Genre Wander: Rainbow Reservoir - Audience Killers - Sunshine & The Blue Moon - Anna Of The North

Rainbow Reservoir - Coco Sleeps Around

Background promo - Cardiff-based DIY pop imprint Odd Box Records are releasing the brilliant new 7" - Coco Sleeps Around - from Oxford's insatiable Rainbow Reservoir. With the full EP to be released September 10th the band are now sharing the title-track from the new record.

Despite being a relatively new band this is melodic power-pop at it's absolute best and is sure to thrust the band into popular acclaim. On one side the track is sublime, quirky pop but there's a feisty, angst-ridden undercurrent beneath the track. If you're a fan of Tullycraft, Cars Can Be Flue, Waxahatchee and Horowitz then this will definitely be your bag. Vocalist Angela was asked to describe their wistful pop, explaining that "it's punk in spirit and upbeat, has lots of rhythm, and can be romantic but with a dark side".

From the first note 'Coco Sleeps Around' demands attention. Rainbow Reservoir create a measure of punk angst surrounded by melodic hooks, feisty vocals and good old no nonsense rock. The four song EP is more of the bands most welcome and addictive music.

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Audience Killers - Patterns.

Background - Latvian synth-pop trio, Audience Killers, release the music video for their next single, "Patterns". The track is from the group's debut album, Floating Islands, which was released in May 2016.

Audience Killers create a fluid blend of synth-pop and electro-pop that often draws comparisons to Mew and Passion Pit. Their debut album Floating Islands delivers this and more with warm, inviting synths, dreamy guitar lines, and ethereal vocals. Petrovs's striking falsetto is sure to bring to mind flashes of M83's Anthony Gonzalez. Lyrically, Floating Islands acknowledges the idea that one person has the ability to affect the lives of many with positivity and inclination.

Childhood friends Normunds Petrovs (vocals/guitar) and Arletta Supe (keyboards/backing vocals) only began writing and making music in 2009. Rounding out the trio, Petrovs and Supe met Edgars Oplucans (drums) during a live studio session in early 2010 and swiftly released their first two singles.

Audience Killers then released their debut EP Footprints And Heart in July 2012 and have since performed across much of Europe at The Great Escape, Reeperbahn Music Festival, and Tallinn Music Week, and released a standalone single, "Two Bare Feet," to much acclaim. This year's debut album release marks a major step for the promising Latvian band.

'Patterns' is a dreamy, atmospheric song that gently glides along, slowly building momentum until it becomes a melodic and vibrant piece (almost a case of three songs in one). The music video really is an ideal match.

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Sunshine & The Blue Moon - Sunshine & Lucy.

Background from the band - I'm a bit of a sap, I love the idea of Love. Is there true love? Do we create this love based on instincts or fantasies, or is love itself an instinct? When it comes to how love is created, I don't mind any which way, I'm just happy to have experienced, or at least to have witnessed it. I wanted to try to capture that with a warm music video shot on film, giving the impression of a long lost burgeoning romance captured on warm film, maybe found in a dusty box, on a dusty shelf somewhere, to be viewed with a smile, as a reminder, a vignette of the very thing that drives us. Our debut album comes out on September 16th via The Hand, we're calling it 'Welcome To The Future'.

Sunshine & the Blue Moon choose to experiment not only with sound, but mood as well, expanding their aural landscape beyond common signifiers. Blending influences and ideas from across genres and eras spanning from early blues, folk and country, to 60's rock and soul, through eclectic 90's grooves. One listen may place you on a rural road with your sweetheart, feeling the summer breeze as it rolls through the trembling leaves. While another might place you in a pulsing dream wanting nothing more than to escape the hot city streets, to shake and dance the through the night.

One of nine songs on the debut album, 'Sunshine & Lucy' gives a flavour of where the band go with their music, it's certainly not the only style you will hear though. For example the following song (Depression) is a mixture of funk, blues and energy. What's consistent is the really tight musicianship and some exceptional vocal styles. As debut albums go, this is of a very high standard, the band have set expectations high, and I reckon they will deliver on that.

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Anna Of The North - Us.

Background - Anna of the North is the music project of Norwegian singer Anna Lotterud and her producer Brady. She has just got off tour with Kygo and is a staple on Spotify playlists.

Originally from a small town north of Oslo, it was in Melbourne that she met Brady, and gained the Anna of the North moniker.

Two songs The Dreamer and Baby, have gained the top spot on Hype Machine, establishing a sizable listenership and following. The new song 'Us' confirms that Anna of the North are far more than a one two hit wonder!

Live Date:
Sep 20th 2016 - The Lexington, London, United Kingdom.

'Us' is a smooth electro song with a hypnotic groove and Anna Lotterud wonderful vocals. In what is a crowded part of the music world, Anna Of The North stand out, in part because they focus on the key ingredients of the song and deliver an uncluttered and yet expansive pop sound.

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The Furious Seasons - Look West (Album Release)

The Furious Seasons - Longshot.

Background bio - The Furious Seasons "look west" biography "David Steinhart's been a perennial cottage industry goldmine for those who carry torches for soft, finely crafted, windswept pop. David writes and sings warm, literate, sober, preoccupied folk pop, always well-crafted..." Jack Rabid/The Big Takeover "David is still one of my nominations for best relationship lyricist, but he's become one of the rare ones to let adulthood and marriage inform songs that would previously have capitalised on failure and youth." The War Against Silence

The Furious Seasons' 5th release, "look west" is a perfect departure from last years lush and orchestrated "My Love is Strong".  With "look west" David Steinhart's penchant for catchy melodies and story line lyrics are still firmly intact but this time they are tackled by an acoustic trio that highlights the stories and creates a warmth that David and his brother Jeff haven't achieved since the early days of their mid 80's band Pop Art.  Jeff Steinhart plays a stand up bass for the first time in his career and guitarist Paul Nelson's agile solo's and harmonies helps "look west" create a sound all it's own.  Not folk in the traditional sense, the folk/pop album soars with deep personal stories and melodies that will stay with you for long stretches.

This is Steinhart's 21st album in total and although his previous bands Pop Art and Smart Brown Handbag often dabbled in acoustic presentations, this is the first album to go all in on the concept. The album concept was born out of months of 3 piece shows played in Southern California, including shows in support of John Hiatt, David Lindley and A.J. Croce. Scott Campbell recorded a few of the tracks live in a home studio in Hollywood set up for Shelby Lynne. Tim Boland at White Light Studios in North Hollywood recorded the lion share of the album.

On "My Terrible Song" Steinhart sings about wanting something so badly that you lose track of what's important in the process. On Summer Flame Steinhart writes about the passage of time while looking back on opportunities missed.  "You were a summer flame/ so blue and warm and deep/ wishes and whims I had that have drifted off to sleep/ were light and alive while you were mine to keep/ when the sun was still on my face." The mood lightens on "Sadly Matched" a song about a man who loves Los Angeles so much that he's willing to let his dream girl move away without him. "Now your memory plays like a movie with a melancholy end/ and I play the part of the villain with a stance I can't defend/ but as I look to the future on this Christmas day/ it's 80 degrees here on the beach and I think I'll be ok. "look west" is like those beautiful Los Angeles days, warm, breezy and imbued with California feeling.

'Longshot' encapsulates the overall craftsmanship and creativity that has gone into the bands fifth release (and David Steinhart's twenty first album) 'Look West'. The album was released last month, so apologies for the delay, this work is however, way to good to overlook. Iv'e included the full promo piece above for two reasons. First of all it's a very honest representation of the album, and secondly, it's written considerably better than I could put it. For those unfamiliar with The Furious Seasons and to help position them it's worth mentioning, that they are playing with Donovan for his Sunshine Superman Tour at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills on October 8, 2016.  They've also recently opened for John Hiatt, David Lindley and A.J. Croce. For me this a collection of adorable songs, delivered with sensitivity, the music is first class as are the wonderful lyrics and their superbly matched delivery.

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Weekend Wonders: Skybaby Siren - A Shoreline Dream - Touché Amoré - John K. Samson - Ptarmigan

Skybaby Siren - Day By Day (feat. Elia).

Background promo - Hailing from Sydney but now residing in London, producer/songwriter Craig Beck, aka Skybaby Siren, has been an established artist and writer for years. After finally deciding to start investing in his own music, he began releasing tracks periodically as an outlet from his usual work producing music for others. A multi-instrumentalist he see's the value in collaborating with singer-songwriters to enhance the music he composes and hopes that this somehow strikes a chord with music lovers.

Skybaby Siren’s latest release is ‘Day by Day’, featuring the vocal stylings of Elia and showcasing what the band self-describes as their brand of Sonic Psychedelic Rock Pop. It’s a sleekly produced track, that shows off the act’s typically 80’s influenced style, with hints of the serene pop of modern dream rockers DIIV. Elia’s cool vocals float through the song, ushering in the infectious harmonies of the track’s smooth chorus.

‘Day By Day’ is about being in a relationship where one person is more ahead with feelings than the other. It's about wanting to stay in the relationship but getting scared and wanting to control the pace.

The previous release, ‘I Love Everything About You’ - was cowritten and was the first Skybaby Siren track to feature Elia. Elia is a singer/songwriter from Melbourne. A graduate of the Australian Institute of Music, Elia's music style is mellow electro containing influences of Contemporary Jazz and Popular music. Since her first release in 2013, Elia has been composing all genres focusing mainly on top line work. It was through this work she began collaborating with Skybaby Siren.

 The band not only are releasing this brand new single, but an accompanying music video. The promo video explores the life of Neon, a young agoraphobic girl who lives "day by day" in a wardrobe taken care of by her very loving and understanding boyfriend Sam. Frustrated by the lack of human touch and the need to want to help Neon find her happy place Sam devises a very clever and cute solution to encourage Neon out of her little tiny house. (View here).

'Day By Day' definitely benefits from the inclusion of Elia on vocals, on what is a smooth, catchy pop/rock song. It's a collaboration that works, leaving us with a polished melodic piece.

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A Shoreline Dream - Whirlwind.

Background - 'Whirlwind' is the third single from the ever-evolving new record by A Shoreline Dream, which is being released song by song before its completion. This new track dives into the harsh reality of the constant changes occurring around us and the fact that everything continues to speed forward throughout our short lives. Originating in Barnum, Colorado, A Shoreline Dream is Ryan Policky (vocalist/guitarist/producer) and Erik Jeffries (guitar). Together, the two crafted this latest 'Whirlwind'.

With the recent death of singer Ryan Policky's father, and a murder occuring right next door to where A Shoreline Dream writes, practices and records, the motivation to finish and release this track was high on the band's to-do list for the summer. Riding a fine line between alternative rock, goth and post-punk and with a bass heavy overtone, the song dips and dives into layers of guitars and vocal chants, heavily influenced by the changing of seasons, and the speed of life for this band now celebrating its 10th year of music experimentation.

As autumn comes and the release of 'Whirlwind' hits, new music will be developed that brings in the next wave of what’s to soon become A Shoreline Dream’s first vinyl album. A Shoreline Dream makes what is best described as “progressive shoegaze”, combining lush sampled textures, organic instrumentation and vocals layered like a synth. Their sound is an invigorating mixture of sounds from the likes of Bauhaus, Ride and Sigur Rós mixed with early Dead Can Dance.

Over the past decade, the band has produced numerous acclaimed releases under their own label (Latenight Weeknight Records) and has intensively collaborating with legends such as Ulrich Schnauss and Mark Kramer. Recently they landed distribution by cult UK indie label Rocket Girl Records while recording with Ulrich in Leytonstone, and have also remixed an Engineers' song for progressive label gods K-Scope.

It's been a few years since we featured A Shoreline Dream, the song 'Whirlwind' confirms their consistent status of creating sonic delights. They can develop something nearing a wall of sound, and yet leave enough room for melodic hooks, that for me ensures a compulsive second listen.

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Touché Amoré - Skyscraper.

Background - 'Skyscraper' is the closing track off the band’s new album Stage Four, out September 16. In addition to front man Jeremy Bolm singing melody, the song also features guest vocals by acclaimed singer-songwriter Julien Baker.

As Jeremy Bolm explains “I'm a Leonard Cohen fanatic, and I feel he figured out early that his range can be brought to life with the accompaniment of a beautiful female voice over his. So taking a page from his book I asked Julien to join me on the track. I adore Julien and her talent. I couldn't have been more excited when she was down to do it.”

'Stage Four' is the band’s follow-up to their 2013 critically-admired album 'Is Survived By…' . It was recorded in Studio City, California with producer Brad Wood. Fans can pre-order 'Stage Four' at toucheamore.com and receive previously released tracks 'Palm Dreams' and 'Displacement' as instant downloads. Pre-order bundles are also available at toucheamore.com.

Since forming across 2007 and 2008, the Burbank, California band’s sound, with its melodic sonic assault and impassioned vocals, has grown tighter and more refined throughout their upward-moving career. Lead singer Jeremy Bolm, guitarists Nick Steinhardt and Clayton Stevens, bassist Tyler Kirby, and drummer Elliot Babin have created a trajectory for themselves through hard work and dedication. And now with Stage Four, their fourth and biggest album to date, they are cementing their status as one of rock music’s most talented, relatable, and visceral acts.

'Skyscraper' may have a hint of Leonard Cohen about it vocally and the inclusion of Julien Baker is a master-stroke, however this is an original song in it's own right. It is also a massive tease as we have to wait another four weeks for the album.

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John K. Samson - Postdoc Blues.

Background - Singer/Songwriter John K. Samson Enlists The Rhythm Section From His Renowned Band The Weakerthans For Much of His Second Solo Album,  Winter Wheat, Available From Epitaph/ANTI, October 21st, 2016.

Inspired by the search for connection and community, his hometown of Winnipeg, and our individual and collective struggles with addictions to drugs, screens, and fossil fuels, John K. Samson’s new full-length album, Winter Wheat, is a sprawling, masterful and timely work by a writer at the peak of his powers.

Winter Wheat was produced in garages and homes through a Winnipeg winter by Samson’s partner and collaborator, Christine Fellows, and his Weakerthans co-founder and drummer/multi-instrumentalist Jason Tait, and mixed in the spring in Toronto by Robbie Lackritz (Bahamas, Feist). The spare and thoughtful arrangements also feature Greg Smith of The Weakerthans on electric bass, Ashley Au on double and electric bass, Leanne Zacharias on cello, and Shotgun Jimmie on electric guitar.

Several of the 15 songs, most directly Select All Delete, Vampire Alberta Blues, and VPW 13 Blues, are inspired by Neil Young’s enduring 1974 album On the Beach, and that record’s honest and unvarnished spirit is evident throughout Winter Wheat. Postdoc Blues follows an aging student struggling to maintain faith in the possibility of a better world, while Fellow Traveller is loosely based on the life of the British art critic and Soviet spy Anthony Blunt. 150 years of Winnipeg’s history is revealed in the two and a half minutes of Oldest Oak at Brookside, and Samson’s recurring characters Virtute the cat and her troubled human companion (from The Weakerthans songs Plea from a Cat Named Virtute and Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure) make their final appearances in 17th Street Treatment Centre and Virtute at Rest.

Like the crop itself, which is planted in the fall, sprouts, goes dormant through months of snow and rises in the spring, Winter Wheat is a determined, beautiful, resilient response to difficult and extraordinary times.

'Postdoc Blues' certainly suggests that we are in for something a little special with the October album release 'Winter Wheat'. The song is gently melodic, and has a crisp, defined sound allowing all elements to shine.

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Ptarmigan - O Zephyr.

Background from the band - 'O Zephyr' is about the best example of what Ptarmigan is as a band. In the track, acoustic instruments like banjo and mandolin are layered and blended with synthesized and electronic textures. This rich layering is what we are constantly trying to achieve as a band. Lyrically, the song is my attempt to come to terms with the source of my musical creations and inspiration. I think of art as a sort of palimpsest, that is, a manuscript that is constantly written, wiped of its contents, re-written, but on which the traces of previous creations remain.

I don't think of any music as purely original, but interesting re-imaginations or tapestries of previous cultural creations. I think we've sort of learned to embrace our nerdiness as a band, which is pretty critical to understanding our music. We are all really inspired by fantasy and mythology and this definitely comes out in our music. There is a certain epicness to it, though we really try to maintain a level of good aesthetic taste. (August 26th release date, Eastern Canada tour planned for October).

Release shows:
Aug 26, 2016 - The Spill - Peterborough, ON w/ Nick Procyshyn
Aug 27, 2016 - Burdock Music Hall - Toronto, ON w/ Isla Craig
Sept 1, 2016 - Baltimore House - Hamilton, ON w/ Grey \ Water and Dizzy

I have to say I can't help but agree with the sentiments in the second paragraph above regarding the originality of  music in general. 'O Zephyr' therefore does pretty well in that it does have some unique attributes, and more importantly is one fine song. Maybe it's time for us all to embrace our nerdiness, if it leads to high quality music....

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Over the next few days, Beehive Candy will be making a few changes, that we hope will improve both our visitors experience, and improve the support we provide for new artists, and new music releases.

These will include placing all new music video features on the home page. BeeVids will stay in place for the time being, however all new video features will be on this page. We are also working on improving page loading time, along with a number of other ideas, that we look forward to introducing soon. As always thankyou for dropping by.

Four More: The Alpacas - The Wicked Whispers - Coast Modern - Henry Jamison

The Alpacas - Wax.

Background from the band - In some ways our new single is about being happiest playing a gig. But it's also about how being social when you don't always want to be is a trade off for doing what you love. Getting what you want also means keeping yourself in check.

Musically, it’s as if Johnny Ramone joined The Strokes as a 3rd guitarist. Lyrically it's also inspired by the song 'Left of the Dial' by The Replacements from their 1985 album 'Tim'.

Our forthcoming album was produced, engineered, and mixed by Kevin Dietz (The Cranberries, Alexisonfire, Placebo, Nelly Furtado). It was recorded at Metalworks in Toronto and Slipone Digital in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada. 

The Alpacas are Nick Harper, Greg Lee, Brett Garner, and Brent Lee: a four-piece rock and roll band from Barrie, Ontario. The Alpacas aim to write honest, hooky, and heavy tunes that strike a balance between raw and refined. The Alpacas live show is loud and quiet, fast and slow, tidy and unkempt –– but above all, The Alpacas look to create some good time vibes and entertain an audience.

With a tight indie rock feel, 'Wax' explodes with the choruses and just rocks in between. The band pack power chords alongside a belting rhythm and just hook you in.

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The Wicked Whispers - If I Set You Free.

Background promo - The new double A side single “If I Set You Free / Zodiac Girl” released on 21st Sept via Electone Records. Two years on from their debut album Maps of The Mystic, and with a plethora of sold out vinyl releases and UK / EU tours under their belts, Merseyside’s fast-rising psychedelic sons The Wicked Whispers return with news of a brand new double A side single release in If I Set You Free / Zodiac Girl.

Though rather than re-tread the ground that brought the band their initial swell of attention, these new tracks reveal the band to be revelling in a new-found focus; ideas come fully formed, hooks latch on instantly, and where once their bristling fountain of creative concepts threatened to overshadow the songs underneath, their more direct approach to the craft is a refreshing shift to their own more distinctive strain of the genre.

If I Set You Free, punctuated with organ flourishes, dramatic guitar stabs, and a tumbling vocal melody, calls to mind The Coral at their best, while Zodiac Girl – the perfect counterpart to If I Set You Free - shows the band’s more wistful and thoughtful capabilities, with its soaring refrain of “Zodiac Girl”.

Live Dates:
Oct 6 This Feeling, Water Rats, London
Oct 21 Buyers Club, Liverpool
Oct 27 Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
Nov 26 Vortex Lounge, Cumbernauld

The video for 'If I Set You Free' is a sixties psychedelic feast of colours, whilst the song oozes those timeless vibes of days gone by. The band bring their own fresh ideas to the table and create a spectacular sound. Highly recommended!

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Coast Modern - The Way It Was.

Background - Step onto a jungle cruise with Coast Modern and explore the wonders of the new track, 'The Way It Was'. A few Coast Modern facts - 10 million streams across three songs with previous songs, "Guru", "Animals," and "Hollow Life" hit #1, #2 and #3 on HypeMachine respectively. 

The band played their first shows at SXSW this March, toured with The Wombats, BØRNS this Summer and plan a US tour with The Temper Trap this Fall, plus festival appearances at Bumbershoot, The Meadows and Life Is Beautiful.

Live Dates:
September 2 - Bumbershoot - Seattle, WA
September 19 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR***
September 21 - Commodore - Vancouver, BC***
September 23 - Life is Beautiful - Las Vegas, NV
​September 25 - Gothic - Denver, Colorado***
September 27 - Varsity - Minneapolis, MN***
September 28 - Metro - Chicago, IL***
September 29 - Majestic Theatre - Detroit, MI
September 30 - Phoenix - Toronto, ON***
October 1 - The Meadows - Flushing, NY
October 4 - Royale - Boston, MA***
October 5 - TLA - Philadelphia, PA***
October 6 - 930 Club - Washington, DC***
October 8 - Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, GA***
October 9 - 3rd and Lindsley - Nashville, TN***
October 11 - Granada - Dallas, TX***
October 12 - White Oak - Houston, TX***
October 13 - Emo's - Austin TX***
October 16 - Observatory North Park - San Diego, CA***
October 17 - Observatory - Orange County, CA***
October 18 - Belasco Theatre - Los Angeles, CA***
October 19 - Warfield - San Francisco, CA***
*** supporting The Temper Trap​
 
'The Way It Was' is one of those songs that demonstrate a band that are happy to do their own thing. There is a loose feeling throughout, along with sing along vocals, ideas galore, sometimes a little quirky, often happy, this is one fine song

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Henry Jamison - Real Peach.

Background - Henry Jamison, is an extraordinary songwriter who will be releasing his debut EP called The Rains on October 14th via Akira Records, and has now shared “Real Peach”, the brilliant first single from the EP, ahead of its official release this Friday, August 19th and a brief Northeast tour later in August.

Assuming that a person’s interesting lineage or pedigree in such things has any relevance at all, which is certainly unclear, Henry Jamison was perhaps predisposed to songwriting. His great-great-great-great-great-great-great (etc.) grandfather was the 14th century poet John Gower (friend to Chaucer and Richard II) and his great-great-great-great grandfather was George Frederick Root, the most popular songwriter of the Civil War era.

Probably more relevant is that his mother is an English professor and his father a classical composer who gave him a Korg 8-track recorder and his first guitar, so Henry has some talented writing roots in his bones, and the songs that comprise The Rains prove this to be fact. These songs show a central interest in exploring inner worlds, observing their treasures and holding none in contempt. They run the gamut from an earnest reckoning with romantic upheaval ("Real Peach"), to a knee-jerk and distorted view of the same ("Through a Glass"), to storm-driven dreamscapes ("The Rains" and "Dallas Love Field").

Live Dates:
8/25 - Burlington, VT - New City Galerie
8/27 - Brooklyn, NY - Pete’s Candy Store
8/28 - Portland, ME - The Garage
8/29 - Cambridge, MA - Zuzu

'Real Peach' is typical of the overwhelming quality of the October EP release 'The Rains'. Comprising of five beautiful songs, thoughtful words sung with tenderness are accompanied by an understated and predominately acoustic soundtrack. Melodic through and through, and with delicate harmonies, the EP really is something quite special.

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Midweek With: The Heroic Enthusiasts - Heartracer - Cosmonauts - Hiva Oa - Apothek

The Heroic Enthusiasts - Summer Serenade.

Bakground bio - On Monday, New York indie rock band The Heroic Enthusiasts released their new EP The Second Three on JamTom Music. Inspired by experiences traveling in Italy and France, The Second Three builds on the band's polished indie rock sound that is reminiscent of definitive 80’s post-punk groups such as Echo and the Bunnymen and The Smiths.

Back in the 16th century, the Catholic friar and astronomer/philosopher Giordano Bruno gazed up at the stars enraptured by the poetry he saw in the elliptical patterns playing out in the sky. For Bruno, math, science, art, and romance were all one and the same ­­ a perspective that resonated so much James Tabbi and Tom Ferrara that they chose to name their band after Bruno's epic work Gli Eroici Furori -- literally "On the Heroic Passion" but commonly known as "The Heroic Enthusiasts." Much as they did for Bruno, numbers for this band function as a window into matters of the heart.

Both math majors and music lovers of Sicilian descent, Ferrara and Tabbi understand that form derives its beauty from a dance between precision and an intangible quality that can't be quantified. Yes, they write songs that stick in your memory and make you want to sing them out loud. But they also add discreet touches of sophistication, leaving a note out of a chord, for example, so that your ear strains to hear it and then introducing contrast by adding the note they've been implying all along. The way their guitar lines mesh together brings to mind the approach of master weavers and designers as much as it does musicianship in the conventional sense.

The Second Three follows the success of The Heroic Enthusiasts’ debut effort, Memory Wheel, released in February of 2016. "Summer Serenade" sets the tone of the EP, wrapped in themes of summer love and relationships of the past, present and future. Inspired by experiences traveling about in Italy and France, The Second Three builds on the bands polished indie rock sound that is reminiscent of 80’s classics like Echo and the Bunnymen and The Smiths.

We featured The Heroic Enthusiasts back in February with their debut release, Memory Wheel. Featured song 'Summer Serenade' from the bands brand new EP sees the band continue to impress. It's one of three superbly crafted songs, their brand of indie rock has depth, heartfelt vocals and an expansive musical sound.
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Heartracer - Hollow.

Background - Chris and Chip Cosby grew up in the suburbs of Richmond, Virginia. Early on, the brothers took a liking to 80’s pop culture from Nightmare on Elm Street to Back To The Future to the super cheesy martial arts movies starring Jean Claude Van Damme. It was a time when the United States economy was booming, people still bought records, Blockbuster still populated every street corner, and social media wasn’t the dominant influence on society. However, more importantly for the brothers this decade represented the golden era of catchy melodies and pop sensibility. The nostalgia for this period of their lives became the foundation of what would eventually become Heartracer. Chris and Chip had finally come together after years playing separately. After all Chris wasn't always aware of his music ability. He grew up watching his older brother Chip play in bands his whole life, but it wasn't until the suicide of a close friend that Chris realised his musical ability. As a mechanism to cope with his grief Chris began playing on the piano in his parents living room, using singing and songwriting as a form of catharsis.

In the summer of 2014 Chris was inside his home studio above his garage next to a broken AC unit playing a little melody and singing the words "If you go where I go, then you'll fall where I fall." A simple, yet poignant line about transcendence. A song about the way a song should make you feel if you will. Why are human beings drawn to sound? What is that we love music so much and how does something so simple make us feel so much? That was the inspiration for what eventually became the single "Heartracer." Little did the brothers know that at this time this song would come to define their signature and distinctive retro-electro pop sound and would eventually be chosen to be their identity. The pulsing and shimmering synth in the sweat of a summer afternoon paved the way to their sophomore release Summer Gold. This EP showed confidence and maturity in the direction of Heartracer's signature and distinctive sound and gave Heartracer their first national exposure. Since then Heartracer has toured and played with several international acts to at capacity crowds Future Islands, Jimkata, Banks, Pvris, Joywave, The Peach Kings, Priory, and Third Eye Blind.

'Hollow' begins with a dreamy musical feel, that comes alive with soaring vocals and from then just continues to build. Melodic, with a wonderful interface between the guitars and singing, put simply this a superb song.

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Cosmonauts - Party At Sunday.

Background - Cosmonauts came into being in 2009 in outer space or Orange County, depending on the way you like to look at things. The band was originally formed by Derek Cowart and Alexander Ahmadi after he heard Cowart play a Spaceman3 song solo at a show in their home town of Fullerton, CA. The two were students at different high schools but as it turned out, of the same musical school of thought: two lovers of lo­fi, adorers of the atmospheric, kindred pop­loving spirits. The two bonded over the Velvet Underground and Brian Jonestown Massacre, and quickly turned their mutual appreciation club into a band. Cosmonauts have been making music ever since, picking up bassist James Sanderson and a host of different drummers along the way (the spot is currently filled by Mark Morones). Now residing in Los Angeles, they’ve put out a number of releases (including three full length albums) through Burger Records and various other labels.

They’ve toured extensively through the US and Europe, and played alongside Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Pixies, Slowdive, Black Lips, Belle & Sebastian, and more, though Cosmonauts don’t exactly fit neatly into the fabric of their scene: too psychedelic to be punk, too punk to be psychedelic, and too absorbed in making their own brand of music to care. Their latest offering, A­OK!, is out August 19th via Burger Records. 

From the imminent album release AOK! the track 'Party At Sunday' showcases the band in a more laid back mood. It's a calming, melodic and atmospheric piece, and only one aspect of their material. The ten track album has some real rockers, the occaisional energetic wall of sound piece, and bags of imagination. Hard to pigeonhole, the new album for me is bursting with well delivered ideas.

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Hiva Oa - Seskinore.

Background - Belfast duo, Hiva Oa are pleased to share their brilliant and brooding new single Seskinore on Gold Flake Paint today. The track is taken from their forthcoming EP, mk2 (part 1) - out September 16th.

New material from Hiva Oa has been a long time coming. Sometimes, it seems, a period of inactivity is better for a band than one of constant creation. With the release of their forthcoming EP mk2 (part 1), core members Stephen Houlihan and Christine Tubridy departed Edinburgh, returning to their native Ireland seeking renewed inspiration. Hiva Oa retain the mystery and ambition of their former incarnations, but inject a heavy thrum to their intricate patchwork style, and turn their attentions to themes of fear, loneliness, abandonment and awakening.

On lead single A Great Height the band continue their controlled experimentation by marrying primal, dizzying electronica and a swelling bass hum, with minimal guitar patterns to create a tightly wound, suffocating and intense atmosphere that sets the tone for the EP. Somewhat appropriately it’s an anxious listen, the influence of Thom Yorke on vocalist Stephen Houlihan here provides the forlorn, and almost hopeless, punctuating refrain “…and I fall from a great height.”  Elsewhere Seskinore demonstrates their skill in developing percussive motifs that flit from the suspenseful and shuffling, to eruptive, deafening, conclusions. A powerful resolution to each composition is never far from the minds of Hiva Oa.

The latter part of mk2 (part 1) begins to bring subtler intricacies to the fore. Christine is awash with swathes of gentle guitar, gifting the four-minute piece a transcendent quality that, coupled with another yearning vocal, offers the listener a brief glimpse into one of the EP’s more intimate moments, in this near-fearful, dream-like, serenade. Closing track Jonny Brazil again shifts unassumingly from sinewy indie-rock before revealing a raft of squalling guitars and inter-playing vocal melodies. Hiva Oa have become masters of developing atmospheres proving that, for them, a visit to old pastures has worked wonders.

Second time around on Beehive Candy, and on the strength of this hopefully not the last. Hiva Oa have the knack of keeping the listener guessing where any given song is going, even when well into the piece and 'Seskinore' is no exception. In our last feature I descibed Hiva Oa as producing "intense and swirling music" with the new single I would add, powerful and hypnotic.

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Apothek - Invited.

Background - Together they have “a confidence that evades other artists early on” (Stereogum), but for Apothek’s Morten Myklebust and Nils Martin Larsen, this is one debut that has been years in the making. News of the pair’s eponymous debut album – ‘Apothek’ released September 30 via Propeller Recordings – materialises with new single ‘Invited’, which rather aptly contains one of the oldest elements on the record.

“The chorus for ‘Invited’ was originally meant for a different project,” Larsen explains, “but at some point, we started playing around with it during an Apothek session and realised we had to use it.” From somewhat subdued beginnings comes perhaps the most immediate pop song on the album – impressive from a duo already hailed “so joyously epic” by The Guardian.

It hints to the intricate and meticulous nature of Apothek’s full-length foray, a labour of love blurring the boundaries between electronic and organic. “All over the record, we had this mantra that what felt like an integral part of the band’s sound was trying to make acoustic sounds sound really mechanical and mechanical sounds sound acoustic,” Larsen says. “We spent a lot of time reamping synths, running them through different gritty effects and trying to make my old piano sound like a strange synth.”

Apothek create vibrant, melodic and distinct songs, that clearly work for me, as this is their third feature in around a year. In a few words, joyously luscious and emotionally intriguing.

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Genre Wander: Nick Waterhouse - Seth Lakeman - Lovecat

Nick Waterhouse - It's Time.

Background promo - On September 30th, California rhythm and blues revivalist Nick Waterhouse will return with his third full-length studio album, Never Twice. The first track off of the album was unveiled yesterday via Bandcamp. Never Twice will be released via Innovative Leisure digitally on CD and 180 gram vinyl. Today, Nick Waterhouse has also announced a fall U.S. Tour. Highlights include Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn on October 8th, The Bottom Lounge in Chicago on October 4th and The Rock and Roll Hotel in Washington DC on October 12th. More tour dates to be announced soon.

With Never Twice, Nick Waterhouse returned to his original collaborator, producer Michael McHugh (Black Lips, Ty Segall, Allah-Las). McHugh was a local legend in the oft-underrated Orange County music scene that Nick grew up in. McHugh was the first person to ever put Nick on tape and in an effort to re-capture the vibrancy of the Huntington Beach scene of Nick's youth, he invited McHugh up to his current home of San Francisco to work the boards once again. Once he had McHugh on board, Nick began cold-calling his favourite players, all of whom miraculously said yes. Jazz musician Bob Kenmotsu's contributed flute, Tom Waits and Elvis Costello collaborator Ralph Carney on sax, Dr. Lonnie Smith protege Will Blades on Organ and a virtual whose who of muso legends on horns, bass and guitar. The result is an exuberant and impeccably recorded album of songs, showcasing Waterhouse's prowess as a musician and a band-leader.

'It's Time' is a clever mixture of styles, a little jazz, plenty of blues and a pleasing soulful delivery. This is a splendid song, a teaser and a half, for the September album release, and just so cool.

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Seth Lakeman - Meet Me In The Twilight.

Background - Seth Lakeman’s eighth studio album is a stunning combination of his dynamic songwriting and playing, the genius of legendary producer Ethan Johns and the sublime harmony vocals of emerging young female trio Wildwood Kin. Between them they have conjured up an epic, soulful album of compelling songs that are stripped back to their very essence.

Ethan Johns has worked with the likes of Ryan Adams, Kings of Leon, Paul McCartney, Tom Jones, Ray LaMontagne, Laura Marling, The Staves and Crosby, Stills and Nash.  He agreed to produce the album after Seth sent him one roughly recorded song on his mobile phone, with Wildwood Kin adding their lush harmonies to his own gritty lead vocals.

Continuing Seth’s unique vision for recording in inspiring locations – previous albums have been recorded in a church and a copper mine - the 11 tracks for “Ballads of the Broken Few” were cut ‘live’ with an organic, acoustic vibe in the Great Hall of a Jacobean Manor House and they shine with the atmosphere of that setting. The spiritual-sounding songs have a trance-like quality: they encompass evocative contemporary messages, yet have an ethereal sound as if they have been hanging in the air for centuries. Ethan has let nothing impair the raw, visceral content - just enshrined the pure sounds of voices and ringing instruments. He comments "The kind of record I like captures human performance."

The mood is set from track one. Seth’s soaring vocals are perfectly complimented by the seamless harmonies of Wildwood Kin - two sisters (Emillie and Beth Key) and their cousin (Meghann Loney), also from Devon. When Seth met them at a local charity gig, he was immediately struck by their effortless ability to create intuitive harmonies. There is Seth's trademark stomp, his swooping, sighing and aching fiddle and viola, and strident electric tenor guitar. Multi-instrumentalist Ethan can't resist joining in on subtle underlying "dirty" electric guitar, mandolin and even hurdy-gurdy!

One of twelve songs on the forthcoming album, 'Meet Me In The Twilight' typifies the excellent music that Seth Lakeman consistently delivers. The words written in the third paragraph above, put things far more eloquently than I can, they are also an honest appraisal of what is a delightful album.

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Lovecat - Song For Eternity (feat. Jill Possible).

Background - Lovecat is the DIY synth-pop project from the Vienna-based producer David Haering, and “Song For Eternity” features the very talented Jill Possible on vocals.

The Great Catsby is an album full of driving rhythms, playful basslines, and above all, the voice of a hopeful romantic. It will be coming out exactly five years after the release of his debut EP, and follows various radio hits in Europe and a remix for Morrissey's legendary guitarist and co-writer Boz Boorer. 

The album also explores his past experiences in various rock and punk rock bands, and the gray days between one night of partying and the next. The forthcoming album The Great Catsby is out September 9th via Fabrique Records.

Just a week or so ago we featured the first single, and hot on it's heels comes another really fine share from Lovecat. It's another lively soundtrack oozing energy and rhythm and the vocal duet just rounds the whole song off in style.

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