My Morning Jacket - Bonnaroo, 2008.

From the Internet Archive (IA) this is My Morning Jacket live on the Which Stage at Bonnaroo, USA, back on the 13th June 2008. The Which Stage is basically the second stage and generally features the last performance before that of the headlining act each night. After the headlining act performs, a late-night show often follows here.

As was the case on this occasion. The band toured in support of their then new album Evil Urges that summer, which included a storied appearance at Bonnaroo Music Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. The band, beginning at midnight, performed for four hours in the rain. Unfazed by a torrential downpour for much of its first half, the band's set went on to feature thirty five songs, including all but two tracks from Evil Urges and numerous covers, and featured guest appearances from Kirk Hammett of Metallica. The set has commonly been regarded as among the band's personal best and in the history of that festival; Rolling Stone called it "career-defining."

Recording Details: Source Neumann ak40 > lc3 > ka100 > km100 (FOB, 5' LOC, 7.5' up, NOS,) > Lunatec V3 > MTII (24/48), Lineage Microtrack II > PC > Wavelab 5 (Fades, 48k>44k, MBIT+ Dither) > CD Wave > FLAC.

Sound Quality: Good to very good (widely regarded as one of Bonnaroo as well as the bands best concerts, the audio quality holds up for the whole four hour duration, for what is something of a legendary performance).

Set List:

Set 1:
Evil Urges
Off the Record
Gideon
Hot Fun (Sly & the Family Stone)
Highly Suspicious
What a Wonderful Man
I'm Amazed
Thank You Too!
Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt.1
Sec Walkin
Golden
Two Halves
Lay Low
Hit It And Quit It
Tyrone
Steam Engine
Anytime
Aluminum Park
Easy Morning Rebel
Dancefloors
One Big Holiday

Set 2:
Cold Sweat
Get Down On It
Across 110th Street
Wordless Chorus
Phone Went West
Mahgeetah
Oh Sweet Nuthin
Librarian
Bermuda Highway
Dondante
Run Thru
Smokin from Shootin
Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt.2
Encore: Home Sweet Home

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:

Fridays Singer/Songwriters: LeRiche - Joni Fuller

LeRiche - Rain.

LeRiche introduces himself - I'm 22 years old and I'm from Port aux Basques. My passion for music began at an early age, first stretching my fingers out on a six-string at the age of one. After years of playing local establishments across the island of Newfoundland, I'm thrilled to be upon my first commercial release, Rain.

In this release, I'm supported by a string quartet, percussion and the sound of rain falling (captured on microphone) through an open window at the downtown Toronto studio as the track was being recorded.  This will be the first look at new music from my debut EP Quiet Steady which is set for release Summer 2016.  The album delves deep into strong memorable melodies at the core of my music.

The only other band I know who recorded rain with a live mike through an open window was The Who (Quadrophenia). OK music lesson over and to LeRiche. 'Rain' is a gentle and melodic song, with LeRiche's vocals reminiscent a little of Jeff Buckley, in as much as they are so natural and sincere. It's a fine introduction and one that sets the EP up, as a must listen.

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Joni Fuller - The Penny.

And The News - Friday 27th November 2015, the day history is made by Joni Fuller, an award-winning songwriter and classically trained multi-instrumentalist. Joni Fuller will be releasing her high-energy, indie folk/pop song  'Everybody Says So' through existing digital outlets, but the track will first be available on Aurovine, an revolutionary platform which utilises the recently launched music industry currency AudioCoin.

Aurovine allows music fans to connect and support emerging artists by listening, rating and sharing tracks, earning AudioCoins for both parties which can be exchanged for other currencies, stored in an offline wallet to earn interest or used for transactions on Aurovine and other websites. Through revolutionary blockchain technology, Aurovine provides super transparent and fair revenue splits to the artist, songwriter and anyone with a tangible stake in the making and promotion/distribution of a record. Even fans can become an integral part of the project with an innovative crowd revenue share feature.

Just three hundred limited edition digital copies of Joni Fuller's single will be available, featuring two extra specially recorded bonus tracks. Along with an official record of support, these three hundred backers will also get a revenue share of worldwide sales.

Born in Lytham-St Annes, Lancashire, Joni Fuller's first solo performance was made at the Montreux Jazz Festival when she was just twelve years old. Since then she has honed her craft the traditional way,  performing extensively in the UK, mainland Europe and North America. Known for her high energy, instrument swapping solo performances, Joni combines sublime musicianship with ground breaking looping techniques to build a wall of sound live on stage.

So all of the above is about 'Everybody Say So' and I have featured 'The Penny'. Well 'The Penny' is a great introduction to Joni Fuller, and it only seems fair to support her Aurovine release by encouraging a visit to her page on the site. Joni's Aurovine link (here). Both are really good songs indeed you can checkout more on her website (here). Right I'm off to figure out how Aurovine works - enjoy.

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Two For You: Timber Bones - yndi halda

Timber Bones - Travelling Song.

And we are told - One hot summer under the shade of a Queenslander indie-rock 5-piece Timber Bones jammed out their first song together. “Travelling Song” was written in celebration of one of Australia’s newest pass-times- “the festival romance.” A side effect of excessive cider consumption and inadequate sun safety the festival romance is a whirlwind of summer dresses, white smoke and young love. The third single from Timber Bones "Travelling Song" is best enjoyed in the company of strangers with inhibitions left back home with your day job.

The bouncy, folk-rock tune takes inspiration from the likes of Mumford and Sons, Fleet Foxes and The Mama's and the Papa's. "When we first started writing music together we had aimed for a more folky sound overall,” says guitarist Kendall. "Originally the guitar lines were written for banjo and the song was jug-tootingly folky. When the song came out of pre-production at The Palace, producer Caleb James had worked this awesome festival vibe around it. People heard it and started dancing so naturally it became our festival song and my banjo became a paper-weight."

Timber Bones leave on their maiden bus voyage after a month’s work under the very same Queenslander. Planning an east-coast tour for the coming summer Timber Bones whole journey will be documented in a web-series to appear on their website (here).

This has those feel good vibes through and through. Upbeat and to use the expression above 'bouncy', it does all of this without losing the sincerity. It's a nice bright song.

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yndi halda - Golden Threads From The Sun (excerpt).

Background - Eight-years on from Enjoy Eternal Bliss Brighton based quintet yndi halda are now preparing to release their new album, Under Summer. Having toured across the UK, Europe, USA and Asia, including shows at London's famed Barbican Hall, Koko and Union Chapel venues, and entirely selling out a short residency at Hoxton Hall; yndi halda's fervent and nominally patient fan base have been eagerly awaiting this new material. For those who were previously enthralled by the band's revered string-heavy and densely layered flavor of instrumental rock, there are seemingly endless new aural delectations to unearth and embrace in the band's intense second effort. Their music is at once subtle and joyous, hitting huge emotional peaks around moments of serene gentleness and heart-breaking sadness in its orchestration of sonorous guitar interlacing, meticulously crafted string arrangements and - now - soaring vocal harmonies.

Speaking about writing the new album, James Vella (guitar, vocals) said "We called the album Under Summer. It is two references. For us at least. Inevitably it will mean something different to everyone who hears the album. But for us it is the very upper limit of the sky under which we wrote and recorded the album. The endless July days that we played into, a perfect calm and joy. But it's also a sadness. 'Under' as in 'beneath'; sorrow and heartache. We found that important because we want to express that in our music too. Sadness and bliss. What one means to the other." The new album is due out on the March 4, 2016 via Big Scary Monsters in the UK/EU and Burnt Toast Vinyl in the US, and follows the critically acclaimed Enjoy Eternal Bliss, which was released in 2007.

A four minute taste of their forthcoming album, in this excerpt of the track 'Golden Threads From The Sun' and what a teaser it is! It suggests we really are in for a treat when the album is released, one for the diary to say the least.

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Another Genre Mix: Atlas Lab - Dirty Revival

Atlas Lab - Wake Up Slow.

About the band - Like so many stories, Atlas Lab's biography begins with a chance meeting. Alex and Solei met one chilly morning while street performing in Harvard Square. She had her mic and looper, he had a homemade drumset of pots and pans. Before long, they were playing out together. Around the same time, Solei and John were experimenting with adding vocal loops and electronic textures to folk tunes, and Alex and Samm were living together, making ambient electronic music, and performing with local acts. The four came together in a Brighton apartment one afternoon in the winter of 2015 and felt the undefinable thing called chemistry.

Since then, Atlas Lab has toured the Northeast in suppport of an EP of live demos, which have gotten noticed on Bandcamp and several online indie labels/blogs. They will be releasing their first studio EP, "Wake Up Slow," in January 2016. In the fall of 2015, bassist Otto Briner joined the band as it moved towards a more groove-based, soulful sound. The new line up is currently writing songs for a full-length album. They have spent the past year playing extensively in Montreal, New York, Cape Cod, Vermont, Maine, and at local venues like Middle East Up, TT the Bear's (RIP), and Great Scott. -- Website Here.

One of the nice things about running a music blog, is when one band you feature opens the door to another, and they also sound really good, as has happened with Atlas Lab. The first single 'Wake Up Slow' is a song that quietly builds into something quite special. Indie folk with a bit of a kick, I can't wait to hear the rest of the EP.

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Dirty Revival - Dirty Love.

Background and band comments - “Big, gritty, and honest.  Our sound is unique but pulls elements of our favorite genres: soul, funk, hip-hop, R&B, jazz, gospel, and rock,” says Sarah Clarke, the resounding, and resonating, front woman for Portland, Oregon-based Dirty Revival. Also comprised of Evan "evv'n'flo" Simko (M.C., guitar), Terry Drysdale (drums), Karl Ludwigsen (keyboards), and Jon Shaw (bass), the quintet shines on their self-titled, debut full-length.  

“Someone once described us as Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Earth Wind and Fire, and Rose Royce all blended up as one,” Clarke says of the comparisons her band has already started to receive.  “I nearly fainted.  What a massive compliment.” Expanding on that, Evan Simko says, “I think people will find a great variety of influences or comparisons, to name a few: P-Funk, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Bill Withers, Charles Bradley, Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, D’Angelo, and The Roots.  It’s hard to say.  I think there are so many influences that it won’t quite sound like anyone in particular.”

Their debut is a representation of all of this, a melting pot of influences and personalities, with all five members getting their voice, literally and metaphorically, contained within the sounds of the album.  While navigating different musical waters, the album also vacillates between fiercely political uprisings to down and gritty party jams that are meant to make you smile and dance.

“The album is about honesty,” says Sarah Clark Clarke.  “It is candid and sincere, the same way we as a group approach music in general.  ‘Breathe’ is a song decrying the racial tensions in our society as we see it.  ‘Lay Me Down’ is about the brutal affect addiction has on people.  ‘Take It Off’ is a take on lust.  “Make It” is about the need for personal betterment.  And then there are songs like ‘Dirty Love,’ which highlights our passion for performance.  Essentially, every song on this album is an unadulterated take on music and the world that we see every day.” Adds Terry Drysdale, “It’s serious when it needs to be and fun the rest of the time.” The band decided on self-titling their debut, as a representation of who they are.

Now, with the record done, the band just wants to get their music out there, share it with people, and hope that those people want them to come to their city and play live for them.  And, the band, will be happy to oblige, with heavy touring this fall into next year slated in support of Dirty Revival.

Plenty of musical references above, however on merit the influences or comparisons are pretty reasonable. On the featured track the band stomp things up and certainly mix the styles. The album as a whole has plenty of 'traditional' soul songs, that whether they are softer, or more powerful, are just so full of commitment, and real soul passion. Dirty Revival are a melting pot of musical and vocal quality, that reaches way beyond just soul music fans.

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Upbeat Tuesday: Prickle - The Gromble

Prickle - Tell Me Why.

What we are told - Prickle is 17 y/o independent pop rock artist Emily Wilson from Melbourne, Victoria. After spending a few years honing and developing her sound, in search of her ‘unique voice,’ Emily is ready to share her personal perspective.

‘Tell Me Why,’ is her first single. It is a study of contrasting personalities and the thoughts that follow. The honest vocals engage a story telling voice speaking to the listener in conversational style. Initially sketched out with a laid back acoustic feel, the song has now adopted a garage rock 60’s mood with a strong rhythm section and drive.

The song is produced by Rich Bowers and Matt O’Connor, and features Jasper Miles on drums. Jasper has collaborated with Emily on a lot of her material and is also a member Auntie Mag. A lot more to come from Prickle in 2016 following 'Tell Me Why.''

This is a superb song. Vocals are a delight and the music (more rock than pop in my opinion) adds power to the whole piece. An exciting blast of fresh new music, due for release on the 11th of December 2015.


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The Gromble - Real Sympathy.

Background - Hailing from the warm shores of California, five-piece band The Gromble grew up playing together in various bands and have established the kind of rare synchronicity that has helped them carve out their own idiosyncratic niche: a charming blend of orchestral alt-folk and indie rock, honed live supporting such acts as The Lemonheads. 

With the classic intensity of early greats Pavement, Weezer and Neutral Milk Hotel and a taste for the heartland classics, they arrive somewhere between Grouplove, Miniature Tigers and Vampire Weekend. They take their name from Nickelodeon’s Aaahh!!! Real Monsters a perfect indicator of their unashamed love for 90s pop culture and for the sense of humour that runs beneath the surface of their songs.

Their new album 'Jayus' is due out February 12th 2016. The band say: “We wanted to create something that encompassed all of our varying and often conflicting influences, in hopes that it will reach the listener as something both fresh and familiar. There's something special about the time when a group is first trying to gel together and really define itself, its aural signature. For us, this album definitely captures that feeling as we're learning about ourselves, each other, and the burden of life in general.”

This just 'screams' summer and smiles and beach parties and warmth (you get the picture?). It's been some journey for the band to reach this point, based on the good vibes of this song, a lot of music fans will be glad they stuck with it.


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Alternative Take: Super8 & Tab - Club 8 - Frameworks

Super8 & Tab - Komorebi.

Background - Since their collaboration in 2005, Super8 & Tab have released two Beatport trance number one artist albums, played at major music festivals all over the world, including EDC, Ultra, Tomorrowland and A State of Trance and been nominated ‘Best Breakthrough DJ’ at the Miami WMC IDMA Awards. Most recently, the duo was signed to colossal record company Armada Music and shows no signs of slowing down.

Things started happening for the Finnish duo in 2004, when Above & Beyond adopted each of them individually as the first members of the ever-growing Anjunabeats family. Super8 met Tab in 2005 at a recording studio and they soon start working together. Although they have grown with Anjuna and had multiple number one releases on the label, they’ve always put out records on other imprints too; the latest of which is Armada Music. In addition to being signed to two of the biggest labels in trance music, Super8 & Tab’s other achievements include two artist albums, four mix compilations, remixes for the likes of Armin van Buuren, Paul van Dyk, Ferry Corsten and BT and countless hit singles such as ‘Elektra,' ‘Irufushi,'  ‘L.A.’ and ‘Helsinki Scorchin.’’

In 2014 the duo released their second artist album ‘Unified’, which was celebrated with a string of Beatport Top 3 singles (‘Code Red’ with Jaytech, ‘Rubicon’ with 7Skies, and ‘No Frontiers’ and ‘Let Go’, both featuring Julie Thompson). To coincide with the release of ‘Unified’, the duo embarked on a five-month album tour, taking in more than 40 cities across North and South America, Europe, Asia and Australia.

'Komorebi' has that classic trance feel to start with, and then just goes somewhere special, wonderful and quite anthemic. This is an incredible piece of music.

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Club 8 - Late Nights.

Background - Club 8 and the new album 'Pleasure' just released (November 20). Swedish duo Club 8 celebrate 20 years as a band and return with their 9th album, “Pleasure”. For the album producer and songwriter Johan Angergård (The Legends, Pallers, Acid House Kings, Eternal Death) wrote almost 30 songs and then he and singer Karolina Komstedt chose to record eight of these. Just like most Club 8 albums from the last 14 years ”Pleasure” was recorded in their own studio, the ever changing Summersound Studios.

- ”Love dies” was the first song we recorded and it set the tone and work process for the whole album. It was written in a few hours and finished the day after. Vocals was captured on the first take. For me, this is not only our probably best album to date, it’s the the most well produced in every way. Still, we haven’t done an album this fast since ”Spring came, rain fell” in 2002, says Johan.

Club 8 has always seen themselves as an international band with no plans to succeed in their home country (but accidently succeeded anyway). - We never play live in Sweden and we’ve chosen not to do any interviews here in the last years. We love Sweden, of course, but why play here when you can tour Brazil or China? Or, more importantly, produce some new music! (Johan)

The duo has released their albums on more than 40 different labels located in more than 20 different countries (including labels in Indonesia, Spain, the UK, the US, Philippines, Japan, Ukraine, Italy, Brazil, Taiwan, China, South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand). They started out the Spanish label Siesta in 1995 and had a dance hit with “Missing you” on Labrador in Spain three years later. A few years later they were among the first to popularize indie pop, possibly the very first, in Indonesia and a driving force behind the creation of the entire indie scene in the country. In the last years they’ve seen their popularity grow rapidly in China and played audiences of 20.000 people in 2014. 2015 has certainly been a productive year for Club 8’s producer and songwriter Johan Angergård. “Pleasure” is his third album this year, his 9th with Club 8 and 21st album in total.

'Late Nights' is an upbeat and up tempo mix of synths and the dreamy voice of Karolina sits beautifully above it all. As far as the album goes, some songs are slower or softer, they all have the constant quality that is Club 8.

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Frameworks - Branches.

Background - British downtempo and instrumental hip hop producer Frameworks has teamed up with Emancipator’s label Loci Records for the release of his ‘Branches’ EP. Following his debut LP Tides, which was released with First Word Records earlier this year, the four-track ‘Branches’ EP sees Matthew Brewer, aka Frameworks, expand his cinematic soundscapes into bolder tempos with even more live instrumentation bringing an organic richness to his already warm compositions. 

The title track, “Branches,” brings bold, organic house grooves right out of the box. Delicate atmospherics are the hallmark of “Carry On,” which functions as the EP’s lead single. “The Movement” reunites Brewer with longtime collaborator Rioghnach Connolly, whose powerful vocal style penetrates the innovative foundation. Closing with “The Passenger,” Frameworks brings brassy, pulsing beats to a fanfare of a climax.

Brewer first became a part of the Loci Records family after opening for Emancipator at a UK tour stop, who then asked him to lead off his Dusk To Dawn remix album with a version of the title track. From there, it was only natural to release an EP with the imprint. He just recently finished up his first US tour, alongside Vibe Street and Dreamers Delight, and looks forward to hitting the road again soon.

First track off the EP 'Branches' typifies the overall quality of Frameworks new release. It's intricate, with an attention to detail, its also incredibly well composed and deserves a lot of attention.

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Genre Mix: The Monikers - Eternals - Bloodhounds On My Trail

The Monikers - Friends Like These.

Background - The Monikers are a four piece indie rock band based in Adelaide, SA. Forming in early 2013, the guys have come together to create their own unique style of melodic, guitar- driven indie rock. Working hard over the past two years and delivering two EPs in the process, they have steadily built a reputation as one of the most fun live acts in Adelaide. The floor is always packed with people dancing along to their catchy tunes! 

‘Friends Like These’ was recorded and produced in SAE Studios, Adelaide, by Michael Carver. It’s an upbeat-party song with some dark undercurrents. Punchy and guitar- driven, it’s friendly demeanour somewhat conceals the more serious subject matter of the song. 

“It’s probably the happiest and saddest song I’ve ever written. Definitely the most personal” - Andy Mackenzie. You can catch The Monikers in Adelaide on 12/12/15 at The Ed Castle and in Melbourne on 8/1/15 at Mr Boogie Man Bar.

The Monikers are a good reminder that keeping music simple, unpretentious and danceable tends to make it timeless and popular. 'Friends Like These' seemingly skips along with fine 'earthy' vocals accompanied by a band that know their business. Go on, play it and try and stay still...

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Eternals - Out Of Context.

Biography - Drawing equally from contemporary greats such as Wilco, Spoon and Sparklehorse, and classic pop and rock experimentalists like Brian Eno and John Cale, Somerville, MA’s Eternals are the perfect collusion of timeless sounds with an ambitious sonic language.

Songwriter Stephen Konrads writes like an arranger, and arranges like a cinematographer. A multi-instrumentalist of intense versatility, he is acutely aware of the fallacy of technique over content, and keeps his sonic landscape stark & muscular. Wayne Whittaker, bass; Harrison Seiler, drums; Eric Bolton, guitar contribute a spare, smouldering power that recalls the restrained prowess of classic American rhythm sections.

For the better part of ten years, members of Eternals have collaborated with numerous musicians in the Boston area, including Marissa Nadler, Thalia Zedek and members of Passion Pit, Titus Andronicus, Haerts, Lucius, Foxygen, and Diane Coffee. The band began arranging original material in 2013, and recorded their debut full-length to analog tape at the Soul Shop in Medford, MA. Following the album’s release in 2014, the band toured regionally and landed opening slots for acclaimed acts, including Wild Nothing, Caveman and Bishop Allen. 

On their forthcoming full-length, Isn’t That Anyone, Eternals seek to expand their brand of atmospheric Americana. “Out Of Context”, the record’s first single, is a compactly arranged folk song buoyed by warm electronic ambiance reminiscent of Brian Eno or Daniel Lanois. The band co-produced the song alongside engineer Aaron Bastinelli, who has worked with thousands of artists including Bono, The Roots and The Hold Steady.

'Out Of Context' is the first song I have heard by this band, and I am really impressed. OK so there is plenty of name checking in the bio above, however in the end, its the music that "makes it, or breaks it", and this one just stands out on so many levels.

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Bloodhounds On My Trail - Jolly. (from the EP Escape II).

Background - It's no secret that Australia has a burgeoning shoegaze scene. From within the burgeoning Melbourne shoegaze community, Bloodhounds On My Trail are set to release ‘Escape II’ internationally through US label Moon Sounds Records. where they join a healthy roster with such notable bands as Ceremony, The Foreign Resort, Dead Leaf Echo, Static Daydream, and Follow The Sea. This deluxe edition of their debut EP ‘Escape’ will also feature additional tracks ‘She’s In My Plans’ and a remix of ‘Jolly’ by celebrated dreampop duo Ummagma.

Bloodhounds are Johnny Green (guitar, vocals), Chris Donaldson (guitar), Nik Donaldson (drums) and Ché Walden (bass). With a love of shoegaze bands of the late 1980s to early 90s, Bloodhounds On My Trail seek to fuse the rhythmic underpinnings of bands like the Velvet Underground and the Stooges with the infectious stylings of shoegaze luminaries such as Cocteau Twins and Slowdive. 

Since playing their first show in February 2014, the band has been blossoming through a whirlwind combination of live shows, festivals and recording sessions. Their music was met with positive reactions, encouraging press, and invitations to play with notable Australian artists such as Lowtide, Contrast, and White Walls. Thanks to Tonedeaf and Gabe Lewis from Lowtide, one of the foremost shoegaze acts in Australia, Bloodhounds on My Trail began to be known as one of the best Aussie shoegaze acts around. "They sound like how I want my guitars to sound," Gabe explains. "Needless to say, I was immediately hooked. Really languid, cascading washes, and wearing their pastoral shoegaze influences on their sleeves.”

All of this prompted the band to formally commit their hazy tones to tape at Birdland Studios with renowned engineer and producer Matthew Hosking, who was the perfect match for the band - also being deeply immersed in shoegaze music and having a record of outstanding work with fellow shoegazers Lowtide, Contrast, vhs dream and Hideous Towns. This year has also seen the band gain momentum with appearances at local gaze festivals alongside Flyying Colours, Immigrant Union, Black Cab and Day Ravies.

In all honesty I have to be in the right mood to listen to shoegaze music these days. Across this EP, there is enough variety, rather than a constant wall of noise, to keep it interesting and enjoyable. I guess my Cocteau Twins obsession, sets the bar high, however for me, 'Bloodhounds On My Trail' certainly fall into the 'ones to watch' category.

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The Ocean Blue - First Three Albums Reissued

The Ocean Blue - City Traffic.

And the facts - The Ocean Blue reissued its first three albums on vinyl yesterday (Nov. 20th) via Shelflife Records / Korda Records - this includes The Ocean Blue (1989), Cerulean (1991) and Beneath The Rhythm and Sound (1993). Cerulean and Beneath are being issued on vinyl for the first time ever. The band will also perform their S/T debut and Cerulean in full on fall tour (final dates below).  

The Ocean Blue's debut record on the famed Sire Records label in 1989 achieved widespread acclaim and radio & MTV airplay. The band of four high schoolers from Hershey, Pennsylvania went on to do two more well-received records for Sire, the atmospheric Cerulean and alt-pop Beneath the Rhythm and Sound, and a fourth record for Mercury/PolyGram, See The Ocean Blue, before leaving the majors in the late 90s. The band did several independent releases in the 2000s, including Davy Jones Locker and Waterworks, and in 2013 released their first full length record in over 10 years, Ultramarine, on Korda Records, a new Minneapolis cooperative label that the band helped launch in late 2012. A new full length record is in the works and slated for release in 2016.

Remaining dates:
11/21 - Washington, DC - Jammin Java
11/22 - Lancaster, PA - Chameleon Club.

I guess 'City Traffic' makes a good introduction to those who for whatever reason missed out on The Ocean Blue first time around. The band produce some exceptional music and hopefully these vinyl reissues will help spark wider interest again. There is also a reissue sampler with a further three tracks, and of course the bands music is available in other formats. Enjoy!

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Friday With: Barons Of Hiddenhausen - Renders

Barons Of Hiddenhausen - Realm Of The Edge (V.2).

Background - Barons Of Hiddenhausen is based out of Vienna, and is an experimental "one man duo" founded in 2012.. I grew up near the "Waterwoods", an isolated place in the upper Austrian outskirts. I was handed a guitar pick by BB King when I was 11 years old for being the youngest person at the show. A year later I begged my father to buy me an electric guitar. 

After being in several bands I decided to move to Vienna and locked myself up in a small flat for two years to start writing my first debut album. I recorded and mixed it entirely alone on just one macbook and decided to self release it by late 2012. It was around the very same time when an opportunity came along to collaborate on Digital Noise Academy in Los Angeles with one of my childhood hero's, Ken Andrews (Failure, M83, A.P.C.).

From a five track EP 'Realm Of The Edge (V.2)' has a chunky, deep and at times quite edgy vibe flowing through it. All five tracks have a distinct sound, that mixes power and precision with energy and determined vocals. Together the five songs are both moody and majestic.
 
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Renders - I Am Gone.

Background words - Renders recently released her debut single ‘I Am Gone'. The track was produced by Mark Andrade of the band Paradise Animals.

Empowerment and Independence: the standard of purity and truth is reclaimed through the heart. The repetition of the honesty of love is imbued in the song writing, crystallised in the synth chords, and rendered with the strength of willing autonomy. We've all had our hearts broken; we've all felt lonely; but not all of us have stood tall and free; pushed back when pushed over. 'I Am Gone' does just that: takes a stand and raises a collective fist.

Kelly McMichael, aka Renders aka the new pop princess, pours her sensitive heart into this debut single. Asserting herself in the discourse of pop music, Renders is a love letter to herself and the state of moving on. Renders is deliberate: Renders is becoming: Renders is providing: Renders is Kelly McMichael.

We featured Paradise Animals not that long ago. The production by band member Mark Andrade on this song is good, however what really helps, is having a vocalist of the calibre of Kelly McMichael (Renders), and a beautiful song to go with her. A song that is good for the soul.

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