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1099 - The Black Delta Movement - Beanpole

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1099 - Blindpassasjer (Album). Background - Formed 15 years ago, 1099 is an instrumental post-rock collective from Trondheim, Norway.   Having released two double albums, a self-titled debut in 2012 and “Young Pines” in 2015, the Norwegian five-piece group is about to issue their third album “Blindpassasjer”, which means Blind Passenger in English and is set for release on May 11th via All Good Clean Records. Featuring 12 instrumental tracks all recorded, mixed and mastered in Autumnsongs Recording Studio in Trondheim by Rhys Marsh, the new album has a quite dark and melancholic atmosphere.  With influences as diverse as Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Swans and Bohren Und Der Club Of Gore, 1099 combine elements of post-rock, space-rock and dark jazz to conjure a sound that is intensely engrossing and all of their own. FACEBOOK . One of the good things about an instrumental band is that language barriers are not an issue, that said in the last few years, I have found myself inc

Falcon Jane - Joshua Burnside - Melby

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Falcon Jane - The News. Background - Grief is so complicated. It fills you with unanswerable questions, fear, sadness, and incomparable emptiness – but it is also about moving on and healing. There has been a lot of loss in the Canadian news lately, nationwide, and in my own community. “The News” is about losing someone you love and trying to find them amidst the dense, emotional fog of grief. I hope it can help aid those who are grieving by reflecting some of the complicated emotions we are feeling. There have been severe floods in my community over the last year. One of the last ones swelled the Grand River, washing a little boy out of his mother’s arms. I was so deeply affected when I heard about it – my partner and I had driven through the area where it happened only hours before. There are a lot of commonalities between “The News” and this boy’s story. When the next flood hit, I couldn’t help but try to capture some of what my community and I had been collectively feeling. Wat

Joy Autumn - Cedric Warner Sparkman - Christopher Pellnat

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Joy Autumn - Go. Background - Go is singer-songwriter Joy Autumn at her most vulnerable. The sparse nature of the song allows room for its listener to breathe into Autumn’s pain, intimately feeling her internal struggle between loving someone so deeply and yet desperately needing to tell them to go. With lush strings and cinematic harmonies, Joy’s raw and breathtaking vocals float from first verse until final second. Go transports any listener back to that heartbreakingly necessary moment of convincing yourself that you can and will leave. The song is a part of Joy Autumn’s upcoming EP, Midnight, an atmospheric indie-pop record about the dark side of making it as an artist in Hollywood. “The hardest thing you can possibly do is walk away from someone that you viscerally love and feel is a part of you. In that moment,  I realized that I had to pick my own well-being, even though the distorted reality is that I perhaps loved this person even more than I did myself.” WEBSITE . Lush

NewTown - Ella Grace - Lusterlit

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NewTown - Naomi Wise. Background - Kentucky Bluegrass band NewTown is bringing new life to the “Old World” with their new single “Naomi Wise,” an old English murder ballad written in modern times. It tells the story of commoner Naomi Wise who falls in love with a man in high-standing and what happens when forbidden love takes a dark turn. Written by Donna Hughes, the haunting “Naomi Wise” serves as a cautionary tale, staying true to the English ballad style. Yet NewTown brings a fresh take with progressive arrangements that harken back to Appalachian roots. The song and accompanying video is the first release from the band’s upcoming album “Old World,” expected later this summer from Mountain Home Music Company. It sets the tone for the rest of the album, highlighting the vocals of both Kati and Jr. Williams and giving listeners a taste of what the band does best — bring tradition into the modern age. “Donna Hughes is one of the most prolific songwriters in bluegrass and acoustic

Frøkedal - Batz - AyOwA

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Frøkedal - Treehouse. Background - Oslo, Norway based Frøkedal nears closer to forthcoming second full-length album ‘How We Made It’, today releasing the album’s summer-ready lead cut ‘Treehouse’. The track is breezy, though no less brutal – as the opening line may suggest – with a visually inspired lyric that details a mischievous plot to tear down a tree-topped kingdom. “Treehouse was inspired by a six year old kid who tore his older brother’s treehouse to pieces without knowing he was being watched,” singer/songwriter Anne Lise Frøkedal explains. “Even if it seems meaningless and silly, the joyful mischief of it feels strangely familiar.” “This idea – or this way of behaving – kind of translates to everyone at some point. Sometimes it just feels better to tear stuff up. Or maybe, tearing stuff down for others feels better than building up your own,” she says. “You’re doing something and you know you’re gonna get in trouble for it but it’s better somehow – you just want to be pa

Curse Of Lono - The Hanging Stars - The Mobros - Cape Weather

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Curse Of Lono - Valentine. Background - London five-piece Curse Of Lono have announced the release of second album As I Fell on August 17th, and plus new single Valentine. “Valentine is about the kind of murderous jealousy that twists you up until you don’t recognise yourself anymore. The sort of dejection that will make you do things you know you will regret,” says Felix. “I think the vocal harmonies floating over the tribal beat, distorted bass and filthy baritone guitar going through a tiny 1950’s Selmer practice amp, really capture that feeling.” Second album As I Fell, produced by Oli Bayston (Boxed In) was recorded half at Rancho V, a remote desert studio in Joshua Tree, and half at Flesh & Bone Studios in Hackney; and the album is accompanied by a documentary ‘Somewhere In Their Heads’ by Gregg Houston (Noel Gallagher, Two Door Cinema Club, Michael Kiwanuka, Foy Vance). Joining Felix in Curse Of Lono, who formed in London in 2015, are Joe Hazell (lead guitar and voc

Luna Pines - Luke James Shaffer - Mikey Collins - Locks - Jonathan Something

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Luna Pines - Spring. Background - Originally formed by 3 passionate female Leeds based producers, Luna Pines showcase modern electronica and refined dream pop and mix it with ambient, almost post-rock echoes. Influences ranging from Explosions In The Sky to Beach House can be felt across their debut EP ‘The House We Lived In’ that is due June 1st. This week, the band have released their new single taken from it, 'Spring'. A deeply sensitive tone is felt in 'Spring' that serves as a spacious, indulgent moment on the EP, exploring painful issues such as death and loss in a mask of Cocteau Twins inspired melodies. Luna Pines’ sound travels through landscapes of 80’s synth-wave & eccentric beats, to post-rock inspired, soundtrack–esque atmospheres. A deeply sensitive tone is felt in new single ‘Spring’ that serves as a spacious, indulgent moment that explores painful issues such as death and loss in a mask of Cocteau Twins inspired melodies. Having played sold out

The Golgis - Sarah Clanton - My Pleasure - Dan Rico

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The Golgis - Doc's 'Tache. Background - Hot on the heels of their debut single "Mr Fisher" in March, British Alternative Folk band The Golgis release their next unique offering "Doc's 'Tache" on May 25th 2018, this time with added bagpipes and banjo. This follow up goes further to cement their unusual but highly accessible sound, and is a footstomping addition to their portfolio as they work their way to the release of their first album. "Doc's 'Tache" is a joint composition by the band's 2 frontmen Ade and Tony, with the lyrics and story of the song being written by Ade about a well known figure from 1970's bagpipe bands Doc Halliday, and his magnificent facial hair, as can be seen in the single's artwork. Ade also contributes a bagpipe solo to the song, one of the many instruments at his disposal, which is perfectly complimented by the rip-roaring banjo riff throughout, played by band member Avery. After com

Mustered Courage - Claude Munson

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Mustered Courage - Run to Paradise. Background - Golden Guitar Award winner and ARIA nominated Melbourne four-piece, Mustered Courage, have well established themselves in the forefront of Australia's folk and roots scene. Known for pushing the boundaries of what progressive folk-rock can be, they convinced prolific rock and roll songwriter, performer and Choirboys founder/singer, Mark Gable to record and perform 'Run To Paradise' with a bluegrass twist. The result gave the song a new lease on life engaging an entire music community that may not be so familiar with the song first made famous in 1988 by Choirboys. After a chance meeting in the main street of Tamworth during 2012's Country Music Festival, with Mark introducing himself and praising the band for their work, never did the pair think it was the start of a magical music collaboration. "Being a young band and our first ever trip to the Festival, it really meant a lot to us," says guitarist Julian

La Lusid - The Joy Formidable - Run Maggie Run

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La Lusid - Safe & Sound. Background - La Lusid is the Stockholm based up and coming band that will release their first album in the fall of 2018 that will follow last years well received EP ”Legend”. Together they play indiepop music with beautiful melodies and dynamic vocal arrangements. ”Safe & sound” is the third single from the upcoming album. It's filled with 60 & 70's influences and is the perfect indiepop ballad that will make you truly excited to hear more from La lusid. La Lusid are Paulina Palmgren, Fabian Ballago, Samuel Collmar, Karl Hovmark, Johan Nilsson, WEBSITE . Our first feature for La Lusid was just a few weeks ago when we shared 'Empty Bones' a song that we described as "An easy going indie song, the vocals come across as personal and are melodic and engaging." Clearly the band have a knack for creating refined indie pop music as the latest share 'Safe & Sound' confirms, with it's gentle and melodic ball