The Northern Belle have released another song from their next album, this track is entitled 'Late Bloomer' (we shared 'Gemini' a few weeks back), and again the Norwegian bands ability to make catchy and timeless music is highly notable. === Andrea and Mud have released their new album 'Bad News Darlin' and it's streaming in full below. In April we shared 'Lines' as a foretaste of the collection and the other ten tracks have really lived up to expectations as the duo's Surf Western easily pleases. === From Watford in the UK we have Lakes and their new single 'Kids' which features Dan Lambton, together they create a refreshing, jangly and melodic indie rock song.
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The Northern Belle - Late Bloomer.
Ahead of their next album The Northern Belle have released 'Late Bloomer'. 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.
Atlanta-based surf-western duo Andrea & Mud have officially released their latest LP Bad News Darlin' to critical acclaim from American Songwriter, Wide Open Country, Lonesome Highway, Americana Highways, Cowboys & Indians Magazine, and more leading up to the release.
Surf-western music is a vigorous elixir - blending spaghetti westerns with rough-edged, honky-tonkin’ classic country. Atlanta-based duo Andrea & Mud draw upon genre stalwart Junior Brown, who coined the “surf-western” term, into their own special mix, tossing in heartier blues stock ala Shovels & Rope. Their songwriting is uniquely potent, and with their new album, Bad News Darlin’, they extract parts of themselves to cope, mend, observe, and grow.
Consummate storytellers, Andrea Colburn and Kyle “Mud” Moseley bury their instruments and melodies in the earth’s dusty shell. Each song is soaked in style, immersive and heightened like a Quentin Tarantino soundtrack 一 think Kill Bill or Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood.
The duo co-produced the record with Damon Moon at Standard Electric Records in Decatur, Georgia, and the roster of musicians is impressive. Players include Tre “Danger” Watts (upright bass), Adam Higgins (electric bass, organ), Will Derr (drums), Bradley Daugherty (drums), “Smoking” Brett Resnick (pedal steel), Liz Sloan (fiddle), Chad Paulin (trumpet), Jim Ivy (saxophone), and Matt’s Blues (Matt Jordan on piano).
These 11 tracks are ragged, transportative, and electric. “Birmingham, AL 8:30 AM” is a bluesy, late-night swiller, as they tie together a real-life story about a debaucherous night in the Yellowhammer state that carried on well after sunrise. Then, a song like the boot-scootin’ “Used Car Salesman” depicts a tale about a greasy, sleazy salesman and his hooker. With “I Ain’t Home,” they bite
Watford, UK indie rockers Lakes are debuting a new track titled "Kids" featuring Dan Lambton (formerly of Real Friends).
The band says: "As well as being lucky enough to have Dan Lambton (singer of Real Friends until very recently) on a track, we are also super lucky to have the songs recorded by Steph Carter in Watford (guitarist in Gallows), produced and mixed by Neil Strauch in Chicago (who has worked with Owen, Owls, Joan Of Arc, Iron & Wine, Slow Mass) and mastered by Zach Weeks in Massachusetts (at Kurt Ballou's GodCity Studio), with artwork by Dylan England (of the band Del Paxton)."
"We met Dan through Instagram after he tagged us in a photo of a tattoo he had just got of the artwork from our debut album and some lyrics from our song "Ontario". This obviously blew our minds! We met up at the Real Friends show at The Electric Ballroom in London and he was the absolute best host and kindest man. We stayed in touch and we are so honoured to have him sing on this."
"Neil Strauch has recorded so many of our favourite albums and it's been a dream having him long-distance-produce these songs for us. Paul from The LP Cafe was doing an Audiotree session in Chicago last year with Nervus and Neil happened to be mixing it, so Paul gave him a copy of our debut album and then the rest is kinda history!" - "These two songs are also the first to feature our new vocalist Blue Jenkins who joined the band in February."
"Warning Signs features another guest vocalist Ed Hutchinson from the legendary Watford hardcore band Incoherence, helping out with those screams at the end! We're excited to be working with Know Hope Records for this 7" and also for our second album which is due out next year. We're huge fans of Vinnie Caruana, Sleep In, String Machine and all the other great bands on that label and the guys there are super nice."
Robert Jon and the Wreck have a new album 'Last Light On The Highway' and it's streaming in full below. Fans of southern rock from the Allman Brothers through to The Black Crowes will simply love this rootsy, soulful album, for those not so sure, dive in and enjoy. === ElectroBluesSociety feat Karin Roerdink have just shared a cover version of Amy Winehouse's 'You Know I'm No Good' giving it a respectful and refined rendition. === Unspoken Tradition share a fresh and natural Bluegrass song called 'At the Bottom Again' the musicianship is fabulous and the vocals are spot on for this genre.
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Robert Jon and the Wreck - Last Light On The Highway (Album).
Unless you have quarantined yourself too long and too isolated you must at least have heard of Robert Jon and the Wreck. With 8 albums and an impressive live reputation under their belt we are very proud to be part of their team now and to be distributing their latest rocking masterpiece across Europe.
Official release date for CD and Vinyl release through retail is July 19 and rightfully so the media have already received the album with unprecedented praise and airplay.
All you want from great music is there: the songs, the playing, the singing and the production. And then to top things off for Robert Jon and the Wreck there's this soulful Southern groove.
Their 9th European tour is still scheduled for September and we will cross our fingers for that, but at least we can now get our shot of Southern Blues from one of the hottest bands in Southern Rock and their album "Last Light On the Highway".
ElectroBluesSociety feat Karin Roerdink - You Know I'm No Good.
Second single from a session that ElectroBluesSociety did with Dutch singer Karin Roerdink; and again a cover version from a famous Amy Winehouse song.
KuvVer Records is a sub label from Black and Tan Records. Specially created to release refreshing cover versions of well known songs in any musical style.
This track is released digital only and available on all the download and streaming platforms.
There is something unique in the way that musical forms reflect the changing cultures from which they emerge, and few artists better illustrate the dynamic than western North Carolina’s Unspoken Tradition, whose acclaimed 2019 release, Myths We Tell Our Young, tapped into both the restlessness and rootedness of their native soil with songs like “Dark Side of the Mountain” and “Land” and prompted Bluegrass Unlimited to describe them as a group “at once part of the tradition and shapers of a new sound.”
Now the quintet is back with an even more adventurous approach, beginning with a new single, “At The Bottom Again.” Written by Justin Carbone and producer Jon Weisberger, the song offers intense foreboding through a lovelorn lyric and insistent, ominous chords and rhythms, with only a brief pause for contemplation before returning to an intense, yet irresistibly catchy final chorus. And though it tells a personal story, the theme of an unexpected downfall resonates with today’s headlines.
The single also introduces a newcomer to the Unspoken Tradition lineup, as veteran bassist Sav Sankaran — with a distinguished performance and recording resume — supplies dog whistle high tenor harmonies to the powerful and familiar lead vocals of founding member and guitarist Audie McGinnis. Established members Zane McGinnis and Ty Gilpin drive the pocketed groove on banjo and mandolin and fiddler Tim Gardner’s aggressive fiddle and baritone vocal give “At the Bottom Again” its emotive power.
“Bluegrass music is a powerful combination of Anglo-Celtic fiddle music and Southern African-American blues. During tough times, times of uncertainty and times of hardship, blues music has been a vehicle for expressing pain, and 'At the Bottom Again' leans heavily on that tradition. We wanted to bring all our intensity to this song, and it reflects the emotions we all share when things get off track and take unexpected turns,” adds Gilpin.
“This song has all the elements of a quintessential Unspoken Tradition track — a hard-driving groove, soaring vocals, and perhaps most importantly, a relatable, heartfelt storyline,” notes Sankaran. “With Jon producing, Audie and I could really dig into the motivation behind the lyrics with the benefit of the songwriter’s perspective to guide us, and the guys did an amazing job of combining technical prowess and musicality to add some incredible instrumental breaks.”
“The band has always been super selective when deciding what to record,” Audie McGinnis adds. “So when we heard ‘At the Bottom Again’ there was no question. The lyrics tell a story many of us know all too well, and I personally love the chord changes and moves in the song. I think our excitement and eagerness to play it show through on the recording — it’s got just the right amount of grit!”
TJ Roberts return today with the new single 'Sinceridipity' and on this occasion the energy levels are up as are the exuberant rock vibes. === Teghan Devon has a new E.P out entitled 'Little Lion' from which we have the title track, the four songs are distinctly different with Little Lion being a good indicator of her gorgeous folk orientated music. === Emperor of Ice Cream are finally going to release their debut album recorded back in the nineties and as a preview we have 'Lambent Eyes' which really does raise expectations. === Evening Hymns shares his new single 'Pyrenees' accompanied by an original video, the atmospheric track and imagery are beautifully matched. === Dougie Poole returns with 'The Who's Who Of Who Cares' in April we featured 'Vaping On The Job' and the latest song showcases his crooner vocals wonderfully. === Brenda Cay has a new video for her current single 'Unplug and Recharge' the modern country artist adding to the story line on this feisty country rock song.
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TJ Roberts -Sinceridipity.
TJ Roberts returns with his energetic new single ‘Sinceridipity’. This follow up to the successful and reflective ‘True Secret To A Happy Life’ shows TJ Robert in a fun raucous mood, turning everything up until the foundations shake.
‘Sinceridipity’ is a song written in the time honoured tradition of barely comprehensible nonsense; loosely charting the cringe of looking back on the faux (and often misinformed) personas that develop through adolescence.
Equally inspired by the dark-eyed Lou Reed and Mark Everett (Eels) as it is the rambunctious energy of Dinosaur Jr. and Fugazi. Featuring the highest-grade noise from guitar hero Zac White (Buzzard Buzzard Buzzard, Zac White).
'Sinceridipity' is released today June 12 on Libertino Records.
Boston based songwriter, Teghan Devon’s Little Lion is an EP of 4 extremely personal songs written in the thick of grieving the loss of a best friend, a 13 year-old yellow lab, named Sarge.
For those of you who are thinking “she really wrote an EP about losing her dog?” Yes, she did. In doing so, she tapped into the universal feelings of grief, that come along with losing anyone that we care about.
Devon explains the EP and the decision to write about this subject, - Sarge was more than just a dog. He was larger than life. He fought through laryngeal paralysis, a broken leg, three surgeries, his heart stopping for 10 to 12 minutes, a traumatic brain injury, and multiple arthritis attacks. He was a miracle and my guardian angel. He was by my side through every hardship, every challenge, always showing me the good in the world and in myself. He was meant to be in my life. Losing Sarge is one of the hardest things I have ever had to go through. A year later I’m still going through it. A part of me will always be going through it. We've all lost someone we loved. My someone happened to have paws, and the biggest, purest heart. These 4 songs really show my different stages of grief after he died. Missing him, disbelief that I might never see him again, feeling angry at the world, and again always desperately missing him.
The EP features a sweet and simple acoustic guitar, an aching fiddle, some dreamy synths, a raw electric guitar, and heartbreaking solo piano. I recorded the EP at a studio in a gorgeous old church in West Springfield MA, called Rotary Records. It is honestly the most beautiful studio I've ever been in. The EP was produced by Ryan Hommel, mixed and recorded by Andrew Oedel, and mastered by Kevin Butler. Making this EP was a very emotional but incredible experience and I am so thankful to all of the wickedly talented people who helped my vision come to life.
It’s with a sense of unfinished business that Cork cult indie-rockers Emperor of Ice Cream emerge from their lengthy hiatus to release ‘Lambent Eyes’ on FIFA Records. The track is a gorgeous, hazy re-introduction to the band’s long-awaited debut album, originally set for release on Sony Records in the summer of 1995.
Emperor of Ice Cream (named after the novel by author Brian Moore) quickly became the toast of Irish indie music in the early nineties when, after a clamour for their signature, they were whisked away to London from Cork by Sony Records to tour and record their first album, following a trail blazed by fellow Corkonians Sultans of Ping and The Frank & Walters.
“There was a real sense of excitement on the music scene in Cork at the time,” recalls Haggis. “We were going to see bands like Pavement, Mercury Rev, Rollerskate Skinny, Sonic Youth and Nirvana in venues like Sir Henry’s and Nancy Spains. We were hurtling towards the end of the century and discovering new music every week. I do look back on it as a bit of a golden time for music, maybe everyone does with parts of their youth. But it did seem like one of those times that only happens every once in a while.”
Fledgling riotous performances and early demos had piqued the interest of several record labels, but Sony pipped them all to the post with a promising development deal, and the lure of London captured the imagination of the four young band members - John ‘Haggis’ Hegarty, Graham Finn, Eddie Butt and Colum Young. It resulted in three extremely well-received EPs (‘Overflow’, ‘William’ and 'Know Me') and recordings began with 'Fast' Eddie Clarke of metal legends Motörhead.
The rest, as they say, is history . . . For almost unfathomable reasons, the debut album never saw the light of day and the band returned to Cork, having burned very brightly, with its fires quenched. The four band members went their separate ways and expectant fans never got the opportunity to listen to a collection of songs that had been filling venues across the UK and Ireland, yet never committed to tape or vinyl.
“Apart from a few heads in Cork who might have heard demos back in the day, it will be the first time these songs have been heard by most people and I think, at least with us in the band, it's about time we got them out there,” says Haggis. “It’s been great reconnecting with the lads to bring this together and it's a nice feeling to finally put a ribbon on something we worked hard at, but never saw it come to fruition.” ‘Lambent Eyes’ is the first taster of this soon-to-be-discovered lost gem of Irish music, set for release at the beginning of July..
Evening Hymns – the ever-evolving project of musician, composer and producer, Jonas Bonnetta – has just shared his new single, ‘Pyrenees’ which comes with an official video directed by Monika Kraska. ‘Pyrenees’ is the third song to be released after ‘I Can Only Be Good’ and ‘My Drugs My Dreams’ – tipped so far at NPR, Gorilla vs Bear, American Songwriter, The Line Of Best Fit, Exclaim and more – from the long-awaited new album, Heavy Nights, out via Shuffling Feet Records on June 26, 2020.
Recorded and self-produced at Port William Sound, Bonnetta’s rural studio in Eastern Ontario, the new record features an array of guests including Joseph Shabason (Destroyer), José Contreras (By Divine Right), Bonnetta’s partner, Caylie Runciman (Boyhood) and Edwin Huizinga (The Wooden Sky). ‘Pyrenees’, a glistening standout from the album featuring Shabason’s brooding saxophone work was written between France and Spain whilst on tour. Thematically it captures the moments when Jonas began to move past heartbreak and transition in life, there are elements of catharsis and personal development in the essence that are emulated in the sonics of the track too, the pent up energy and tension before the incendiary ending.
“I woke up before the band on the last date of tour in one of my favourite places in the world,” says Jonas. “Sitting way up in a mountain villa on the border of France and Spain above the village of Sare. I played guitar to a beat I had programmed on my phone. I was feeling new life. Falling in love while on the road and thinking about all the what-ifs. It [the track] wasn’t something that I could take to anyone to help process, so it just lived inside my head for that tour. It felt like catharsis to have an outlet for this pent-up energy. All of the conflict just being obliterated by this new excitement for a big change.”
Speaking about the challenges of producing the video during a pandemic, director Monika Kraska adds: "In making this video I wanted to visually express the duality of being enthusiastic about a new relationship, with the opposing force of feeling guarded in its newness. I wanted the focus to be a dance performance, but having been met with restrictions due to the pandemic, my options were limited. Having only the resources I could create for myself, I was really fortunate in that I have friends nearby with black belts in karate.
Although it initially felt like a compromise, I grew to feel that the seriousness, and physicality in watching these sisters performing katas from memory was absolutely in keeping with my initial concepts of what the video should represent.”
NYC country crooner Dougie Poole's new album The Freelancer's Blues is due out today Friday (June 12th) on Wharf Cat Records (Palberta, Bambara, Public Practice). The album has seen two singles the "Vaping On The Job" in March and "Los Angeles" which was accompanied by a video that re-imagined the opening credits of Star Trek: TNG as set in a Dougie Poole-themed universe. Today Poole is releasing a final single from the album with "The Who's Who of Who Cares" and once more taking a dip into classic TV by taking a drive through New Jersey for a video that remakes The Sopranos opening credits.
The Freelancer's Blues reveals country songwriting as a medium that is surprisingly well-suited for exploring the working and creative lives of Dougie Poole and the city-dwelling peers, and "The Who's Who of Who Cares" applies that formula to the classic country song topic of a night at the bar with your buddies. A song about the camaraderie found amidst the striving and stress of trying to make a life with art in it that gently pokes fun at the status obsessions that sometimes entails.
"My friends and I had been using this turn of phrase for years, long before I ever started this project," explains Poole. "Maybe someone asks 'Who was at the party?', expecting a real answer, and the other person responds 'The who’s who of who cares.' It’s a way of poking fun at whoever asked the question for caring to ask. It’s a way of poking fun at any number of people at the party, who might have been cooler, smarter, better-looking, more-fashionable than we were. Maybe it was about imagining ourselves as somehow outside of or above the social universe we inhabited (which we weren’t). Building a little wall.
"As time went on that turn of phrase started to mean something different to me. Instead of the who’s who of who cares being the other people, the who’s who of who cares were my people. The artists I work with, and play shows with, who don’t always know whether to keep going or pack it in. When you’re in your early twenties, a lot of people you know are musicians. It’s what’s so beautiful about a DIY scene - you’ve got a lot of different voices. But as time goes on the crowd thins out a bit. Some folks give it up, cause they start working on other things, or start looking for a little more stability. Some just get sucked into their day jobs and never come back. A few lucky ones break through to another level of success - they can work within the system and do their art like a real job. But most of us who stick around are caught somewhere in the middle. Making work that we take seriously in whatever time we’ve got left over. And maybe that work gets some attention, but doesn’t blow up in the way you need it to if you want it to pay the bills."
Country Singer/Songwriter Brenda Cay has released the music video for her newest single, "Unplug and Recharge" on Tuesday, June 9th. Brenda Cay is an incredibly talented artist that instantly and authentically connects with her audience through her work. Her latest single, "Unplug and Recharge", is a simple reminder to take a break from the crazy pace of our lives that leave us totally drained!
“I wrote the song with my friend, Brian Brewer, after laughing about some frustrating social media posts (we can all think of some post that has made us shake our head) and we concluded that sometimes it’s best to unplug and recharge.” - Brenda Cay
Read Aria Mae's review (Music Update Central) of "Unplug and Recharge":
Brenda Cay shows everyone just how much fun it can be to “Unplug and Recharge” in her new music video. With a groovy melody that is sure to get you dancing she sends a message that we all too often forget. The hectic tasks we perform in our day to day lives often drag us down and cause us to stress out. When you get caught up in all the details and forget how enjoyable the little things are, the chorus of this catchy tune will remind you to follow in Cay’s footsteps and “Make livin' life simple, my way of livin' large”.
This video doesn’t leave out the importance of good company either. After all, you can only have so much fun by yourself. So, grab some friends, open a few cold ones, and get your groove on to this lively song that is sure to get you to “Unplug and Recharge”.
"Unplug and Recharge" was written and recorded by Brenda Cay; produced at Sound Resources by Brian Brewer, Fred Shendel and Steve Babb. Song includes vocal production by Kristin K. Smith with Justine Blazer on background vocals. Following the release of the single the accompanying music video for “Unplug and Recharge” will be released on June 5th. The video was produced by Brenda Cay and Scott Kornblum, with video editing by Dylan Thomas.
Little Kid have just released their new single 'All Night (Golden Ring)' and it's a gentle mix of folk and understated Americana with wonderful dual vocals. === From Bristol, England quintetGoan Dogs we have their brand new breathtaking, creative and vibrant song 'Zombies'.
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Little Kid - All Night (Golden Ring).
Though Toronto's Little Kid have been bubbling under in DIY circles since 2011 the band are beginning to garner widespread international attention since their signing to Solitaire Recordings (Common Holly, Kate Davis) earlier this year. Led by songwriter Kenny Boothby the band built a cult audience through performances with artists like Car Seat Headrest, Horse Jumper of Love, Fog Lake and Half Waif, and a prolific output of idiosyncratic home recordings, before signing to the label earlier this year.
They have since released two singles, the stand alone release "Thief On The Cross" and "Losing" which came out to announce their forthcoming album Transfiguration Highway in early May, and have been warmly embraced by the press immediately, earning praise from outlets like NPR, Beats1, Line of Best Fit, World Cafe, Exclaim and Stereogum who compared the band to artists like Whitney, Pinegrove and Neil Young/The Band. This week, Little Kid are sharing a second single from the record entitled "All Night (Golden Ring)."
A duet between Kenny Boothby and bandmate Megan Lunn, the track explores the relationship between Tammy Wynette and George Jones on a track that is named for an album of duets (Golden Ring) from the two country singers who were also a real life couple. Boothby was a fan of the record but found his understanding of it unavoidably altered by its context, as the album was recorded after Wynette and Jones had divorced due to Jones’ abusive behavior. The singers, after failing to find the same success as solo artists thereafter, recorded the album together for purely commercial reasons and it went on to become the first number 1 record of their career.
“I was really saddened to read about that, and to picture how that must have felt for Tammy,” says Boothby. “I can’t relate directly, but as a survivor of abuse, I can only imagine what it would feel like to have to sing with my abuser, much less to have to sing love songs with him and act like everything is OK.”
Bristolian quintet Goan Dogs took an extended hiatus from the music scene, before marking their return this year. With their debut full-length in the pipeline and the recent release of vibrant numbers ‘Anxiety’ and ‘God Loves a Trier’, the five-piece announce their third offering ‘Zombies’.
Converging eerie experimental synths with jangling guitar pop, ‘Zombies’ reminisces over happy recollections of one’s past. Given the world’s current circumstances with the Global pandemic, it seems only fitting that this ambitious track is the next in line on the bands release radar.
Discussing the track, Goan Dogs tells us: “Now that the whole world is ill, we all do the same things day in, day out. Stuck on a loop. Remember the good old days? When we were free to wake up, eat food, drink, get bored, get anxious, sleep and repeat. Everyday. Without thinking. Like Zombies.”
Laced with hypnotising melodies which layer neatly underneath frontman Luke’s hazy vocal harmonies, Goan Dogs have the ability to contort and sculpt an unconventional structure into an exquisite piece of indie-pop. They went on to say: “Zombies is the band’s catchiest tune yet. An infectious earworm waiting to nibble your brains.”
Zoe Polanski has just released a new single 'Pharoah's Island' and it's an introduction to the forthcoming 'Violent Flowers' album due in July, the song itself is a mixture of ambient and dream pop styles and it's beautiful. ==Eric Bolander has a new single entitled 'Magic Moon' which is a refreshing slice of Americana with some refined rock vibes. === Jordan Lehning shares 'Oolaloom' ahead of his next album, Jordan states that the track "acts as a prologue in the story of 'Little Idols'" (the album), it's also a fine taster for the collection.
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Zoe Polanski - Pharoah's Island.
Zoe Polanski has released a new single "Pharoah's Island." The single features Polanski’s hypnotic vocals and shimmering guitar paired with electronic producer Aviad Zinemana Zinemanas’ blend of implied rhythms, soft percussion, and weaving keyboard pads.Hear an advance of the cinematic & exploratory work of ambient-pop below. Zoe's record "Violent Flowers" is out July 17th on Youngbloods on limited edition vinyl and across digital channels. The record is co-produced and written with Tel-Aviv electronic producer Aviad Zinemanas.
"Pharaoh's Island started out as an exciting and unexpected match between one of my guitar loops and a Goblet Drum rhythm (a very common, household instrument in Israel). The unusual combination of sounds inspired me to think about an Island east off the shore of Sinai (Egypt) and a little bit south to the Israeli city of Eilat.
This island, called Pharaoh's Island, or "Coral Island", is the site of an ancient fortress, used throughout the centuries as a strategic point in wars between the people of the area. What enchanted me about the place was the fact that underneath this militarized land there is a parallel universe that exists underwater, in the base of the island - an exceptionally rich colony of corals and marine life. It's this shifting of focus from the surface inwards that inspired my musical and lyrical expression in this song." - Zoe Polanski.
Americana singer-songwriter Eric Bolander has released a new single "Magic Moon", and plans to release a second single "Window" on August 21 as he works towards a third full-length release.
Human beings are surprisingly resilient creatures. Through honoring his grandmother, singer-songwriter Eric Bolander weathers his own emotional firestorm with his 2019 record The Wind, and now with two new singles, “Magic Moon” and “Window”. These are brooding, often languid, folk set-piece weaving in and out of tales of drug addiction, religion, renewal and the birth of his two-year-old daughter. He casts off his hard-rock outer shell for a more traditionally-rooted and sensitive storybook, steeped in heartfelt emotions and embodying the endurance of the human spirit.
“Magic Moon” and “Window” both display a decidedly more electric guitar-driven approach from Bolander’s previous efforts, but weaved into that are brooding strings, keyboards, and Bolander’s familiar acoustic guitar and expertly-layered folk vocal harmonies. Both singles share a common thread of being tales of out-of-body experiences, as the characters within embark on existential searches for truth and escape from all things negative.
Much of his work has been scattered in the rock music scene through the years. He’s mounted numerous creative endeavors, including rock bands Modern Day Relic and Alcatraz Shakedown, and made enduring friendships with the likes of producer Duane Lundy (Sturgill Simpson, Ringo Starr) and Americana troubadour Arlo McKinley among countless others.
These new singles were once again produced by Lundy at his studio in Lexington, Kentucky, is as much a natural transition in Bolander’s catalog as an evocative love letter to a weathered existence in an ever-tumultuous world. “He’s just trying to live his whole life / in search of her,” he calls into the void on “Magic Moon”, depicting a narrator in search of a metaphorical “her” that isn’t necessarily a physical being.
Sonically, Bolander gallops through the crossroads of John Moreland and Bruce Springsteen (circa Devils & Dust), from rollicking explorations of struggle and its broken remnants to bitter, cynical prayers.
Nashville composer/producer/artist Jordan Lehning has announced the August 7 release of his cinematic new album Little Idols. As a celebrated producer, Lehning has worked with the likes of Caitlin Rose, Rodney Crowell and Andrew Combs, in addition to writing and tracking string arrangements for Kacey Musgraves, Burt Bacharach, Brett Eldridge, Leon Bridges and more. Along with the announcement, Lehning has released the first track “Oolaloom”, which acts as the opening credits to a whirlwind story that unfolds over the length of the album.
“‘Oolaloom’ acts as a prologue in the story of Little Idols,” explains Lehning. “The main character addresses the audience imploring them to ‘sing along a secret song’ that then sets in motion the events to follow. The music was written and recorded first, and once I understood the purpose of the song in the context of the record the lyrics came together quickly. Street sounds can be heard throughout, as well as acoustic guitar, pitched percussion, keyboards, upright bass, strings and winds.”
Approaching the process from a director’s perspective, Jordan Lehning crafted Little Idols in the style of a short film while drawing on the focused, deliberate works of filmmakers like Ingmar Bergman. The album takes place over the course of a week, recounting a passionate affair between a married woman and a single man who grapple with the persisting conflict of right and wrong, free will and fate, connection and commitment.
Each song acts as its own scene, illustrated by intimate vocals, breathy woodwinds and sweeping strings that weave through strategic interludes marking the narrative's forward motion. Beginning with the swirling opening track “Oolaloom”, with an off-kilter time signature that hints at the impending chaos, a flirtatious anticipation builds before erupting with the explosive end of “Passing The Time” and moving into the remorseful aftermath of the album’s second half. The story concludes with “Only That You’re Gone”, as our protagonist pieces his life back together and the closing credits roll. Little Idols is a poignant, literate collection of songs encouraging repeated listens.
“You have to be patient watching a Bergman film,” Lehning elaborates. “They’re very still, but they’re brilliant at capturing the quiet amidst the loud. I envisioned this album as something similar, a tonal exploration set within the eye of the storm.”
