Cari Cari - Flight Attendant - Phil Thornalley

Cari Cari - Welcome To Kookoo Island.

Cari Cari have shared the newest single to be released from their forthcoming album Welcome To Kookoo Island due out on September 16th, 2022 via Perla Nera Records. Despite sharing a name with the album, their new single ‘Welcome To Kookoo Island’ takes the listener on a soft and gentle daydream, stepping away from their usually zestful and energetic bursts of psychedelia.

“While Cari Cari was founded with the aim of placing their music in a Tarantino flick, ‘Welcome To Kookoo Island’ would probably be a better fit for Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom” says guitarist Alexander Koeck. The new single sees the duo unplug their electric guitars and take the listener on a magical boat ride down the Mississippi, longing for the innocence of childhood, letting go of the trouble of adult life and, as the lyrics say, “whatever I can’t change I will just let go”.

Cari Cari is Stephanie Widmer (vocals, drums & didgeridoo) and Alexander Koeck (vocals, guitars). Since their inception, Cari Cari have been tirelessly working to create their own world, carefully crafting everything from their music to their artwork, videos to set design in-house. This meticulous attention to detail has earned the band a loyal following; Rolling Stone Magazine called them ‘the biggest discovery of Primavera Sound Festival’, their die-hard fans sold out 1000+ capacity rooms across Europe and their debut album was praised by the likes of NME, KCRW, Rolling Stone, IndieShuffle and many more.

However, for the band, all roads have led them to Kookoo Island. The product of years of world-building, Welcome To Kookoo Island, was born from a desire to retreat from modern-day life completely. “Kookoo Island is our libertatia, the utopia of what we think the world should be like,” explains Widmer. “It seems to be cuckoo to dream of such a place right now, but dreaming of what we want the world to be like is the first step towards making it a reality,” she continues.

Cari Cari · Welcome To Kookoo Island (Master)

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Flight Attendant - Crybaby.

Flight Attendant has unveiled the video for new single "Crybaby" and announced their upcoming debut full length will be out on September 30th. Flight Attendant belongs to that breed of rock bands made in Nashville, where their sound is nothing less than a sonic unicorn. Blending sounds of grunge with power-pop hooks, viola and light synth textures, they have begun to create a hypnotic sound and energy all of their own.

The group met through many shared interests, friend circles and glasses of wine. Karalyne (Lead Vocals, Keys, certified Sommelier, originally from Kansas City, Kansas) met Vinny Maniscalco (Vocals, Guitar, award-winning bartender, originally from Boston, Massachusetts) while bartending together at Nashville restaurant 5th & Taylor where Nikki Christie (Vocals, Viola, great at drinking wine, originally from Los Angeles, California) joined in too. It didn’t take many nights of cocktail making and wine tasting before the band formed. With the addition of drummer, and long time drinking buddy Derek Sprague (drums, lager lover and also from Boston, Massachusetts) the lineup was complete. Together the group has released a collection of singles including pulsating grooves like “Man of Chaos,” which was described by numerous media outlets as one of the best singles of 2020.

Flight Attendant has played sold out shows from Nashville, TN, to Austin,TX, including SXSW 2022, Tomato Art Festival and the Nashville Film Festival - where they have entranced audiences, sold out merch and created a fitting example of what's to come. They are now gearing up for a European Tour in the Fall to support their debut album, produced by Grammy Winning engineer and producer, Charles Yingling. With the help of their cabin crew, Flight Attendant is quickly making a name for themselves on the global stage.

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Phil Thornalley - Fast Car.

A quick scan of the many records Phil Thornalley has worked on, and you’ll quickly spot some of the biggest names in popular music, including Bryan Adams, Thompson Twins, The Cure, Psychedelic Furs, XTC, Duran Duran, and even Paul McCartney. Phil co-wrote and produced Natalie Imbruglia’s 1997 worldwide smash “Torn,” and has written hits with Pixie Lott (“Mama Do”) and BBMak (“Back Here”). A kind of rock’n’roll Zelig, his name is probably on countless records in your collection, although you probably didn’t even know it was him.  That bass line on The Cure’s “Love Cats”? That’s Phil. The haunting and ethereal production on Prefab Sprout’s “When Love Breaks Down”?  That’s Phil too.

Now, on his latest offering, Now That I Have Your Attention, Phil Thornalley steps out of The Swamp (his North London studio) to unveil 11 catchy and brand-new original songs (plus three bonus tracks on the CD!) that find him exploring the production stylings pioneered by the Electric Light Orchestra’s Brummie boffin, Jeff Lynne.

Thornalley celebrates the fine musicality and pure joy of Lynne’s widescreen symphonic string sections, the bare-faced brutality of his straight-ahead rhythm bed tracks, and plenty of multi-tracked and stacked harmony vocals. On tracks like “Stand By Love,” and “High On Your Supply,” Thornalley makes more than a passing nod towards Lynne’s carefully layered sonic tableau, from the multiple acoustic guitars to the highly specific electric guitar lines.

Clearly, it’s a sound that Thornalley can’t get out of his head. “Maybe we should have called it the Traveling Phil-burys,” Thornalley jokes, “but I enjoyed the earlier ELO records, and the way they married a crummy beat combo with the grandeur of a full orchestra - it was over-the-top but infectiously musical, creating a foundation of the oxymoronic ‘controlled’ rock and roll drums and a super simple bass guitar.”

Why, you may well ask, would a lauded and Grammy-nominated songwriter and producer (and the focus of a recent in-depth career retrospective story in the American trade magazine, Tape Op) decide to record an album with both feet planted haphazardly in the squelch of the seventies sounds of ELO and glam rock? Because it’s fun.

“When I listen to pop radio these days,” says Phil Thornalley, “no one seems to be having any fun. In my teenage years, every other record you heard was ridiculous. I think that sense of fun is missing from today’s often turgid, doleful would-be soul singers moaning about their millionaire ennui.”

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Little Quirks - Charlie Houston - Fresh

Little Quirks - Maybelle.

Little Quirks – Australian sisters Abbey and Mia and their cousin Jaymi – are excited to reveal new single 'Maybelle' - another undeniably catchy folk-pop earworm, lifted from their forthcoming Call To Unknowns EP – out August 25th via Glassnote Records.

Abbey Toole muses, “Maybelle is a story of a woman with a wild mind and imagination. She travels town to town, sharing stories of her adventures. Over time, the news spreads and she becomes the legend of Maybelle. “I wanted to write a song that would draw audiences to dance and get excited! I wrote it while stomping my feet around the house and clapping to the beat.

“This one was especially fun to record as we got everyone involved in the recording in a big room to stomp, clap and chant. Maybelle is fun and energetic, our favourite song to play live. We can’t wait for everyone to finally hear it!”

The band has had a busy year so far having toured their high-energy live show through USA and UK. Today they are very pleased to announce a handful of Australian dates across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia. 'Maybelle' is the next installment from the band’s new EP following previously released singles 'Florence’s Town', 'Someone To Hold' and 'The Rain'.

Little Quirks’ 2018 single Crumbled has been a runaway favourite on Spotify with over 4 million streams and they have amassed a loyal following for their powerful and distinctive DIY videos on YouTube, including an impressive version of ABBA’s 'SOS'.

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Charlie Houston - Dinosaurs In The Garden.

The 22-year-old singer-songwriter, Charlie Houston is following her Spotify USA Viral 50 track, "Wide Awake", which she recorded with the Grammy-nominated electronic duo, ODESZA with her new single, "Dinosaurs In The Garden" – out now via Arts & Crafts. 

Speaking about the new single which finds Charlie tapping into a more grunge-pop sound, she says: "'Dinosaurs In The Garden' is about the fear of getting your heart broken while in a relationship. While you have no reason to suspect it’s going to happen, there is always looming anxiety about the fact that you’ve allowed yourself to fall for someone and now can’t control whether it works out or not.”

Houston, whose “contemporary R&B-inflected pop straightforwardly addresses the meaningful mundanities of Gen Z life” (Bandcamp) is following her 2021 genre-bending debut five-song EP, I Hate Spring which received praise from Zane Lowe, Rolling Stone, and SPIN, while landing a Spotify Times Square Billboard. As she prepares the release of her second EP, due out later this year, she will be joining ODESZA on their mammoth stadium tour which commences tomorrow, as well as concluding her cross-Canada support tour with JUNO Award 2022 Artist Of The Year, Charlotte Cardin.

Charlie Houston · Dinosaurs In The Garden

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Fresh - Why Do I.

London punks Fresh have shared a brand new video for 'Why Do I', the closing track of their new album 'Raise Hell'. The track resolves the record with our protagonist breaking free of a toxic relationship, joyously riding into the sunset singing doo-wops. It’s the first time on the album that the inner conflict settles, and contentment takes precedence.

Talking about the new video, lead singer and principal songwriter Kathryn Woods said “After getting back from an intense UK tour, we thought it'd be nice to have a fun day out at the beach on the bands dime. A seagull stole one of our doughnuts, and another one pooped on Dan. They may have been the same seagull, we will never know.”

On the track itself, she expands; “Sadness and self-doubt are acknowledged and present on ‘Why Do I’, but they don’t hold power over you anymore. There’s power in starting from scratch. Think Nicole Kidman signing divorce papers in 2001-vibes. There’s a real catharsis and joyous presence to this song, upbeat do-woop vocals, guitar riffs with a touch of delay and soaring lead vocals make it a great note to end the record on."

Fresh have been an unwavering fixture within the UK punk scene since their first record in 2017. A joy to behold live, Woods honed her craft not only fronting Fresh but as a member of several heralded indie and punk bands, including cheerbleederz and ME REX alongside Fresh bandmate Myles McCabe.

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Improvement Movement - Forever Honey - Melting Dreams - Paper Foxes

Improvement Movement - 11:00.

With so much of the music industry feeling constantly inundated with projects being disguised as indie music by major labels, there seems to be a level of exhaustion around the discovery of new bands. The Atlanta, GA-based Improvement Movement sets out to vertically and horizontally integrate all your needs with their debut project, Don’t Delay, Join Today! – out July 29, 2022, through Acrophase Records – which is a collection of songs that might gravitate towards fans of Drugdealer, Altin Gun, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, as well as fans of startups like Theranos, WeWork, and Juicero.

In all seriousness, the project is a special amalgamation of insanely talented Atlanta musicians who have found a way to collaborate with each other under the band title. Improvement Movement includes (but is not limited to) a rotating cast of Atlanta musicians like Tony Aparo, Zach Pyles (credited on projects from Washed Out, Neon Indian, and Deerhunter to name a few), Marshall Ruffin (Lonnie Holley, The Mount, RUFFIN), Clark Hamilton (klark.sound, Safari Williams) – each a full-fledged artist in their own right – to execute their recordings and live shows. The band was aided in finishing the album by artists and producers including Kelly Pratt of Beirut playing all the woodwinds on the album and Jason Kingsland who mixed the album (notable credits include Band of Horses, Father John Misty, Belle and Sebastian).

You are about to permanently alter the course of your natural life with…Improvement Movement

Usually when a band starts an album cycle a press release is written in an effort to build a story around the band with mentions of all star producers and recording trips that yielded songs from the most famous studios on earth. For Improvement Movement we are here to dispel any of the unfounded rumors being spread that lay heavy claims of the project being mislabeled as a “cult” or “multi-level marketing scheme”. By the end of this EPK you will find yourself a believer in the greatest movement the world has ever seen.

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Photo - Rita Iovine

Forever Honey - I've Been Down.

Yesterday Brooklyn rock outfit Forever Honey will be sharing their new single "I’ve Been Down.”  It’s the second of two singles off an upcoming EP titled “Could I Come Here Alone.” Lyrically, “I’ve Been Down” draws upon the personal experiences of singer Liv Price, who explains the song’s inspiration: 

"I’ve Been Down" is about an instance of trying hard to force feelings for someone and what that point of staleness and auto-pilot looks and feels like–mentally checking out all the time; staring at the ceiling; going through the motions. 

I had this realization one night of how many times I let relationships continue beyond their expiration dates.  In general, I’ve always had a tendency of doubting myself and second guessing what my gut is screaming at me, feeling like I’m just mistaken and need to try harder.  So, it took me much longer than I’d like to admit to recognize that I don’t actually owe anyone my love or company. And that my feelings for someone aren’t something I can just turn on and off, or will into existence.

The rest of the band breathes an air of melancholy into the poignant subject matter with catchy finesse. Instrumentally nodding to their shoegaze inspirations (e.g., Mazzy Star, The Sundays), chiming guitars weave in and out, complementing the emotive and directive vocals. Like so many Forever Honey songs, guitarist Mekonnen masterfully translates the sorrowful lyrics into equally expressive guitar riffs.

Forever Honey · I've Been Down

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Melting Dreams - Like Me.

‘Like Me’ is a soft and mysterious ode to dreams. It contemplates both the sweetness enveloping a dream and its in-satiety; it speaks both of the euphoria and the anxiety that come with chasing after it. Most of all, it speaks of vulnerability – the laying bare of the skin (and of the heart) – that comes with revealing it to others.

Lush strings pull us up to the heights of adrenaline, while tense drums and enigmatic melodies seem to bring the warning of tragedy. Together, they embody the stomach-turning sensation of anticipation and the indistinguishable feelings of fear and excitement. Yet, gentle synths and xylophones wrap us on a cloud – the drunken haze of dreams is lulling and luring.

The angelic vocals travel from soft whisper to powerful belt – there is vulnerability in sharing one’s heart, but there's also courage – and so the voice trembles but rejoices at the thought of possibility, gaining strength, and guiding us to a culmination that is supported by the band's atmospheric and powerful wall of sound.

The band is sharing the first theme from their debut album; they’re giving in to their most vulnerable moment. The question that now beckons to be asked is: Will you like it?

Melting Dreams are a dark dream-pop band formed by Inês Rebelo (Vocals and Vocal Production) and Asaf Rahamim (Songwriting and Production) who teamed up with Artur Lenivenko (piano and synths) and invited musicians from all over the globe to record their debut album, Can You See Me?, set for release in September 2022. They are greatly inspired by film-noir, animation films, and acts such as Kate Bush, Florence and the Machine, Lana Del Rey, and Patrick Watson.

Melting Dreams · Like Me

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Paper Foxes - Heartstrings.

Phoenix-based 5-piece, Paper Foxes are back with their new single ‘Heartstrings’, taken from their upcoming new album Paradise Deluxe. With a genre-bending sound that blends elements of indie, disco and electronic music, the new single see’s the band venture further into the realm of synth-pop with an 80s-inspired, heavily electronic soundscape.

Full of bright yet warming analogue synth, punching electronic drums and thick, throbbing bass ‘Heartstrings’ quickly captures an uplifting feel as the intense, fluorescent electronic instrumentation takes hold. The effortlessly emotive, infectiously catchy lead vocal soon enters, instantly introducing the song's main hook with a cool, chilled delivery which emphasizes the track's edge. Reminiscent of the likes of M83 and MGMT, this is a fresh approach from the band, a move away from the guitar-led sound of their previous releases.

Made up of CJ Jacobson (vocals, guitar), Patro Gaston (synths), Oliver Lemke (guitar), Robert Ciuca (bass) and Henri Bernard (drums), Paper Foxes have garnered over 100 thousand streams to date, making a name for themselves with their unique brand of alternative-indie come new-wave. Having gained recognition after being named ‘the best-unsigned band in AZ’ by Alt Press in 2020, the band gained a number of sync deals with Netflix, MTV and A&E before setting out on a tour of the southwest United States with Hunny and The Happy Fits.

Now back with more material from their upcoming new album due for release in 2023, the band continue to establish themselves as an exciting up-and-coming band surely set for big things.

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Why Bonnie - Solis - Tanzos

Why Bonnie - Nowhere, LA.

New-York-by-way-of-Texas transplants Why Bonnie share a new single, “Nowhere, LA” from their debut album, 90 in November, out August 19th on Keeled Scales. On “Nowhere LA” - LA as in Louisiana - Blair Howerton uses a broken down car on an isolated road as a metaphor for a stalled relationship: “I know I walk fast, but my heart moves so slow,” she sings. Howerton elaborates: “Inspired by a true story of breaking down in the middle of nowhere Louisiana with an ex, this song is about looking at a relationship in the rear view mirror. Once you’re further away from a place, you can see it all more clearly and with a bit more understanding.” In-step with previous singles “Sailor Mouth,” “Hot Car, “90 in November,” and “Galveston,” “Nowhere, LA” is emotionally-charged and driven by rousing guitar.

90 in November is inspired by fellow Texans Townes Van Zandt, Blaze Foley, alt-rock like the Lemonheads and the Replacements, the eccentric pop of Sparklehorse, and Sheryl Crow.  As Uproxx points out, “Why Bonnie glistens with the same sun-soaked sentimentality as that of their label-mates…early singles from their upcoming debut album, 90 In November, flash polish in Howerton’s ambitious lyricism and reassuring melodies.” 

Through 90 in November, Howerton propels her songwriting forward into new realms of emotional sincerity and her band to new heights of sonic adventurousness. The songs are full of poetic, cinematic lyrics that flash like colorful scenes glimpsed from the window of a car as it barrels along an interstate highway cutting through the Lone Star State, each one a road stop revealing a different facet of Howerton’s experience. The album is a dynamic introduction to a more raw-edged indie sound from a band who have matured from bedroom dream pop into a sophisticated rock act, their evolving sound a reflection of the journey undertaken by Howerton on this vividly rendered collection of songs.

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Solis - Jungle.

Glimmering with balmy rhythms that are as sleek as they are lo-fi-tinged, “Jungle” is a scintillating masterclass in gauzy pop production.  With alluring, sun-drenched melodies that nod to poignant and melancholic themes but ultimately reach an all-the-more optimistic conclusion, Solis says of the track:

“I wrote this song when I realised there’s always an option, always a way out, the hardest part is realising that. The EP as a whole was written from a place where I didn’t feel I belonged and was dreaming of something else “Jungle” and “Osmosis” in particular are about living in the city and being part of the rat race, the never ending cycle of work and spend and very little time for living.”

Taken from the Manchester-based artist’s new five track EP ‘Open’, the release comprises five tracks including hypnotic earlier single “Be Together” and debut release “Jigsaw”. Across its five tracks, Solis flexes her knack for dreamy vocal melodies, ethereal rhythms and glinting, laidback percussion. Written by Solis, recorded at her home in Moss Side and produced by Andy Connor, ‘Open’ also features Jack Winstanley on bass and Max Barron on drums to bring the EP’s stellar set of songs to life.

Opening up about writing and recording ‘Open’, Solis explains: “I wrote these songs about 4 years ago. As soon as we finished recording, I had a really serious car accident which had me recovering for a very long time and I’m finally ready to release this body of songs. This EP ‘Open’, will be followed by a second EP shortly after, both EPs were intentionally written to follow each other and act as a big body of songs.”

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Tanzos - Mood Swings.

Austrian Indie Rock artist Tanzos delights with his latest rock single ‘Mood Swings’ available now. After the success of his single ‘Birdy,’ the singer returns with his new guitar driven single focused on capturing the complexities of a struggling mind.

Launching straight into an energetic outburst characterized by his usual squalling guitar riffs, Tanzos sonically embodies a conflicted psyche. The chorus, raw and passionate, while favoring the snappy guitar, also provides space for his robust vocals and powerful lyricism that raise supreme and convey the eruption of repressed emotions.

The multi-faceted artist, is no stranger to the music industry. Previously the frontman of the indie -rock band ‘Zeronic’ and with two nominated albums in the ‘Best Alternative’ Category at the Austrian Music Award ‘Amadeus’, Tanzos’ success is a growing trend.

Using the indie-rock aesthetic, ‘Mood Swings’ showcases an unapologetically commentary on mental health. While the electrically charged guitar riffs pulsate throughout the track mimicking the cacophony of clashing emotions, Tanzos’ energetic verses accentuate the overwhelming feeling of pent-up tension.

About the single, Tanzos says: “Mood swings is quite an unfiltered and direct song. I was trying to capture the difficult emotions of someone who is already used to internal struggles. But sometimes it´s just too much, you get overwhelmed and lose control“.

Tanzos · Mood Swings

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Tallies - Steven Keene

Tallies - Memento.

The Toronto-based band, Tallies are today sharing their new single, "Memento" which comes as the final advance preview of their forthcoming album, Patina which is out this Friday, July 29 via Kanine Records (US), Hand Drawn Dracula (Canada) and Bella Union (UK/EU). The latest single arrives following a string of recent tracks which have found support at many major publications and notable radio stations.

Speaking about this new single, Sarah of the band says: "I am a firm believer in “what goes down must come up,” people usually say the opposite, but this is a motto I’ve used throughout my life. When things aren’t going well, they have a tendency to bounce back. 'Memento', to me, is my pick-up song. When I sing “gotta get you on your way now”, I’m saying that it’s time to move on and move forward. I’ve had many moments in my life where I’ve lost momentum and felt directionless like I’d fallen into a black hole. It’s hard to crawl out of the hole and get back on track. I think there are a lot of people who spend their time thinking about how they need to get back on track. Listen to this song and remind yourself it’s time to look forward and lean into the future."

The balance of optimism and something more world-weary and wise is symptomatic of Tallies' music, this new single "Memento" lays into those ideas once more while drawing on gliding, shoegaze-adjacent jangle-pop reminiscent of The Sundays, Galaxie 500, Ride, etc. While many of their songs are upbeat, with Frankland’s breezy guitar lines drenched in reverb, soaring over Cian O'Neill’s propulsive drumbeats, Sarah’s lyrics pull out deep thought and emotive responses to day-to-day struggles.

Coming produced by Graham Walsh (of Holy Fuck, previously helmed records by METZ and Alvvays) alongside Dylan Frankland of the band at Palace Sound, Baskitball 4 Life and Candle Recording in Toronto, Patina arrives as a true labor of love; one that was delayed due to the pandemic but ultimately marks a truly rewarding collection for the band. Upon sharing the music with labels, it pricked the ears of Cocteau Twins' Simon Raymonde – a hero of the band – who signed Tallies to his Bella Union label, providing "a light at the end of a dark tunnel" according to Sarah Cogan of the band.

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Steven Keene - Soon.

New York-based singer-songwriter and folk artist Steven Keene is adept at handcrafting consistently powerful and timely songs with the ability to resonate across generations, with deeply meditative lyrics and lessons that deliver progressive,  universal messages of hope to the collective consciousness.

The newest emanation of Keene’s signature ethos arrives in the form of his latest single “Soon” (out now via Reviver Records), a track that seamlessly melds a James Agee-styled social critique with the ardent defiance of the best in American protest music. Once again leveling the sights of Keene’s masterful compositional craft dead-center on the faltering heart of the matter, “Soon” holds an unflattering yet hopeful creative mirror up to the great lumbering leviathan of a numb world sleepwalking into yet another World War.

Whether motivated by ignorance or outright disregard for the most costly lessons of human history, or by an equally untenable lack of collective self-awareness — it has now become frighteningly clear that the world is falling in, single-file, behind political pied-pipers bent on night-walking us straight into chaos. An eloquent creative effort to reclaim some sense of collective reason and spiritual autonomy, “Soon” represents a kind of exorcizing incantation against unwanted hate, propagated by powerful corporate and governmental interests who run the world and have too much to gain by sowing discord around difference.

Steven Keene · Soon

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