Gitta De Ridder - The Foxfires - Winter Wilson

Gitta De Ridder - The Wheel.

Background - Anglo-Dutch songwriter Gitta De Ridder is excited to release new album For Everything A Season on March 23rd. New single The Wheel encapsulates the natural, almost hypnotic, rhythm of traveling and speaks about how we see all things through our conditioned view. Taking control of the wheel means breaking down what we think we know, to find our own voices and realise what is truly important in life.

The songs on For Everything a Season are a journey of experiences through life and relationships; although themes across the album are quite universal, the lyrics also reflect a part of Gitta's personal and relational explorations across the past years. Album opener My Dear, Oh Boy, Oh Man (released in late 2017) epitomises the tone for the record; a song about love and loss, about finding the strength to move on and let bygones be bygones.

Recorded in the beautiful Suffolk countryside studio of long-standing friend Stephen Hodd, For Everything a Season is the next step following the success of previous release Feathers in 2016, showcasing Gitta’s distinctive talent to create songs both familiar and innovative. The poetic nature of each song goes straight to the heart, with charming vocals and intimate guitar-work lulling you into a joyful glow. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

It's our fifth feature for Gitta De Ritter an artist who has consistently impressed us from the very first track we heard. 'The Wheel' is taken from her forthcoming album 'For Everything A Season' a collection of thirteen absolutely gorgeous songs, due out late March. 'The Wheel' is a small glimpse of Gitta's creative and highly pleasing music, sometimes personal, other times emotional, it's always assessable and expect a bucket load of memorable hooks along the way.


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The Foxfires - Don't Give Up.

Background - The Foxfires are a four piece Seagaze band from New York. Their sound is derived from the genres of indie rock/pop, shoegaze, folk, and surf rock which sounds like a soundscape you'd want to hear on the beach or out at sea, especially in the Summer. Since 2013, they have been playing on stages, both small and large with artists such as Michale Graves (Former Misfits frontman), Kurt Travis (Former Dance Gavin Dance frontman), Sparks the Rescue, Have Mercy, Pentimento, Rookie of the Year, and just this past June, they played at Pittsburgh Pride alongside Jennifer Hudson. 2017 has been a very fortuitous and banner year for the band, working off of the momentum of their most recent release, "Reawakening" which came out in late 2016.

The band has had their music licensed to NASCAR, Discovery Networks LLC (Discovery, Science Channel, Animal Planet, TLC, etc), MTV, Bring Your Own Board, and Roadtrip Nation in 2017 alone and their music has been featured on radio across the United States and in select parts of the UK. Some festivals and large events they have played in the past year have included Pittsburgh Pride, Newburgh Illuminated Festival, Jersey Shore Music Festival, The NYC Marathon, Northside Festival, Groove on Grove, ValleyFest, Haverstraw River Arts Fest, and the Millennium Music Conference (for which they were a featured artist on the event's compilation CD.)

The band just released two new singles titled, “Don’t Give Up” and “Choose Love.” The latter is a campaign and message the band have been pushing for 4 years to move towards a more empathetic, equal, and balanced future where we see past race, gender, religion, sexuality, or political party and to fully embrace all of humanity. “Don’t Give Up” is an anti-suicide song that the band have been adamant about putting out since the recent deaths of Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

We have an upbeat and good humoured video to share for 'Don't Give Up' it's one of two singles just released by the band 'Choose Love' being the other. Both are extremely catchy as the band deliver their distinct and hook laden brand of Seagaze which in fairness is a pretty good description of their highly engaging sound.


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Winter Wilson - Ghost.

Background - Winter Wilson, a duo who are currently on a mammoth tour with folk royalty Fairport Convention have a stunning new album ‘Far Off On The Horizon’ which has garnered acclaim from the likes of The Telegraph, Acoustic Magazine and FRoots.

They’ve just now unveiled a new video from it for ‘Ghost’, a poignant track which deals with tough childhood memories and disappearing into a modern world, their traditional sound in contrast.The duo comprised of couple Kip & Dave Wilson turned redundancy into a fulltime music career five years ago, overcoming the odds.

"We never did the gap year thing as students, and we knew we had enough money from my redundancy to buy a van and get by for a little while, so I'm glad we said: 'sod the daily grind' and got out there," says Dave.

'Getting out there' also includes releasing albums like 2016’s acclaimed 'Ashes & Dust' and touring them around the world. "Tallullah, our camper van, recently covered over five thousand miles in six weeks on the first leg of our last tour," reveals Kip. "We went all around the UK, over to Germany and then around Ireland." Early 2017 saw the pair venture even further afield, touring Australia and New Zealand. Everywhere they travelled, reactions were positive and word of mouth continues to build about their music. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

We first featured Winter Wilson just over a month ago and have no hesitation in adding the new music video for 'Ghost' on Beehive Candy. The duo are approaching the end of a tour with Fairport Convention & I am sure a good number of new fans have been established, check out the video & let their gorgeous music sooth your day.


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Moonshine Booze - Lotte Kestner - Iskwe ft Tanya Tagaq - Josh Mover & The Shakers - The Ramona Flowers

Moonshine Booze - The Place.

Background - Moonshine Booze presents 'The Place', the first single off their debut album 'Desert Road', which will be released via Seahorse Recordings in mid-March. Combining grit blues rock with alternative country, their music has been described as psychedelic country blues-tinged rock, as well as brazen desert alcoholic acoustic rock.

Moonshine Booze formed in the summer of 2014 in Teramo, Italy. This trio is comprised of Andrea Manila (vocals), Emiliano Zapata (guitar) and Fabio Manchos (drums). The video for 'The Place' was a collaborative effort between Emiliano Zapata and Josh Heisenberg, with Zapata writing the scenario, Josh handling the filming and editing, and both on direction.

Having been active on the music scene for over twenty years in various bands, both in Italy and The USA, the trio has gathered and relaborated experiences from different musical genres, putting them to good use in their new project.

The initial idea behind this band was to put out a series of classic covers from Johnny Cash to Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters, Little Walter and J.B. Leinor, which were to be completely rearranged while still preserving the rude and crude grooves of their roots.

After honing their sound during several years of playing many small venues (the band prefers such intimate venues), Moonshine Booze realized that they had developed their own unique sound - a sort of cynical mix of western-funk-tex-mex-rock in a bluesy tone sauce and with bizzare touches, setting them apart from the standard fare in the 'rock' realm. BANDCAMP, FACEBOOK.

One of fourteen tracks (if we include the brief Intro) on the forthcoming album 'The Place' is a pretty good introduction both to the band and what's in store regarding the album. This is a band that are hard to put into just one genre as is made clear with the above promo piece. That they are highly original, creative, and perhaps just a little crazy should be taken as read, you can add fun and emotive, such is the variety packed into the collection, and the video for the featured track is a gem in it's own right, in summary, check them out!


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Lotte Kestner - Go to Sleep Now.

Background -  Lotte Kestner's new video for 'Go To Sleep Now', is directed by Chris Cunningham. 'Go To Sleep Now' started off as an instrumental skeleton of Williams beat boxing along with synth bass and keyboard lines, which she later had emulated by live drummer and bassist Adrian Van Batenberg and Christopher Merrill, the only song on the album with a rhythm section. The song eventually merged with a poem she had written about driving toward Seattle in a storm on the highway, a love song to the city in its soft haze. The song features layers of vocals sung into different microphones.

Lotte Kestner is the pseudonym of Anna-Lynne Williams, formerly the singer in beloved band Trespassers William and featured on the Chemical Brothers' Grammy winning album Push the Button.

At times her voice is a dead ringer for Magnolia-era Aimee Mann, but the sparse spiritual yearning of Talk Talk or Red House Painters is a more apt comparison. The songs may be driven by piano, or understated acoustic guitar, but they’re fleshed out with bloodless synths, or in the case of “Have You Sailed Home,” beautiful strings. The darkness of a clean white room, furnished in ivory and plastered with eggshells.

Off White is a treasure, an album of shadows and silhouettes. Elegiac and uplifting, valedictory and ashen. It ends with a solitary piano figure, nothing left to say. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

'Go to Sleep Now' is one of twelve songs on the 'Off White' album, a treasure trove of beautiful, gentle and inspiring music. The featured track & music video typifies the attractive nature of Lotte Kestner's material, melodic hooks, passion and style are hallmarks of her sound, one that genuinely has a timeless feel to it.


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Iskwe - The Unforgotten ft Tanya Tagaq.

Background from Iskwe - I’m very pleased to share my new song, “The Unforgotten”, featuring the ever-powerful Tanya Tagaq, with you today. This is a community song that’s meant to be shared by all people – a round dance where everyone holds the hand of the person next to them, forming a circle that connects us with our ancestors, as one. The current climate of events for Indigenous people is not lost on me, and makes me feel that much stronger releasing this bad boy now.

Written last year in the wake of the Canada 150 celebrations, I felt it was important to remind everyone that while celebrating the wonderful things that make Canada a beautiful and unique place to live, it's imperative that we remember, honour and acknowledge our dark corners as well.

I'm proud of who we are as Indigenous people. I'm proud of what we've fought for, and how we continue to fight for our culture, our languages, our children, our women, our men, our earth and our water. But I'm also proud of all my non-Indigenous family and friends who continue to fight alongside us. This song is for all of us. Let's dance together! FACEBOOK.

Powerful and potent 'The Unforgotten' thunders along with a dramatically rhythmic backdrop and passionate vocals that urge the listener to become engaged and join in.

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Josh Mover & The Shakers - Into A Ghost.

Background from Josh Mover - "My band's new album was released Friday. It's called Into a Ghost, and is available to stream now.

For Into a Ghost, I culled together some good friends and talented Toronto rock alumni to play: Ben Reinhartz (Dilly Dally); Mathew Wronski (The Sulks); Joseph Landau (ex-Formalists), Will Hunter (The Nutrients), and Clara Klein. 

Mastered by David Newfeld (Broken Social Scene), and recorded and mixed at Union Sound Company by Ian Gomes (Odonis Odonis, Teenanger), this EP was recorded in a whirlwind span of two days this past September, and was largely fueled by Figs Breakfast on Queen East".

Josh Mover & The Shakers is the musical project of songwriter Josh Mover. Combining elements of dark indie pop with a dash of folk and a pinch of punk. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK, BANDCAMP.

Josh Mover's vocals are distinct and the focal point for 'Into A Ghost' a slow paced rocker, where the music is superbly arranged giving each instrument clarity. Just add in the melody and hooks as is the case here, and the jobs done.

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The Ramona Flowers - Same Sun.

Background - Having initially banded together in their shared search to find the sweet spot between rock and electronica, The Ramona Flowers have progressed through two albums – Dismantle And Rebuild (2014) and Part Time Spies (2016) – to their finely-honed third long-player, Strangers. Their most electronic and dancefloor-ready offering to date, its creation was overseen – as was its predecessor – by American, London-based producer Chris Zane (Passion Pit, Friendly Fires, St Lucia). “Chris has a brilliant knack for getting the most beautiful sounds out of classic synths," Sam James says of Zane. “This time around, we really wanted to be able to bring those kinds of sounds to life.”

The last few years have seen The Ramona Flowers playing concerts around the world, making many new fans - including the singer of U2. When Bono heard his daughter playing Lust And Lies, the pulsing and atmospheric lead track from the band’s 2013 EP of the same name, it caught his ear. Bono contacted the band and subsequently recruited the song’s producer Andy Barlow (one half of electronic duo Lamb) to help in the making of the Irish supergroup’s latest album, Songs Of Experience.

More fun and games were to be had when celebrated British actor Brian Blessed appeared in the video for The Ramona Flowers’ recent single If You Remember (from their 2017 EP Magnify). In it, the Flash Gordon and Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace star was cast as a drunken, faded thespian viewing his past achievements in his private screening room, then chasing stalking kids from his house, before enlisting them in the making of an ad-hoc movie. “We wanted to get somebody that was a character and had a bit of a name,” says James. “But the last person that we ever considered was Brian Blessed. It was left-field and quite cool. He’s a bit of a legend.” WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

We featured The Ramona Flowers back in June of last year and now we have the new song 'Same Sun'. A crisp and pleasing indie pop/rock/dance song (you choose), this is a band that have worked hard to develop a very fine sound, one that deserves to travel.

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Lucy Wise - Veronica Bianqui - Woodes - Frøkedal

Lucy Wise - Solid Ground.

Background - Singer-songwriter Lucy Wise has released a taste of her third album Winter Sun. The songs on the forthcoming album show a strong artistic development since her last release back in 2015, and the lead single 'Solid Ground' is no exception. The track draws the listener in with its infectious groove and Appalachian Folk-inspired melody, and offers a warm, rich folk-rock band sound. It features some of Melbourne’s finest musicians: Justin Olsson (drums), Isaac Gunnoo (double bass) and Justin Bernasconi (electric guitar). 'Solid Ground' puts the listener in the shoes of someone finding their feet again after a breakup, saying that “it’s time to walk to your own rhythm, to find your way to solid ground”.

The music video for this release was produced by Lucy Wise in collaboration with Melbourne filmmaker, Rowan Gruner, and is a captivating and wistful reflection on finding resilience in everyday life. The video moves between an East Brunswick hilltop at sunrise, Lucy singing the song in a kitchen, and the unravelling of a long piece of string. As well as exploring the theme of finding one’s inner strength, it playfully celebrates the many beautiful nooks and crannies that Melbourne is made up of.

Produced and recorded by Nick Huggins, Lucy’s third studio album Winter Sun explores themes of love, joy and sadness, friendships and the relationships people form with their environment. It comprises songs inspired by Lucy’s travels and her reflections on her home city, Melbourne and features solo performances as well as full band arrangements, including guest appearances from Rowena Wise (backing vocals), John Flanagan (backing vocals) and Mischa Herman (accordion).

Lucy Wise has delighted audiences across Australia and internationally with her masterful storytelling, intricate ukulele and guitar playing and soulful voice. Drawing inspiration from her background in Appalachian and Celtic folk music, as well as legendary songwriters such as Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan, Lucy’s songs sketch universally recognisable stories that are grounded in the realities of everyday experience. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

'Solid Ground' mixes folk genres together, with a growing hint of folk rock along the way. Everything about this song is good, the vocals are perfect for folk, I would even draw some comparisons with Sandy Denny, they are that natural. The music gently builds adding to the atmosphere, Lucy Wise is firmly on our one to watch list.


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Veronica Bianqui - Sunday Cups.

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, FACEBOOK.

We featured Veronica Bianqui back in November and 'Sunday Cups' is a much welcomed second song to share. This time we have restrained albeit quite hypnotic beat, with the melodic vocals well up in the mix, in fact this was a borderline acapella piece until a gorgeous musical arrangement developed towards the end.

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Woodes - Origami.

Background - Melbourne based artist Woodes returns in 2018 with yet another stellar single 'Origami', following on from her standout 2017 which made her one of the most exciting names in Australian indie music. Woodes drew inspiration from her experiences in Japan when creating 'Origami'. The bubbly, euphoric track is taken from Woodes awaited second EP titled 'Golden Hour' which is set for release on the 23rd of February.

Woodes co-wrote the track with local songwriter Thief and Jussi Ilmari while on a songwriting camp in Bali with additional production by Elkkle. Simon Lam from Kllo and Nearly Oratorio worked across the mixing and Grammy nominated Andrei Eremin mastered the new single. 

Woodes commented on the writing process, "Origami started quite conceptually. We began with Origami as a title and then started drawing a big mind map of words relating to the methods and structure of creating something beautiful out of paper. Quite often when I write I have everything playing out in my head like a film. In my head I see two swans or cranes with their heads bending into one another. It was important that this song lived in a world that fused the harder sounding elements in the production with a soft bed of orchestral sounds.

I’ve been to Japan a couple times now, and learned Japanese throughout my schooling. I was 6 years old when I first visited & was so captivated by the mountains and the beautiful shrines and temples. My Japanese teacher in primary school had an honour system in her class where if you did good work and collected enough red stamps you were rewarded with a small gift she had purchased on her trips there, which were treasured by me.

I took the track back to my studio in Melbourne and began to orchestrate it. I knew I wanted the clarinet and strings to be featured quite heavily. The final session ended up being my largest amount of layers to date – 137 tracks. It took a long time to work out how to blend that many layers into something both rich in sound yet simple on the ear." WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

If a music blog could have a house band/artist then Woodes would be a serious contender, as this is her sixth appearance on Beehive Candy. 'Origami' is another creative song, the soundtrack is intricate and rich with ideas, Woodes vocals are like a butterfly fluttering above with melodic gorgeousness. Looking forward to more, if they are this good and we can share them, expect just that.

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Frøkedal - Believe.

Background - Oslo, Norway based Frøkedal today releases a new single — ‘Believe’, in advance of her much-anticipated second album, due Autumn 2018.

Eloquently manoeuvring her way around chugging guitars and swirling strings, Anne Lise Frøkedal appears to be highlighting the importance of believing blindly in oneself, almost a pep-talk: "And you’re all trying to take care of me / Is it kindness? Is it tyranny? / All my dreams are still alive / I’ve got my mind set right this time / baby believe”. Far from the acoustic sensibilities of previous singles, ‘Believe’ signals an arguably more “mature” sound for Frøkedal–combining full band with folk-leaning string sections. A more confident approach - perfectly reflected in her captivating lyrics.

Speaking a little more on the new release, Frøkedal explained: "'Believe' is Tom Cruise driving at full speed along the winding roads of Western Norway, in an open convertible even though there is light rain in the air. The song is juggling confidence and charisma in its message about keeping faith through the vanishing echoes of fiddle-ridden rock ’n roll.”

Despite track-by-track production, Frøkedal’s lyrical output has taken a much more thematic approach with recent releases, ‘Believe’ included: “When I started writing this new material, I was picturing different ages or stages in our lives when our vision gets a little blurred. I wanted the songs (and the characters) to channel these critical moments when decisions are dominated by emotion and not necessarily by logic,” she says.

‘Believe’ joins Frøkedal’s already-impressive body of work, following collaborative stints with Robyn Hitchcock and successful Norwegian outfits Harrys Gym and I Was A King. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Frøkedal is another artist who has consistently impressed Beehive Candy. New song 'Believe' continues that positive trend, it's a refined and smooth indie rocker where the distinct vocals add melody, emotion and a multitude of hooks, in a word, captivating.

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Holly Miranda - Juliet Quick - Living Hour - Marville - Porshyne

Holly Miranda - To Be Loved.

Background - Holly Miranda's new single is "To Be Loved".  It follows her prior singles "Golden Spiral" and "Exquisite" the latter of which features T.V. On The Radio's Kyp Malone. "Exquisite" also had a video which was directed by Kyp. All three tracks will be available on Holly's new LP 'Mutual Horse', out 2/23 on Dangerbird Records. You can pre-order the LP here. Holly will also be playing a handful of NYC & L.A. shows including a show at Park Church Co-op in Brooklyn.

The Dangerbird studio in LA also inspired the album’s title - “Mutual Horse comes from this image we hung in the studio. It was a photo of the singer-songwriter Cris Williamson - “We printed out photos of her from the 1970s and taped them up around the studio; that was our vibe.” One of those photos was of Williamson and another woman holding the reins of a horse; the two women are staring at each other, but the horse is staring at the camera. Eventually someone scrawled the phrase “Mutual Horse” beneath the picture. “It doesn’t feel like just mine,” Miranda says of the album, which took its name from the graffiti. “It feels like it belongs to everybody who worked on it. I opened myself to collaborating this time around, which made me really vulnerable.”

Miranda grew up between Detroit and Nashville, two music towns that would influence her own journey in a very profound way. She began playing piano at the age of six, taught her self-guitar at 14 and moved to New York at 16 to start her professional career. For nearly 20 years, she’s been performing, writing and producing with some of the best talent in the business. She has performed with the likes of Karen O, Lou Reed, The XX, and Lesley Gore. She released two records with her band The Jealous Girlfriends and has co-written and produced a mass of other projects. FACEBOOK.

Tour Dates:
2/22 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Hotel Cafe
3/8 - Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
3/22 - Brooklyn, NY @ Park Church Co-op.

We featured the song 'Exquisite' back in November and 'To Be Loved' is another fine single and is included on the 'Mutual Horse' album due next week. Once again the vocals are distinct and very appealing, the music allowing them to shine right through, whilst giving the song further momentum.

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Juliet Quick - Changeling Part I.

Background - Brooklyn-based, alt-folk artist Juliet Quick shares her new track, "Changeling Part I," from her forthcoming EP, a 3-part song series, Changeling EP. The Changeling EP is due out April 6th on all DSPs.

Juliet Quick is currently based in Brooklyn, where in 2016 she began playing with a backing band made up of collaborators Philip Joy on drums, Nathan Kamal on violin, and Oliver Mashburn on guitar. Quick grew up in the Hudson Valley, and her art has always been in conversation with that landscape. In addition to her music, which relies heavily on that setting for its tone and imagery, she has written a chapbook of research-based poems on the Hudson River.

Changeling is a 3-part song series, using the folkloric trope of the changeling, in which a child is stolen by fairies and replaced with an imposter, to explore feelings of alienation from the self and the familiar that characterize early adulthood. They don’t follow a strict narrative, so much as trace different points in the evolution of that psychic experience. The imagery is heavily grounded in the landscape of the Hudson Valley, where the artist was raised. It was recorded in Carmel, NY, where it was engineered and co-produced by Rees Shad in his own studio. The orchestral strings were arranged in a collaboration with Juliet Quick, Rees Shad, and Nathan Kamal. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Tour Dates:
03.04 - Sunnyvale - Brooklyn, NY
03.31 - Rockwood Stage 3 - New York, NY.

'Changeling Part I' is a gorgeous and quite unique indie folk song, where Juliet Quick's vocals are quite beguiling and the musical arrangement adds a chamber folk dimension to this sumptuous and almost epic piece.

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Living Hour - Tous les garcons et les filles.

Background - Winnepeg band Living Hour announces a new covers EP, Lovely, Lonely: A Collection Of Covers For Hollow Hearts, which will be released on March 2, 2018. The EP includes covers of Nico, Avi Buffalo, The Ink Spots and Françoise Hardy. The band will also be touring to SXSW, see full list of tour dates below.

Sink into the drowsy guitars and blissful, washed-out textures of Winnipeg’s Living Hour. The band made up of dream-pop revivalists’ atmospheric and pillowy melodies are coloured by psychedelic accents and the enthralling coos of vocalist Sam Sarty. Brushed-Snare Beats, droning reverberations, and wobbly romanticism conjure up a tranquil and exploratory state of mind. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Tour Dates:
03/05 Minneapolis, MN @ Memory Lanes
03/06 Chicago, IL @ The Empty Bottle
03/08 Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop*
03/09 St. Louis, MO @ The Sinkhole*
03/10 Russellville, AR @ The Cavern*
03/11 Houston, TX @ Super Happy Fun Land*
03/12 Austin, TX @ Hotel Vegas – Strange Brew 7
03/13 Austin, TX @ Javelina (Force Field PR / Danger Village Official SXSW Showcase)
03/16 Austin, TX @ The Electric Church (Wallflower Records x Fuzzland Presents)
03/19 Hot Springs, AR @ Low Key Arts (Valley Of The Vapors)*
* = w/ Look Vibrant.

Francoise Hardy original version was released way back in 1962 and was an outstanding pop song for that era. Living Hour have slowed the pace with their rendition of 'Tous les garcons et les filles', the dream pop interpretation adds atmosphere and charm, I am fascinated as to how they will interpret one of Nico songs!

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Marville - Thinking Sense.

Background - Brisbane/Meanjin-based guitar-drums duo Marville have released new single Thinking Sense with lo-fi visuals by songwriter/guitarist Ash Kerley (of Girls Rock!). Marville also announce their impending second LP Terra Alpha, out via Regressive on March 30 with an East Coast launch tour to follow.

Written "in a sitty share house", Kerley's yawning, powerful vocals parse caustic jabs on Thinking Sense that are just as often aimed at herself. Propelled by relentlessly dirty, crunchy guitar and Doug Palmer's furious drumming, Thinking Sense has already made fans at community radio (RRR, PBSFM, 4ZZZ & more) and explores the landscape of how humans relate to each other when dignity is removed from the equation, with self-respect quickly following.

Marville's intensely human bare-bones approach has earned them myriad praise across their local scene, with multiple placings in the 4ZZZ Hot 100 and Sonic Masala calling first LP Vayan Con Dios "an album of unabashed tension, atmosphere and slack-jawed nihilism". Crowned winners of the 2017 Billy Thorpe Scholarship at the Queensland Music Awards last March, Marville's second LP Terra Alpha is a journey through the hot, crushing tension that comes before the quintessential melodramatic Queensland storm.

Produced by Joe Hammond (Courtney Barnett, Jen Cloher, Fraser A. Gorman) at his Pots and Pans studio, Terra Alpha's release will be followed by an East Coast launch tour, with a regional tour across Queensland to be announced. Marville's singularly enthralling, high-decibel live show - previously on display at the Brisbane leg of Gizzfest 2017 and as support for peers Cable Ties and Wet Lips - must be experienced to be fully understood. BANDCAMP, FACEBOOK.

Marville - Terra Alpha LP - East Coast Launch Tour
FRI 20 APR - The Bearded Lady, Brisbane
SAT 5 MAY - The Forresters, Sydney
SUN 6 MAY - The Servo, Wollongong
THU 10 MAY - The Old Bar, Melbourne.

'Thinking Sense' is one unpretentious rocker that just cuts to the chase and carves out some robust rock grooves with passion, emotion and determination.

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Porshyne - Miles Away.

Background - Porshyne are an atmospheric rock five-piece hailing from Brighton. Formed in 2014, early releases from the band such as ‘Residue’ and ‘Locked In’ have helped to cement their name within the Brighton music scene, leading to them playing shows alongside the likes of Black Peaks, Valerian Swing, Town Portal and many more. The band then went on to release their highly anticipated debut EP ‘Environmental Music’ in 2017, which received praise from the likes of Dan P Carter’s BBC Radio 1 Rock Show, Upset, Alt Press, New Noise Magazine and Kerrang! Radio, with the latter likening the band to Radiohead, Tool and QOTSA. Now the band are preparing to release their new single ‘Miles Away’.

In the time between ‘Environmental Music’ and ‘Miles Away’, Porshyne have been mindful to use their time well, and to relentlessly dedicate themselves to honing their sound even further. The new single sees a natural evolution in the band’s heavily textured dynamics, shifting the focus onto their cinematic and melodic sensibilities, accentuating any previous comparisons to Radiohead. Amongst this Porshyne still stay true to some of their heavier roots in their instrumentation, by interlacing complex guitar sequences with powerful and intricate rhythms that continue to draw from their prog and math-rock influences.

Thematically, ‘Miles Away’ is similarly introspective. Speaking about the new single, Fergal Lyden (frontman/guitarist) says “The song is about wasted time and regretting the number of wasted days which pass and are then quickly forgotten about. It’s about the guilt and regret of unrealised opportunities, missed because of inaction and procrastination, and of the realisation that certain ambitions are drifting out of reach and becoming less and less attainable with the passage of time.”

Porshyne have retained their unique and atmospheric framework on ‘Miles Away’, continuing to expertly merge their multifarious and technical collective influences, whilst also finding a route into deeper and more diverse melodious concepts, which will appeal to listensers both above and below the surface. Whilst ‘Environmental Music’ was a bold statement of intent for Porshyne, ‘Miles Away’ is testament to the bands dedication to further developing their collective creative ambitions, to build something that will leave many eagerly anticipating what’s yet to come.

It's almost a year to the day that we first featured Porshyne and the new song 'Miles Away' (this is the single edit) is impressive. The bands expansive rock sound is notable, even the refrains on this track have a layer of simmering tension. Last time around the expression atmospheric rock was cited, I think I would add dramatic for this track, and a very fine listen.

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Abbey Baker - Archie and The Bunkers - Earth Girl Helen Brown - Trevor Hall - Paul Littlewood

Abbey Baker - Tell Me How.

Background - Emerging Sydney songstress, Abbey Baker, is set to confidently stun audiences with her endearing indie-pop records. Poised by a passion and skill for songwriting, Abbey’s artistry is propelled by honest and clever lyricism, and her ability to seamlessly transcend genres of soul, indie-pop, funk and jazz. Abbey’s sound is a gorgeous cocktail of heartfelt vocals and delicate piano driven melodies, perfectly complemented by angelic layers of harmonies, soft pop rhythms, and subtle synth productions.

Recently, the singer-songwriter stepped out onto the music scene with her infectious debut track Tell Me How. “The song is about my experience of being in that early stage of a relationship, where I am all in and the other person isn’t. I explore the feelings of frustration and insecurity that I felt, a situation in which many others may have experienced”, Abbey reveals. The track was recorded at Main Street Studios in Wollongong produced by Xavier Lardner. To coincide with the release of her debut single, Abbey shared the official music video, creatively produced by media artist, Jasmine Lee Ryan.

Tell Me How is an epic first release from the young talent, which sets grand anticipation for Abbey’s upcoming debut EP. Abbey is currently back in the studio writing and recording new material for her forthcoming record, but audiences in the meantime can catch the emerging artist performing live at intimate gigs across Sydney.

Abbey Baker grew up on the beautiful South Coast of NSW before moving to Sydney at age 18 to pursue a career in music. The trained pianist and singer, built upon her skill sets and musical knowledge by attending the Australian Institute of Music, recently graduating from the arts college with a Bachelor of Music (Contemporary Performance).

Now at 22 years of age, Abbey is ready to share her music. The singer-songwriter draws musical inspiration from the likes of Joni Mitchell, Meg Mac, Sarah Blasko, Missy Higgins and Kimbra, producing music that is both raw and poetic, just as it is infectious and charming. FACEBOOK.

Abbey Baker's vocals are melodic and alluring on 'Tell Me How' an indie pop song where the musical arrangement has a few genre twists that give a soulful feel as the piece develops.

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Archie and The Bunkers - The Traveler.

Background - Norton Records is proud to announce the label debut of infamous Cleveland rockers Archie & the Bunkers with the agitated pairing of original songs "The Traveler" and "Looking". A&tB are brothers Cullen and Emmett O'Connor. Cullen plays "hi-fi organ" and Emmett plays drums. Both sing and compose. These teenage siblings have exploded locally and have taken Europe by storm with their wild live festival and club dates. They have recorded for Third Man (USA) and Dirty Water Records (UK) and have now come home to Norton Records with their most captivating sides to date. All of their influences have resulted in these riveting original comps.

Noted filmmaker Reuben Kincaid shot the band video for "The Traveler" out in the wilds and wastelands of Cleveland, showcasing the key vistas of the city. A few of you know the story of how we were struck cold in our tracks at hearing The Traveler being ground out of an antique wooden pump organ at 3 in the morning at Franklin Castle in Cleveland this past October 13th-- by 16 year old Cullen O'Connor-- those who don't, suffice it to say that it jarred us out of the blue and into the black. 

I'm not spreading hype (although I'd love to) in saying this record was meant to be-- and meant to be on Norton. In 1963 Cashbox terms it's a "twin spin destined for chart stardom". In 2018 Norton lingo, it's a "stormy weeper with a will to dominate" b/w a "belligerent teen raver". Music educator Steve Rosen stated that this A&tB release is "teen music at its tormented best"... .we're excited as heck to have a 45 RPM record out there to test everybody's mettle, 'cause this is like Screamin Jay meets the Zombies in a death match. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Archie & the Bunkers first appeared on our radar around a year ago, then promptly disappeared. 'The Traveler' is a very welcome second sitting from this feisty duo, and by this bands standards is almost a ballad, where once again modern meets the past, on this occasion without so much raw rock & roll.


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Earth Girl Helen Brown - Language Of Love.

Background - Empty Cellar Records and the Earth Girl Helen Brown Center for Planetary Intelligence Band (E.G.H.B.C.P.F.I.B.) are pleased to announce the fourth and final installment of the first E.G.H.B.C.P.F.I.B. seasonal series. Venus follows Mercury, Mars and Saturn The season is Winter, the planet is VENUS, the topic is Love. Featuring Heidi Alexander, Tahlia Harbour, Graeme Gibson, James Finch Jr., Jamin Barton, Rusty Miller, Kelley Stoltz, Doug Hilsinger, Ryan Browne, Brigid Dawson, Grace Cooper, Anna Hillburg, Meryl Press, Alicia Vanden Heuvel, Lida Vanden Heuvel, Kearin Harlow and Wilder Harlow. VENUS aspires toward a softer more lustrous operation with hearts and minds in the fold of that ever human emotion.

Available from Empty Cellar Records on limited edition 100% post-consumer recycled cassette tape, all proceeds benefit organizations committed to the expansion of love and empathy as an antidote the absurd and vacuous practice of hate.

In step with the executive format the band is on a four-year trajectory of narrative abstraction, economic entanglement, art, information, administration, music, and hopefully a little policy making. 2018 will focus on administration and narrative expansion with the band forming as a CA 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and initiating their MONEY MONEY commerce and lifestyle blog. Expect four follow-up 7”s from In the Red Records and a vinyl compilation, Four Satellites Vol. I, in the Spring. In 2019 they will return to visit another four solar satellites, then onward and outward. WEBSITE.

Over the past year we have featured a song from Mercury, Mars and Saturn, so it's with considerable pleasure that we now arrive in orbit around Venus. 'Language Of Love' continues the impressive collection of music in this series, this time there are hints of soul and blues, and a groove that is hypnotic in the most pleasing of ways.


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Trevor Hall - The Fruitful Darkness part. 3.

Background - Raised on an island in South Carolina, singer/songwriter Trevor Hall realized at a young age that music was more than just a passion - it was, rather, his life’s art. At sixteen, he recorded his first album, soon after which he left South Carolina for Idyllwild Arts Academy in California where he studied classical guitar and was introduced to the practices of yoga and meditation, which would greatly influence his life and his music.

Hall’s music, a blend of roots and folk music, is imbued with a deep love of Eastern Mysticism. This powerful symbiosis fostered a deep connectivity with his growing fan base and Trevor quickly matured into a leader of the burgeoning conscious musical community. Along with numerous pilgrimages to India, he has also completed a series of sold-out tours and collaborations with artists such as Steel Pulse, Ziggy Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Matisyahu, Michael Franti, Xavier Rudd and Nahko & Medicine for the People.

His previous full-length album releases, Chapter of the Forest (2014) and KALA (2015), debuted at #3 and #2 on the iTunes singer/songwriter chart respectively and were supported by extensive tours around the US and Australia. Beyond his intention to spread love and healing through music, Hall also collects donations to support children’s education in India and has continuously donated to charities and relief funds.

The Fruitful Darkness is Trevor’s first independent release supported by his fans known as The Villagers has become the #1 Music campaign of its kind in 2017. “There have been many hurdles and triumphs along the way” Hall reflects, after a decade plus recording for established labels such as Geffen and Vanguard. “This album conveys the deep vulnerability of journeying through the unknown, as opposed to playing it safe.” Besides the change in infrastructure, the album itself explores completely new sonic terrain and is being released unconventionally, in three song installments on specific lunar dates, with the intention to buck the trend of fly-by-night releases and hold the conversation for a whole year. WEBSITE, FACEBOOK.

Five songs to feast upon with the new EP 'The Fruitful Darkness part.3' all of which are there to enjoy just below. The music is a blend of natural roots music with excursions in differing directions held together by Trevor Hall's beguiling vocals and musical themes that are always of a very high standard.

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Paul Littlewood - Today.

Background -  British artist Paul Littlewood has announced his forthcoming double A-side single, comprised of tracks 'Today' and 'Television' and set for release via Anklebreka Records. Hailing from Swinton, South Yorkshire and currently based in Sheffield, Littlewood is a prolific songwriter and music producer.

'Today' soothes the listener with an endearing yet hazy musical familiarity with its swirls and blurred sonic edges, hanging in the air with raw emotion, cocooning the listener. The more upbeat 'Television' ramps up the energy with a very real statement on the situation with modern-day TV. Both tracks present perfect pop viewed through a technicolor prism.

"'Today' was inspired by the discovery of a collection of tape cassettes, when I purchased a second-hand tape recorder for making home demos. Each cassette is an audio letter by a young couple in New York to send home to their parents in the UK in the early 1970’s. I managed to discover one of the couple's names using information disclosed on the tapes (they speak of a move to California and the company he'd be working with). The couple also discloses that they are expecting their first child, and I’ve always felt that it would be fantastic to reunite the tapes with the family. The lines of ‘Today’ are adaptions of the tapes' dialogue, and the single cover is an image of audio from the tape," explains Paul Littlewood.

"After discovering the tapes, suddenly the practice of making records made sense to me. The dialogue was so honest and unfiltered due to the nature of their purpose. From then on I resolved to make music this way.” WEBSITE.

'Today' is one of those songs that feels very personal, whilst letting the listener immerse themselves in and imagining that it's their own. The gorgeous hooks do the rest and repeat play becomes compulsive.

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