, but Bianqui’s tastes and influences cross a wide spectrum of sounds. In her live show, Bianqui and her band consisting of up to 10 members—reminiscent sometimes of a revue– combine classic showmanship with a heartfelt directness that keeps the music intimate.

Before breaking out with her solo material, Bianqui made a name for herself in the LA circuit, performing in bands that toured across the U.S. and Europe. As a current member of 1960’s inspired folk/surf/psych rock outfit The Blank Tapes, she balances the two bands, often collaborating with bandmate and co-producer Matt Adams, including on her debut album that is yet to be released.

Bianqui’s past gigs include the main stage at Echo Park Rising 2017, headlining slots at The Hi Hat and The Bootleg, a popular residency at Hollywood’s Harvard & Stone, shared bills with Mikal Cronin, The Coathangers, Dead Sara, Cosmonauts, Capital Cities, and more. She has self-booked multiple UK & European tours, and was hand-picked by bookers to play iconic Los Angeles venue The Echo’s 15 year anniversary party in December 2016. In light of this history behind her, it is easy to see why people are coming out in droves to see the young songstress live.

Her debut album–recorded with Mark Rains (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Shooter Jennings, Alice Bag, Death Valley Girls)– is nearing completion, and awaits release in 2018. Website here, Facebook here.

Veronica Bianqui appears to have found a way to merge decades and genres together, the song 'Victim' being a case in point. Hints of differing styles and era's are succinctly put together resulting in one very catchy, timeless song.

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To Kill A King - Spiritual Dark Age.

Background - To Kill A King have today released their new single ‘Spiritual Dark Age’ and announced a headline tour for January 2018. Described by singer Ralph Pelleymounter as "a bit of comfort for the long dark night of the soul," ‘Spiritual Dark Age’ is To Kill A King at their irrepressible best. Marrying memorable, thought-provoking lyrics with dynamic production and outrageously catchy hooks, ‘Spiritual Dark Age’ grabs from the off and never lets up. ‘Spiritual Dark Age’ and recent single ‘‘The Good Old Days’ will feature on the To Kill A King’s third album due early 2018.

The band’s twelve-date UK tour starts at Sheffield Plug on January 11th and will culminate at Islington Assembly Hall on January 27th. "We are so excited to get back on the road and play for you all, it’s been too long since we’ve seen a lot of these parts,” says Ralph. “Roll on 2018!" 

Earlier this year To Kill A King played three consecutive London headline dates (at The Borderline, Oslo, and Omeara), and this week they return to their DIY roots with a European ‘Living Room Tour.’

After releasing two acclaimed albums, 2013’s ‘Cannibals With Cutlery’ and 2015’s self-titled follow-up ‘To Kill A King’, and touring incessantly since 2010, To Kill a King took a well deserved break in 2016, Ralph using the time to write with Rag’n’ Bone Man and Zibra, while keyboardist Ben Jackson produced albums for Childcare and Little White Things. To Kill A King: Ralph Pelleymounter (vocals, guitar), James Ball (bass), Ben Jackson (keyboards), Grant McNeill (guitar), and Josh Taffel (drums), website here, Facebook here.

‘Spiritual Dark Age’ has lyrics that really are food for thought. They are delivered with a tight and punctuated delivery, as the band kick out a fast flowing feast of pleasing music.

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Lilikoy Mananas - Sarah Klang - Joana Serrat

Lilikoy Mananas - IAMWHATIAM.

Background - Lilikoy Mananas​ ​​prepare the release of their debut release ‘Dangerous​ ​Calm​’ with the release of the dreamlike single “IAMWHATIAM​” in September 2017. The track delivers unashamedly pop melodies over dreamy guitar lines and melancholy tones. This is a great introduction to the band’s sound marking the beginning of what promises to be a very prolific year.

Lilikoy​ ​Mananas​ have a unique offering in the current Tel​ ​Aviv​ a contemporary musical landscape where they find themselves moving between the claustrophobic feeling of the modern world and a constant search for existential tranquility.

Combining the harmonious sound of live instruments with the electronic tools from their studio setting the band is unafraid to explore new sounds and combinations. Songwriter/ multi-instrumentalist and band leader Yonatan​ ​Marcus​ recruited his close friends to collaborate on what would become the debut single “IAMWHATIAM​”. The chemistry during those sessions was undeniable and they decided to record a collaborative full length.

The resulting debut album “Dangerous​ ​Calm​”, produced by Rotem​ ​Frimer​ and Yonatan​ ​​himself, is expected in October 201 7 and showcases a band that isn’t wasting time arguing over the definition of blues, jazz, folk and electronica but rather prefers to operate with all and any tool at their disposal. Facebook here.

The vocals & harmonies are wonderful on 'IAMWHATIAM' whilst the music has something understated and yet pretty special going on. A short & yet quite thrilling introduction to Lilikoy Mananas​ for me, with hopefully a lot more to follow.

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Sarah Klang - Left Me On Fire.

Backgrtound - With only two singles under her belt, Sarah Klang is already an artist who’s made listeners all over the world envy her melancholia. Debut single ”Sleep” was released in 2016 and early 2017 ”Strangers” hit the streaming services – praised by critics and public alike. When she played a homecoming show at the Way Out West festival in Gothenburg earlier the year Sweden’s main newspaper Dagens Nyheter left the venue all stunned. It was agreed among critics - a star was born that night.

Klang's sound is like no-one else and with her voice she encapsulates listeners into her own universe – a universe where you get images of old reel tape recordings in your head. Inspiration is found in old brides dresses, Barbra Streisand, ambient electronica, 80’s dads and plastic flowers.

”Left Me On Fire”, Sarah’s new single, is like previous releases written and produced with long time collaborator Kevin Andersson, but this time around Thom Monahan (Pernice Brothers, Devandra Banhart, Vetiver, Beachwood Sparks etc) handles the mixing process. What comes out of this is a fragile and moving soundscape. It draws you into the core of the storytelling. A great ballad from a great voice.

"Left Me On Fire" is written in the vacuum that you feel after a break-up. You continue your life but you are burned. For me the song is about moving forward with your life, while still in love with the person who broke your heart and nothing will ever be the same from that moment on.”

This fall Sarah will do shows (highlights includes a performance at Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg and a headline show in hometown Gothenburg) leading up to the release of debut album ”Love in the Milky Way” early 2018. Facebook here.

We first featured Sarah Klang back in February with 'Strangers' & are really pleased to be able to feature the new song 'Left Me On Fire'. Her vocals ooze feeling and passion, the music is superbly arranged around her melodic voice, adding to the melancholic mood. Put simply, I cannot wait to hear more.

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Joana Serrat - Trapped In The Fog.

Background - ‘Trapped In The Fog’, Joana Serrat’s new song and lead track from her forthcoming album ‘Dripping Springs’, featuring members of Israel Nash/Midlake. Joana Serrat explains the inspiration behind the track: “Trapped In The Fog is an oneiric song through which I can travel in time, no matter if it’s past or future. I wrote this song one night that I was driving back home after a solo show. Where I live there's a lot of fog in winter and suddenly that very night in the middle of the forest, the road got surrounded by shoals of fog. It was very hard to see and I had to slow down. The haze was constantly taking different shapes, it seemed to dance. It felt like a metaphor for life and I had the feeling something inside the shadows was talking to me."

For her fourth album in five years, Joana Serrat travelled from her home in Vic, Barcelona to the Texas Hill Country outside Austin. There she teamed up with Israel Nash at his Plum Creek Sound studio near the town of Dripping Springs. For the recording sessions Nash & Serrat corralled a stellar crew of musicians: Joey & Aaron McClellan, (Midlake, BNQT, John Grant, Israel Nash), Eric Swanson & Josh Fleischmann (Israel Nash), Dave Simonett (Trampled By Turtles) and Dennis Love (Futurebirds), as well as Nash himself providing additional guitar and backing vocals. Israel Nash produced the album, with Ted Young (Grammy award winner for The Rolling Stones) on engineering and mixing duties. 

It was no mean feat to gather all these creative talents and get them working together as a team, but as Israel Nash commented, “it was very easy to work with Joana because she knows where she wants to go and she leads us all there. Joana’s lyrics are brilliant. She uses images and colours to describe her songs and luckily that's the way we are used to working.” Joey McClellan adds, “her voice was our guide”. 

The resulting album - which Joana named after the local town - is unsurprisingly Joana Serrat’s most Americana album to date. Mojo described her last album Cross The Verge as “Mazzy Star guesting on an early Neil Young demo”, but with Dripping Springs she has produced a far more rounded and polished piece of work. Serrat explains, “it’s an album that deals with farewells but is filled with an optimistic melancholy that doesn’t isolate nor enclose the spirit and determination to realise our own dreams”. It was a bold move by the young Catalan to cross the Atlantic to work with a bunch of American musicians that she had admired from afar but had never met.

What she came away with is, however nothing short of magnificent and should see Serrat building on her existing achievements which have included a BBC 6Music Recommends Track Of The Week selected by Gideon Coe and Lauren Laverne the latter commenting “she’s an amazing artist an astonishing talent and I love her songwriting”. Within the last year Joana has toured with The Jayhawks, The Handsome Family & Courtney Marie Andrews played the main stage at Primavera Sound Festival showcased at SXSW and has been invited to Nashville in September to showcase at AmericanaFest 2017. Pre-order here, Facebook here.

It's been a while since we last featured Joana Serrat, an artist that has consistently impressed me. 'Trapped In The Fog' is our first glimpse of her forthcoming new album & her new musical collaboration is, based on this track, very promising. Vocals as ever are notably refined and the Americana rich music is fabulous.

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Cape Weather - Verandan - Wooden Arms - Slaughter Beach, Dog

Cape Weather - Telephono.

Background - Cape Weather's debut single "Telephono" is out tomorrow. They signed to the Future Gods label a few weeks ago. The song prematurely hit Spotify a couple weeks back and got 'Fresh Finds' immediately and has been getting spins by several KCRW DJ's at the moment. It will drop everywhere this Friday, 9/8.

The band is a collaboration between Natalie Smith and Eric Jackowitz. They’ve both played in bands for years; Eric playing drums for Nick Waterhouse, and Natalie releasing music under solo monikers. With Eric at the production helm, the record was made over the internet, with instruments being recorded and mixed in LA, Oakland, Nashville, New York, and Europe.

 Instrumental contributors to the record include Ben Alleman (keyboards; Ryan Adams), Erik Groysman (composer; Drunk History), Joe Berry (keyboards + sax; M83), with mixing and mastering done Andrew Sarlo (producer; Big Thief). The inspiration for Telephono came from Natalie and Eric wanting to create a song like “Spooky” by Dusty Springfield, but inject it with their own sensibility. 

Dreamy vocals and a musical arrangement that is vibrant and refreshingly different makes 'Telephono' a sub two minute song, massively likable!

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Verandan - Short Dream.

Background - Helsinki based indie label Soliti! are proud to announce the release date for the upcoming Verandan EP. Verandan, is led by Cats On Fire alumni Ville Hopponen. Aiding and abetting Ville on his new adventure are the magnificent players Aleksi Peltonen (Puunhalaaja), Aki Pohjankyrö (Black Twig, LOVE SPORT), Kaarlo Stauffer (Black Twig) and Sampo Seppänen (Sofa Pets, Kynnet). Verandan were formed in late 2015 around songs written by Hopponen.

Hopponen expands on the origins of Verandan: “At the time I had an office job that really made me want to focus on something else the rest of the time. Since I have played music since 1876 but never really written any songs myself it was a slow and meticulous process. The only aim was writing and recording some songs that I could hopefully tolerate even in the future. And also to do this with the best musicians I could find and whose judgement I fully trusted. They really pulled everything together and made it work, contributing all sorts of good ideas.

There was no particular musical style in mind. The point was to explore different ideas and themes – musical and otherwise – that for some reason kept appealing to me, while at the same time chasing a particular kind of elusive ”mood”. Sometimes what came out was surprisingly ”traditional”, which is fine too since it was never about being inventive just for the sake of it. It was more about conveying exactly the right feeling, whatever that is.” Facebook here.

The first of six tracks on the new EP 'Short Dream' gives a fine flavour of what to expect from the rest. There are no passengers within this collection of material, each song is as good as the featured track & from a personal perspective sometimes better.

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Wooden Arms - Lost In Your Own Home.

Background - The new Wooden Arms album "Trick of the Light" is due next month (10/6/17 release date). The first single and video "Lost in Your Own Home" was publicly released last Friday 9/1 and is now available on all major platforms.

Previously a solo writing process by Alex Carson, for their latest release Wooden Arms has evolved into a collaborative, genre-fluid writing trio between Carson and other members Jeff Smith and Alex Mackenzie to collectively draw from their alternative, classical, and trip-hop influences. A truly impressive and deep album, "Trick of the Light" shakes off the shackles of folk and chamber-pop pigeonholing to include deeper instrumentation coupled with electronic elements to become something newer, darker... more strange.

"Trick of the Light" is Wooden Arms' twelve-track sophomore album that evolves the band's sound to include more electronic and experimental elements into their original chamber pop and folk roots. Lyrically the album deals with themes of perception of reality, irrational fear, personal social accountability, and mortality. The album was produced by Wooden Arms and David Pye (Blaenavon, Wild Beasts) and recorded at the historic Monnow Valley studio in Wales (Queen, Iggy Pop). Wooden Arms is; Alex Carson – Piano, Voice, Guitar, Organ; Jeff Smith – Guitar, Voice, Piano, Trumpet; Alex Mackenzie – Drums, Voice, Bass, Guitar, Piano, Percussion; Fifi Homan – Cello, Voice; Azita Mehdinejad – Violin, Voice. Website here, Facebook here.

The forthcoming album (Trick of the Light) comprises of twelve tracks. This is a collection of material rich in musical quality and beautifully arranged. 'Lost In Your Own Home' can only give a little feel for the whole, it's a fabulous track in it's own right, however Wooden Arms, can and do move from one creative style to another.


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Slaughter Beach, Dog - Fish Fry.

Background - Slaughter Beach, Dog (Jake of Modern Baseball) has just announced their new record Birdie coming out 27th October on Big Scary Monsters and Lame-O Records.

Slaughter Beach, Dog was started as a side project for Jake Ewald, one of Modern Baseball's two singer/songwriters. Born out of a case of writers block, Jake used the project to experiment with writing from the point of view of fictional characters in the fictional town of Slaughter Beach to break off from the ultra-personal technique he'd developed in his main project.

Since Modern Baseball announced their hiatus last year, Slaughter Beach, Dog has become Jake's main vehicle, giving him a chance to go all in on developing as a songwriter. Combining writing styles and flowing free between truth and fiction, the album takes Jake's signature mouth-full writing style, adds in some new influences from bands like Wilco, The Weakerthans, Jets To Brazil and Pedro The Lion, and comes out with something completely fresh. Website here.

'Fish Fry' is a catchy song where the vocals are central to the piece and just so pleasing. The music is robust, adding more hooks, but never over powering. As a glimpse of what is to follow, Slaughter Beach, Dog are well worth keeping in mind.


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Trudy and the Romance - WellBad - Adam & Elvis - M.I.L.K.

Trudy and the Romance - Is There A Place I Can Go.

Background - Somewhere among the daydreamers and heartbreakers, beauty queens and jock teens, Trudy and the Romanceare looking to lure you into their suitably skewed, cinematic world. On new single Is There A Place I Can Go’, the trios dubbed Mutant 50s Pop takes a more contemplative turn. The single is part of their Junkyard Jazz EP, which will be released through B3SCI on November the 17th. 

From character creation to alter-ego exploration, Trudys overtly-romanticised, technicolour realm runs deep. Like David Lynch dicing and splicing Walt Disney film reels, Junkyard Jazz EP is a larger-than-life introduction to their saccharine sound, right through to the Grease-style illustrations by LA-based artist Hello Thunderpuss.

Their upcoming Junkyard Jazz EP - recorded in former vicarage, Stockports Eve studios with producer David Pye - takes its title from another genre they use to describe their seemingly hotchpotch influences. “Our stuff’s like a collage and we’re trying to jigsaw it all together, explains Olly.

“The songs on the EP are meant to be loose but compact. It ties together as a bunch of different little stories; Junkyard Jazz, a messy love.To call Trudy escapism would be too easy. As with any great pop music, location falls into irrelevance. Whilst most bands dream of a world they can leave behind, Trudy is the sound of a band with their eyes-wide and keeping every option open. Live dates are over on Beehive Candy's tour news page, website here, Facebook here.

We featured Trudy and The Romance a couple of times in 2016 and the new track 'Is There A Place I Can Go' is well worth a share. The mutant 50's pop description helps to summarise the feel of this song, the timeless nature of this piece, the loose swaggering vibe, this is just fabulous!

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WellBad - The Rotten.

Background - ’The Rotten’ is the new single by German blues rock act out now WellBad from the album ‘The Rotten' (UK release date 29.09.17 -Blue Central Records/Membran).

His raspy voice is as dry as the soil in Death Valley. His full beard is as prickly as a desert cactus. And the atmosphere in his songs is reminiscent of movie scenes shot by Jim Jarmusch, Quentin Tarantino and David Lynch. The 27-year old singer and songwriter Daniel Welbat is an engaging, passionate entertainer and, together with his excellent band WellBad, he has impressed critics and enthused audiences wherever they have performed their very own brand of modern Blues Rock. 

WellBad will release their third album, ‘The Rotten’, in September. Paired with the raw,dirty sound of his bandmates, the Hamburg-based Welbat creates an idiosyncratic blend of styles that easily transports a classic Blues vibe right into the here and now. ‘The Rotten' is a genre-defying, elegant mix of Rock, Blues and Jazz and is produced by Stephan Gade (Udo Lindenberg, Niels Frevert), who also worked on the band’s second studio album, ‘Judgement Days’, in 2015.

WellBad have not only made numerous appearances already on major German TV stations, but they also made the podium of the ‘European Blues Challenge’, held in Torrita di Siena, Italy, in April 2016. Thatsame year they also represented Germany in the world´s largest international Blues competition in Memphis, Tennessee. In addition to some memorable concerts, the band had the chance to record a single in the legendary Sun Studios. Website here.

'The Rotten' has an uncomplicated blues rock soundtrack, that is just right for the gritty and menacing vocals. Hypnotic, rocking and at just under two & a half minutes duration, the song just begs to be played again.


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Adam & Elvis - She Bites Mosquitoes.

Background - New-wave experimentalists Adam & Elvis unveil the uptempo intricacies of latest release, ‘She Bites Mosquitoes’, the track is taken from the band’s album, ‘Through Snow and Small Talk’, released Sept 29th. Artfully displaying Adam & Elvis’ musical intuition, adroit syncopation and effortless manipulation of the Western scale – all set to a mesmerising surf-rock-meets-synth-pop pulse – ‘She Bites Mosquitoes’ deals with the hierarchical nature of young love and, so explains vocalist Patrick, “the desire to infiltrate tribes where you are 'Untermensch' (inferior people)”. This is something of a paradox given the superior sonics of Adam & Elvis’ new release, but then here is a band who make it their tune-filled business to defy accepted convention.

Bonded not only by blood but a taste for finding humour in the macabre, Patrick and Tom Malone are brothers whose sibling intuition extends to a penchant for songs as melodic as they are bizarre. Cut-throat guitars, dirty basslines and contorted synthesisers are their tools as the brothers pen hook-filled numbers with strange, poetic lyrics, often influenced by the stark realism in the wordplay of Patrick’s heroes Leonard Cohen and Charles Bukowski. 

This bold, thought-provoking prose is set to a musical backdrop of exhilarating wall-of-sound pop and primitive punk energy, unleashed by Patrick on guitar/vocals and Tom on bass/vocals respectively, with the aid of Steve Wraight (vocals/percussion) and Dan Robershaw (guitar). 

The Reading band have performed their adventurous, singularly intense live shows on the same bill as Fat White Family, The Zombies and The Correspondents, and garnered resounding praise for their blistering debut single, ‘Hanging Tree’, taken from their first long-player, Through Snow and Small Talk, to be released on the band’s own DIY Freak Power label in the autumn of 2017. It’s an album fizzing with ideas and energy, capturing Adam & Elvis in all their irreverent, witty and experimental glory, the sound of a group that have come of age and are proving as hard to pigeonhole as they are to ignore. Bandcamp here, Facebook here.

Musically vibrant and upbeat 'She Bites Mosquitoes' is a feast of sounds and fabulous vocals. Different and a little eccentric, just makes the whole thing even more wonderful, here's looking forward to the album.

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M.I.L.K. - If We Want To.

Background - Copenhagen based artist M.I.L.K. (real name: Emil Wilk) today releases the video for ‘If We Want To’ - the penultimate video in a line of 6 video releases, lifted from his acclaimed debut EP ‘A Memory Of A Memory Of A Postcard’. The video was co-directed by M.I.L.K. and Jonas Bang.

An intriguing concoction of tropical production, swaying percussion, and sumptuous melodies, M.I.L.K. is an artist who wants to do things a little differently. M.I.L.K. is the sound of summer and sand between your toes. In these uncertain times, we need all need a positive breath of fresh air. That's what M.I.L.K. is.

Fresh from signing to Capitol Music France and Interscope in the US - M.I.L.K.’s debut EP is a perfect introduction to his intoxicating brand of RnB-tinged yacht rock. 

Speaking on the video releases, Emil Wilk said: "I really felt a need to create something physical for the EP. It’s so unsatisfying when everything ends up as streams and links and statistics and internet, internet, internet. So I decided to create something that was more than just mp3 files, and create this video installation to give the EP a visual manifestation in a physical form. The footage is a mix of analogue 8mm shots from travels with friends during the last 6 month, and then more abstract studio shots. It's kind of a diary collage built around the themes and memories that inspired the songs on the EP.” Website here, Facebook here.

'If We Want To' is a smooth melodic song, which exudes beautifully chilled vibes throughout. Imaginative, the music is quiet blissful, the vocals simply charm the listener, this really is music that's good for the soul.


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