Night Flight - Tokyo Tea Room - The Broken Islands - Plaza

Night Flight new single 'David' precedes a new E.P due next February. We featured the band a couple of times last year and the newest track sees the band in thoughtful mode with this tender and beautiful track. === Tokyo Tea Room just released their 'Dream Room' E.P. We have already shared a couple of tracks from it and been very impressed with their psych pop creations, the final two songs are equally refined. === With a rhythmic opening 'Highlife' from The Broken Islands gently builds with melodic vocals before the band unleash a powerful and expansive post rock feel, on this sub six minute feast. === Last month we featured the song 'See' by Plaza as a taster for the new E.P wernotplaza ll. Now with all four songs we find that the quartet are not tied to any one style, indeed they are quite open with their influences and whats more they have served up a very fine collection of songs.
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Night Flight - David.

London based band Night Flight today announce the release of a new EP, ‘White Noise’, due for release February 28th 2020 via CRC Records. The follow-up to their widely praised self-titled debut released in 2018, the songs on ‘White Noise’ individually explore the nuances in specific pockets of life; disillusionment, isolation and self-reflection in the midst of personal recovery.

Night Flight (aka Sam Holmes, Dan Webb, Harry Phillips and Oliver Halvorsen) are a band whose strength and appeal lies in their ability to construct affecting, relatable songs - pairing meditative, honest lyrics with high-reaching folk-rock instrumentals. New single ‘David’ is a fine example of that, with singer and guitarist Sam Holmes ruminating on a past relationship: “You’re doing better than I thought without me”.

Speaking on the release of new single ‘David’, Sam describes the track as “A mourning of love through second-hand news. The conversations shared with a forgotten friend in the strange aftermath of a relationship wherein perpetuity ends.”

‘David’ portrays a scenario where two people were once so cognitively intertwined, but they now share each other through news and rumour. “‘David’ is the coming to terms of the end” Sam goes on to say. “A realisation that what once was, will no longer be; that someone you’ve known for so long, will now only exist in memory.”

Written predominantly in Sam Holmes’ hometown of Rye on the British south-coast, the songs on ‘White Noise’ were penned during a period of transition both for the band and for Sam personally. There’s a backdrop of heartbreak, the panic of anxiety and subsequent feeling of catharsis.

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Tokyo Tea Room - Dream Room (E.P).

Tokyo Tea Room released the ‘Dream Room’ EP yesterday via A Certain Kind Records. Vibrant synths, glimmering guitars and addictive rhythm section grooves combine to provide a bed for Beth Plumb and Daniel Elliot’s airy, ethereal vocals across four quintessential examples of their hazy psych-pop sound. Occupying a similar space to the collegiate bedroom indie of MUNYA, Men I Trust or Far Caspian as well as taking cues from Tame Impala, DIIV, Air and Mazzy Star.

The release is the culmination of a process of ongoing evolution. Deciding on a fresh start at the beginning of 2019, and realising how much their sound had matured, the band removed all their previous output from digital services, choosing indeed to move forward in their new sonic direction.

This bold approach however hasn’t stopped Tokyo Tea Room achieving success on a wider level - live slots with Wolf Alice and Super Furry Animals, acclaim on key tastemaker sites The Line of Best Fit, GIGWISE and Clash and spins on audio indie bible BBC 6 Music, Radio 1 and Radio X. As well as this, they are rapidly building a cult following in the hazy corners of YouTube and Spotify, racing to over one hundred thousand plays on Spotify alone on this new, discerning set of releases.

A key tenet of the band’s approach is their focus on aesthetic, which is strong and consistent throughout - unique whilst holding a candle to the canon of psychedelic and shoegaze pioneers they take inspiration from. A further reflection of their ethos is their collaboration with established Brighton-based visual artist InnerStrings, a well-known figure in the Psych scene who has previously been involved in events such as This Is Psych Fest, and this year’s Bella Union’s Great Escape Festival showcase, and who will be bringing his kaleidoscopic backdrops to the forthcoming Tokyo Tea Room show at Quarterstone.


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The Broken Islands - Highlife.

The Broken Islands are a Vancouver, Canada based sextet who meld elements of ambient pop, shoegaze, post-rock, post-punk, trip-hop and dark wave to create their own distinct sound. With crashing guitars and delicate sounding keyboards weaving around swooning, siren-like vocals, the band’s songs can sound at times like an otherworldly sonic experience while still being packed with emotion and moments of tenderness.

The well-received debut album entitled ‘Wars’ was released in the autumn of 2017, with a follow up, ‘Masquerade’, due out in January 2020. An opening salvo from the new record was released in May 2019 in the form of the cinematic sounding ‘Solid State’, which was issued to coincide with five UK shows.

A second single ‘High Life’ was released in September 2019 in advance of a November UK tour including a three-night artist residency at the storied London Troubadour. Like its predecessor, ‘Masquerade’ has been produced and mixed by Dave ‘Rave’ Ogilvie, who is best known for his work with industrial music titans such as Nine Inch Nails, Ministry and Skinny Puppy and was the perfect choice to harness the many influences that constitute the sound of The Broken Islands. Band co-founder Stephen Cameron points out that:

“we are all multi-instrumentalists and one of the great things about being in a six-piece band is the ability to switch instruments and play different things on different songs to really makes things exciting. We love to add percussion to songs so a set of free hands usually gets a chance to pick something up and add a new sound to a track. We all have wildly varied musical references, which we believe is what makes The Broken Islands sound the way it does. It’s really great to gain insight into someone else’s perspective of a song that you might not have heard before.”

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Plaza - wernotplaza ll (E.P).

Hartlepool (England) quartet PLAZA release their new EP ‘wernotplaza’ via CLUE Records (YOWL, Crushed Beaks, Van Houten), pulling together an evolved version of their trademark, icy, visceral self-coined post-indie sound. In keeping with a growing tendency towards music free of narrow genre constraints, influences across the 4-tracks range from Foals, DIIV or Wolf Alice to the experimental RnB of Frank Ocean.

The EP is the most open PLAZA have been to date. It’s easy for bands to write obliquely, wavering around heavy points reticent to tackle them head on – which is more than understandable, as so much artistic inspiration comes from a deeply personal well. This time around however they refuse to compromise in expressing their truth.

Whilst this sounds disconsolate in sentiment, in listening to the tracks you can hear the release and catharsis it offers, generating an emotive layer to the unique sound the band have carefully cultivated over the last few years. Spiky guitars and a sprinkling of electronics, driven forward by a skittish beat, provide the layer for Brad Lennard’s confessionary vocals.

An apt example of this being the hopeful themes behind EP closer ‘WHO’S WANTING ME’, as Brad says: “When you feel like there’s nothing else in the world that matters, you have got to remember that you matter to someone.”

The quartet have built up a cult live following across the UK, also drawing attention from Huw Stephens and Phil Taggart at BBC Radio 1, alongside John Kennedy at Radio X – with the likes of DIY, DORK, The Line of Best Fit, Clash and Wonderland singing their praises too.

Where they really shine though is on stage, chaotic headline shows across the country, as well as tour slots with JAWS, Gengahr and The Night Café, cementing their reputation as one of the most exciting upcoming bands in the UK.


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Meres - Sunny Gable - Yazymyn Hendrix - Smoke Fairies - The Big Peach

I realise that today we have more Spotify embeds than usual, so apologies if you don't use their service, this really is just a coincidence. Meres new single 'Cut' is a straight down the line rocker with punchy guitars and her totally rock & roll vocals. === Sunny Gable today releases 'Audience Of One' an album with traditional Americana vibes running throughout, her vocals adding real personal feeling to some beautifully arranged songs, and we have included a video for a solo performance of the opening song. === We have the new single 'Be Me' from Yazymyn Hendrix along with a video for a live looping performance of another song 'Better Days'. The single is melodic, soulful and creative and the live video is both fun and impressive. === A new video from Smoke Fairies was released today entitled 'Disconnect' the duo carve out a distinct alt rock sound with plenty of hooks along the way. === The Big Peach have just shared 'Run and Hide' where the band mix garage rock with some timeless sixties pop sensibilities on this highly likable track.

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Meres - Cut.

First grabbing our attention with a duo of “sludge rock” singles, Launceston’s indie-rock queen Mary Shannon, aka Meres, returns today with her unadulterated brand of glittering, fuzzed out punk.

Presented as an A/B package, a-side ‘Cut’ was originally recorded as a demo with Ben Simms of A Swayze & The Ghosts in their basement practice-come-studio space. The track retains Meres’ signature bold, crunchy guitar riffs and punch-pop melodies while entering a somewhat more upbeat sonic territory.

Self-described as a “giant weirdo from Tassie that loves making music”, Meres’ first release ‘Hell is on its Way’ debuted at #2 on the Amrap Regional Charts. Follow-up single ‘Feardom’ continued momentum, resulting in a busy year of performing at nearly every festival of note in Tasmania including Falls Festival main stage at Marion Bay, Panama Festival and Party in the Paddock. Lyrically, new single ‘Cut’ approaches themes of fractured  friendships and feeling helpless, with Meres explaining:

“I wrote this song around the time a friend's father passed away. It was written from a strange place of guilt, grown from the expanding distance between us - I wasn't sure how to be their friend like I used to be, almost like I didn’t know them at all anymore.

“It’s about wanting to feel that intense connection with someone again, trying to fight for it, but not knowing where to start. It’s absolutely terrifying to feel like you don’t even know the people that you’re the closest with, you haven't tried hard enough to show up for them... and worse to think that maybe you do, eventually, just need to let people go.”

Meanwhile, b-side ‘Think You Like This’ changes pace as a “solo sad-sack track”. With a disclaimer, “This song was written near the start of my long-term-long-distance-long-drive romance. I don't really like writing love songs in general. I would rather talk about extremely random things like what's on the tele and dance around a lot like a loser. But it was nice to write something simple and truthful.”

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Sunny Gable - Audience Of One (Album).

Colorado artist Sunny Gable released her debut Americana solo album, Audience of One, on Friday November 29th. Harkening back to a simpler time, Gable's music draws on personal stories creating an emotional pull that is honest and vulnerable at its core.

"Audience of One was conceived as I was laying awake the night after I found out about my son Finn’s diagnosis (he was born with trisomy 21 or Down syndrome). I was 26 weeks pregnant and it felt like I had just received a life sentence - at least that’s how the doctors made it feel. The song was an expression of acceptance that my life and my career may never be what I envisioned. I decided through the process of writing this song that I would record a solo album and do it on my own terms and timeline.

The opening song "Rise" speaks of perseverance in the face of adversity - a theme I think is important throughout the album. The songs on the album vary from historical stories like "How to Catch a Northern Star" told from a creative viewpoint to songs of hope, love, nostalgia, and contentment. The last song on the album is my lullaby for Finn, my very special baby, my declaration that I wouldn’t ever want for a life without him. I’d like to think the album has an overall message of hope in a sometimes cruel world." - Sunny Gable.

Audience of One is an exquisite Americana debut from the Gable whose melodies seem familiar like the wind yet mysterious like a coming storm; and whose words create a path through your own feelings and experiences.


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Yazymyn Hendrix - Be Me / Better Days.

Yazmyn Hendrix, London-born loop artist, layers powerfully enchanting vocals, lush harmonies, haunting voice effects and gentle beatboxing. She makes her music in the now - carving something from nothing and making time stand still five minutes at a time. She’s an experimental multi-genre singer and songwriter who write simple songs about complex things; love, life, reality and dreams. Yazmym is synaesthetic, meaning she associates each song, each word and each instrument with colours and textures; this gives her original perspective when writing and performing. In her own words, “Sometimes I find myself begging for my inner self to stay strong and guide me; this outer physical world can be so distracting from the truth we already have within. I see music as channelling of a higher power that connects us all”

In terms of collaboration, Yazmyn has teamed up with Retrospective For Love on the single, ‘Let Me Know’ from their debut album, ‘Random Activities of the Heart’. The track is a carefully crafted groove with lyrics loaded with romanticism and nostalgia, allowing their sound to dabble in delirious deja vu bringing you back to the first time you ever felt heartache. A union of beautifully crafted jazz and soul vibes have enveloped a collaboration with Mrisi. ‘In The Moment’, the first track to be released online from debut EP ‘Mamela’, gathered the attention of many. A live recording from Mrisi’s mother’s house, ‘Mamela’ is a work of resilience and conscience; it has the ability to make us realise how much impact our words can have. Watch this space for more to come from the pair. Last year Yazymn was also offered a space on the stage with Madness, at their House Of Fun Weekender last year after being spotted singing in a jazz club in North London - She sand alongside the bands and even lead a couple of songs! As a big ska fan in her teens, Yazmyn was over the moon to be asked onto stage with the legends.

Having returned to London from Brighton, Yazymn is about to release her debut EP, entitled ‘Saturn Returns’. Jon Gomm says “Quite Very Good!” before giving her a support slot on his UK Tour. Yazmyn has also supported the likes of Dizraeli and Retrospective for Love. She has recently Played at Pride London, Standon Calling, Wilderness Festival in the UK, as well as Pas De Trail and Montagnola Bologna Festivals in Italy. Her social media posts have already been shared by Rag ‘N Bone Man and Shlomo, among others, gaining over 25K views on her first teaser. We are just as excited as them to see what comes next.


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Smoke Fairies - Disconnect.

Smoke Fairies have today unveiled their new video for 'Disconnect' directed by Annick Wolfers. The track is the second single from their forthcoming album 'Darkness Brings The Wonders Home' out on January 31st, 2020.

Katherine Blamire talks about the idea for the clip: "The video was a really simple idea encapsulating how your everyday domestic world gets turned upside down when someone gets inside your head - how your normal world goes slightly askew and there is a sense of strangeness to everything you normally go about doing "

Smoke Fairies just played a sell-out single launch at The Social in association with Rough Trade to celebrate the release of a limited edition 7”. The show and single sold out three weeks prior to release and landed at #3 in the UK Vinyl Singles chart, surrounded by Coldplay, Queen and Kate Bush. They will play additional UK dates (below) in February just after the release of Darkness Brings The Wonders Home.  The ladies will also appear on John Kennedy Radio X with an interview and live session on January 28th.

Smoke Fairies are Jessica Davies and Katherine Blamire who first met at school in their native England. For this LP they traveled to Seattle to record Darkness Brings The Wonders Home with producer Phil Ek (The Black Angels, Fleet Foxes, The Shins) and over the course of a rigorous month-long session in Seattle, adopted a purposely intimate approach to achieving a singular sonic tone.

Smoke Fairies were the first UK act to release a single on Jack White's label Third Man Records and was produced by White who also played guitar and drums. Other notable recordings include a cover of Neil Young’s ‘Alabama’ from his Harvest LP which appeared on a special Mojo album to mark the approaching fortieth anniversary of the album.  Jessica and Katherine also contributed vocals to the track ‘Valentina', a tribute to Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space on The Race For Space, the second album by Public Service Broadcasting. The band has toured this side of the Atlantic with Laura Marling, Rasputina, Blitzen Trapper and Dawes. More U.S. shows to be announced at a later date.


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The Big Peach - Run and Hide.

November 29th sees the much-anticipated return on The Big Peach. The Manchester based group will release their latest single “Run and Hide” on Sour Grapes Records. The new single features a heavy dollop of that 60s Rock & Roll music the band have become renowned for. Mixed by Borja Regueira and mastered by the Grammy nominated Kelly Hibbert (Allah Las, J Dilla, Madlib).

This release is the first of a series of four which helps round off a busy period packed full of gigs, appearing on line-ups with Triptides, The Dandelion, Levitation Room and The Blank Tapes. They also played at the Bingley Weekender last summer and created their own festival PeachFest that caught attention of many bands, record labels and promoters.

The Big Peach is a garage rock and roll group from Manchester. Their music gathers a lot of influence from the burgeoning garage and psych scenes of the 1960s and beyond. With influences deep in Laurel Canyon, hints of Tamla Motown and and a splash of Mod from the streets of London.

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Chelsea Rose - Sofia Härdig - Certain Animals

Chelsea Rose has released 'Minha Velha Amiga' accompanied by a video. I was trying to come up with an expression that captures the song and the best I can do is bossa nova dream pop, whatever this is gorgeous. === Our third song feature from Sofia Härdig's new album 'This Big Hush' is the new single 'Sucking The Flowers'. Another feisty rocker and one of nine songs on the album Sofia has served up some really fine rock and roll across the album. === Rotterdam's Certain Animals were first featured on Beehive Candy last month and now we have another new song entitled 'Automaton' where this talented trio deliver another refined alt rocker that builds into a highly notable piece.
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Chelsea Rose - Minha Velha Amiga.

Chelsea Rose is a songstress and sorceress of the arts. Channeling through guitar, songwriting and visual arts, she shines an honest light on human truths. Themes of hope, heartache, love and its counterparts are prevalent in her work.

Born and raised in Riverside, CA Chelsea currently lives in Los Angeles. Through songwriting and self producing she conjures a timeless yet modern sound which echoes sentiments of bossa nova, jazz and R&B classics. As a photographer and art director, Chelsea's artistic eye enables her to carefully craft a visual dream world in which one may easily be swept away. The vision is strong; a vibrant perspective often arises from destruction.

The creation of Chelsea Rose began with a flood. A pipe burst in her home studio, causing water to fill the room, covering drums, amps, guitars and other prized equipment. The scene took place the night before her final show as Summer Twins - a band she spearheaded for 10 years, backed by her sister, Justine.

Asking the Universe for a clean slate, she was given just that. With the ending of a chapter she was gifted the opportunity to explore a new identity, to explore what it means to exist and grow as an artist in the modern world. This enlightenment gave rise to a new band in which Chelsea Rose takes center stage on lead guitar and vocals, backed by Andy Moran on guitar, Seamus Blackwell on bass, Charlie Weinmann on drums and Alice Sandahl on keyboard.

This band thrives on a high frequency. Their powerful performance recalls a dream of the past while igniting a hope for the future. Chelsea Rose beckons you to join in and see the world "la vie en rose."


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Sofia Härdig - Sucking The Flowers.

Having released her new album “This Big Hush” earlier this month, Sofia Härdig now captivates with her high-energy track “Sucking The Flowers” that runs with infectious riffs, built on layers of scrappy percussion reminiscent of The Birthday Party or Pixies, and embellished with Sofia’s vocals as she sings “We call us in, to inner crimes, it’s tender, it’s sore, an attempt, to murder, it’s tender, it’s sore”.

With squalling guitars and vivid colours the Swedish-born multi-insturmentalist Sofia Härdig creates a cinematic vignette delivered through the poet’s eccentric palette of post-punk, playing and producing the entirety of the album. Sofia brings chugging energy, intense lyricism and a chaotic presence; she’s heading for a higher status amongst rock’s elite, and comments on the moment she met Patti Smith; “We met backstage at her gig in Stockholm and she gave me tickets to her show. We spoke about art, music and what it means to be an artist. She was generally very supportive and attentive; it was a beautiful moment sharing poetry and words.”

Talking about her fourth full-length, Sofia said “I recorded this album with the band in less than three days live in Tambourine Studios in Malmö. The vocals were all done in one day, a lot of them are even kept from the original live take. Part of the process is that my electronic demo making has become so thorough and time-consuming that they have been good enough to be released. Since they are out in the world and out of my system, I can break free and do something different with the band, and not the same thing all over again. We never play the same tempo, same length, they follow me where I lead them… this is THIS BIG HUSH”.

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Certain Animals - Automaton.

New Certain Animals single Automaton is the opening track of the upcoming album 'Songs To Make You Move' and immediately lets you hear what the band stands for in terms of style and content. The song tells about the uneasy relationship the three band members have with the far-reaching automation and digitization of contemporary life. In their view, nowadays people allow themselves to be led like little lambs to where tech giants and social media lead them.

The trio brings a message to the listener and at the same time a warning that is not merely bad or good, but that gives the listener food for thought. This message is wrapped in a song with an opening riff that seems to have been borrowed from the amplifier-melting arsenal of Neil Young and which then continues the pace with a relentless groove reminiscent of a marching column of robots. When the warning sounds, one arrives through typical "Ringo-fills" and "I Am The Walrus" orchestration to the final round ironically carried out with one of the favorite toys of Electric Light Orchestra: the vocoder (a device that actually is a speech computer).

Rotterdam based trio Certain Animals serves you melodic rock filled with vocal harmonies. The members aren't afraid to show which records they've been listening to. Musical giants from the 60's and 70's are spinning on their turntable on a daily basis. The Beatles, Beach Boys, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Electric Light Orchestra are regular companions in their musical life, but also the fuzzy and phasey sounds of contemporary bands like Tame Impala influence the music of Certain Animals.

Without being stuck in the past and with a critical view on the present, the band brings you their intriguing sound which makes for an energetic live show filled with intimate moments and explosive bursts of energy. In less then three years, the band managed to build a strong live reputation by playing shows on major Dutch festivals in famous venues all over the country. After having played across the border in Belgium, more international gigs in Germany have been confirmed for spring 2020.

While busy touring, band members Thijs van Leeuwen (vocals, guitars), Niels-Jan van Dijk (bass, vocals) and Kees Braam (drums, vocals) managed to build their own recording studio at a former red light district in the port of Rotterdam. At their home base the trio writes, produces and mixes their music single-handedly, working towards the release of their debut album scheduled for spring 2020.


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MÊL - Black Fly - Zinnia - oh!no?ok.

MÊL (pronounced Male) is set to release 'Mêl I Gyd' this coming Friday. Sung in his native Welsh language this is an appealing song that mixes folk and indie rock sensibilities together with a fresh yet quite personal feel to it. === Black Fly has released 'Green' accompanied by a video, the song immediately resonates with the striking vocals and vibrant electronic musical backdrop. === We have already shared 'Bullets' and 'Requim' by Zinnia this year and now we have 'Yellowstone' from her debut album where the art pop artist is once again exuding originality and beauty. === oh!no?ok. have shared their feisty 'Saw Her First' alt rocker a song that has a little bit of attitude alongside plenty of good old rock and roll hooks.
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MÊL - Mêl I Gyd.

MÊL is the long awaited new musical project by the voice of mythical Dyffryn Conwy psych, garage folk band ‘Jen Jeniro’, Eryl Prys Jones.

MÊL has the familiarity of Eryl’s past work, the other worldly stream of consciousness poetry and his attachment through music to the natural world around him. It’s this honesty of expression that captivates the listener into the world MÊL envisage.

Written by Eryl whilst walking in Lyn Parc in Gwydir Forest near Llanrwst and meticulously produced by fellow ex ‘Jen Jeniro’ member Llŷr Pari, ‘Mêl i Gyd’ leaves us transfixed and wanting more.

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Black Fly - Green.

Vermont enigma Black Fly releases the soaring electronic track ‘Green’, following the heartfelt tribute to his home, ‘Wait’. Alongside it comes another beautiful visual, this time directed by Patrick Golan (MorMor, Omar Apollo, J Balvin). It's been a while since we've heard from Black Fly, though secrecy and absence seem to be his MO. Very little is known about the Vermont native, but the music speaks for itself. The record label that he calls home, Samedi Records (Altopalo's critically acclaimed 'Frozen There'), has shown a distinct knack giving a platform to mad scientists.

Releasing his single ‘Sign 2’ a couple of years ago, a buzz began to follow Black Fly, his visuals racked up almost 60,000 views on YouTube. He continues his venture into visual art with the new singles ‘Wait’ and ‘Green’ – both videos simple at their core but in turn revealing the complexities in nature and humanity.

‘Green’ is a pulsating electronic cut accompanied by Black Fly’s hoarse, yearning vocals that add a similar element of grit in his sound. Diverting from the peaceful countryside in his last release, he plunges into the city for the new video.

Explaining the process, he describes how “’Green’ was filmed in and around the boroughs of NYC with the help of a large cast. The video is intercut between an interior and exterior world. Documenting people with a variety of backgrounds all trying to relate and relay the same material.”

“From cramped audition, to performance in various frigid winter locations, each actor lip-synchs over the same stabbing synths and perpetual beat. In mood and in message, ‘Green’ aims to find the vitality in bleakness,” a concept that is coming to define Black Fly’s approach to life and music.


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Zinnia - Yellowstone.

"ZINNIA's debut album Sensations in Two Dot focuses on moments of doubt - creative, societal, and personal - exploring what it means to hold compassion through the multifaceted, grey areas of life.

Whether in the isolated town of Two Dot, Montana (population 143) or the buzzing streets of Toronto (population 2.6 million), these nine songs probe the complex, unsettling similarities found in the human experience: the hauntings of unrelenting dreams, tensions and tender triumphs in relationships, systems of abuse threaded through communities, and the search for compassion and visibility in everyday interactions." - Raechel

ZINNIA is the Toronto-based art pop project of Rachael Cardiello. With layered synth and driving beats, ZINNIA brings an explosive range to Cardiello’s writing, equal parts intimate and fierce. Recently described as “Kate Bush meets Meatloaf” and first to proclaim a deep love for Bruce Springsteen, this is ZINNIA.

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oh!no?ok. - Saw Her First.

Salt Lake City, Utah might be best known as the world headquarters for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That may change as a fertile counter-cultural underground music scene is slowly seeping into nationwide consciousness with artists such Neon Trees, Imagine Dragons, The Moth & the Flame, Sego, and Desert Noises. Up next, something weird and tuneful is poised to be Salt Lake City’s nice prime musical export. Self-described slacker rockers oh!no?ok. stake their claim to the mantle with the fearlessly catchy debut, randy warhole (or somethin).

oh!no?ok. is comprised of high school friends Ryan Osborn, Cole Miller, Jackson Ludlow, and local guitarist Nick Storey. The band is a year old, and has been working closely with locally-renowned producer Nate Pyfer (The Moth & the Flame, Kaskade, Sego). Lead vocalist Ryan and Nate laid the groundwork for the band’s music, though each member brings his unique flair, making the process a cohesive collaboration. They play the kind of music you’d hear blasting forth from a suburban garage in the height of the alt-rock boom of the 1990s but they update this scruffy aesthetic with sleek but-not-too-polished production and a dose of raw skate punk. Their songs feature cleverly abstract lyrics, bold musical dynamics, experimental textures, adventurous arrangements, and sharp pop-rock hooks. This melding of tuneful and arty conjures an array of classic and current alt-rock innovators such as Weezer, Pavement, The Presidents of the United States, Butthole Surfers, and Spoon, FIDLAR, Car Seat Headrest, and PUP.

The quartet is the local scene buzz band, playing packed shows regionally and earning accolades from key scene tastemakers. Underneath their playful veneer and intriguing wordplay, oh!no?ok. tuck in themes and narratives that illustrate society’s vices, cynicism, and the lies that we tell ourselves to avoid confronting our insecurities and depression. Ryan says: “Our music is, in part, a commentary on issues humans have struggled with as long as we’ve been around. Issues such as entitlement, pride, drug abuse, video game addiction, online persona management, and idolization. The primary theme is how we often take the first step in recognizing that we struggle with these issues, but we lack the motivation to actually fix our problems. This results in us being hyper aware of our flaws but feeling powerless to improve ourselves. Our ultimate goal is to share our message and passions with the masses.”

The band’s forthcoming debut randy warhole (or somethin) is a bold release that’s as catchy as it is playfully confounding. Throughout the 12 tracks, the band twists through shambolic indie rock, pent-up punk rock, art-damaged alt-rock, and synth-y 1980s new wave. Each sonic fishtail is hook heavy, and the band effortlessly finds a way to balance the downright strange with the sing-able.

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Gibson Wilbanks - Sammy Miller and The Congregation - 222 - Bad Wolf

Taken from their self titled debut album we have selected 'Oh Sweet Baby' by Gibson Wilbanks to focus on (plus it's one of my favourites on the album), their description as a back porch folk-soul duo is kind of confirmed by the album, Americana might be more straight forward, whatever it's a grand collection of music. === Sammy Miller and The Congregation just shared 'Shine' as a taster for next February's debut album and it's a gorgeous, playful and fabulously arranged song. === If you wanna know what dance rock sounds like then 222 and 'Reimagine Me' sorts that one out, and it's pretty catchy to say the least. ===If you are going to do a cover version then putting your own stamp on it, is for me crucial and Bad Wolf do just that with their imaginative interpretation of The Cures 'Love Song'.
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Gibson Wilbanks - Oh Sweet Baby.

The debut album from back porch folk-soul duo Gibson Wilbanks, grants the listener privileged access to the romantic union of accomplished Atlanta-based musicians BJ Wilbanks and Carly Gibson. The 8-song release is a soundtrack to love that spans warmly engaging formative moments. The Gibson Wilbanks debut is refreshingly eclectic, yet is held together by elegant Americana songcraft, and a distinct sensibility that encompasses blues, Southern rock, classic R&B, folk, and touches of country. The pair have been favorably described as  “Gregg Allman meets Bonnie Raitt.”

The couple’s debut collection is an album-oriented release—available on Vinyl and CD—that’s sweetly seductive in that, from the first track, you’re compelled to listen to it in its entirety. If you’re in love, brokenhearted, or somewhere in between, the record’s broad array of earthy, love-soaked roots-rock songs will warm your heart, hitting that sweet spot between soul and country, showcasing Gibson Wilbanks gifts with textural layering and honeyed vocal blends.

BJ and Carly came together with already seasoned musical ability and careers. Carly is a graduate of AIMM’s (Atlanta Institute of Music and Media) guitar program and is a full-time musician, both with Mothers Finest as a background vocalist, as well as her rock band The Pussywillows.. BJ is also an accomplished musician with a prolific solo career, notching noteworthy press in American Songwriter, All Music and The Boot and has performed shows with notable bands Gladys Knight, Drivin N Cryin, and Mother’s Finest as well.

The couple first met eight years ago at an open mic. Initially, they admired each’s musicality, and resisted being a couple but started to hang and the creative chemistry was potent and intuitive. Gibson Wilbanks has performed regularly in Atlanta and the Southeast, sharing the stage with Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds, Ralph Roddenberry, Donna Hopkins, Caroline Aiken, and Diane Durrett, among others. The couple even launched a successful crowdfunding campaign towards the recording of their debut album.

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Sammy Miller and The Congregation - Shine.

Sammy Miller and The Congregation announced their debut album
Leaving Egypt will be released on February 7, 2020. They've also shared the first single "Shine," which boasts Sammy’s ingratiating vocals, undeniably uplifting lyrics, playful piano hooks, and an imaginative arrangement with dynamic horn and backup vocal-driven crescendos.

"It was the middle of winter in New York and I was hauling my drums through snow sludge west on Grand Street," Miller recalls of the conception of the track. "I didn’t have gloves. As I was waiting for the M14 bus, I started to bounce from side to side, initially to keep me warm. I was cursing my life through hums, and at some point the chorus of 'Shine' popped into my head. Suddenly I felt lightness. I could hear the whole band in harmony — there was warmth, there was sunshine, everywhere I wanted to be. For a brief moment, I wasn’t cold."

Sammy Miller, a Grammy-nominated drummer for his work with Joey Alexander, convened The Congregation in 2014 at The Juilliard School in New York City where he was getting his master's in jazz. “When I was at Juilliard, I realized jazz couldn’t just live in a conservatory vacuum. It needed to provide its initial function of being an expansive creative outlet where the rules are there for you to break and improvisation went beyond notes and into an experience,” Sammy says. He soon found a cadre of jazz students who felt similarly—outliers who were fiercely individual on their instruments, but also craved a manner of expression beyond the solo. “We all went to Juilliard and have these credentials, but we didn’t like the insular feeling of the jazz scene. I wanted to find a new audience,” Sammy states. “We played in dive bars where people were scared of jazz.”

Their live show grew to be something of a mix between a comedy troupe and a dazzling rock band that played a vigorously reimagined strain of jazz. “We let ourselves be free on the bandstand and we took the audience with us,” Sammy says. The band’s boundless energy, inclusive ideals, catchy songwriting, and revue style presentation made them a word-of-mouth buzz band. The seven-piece group is a community of adventurous and charismatic superstar musicians who are conservatory-trained but who have not lost their childlike wonder and awe for playing music. The band lineup is Sammy Miller, drums and vocals; Sam Crittenden, trombone; Ben Flocks, tenor sax; Sammy’s sister Molly Miller on guitar; Alphonso Horne, trumpet; Corbin Jones, bass and tuba; and David Linard, piano.

The Congregation’s 9-song debut album Leaving Egypt was cut in four 16-hour days at the legendary United Studios where the many famed Count Basie sides were tracked. The band enlisted drummer extraordinaire Jay Bellerose (Alison Krauss, Ray LaMontagne, Robert Plant, B.B. King) to supervise and produce the proceedings. The debut represents a milestone for Sammy Miller and the Congregation’s creative continuum. It captures the group’s vulnerability, communal nature, charming and warm wit, and playfully virtuosic musicality. “This is us,” Sammy says of the album. “I’m proud of it, and I’m eager to embark on our mission to bring joy to people’s lives through music.


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222 - Reimagine Me.

222 was formed in the summer of 2014 when Jade Howard and Dennis Hamlin after hanging out at a party one night decided to record a song for fun. The result of that night was the song “One Night Stand” and would go on to be their first release later that year. On 2/22/15 they self released their first album “Libretto”.

222 delivers their own power-packed take on dance-rock via a mixture of pop-punk 80s/90s influenced rock mixed with current electronic influences. Respected music publications Pure Volume.com, Vent Magazine, Access Music, Blurred Culture, DeliMagazine.com and LABuzzBands.com have all highlighted the unique sound and songwriting talents of 222.

Their high energy live shows have built a strong following across the U.S. via a string of well-attended club dates. The band’s growing popularity is also due to airplay on influencer radio stations such as KROQ in Los Angeles.


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Bad Wolf - Love Song.

With winter approaching, Bad Wolf is giving all of the dark, romantic feelings needed to cuddle up this season with their remake of The Cure's "Love Song." The alt-pop duo is also releasing an intimate music video alongside the single.

Based out of Los Angeles, Bad Wolf Forges sci-fi, fantasy, and a touch of goth rock into a unique brand of alternative rock.

Dubbed by their fans as 'Fantasy-Rock,' Bad Wolf creates catchy yet thoughtful songs that bring a unique and imaginative edge to the indie rock genre. With over 1 million views on their YouTube channel, Bad Wolf prides themselves on creating unique visuals and stories to go along with their music.


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