Allison Lorenzen - Alyssa Gengos - Séan McCann

Allison Lorenzen - Mirrors.

Still reeling from the gut-punch of the distortion filled lead single “Vale” released earlier this year, many of us wondered what a full-length LP by the Denver based artist would sound like. Using the dystopian fever-dream of the aforementioned Midwife collaboration as a noise floor, the 8 songs on Tender spiral upwards like worried smoke against a low cloud ceiling, reaching towards the light but always within sight of the loamy earth surface. Shepherding lush, heavy compositions by way of synths, keys, guitars and subtle percussion, Tender finds Allison Lorenzen at her most vulnerable. Nursing old wounds from the end of a relationship and her musical project School Dance, Tender is also filled a renewed sense of heartbreak-made-triumphant that comes after the wisdom of solitude, allowing oneself to be taken care of by family and friends and, finally, documenting the way through.

The way through figures heavily on Tender. Imagery of passages through liminal spaces are replete. “Vales” occur as emotional valleys as well as McCarthy-inspired end times, “Mirrors” are portals into deep self-reflection, “Tentacles” keep pulling us back into old patterns, old memories. Musically, this non-linear approach to healing is explored through songs that move from light to dark and back again, often within the same song, if not within the same phrase.

Lorenzen’s voice has an uncanny choral quality to it. Taking a phrase that would have sounded quite beautiful sung straight in her smoky, ephemeral delivery, Lorenzen frequently raises the stakes by taking a single word through several octave changes within the same breath. Treading similar musical paths to Beach House in her penchant for writing quiet, world-shifting crescendos, the nocturnal, Styx-guiding Dream Pop of Julee Cruise and the heavy, distortion filled guitars and world-weary vocals of Miserable and frequent Tender collaborator Midwife, Lorenzen’s work comes alive in its own cinematic universe.

Recorded in Colorado, Tender is Allison Lorenzen’s debut full length. Originally intended to come out this summer, an unprecedented supply chain disruption has caused the album’s release date to be moved back to November 2021. Whited Sepulchre Records will be releasing a new single every month prior to the album’s release date.

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Alyssa Gengos - Mechanical Sweetness.

Brand new Egghunt Records signing Alyssa Gengos today releases her new single/video Mechanical Sweetness.

Quote from Alyssa: “Mechanical Sweetness” is a song about my immense frustration with the way we form human (and more specifically, romantic) connections nowadays. Social media and dating apps have turned human interaction into a painful game. These digital ways of communication have caused me so much stress, and my attempts at forging relationships through them have been short-lived and veiled with thin layers of politeness. 

When the charade between two people who don’t really know each other finally ends, these relationships can be exposed for what they frequently are: unbalanced, unhealthy, and lacking compassion. Sonically, this song mirrors my experiences with largely digital relationships. In the beginning, there are quiet moments of sparse communication where anxiety runs high, eventually leading to an outburst of emotion followed by a period of insecurity and self-questioning.

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Séan McCann - Shantyman's Life.

What does it mean to be a “Shantyman”? Much less know what he may do with his time? His life? Leave it to Canadian Celtic folk-rocker Séan McCann to spin the yarn that’ll provide all the answers in this, his new single available now!

Depending upon which side of the Atlantic your ancestors come from, a “Shantyman” is either a simple sailor, or a lumberjack, who leads his fellow labourers in song. Listen to Newfoundland’s McCann, and his new acoustic fable of the same name, and find yourself as both lost in the woods or at sea with an album chock full of anecdotes, and spirited arrangements.

A musician by birth, a professional songwriter since the 80s, McCann has become a tour de force in Canada’s rich musical landscape and history — not only as a solo artist, but also as a former bandmate of world-renowned and beloved folk rock band Great Big Sea, a group he co-founded and performed with until his exit in 2013.

Over his incredible career, McCann has dropped five successful solo albums, each touching on subjects ranging from life in his home-country to tackling cultural moments like the infamous Fort McMurray, Alberta, wildfires (2016) in which he partnered with the Canadian Red Cross. In conjunction with his philanthropy work, McCann also went on to organize a songwriters benefit in 2017 in support of veterans suffering with PTSD and addiction, enlisting his fellow musician friends, Joel Plaskett, Sarah Harmer and Jeremy Fisher. McCann’s good deeds would not go unnoticed – the musician earned the Order of Canada for his advocacy in 2020.

Coming to terms with the hauntings of his past, which ultimately resulted in a spiralling battle with alcohol addiction, coming clean and owning his truth has been paramount to who he’s become as a husband, a father, a musician, and a human. Armed with the strength and support of his wife, Andrea Aragon, McCann co-penned his first book One Good Reason (April, 2020). “It’s the story of how love saved their marriage, and music saved his life. It is the story of a man freed from the weight of a lie; a man who is changing his narrative and never forgetting... that he is not alone.”

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Angelina Luzi - Gone To Color (feat. Kurt Wagner)

Angelina Luzi - Beast.

Italian English independent female artist, Angelina Luzi launches a haunting new project which kicks off with single ‘Beast’ as she draws her listener in with her captivating, emotive vocals, which beguile and enchant as she bares her soul on this striking alt-pop ballad.

Being Italian and hugely inspired by British trip hop artists like Portishead and Massive Attack it’s clear to see how this passionate, cinematic soundscape has made its way to being released ahead of many more gems Angelina worked on during the recent lockdowns.

A fully creative artiste who not only writes, performs, and produces all her own songs and has been building up a dedicated loyal following since moving to London several years ago. Angelina explains on ‘Beast, “I wanted to treat the lyrics as though they were from the pages of my most intimate diary. On ‘Beast’ I fight with the addiction of a toxic relationship. One that is deeply dangerous, yet so familiar and misleadingly safe.”

Shot in Italy the video vividly explores in lush tones, the struggle of trying to escape something very intense while being caught up in self-destructive loop. Angelina employs a beautiful combination of electronic pads, soothing strings and ethereal harmonies to wrap us in a web of romance within a deceiving Parisian style cocoon.

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Gone To Color - Just Smile (feat. Kurt Wagner).

“When Gone To Color contacted me about working together I was struck by their sonics. They were pretty intense and inspiring so the work was a pleasure. At the time I had no idea who these guys were but they make good art and that’s enough for me, plus they seem to appreciate my way with words which is big and their approach in collaboration is right and true." -Kurt Wagner

Gone To Color is the rock/electronic duo of Tyler Bradley Walker and Matt Heim, formed in Cincinnati and now split between Atlanta and Washington, DC. Gone To Color’s sound has been described as “shapeshifting...subdued, dreamy, and surreal.” The duo’s eclecticism makes categorization hard to pin down; though, combinations of electronics, guitars, and vocals seem ubiquitous in the band’s aesthetic. Walker and Heim often synthesize their instrumental compositions through collaboration. Gone to Color’s latest single, “Just Smile,” features guest vocals from Lambchop's Kurt Wagner.

Gone to Color’s debut album, out October 15th, is stacked with an incredible host of collaborators, including Mercury Music Prize nominee Martina Topley-Bird (Massive Attack and Tricky collaborator), Pat Sansone of Wilco, sound designer Richard Devine, Angus Andrew of Liars, GRAMMY nominee Ade Blackburn of Clinic, and Jessie Stein of The Luyas. The record was co-produced by Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Grandaddy).

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Nadia Vaeh - Lizzie Esau - Birdtalker - Brion Starr

Nadia Vaeh - Leap of Faith.

 A messy and distressed apartment in Los Angeles provides the unique setting for the latest music video for the song “Leap of Faith'' by conscious pop singer and Atlanta native Nadia Vaeh releasing this Friday, September 24th, 2021. Filming for the music video took place in her actual apartment as she prepared to move back to her hometown of Atlanta. The video captures the story of her leap into the music industry while dropping everything she had to jump in her Toyota Corolla and move to Los Angeles.

Filmed entirely with a cell phone the music video also tells the story of her leap back to Atlanta. Images of Nadia packing, and labeling boxes surrounded by piles of clothing reveals a real story unfolding in real-time. “There is no better setting for this story in the real place where I lived, with the real mess I had when moving out”, states Nadia. “I was stressed, homeless and forced to move. There is no better imagery to depict the uprooting of my life than reality. The apartment was a mess because I was a mess.”

The uplifting and inspirational song for the video tells the story of Nadia’s journey from Atlanta to Los Angeles and back to Atlanta; a journey that started with quitting everything, living out of her car, and taking the chance in pursuit of a career in music. After working many odd jobs, including a stint in a local Atlanta circus, Nadia Vaeh’s frustration with her career boiled over to the point where she knew she needed to take her songwriting and melodic talents to a different level and go all-in with her career. “I knew I had songs in my head and stories to share that could help others. I was at a place in my life where I knew that I needed to take a chance on myself and pursue my dream even more so than I ever had.”, says Nadia Vaeh. “It was scary to leave all that I knew and move to a different city once, let alone twice.”

Co-starring in the video is Nadia’s Toyota Corolla “Pearl”. “My car Pearl took me from Atlanta to LA and back to Atlanta. This car has helped me achieve my dreams and without my trusty Corolla I would not be where I am today", states Nadia Vaeh.

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Lizzie Esau - Caffeine.

“Caffeine is about the struggle to justify the choices you make and feeling like you need to please others around you, but still having to validate your choices inside your own head. I wanted the song to build as it progressed and it was important to me to achieve a really big indie, raw /grungy sound. 

I love the song and feel Steve has really helped me achieve the energy and power it needed. This song feels so right for me right now, and I like that my writing is reflecting where I want to be musically”.  says Lizzie

Steve Grainger who produced the record.“I wanted to build on the idea from Lizzie's demo, accentuate the lyrical themes and create an organic but powerful production. Lazy beats, simple, strong guitar riffs and bass lines with some yacht-rock and 90s grunge touches if you know where to look”.

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Photo - Jeremy Cowart

Birdtalker - I Know.

Ahead of their anticipated sophomore effort (out 10/8 via AntiFragile Music), Nashville-based indie/folk group Birdtalker released today their new single "I Know." A defiant song about learning to trust your gut, the band called it "a broad-brush narrative about the experience of being shaped to believe that wonder and curiosity may be a threat, and the eventual realization that those qualities in fact have led to a more grounded and vital experience of being alive."

"It's a song about trusting the stomach, not necessarily the uncountable programmed stories and information we receive along the way," they continued. "It's a simultaneously tentative and certain exclamation that we will give ourselves permission to listen to those fundamental pricks of the heart, and trust they'll lead somewhere with integrity."

The new single follows several songs the band have shared from their forthcoming album, including the emphatic track "Taking Control," the breezy duet ""Tides," and "Old Sob Story," a rollicking song full of bravado and sass that Rolling Stone called "at times evoking the dramatic flair of the Decemberists' Colin Meloy, at others the bravado (and glammy tones of Marc Bolan." Lead single "Better Days" is also out now, a tranquil yet stirring song that finds the quintet reawakening and optimistically looking forward.

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Photo Edouard Plongeon

Brion Starr - A Night To Remember.

NYC-based rocker Brion Starr – otherwise known as musician Brian Hill – has shared the second blazing single and titular track (listen here) from the upcoming album A Night to Remember, along with an accompanying video. The album – produced by the legendary sonic mastermind Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex, Sparks) – marks Starr’s first music since the release of his 2020 sophomore effort, the aptly-titled 2020. Out November 19th via Taxi Gauche Records, A Night to Remember will be available as a 12” gatefold vinyl, CD, tape and digitally. 

Speaking on the origins of “A Night To Remember,” Starr writes: “The track is a reflection on what was going on last summer with the worldwide protests that were happening, reflected through the prism of American sentimentality. I love the piano in this track, very special. ‘A Night To Remember’ your life, the kind of night that surpasses anything you could have imagined. The kind of night where it feels like the whole world could change.”

On the inspiration for the video, Starr writes: “‘A Night To Remember’ is a dive into the subconscious. It is a sort of fever dream in the middle of the album’s trajectory. I’ve always been fascinated by mime, how it’s neutral nature exposes the depth of human emotion. I wanted to bring out my inner Marcel Marceau for this video.

We shot it in a place I grew up going with my friends, the East River Park Amphitheater. We still meet there once in a while. That place means a lot to me, the city is trying to develop the park right now. I hope they do not succeed in their plans, the NYC of my childhood disappears a bit more each day. Check out East River Park Action to help out in stopping them.”

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Post Modern Connection - Kris Wiley - Casii Stephan - Alexander Hulme

Post Modern Connection - In The Dark.

Post Modern Connection is an indie-band that defies norms. By constantly showcasing eclectic inspirations, the band keeps you anticipating what’s next.

Their soundscape varies, the music paired with thoughtful and carefully crafted songwriting. Soulful R&B infused vocals meet catchy indie-pop riffs – electronic synths pair with classical violin – Post-Modern Connection’s ability to play with dynamics is apparent. They describe their sound best as Indie-rock meets Neo-Soul & Jazz. The Strokes meets Leon Bridges. Inspiration comes from artists like King Krule, The Strokes, Alabama Shakes, Early Eyes, Leon Bridges, Hiatus Kaiyote, and Hippocampus.

Post Modern Connections inspirations are so diverse because that’s who they are as a band. Lead singer and guitarist Tega comes from Nigeria, lead guitarist Georges: Lebanon. Their bassist Steven from Taiwan. Drummer Cam and synth player and violinist Mitch call Canada their birthplace. PMC draws on their unique backgrounds and experiences, personal histories and upbringing to create their emotionally charged music, captivating listeners.

Their live show is no different. High energy with an ebb and flow of powerful dynamics has showcased them selling out headlining performances around Western Canada, opening for top artists including Desiigner, Wintersleep, Hollerado, Dear Rogue, Moontrick, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, The Zolas, Hotel Mira and Hailey Blaise. They’ve had their singles spun on CBC Radio and The Peak Vancouver, their videos showcased on Global News, their music featured in Tenho Mais Discos Que Amigos, Canadian Beats, The Wild Honey Pie, Happy Magazine and dozens of online blogs, and have won a Kootenay Music Award for “Best Music Video” and hit an impressive 10,000 streams in one short week online and were named by Vancouver’s Permanent Rain Press Local Artist Of The Year 2019.

   

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Kris Wiley - Kris Wiley (Album).

Originally from Redondo Beach, California Kris quickly made a name for herself in the 90s in the South Bay and then in the rest of Southern California and across the U.S. and in Europe. She released two albums, “Old, New, Borrowed And Blue” and “Breaking The Rules” played in New York, Chicago, Nashville, Memphis and then disappeared.

And now here we are, “Kris Wiley” - produced by Carla Olson who has also produced albums by Jake Andrews, Barry Goldberg, Paul Jones, Chubby Tavares, Phil Upchurch, Joe Louis Walker, as well as individual tracks by Sugar Blue, Rocky Burnette, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Taj Mahal, Otis Rush, Kim Wilson, Brenton Wood.

For the record her inspirations were the Kings (Albert, B.B. and Freddie) as well as Albert Collins. A favorite quote, “I like jazz but it doesn’t affect my soul like the blues.”

The Los Angeles Times thought back in the 90's that “Wiley is the most promising female blues guitarist to emerge since Bonnie Raitt”. She played all the big clubs in American major cities and then.....  disappeared from the stages and the music scene. And then after a 25 year hiatus she finds herzelf back in contact with the blues and in Carla Olson's studio to record a new album.

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Casii Stephan - These Hard Days.

Casii Stephan is a soul pop/rock artist hailing from Minnesota. Now based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the impassioned songstress evokes subtle vibrato notes and roller-coaster-like melodies, which immediately grab the listener, while her emotional lyrics share intimate stories. She has been compared to the likes of Florence Welch, Fiona Apple and Carole King, as her vocal timbre possesses a full and warm quality.

Stephan’s voice is fierce and fearless, but this was not always the case. She grew up shy and afraid of her voice until she started writing songs on the family piano in South St. Paul when she was 16. In music, she discovered something extraordinary that allowed her to transcend everyday life and find a deeper sense of self. Stephan moved to Tulsa in 2014 with the intent to give up her pursuit of a music career, however with a little encouragement from a friend, she continued her journey and started releasing music. Her songs were promptly applauded by critics and have since been racking up a number of awards, as well as garnering acclaim from media and fans across the globe.

An underlying theme throughout Stephan’s music is hope, she explains, “Its such a cliched word and yet there are so many layers to it. Hope keeps us alive. It keeps us moving. But it also feels flighty some days like a pixie that does what it wants. But it's not a pixie. It's more like the air we breathe. Some days it's presence is stronger than we realize and some days we forget in our day-to-day lives that it's there... keeping us moving forward”. Her music combines her love for the storytelling elements of Disney ballads and the bold, brilliance of The White Stripes, as well as the soul-wrenching R&B melodies of H.E.R.

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Alexander Hulme - Teeth.

After making a bold impression with a string of intoxicating cuts over the last few years, which have earned him praise from BBC Radio 2, BBC 6Music, Absolute Radio, and even numerous Artist Of The Week accolades from BBC Introducing, fast-rising singer and songwriter Alexander Hulme anticipates his debut EP ‘Slow Down’, with stunning new single ‘Teeth’.

Channelling more of that warm and effervescent energy that he brings to everything he creates, ‘Teeth’ perfectly showcases what we can expect from his new release. . During the first lockdown and struggling with the production on ‘Teeth’ Alexander has pushed to teach himself the cello, which became a prominent feature on the EP. ‘Teeth’ is a fresh and dynamic effort that perfectly accentuates his bright and breezy direction

Speaking about the new track, he said, “Teeth is a song all about finding that one person in life that pushes all the WRONG buttons. I’m a fairly chill guy and it takes a lot to push me to a point where I feel I need to be confrontational but this song is all about that special someone who knows just the write the things to say and do to rile you up.”

Written entirely by the artist himself and produced by David Alexander Lomelino, ‘Slow Down’ marks the next vital stage in his growing and fledgling career. Showcasing his breadth for smooth and enticing songwriting, the new four-track EP makes for a embracing and organic listen that will see him capture the hearts of thousands, if not millions.

Alexander Hulme · Teeth

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Derw - The Wild Violets - Ada Lea - Rebecca McCartney - Red Leaf Hill

Derw - Ci.

Following on from their highly praised debut EP ‘Yr Unig Rai Sy’n Cofio’ in February 2021, Welsh language band Derw return with their latest single ‘Ci’, released on CEG Records.

The band was founded by mother & son duo, guitarist Dafydd Dabson and lyricist Anna Georgina, following their success in reaching the final of 2018’s Cân i Gymru contest, a national Welsh language songwriting competition aired annually on S4C.

Derw is fronted by Welsh/Iranian singer Elin Fouladi, with musicians from Welsh acts Zervas and Pepper, Afrocluster and Codewalkers involved in the recording of ‘Ci’. In ‘Ci’, Anna writes about the return of the depression that dogged her teens and how she feels better equipped to deal with it now - knowing that it will pass. The chorus is a plea to her former self that there is hope and light at the end of the
tunnel - ‘Paid bod ofn fy ffrind’ (‘don’t be scared my friend’). She says of the song ‘To face depression at the beginning of life, a time which should be full of hope but instead is shadowed by uncertainly and self-doubt, is a very different matter from facing it later in a life shot through with times of great happiness.’

The band has had a busy time during lockdown, filming a series of live videos at Acapela Studios as well as making their first festival appearances at Tafwyl and Sesiwn Fawr Dolgellau. Drawing influence from chamber pop and indie bands such as The National and combining it with Fouladi’s soulful vocals, the band have already garnered radio play from national and local radio stations across Wales, as well as features in popular Welsh publications Golwg and Y Selar.

Derw · Ci

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The Wild Violets - Something New.

''Something New sees The WildViolets strive for fresh ground with this soulful ballad. 

It expertly marries the string-infused elegance of 60's pop music with a passionately executed chorus, warm, jazzy strings and dreamy guitars. An acoustic version of the song and a lyric video will be released.

The song tells the tale of a hopeful longing of spending time with a special someone in one's life, knowing it will enhance their life; having created that 'Something New'.''

 

The WildViolets · Something New

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Ada Lea - can't stop me from dying.

In a historic bustling city where the old world meets the ever-new, young people are chatting outside of French-Canadian diners over coffee and cigarettes. They stumble over words to describe the events of the previous evening, while little old ladies walk by hunched over with grocery bags. Above, sheets hang from balconies drying in the wind. It’s partly cloudy. Just like any other city, to be alive here is to balance the realities of past and future. All inhabitants constantly move forward in time yet remain bound by personal histories, painful memories that won’t let go. This is the city of Montreal Quebec. It’s the hometown of songwriter Alexandra Levy, publicly known by the moniker Ada Lea.

one hand on the steering wheel the other sewing a garden is the name of Levy’s second album. On one hand, it’s a collection of walking-paced, cathartic pop/folk songs, on the other it’s a book of heart-twisting, rear-view stories of city life. Ada Lea has followed up the creative, indie-rock songcraft of her debut what we say in private with surprising arrangements and new perspectives. The album is set in Montreal and each song exists as a dot on a personal history map of the city where Levy grew up. The physical record, due on September 24th from Saddle Creek and Next Door Records in Canada, will be released alongside a map of song locations and a songbook with chords and lyrics, inspired by Levy’s studies in jazz bass and love of real book standards.

Roadworn and broke from a long European tour, Levy penned and demoed this batch of songs in an artist residency in Banff, Alberta. After sorting and editing she made her way to Los Angeles to record with engineer Marshal Vore who had previously worked on 2020’s woman, here E.P. With a nearly maxed-out credit card, Levy walked to and from the studio and lived off of cans of vegetarian chili. Session days were spent diving into the arrangements, playfully letting everything fall in place with complete trust for her collaborators. The resulting sounds range from classic, mid-tempo soft-rock to intimate finger-picked folk passages to night-drive art-pop. And the textures are frequently surprising due to the collage of lo-fi and hi-fi sounds that tastefully decorate the album without ever clouding the heart-center of the song. Tracks like “damn” and “oranges” feel timeless with their AM gold groove and 70’s studio sheen, while songs like “saltspring '' and “can’t stop me from dying” sound completely modern in their use of electronics, sound effects, and pitched vocals.

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Rebecca McCartney - Behind Closed Doors.

Rebecca McCartney returns to the city where she was raised by a family of musicians and nerds, now with her own sound and much to say. She grew up immersed in NYC’s classical music world and her early songwriting eventually led to the release of an indie-folk record under the duo name Garden Party (2020) with her close friend, Jakob Leventhal. 

Now, after a college career studying jazz and playing in an R&B band, McCartney is preparing to release her genre-bending debut EP, How You Feel. Calling on her eclectic musical influences and experiences, the upcoming record generates an edgy, ethereal sound that celebrates McCartney’s buttery vocals and absorbing lyrical insights.

Here's what she had to say about it: "'Behind Closed Doors' is about being in a relationship with someone who wants to keep you a secret from their world, but choosing to turn that quiet rejection into a dance-y celebration of yourself. It’s about reminding the world that you will not be held back or made to feel embarrassed. Let’s dance about it instead".

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Red Leaf Hill - Feels Like Home Acoustic Version.

Upcoming Friday Red Leaf Hill releases her new single ‘Feels Like Home’. ‘Feels Like Home’ is her third single of the upcoming EP which is planned to release February 2022. When we ask Red Leaf Hill about her single she says the following: ‘Sometimes life has its dark sides that probably everyone can relate to. When you’re not completely in your power it’s easy to be dragged along in these feelings or moments. Noticing this is usually the first step to recovery’.

’Feels Like Home’ is a song about that moment, the realization, when things start to flow again and when you find a new source of energy inside of yourself to look towards a brighter future. Water is used symbolically as the ‘place’ within yourself where things can finally heal. Letting go of the darkness, letting it flow away from you, whilst new water flows through you. New water to give strength and lightness to build a better future.

Under the name Red Leaf Hill, singer-songwriter Carmijn Bakker shares the beauty of nature with the whole world. Her cozy pop songs immediately take you to majestic and breathtaking landscapes, the places that inspire Red Leaf Hill to translate her deepest emotions into music. Red leaf Hill gets her inspiration from nature. From the simple afternoon walks in her backyard, somewhere in a rural area on the border of Germany. To shooting beautiful images with her drone in the fjords of Norway; nature is a majestic place Red Leaf Hill gladly wants to share with you.

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