The promo had this to say - Get to know The Unknown, an impressive alternative band fronted by multi-instrumentalist and former One Republic member, Tim Myers.
The Unknown is gearing up for the release of it’s debut album, Album One which effortlessly combines modern-alt swagger (Cage The Elephant, Black Keys) and 60s mod rock (Jimi Hendrix, The Who, The Doors).
The leading single “Are You Ready for Me” has already generated significant buzz and been featured on Showtime, MLB TV, Brooklyn 99, General Hospital and a host of other TV shows. Additionally, the band’s song, “Come & Get It” has been showcase on commercials for the Windows Phone, Nissan and Citibank. "Are You Ready for Me" has already garnerd over 300.000 views on YouTube!
The Unknown brings to the forefront Myers’ distinctive talent on guitar, keyboards, drums and bass. "Album One" features contributing vocals from Carah Faye of Shiny Toy Guns and additional guitar, bass and drums from Dave Bassett of Shinedown. Myers and The Unknown perform a dynamic and energetic live show, having played at Coachella Music Festival, the Troubadour and the Canyon Club. The band is about to embark on their 2015 tour, which will cover most of the US and Europe.
This is a really strong album, the nod's above to various references is in fairness valid. The Unknown add their own inspiration and direction and you end up with a varied collection of great songs and music. Rock with style!
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Welshly Arms are new to me, however they have been around since early 2013. They describe themselves as follows - Welshly Arms combines their love of blues with rhythm and soul & good ol’ rock and roll, to create a fresh throwback sound that represents their Midwestern roots. Comprised of Sam Getz (vocals/guitar), Brett Lindemann (keys/vocals), Jimmy Weaver (bass/vocals), and Mikey Gould (drums), Cleveland-based Welshly Arms pays homage to many of their collective musical influences. Listen to “The Touch” or “Two Seconds Too Late” from their debut E.P. Welcome, and you just might hear a little Jimi Hendrix, The Temptations, Otis Redding, or Howlin Wolf.
The ten song debut LP from Welshly Arms is packed full of gritty and bluesy rock and roll anthems that are infectious and compelling. "Love In A Minor Key," "Never Meant To Be" and "The Touch" are standouts, but don't get us wrong, there's no filler here.
OK that's Jimi Hendrix referenced twice now and as we are only on the second band I guess that if nothing else, it just goes to show what a powerful legacy the man left to music. As for Welshly Arms, well they are most definitely powerful, however it's hard to drop them into a specific genre, they mix things up in a very entertaining manner so yes blues, soul & rock'n'roll all done deliciously.
Website HERE.
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Words about them say - Lights That Change is an alternative ethereal dreampop outfit, hailing from North Wales and headed by Marc Joy. After many years producing other artists, he finally turned his attention towards his own creative endeavours. Thus was born Lights That Change, channeling new energies into sculpting horizons of perfect dreamscapes, primarily based on guitars.
Lights That Change released their debut EP ‘Rainbow On Your Shoulder’ in 2013, followed by ‘Whispers in February’ and have received support from BBC, Tom Robinson, and Amazing Radio, among others.
Over the past year, Lights That Change have undergone a reformation, with Mandy Clare on vocals, John Bryan on bass and Marc Joy on guitars. They are now gearing up to release their debut LP ‘Byzantium’ this summer, which includes guest vocals from Rebecca Palin (Golden Fable) and drum programming from Mal Holmes (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark).
“I’m extremely happy to be involved in Lights That Change,” says Mal Holmes. “This has given me the freedom to create something special for ‘Voices’ and the new album doing what I love to do … this is why I started playing drums in the first place”.
We proudly present the first single from this forthcoming album, entitled ‘Voices’, chalked full of ethereal wave post-punk magic reminiscent of 4AD’s golden era. Here Mandy Clare lays mesmerizing vocals over a bed of drifting, powerfully moving soundscapes. Lights That Change will also be bringing their new permanent lineup to U.K. live audiences soon.
Check out Ear To Ear Records for more HERE.
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Immigrant Union will independently release their second full-length album, Anyway, in Australia on May 29th and I have to say, it's a good one.
Quoting now - Immigrant Union feature a sound that frontman Brent DeBoer describes as “Spiritualized being baptised in a river of Creedence Clearwater.” The five-piece recorded their self-titled full-length debut album with producer Gregg Williams (Sheryl Crow, The Dandy Warhols, Blitzen Trapper). Limited edition colored vinyl copies of Anyway and CDs are now available via the band's official website.
“Immigrant Union’s song “War is Peace” was just about my favorite new song on my list of CMJ bands. I put it on All Songs Considered last Tuesday and then listened to their entire album. When it was over, I listened to it again!” (Bob Boilen: NPR All Songs Considered)
The video for “In Time” serves as an ode to the forthcoming festival season. Guitarist Bob Harrow explains: “I’ve been to festivals on my own before, and they have generally turned out to be the coolest ones.” He recently described the ambitiously amusing manner in which Immigrant Union made their “In Time” video:
“Brent shot and directed this clip featuring me going to Soundwave festival in Melbourne. He filmed it using stop animation, so for the entire shoot I had to move in slow motion. I remember people looking at me and probably thinking ‘I’ll have what he’s having, thank you’. Whenever I would interact directly with people, I’d explain whilst being filmed, “We are shooting a music video and I have to move in slow motion, so you got to do that too - can you light my ciggie, nice and super slowly, please?”
The process of editing “In Time” was further proof of Immigrant Union’s commitment to their craft. The band immediately went into edit mode, which, according to Harrow, was “a bit difficult after drinking about 90 beers.” When all the photos were lined up in chronological order, it turned out that the band had the exact amount of footage needed for the video. According to Harrow, “you have to shoot about an hours worth of photos to get one minute of footage, so it's good that Brent basically never put the camera down. To sync the footage with the movements and lyrics of the song, we had to move a few shots around, but we couldn't remove any footage.”
After a few hours of editing, Immigrant Union were finished. With another in an increasingly long line of artistic endeavors under their belt, the gentlemen of Immigrant Union “kicked back and watched it over and over. It was a proud moment.?"
Website HERE.
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"Shane Tutmarc is one of my favorite new voices in rock and roll." - Wanda Jackson
Well if Shane is good enough for Wanda who are Beehive Candy to argue or differ. I love the video we feature below but first of all let's just point out that Shane Tutmarc is releasing a single a month in 2015, I've heard four of them and and they vary considerably so don't think the featured one is the scope of Shane's music, it's not and he has some very creative talent.
Some more about Shane - Some may know Shane Tutmarc as the front man for Seattle-based indie-pop band Dolour, which featured Robin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes). However, after packing up Dolour, Tutmarc packed his bags in 2010 and moved to Nashville, where he refined his sound, blending garage-rock, folk, blues, country, gospel, and pop to create an Americana flavor that pays homage to its predecessors, but also knows when to expand on and experiment with different influences. The result is something that has been described as Nashville rock-n-soul; but, after one listen to Tutmarc’s music, you won’t be worrying as much about labels and genres as you will be singing along.
Having recorded a full-length in Nashville, Borrowed Trouble, which has since been placed on the back burner due to an investor in the album pulling out at the eleventh hour, Tutmarc has kept busy playing around Nashville and the Northwest, as well as producing other artists. However, he recently has decided to release a single a month throughout 2015, with plans to compile the songs and release a full-length in 2016. The singles will be released by Portland, Oregon-based indie, In Music We Trust Records.
The April single hit on April 28th and is "Suicide Weather."
The first single, “Poison Apple,” digitally released January 27th, found Tutmarc delivering a melodic garage rocker. Produced by Tutmarc, the song features his uncanny ability to carve out a melody while creating a fun, but also serious rock beat, allowing him to weave between genres without sounding forced or contrived.
The second single, “Tennessee Girl,” released February 24th, took a 180 and found Tutmarc offering up a more traditional country song, an upbeat love song about a man traveling, yearning to get back to his girl in Tennessee.
The third single, released March 31st, "When You Found Me," was originally recorded for Borrowed Trouble, but re-recorded for the single-a-month plan. A guitar-driven, muddy blues-influenced, mid-tempo rocker, the song showcases Tutmarc's ability to get gritty, without losing his melodic sensibilities.
It’s this ability to vacillate between styles, and also merge them effortlessly when he wants, that has made Tutmarc a go-to man for co-writing in Nashville, as well as a producer. His agility in his songwriting and musical breadth help him carry out his vision, whether it’s a dense, lush, or sparse song that Tutmarc feels he needs to carry out his message.
That is why he looks forward to 2015, and the freedom to slowly craft an album, while releasing singles each month, keeping new music outpouring, and not tying his hands with the pressure to go in and create a collection of songs immediately for a release.
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Words about them are as follows - The Eiffels are ready. Their debut EP is set to release this spring, with a supporting United States tour beginning in April. For a new band, they are already getting people’s attention. San Diego’s alternative rock station, 91X, took notice of their infectious sound and quickly spotlighted two of their upcoming singles, “I Did It Now,” and “More.” Shortly after, they were asked by legendary rock venue, The Casbah, to open for the burgeoning Coachella performers, White Arrows.
The Eifflel’s brand of synthy rock is somewhere between Phoenix and The Killers, but their influences are much broader, ranging from 80’s pop, to classic rock and punk. Influences aside, their spirited lyrics and captivating hooks are what really set them apart from the conventional indie act.
The Los Angeles based, 3-piece is comprised of Sean Ulbs (vocals, guitar), Benjamin Sturley (bass) (Beware of Darkness), and Lee Stuart (drums). Working with producer, Ethan Kauffmann (Wild Party) and Will Brierre (The Killers, Neon Trees, Walk The Moon, Imagine Dragons), The Eiffels’ sound is undoubtedly ripe for radio embrace, however, the genuineness of their songwriting is what gives their music its unmistakable depth.
The Eiffels are busy preparing for their US tour and already back in the studio working on their next EP. Expect to hear a lot from them in 2015.
Now turn the song up and leap around the room!
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Hey were off to the Sunshine Coast, you know the one in Australia! Maybe I should set up Beehive Kangaroo and be done with it. Mind you were back down under for a very good reason. Agnes J Walker and Damian K have released a stunning song that you just, must give a listen to. It rounds off this round up with absolute class so enjoy!
Some fine words from and about them - Recorded on the humble Sunshine Coast comes the debut single of songwriting duo, Agnes J Walker & Damian K teaming up to show the world a little slice of blues/soul/gospel heaven. ‘Come Home’ presents as the result of an unsuspecting collaboration, and a very spontaneous release from the two musicians.
Vocalist/guitarist Agnes J Walker said she stumbled across keyboardist Damian K at an Open Mic night, and from that point have been jamming together (as members of Agnes J Walker & the Cry Babies – Agnes’ band), with the two coming together to combine song ideas, eventuating in the debut single.
“We had the ability to be free when songwriting together from the very beginning, and that is sometimes quite difficult... For me, the song was a way to convey the messages of people who don’t have a voice to express themselves, but when they listen to this song, I hope that they can feel a sense of hope and relief for the future,” – Agnes J Walker
For collaborator, South-African born Damian K (Khoury), the single is his way of accepting Australia as his new home, and allowing to see all the amazing opportunities he has opened himself up to.
“Breath, let go (lyrics from the song) symbolises a feeling of being at peace with my decision to move to Australia... it’s hopeful, deep, and intense, which are all feelings that were real to me when moving to this country, and the beauty of this song is that, for me, it relates to a move, but it can be interpreted in so many ways” - Damian K
