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Rock'n'Roll Saturday: VanDeRocker - Josh Rawiri - NARCS

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VanDeRocker - Fly. Background bio - VanDeRocker is a Los Angeles based indie-rock project led by lead singer and guitarist, Adrienne VanDeRocker. Raised in Austin, Texas by a family of classical musicians, Adrienne got her start in music playing piano. She was always more captivated by the music of Bowie, Prince and Kate Bush and quickly began writing her own songs on guitar. By the age of 12, she was sneaking in to local bars to perform with her older sister's band and had eventually decided to pursue a music career of her own. After exploring the performance scene in Seattle and New York City, Adrienne relocated to Los Angeles where she developed the five-piece alternative rock band, VanDeRocker. Recording with talents like Chris Chaney on bass (Jane’s Addiction, Alanis Morissette), Tim Pierce on guitar (Bon Jovi, Rick Springfield), and Jamie Muhoberac on keys (Backstreet Boys, The All-American Rejects, The Rolling Stones), VDR’s latest album, Jupiter's Kiss, has been well

Quality Not Quantity: The Goldhearts - Me & Mark

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The Goldhearts - Rise And Fall. Background promo - If it not for Kenny Rogers advice to bass players to write and sing their own songs, this catchy album of grunge, hooks, harmonies, and twang may never have seen the light of day. With a batch of original songs in hand, Bass Player/Songwriter Margy Joughin (Dream Poppies) gambled on the wisdom of Kenny Rogers, sage to all bass players. Intending to record a few songs, producer Govinda Doyle (Big Jet Plane) gently coaxed Margy across the line from backing to lead vocalist to accidentally record an album. The Goldhearts came to life with with ex-Brisbane mates Tracey Kick, (Dream Poppies) Claire Harris (Razel, Dream Poppies, Godnose, The Shortfall) and Daren Williams (Haba Dudes, Secret Assasins). The Goldhearts’ debut album, “The Rise and Fall of the Goldhearts” draws inspiration from the female led indie bands of the 90’s, and the melodic traditions of Australian music. The album is tweaked with twang and leaves a tasty grunge han

Thursday Two: The Iron Horses - Kwesi Foraes

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The Iron Horses - Any Other Way. Background promo - The Iron Horses formed in early 2015 after numerous late night boozy jamming sessions. With a great enthusiasm for cheap bourbon and nothing but time to kill on a Friday night, a group of songs began to emerge. Duncan (vox/rhythm guitar), Ciaran (lead guitar/vox), Raul (Bass) Pete (Drums). There was no shortage of ideas and the songs came through thick and fast. After months of gigging each and every one of Sydney’s bars, the boys had accumulated enough money to completely fund their debut EP. The energy that hits you is immediately captivating and none of this is by chance. With two albums of balls out Rock & Roll already written within a year, the hardest part was deciding which songs made the cut for the Stop To Start EP. Each song tells a story, every harmony and riff reverberates inside you. The energy that hits you is immediately captivating and none of this is by chance. With almost two albums worth of material already w

Genre Mix: Josh Flagg - Wailing Loons

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Josh Flagg - The Floor It Shakes. Background bio - After two EP’s, 2011’s full-length Devastate Me and relentless touring, New York City’s own Josh Flagg releases Tracing Shapes on June 3, 2016. It’s a record focused on small moments with enormous consequences. Marriage, friends, birth, rebirth, alienation, intimacy, art, compulsion, loneliness and history are themes mined and explored throughout Tracing Shapes ten tracks and they take the listener on a ride not easily forgotten. Flagg focuses on the humanity of the characters and versions of himself in these songs. He’s looking for the right words, even when he knows they’ll hurt…especially when they hurt. It’s a darker, harder, more complex set of songs featuring a three pronged guitar attack, soaring vocals and asymmetrical songwriting. Produced by Kieran Kelly (Sufjan Stevens, Better Than Ezra), Tracing Shapes’ sound pulled together as Flagg added a third guitarist to his live show. The three driving guitar lines allowed him to

Globetrotting: Elk & Mammoth - Silent Wave - Cairobi

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Elk & Mammoth - Shiver. Background promo - Four-piece indie rock outfit Elk + Mammoth are stoked to announce the release of their debut EP, Culprit, with the single “Shiver” (recorded and produced by James Clark) out now. Described as like a funky Lynchian dream, Culprit combines sinister staccato vocals and guitar riffs that could have been lifted straight out of the original Twin Peaks soundtrack. The result is both playful and unsettling, but be warned, the groove is infectious and side-effects may include drinking coffee black as midnight on a moonless night. Since forming in 2014, they have established a herd of followers, performing their signature blend of unpredictable humour, unusual subject matter, and mid-set-on-stage outfit changes at venues all over Melbourne. They have played with artists such as The Pierce Brothers, Slim Jefferies, and Pockets, and gained traction with the release of their single “Fabric”, in 2015.‘Culprit’ EP will be released 3rd of June 20

Singers & Songs: Fleurie - Rachael Sage - Tom Misch

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Fleurie - Breathe. Background Bio - Nashville musician Fleurie has released her latest single, "Breathe," a surging track that builds from sparse piano and breathy vocals to pounding drums and crashing strings. In the past year, Fleurie has released four singles and her EP Arrows, which received widespread recognition. Growing up in Canton, MI, Lauren studied classical piano from an early age, and later developed her love of music while attending school in Australia. Once she moved to Nashville, her professional career as a songwriter began to take shape. With the help of producer Matt Stanfield, and the mixing work of Dave Schiffman (Haim, Charli XCX, Brandon Flowers), Fleurie's recent Arrows EP came to life. Most recently, Fleurie traveled to Stockholm, Sweden to perform at the Royal Swedish Opera with members of the Stockholm Symphony. The experience blended her classical background, with Fleurie's modern electronic/pop sound. We featured Fleurie last August,

Dreamy Sunday: Pale Dian - A.R.Kane - Puro Instinct

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Pale Dian - Evan Evan. Background promo - Formed in 2015, Austin-based dream pop trio Pale Dian ride the ashes of their previous project, Blackstone Rngrs, into smudgier, esoteric terrains. The debut LP Narrow Birth is set for a June 3rd release via Manifesto Records, the current home of Dead Kennedys, legendary psyche-pop band the Turtles, and modern signees Puro Instinct, Cellars, Band Aparte, and Drinking Flowers.  The record explores power and weakness, birth and decay, love and abandonment, beauty and abrasiveness. Narrow Birth refers to both the fragility of life and the complete and utter randomness that we, as humans, even exist on this planet in the first place. It exposes the naked realities confronting us all: "here is me, and there is you,  so now what? LP, CD, Digital, CS Release Date: June 3rd, 2016 06/03 - Austin, TX - Swan Dive *LP Release Party* 06/07 - Albuquerque, NM - The Bungalow (house show) 06/08 - El Paso, TX - Lowbrow Palace 06/09 - Tucson, AZ - Th

Saturday &: Heliotropes - Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal - Fieu - Hockey Dad

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Heliotropes - Normandy. Background promo - Brooklyn-based Heliotropes have released the official audio for 'Normandy,' the second track from their upcoming album Over There That Way, out July 15 via The End Records. Heliotropes is comprised of founding member/songwriter/vocalist Jessica Numsuwankijkul, along with a rotating cast of collaborators, including drummer Gregg Giuffré, bassist Richard Thomas, and guitarist Ricci Swift, who are all featured on the band's upcoming album. The band's first recorded offering came with 2012's Ribbons 7", followed the next year by their debut LP entitled A Constant Sea, which was named by Mother Jones as one of the 10 Best Albums Of 2013. Since then, the band has performed on the road with Esben And The Witch and toured nationally with stops at South By Southwest, Firefly and Culture Collide, sharing the stage with a far-reaching variety of bands including Thurston Moore, The Geto Boys, Matt and Kim, Kurt Vile, Parquet Co

Friday Four: Bin Juice - The Vacationists - John Jefferson - Corbu

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Bin Juice - Astro Surf. Background Info - We are delighted to share the news of Sydney 5 piece Bin Juice signing to Monday Records, and announcing the recording of their debut studio EP. Bin Juice is just the right dose of Funk, Psych and a live set that leaves every punter talking for days. Their signature song-writing centres around their love of jamming, organically spurting out addictive melodies they then turn into songs. Described as “a force to be reckoned with”, Bin Juice ticks all the right boxes, from clever lyrics to electrifying riffs. The boys have developed a seasoned reputation for high-energy performances and drawing a pumping crowd wherever they play. Bin Juice has played alongside bands such as: Flowertruck, Winston Surfshirt, Capital Coast, Raindrop, Salvador Dali Llama, White Blanks, Powla, Bad Valley and Phantastic Ferniture. 'Astro Surf' has a eclectic mixture of sounds and just the right vocal styling to match the music. It's funky, different a

Synths & More: Papertwin - Exploded View - The Hood Internet x Wolkoff

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Papertwin - The Pool. Background promo - Vacation, the forthcoming EP from Papertwin via Druyan Records represents their third studio collaboration. Self recorded in their New York apartments and mixed by Abe Seiferth (yeasayer,DFA Studios), mastered by Heba Kadry (Neon Indian, Beach House) the EP continues the band's unique sense of synth-pop. Dreamy, dark, nostalgically sci-fi, Vacation features analog synthesizers, melodic guitar lines, driving percussion, and reflective vocals. Drawing on influences from The Cure to Gillian Welch, this EP builds upon the bands previous recordings.   Papertwin is comprised of Max Decker, who makes his own clothes and only writes in calligraphy, Francis Cardinale who used to play in an algebra themed noise band in Olympia, and Nick Shopa who tunes pianos and is a valet car parker. 'Vacation' out June 24 via Druyan Records 'The Pool' really does have that synthy, flowing, dream pop feel to it. Production is crisp enough so th

The Scenics - In The Summer (New Album)

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The Scenics - Wild Trout. Background promo - In the summer of 1976 Andy Meyers, fresh out of high school, and Ken Badger, working at the local music store, met and started The Scenics. Inspired by raw underground rock and new sounds, they began writing songs that defined Their sound — chancy, risky, noisy, with big pop choruses and gear-stripping guitar and rhythmic bomp. Alien-eyed lyrics that took in the world from the other side of "normal.” The Scenics were artistically amping up, and making recordings as a fiery young band. These songs were never released back in the day, but now they are collected on In The Summer. They played shows with Talking Heads, Simply Saucer, The Troggs, and dozens of other pivotal underground legends. For six years, The Scenics engaged and enraged local audiences by not playing by the punk rules of the day. The band’s wild creativity made any Scenics performance an adventure. And now they’re back, in the flesh, hitting a few of North America’

Globetrotting: In Letter Form - Citizen of the World - Man Is Not A Bird

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In Letter Form - Face In The Crowd. Background promo - Drawing influence from the works of The (early) Cure, Joy Division, Bauhaus, New Order, Echo and the Bunnymen, Interpol et al, they produce a sound that echoes the past, haunts the present and is constantly in the future. Reflecting on past deeds; some well intentioned while others, not. The ways we had been wronged or the choice to see it that way because sometimes that's easier than the truth. The prose and cons of having thin skin to protect a thick heart, put "in letter form" perhaps? A love letter? An anti love letter? Hate mail? A photograph? A song? An exclamation of the joy of life? A suicide note? The bay area based foursome considers their formation a fortunate turn of events, as they were all experiencing heartbreak on some level when they came together. In Letter Form draws influence from the works of Joy Division, Bauhaus, and Echo and the Bunnymen. The single, “Face In The Crowd,”  blends their po