Background - Indie surf rock outfit Dentist have announced they will release their third album 'Night Swimming' via Cleopatra Records on July 20. Dentist centers around the songwriting partnership of Emily Bornemann (vocals and bass guitar) and Justin Bornemann (guitar), who had been writing songs and performing together in various ways since first meeting in 2008. The band is rounded out by Matt Hockenjos on drums.
Rightfully earning their place as one of New Jersey's buzziest bands, Dentist was named one of the top 10 bands at this year's SXSW by Mercury News and a darling of critics at NPR, Stereogum, Flood Magazine and more.
The new 'Night Swimming' album juxtaposes catchy indie surf pop with lyrical themes about social anxiety and heartache. ' Night Swimming' showcases an aggressive approach to their beach inspired pop with lyrics covering the spectrum of human emotions. Produced by Andy Bova and Justin Bornemann, this album was mastered by Jürgen Engler (Die Krupps, Nico, Iggy and The Stooges, Queensryche).
"This album was an attempt to capture all the different aspects of ourselves and create something that we would want to listen to," says Justin Bornemann. "Musically we are attracted to rawness and simplicity, but melodically we lean towards a pop aesthetic. The lyrics tend to be focused on social anxiety, heartache and loss, but sometimes reveal love and optimism," adds Emily Bornemann. WEBSITE.
One of eleven tracks on the new 'Night Swimming' album 'Corked' provides something of an idea of what is in store. Described as indie surf rock, the emphasis for a good number of the songs is rock, often with a driving beat and some vibrant energy. Hooks and melodic arrangements are almost always present, and when the band ease of the gas, they do create some beautiful indie surf vibes.
Background - "I See Sadness" is the new single from English musical visionary, producer and songwriter Paul Steel, taken from his forthcoming concept album Carousel Kites. One of the most poppy and accessible tracks on the album, Paul describes it as basically a rewrite of Pixar's Inside Out. We see our protagonist "I" coming to the end of his kaleidoscopic journey of redemption with a new lease of life. As he explains; "I went about living my days positively. When I observe the people around me I see sadness in all of them. It's not all I see but it felt good not to be alone. Sadness is a crucial part of happiness, only before I wallowed in it rather than using it as a springboard to get what I want in life."
Carousel Kites is the second album from musical visionary and songwriter Paul Steel. A mere ten years since his extraordinarily ambitious debut as a nineteen-year-old April & I, the new album sees a triumphant return with an irreverent and excessive assault of psychedelic pop - a loose concept album reflecting his rocky trajectory through the quagmires of the music industry, finding salvation through a Mr Ben-inspired shop portal. The intervening years saw him hailed as the second coming of Brian Wilson, endorsed by luminaries such as Andy Partridge from XTC, Van Dyke Parks, Stephen Kalinich and Sean Lennon, he was signed to and then unceremoniously dropped by a major label for not being commercial enough, and then finding regular work as a jobbing songwriter for the likes of Mika and Empire Of The Sun and numerous battery farmed pop sensations. His music also features in the Oscar winning film The Shape Of Water by Guillermo Del Toro.
Carousel Kites had a working title of April & II (only works written down) with a fleshed-out narrative that starts with the very same 'I' from his debut record of ten years ago, now grown up and miserable in April's absence, standing on the edge of Beachy Head about to end it all. He’d not only lost his sole source of inspiration but also his will to carry on. Pulled from the precipice Carousel Kites proceeds to tell the story of his salvation through a Mr Ben inspired fantasy shop door where he enters a kaleidoscopic Faustian nightmare encountering grotesque characters of his own making before eventually stumbling upon his own take on happiness, living forever in his dreams. FACEBOOK.
Paul Steel's musical creativity and determination to go with his heart rather than the musical industries "big boys" may have held him back commercially which is a little ironic considering the catchy and easily assessable nature of 'I See Sadness.' A gorgeous psychedelic pop song with the occasional hint of Beach Boys magic along the way, as a foretaste of 'Carousel Kites' this is one huge suggestion to check out everything past and future from this artist.
Backdrop - The darkly sophisticated London duo Swoone, result of the unique combination of seductive vocals from Siobhan De Maré (Mono, Violet Indiana) and captivating music by Gary Bruce, is set to release debut album Handcuffed Heart via Saint Marie Records.
Siobhan De Maré (daughter of Tony Meehan, drummer of the Shadows) with her former band Mono entered the UK charts reaching the Top 20, while track 'Life In Mono' was used for the soundtrack of the film Great Expectations featuring Robert De Niro and Gwyneth Paltrow. Siobhan went on to form Violet Indiana with the likes of Robin Guthrie, former guitarist of Cocteau Twins.
Gary is a self-taught composer and producer; he has no musical training or knowledge, his keyboard has the notes written on them pencil and he slowly develops guitar chords from scratch! Instead of using musical theory Gary painstakingly creates a musical landscape navigated by feelings alone. It is this probing of the heart that produces music that is refreshingly genuine and instantly arresting.
This is an album brimming with genuine emotions, depth and heartbreaking beauty. Every song is a film in miniature, from a classic thriller, to David Lynch to European cinema. Think Portishead's homage to John Barry with touch of 60's soul and Enoesque colour. Diverse influences include 90's trip hop, The Carpenters, Billy Holiday, dub, The Ronettes, shoegaze, Nina Simone, Dusty Springfield, Chris Isaac, Donny Hathaway, Al Green and Pink Floyd! There is no following fashion here, just the love offeeling music deeply. Cavernous guitars, swelling strings and super cool beats; on top of it, stunning melodies and poignant lyrics delivered by Siobhan's beautiful voice populate a gorgeously rich and cinematic aural landscape. FACEBOOK.
The first of eleven tracks on 'Handcuffed Heart' the debut album from Swoone is 'This Bullet Never Kills'. It makes for a good indicator of the consistent quality and imagination the collection of songs brings, however as the duo tackle different musical directions and moods, expect much more, in terms of exploration and creativity, always with the emphasis on quality & passion.
Background - Pioneers of a genre called ‘Trip Jam’, which fuses elements of Latin, funk, psychedelia, soul and hip hop music, Peluché are a troupe of intrepid troubadours whose freewheeling artistry already has them pegged them as a standout force in London’s rapidly diversifying sound.
The trio have shared brand new single ‘To Be A Bird’ and announced their debut album ‘Unforgettable’, to be released on One Little Indian on September 21st. The album is already shaping to be one of the most distinct and vital British sounds of 2018.
Speaking about ‘To Be A Bird’, the band said: “This track started as a trip jam in Syd’s studio (Wilton Way in Hackney), where we came up with a guitar, bass and drum groove and the song developed from there. The melodies in the clarinet and chorus vocals soar over the beat to represent the liberated bird flying away from societies pressures to conform. The video is an abstract piece of art representing the distraction of advertising and consumerism, floating in the black emptiness whilst the world passes you by.”
All self-taught musicians, they formed in 2014 through a beautiful stranger in a customer service encounter and quickly formed a strong musical bond through their love of jamming. Peluché jam in their self-built studio space in a garden shed, and always record the foundations of tracks live. Their live shows are partially improvised, drawing the audience into their unusual world. Their live video series, The Shed Sessions, shows an insight into this musical realm and have allowed the band to share new music and visuals directly to their fans. FACEBOOK.
OK lets keep this simple, Trip Jam is the genre and 'To Be A Bird' is the song. All you need to do now, is dive in and immerse yourself within this melting pot of musical styles and absolutely gorgeous music.
Background - On March 2, 2018 RIP Records released a new single, “Mustard Tears” as part of their RIP Introduces series. The track is the first to be heard from Guts Club’s fully electric album, Trench Foot, which will be self-released on July 6, 2018. Trench Foot marks a thoughtful deviation from the characteristically shaky Guts Club to one more deliberate in composition and voice.
Upon going electric, Baker developed a new command and agency over her songwriting unheard in previous recordings. The album maintains Baker’s violent and dark undertones, this time with increasingly pointed observations on regret, privilege, and retribution. WEBSITE.
Tour Dates: June 22 New Orleans, LA at Howling Wolf July 6 New Orleans, LA at Banks St. Bar (Album release show!) August 9 Memphis, TN at The Lamplighter Lounge August 10 Nashville, TN at Little Harpeth Brewing (With India Ramey) August 11 Columbus, OH at The Tree Bar August 12 Pittsburgh, PA at TBA August 13 Philadelphia, PA at TBA August 14 Brooklyn, NY at Wonders of Nature (With Clint Michigan and Jennifer O’Connor) August 15 Baltimore, MD at The Crown August 16 Charlottesville, VA at The Southern August 17 Asheville, NC at The Burger Bar August 18 Athens, GA at Flicker Bar
At the beginning of March this year we shared 'Mustard Tears' from Guts Club making note of the "emotional and definitive vocals" as key to the song. If anything the singing on 'Metal Arms' takes things even further in a passionate and very personal manner. With the subtle, delicate and sensitive musical backdrop, this is a beautiful and moving song.
Background - Former Fat White Family, Phobophobes & Misty Miller drummer Dan Lyons returns with new single Gargoyle. Described as “Quintessential surrealist Anglo-pop”, the self-produced Gargoyle is co-written with Sean Lennon during a trip to New York. Previous single Big Moon featured on Spotify’s Fresh Finds: Six Strings and received support from BBC 6Music’s Steve Lamacq & Tom Ravenscroft, Radio X’s John Kennedy, Clash Magazine and more. Dan has previously supported the likes of The Libertines, Boy Azooga, Childhood, Goat Girl and performed at this year’s SXSW & Great Escape festivals. INSTAGRAM.
Dan Lyons is an individual that musically speaking is worthy of more than just some passing attention. It's not just who he has performed with, or even the notion that he destroys the Spinal Tap image of your average rock and roll drummer, it's more because of songs like 'Gargoyle' and 'Ribbons. Both exude creativity, alongside some timeless cornerstones of all that is right with pop and rock music. That might be a bold statement, but I reckon it has some mileage.
Background - Tomberlin, the rising Louisville, KY-based artist, has released a video for "Seventeen," the latest from her deeply moving Saddle Creek debut album, At Weddings. On her deeply moving debut album At Weddings, Sarah Beth Tomberlin writes with the clarity and wisdom of an artist well beyond her years. Immeasurable space circulates within the album's ten songs, which set Tomberlin's searching voice against lush backdrops of piano and guitar. Like Julien Baker and Sufjan Stevens, she has a knack for transforming the personal into parable. Like Grouper, she has a feel for the transcendent within the ordinary. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, and now based in Louisville, Kentucky, Tomberlin wrote most of At Weddings while living with her family in southern Illinois during her late teens and early twenties. At 16, she finished her homeschooling curriculum and went to college at a private Christian school she describes, only half-jokingly, as a "cult." By 17, she had dropped out of school, returned home, and begun to face a period of difficult transition in her life. The daughter of a Baptist pastor, Tomberlin found herself questioning not only her faith, but her identity, her purpose, and her place in the world. "I was working, going to school, and experiencing heavy isolation," Tomberlin says of the time when she first began writing the songs on At Weddings. "It felt monotonous, like endless nothingness. It was a means to get through to the next step of life." In songwriting, Tomberlin found relief and lucidity she had trouble articulating otherwise. When she was 19, she wrote "Tornado" on her parents' piano, and began to develop confidence in her music. A year later, she had written enough songs to fill an album. WEBSITE.
'Seventeen' is a seriously good singer, songwriter track, with gorgeous vocals and a beautifully crafted musical arrangement that adds even more emotion. Very impressive, as is the whole album.
Background - After living the visions of other artists as the lead singer of numerous rock, metal and electronica bands, the well-traveled, long gigging L.A. based singer-songwriter who became Reina Mora chose the perfect moniker to capture her multi-cultural background and Latin-tinged vibe she brings to her fresh brand of alternative pop. The exotic national bird of Puerto Rico – where her parents were born and she lived for several years growing up – the Reina Mora is colored blue, yellow, orange and black and is known to sing all night long.
Reina offers a powerful and compelling introduction to her developing artistry with the release of “Trouble,” the sultry and sensual, yet eminently rockin’ lead single from her upcoming full length debut album Birds Eye View. “Trouble’ is about taking control over your sexuality,” Reina says. “I wanted to write a song about being seductive and empowered as a woman with that sexuality and not be ashamed of it. I was a tomboy growing up and previously never spoke about sex in my songs, so in the spirit of the authenticity that drives the entire album, that was one of my inspirations. The others were the classic ‘Criminal’ by Fiona Apple and ‘Do I want to Know?’ by Arctic Monkeys. ‘Trouble’ reflects my influences, from the singer/songwriters I love to the Latin music I grew up listening to. Thematically, the trouble can go either way – either I am trouble or the guy is…I wanted to leave the interpretation open as far as who is seducing who.”
As a songwriter and performer, Reina is no longer afraid to be authentic and reveal the dark challenges she and her family went through – including having all their possessions washed away when Hurricane Georges hit Puerto Rico in 1998 and being homeless and moving from shelter to shelter with her mom when they first moved to Los Angeles. Produced by Omer Avni (Mary J. Blige, Jason Derulo, Alien Ant Farm), Birds Eye View is a rich, stylistically diverse collection of personal material that traverses the struggles and successes she’s experienced throughout her life. She dissects her tumultuous relationship with her family in the tribal flavored “War Dance” and conveys her love in “Brighter Sky” and in both English and Spanish with “Cielo Azul”. Reina’s favorite song is also her most personal: “Winter in June,” a raw, heartfelt tribute to her biggest inspiration, her grandfather. With its delicate percussion, swelling cello, and acoustic guitar, her tender vocals convey the pain she felt from his loss and the strength she gained from him. WEBSITE.
'Winter In June' is a folk tinged and heartfelt song. The music adds an element of traditional roots music vibes, the vocals just glide melodically above, and collectively they draw us into Reina Mora's world.
Background - Mayflower Madame have just shared their new video for "Before I Fall". Mayflower Madame was formed in Oslo in 2010. They started rehearsing in a desolate industrial building where they had to share the space with a carwash company. Amidst the gritty surroundings, their hazy, smoke-laden sound seemed to be conceived naturally and the band soon recorded a four-track demo. Just months later, they won the award "Unsigned Band of the Week" on one of Norway’s biggest radio channels.
After nearly five years of playing a bunch of live shows across Scandinavia and carefully crafting their sound along the way, Mayflower Madame's debut album Observed in a Dream finally arrived in 2016. The album proved to be well worth the wait and it's dazzling display of darkly inflected post-punk swathed in shimmering psychedelia earned them rave reviews. Since then the band has toured both in Europe and North America. They have shared the stage with bands like Crystal Stilts, Night Beats, La Femme, Psychic Ills and Moon Duo, which further gives you an idea of their sonic landscape.
The 'Premonition' EP is Mayflower Madame’s first release since their debut and is also a forewarning for the upcoming second album - expected to be launched in late 2018. The band consists of Trond Fagernes (vocals/guitars/bass), Haavard Haga (guitars), Ola Kyrkjeeide (drums) and Petter Marberg (bass). FACEBOOK.
We featured the song 'Premonition' last month and 'Before I Fall' makes for a welcome follow up. The bands brooding atmospheric feel is all apparent again, with perhaps just a little more melody this time, the stark post punk style is becoming increasingly addictive.
Background - San Francisco's The She's have shared the second video, "Ashes", off their first album in 6 years, "all female rock and roll quartet". About The Video: Directed and Edited by Max Freeland, Cameras by Robbie Julian, Trey Flanigan Assisting. Shot in San Francisco at The Chapel Special thanks to Stephanie Escoto. Starring: 20 artists/musicians including The She's, Megan Dabkowski, Colin Burris, Katiana Mashikian, Maya Bakaley, Marty Gray, Elle Carroll, Dylan Lockey, Trey Flanigan, Zachary Vito, Meg Webb, Chris Dunsmore, Molly Bolten, Sara Gibbs, Marisela Guizar, Kelley Coyne, Halley Lamberson. Members of Pardoner, World Smasher, Sirena Victima, dot Vom, Women's Audio Mission, Pllush, and many more!
"This video is very close to our hearts! First of all, we wanted our friends to direct, shoot, and star in the video. We knew we just wanted to get as many people we loved into one video as possible. That was how the concept started. As a band we joke around about the "sassy" delivery of the words Sami gives, so we thought it would be really funny to see a bunch of our friends pretend to lip-sync the song.
With the help of the director Max we all agreed to take a "picture day" angle with the video, kind of copying the intro of the TV series Freaks and Geeks, and asked everyone to sort of dress up like they would have in middle school (which we all know is not the best time for anyone's sense of style). In the end, we are just so happy to have a video highlighting friends of ours who are all talented in their own ways, and were nice enough to partake in all kinds of silly choreography and other shenanigans the day of the shoot. We hope watching the video people can tell just how much of a good time we all had making the video." - Hannah Valente (of The She's). FACEBOOK.
It was back in September last year that we featured 'Heartache' from The She's and 'Ashes' is another fine rocker which has some garage and punk feel to it. The video is an additional plus point to enjoy!
Background - New Zealand synth pop musician Princess Chelsea (aka Chelsea Nikkel) is back with her fourth album The Loneliest Girl, due for release via Lil' Chief Records on 7 September. The first single from the album "I Love My Boyfriend" sounds like a garage rock trio who just discovered the Mellotron. The video was shot by Chelsea at her Auckland home in front of a green screen, cloning herself to create a band.
"I Love My Boyfriend" is about feeling attracted to somebody else when you're in a monogamous relationship. The narrator feels guilty about their feelings for another person even though they "love their boyfriend" and don't intend to act on it. It's sung in a cheesy girly sort of way inspired by 60s pop songs with the word "boyfriend" in the chorus. However, the lyrics are pretty cynical, particularly in the spoken word section in which the narrator appears to make fun of their own feelings. The music emulates this contrast of sweet and sour with pretty harps and harpsichords set against a dirtier garage rock arrangement.
The Loneliest Girl was recorded by Chelsea between 2016 and 2017 in her home studio in West Auckland, New Zealand with production assistance from labelmate Jonathan Bree. Chelsea’s trademark arrangements featuring classic 80s Synths (Yamaha DX7, Roland D-50), ambient guitars, and orchestral instruments are all here but are presented in a more refined and simple manner than on her previous releases.
Stylistically The Loneliest Girl moves away the more uniform synth sounds of The Great Cybernetic Depression to more eclectic territory similar to her first release Lil’ Golden Book and certainly sounds like a record made by a lover of pop music across all genres from 60s girl groups to 80s power ballads, and late 80s acid house to 90s pop. Like her earlier work, adult issues are presented in a humorous and sometimes childlike manner, and this juxtaposition rather than softening the blow makes jarring social commentary hit harder. FACEBOOK.
Princess Chelsea returns with 'I Love My Boyfriend' accompanied by a clever and creative video. Her music never ceases to impress me, and with another album on the way, I expect there are a good number of other people, full of anticipation after this seductive tease of a song.
Background - Basement Revolver just released a new track from their anticipated debut LP Heavy Eyes. Knocking is probably the heaviest song on the album for me, personally. I often still can’t sing it without crying. I wrote it after writing my family a long letter that came clean about my past, and about some of the shit that I have been through.
Hard things that left me feeling shameful, or like a disappointment to them – things that made me feel like I wasn’t the “good Christian woman” that they had hoped I would one day become. The letter came after a few years of hardcore wrestling and rebelling against what I believed in response to a traumatic event in my life. I got to a point where I didn’t recognize myself, or all the anger that I was holding inside. I basically kept telling myself that I was garbage, broken, unlovable, used and a whole other slur of things.
I think that knocking was my way out of that dark place. I told my boyfriend everything, and he just loved and supported me through it. I told my family everything, and they felt that they could understand me better. When it came time to talk to God about it (I’m sorry I don’t love getting religious, but it is where this song comes from and so I feel that I have to be honest about that), I felt grace, and forgiveness and acceptance. I felt like he/she had been standing there, waiting for me to get to a place where I was able to move on and forgive myself – and a place where I wasn’t angry or shutting God out. It reminded me of a story that I was told when I was a little girl and it is super cheesy (I think its in the Bible somewhere too) about God just standing at the door of our hearts, and knocking, waiting for us to open up - Songwriter Chrisy Hurn on "Knocking". WEBSITE.
It's just over two years since I first came across Basement Revolver and with this being our seventh feature, I am inclined to let the statistics do the talking. Needless to say 'Knocking' is as beautiful as it is personal, the album is indeed looked forward to with anticipation.
The Wolfhounds - The Anti-Midas Touch / Disgusted, E7.
Background - Spiky UK pop legends The Wolfhounds hit the vaults with 'Hands In The Till: The Complete John Peel Sessions'. Originally formed as teenagers in 1984, The Wolfhounds released four critically acclaimed LPs and numerous singles, appeared on the NME’s influential C86 cassette, extensively toured the UK and continental Europe, finally disbanding in 1990. The band reformed in 2006 at the request of St Etienne’s Bob Stanley to celebrate 20 years since the release of C86, and inflicted a severe guitar noisefest on an unsuspecting indiepop crowd at London’s ICA. Since 2012 they have been recording and releasing new material.
At the peak of media attention over the new bands promoted by the C86 cassette, The Wolfhounds recorded three four-song sessions for the BBC’s legendary late-night John Peel Show between March 1986 and January 1987, capturing all the excitement and youthful exuberance of a band just catching the public imagination. With an energy born of sweaty, rammed gigs in the function rooms of London pubs and a willful experimentation nurtured in suburban bedrooms and garages away from watchful eyes, The Wolfhounds blasted their raw live sound straight to tape with little in the way of overdubs or the more considered studio polish of their excellent albums.
Every song from these sessions is now gathered together on Hands In The Till, making a surprisingly coherent whole despite the heady disorganized thrust of the times and a couple of line-up changes in the meantime. More wiry and angular than most of their C86 peers, The Wolfhounds had more in common with The Fall than The Byrds, and "Hands In The Till" shows them at their caustic best.
The Wolfhounds are now (hyper-)active again, releasing two full-length LPs in recent years and performing at several popfests (including Berlin and New York) and Stewart Lee’s All Tomorrow’s Parties, as well as regular club dates of their own. The band continue to be more relevant than ever, grabbing their home country’s woes by the horns on the recent double LP, "Untied Kingdom or How to Come to Terms with your Culture" (which featured guest musicians from such bands as PJ Harvey, Gallon Drunk, Scritti Politti and Evans The Death), Hands In The Till is sure to illuminate such an expansive modern work’s precocious teenage beginnings, as well as providing the band’s contemporary listeners a nostalgic buzz – forever, a real all-ages show! FACEBOOK.
Two songs 'The Anti-Midas Touch' and 'Disgusted, E7' are shared as a taster from the bands John Peel sessions, set for release in full as 'Hands In The Till'. That it's all from over thirty years ago makes me feel my age, still never mind The Wolfhounds ain't getting any younger either, but those rock and roll genes are still keeping them active. With musical roots like these, they have had plenty to build upon.
Background - Thrashing into life in late 2016 with their caustic brand of punchy post-punk, Dead Naked Hippies return with their first track of 2018 - the raw, gritty and atmospheric Guillotine. Capturing the trio, and frontwoman Lucy Jowett especially, at their most honest both sonically and thematically, the track builds on a steady release of acclaimed singles. Opening with a low-key guitar and drum groove, before bursting into fiery life for a cathartic chorus courtesy of Jowett’s trademark vocals, this conflict of duelling musical identities echoes the lyrical messages being conveyed. "Guillotine is an exploration of grief” the vocalist explains, “It’s the fine line between wanting to retaliate to someone who has caused you hurt, versus choosing to cut out the dead weight they have created in your life.” Serving as an excellent vignette for this universally relatable emotional struggle is just one facet of the track, and Dead Naked Hippies’ ethos as a whole; the connection between the musical identity and personality of the group runs deeper. It’s no coincidence that the band feel so at home in their own skin on Guillotine: “Dead Naked Hippies has always been about the connection and energy between the 3 of us and our audience, and this has become a lot more prevalent over time. We went into the studio set on capturing some intimate moments so decided it was integral for us to only record what was vital in our three piece set up, adding minimal overdubs,” Jowett reflects from a collective point of view, and then on a personal note – “The lyrics are a release for me after personally facing a difficult past year; it’s the most honest we’ve ever been. A lot of my writing revolves around my own struggles with mental health, and as a young woman facing modern society.” By creating a vehicle, alongside band mates Joe Clarke (guitar) and Jacob Marston (drums), through which to express and tackle her own internal issues, Lucy and Dead Naked Hippies offer a space for others to do the same. Whilst cutting and scuzzy, Guillotine is also triumphant call to arms: “It’s so important that we stick together and keep it real.” TWITTER.
Live Dates: JUNE 21st Sebright Arms, London 22nd Maguire's Pizza Bar, Liverpool 26th Bloc, Glasgow JULY 4th Oporto, Leeds 6th July - The Green Room, Stockton-on-Tees 10th - The Sesh, Hull AUGUST 4th Humber Street Sesh, Hull.
Raw and natural 'Guillotine' exudes both power and emotion as the band provide a stripped back rocker. Each musical ingredient interacts beautifully, the vocals are potent and pleading for attention, as Dead Naked Hippies carve out and deliver a very definitive sound.
Background - The RocknRoll Hi-Fives fronted by sixteen-year-old Eilee Centeno, with her thirteen-year old brother on drums and their mom and dad on bass and guitar, respectively -- will release their debut LP, Re-Introducing the RocknRoll Hi-Fives, on June 29th via Little Dickman Records. They've been playing music together since both kids were old enough to form words, and have grown from writing rudimentary songs and filming their own music videos around the house to opening for acts like A Giant Dog, Quintron and Miss PussyCat, and most recently, Snail Mail. Influenced by prime-era guitar pop like The Runaways, T. Rex, and Cheap Trick, The RocknRoll Hi-Fives' songs are high-energy and punk-infused, with Eilee's playful shouts and clever lyrics taking center stage. They've just shared album track "C'est La Vie" -- a song written collaboratively by Eilee and her dad. BANDCAMP. The RocknRoll Hi-Fives on Tour: 6/24: New York, NY - Mercury Lounge (record release show) 7/5: Raleigh, NC - Schoolkids Records 7/6: Wilmington, NC - Gravity Records 7/7: Charlotte, NC - Oso Skatepark 7/8: Charlotte, NC - Lunchbox Records 7/11: Orlando, FL - Park Ave CDs 7/18: Austin, TX - Waterloo Records 7/19: Dallas, TX - Good Records 7/24: San Diego, CA - M-Theroy 7/29: Santa Cruz, CA - StreetLight 8/4: Boise, ID - Vista Bar 8/12: Indianapolis, IN - Luna Music 8/17: Jersey City, NJ - FM 8/18: Asbury Park, NJ - Asbury Park Yacht Club
Youthful vigour was expected and the promise fulfilled on 'C'est La Vie' a feisty rock and roll song with plenty of punk vibes and a constant flow of hooks. A family that rocks together, stays together (and gives the politically correct brigade something of a dilemma, hopefully).
Background - London-based Americana five piece No Coward Soul celebrate the release of their debut album The Almanac, o n CD and limited edition vinyl with an album launch show at London's Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen on Saturday 14th July.
The album contains 13 tracks written by lead singer Brad Schmauss; inspired by both urban folk tales of the vibrant streets of South London and a childhood among the epic landscapes and beauty of the Alaskan woods.
Produced by Jamie Evans (Wildwood Kin) and mastered by Grammy Award winner Robin Schmidt, The Almanac is Americana at it’s best, full of classic country flavours and a heavy slice of soul, alongside the bands impressive trademark harmonies.
Originally from Alaska, singer Brad Schmauss is a London based artist who’s long time musical partnership with Martin Gray (Piano, guitars, vocals) culminated in the fantastic live band No Coward Soul. Gigging across the UK in recent years, the band has grown from a vocal harmony acoustic set up and now includes a sensational rhythm section featuring the Clement - Smith brothers and glock and mouth organ from Egg. The songs on The Almanac reflect the last 3 years of the band’s work together. TWITTER.
'Death N Texas' is one of those Americana songs that helps explain what the genre is. It's wide and encompassing, roots and rock with timeless vibes just flow, traditional and modern styles rub shoulders, and the performers heart and soul is always clear and apparent. I reckon that's also a seal of approval for No Coward Soul.
Background - “Same To Me” is the brand-new second single that Philadelphia’s indie rock band Oldermost ahead of the release of their new album How Could You Ever Be The Same? that AntiFragile Music is releasing on Friday, July 13th, following its rollicking lead single "The Danger of Belief”. The introspective song was one of the first written for their new album, and is one of its gorgeous, hazy stand-outs. It’s also frontman Bradford Bucknum’s thesis about love, and how embracing change is a liberating act that permits deeper possibilities of loving someone and loving one’s self. It also highlights the bands’ penchant for creating era-blending Americana-infused rock & roll with a more indie rock vibe in the vein of The War On Drugs (their Philly contemporaries!) or Wilco.
How Could You Ever Be The Same? includes two songs that Oldermost previously released but felt like had a home on the new album, including the undeniable track “Honey With Tea”, and the similarly lush “Finally Unsure”. How Could You Ever Be The Same? also spotlights the bands' evolution into more complex sonic territory, on the heels of the momentum built from the band’s previous releases. Self-produced by the band and mixed by Jeff Zeigler (Kurt Vile, The War on Drugs, Allison Crutchfield) and mastered by Ryan Schwabe (The Districts, Big Thief, Hop Along), the album is an all-star Philadelphia collaboration in the truest sense.
How Could You Ever Be The Same? also highlights the paradoxical blend of neuroticism and mysticism of lead-singer Bradford Bucknum, whose vocal delivery oscillates between semi-theatrical energetic bursts to gentle, sugary crooning. At times, despairing wit and questionable advice buoyantly tumble over a sea of lush strings; at other times, the songs dig their heels in the genre and the classic-rock enthusiasm of Mike Sobel’s guitar, the steady but experimental rhythms of Stephen Robbins’ focused and passionate drumming and Dan Wolgemuth’s unique and melodic bass playing. The music is both familiar, yet fresh - it hints at nostalgia without stumbling into kitsch. At some moments the music sounds urbane, almost high-brow and literary, and at others times, it's wild and unrefined. WEBSITE.
It was back in August 2016 that we first came across Oldermost and for whatever reason we lost track of them pretty much straightaway. It says something for the band that I knew we had featured them before, and so now we can pick things up again with 'Same To Me' their brand new single. It's a cool and calm rocker that drifts towards Americana and is enriched by some gorgeous vocals and melodic hooks.
Background - Tempesst announce the release of their second EP Doomsday - along with the release of new single ‘A Little Bit Of Trouble'. Detailing an ill-fated encounter with some less than courteous Londoners - the new single signals an exciting step up for the Australian, Sunshine Coast born 5-piece. Speaking a little more on the lyrical beginnings of the song, Toma Banjanin said: “The week we started writing the instrumentals for the track we had a bit of an incident at a pub in east London. Some guys were giving Andy (Toma’s brother, and Tempesst drummer) a hard time about his jacket or hat or something and everyone was pretty drunk. The song was written to capture the memory for eternity."
Following the band’s acclaimed, Adult Wonderland EP - both ‘A Little Bit Of Trouble’, and the band’s forthcoming second EP 'Doomsday' stand as impressive steps forward for the band. Sonically they continue to evolve, experimenting with more instruments, layers and sounds; maintaining their classic 60s / 70s influence but, still giving a very welcoming nod to modern psych, folk, and indie.
"I swear to god they are looking at me again / A little bit of trouble at the end of the line" Toma sings in A Little Bit Of Trouble's stomping verse, suggesting a sense of paranoia, or perhaps remorse for a familiar, reoccurring situation. Set to a backdrop of sun-kissed guitar licks and sumptuous string arrangements - 'A Little Bit Of Trouble' is arguably Tempesst strongest and most potent release to date. Closing the song declaring "I'm leaving all my bad behaviour behind" - Toma is on defiant mission to better himself - no matter who or what might stand in his way.
The forthcoming EP, 'Doomsday' touches on a sense of morality within the band, with Toma explaining "I have been caught in a ‘meaning of life’ spiral which I guess is pretty normal in your 20’s. It’s the first time that I’ve felt so aware of my mortality and it probably doesn’t help that the Facebook and Netflix algorithms keep feeding me documentaries on the topic". The band will be extensively touring the Doomsday EP over the summer months, with a headline UK tour, and US support tour set to be announced in the coming weeks. TWITTER.
Tempesst are another band we first discovered back in the summer of 2016, and the new single 'A Little Bit Of Trouble' is our fourth feature for the band. The bands well crafted alt rock might reflect on a less than happy incident in an East London pub, however the track still sounds warm and inviting to listen too, as the strings and guitars intermingle to great effect, behind refined vocals and harmonies.
