Saturday, 27 January 2018

I Hate You Just Kidding - Mo Kenney - Annachristie Sapphire - Sur Back

I Hate You Just Kidding - Fallen.

Background - I Hate You Just Kidding have just released the new single "Fallen." Fallen is an emotional tug-of-war between hope and despair, between desperation and delirium. It’s meant to find you in that dark place and carry you out.”

Jeremy and Jessi Brock are the husband & wife songwriting duo known as I Hate You Just Kidding. They started making music together shortly after meeting and formally formed the project in 2009.

Their music has been featured in film/television and commercials, and they have gone on several national tours, leaving two EPs and one full-length album in their wake.

Upon releasing their debut "Days Grow Longer" in 2011, I Hate You Just Kidding began writing a follow up. However, the touring life sometimes takes a few detours. After a 5 year hiatus, the sophomore album “Constellations” will be released on February 2nd, 2018. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.


Back in November of last year we featured 'Smokestacks' from the band, describing that song as "uncomplicated pop that occasionally builds into more of a rock track, either way it addictive & gorgeous." Now we have 'Fallen' a gentler, dreamy indie pop song that has the same addictive qualities.

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Mo Kenney - On The Roof.

Background - 2017 was the year that Mo Kenney plugged in, the Canadian singer recently released new album The Details and hit the road, and now Mo has announced a string of UK tour dates this February along with the release of new video for single On The Roof.

Mo has released two records with long-time producer and Canadian rock mentor Joel Plaskett since 2012. With her third album, Mo comes fully and completely into her own as an artist; she swaps her trademark acoustic guitar for a Fender Mustang, tracing her own strange, devastating, and ultimately hopeful trip through the trials and tribulations of booze-fuelled breakdowns, clouds of depression, and disintegrating relationships.

"I began writing "On The Roof" during a solo tour in the US. I had a day off in Syracuse, NY, and wrote the chorus for the song that day. When I sit and think of all the negative things in the world it can get me down, because there's a lot of it. I go down that wormhole often, as I'm sure a lot of people do. The song is about being in that mindset and not being able to shake it. " Mo Kenney

Known for her smooth vocals and fearless lyrics, the Canadian singer releases the fast-paced single On The Roof combining elements of bruising rock ’n’ roll, vivid psychedelia, and haunting, left-of-the-dial pop. WEBSITE.

UK Dates:
Saturday 3rd Feb: Inverness Tooth & Claw
Sunday 4th Feb: Aberdeen Lemon Tree Studio
Tuesday 6th Feb: Sheffield Cafe No.9
Wednesday 7th Feb: London Green Note
Thursday 8th Feb: Preston The Continental
Saturday 10th Feb: Exeter Phoenix
Sunday 11th Feb: Manchester The Castle


We shared the audio for this track a few months ago, however with some tour dates to announce and a new music video for the song 'On The Roof', lets have another helping of this tune. We previously described this as "an energised rocker with some fine hooks, that brighten up the somewhat darker lyrics."


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Annachristie Sapphire - Cut The Line.

Background - Annachristie Sapphire has a soulful huskiness and power that could break glass. Her compelling songwriting style lends itself to an emotionally evocative experience for her listeners time and time again. Annachristie explores new measures of Folk and Americana by marrying the genres with styles more grunge, dreamlike, and enduring- reminiscent to the rawness brought to light by the music rebels of the 90’s. With this, Annachristie Sapphire welcomes a sense of nostalgia even for those who might be hearing her music for the first time.

 Annachristie has shared the stage with household favorites such as First Aid Kit, Amos Lee, and Langhorne Slim, as well as Victoria Williams- the founder of Sweet Relief Musicians Fund best known for work with Neil Young and Lou Reed, who lends her backing vocals to Annachristie Sapphire’s new single and upcoming EP.

 “Cut The Line,” the first single from Annachristie Sapphire's upcoming LP “Desert Car”, was produced by the Grammy Award- winning Tim Sonnefeld. The song is about fishing for love. The melody reels you in and then sets you free with it's 1950's inspired backup vocals, in contrast to an atmospheric landscape of sounds that allow the listener to live inside of the melody. Annachristie Sapphire’s EP was recorded at Chaparral Bottom Studio and Red Star Studios. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.


'Cut The Line' slips between definitive genres and creates something quite beautiful. Passionate and melodic vocals, Americana centred musical grooves, with shades of rock & roll for good measure, this song has some real edge and a good few hooks to ensure some repeat plays.

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Sur Back - Anyone Else.

Background - NYC-based, orchestral pop artist, Sur Back, shares her new track "Anyone Else" off her follow up EP, Kitsch II, due out February 23rd, 2018. The EP was written, recorded and produced by Sur Back, and mixed and mastered by Patrick Brown of Different Fur Studios (Toro y Moi, Grimes, Zola Jesus, K. Flay, The Morning Benders).

Sur Back is the solo project of Caroline Sans, a formally trained dancer and musician, who channels the two forms of art into a baroque pop aesthetic. Kitsch II is Kitsch's darker, more somber cousin, as displayed by the similar, but darker, album art. Although most of the second EP's tracks were written around the same time as the first EP, as a collection, the record has taken on a new meaning with Sur Back's transition to living in the city and moving away from her childhood home.

While finishing production of this record, Sur Back moved from South Florida to NYC, which is reflected through the EP's wide-eyed optimism and dreamlike aesthetic. "Valentino" was written as if scoring a fashion show, with a straightforward beat with a bit of jaggedness, as if walking in heels. The gorgeous instrumental layers that Sur Back is able to produce and write alone in her bedroom pushes past the typical DIY sound of bedroom pop. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Live Date:
02.03 - Elsewhere - Brooklyn, NY.


Earlier this month we shared 'Valentino' and Sur Back quickly returns with another imaginative song in the form of  'Anyone Else'. Described as "orchestral pop", there is a grandness and depth to her music, that leaves that tag as something of an understatement. Maybe unique, creative and inventive pop is a more suitable label.

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Friday, 26 January 2018

Ann'so M - Fine China - The Beaucrees - Earth Girl Helen Brown

Ann'so M - Screw You.

Background - Ann'so M in a few references: A electro-pop-rock duo not soft knee, sung by an artist reminiscent of a French Pat Benatar. Many concerts given in jails, festivals, Coffee Scenes ... Prestigious collaborations including a very nervous song that has benefited from the talent of Louis Bertignac (Telephone). Captivating riffs and a groaning six-string, all led by a voice, that of a flayed skin, with an engaged pen.

"Au coeur du système" Inspired by the events of recent years, Ann'so M offers five assertive songs raging and addictive to heady melodies. Five years after "Dans des artères", Ann'so enchants on some titles in the language of Shakespeare. From her frenglish accent, she claims her continentalism.

This EP is an invitation to think for yourself. "At a time when social networks can reveal themselves as a source of the most precarious thoughts, is religion an obstacle to reason? In the same way, the man is consumer of media, but from now on it is the media which consumes it. "(Eben Moglen) All traced? All controlled?

Attracted by electro sounds, but keeping forever and ever his rock spirit, the duo out of his comfort zone thanks to this tasty mix, sailing in the Franco-British new wave influences. On a coffee terrace in Paris, they collaborate with Joseph d'Anvers, who wrote the ballad "Zero Degree". "Au coeur du système" will be available in March 2018 , it will be possible to order it directly on the band's WEBSITE.


For "electro pop rock" I suggest focusing on rock as the key element of Ann'so M's five song EP. 'Screw You' is typical of the assertive nature that permeates this collection, don't get me wrong the other elements are there, but the sumptuous energised nature of the music is fuelled by some feisty rock & roll.


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Fine China - No Vibe.

Background - We have another single from Arizona-based Fine China who just put out a 7" out on Velvet Blue Music.

A little more about the song from the band: "No Vibe started as a simple drum machine beat and the two telecaster guitar parts that come in at the beginning of the song.  I had written the chorus guitar parts several years back but never had a good place to land them, but when this track presented itself, they worked perfectly as the chorus.  I've always loved early Cure tracks, where they just kind of go, and parts come in and out but they are more of a jam, and the dynamic parts and stops/starts are kept to a minimum, and so that is how this track evolved. 

One we started putting together the track list for the album, it became clear to me that No Vibe didn't quite fit as an album track, but I liked it and it was a bit of an oddball arrangement for Fine China, which I liked, so we kept it as a B-Side.  The production is a little rougher than the album tracks as well, as we recorded and mixed it all in my home studio, which I thought fit the song." WEBSITE.


Less than a week since we first featured Fine China along comes a second single 'No Vibe. We said that the previous song 'Not Thrilled' was "a high quality piece that bodes very well for next months album". The new single just re-emphasises our opinion and ups the stakes even higher.

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The Beaucrees - Give Them A Break!

Background - “There are all sorts of problems in the world and I know we can't stop the actions of others but I do believe that there is one problem that can be resolved. This is it. There are people sleeping on the streets in every city in the world. Some are old. Some are young. Some have simple but beautiful minds. Homelessness is not about race or religion. It's about loneliness and despair. It's about being unwanted and unneeded.I honestly believe that very few people choose to sleep on our streets.

There are people and governments that can solve this problem. We need to get them to listen. Let them know that we the people are not happy for this situation to continue. How can we all help? We must make everyone be aware that there is a problem. Today (26th January 2018) The Beaucrees, a band from the sixties, are releasing the " first record of awareness."

What's that I hear you ask? It's a record with a simple message.The message is STOP THE HOMELESSNESS. Hopefully some one might listen if we all Shout STOP the HOMELESSNESS” - Michael Kain, The Beaucrees

Formed: 1963 Walthamstow, London, England, why would you wait over 50 years to release your first single? Perhaps you’re just waiting for the right song to come along? But that’s the story of The Beaucrees; formed in 1963, worked their way around the clubs and pubs of London in and the South East in the ‘60s and ‘70s and broke up finally in 1979.

They reformed in 2012 and then Michael Kain wrote “The Game” a record to raise money for a charity that helps wounded service men and women – Help for Heroes and the great work that they do. ’Give Them A Break’ is their second single, evoking a classic 60’s sound with quality songwriting and a powerful message. WEBSITE.


Apart from the worthy message cited above 'Give Them A Break!' just happens to be a fabulous and timeless song that exudes sixties charm and yet is clearly relevant and of today's production standards. Back in the late seventies I remember some of the homeless that slept around London's west end, they always seemed to look old to me then. Nowadays they look far to young, it's not hard to see why this band feel this way, I guess it's a case of what about me, what am I going to do...


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Earth Girl Helen Brown - Chains of Love.

Background - The lead track "Chains of Love" from Venus, the final EP in the inaugural year of the planet series by Earth Girl Helen Brown. The new track features Brigid Dawson (Thee Oh Sees), Grace Cooper (Grace Sings Sludge / The Sandwitches), Kelley Stoltz, Graeme Gibson, Tahlia Harbour (The Dry Spells), Emilee Booher; and of course, Heidi Alexander (The Sandwitches / Pruno Truman).

Born a figment of Sonny Smith’s imagination in the storm of invention and tributary appropriation that formed the 100 Records project (2010), Earth Girl Helen Brown resurfaced last year in response to cosmic cultural forces seeming to demand an engaged response.  It’s no coincidence that the Center for Planetary Intelligence Band (E.G.H.B.C.F.P.I.B.) launched the inaugural EP of their 2017 planetary series, Mercury (a collection of songs dealing with the topic of “responsible fire management”), on 1/20/17 at an event dubbed Inauguration Station. The band has subsequently released one cassette EP per season in collaboration with Empty Cellar Records, each confronting a singular solar satellite, topic planetary of importance, and aspirational genre, with proceeds of each benefiting organizations committed work related to the topic at hand.  Summer was MARS (war), Fall SATURN (communication), and now the first series concludes with the Winter installation VENUS on the topic of love. Preferencing the expansive catch-as-catch-can vibe of the 100 Records project the band has hosted an ever-changing cast characters in the first year. With Heidi Alexander (The Sandwitches / Pruno Truman / The Fresh and Onlys) at the helm the band and its related media artists and technicians has included:

Jamie Barron, Jamin Barton, Eric Bauer, Aylin Beyce, Emilee Booher, Ryan Browne (Sonny and The Sunsets), Tim Cohen (Fresh and Onlys / Magic Trick), Grace Cooper (The Sandwitches / Grace Sings Sludge), Dave Cousin, Brad Caulkins, Mikal Cronin, Bart Davenport, Brigid Dawson (Thee Oh Sees), John Dwyer (Thee Oh Sees), Chris Fallon, Lars Finberg, James Finch Jr. (The Sandwitches), Davin Givhan (Chris Cohen Band), Dylan Hadley, Dustin Hamman, Kearin Harlow, Wilder Harlow, Graeme Gibson, Tahlia Harbour (Sonny and The Sunsets), Anna Hillburg (Magic Trick), Douglas Hilsinger, Warren Huegel (Daevid Allen's University of Errors), Emmett Kelly (The Cairo Gang), Nora Keys, Shannon Lay, Raven Mahon (Grass Widow), Rusty Miller, Charlie Moonheart (CFM), Jack Name, Ethan Novikoff, Tim Presley (White Fence / Drinks), Ty Segall, Dave Sitek (TV on The Radio), Sean Smith, Sonny Smith, Kelley Stoltz, Enrique Tena, Alicia Vanden Heuvel (Aislers Set / Magic Trick), Lida Vanden Heuvel and Mikey Young. BANDCAMP, WEBSITE.


A massive welcome back to E.G.H.B.C.F.P.I.B. and the latest song share that is 'Chains Of Love'. Our third feature and another gorgeous song with some addictive R&B meets soul vibes going on, it does not seem fair to miss out any of those who have contributed to this series of EP's, so there they all are above, for the story so far.

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Thursday, 25 January 2018

Cat Princess - The Crowleys

Cat Princess - Fly on Your Wall.

Background - Having formed at a New Year’s Eve party and debuted live days later, it’s fair to say Swedish quintet Cat Princess don’t conform to the usual status quo, and in new retro banger Fly On Your Wall (released this week via Rama Lama Records), their combination of modern indie pop and 80’s inspired art-pop really backs up that theory.

Providing a fine representation of the band’s live intensity and their uniquely flavoured sound, the band’s new release spotlights frontman Nils Krång's thrilling and almost psychotic vocals alongside their fusion of influences and shows exactly why they’ve already shared bills with acts including Cloud Nothings, Pale Honey and Magic Potion.

If that’s not enough, the single is accompanied with an eye-catching stop motion hand-drawn video made by bassist Isabelle Friberg which besides the band and friends features characters like Newman from Seinfield.

Discussing the release, drummer Victor Klint states: “It’s our most straightforward song yet and probably the catchiest stalker-song since Every Breath You Take”. FACEBOOK.


'Fly on Your Wall' is just a little off the wall, if you get my point, which only serves to enrich the song even further. Art pop, retro style and all wrapped up in a modern twist, this is catchy, very catchy.


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The Crowleys - Pink Rainbows.

Background - The Crowleys are comprised of four musicians from Hamilton, ON, who met in high school and bonded over music. When they are not jamming, the boys enjoy looking for an Old Milwaukee Ice sponsorship, playing D&D in the van between gigs, and writing love songs.

The band's thoughts on the song: Pink Rainbows is the first song that we have recorded that we never played as a full band prior to hitting the studio. Cohen wrote the song a while back and recorded a few of the parts, and then the rest of the band kind of wrote and recorded on the fly. It gave a lot of creative freedom and we believe it shows in the final product.

The song comes from their new EP 'Colours Change Their Tone' out Feb 9th. FACEBOOK.


Any band that can go into the studio with a part developed song & use their imagination and improvisation to complete the piece, should be very proud of 'Pink Rainbows' as the finished product!

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Wednesday, 24 January 2018

Nightmare Air - Ismay - Darling West - Bamako Overground

Nightmare Air - Who's Your Lover.

Background - Nightmare Air has a new album coming out in March to support a full EU tour run with the one and only Gary Numan. Named after a skateboard move from an 80’s skate film, Los Angeles band Nightmare Air emphasizes sonic momentum, during both live performances and in the studio.

Nightmare Air’s Dave Dupuis, a veteran of L.A. shoegazers Film School (Beggars Banquet Records), and Swaan Miller, whose stark acoustic album on Important Records melted hearts and faces everywhere, meticulously layer boy-girl harmonies, pulsing pop synths, psych noise loops and glam soaked walls of guitars. Add to that Detroit heavy hitter Jimmy Lucido on the drums (The Strays/ TVT records) in their combined years of touring, these road veterans have supported heavyweights from Smashing Pumpkins to the The Jesus and Mary Chain.

Previewing the album - “Who’s Your Lover” offers shoegaze as it opens with a post-punk guitar riff which marries the soft, high-pitched string-like synthesizer which floats around as an all important extra-terrestrial layer, as Swaan asks “Who’s Your Lover?” The chorus moves on a thick bed of bass line that the distorted guitar riff and vocals bounce on. “Who’s Your Lover” is an instant modern shoegaze anthem, comparable to Slowdive or The Cure.

Having had a successful year in 2017 headlining clubs, playing festivals around the world such as SXSW and Starry Night Festival, and shared stages with The Kills, The Dandy Warhols and Cat Power to name a few. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.


Full on and energised 'Who's Your Lover' gets straight into the action with some fine guitar work, a strident rhythm, whilst adding some melody through the gorgeous vocals. Looks like the band will be keeping Gary Numan on his toes during the forthcoming tour!

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Ismay - Oh Precious Light.

Background - Ismay's second single is entitled "Oh Precious Light", following on from her first single "River Of Light". Both songs will be featured on her debut EP 'Songs From A River' out 2/9/2018.

Coming from the coastal hills of Northern California, Ismay is a singer, guitarist, and songwriter drawing inspiration from the natural landscape of the American West. With an ear for an old-time aesthetic and artistry of indie folk, Ismay blends inventive songwriting, ethereal vocals, and dynamic fingerpicking on the guitar. When she is not traveling the western states on horseback, Ismay can be found working on her ranch, collecting the sounds and stories of rural California. From this cultural history comes Ismay’s deep-rooted sound of the New American West.

The creation of Ismay’s debut EP began with a river. After dropping out of college, Ismay (Avery Hellman) wandered from California to New Mexico and up through the Pacific Northwest. During this time she sought out a place of natural significance through which to explore her passion for the arts and the environment. Eventually she found herself on the banks of the Klamath River in far Northern California. It was in this country that Ismay became entranced by the intricate cultural landscape of the Klamath. In the following two years, she embarked on a horseback trip to document the river through film, photography and audio recordings.

In addition, she wrote and recorded five original songs, both along the Klamath with an old cassette tape machine and in a studio above the Pacific Ocean. Ismay worked with producer Tim Bluhm (Sarah Lee Guthrie, Johnny Irion, Nicki Bluhm) and engineer Robert Cheek (Band of Horses, Chelsea Wolfe) at Panoramic Studios in Stinson Beach, CA. The field recordings were produced by Eric Drew Feldman (Polyphonic Spree, PJ Harvey), and string arrangements in Nashville with Brad Jones at Alex the Great Recording (Justin Townes Earle, Nancy Griffith, Yo La Tengo).

Weaving natural symbolism into this coming-of-age story, Ismay’s EP, Songs from a River, explores the way in which a connection to place shapes and parallels songwriting and recording. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.


We featured the first single back in early December and the second release 'Oh Precious Light' is another really fine Indie folk song. Ismay's vocals shine above a gentle and intricate musical arrangement, the EP can't arrive soon enough.

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Darling West - Loneliness.

Background - Darling West have shared a new video for new single "Loneliness", with their new album "While I Was Asleep" is out Feb 16 on Jansen Records.

The last twelve months of Darling West’s musical career can't be described as anything other than fantastic. Since the release of their second album, "Vinyl And A Heartache", they have played concerts all over the world, been playlisted on the biggest radio stations in Norway, appeared on the Top 100 Country charts in the US, amassed more than 2.5 million plays on Spotify, been booked for the biggest festivals in Norway, Americanafest in Nashville, and won a Norwegian Grammy.

Talking about the video, vocalist and banjo player Tor Egil Kreken comments;  "Loneliness was made by Norwegian movie director Jorunn Syversen. She came out with a fantastic film last year called "Hoggeren", and one of our songs was in the movie. We really wanted to work with her, and she came up with the idea of shooting the video in a house designed by Norwegian architect Sverre Fehn. It was such a beautiful setting! The dog belongs to the people who live in the house, and he turned out to be a great actor." WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.


Our third feature for Darling West with the new single and video for 'Loneliness' a song that has some delightful Americana charm running right through it, and melodic hooks that just dig for attention.


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Bamako Overground - The Swallow's Tale.

Background - Born in the inspired mind of London’s own Malian rhythm buff, vocalist and band leader Hans Sutton, Bamako Overground have been busily forging a curious new sound. The trio are irresistibly seduced by the music of West Africa, blending its influences overtly and covertly with their own carefully-selected flavours to settle into mystical grooves and rocking desert blues.

Hans plays his distinctive hybrid drum kit, which brought Mandé styles to worldly pop folksters such as Nick Mulvey and Cocos Lovers. He’s flanked by the sparkling guitar of Yaaba Funk co-founder Tobias Sturmer and the hypnotic, heavy bass of folk maestro and Woodburner impresario Theo Bard.

Deep and soulful rhythms meet soaring melodies, while crunching three-part vocal harmonies speak of pilgrimage and placelessness, spinning allegories in Bamanankan and English to complete a brew that’s compelling and utterly unique.

Debut single ‘The Swallow’s Tale’ is quite possibly the most delightful rhythmic folk tale you’ll have heard for some time, with a beautifully hand-drawn animated video from May Kindred Boothby and a promise of more ‘tales’ to follow later in the year Bamako Overground honour the traditions of African music with such abundant joy that it is only right that they go on to become a huge success. Some live dates are below, which you’ll not want to miss as they are as compelling live as on record rewarding each listener with their spiritual Gris Gris grooves, psychedelic desert blues and mystical melodies. FACEBOOK.

Live Dates:
26.1 Prince Albert, Stroud, UK
27.1 The Canteen, Bristol, UK
28.1 The Bell, Bath, UK
2.2 The Harrison, London, UK

Oh this is good - 'The Swallow's Tale' is a must hear song! Mixing West African influences and natural charm, along with English lyrics Bamako Overground create something beautifully unique, and very addictive. 


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Tuesday, 23 January 2018

Somali Yacht Club - VOWWS - Madeleine & Salomon

Somali Yacht Club - Vero.

Background - Dreamtoned trio from Ukraine, Somali Yacht Club, are going to release their sophomore album “The Sea” on Robustfellow Prods. (CDs and limited editions) and Kozmik Artifactz (vinyls).

After their first LP “The Sun” - which was highly acclaimed both by critics and listeners worldwide and showed the band’s ability to mix styles, create dreamy vibe and submerge listeners into fantastic sound landscapes - the band is ready to continue their musical journey with their next album “The Sea”. Rich fuzz, blended with atmospheric psychedelia, warm grooves and airy leads show the band’s progression both musically and lyrically and once again prove Somali Yacht Club’s inventiveness in blending styles.

Somali Yacht Club is a stoner rock trio from Lviv, Ukraine. The band mixes elements of stoner rock, psychedelic rock, shoegazing and post-metal in their music. Formed in 2010, as a jam band, but evolved to a main band for it's members. BANDCAMP, FACEBOOK.


'Vero' is the first of six tracks on the bands 'The Sea' album. It's a good indicator of the quality of this album, where the band drift through rock genres whilst retaining a consistent identity. The energy levels and emotional feeling, switch without notice adding a level of anticipation at any given moment. This should appeal to a wide range of rock fans.

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VOWWS - Esseff.

Background - LA-via-Australia based duo VOWWS share their latest single "Esseff". They explain that "'Esseff' is like James Bond spy music updated for the modern world. We wanted to create a sound that felt like you were being chased by something scary, but enticing". The single is from their forthcoming album Under the World, out 3/2 on Anti-Language Records. VOWWS will also be kicking off their US tour this March, you can find a full list of dates below.

With their new album, 'Under the World,’  VOWWS craft their dark pop masterpiece - a cinematic, stylish and menacing statement of intent. Drawing upon influences as diverse as classic western, electronica, surf rock, metal, and film music, the enigmatic duo weave disparate threads of cultural influence together into a tapestry of drama, imagination and surprising warmth - only to deconstruct them again in front of your ears.
 

Under the World was largely recorded with friend, mentor and engineer Kevin S. McMahon at his New Paltz, NY studio - building upon a symbiotic relationship formed while piecing together their debut, 2015’s The Great Sun - a dirty, grinding and swaying work featuring guest appearances by electronic music legend Gary Numan and Swans’ percussionist Thor Harris.

This time around VOWWS took on a more prominent role in producing and mixing the record, but the timeless influence of McMahon and his weatherworn New Paltz studio/barn is still present. Under the World deliberately eschews any obvious Post-Punk and Industrial tropes, instead allowing space for its stylish hooks, direct vocals and rich textures to shine. It will be released on the band's own label, Anti-Language Records on March 2nd, 2018. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

3.19 - 529 - Atlanta, GA
3.20 - Strange Matter - Richmond, VA
3.22 - Saint Vitus - Brooklyn, NY
3.23 - Meatlocker - Montclair, NJ
3.24 - Geno's - Portland, ME
3.25 - Kung Fu Necktie - Philadelphia, PA
3.26 - Cafe Nine - New Haven, CT
3.27 - O'Brien's - Boston, MA
3.28 - Casa Del Popolo - Montreal
3.29 - Coalition - Toronto
3.30 - Now That's Class - Cleveland, OH *
3.31 - Deluxx Fluxx - Detroit, MI *
4.1 - Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL *
4.3 - Reverb Lounge - Omaha, NE *
4.4 - Hi Dive - Denver, CO *
4.5 - Metro Music Hall - Salt Lake City, UT *
4.6 - Neurolux - Boise, ID *
4.7 - Barboza - Seattle, WA *
4.8 - Tonic Lounge - Portland, OR *
4.10 - Old Nick's - Eugene, OR *
* w/ Soft Kill and Choir Boy


Almost a year to the day since we first featured VOWWS they return in style with 'Esseff'. The duo have created an expansive sounding, and very catchy rocker that just oozes atmosphere and plenty of originality.

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Madeleine & Salomon - Swallow Song.

Background - French duo Madeleine & Salomon have just released their album 'A Woman’s Journey' in the USA, along with a little tour on the east coast.

The epic and libertarian duo Madeleine & Salomon embraces with ardor the feminist American songbook. They cover it with loving-kindness tinged with a minimalistic music and with a deep and incandescent chant. Their first album A Woman’s Journey reveals a graceful and unexpected reinterpretation of a humanist and rebellious repertoire from Nina Simone to Janis Joplin, Billie Holiday and Josephine Baker.

Madeleine sings, Salomon sits at the piano. Madeleine & Salomon, a duo with a natural elegance, “less is more” is their essence. This homage to American female protest songstresses is enriched on stage by free improvisations inspired by screened dreamlike short films.

Madeleine & Salomon is the meeting of two artists with well-established musical visions: the pianist Alexandre Saada (Malia, Martha Reeves & the Vandellas…) and the vocalist and flutist Clotilde. Her previous album In Extremis has been ranked #5 NPR annual Jazz critics poll 2013 – Debut album category, US CMJ Week 1300 Top Adds #5 – 2013, #5 ‘Best Jazz’ music category 2011 by the SundayTime.

Long-term friends, they discovered, during a tour of Asia, in 2014, that they shared a common musical aesthetic and decided to form the duo Madeleine & Salomon stamped in impressionist poetry. They took advantage of the invitation of the Melbourne Recital Centre in June 2015 to rethink the American Songbook in their original fashion, and record their first album A Woman’s Journey. BANDCAMP.










'Swallow Song' is just a tiny glimpse of the duo's album 'A Woman's Journey', a little taste if you like, before you devour what is a fabulous album. If your in the mood for original, different and engaging wide appealing jazz centred music, you have arrived at your destination.

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Anna Smyrk - ZOCO - Howling Bells - TCBYML

Photo - Michelle Grace Hunder Anna Smyrk - This is a Drill . Naarm/Melbourne based singer-songwriter Anna Smyrk shares a poignant moment o...