Running Red Lights - Crush - Tiny Bit Of Giant's Blood - Walt Disco - New Fries - Swim the Current

Running Red Lights have today shared a video for the song 'Flower In The Concrete' as the band release four singles before finally calling it a day, the first of which is a beautiful folk and soft rock combination. === Manchester band Crush have shared 'All My Plants Are Dead' and it's a rich mixture of melodic alt pop & rock. === Tiny Bit Of Giant's Blood are a Chicago based Glam Punk outfit and taken from their new album 'Gigantosaur' we have the brand new video for 'Five Foot Heels' a song reminiscent of The Tubes in part, both musically and humour wise. === Walt Disco new track 'Cut Your Hair' is a vibrant, quirky, genre mash of rock styles and some fabulously out there vocals. === Toronto based New Fries have a new song entitled 'Ploce' where the experimental band have developed one addictive and rhythmic sound. === Swim the Current Featuring Greg Christie have just released 'Temperature Maps' where the swirling guitars and notable vocals, make this hook filled rocker stand out.
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Running Red Lights - Flower In The Concrete.

‘Toronto Folk/Pop band Running Red Lights announces retirement with the release of 4 singles in Spring/Summer 2020’ The releases will be a part of a ‘Sendoff Series,’ marking the finale of a fifteen year career that includes a multitude of awards, notable performances, international tours, as well as some beautifully crafted music.

Fifteen years is no small commitment and the band wanted to honour those years with a proper good-bye. Though they played a farewell show to a sold out Toronto audience in November of 2019, RRL chief architects, Kevin Howley and Scarlett Flynn, have since been haunted by the ghosts of abandoned songs that currently exist only in the consciousness of an old hard-drive.

‘Unfortunately, after 15 years, RRL lost its vivacity and it was time to let it go’, Scarlett remarks, ‘however, there still remained the question of what to do with all the material that never made it to a release. There is nothing worse than banishing a song to its grave, having never given it a chance to live’. Therefore, in a single driven music economy, RRL is seizing one final opportunity to draw its final breath.

The first single in the sendoff series is a warm and fuzzy mid-tempo springtime empowerment jam called Flower in the Concrete. The song's roots synthesize classic-country verve with dreamy soft rock (i.e Kasey Musgraves). The saxophone accents are bright points on a towering constellation of misty male/female vocals and shimmering synthesizers.

The song has taken on a few identities since it was written 4 years ago. It was originally conceived out of Scarlett and Kevin's aspiration to become better people and also as an attempt to get out from under the dark cloud of negativity that marked that period. Now it’s transformed into an encouraging message of hope and perseverance. It is a fitting message in these troublesome times.

Flower in the Concrete sets a celestial, lighthearted tone that takes you floating through the spirit of Spring and lands you softly at the foot of Summer. The song and the official music video is set to premiere on YouTube and release to all major streaming platforms and digital stores, Friday May 1st.

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Crush - All My Plants Are Dead.

Emerging Manchester band crush craft a refreshing heart on its sleeve shoegaze sound that’s peppered with nods to 80s alt-pop and jazz-inspired indie. They release their latest single ‘All My Plants Are Dead’ on the 1st of May 2020. It’s the sister track to their August 2019 release ‘Glue’, a track dubbed “grunge-pop at its best” (BBC Introducing). Drawing comparisons to Diiv, The Cure and Alvvays, crush look set to carve out their own ambient noise void into the UKs underground music scene.

‘All My Plants Are Dead’ is a bittersweet yet discordant offering, where the addictive and wistful vocals of Amber Warren blend with the jangle of Arthur Boyd’s carefree cartwheeling guitars. The enveloping verses are woven with floating vocals infused with a message of empathy and understanding and supple percussion. Punctuated by the tight and punching chorus’:  an interlude section inspired by William S.Burroughs ‘Naked Lunch’ is followed by a cathartic noise outro that reimagines the sweet musical introduction to the song, bringing it full circle. Bright, airy and beguiling, it’s a highly promising new chapter for crush, you are sure to fall head over heels for.

The band say; ‘The song focuses on the idea of the cold human race and an increasingly insular society. It’s about struggling to look after yourself as much as it is struggling to look after your houseplants. Really just a message of looking after and understanding each other a bit better, and a critique of how modern living at times can make this an unattractive and hard to achieve concept.’

Formed in 2018 after meeting at university, young Manchester band crush have released three singles so far amassing 145,000 streams on Spotify. Their music has seen regular support from BBC Introducing Manchester, Amazing Radio, and blogs including Dork and NBHAP. Gigging regularly around the North of England has seen them wow audiences at events including The Sesh in Hull and Manchesters Stay Fresh Fest, as well as support slots with Peaness, Far Caspian and Low Hummer. Their captivating live sound has also recently been captured in a session with Delinquent Magazine which is scheduled for release in March.

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Tiny Bit Of Giant's Blood - Five Foot Heels.

Chicago glam-punk band Tiny Bit of Giant’s Blood is happy to announce that their debut long-player 'Gigantosaur' will be available on limited-edition vinyl on Friday, May 22. The album, which is currently available on CD and via all streaming and download platforms, follows the 2018 EP DRAM A.

Tiny Bit of Giant’s Blood features Tony Rogers (formerly of The Good on vocals, keyboards, percussion, horns), John Scholvin (ex-The Good on guitars, piano, vocals), Jackie Schimmel (of Sunshine Boys on bass, vocals) and Larry Beers (of Mucca Pazza on drums, vocals) and 'Gigantosaur' was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Bryan Clavey at Crystall Recorders in Lombard, IL. Chris Gallevo painted the LP’s cover image, which the Chicago Reader’s Leor Galil described as “the sickest album art of the year,” and the album’s back cover features a photo by Lincoln Rogers.

Of 'Gigantosaur'’s 14 tracks, which incorporate elements of 70’s arena rock, power pop, doom, metallic glam and punk, Tony Rogers wrote or co-wrote (with John Scholvin) 13 and the album is rounded out with a cover of AC/DC’s “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)," written by Angus Young, Malcolm Young, and Bon Scott.

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Walt Disco - Cut Your Hair.

Glasgow based band Walt Disco are today sharing their new single 'Cut Your Hair'. Championing self expression and free speech, the new single is a glorious invitation into Walt Disco's world. Led by their charismatic singer James Power, the 6 piece is completed by keys player Dave Morgan, bassist Finlay McCarthy, guitarists Lewis Carmichael and Charlie Lock, and drummer Jack Martin.

New single 'Cut Your Hair' exemplifies everything Walt Disco are about. Lifted from the band’s debut EP due later this year, the track unites a cacophony of genres and sounds, blending elements of glam-rock, pop, new-wave and post-punk to create something very much of their own. Working with idiosyncratic producer Thomas McNeice of Gang of Four on the single, Walt Disco have realised their vision of an anthem for a new generation of misfits.

A band whose influences derive not from just music itself, but much more so from love, glamour and androgyny, Walt Disco's music is a gateway to a space of lust, loss and everything in-between, with a strong message of inclusivity at its core. Influenced just as much by 80’s New Wave acts such as Talking Heads and The Associates, as they are by the queer modern art-pop sensibilities of St Vincent, Charli XCX and even Ru Paul – Walt Disco’s firm grasp of both their historical and modern influences allow them to move forward as a band for the future.

Speaking on the release of the new single, singer James Power said: “'Cut Your Hair' was written as a wee fun jibe at people passing judgement to those who are just being themselves. I think older generations can learn a lot from us YOUNG HARD AND HANDSOME folk. I mean our generation are the most tolerant and accepting, ever, and we should all aspire to live in a world where self expression and free speech is championed."

“In terms of references when recording, we were listening to so much female, queer pop and dance music, we wanted the tempo and whole feel of the song to get people moving. Not only do we love this music but we also want to be a band for 2020 and the future, so we wanted to move away from the sounds of the new wave bands that inspired our formation and songwriting.”

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New Fries - Ploce.

New Fries has never been interested in being a band. Yet, the Toronto-based experimental No-Wave inspired band have become one of the best kept secrets in the city, with New Fries gaining legendary status for their unconventional, ever-changing sound, and their rapturous live show. Is The Idea Of Us, out August 7th on Telephone Explosion is the band's first new material since 2016's More.

Never afraid of collaboration or change, Is The Idea Of Us is a product of working closely with Carl Didur (Zacht Automaat, formerly U.S. Girls), resulting in a new direction, focusing more on space and repetition, finding the in-between and reflecting on it, examining that transition. The album is anxious in its repetitions and is unsure of genre, so much so that over half of the tracks on the record bear that very name. "Ploce" is more sure of itself and more focused, one of cornerstones in the collage that is the forthcoming new album.

Is the Idea of Us is the situation of musicians and non-musicians making music together, perhaps completely illegible in the music on this record and to the random listener. There are enough bands out there; New Fries insist on do it differently.

On the new track, the band explained, "Ploce is the name of Tim's fish who passed away—the figure of speech (not the place in Croatia). It refers to words repeated for emphasis. On the internet some examples provided are: "I am stuck on Band-Aid, and Band-Aid's stuck on me." - "First she ruins my life. And then she ruins my life!"."

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Swim the Current - Temperature Maps Featuring Greg Christie.

The project Swim the Current headed up by guitarist Greg Antine has released his next single "Temperature Maps" . This time the guest on Swim the Current's release is vocalist Greg Christie who has played locally in the area off and on for several years. Greg's vocal contribution has set a tone that continues to showcase what a project like Swim the Current can produce when musicians come together and meld their talents. "Temperature Maps" certainly is a leader in the realm of modern collaborations between well-respected musicians and long time friends.

' "Temperature Maps", from a lyrical perspective, is about anger. It's about those times when you're in an argument with someone you love, when your relationship is deeply strained, and you're at that breaking point where if you don't just pull back, or "turn your temperature down", you run the risk of doing or saying something you're bound to regret. The song is about pleading with yourself to step back from that edge before you spin out of control and destroy everything you love.

Swim the Current was formed by guitarist Greg Antine as a project to showcase music ideas that needed a place to come to life. Antine combines his notable rock guitar talent and pushes his own personal development with a vision. Soon, he decided he wanted to take what he was creating and bring together a few local vocalists and musicians as guests and set a goal of music that pulls from the solid hard/metal rock. Taking the course of his precision guitar sound, he has pushed it forward to meet today’s rock demands. The sound of Swim the Current is set to capture a unique and distinctive blend of heavy, dark, and emotional rock. Most would say that Deftones are a big inspiration behind the infectious sounding music that this artist portrays.

From San Diego to Portugal, Swim the Current will inspire, and perhaps one day, make the world more universally connected through music, space, and time .

Guest vocalist Greg Christie spent his late teens and early 20's in the music scene playing in various local bands, beginning as a bass player and working his way up to lead singer. He played his final show of that era n 1999, opening up for Staind at the Birch Hill in Old Bridge, NJ . After that, Greg spent the next couple of decades raising his family and working as a software developer and architect, while still writing and recording music in his spare time. Greg has appeared as a solo act in the last few years, and is currently working on various projects with area musicians, writing and recording mostly alternative and acoustic/piano music. Greg is very excited and honored to be featured on Swim the Current's single, "Temperature Maps" . The song is a collaboration, with all music having been written and performed by Greg Antine of Swim the Current, and lyrics and vocals written and performed by Greg Christie. He is excited to be a part of future collaborations with the band, because he truly loves the style and direction of the their music.

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Andy Jenkins (feat Erin Rae) - Same - Alissa Musto

Andy Jenkins brand new track 'Far Away From Here' also features Erin Rae on vocals and between them they serve up some blissful, beautiful music. === Four weeks ago we featured the song 'Bluish' from Same and now we have a new video for the gorgeous slacker rock piece 'Osho Tapes' also taken from 'Plastic Western' their debut LP due May 8th. === Alissa Musto has just shared 'How Still' and it's a refined, atmospheric & creative singer-songwriter piece.
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Andy Jenkins - Far Away From Here (feat. Erin Rae).

Virginia artist Andy Jenkins shares a brand-new track featuring Nashville artist Erin Rae via Spacebomb (Natalie Prass, Matthew E White). “Far Away From Here” is soulful and lilting, steeped in hazy guitars, sprawling piano and an uplifting sense of ease. “Far Away From Here” is available to stream or download now. Speaking about the new track, Andy Jenkins said: “Far Away from Here is a song about the after images of love, remembering those free and easy times, heightened emotions and lengthening shadows. It also describes the realization – after love is gone – of feeling pretty alright. I pictured someone at the end of a long day of traveling, who realized they felt good for the first time in a while. ‘I don’t mind the way I felt today, far away from here.’ What’s the saying? Distance makes the heart grow.

“We tracked last summer to tape at Spacebomb Studios with four of my favorite musicians: Pinson Chanselle, Cameron Ralston, Alan Good Parker & Jacob Ungerleider. I produced a song of my own for the first time. Erin Rae recorded vocals in Nashville. Her last record Putting on Airs was a personal revelation, beautifully crafted, cutting and calm. I feel lucky that she is singing on this track.”

The talented musician released his debut album Sweet Bunch in 2018 to acclaim from MOJO, Uncut, Stereogum and more, followed by The Garden Opens EP in 2019 and tours with Courtney Marie Andrews and Molly Burch. Andy originates from the same small scene of independent Virginia youth culture that produced artists like Justin Frye (PC Worship) Natalie Prass, and Matthew E. White, all friends from his teenage years. His music descends from a tradition of Southern culture – unhurried in its art and unworried by industry demands. Jenkins paints a wide Virginia landscape with each song, catching the mood of a sun setting on a fine day spent amongst friends and favoured creatures. Co-writing credits include songs on Matthew E. White’s cult classic Big Inner, and the track “Cool Out” featured in the Netflix hit To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.

Erin Rae: Gifted with a unique ability to fuse musical genres and influences to craft songs that feel fresh and wholly her own, with her new album Putting On Airs(2018, Single Lock Records), Erin Rae has thrown down a direct challenge to the stereotype of what a Southern singer should be. Both lyrically and sonically, she strikes a fiercely independent chord, proudly releasing a deeply personal record that reflects her own upbringing in Tennessee, including the prejudices and injustices that she witnessed as a child that continue to impact her life to this day. According to Rae, "this album was born out of a need to do some healing work in my personal life, in order to address some fears and patterns of mine to allow my true feelings to come to the surface." Recorded in the dead of winter in an old Franciscan monastery on Wisconsin’s Fox River, the isolated environment created the perfect setting for Rae and her bandmates to track these genre-busting songs, using the chapel and other unique spaces within the cavernous building to explore new sonic boundaries, all while continuing to showcase the hypnotic vocals and song-serving restraint that have become her trademark.

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Same - Osho Tapes.

Lauren Records recently announced Plastic Western, the debut LP from SAME to be released on May 8th. From the first crackling notes of “It’s Lonely in Doggie Hell,” the opening track of SAME’s debut LP Plastic Western, the band locks into a groove that never really lets up. A quiet riff fades in from a distance then, like a radio tuning to find the right frequency, it’s quickly interrupted by a brief drum fill before a fuzz-filled bass line sets the tempo, intertwining over a languid beat. Just like that SAME sets off on a 12-song journey. But Plastic Western isn’t a sprint toward a finish line, it’s an album that takes its time to hang out, get cozy, and soak in all the weird sights.

"Pittsburgh’s Same cast a sepia tone across a ‘90s DIY-indebted style of indie rock. Their debut LP Plastic Western is at times range-y and raucous, but it also spends a lot of time being thoughtfully languid, dreamy in a night-under-the-stars kind of way." says the Alternative of the upcoming LP

SAME met each other sometime during their college years in the early 2010s, while attending shows in the Western Pennsylvania DIY punk scene. Born out of the ashes of a previous band that Caggiano, Higgins and Stern played in, SAME formally came together around 2015. For nearly a year, before the band released any music or played any shows, they wrote song after song, trying out different musical ideas until they honed in on a sound that clicked. “We spend a lot of time talking together about music, analyzing what we like or don’t like and why,” Higgins says.

A full-length LP was the original goal for SAME’s first release, but that eventually turned into two EPS—2016’s Weird as Hell and 2018’s Forgot to Say ‘Action’—as the band continued to tinker with its sound. “We are all into pretty different music, but we are on the same page in terms of how we want to approach writing,” Higgins says of the band’s songwriting process. Once the band locked into a sound that felt right, it was off to the races to record their first LP. That is until Stern broke his wrist in a skateboarding accident weeks before SAME was set to hit the studio. As a result, the band pushed back their recording date and used the time to write more songs and tinker even more with their sound, adding keys and electronic elements to the mix. “Jake breaking his wrist probably made the record better than it would’ve been,” Higgins says. “It dramatically changed our sound. We had talked about adding keys before, but since we had extra time and Jake only had one useful arm the opportunity forced itself on us.”

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Alissa Musto - How Still.

Growing up in a family of professional musicians, Alissa started playing the piano at 4 years old and debuted on the national television series, “America’s Most Talented Kid” at age 9. Since then, she has wowed audiences around the world, performing throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, the Mediterranean, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Her recent EP, “X Post Facto” has been described as “hauntingly beautiful”, “captivating”, poignant, authentic” and “the millennial ballad of the century”, while she has been critically praised as a “jazzy-folk songwriting genius”, a “female Elton John” and “your generation’s Billy Joel”. Representing her home state as Miss Massachusetts 2016, Alissa was also a top 15 finalist in the nationally-televised Miss America pageant on ABC and has been highly involved with several music education initiatives and organizations around the country.

An adaptation of the Langston Hughes’ poem “Sea Calm”, “How Still” is a tribute to the struggling cruise industry and 93,000 crew members still stuck at sea during the pandemic. A seafarer herself, Alissa Musto was able to return home before the CDC’s No Sail Order prohibited crew members from disembarking. Wrote, recorded and produced by Alissa, Olivia and William Musto from their home during quarantine.

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Whitney Rose - David Haerle - Kidsmoke

Whitney Rose new album is entitled 'We Still Go To Rodeos' and it's a fresh collection of twelve Americana songs with plenty of Texan authenticity and it's streaming in full below. === David Haerle's brand new album 'Death Valley' comprises of fifteen new songs from which we have videos for 'Romy And Michele' plus 'Go Do That With Sharon' both of which give a good feel for this fabulous mixture of rock genres. === Kidsmoke have released 'The Bluest You' a very appealing song that sees the band combining dream pop and observations on mental health.
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Whitney Rose - We Still Go To Rodeos (Album).

Whitney Rose has never been daunted or intimidated by challenges. Whether she’s perusing the possibilities that accompany a new project, or following up on her early transition to residency in Austin, she’s always eagerly embraced any opportunity to further amplify her art and her career.

That’s certainly the case with her upcoming album, We Still Go to Rodeos, due out April 24th on Rose’s own artist/management-run record label, MCG. Indeed, it continues a tradition Whitney has adhered to from early on — that is, the ability to share sentiments and scenarios that all of us can relate to simply by being participants in the sometimes tenuous adventure we call life.

Produced by Paul Kolderie, whose impressive resume includes Radiohead, Uncle Tupelo, Pixies, Toots & The Maytals, Hole, and Morphine, among the many, it’s a stunning set consisting of 12 songs, all of which were penned solely by Whitney herself.

While the sound, style and stance retain her trademark reverence for Americana authenticity, her confidence and creativity elevate her to a new plateau. There’s a familiarity factor to be sure, but the album also reflects a rugged independent spirit, one that takes its cue from the best of the Texas tradition.

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David Haerle - Romy And Michele / Go Do That With Sharon.

David Haerle's brand new album Death Valley comprises of fifteen new songs. David tells us - I’m a singer, songwriter and guitar player who grew up surrounded by music and the music business.  My maternal grandparents were owners of the first full time country music radio station in Nashville, TN.  My father, Martin, emigrated from Germany to pursue a dream of working in the country music industry and co-founded the independent label CMH Records, setting up shop in the garage and side room of our family home in Los Angeles.

My own taste was more rock.  I got my first guitar, a Fender Stratocaster around age 13, along with a Fender Deluxe Reverb amp.  I was captivated by the sounds of David Bowie, Black Sabbath, Van Halen and Led Zeppelin, and tried to learn everything I could from my guitar heroes Frank Zappa, Ted Nugent, Jimi Hendrix, and many others.

In 1990, I took over the company, now CMH Label Group and I’ve proudly served as its president for the last 29 years.  While I never stopped playing guitar, running the label meant making my own music had to take a back seat for quite a few years.  In 2009, I began studying with a vocal coach and it was singing that inspired me to focus more time on writing, recording and producing original songs. My first album, Garden of Edendale, began as a passion project and took 7 years to make.  Released in 2018, many of the songs pull from my own life experiences.  I tried to transform nostalgia into beauty, with a fair number of guitar-drums-bass driven jams mixed in. I started from scratch, began writing songs, recording and put together a great creative team, many of whom I continue to work with to this day.

Death Valley is my second album, which will be released in spring 2020.  I titled the album in honor of my favorite place on earth.  Death Valley is always a source of inspiration for me and a place that never fails to renew my spirit.  My family often ended up there on vacation in the summer, when relatives of my dad visited.  I still go as often as I can. Its vastness and beauty give me the direct experience of being part of a much greater whole.  And I love holding those memories of being with loved ones, the mystery of the landscape, and the endless possibilities for adventure. I have to say there are some advantages to releasing your first album in middle age.  I have more life experience to draw on lyrically than I did when I was 20 or even 30.  When I was younger, I wanted to sound like my heroes.  Now, I want to sound like myself.  I continue to explore what that means, writing and creating as much new music as I can. Sometimes you have to live the record before you can make the record.


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Kidsmoke - The Bluest You.

Following on from a thriving 2019, which saw the quadruple accumulate a monumental list of credits under their belt, including showcasing at SXSW in Austin, Texas, Kidsmoke have signed to Libertino Records and will release a new single ‘The Bluest You’ on April 24th.

In a contrast of dreamy pop and rhythmic strings, their new song ‘The Bluest You’ is a sombre observation of mental health and how it can affect loved ones. Initially inspired by Low/Heroes-era David Bowie, the track was intended to be an instrumental - but after intense rehearsals and the addition of some Matt Berninger-influenced lyrics, it morphed into something completely different and became the track we hear today.

The band tells us: “This song is a live favourite of ours. It is a fly on the wall look into a household where one person’s depression is affecting everyone else who lives there. The song doesn’t address the feelings of the person suffering with depression, it is a sort of commentary from the viewpoint of the rest of the family.”

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Rex - The Northern Belle - Anacarina

Rex are back just four weeks after sharing 'Palaces' with the new track 'Lovers Like We Used To Be' and the trio continue to deliver some moody and potent alt rock. === From Norway we have The Northern Belle with 'Gemini' taken from their next album 'We Wither, We Bloom' due for release in August, the featured song brims with Americana styles and some serious pop sensibilities. === Los Angeles singer-songwriter Anacarina just released 'Grave' a song where her vocals are passionate and the musical backdrop is beautifully arranged.
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Rex - Lovers Like We Used To Be.

Known for their curvatures of post punk, new wave and Spanish rhythms, the Amsterdam-based trio Rex explore themes around the darker side of life. Caught in a whirlwind of frustration over dead-end relationships, the band are set release new cut ‘‘Lovers Like We Used To Be’

Straddling genres with a sensational blend of mellifluous guitar riffs, snazzy drumbeats and lead singer Jonathan’s robust vocals, ‘Lovers Like We Used To Be’ is subjected around hopeless romanticism and resentment.

In talks of their new number Rex says: “It’s a story that happens on a certain night, when you think it’s better to leave a person because all that you have done together is repetitive. You’re left feeling frustrated, but soon realise that it’s your own patterns that causes the friction. When you return, it’s too late and realise you hardly knew her.”

This year will see Rex on the rising scale, as they welcome the release of their debut EP this spring.


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The Northern Belle - Gemini.

Written as an examination of personal relationships, the new album by The Northern Belle is aptly titled We Wither, We Bloom. The Norwegian septet is among the pioneers of the nordicana scene that has been gaining momentum in the US the last few years. Fronted by prolific singer-songwriter Stine Andreassen (also of folk quartet Silver Lining) and armed with pedal steel, slide guitar, lush harmonies, a string quartet and their secret weapon, the Norwegian Hardanger fiddle, The Northern Belle have developed their own unique brew of pop-oriented americana and folk music. Imagine Fleetwood Mac fronted by Jenny Lewis in a country mood.

Brimming with melodic tunes and clever lyrics, We Wither We Bloom is the band's third studio album, albeit the first to be released internationally. Having made the difficult decision to quit her day job to pursue music, Andreassen and The Northern Belle received widespread praise and a Spellemann nomination (Norwegian Grammy) for the 2018 album Blinding Blue Neon. In the spring of 2019, Andreassen traveled to Nashville for three months to write the follow-up. The welcoming and thriving music scene found east of the Cumberland River sparked a creative songwriting spell that resulted in this inspired collection of tracks. The distance from home allowed for new views on friends, family, love, loss and homesickness, resulting in the band's most personal album to date.

Constantly evolving as a band, The Northern Belle’s sound in 2020 is inspired by contemporary acts such as Erin Rae, Kacey Musgraves, Phoebe Bridgers and Marit Larsen, as well as legends such The Beach Boys, The Byrds and Glen Campbell. All resulting in a record that pays tribute to its inspirations while also showing true originality.


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Anacarina - Grave.

Los Angeles singer-songwriter Anacarina shares "Grave" the latest single off her upcoming EP 'One of Your Forevers'.

“Grave” is about being in love with someone and the ups but more so the downs that come along with it. It’s about feeling that strong desire, doubting your judgement, feeling shame and insecurity.

Anacarina produced “Grave” with Jonathan Lee Chan and was mastered by Chris Longwood. Together, they create an emotionally powerful track.

"[Grave is] A song about being in love with someone, feeling that strong desire, and not believing/ having little faith in the success of that connection. Doubting your judgement. Feeling shame and insecurity. Grieving and desperate longing."
- Anacarina - 'One of Your Forevers' is out on May 29th via Glass Planets.

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Lauran Hibberd - Pantayo - The Modern Society - Hostile Tribes - Beach Scvm

Lauran Hibberd is back for a tenth time on Beehive Candy with the song and video for 'Old Nudes', which sees the slacker pop artist in (as to be expected) splendid form. === Toronto by-way-of Philippines quintet Pantayo share 'V V V (They Lie)', where the driving beats are matched with some fabulous vocals and a haunting musical backdrop. === Our second helping of The Modern Society this year comes in the form of 'Liquid Love' and this annoyingly young band demonstrate plenty of musical maturity and the good humoured video is a bonus. === Hostile Tribes (Paul Baird) has just shared 'Locals' a rhythmic piece where his vocals sway in and out of the track and the video plays into the trippy vibe. === Beach Scvm have shared a new video for 'Forever Sunday' an upbeat dream pop song with a hint or two of shoegaze for good measure.
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Lauran Hibberd - Old Nudes.

Primed to capitalise on growing widespread acclaim, resident slacker pop specialist Lauran Hibberd continues her ascent towards the peak of the indie landscape with playful new cut ‘Old Nudes’, set for release April 23rd.

Producing her most infectious track to date, the hotly-tipped Isle of Wight native’s satirical approach and anthemic tendencies shine through once again, providing the perfect follow-up to pop-infused January release ‘Bang Bang Bang’ and subsequent sold-out UK tour, as she transitions towards bigger audiences and bigger stages.

Occupying a similar space to contemporaries including Phoebe Bridgers and Weezer, Hibberd’s popularity is certainly on the rise, with considerable support across the BBC Radio 1 airwaves (Annie Mac, Huw Stephens, Jack Saunders) and key champions at press (The Line Of Best Fit, Dork, Billboard, Clash, Gigwise) helping her notch gripping UK/EU support tours alongside US heavyweights Hippo Campus and The Regrettes in recent months.

With appearances on the BBC Introducing and The Line Of Best Fit stages at SXSW curtailed earlier this year, the newcomer will be looking to pick up where she left off with a slew of festival appearances and extensive UK dates in the autumn, where she’ll play some of her biggest shows to date.

Detailing her upcoming release, Hibberd revealed: “‘Old Nudes’ is unfortunately based upon a true story. We’ve all been there right!? The track looks back on the ‘mistake’, and almost mocks it using over confidence. It belittles the receiver, and oozes sarcasm and naivety. I keep writing songs about being young because I’m scared of getting too old to joke about these things”.

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Pantayo - V V V (They Lie).

Pantayo, the Vice-tipped Toronto by-way-of Philippines quintet, has just shared their new single, ‘V V V (They Lie)’. The new track is the latest in a string of singles to be lifted from their forthcoming self-titled debut album, set for release via Telephone Explosion Records on May 8, 2020.

‘V V V (They Lie)’ was put together over the course of a single day with the group finding inspiration, to an extent, in bubble tea. “The composition of the song was as a lot like a cup of bubble tea,” says the band. “We added 2 cups of blended percussion as the base, then some analog synth tapioca pearls to keep the texture interesting and fun, and finally topped it off with a few tablespoons of fresh tropical vocal fruits for some added sweetness.”

Pantayo is an audio diary of how the ensemble has grown together as writers and performers. The songwriting process started with members workshopping and performing traditional kulintang pieces whilst adapting kick drums and synths to the modal tuning of the gongs, further expanding Pantayo’s ability to incorporate modern musical expressions. “If you listen to the recordings of our rehearsals and songwriting sessions, you can hear us deconstructing the kulintang parts section-by-section and practicing our songs in different styles,” says keyboardist and vocalist Eirene Cloma.

Grounded in the interpretation of kulintang music, Pantayo can be a vehicle for discussions around diasporic Filipino identity. All five members have different experiences of settling in Canada and with that comes their relationships with music. Kat Estacio, co-founder of Pantayo, says “One way that we can make this world feel like home for folks like us is to mix the kulintang music that we learned with different sounds and song structures that feel familiar to us."


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The Modern Society - Liquid Love.

Cheshire alternative pop fourpiece The Modern Society have announced their new single Liquid Love, which is available to buy and stream now. Aged between only 17, 18 and 19-years-old and forming the band whilst still at school, The Modern Society have a unique sound that blends indie and rock with funk and pop alongside youthful and direct lyrics.

New single Liquid Love follows recently released debut single Bad Thoughts, which was the first introduction to the band’s sound. Produced by Simon Jones (The Verve), Liquid Love is a jazz-inspired indie pop song written about young love, with innocent lyrics backed by a catchy melody full of romance, hazy days and optimism. The track is backed by a humorous video shot in Brighton and featuring the band themselves. The band say;

“Liquid Love is inspired by the summertime & sunshine and the overwhelming power of young and innocent romance. It is a feel-good, organic, summer love song.”

The Modern Society have been building their local following playing shows in and around Cheshire over the last year, including a recent show at Manchester’s Band on the Wall and the Jacaranda Club in Liverpool. The Modern Society are Lucas Humpheys (vocals & piano), Declan Fowles (drums), Jack Varah (guitar & backing vocals) and Connor Loman (bass guitar and backing vocals).

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Hostile Tribes - Locals.

As a young Mancunian teenager, Paul Baird hung around at a recording studio often enough that they eventually gave him a job. This led to Baird being involved in (read: cleaning tape heads, answering the phone and making brews) the recording of Teenage Fanclub's album, Thirteen and the remixing of The Who's seminal live album, Live at Leeds.

Baird soon cut his teeth as a sixteen-year-old guitarist in Manchester punk band, Breather, receiving national press attention and gigging throughout the UK, including an official show at In the City, in Dublin, at the request of the late Tony Wilson, before suddenly departing the group, to paint abstract canvases and study philosophy, no less! Unintentionally scuppering Breather's plans (of signing with RCA Records) in the process.

Baird later went on to front Manchester dream-pop acts; Glass (Soviet Union Records & Caserta Red Records), I See Angels (Mimic This Records) & Just Everywhere (Ramber Records), chalking up A play-listed singles on the likes of NME radio, playing shows at venues such as the 02 Apollo Manchester and The Fuzz Club (Athens, Greece) and found himself the focus of interviews by the BBC, XFM and the Manchester Evening News, before retreating once more, this time to raise a family, just as things were beginning to look promising.

Ever the outsider, Paul Baird is Hostile Tribes these days… His swooning vocal instantly recognisable as it carries gorgeous melodies across otherwise digitally corrupted indie-pop, synth-pop and dream-pop. An accomplished singer, guitarist, and producer, amongst other things, Baird often throws several synth-led bouts of songwriting into his mixes, reverberated vocal loops and fragile harmonies surging alongside electronic loops and classic hip-hop influenced beats, pretty instrumental interludes, the aching hum of ambience and fuzzy guitars.

An aggressive acid eats away at Baird from the inside; his tracks play urgently as a result, whether they’re of the dreamy electronic variety, psychedelic pop, or short stabs of art-punk, periodically running riot with distortion pedals and protesting guitar squeal. Pin Baird down with any precision to a location and his momentum goes haywire. Track his speed and lose the man in space forever.

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Beach Scvm - Forever Sunday.

'Forever Sunday' the new video clip of dreampop band Beach Scvm definitely brings back memories of happier times. Of times when nobody talked about corona yet. When people in front of stage bounced their sorrows away. Moments in which life just raced by, for example when we were skateboarding. But «Forever Sunday» is as well about those worn-out moments when, after a night of partying and performing live, the sun falls through the windows of the small tour bus.

Beach Scvm are convinced that these times return – an optimism that seems specially authentic as they're a band from France, which has been particularly hit strong by corona-crisis. While others would be accused of spreading platitudes, Beach Scvm know perfectly well how to emphasise their wishes of a fun-filled world in musical ways.

Beach Scvm have wrapped their visions into tasty dreampop and shoegaze. They underline the choruses with their Beach Boys-inspired harmonies, which of course support their surfer image. No wonder that Beach Scvm were invited to play at big windsurfing festivals in their home country in the summer. Whether these events can actually really take place is unsure: it is likely that corona-pandemy will stop them.

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