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Midweek Double: The Glorious - Home Lives

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The Glorious - I Wake Up. Promo words - The hauntingly beautiful single from Australia’s The Glorious, “I Wake Up” is the first release from Falcon, the Melbourne band’s forthcoming full-length album co-produced by Julian Mendelsohn (Paul McCartney, Belle & Sebastian). Neil Rogers of The Australian Mood, notably said The Glorious create a “captivating sound with great songs, soaring harmonies, and heartfelt playing.” Falcon will be released by The MuseBox on January 8th. “I Wake Up” is gently bathed in sparse, mournful piano and ghostly keyboards. Its gorgeously stark production allows lead singer and main songwriter David Mather’s chorus to soar while maintaining a hushed immediacy during the rest of the hymn-like track. Mather explains that “I Wake Up” was inspired by a lost loved one communicating with him via a dream. The tune represents his band’s unashamedly heartfelt approach to songwriting in that it is “a meditation on the possibilities of renewal, the sense of being

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

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From the Internet Archive (IA) this is Phil Lesh and Friends Live at Langerado Music Festival on the 9th March 2008. The sixth Langerado Festival was held March 6, 2008 through March 9, 2008, making it one day longer than the previous year. The festival took place on the Big Cypress Indian Reservation, thirty miles west of Ft. Lauderdale. Unfortunately earlier this month Phil Lesh reported “I was diagnosed with bladder cancer in early October, and have spent the last few weeks at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale doing tests and eventually surgery to remove the tumors. I am very fortunate to have the pathology reports show that the tumors are all non aggressive, and that there is no indication that they have spread". We wish Phil a full and speedy recovery. Phil Lesh and Friends is of course an American rock band formed and led by Phil Lesh, former bassist of the Grateful Dead. Around the time of this gig we are told - A new formation of Phil & Friends, including Lesh, La

Monday Double: The Blue Dolphins - Manwomanchild

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The Blue Dolphins - Walking in the Sun. Background - Los Angeles, CA-based eclectic, melodic pop-rock duo The Blue Dolphins follow up this year's six-song Walking in the Sun EP with their sophomore full-length, Come On!, a fourteen track collection of California-sun soaked roots songs that travel the landscape of memorable melodies, intricate guitar solos, luscious vocal harmonies, and uplifting lyrics, all wrapped up in fantastic production. Comprised of two-time Grammy Award winner engineer Alfonso Rodenas on guitar and Victoria Scott on lead vocals, the duo released the Walking in the Sun EP in May, a prelude to the forthcoming full-length; Walking in the Sun contains six songs Come On!.  Prior releases include their debut full-length, 2012's My Favorite Word is Today and 2013’s In Between EP.   Come On! is a major push forward for The Blue Dolphins, reaching towards a more complex and fully produced music scenario, where sonic aesthetics and songwriting are richer an

The Mosers - Cold Hearted Girl.

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The Mosers - Cold Hearted Girl. Background - Meet The Mosers.  Comprised of New Jersey natives, Mike Pellegrino, Dave Ryan, Rick Szpakowski and Matt Kulper, The Mosers have burst on to the music scene with their contemporary brand of gritty, in-your-face, no-holds-barred Rock and Roll. Fun-loving and fearless, The Mosers released their first single “Cold-Hearted Girl,” to rave reviews and their debut EP Ticonderoga releases today, October 23, 2015. On October 28, the guys will hit the road on a mass US tour with Interscope buzz band and New Jersey brothers, Young Rising Sons.  “Cold-Hearted Girl,” a bonafide smash, is a testament – not just to the foursome’s impressive musical chops, but also to their penchant for crafting delightfully relatable stories.  Highlighted by authoritative drumming, snarling guitar riffs and Pellegrino’s signature, whiskey-soaked growl, “Cold-Hearted Girl” is an ode to the heartache and rebellion that seem to define our adolescence.    “We are a bunch

Sundays Alternative: Vaudeville Smash - French Horn Rebellion - Ducky

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Vaudeville Smash - Richter Scale. Background - Australia’s Vaudeville Smash return with their new single Richter Scale, a synth-laden funk anthem with hooks for days. Having just returned from a hugely successful tour of Japan, where they signed with P-Vine records, this is the band’s first release since their world wide smash Zinedine Zidane in 2014. Vaudeville Smash has explored many genres but with Richter Scale and B-side Dangerous they revisit their first true love. Funk.  The single is out now and had worldwide radio premieres in Australia (on Triple R), in Japan (on Tokyo Inter FM) and in the US by on line heavyweight EDM Sauce.  "With Richter Scale, we channelled some of the great 80s boogie bands like Cameo and Midnight Star. We've set out to make a really great Funk album. It's our first love!" - Marc, Vaudeville Smash . Synth drive funk, can't disagree with any of their words above. Actually the synth element lightens the sound up, giving it a

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

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Jimmy & The Revolvers - The Morning Paper. And we quote - Jimmy & the Revolvers are one of the UK's most exciting emerging bands. When they're not gigging up and down the country making new friends and fans wherever they go, they're running a monthly club night in their home city of Liverpool as well as finding the time to champion up and coming talent on the scene. Formed in early 2013, Jimmy & The Revolvers are Jay Rehm on Vocals & Acoustic Guitar, Jordan Wright on Vocals & Bass, Jimmy Moon on Electric Guitar and Ash Michael on Drums. Their debut AA side ‘Aimee’s Song/Frosty’ released in June 2013 became a favourite talking point for the city’s music bloggers and DJs who were drawn to the band's infectious melodies and harmonies. More glowing reviews followed the release of their four track EP ‘Sunday Morning’ on New Year’s Eve 2013, which gained airplay across the UK and was chosen as one of BBC 6 Music’s Tom Robinson’s Fresh Faves on his F

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

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Cigars Of The Pharaoh - Mystery Highway. Background - Sometimes a band just comes out of nowhere. You might hear it in the background at a bar, or it might hit you on the radio while you’re stuck in traffic. Chances are, if you’ve heard Sydney’s Cigars Of The Pharaoh, you’ll know about it. With a power-packed sound that tips its hat to the blues rock genre, Cigars Of The Pharaoh have risen up to bring the groove back to the Australian music scene with a punch that feels good. The band formed in the early part of 2015 as a four-piece - a mixed bag of guys with a multitude of musical influences and pasts that gelled from the get-go. From indie pop to hard rock, soul to RnB, this special union of musical minds has created something that’s fresh, based on everything they’ve learned and heard from a combined experience of many decades inside the scene. Cigars completed the recording of their debut EP within months of forming, such was the pace at which their unique blend of talents mov

Thursday Three: Jumpcuts - Matt Stillert - The Sticklers

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Jumpcuts - Headlights. Background - Baltimore electronic new wave rock band Jumpcuts will release a limited edition 7” vinyl single and embark on a tour of the East Coast this October and November in support of their sophomore album Fiber Optic Bondage, due for release this spring. Following several national and regional tours, singer and multi-instrumentalist Andy Shankman tracked the songs “Headlights” and “Curses and Verses” at Baltimore’s Mobtown Studios with producer Mat Leffler-Schulman (Future Islands, Dustin Wong). Fiber Optic Bondage blends atmospheric synths, danceable beats, and Shankman’s introspective lyrics. Jumpcuts' resume includes tour dates spanning the eastern half of the U.S., opening slots for Phantogram and School of Seven Bells, collaborations with producers of Beach House and Celebration, and a featured performance slot on WFUM's Live From Cleveland. This fall’s string of shows will feature Steve Bryant, the NYC-based producer and drummer most recen

Midweek Muse: Thrushes - Day One - Tiger Choir - East Of Here

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Thrushes - Joan Of Arc. Background (with bird facts) - Thrushes; part of the Passerine bird family. The songs of some species are considered to be among the most beautiful in the avian world. Baltimore's Thrushes bring a similar beauty to the human world with Exposing Seas, their first full length in 5 years.  Formed in 2005, the band's previous efforts (2007's Sun Come Undone and 2010's Night Falls) garnered the kind of glowing praise most indie acts could only hope for. Now, with Seas and its swirling, reverb-drenched guitars and dreamy, yet plaintively delivered vocals, the album brings to mind a mix of the classic shoegaze era-gone-by, Hounds of Love 'Bush-isms' and a splash of 90's emo-progenitors Rainer Maria resulting in Thrushes most focused work to date.  On the band's approach to this new album, singer Anna says "Exposing Seas is an album that shows our growth as a band. We worked so hard over the past few years to create songs that

Dan Croll - One Of Us

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Dan Croll - One Of Us. What we are told - Liverpool's experimental, genre-defying Dan Croll is excited to announce the release of a new single - 'One Of Us' - the follow up to 2014's critically acclaimed debut LP 'Sweet Disarray' ("full of infectious harmonies", so said NPR). The track is available digitally now and is the first taster of what you can expect from Dan's second full-length, details of which will be announced soon.  While 'One Of Us' lies at the heavier, more energetic end of Dan's spectrum it is still undeniably pop-infused. Much like the majority of his other material, 'One Of Us' was written and performed solely by Dan, with a pace and energy of this track showing his multi-instrumental prowess. Lyrically, the song touches on the various forms of peer pressure that he has witnessed around him - “Heard you can’t beat the rush, give in and be one of us. Told you 10,000 times that you'd rather be on of us&q

Two Distinctly Different: Calling All Astronauts - The Hummingbirds

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Calling All Astronauts - Empire. Them background words - It’s been two years since Calling All Astronauts (featuring members of pop punk pioneers Caffeine, goth stalwarts The Marionettes and seminal UK rap-metalers US:UK) unleashed their debut album “Post Modern Conspiracy”. Those two years have seen these London based alternative electro rockers release seven singles, gain massive radio and blog support worldwide (including BBC 6Music and XFM), build a 400,000 strong Twitter following and open for the likes of Roger Daltrey, Echo & The Bunnymen, PWEI and A Place To Bury Strangers. Following a 20-month stint hard at work in their own recording studio, CAA are back, with a brand new single, “Empire” hitting all stores on November 27th. “Empire”, is the first single to be taken from their hotly anticipated second album “Anti-Social Network” (out in February 2016), and has been described as what you’d get if Johnny Cash had ever duetted with Jimmy Eat World! Intriguing right? It

Ummagma - Frequency (EP).

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Ummagma - Lama (From the EP 'Frequency'). Background - Canadian-Ukrainian duo Ummagma have confirmed details for the UK release of their EP ‘Frequency’. This mini-album will be available through Raphalite Records and is slated for release on November 13th. Alongside five original tracks, the EP features remixes from Cocteau Twins legend Robin Guthrie, Wales' celebrated Lights That Change, and Malcolm Holmes of Orchestral Maneouvres in the Dark (OMD). Ummagma consists of Shauna McLarnon, who hails from Canada's Yukon, and Alexander Kretov, who is from Ukraine. Since bursting onto the music scene in 2012, they have made a significant impact on the underground music scene. Their potent combination of uplifting and melancholic textured dreampop, shoegaze, postpunk, ambient and electronica rapidly gained them a sizeable international following despite the numerous issues they faced living between Canada and Ukraine. ‘Frequency’ follows the band's two debut LPs 

Something Special: Niamh Crowther - Shred Kelly - Little Red Lung

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Niamh Crowther - Little By Little. Background - Following 130,000 streams on Spotify and play-listing on national radio in Ireland, Niamh Crowther releases her single 'Little by Little' on October 23rd. Niamh came to prominence in Ireland aged sixteen when she beat over 15,000 other young people to claim the prestigious Irish Youth Music Awards. The judging panel included Willie Kavanagh (then head of EMI), Jackie Hayden (founder of Hotpress magazine and the exec who signed U2 to their first record deal) and Will Ryan (Hozier). The accompanying rave reviews and talk about town earned her “one to watch” accolades from Hotpress, and on her eighteenth birthday Niamh found herself on stage with Richie Sambora. Following the completion of her Leaving Certificate (A Levels), Niamh set about recording in Windmill Lane with some help from Tim Martin (The Corrs, The Commitments, Declan O’Rourke), resulting in the well-received 'Origins' and forthcoming single 'Little

Jesca Hoop - Live in Manchester, UK - 2010 (IA)

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From the Internet Archive (IA) this is Jesca Hoop live at Band On The Wall, a venue in Manchester, England, back on Monday 24th May 2010. This is what the Manchester venues website had to say about Jesca prior to the gig - Jesca Hoop was born in Southern California to strict Mormon parents. She grew up singing traditional folk tunes in four-part harmony, but soon broke away from this background, becoming a homesteader and working with children. As a nanny for Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan’s three children, Hoop gained both musical experience and notoriety; Waits said of Jesca, 'Her music is like going swimming in a lake at night'. Following exposure through radio station KCRW, Jesca toured with Polyphonic Spree, Mark Knopfler, Andrew Bird and Elbow – with Guy Garvey also dueting with Hoop on her (then) latest acclaimed album Hunting My Dress. In addition to this we can add (from Wiki) As a result of meeting Tom Piper, the touring manager of the band Elbow, Hoop moved to

A Couple Of Good Ones: Murder Shoes - Rissy

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Murder Shoes - Nineteeneightyone. Bio -  Sometimes, it really does boil down to who you know. Shortly after Derek Van Gieson first moved to Minneapolis, he met fellow guitarist Chris White through an ex-post-hardcore-punk pal. For a year or so, Derek and Chris stockpiled hundreds of songs. The songs ran the gamut of 60s pop/garage nuggets, gothic folk, chaotic post-punk, 80s funk and R&B, country/western, shoegaze, rockabilly, and surf.  It could have been a real hot mess, but Derek brought Tess Weinberg in to the picture and she tied the whole thing together with her sultry cross-genre vocals. They further refined their sound as a trio and just when they thought they had it figured out, bassist Tim Heinlein and drummer Elliot Manthey brought the volume, power, and muscle. Inside of a year as a quintet, Murder Shoes recorded and released three EPs, a full length album, and went on tour. After many adventures in the studio and live, the band has refined the eclectic nature of th

Sunday Alternative: Sin Cos Tan - ALXA - Jade The Moon - Sweet Mix Kids ft. Pikachunes

Sin Cos Tan - Ten Years (single from Smile Tomorrow Will Be Worse -EP). Background - Finnish synthpop duo Sin Cos Tan shares new single ‘Ten Years’, a new EP is also set for a release in October. Synth-pop duo Sin Cos Tan have already three albums, a host of packed-out festival appearances and a big dose of musical experience. Finnish duo consists of 2 already established musicians: producer-DJ Jori Hulkkonen (who has previously put his magical producer hands on works also with Tiga, Pet Shop Boys´ Chris Lowe, Jose Gonzalez...) and Juho Paalosmaa, songwriter and vocalist also from Villa Nah who released one of the best albums of 2010 ‘Origin’. 
The Sin Cos Tan duo received huge international critical acclaim for their self-titled debut album and hit single “Trust” back in 2012, including a nomination for ‘Critics Choice of Album of The Year’ at the Finnish Emma-Awards. The boys chose not to rest on their laurels and released only 10 months later their successful follow-up album ‘Aft