Friday Three: Kissing Party - Private Island - The Salt Riot

Kissing Party - Trash. (from the album - 'Looking back it was romantic but at the time i was suffocating).

Background - Getting it's release on Hot Congress Records on the 2nd November 2015, just some of the comments made about Kissing Party include - Tired of Ty Segal? Bored with Beck? Wanna slit your wrists at the thought of another Jack White album... From the Mile High City comes Kissing Party, your new favourite band whether you like it or not. - This Is Indie Slop...

How much emotional weight can one impart in a two minute pop rock structure? Such is the game Kissing Party plays, as sampled on their new album "Looking back it was romantic but at the time i was suffocating'. At the forefront of the 'Slop Pop' movement, Kissing Party is the sound of debt, regret, heartbreak, hair dye & Pennsylvania. This is the band's second release on Denver's Hot Congress Records (Denver, USA) available on CD, Vinyl, Cassette and download. Kissing Party has nearly perfected what it was already doing best: making straight ahead, two-minute pop songs that stick to the mind like glue."  - The Onion A.V. Club

"Kissing Party encourage even the wallflowers amongst us to take to the dance floor, or at least give us a reason to drink up."  - Three Imaginary Girls

"Pure among douchebags and fashion victims." - Jason Heller (NPR, Pitchfork).

So the band and the music has been around for a while, still better late than never regarding Kissing Party. One commentator put as 'early nineties indie with a twist'. Can't disagree with that, there is something annoyingly good going on musically, slop pop they call it, and I am loving slop pop. Facebook (here).


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Private Island - Enough.

Background - If you can’t purchase your own private island, listening to the band may just be the next best thing. And, if you haven’t yet fallen for the band, now is the perfect time to pop in those earbuds, get comfortable and soak up some sweet, musical sunshine.

Private Island, the Southern California-based sextet is gearing up for the release of their newest single, “Enough.”  Featuring snaky guitar licks, memorable lyrics and a spacy synth interlude, “Enough” perfectly exhibits the band’s remarkable ability to blend alternative rock, retro funk and that unmistakable California sound.

“Enough,” was recorded, produced, mixed and mastered by Bob Curtain at The Alamo, “Enough” is the first single off of Private Island’s highly anticipated sophomore EP, ‘Sunbreak’ which drops in the first half of 2016.

Comprised of Christian Lum, Michelle Guerrero, Tommy Nickerson, Roger Mawer, Tim Barbour & Cameron Anderson, Private Island has drawn much-deserved comparisons to acts like Kings of Leon and Young the Giant. In the Fall of 2014, Private Island released their debut EP A Good Look, which set the Internet positively abuzz, garnering nearly half a million streams in the first year.

This song mixes genres into one compelling sound. Musically it stands out as a superbly crafted song, whilst the energy and upbeat vibes come crashing through, giving the song a distinct and highly enjoyable edge.

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The Salt Riot - Boom. (from the album 'Dead Star').

Background - The Salt Riot is a passion trio that comes on strong and as big as stadium rock, that is somehow as intimate as a favorite LP from your childhood heroes. Pre-release single “Boom” has already gotten lots of YouTube love as the band has been playing oodles of shows in the Emerald City and elsewhere.

The band blend an eclectic mix of creative influences into the engaging, driving alternative rock sound known as The Salt Riot. Their first full length Dead Star was recorded and produced with innovative veteran David Miner at Chartreuse Muffin Studios. (Three songs, “Would You Walk?”, "Nameless" and “Giver” were recorded and produced with Jack Machin at Mighty Maverick Studios). They had worked with Miner on an earlier EP, and say that sculpting their first full length there felt like creating “in their second home.”

What is Dead Star about? “Soooo many things,” Julia says. “But most importantly its name derives from perception. A ‘dead star’ is still seen millions of miles away but it is actually gone. It only lives in our perception. I like the duo translation of the fallen rock star, fallen icon, the results of the fallen ego. Once on top of the world, burnt to a crisp. The album is released on 20th November.

The album I guess sits somewhere between Alt Rock & Indie. It's engaging and 'Boom' is a reasonable indicator of what to expect. They have the ability to sound pretty stripped back, so that each instrument & the vocals are distinct, and stand out, and yet the power is always simmering away. It's got passion and has that something, that draws me back for another listen.

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Yonder Mountain String Band - San Francisco 2007 (IA)

From the Internet Archive (IA) this is Yonder Mountain String Band Live at The Fillmore Auditorium on the 21st April 2007.

The Yonder Mountain String Band (abbreviated YMSB and referred to by some as just "Yonder") is an American progressive bluegrass group from Nederland, Colorado. Composed of Dave Johnston, Ben Kaufmann, Adam Aijala, Allie Kral, and Jacob Joliff the band has released five studio albums and several live recordings to date. Founding member and mandolinist Jeff Austin left the band in 2014 due to creative differences and conflicting career goals.

Just some of the bands history - In December 1998, the four musicians formed Yonder Mountain String Band which was to open for a band at the Fox Theatre in Boulder. They have since developed both a bluegrass and jam band fanbase, and can often be found on tour. Their debut album Elevation was released on Frog Pad Records, an independent record label run by the band, in fall 1999. From 1999 to 2001 they performed as one of the many attractions at NedFest, a music festival held in the band's hometown. By 2000, the group was also playing larger venues, such as The Fillmore in San Francisco, California. The band has released several live albums with material from live performances, but fans are welcome to record the concert they attend for themselves, as the band is taper-friendly.

There were several tapers during this early period that worked hard to document the band and spread recordings. Sandy "Bigfoot" Alexander, "Bluegrass" Brad Burleson, Josh Parsons, and Mark Burgin all contributed heavily to documenting Yonder during these early years. Jeff Austin once said that when these guys started to follow Yonder around recording them, that they felt like Yonder had started to make a mark. Burleson went on to work for the band as monitor engineer, as well as recording every show. Both Alexander and Burleson were inducted into the Kinfolk Hall of Fame for their efforts in documenting YMSB during these early years, particularly the unplugged encores that Yonder became known for during that time period.

In 2005, their recording of "Think for Yourself" was included on the album This Bird Has Flown – A 40th Anniversary Tribute to the Beatles' Rubber Soul.

Recording Details: Source: SBD > Edirol R4 (24/48), Lineage: R4 > PC > Soundforge 7.0 (resample/dither, slight re-eq) > CDWave (tracking) > FLAC frontend > FLAC16.

Sound Quality: Excellent - soundboard.

Set List:

Set 1
01 Intro
02 Idaho
03 Keep on Goin'
04 Two Hits and the Joint turned Brown
05 Keep on Goin'
06 Damned if the right one didn't go wrong
07 Rain Still Falls
08 Crooked Hitch
09 Goin' across the sea
10 Sometimes I've Won
11 Classic Situation
12 Boatman
13 King Ebeneezer
14 Mother's only son

Set 2
01 Intro
02 Kentucky Mandolin
03 Too late now
04 New Deal Train
05 Spanish Harlem Incident
06 Just the Same
07 How 'Bout you?
08 If there's still Ramblin' in the rambler (let him go)
09 Up on the Hill Where they do the boogie
10 Ramblin' Reprise
11 Finally Saw the Light
12 Ten
13 Angel
14 Follow me down to the riverside
15 Angel
16 Ten

Encore
17 Encore break / banter
18 Sharecropper's son
19 Steampowered Aereoplane
20 Granny Woncha Smoke Some

Website: Official Here.

Comments: There are FLAC, Ogg Vorbis and mp3 download files, along with the streaming material over at the Internet Archive (here).

Stream Below:

Midweek Double: The Glorious - Home Lives

The Glorious - I Wake Up.

Promo words - The hauntingly beautiful single from Australia’s The Glorious, “I Wake Up” is the first release from Falcon, the Melbourne band’s forthcoming full-length album co-produced by Julian Mendelsohn (Paul McCartney, Belle & Sebastian). Neil Rogers of The Australian Mood, notably said The Glorious create a “captivating sound with great songs, soaring harmonies, and heartfelt playing.” Falcon will be released by The MuseBox on January 8th.

“I Wake Up” is gently bathed in sparse, mournful piano and ghostly keyboards. Its gorgeously stark production allows lead singer and main songwriter David Mather’s chorus to soar while maintaining a hushed immediacy during the rest of the hymn-like track. Mather explains that “I Wake Up” was inspired by a lost loved one communicating with him via a dream. The tune represents his band’s unashamedly heartfelt approach to songwriting in that it is “a meditation on the possibilities of renewal, the sense of being deeply connected with someone.”

Founded in Melbourne in 2004 by Mather and longtime friend and collaborator Dan Gard'ner, The Glorious began as a vehicle for Mather's songwriting before evolving into a full band. The band's lineup solidified with the addition of Joel Loukes (bass) and Danny Stain (guitar). The release of a self-titled EP in 2005 immediately announced the band's trademarks: expertly crafted songs, rich melodies, and atmospheric soundscapes. Readings Monthly called The Glorious’s second album, Sweetwater, “warm, relaxed, and raw.”

Mather, who feels a “strong kingship with America and is ready to hit the U.S.,” confirms that Falcon will feature the open and honest stylings already established by The Glorious on previous recordings: “If I'm going to sing something, I'm going to stand behind it. The lyrics are real. They are a truth. I'm singing from a very real place.”

'I Wake Up' is a beautiful ballad that rounds off the exceptional album 'Falcon'. The band are quite capable of  knocking out some power chords and meaty bass lines, along with gentler acoustic and piano lead numbers. Vocals are 'stand out' across the album, that thoughtfully drifts through a variety of genres and styles.

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Home Lives - Cool Waves, Young Blood.

Background words - Upstate New Yorkers Brittany Cohen and Mike Horgan are the the snotty, at times heartfelt, lo-fi combination that is Home Lives. The pair are ready to give you their killer debut EP Cool Waves, Young Blood, ahead of their Shea Stadium show in Brooklyn (on November 7th).

Mike started the project chasing a desire to create hooky tunes about brazenly personal topics like childhood, love, post-college millennial life and the human condition. Their debut single marries these heavy concepts together in a way that is seamless and yet charmingly naive. 

The EP was recorded with Chris Daly at Salvation Recording Co. in New Paltz, NY. Daly has worked with a whole bunch of artists such as Porches, Frankie Cosmos, Quarterbacks, Diet Cig and PWR BTTM. Jamal Ruhe was on mastering duties at West West Side Music and has mastered albums by bands like Titus Andronicus, Built to Spill and Swans. Noah Bowman, drummer of Diet Cig, plays drums on the entire Home Lives EP.

This is a feisty three track EP. Lot's of passion and high energy in the featured track, which in reality is only a third of their musical story. Harmonies and melodies are more to the fore on the other two songs, whilst 'Cool Waves, Young Blood' is their 'in your face calling card'.

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Phil Lesh and Friends - Live at Langerado 2008 (IA).

From the Internet Archive (IA) this is Phil Lesh and Friends Live at Langerado Music Festival on the 9th March 2008. The sixth Langerado Festival was held March 6, 2008 through March 9, 2008, making it one day longer than the previous year. The festival took place on the Big Cypress Indian Reservation, thirty miles west of Ft. Lauderdale.

Unfortunately earlier this month Phil Lesh reported “I was diagnosed with bladder cancer in early October, and have spent the last few weeks at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale doing tests and eventually surgery to remove the tumors. I am very fortunate to have the pathology reports show that the tumors are all non aggressive, and that there is no indication that they have spread". We wish Phil a full and speedy recovery.

Phil Lesh and Friends is of course an American rock band formed and led by Phil Lesh, former bassist of the Grateful Dead. Around the time of this gig we are told - A new formation of Phil & Friends, including Lesh, Larry Campbell (guitar, mandolin, fiddle), Teresa Williams (vocals), Jackie Greene (vocals and guitar), Steve Molitz (keyboards), and John Molo (drums), debuted in September 2007 in Santa Barbara, California.

On February 4, 2008, Phil and Friends joined Grateful Dead guitarist Bob Weir and drummer Mickey Hart, along with Barry Sless and Ratdog guitarist Mark Karan, for a concert called "Deadheads for Obama", in support of Barack Obama's presidential campaign. The show was the first time that Weir, Hart, and Lesh had played together since 2004. Even more recently, the band performed the final shows at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco, California. Bob Weir sat in for a run of five nights that included sets of the Grateful Dead's first few albums.

In the fall of 2008, Phil Lesh and Friends toured the Eastern United States, including a run of 14 shows in 19 days, known as "Philathon", at the Nokia Theatre Times Square in New York City. The final Phil Lesh and Friends performance until 2012 was on 12/31/08. 

Recording Details: Source: (FOB) JW MODDED AKG 463's (DIN) > Lunatec V3(Opti-Mod) > JB3 (16/44.1 ), Location: FOB - 5 feet ROC, Approx. 75 feet away @ 10 feet high.

Sound Quality: Very Good. There are close on two thousand recordings of Phil Lesh on the IA, this one was chosen for audio quality, the set list, and because you have to start somewhere.

Set List:

01 crowd/tuning
02 Sugar Magnolia
03 The Wheel tease
04 Uncle John's Band
05 The Wheel
06 Cumberland Blues
07 Gone Wanderin'
08 Cumberland Blues (reprise)
09 Help On The Way
10 Slipknot!
11 Franklin's Tower

Set II:

01 crowd/tuning
02 China Cat Sunflower
03 I Know You Rider
04 New Speedway Boogie
05 A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall
06 Unbroken Chain
07 Telstar# (Phil/Molo/Molitz)
08 The Golden Road to Unlimited Devotion
09 Viola Lee Blues
10 Donor Rap / Band Intros
Encore:
11 Casey Jones

Website: Official Here.

Comments: There are FLAC, Ogg Vorbis and mp3 download files, along with the streaming material over at the Internet Archive (here).

Stream Below:

Monday Double: The Blue Dolphins - Manwomanchild

The Blue Dolphins - Walking in the Sun.

Background - Los Angeles, CA-based eclectic, melodic pop-rock duo The Blue Dolphins follow up this year's six-song Walking in the Sun EP with their sophomore full-length, Come On!, a fourteen track collection of California-sun soaked roots songs that travel the landscape of memorable melodies, intricate guitar solos, luscious vocal harmonies, and uplifting lyrics, all wrapped up in fantastic production.

Comprised of two-time Grammy Award winner engineer Alfonso Rodenas on guitar and Victoria Scott on lead vocals, the duo released the Walking in the Sun EP in May, a prelude to the forthcoming full-length; Walking in the Sun contains six songs Come On!.  Prior releases include their debut full-length, 2012's My Favorite Word is Today and 2013’s In Between EP.  

Come On! is a major push forward for The Blue Dolphins, reaching towards a more complex and fully produced music scenario, where sonic aesthetics and songwriting are richer and more varied, departing from the pared-down premises and acoustic songs that characterized My Favorite Word is Today.  Come On! embraces folk, pop, and roots-rock with the duo’s characteristic optimism and charm.

Victoria Scott and Alfonso Rodenas fatefully met at the legendary rock pit The Cat Club on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles and soon started playing and recording together.  Formed in 2010, The Blue Dolphins released their debut full-length and gigged constantly over the following two years in California and Western Europe - earning them a dedicated fan base in the U.S., U.K., and Spain.

'Walking In The Sun' oozes feel good vibes. It's natural pop-rock, that has so much going for it, vocals and vocal harmonies skip above a sparkling and slickly crafted soundtrack.

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Manwomanchild - Return To Ithaca.

Background - Manwomanchild is a rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania fronted by David Child.

The band was started in Rhode Island in 2008. In February 2010, the band release a self-titled EP recorded at Machines with Magnets in Pawtucket, RI. The band’s lineup for the EP and album consisted of David Child on vocals, guitars, and synths, Mason Neely on drums, and Craig Gifford on bass. In May 2010, Manwomanchild released the song “Chile La Roja” in support of Chile’s 2010 World Cup team. The song was featured in 4 national newspapers and on 2 Chilean TV networks.

The band released its self-titled debut album on 12/14/2010 on West Cortez Records. In 2013, Manwomanchild moved to Philadelphia. In April 2014, they wrote and recorded the soundtrack for Decidedly‘s iOS and Android game “Floyd’s Worthwhile Endeavor“.

In September and October of 2014, the band released the singles “Wedding Toast” and “Recent History”, followed by another, “The Telepath Returns,” in December of the same year. In March 2015, “The Difficult Years” was released. Music blog “Surviving the Golden Age” described the song’s sound as “LCD Soundsystem being fronted by Ben Gibbard” as well as “hybrid glam rock/chamber pop”.

This is a really well crafted song, the production is clear and crisp musically, and David Child's vocals are pretty much a perfect match for a song like this. Find out more (here).

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The Mosers - Cold Hearted Girl.

The Mosers - Cold Hearted Girl.

Background - Meet The Mosers.  Comprised of New Jersey natives, Mike Pellegrino, Dave Ryan, Rick Szpakowski and Matt Kulper, The Mosers have burst on to the music scene with their contemporary brand of gritty, in-your-face, no-holds-barred Rock and Roll. Fun-loving and fearless, The Mosers released their first single “Cold-Hearted Girl,” to rave reviews and their debut EP Ticonderoga releases today, October 23, 2015. On October 28, the guys will hit the road on a mass US tour with Interscope buzz band and New Jersey brothers, Young Rising Sons. 

“Cold-Hearted Girl,” a bonafide smash, is a testament – not just to the foursome’s impressive musical chops, but also to their penchant for crafting delightfully relatable stories.  Highlighted by authoritative drumming, snarling guitar riffs and Pellegrino’s signature, whiskey-soaked growl, “Cold-Hearted Girl” is an ode to the heartache and rebellion that seem to define our adolescence.
  
“We are a bunch of guys that just love rock and roll,” says Pellegrino. “It's all we've done all of our lives. We want fans to be able to let go of everything and just enjoy themselves when they hear us. We truly care about music and having the best time in the world playing it.” Since their inception, The Mosers have shared the stage with a variety of notable acts, including: Young Rising Sons, Halsey and Oh Honey. Recently, they put their stamp on the Empire Records 20th Anniversary celebration at Rough Trade NYC.

Let The Kids Riot Tour featuring Young Rising Sons, Night Riots and The Mosers:

10/28. Santa Ana, CA . Constellation Room
10/29. Los Angeles, CA . Club Bahia
10/30. Phoenix, AZ . The Crescent Ballroom
10/31. El Paso, TX . Lowbrow Palace
11/2. Austin, TX . The Parish
11/3. Dallas, TX . House of Blues / Cambridge Room
11/4. Houston, TX . Fitzgeralds Downstairs
11/6. Atlanta, GA . The Loft                      
11/9. Detroit, MI . The Shelter
11/10. Chicago, IL . Double Door
11/11. Cincinnati, OH . Southgate House
11/12. Cleveland, OH . Grog Shop
11/14. Buffalo, NY . The Waiting Room
11/15. Toronto, ON . The Mod Club Theatre
11/17. Baltimore, MD . The 8x10
11/18. South Burlington, VT . Higher Ground Showcase Lounge
11.19. Albany, NY . The Hollow
11.20 Hamden, CT . The Space
11/21. Philadelphia, PA . The Foundry / The Fillmore
11/22. Brooklyn, NY . Brooklyn Bowl
11/24. Long Branch, NJ . Brighton Bar.

Power chords and good old rock'n'roll drumming, play support to gutsy vocals, in this mini anthem of a song. This song cuts straight to the chase, with just a little swagger and plenty of passion.


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Sundays Alternative: Vaudeville Smash - French Horn Rebellion - Ducky

Vaudeville Smash - Richter Scale.

Background - Australia’s Vaudeville Smash return with their new single Richter Scale, a synth-laden funk anthem with hooks for days.

Having just returned from a hugely successful tour of Japan, where they signed with P-Vine records, this is the band’s first release since their world wide smash Zinedine Zidane in 2014. Vaudeville Smash has explored many genres but with Richter Scale and B-side Dangerous they revisit their first true love. Funk. 

The single is out now and had worldwide radio premieres in Australia (on Triple R), in Japan (on Tokyo Inter FM) and in the US by on line heavyweight EDM Sauce.

 "With Richter Scale, we channelled some of the great 80s boogie bands like Cameo and Midnight Star. We've set out to make a really great Funk album. It's our first love!" - Marc, Vaudeville Smash.

Synth drive funk, can't disagree with any of their words above. Actually the synth element lightens the sound up, giving it a fresher modern feel, without losing the intention to celebrate their funk forerunners. It's fun and it's catchy.

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French Horn Rebellion - Play Your Part Feat. Spencer Ludwig.

Background - The Brooklyn-based brother duo French Horn Rebellion have teamed up with singer-songwriter and trumpeter Spencer Ludwig (Capital Cities, RAC) for a blissfully optimistic bop called “Play Your Part,” which is the second single to come off FHR’s forthcoming Foolin’ Around EP (out November 6). 

French Horn Rebellion are Robert and David Perlick-Molinari, two brothers born and bred in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently residing in Brooklyn, NY. In 2007, younger brother Robert was playing French horn in the Chicago Civic Orchestra, and decided to make hot beats instead. After telling the conductor that Mahler isn’t fun anymore he asked his bassoon-toting brother, David to join with him. And so it was, a French Horn Rebellion began.

Since then, the boys have travelled 5 continents with French horn slung over their back, doing shows with MGMT, Yelle, Cut Copy, and others along the way. Also, they've pioneered a new genre called 'Next Jack Swing,' like New Jack, but with heavy beats and funkier bass lines.

Live Dates :
10/30 — Buffalo, NY at Town Ballroom w/Robert DeLong 
10/31 — Clifton Park, NY at Upstate Concert Hall w/Robert DeLong 
11/1 — South Burlington, VT at Showcase Lounge w/Robert DeLong.

The track just blasts into action, with French horns blazing the trail. Spencer Ludwig has just the right voice, and the song has a mixture of charm, style (lots of style) and uplifting good time vibes.

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DUCKY - Lost Angeles.

Background - Since her early teenage years, Ducky has been fully immersed in club culture. She worked the door and started off her DJ career in San Francisco with the help of a fake ID before dropping out of high school at 17 and heading to NYU where she continued working on music. Following a move to LA this year and a release through Parisian imprint B.yrslf Division Ducky continues to shape her sound with a new EP on Nest. The three-track Lost Angeles is a scenic stroll through winding four-four environments, opening with the hazy title track, followed by the hypnotic "Rain Dance", and ending at "Winter Song" just as the Fall storm clouds land in LA.

This is a really good sounding and quite diverse EP. The featured track has a dreamy distant sound, that soothes. 'Rain Dance' is far more dance orientated and 'Winter Song' has a more stripped down, rhythm heavy feel and beat. All of which showcases Ducky in a very positive musical light.

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Liverpool & London Calling: Jimmy & The Revolvers - Cat Bear Tree

Jimmy & The Revolvers - The Morning Paper.

And we quote - Jimmy & the Revolvers are one of the UK's most exciting emerging bands. When they're not gigging up and down the country making new friends and fans wherever they go, they're running a monthly club night in their home city of Liverpool as well as finding the time to champion up and coming talent on the scene.

Formed in early 2013, Jimmy & The Revolvers are Jay Rehm on Vocals & Acoustic Guitar, Jordan Wright on Vocals & Bass, Jimmy Moon on Electric Guitar and Ash Michael on Drums. Their debut AA side ‘Aimee’s Song/Frosty’ released in June 2013 became a favourite talking point for the city’s music bloggers and DJs who were drawn to the band's infectious melodies and harmonies.

More glowing reviews followed the release of their four track EP ‘Sunday Morning’ on New Year’s Eve 2013, which gained airplay across the UK and was chosen as one of BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson’s Fresh Faves on his Fresh on the Net website in February 2014. Support slots with Ian Skelly (former The Coral), a brilliant performance at Liverpool Sound City 2014 and international airplay for their last single 'Whistle For My Love' added to the buzz around the band and led to them signing with Ugly Man Records, the label responsible for launching Elbow and I Am Kloot.

New Single 'The Morning Paper' boasts the infectious melodies, stunning harmonies and huge production we've come to expect from Jimmy & The Revolvers. The single was produced by Carlo Variola of Ocean Waves Productions and is included in Variola's 'Ocean Waves' album, a compilation of Liverpool bands.

This is holistically good. Excellent song, musicianship, production, and full of heart and soul. Popular music, is in safe hands with bands like this. Find out more on their Facebook page (here).

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Cat Bear Tree - Adult.

Background - An exhilarating portrait of Cat Bear Tree’s melodic alt-pop meets angular indie oeuvre, ‘Settled In Our Hearts’ is out on iTunes (HERE) on Friday 23 October. The EP opens with ‘Adult’, the group’s most danceable tune to date, displaying faint traces of Bloc Party and Warpaint on a song about the complexities of love and maturity. 

Enthused by the trail-blazing women forming brilliant bands such as The Donnas, L7 and Elastica, the three members of Cat Bear Tree spent their teenage years sneaking into London gigs and sourcing inspiration from the capital’s more independently inclined music scenes. It was this punk-rock spirit that first bonded Zoe Konez (guitar and vocals), Claudia Mansaray (bass and vocals) and Sarah Smith (drums and vocals), three fearless players who’d been cutting their teeth on the DIY circuit. Having joined forces it was clear that Cat Bear Tree were a forceful prospect, their infectious indie hooks and open-book lyrics soon earning plaudits on both the blogosphere and stage, where key shows included supports to Mike Skinner and The Tuts. Debut EP ‘Let’s Share Hearts’ was an early statement of intent, earning the group comparisons to the likes of Electrelane and Sleater-Kinney, but it is new release ‘Settled In Our Hearts’ that captures the true qualities of Cat Bear Tree and will stand as their launchpad to broad acclaim, for, as the band admit: “We’ve pushed ourselves further out. This EP sounds like us, now, and we can’t wait for people to connect with it.”

The EP is a treasure trove of really good songs. Bright breezy musical hooks with vocals and harmonies that suggest their hearts are most definitely in the music.

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Friday Variety: Cigars Of The Pharaoh - Bespin - Silent Feature Era

Cigars Of The Pharaoh - Mystery Highway.

Background - Sometimes a band just comes out of nowhere. You might hear it in the background at a bar, or it might hit you on the radio while you’re stuck in traffic. Chances are, if you’ve heard Sydney’s Cigars Of The Pharaoh, you’ll know about it. With a power-packed sound that tips its hat to the blues rock genre, Cigars Of The Pharaoh have risen up to bring the groove back to the Australian music scene with a punch that feels good.

The band formed in the early part of 2015 as a four-piece - a mixed bag of guys with a multitude of musical influences and pasts that gelled from the get-go. From indie pop to hard rock, soul to RnB, this special union of musical minds has created something that’s fresh, based on everything they’ve learned and heard from a combined experience of many decades inside the scene. Cigars completed the recording of their debut EP within months of forming, such was the pace at which their unique blend of talents moved.

Hooking up with producer Sean Carey (Thirsty Merc) at Church Street Studios in their hometown of Sydney, they laid down a four-track EP across a single weekend. Mystery Highway was the result, and it’s already made waves, with national airplay on Triple M and a line-up of gigs that is growing quickly. Cigars will launch title track “Mystery Highway” as their first single with The A&R Department at Sydney’s Oxford Art Factory on 6 November, and a second single release, along with the EP, will follow shortly thereafter. In between, their helping The Lazys set off on their Canadian Tour on 31 October as part of a Halloween line-up at The Lewisham Hotel that also includes Chase The Sun. Cigars have more shows lined up in Sydney and at The Carrington in Katoomba, and will make a trip down to Victoria in mid-November for two shows in Melbourne. 

Upcoming Shows 
Saturday, October 31 - Lewisham Hotel, Sydney Friday, November 6 - Oxford Art Factory, Sydney Thursday, November 26 - The Valve Bar, Sydney. “Mystery Highway” by Cigars Of The Pharaoh will be released 13th of November 2015.

Cranking up the power, 'Mystery Highway' is a belting blues rocker. It's a timeless piece and brings images of a sweat soaked venue, with the audience as one, lost in the moment.

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Bespin - Take Control.

Background - The track (Take Control) is the bands second single, it was recorded in a hidden Grey Lynn attic in the home of main guy Jonathan Lee (Cut Off Your Hands). The band also features members of DHDFD's (Joel Beeby) and Tiny Ruins (Alex Freer). 

Bespin are nominated for the Critics Choice Award in New Zealand, and have also played St Jerome's Laneway Festival, Camp A Low Hum and The Others Way Festival.

Bespin are also releasing their debut EP "Osiris" next Friday on 30th October, via Flying Out. Featuring five tracks, the EP is a woozy fuzz Gigantor, careering out of control down an 8-bit space age freeway.

To celebrate the release of the "Osiris" EP Bespin are also on tour through New Zealand in November/December

Thur - 12th November - Kings Arms - Auckland
Fri - 11th December - Meow - Wellington
Thu - 17th December - Darkroom - Christchurch
Fri - 18th December - Chicks Hotel - Dunedin.

'Take Control' switches on, warms up, and then launches into a massively atmospheric song. Vocals are just right in the overall mix, with the harmonies occasionally heaving themselves, above the powerful soundtrack.

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Silent Feature Era - House Of Thieves.

Background - Poetic words denote a sense of anti-establishment-ism that makes for a boisterous good time of sticking it to the man in Silent Feature Era's new single 'House of Thieves'.

Transporting the listener straight to the heart of this aesthetic, 'House of Thieves' features lyricism harking back to an almost Shakespearean/medieval era, allowing imagery to play out in the mind. Combining cinematic landscapes, crooked guitars, synths, organs & kooky electronica with a reckless, raucous attitude this group of Brisbane lads are returning from hiatus with gusto. 

Featuring members of Brisbane music scenesters Speedstar, The Honey Month and Machine Age, this band of brothers released their debut album This Old Leather Heart in 2012, receiving a warm reception, a handful of QMA nominations and national airplay. With ‘House of Thieves’  the first taste from a forthcoming second album, expect some wild and not so silent times ahead.

I just love the 'traditional' harmonies that open this song, setting us up for a real storming track, mixing folk, come punk, and no nonsense rock, (and perhaps reminiscent a little of The Pogues). I just want to hear more!

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