Telete - Sons of Bill - Treetop Flyers

Telete - Like Honey.

Background - Following shows with Julia Jacklin, Rainbow Chan, Totally Mild, Hatchie and high praise for their deeply affecting sound, akin to "being mown down in a field of violets", Perth chamber/dream pop duo Telete (Teh-leh-tee) announce the wide release of 'Spectator', their surprise debut EP on Friday 22 June. Their new single 'Like Honey', delivering "what it says on the tin" (Nat Tencic, triple j) is out now.

Drawing inspiration from acts such as Broadcast, Julia Holter and Beach House, Perth’s Telete (Mai Barnes & Hayley Ayres) weave strings, synth lines and canned percussion together to build warm-hued compositions that simmer underneath intimate vocals.

Telete's "dramatic and delicate" heartrending version of a lullaby (Declan Byrne), 'Like Honey' has already oozed its way onto playlists for triple j Home and Hosed, triple j Unearthed, Triple R's Out On The Patio, RTRFM's Out To Lunch and more. Plush with thick synths and strings, the track swirls brightly in waltz time around a comforting, centrifugal sadness.

"I wrote [Like Honey] after an awful breakup last year, and I remember bawling my eyes out as I scribbled down the words. But every time I sang them, they hurt less. There’s a strange comfort in saying an uncomfortable truth out loud: you take something you’ve internalised, a feeling that you carry in your stomach and chest and heart, and you push it all the way back out." - Mai Barnes. BANDCAMP.

'Like Honey' is a gorgeous mixture of chamber and dream pop that is sensitive and engaging, allowing beautiful atmospheric soundscapes to emerge. It's one of eight tracks on the new EP, and I have to say, there is not one track that fails to charm and dig some deep musical hooks in. Telete have something very special going on here, one that is well worth checking out.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sons of Bill - Firebird '85.

Background - Central Virginia’s band of brothers, Sons of Bill, have announced the release of their new album 'Oh God Ma'am' on 29 June on Loose.

Following the release of singles 'Believer/Pretender' and 'Easier', they have now unveiled new track 'Firebird '85'. "I guess the song is technically “about” a construction worker having a strange redemptive daydream about getting off work. Or maybe he's dead? Still not sure", James tells Uncut Magazine, "I just like the idea of ordinary people, living out their ordinary lives, lost in some grand, cosmic drama inside their own head. It’s how all of our lives are. Just another feel-good song about the inner void."

'Oh God Ma’am', Sons of Bill's latest LP is the band’s most coherent artistic statement to date-- subtle, risky, and sonically ambitious.  Recorded both in Seattle with west coast indie legend Phil Ek (Shins, Fleet Foxes) and in Nashville with Sean Sullivan (Sturgill Simpson) and mixed by Peter Katis (The National, Interpol) the album shows the Wilson brothers moving beyond the galvanic Americana-rock comfort zone of previous efforts, for a more elegant and restrained sound-- a darker, and more complexly layered rock record that manages to be the band’s most emotionally intimate and sonically expansive.  Insistent, dancey rhythms and dreamy, hook-filled, pyrotechnics abound, creating a deceptively anthemic mood around songs that are in and of themselves intensely introverted.

'Oh God Ma’am' is a coming-of-age record for an over-stimulated age-- equal parts post-adolescent anxiety and old-soul humility-- literate, gorgeous, and darkly contemplative. WEBSITE.

Sons of Bill will tour the UK and Europe in August:
Mon 13th - The Hope, Brighton (UK)        
Tues 14th - Omeara, London (UK)            
Weds 15th - Tunnels, Bristol (UK)              
Thurs 16th - Brudenell, Leeds (UK)              
Fri 17th - Broadcast, Glasgow (UK)         
Sat 18th - Soup Kitchen, Manchester (UK)      
Sun 19th - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham (UK)
Tues 21 Aug - Blue Shell, Cologne (DE)
Weds 22 Aug - Milia Club, Munich (DE)
Thurs 23 Aug - Musik & Frieden, Berlin (DE)
Fri 24 Aug - Stage Club, Hamburg (DE)
Sat 25 Aug - Once In a Blue Moon Festival, Amsterdam (NL).

Less than a month since Sons Of Bill first graced our pages we now have the follow up track 'Firebird '85'. The Americana qualities are again notable, albeit this time the band take a more country rock direction, doing so with refinement and plenty of heart.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Treetop Flyers - Needle.

Background - London soulful country rock outfit Treetop Flyers return with their eponymous third album, due out on 24 August via Loose. Weaving blissful 60s tinged West Coast Americana with a British rock’n’roll swagger, the album oozes with soulfulness, thanks to singer Reid Morrison’s rich, warm vocals, stunning close harmonies and the atmospheric warble of a Mellotron.

The band shared video for the taster track "Needle" (directed by long-time band collaborator Sam Ford) via Clash, who called it; "a bold, vivid return, one that finds Treetop Flyers pushing themselves further and further". The song is based round a looped section at the end of a record about not wanting a moment to end. As Reid explains; “I had just got out the shower and I was listening to an old Ted Hawkins record. I lost track of what I was doing and heard this noise, I couldn't work out what it was but it sounded like the best drum sound I'd ever heard… with the old school hiss and everything. I thought my flatmates were playing a tune or something. I then remembered I had put the record on and the record had reached the end but had this perfect loop.”

The band was originally formed by Reid Morrison, Laurie Sherman and Sam Beer, who met whilst playing in other projects as part of the West London folk scene. Although their name, Treetop Flyers, will always be linked to the Stephen Stills song, they settled on it as they all felt like outsiders but have stuck together ever since through line-up and life changes. They have most recently been joined by Rupert Shreeve on drums, who has added another dimension to their style and took the songs in uncharted directions that were previously out of reach. On the new record they are also joined by saxophonist Geoff Thomas Widdowson from Loose label mates Danny and The Champions Of The World.

Treetop Flyers follows the band’s two previous critically acclaimed albums, their debut The Mountain Moves from 2013, which was praised by The Guardian who wrote that it; “effortlessly captures the spirit of late-1960s west coast pop-rock: the Byrds and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young,” as well as Q, who wrote that they; “share with Midlake custody of a brood of Buckingham/Nicks-era Fleetwood Mac licks, likewise the Mac’s mood of unrequited yearning.” Their second album Palomino, from 2016 was praised by Uncut, who called it; “a fittingly great-sounding record, with the band magically tight and melodically assured as they play songs bathed in an evocative ’70s West Coast glow, while drawing on influences including outlaw country, soul and Nigerian psych.” WEBSITE.

It's always pleasing to see country rock music spread it's wings beyond North America, and with 'Needle' the Treetop Flyers not only do that, they do so with grace, style and plenty of natural feeling. This is one very special song, the soulful vibes are everywhere, I am mightily impressed!


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Odetta Hartman - Piney Gir - Sarah Sharp - Deux Trois

Odetta Hartman - Sweet Teeth.

Background - NYC artist Odetta Hartman, who will release her new album 'Old Rockhounds Never Die' through Memphis Industries on 10th August, has unveiled a new song ‘Sweet Teeth’. “Featuring sounds from a construction site, this song depicts a bold young woman defiantly determined to rebuild herself,” explains Odetta. “It’s an anthem to independence, self-acceptance, irreverence, and generally just not giving a f*k about what anybody else thinks.”

'Old Rockhounds Never Die' is a bonanza of beautiful contradictions: intimate yet fiercely internationalist, spiritual and yet tangible, sweet and also sexy. It convenes with the ghosts of the past while marching relentlessly forwards.

Drawn from experiences as far-flung as riding a train from San Francisco to Chicago with an old-style, rootin'-tootin' cowboy for company ('Cowboy Song'), to experiencing the intense natural beauty of Icelandic waterfalls ('Dettifoss'), it’s a record that taps into the musical traditions of the past while being a collection of songs about living in the moment.

Raised by pioneering parents on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, NYC, Odetta’s milieu was a “colourful culture of artistry,” that included early exposure to community activism, renegade film screenings, poetry readings and trips to CBGB's. Inchoate punk and hip hop were aural wallpaper, as were the 45s spinning in the household jukebox featuring her dad’s extensive collection of soul and afrobeat records, as well as her Appalachian mother’s classic country selections. A classically trained violinist with a penchant for back-porch banjo, Odetta combines these variegated sounds of her childhood with her personal passion for folk music and the musicological legacy of Alan Lomax. Lomax is writ large on 'Old Rockhounds...' at least in spirit anyway. Odetta plays all the instruments on this and her debut '222'. TWITTER. 

I'm always on the look out for music that is different, unique or refreshingly "out there" so when Odetta Hartman's 'Sweet Teeth' came along, the first thing I noticed was the Cowboy Soul description. That's both a clever and pretty honest description, add the fact that the track is both addictive and original, and a whole lot of positive boxes have been ticked!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Piney Gir - The Great Pretend.

Background - Transatlantic pop chameleon Piney Gir returns with a shimmering new single called “The Great Pretend”, which is a celebration of analogue gear with a sound that nods back to when music was on the cusp of change, just before synth pop and just after punk rock. Channeling Tony Visconti, Julee Cruise and Roxy Music, the song blends angular art rock with hooky riffs and strong melodies. Piney’s lyrics are a little twisted and dark but with an ability to mean two things at once, like a backhanded compliment from Dorothy Parker.

Over the past few months Piney Gir has been touring with Gaz Coombes around the UK, Dublin and Paris and is also one of Gaz’s backing singers. She heads out on the next leg of the tour in June, supporting Gaz’s solo shows. Her live set-up features Garo Nahoulakian, who also plays in Gaz Coombes’ band. Catch Piney on TV tonight as she sings with Gaz Coombes on Later With Jools Holland.

The song was inspired by an eventful night spent at cult author Neil Strauss’s home in Malibu, where he lives in Rick Reuben’s tree house. As Piney explains; “I arrived on a balmy LA night with a full moon and the warm sea breeze lilting over the palm tree silhouettes, it was a real ‘how the other half live’ moment, this place was like paradise, full moon, palm trees. I introduced myself to the bodyguard at the door and took my place at the large table I was led to. There was an ex-prostitute-cum-presenter vomiting loudly in the toilet, there was an artist whose thing was painting large oil paintings of stills from porn films, then there was me and next to me was Matt the founder of Light In The Attic Records.

I tried my first pickleback (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickleback) which is a dangerous kind of truth serum, and it got pretty weird; all the while I had this worry that I was some kind of an imposter, what am I doing in this treehouse in Malibu with this glitterati? I sometimes feel like I’ve got little girl lost syndrome, and Neil actually called me up on it and we had a very ‘sh*t got real’ kinda conversation, he had this ability to tap into my psyche in a way that I hadn’t encountered before.  I was telling these people stuff I’d never told anyone and I left confused and elated by this weird night. This song is about that experience and how polarising it was in my strange brain. I knew I would never forget that night, although I didn’t know it would inspire a song, but here it is.” WEBSITE.  

There is a gentle understated indie rock feel to 'The Great Pretend', the vocals are instantly pleasing, the musical arrangement clever and almost quirky at times, however it's those melodic hooks that really dig in deep.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sarah Sharp - Right Through Me.

Background - Sarah Sharp’s forthcoming EP Dream, produced by one of Rolling Stone's 10 Artists You Need To Know Phoebe Hunt (of Phoebe Hunt & the Gatherers), has just been released, and it captures a moment in time when her life began to upturn after the passing of a beloved artistic ally, Slim Richey.

Instead of resisting profound foundational shifts, she bravely surrendered to the enormous changes and experienced an awakening. Pairing with Hunt was the obvious choice, as "Phoebe is the queen of setting an intention and creating and holding the space to let the universe and the many wonderful musicians in her orbit do their work."

"Everything about working with Sarah Sharp on this collection of songs has felt in alignment with her personal journey.  Vulnerably raw and honest, she is unabashedly proclaiming her inner truth for us all to experience along with her.  Tucked away in a corner of Bed-Stuy Brooklyn, sleeping on my living room floor, she made the journey to play with the group of musicians I have met in NY and trusted me to help bring her songs to life." - Phoebe Hunt.

2018 has already been a game-changing year for Sarah.She is one of the winning recipients of Austin’s prestigious  Black Fret grants which has given her access to financial assistance and an advisory board comprised of Austin’s leading music industry professionals.

As a solo artist, and a former member of the Jitterbug Vipers, Sarah has topped the Austin music award polls as Best Female Vocalist, Best Producer, Best Songwriter, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Band of the Year, and Best Jazz Band. While in The Jitterbug Vipers, Sharp was praised by outlets such as NPR, Culture Collide, Downbeat Magazine and The Austin Chronicle. FACEBOOK.

Bluesy and soulful vocals and a sophisticated musical backdrop give 'Right Through Me' a classy and funky feel. Sarah Sharp sings with feeling and sensitivity adding even more of a timeless structure to her work.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Deux Trois - Late Night Girls / Dave.

Background - "Health is quiet, loud, strange and pretty. The record is a public confession, a list of probable symptoms, or a thirty-minute long joke about my life as an alien woman. The story of Health is like: if one of your co-workers was a defined manic pixie dream girl to all of your customers, but you knew she was actually a weirdo bitch twenty-four hours a day. 

The disconnect between appearance and reality, not just a comparison and contrast of the two ideas: we've delved into that theme in our videos as well as our album design. It can be endearing to be weird, but when you see yourself there, sometimes you feel like you're offending people just by breathing around them.

I keep myself at an arm's length from many things because I like to write about them in silence and isolation; by the nature of the work I love, I can't live in every moment with my loved ones without feeling deep anxiety or gathering ideas for future work. It is difficult for almost everyone I know. I'd say this record mostly looks at the fictional and real life of a person who is me, being that every song touches on my truth, my interpretations of the truth in others, or my assumptions of universal truth and the ways each are affected by my distance between my experiences and my memories, with each step I have taken to come to the current.

In Health, every song is blue and warm black. Dave, Salt, and Late Night Girls all have some red, white, and/or glitter to them. Health is Deux Trois' first venture into product design, filmmaking, heuristic art practice, and music. The oldest ideas in Health are from 2015, the newest ideas are yet to come. I hope the record stays with you as these songs have with us. Thank you for listening." TWITTER.

The two singles from the 'Health' EP are 'Late Night Girls' and 'Dave', two fine examples of the varied and intriguing nature of this collection of songs. Sometimes sounding quite stripped back with a simmering tension not far off, there are more melodic moments and the energy levels ebb and flow, overall this is a strong and imaginative EP, as Deux Trois carve out their own very engaging sound.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Johnny Mafia - Juanita Stein - Everything by Electricity - Vallens

Johnny Mafia - Big Brawl

Background - Johnny Mafia have long been high rollers in the burgeoning post-garage punk rackets gripping the country of France over the last few years; high-energy explosive acts like The Scaners, Escobar, Les Grys Grys, Les Lullies and The Arrogants have been burning up stages across Europe and USA with a vengeance, adding their craft to the long list of fine French exports suited to the more cultivated of music connoisseur.

The group hail from Sens, Burgundy (which is known more for it’s wheat and cereal production than rock ‘n’ roll) and bring a young, snotty, explosive and ferociously fun energy that drives audiences into a near-frenzy. Inspired by classics like The Ramones, T-Rex, and The Clash, they also draw heavily on contemporary acts like Ty Segall, Jay Reatard, and the Wavves.

With their signature reverb-soaked slap-back fuzzed out sonic attack, Johnny Mafia embodies punk attitudes and spirit of past and present with a firm foothold into their bright future as a young band ready to conquer the wider world of rock ‘n’ roll.

Johnny Mafia have established their reputation above all else on stage and over the last four years, the band have been a featured attraction across festivals in France; Festival Printemps de Bourges (FR) in 2014 and Festival Les Eurockéennes de Belfort (FR) in 2016 and were recognised with a laureat du FAIR in 2017.The band have just released the video single for “Big Brawl” after recently finishing recording and mastering their sophomore album with producer Jim Diamond and will release "Princes de l'Amour" Nov 9 on London's Dirty Water Records on vinyl/CD/cassette and have a tour of the US and Canada in the works. FACEBOOK.

If your up for a 'Big Brawl' you might wanna think twice with Johnny Mafia. I'm just going by the excess of show biz artificial blood in the video, so if that's not for you, the audio remains a feisty blast garage punk, in all it's glory rather than gory....


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Juanita Stein - Easy Street.

Background - Juanita Stein, the Howling Bells frontwoman turned solo artist, releases her brand new single, Easy Street, taken from her upcoming second album, Until The Lights Fade, which will be released by Nude Records on 31st August.

Says Stein of the song, “Easy Street was written very immediately. Everything about it felt intuitive and direct. Touring the songs off [her 2017 solo debut] ’America’ for the last couple years has given some unique insight into people and their situations. You’re clocking up some good miles across various cities and countries, you see people getting by, doing what they can, being inventive with their realities. Hope/desperation isn’t limited to geography, everyone’s looking for an easy way out essentially. This song is about someone running from their reality and trying to find a better life for themselves.”

Juanita Stein’s second solo album arrives less than a year after her first, ‘America’, saw her exploring the iconography and cultural landscapes of a country that had always fascinated her from afar. Yet, while ’Until The Lights Fade’ is cut from the same musical cloth as its predecessor - the crepuscular twang of bar-room guitars, the keening romanticism of its melodies, the sparseness and simplicity of its arrangements - the album’s ten songs are concerned with thoughts, feelings, stories and characters rooted far closer to home.

“I feel like the two albums are different sides of the same coin,” Stein explains. “If ‘America’ was the starting point of a journey - the musical equivalent of me spreading my wings, but also treading carefully, trying to figure myself out having come from such an intense period of camaraderie in the band - then this record is me starting to gain a bit more traction, feeling more confident in where I’m coming from and what it is I’m doing.” WEBSITE.

Live Dates:
24th     June     Black Deer Festival, Tunbridge Wells
8th       July      TRNSMT Festival, Glasgow
14th     July      Latitude Festival, Southwold
20th     July      Spain, Benicassim Festival
24th     July      Finland, Helsinki Arena (with The Killers)
26th     July      Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Rockhal (with The Killers)
18th     August Green Man Festival, Crickhowell.

Following on from our April feature for 'Forgiver' Juanita Stein makes her fifth appearance on Beehive Candy with 'Easy Street' another delicious and sophisticated rocker that doubles up as a fine teaser for her next album due at the end of August.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Everything by Electricity - Place To Call My Own.

Background - Fronted and written by Yulia, who grew up in post-Soviet Siberia in the 90s, the track mirrors dark memories of exile and alienation. She tells us how she was “blacklisted” with behavioural problems amongst peers involved in crime and hard drugs at school for as much as playing electric guitar and sporting a Kurt Cobain hoodie. The track explores “escape” and finding solace in London to freely express herself.

The outfit, who have gained UK radio support from the likes of BBC Introducing, Radio X and more, merge digitalised haziness over a beating mechanical heart of euphoric instrumentation. Their sound is littered with strains of alienation in the form of bittersweet synthesisers and whiteout lyricism stirred from lead-vocalist Yulia’s Siberian upbringing. In their live line-up the three-piece also features Daniel (bass guitar, synthesisers) and Manoela (drums, pads).

Everything by Electricity now release their new single Place To Call My Own. Opening with skipping percussion, we’re led into blizzard-like arrangements that progressively form into shadows of melodies, remaining ever-modest yet central in the 7-minute mix. EbE escape clichés of atypical synth/dream-pop outfits, consequential of anchoring Yulia’s vocals deep in the composition with its instrumental counterparts. The result is a machine of sound, perhaps similar to early Crystal Castles with their gelled emotive electronica, yet carried with more subtlety.

Yulia on growing up in post-Soviet Siberia: “I was growing up in Siberia in the post soviet era in the 90s. I was 9 when I started my first band with school mates – this was a huge problem back then. Being in a band was considered to be a waste of time and in some cases as bad as taking drugs, especially for a girl, I didn’t fit in at all. My school had a “black list” for troubled kids with serious behavioural problems (those who were taking drugs or involved in any crime) and my parents received a phone call one day from a school principal advising them that I was included in that list just because I played an electric guitar in a band and wore a Kurt Cobain hoodie, it was totally unacceptable and I nearly got kicked out. WEBSITE.

Layer upon layer of refined synths and a gently paced beat give 'Place To Call My Own' a lush feel before the vocals begin. When they do, the melody and sweeping vibes of dream pop make this one outstanding and fabulous song, that just short of eight minutes duration, still had me wanting another listen straight after.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vallens - If I Don’t Know You.

Background - Once toted as “a band you need to listen to” by Bust Magazine, Vallens are an undefinable quartet drawing from Abba, This Mortal Coil, film, and more influences than one would expect of their vexing and fervid sound.

With Dimmed In My Display EP set to be released early summer and their second full length album readying in the shadows, Vallens songwriting has expanded since their debut album, Consent, to the full band, including Colin J. Morgan (Cellphone), Marta Cikojevic (TOPS), and Devon Henderson (who additionally produced the EP). While thematically the EP reflects upon obscurity, explores isolation, and confronts the flood of social imagery, sonically Vallens newest material is “dark, heavy exercises in frenetic tension building.

Vallens play shows often and have been reshaping to become a more hypnotic and groove based project, leaning more on their melodic influencers, while still maintaining their dissonant unease. Often referred to as shoe-gaze, or any hashtag involving David Lynch, Vallens are now looking to explore many other topics, whether it be in subject, genre or concept — growing from these descriptors into a multifaceted unit and evolving into a whole different animal. Dimmed In My Display EP out July 6th, 2018 via Hand Drawn Dracula. FACEBOOK.

Pretty much two years to the day since we first (and last) featured Vallens I am reminded of what an enticing band they are. 'If I Don’t Know You' slowly unfolds from a gentle piano lead start into a powerful energised rocker, with the bands shoegaze sensibilities intact as they add even more drama to the song. The EP is eagerly awaited.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Palm Ghosts - Seaside Heights - Social Station

Palm Ghosts - Architecture (Album).

Background - Nashville-based outfit Palm Ghosts present their new album 'Architecture', which is being released by Ice Queen Records. The band offers a balanced blend of cinematic dream pop with dark indie, celebrating sounds from the most colorful of musical decades, the 1980s.

Palm Ghosts is a five-piece led by songwriter / producer Joseph Lekkas (bass and vocals), Erica Whitney Wilkes (vocals and keyboards), Ben Douglas (guitars and keyboards), Jason Springman (guitars), and Rene Lambert (drums). Collectively, they are influenced by groups such as Cocteau Twins, Peter Gabriel, Dead Can Dance, New Order and The Cure.

Lekkas founded Palm Ghosts in Philadelphia in early 2013 as a creative outlet for dealing with a severe bout of depression and anxiety that left him incapacitated. Discovering that music was his only path through the mire, he spent a particularly long Philadelphia winter recording a batch of introspective songs that was to become the debut eponymous 'Palm Ghosts' album, a tapestry of lo-fi indie folk and dreamy pop he christened as "sun-damaged American music".

After moving to Nashville in 2015 to take part in the southern city’s musical renaissance, Joseph Lekkas set up a small home studio, finally releasing Palm Records' second album 'Greenland' in February of 2017.

In May of 2017, Joseph began work on his next project, sketching song ideas to create the lush, cinematic arrangements he was hearing in his head. 'Architecture' is the fruit of his labors. This album is a sea-change for the band from the more electro-laced dream pop- indie folk of former releases to a more synth heavy and decidedly darker post punk sound. A brand new group of talented musicians helped to form the tapestry of layered guitars, synthesizers and rhythmic pulse found on this record.

"With Palm Ghosts’ sound, I try to combine the things I love the most about early 80s music. The eccentricity of bands like XTC, The lush waves of sonic bliss from the early 4AD bands and The Cure, The dark dance music of Factory Records and the worldliness and adventurous palate of an artist like Peter Gabriel," says Joseph Lekkas. WEBSITE.

The new album from Palm Ghosts is 'Architecture' a collection of nine imaginative tracks, which see the band moving into new musical territory and doing so very well. Dark and moody songs are occasionally interspersed by some more paced material, and the bands knack for creating hooks are still clearly present. Even when the post punk atmosphere is immersed with bleaker overtones, the band have a level of richness that gives them real edge and the subtle melodic backdrops really do ensure the album engages and draws the listeners attention ever closer. 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Seaside Heights - Don't Waste Another Heartbeat.

Background - You can almost hear the sound of autumn rain on Seaside Heights new EP, 'Made Up Minds And Bad News'. The band owes many thanks to the Gothenburg weather for their music.

Main songwriters Mattias and Jonnie first met on a tram. They shared the vision of making great music, whatever the cost. Together they founded Seaside Heights and went straight for the studio to record their 2014 debut EP, "Start of Something Beautiful", which included their hit single ”Turnover". The song set a groundbreaking record on a Swedish national radio show for unsigned artists, being the first song ever to win the contest for 5 consecutive weeks. During the year that followed the band toured all over Sweden as well as playing shows in London and Berlin.

After the initial rush things started to go downhill. Something was missing in the band spirit. Members either got kicked out or left due to frustration, lack of time or personal issues. Being broke in rainy winter Gothenburg ain’t that fun. Two years of grey haze later, the band found hope again in German producer Thomas Harsem and together they began the search for true feelings and how to develop Seaside Heights music.

At the same time Seaside Heights also added two new members. A politician from Stockholm, sick of the corridors of power and looking to devote his life to something more pure, like rock n roll music, became their new drummer. They also came across a homeless, failed remixer who turned out to be the missing piece of Seaside Heights.

Again, you can almost hear the sound of autumn rain in the music. The Gothenburg fall of 2017 was the most grey and depressing in the history of mankind. People may think music is all about fun, but it was depression and anxiety that pulled Seaside Heights in to the studio with Thomas Harsem. They set out to find the sound and vibe of their music, and ended up finding even more. They found hope. Writing and recording songs like ”Heartbeats”, "Better Days” and ”High Above” the band discovered their identity and put their personal problems down on tape. INSTAGRAM.

The opening moments of 'Don't Waste Another Heartbeat' establish an expansive, lush feel to the song, the vocals add emotion and heart, and we are off on a beautiful musical journey.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Social Station - Try (Cross My Heart).

Background - While Washington, DC will always be known as a political centre, there is also something wonderfully off-kilter brewing here, as proven by the existence of Social Station. The addition of classical musician Jacob Sebastian to Paul Todd's fold has made for perhaps the most melodic track ever produced by this post-punk darkwave goth rock outfit. 

The post-punk darkwave outfit Social Station has announced their new maxi-single ‘Try (Cross My Heart)’, a dark upbeat yet melancholic track that gets under your skin similar to how Siouxsie and The Banshees pulled that off with ‘Spellbound’.

Apart from the title track, this release features a solid collection of remixes by fellow DC and Baltimore artists, including Br'er of Blight Records, The Holy Circle, Red This Ever, and Tim Phillips.

With a passion for analogue synths, hypnotic guitar, and undeniable melancholic vocals, the band originally started as a solo project in 2013 by singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist Paul Todd, debuting with the single ‘The Sun and The Air’, followed by their ‘With a Smile’ EP.

“The song ‘Try’ has been evolving for close to two years with its start as a slow and deep staccato guitar riff along the lines of early Chelsea Wolfe or PJ Harvey, and just the first verse. Moving the song to an arrangement for piano completed the verses but still did not have the Cross My Heart chorus and up-tempo pace. Still pretty gloomy,” says Paul Todd. WEBSITE.

‘Try (Cross My Heart)’ is a driving synth laden affair, where the vocals are dramatic and earnest and melancholy is strangely addictive. The music lifts the song enough for some melody and hooks to add more, and collectively the track comes together demanding another listen...


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Esther & Fatou - Silverbacks - The Ophelias

Esther & Fatou - Home

Background - Belgian duo Esther & Fatou release new single Home, a captivating and dreamy folk-pop track, perfectly tuned-in for long upcoming summer evenings. Written over the course of last summer, it’s the follow up to their wintery debut single At Night.

Introduced by galloping percussion and a beguiling piano pattern, Home soon bursts into an addictive chorus replete with trademark rootsy instrumentation and symphonic production, without losing focus on the chemistry between each half of the duo. This is the key tenant to their sound, the hauntingly beautiful harmonies and the way their pin-point vocals play off of one another.

“‘Home’ recounts a response to a confrontational situation”, Esther & Fatou explain, “In a state of complete disbelief, we are trying to escape the things we can’t handle. There’s nowhere to process, there’s only the road. Searching for some peace of mind.”

Once again produced by Isbells mastermind Gaetan Vandewoude and mixed by Staf Verbeeck (dEUS, Hooverphonic, Selah Sue) Home showcases a different, warmer side to Esther and Fatou’s dreamy Americana. FACEBOOK.

Back in November of last year we stated "Esther & Fatou have merged together natural folk sensibilities with dream pop and the resulting song is lush and beautiful." Now we have 'Home' our second feature from the duo, and it's a vibrant and more energised piece, where once again the vocals are outstanding and beautiful.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Silverbacks - Dunkirk.

Background - Dublin art-punks Silverbacks stomp back into action in 2018 with the release of their new single produced by Girl Band’s Daniel Fox 'Dunkirk' on June 15th through their own PK Miami Records. 

“The song is about a character who is questioning the life they have been dealt,” Silverbacks explain. “They find themselves in a near dystopian future where Dunkirk, despite its history, has become a built-up holiday destination for young families.”

Underpinned by an insistent, nagging bassline and creepy crawly guitar lines, it provides the ideal vehicle for frontman Daniel O’Kelly’s stream of consciousness ramblings about martial strife, the perfect sandcastle and spotting a con artist when he sees one. Produced by Girl Band’s Daniel Fox, the track lurches forth, pressure building from the undulating backbeat and layers of skronking guitars accenting Daniel’s increasingly frazzled yelps before finally collapsing into a sugar sweet coda. Indie kids no more, Silverbacks mean business and ‘Dunkirk’ is a powerful first move. The single is accompanied by a brilliantly creative video from Belgian graphic designer and artist Cameron Francis Taylor.

Hailing from Dublin, Silverbacks are a thrilling prospect, delivering their own louche take on NYC-indebted rock: slack enough for the tastemakers while also mining the gems of a pop vein, catching the ears of those with a taste for a good hook. Now a full-fledged five piece after graduating from the bedroom project of songwriting brothers Kilian and Daniel O’Kelly, they ply their trade with as much emphasis on the dry humour running through Daniel’s lyrics as the propulsive, triple guitar-led onslaught in their music. TWITTER.

A hypnotic rhythm and determined vocals are centre stage on 'Dunkirk' a driving and stripped back rocker. The song gains some extra energy along the way and those punk influences are never far away.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Ophelias - General Electric.

Background - The Ophelias shares new single "General Electric".  Through a blend of understated rock, baroque pop and wide-skied atmospheres, The Ophelias explore the juxtapositions of youth on their album, Almost.

Having formed the band while still in high school, bassist Grace Weir, guitarist/lyricist Spencer Peppet, percussionist Micaela Adams, and violinist Andrea Gutmann Fuentes first met at a time when each were independently serving as the “token girl” in various dude-bands from their hometown of Cincinnati, OH. Coming from varied musical backgrounds (ranging from garage-rock, to surf, to opera), the distinct talents and influences of each member collided in unexpected ways at the band’s first rehearsal. It was here the band discovered that their chemistry wasn’t rooted in a shared musical reference point, but in the creative relief from the expected censorship of being a sideperson.

“In the past we had all kind of been the ‘girl in the band,’ in some capacity,” Peppet said. “Having a band of all women eradicates that possibility logistically, but also makes for a really creative environment without the patronization that often comes along with being the ‘girl in the band.’”

Produced by Yoni Wolf (WHY?), the new album Almost glides between palatial assuredness and pallid introspection, looking back on youthful yearning — the uncertainties, the traumas, the anxieties — without discounting its soft beauty. The Ophelias steer Almost through the lineage of coming-of-age confessionals, and affectionately document their growth into a warm, fractured adulthood. TWITTER. 

Tour Dates:
07/16 Los Angeles, CA – Moroccan
07/19 Seattle, WA – Fremont Abbey
07/20 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
07/22 San Francisco, CA – Swedish American Hall

Less than a month since we first featured The Ophelias, they are back with 'General Electric'. Once again the vocals and harmonies are sophisticated and beautiful, the musical arrangement drives the piece along at a steady pace and the catchy nature of the track soon begins to work it's charm.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mercy Flight - H.C. McEntire - Caroline Says - Rat the Magnificent

Mercy Flight - Entropy. 

Background by Steve York of Mercy Flight - The band Mercy Flight is a natural evolution of my music. Together with powerhouse musicians – Tony Rabalao & Thomas McKay (Joy Drop), Ricky Tillo (Lady Gaga), Dan Miller (Valerie Dour) and Katey Morley (Gypsy Soul) - we combine to create Mercy Flight’s indie folk sound with a modern twist.

“Entropy,” the first single from our forthcoming record, explores the importance of human connection in a disintegrating world. Technologies designed to bring us together are tearing us apart and destroying our physical realities. “Entropy” is a reminder to connect in the moment.

Set for release on June 15th, Humanizer continues to explore the relationship between humanity and technology. I’ve watched the music industry change from the inside over the past 20 years, and reflect what I’ve witnessed on our new album. Humanizer was recorded straight to analog tape at Revolution Recording in Toronto. FACEBOOK.

'Entropy' mixes indie pop and folk together with some refined vocals and harmonies and a polished musical arrangement. The lyrics are thought provoking and with more material on it's way this is a really good introduction to Mercy Flight.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

H.C. McEntire - Baby's Got the Blues.

Background - H.C. McEntire Invites her family and community into frame for her “Baby’s Got the Blues” music video. 

Back stateside after a trio of sold-out shows in London, two of which were supporting Angel Olsen, H.C. McEntire is sharing a new music video for “Baby’s Got the Blues” off her stellar solo debut, Lionheart.

Director Jared Hogan on creating a visual for the song: "In talking with Heather, we knew that we wanted this video to touch on universal wounds of depression and suffering, but established in a more poetic narrative. We also knew we wanted family and community to play an integral role. All of the subjects in the video are connected to Heather’s life in one way or another, and that was very important to us. The song strikes this beautiful balance between darkness and hope, and we wanted the video to do the same." WEBSITE.

Americana roots vibes course there way through 'Baby's Got the Blues' an earnest and pleasing song. The accompanying video adds further interest, to what is a very engaging track from the 'Lionheart' album.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Caroline Says - Mea Culpa.

Background - Austin-via-Alabama songwriter Caroline Sallee aka Caroline Says has released a video for “Mea Culpa” to announce US summer dates with label mate Jessica Risker.  “Mea Culpa” is featured on the second Caroline Says album, No Fool Like An Old Fool, which arrived in March on Western Vinyl.

Discussing the video’s creation, Caroline stated:  I made this video with my friend James Pritchard. I asked him to film it because I liked his instagram photos (@________._____.___.__._._). He told me he had never filmed anything before, but we went for it anyway. We decided to make a video that was entirely shots of reflections of water. We spent 2 days  wandering around looking for different puddles and creeks for him to film my reflection. I think James bought a camera that shoots video after we made this music video.

Sallee recorded No Fool Like An Old Fool while simultaneously working three jobs – finding the time was no easy task and her living situation didn't make it any easier – a dank, mildewed basement apartment with noise from her landlords above bleeding through all day.  The hurdles she navigated to record naturally led to ad hoc recording techniques, and endless sonic experimentation, often leading to her use of the computer as an instrument.  Sallee loosens her earthly tether with No Fool, allowing her songs to float to ever higher altitudes on clouds of loops, immaculate melodies, and hypnotic harmonies, as she sings about aging, the daily grind, and hometown stymie.  Lyrics were inspired from an array of sources, including the 1971 film ‘Panic in Needle Park’ and the idea of being in love with a heroin addict.  A NPR story about a young Iraqi man who was killed in an ISIS bombing just before moving to New York City to become a professional dancer.  Terrence Malick's ‘Badlands’ and Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska.  While the song “Black Hole" features multi-voice harmonies sung from the perspective of 50's spree killer Charles Starkweather.

No Fool Like An Old Fool is a fine soundtrack for a kind of liminal state… honest in its weariness, glad to be done with the day, carrying itself into tomorrow with a bleary-eyed sense of wonder and hope for the future. FACEBOOK.

US Tour Dates with labelmate Jessica Risker
08/01 – Austin, TX @ Cheer Up Charlie’s
08/02 – Houston, TX @ Big Top Lounge
08/05 – Knoxville, TN @ Scruffy City
08/08 – Bloomington, IN @ The Bishop
08/12 – Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle

Gentle vocals and enchanting harmonies are supported by a simple and primarily acoustic backdrop on 'Mea Culpa', one of those songs that allows the hooks to subtly work there way in.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rat the Magnificent - Olon.

Background - Rat The Magnificent share new single 'Olon'. Made up of members of Family Manderson, Sunshine Republic, KLLR, Hot Sauce Pony, Modern Men and Brenda, Rat the Magnificent are a heady mix of obstinance and oblivion. Think an overlapping of a Venn diagram made up of Jesus Lizard, Sally Bowles, My Bloody Valentine, Slint, Oxbow and Son House and you’re in the right borough.

The trio’s cacophony of beguiling yet unnerving fuzz-laced experimental noise rock has earned the group a reputation as a must-see live act, having played with the likes of McLusky, IDLES and Adam Betts. Not least, they have also previously recorded with Steve Albini earning the rare would-be plaudits of “I’d have no problem with you being my house band.” Now with an EP and several singles to their name, Rat The Magnificent are set to release their debut LP, ‘The Body As Pleasure’. A collection of 10-tracks that fully encompass the raw, unhinged energy and dark melodic sensibilities that have garnered them much acclaim in the past.

However, like all strong drinks - the whiskey, the coffee - you need balance in strength. The core trio of Anderson’s open blasted guitar checks primitive tradition and bleeds into Davies’ evangelical bass and Dodridge’s fervent drum rhythms, providing a bed for Anderson to belie his vocals. Brooding in white hot intensity, the albums lyrical content tackles personal yet assimilable topics such as the immediacy of desire, animal magnetism, familiar high-stakes anxiety and trial by fire learning. Dexterous vocals layer often voyeuristic glimpses into both the bands misfortunes and success, backed up by oblique and often deceptively catchy instrumentation.

The band celebrate their influences in a caustic yet melodically conscious manner that is both familiar and new. The influences run fast and loose throughout the record, from the direct power and languishing darkness of Swans, Sonic Youth, Peaches and The Birthday Party, right through to 60-80s New York minimalism a la Tony Conrad and La Monte Young. Almost all of the tracks contain microtonal elements; from the bends in ‘Marrtalon’, to the rising synths at the end of ‘The For’, to the guitar gradually riding “out of tune” on ‘The Inevitable’ - The devil is in the details.

Recorded over the course of three years with Brad Hemsell, ‘The Body As Pleasure’ also features huge range of inimitable guest musicians, who add even further depth and dynamics to the record. Guests include: Ian Catskilkin (Future Of The Left, Art Brut), Jen Macro (MBV, Graham Coxon, Charlotte Hatherly, Hurtling), Stephen Gilchrist (Graham Coxon, The Damned, The Cardiacs, Vic and Bob), Jeff Fairley (Cheel Ghar) and Caroline Gilchrist (Hot Sauce Pony). WEBSITE.

Our second helping of Rat The Magnificent and 'Olon' confirms that this is a band who can do full on rock & roll swagger with both style and intensity.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lucy and the Rats - Lyla Foy - LT Wade - Ennor

Lucy and the Rats - Melody.

Background - Lucy And The Rats is the new band from now London based singer/guitarist Lucy Spazzy, formerly one third of Australian punksters The Spazzys. 

Once settled in London in 2015, she set about assembling a new band being “bored of playing at home by herself”, subsequently linking up with guitarist Joe To Lose (Los Perros, Johnny Throttle), bassist Mike Cannibal (Animal Cannibal), and drummer Manu (Thee Tumbitas).

A pair of ear grabbing singles followed as the band made a stir on the live scene in the Capitol, in turn nationally and all over the world sharing stages with the likes of Buzzcocks and Paul Collins along the way.

Produced by Johnny Casino and Jim Diamond (White Stripes, Dirtbombs), their first album is an inescapable tap on the shoulder of the broadest attention and recognition, a sweet sounding proposition so so easy to run off with. FACEBOOK.

It was in late 2016 that we first came across Lucy And The Rats, then they disappeared pretty quickly off our radar until now, where the new music video for 'Melody' reminds us of what a vibrant and feisty band they are. Musically there is a punk infused feel, with plenty of hooks and their natural rocker energy.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lyla Foy - Far Behind You.

Background From Lyla…. This is Far Behind You, the first single from my new record. It’s about chasing a dream that never happens: an ode to that mission. If creative frustration makes you feel trapped or tiny - keep chasing - or at least write about it.

After finishing the track, I wanted to see if I could get another voice in there with mine, ideally that of Jonathan Donahue from Mercury Rev. 

I managed to get an introduction via email and very quickly he replied complimenting me on the song and agreeing to get in the driver’s seat to record his parts. There was nothing about the way he sung my words that emulated me, it simply became him.

Patrick Wimberly (Chairlift, Solange, MGMT) mixed the single and completely brought it to life with a whole new intensity. So here’s this weird little pop song. Hope you like it! WEBSITE.

'Far Behind You' opens with some distant dreamy vocals and is soon accompanied by some smoothly layered synths and a driving beat. Jonathan Donahue's vocal duet adds a further dimension to what is a refined and charming song.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LT Wade - My Sun And Stars.

Background - Alternative rock artist LT Wade shares his new single, "My Sun And Stars" off his forthcoming LP, Transient. Transient is the name of the record LT Wade's life has been very transient over the last 2 years. He started recording the album in London, UK before moving to San Francisco where he continued work on the album, then finally finishing it in NYC after his move. 

The album embraces all three cities sonically. It has elements of the West Coast with songs like "My Sun & Stars" and "Lost Angeles." "Hard To Know" and ‘Hell of a Night’ have the more European almost Krautrock feel to them and "This City" and "A Summers Dream" were recorded in NYC this past winter with jazzy saxophones and more industrial tones.

The album was written, recorded, produced and mixed by Wade himself. Wade enlisted one of his best friends Olly Betts of ‘The Duke Spirit’ in his studio ‘The Crows Nest’ in London for the drums. When he moved to NYC, Wade started working with another friend and fantastic musician Grant Zubritsky (Chet Faker's Band) who played sax, keys, and bass on 2 tracks of the album. The “secret” track at the end of the song “This City” is a cut and paste interview Wade recorded and put to music with a friend - it's an extension of the song about the trials and tribulations of NYC. WEBSITE.

Live Date: 07.27 - Pianos (w/ Nosh (Skaters), The Fluids, Tolani - New York, NY.

'My Sun And Stars' has something of a retro rock and roll feel to it, where the vocals are melodic and very engaging, the music is superbly arranged, this is one atmospheric and very catchy song.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ennor - West Coast.

Background - In its title alone, Ennor’s ‘West Coast’ forms a suggestive link between their roots in the south westerly tip of England and the blissed-out Californian vibes their music emits. In a sense their most traditional song yet, the track wields a melodic sensibility that is timeless to the folk traditions of the UK. Idyllic, romantic, but with a soft rock warmth and edge that would have the late Tom Petty humming along approvingly, ‘West Coast’ is a stunning injection of the rock rhythms and grandeur of Americana into folklore musical storytelling. Bathed in soothing harmonies and abounding in cinematic guitar work, it’s everything we’ve come to expect from Ennor: compelling, boundlessly energetic and matchless songwriting.

With their musical and emotional roots embedded in the far corners of Cornwall, Ennor write songs that have a palpable sense of openness and raw emotion. It’s the culmination both of their journeys across the UK and a nostalgic longing for the Cornish sea. By turns folk and rock, the four-piece’s infectious sound has garnered attention from London to Penzance, as well as the acclaim of BBC Introducing. 

The poeticism and sincerity of frontman Tom Elliott is propped by the blistering work of the rhythm section. Adam Williams’s driving drums and the dexterous string work of guitarist Jack Rennie and bassist James Creed have earned their sound a new moniker: ‘Californwall’ - a fitting epithet to describe the perennial summer communicated in their songwriting. Drawing influence from the likes of Frank Turner, The Gaslight Anthem and The War On Drugs, Ennor spent the summer of 2017 touring their sunshine sounds across the UK to the like of Ronnie Scotts, The Eden Project and Boardmasters, before heading into the studio to record new works ready for 2018 and the turn of the seasons. FACEBOOK.

Cornwall's Ennor make their third appearance on Beehive Candy this year with 'West Coast'. The bands upbeat folk rock sound has a slightly mellower and reflective feel to it this time, however the band remain very addictive to listen to, maybe it's the combination of fresh Atlantic weather and the influences of Pacific coast charm, whatever - it's extremely good music.



------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kris Angelis - St. Jude the Obscure - Black Grapefruit

Kris Angelis - Photobooth.

Background - "Photobooth is about a real night that I thought would be the beginning of something and it turned out to be the end, but the joy and hopes of that night were saved forever in the photos. I wrote it because I've always thought photo booths were romantic and that concept would be fun to write a song about, but also as a bit of a catharsis for a heartbreak. The song is more upbeat and nostalgic than one might imagine, because its about those memories captured in the flashes of the photo booth. On a larger scale its about the moments in life that could become tainted by how they ended up, but trying to allow them to keep their happiness." ~ Kris

Accomplished singer-songwriter, Kris Angelis, visits bittersweet nostalgia on her new single, “Photobooth.” Over the years, Angelis has experimented with a myriad of sounds and ideas, though never straying from the lyrical reflections and life experiences that make her music undeniably relatable. Whether she’s sticking to her folky, Ingrid Michealson-esque roots, or toying with pristine pop productions, she never strays from the heart of who she is — a storyteller. Her 2013 release “The Left Atrium” and 2017’s “Heartbreak is Contagious” received critical acclaim and saw time in the Top 10 on iTunes Singer/Songwriter charts, solidifying her as a songwriter and artist alike. Her songwriting has garnered her a number of awards including the 13th International Acoustic Music Award for Best Female Artist, LA Music Critics Award for Best Female EP, and she was named a finalist at the 2016 International Songwriting Competition. Her recent return to the studio to work with producer Billy Lefler found Angelis settling back into the rootsy folk-pop sound she started with, and the inspiration for “Photobooth” quickly followed.

On her newest single, “Photobooth,” Angelis reflects on the power of a single pivotal moment transpiring over a matter of seconds. Bright and breezy, the beat ebbs and flows with carefree abandon that instinctively transports listeners to a happier place. Angelis captures the same sunny disposition with her pristine vocals, draping the melody in a lightness that gives power to the evocation that such a meaningful moment can induce. As she croons about first kisses behind a curtain, captured in black and white on paper, you can feel the sense of yearning and gratefulness throughout each clap-and-repeat chorus. Once again, Kris Angelis has put real-life moments into stunning melodic stories on her new single, “Photobooth.” WEBSITE.

'Photobooth' is a gently unfolding singer, songwriter affair that quickly perks up and begins to charm the socks off me. Hints of folk Americana occasionally surface, the lyrics and their gorgeous delivery are refined, and those musical hooks are pretty much everywhere. It's perhaps a sign of my age that photo booths provide me with some fond memories, so much better than the instant gratification of a selfie, honest!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

St. Jude the Obscure - I'm The Wolves.

Background - St. Jude the Obscure are an art pop 2-piece, residing in Liverpool. Formerly known as Feral Love and Bird, now, Adele Emmas and Christian Sandford have undergone a metamorphosis that led to St. Jude the Obscure. Referencing the patron saint of lost causes and Thomas Hardy’s most miserable novel, Saint Jude the Obscure’s music is neither a lost cause or dripping with misery. Instead, it’s literate uplifting synth-pop with more than a hint of Regina Spector, Florence + the Machine and Bat For Lashes.

Recently commissioned to create a soundtrack for WWI poet Wilfred Owen’s poem ‘Futility’, to accompany an opening of his memorial, St Jude the Obscure tend to pair poetic lyrics with airy electro-pop beats. ‘I’m The Wolves’ is their most recent example of a metaphorical account of individual truth-seeking.

The band explains: “’I'm The Wolves’ is a song about independence and freedom of spirit, the need to escape a somewhat chaotic world and to reconnect with the simplicity of nature. It celebrates how strength can be found in the vulnerability of choosing to walk your own path even though it might be a solitary one at times.“ FACEBOOK.

Whether this is art pop, synth pop, or electronic might be open to debate, that 'I'm The Wolves' is delicious and very catchy as it smoothly charms its way into my life, needs no further consideration.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Black Grapefruit - Mind.

Background - After building a fervent following as SOS in their native Pacific Northwest and on SoundCloud, Black Grapefruit drove across the country and settled in Brooklyn in 2014; a year later they left the borough and made their new home in upstate New York. 

Getting away from the city wasn’t a retreat or a hideaway, though; it forced them out from the cover of the crowd, forced them to confront who they were, as a band and as individuals. To start the album they first had to break old habits in the heat of a Lokata sweat lodge and the dirt of their garden. In a house where pre-war means pre-War of 1812, in rooms where people were born and died, All My Relations came together.

To achieve the ambitious sounds of their new album, the duo synthesized Randa’s mother’s West Indian roots and the gospel of her father’s American South. Exuberant, headphone-filling vocal harmonies and syncopated percussion are present, and Afro-Caribbean polyrhythms anchor tracks with impassioned vocal samples and lush string arrangements. The assertive low end and double-time trap hats of their previous album return, but the sonic palette has widened to befit the ambition and scope of the project. 

The abiding arrangement philosophy is balance: in a sequence emblematic of the assurance and depth of the album, an atmospheric field recording anchors the slow-burning emotion of “05,” a high-wire act of masterly vocal production that crescendos into ecstasy before giving way to the irresistible exuberance of “Mind.” WEBSITE.

'Mind' gives just a partial indication of what to expect from the twelve tracks that make up the new album titled 'All My Relations'. This is both an ambitious and creative selection of music, where attempting to give the collection any one characterisation, is difficult to say the least. It's all that the promo above tells us, and much of it is addictive, demanding a second listen and more, Black Grapefruit have developed a unique and very fine style of music.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ana Silvera - El Ten Eleven

Ana Silvera - Circle Of Chalk.

Background - Since the 2012 release of her debut album, 'The Aviary', singer-songwriter Ana Silvera's work has garnered broad acclaim from audiences and critics alike. Her uniquely ethereal brand of alt-folk has seen her perform at SXSW, Iceland Airwaves Festival, Liverpool Royal Philharmonic and more, whilst recent collaborations include composing for Royal Ballet, duetting with Imogen Heap and singing original songs with early music consort Concerto Caledonia.Now six-years after her last full-length record, Silvera is about to release her sophomore album, ‘Oracles’.

“It was Marcus Davey, artistic director of the Roundhouse, who was really the Oracles fairy-godfather. I’d sung in choirs till the age of 15, so that was always my musical foundation. Then Marcus mentioned this great, experimental in-house choir [REC] who were keen to collaborate. It was a very open-ended commission, basically ‘do what you want, use the choir somehow’. I don’t think either Marcus or I realised how much I needed to write this piece”.

Poignant, dreamlike and beautiful, and written following the sudden loss of her mother and brother, ‘Oracles’ was Silvera’s way to transmute her grief into a cathartic work of art. “I wrote ‘Oracles’ in a state of absolute urgency and emergency – it felt like I had been buried in the ground myself, and writing this music was a small pocket of air, my chance to breathe again”.

In 2011, the song-cycle was debuted with REC, and the following year was performed as part of a sold-out concert on the Roundhouse Main Stage, earning Silvera a nomination for a British Composer Award. She then returned to the Roundhouse Theatre to make a live recording of the piece, which forms her second full-length album. The recording features Silvera as a soloist, a choir led by Josephine Stephenson and a stellar line-up of guest musicians including pianist Bill Laurance (Snarky Puppy), double bassist Jasper Høiby (Phronesis) and drummer Jacob Smedegaard (Fiction, Du Blonde) as well as Simran Singh (violin), Anne Chauveau-Dhayan (cello) and Naomi Morris (percussion).

The result is a haunting yet life-affirming collection of songs whose lyrics explore loss, love, salvation and the journey towards acceptance, themes that are underscored by beguiling, weaving choral lines, mellifluous Debussian piano melodies, subtly off-kilter percussion and rapturous strings, all unified by Silvera’s dynamic vocal style which evokes the delicate yet theatrical prowess of Kate Bush, combined with what the Arts Desk described as a “Björk-like spontaneity’.

Conceptually, the piece follows the arc of a ‘quest’ – a folk tale that begins with a search for a tangible or symbolic goal and ends with a triumphant return home. “On reflection, I see my quest was to fathom this experience and - though it no longer existed in the familial sense of the word - to find my own way back home”. ‘Skeleton Song’, an Inuit-myth inspired tune about a woman who is sung back to life, is a fragile yet powerful paean to the female figures surrounding Silvera who “painstakingly pieced me together again”. ‘Catherine Wheels’, the epiphanic closing song, whose swelling strings push the song-cycle to an emotional climax, celebrates “the kind of earth-bound, steadfast love” that allowed Silvera to finally reckon with her past and come to terms with the present.

Says Silvera, “I can honestly say, I found it so moving that post-performance, audience members would come and speak to me about their own experiences of bereavement. Making that human connection and finding we are not alone is perhaps the greatest healer of all”. WEBSITE.

Opening with rhythmic drums and vocal chants 'Circle Of Chalk' soon begins to have an expansive feel to it. Ana Silvera's vocals are captivating, powerful and dramatic, and as the song continues to develop additional elements to the musical arrangement, these further complement the hypnotic and beguiling singing. Despite the track being over six minutes in duration, I was left eager to hear it again, along with everything else that will follow.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

El Ten Eleven - Phenomenal Problems.

Background - Seminal post-rock duo El Ten Eleven, have announced the release of their new album Banker’s Hill (out 8/10 via Topshelf Records). They have also released the lead single “Phenomenal Problems” and its corresponding live video. The video is an up close and personal look at the formative duo’s meticulously-honed skills at work… crazy how much sonic force two people can conjure!

Armed with merely a double-neck bass/guitar, drums and a dizzying array of pedals, El Ten Eleven create complex, resounding music from scratch, onstage, with no help from laptops or additional musicians. Made up of Kristian Dunn (bass, guitar) and Tim Fogarty (Drums), they utilize multiple looping pedals to create songs that sound as though they are being played by at least six people… most first-timers to an El Ten Eleven show are stunned that the band is a duo. It’s a refreshing sight in this age of letting the computers do all the work!

Banker's Hill is a nine-song exploration into the challenge of living in the moment. The bands' music has been described as “meditation in motion,” which seems apt - the album explores the paradox of beauty in anxiety, the importance and effect of family and the fleeting possibility of satisfaction. Since the band’s inception in 2002, they have always been just two people who produce their own records. For Banker’s Hill, the band brought producer Sonny Diperri (Animal Collective, Dirty Projectors) into the fold, which is the first time the duo has ever worked with an outside producer, and moved up to the beautiful Panoramic House studios in Stinson Beach on the beautiful Northern California coast to create their seventh album (also, their first for Topshelf Records). TWITTER.

Rock duo's always seem to pack a punch and El Ten Eleven are no exception. 'Phenomenal Problems' is however far more than just sonic energy, there's melody, variations in sound that with two people live, seems remarkable, and above all else, this is a fabulous and hook laden blast of post rock.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------