A Couple More Weekend Wonders: Dirty River - Hand Habits

Dirty River - Purple Dreams.

Background - Alternative, eclectic country duo Dirty River formed in 2012 around the talents of singer/songwriters Lea May and Jimi Dobbs. Lea was working as a solo artist and needed a fuller sound. Jimi was also searching for something different, having played in bands and solo for more than 20 years. Somehow their voices found each other and it was inevitable that this was the beginning of something that needed to be heard.

This dynamic duo are passionate storytellers who have only just begun to tell their story. Their new single, ’Purple Dreams’, is ultimately a love song that depicts the story of two people desperately searching for a kindred spirit who has the ability to love honestly and see them for who they truly are.

“The song started out very different in the beginning, the guitar melody was a lot darker. I asked Lea to write the second verse and somehow she came out with this completely different vocal melody... I rewrote the guitar parts and ‘Purple Dreams’ was born!” says Jimi Dobbs on writing the track. ‘Purple Dreams’ was recorded in a little studio under a house in South Golden Beach by a man who calls himself ‘Slim Pickens’.

Many artists struggle to establish their musical identity, laboriously trying on different musical styles like a piece of clothing, looking to find what fits. But there are others that emerge fully formed, in full command of their craft, their identity and their music. Dirty River fits firmly in the latter category. The style and live performances are a captivating and moving experience that heralds the arrival of a gifted and significant new talent, one whose music feels familiar in the best possible way, while striking out on its own territory.

Not ever wanting to be labelled as fitting into a particular genre, Dirty River find their style in everything from heartfelt folk ballads, to soul, funk and alternative country blues. Yet, to try and put new single into a particular sound or find similar bands is nearly impossible. ‘Purple Dreams’ is unique in every way. “Purple Dreams” by Dirty River will be released 13th of January 2017. Website here and Facebook here.

The harmonies on 'Purple Dreams' are just so natural and right for what is a melodic country rock song. Production is crisp and refined, this is just such a likable song.

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Hand Habits - Sun Beholds Me.

Background - Hand Habits shares new track "Sun Beholds Me". “Meg Duffy, aka Hand Habits, is a singer, songwriter and guitarist from Upstate New York. She has been putting her time in on the road and in the studio over the past two years with  pacific northwest band Mega Bog, and the Kevin Morby Band, making an impression on everyone she comes across with her natural charisma and uncharted talent as a multi-instrumentalist. But letWildly Idle (Humble Before The Void) be her open invitation to the world to step inside and take a much deeper look into who Duffy actually is. Tracked in an Upstate New York living room, then finished in her current home in Los Angeles – it is appropriate that this album was recorded by Meg herself – for Meg, who has an acute ear for detail, has touched every corner, has seen every vision ’til its end.

Because of this, Wildly Idle feels incredibly intimate, like a secret between her and the listener. It hits soft, like warm water, and before you know it it is all around you – a bath, and Meg’s whisper has made its way inside you. Like many bedroom-debuts before it (The Microphones, Jessica Pratt, Little Wings, Grouper)  let this be the first of many to come, for Meg has music in her touch – and this is only the beginning. But let us not look to the future now, but instead stand alongside her, our trust in her will, both humble before the void, with her first chorus as the mission statement; ‘hold you like a flower, hold you like an hour glass’.”- Kevin Morby. Facebook here.

Live Dates:
01/18 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg *
02/10 Brooklyn, NY - Baby’s All Right #
02/11 Philadelphia, PA - Everybody Hits #
02/12 Cambridge, MA - Lily Pad #
02/13 Portland, ME - Apohadian Theatre #
02/14 Winooski, VT - The Monkey House #
02/15 Montreal, QC - La Vitrola #
02/16 Albany, NY - House Show #
02/18 Washington DC - Songbyrd DC #
02/19 Asheville, NC - The Mothlight #
02/20 Louisville, KY - Zanzabar #
02/21 Chicago, IL - Schuba’s #
02/22 Columbus, OH - Rumba Cafe #
03/14 - 03/18 Austin, TX - SXSW
* = ACLU / PP Benefit show w/ Kevin Morby, Sharon Van Etten, Beirut, Daniel Rossen
# = w/ John Andrews & The Yawns

Third time on Beehive Candy for Hand Habits and if the music stays as good as this hopefully it will not be the last. 'Sun Beholds Me' is the perfect showcase for Meg Duffy's enchanting vocals with the musical arrangement gently supporting her.

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BeeVids: Spiral Stairs - Dutch Uncles - Grog - Cavegreen

Spiral Stairs - Dance (Cry Wolf).

Background - Spiral Stairs (Pavement's Scott Kannberg) will release his second album under that name, Doris and the Daggers, on March 24 on the Nine Mile label in the US, on Domino in Europe and on Coolin' By Sound in Australia / New Zealand. This week he has shared the first single and video from the album, "Dance (Cry Wolf)". The video stars Jason Lytle of Grandaddy who plays the part of Spiral Stairs in the video.

The album features guest appearances from Matt Berninger of The National, Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew and Justin Peroff, Kelley Stoltz and Shudder To Think's Adam Wade. Spiral Stairs has also launched a Pledge Music campaign where fans will have the option of buying archival Pavement and Preston School of Industry merch and memorabilia (or a DJ set, private show, trip to IKEA or a round of golf with Scott) along with their pre-order of Doris and the Daggers.

The Real Feel – the Pavement guitarist and Preston School Of Industry leader’s 3rd album (and first as Spiral Stairs) – arrived in 2009, just as Pavement were announcing a hugely successful burst of reunion shows through 2010. “Then, after the Pavement shows, I moved with my wife to go live in a house in the country near Brisbane, in Australia,” the amiable Scott remembers, of those years of seeming inactivity. “Then we had a kid, and that sort of got in the way. I tried to do music, but all of a sudden it was two years later and I’m mowing my lawn and tending my garden.”

A little while after that, Scott and family got bored of life in Australia and moved to Los Angeles. “I had the perfect set-up there, so I started work. The way I write songs is, I put on my electric guitar and walk around the house and play it and look at myself in the mirror,” he laughs, “and just make up stuff. But because the kid was off at school for three hours a day, I only really had an hour or so to do that. So it took a little time. It was my intention to have done at least a couple more records by now, things just got in the way.”

You can’t hurry genius – not even the genial, unforced and unpretentious genius that has long been Scott’s forte. What’s for sure is his second album as Spiral Stairs, Doris And The Daggers, is worth the wait. It’s some of the best music Scott’s been involved with, and also some of the most personal and emotional music he’s ever written, reflecting the life changes that occurred over those eight years. During that stretch, Scott weathered the loss of friends, treasured the joys of fatherhood, lived life as an Australian and even ate haggis meat – experiences that inform these warm, sweetly melodic and soundly honest songs. Website here.

There is a cool alt rock feel to 'Dance (Cry Wolf)'. The melody and rhythm develop hand in hand with just a little menace in the vocals to add some edge. Looking forward to the album in March.

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Dutch Uncles - Big Balloon.

Background - Manchester’s idiosyncratic art-popologists Dutch Uncles return with Big Balloon, their new studio album, on February 17 on Memphis Industries. Taking musical inspiration from Kate Bush's The Red Shoes, Low-era David Bowie, some slightly-less fashionable records belonging to their Dads and East European techno, Big Balloon is the fifth Dutch Uncles studio album and the follow-up to 2015's acclaimed O Shudder.

Big Balloon is the latest chapter in Dutch Uncles’ brilliantly witty, hip-swiveling, left-field adventures and was recorded in Manchester’s old Granada TV Studios where Sex Pistols and Joy Division made their televisual debuts. Big Balloon then is Dutch Uncles’ finest album to date, taking listeners on an exhilarating cerebral journey that marks them out a one of the UK’s most consistently forward thinking bands.

Dutch Uncles are Duncan Wallis, Robin Richards, Peter Broadhead and Andrew Proudfoot. Big Balloon is available to pre-order on limited edition clear 180gm vinyl and CD from the band’s website here and iTunes

Tour Dates:
18 February – Manchester, Piccadilly Record Out Store @ Low Four Studios
20 February – Nottingham, Rough Trade In Store
21 February – London Rough Trade East Instore
01 March - Edinburgh, Electric Circus
02 March - Newcastle, The Cluny
03 March - Leeds, The Wardrobe
04 March - Nottingham, Bodega
06 March - Birmingham, Hare and Hounds
07 March - Sheffield, The Plug
08 March - Oxford, O2 Academy2
09 March - Bristol, Fleece
11 March - Brighton, The Haunt
12 March - Southampton, Talking Heads
13 March - London, Village Underground
15 March - Manchester, Dancehouse Theatre.

As someone who has spent many a happy time watching stock cars, bangers and hot rod racing, the video for 'Big Baloon' had me so engrossed first time around, I hardly heard the song. Good news is listening with my eyes shut sorted that one, and this is one really fine and bright, upbeat delight!

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Grog - Prodigal Daughter.

Background - “The story of the prodigal son fascinated me as a kid. It’s not as straightforward as it seems. One son went away, made mistakes, squandered his inheritance and finally returned repentant and destitute. His father welcomed him back, forgave him and, indeed, celebrated his return; much to the annoyance of the elder son who had stayed home and sensibly worked in his father’s fields.

It compares the attitudes of law and merit with those of love and graciousness. The story resonates with my belief that we need to get lost to get found, to experience life to learn. I’ve never been a big fan of ‘playing it safe’. Seeking your true self and destiny can take you on a wild and sometimes lonesome journey, but we carry our friends and everyone we’ve ever loved in our hearts at all times.

’Prodigal Daughter’ is a fun one for the girls, for everyone who loves the girls and for the warrior spirit of the individual carving out his or her path, attempting to stay grounded and brave while negotiating technological advancement and the realities of ultra global ‘connectedness’! So dance while the music’s playing and turn it up.— Grog, Jan 2017. Website here, Facebook here.

'Prodigal Daughter' is one very catchy and determined song. Full of hooks and oh so lively this is a real mood lifter.

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Cavegreen - Sun.

Background - Cavegreen is the artistic collaboration of Eleanor Murray and Gianluca Bucci that blends electronic and acoustic music, poetry, and images. 

Cavegreen is getting ready to release their first full-length album Vita Lucida, a positive electro-pop experience that combines earthly drum and dance beats with light, dreamy melodies, a soundscape that is both grounded and ethereal.  The songs sing about the profound human connectivity to the elements of nature, inspired by ancient philosophical traditions. Vita Lucida is one to dance with, dream beside, and ponder with.

Eleanor has been a musician, songwriter, and performer for the past eleven years, releasing five studio albums and touring the US extensively. Gianluca comes from a background of environmental work, photography, and an ongoing interest in the ancient and modern philosophical traditions of the earth. In 2015, Cavegreen released their debut EP, Journey of Return and began performing shows and around the Pacific Northwest. Their newest album, Vita Lucida, is to be released February 3rd, 2017. Website here and Facebook here.

With a slowly building and atmospheric start 'Sun' builds into a finely crafted song. The drum beats are wonderful and the layers of sound work so well.

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Weekend Wonders: Joe Goodkin - Illuminertia - Equinox - Tobin Sprout - James Parry

Joe Goodkin - Never Come Back.

Background - Joe Goodkin’s musical career took an unusual turn when he wrote a thirty-minute adaptation of Homer’s “The Odyssey” for voice and guitar. For years now he has been a travelling bard performing this piece all over the country. It’s the same ethos that has worked its way into his trinity of EPs, starting with Record of Life and now continuing with Record of Loss.

If you’re unfamiliar with Record of Life, the 6-song EP is an extremely personal record—sorrowful, profound, and a reminder of the human condition. It’s a visual record in that his lyrics provoke powerful imagery and have you examining your own life in the process and taking comfort in the fact that you aren’t alone.

Record of Loss is conceived of as the first side of an eventual piece of vinyl... one side is called Record of Loss, the second side (to be released in summer 2017) will be called Record of Love --as in, Love and Loss are the two sides of Life—to complete a trilogy with Record of Life.

On both Record of Life and now, Record of Loss, Goodkin takes his personal experiences and makes them accessible to his audience. As online music magazine Pop Matters points out, “Incredibly straightforward is the prescription by which Goodkin stands…and the beauty of its simplicity is absolutely able to be felt.” Record of Loss is the 2nd in a Trinity of EPs:  Record of Life, Record of Loss and Record of Love (To Be Released Summer 2017). Website here.

One of six songs on the February 10th EP release 'Never Come Back' is perhaps the most stripped back of the collection and gives a fine example of the emotion and feeling that typifies the collection.

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Illuminertia - Akasha.

Background - Bay Area based psydub producer and multi-instrumentalist Illuminertia releases his newest EP Akasha, a downtempo and ambient trip hop album. 

Upon listening to this stunning EP you'll enter a sensual world of electronic meets organic instrumentation. The arrangements are comprised of organic beats, symphonic layerings and soaring female vocals.

It’s a highly danceable poly-rhythmic creation that will take you on an enchanted inspiring adventure with roots in global grooves, break beats, chill trap and divine orchestral arrangements. If you’re looking for an uplifting next level musical experience then this is it. Bandcamp here, and Facebook here.

'Akasha' is the first of six tracks in the new EP and the above description "electronic meets organic instrumentation" is spot on. This is a creative and delightful feast of trip hop music, absolutely wonderful!

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Equinox - Goodbye (feat Dementio13).

Background - British spoken word artist Equinox will be releasing 'Goodbye', a new dark ambient single with freaky electronic crafter Dementio13, who is renowned for his ambient, drum n bass and krautrock influenced work. This collaborative single is sure to please fans of Neu!, Anne Clark, Delia Derbyshire, Coil, John Cooper-Clarke and Throbbing Gristle.

Equinox explains: "It's about true love. One that you feel will never fade. One that will last for all time. Your lover is your best friend and will never leave your side. Then, the dark side of my poetry appears - the depression that has followed me all my adult life. All alone after the split. All is lost. Life descends into darkness. All is lost."

When William Blake penned his often recited poem 'Jerusalem' about the North West of England (more specifically East Lancashire), he could almost have been unwittingly setting the scene for the work of Equinox.  Those ‘dark Satanic mills’ are practically a metaphor for the depression that is prevalent within the poetry and the ‘mental fight’ that has virtually become a daily battle.

The poetry of Equinox takes no prisoners, with subject matter ranging from male suicide to prostitution, but with equal amounts of undying love and devotion. But Equinox isn't just about poems, but instead stands to break down some misconceptions about the spoken word genre. This artist is already working on his debut album 'It’s Hard To Be Happy When Your Head Is Full of Sin', which is planned for release in late spring 2017 and will involve numerous key musical influencers he's met over the last few years.

Dementio13 is a Cardiff-based producer, who makes music which has been variously described as 'ambient acide', 'electronic post-rock' and cinematic with Krautrock-influenced drones.Facebook here.

We have featured the occasional spoken word piece on Beehive Candy and 'Goodbye' really grabbed my attention, especially as the soundtrack is the perfect companion for the words, in this imaginative single.

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Tobin Sprout - A Walk Across The Human Bridge.

Background - Tobin Sprout's second single "A Walk Across The Human Bridge" has been released. How do you bring a child’s curiosity to life? For Tobin Sprout, formerly of indie rock icons Guided by Voices, the answer is to revisit it with the wounded tenor of an ageing piano man; someone searching, desperately, for his place in the cosmos. The Universe and Me is Sprout’s sixth solo album; hatched during a seven-year gestation period that included unearthing lost recordings (the single, “Future Boy Today/Man of Tomorrow” for one, was being saved for GBV), and digging through a treasure chest of memories in his home studio in Michigan, where Sprout composed behind his shambling grand piano and trembling, boyish voice. Each home recording was captured live with Sprout’s new band — which led to marvellous imperfections.

The Universe and Me takes  a deliberately primitive approach that focuses on feeling, as opposed to production. The result is a vague bridge  between the ballads of psych-era Beatles,  and the haunting vulnerability of Daniel Johnston’s Hi, How Are You?. It’s no surprise, then,  that Sprout penned and illustrated his own magical children’s books as The Universe and Me  plays like a deceptively dense reimagining of simple subjects like comic books, finding your purpose in life, and growing old.

Many of the 14 tracks acts like a diorama of a boy’s imagination, like “Future Boy/Man of Tomorrow,” which was inspired by Sprout's fascination with superheroes from his childhood. Not every song, however, is about Sprout’s childhood. “Walk Across the Human Bridge” is a heavy-hitting rocker driven by shredding and lyrics describing the decline of humanity. “Tomorrow  From Heaven” is about dealing with the sadness that follows death. Pasted together as a collage, as opposed to a rigid whole, and we have  the soundtrack to Tobin Sprout’s life

The Universe and Me will be available on Burger Records on January 27, with a limited pressing of a baby blue vinyl for the first 300 copies. Following the release, Sprout and his new band will embark on a nationwide tour. This will be his first tour in over a decade, supported by Burger Records, who’ll be reissuing Sprout’s mid-'90s Matador albums — Carnival Boy and Moonflower Plastic — in the months ahead. Website here.

Our second song feature from the 'The Universe And Me' is the second single 'A Walk Across The Human Bridge'. This is an energised rock song with the vocals well up in the mix and some potent guitar playing lurking just behind.

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James Parry - Every Weekend.

Background - Following the recent release of James Parry’s acclaimed album In The Lights, comes the new video for album track, ‘Every Weekend’. The ‘Every Weekend’ video follows a day in the life of a sleepy city, in keeping with the song's feeling of walking through honey.

Hobart filmmakers Alex Laird and S. Gerry Edwards used tilt-shift and time-lapse photography to capture the feeling of a place that’s both familiar and foreign. Hobart's lesser-known angles star as the day beats on in time with the music, a captivating grind that inspires the viewer to look at their own world from a slightly different angle.
 
In The Lights has travelled far and wide through not only Australian stations like FBi, Edge Radio, and Inner FM, but it’s made splashed on US airwaves as well. Sweet and juicy guitar riffs, deft drums and uplifting organ support James’ straight-shooting vocals, which tell a nostalgic tale of heady young love with a dark twist.

James has supported artists including Alex Lloyd, The Gin Club, Leah Flanagan, Jackson Dyer and Ryan Downey, and a review of Almost At The Ivory declared that James’, “signature voice and passionate harmonies have led him to become a solid gold chip in the Tasmanian wedge of Australian independent artists.” Website here and Facebook here.

It was not that long ago that we first featured James Parry and the song and video for 'Every Weekend' is to good to ignore. The vocals are a little edgy and the distinct guitar and unpretentious soundtrack all make for a very cool song.

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Genre Wander: Greg Graffin - James McArthur - Torgeir Waldemar - Eureka California

Greg Graffin - Making Time.

Background - Greg Graffin, frontman of the iconic Los Angeles punk band Bad Religion as well as a renowned author, will be releasing a brand new solo album entitled Millport this March 10th via Anti- .

Millport delivers a stirring though perhaps unexpected reinterpretation of the classic Laurel Canyon country-rock sound alongside Graffin’s insightful lyricism, all propelled by some esteemed colleagues from the LA punk scene including Social Distortion members Jonny ‘Two Bags’ Wickersham, Brent Harding and David Hidalgo Jr., with Bad Religion co-founder Brett Gurewitz producing.  The resulting record is less a reinvention then a creative liberation -  a group of Los Angeles musicians at the peak of their game, playing a brand of music they genuinely love.

As Graffin explains, “This feels as exciting to me as when we made the Bad Religion record Suffer. Like everything had been leading up to the songs and they just happened totally organically in this short intense burst. I’m really just doing what I did back then, which is write songs that mean something to me and deliver them in a way that is completely honest.”

Album producer and Graffin’s longtime Bad Religion collaborator, Brett Gurewitz, adds, “It’s the two songwriters from Bad Religion and the rhythm section of Social Distortion, two influential LA punk bands, getting together to do an authentic country rock album, a genre most would think is the absolute antithesis of punk rock. But I think it sounds great. Both are iconic Southern California genres. It’s like the Laurel Canyon sound played by the kids who were smashing up the clubs a few years later.” Greg Graffin will be performing at the forthcoming 2017 SXSW Festival in March. Facebook here.

'Making Time' suggests that the March album release of Millport is something to look forward to. The juxtaposition of punk and country rock, is noted above, however this is a really fine song, and it may well be that the punk roots, will indeed keep the lyrics focused and intriguing.

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James McArthur - Burnt Moth.

Background - James McArthur releases new video for single 'Burnt Moth' taken from the album of the same name, due out January 20th. It takes place up, on the rooftops of London, with a setting sun and a simple delivery, to capture the peaceful, poignancy of the song. And with more news being promised for 2017, all eyes are on McArthur.

‘Burnt Moth’ is the second album from Welsh-born, London based folk singer/songwriter James McArthur. Having acquired years of experience as a stickman to various big names, he moved front stage to create his debut album “Strange Readings From The Weather Station” which was met with much well-deserved attention from the likes of Uncut, Prog and Record Collector.

This record captures modern folk at its best. James McArthur’s sincere yet tranquil vocals guide the wandering melodies of this album through the different folk scenes of the past, while the playful lyrics cast a contemporary feel onto a perhaps previously dusty setting. Songs as soft as sunlight trickling down through autumnal leaves are grounded by the sheer musical skill of McArthur and his intricate Jansch-like guitar plucking.

His previous release ‘Strange Readings From The Weather Station’, was showcased in the unique venue of a tiny caravan to audience members two at a time, now ‘Burnt Moth’ looks out on to a fresh site. Comforting and familiar yet with a perspective like no-one else’s, this collection of songs will grow with you from the moment you hear them. Website here.

The musical arrangement on 'Burnt Moth' is so well crafted and provides just the right background for James McArthur's gentle and melodic vocals. This is a real tease to check out the album!

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Torgeir Waldemar - The Bottom Of The Well.

Background - Torgeir Waldemar has shared the new track "Bottom Of The Well". The new album "No Offending Borders" will be released March 17 on Jansen Plateproduksjon.

Torgeir Waldemar took the Norwegian people and music press by surprise with his eponymous debut album in 2014. Who had thought that the black-clad, long-haired and bearded man would deliver an album that captivated and moved us as much as it did. An acoustic masterpiece that sounded like it came straight from the rehearsal room of a young troubadour from Laurel Canyon in the seventies.

While his previous album cultivated a pure, acoustic sound, we get more rock music this time, and for Torgeir Waldemar nothing is more natural. With his background as a guitar hero in various rock bands, it was only a question of time before distorted tones would assert themselves in his solo career. No Offending Borders is a gloriously composite work with both dead honest acoustic laments and grandiose rock songs.

The chair on the cover of No Offending Borders is from Kviknes Hotel in Balestrand. This is the chair that Wilhelm II, the King of Prussia and Emperor of Germany, was sitting in when he was told that World War I had started. Wilhelm II was a friend of Norway and spent much time on the west coast in the early 1900s. What would you have done if you were sitting in that chair and received that message? Sit down, think thoroughly about it, while you’re listening to No Offending Borders. Website here and Facebook here.

We first featured Torgeir Waldemar just over a month back and it's a pleasure to include the new track 'The Bottom Of The Well' today. This is a far more acoustic affair and has the powerful and passionate vocals to the fore. Torgeir is a fascinating artist, the new album sounds very promising.

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Eureka California - Wigwam.

Background - Eureka California announce January Southeast tour and debut new track 'Wigwam' from their upcoming 7". Release date is February 24th.

In just under a year since releasing their last album “Versus,” Eureka California are back with a new single,  “Wigwam.” The band had a set plan in mind when going into the studio: get in and knock it out and release a single to hold over ‘til recording the next full length. With “Versus” they went overseas to the UK and recorded with MJ at Suburban Home, but for “Wigwam” they decided to record here in their hometown of Athens, Georgia, with Dave Barbe (Sugar / Mercyland / Dave Barbe & the Quick Hooks) at his Chase Park Transduction Studio. Wasting no time, they recorded and mixed the single in one afternoon. A single on a tight budget, three tracks in under 8 minutes, hand-decorated sleeves -- everything about this is economical. Eureka California have two brand new tracks, “Wigwam” and “Only Birds (No Feathers)”, and a cover of Superchunk’s “Slack Motherfucker.”

Both the band and their label HHBTM Records wanted to make a statement with this single. The current trend is labels charging upwards of $7 for singles -- they are bringing the 7” pricing back down to reality and selling the single for $3 direct and hopefully no higher than $5 in stores (can’t really control how stores mark up records). By recording, mixing, and mastering in one session, and by  getting creative and DIY on the sleeve both, band and label can let them sell for roughly cost. There was a time when labels used singles like an advertisement to get people to buy the full length album. A promotional item. No one really thought of singles as something you do to make money. So, not only did HHBTM make the single $3, but went back and marked all their back catalog singles down to $3 as well. Facebook here.

January Tour Dates:
12th - Panama City, FL @ Mosey's
13th - St Petersburg, FL @ the Bends
14th - West Palm Beach, FL @ Respectable Street
16th - Jacksonville, FL @ Nighthawks
17th - Athens, GA @ Cine'
18th - Atlanta, GA @ 529.

'Wigwam' is a feisty and thunderous song, a good old rock'n'roller that cuts out the nonsense and just blasts any cobwebs away.

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Midweek Muse: A Valley Son - Loose Buttons - Jo Harman - Les Bohem

A Valley Son - In the Low Light of the Late Afternoon.

Background - “In The Low Light of the Late Afternoon", is the newest single from A Valley Son’s debut Sunset Park EP that they’re self-releasing on January 27th. The song tells a cautious tale, and perfectly showcases the bands’ harmony-laden, soulful rock & roll, following on the heels of the EP’s previous singles, “Lights In The Sky” and “Dark Places”.

As a band that is barely a year old, this collection of songs is simply a starting point for A Valley Son (whose name comes from the title of a deep cut from Grandaddy’s catalog), but it’s a strong one. Much like their home base of New York City, the group is an anomaly, comprised of three Southern transplants that grew up on Stax and Motown, and one Yonkers-born Gospel drummer turned bassist.

After seeing a generation of bands seemingly value aesthetics over substance, the four members vowed to make music that strips away all of the unnecessary decoration and puts songwriting, emotion and musicianship back at the forefront, and their debut EP does just that. Their songs aim to invoke a Sunday service as much as it does a barroom, and the stories the songs tell are no less truthful and honest than the playing. Facebook here.

Second time around on Beehive Candy for A Valley Son and another track from their extremely good EP this time we have 'In the Low Light of the Late Afternoon'. Last time we described their EP as a "mixture of alt rock and Americana (via southern rock and everything between!)". Hopefully you will find we were not overstating matters, with this fine new tune to share.

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Loose Buttons - Am I The Only Reason?

Background - Loose Buttons release the new track "Am I The Only Reason" followed by their forthcoming EP, Sundays due Feb 24, 2017.

The promising quartet met while playing for different local bands as teens, eventually coming together and releasing their debut EP, Damage Gallery,in 2014. Since then, Loose Buttons have honed in on a blend of new wave and pop that is all their own.

The band comprises of Eric Nizgretsky, Zack Kantor, Manny Silverstein and Adam Holtzberg. Facebook here.

It was a month a go today that we featured Loose Buttons for the first time and the new song 'Am I The Only Reason?' is also deserving of a feature. In December we said "Straight down the line indie rock is taken up a notch or two, with some melodic guitar work and vocals that just draw you in". With the new song things are a little more gentle however the band have a consistently good sound and demonstrate their ability to deliver a fine melody as well.

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Jo Harman - When We Were Young.

Background - Award-winning soul and blues singer-songwriter Jo Harman will release her much anticipated second studio album, People We Become, on February 3rd. Recorded in Nashville with producer Fred Mollin (Billy Joel, Joe Cocker, Carly Simon, Jimmy Webb) the album features soul legend Michael McDonald (The Doobie Brothers) on the first single “When We Were Young.”

Raised in Southwest England, Harman found success on her own terms with her debut, Dirt On My Tongue. The album was released independently in 2013 and supported by a touring schedule that found Harman sharing the stage with icons like Patti Smith, Joan Baez and Sinead O’Connor. Dirt On My Tongue was embraced with particular devotion by the blues community in the U.K., with Harman racking up more than a half-dozen nominations from the British Blues Awards.

People We Become marks the biggest leap of Harman’s career. While a winter storm raged outside, Harman and Mollin holed up inside Nashville’s famed Sound Emporium Studio for three weeks, focusing on a warm sound — full of upright piano, Rhodes, unaffected bursts of electric guitar, and the soulful sweep of Harman’s voice — that contrasted with the town’s snowy weather. The most striking instrument on the album is Harman’s voice, sharpened by her years on the road, and sounding better than ever.

A veteran of the UK festival circuit, Harman released the live album Live at the Royal Albert Hall in 2014. She’ll make her US debut at Joe’s Pub in New York City on March 28. Additional tour dates will be announced soon. Facebook here.

Whether its Blues, Soul or even something with a little hint of Nashville about it, Jo Harman delivers as 'When We Were Young' more than capably demonstrates. Adding Michael McDonald into the equation gives the song some well placed supporting vocals, however I think it fair to say Jo Harman has firmly put her stamp on this track, as her song!

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Les Bohem - Fancy Footwork.

Background - Les Bohem was part of the great Los Angeles music scare of the early 1980s.  His band, Gleaming Spires, had a cultish hit with their single, “Are You Ready For the Sex Girls‚” (if you ever saw Revenge of the Nerds, you know it).  At the same time, he was holding down a day job as the bass player with the band Sparks. 

After this burgeoning career in rock and roll stopped burgeoning, he found a job writing screenplays about rock and roll musicians whose careers had stopped burgeoning. But no one makes movies about rock and roll musicians whose careers etc, and so he wrote A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 5, The Horror Show, and bits and pieces of several other memorable epics.

Eventually, Twenty Bucks—a movie he wrote based on a 1935 script by his dad, Endre, a screenwriter and producer from the 1920s through the 1970s— was developed in both the Sundance writers and directors labs.  The film earned critical raves and several awards, including an Independent Spirit Award.

Bohem’s other feature film screenwriting credits include Daylight, Dante’s Peak, The Alamo, Kid, Nowhere To Run, and The Darkest Hour. He also wrote and execute produced the mini-series Taken with Steven Spielberg.  Les won an Emmy for Taken, as well as a Television Critics Award and a Saturn award.  He and Taken were also nominated for a Golden Globe and a Writers Guild award   Right now, he's executive producing the first season of Shut Eye, a show that he created. It is set to premiere on Hulu this December.  His short novel, Flight 505, was published by UpperRubberBoot last year, and his short story, “Geister,” is included in Blumhouse Books’ inaugural offering, Book of Horrors. 

Les has never stopped playing music. He's had songs recorded by Emmylou Harris, Randy Travis, Freddy Fender, Steve Gillette, Johnette Napolitano (of Concrete Blonde), Alvin (of the Chipmunks), and the awesome Misty Martinez.  He wrote and performs Walk On Well Lighted Streets, the title song for Shut Eye.  He has just finishing recording his first solo album, Moved to Duarte. Facebook here, and Website here.

With twenty one tracks on the album 'Fancy Footwork' is but a small taste of whats to be heard. This is a truly delightful collection of songs, so much so, it enables me to say for the first time this year, if you like the featured song, the album is a must have...

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Tuesdays Alternative Take: Klasey Jones - Khodara - The Proper Ornaments - Anna of the North

Klasey Jones - Cement.

Background - Plastician’s Terrorhythm imprint have been breathing plenty of life into the mutated, hybrid club sounds emerging from both UK and US beat-makers over the past two years, crucially spotlighting producers like Ganz, AWE, Patrick Brian and JD Reid for the first time.

The latest name to emerge from the camp, Klasey Jones, has been bubbling under for the past year, with his tracks earning heavy rotation on Plastician’s Rinse FM show in particular — itself often a valuable resource for those seeking a link between grime, drill and instrumental, cloud-wave rap. Jones’ debut EP — the widescreen, cinematic ‘Foreign Buyers Club’ — is a profound case in point, linking the above sub-genres with flashes of 80s synth music, anime OSTs and some genuinely one-of-a-kind sound design.

At five tracks long, Jones is also able to explore the variants to his sound fully across the EP; see the morbid dystopia of opener ‘Area 55’ for example, or conversely, the hazy, string-led romance on ‘Gang Gang’. With over 150 instrumentals currently sat on his hardrive, Jones’ potential is limitless, but ‘Foreign Buyers Club’ serves as the perfect introduction to where he’s headed. Facebook here.

Awash with layers of rich and vibrant synths 'Cement' is one of five tracks on the EP. On the featured track the rhythm comes and goes and for moments the synths just swirl around deciding perhaps where to go next. This is both imaginative and creative music.

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Khodara - Billie.

Background - "Billie" is the first single off of Khodara's newest EP of the same title, out 3/17. 'Billie' will come out just months after her debut EP 'Where's Your Love?' , which was released on 12/13.

Khodara’s second EP entitled Billie – EP is a slower collection of pop songs, reflecting on the artist’s journey to date.  Produced and co-written once again by Billy Pavone, the 4-song EP has been compared to the XX and Phantogram while vocally recalling an early Madonna or a more refined Lana del Rey.  The purity of Khodara’s heart shines through in the lyrics.  Billie – EP’s overall message of overcoming fear is what young women around the world need to hear right now.

Website here and Facebook here.

With it's slow and easy beat 'Billie' is one very fine song. Melodic vocals gently build and then drift back into the atmospheric vibes. High quality pop music is alive and well with Khodara.

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The Proper Ornaments - Bridge By A Tunnel.

Background - The Proper Ornaments – the project of James Hoare (Ultimate Painting, Veronica Falls) and Max Oscarnold (Toy) – will release their sophomore album 'Foxhole' on January 20 via Slumberland Records (US) and Tough Love Records (ROW).

You can catch the band on their UK/European tour which kicks off later this month. Full list of tour dates listed below. Facebook here.

Tour Dates:
01/22 Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club (Games Room)
01/23 Glasgow, UK - Mono
01/24 Birmingham, UK - The Hare & Hounds
01/25 Brighton, UK - The Joker
01/26 London, UK - Moth Club
01/28 Lille, FR - Le BiPlan
01/29 Lyon, FR - Sonic
01/30 Luzern, CH - Gewerbehalle
01/31 Lausanne, CH - Le Romandie
02/01 Winterthur, CH - Albani Music Club
02/02 Heidelberg, DE - Karlstorbahnhof
02/03 Berlin, DE - Marie Antoinette
02/04 Copenhagen, DK - Loppen
02/05 Hamburg, DE - MS Stubnitz
02/07 Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso
02/08 Utrecht, NL - ACU
02/09 Rotterdam, NL - V11
02/10 Paris, FR - La Mecanique Ondulatoire

We have already featured a couple of tracks from the forthcoming album release and as the band are consistently turning out refined material and have some tour dates to share here is the latest song they have shared 'Bridge By A Tunnel'. This is a more laid back piece with fine harmonies and a superbly calm vibe throughout.

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Anna of the North - Oslo.

Background - Electronic duo Anna of the North (Anna Lotterud & Brady Daniell-Smith) today unveil new single “Oslo”, transporting you to a crisp, wintery walk through the streets of their city. It’s an icy, reflective synth-pop cut which beautifully marries the coldness of the climate with the warm sensation of home.  It’s got all the allure and emotion we now expect from Anna of the North, and follows the success of Anna & Brady’s previous singles “Sway”, “The Dreamer” “Baby” and most recently “Us”.

The idea for the track came from a photo of the city that Brady from the band had, “I’d never been to Oslo. It seemed so untouched and really captured my imagination”. The song began to form a few winters back, written as gift for a group of homesick Norwegian friends that Brady had met in Australia. He continues, "I met Anna soon after and we finished it together - she brought an authenticity to it that makes it feel like a love letter to the city."

Anna Of The North have recently played Pitchfork Music Festival, completed an arena tour with Kygo, as well as a run of UK shows with Liss. The band play Eurosonic Festival on Jan 13th. Further live dates to be announced soon. ‘Oslo’ is out now via Honeymoon / Different Recordings. Facebook here.

Back in August last year we first featured Anna of the North and said of the song 'Us' at the time "a smooth electro song with a hypnotic groove and Anna Lotterud wonderful vocals". Fast forward till today and the new piece 'Oslo' confirms that the duo are more than capable of exceeding expectations, this is a beautiful song.

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The Monday Mix: No Monster Club - Harlea - The Darts

No Monster Club - French Revolution / Life Is Flashing Before Your Eyes (Aardvark - Blessing).

Background from Bobby Aherne of No Monster Club - I'm here to tell you about the 'Encyclopedia Project' that I have planned for the foreseeable future: On the first of each month, I'll be releasing a new single (consisting of two songs) that'll be available for free download - or as 'pay what you like', should one be willing to throw some change into the virtual tips jar.

The first instalment arrived on January 1st, containing one new song and a cover of an amazing Vince Collins song from 1984. As I'll be utilising an alphabetical, encyclopedia-based naming scheme, issue #1 is entitled 'Aardvark - Blessing'.

My 2015 and 2016 albums ('People Are Weird' and 'I Feel Magic', respectively) were unanimously acclaimed ~ they were released by indie labels based in NYC & Chicago, and each picked up four stars from The Irish Times.  Website here.

Both 'French Revolution' and 'Life Is Flashing Before Your Eyes' are worth a feature and as I cannot make up my mind on which one to include, here are both of them. If we are going to receive a monthly double helping of indie music this good, then hopefully their virtual tipping jar will overflow!

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Harlea - You Don't Get It.

Background - Birmingham born, North London raised Harlea has shared her new single ‘You Don’t Get It’ (6th Jan 2017) - a snarling second offering, which marries together crushing blues-inflected guitar work, with infectious pop-tinged vocal melodies.

Sparkling evidence that Harlea has truly found her voice, the new track - inspired by “the overt power of being a woman” is a ferocious affair, yet finely balanced in its delivery. Harlea went on to say this about the new single: "It's about living life on your terms and being true to yourself. You do what you want, when you want and how you want. It is defiant of a male world in which women are expected to fit. You either fit her world, her needs, her desires or you don't get her.”

There is only the careful and judicious release of music, when it’s ready and when Harlea is ready. The release of 'You Don’t Get It’ this week - a timeless, assured, sassy rock track that showcases Harlea’s sultry vocals as well as her songwriting ability - comes just ahead of her debut live show. Harlea was asked to perform at The Line Of Best Fit’s Five Day Forecast, which takes place at the Lexington on Friday 13th January and sold out within a week. With blues inspired riffs, and incessantly catchy female-led pop melodies, Harlea's thinking of 2017, and she’s also thinking of 2018. She’s in it for the long-haul, not the quick fix. Website here and Facebook here.

'You Don't Get It' has a bluesy and powerful rocking vibe running through its veins. Harlea's vocals are determined, suggesting that messing with her might be a bad idea, however adding enough melody to give the song some real edge.

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The Darts - Revolution.

Background - The women -- singer and keys player Nicole Laurenne, guitarist and singer Michelle Balderrama, bassist and singer Christina Nunez and drummer and singer Rikki Styxx -- aren’t afraid of having a little fun with their image, to the extent that their chosen band description on their Facebook page reads, “Garage-psych-rock-grrls who will make your head slam and your feet shake. And then there’s the music.”

While The Darts offers a new creative outlet for the ladies, all are already seasoned musicians. Laurenne and Nunez are both veterans of the recently-disbanded Love Me Nots, Styxx has kept the beat with The Dollyrots and Balderrama is a member of the long-running Los Angeles band Brainspoon. One of the standout tracks on The Darts is “I Want Your Fun,” a hook-filled pop rocker that’s equal parts pink bubblegum and black nylon and that includes the line “Kiss me like you’re leaving town,” a lust that’s palpable throughout the record.

The Darts are about to begin a US nationwide tour that’ll keep them on the road through January; after a bit of a break they’ll return to touring in March. Website here, Facebook here.

Jan 14 Phoenix Valley Bar
Jan 18 El Paso Lowbrow Palace
Jan 19 San Antonio Limelight
Jan 20 Austin The Blackheart
Jan 21 Houston Notsuoh
Jan 22 New Orleans Siberia
Jan 23 Auburn DeRailed
Jan 24 Nashville Springwater
Jan 25 Memphis DKDC
Jan 26 Dallas Three Links
Jan 28 Tucson Flycatcher
Jan 29 Phoenix Rebel Lounge.

It was only last month we were saying just how good The Darts EP was and now we have their new self-titled debut album, due January 13 on Dirty Water Records. Second track 'Revolution' typifies the energy and exuberance The Darts can pack into every song. Sometimes full on garage rock with plenty of hooks and enough melodic variations to keep everything interesting, this is one genuine rock'n'roll LP.

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BeeVids: David Bowie

David Bowie - No Plan

Background - No Plan is an EP by English musician David Bowie. It was released posthumously in digital form only on 8 January 2017 through Columbia and Sony, coinciding with what would have been Bowie's 70th birthday. The songs "No Plan", "Killing a Little Time" and "When I Met You" first appeared in the Broadway musical Lazarus and were originally recorded during the Blackstar sessions. All songs on the EP had already been released in physical form on the Lazarus: Original Cast Recording CD and LP in October 2016. The release was accompanied by a music video for "No Plan".

Beautiful.

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Quality Not Quantity: Grumby - Frederick The Younger

Grumby - Stuck (feat. Sola Fide).

Background - “Stuck” comes as our first taste of Grumby's forthcoming EP and a humble reminder of the duo’s knack for genre-melding production. Featuring fellow New York-based songstress Sola Fide (aka Overcoats), percussive keyboard arpeggios build through the intro and then burst into an acclamation of affection with pounding drums and heavy synths. 

Ultimately this story of an addictive relationship ends with a heavy head bob of acceptance as the love interest moves forward.

Out February 6th, the duo's album ‘Changes Pt II’ is starting to sound real good right about now. Website here. Facebook here.

With rich and smooth synthy vibes and vocals that just glide and fly above the soundtrack 'Stuck (feat. Sola Fide)' is already getting considerable attention, and deservedly so.

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Frederick The Younger - Tell Me.

Background - Louisville's Frederick The Younger released their new single “Tell Me” a couple of days back. Louisville’s vintage pop powerhouse Frederick the Younger are gearing up to release their long-awaited debut album Human Child on February 3, 2017. The album is a bigger and more exploratory progression of their debut EP Warm Front (2016), which established their identity as a female-led quintet with a perfect balance of rock energy and pop melody.

Produced by veteran sonic wizard Kevin Ratterman (My Morning Jacket, Andrew Bird, Twin Limb, Houndmouth), Human Child is a bigger and more exploratory progression of their debut Warm Front EP from 2016, which established their identity as a female-led five-piece with a perfect balance of psych rock and vintage pop. The band wanted to create a more textured sound… on top of the tracks are Cochran's captivating vocals that harken back to the powerful female voices of the 1960s. Facebook here.

Upcoming Tour Dates
2/03 - Louisville, KY - Headliners (album release show)
2/23 - Chicago, IL - Elbo Room
3/02 - MOTR - Cincinnati, OH
3/04 - Neenah, WI - Short Branch Saloon
3/23 - Knoxville, TN - Barley's
3/31 - Grand Rapids, MI - Mulligans
4/07 - New York, NY - Rockwood Music Hall
4/08 - Philadelphia, PA - Ortlieb's 

This is one splendid song! 'Tell Me' is as the promo above suggests a song that takes vintage pop sensibilities and merges them with some beautiful psych rock overtones. When I use the expression 'catchy' perhaps this can be used as a benchmark and explanation. One of eleven really fine tracks on the forthcoming album, this is a band that are full of ideas and create some pretty definitive and delightful music.

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Genre Wander: Mercy Weiss - Kim Free - Playboy Manbaby

Mercy Weiss (ft Christopher and Erin Pellnat) - War.

Background - Mercy Weiss is an unsigned singer-songwriter from Brooklyn, who currently lives in Los Angeles.  Her unique songwriting and jazz-influenced vocals can be heard on a variety of collaborations with different musicians and producers.  In 2016, she released the "Mercy EP"  Bandcamp here - a collaboration with Christopher Pellnat, who is also the guitarist in the Poughkeepsie, NY based band, The Warp/The Weft. 

"War" is another collaboration with Christopher Pellnat, with the addition of background vocals by Erin Pellnat, of the Brooklyn band, Caretaker.  Mercy wrote war after talking with two homeless drunk veterans at Union Square Park in NYC one day.

It was in late August last year that we first featured Mercy, and the new song 'War' confirms (if ever it needed confirming) that Mercy Weiss is one very talented song writer and a beautiful singer. It's well worth checking out some of her other material and collaborations here.

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Kim Free - Make Me Yours.

Background - Kim Free, is a violinist/songwriter from Los Angeles. She recently released “Make Me Yours,” the first EP from Slips.

Throughout 2017, she will be releasing several digital EPs in the run-up to the album. This record is produced by Alex DeGroot from Zola Jesus, and features Wavves drummer Brian Hill. 

Kim Free will be playing two shows in LA this spring, at the Smell on January 27, and the Hi-Hat on March 28. Website here, and Facebook here.

The title song and first of three tracks on the EP 'Make Me Yours' is dreamy, melodic and blissful piece. Kim uses the violin in moderation allowing the other musicians space to contribute (Allen Bleyle – bass, Brian Hill – drums, Alex DeGroot – acoustic guitar). The second song 'Maui' continues the style and quality and for violin lovers third track 'River Park' really does showcase Kim Free's notable violin abilities. Looking forward to the next EP already!

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Playboy Manbaby - You Can Be A Fascist Too b/w I'd Like To Meet Your Parents.

Background - Playboy Manbaby is the contradictory soundtrack to the contemporary life experience. Grimly sarcastic yet youthfully nihilistic music that seems to crash into things with a semi-coherent deliberation that can only be generated by a group of frail but over-caffeinated and eternally anxious young adults. Playboy Manbaby is the theme song to the sentiment “what the fuck am I doing with my life?” Indecisive in both message and genre but never lacking in sheer intensity.   

The group hail from Phoenix, Arizona and consist of Robbie Pfeffer (vocals), Chris Hudson (bass), TJ Friga (guitar), David Cosme (trumpet), Chad Dennis (drums), and Austin Rickert (sax). Having been a regional powerhouse for over five years with two previously released cassette albums on their own Rubber Brothers label, these lads have have shared the stage with the likes of: Mike Watt & The Missing Men, King Khan & BBQ Show, King Khan & The Shrines, Rocket From The Crypt, Thee Oh Sees, Cosmonauts, The Spits, Black Flag, The Descendents, The Replacements, The Slackers, Teenage Bottlerocket, among countless others.

They've just wrapped up the mastering of their long overdue new LP "Don't Let It Be" (soon to be co-released by Dirty Water and Lolipop Records ) and these desert area DIY-veterans have just released with Dirty Water Records the first single off the album,"You Can Be A Fascist Too" in the run up to the US presidential inauguration on January 20th. Singer Robbie Pfeffer explains, “So, we weren’t supposed to put this out until February, but in light of recent events we feel like every societal catastrophe deserves a proper theme song." However one might feel about the election result and the seemingly endless division and hostility it has produced the world over, this track is sure to strike an abrasive chord in 2017.

On the B side and in their latest music video “I’d Like To Meet Your Parents", viewers are forced to watch two lovebirds looking to enjoy a night out at a place presumably called Crapriotti’s or La Doo Doo which serves only the best Rasberry Creme Shasta and Spaghetti ala Ketchup.

“We shot this video in my living room and tried to make it a terrible Italian restaurant,” says Pfeffer. “I wanted to make a video where the band is playing but aren’t really an important or central part of it. I didn’t tell the guys what the idea was, I just told them to show up at a certain time and then started yelling at them to paint their faces etc. I’m super glad how it turned out and I think everyone did a great job embracing their characters.” Website here, and Facebook here.

I just have to feature both songs from the new single by Playboy Manbaby. 'You Can Be A Fascist Too' is wonderfully manic with its full on punk desperation. 'I'd Like To Meet Your Parents' really comes to life with the video, the album is eagerly awaited.

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Weekend Wonders: Linah Rocio - Joel Gion - Gentoo - Said The Whale

Linah Rocio - Kill The Monsters.

Background - Linah Rocio is a singer-songwriter whose music - a fervid mix of jazz and indie, soul with hints of avant-pop - is passionate and powerful, intimating all manner of behind-scenes torment and drama. Showcased on her compelling new album Warrior Talk, it is beautifully arranged, with instruments ranging from electric guitar, piano and drums to banjo, trumpet, cello and double-bass. Each musician helped to shape the direction of the songs they performed on, adding to the free form nature of the recordings.

The songs on Warrior Talk are richly detailed yet loosely constructed, with a jazzy spontaneity to match the self-styled diminutive warrior’s appealingly careworn - now caressing, now clamouring - voice, capable of communicating sorrow and despair, ecstasy and desire. There is a hair-trigger quality to her singing and piano-playing, both likely to erupt at any moment, with abrupt changes of tack and pace. There is a rawness and intensity here suggestive of a wild, unpredictable and untrammelled talent, one who operates best with a free rein and over a wide range.

She titled her album Warrior Talk because “it’s like a conversation you had with yourself, where you went through something - like a war,” she explains. “An inner war.” The front cover shows a translucent picture of Linah’s head transposed over an image of the universe: she has travelled through (inner) space to bring you these meditations on emotional collapse and self-cancellation, death and rebirth.

Warrior Talk is an album of extremes, of dynamic melodies reflecting the violent vicissitudes of a life lived on the emotional edge. It’s an album, ultimately, about fighting - with others, with yourself - to assert control of your destiny. Linah’s triumph is to make the carnage accessible to all. She circles back to the matter of the album title. Before you go into battle you have to see what your surroundings are and prepare,” she declares, finally. “Warrior Talk is a talk between me and, well, everyone. Because everyone struggles.” Website here.

From the new Warrior Talk album we have 'Kill The Monsters'. It's typical of the quality of production across the release, but only a small taste of the differing melodies and direction each song takes. Sometimes the music is quite intimate and the lyrics feel very personal, at other moments the energy levels are up taking us somewhere else. As a collection this is a really fine LP, worth checking out in full.

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Joel Gion - Tomorrow.

Background - Joel Gion is releasing his new single 'Tomorrow' and it is the psych rock tune we all need to welcome 2017.  Perhaps best known for his long and strange career as the legendary 'Tambourine Man' with The Brian Jonestown Massacre, in recent years, this percussionist has also emerged as a singer-songwriter in his own right. He has released various singles, as well as the well-received full length album 'Apple Bonkers'.

'Tomorrow' is being released ahead of Gion's forthcoming sophomore album, which should be released in early spring 2017. A reflection on the much maligned year that was 2016.

"I wrote and recorded it earlier this year while the Democratic party campaigns were the big topic... So the tune does some BS-calling out of the rising classism in the USA and at the same time sending a message out to not let things get you down too hard – but then nobody in the free-thinking world have ever dreamed things would wind up going this far south in the end," says Joel Gion. "Still, having said that, this is the only life you have, so you have to enjoy it no matter how stupid things get, ‘cause we always have each other and you always have yourself."

The upcoming album was recorded in separate phases between legs of the 2016 Brian Jonestown Massacre world tour. The sessions involved fellow BJM members Collin Hegna, Dan Allaire, Ryan Van Kriedt, and Robert Campanella, as well as other various friends from around the modern psych and indie scene. Website here and Facebook here.

'Tomorrow' packs a bit of a punch, with upfront vocals surrounded by some solid psych rock sounds. As a teaser for the planned new album, it does the job well!

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Gentoo - This is as far as we go.

Background - Gentoo is the brainchild of electronic producer and multi-instrumentalist Damon Kelly. On the new album Structures (release date January 20th 2017), Kelly used live drums, guitar, and bass creating a rich, and enchanting mixture. Structures still embraces Gentoo’s trademark minimalism, slow arching waveforms, and transcendental vocals that invite us to explore our own perceived universe.

With a background in photography and literature, Damon Kelly spends a good deal of time exploring the way we interact with the physical space in our lives, and finding places where we can shield ourselves from the sonic clutter of living in a society of sensory overload. Members/Instruments: ​ Damon Kelly (synths, bass, guitar, programming, photography, design), Jeff Ryan: drums on Listen and Oslo, Aaron White: guitar on Libra. Bandcamp here, Facebook here.

Again we have a new album where the featured track 'This is as far as we go' is but a small taste of what's in the collection. Overall it's a collection of ambient music, which flows and veers off in many differing directions. Melodic and often relaxing, it's never boring, more hypnotic and pleasing.

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Said The Whale - Step Into The Darkness.

Background - Following the announcement of their fifth studio album, Vancouver’s Said The Whale has released lead single “Step Into The Darkness”. As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide, out on March 31 via Hidden Pony Records, was recorded during a time of significant change. Previously operating as a five-piece, the current trio - made up of frontmen Tyler Bancroft and Ben Worcester and keyboardist Jaycelyn Brown - entered the studio with no preconceptions and no concrete plan. With the help of We Are The City’s Cayne McKenzie on production duties, the finished product is Said The Whale’s most collaborative, focused album to date. Previous records highlighted the contrast between the two founders’ eclectic rock influences and salt-of-the-earth folksiness. Here, their styles become one.

“Step Into The Darkness” exemplifies this cohesiveness. When writing and demoing the song, Ben limited himself to only a drum loop and bass synth, which left room for creativity in the studio. The song came together organically once the band and producer stepped in. Though finalizing the track was a group effort, it still remains incredibly personal and meaningful to Ben: "Step Into The Darkness" was written after a devastating break-up with my girlfriend of six years. The song is me reaching out to comfort my love, reassuring her that she is safe and despite the immense sadness and feeling of loss, perhaps good things will come. We got back together shortly thereafter.”

A decade since the JUNO Award-winning band’s formation, they have now taken the project back to its freeform roots while simultaneously venturing forward into uncharted art-pop territory. Despite the album’s many adventurous sonic forays, it remains true to the spirit of their classic work. At its core, As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide is a singer-songwriter record, guided by introspective lyrics and alchemical group harmonies from Ben, Tyler and Jaycelyn.

After so much change and uncertainty in recent years, Said The Whale has emerged as a unified force. They’ve evolved, but the DNA is the same, and the group’s musical partnership is more fruitful than ever. Facebook here.

'Step Into The Darkness' is one splendid piece of indie pop. Vocals and the music are bright and melodic, leaving the forthcoming album eagerly awaited.

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