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Hero Fisher - Lauran Hibberd - KYLYPSO - Bartees & The Strange Fruit - Wild Child

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Hero Fisher - I Let Love. Background - "I wanted to write a song where the focus jumped from person to person, like a contagion. The idea was that each verse would be an ordinary “day in the life of” each character, and that whatever was going on was a banal and daily grind. Each character would be possessed with this spirit, making them push on through, and shake off their demons.” Hero Fisher’s ‘I Let Love’ is a rare and powerful treat of rock and roll swagger and pointed observational songwriting. Her narrative lyricism is bolstered by her effortless feel for melodies and song progression. From the timbres of the toms and the smooth steely chorus-soaked guitars to Fisher’s own vocal line, every element forms a vibrant sonic fabric of unforgettable musical sentiment. It’s about rising above the banalities of quotidian life, escape through desire, and the reflective trappings of nostalgia. The accompanying video runs the gamut of emotions with a stellar performance by its donk

Sarah Schonert - Steve Buscemi's Dreamy Eyes - The Little Kicks - Half Forward Line

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Sarah Schonert - Astound Me. Background - The full-length release entitled "Penguin Party" from Illinois-based indie singer/songwriter Sarah Schonert will be released on 8th December.  Her experimental approach should appeal to fans of innovators like Kate Bush and Imogen Heap. Sarah writes and records out of her home studio. Sarah combines classical-sounding piano with ambient washes, vocoded synths, electronic elements, and layered vocals, and she is not afraid to experiment with vintage instruments as well as new technology to create her sound. "For "Penguin Party," I chose to stick to the keyboards and loopers to focus on creative a more energetic album that people would want to move to. It also gave me a chance to experiment with some new ideas, such as using vocoder to make a drum track drive a bassline, looping live, and extravagant piano ornaments." WEBSITE , FACEBOOK . I have only heard a couple of tracks from the forthcoming album including

Nocturnal Animals - Paul Mosley and The Red Meat Orchestra - October's Child - ORFILA

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Nocturnal Animals - Dark Lit Places. Background - Atlanta alternative/indie rock group Nocturnal Animals new EP is entitled "Dark Lit Places." Nocturnal Animals is an American Alternative band from Atlanta, GA. The group consists of Mason Jones, Will Bennett, Derrick Stephen, and Dawson Tucker. Formerly known as "Rude!", Nocturnal Animals revamped themselves and have caught attention with their brand new debut EP of the name "Dark Lit Places". "This band is very talented and promising. The vocals are charismatic and relateable, reminding me of the Arctic Monkeys with a dash of Billie Joe from Green Day. The production is stellar, as is the songwriting. This really makes alternative rock sound big and relevant again. Just beautiful arrangements and a unique dynamic/mixture of rock styles." The band are - Mason Jones: Vocals and Rhythm Guitar, Will Bennett: Lead Guitar, Dawson Tucker: Bass, Derrick Stephen: Drums, FACEBOOK . The new EP 'Da

The Bats - AyOwA - Skelhorn

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The Bats - Busy. Background - New Zealand indie-pop legends The Bats started the year off by releasing their ninth album, The Deep Set, and now they finish it with a new video. Directed by Marc Swadel it sees the four-piece performing the track 'Busy' (off The Deep Set) in Christchurch Emigre, James Atkinson's, practice room under the arches of London's Haggerston Station.  Filmed the day before their final show in the Tufnel Dome, the onscreen triptych also features footage from around London during the band's UK/EU summer tour earlier this year. "Marc Swadel has done an amazing job of editing together band footage with some “busy” film of London's underground and overground using a wide triptych format" - Paul Kean, The Bats. BANDCAMP , WEBSITE . It was back in February of this year that we first featured The Bats. The band end 2017 with a new video for 'Busy', another refined song from the album 'The Deep Set' where indie po

Esther & Fatou - Typhoon - Death of Guitar Pop

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Esther & Fatou - At Night. Background - At Night is the brilliant debut single from Esther & Fatou, a folky dream-pop tune perfect for the winter months. Hailing from Leuven, Belgium, the co-vocalists by equal turns charm and invigorate on a track that belies their lack of previous releases in its confidence. Warm, pin-point harmonies are accompanied by a snowy flurry of rootsy instrumentation, delivered in such a way as to retain a modern feel.   “It’s a song about the way everything is seen in a different light at night”, E&F explain, “the track was inspired by a nighttime walk through the city, when we began to wonder about ourselves and other people. In a very organized society in which everyone is expected to make a distinct contribution, there comes the night: full of chaos, everyone is left with their thoughts, insecurities and secrets. The nighttime raises more questions about existence and faith. By morning; they all seem to disappear’" Produced by Gaetan V

Verge Collection - Lesley Barth - Folia

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Verge Collection - So Vain. Background - Off the back of a buzzing sold out national tour for first single 'For The Story', Verge Collection announce their latest tune 'So Vain', from their highly anticipated debut LP 'Flanuer' (out March 30).   The brand new follow up single - which premiered on triple j's Home & Hosed with Dom Alessio on Monday and online with Pilerats yesterday - is a two minute banger that see's the  Perth indie-pop natives flip the bird to judgmental folks. Drawing on an awkward party experience, songwriter and band front-man Ben Arnold finds humour in a petty argument with a pretentious party-goer where he claims he "was getting razzed by someone that had a superiority complex." 'So Vain' acts as a helping hand, urging the listener to move towards something bigger; something greater than the predictable sameness of current life. With a presence that's cemented itself wholly in the suburban Australian wh

Traveller - Mitch Bullen - Healyum - Death By Unga Bunga - Have You Ever Seen The Jane Fonda Aerobic VHS? - The Green Door

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Traveller - Been Waiting. Background -  Traveller are a band on the ascendant. Their latest single 'Been Waiting' follows the success of their debut EP 'All This Time' and with headline shows at legendary venues such as King Tuts Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow, the band are one of the UK's most exciting new musical prospects. The Scottish based Rock band are Gerry Sheridan on lead vocals, guitar and piano, Martin Yves on lead guitar and backing vocals, Brian Socha on bass and Simon Usher on drums, backing vocals and piano. With airplay earned in over seventy countries and counting, Traveller are winning fans all over the world with their polished and melodic Rock. Founder member Simon Usher, says "There wasn’t much music in my house when I was growing up. My mum and dad weren’t very musical but there was an old upright piano upstairs on the landing of our house which I would mess about with and there were a few records stacked on a shelf in the sitting room that I w

Shelley Segal - VHS Collection - Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

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Shelley Segal - Somebody Like You. Background - LA-based, Australian songwriter Shelley Segal has announced her latest single Somebody Like You, a rock-infused, in-your-face song about a relationship interrupted. Somebody Like You is a heavy track, and not just in sound; it details the trauma of being told by family that your relationship must end for the sake of religion – in short, it’s the perfect song to release in the midst of the polarising and supremely topical same sex marriage debate. Electric guitars wail and drums propel the song forward with a strength that Shelley has harnessed herself, as the chorus soars to the heights of her vocal range.  Somebody Like You soundtracks a confusing, difficult time in Shelley’s life, as she explains, “When I was 18 years old my family told me I needed to break up with my partner because he wasn't Jewish - in line with our religious traditions. I chose to fight for the relationship with my then-partner, leaving home

Pocket Of Lollipops - RJ Thompson - Marble Mammoth - 1971

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Pocket Of Lollipops - Ever Needles. Background - Official video for Ever Needles by Pocket Of Lollipops pays homage to people saying women are weak because they cry. Studies show that when men cry, they are viewed sympathetically, while women are often labeled dramatic, irrational, or manipulative if they turn on the faucet. Crying is a natural healing system.  It's time we reclaim our right to cry, since we have tons of suppressed feelings that are now being voiced by celebrities. For example treatment of women on social media, sparked by the uproar over actress Rose McGowan's or from Pussy Riot, Nadya Tolokonnikova saying “It’s important not to say to yourself, ‘Oh, it’s O.K..  This video is Pocket Of Lollipops  response to it all, sexual, political, economical; Maitejosune has made her self seem vulnerable for the cameras but the truth is she has healed, and now the viewer has to experience the pain that we constantly hide. For the Video Ever Needles, Maitejosune took all