Tom Auton - Shane Guerrette - Stonefield

Tom Auton - Stay.

Background - Self taught musician, Tom Auton will be releasing his highly anticipated EP Big Little Glass Bowl on September 14th.

“I spent months hitting my head against the wall. How on earth do you build a colossal fanbase overnight?! Then I realised; it’s useless being a ‘small fish in a big pond’, I need to be a ‘BIG fish in a SMALL pond’. I’m wasting time splashing about, trying to be heard from every single person on the planet, It’s my hometown I need to pour myself back into. A crowd draws a crowd. It’s this new mindset that inspired me to plunge back into Cardiff, put on my first headline show which subsequently sold out at 150 capacity.

Big Little Glass Bowl is for not only my pond, but all the other musicians who are trying to be a small fish.” - Tom Auton.

Influenced by Royal Blood and John Mayer, the singer-songwriter has already made his mark, breaking the top 8 in Fender’s Undiscovered Artist of the Year Award, showcasing himself to an audience of over 5 million. Tom also achieved first place at both Open Mic UK and Future Music Songwriting competition. After supporting the likes of Jack Savoretti and touring with Galaxies Collide, Tom has been highly supported by BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Kent and Radio Cardiff. WEBSITE.

My first impression of 'Stay' is that it exudes confidence, something that comes through with both the distinct vocals and sturdy musical arrangement. There's a little bit of soulfulness, even something of a blues vibe here and there, but it's the whole thing, lyrics, performance and even the flowing video that connect beautifully, it's no wonder Tom Auton is gaining attention on a local level, further afield now beckons.


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Shane Guerrette - Nomadic Soul.

Background - A fresh 21 year old singer/songwriter with big dreams and an ever-expanding fan base, artist Shane Guerrette's future as a performer looks quite promising. 

Drawing influences from the blues/rock genres, Shane is reinventing these sounds into a style uniquely his own.

A blues/rock influenced singer/songwriter based out of New York, has amassing millions of Youtube plays, & gaining nearly 100k subscribers on the platform. 

Shane Guerrette will be releasing his debut self-titled EP, Shane Guerrette, - produced by Bob Cutarella (Eric Clapton, Billy Gibbons, Jeff Beck) - on September 7th.

The first single, Nomadic Soul has now been shared. WEBSITE.

'Nomadic Soul' gently opens with some gorgeous acoustic guitar playing before the layers of blues rock are added. Vocals are rich and full of experience and feeling that belies Shane's age, his guitar work in sublime, collectively this all helps to explain how the listening statistics are all stacking up.


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Stonefield - Through The Storm.

Background - Australian psych band Stonefield -- who released their third LP earlier this year via King Gizzard's Flightless Records -- has announced a North American tour, kicking off on September 20th. It includes a performance at Desert Daze in October, stops at Toronto's Night Owl Fest & Mexico City's Hipnosis Festival, and a 7" release show at NYC's Baby's All Right.

This week, the band shares a video for their song "Through The Storm," which appears on both their latest full-length, Far From Earth, and a new 7" coming out this fall on Greenway Records. The video features footage from Stonefield's previous LA residency at the Bootleg Theater.

Made up of sisters Amy, Hannah, Sarah, and Holly Findlay, Stonefield's sound pays homage to the prog, metal, and psych powerhouses of the '70s while remaining uniquely their own. Their latest album was produced by Stephen McBean (Black Mountain) and features Rob Campanella (Brian Jonestown Massacre) and Gregg Forman (Cat Power.) FACEBOOK.

 Stonefield on Tour:
** with Frankie and the Witch Fingers
9/20 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Griffin**
9/21 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room**
9/22 - Denver, CO @ The Hi-Dive**
9/23 - Lawrence, KS @ Replay Lounge**
9/24 - Davenport, IA @ The Raccoon Motel**
9/25 - Chicago, IL @ Beat Kitchen**
9/26 - Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop Bar**
9/27 - Detroit, MI @ Deluxx Fluxx**
9/28 - Toronto, ON @ Night Owl Fest**
9/29 - Brooklyn, NY @ Baby's All Right (Greenway 7” release show)**
9/30 - Winooski, VT @ The Monkey House
10/2 - New York, NY @ Berlin
10/3 - New York, NY @ Berlin
10/6 - Mexico City, Mexico @ Hipnosis Festival
10/10- Los Angeles, CA @ Zebulon
10/12-10/14 - Moreno Beach, Lake Perris, CA @ Desert Daze
11/10 - Tijuana, Mexico @ Marko Disko (w/ King Gizzard)

At the end of last year we featured 'Delusion from Stonefield describing that song as a "full on rock & roll song oozing power and passion." Now we have 'Through The Storm' a track that pretty much explains that this is something this potent rock outfit are good at. The concert footage within the video simply ups the desire to see them perform live!


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Foxhole - Vaureen

Foxhole - After The Walk.

Background - “After the Walk” is the soaring second single that Foxhole is sharing ahead of the release of Well Kept Thing, the post-rock band’s first new album since 2006’s Push/Pull EP. Written under one of the live oaks that pepper Austin, TX, album opener “After the Walk” (which was mixed by the Grammy-winner Stephen Roessner and mastered by Bob Weston from Shellac) is an attempt to bring joy and elation to post-rock, a genre not exactly known for its bright side. A close listen reveals coins dropping to the floor as the song empties out, as well as a misplaced chuckle in a guitar mic at the break. It’s a celebration of friendship — the sort of excitement that comes not from swelling cymbals and cinematic guitars, but from being in the same room as old friends, who remember parts of you that you’d nearly forgotten.

Written across 12 years, five states and three countries, Well Kept Thing is a sonic autobiography, telling the story of a band growing up and journeying apart, while fighting against distance and the demands of adulthood to preserve their friendship. It's the culmination of more than a decade of writing, recording, revising and waiting. As members started new careers (as a coffee shop owner, a farmer and commercial fisherman, a creative director, an admission to MIT’s Media Lab), married, had children and continued their nomadic tendencies, with members living around the globe, each change brought a new perspective on a growing repository of ideas.

Slowly, a new writing process emerged, and with it, a new aesthetic. Emails and MP3’s were exchanged with scraps of ideas captured on phones and laptops. As those scraps became songs, they graduated to a server where a version control system tracked every change — syncing them to all five members and bridging disparate locations, time zones and work schedules. It was a rhythm that a different band might have found frustratingly slow, but played to the strengths of a group committed as much to each other as their music. Blistering drums, masterful melodic interplay, dynamic composition and a distinct smattering of brass — these are the defining qualities of Foxhole, a post-rock group of limited output but surprising longevity. And on their third proper album Well Kept Thing, the band builds on their diverse foundation to deliver a (mostly) instrumental album for the ages. WEBSITE.  

The first of eleven tracks on next months album release 'Well Kept Thing' is 'After The Walk'. Foxhole might base themselves on mainly instrumental pieces however there is nothing lacking on this album. As the featured second single demonstrates, the bands ability to develop melodic and epic music focused around a post rock core is something they do with flourishing style. Sometimes it's the momentum and sheer power that stands out, then again it might be the more sensitive and pristine moments that grab you. What is certain is that the level of imagination and musical diversity ensures that with this collection of songs, there is never a dull moment.

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Vaureen - Stare Into The Sun.

Background - Brooklyn trio Vaureen share their new single 'Stare Into The Sun' and announce the new album 'Extraterra' due out 26th October via Rising Pulse Records. Formed in 2011 in Brooklyn, New York, three-piece Vaureen are anything but straight-forward. Combining the off-kilter fuzz of mid-90’s grunge aligned against abreactive passages of noise, left-of-centre shoegaze and the bleak doom of psych-infused stoner rock, Vaureen create a brooding, nihilistic sound, steeped in a raw energy and honesty that could shake even the most apathetic listener. With an acclaimed EP behind them along with a number of US live dates under their belt, the band are now set to release their debut album ‘Extraterra’.

Vaureen’s forthcoming album exhibits their unique brand of ethereal yet intensely foreboding alt-rock, which could be equated to the sound of early-The Breeders meets Fugazi meets Chelsea Wolfe meets The Sword. Tracks such as ‘Stare Into The Sun’ showcase vocalist Andrea Horne’s sonorous and dynamic vocals while stripped back instrumentation seamlessly transforms into atmospheric shoegaze infused post-rock, driven forward by a powerful rhythm section. The entire album is flooded with progressive moments like this with songs evolving at every opportunity. You’d be forgiven for thinking the band might have some affiliation with Sargent House, but despite having these moments of beguiling familiarity their music remains entirely distinctive. Elsewhere, you can hear a much heavier set of influences such as on ‘Forms Beyond My Own’, where fuzz laced guitars descend into doom-inspired riffs, becoming more caustic, whilst also hinting at their more experimental influences.

Recorded by long-time friend and esteemed producer Aaron Bastinelli (Fun Sound Studio), ‘Extraterra’ sees Vaureen release their most dynamic and consummate material to date. Speaking about the album, Andrea Horne (vocals/guitar) says, “I came to music from an art background and I have a form of synesthesia. For me the album is highly visual. The title comes from my personal interest in spaces beyond direct perception, both within and without… like Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot and Charles & Ray Eames’ Powers Of Ten.”

Debut albums boasting the dexterity of ‘Extraterra’ are extremely rare. Vaureen refuse strict categorisation and in doing so have produced an incredibly textured record, which is all at once dark, pensive, expansive and airy, and will appeal to many both on and beneath the surface. WEBSITE.

'Stare Into The Sun' is dramatic and powerful to start with, it then proceeds to build with potency and intensity to a thunderous finale. A genre shifting rocker that is hard to pigeonhole, Vaureen have something very addictive going on here, I sense that the awaited album might pack some formidable material.

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Mars Motel - Telefones

Mars Motel - Green (The Eclipse Sessions - Live).

Background - Mars Motel is a dream-rock band from Brooklyn, NY presenting an explosive and immersive sound which originates from melodic elements of 1990’s Brit-Pop as well as the raw, driving rhythms of the early 2000’s NYC rock scene.

Well before the official name and creation of Mars Motel, the music began as a series of psychedelic, Brit-Pop-inspired bedroom demos written by singer/guitarist Sarik Kumar during his last year of high school. For almost 10 years, the demos were left on an old computer and almost forgotten until the summer of 2016, when Kumar rediscovered them while visiting his childhood home on Long Island.

After a couple of successful singles being released in the last two years since Mars Motel was formed, including “Green” and “Living in the Moment”, The Eclipse Sessions live EP was released in late July of this year.

Recorded on August 21, 2017 at Mission Sound during the first solar eclipse the contiguous United States saw in 38 years, and released during yet another eclipse this year, the EP features three live tracks from Mars Motel’s first wave of singles, “The Enemy”, “Green”, and “It’s Here Tonight”, as well as two unreleased B -sides (“Hit The Floor” and “City Streets”). FACEBOOK. 

The Eclipse Session live version of 'Green' exudes calmness, quality and charm. The bands dream rock is confidently delivered, the musicianship is totally engaging and the melodic hooks do the rest.   


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Telefones - Castle Factory.

Background - Nashville-based, post-punk band Telefones share their new single, "Castle Factory," the A-Side off their forthcoming 7-inch. Telefones' Castle Factory/Vitamins 7" is due out 9/21 on Banana Tapes & Cold Lunch Recordings.

The 7-inch release is an experiment on the wide spectrum of the punk genre. A-Side, "Castle Factory" adopts more conventional pop/rock ideas, inspired by The Stooges' early work. The track pays homage to the proto-punk era, subverting traditional blues rock sensibilities with distorted guitars, unhinged vocals and raw production. B-Side, "Vitamins," is a more bombastic, noise rock song, with Boredoms-eque repetitive, percussion, driving the song through the fuzzed out, screeching noise and wily vocal performance.

Telefones consists of Wes Salton (Guitar, Vocals), Jason Chiarella (Bass, Synthesizer), Adam Reeve (Drums, Vocals) and Jack Faulkner (Guitar, Synthesizer). They are a post-punk outfit based out of Nashville. The band was formed by longtime grade school friends Wes and Jason when they were in high-school in Atlanta. Later, they relocated to Nashville, where they picked up Jack and Adam to join the group. 

The band makes eclectic punk music, with inspirations ranging from Fugazi to The Modern Lovers and The Buzzcocks. Their heavy energetic set is short, sweet and to the point, with their recorded material attempting to recreate their live, raw sound. BANDCAMP.  

'Castle Factory' opens with some chunky riffs in this cut to the chase rocker. The vocals are deep in the mix, occasionally powering up and demanding to be noticed, as the band just pile on the rock grooves with a sense of angst and urgency.

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Martin Van Ruin - Calvin Johnson - Arthur Nasson

Martin Van Ruin - Current Day (album).

Background - Current Day is the follow-up release to Martin Van Ruin’s critically-acclaimed debut, Every Man a King. A collective project from some familiar Chicago faces (members of Derek Nelson & The Musicians, Jenny Dragon, Planetsexploder).

The seven-piece’s new album sees the group exploring increasingly modern sounds while building upon the ideas that led critic Jessica Hopper to write that their debut was “one of the best local albums of the year; a sprawling folk-rock work with vintage country and chamber elements … an album in a classic sense.”

Also for American Songwriter to say that “fans looking for Chicago’s next Wilco may want to check out Martin Van Ruin,” and for the Chicago Sun-Times to write that “The Bob Dylan and Neil Young comparisons are inescapable for this new folk rock supergroup.” Current Day was recorded over a series of sessions in 2017 at the Music Garage in Chicago and was engineered by Mike Lust (Tight Phantomz).

Martin Van Ruin is: Alex Winter: bass, Brian Sharpe: lead guitars, piano, Cathy Starr: violin, Derek Nelson: vocals, guitars, Sarah Jane Goldstein: vocals, percussion, melodica, Pete Falknor: drums, synth, guitars, Philip Vickers: lap steel, guitars, trumpet. WEBSITE.

The new album 'Current Day' from Chicago band Martin Van Ruin really does deserve to get noticed way beyond the bands home city. Although they have been described as a folk rock band, that for me is too narrow, it's perhaps a starting point, however they morph comfortably beyond that doing so with a consistently engaging sound. The musicianship is high calibre as are the vocals, which add so much feeling and personality to the songs. Others have described the band as a super group, I would rather leave the listener to form opinions around that particular label, that they are musically superb, is something I would comfortably concur with.

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Calvin Johnson - Like You Do.

Background - The new Calvin Johnson album A Wonderful Beast [KLP269] is an experiment in sound. Calvin entered the Audio Eagle Studio in Nashville, TN. using the premise “Rock’n’roll Will Never Die” as a starting point. Working closely with Producer Patrick Carney and Chief Engineer Marc Whitmore, the team tested the resiliency of such time honored materials as the electric guitar, modular synthesizer and trap drum kit, combining them in various ratios with musical elements like chords A, C and Dm. The results are the Frankenstein’s monster of an album, A Wonderful Beast.

Following in the tradition of such Brill Building songwriting teams as Leiber-Stoller, Greenwich-Barry and Goffin-King, all the songs on A Wonderful Beast are a collaboration between Calvin Johnson and Patrick Carney. Carney, best known for his work as a member of the Akron, OH powerhouse The Black Keys, established Audio Eagle to further exactly this type of rock’n’roll workshopping, allowing the music and songwriting of Now to rocket launch into the Future.

Calvin first met Patrick in 2005 while touring the United States following the release of his second solo album Before the Dream Faded… [KLP170]. The two kept in touch over the years. Patrick suggesting some sort of collaboration; they got together with only the belief that music can ooze from the savage breast, and A Wonderful Beast emerged from the primal dross.

An important element of the sound success of A Wonderful Beast is the contribution of chanteuse Michelle Branch, who provides back-up harmony vocals on three songs. Ms. Branch, who score many hits in the early double-0 decade as a solo artist and as a member of the Wreckers, lives next door to Audio Eagle. Intrigued by the sounds ratcheting forth from the lonesome shack that houses the studio, she walked over to see for herself what all the hubbub was about. Before long she was singing like a bird, in three part harmony (Thanks, Michelle!). TWITTER.

There is something about the video that is strangely addictive, however it's the song that still stands out in a sizable way. 'Like You Do' is just a little "out there" with the vocals demanding your wholesale attention and the vibrant and energetic musical backdrop adding layers of gorgeous sounds. Just one track and the album is calling me for some serious attention.


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Arthur Nasson - Books About It Pt. 2.

Background - Prolific alternative rock artist Arthur Nasson shares "Books About It Pt. 2" off his forthcoming LP Whack Mythology, due out next Friday, August 31st. "The idea that mythology, whether personal or global and the social programming it instills in each of us, drives much about our actions and perception. In holding up this type of mirror both in personal and more broad ways, one can perhaps have a laugh and recognize some shared sense of what we go through in this life."

Whack Mythology will be the 10th full length release for the Arlington, Massachusettes alternative artist. Nasson's determination led him to build a critically acclaimed catalog of recordings starting out largely with one mic and an 8 track cassette deck. Following the release of the LP Nasson will release an additional bonus EP Basement Glitter, due out 9/14.

Speaking on Whack Mythology, Nasson says, "The idea that mythology, whether personal or global and the social programming it instills in each of us, drives much about our actions and perception. In holding up this type of mirror both in personal and more broad ways, one can perhaps have a laugh and recognize some shared sense of what we go through in this life."

Nasson recorded these tracks in his home studio, but the final product feels far from lofi. Nasson handles the songwriting, production, engineering, vocals, piano, guitar, bass, percussion and synthesizers largely on his own, and with assistance from his sons Graham Nasson (drums/rhythm guitar) and Colin Nasson (rhythm guitar/percussion). WEBSITE.

'Books About It Pt. 2' is a melodic alt rocker that has a relaxed swagger to it musically (the piano adding something of a bar room vibe). Arthur Nasson's vocals are a delight and as the song builds into a more strident rocker, he allows the music to carry the day.

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Schmieds Puls - Fightmilk - Fufanu

Schmieds Puls - Don't Love Me Like That.

Background - Schmieds Puls have released new single ‘Don’t Love Me Like That’ taken from upcoming album Manic Acid Love. Fronted by Mira Lu Kovacs, Christian Grobauer (drums) and Walter Singer (bass) – Schmieds Puls are an Austrian outfit who have been making waves in their home territory for some time. Spanning genres, refusing to be pigeonholed and being politically outspoken, particularly regarding Mira’s feminism has cemented them as one of the countries most interesting outputs, earning them prestigious accolades such as the Amadeus Austrian Music Award.

New album Manic Acid Love is a triptych leading us through the spectrum of human emotion, the eleven tracks taking us through unconditional devotion (Manic), the deep vulnerability and pain this dedication precipitates (Acid) and the human power to overcome these hurdles and find peace (Love).

Delicate guitars are paired with staccato vocals that cut right through to the listener, giving you no choice but to stop what you’re doing and take note. Jazz knowledge and influences run through the veins of Schmieds Puls, while the tracks remain instantly catchy and full of pop sensibilities.

Along with anger, subtler emotions are articulated, such as on ‘Don’t Love Me Like That’. Mira explains “with "Don't Love Me Like That", I wanted to try to explain the complexity with that I experience love and relationships. For me nothing; no feeling, no situation, no connection between me and any other person is linear. It is always at least two things. It gets especially difficult when these things are the exact opposite of each other. I can feel drawn to a person as much as I need to be away from them. That can be confusing and exhausting, but that's how I experience it. Oftentimes it enriches my world. Nevertheless it is a love song, a brutally honest and therefore kind one, I want to say.” WEBSITE.

Taken from the forthcoming 'Manic Acid Love' we have the new single 'Don't Love Me Like That'. The band have an intrinsic overall sound that anchors their music, however they do creatively explore differing musical directions and emotions, sometimes subtly, other times with great clarity, and always with beautifully crafted pop sensibilities. 

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Fightmilk - Four Star Hotel.

Background - Harnessing a great catchphrase in to an excellent album title, London four-piece Fightmilk are due to release their debut album Not With That Attitude on 2 November 2018 via Reckless Yes.  Fightmilk are Lily, Alex, Adam, and Nick – a four-piece from London who formed in the wake of broken relationships and an uncomfortable year spent living at home at the age of 25. They create sweaty, loud, shouty pop songs about crushing hard, acting out, and running away to solve crimes in Sweden. Blending acerbic lyrics with riffs galore and the urge to dance when you least expect it, Fightmilk revel in a certain inexplicable 90s nostalgia.

With “Four Star Hotel” Lily and Alex explore the ending of the relationships with their respective long-term partners (which was the catalyst to forming the band). Coincidentally both couples had booked vacations in Amsterdam towards the end and each realised that a holiday will never save a relationship. As Alex explains; “almost every line is based on one of our two true stories, from the shit-eating grins in the holiday photographs to having to push two twin beds together in a hotel room.”

Fightmilk formed in 2015 when lifelong friends Lily Rae and Alex Wisgard were both made romantically redundant at the same time. They realised there was too much angst, too much Kirsty MacColl, and too many drunk nights of making up fake band names for them not to be in a band together. They began writing songs, partly as a way to work out some of their issues and partly so that they could reference It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia. Moving on from just the two of them and a drum machine called Elton that they couldn’t figure out how to operate, they were joined by Nick Kiddle on drums and Adam Wainwright on bass (who was also handy at piano, cooking dinner and making electronic music in his bedroom under the name of Future Wife).

They released two EPs, the self-releasedThe Curse Of Fightmilk in 2016 and Pity Party via Fierce Panda. As both EPs sold out, they released a compilation of the two, plus two bonus tracks, called Both Types of Hayfever in early 2018. They have shared the stage with Desperate Journalist, Worriers, Dream Nails, Spearmint and Skinny Girl Diet (amongst many others) and toured Germany. Securing radio support from Steve Lamacq on BBC 6Music and John Kennedy on Radio X they also received enthusiastic Twitter reactions from Helen Love and Eddie Argos. In a more unusual booking, they were recently the live support act for a screening of the film 10 Things I Hate About You. BANDCAMP.

'Four Star Hotel' is a dazzling indie pop/rock song that bursts into life firing musical hooks in all directions. Exciting and passionate if this is 90's nostalgia, then I'm ready for a bus load more of it!

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Fufanu - Dialogue ii.

Background - After the release of their celebrated sophomore LP Sports last year, enigmatic trio Fufanu have dropped the second instalment in The Dialogue Series – Dialogue ii. The band have been releasing a series of EPs throughout the year – each one an exercise in exploring their multiple sonic personalities, from motorik and post-punk to alt-techno, to woozy avant-garde electronica. A full album comes at the end of it - The Dialogue Series is out 19th October on One Little Indian Records.

Lead single taken from the Dialogue ii, Typical Critical, explores the concept of online love vs real life love. “How we not only want to be loved and adored, but we want to feel it as well” says lyricist Kaktus Einarsson. “You want something more than to see it only through social media likes and emoji’s that someone loves you – you want to actually feel it. Feel a more complex love from what the world feeds on. Handmade love vs. mass-produced love.”

Once the band returned to Iceland after a long stint touring, they had a bag of demoes written at different junctures on the road, purposefully created with no regard for a unified sound. They were eager to release the tracks into the world as and when they were written, looking to capture the sense of urgency with which the songs were formed. However, they asked MC, DJ and producer Alap Momin to listen to the demoes and before they knew it, he was on a flight from Harlem to Iceland to work with the band. The result of his input only served to highlight their desire for a distinctive exploration of genres between each record. Kaktus laughs: “Three Icelandic techno-rockers brought the Harlem club scene to their studio in Iceland – it was a life changing week.

“It is a dialogue between musicians with different backgrounds, different approaches and different live styles, but we all have the same excitement about going into a new field of sounds. For example, we did cosmiche / motorik but worked it like hip hop and did pop like it was techno and also the other way around. Musically, the outcome goes from being deep and drugged, to fast and harsh, with heartfelt ballads in the middle. WEBSITE.

With just three tracks 'Dialogue ii' seems to cover so much ground. Both the music and vocals experiment with ideas, no two pieces are the same, and with the imagination each one brings it's hard to even consider picking a favourite, but easy to love each song.


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