Kat Von D - Seven Purple Tigers

Kat Von D - I Am Nothing.

Multifaceted tattoo artist, TV star, beauty entrepreneur, author, fashion designer, and singer/songwriter Kat Von D continues her musical journey with the cathartic new video for her synthwave slow jam, “I Am Nothing,” the second single from her forthcoming debut LP Love Made Me Do It out August 27.

The video, directed by Linda Strawberry, captures the essence of the song and the album’s underlying themes of love, loss, and loneliness. Kat Von D explains: “It’s about the idea of not being good enough. You feel like you’re nothing and lament the memories of the past again. It’s the everyday challenge of putting one foot in front of the other when you’re running on emotional fumes. You’re also coming to terms with the fact it’s over.” Regarding working with the director, Kat says, “Working with Linda Strawberry on this video was a beautiful experience. I was already so inspired by all the work she’s done with the Smashing Pumpkins art direction as well as other music video projects she had beautifully directed.”

“The music video was inspired by the sentiment of isolation and how it relates to feeling alone within a relationship,” Kat says. “So if you notice, everyone in the video is confined to their own space the entire time. The set for the band’s performance scenes had 8-foot tall crucifixes made of mirrors that stood behind each band member, while walls separated each member from one another. So at no point could they see what the other person was doing. I wanted to give the feeling of opening an antique wind up box and seeing that tiny ballerina spinning around.”

“I Am Nothing” follows the album’s lead single “Exorcism,” which Billboard described as “a darkwave bop about love, loss and change.” Altogether, the songs on Love Made Me Do It comprise a soundtrack for the lovelorn that puts all of Kat’s soul and extensive classical training front and center. “‘Love Made Me Do It’ is a collection of all my hopeless romantic thoughts poured into one album,” she states.

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Seven Purple Tigers - One Night's Promises.

It’s not often that an act so elusive can strike at the heart of something so personal but it’s in that balance that you’ll find indie’s most exciting new act – Seven Purple Tigers. The band’s founders Austin Horn (singer/rhythm guitar) and Phil Dyszy (lead guitar/backing vocals) are an unlikely pair. From the US and Germany respectively, the trans-Atlantic duo bonded over their love of music in the vibrant basement bars and clubs of the Old Town of Kraków, Poland. It was there that the pair began crafting what would become Seven Purple Tiger’s signature sound that came to fruition after 5 years of writing together and performing live alongside bandmates Sebastian Heieck (bass) and Felix Schwer (drums); the sound that defines their latest single One Night’s Promises (released 25/06/21).

The track is a call to anyone who has ever wondered “what if?”. A reflective piece, One Night’s Promises reminisces on the moments of youth in which something, or someone, special slipped by. Times that leave you wondering what could have been if not but for one change. These calls to something that got away play in the duet between Horn’s longing vocals and Dyszy’s ethereal guitar that carry the track through its meditative verses and impassioned choruses.

Like Seven Purple Tigers’ previous work, One Night’s Promises wears its 2010s Indie influences on its sleeves while taking the torch and pushing the genre further, continuing the band’s work taking the old and making it new. Based out of Freiburg, Germany, Seven Purple Tigers create their music in the lovingly repurposed defunct restaurant of an inn. It is here that the group marry the classic American flair, European philosophy and artistic legacy, and existential explorations of timeless themes that create Seven Purple Tigers.

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We Were Promised Jetpacks - Critter Cabal - Levi Lobo

We Were Promised Jetpacks - Fat Chance.

Acclaimed Scottish rock band We Were Promised Jetpacks have announced their much anticipated brand new album Enjoy the View, to be released on 10th September via Big Scary Monsters. Along with the announcement they share single ‘Fat Chance’, which follows on from previous new single ‘If It Happens’, released via 7” this month. The new tracks signify a change in musical direction for the band, with ‘Fat Chance’ an ode to overcoming, and even thriving, despite the odds.

Lead singer Adam Thompson explains; “We started properly writing this album at the end of March 2020 when we realised that everything was going to be shut down. We had a US tour lined up in May but obviously had to cancel. So from March to June, we sent each other ideas remotely and collaborated that way. I was so glad we had a project to focus on when proper lockdown hit. When we were able to get into our practice space in July, we were finally able to jam and write more like we normally do. This song came out of those sessions pretty early on.”

Longtime fans of We Were Promised Jetpacks alongside music critics, often cite the band’s flair for writing infectious pop songs encased within grandiose guitar driven rock soundscapes, yet new single ‘Fat Chance’ offers a change of pace and a glimpse into what to expect from the forthcoming album. With tightly packed drums and cleverly woven guitar arrangements, the band prioritise the track’s melodic core with effortless dexterity.

“I was just messing about on guitar in our studio and got the verse chords and as soon as the other guys joined in, we had a song! We can sometimes spend weeks and months and years trying to get the right parts together but this one flowed. I finished the pre-chorus and chorus that day and sent the demo to the rest of the band and we were excited about it straight away” Thompson said.

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Critter Cabal - Someday / Denim & Paisley.

Critter Cabal serve up a rootsy and alternative double helping of hearty and wholesome rocking with the yearningly strident ‘Someday’ - with sentiments many will be feeling as we ease out of lock downs and reconvene with loved ones, followed up by the driving Detroit groove of ‘Denim & Paisley’ with distinctly New York lyrics that conjure chaotic and psychedelic nights in the city that never sleeps.

This New York experience is no fantasy or put on - despite the band now being based in Cardiff, Wales. Singer-songwriter Alex Nagle is a journeyman of sound and screen, originally from Rhode Island, USA. Raised in a musical household as step-son of a professional trumpet player for Gold record awardees Blood, Sweat and Tears, Alex grew up in the Chelsea Hotel and the East Village in New York City,surrounded by colourful creatives.

Alex then played around the L.A. music scene in the 90s in the Blackouts and Uncalled Four, both bands recording with Grammy nominated producer, Bruce Witkin. That’s also when Alex started exploring acting and voice over work and has never lost interest to this day. He appeared in Indie Films and infamously featured in 80s hairband, Cinderella’s “Coming Home” video. He isn’t allowed to forget it, not for one single day of his life. Later, in New England, he played in award-winning bands, The Chasers and Plan 9.

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Levi Lobo - I Ain't Bob Dylans Grandson.

Levi Dylan Martinez professionally known as Levi Lobo was born on June, 23, 1994 in Albuquerque, New Mexico to born Liesa Renee McCarty an Artist and Gerald Donald Martinez, a pastor. His Grand Father, Alfonso Martinez was a City planner in Albuquerque before he retired. 

His Great Grand Mother was from Apache decent on his fathers side and Great Grand Father from European decent. They settled from Texas into New Mexico with the migration and resettling of one the Apache tribes led by Geronimo.

I ain’t Bob Dylan’s grandson was written as a archive of Levi’s growing up not in a well known family but in one which saw poverty and sadness and it shows his struggle with his identity and the struggle of the economy as a whole. This song has Bob Dylan vibes and caries the story like fun of the old poets.

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Melissa Lamm - Kaylee Patterson - Hilotrons

Melissa Lamm - Balcony.

Melissa tells us "I spent last summer's lockdown on my balcony in Toronto, and wrote a song about it."

She continues "I had just gotten married before the pandemic, and was dreaming of a honeymoon abroad. When lockdown hit, my husband and I abandoned our plans of a far away vacation, and made our own little paradise in the concrete jungle."

"Balcony" tells a humble story about making the most of wherever you are. You may not be able to spend your summer on a tropical beach or sightseeing abroad, but sitting on a modest little balcony with someone you love can be a perfect time – even if you aren't doing anything at all.

Finally Melissa adds "I love full pop sounds but chose to take a more chill and stripped down approach to this recording, which is about enjoying the simple moments in life. Sometimes I look back at last summer and feel nostalgic about my time spent on my balcony, and this year I'm honestly looking forward to another summer spent doing absolutely nothing staring down at Toronto sidewalks with the person I love."

From Beehive Candy's point of view, it's a beautiful song that exudes both warmth, charm and that little extra something that demands another listen.

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Artwork by Dunya Darwiche

Kaylee Patterson - Not Sorry.

Background by Kaylee Patterson: My emotionally charged and liberating new single, "Not Sorry," produced by Jay Century (Kaskade, Duckwrth, Starley) is available now! 

I had broken up with my abusive ex of six years and while this was a long time coming, it led me down a long, dark road of self-doubt. My first relationship, my first breakup - the crippling guilt of ending things was unbearable. After the initial pain and sadness faded away, I found that I didn’t have any of me left.

One day, about a year later, I woke up and suddenly the guilt was gone. I found myself not thinking about him for long periods, or compulsively re-reading our old messages. Writing "Not Sorry" began my journey towards forgiving myself and active healing.

This is the first rocket ship into a new world, infused with heartbreak, sadness, and sarcastic humor. Stay tuned for her debut EP this summer. 

The song is bitter-sweet, where exquisite vocals are juxtaposed with darker lyrics that express her own recent and personal reality. It's short yet captivating - Beehive Candy.

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Hilotrons - Painted Elvis.

HILOTRONS is the music of Mike Dubue, who has been releasing records and singles since 2001. He currently lives in Quyon, QC in a 168 year old church where he operates his recording studio (Studio Cimetière) and an outdoor 35mm cinema.

Dubue has released Lonely Cinema II, the third installment of a trilogy of records. Heavily inspired by film soundtracks and synthesizer music of the 1960s and 1970s, it’s about having our lives reduced down to a little piece of real estate rented or owned, together with the curated and controlled virtual spaces that the system provides.

On the new track “Painted Elvis,” Caylie Runciman (Boyhood) joins on lead vocals and singer-songwriter Michael Feuerstack on pedal steel.  For many years in Quyon, there was a giant wooden Elvis mounted on the side of an old barn.“Painted Elvis” immortalizes the rotted landmark in a small town story of poverty and addiction.

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Alicia Walter - Nobody's Girl - Vanessa Anne Redd - Valerie Smith

Alicia Walter - Prelude.

Having already gained enormous notoriety as the lead singer behind the Chicago-based art-rock outfit Oshwa, singer and songwriter Alicia Walter has now announced her plans for her first solo studio album ‘I Am Alicia’.

Showcased by the new single ‘Prelude’, ‘I Am Alicia’ looks to see her branch out from behind the confines of her previous outfit to explore a more multifaceted direction. Exploring a diverse array of genres including jazz, hip-hop, as well as her own distinct approach to alt-pop, her new collection sees her in her most adventurous guise yet.

The new track ‘Prelude’ perfectly sums up what we can expect from her forthcoming full-length. Expertly produced by Walter and Devin Greenwood (Sufjan Stevens, Steve Reich, Norah Jones), it sees her reach to the furthest corners of her creative minds and pull back something captivating from start to finish. The video, directed by Lisa Schatz, is a vibrantly colorful odyssey that sees Walter transcending different life forms on her path to self-actualization and enlightenment.

Speaking about the new album, she said, “I wrote my album I Am Alicia sequentially, starting with 'Prelude'! This song kicks off a wild journey exploring my identity, consciousness, and everything that makes me tick. 'Prelude' is about letting go of any inhibitions holding me back from evolving into who I want to be and remembering that sometimes real wisdom lies in not knowing, rather than assuming I do."

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Nobody's Girl - Promised Land.

“We always joke that it started out by accident,” offers singer-songwriter (and former Voice contestant) Rebecca Loebe when asked about the fortuitous aligning of stars that officially brought her and fellow Austin-based troubadours BettySoo and Grace Pettis together as Nobody's Girl. “Well, actually, Grace and I like to joke that we tricked BettySoo into being in a band with us ...”

Whether it was sparked by happy accident or some manner of sly master plan, the magic of that union was undeniable from the get-go. That three of the loveliest voices in Americana and contemporary folk music could complement one another so beautifully might have been a given, but it was the songs they wrote together — songs unlike any of them had ever or probably would ever write on their own — that really made Nobody’s Girl, well, sing.

The band played more than 100 shows from Texas to Ireland in support of a 2018 EP, Waterline, and released some singles during 2020 as the self-titled full-length album street date moved to 2021. The “power of three” they share is captured like bottled lightning on the trio’s strikingly fun and assertive Nobody's Girl, out on digital, CD, and vinyl through Lucky Hound Music on July 30, 2021.

The album was produced (at Lucky Hound’s own state-of-the-art Studios at Fischer in the Texas Hill Country) by Michael Ramos, the Grammy Award-winning producer who helmed Waterline. In addition to Ramos on percussion and keyboards and the formidable rhythm section of bassist Glenn Fukunaga and drummers J.J. Johnson and Conrad Choucroun, Nobody’s Girl features arguably the deepest roster of Texas guitar heroes this side of a classic Joe Ely or Arc Angels record: Charlie Sexton, David Grissom, and David Pulkingham.

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Photo - Paul Dixon

Vanessa Anne Redd - DC Drawers

British/German singer-songwriter and producer Vanessa Anne Redd shares the hazy summer’s day psych-folk single ‘DC Drawers’ and announces details of her forthcoming third solo album Sweet Way Around. ‘DC Drawers’ explores the joy of the parade, body image and expectation in the age of voyeurism, and is described by Redd as “A story of angelic youth’s highs and lows, struggles, innocence, confusion, beauty and glory” which is turned by Redd’s wonderful story-telling into an almost Biblical tale of temptation.

Over the course of her three solo albums, Behind The Wall (2016), Zumbo Waxes (2019), and the forthcoming Sweet Way Around, Vanessa Anne Redd has mastered her own very distinctive and irreplicable sound. Redd‘s music is one of enticing, often contradictory, intricacies. It’s playful yet serious, pastoral yet at times garage rock-tinged, vulnerable but strong, gentle but driven, lush and melodic but with jagged edges, and both languorous and fierce. It’s also wonderfully childlike, in the simpler melodies but mostly in Redd’s sweet unembellished voice, yet also simultaneously swaggering and seductive.

Comparisons have been raised to PJ Harvey, Leonard Cohen, Angel Olsen, Holly Golightly, Regina Spektor, Hunky-Dory-era Bowie and 1970s Scott Walker. Redd’s talent is in recalling many greats whilst musically creating something unique, propelling her into what Loud & Quiet has referred to as  the “singer-songwriter premier league.”

As with most good singer-songwriters, Redd tells stories. Her songs take the listener on a journey but not one that delves into her own private life, but one that opens the whole world up widely to the listener, from the esoteric and existential to life’s nitty gritty realities. Books, art, philosophy, religion, psychology, spirituality, life and death and nature – amongst a myriad of other subjects have all been explored on her albums (past and present).

The philosophical, the spiritual, and our connection to Mother Nature are at the forefront of Sweet Way Around. It is an album about finding the ‘sweet way’ in life, as Redd expands, “It’s staring through windows, at trees and listening to birds. It’s about empowering yourself. It’s about the beauty of seclusion and creativity, the power of touch and of one another. It’s rolling moment to moment on the wheel of time. It’s about death and not being afraid of it. Above all, it’s about happiness and getting there.”

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Valerie Smith - I Found.

Valerie Smith found her newest single in an odd place; a recording by an  indie rock band from across the pond in England.     I Found is the second release from Valerie’s upcoming album,  Renaissance. Her first release, From A Distance, stayed on the Bluegrass Today Grassicana Chart for over 13 months and debuted No. 2 on the Folk DJ Chart.       

Valerie recalls:“While driving along Tennessee Highway 82 to the recording studio I heard a song on the radio called I Found performed by an indie rock group known as Amber Run,” Valerie says “I was captivated by the melody, the passion, and the lyrics.”       

Her band, Liberty Pike, was skeptical when they first heard the original Amber Run version, but they decided to humor Valerie and her new song idea even though they were rolling their collective eyes.     “As we began to make it our own,” Valerie says, “We came to realize that it fit like a glove and we just had to record it.”     

Renaissance encompasses several genres while staying true to Valerie’s signature sound of strong vocals, an acoustic flair and a touch of bluegrass. The songs cover subject areas including love, finding love, acceptance, and regret.

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Maddy Wood - The Shameless - Lena Minder - Mandolynne - Jenny Palacios

Maddy Wood - If I Could Move.

Describing herself as a “Rock ’n’ Roll glitter princess,” Maddy Wood combines her love for the classic rock sounds of Led Zeppelin and Stevie Nicks with modern pop sensibilities, soulful vocals and thought-provoking lyrics. 

However, this self-made artist should not be confused with any old rockstar — Wood’s most appealing aspect is how she grows beyond the boundaries of her idols. Maddy effortlessly dances through a myriad of genres to create a sound that is emotional, energetic, and all her own. Crafted in the pages of a songwriting notebook and perfected on the strings of her custom purple cheetah print Telecaster, every Maddy Wood piece is original as it is beautiful. 

Her process is a raw, sometimes painful, but ultimately deeply relatable. Poetic and dressed in purple, the 21-year-old singer-songwriter is well on her way to joining the ranks of fearless, no-nonsense icons like Phoebe Bridgers and Maggie Rogers. Bending to no one, she channels her emotions unapologetically as she forges her own path.

Here's what she had to say about it: "If I Could Move is about being with someone who you share so much history with and has put you through so much, and how as time goes on, you're both growing to resent each other. The toxicity of the relationship and the mental games you play keeps the excitement and spark there, but the thought of leaving almost seems worse than being alone". 

Maddy Wood · If I Could Move

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The Shameless - Wonderful Times.

Wonderful Times, released this week is the new single for The Shameless, anticipating their second album Love Condemnation, due out on September 21st. 

The song is a stylish ballad filled with passion, feeling, torment and redemption. Dark atmospheres enlightened by a hint of hopefulness. Circular and blue piano chords move within the solid rhythmic structure and melt with the liquid guitar arrangements.

A balanced chemistry of commotion and style that lies in the songwriting tradition of Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Piano Magic, The Walker Brothers, Cousteau.

The black and white video was conceived by The Shameless and Silvia Criscione, directed and edited by Silvia Criscione, and sees the debut as "actress" of the lovely daughter of one band's member.

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Lena Minder - Fall Again.

Lena Minder gave up everything in her home country four years ago and moved from Zurich to Berlin. Under the artist name 'Liv Summer', the singer/songwriter has already released two EPs in recent years and toured throughout Germany and Switzerland. 

She has also supported international artists such as Luka Bloom, Sarah Klang and Tyler Ward.

In the meantime, Lena Minder produces most of her own music. Together with Cameron Laing, she records her songs at 'The Famous Goldwatch' studios in Berlin.

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Mandolynne - Hands.

Mandolynne is an emerging indie-alternative artist from Hamilton, Ontario. Her unique, soulful tone floats over instrumentals like a moody wave. For lovers of Metric, Sharon Van Etten, Cat Power and Placebo, her music is sure to resonate.

From a young age, Mandolynne was met with a string of tragedies and used writing as a tactile way to explore her dark thoughts and verbalize her internal reactions to her surroundings. Her lyrics are a direct reflection of her lived experiences and have enabled her to face many demons, including sexual assaults, a tragic car accident, as well as her troubled upbringing. 

Mandolynne uses each piece as a way to process these events and has found healing during the process. Her raw and pointed approach to her upcoming project may help others to explore such thoughts and shared lived experiences within themselves.

Currently, Mandolynne is working on her debut E.P. that is a reflection of her trauma, survival, and uprising.

Mandolynne · HANDS

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Jenny Palacios - Noah.

Jenny Palacios a Canadian musician, singer/songwriter out of Toronto, Ontario, with a sound that blends influences from early 2000’s emo rock and modern alternative pop.

Growing up in a musically driven environment which was encouraged by her mother, a music teacher back home in Vietnam, and having spent a number of years involved in her local alternative music scene, Jenny has developed a sense of artistry through connectivity. 

She’s explored creative routes from working with various Rock and Pop Punk artists in the DIY community such as Lauren Babic (Crazy 88, Red Handed Denial), to fronting her own Pop Rock band, playing on Warped Tour and opening shows for touring bands like PVRIS, Hawthorne Heights, and I The Mighty. Drawing from her earliest memories of her mother’s teachings, and her emo roots, Jenny is driven to deliver a sound that is cathartic, and genuine, in every aspect.

She is currently using the time given in the recent flip of the world, to write and co-produce her first solo EP, while also staying an active member of her community, remotely co-writing and collaborating with other DIY artists.

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