Music The American Way: Silas Hite - Ben de la Cour - Vaudeville Etiquette

The Satin Cowboy & The Seven Deadly Sins (Silas Hite) - Fools Paradise.

Background bio - The Satin Cowboy is Emmy winning film and television composer Silas Hite. Silas has music in his DNA. He began his career co-scoring blockbuster and independent films such as Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs with his uncle, noted composer Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo.  Now Silas’s music plays in television shows around the world, from kids shows like Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get A Clue! and Disney’s Dance-A-Lot Robot, to adult shows such as Blue Mountain State, Eureka, Duck Dynasty, and Chef's Table.  He has scored hundreds of commercials earning him an Emmy, a Cannes Gold Lion, a Grand Effie and Adweek's Campaign of the Decade.  He’s contributed memorable music to some of the top selling video games such as The Sims 4, Skate 3, and The Simpsons. His music has played in such venerable institutions as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, the New York Museum of Modern Art, and The Whitney Museum.

Silas was raised in the remote mountain town of Crown King, Arizona.  He attended a one room school with a handful of other children and was able to run free in woods after school.  He grew up listening to the rock and roll and old country music wafting through the air from the local 100 year old swinging door saloon.  His father, also a musician, was often in the bands playing the music.  This is the environment that informed the Satin Cowboy. "Duel" is a celebration of the golden intersection of rock n' roll & roots country. 

"Duel" is the second full-length album from The Satin Cowboy & The Seven Deadly Sins, AKA Emmy winning film & television composer Silas Hite.

Silas Hite really does take us on a musical journey with his album 'Duel'. The featured song 'Fool Paradise' has been described as Californian Americana, an apt and highly descriptive expression that really does sum up this wonderful song. There's southern rock, through to more gentle indie folk type music on the album, the one constant is the quality, these are all classy songs.

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Ben de la Cour - Down to the Water's Edge.

Background promo - The fine line between love and obsession is carefully toed by rising singer/songwriter Ben de la Cour on his haunting new single “Down to the Water’s Edge.” Credited by Red Line Roots with offering “subtle hints of Johnny Cash, Townes Van Zandt, and Leonard Cohen,” de la Cour’s hauntingly dark and sometimes humorous style is rapidly making the well-travelled singer the face of the increasingly popular Americanoir sound. Described by de la Cour as a “creepshow manifesto” in which the narrator obsesses over his unknowing victim, “Down to the Water’s Edge” is the first single from de la Cour’s forthcoming Midnight in Havana album. Midnight in Havana will be released via Nashville’s Flour Sack Cape Records, a label that “aims to document the constantly evolving sound of one city.”

De la Cour has lived a different kind of life. After growing up in Brooklyn, he set out to see the world as an amateur boxer, bartender, and agricultural worker. He lived in Havana, Paris, London, Los Angeles, and New Orleans before finally settling in Nashville. It was at Nashville’s Greenland Sound that de la Cour recorded the eleven songs of perfectly crafted Americanoir that make up Midnight in Havana.

De la Cour’s extensive travels have taken him to some strange and sometimes dark and desperate places, places he documents so eloquently on Midnight in Havana. Tales of substance abuse, murder, and mental illness sit in perfect juxtaposition with playful lightheartedness and an ever-present glimmer of hope. However, upon closer inspection, darkness almost always wins. An unlikely hero, but one that suits de la Cour.

'Down to the Water's Edge' showcases Ben's vocals beautifully. It also gives his song writing skills a pretty good showing off. I'm still trying to figure out, quite what the 'Americanoir sound' really is, however if this is an example I'm definitely up for more. New album lands in May.

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Vaudeville Etiquette - Tipping Point.

Background promo - When we last saw Vaudeville Etiquette, the Seattle band was touring in support of critically acclaimed debut album Debutantes & Dealers, an album that No Depression said was “in the same vein as Mumford & Sons and the Lumineers. Their seamless harmonies and sense of spontaneity makes them a good candidate for mainstream success.” The Seattle Times called the band “one of the bright new faces of Seattle music,” American Songwriter gave the album 3 stars and compared lead vocalist Tayler Lynn to Neko Case,” USA Today praised their ability to “mix folk, jazz and country with free wheeling abandon.”

The new album gets its name from the motel that once occupied an infamous stretch of Highway 99 in Seattle. In its heyday, here was a motorist’s utopia, filled with a thriving middle class that was ready to explore America, traversed by the likes of Kerouac and Salinger, and full of romantic intrigue and possibility. Today, it’s a forgotten relic, a notoriously seedy stretch of road that attracts violence, drugs, prostitution, and one 5-piece folk-rock band that relentlessly believes in its spirit and potential.

What used to be the Aura Vista Motel is now where the band writes, rehearses, celebrates, argues, hones their music, and shoot their videos. It’s the Vaudeville Etiquette headquarters, it’s haunted, and it’s the catalyst behind all that they do. You can hear it on this record, as each song plays like a guest in a different room; separate but united by our wayfaring desires and sordid expectations. They recorded the album with producer Shawn Simmons Studio Litho in Seattle, WA. “His knack for honing an intrinsic Seattle sound in the work he’s done with bands like The Head and The Heart and Lemolo was exactly what this record needed,” says Lynn. “He pushed us to create unique arrangements and employ unconventional recording and burrito-eating techniques that take the sounds on this album and gracefully elevate them to a psychedelic whirlwind, then down to an intimate lullaby and back around again. He’s a joy to work with and a hero at the helm.” Play Aura Vista Motel on late nights, behind the wheel of your car, volume up, windows down, and drive somewhere dark that makes you feel like you’ve got the whole world ahead of you.

'Tipping Point' is another new track from their upcoming album, Aura Vista Motel, having already received positive feedback for a couple of other preview songs. There are eleven tracks on the new album due out on May 6th and each one is a solid engaging song. The band have a refined natural sound and the production on the new album is exceptional. If you like 'Tipping Point' I think you should seriously consider an album purchase next month!

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Genre Weekend Wander: Ziemba - Desert Bones - Aukai

Ziemba - It Curls Itself.

Background words - Ziemba is the performance moniker of René Kladzyk, a NYC-based artist and musician. She has performed original and collaborative work at art, music, and dance spaces throughout NYC, including: Issue Project Room, The Museum of Art & Design, Glasslands Gallery, Trans Pecos, Gina Gibney Dance, Panoply Performance Laboratory, Silent Barn, St. Marks Church, Secret Project Robot, and Momenta Art.

She was artist-in-residence at the French Institute and Culture Vultures in Fez, Morocco, and is curator of performance art series "Casings and Treatments." She has composed original scores for Lisa Parra Dance and Karen Harvey Dances, and has recently had several songs featured on season 2 of Comedy Centrals Broad City. Her debut full- length Hope is Never is set for digital/tape/vinyl release via Lo & Behold records on June 24th, 2016.

There's stripped back songs and then there are really stripped back, and totally exposed songs. 'It Curls Itself' is refreshingly the latter, a vocal piece of beauty and originality. The full length album is awaited with great interest.

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Desert Bones - Hard Life.

Background promo - The origins of Melbourne progressive alt-indie rockers Desert Bones can be found in a place anything but the barren landscape their name suggests. It was high in the hills of central Victoria under the dark shadow of Mt Macedon that Bracken Blake (vocals, guitar) and Mat Evans (drums, bass, vocals) started cooking up elements of their powerful debut album Shy Existence, set for release this year. The first single, “Hard Life” was conceived in these pristine surroundings looking down upon an ever-expanding city skyline, and the soaring alt-indie gem is set to announce them as one of the fiercest new acts on the independent circuit.

After spending more than two years fine-tuning their material Desert Bones come out swinging with the release of “Hard Life”. The acoustic driven intro manages to lull the listener into a false sense of security before it explodes with some mighty progressions and intelligent song writing. The leviathan intensity of the chorus comes like a rock thrown through a stained glass window and will loop in one’s head from the first listen. Bracken’s gravelly, emotion filled vocal ability is on full display throughout the track, his song writing channelling the likes of Bruce Springsteen and Bob Dylan.

Bracken says the lyrics for “Hard Life” came to him while fishing on a jetty in Broome WA. “This was actually one of the few songs I had the lyric for before picking up a guitar,” Bracken says. “Once the guitar was in my hands the song literally came together in under ten minutes. It was originally an acoustic finger picking song, but once I moved back to Melbourne and started jamming with Evo again we messed around with the structure, beefed it up and gave it some muscle, and there it was.”

“Our music and songs seem to be evolving every time we play them, were always writing and re-working different parts” Mat explains of their approach. “I think it makes the tracks more interesting for us and hopefully the listener”

“Hard Life” is a solid introduction to Desert Bones for fans of progressive indie-rock. Rest assured, their follow up material and debut forthcoming album Shy Existence will lead them down a path that’s sometimes dark, sometimes uplifting and completely unpredictable.

This for me, is one of those no nonsense, living in the real world type songs. 'Hard Life' has commitment both vocally and musically, it's heart and passion rolled up in a song.


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Aukai - Cachoeira.

Background promo - Aukai is a Hawaiian word meaning seafarer or traveller. It’s also used as a proper name, and people who are called “Aukai" tend to have a mystical, philosophical, introspective nature. All of which makes Aukai the perfect name for the new album and project by multi-instrumentalist and composer Markus Sieber. It’s a collection of ambient acoustic soundscapes that take the listener on an inward journey to a place of stillness and tranquil beauty. His debut self-titled album is set for a June 3rd release.

Sieber’s own journey has been an eventful one. Born in Germany, he played in bands as a part of East Germany’s vibrant ‘90s rock scene before shifting his focus to work as an actor in Berlin and St. Petersburg. A life-changing move to Mexico put him in touch with more indigenous-leaning music, awakening a new musical mission that led him to circle the globe many times.

Aukai was born of his desire to create a new kind of music that could work in tandem with film, video, theatre and the visual arts. The compositions on the album also grew out of Sieber’s love affair with the ronrocco, a plucked string instrument from Argentina that Sieber first discovered through the music of film composer Gustavo Santaolalla (Babel, Brokeback Mountain). He began sketching out compositions while travelling the world as a touring musician. But Aukai really came together in the quiet solitude of a winter spent in an isolated mountain cabin in La Plata Canyon, Colorado.

From there, the project shifted to Berlin, where Sieber recorded the basic tracks for Aukai at Martyn Heyne’s recording studio with a variety of analog gear, pairing the ronrocco’s sonorous tone with his evocative guitar, piano and harmonium playing. “The vintage equipment gives the music a real physical quality,” Sieber explains. “You feel like you could almost touch it.”

He then called upon an international cadre of musicians to add their own tonal colours. Berliner Anne Muller (Agnes Obel Band, Nils Frahm), played cello. Bogdan Djukic from Belgrade played violin. Sieber’s wife, Angelika Baumbach added piano to several tracks, and his brother Alexander Nickmann contributed electronic keyboards and sound design. Another key player was Sieber’s longtime musical collaborator Jamshied Sharifi, the New York musician and composer noted for his work with Laurie Anderson, Sting, Dream Theatre and the Montreal Symphony, among others. Aukai was mixed in Berlin by Martyn Heyne (who engineered Nils Frahm’s Spaces album) and mastered in London by award-winning engineer Mandy Parnell who has also mastered discs by Brian Eno, Bjork, Max Richter and many others.

I'm conscious that we do not feature enough instrumental music on Beehive Candy, and so it's an absolute delight when something as beautiful as 'Cachoeira' by Aukai comes along. It's only one of two songs I have heard from the forthcoming album, both are a sheer delight to listen to, hope you also enjoy.

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Down Under Double: Self Talk - Mellie

Self Talk - Hypocrite.

Background promo - Freshly forged by members of Melbourne's finest including Ceres and Skyways are Highways, buzzy rockers Self Talk are set to drop their brand new single 'Hypocrite'; a bonafide pop-punk anthem.

Having spent 2015 writing and evolving their own unique sound, the band released their first two singles to fantastic critique, as well as developing their live-legs supporting punk legends such as Luca Brasi, Ceres and Endless Heights. Grabbing 2016 by the horns, ST took to the studio with acclaimed producer Aaron Dobos (British India, Slow Turismo) to track their debut EP 'Seeing What I Want to See' a bright and punchy yet vulnerable and sensitive record.

The first taste of this comes in 'Hypocrite', catchy as hell and buzzing with energy, the song also has a darker edge woven in via the lyrics. Inspired by the internal struggle experienced at the end of a difficult relationship, lead singer Stacey reflects upon being blinded by emotion until hindsight helps the truth become clear down the track.

'Hypocrite' mixes indie pop with a touch of punk, in an energetic and very catchy way. Vocally the song reminded me a little of The Bangles, only with a little more edge, no problem with that, it's a good song and good songs are always welcome.

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Mellie - Reach Out For You.

Background promo - Announcing the release of the debut single “Reach Out for You” from Aussie singer/songwriter Mellie on April 8th 2016. Written by Mellie and produced by Matt Fell, of Love Hz studios, “Reach Out for You” is an uplifting pop song with a clear message about asking for help in a time of crisis.

After spending many years healing from severe clinical depression, Mellie wanted to give back to the organisatoon who helped her in her time of crisis. Fifty percent of profits from her debut single are going to the charity organisation Lifeline Hunter Central Coast.

“Reach Out for You” incorporates powerful lyrics with a catchy melody. It has the sweetness of Kylie Minogue and the epic power of Tina Arena and Delta Goodrem. “Reach Out for You” is written about a darker subject matter but it’s written in an accessible, melodic way so every listener can feel inspired by the song. The music video has been produced with the help of indie film makers Harlow Films and dance choreographer Jenna Drelincourt. The music video involved a cast of around 15 actors and dancers to help portray the feelings of mental illness and the impact it has on one's life.

"The theme of the song is reflected in the music video. We used darkness to portray the battle of mental illness and light to portray the journey back to vitality. The song really is about finding light in the darkness—knowing you're not alone in depression and reaching out to be heard in your time of crisis", explains Mellie. “‘Reach Out for You’ is my message that is letting people know you can survive mental illness and there are people and organisations such as Lifeline who are there to help you through.”

Mellie is performing at many Lifeline Hunter Central Coast events throughout 2016 to help raise awareness of mental health. “Reach Out For You” by Mellie will be released 8th of April 2016.

Having read the above promo I was expecting something quite different regarding the song 'Reach Out For You'. Put simply what I hear is a really sincere pop song. Full of charm, melody, and a mass of hooks, all of which underscore Mellie's superb vocal range. 2016 is throwing up some really good down to earth pop songs, of which this is definately one.

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Midweek Quality: Georgia Reed - RonjoV

Georgia Reed - Waiting For You To Run.

Background promo - Perth’s Georgia Reed gives us her debut single ‘Waiting For You To Run’.

Drawing influence from leading female vocalists in the industry, Georgia creates her fierce and brooding signature sound, a cross between the likes of The Jezabels, Florence & The Machine and Lana Del Rey. She is no stranger to her city, having an extensive live music apprenticeship of Perth’s bars and basements, and in 2015 adorning billboards around WA as a face of The Bigger Picture Campaign.

Produced by James Newhouse at Reel2Real Studios and Mastered by Grammy Award Winner William Bowden at King Willy Sound (Gotye, Little May, Empire Of The Sun, Children Collide), ‘Waiting For You To Run’ tells the story of a relationship’s looming demise, a story intensified by the emerging artists vocals.

Waiting For You To Run is about two people denying the inevitable end of a relationship. It’s like they say, when you say it out loud it becomes real. They are both waiting on each other to run.” Waiting For You To Run by Georgia Reed will be released 8th of April 2016.

Upcoming Shows:
22nd April 2016 - The Odd Fellow, Fremantle WA

Comparisons can be made, so it's refreshing when an artist cites a couple of influences and upon listening, they are both relevant and fair. Funnily enough I thought of a totally different artist when I first listened to 'Waiting For You To Run' who in my book, is even better than the ones mentioned in the promo (and yes it's all down to personal taste). Anyway, this is one very good song and Georgia Reed has really made it fly, a case of wanting to hear more, which is always positive.

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RonjoV - Ronjoism.

Background promo & bio - Ronjo V’s new album is a eclectic, haunting yet stoic examination of the world. The music is a down home flavor of classic alternative; mix in the production skills that would make even the most experienced producers listen over and over again to learn their secrets and you have Ronjo V.

So who is the mysterious Ronjo V? The artist is actually composed of two compassionate yet laid back men residing in notorious Austin, Texas. Ryan Joseph and Keith Morgan have been musical partners in crime since their college years in Arkansas. Driven by the shared dream of living their lives in the studio creating music, the two relocated to Austin and opened 5th Street Studios.

Now the two are focused on developing the sound of Ronjo V and we can definitely hear this in their latest releases! Greeting our ears is Ronjo V. A proportionate mix of the haunting sounds of the Arctic Monkeys and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Ronjo V introduces us to an innovative sound. Ronjo V takes us on a chordal journey not only through their writing but also their engineer and mixing skills.

Through their music we can hear all of the musicianship that is Ronjo V. The control of the guitar, how the vocals sit so nostalgically in the mix, and the texture of the harmonic instruments touch even the most eclectic listeners. The sincerity of their drives us to seek more and the rawness pulls us back to the first track we listened to.

Ronjo V has released four titled tracks to introduce his sound to the alternative rock scene. Slow Motion, Bury the Fools, Dying Wish and Unfriend create an atmospheric environment for listeners.

The wavering effect of the instruments, the effect of the vocals, the bedding of bass and the dampened kit create a mellow, almost haunting atmosphere. Simple instrumentation but the mix, the subtle writing and the honesty of the music itself takes it to a whole new level!

This is a generous three song share from RonjoV, considering the quality of their music. So in the spirit of fairness, I can say we conviction that the remainder of the songs are equally as good and in one case outstanding. I don't think they are trying to copy anyone, however everyone from Radiohead through to those mentioned above and more, seem worthy benchmarks for the bands music. To say the least, I am really impressed.

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Tuesday Two: Terence Jack - Mira Aasma

Terence Jack - Eastern Rise.

Background words from Terence Jack - I've partnered with former band mate and fellow Vancouverite Daniel Klenner (We Are the City, Tourist Company, Hey Ocean) to co-produce my new EP. We have always had a dynamic synergy and chemistry which can be heard in the song’s triumphant verses and serene chorus.

We started messing around with piano sounds when we came up with the staccato piano line that helped carry the song. We both jumped out of our chairs and knew that it was perfect for the song.

After touring Canada by way of train and a South East Asia tour this previous winter, I'm looking at touring the new record “Never Get Back” coast-to-coast across Canada accompanied by a full band this Spring.

One of six quite individual and varied songs on 'Never Get Back' the featured single 'Eastern Rise' gives a really good feel for the music of Terence Jack. Musically the collection is hard to put in any one genre, sometimes it's a little folk orientated, then maybe alt rock, or even indie. Whatever, this is a really fine collection of songs. 'Eastern Rise' is but a flavour of what's in store, if you are in Canada, keep an eye out for tour dates.


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Mira Aasma - Whale Song.

Background promo words - It’s hard to believe that at the age of just nineteen, Gothenburg born vocalist Mira Aasma’s music is filled with such maturity and grace. The compelling sound of her voice has made her comparable to other celebrated artists including Florence and the Machine. Mira’s previous single Ghost started getting her music noticed in her home country, Sweden. Additionally, in the UK she began receiving more attention-with multiple plays on Amazing Radio. Mira continues to demonstrate her talent as she not only written but also arranged and produced all of the songs on her upcoming EP, Stereoscope.

During Whale Song, the electronic beats combined with the soothing vocals produce a unique track that can be compared to music by notable artists including Daughter and London Grammar. The pace quickens towards the end of the song whilst the drumbeat accelerates, very MS MR-esque, which leaves the listener captivated and engaged throughout.

Mira Aasma is an artist worth watching out for, as 2016 already looks promising for her. Whale Song will be released on the 8th April 2016 on Birds Records.

'Whale Song' has a moody deep vibe as it opens, allowing Mira Aasma to quickly stamp her vocal accreditation on the song. With powerful vocals and an ever developing soundtrack and electronic beats, the song makes for an excellent introduction to the music of Mira, to the point that the song ends quite triumphantly, almost as if to say "see? I told you this was good".

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Quality Not Quantity: Kwesi Foraes - Indus Rush - Gideon Blue

Kwesi Foraes - Pentacle 13.

Background promo - Twenty-three year old Kwesi Foraes, a folk-soul singer-songwriter, grew up in Long Beach California where he submersed himself early on into the music scene studying, folk, rock n roll, and blues.  Foraes spent years experimenting with different music styles and bands.  But after a surge of 3 family deaths all within a year, Foraes faced a hard internal battle while struggling to overcome his personal demons that almost took his own life.

Kwesi Foraes, at a point with few options of release, searched for an escape & sense of truth in his music and found it like never before in darkest and most raw pockets of folk, expressing himself at the most vulnerable and visceral levels, embracing all truth and confronting all ills head on.  Writing in trances of personal experiences and vivid encounters with spirits of his past, Foraes dedicated the last 4 years to bringing a perspective that is rooted far beyond just the music.

This is the second song to be shared from Kwesi Foraes eagerly awaited five track EP. 'Pentacle 13' is raw with emotion, and both vocally and musically delicious. Except from the words above I know nothing more about Kwesi, this wonderful song will ensure I try to learn more.

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Indus Rush - Romany Days.

Background promo - ‘Indus Rush’ is the brainchild of musician and producer, Stephen Whitby, recorded with session players from around the World, and mixed down and produced by Steve in his Dalbeattie Studio.

The single ‘Romany Days’ was written when Steve was 17 or 18, whilst at school in Dover, UK, after studying Thomas Hardy for his A levels, hence the reference to the Reddleman, reddle being the sticks and twigs collected in bundles and carried on the back of wandering collectors. The song started off as a folk song but gradually transformed into a Romantic rock song over the years. It exudes a dreamy romantic view of life and society in those heady days, also describing the pleasures of drinking, friendship, and the beauty of the surrounding natural views such a Traveler’s life would witness.

“Romany Days’ is the first single from the album “Tales & Anecdotes From the Waterfall”, which will be Indus Rush's second album of Rock songs, Orchestrations and Tunes, and features Swede Bjorn Dahlberg on Piano and Clarinet, and Max Saidi on Drums.

Stephen has spent the last 30 years travelling across the world and playing with a variety of famous musicians (including Adrian Fisher from Sparks, David Glasper and Ian “Spike” Spice from Breathe, Sparko from Doctor Feelgood and Mathew Kelly of Kingfish & The Grateful Dead) on a glorious beachfront setting called Secret Garden, on Koh Samui, in the Gulf of Thailand. He moved back to Scotland in 2008.

Indus Rush previous singles, ‘The Market Place / Mandingo’, and ‘Crackin’ Up’ have enjoyed a lot of airplay and interest, and have been particularly well received in the U.S., together with compilation tracks 'Waterfall Dance' and 'The Love Ambassedors'.

The well chosen inclusion of clarinet and piano gives the song 'Romany Days' that little something that makes a song stand out, in the ever crowded music world. With a pleasing melody and story telling style vocals, everything is refreshing and quite absorbing.

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Gideon Blue - Star.

Background promo - Scottish born but Winchester based UK Indie Artist Gideon Blue writes Indie Pop/Rock with an upbeat tempo.

2011 was the changing point in his musical career where he decided to go solo after years of playing in bands. He decided that he wanted the artistic freedom that goes hand in hand with being a solo artist. Inspired by this new found autonomy Gideon recorded a glut of new material and produced a video for fan favorite - Girl in the Cab.

His most recent project is the ‘STAR’ EP which includes the Songs ‘Move On’, “Summertime’ and ‘Girl in the Cab’; collating recent songs from the last two years in preparation of his new album where you can get a sneak preview of some of those tracks if you buy the EP.

His influences include Bauhaus for original Goth/Arthouse Rock, Doves, Radiohead - experimental Indie Pop, Bluetones - melodic, David Bowie, Rolling Stones, T-Rex and most recently Two Door Cinema Club, Bombay Bicycle Club and the Vaccines.

Collaboration with TeleFunken and Sonic Minds providing vocals and guitar have proved rewarding experiences – so much so that as well as writing and recording his own music he’s also heading in the direction of Indie songwriter and producer, currently working with other artists that need help in writing songs and building melodies/music to go with their ideas.

The recently released STAR EP with title track featured below, is often bright and upbeat, however it can and does mix differing styles and emotions. Musical influences cited above left me uncertain on quite what to expect, however it's fair to say Gideon Blue has plenty of uniqueness, and is not a clone of others ideas. Based on this the album should be a good one.

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Genre Mix Up: The Person & The People - Emily Rodgers - Grieving

The Person & The People - Hot Summer Nights.

Background bio - For nearly a decade The Person and The People have been a fixture in the Twin Cities’ “indie” scene and their experience is evident not only in their enchanting, nuanced live performances but also in their seemingly endless arsenal of catchy rock songs. Based on their past releases and their ability to navigate seamlessly from crunchy, beer-drinking guitar riffs to wistful ballads to angsty break-up songs, one can truly expect anything from their upcoming release Dark and Low.

The album promises to be collection of infectious melodies, dreamy hooks, punch-drunk guitar riffs, and sharp, relatable lyrics that poke fun at themes like society, love, and self-doubt. This creates delicate balance between everyday realism and confident farce. There are moments when we feel caught between the pull of the past and the promise of the future. Dark and Low stands on this precipice, draws a deep breath, and takes the next step. For The Person & The People, it’s fine. Album release date: Friday, April 22, 2016.

'Dark and Low' is a cracking album. 'Hot Summer Nights' the third of eleven tracks on the new release, is but a toe in the water of this fine collection of songs. The band crank things up on some songs, whilst on others there is a more leisurely and confident rock'n'roll swagger. But always there's the layered guitar riffs and melodies. If you like the featured track, I reckon you will be delighted with the album.

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Emily Rodgers - No Last Call.

Background promo - It’s clear from note one of Emily Rodgers’ new album, Two Years: she’s up to something a little different. Different from her past records, but different especially from so many of her contemporaries. In a world of indie-folk sameness, where epic and bombastic are the rule, Rodgers is deliberate and intense, quiet and bookish. And it's in its very quiet intensity that her music commands a listener’s full attention.

On paper, Rodgers’ music might seem like it would add up to folk or alt-country: A band with guitars, a pedal steel, some fiddles here and there. But on listening, you’re as likely to pick up on an undercurrent of shoegaze, chamber pop, even post-rock on Two Years. The violins oscillate under Rodgers’ melodies, more Dirty Three than country. The pedal steel soars. Rodgers’ voice, beautiful and world-weary, echoes.

On Two Years, her first album since 2009’s Bright Day, Rodgers worked with legendary producer Kramer, who was responsible for the sounds of first-generation shoegaze and slow-core innovators like Galaxie 500 and Low. (Kramer mixed and mastered Bright Day, and returned as producer this time around; he also produced two videos from the new album.) It’s fair to look at the album as a product of Rodgers’ unconventional writing -- she’s an English professor, and looks to literary sources for inspiration -- and Kramer’s sonic genius. Low comes to mind as a reference point; so does Tara Jane O’Neil.

That Two Years is her first recording in nearly seven betrays the fact that Rodgers isn’t rushing things. Song by song, she avoids the temptation to try to cram too many words into a phrase; there’s a deliberate confidence in her delivery. Rodgers takes her words seriously, and wants you to, too. (And not just her own words -- the album closes with a haunting, otherworldly cover of Neil Young’s “I Believe In You” that turns the original on its head.)

Make no mistake: Emily Rodgers’ songs generally aren’t happy. But in their contemplative melancholy, there’s a thread of fearlessness. Uplift and bombast may be the rage these days, but as Emily Rodgers makes clear, there’s something to be said for courage, contemplation and taking the time to let the words set in. Why create more of the same when something a little different can turn out this beautiful? Emily Rodgers "Two Years" (Misra Records) Release Date June 10th, 2016.

First of ten songs on the forthcoming album 'No Last Call' sets the standard on what is a treasure trove of beautiful songs. The songs don't so much switch across genres, but rather they melt them together. There is a feast of instruments, each one ideally suited for the melodies and the emotion of the songs. There may have been a lengthy gap since her last album, however if the material is going to be this good, then Emily Rodgers music is well worth the wait.

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Grieving - No Sleep.

Background promo - Grieving are a new band from Cambridge, playing direct, twisting indie-punk. The band played their first shows over the last couple of months, alongside the likes of Tellison and the much buzzed about Muncie Girls and have recorded six songs with Matty Moon (Bloody Knees, Lonely The Brave) set for release as a series of singles over the coming year.

In debt to the likes of Dismemberment Plan, Jets To Brazil, Drive Like Jehu and elsewhere the lo-fi pop of Guided By Voices, Bob Mould etc. you can hear the anxious, anthemic indie-punk of “No Sleep”.

Bassist Jack Hurst told The Fader: “No Sleep is one of the first songs we wrote as a band. It came together real naturally and I think we all knew when we left the rehearsal room with it finished that we had something there. Lyrically it’s about a previous bout of insomnia, how it can burden and disorientate you, especially as you get that little bit older and responsibilities weigh down on you further. There’s no time for a muddled head anymore. Zopiclone, referenced in the second verse, is a “nonbenzodiazepine hypnotic agent” according to Wikipedia. It works. Do not operate heavy machinery the next day.”

Straight down the line indie punk - no flowers in vases here, just good old honest bad attitude guitar riffs. Vocals give the song it's individual identity. A refreshing reminder that a few chords and plenty of energy can do wonders.

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Weekend Wonders: Hege Nesset - Sykoya

Hege Nesset - Faces.

Background - Hege Nesset is a Norwegian vocalist based in Liverpool, UK. Strongly influenced by blues and jazz as well as pop and electronica, she cites musical theatre and gospel music as shaping her voice.

Hege has already earned attention on national TV in Norway, performing with Venke Knutson, a Norwegian pop artist. She's a versatile backing singer performing with two Liverpool based bands, as well as doing session work and top lining.

'We Are' (Haig Records 29 April 2016) marks Hege's debut as a solo artist. The record showcases her distinctive vocals, carried by a delicate melody and brought to life with soaring harmonies.

The featured track 'Faces' gives a flavour of what to expect from the forthcoming single 'We Are'. Hege has already gained considerable experience in singing and has a charming versatile voice that deserves to be heard in it's own right, hopefully that's all about to happen.

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Sykoya - Closer.

Background words - Sykoya may be new to the scene, but are already receiving high praise for their distinctive sound and timeless mixture of indie electronic and dream pop tracks. Drawing comparisons to the likes of London Grammar, The XX and Massive Attack, the London based trio have made a lasting impression with their rhythmic electronics, melodic synths and the ever haunting vocals of front woman, Anna Marcella. Her voice will cast you under a spell as the music ebbs and flows seamlessly from light to dark, catching the listener between wanting to dance and sit in soft reflection.

Whilst excitement builds for their upcoming EP release on 21st May, the band have earned a featured spot on Tom Robinson's 'Fresh on the Net' and radio rotation around the UK and US.

Live Dates:
12th April - The Boiler Room- Guilford
13th April - The Underbelly - London
23rd April - The Deaf Institute - Manchester
21st May - EP release show - The Finsbury - London

The five track EP due in May really does showcase Sykoya as ones to watch out for, in 2016. Their atmospheric brand of electronic music, along with the impressive and mood matching vocals of Anna Marcella are a powerful combination. Comparisons there may be, however there is also a lot of creativity and commitment, giving the band a compelling and very attractive sound.

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Two Good Ones: Finlay Leslie - Gypsy & The Cat

Finlay Leslie - Reality.

Background promo - Finlay Leslie makes up for what she lacks in height with a big voice and a markedly vast range of song writing inspiration, exceeding far beyond her years.  Drawing experience from break-ups, trust, love, being elected Prom Queen alongside her girlfriend and revealing what she would say to her twelve-year-old self, this gifted self-taught storyteller already has a wealth of experience at her song-writing disposal.

In her heart-breaking debut single “Reality”, Leslie showcases her poetic storytelling ability recalling times when a lack of belief in her music and herself almost led to giving up. The touchingly reflective “Reality” is released 18th April 2016.

Nineteen-year-old Finlay Leslie’s talents were discovered when quickly racking up an impressive 80,000 YouTube plays, providing an early indication of her raw song writing talents with distinctive versions and arrangements of well-known covers before posting incredibly well received live versions of her original compositions.

Finlay applies her own unique spin, stripping songs back to their bare bones, showcasing her captivating and honest vocals and emotive guitar playing that lashes more passionately than the tides against the iconic white cliffs of her home town of Dover.

Playing most of these UK Venues for the very first time supporting the likes of Blair Dunlop, Mishka Shubaly and Blackbeards Tea Party, Finlay is quickly drawing attention for her enticing intimate live performances.

Catch Finlay at one of the following shows this spring:
2nd April   Morecambe Platform                Supporting Blackbeard’s Tea Party
21st April  Oxford, The Cellar                     Supporting Luke Daniels
22nd April Birmingham, The Rainbow     Supporting Blair Dunlop
23rd April  Oxford, The Jericho Tavern    Supporting Blair Dunlop
25th May   Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall   Supporting Blair Dunlop
26th May   Chelmsford, Asylum                 Supporting Mishka Shubaly
27th May   Sheffield, The Greystones       Supporting Blair Dunlop

Tender and personal are two words that spring to mind with the song 'Reality'. A stripped back acoustic piece, with Finlay demonstrating her 'storytelling' abilities, there is an underlying maturity to this song. 'Reality' is released Monday 18th April 2016. Whoever quipped that "the only good thing to come out of Dover was the cross channel ferry" (old English joke) would be apologising big time now!

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Gypsy & The Cat - I Just Wanna Be Somebody Else.

Background promo - “Change my brain and take my heart out. Guess you're doing fine without it.” — We all go through times when we wish we could just live another life, one without the troubles and sorrows of our own. This is an anthem for those with that longing for escape. The second single off their upcoming album, "I Just Wanna Be Somebody Else" follows up on the success of last month's "Inside Your Mind" which topped charts and got play listed around the world. Gypsy & the Cat are sure to continue winning over listeners on their mission to shower the world in glorious Australian indie pop.

Boasting ARIA and Hype Machine charting singles, three songs in the triple j Hottest 100, plus international chart and touring feats in places like Germany, Denmark and Sweden; Gypsy & the Cat and success are no longer just flirting with each other. They're shacking up and settling down. Champions of a distinctive style that’s continually influenced their contemporaries, the Melbourne duo have an unmistakable sound that’s been described as “the epitome of Australian indie-pop.” (Acid Stag)

This new stuff? There’s no doubt it’s Gypsy & The Cat. Roll call: punchy falsettos, walls of dreamy synths and a reason to dance? All present. Mixed by Dave Fridmann (Tame Impala, MGMT, Neon Indian, The Flaming Lips) it’s another sampling of the full-length album expected later this year. Spending a chunk of the last year in Japan to channel inspiration from a myriad of creative influences, "I Just Wanna Be Somebody Else" and "Inside Your Mind" indicate a new muse. A new era.

This is a good reminder that indie pop can still be pretty special. OK so we could split hairs on the specific genre, however it's still a fine song whatever box you want to put it in. Vocals are stand out, but then again so is the music, the above promo seemed over the top until I heard the song, one for the weekend.

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The Veldt - 'The Shocking Fuzz of Your Electric Fur' - Mixtape EP

The Veldt - Sanctified.

Background - Identical twins Daniel and Danny Chavis may originally hail from Raleigh/ Chapel Hill, North Carolina, but they have been East Village residents for the past 28 years. They are also co-founders of the ground breaking band The Veldt, who lifted their band’s name from a Ray Bradbury science fiction story. Musically reared in the church and juke-joints of their native southern state, the twins have been performing since they were children, listening to music that included gospel, Motown and Pink Floyd. They now make music, together with bassist/programmer Hayato Nakao, returning to their roots with the release of The Shocking Fuzz of Your Electric Fur: The Drake Equation Mixtape EP.  The album releases on April 8 and to celebrate, the band is doing a whirlwind tour of Central Canada (see tour dates below)

The first single is the emotionally wrought Sanctified, a ballad that perfectly captures the lush sound of Danny’s screeching guitars and decibel-breaking distortion, along with Daniel’s soulful wail and Hayato Nakao’s deep bass grooves and guitar feedback, the track serves as the perfect re-introduction to this dynamic band. The title The Shocking Fuzz of Your Electric Fur was borrowed from an E.E. Cummings poem. Its raging sound was influenced equally by the emotional soul of Marvin Gaye, free jazz warriors Sun Ra and Pharaoh Sanders, various Drake hip-hop tracks, and their own fertile electric imagination. 

In their early days, the Chavis brothers making a name for themselves playing throughout the south at a time when fellow southerners REM and Superchunk were securing major label deals. As more black rock bands (Living Colour, 24/7 Spyz) began selling records and gigging throughout the world, The Veldt was courted by various labels, including IRS Records and Capitol. 

Initially signed to Capitol Records in 1989, The Veldt embarked on a musical journey that changed their lives. Soon, they were in the studio with dream-gaze guru Robin Guthrie working on their initial recordings, playing American concert halls with Cocteau Twins and The Jesus and Mary Chain, and recording Marigolds with Linco ln Fong (Moose).

The Veldt were a sensation from the start as they became a part of a movement of innovators who came of musical age at a time when rhythmic rebels were reflective, gritty and wild. Their sound inspired future generations of alternative artists, including TV On the Radio. 

Although The Veldt had signed to two major labels after leaving Mercury Records in 1995, the brothers decided to remain indie and self-released their 2008 album White Music for Black People. “The major labels were always trying to get us to change our sound, our look or both,” Daniel laughs. “But, we had no interest in being the next Lenny Kravitz or Tony! Toni! Toné! Unfortunately, not everyone shared our vision. We weren’t trying to be rock stars, we just want to play our music and pay our rent.” 

Apart from Robin Guthrie and A.R. Kane, who produced 'And It's You' from this EP, they have collaborated with TV On The Radio, Mos Def and Lady Miss Kier (Deee-Lite), and have shared the stage with My Bloody Valentine, The Pixies, Echo & The Bunnymen, Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine, Manic Street Preachers, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Oasis, Living Colour and TV on the Radio, among others.

They eventually changed their name back to The Veldt. The Shocking Fuzz of Your Electric Fur serves to mark the band's re-emergence and will be followed by another full album of material on their Resurrection Hymns LP later this year (via Sona BLAST! Records). Indeed, for these veteran musicians and passionate noise technicians, this newest EP marks a new beginning. The Shocking Fuzz of Your Electric Fur will be released via UK label Leonard Skully Records on April 8, 2016.

Live April Dates:

04/01 London, ON - CHRW 94.9 FM In-Session
04/01 London, ON - 765 Old East Bar & Grill
04/02 London, ON - CHRW Saturday Morning with Howie Zowie
04/03 Toronto, ON - Silver Dollar Room
04/06 Peterborough, ON - Red Dog Tavern
04/07 Montreal, QC - Barfly
04/08 Ottawa, ON - Zaphod's Ottawa
04/11 Raleigh/Chapel Hill, NC - Cat's Cradle
05/06 Philadelphia - Union Transfer (with Brian Jonestown Massacre) 
05/07 Boston - Paradise Rock Club (with Brian Jonestown Massacre) 
05/09 New York City - Webster Hall (with Brian Jonestown Massacre).

The single and the first of five tracks on the new EP, 'Sanctified' reinforces the pedigree of The Veldt. It's one of five songs that are distinctive, appealing and give understanding to how and why they have shared stages live, with so many notable acts. 'Sanctified' typifies the quality and musical style across the new EP and raises expectations, of what is to follow later in the year. Within their genre and dynamic interpretations, The Veldt are a band who have it 'in bucket loads'.

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Singers & Songs: Maria Usbeck - Silver Pools - Ofelia K

Maria Usbeck - Moai Y Yo.

Background promo - Maria Usbeck (former front woman of Selebrities) today announces her debut solo LP and shares lead single, "Moai Y Yo."

The album "Amparo", to be released May 27 via Labrador in Europe and Cascine in the US, is a collection of songs written and recorded across the span of three years in Ecuador, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Barcelona, Lisbon, Easter Island, Costa Rica, Florida, L.A. and her home in Brooklyn.

Though the songs were composed electronically, Amparo called for an acoustic treatment, so Usbeck spent a winter in the studio recording the arrangements live with producer Caroline Polachek of Chairlift who has also produced Beyoncé and engineer Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson. Fleshed out in full sonic colour on the marimba, xylophone, quena flute, piano, and harp, the album stretched into something hi-fi and expressive, meditative but not meandering.

So my native language is English and sadly my grasp of Spanish is extremely lacking. That music can transcend languages is reinforced for me with this wonderful song. Musically it is superb & Maria's voice becomes another instrument for me, and a wonderful one, at that. She could be singing the local bus timetable for all I know, however one thing I am clear on this is going to get quite few more plays by me.

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Silver Pools - Leap Year.

Background promo - Silver Pools is an ambient-pop entity led by Toronto based mandolinist, songwriter & producer Todd Macdonald. Following the disintegration of the baroque pop group The Winks in 2010, Macdonald went back to school, studied jazz composition & performance while continuing his work as a sound engineer and producer.

Recorded over a four year period in studios and bedrooms between Montréal and Toronto, Memoirs of An Oblong Sphere features contributions musicians from both cities. The lushly orchestrated album explores rich, harmonic and sonic textural combinations through blending analogue synthesisers with horns and woodwinds and mandolins melting into warped classical vinyl samples. This process of layering multiple musical performances was in part inspired by techniques he learned from the production team of John Collins & David Carswell. They produced The Winks' 2008 album Birthday Party as well as The New Pornographers' Twin Cinema, an album which Macdonald played mandolin on.

The lyrics for Leap Year are taken from the correspondence between Macdonald and Vancouver writer Shmuel Marmorstein. The two have been writing songs & stories together since they were high school students in the 90s. Memoirs of An Oblong Sphere will be out on cassette April 22, 2016 via UR Audiovisual.

Silver Pools Tour Dates:
Thursday April 14th: Guelph @ The Golden Bus - Silver Pools, The Blue Funz, M. Mucci
Friday April 15th: Toronto @ Secret Venue - Silver Pools, The Blue Funz & Still Monk
Saturday April 16th: Kitchener @ Open Sesame - Silver Pools, the Blue Funz, Eiyn Sof
Sunday April 17th: Hamilton @ Baltimore House - Silver Pools, The Blue Funz, Blunt Chunks & ZONES
Thursday April 21st: Toronto @ Handlebar (For Frequencies) *Memoirs of An Oblong Sphere album release - Silver Pools, Anzola, Ajage No Anne & "Valkyrie... is about to Die!"

Saturday April 23rd: Montreal @ La Plante - Silver Pools, Syngja, Man Meets Bear & Dromia

'Leap Year' is my introduction to Silver Pools and it's a really fine song. Todd Macdonald's vocals are pretty special in my opinion, and he knows how to find just the right musical accompaniment and balance so that both vocals and music really shine. An excellent taster for the now highly anticipated album on my part.

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Ofelia K - Cinco.

Background promo - The 'Plastic Flower' EP featuring “White T-Shirt”, "As A Bell," "Gone" and "Hawk Fly Tiger Run" reintroduced Ofelia K.’s voice to the world - compelling songs worn down to perfection that balance wistful maturity with a certain earnest and eternally young expression.  Not quite pop, not quite anything else, the young singer-songwriter showcased her beautiful symmetry with her music somewhere between an unrepressed journal entry, a comforting arm around the shoulder and her smoky, shimmering glare, her eyes so knowingly staring into you. With spins from Annie Mac at BBC Radio 1, over 1.8 million Spotify plays, and features on multiple NBC television shows, the world heard her starry eyed songs and asked for oh-so-many more.

With her upcoming single release, "Cinco," this LA songstress once again sets her sights on capturing the public’s heart with her tunes. As Ofelia herself mentions, "I was embracing the freedom to get loose and play, and I think that energy that comes through in the songs."  And with Ofelia K, you know that freedom can only result in pure musical bliss.  With every single on the ‘Plastic Flower’ EP reaching top 5 on Hypem, and  Zane Lowe premiering, her forthcoming EP is guaranteed to leave your ears enraptured.

This is a beautiful piece of sparkly indie pop. Bright and uplifting the vocals skip and hop across the equally upbeat soundtrack. That her music is already popular is clear by the statistics above, it's so very, very pleasing.

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Quality Not Quantity: Polyenso - Jenny Broke The Window - Old Sault

Polyenso - 17 New Years.

Background promo - Building off of 2013’s cult-acclaimed “One Big Particular Loop,” Polyenso — Alex Schultz, Brennan Taulbee, and Denny Agosto — has spent the past two years working extensively with producer Jason Pennock. Evolving their particular flavor of indie-rock to include elements of hip-hop, neo-soul, and experimental electronics, they pull influences from acts such as Flying Lotus, The Roots, Bright Eyes, and Bjork, half-jokingly referring to their medley as “urban indie progressive.”

Possessing an unrestricted vision for the musical quality in all things, the band operates like sound designers, pairing synthesisers, pianos and guitars with organic noise and everyday objects like spatulas, wooden bowls and packing peanuts. Polyenso’s visionary production is equalled by the freshly unlocked vocal dynamics of Taulbee and Schultz. Led by Taulbee’s soothing and provocative melodies, Schultz is tagged in to bring the sexy back on harmonies, occasionally leading himself.

Releasing their first new tracks in 2014, “17 New Years” and “Moona Festival” provide listeners with a taste of the depth and scope of the band's ever-expanding sound. The upcoming album, Pure In The Plastic, serves as a challenge to music as a whole, proving that there is room left for originality in the popular. Carrying forward their intrinsically spiritualistic character, from start to finish, their music captures listeners in a moment of transcendence, feeling as much a part of the future as it does the present.

The soon to be released album 'Pure In The Plastic' is an adventurous and exciting work. The band may have a core sound however they are not afraid to explore different styles and genres. '17 New Years' is the first of ten songs on the album. It provides some insight into what's to come, but with so mush richness and variety, expect to be spoilt, with a lot more.

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Jenny Broke The Window - Airport Love.

Background promo - Jenny Broke The Window deftly evoke that lump-in-your-throat feeling we all get when waving goodbye to a loved one at the gate in their new single 'Airport Love', produced by Tony Buchen (Bluejuice, The Preatures, Andy Bull).

Swelling, wistful, and atmospheric, the song's rhythm echoes the beat of a heart that's had just about enough. Hushed vocals are juxtaposed over bubbling synths, strings and cruchy guitar riffs that add just the right amount of drama. 'Airport Love' is the perfect catalyst for your moment of 20/20 hindsight clarity - just keep the tissues handy when it hits.

The Sydney quartet's forthcoming EP has two radio hits under its belt already - 'Skinny Dip' and 'Black Skeleton', the latter of which was the #43 most played track on triple j in 2015. The band themselves are no strangers to notoreity, having shared the stage with the likes of Sticky Fingers, Bluejuice, The Fratellis, Gang of Youths,  Harts and Kingswood. With a string of tour dates now announced, Jenny Broke The Window are poised to break free from the pack and straight into hearts across the country.

Sat Apr 09 - Moonshine, Manly
Fri May 06 - Newtown Social Club, Sydney
Sat May 14 - Penny Black, Melbourne.

The opening heartbeat rhythm slowly morphs into a very catchy song, with vocals leading the way and the music steadily building. It's a really well produced song allowing all the key elements to shine through, as the hooks work there way under your skin.

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Old Sault - Ghost.

Background promo - A darling display of maturity, a plea from a lonely bedroom. Debut single from Old Sault, 'Ghost', is awash with contemplation. Accompanied by an expertly shot music video (here) featuring a rabbit, a victim and his bullies, 'Ghost' is a heartbreaking reminder of how life's moments can return to the mind in an instant.

Currently a bandless band from the Gold Coast, Old Sault is more the moniker for singer, songwriter and guitarist Angie Farr. Produced by the ARIA-winning Govinda Doyle (Angus & Julia Stone), 'Ghost' is but a snippet of the work the two have been working on together, with another single just around the corner and a debut EP not far behind it. Pricking the ears of triple j and taste makers already, Old Sault is a raconteur, ready to realise her place on the national music stage.

Sometimes when I'm trying to describe a song all I really want to say is "This is a really good song" and just leave it at that. Maybe I should, but that always seem a little unfair considering the work that goes into so much of the music we feature here. Anyway, this really is a good song... oh just play it!


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Monday Double: Used Cassettes - Clare Maguire

Used Cassettes - Ducati.

Background promo - Sunburnt, half-dazed and several piers down from the fluoride tide of the Korean Wave, Used Cassettes are a stomp-and-stagger rock band based in Seoul. Rock n Rills due May 6th on Magic Strawberry Sound.

Used Cassettes' tunes are served straight up like the Stones', though maybe a bit sandier, and waterlogged by an unlikely drift of far-flung currents. The group may have met not far from Gangnam, but they hail from South Africa, Canada, and Detroit.

Over the past couple years they've broken Korea's rock Top 40, become the first gang of foreigners to ever sign with a top-tier local label, torn it up on the Asian festival circuit, and - inevitably? - starred in a comic book series read by millions. They wanted to make sure they sun-baked their sound nice and crisp before taking it back home. Listening back on their new LP Rock n Rills, they feel pretty good about that.

'Ducati' is a marvellous piece of rock music, with all the writing sensibilities of a Stones record and the loose swagger and attitude of The Black Crowes. However it's more than that. The band have a very fresh, natural sound, that in reality is cleverly refined, so that all instruments and vocals are very clear in the mix. As introductions to a band go, this one ticks all the boxes.

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Clare Maguire - Elizabeth Taylor.

Background promo - Clare Maguire listens to all sorts of artists these days; they have only one thing in common. "They are true to themselves," she says. This, more than any genre or sound or era, is all that matters to the 27-year-old singer-songwriter right now. "It's a certain attitude that I'm really drawn to," she explains, "and it really doesn't matter what music it is, and it doesn't matter who the person is. That's the inspiration for me."

This much is clear in Maguire's new music. After a moment away from the spotlight, the Brummie chanteuse is back in full force - still with that amazing, swooping, haunting voice, but with more raw, fragile vulnerability. Clare wrote the majority of this album at home on her piano, with her sausage dogs, on a diet of pizza and cups of tea, listening to everything from Rihanna to Johnny Cash, "If it sounds a bit rough around the edges, it's fine," she reasons, "because that's who I am."

She posted a series of songs online herself over the past year to high praise from the likes of Pitchfork, Fader and Rookie. These beautifully fragile tracks also caught the attention of Christopher Bailey, head designer at Burberry, who invited Clare to perform at multiple runway shows across the world, a creative relationship which continues to flourish.

Now Clare is poised and ready to release her brand new album, Stranger Things Have Happened, with brand new single, "Elizabeth Taylor", the first song to be heard from the album.

A true artist and musician, Clare wrote the entire album herself and was heavily involved with the studio recording process, drafting in modern British greats like pianist Sam Beste (best known for his work with Amy Winehouse) and producer Blue May (Kindness, Robyn, Kano and more). Stranger Things Have Happened will be released on EMI Records on May 27th.

'Elizabeth Taylor' is a sultry, beautiful song. Clare sings as if each word comes from the heart and the music almost struggles to keep up with her commitment to the song, that said - both vocals and musical soundtrack are quite stunning and really compliment each other.

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Alternative Take: A Dead Forest Index - Red Sleeping Beauty - United Sounds of Joy

A Dead Forest Index - Myth Retraced.

Background promo - A Dead Forest Index has shared the second cut from their debut album In All That Drifts From Summit Down, out April 29th on Sargent House. “Myth Retraced” features guitar contributions from Gemma Thompson of Savages, resulting in a song that is both intense and beautiful.

Landscapes both seen and felt, real and imagined, lie at the heart of In All That Drifts From Summit Down, the vast debut full-length release from nomadic duo A Dead Forest Index. Comprised of brothers Adam Sherry (vocals/guitar) and Sam Sherry (drums/piano), the group crafts ethereal and intensely intimate compositions that defy trends and labelling, instead shaping an aural experience as organic as it is unpredictable. Forsaking instrumental complexity in favour of richly dense vocals and an otherwise minimal palette, the band evokes heaviness with the atmosphere they create rather than through blunt force. Teaming-up with Sargent House on the heels of a recent European tour supporting label mate Chelsea Wolfe, A Dead Forest Index are poised to introduce their sound to a global audience in 2016.

A Dead Forest Index was initially the solo project of Adam Sherry, begun in 2008. By 2010, it had evolved into a collaboration, with Sam Sherry supplying percussive depth to his brother’s distinctively hymnal approach to vocals, itself characterised by cyclical harmonies and experiments with drone. Untethered by place (or, for that matter, era), they’ve spent the past few years developing their sound, touring extensively between 2012-2014, and issuing the EPs “Antique” and “Cast of Lines” in the process. The latter was released by Jehnny Beth of Savages’ Pop Noire label, a precursor to the collaborative Savages/A Dead Forest Index composition and performance titled “In What I’m Seeing; the Sun” for the Barbican’s Station to Station Festival in 2015.

In All That Drifts From Summit Down, their debut album, is a testimony to the sublime divinity of nature and the cold reality of time’s passage. Unfolding over 13 tracks, the album imagines natural phenomena as poetic metaphor for the human condition, the lyrics evoking stone, cold air, unyielding emptiness and erosion, while the enveloping warmth of Adam Sherry’s layered, choral vocals makes for an intriguing contrast.

We featured the band in early February, however, I just love this second song from the forthcoming album and could not resist giving them another share. The band are touring the USA from late April right through to June. Gemma Thompson's additional guitar contribution to this song adds just that little something extra, to a band who musically, already have a lot going for them.

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Red Sleeping Beauty - Mi Amor.

Background bio - 2016 is a big year for Swedish indie pop legends Red Sleeping Beauty (named after a song by 80’s Marxist band McCarthy). They’ve not only done their first live appearance in 20 years time, they will - more importantly - release their first album in 19 years time! Labrador released a first single called "Mi Amor" on March 25.

Red Sleeping Beauty formed in Stockholm in 1989 by singer Kristina Borg, singer/guitarist Niklas Angergård (Acid House Kings), guitarist Mikael Matsson (The Shermans), and bassist Carl-Johan Näsström. They made a huge impact on the international indiepop scene with two fantastic albums and a series of singles and EPs. Their first release was in 1992 with EP Pop Sounds (Marsh Marigold), followed by four 7"s all on different pop labels (Somersault, Motorway, Grimsey, and Sunday) before returning to Marsh-Marigold for the first full length Bedroom. They then signed to the legendary Siesta Records to release their fifth single Sick & Tired, their second album Soundtrack, and a compilation of singles.

Red Sleeping Beauty have always been fans of drum machines and vintage synthesiser. On ”Kristina” they’ve cultivated their love for electronic instruments and made up strict rules for the recordings: they only use analogue synthesisers and allow themselves to trim them with one acoustic guitar per song. The result is a heartfelt mix of memorable pop melodies and timeless electronica.

On ”Kristina” Red Sleeping Beauty is a duo consisting of vocalist Niklas Angergård and Mikael Matsson with help from Kristina Borg on vocals on four songs. The album title is a tribute to her.
- She’s had a tough struggle with cancer but things are looking brighter now. We expect her back as a full time member on the next album, the band states. ”Kristina” is the band’s first album in 19 year’s time. But that doesn’t mean the members have been disconnected from making music all these years. Niklas has released numerous albums with Acid House Kings on Labrador while Mikael Matsson has released several albums with both The Charade and The Shermans on Skipping Stones Records and Shelflife.

The return is by no means a temporary one. Red Sleeping Beauty is back for good. The writing and recording process has never been more inspiring and ”Kristina” is about ten times better than anything we’ve done in the past. You’ve only just seen the beginning of Red Sleeping Beauty 2.0, says singer Niklas Angergård.

'Mi Amor' has deep rich synth's that mix beautifully with the acoustic guitar and drums. Add to that the lush vocals and gentle melodies and you have a really good timeless piece of music. It bodes well for the album due out quite soon.

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United Sounds of Joy - The Sun That Hides A Darker Star.

Background promo - United Sounds of Joy is a new London, UK-based collaboration between Michael J. Sheehy and former Dream City Film Club band mate Alex Vald. Their self-titled debut album is released in North America on April 1st 2016 on Bronze Rat Records on CD/LP/digital formats, having recently been released in Europe to much critical acclaim.

Almost two decades removed from each other’s musical energies, Vald and Sheehy have reunited to craft some heart-rending, mind-bending music. Coming on like Joe Meek and Goldfrapp entangled in some ancient machinery, the first listen track 'The Sun That Hides A Darker Star' is a magnificent, shimmering sound that the BBC’s Lauren Laverne described as: “If David Cronenberg directed a spaghetti western, we reckon it would feel a little like this.”

"Don't call it a reunion" insists Michael J Sheehy "…we're not even a band in the traditional fashion". Dream City Film Club were signed to Beggars Banquet within a year of forming in 1995, released an album and recorded two Peel sessions before Vald was unceremoniously kicked out. "Alex was dismissed because he was the only decent human being in the band", says Sheehy, "we were intent on dismantling the band from the off, everyone was pulling in different directions, each with his own very particular variety of personality disorder, drug abuse or mental illness, and if all that stuff hadn't of got us then I'm sure we would have buckled beneath the weight of our very lofty pretencions."

Featuring contributions from Fiona Brice (Midlake, John Grant, Placebo) and Gemma Ray, the album is full of alluring, devious pop noir, the songs immersed in an eerie, crepuscular pool of fuzzy, warmly welcoming psychedelics. United Sounds of Joy traverse a road to a new and rewarding gothic chanson.  The beautiful cover is by Russian artist Aleksandra Laika.

The album was released in the UK a short while back, with just one sold out release show. It's a refined and absorbing collection of songs, of which the featured track gives some idea of what to expect. The songs are consistently pleasing, ideas are imaginative and everything has the feel of delicate and careful construction, with the bands hearts close to the end piece.

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