The rules are simple, anything we like, no particular order, as and when we can, so here's our first 2015 round up, of new or very recent material received.
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Chanel Samson. Chanel Samson's 'The Beginning' EP is inspired by this Californian girl's time in Liverpool, the men in her life, her friends, and one particular doomed relationship with Matthew. The track 'F U Matthew' documents the doomed love affair but it's as cheerfully upbeat and irreverent as Chanel herself. Her lyrics are biting yet playful, and her delivery is tongue in cheek and knowing, allowing her to explore the darker aspects of relationships without ever losing that Californian sunshine smile. 'The Beginning' EP was recorded and produced by Felix Hagan, lead singer and songwriter of Felix Hagan and the Family. Chanel met Felix last year and was initially drawn to his black and white striped leggings and theatrical performance, knowing immediately they'd get along well. Together they are keen to establish Circus Rock as a solid genre. Chanel says "The sound Felix brought to the EP is exactly what I wanted with rock guitar and quirky instrumentation. I used my horn players at LIPA and he recorded everything else at his studio in Manchester." Tracks from 'The Beginning's are currently being played on radio stations across the UK, Europe and America as well as attracting positive reviews from a huge range of media outlets. Chanel also has a very large following across the north west of England as she brings some of her West Coast sparkle to Liverpool's vibrant music scene.
It's described elsewhere as quirky and Beehive Candy does get grabbed by that word, and grabbed we are.
Dar Williams. Dar Williams’ growth as an individual over her two-decade career has gone hand-in-hand with her evolution as an artist. This is perhaps best typified by the release of "Emerald," a timely and brilliant album of new songs and collaborations with friends such as Jill Sobule, Richard Thompson, Jim Lauderdale, the Milk Carton Kids, the Hooters, Lucy Wainwright Roche and her mother Suzzy Roche among others. Raised in Chappaqua, N.Y., Williams spent 10 years living in the thriving artistic community of Northampton, Mass., where she began to make the rounds on the coffeehouse circuit. Joan Baez, an early fan of her music, took Williams out on the road and recorded several of her songs. The rest is history. Williams most recently released a live recording celebrating the 20th Anniversary of her legendary album, "The Honesty Room.” In addition to being a touring artist, Williams is an author, teaches a course at Wesleyan University, and conducts annual songwriting seminars. She devotes much of her time to environmental issues and causes, and has created “Give Bees A Camp” which combines concerts and the planting of bee-friendly gardens for young campers.
From the opening chord of 'Something To Get Through' my attention was gained, maybe it's because I use a pair of Mission floor stand speakers as desktops (I kid you not) and had the volume cranked up, however I think it was probably the calibre of the music. The new album 'Emerald' is out 5th May 2015. Website HERE.
Joakim Tinderholt. Despite his relatively young age the powerhouse RnB- and Blues singer/guitarist Joakim Tinderholt is already an experienced entertainer. Oslo's blues shouter #1 is a force to be reckoned with for years to come. He is considered one of Norways finest performers of traditional RnB and Blues, and has performed with international artists such as Rick Holmstrom, Mitch Kashmar, Kid Ramos and The Delta Groove Revue. Nearly ten years after their first gig, at the now closed and legendary, Muddy Waters Blues Club in Oslo, Joakim Tinderholt & his band are finally ready with their debut album. Parts of the band are already experienced recording artists, recording with artists such as the late Louisiana Red and the Billy T Band. The latter has won the Norwegian Grammy Award, in the Blues category, in 2010 and 2012.
The songs on the record are a mix of new original song, and favorites from the live set. There are many and diverse inspirations, ranging from the wild Rock’n´roll of Little Richard to the intense Blues of Otis Rush and the hypnotic grooves of Bo Diddley.
This is real gutsy music and the album has been out a few weeks but is worth a mention here. Norway has produced some fine artists down the years Joakim joins the list.
Kiko Bun. From mods and skinheads with ska to punks’s love of dub, right up to jungle and dubstep, Jamaican music and sound system culture has long provided a deeply held fascination for successive generations of young Londoners. So, like so many other kids growing up in West London, its no surprise the half Panamanian, half Italian Kiko Bun grew up obsessed with reggae and hip hop, immersing himself quickly into London’s ever-thriving subculture of musicians, MCs, DJs, shops bursting with revival Studio One 7”s and the all-important sound system mixtapes imported straight from JA. A couple of years sorting out the reggae section in Islington secondhand vinyl goldmine Flashback Records while continually singing, writing and producing demos led to last year’s ‘Sticky Situation’. A rocksteady-sampling, instantly memorable summer boombox anthem, ‘Sticky Situation’ sparked an extraordinary level of online interest, swiftly resulting in Kiko’s signing to a very natural home at Island Records last year. Now first single proper ‘Where I’m From’ mixes this deep love of Jamaican roots music with crisp young London bass culture to create a heavyweight soundboy killer perfectly suited to rock anywhere from Bestival to any self-respecting blues dance. Produced by London’s Cadenza (The Full Hundred, Major Lazer) and Brooklyn’s Ticklah (a founder member of the Dap Kings who’s worked on everything from Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back To Black’ to the classic reggae version excursion ‘Dub Side Of The Moon’).
Beehive Candy struggles to say no to anything reggae, as you might know and when it's good then what can we do? Brings back memories of my day's in West London, I still remember having to hide the cover of Tighten Up Volume Two, when I bought the album home.
Liza Anne. Liza Anne will release TWO, the follow-up to her 2014 debut album The Colder Months, independently on May 19th. The album was recorded in Nashville with producer Zachary Dyke (COIN), and mixed/mastered by Chad Wahlbrink (Joseph LeMay, the Soil & the Sun). After travelling consistently over the past two years, Liza has grown as an individual, so it's only natural that her sound has expanded and evolved as well. On TWO Liza strives to find the balance between staying authentic to her folk/singer-songwriter roots, and experimenting with fuller instrumentation and layered sounds. Recent career highlights include: NPR Music including "Room" in the Austin 100 for her SXSW 2015 performances, a Tin Pan South appearance in Nashville with Sam Palladio (Nashville), an iTunes Music New Artist Spotlight feature of "Room," opening for FYFE in London at his Communion Music single release show, playing Moeller Mondays (Daytrotter) in Rock Island, opening for Leighton Meester (Gossip Girl) at Hotel Cafe in LA, and most recently singing in Damien Rice's choir at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.
I have only heard four songs by Liza Anne and on the strength of these, will be listening to the album pretty soon I hope. Website HERE.
Ainslie Wills. Melbourne Melodist Ainslie Wills has revealed her second song 'Hawaii' from 'Oh The Gold' EP due late 2015. 'Hawaii’ is an Australian contemporary power ballad with a chorus that crashes down on you like wave dumping you to the ocean floor. Paying homage to an 80's gospel sound tinged with a Stevie Wonder inspired synth solo.
Following on from her previous single to 'Drive', and collaborations with #1 Dads, JJJ performances, Ainslie been accruing an earnest following amongst the Australian and International music scenes. Her independent release of her debut LP You Go Your Way, I'll Go Mine, released in 2013 received nominations for the critically acclaimed Australian Music Prize and Melbourne Music Prize and brought her brand of Neo-Folk-Rock closer to the fore, showing that Wills is an artist with integrity and longevity.
I am seriously loving this song, the web may be blamed for many things by some in the music biz, but how would I (and we) have discovered this gem from the other side of the world without it? As regards this song for me in one word, Wonderful.
Jan Hellriegel. This is Jan Hellriegel's March released video single 'For The Love Of Glory'.
This cinematic, cowboy, Middle Eastern inspired pop song explores themes of 'good' and 'bad'. Says Jan, "You can’t please everyone all the time and sometimes your actions can hurt others even if you think you are doing the right thing. The question is, what is doing the right thing?" 2015 is the 'year of the co-writes' for Hellriegel. She provided the melody and chorus for the track and handed over lyric imagery to Martin Brown. Long-time collaborator and notable NZ musician, Wayne Bell produced the track, layering sweet melodic choral vocals over the chorus, helping to relieve the listener of the damning symbolism of the preceding verses. Daniel Denholm helped mix the song, embracing Jan's sonic vision of '1000 slaves pulling on the oars of a boat and moaning or grunting sounds'. Chris Chetland (Kog Studios) mastered the track to full clarity and sparkle. The music video is a mélange of vintage super 8 footage of Auckland’s Western Springs Speedway and it’s social club members, filmed by Jan’s Dad in 1970. The film also features what is now known as Victoria Park Market when it used to be a panel shop.
OK so we are still playing catch up this was released in late March, it's a fine song and a really good video, that manages to be different and complement the song.
Nina K. Nina K has announced details of a new single, ‘Impossible’, which will be released by Nina K’s own label, Ninkina Recordings, on May 8th, 2015. The track is taken from her forthcoming album due for release in the fall 2015. Big voices and powerful personas has always been important. A musical home. But Nina has never been interested in being just a voice. She is a true craftswoman at heart, handling every little detail and decision in the process on her own. A 2015 version of the "DIVA" and a female music auteur, handpicking only the most suitable collaborators. This time Alex ”Lexxx” Dromgoole (Björk, Jessie Ware, Angel Haze, Madonna) as mixer, and spaced-out experimental musician and synth wizard Daniel Fagge Fagerstrom (Optic Nest, The Skull Defects) as co-producer. The result is a dreamy and experimental pop recording of flutes, harps, 90’s tambourine beats, floaty synthesizers. In 2010, after her science fiction inspired album, “Red Leader Dream”, Nina Kinert put her artist career on ice - indefinitely. She started lending out her writing skills and vocals to others exploring the worlds of modern disco and dance pop with acts Tomas Barfod, WhoMadeWho, Nadastrom and CMG to name a few. And in between studio sessions she took a bachelor degree in film studies. Being "on ice" turned out to be a process in itself.
Inspired by divas from her eighties/nineties childhood – Mariah Carey, Sade, Sinead O’Connor and Enya – Nina K releases the song Impossible. The song is about the difficulty of growing up without letting go of the diva-dream.
This is the final one for this round up, it's atmospheric feel just floats us along, enjoy...
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Another Out Of Our Inbox soon, enjoy!"
Some more recent new music that I wanted to share, again in no particular order and genre hopping, however I was reliably told many years ago that 'variety is the spice of life', shame I had such a misspent youth as all that 'variety' seems to have come back with a sting in the tale. Anyway down to business...
Alborosie Meets King Jammy is a historic pairing of one of Jamaica’s most pivotal dub legends King Jammy with the modern day Italian-born dubmaster Alborosie.
Last month they released 'Dub Of Thrones' a mostly instrumental collection of material and very fine music we think. If you like Dub or reggae or anything remotely in that direction this is for you!
Mixed by Alborosie at his Shengen studio and King Jammy at his studio in the Waterhouse district of Kingston, this old-school meets new-school clash delivers an authentic dub reggae listening experience. With speaker-shaking, neighbor-waking and no-prisoner taking bass, this is designed to be played at high volume for maximum effect.
Alborosie and King Jammy plan to tour in support of this release throughout the summer. Dates will be announced at another time. They are already booked for California's 31st Annual Reggae On The River Festival. - Album available from VP Records/Greensleeves.
OK I'm quoting here - Los Angeles indie pop favorite Layne has released the moody new video for “Somebody,” her ode to musicians who leave the serenity of rural life for the challenging pursuit of success in the city. “Somebody” is the newest single from Layne's third EP, Warrior. When Layne was fifteen, she released an album entitled Better Than Me. Two years later she released an EP called Mind Games. By this time she was playing almost every weekend at different venues throughout South Dakota, and was featured twice on public radio and multiple times in the newspaper. Immediately after graduating high school, Layne relocated to Los Angeles.
Layne co-produced Warrior with Devon Corey (Comeback Kid, The Material). The young indie artist has a very clear idea of how she wants it all to sound: “I want people to see the production we’ve spent so much time creating come to life, and to hear the huge wall of sound - even if there are only two or three players on stage.”
The music is what it is, great indie pop that Beehive Candy just happens to love. If you are in the US of A then Layne's spring tour has a few more dates:
May 2015
02 Sat - Charlotte, NC – Muse
05 Tue - Raleigh, NC – The Pour House
09 Sat - Brooklyn, NY – Rock Shop w/ Zoe Wrenn
12 Tue - New York, NY – Pianos w/Negative Death
14 Thu - Woodbridge/Boston, MA – The Cannery
20 Wed - Rochester, NY – California Brew House Sage
I am intrigued by The Dirty Bourbon River Show. These guys play bluesy, Lisztian piano-driven ballads, and punk-ish street music, straight out of New Orleans (not my description but it fits, so I will go with it!).
The promo that accompanied the music was rather lengthy however being bone idle here's a copy and paste of some of it - Step right up. Dirty Bourbon River Show winks at the old-time medicine show, with music to draw in crowds. But there’s no snake oil on offer, just sounds enough to fascinate, enthrall, and heal. Tubas tango with feral-voiced crooners, punkish numbers bump into the sweet plunking of a ballad. These wonderful madmen play the gospel of New Orleans song, and they preach it loudly on their ninth album, Important Things Humans Should Know (release: April 7, 2015), then taking the word on the road with a four-month U.S. tour. Band leader and multi-instrumentalist Noah Adams came late to music; he was 20 when he began playing the piano. But it was drifting into the Crescent City that really changed his life. Finding himself in a place where music drips from the pores likes summer sweat, he knew he’d discovered his calling, and began proselytizing like a convert. “I got swept away by amazing players like Dr. John, Fats Waller, Huey Smith,” Adams recalls. “I spent three years just shedding and absorbing stuff.” And from that start the Dirty Bourbon River Show was born in 2009. “Our very first gig was at Tipitina’s Homegrown Night, where you can get your start,” Adams says. “It’s free, you just try to get people to say your name at the door. We told everyone. It was an hour slot, but we only had 30 minutes of music. We got an amazing turn out, went all out, and it just grew from there.” A mix of New Orleans natives and people drawn from farther afield, the show mixes its influences like a roux. Jimmy William’s tuba and Dane "Bootsy" Schindler’s drums on “Animal” make Caribbean vibes collide with a booming brass dirge. “Wicked,” a paean to the Big Easy’s seamy side, tips its hat to songwriters like Dr. John and Randy Newman. The album is a love song to the city on the Gulf Coast.
Phew! and that's not even half of it. Anyhow I am amazed by there music and reassured that somewhere, some people are doing music they love and entertaining many. The video below is but one of many dimensions to this band, so go search YouTube for some more.
I have received getting on for a dozen emails since last November regarding Janine and The Mixtape and when putting this little compilation of artists together, thought maybe if I do a feature I will be left alone. Then I checked back and realised each promo was for a different song, so on a totally selfish level keep sending the songs promo's.
Again plenty of fine variety and all to the highest of standards and very enjoyable may I say.
Website HERE. A few words on their background here - Building up to the release of her new EP (coming May 12), Janine and the Mixtape has been releasing new content every Monday as part of her Little Mixtape Mondays campaign. Starting in February with a Nirvana cover, she drew inspiration from Eckhart Tolle for "This Moment, debuted the video for her buzz single, "Hold Me," and most recently releases "Lose My Mind" audio and visual. Now based in Brooklyn, Janine and The Mixtape – known to friends and family as Janine Foster – began performing at open mic nights in her native Auckland when she was but 14 years old. She soon developed her own unique amalgam of pop, indie, R&B, and hip hop, all built around her emotional song craft, otherworldly vocals, and utterly individualistic persona. Released initially by her own Little Mixtapes Records in 2013, her debut EP, Dark Mind immediately shot Janine and The Mixtape into the spotlight – as well as the top 2 on the iTunes Store’s “Top R&B Albums” chart. The EP – which also includes the hit single/video, “Little Bit” (featured on VH1’s Love & Hip Hop Hollywood) – received worldwide applause, with high praise coming from such outlets as MTV, Billboard, VIBE Vixen, Complex, and VIBE, which ranked Janine and The Mixtape among their “R&B Secret Society: 26 Acts You Should Be Listening To.” The New Zealand-born singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer's acclaimed debut EP Dark Mind was re-released via US-based DSP’s on November 4th, 2014 (after joint venture with Atlantic Records).
I remember reading a comment left on Beehive Candy a few years ago that said something along the lines that 'I was just a shameless music promoter'. I remember being a little 'ruffled' by the comment and felt the desire to exact revenge on the anonymous individual. Well maybe I am a promoter of sorts, I do not get any money for it, this remains a labour of love for the most, however yes I do encourage you to checkout these artists and their music. So if that makes me a promoter then I am guilty as charged, however I am most defiantly not shameless! Just enjoying the musical journey, hope you are to.
This is a fascinating selection of Gram Parsons rehearsal tapes from 1972, and I will quote a little from the liner notes that accompanied this CD version which surfaced on 'Golden Eagle Records' in the USA in 2003. I have included a separate file with the artwork and notes as these are well worth a read.
The record companies holding Gram Parson's material have more or less exhausted what material there is from his sadly short life and as Chris who provided these recordings to me pointed out (by the way, thanks Chris) a lot of the bootleg material for Gram Parsons is of fairly average audio quality.
The five audio tapes that this CD was compiled from, were included in an auction lot at Christies that was bought by one of Gram Parsons biggest fans and were part of a selection of Gram's personal belongings that went to auction.
The five cassettes dated from 1972 and include Emmylou Harris and others on some of the tracks that were most likely recorded through a condenser microphone into a portable tape player, however the audio quality suggests that a little more sophisticated equipment may have been used for some of the songs. It is proable that Ric Grechs English home was used for some of the sessions along with hotel rooms for others.
All of this material is another reminder of 'what could have been' if Gram had stayed with us a little longer, it's also another reminder that a personal musical favorite of mine Emmylou Harris developed her talent with some of the best.
Source: CD of original cassette tapes.
Sound Quality: Good & average (all very listenable) mp3@192kbps.
Genre: Country, Alt country.
Set: Various rehearsal sessions.
Session List:
01. A Song For You Intro
02. Kentucky Blues
03. Streets Of Baltimore
04. Folsom Prison Blues
05. Lovesick Blues
06. The New Soft Shoe
07. How Much Ive Lied
08. Still Feeling Blue 1
09. Still Feeling Blue 2
10. Ain't No Beatles Ain't No Rolling Stone
11. How Can I Forget You - Cry One More Time
12. A Song For You
13. Streets Of Baltimore
14. That's All It Took
15. Some bodys Back In Town
16. More and More
17. Teaching Emmy to Sweep out the Ashes
18. Daddy's Fiddle
19. We'll sweep out the Ashes in the Morning
20. Cold Cold Heart
21. That's All It Took
22. A Song For You
Website: Official HERE. Unofficial informative HERE.
Playing catch up here on Beehive Candy does have it's upside. Today I was going through getting on for 100 artists and their music, playing a little piece from each and deciding whether to feature them, delete & move on, or play again and see if my mood just didn't fit the music at the time.
Well I must have been in a pretty good place because as I have around thirty artists I have short listed to feature and that's in addition to the many that deserve a mention still, whilst we were 'sleeping'.
Joni Fatora was a real stand out artist amongst the many I listened to today, taking nothing away from the rest, she just grabbed my attention the most. I remember the first time I heard First Aid Kit singing Cross Oceans a good few years ago, I am certain I was not the only person who thought they would reach greater heights back then. Well I'm not directly comparing the music, rather the freshness and distinct charm of Joni Fatora's music, and that feeling that this is something quite special.
Her background tells us - A crystalline voice and sentiment as clear as a child’s conscience –this is the marrow of folk singer-songwriter, Joni Fatora. At 22, her songs lure the heart like a siren and whisper with history as old as fisherman’s tales. There is no loud diversion; she is a writer in its purest form, a storyteller, and her life is the inkwell.
The daughter of a Sailor, Joni’s childhood carried her on a voyage across the world, always tied to the ocean. From the Mediterranean to the Sea of Japan and both the Atlantic and Pacific, her comfort lies in the uprooting. Her new five-song EP, aptly titled "Navigator," explores that unrest. Growing up, Joni’s parents couldn’t offer their young daughter much musical aptitude. Instead they offered her an acoustic guitar and a life worth writing about. It was with this alchemic uncovering that she began to spin her stories into songs.
In 2012, Joni found herself on a surprisingly different radar with a song called "Bullet Train;" a song she wrote at the request of a friend, Stephen Swartz. The track broke into the top 10 iTunes Electronic charts and sold over 100,000 singles to date. Her emphasis on lyrics is what separated her from the crowds. This success gave way to other electronic collaborations –uncharted water for a girl who grew up on The Beatles and Paul Simon. And so began the trend of Joni floating into a vast sea of genres while keeping her heart anchored deeply in a love of folk and indie rock.
Joni took close to a year to create "Navigator," finding a muse in Dreamland Recording Studio and enlisting the help of her close musical collaborators, Noise Club (Chris Petrosino and Rob McCurdy). The mystic air of an old church turned recording studio helped inspire some of Joni’s favourite records including Fleet Foxes’ ‘Helplessness Blues’ and The National’s ‘Trouble Will Find Me’. With the aspirations to expound upon her previous release (Blue Road) and explore open waters she sings, “I wish I could be a ship out to sea.” What she doesn’t realise is that she is the ship and we are her eager passengers.
Get in there quick folks, here's a chance to download a free copy of a really great song from Dioni Sydney’s Sweet, Soulful, Sassy Chanteuse - Australian Pop Singer! (someone else's words after 'Sydney's' - but hey they work).
You only have a few days and I have to say if you love Dusty Springfield or Sandie Shaw, this is a must.
Quoting elsewhere - "Blessed with a heavenly voice and showing her masterful use of a huge range while incorporating warm beautiful lows and powerful honey dipped highs."
-O Kosmos
Her promo tells us that - Dioni has traveled extensively throughout Greece, performing in ancient theatres and stadiums in support of bands such as Faithless, Soft Cell, and The Chemical Brothers. She has also collaborated with many other respected European electronic artists. Dioni has performed as a solo artist in Australia, France, Germany, Greece, and Qatar. Dioni is an extraordinarily versatile artist who has a multilingual repertoire (including seven languages) and the ability to sing in multiple genres.
More information on Dioni and her upcoming EP set for release on May 19th, 2015. is available on her official site.
Beehive Candy's verdict - love it, simple as that! Download HERE.
I'm sat in front of my computer screen wondering where on earth to start. I could be clever here, do a month by month catch up of all the new music, that has come Beehive Candy's way since the beginning of 2013. I'm not sure who would be put off the quickest by that idea, you or me?
The idea (I think) is to try and get Beehive Candy going again, however two years on and the world of web music coverage has moved on considerably. There are (as you know) some really professional music sites around and as previously mentioned You Tube seems currently, to be a good first port of call for live concerts both official and unofficial. So I think Beehive Candy will for a while at least, just do it's own thing and see how some new ideas can fit in. It was and still is the new music promos that have made me feel like getting Beehive Candy up and running again.
Therefore, for a while and most definitely in no order whatsoever, 'Whilst We Were Asleep' will feature some of the music that has come our way since we took a rather long siesta. These artists and songs are featured for a mixture of reasons such as, I like the music, it's different in a good way, maybe it tests a few boundaries, or it's just catchy.
So in no order at all lets start with Vienna Ditto. This song was released in February and they are due a new album any time now.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lexie Roth gained my attention in 2013. Lexie has been playing music since she was eight years old. Just ten years later, her debut album One Long Blink was released and gained attention as far as Japan. Since then, she has appeared on two of her father’s albums, Toolin’ Around Woodstock featuring Levon Helm on drums and his previous album Landscape. Most recently, "Call You My Hon" off her self-titled album was featured in the independent film shown in the Tribeca Film Festival "Maria My Love" produced and directed by Jasmine McGlade Chazelle in which starred the late Karen Black.
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This is more recent. Annie Woodward has an album due out around now, I'm often playing it, there something that just works for me.
Annie Woodward is a grunge folk-rocker born and raised in Scandinavia who originally set out to write lyrics for other bands. Through her projects in theatre Annie found her own voice in music and has been performing ever since. She has played two independent tours, one European and one in Northern America. Annie spent most of 2014 couch surfing and taking trains and buses across the US playing shows and making her first album.
This album, 2 faces on a clown is released on AmpÆr records, a small independent label founded by Annie and one of her childhood friends. Half of the record was produced by Mike Davidson in Boston and half by Sean Bloom in Los Angeles with the title-track produced by rock-singer Alexa Melo and mixed by Christian Hand who was the man behind the first Mowglis record. Annie's first album is the result of crowd-funding, luck and "really good friends".
The first single from 2 faces on a clown, Eager to talk debuted on Norwegian national radio summer of 2014. As of 2015 Woodward is again based in Oslo, Norway working with a full band and also writing and directing theatre for her company Playroom.
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Back last September Rich Hopkins and The Luminarios released Tombstone. The promo at the time had this to say -
"Tombstone," from Rich Hopkins and The Luminarios, showcases a "wall of guitar" trademark style that alerts the listener that classic rock is alive and well. As the album unfolds, catchy pop hooks and epic rock harmonies are unveiled in a ceremony of searing sound. Complete with social commentary and a defined style, once described by Magnet as a "blend of power pop, folk rock and Tom Petty/Neil Young classicism," listeners are reminded of the individuality of a Rich Hopkins and The Luminarios record upon first hearing "Tombstone." Hopkins, who has been a part of the American music scene since 1985, is, amazingly, still an undiscovered talent to some. Founding the Tucson, Ariz. based Sidewinders (RCA 1989-91)/Sand Rubies (Polygram 1993), Hopkins toured the U.S. and celebrated success with college/indie rock classics "Witchdoctor" and "We Don't Do That Anymore" (both went to #5 on the CMJ charts). In 1991, Hopkins formed Rich Hopkins and The Luminarios as a side project; it soon became his full time band when the Sand Rubies stopped touring. He has consistently cranked out new records and tours yearly in Germany/Europe (25 tours) where, in 1996, he was one of the first artists signed to Germany's Blue Rose Records.
A new member of the Tucson Musicians Museum (Class of 2013), Hopkins enters music history as the quintessential desert rocker, a constant in the bedrock of alternative music. As evidenced on "Tombstone," Hopkins possesses an ability to create unmistakable guitar tones that drive a hallmark sound and, as the years pass, he continues to reinvent and motivate himself for yet another album and tour.
The mention of Classic Rock usually leave me cold, bands that should have quit or moved on, seem to fill my mind, although rationally, I know there are some good bands today that have that label. If this si classic rock, then classic rock is alive and well.
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Back to 2014 again and Eilidh McKellar. The promo had this to say - When trying to describe Eilidh McKellar, BBC Radio may have said it best: “No silly overplaying, just quiet confidence and genuine virtuosity.” McKellar, a dazzling 20-year-old phenom from Edinburgh, Scotland, seems to be taking the industry by storm with her smoky rasp and astounding guitar chops. Her highly anticipated debut album, Delta Devil Dreams, was released on October 7, 2014. The album is a collection of meticulously crafted songs that rock hard, go down easy and expose young Eilidh’s bluesy old soul. Produced by Grammy award-winning Guy Eckstine, Delta Devil Dreams maintains a contemporary, indie feel while paying tribute to British rock royalty like Humble Pie, Led Zeppelin and The Yardbirds.
In the humble opinion of Beehive Candy, worth checking out (have we said that before?).
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Finally we are back in 2013 again when the excellent (as all of the above musically are for me - there you go, well balanced journalism) Star Anna was introduced to Beehive Candy.
These words were said about her- "Star Anna is an American original. She sings from a place of beauty that takes me to a higher place," says Pearl Jam's Mike McCready.
Guns 'n' Roses/Velvet Revolver's Duff McKagan says, "She is the real deal. She will be a talent that we can all say that we saw her when. Guaranteed."
Star Anna's latest, Go To Hell (Spark & Shine Records), will find you agreeing with McCready and McKagan.
A dark, haunting collection of songs that capture the essence of betrayal, regret, and hope, Go To Hell delivers melodic, soaring folk-rock with an Americana heart, best described as Americana-soul, and it will penetrate right to your core.
Seattle, Washington, by way of Ellensburg, Star Anna's Go To Hell, comprised of ten tracks, was a hard record for her to make. Her personal life was in upheaval as the record was being made; yet Star Anna persevered and came out better for it.
"There were a lot of battles going on at the time this record was being made and a lot of betrayals that I was dealing with that had been woven into my personal life as well as the life of this record," recalls Star. "We decided to keep moving forward and make this record. The title speaks for itself."
OK then, well in all honesty that really is just a random taster, whilst looking back over the last couple of years it really is hard to know where to start. But start Beehive Candy has, I hope to follow this up with part two sometime real soon.
Following an enormous sleep, it would appear that Beehive Candy has started to wake.
This could be a good thing, or this might be a dangerous set of circumstances. There may be life in the old dog yet, and reports of our demise may well be premature.
Planet Earth may be in a bad way, it's occupants happily marching off to oblivion, therefore a little light entertainment may ease the pain.
As it has taken this long to think about doing Beehive Candy again, may we suggest you check out the real meaning of life whilst we get our act together, that said something may well be stirring in the depths, let's hope it ain't the Kraken.
With a few new ideas knocking about, a mountain of new music arriving weekly and, some surprisingly decent music and songs hidden amongst the inevitable pile of 'can I be rich and famous' well no, not reallymaterial, Beehive Candy has cause to think, shall we, well shall we?
The message then is don't hold your breath quite yet, thanks for all the support and messages received in our inbox, and please above all else to some music promoters, stop pretending you have just visited Beehive Candy & love it, when we have been AWOL for two years, that said to all the others thanks for your past support, lets see what we can do for music fans, well lets see anyway...
Beehive Candy would like to offer our apology for everything, but we reckon a lot of the worlds problems are not specifically down to us.
We are however clearly 'missing in action' at present. It is our hope and intention to be back in action sometime in March. We plan to respond to all requests for missing rarities to be re-uploaded where appropriate.
Thank you to all the artists and their representatives who continue to send us many hours of new music. We will listen to all submissions, we intend to feature everything we enjoy.
We are currently relocating, suffering a shortage of helping hands and having to focus on boring stuff like earning money. Our passion for Beehive Candy remains, our ideas for making it even bigger are growing by the week, our ability to deliver is stretched to the limit, so please be patient and pop back soon, we look forward to your continued support.
RE-POSTED JANUARY 2013 -This is the fabulous Be Good Tanyas live at the Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto, Ontario, Canada back on the 11th April 2002.
Formed in Vancouver, British Columbia, The Be Good Tanyas first played together at tree planting camps in the Kootenays region of British Columbia. They eventually played their first concerts in Vancouver in the late 1990s. They got their name from a song by music pioneer Obo Martin ("Be Good Tanya").
After the release of the first two (of three) Be Good Tanyas albums, Trish Klein collaborated with Alison Russell under the band name Po' Girl, a project that as of April 2007 has resulted in three albums (Po'girl, Vagabond Lullabies, and Home to You). Also 2007 saw all members of the band pursuing their own projects. As of 2008, the band was on hiatus to unwind from the stresses of touring. This now appears to be a permanent split. Frazey Ford released her debut solo album, Obadiah, this year (2010). So lets hope that in time they change their minds and get back together, however check out any solo projects as each band member has incredible talent and hopefully alot more great music to share with us.
Source: Soundboard.
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@256kbps.
Genre: Folk, Country, Bluegrass
Set: Full Concert
Set List:
01 Horses
02 Only In The Past
03 Don’t You Fall
04 In My Time Of Dying
05 Reuben
06 Broken Telephone
07 It’s Not Happening
08 The Coo Coo Bird
09 Dog Song
10 Up Against The Wall
11 Cold Rain And Snow
12 The Littlest Birds
13 Sleep Dog Lullaby
14 In Spite Of All The Damage
15 Waiting Around To Die
16 Light Enough To Travel
17 Why Don’t You Do Right
18 Mary Don’t You Weep
Band Line Up:
Sam (Samantha) Parton, Frazey Ford, and Trish Klein.
Despite a few problems during the concert with sound in the monitors (which does not effect the soundboard recording) this is an excellent and quite intimate performance by the band.
RE-POSTED JANUARY 2013 -This is Gillian Welch and David Rawlings live at the Jefferson Theater, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA, on either the 5th May 1998, or the 21st May 1998, depending on which version of this recording you have. Feel free to elaborate if you can confirm which one is right. I became an instant fan of the music of Gillian Welch upon my first hearing of the incredible 'My Morphine' and would thoroughly recommend the studio version as well the live version within this set. Dave Rawlings has been a long time 'live' partner for Gillian, and deserves equal billing, his musicianship is excellent, and without bothering to check it out, I think he has produced some of her studio output. Source: Stereo soundboard direct recording. Sound Quality: Very good MP3 @192kbps. Genre: According to Wikipedia (wait for it), bluegrass, neo traditional country, Americana, old time, folk, American Primitivism. Set: Full content from the nights first set. Set List: 01 Tear My Still House Down 02 One More Dollar 03 The Devil Had A Hold Of Me 04 My Morphine 05 Winters Come And Gone 06 Miners Refrain 07 Honey Now 08 Paper Wings 09 True Life Blues 10 Red Clay Halo Links: Official Gillian Welch site HERE. Comments: I love the Wiki entry in term of genre, however I can add to that from her own press pack just to add to the intrigue for anyone unfamiliar with her music, I quote: 'Gillian Welch is an uncompromising musical renegade with four critically acclaimed albums and a Grammy Award under her belt. Writing and performing with her longtime partner, David Rawlings, they present their haunting songs like rock and roll chamber music, with two acoustic guitars and two voices welded together. Their tunes have been covered by such American legends as Willie Nelson, Emmylou Harris, and Solomon Burke. Their music defies easy categorization -- it embraces, and is in turn embraced by, the pre-eminent ambassadors of folk, bluegrass, R & B, punk, and rock and roll'. Lets just say this is a good boot, for fans and the curious alike. New download link (January 2013) in comments.
RE-POSTED JANUARY 2013 - This is Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard live in concert at La Zona Rosa, Austin, Texas, USA back on the 3rd December 1997.
This is a reasonably well circulated concert bootleg and is highly regarded for the superb audio quality, the musicianship, and the respect that both Willie and Merle have for each other, the songs and the band.
This concert just oozes quality the distinct lack of ego and the warmth and camaraderie that you pick up on between songs just adds to the overall splendour of this gig. I read elsewhere that "This is the first time ever they do “Pancho and Lefty” together live and that its fitting that Merle forgets a few lyrics, seen that he didn’t even remember recording the song when they did it years ago".
The word legend is so over used in the music business, it does however go without saying that here we have two musical legends who have both lived life on the edge and lived to tell the tale. OK enough cliche's just enjoy this great music!
Source: Soundboard.
Sound Quality: Very good stereo mp3@192kbps.
Genre: Country, country rock, alt country.
Set: Full Set.
Set List:
01. Funny How Time Slips Away
02. I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink
03. Big City
04. The Silver Eagle
05. Love is King
06. Crazy
07. Fiddle Solo
08. Be My Valentine
09. Old Fashioned Love
10. I Can Fly
11. Rosetta
12. Rosetta (take two)
13. I'm Not Trying to Forget You Anymore
14. Look What Thoughts Will Do
15. I Want To Be With You Always
16. If You Got The Money Honey I Got the Time
17. Pancho And Lefty
18. Reasons to Quit
19. Cotton College Song
01. On The Road Again
02. Why Do I Have to Choose
03. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
04. Whiskey River
05. Silver Wings
06. Stardust
07. Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground
08. I've Got No Reason to Quit
09. I Gotta Get Drunk
10. I'm the Man With the Blues
11. Blues Song
12. I've Got the Money if You Got the Time
13. Django
Website:Official Willie Nelson HERE, official Merle Haggard HERE.
Band:
Willie Nelson - guitar & vocals
Merle Haggard - guitar & vocals
Johnny Gimble - fiddle
Mickey Rafael - harmonica
Fredie Powers - guitar & vocals
Bee Spears - bass
B.B. Morrison - bass
Don Markham - sax & trumpet
Kimi Rhoads - vocals
Background: With a classic touch like James Morrison, the folky heart of Ray LaMontagne, and a unique melodic adventurousness, George Woods creates his own signature style of Folk-Funk.
George Woods’ effervescent lyrics and lighthearted indie folk sounds shine through on his new full-length studio album, “Heartbeat” which drops Summer 2012 in Boston, MA and online. “Heartbeat” features thirteen interwoven tracks, each blending classic grooves with stellar songwriting to guide the listener through a storybook summer soundtrack. The record aims to be relatable, and keep you moving with lush string arrangements, heart felt lyrics, and solid grooving rhythms. Some highlights are tracks like the laughable danceable "Stock In The Stars," or the gospel inspired powerhouse "Marry Me.”
George’s solo project began after the dissolution of his group Birds In The Woods, a Boston based band that won the 2008 Boston Music Festival, received radio spins at home and abroad, and saw placement in national publications such as Relix Magazine. His first solo EP, “Technicolor Costs Too Much,” released in Summer 2011, was self produced in a makeshift bedroom studio, and put together by hand with a one of a kind packaging. The record was well received by audiences across the northeast and online.
With a tongue in cheek audience rapport, and an energetic stage presence, George's live performances attract wide spread audiences from across Massachusetts. After recording “Heartbeat” at Phase 1 Studios in New York City this past spring, and sharpening his funky sound, George is gearing up for a new fall tour aiming toward introducing his folk-funk sound to all. The tour will help to expand George’s audience throughout the northeast and beyond with the help of some outside the box promotional strategies to leave audiences with great stories to tell and a sing-all-day hook on their lips. With a tight and engaging live show, stellar songwriting, and a personalized but lovable sound, George Woods’ new record “Heartbeat” is sure to capture the hearts and ears of music fans across the country.
2012Candy's Final Words: When genres collide, then Folk-Funk has to be a happy collision. George has class and style, as this fine song demonstrates, more folk funk please! Listen: Lucky One (MP3). Web: Official HERE.
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Background:Big Harp's sophomore album Chain Letters will be released on January 22 via Saddle Creek. Big Harp's Chris Senseney says, "A good portion of our new album deals with the tension between action and inaction, especially as evinced in terms of surrender and escape. This song kind of sums it up; for every ship righted another sinks from neglect, and the impossibility of perfection is a strong deterrent to action."
Chain Letters was recorded at Omaha's ARC studios with engineer Ben Brodin and partly at the band's Los Angeles home. The album was mixed by Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, M Ward, First Aid Kit). On Chain Letters, the duo of Chris Senseney and Stefanie Drootin-Senseney is joined by their friend John Voris on drums. The album moves away from the rustic, pastoral sound of their debut and towards a truer union of their backgrounds (Chris grew up in Valentine, NE, an isolated cow town of 2,800; Stefanie is a native Angeleno). Built on a foundation of crackling fuzz bass and angular electric guitars and keyboards, the songs on Chain Letters play like a series of character sketches centered around escape and surrender, and the blurred borders where the two become indistinguishable.
Chris and Stefanie (The Good Life, Bright Eyes, She & Him) formed Big Harp in December 2010, after a three-year whirlwind that saw the two meet, have a baby, move halfway across the country, get married, move halfway across the country again, and have another baby. As Chris tells it, "I was playing in a band opening for The Good Life. Stef and I started hanging out, binge-smoking and chain-drinking, and we never stopped. Never stopped hanging out I mean. Within a few months Stef had a gut full of baby, and the bender came to a quick and bloody end." When the dust settled, they holed up in Stefanie's parents' spare bedroom, practiced for a week, and recorded their debut album White Hat, a collection of intimate, low-key folk-rock laced with subtle irony and dark humor that earned them comparisons to songwriters like Nick Cave, Tom Waits and Townes Van Zandt.
From the pained apathy of "You Can't Save 'Em All" to the cracked parade march of "Call Out the Cavalry, Strike Up the Band," Chain Letters finds the band enveloping and exploding their literate songs with fuzzed-out, needle-sharp textures. Chris says, "We really built the songs around Stef's fuzz bass. It was kind of funny -- we were sitting around in a bedroom playing really loud with no drums, just kind of trusting that it was going to make sense once we put it all together. Hopefully we landed closer to mid-'70's Iggy Pop than Leonard Cohen this time. Really I'd like it to sound like Leonard Cohen fronting The Pixies. It doesn't though. Maybe a little. You tell us."
2012Candy's Final Words: Stand out vocals over a superb soundtrack and then add in some lovely harmonies, the result is a superb song from Big Harp. Listen: You Can't Save Em All (MP3). Web: Official HERE.
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Background: Sometimes things just happen for a reason even if it takes 30 years. Case in point, The Emperors of Wyoming. The story starts in Madison, Wisconsin in the late 1970s.
The four Emperors – Butch Vig, Phil Davis, Franklin Lee and Peter Anderson – are playing in two different bands. They all know each other, but for one reason or another never join forces as a four-piece. By 1980, as things will have it, they all go their separate ways.
The Andersons move out to California and form San Francisco Bay area must-see, Call Me Bwana. Davis moves to and then back from L.A. and ultimately hooks up with Vig to form Fire Town, a celebrated pop-rock quartet that writes and records two critically-acclaimed records for Atlantic Records and is named Rolling Stone’s ‘Hot Band’ for 1987. But by the early 1990s Davis starts a long hiatus from music to raise a family while Vig starts a long run of making rock history: producing Nirvana’s Nevermind, Smashing Pumpkin’s Siamese Dream, Sonic Youth’s Dirty, and eventually creating Garbage, a multi-platinum international rock act. Meanwhile, Pete Anderson is running a couple businesses, blending wines in Napa, and playing music in northern California while brother Franklin Lee moves back to Wisconsin, directs films like The Life of Reilly, writes a book and plays his custom lap steels.
Fast forward to January 2009 - Davis, a singer and songwriter, is talking to old band mate guitarist Frank Anderson, "Hey, let’s make a country-rock record. A folk-rock record." Frank goes, "Great idea, let’s go!" Brother Pete goes, "I’m in on bass." And Vig, living in L.A., just coming off a two-year stint producing Green Day goes, “Cool. Need some drums and stuff?” So there you have it. Back together again, for the first time. Only problem is, now the band members live in four different cities in two different states. No matter. Times have changed. All four have home studios.
And so in 2011, two years later, through emailing ideas, songs, riffs, demos and mixes the Emperors of Wyoming is born and their masterful, eponymous debut, The Emperors of Wyoming, arrives. Under normal circumstances, that kind of distance and separation would be impossible. But of course, the Emperors all knew each from way back when, were old friends, and had played together in various combinations. So, no problem! In fact, this recording approach felt entirely natural and if anything brought them closer together, making the music even more distinctive and original. The result is an amazingly timeless debut record of American country folk-rock that bridges new and old, cutting edge technology and ancient instruments, spaghetti western, country-and-western, bluegrass, surf-rock, acoustic folk, hard rock, pop-metal, and pop-rock into a brand new American sound. A 10-song record with no filler, no gaps, that satisfies from the first track to the last. Yeah, it did take a long time to get here, but the Emperors of Wyoming wouldn’t have it any other way.
2012Candy's Final Words: It's a bit Alt Rock, pretty much Americana, and most certainly Country or Folk rock. Whats more important is this is one great song from a very fine album, like this, then you will like the lot! Listen: Avalanche Girl (MP3). Web: Official HERE.
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Background: Kevin and Lee Kelly, the husband/wife duo of Summer Aviation, may hail from Seattle, but their music departs to the colorful world of “Sunshine Fuzz Pop,” with notable stylistic nods to the Roger Nichols Trio, The Carpenters, and Stereolab.
Kevin, long active in Seattle’s Indie music scene as the frontman for the shoegaze/dreampop band, The Melody Unit, plays all instruments and is the band’s lyricist and composer.
Along with his wife Lee, who contributes sweet vocals and percussion, Summer Aviation combines the fresh, supercharged sound of 60s pop arrangements with post-punk avant-garde: Think Burt Bacharach meets My Bloody Valentine.
Recording in a home studio in the spring of 2012, this version of the classic 60s song "Love So Fine" is a song that perfectly encapsulates this vision of Summer Aviation. It replicates the 60s arrangements and vibe in a way that still feels fresh and modern.
2012Candy's Final Words: Summer Aviation ooze summer, and whilst it's the middle of winter here in Beehive Candy land, we are already thinking of next July when we play this wonderfully bright song. Listen: Love So Fine (MP3). Web: Official HERE.
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Background:Lauren Harding’s music is a direct result of a youth spent lying awake at night consuming David Bowie, Elton John and a bit of cabaret jazz. This musical symbiosis is the bedrock of her first EP, Heart In A Box, a love torn confessional filled with radio friendly hooks and smoke-filled speak easy vocals.
Harding moved from Massachusetts to LA to attend The American Musical and Dramatic Academy and pursue her passion in the city of dreams. Indeed, she dreamt up her whole EP while enduring her first months of congested LA traffic. A slight reprieve to visit her family in Cape Cod allowed her the time and space to organize and select what tracks she would pursue in the studio.
In 2010 she entered The LA Producers Club to track the six songs at breakneck speed over a long weekend. Delirious late night sessions were aided by strong lattes and Harding’s unyielding focus on capturing her musical vision.
There is a somewhat old fashioned tone to Heart In A Box, eliciting comparisons to Sara Bareilles with an indie edge as well as such greats as Fiona Apple and Ingrid Michaelson. Lauren's voice shape-shifts from breathy coo to a Stevie Nicks like rock and roll purr, all the while exuding a classic confidence and sexuality.
Lauren has been on the road for her ‘Steal Hearts Tour' since she completed the recordings, where she has been silencing rooms across the country. Her passion and dedication to her music is apparent in her unrelenting tour schedule and her growing number of fans around the world.
With a solid EP in the bag and a full length on the front burner, Ms. Harding has readied herself to shoot for the stars.
2012Candy's Final Words: It was a hard choice to pick one song from this album to feature, this is kind of representative if you appreciate it's only scratching the surface of a great collection of songs. Listen: Shooting Stars (MP3). Web: Reverb Nation HERE.
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Background: Los Angeles band He's My Brother She's My Sister has announced new West Coast tour dates in continued support of its Nobody Dances in this Town LP, set for a January 22 release with Park the Van Records. After touring the country relentlessly this fall, two appearances at Austin City Limits Festival, and a pair of well-received NYC performances, the band is excited to revisit the West Coast in 13 different markets. The tour will start on January 17th in San Diego and end on February 2nd in Santa Ana. Full list of dates below.
Earlier this fall, He's My Brother She's My Sister premiered a cover of The Mamas And Papas' "Straight Shooter" via Prefix, and this month the band's "Touch the Lightning" single was featured as a Starbucks iTunes 'Pick of the Week' receiving 267,775 downloads. Featuring sibling vocalists and a tap dancing drummer the band exudes the earnestness of folk, the colorfulness of glam rock, the rawness of blues, and the theatrics of cabaret. Brother and sister Robert Kolar and Rachel Kolar split vocal duties, with Robert on guitar and kick drum and Rachel on tambourine. Lauren Brown adds full-body percussion with her simultaneous drumming and tap-dancing. Oliver Newell plucks the stand up bass with joyous flair. Aaron Robinson plays lead guitar on a lap slide. The eclectic troupe has toured the US extensively having shared the stage with Neko Case, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Charles Bradley, The Blow, Local Natives, Dawes, Dr. Dog, My Morning Jacket, and many others.
2012Candy's Final Words: Not only do they keep their teeth and gums healthy, He's My Brother She's My Sister, just happen to make toe tapping music that is just spot on, spot on we say.... Listen: Tales That I Tell (MP3). Web: Official HERE.
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Background: Versatile and stunning merely begin to describe rising British folk/pop artist Laura Saggers. The quirky girl next door just released the cheeky sing-along hit, "Summer Fling" for any girl who has ever been caught in a whirlwind summer romance. And for those not so fond of the fall, the super talented songwriter is also releasing the powerful and appropriately named single "Warrior". Both singles are now available on iTunes.
Bringing a slew of specialties to the table, Laura Saggers seems to have it all: talent, beauty, brains and an epic story. Adopted by a loving British couple, Laura realized she was destined to be a star after finding out that her American biological parents were an 80's punk rocker and a model; Laura is also a model and actress. Born in San Francisco, Laura had her first taste of melodic magic at four years old after hearing a jazz pianist play a "Little Mermaid" song. "I realized that songs could be interpreted and played however you want and I was determined to learn that skill," she explains. Before moving to the UK, a bright-eyed Laura begged for and received classical piano lessons to kick-start her future career. Unfortunately, Laura's mother passed away when she was 14, yet she honors her by keeping her as a musical inspiration along with the artists her mother would listen, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Judy Garland.
Success means education for Laura. After completing her studies in piano, Laura became a piano teacher herself. The recipient of a music business degree from the Academy of Contemporary Music (UK), Laura formed and fronted heavy rock band, Sennah for four years. Being in a band allowed her to experiment and develop the pleasing tone we hear in her latest songs.
Crooning over an acoustic guitar and piano, Laura breathes life into "Summer Fling" with colorful melodies and cute choppy verses. Like a romantic daydream, the single, produced by Ryan Richko, who won the 2012 Sundance Award for Best Original Score, speaks on being in denial about falling for an amazing guy and ends on a high note. The dark-haired beauty also shows off the spunky side of her lyrics as she sings, "it didn't mean a thing, just some hot sex summer fling." As a major supporter of local up-and-coming artists, Laura recruited Jim Callans of Old Star Press to design and create the art for the Summer Fling album cover, which were each screen printed by hand. The singer brings a handful amount of her limited edition EPs to her shows and sells them with a heart-felt secret message thanking her fans.
Giving fans a double-whammy, Laura's second single "Warrior," produced by Chris Hayman takes on a more sentimental approach. Flowing at a steady pace, Laura uses a soothing tone to compliment the ethereal ambience of the song. The metaphoric song encompasses the power of the heart to love again after being badly burned by it. Naturally compared to stars Lenka and Regina Spektor, the singer's prolific ability to connect to her audience has been witnessed on stage at venues such as The Viper Room, Hard Rock Café and the GuilFest (UK) among others. Her track record includes opening for bands such as Bowling for Soup, Wheatus and The Blackout, a song publishing deal and a placement in the PlayStation game Juiced.
2012Candy's Final Words: I was trying to work up some clever link around leaving San Francisco for the UK, played this song again and thought why bother, just say it's a wonderful song from an artist that will get noticed more and more, see, that was much simpler! Listen: Warrior (Player Only). Web: Official HERE.
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Background: Expect to be captivated by a roll of basement jams and garage grooves on the debut album Running Faster from post-punk/indie rock band The Antics, available now on iTunes and Bandcamp. The New Jersey-based band cooks up a cohesive rock genre toss-up featuring fuzzy guitar riffs and raw emotion that is quickly making these guys hometown heroes.
Fun-loving and gifted, the young men of The Antics are Luke Meisenbacher (vocals/guitar), Derek Rosengarth (guitar), Kyle Hammerschmidt (bass) and Josh Reitan (drums). Practicing their instruments from an early age, each member grew up in different parts of NJ but play like they've been together all their lives. Just three years strong, the band has endured a few changes but their brotherly bond enabled them to create a staple sound that defines their vibrant personalities. The Antics' music radiates high energy supported by crunchy guitar licks, bright melodies and toe-tapping drums. Their material often reminds fans of post-punk super groups and major influences Joy Division, The Strokes and The Smiths. The group describes their sound as post-punk influenced accented by 60's pop, surf and garage rock.
Stellar production from RH Management Services LLC and Meisenbacher on Running Faster illuminates the lead singer's bright, clean vocals, while enhancing the texture of each instrument. Penning the album's lyrics, Luke draws inspiration from The Beatles and The Strokes to conjure up sing-along melodies and conversational lyrics. "I think I'm a very honest songwriter," Luke said. "I don't write music that sounds exactly like something else or things that don't matter to me." The Antic's heartbreak single "In The Night" is a prime example of the group's knack for catchy rhythms with an impressive 50-second, raging guitar solo to finish off. With a track listing to cure heartache, much of the subject matter on Running Faster surrounds love, pain and happiness.
Killer hits, relatable lyrics and rock star personas - equipped with the full package, The Antics are delivering a top-notch effort of rock through the ages with a modern twist. Having entertained crowds at Connecticut and New Jersey venues The Space, Crossroads and The Stone Pony, The Antics are eager to take their masterpiece to the masses.
2012Candy's Final Words: The Antics! Reminding people of my age of just how much more energy I had a few years ago (OK a few decades ago). Not to worry it's great, feisty, and they are a stand out band. Listen: Touch The Sky (Player Only) Web: Official HERE.
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Background:David Lee was born on October 12, 1986 in Seoul, South Korea. His family moved to the United States when he was 8 years old, and while growing up in Fairfax, VA, Lee discovered new music through Napster when the music sharing site first appeared. Subsequently, Lee borrowed a friend’s guitar and fell in love with the instrument. Since picking up the guitar at age 17, Lee has lived a life reflective of his passion. Devoting himself to writing and performing, he quickly forged a path that would lead to the recording of his debut album, Without Any Guard. The title track was inspired by his reckless pursuit of music and the obstacles he faced along the way.
After high school, Lee attended Virginia Tech where he spent much of his time in the studio working on the first batch of songs. After several years of recording, Lee still failed to achieve the sound he was looking for. But his shortcomings would only serve to prepare him for what was next.
In 2008, Lee’s exceptional talents gained him recognition by one of the industry’s best, Willie Mitchell, the legendary producer who discovered Al Green himself. Willie took David under his wings and Lee would fly out to Memphis each month for weeklong recording sessions with his mentor and producer. Lee began to blossom as an artist and together Willie and David forged a sound all their own.
Without Any Guard would become Willie’s final project, as he would sadly pass away in 2010 before completion of the record. It would take Lee nearly three years after Willie’s passing to complete the project they started together. Setting the bar even higher, Lee made sure to surpass his late producer’s expectations on an album that would have to speak for both of them.
Willie’s thumbprint is all over the record. Arguably nowhere more so than on the stunning opening track “We’re All Meant for Something Good.” The track has a certain timeless quality to it, at once familiar, yet fresh and new at the same time. It’s a testament to Lee’s songwriting that Willie asked to be involved in the making of this record. The collision of two worlds has left us with an incredible album written by a young Korean man living in DC, produced and interpreted by a legendary man of Memphis.
Without Any Guard by David Lee will be released on February 12, 2013. Listen out now for the first single “We’re All Meant for Something Good” impacting December 2012.
2012Candy's Final Words: You would expect the production and the musicians to be top class with Willie Mitchell's involvement, however listening to David Lee's vocals is a delight in it's own right, this is a super song. Listen: Were All Mean't For Something Good (MP3). Web: Official HERE.
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Background: Alternative/indie rock band Friend Slash Lover delivers compelling themes of love and relationships in their second single and music video "Unaware" from the sophomore album The Grey Area, available now on iTunes. The song takes on the electric vibe that the Los Angeles-based band is known for, with reflective and provoking lyrics and smooth melodies soaked in a warm, spacious sound.
Connecticut native and fine artist Josh Mintz fronts the band and is supported by bassist Frank Day, drummer Jake Hayden, and guitarist Greg Pajer. Original members Josh and Frank have been playing together since 2005 and later added Jake and Greg to create the full-band sound that Josh always desired. Also skilled on the guitar, the singer-songwriter was destined to be a musical force at just eight years old. After he joined a drums corps marching band, he went on to play the fife for seven years winning over 70 awards in state and national competitions. As a teen, Josh fell in love with 80's rock bands like XTC and also dabbed in some electro-pop, which is evident in his current sound. Music icons such as David Bowie, John Lennon and Kurt Cobain also inspire him. In 2010, Friend Slash Lover released their debut EP As American as Ones and Zeroes to raving reviews and a catapulting fan base that is still gaining momentum.
Using personal life experiences and his obsession with art as inspirations, the former Rhode Island School of Design student lends his whispery vocals to inject heart-tugging emotion into his lyrics on "Unaware." Complimenting soft guitar strums and spotty ethereal synths, Josh sings a powerful message about how we forget to stop and appreciate the people that matter most in our lives. The pensive song was produced by Mintz and Thom Flowers and was recorded at Orange Whip Recording with special guest Angus Cooke on cello.
Fans have seen Friend Slash Lover rock out at a slew of popular Los Angeles music venues such as The Roxy Theater, The Viper Room, Bootleg Theater and the NOMAD Los Angeles art show. With the locals and music critics on board, Friend Slash Lover is bound to touch music lovers across the nation and beyond.
2012Candy's Final Words: This is one fine song from half a dozen we received and I can happily report the rest are just as good. The alt/indie rock world is a crowded place, these people stand out. Listen: Unaware (Player Only). Web: Official HERE.
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Background: Driving power pop/rock band Wise Girl will soon release their self-titled three-song EP on iTunes. The New York fivesome is equipped with straight forward talent and no need for gimmicks. The Wise Girl EP showcases the perfect combination of poppy melodies, rockin' guitars and quirky songwriting technique all wrapped together in a no-nonsense attitude.
After two years in the making Wise Girl is the brainchild of songwriter Abby Weitz (vocals, guitar). Wise Girl includes Chris Fasulo (producer, lead guitars), Abby Lee (backup vocals, tambourine), Harry Keithline (drums) and Sean Kane (bass). Growing up, front woman Abby Weitz was such a music fanatic that she had to listen to The Beatles in order to fall asleep at night. At age 11 she started taking drum lessons which then led to her interest in learning to play the guitar at age 13. Born to lead, Weitz started a Strokes cover band in high school followed by an original band under the name of Drella, playing basement/garage shows in her hometown of Long Beach. After dropping out of college six weeks in because "it wasn't her thing", she started a punk band with her best friend Liz called The Lookaways. Determined to take over New York City, The Lookaways played notorious clubs around Manhattan such as Sin-E, Lit Lounge, Don Hill's, including the legendary CBGB's and on a mini East Coast tour, played a few shows on the Van's Warped Tour. After The Lookaways split, Weitz decided to start a music publishing company called Wise Girl, stemmed from her strong belief in "Girl Power" and she ended up using the name for her current project.
Elements of Wise Girl's music can be attributed to their influences drawn from some of Weitz's favorites such as The Ramones, The Beatles, The Muffs, Letters to Cleo, Weezer and 60's girl groups. The band's feisty single, "Set In Stone" is a perfect example of how the band creates a rhythmic blend of catchy melodies, gritty guitars and witty yet matter-of-fact lyrics. Produced by Chris Fasulo, the Wise Girl EP's content centers on love gone wrong and the battles that we face when caught in the middle of it.
The internationally known designer Kate Spade featured Wise Girl on their website and blog as a runner up in a Battle of the Bands contest to open for The Vivian Girls at their SXSW showcase. They were also chosen as one of the 15 bands to represent Manhattan in New York's Annual "Battle of the Boroughs," sponsored by New York Public Radio in June of 2012. Picking up a consistent following along the way, Wise Girl has performed at notable NY music venues such as Mercury Lounge, The Bowery Electric, Piano's and The Knitting Factory. The band has recently opened up for major pop punk band The Dollyrots and Rock 'n' Roll sensations, Prima Donna and performed as a part of the 2010 and 2011 CMJ Music Marathon. To add to the list, Wise Girl did a performance/interview on the national television show Beta TV and earned a mention in an American Songwriter's article ("How Does an Independent Artists Stay Relevant While Creating New Music" - Sept. 2012). In September of 2012 Weitz scored an endorsement deal with guitar company, Daisy Rock Guitars.
2012Candy's Final Words: Why can't there be more bands like this, I just love female vocals over good raw rock, it's more than a personal thing as Wise Girls (yep, I know the band are not all female) are getting rightly noticed. Listen: Set In Stone (Player Only). Web: Official HERE.
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Background: It was 1998 and Mike Cykoski (A Is For Atom) had just started playing bass with the promising Colorado-based jam band Zuba. The group had previously self-released 3 albums and had a robust touring schedule of 175 dates a year. The esteemed slapstick movie screenwriter and director duo the Farrelly Brothers used snippets of Zuba tunes in Kingpin and were planning to use full songs in the upcoming There’s Something About Mary, and major labels were sniffing around the swampy folk quintet. Mike was on the verge of a lucrative career but things didn’t go as planned. “The band ended before a deal happened. It was a bummer, we had a great tour booked and we cancelled it. I remember looking at the itinerary, thinking ‘I’m going to be successful, it’s going to be great,’” he says with a laugh. “And then it was like ‘Oh no, now I’m going back to work at the restaurant.’” After an exploratory journey involving sideman gigs, relocations, and music school, Mike now resurfaces with a two-EP solo bow of literate, conceptual, thoughtful and playfully-orchestrated modern folk-rock. On July 15, Mike released part one of the project, with the other EP released on September 15th.
Ironically Mike’s decision to leave the hired-gun musician hustle came when he netted an audition with pop-rocker Gavin DeGraw. “That was the trigger on the path to becoming a solo artist,” Mike reveals. “I was in his apartment and he played many songs on the piano; they were all so good and he impressed me. It was right before he flew to LA to do the showcase that got him a record deal.” Inspired by songcraft and the art of composing, Mike enrolled in the prestigious NYU music technology master’s degree program, wisely taking a job at the university that paid for his tuition. There he met his producer Julian Cassia in a film scoring class. Julian was a fan of Mike’s compositions and grew up in England, France, and Beirut. His appreciation for Mike’s writing style and his international aesthetic perspective provide the tunes with some tastefully ethnic flourishes and, at times, some sturdy Brit-pop hooks. The project began in earnest nine months ago when Mike finished his master’s thesis and landed a steady job. He was feeling optimistic and introspective. “I wanted to set some goals, and I really wanted to do an album,” he explains. “I got this job, I got the funding, I got this producer; I said it out loud and it happened.”
2012Candy's Final Words: This song fits the category of 'a grower' almost perfectly for me. First time around I was a little dismissive, however I checked out a couple of other tracks and played this again and thought wow! So that's my definition of a grower, how about you? Listen: Creation (MP3). Web: Facebook HERE.
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Background: Brooke Campbell’s music transports. Ready to head down the rabbit hole?
You listen to music to be moved. To escape. To feel good. Sometimes, you hear another’s take on your own story, as if the song were written for you. With music as ethereal as that of Kate Bush, as rhythmic as Regina Spektor’s, and lyrics as arrestingly honest as those by Tori Amos, Brooke’s lived-in voice welcomes you instantly to all of the above. Her latest ep, The Escapist, explores new territory: her first fully orchestrated recording. She enlisted Colin McGrath to create a Sinatra-inspired string dreamscape for “Sparkle.” For the driving atmosphere of “Ice Covers the North,” she worked with Matt Frey to transport the listener through a chilling wilderness with an army of cellos. All four tracks were produced by William Berlind, who produced Brooke’s previous album, Sugar Spoon.
After hearing her perform live as the winner of the International Arts Movement Songwriting Competition, Wall Street Journal critic Terry Teachout blogged that he fell in love with Brooke’s “shivery breathless voice and deep-toned guitar playing.” She went on to be a featured artist in the 2011 Spotlight Series for Denon Audio and is a regular on one of Long Island’s most popular podcasts. “I don’t know why she isn’t better known. I haven’t been more impressed with a singer-songwriter in years.” —Terry Teachout, blogger & Wall Street Journal critic
NYC via North Carolina, Brooke has toured extensively throughout the U.S. to audiences up to 2,000 strong — a dynamic she prefers, because when the lights are low, everyone can get lost in the crowd and get what they want from the songs. “That’s how I like to hear music,” she says.
The year Brooke started writing, 100 songs emerged, a level of output that hasn't slowed. From her first tune, “African Violet,” to The Escapist’s “Ice Covers the North,” images of nature loom large. Wishing to manifest that imagery into the physical world, Brooke collaborates in other art forms. She most recently worked with Leslie Scott, artistic director of the Manhattan-based BODYART Dance, and new-media artist Reid Farrington on a video project with choreography set to Brooke’s song “What Do You Do?” that was featured in the International Dance Festival in NYC.
The Escapist delves into the positive and negative aspects of the -ism — both dreaming and avoidance. Everything the rabbit hole will allow. With remarkable depth, melancholy mingles with hope as the lyrics search out their answers. “Whatever we hear in our hearts, however discordant or beautiful, is worth sharing,” Brooke says. The result is music that surprises your senses.
2012Candy's Final Words: This is another artist where it was difficult to pick one song that was representative of their overall qualities. Having accepted I could not, I opted for Sugar Spoon by shutting my eyes and hitting random. There must be more scientific ways... Listen: Sugar Spoon (Player Only). Web: Official HERE.
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Background: Rock artist Bob Pressner breathes raw emotion and honesty into every line on his new album King of Nothing, available now on iTunes. Drenched in glowing charisma, Bob shows off his versatility throughout the album as he touches on subjects like love, spirituality and retrospection. With his relatable lyrics and velvety tone, it is no surprise that Bob is becoming a magnetic force for music lovers; the official video for the title track "King of Nothing," directed by Max Moraga and produced by Kurt J. Zendzain has already garnered more than 18 million views on YouTube!
Hailing from White Plains, NY, Bob has always been a musician at heart. Intrigued by the styles of Jimi Hendrix, Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell and Paul McCartney, he fell in love with the guitar at 15 years old and now has a vast collection. As he grew older, he continued to practice his art and refine his skills - he even studied with the famed 1950's beat poet Allen Ginsberg. After experiencing a traumatic event and years of being part of the workforce, Bob took a leap of faith to pursue a music career. Later, Bob moved his family to Florida where he began writing and recording heavily. The singer-songwriter soon had his first album Hard Driving Rain, followed by Riding the Wave, Summer in Illusion Land, Me and the Kid from Santa Cruz, and Honor Among Thieves. In addition, Bob was a featured artist on the album A Musical Tribute to the Olympics, which was a commemorative compilation featured at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Delivering an exciting mix of head-bopping songs and tear-jerking ballads, Bob displays charm and grace on his latest effort, King of Nothing, produced by Grammy-nominated producer David Grow (Michael Bolton) and Jim McGorman (Avril Lavigne, The Corrs). With more than three million YouTube views for the music video, "The Blue Has Left Your Eyes" is a catchy mid-tempo track that reveals a more vulnerable Bob. The singer laments the loss of his queen with sweet melodies led by a soft guitar and carried away by wailing violins in the emotional "King of Nothing." Hoping to meet his internet crush in "iGirl," Bob's infectious hook is lead by major rock guitars and supported by a solid vocal performance. Each song on this well-produced album is capable of transporting listeners to different dimensions.
Receiving "Top Honors" for his outstanding YouTube views, the New York native has been cranking out live performances left and right for his fans. Bob's performances landed him a gig at the South By Southwest Music Festival and his very own Comcast-produced OnDemand concert entitled, "Bob Pressner at Infinity Music Hall." The concert was promoted on cable channels like A&E, AMC, ESPN, CNN, Bravo, MTV, VH1, and TBS. With four albums under his belt, Bob has let go of all inhibitions and nothing can hold him back. The world better get ready.
2012Candy's Final Words: Saved this for last in this round up as Bob Pressner is a very hard act to follow. Along with a rather a large number of others I love this song, check out the album, it's a goldmine of great songs. Listen: King Of Nothing (Player Only). Web: Official HERE.
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