The Soft Underground - Earth Girl Helen Brown - Silent Forum

The Soft Underground - Ghosts.

Background - NYC-based The Soft Underground may hail from the outskirts of Manhattan, but have been hailed as modern decedents of the touchtone bands from Seattle’s 90’s alternative scene.

Formed in 2010 by drummer, Andrew McCarty and guitarist, Charlie Hickey, the band quickly began to write, perform and record original music. Their mode of working involved perfecting their musical beds and then casting the correct guest vocalist for each song, working in the rock genre in a similar way that French electro innovators Air recruit collaborators for their tracks. Guests have included Nick Redmond (Star & Micey), Brannon Barnett (The StoneCoats) and Rick Steff (Lucero, The Afghan Whigs, Hank Williams Jr.)

What emerged from these collaborations was unique yet accessible to the mainstream, and their debut album, 2015’s Lost in Translation, garnered positives nods from The Big Takeover, Music Street Journal and Alt Nation. The latter was quick to nail down their dynamic combo of solid hooks and rock riffs, noting the potential for radio ready singles.

Their forthcoming sophomore follow-up, Morning World, is a much more personal work which continues their penchant for eclectic variation. They labored over the recording process for over two years, insuring their melodic, dreamy and diverse esthetic evolved beyond their debut. The resulting recordings could be described as alt art rock in the vein of Deftones, Father John Misty and Stone Temple Pilots - a solid rock foundation that integrates big band swing, jungle electronica, shoegaze and punk. WEBSITE.

'Ghosts' is a refined alt rocker that mixes pleasingly distinct vocals and a slick soundtrack together, and adds in some delicate harmonies and subtle melodic hooks. If the sophomore album is this good throughout, it's gonna be something very special.

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

Earth Girl Helen Brown - Set the Woods on Fire.

Background - A new video for, "Set The Woods On Fire", off Four Satellites, Vol. 1 by Earth Girl Helen Brown has just been shared. The Earth Girl Helen Brown Center for Planetary Intelligence Band (E.G.H.B.CF.P.I.B.) is pleased to join forces with In the Red Records & Empty Cellar Records, presenting the first vinyl release of their proto planetary series: Four Satellites Vol. 1. Double gate-folded LP (3 sides + etching), the release is a collection of songs and information from the band’s 2017 consumer recycled cassette series. Spring: MERCURY: fire; Summer: MARS: war; Fall: SATURN: communication; Winter: VENUS: love. Classic black or green and gold all proceeds benefit 12 earth-minded organizations.

The band, related media artists and technicians includes: Heidi Alexander, Jamie Barron, Jamin Barton, Eric Bauer, Aylin Beyce, Emilee Booher, Ryan Browne, Tim Cohen, Grace Cooper, Dave Cousin, Brad Caulkins, Mikal Cronin, Bart Davenport, Brigid Dawson, John Dwyer, Chris Fallon, Lars Finberg, James Finch Jr., Davin Givhan, Dylan Hadley, Dustin Hamman, Kiran Harlow, Wilder Harlow, Graeme Gibson, Tahlia Harbour, Anna Hillburg, Douglas Hilsinger, Warren Huegel, Emmett Kelly, Nora Keys, Shannon Lay, Raven Mahon, Rusty Miller, Charlie Moonheart, Jack Name, Ethan Novikoff, Tim Presley, Ty Segall, Dave Sitek, Sean Smith, Sonny Smith, Kelley Stoltz, Enrique Tena, Alica Vanden Heuvel, Lida Vanden Heuvel and Mikey Young. WEBSITE.

Appearance number five on Beehive Candy for Earth Girl Helen Brown, this time we have a new music video for 'Set the Woods on Fire'. Musically it's another imaginative and massively catchy song, on that front they are so consistent, and the video adds just a little more message and some intriguing dancing as well.


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

Silent Forum - How I Faked The Moon Landing.

Background - Cardiff's Silent Forum are a combination of shadowy post punk and the more accessible side of indie rock.

The band are releasing their new single How I Faked The Moon Landing on 10th August on Libertino Records’ ‘Singles Club’. A music video for the single has just been made available. 

How I Faked The Moon Landing is the first track to be released from our debut LP produced by Charlie Francis of R.E.M., Future of the Left and Ultravox fame.

How I Faked The Moon Landing’s video was filmed in Barry Island by filmmaker Jaydon Martin - it features the band on jubilant form, surprising the locals in Barry’s famous arcades.

Silent Forum comprise of Vocals - Richard Wiggins, Bass - Oli Richards, Guitar - Dario Ordi, Drums - Elliot Samphier. FACEBOOK. 

'How I Faked The Moon Landing' opens with some addictive, rhythmic vibes, that suggest this song is going to be rather hard to ignore. Once the vocals commence and the band subtly take things up a notch, it's all apparent that Silent Forum have developed one engaging and resplendent sound. Whether it's indie rock, post punk, alt rock or whatever, it is without doubt an impressive track that guarantees further investigation of anything else they already have to offer.


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

The West Coast Feed - Chantitown - The Pressure Kids - Heather O'Neill - Jason Isbell

The West Coast Feed - You Belong To Me.

Background - Honoring the collective legacies of Memphis, Muscle Shoals and New Orleans, The West Coast Feed – eight members strong -- generates a modern and electrifying swagger rock/soul experience. The tight backbeat of the rhythm section, a vibrant three-man horn section, tandem electric guitars and a soaring violin set the stage for the commanding voice of charismatic front man, Jesse Butterworth.

Since the Seattle, WA-based band’s formation one short year ago, The West Coast Feed has filled clubs and theaters by word of mouth, drawing audiences to an experience of sound and sensation that makes sitting still impossible. With their highly anticipated self-titled full-length debut, founding member/guitarist and accomplished recording engineer Matt Woll polishes the sweat, grit and energy of the band into a sonic studio shimmer.

Jesse Butterworth’s résumé includes fronting an award winning, label- signed band with a #1 radio hit, on their way to the proverbial big time. But in the middle of a sold out show in Los Angeles, Jesse’s flying leap off the drum riser resulted in a compound leg fracture, and the sudden end of a dream.

He compares the experience to dropping off a cliff and a total loss of momentum. But after relocating to Seattle he met a kindred musical spirit in Matt Woll and the two friends formed The West Coast Feed. “We called up the best players that we knew,” and over a two-month period there would be a new member each week, expanding exponentially from two members to their current eight-man lineup.

Philanthropic support is a central theme to the band’s mission as they have partnered with two non-profit organizations for benefit shows: charity:water, and All God’s Children International. The latter group, an organization that cares for orphans and facilitates international adoptions, is especially close to Jesse’s heart, as it provided a path for him and his wife to adopt their Ethiopian-born daughter Harper. Their adoption journey is captured in the band’s lively debut single “You Belong to Me.” WEBSITE.

'You Belong To Me' is a little rambunctious, hugely slick and can comfortably have the term 'timeless' attached to it. Rock and Roll with plenty of classic Soul is performed vocally with a sense of urgency and passion, whilst the band have that consummate professional sound, whilst still knowing how to party and enjoy themselves.


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

Chantitown - Mother of Sun

Background - Chantitown has released an enchanting video for 'Mother of Sun'. The London-born, former Performing Arts student has been writing and experimenting with sound since an early age, realising her ever-ambitious true calling at just 13 years old. Chantitown grew up in a household filled with musical influence and received her first musical lesson whilst at still in school, whilst knowing that her passion for music was a “soul-connection that ran deep” , and vowing on this ever since.

So naturally, Chantitown took the time to research, and self-educate herself on the vast plethora of musical genres the world had to offer, including classical, folk, urban, rock, etc. But this is no limit - only until her introduction to poetry, did Chantitown truly find her place in ultimate expression, by contributing her own inward thoughts and words as sole influence to her songwriting capabilities.

Chantitown is heavily influenced by accomplished or legendary songwriters such as Joni Mitchell, Carol King and Tracy Chapman, to the electronic trip-hop hypnotics provided by Massive Attack, Portishead, and MGMT. Chantitown can be stylistically compared to Bat For Lashes, Lorde or even Cat Power for heartfelt, yet raw and immersive presentation, compelling vocal delivery and intriguing instrumental backdrops. 

Her music is one that tells a story, evokes intense emotion and delight drenched in empowering, earnest lyrics, put together in an almost dream-like fashion which transports you to an ethereal plane of existence. Chantitown’s music is nothing short of majestic, leaving you ripe in anticipation whatever is next to come. WEBSITE.

The vocals are simmering with feeling on 'Mother of Sun' as they melodically work they way into your world. The music gently supports the emotional journey of this song, occasionally adding extra layers, and the video gives the piece an additional level of mystery.


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

The Pressure Kids - Fever.

Background - The Pressure Kids, a Nashville-based indie rock five-piece, just released a new single, "Fever". It got added to Spotify's last New Music Friday playlist, and racked up over 40,000 plays in its first weekend.

The Pressure Kids are an incredibly DIY outfit - in the best of ways - and have been hustling in Nashville, playing shows and recording music independently, since they formed during their freshman year of college in the fall of 2013. 

They've been post-grad for a year now, and "Fever" is the first piece of a new collection they've been working on - it marks a really exciting chapter for them, WEBSITE.

We featured The Pressure Kids once before in 2016, describing them as playing "Melodic indie rock, with really pleasing vocals and harmonies." Clearly that was no one off as 'Fever' ably demonstrates. The band have a more refined feel to them, the hooks are constant and a soft yet upbeat lilt makes for a gorgeous feeling throughout.

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

Heather O'Neill - Nicotine and Neon.

Background - Heather O’Neill was born in Ireland and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, living in 18 other contrasting environments before the age of 30. This deeply varied experience of the world shaped her into a truly modern gypsy, a lifestyle that naturally informed her music – a provocative blend of singer-songwriter blues, marinated in a gumbo of soul, rock and folk.

O’Neill began recording in 2004 and has since released two LP’s and one EP. Initially inspired the punk femme ethos of the 90’s, Heather eventually settled into stripped-down, acoustic-based songs for her first albums, a format which came in handy as she canvased the Midwest and gigged around LA, NYC, Seattle and London. These releases and subsequent tours were rewarded with press, international podcasts and nods from hometown tastemakers like Radio One Chicago, drawing comparisons to Erykah Badu and Ani DiFranco.

Her newest EP album, Transmute, is an honest outpouring concerning the ineffable and often bittersweet emotions inherent in the metamorphic human experience. The alchemic process one goes through, in hopes to vibrate higher, is often plagued by darkness, along with a lion’s share of beauty. “It’s about realizing that certain behavior no longer feeds you, but struggling with the innate attraction to those dark aspects along the journey” Heather concedes. “Like Mercurius from Roman mythology, I try to ‘enjoy my time equally with both the good and the wicked.” WEBSITE.

Chunky bass riffs and a constant beat give the music a stripped back and potent feel on 'Nicotine and Neon'. Heather O'Neill's vocals add the melodic dimension, giving the song character and at two and a half minutes duration, it's over before it's begun, ensuring a second spin is mandatory at the very least.

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

Jason Isbell - Crystal Clear / Racetrack Romeo.

Background - New West Records is set to release Jason Isbell’s Sirens Of The Ditch (Deluxe Edition) this Friday, July 13th, 2018.  Originally issued in 2007, Isbell’s solo debut was met with critical acclaim upon its release with SPIN calling it “...a gorgeously whisky-soaked country-soul masterpiece,” American Songwriter declaring it, “...a decadent debut,” and Pitchfork stating that it was “...a strong debut full of the kind of confident, charismatic songwriting that just can’t be taught.” 

Co-produced by Isbell and his former Drive-By Truckers bandmate, Patterson Hood, Sirens Of The Ditch was recorded at the legendary FAME recording studio (Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett) in Isbell’s hometown of Muscle Shoals, AL.  “A lot of old soul musicians came through here in the late ‘60s and ‘70s and helped define the Muscle Shoals sound, so that influence was always in my environment, but on this record I really tried to capture that,” Isbell stated in the album’s original press release. 

On Sirens Of The Ditch (Deluxe Edition), Isbell is joined by Brad Morgan of the Drive-By Truckers on drums, and former Drive-By Truckers member, Shonna Tucker on bass.  Several musicians pop in for cameos including the iconic Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section players David Hood (Patterson’s Father) and Spooner Oldham on “Down In A Hole,” John Neff of Drive-By Truckers on “Dress Blues” and Patterson Hood on “Shotgun Wedding.” 

Sirens Of The Ditch (Deluxe Edition) features four previously unreleased songs from the original sessions at FAME, bringing the new, expanded track listing to 15 total songs. LABEL.

We are sharing two of the unreleased, bonus tracks 'Crystal Clear' and also 'Racetrack Romeo'. The first is a laid back, bluesy rocker that gradually gathers momentum and a few more rock and roll layers of sound. The latter track has something of a ballad style to it, the natural rock vibes and passion are again present the only question I have is an obvious one, how were these not included on the original album?



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

Frontperson - Winters End

Frontperson – Tick-Tock (Frontrunner)

Background - Frontperson is the new project from Kathryn Calder (vocalist and keyboardist for The New Pornographers) and Mark Andrew Hamilton (who has released six albums as Woodpigeon).

The duo are pleased to share the video for “Tick - Tock (Frontrunner)” the first single from their debut album, Frontrunner, out 21 September on Calder’s own Oscar St. Records label. The video shows a track and field event shot backwards in slow motion, which is also reflected in the album artwork.

For the making of their debut album, Frontperson were joined by Melissa McWilliams (drums, drum machine), Jen Sévertson (bass, also of Peach Pyramid), Clea Foofat (cello, also of Raleigh and Dojo Workhorse), Foon Yap (violin), Marek Tyler (percussion, also of nêhiyawak), and producer Colin Stewart (The Cave Singers, Dan Mangan, Black Mountain). BANDCAMP.

'Tick-Tock (Frontrunner)' opens with an understated vibe, the melody gently creating some refreshing hooks, and the dual vocals interact beautifully. It's alt or indie rock or something else along those lines, that it is both pleasing and rather catchy, is something of an understatement.


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

Winters End - Ivy.

Background - Hailing from Australia, sister-brother duo, Winters End are back with a new single, "Ivy." Written in the midst of a breakup, "Ivy" is about as honest and emotive as relationship-ending anthems come. 

Marissa (vocals) recounts the inescapable feeling of being torn apart from a long-term lover, facing the end of her relationship while writing "Ivy,"—and then again during recording, where she forced herself to cry in order to capture the pain she felt. It's powerful enough to make you wonder if you're going through a break up yourself. Even if you're single AF.

Along with the new single, we're proud to announce Winters End's upcoming "Dreamwalker" EP, due August 23rd, 2018. The EP was produced by Lachlan Mitchell (The Jezabels, Phil Collins, The Whitlams). Marissa wrote and recorded all vocals and melodic instruments on "DreamWalker," while Christopher wrote all percussion parts. TWITTER.

"Break Up" songs have been around for a long, long time and can be heavy going at times. 'Ivy' however mixes passionate and genuine vocals against an impressive musical backdrop. The end result is earnest, powerful and surprisingly engaging, becoming more of an anthem, than classic tearjerker material.

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

Favours - Maybe April - The Room In The Wood

Favours - In The Night.

Background - Favours are a band that that you will never hear from…unless we need something. Born out of personal rediscovery, we sing of the delightful fantasies and harsh realities of adulthood. How fitting that we practice in an office space after hours.

“In The Night” is a ballad for those stuck in an unfulfilling cycle of repetition. Recorded with Josh Korody (Dilly Dally, Weaves) at Candle Recording Studio, it’s about escaping from the banality of the day and longing for the dreams that seem just out of reach. Dreams of star-crossed lovers destined to meet in another world, or those who do meet and cannot be together, tearing them apart at the seams.

The eerie, cult vibes of “In The Night” were brought to life in a house abandoned for over two decades. Having a blank canvas and the ability to conjure up any world we wanted allowed us to dream up the weirdest one possible. Influenced by stills from our favourite Criterion films and the Sannyasins of Oregon, we created a utopia dominated by women in baby blue.  An unsuspecting and innocent teen enters a new world where he is doomed to serve these enchantresses forever. FACEBOOK.

The videos has plenty of ingredients that sync just right with the song 'In The Night', however this is a fine musical piece that packs plenty of intrigue and atmosphere, to the point where with or without the imagery, Favours new ballad is hard to resist. 


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

Maybe April - You Were My Young.

Background - Nashville-based indie country/Americana trio Maybe April (Alaina Stacey, Katy DuBois, Kristen Castro) have released a music video for their new track, “You Were My Young,” which is the first single from their upcoming debut album due out this fall. Wide Open Country premiered the Colling Films-directed video yesterday, stating, “Built on the trio’s folk instrumentation and airy vocals, ‘You Were My Young’ is a nostalgic look at the highs and lows of your first real love.” Of the single, Maybe April offered, “It’s a special song for us, because when we were 17 and 18 the three of us first connected over our first heartbreaks.”

Filmed partly on a high school auditorium stage and with lead actors who are both actual high school students, the video chronicles the innocent bliss of being 17 and in love, the seemingly tragic end of your last teenage summer together, and the feeling years later when you reminisce about the relationship that prepared your heart for the romances of your 20s. Paste Magazine also featured the “reflective” video, adding, “The song is warm with familiarity and Stacey’s lead vocals wind through smoothly, even as the couple in the video drifts apart...The balmy three-part harmonies give the vocals depth while creating a feeling of solidarity in the song’s lyrical journey.” Additionally, The Boot included “You Were My Young” in today’s roundup of their favorite country music videos of the week. The track is available digitally everywhere today and the video can be viewed/shared now at the link below.

A dynamic trio of impressive songwriters, vocalists, and multi-instrumentalists who share roles as frontwomen, Maybe April was recently named one of 2018’s "Rising Acts" by CMT for their “soul-stirring three-part harmonies” that are "as alluring as their lyrics." The group first met at a music industry camp in Nashville in 2012, where they penned a song together that would take them to Los Angeles for a special performance during Grammy week, along with Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson, Allen Shamblin, J.D. Souther, and Joy Williams (of the Civil Wars), among others. They have since opened for Brandy Clark and Sarah Jarosz, as well as made appearances at Pilgrimage Music Festival and IBMA's Wide Open Bluegrass Festival. WEBSITE.

The Americana genre is an expansive place where 'You Were My Young' comfortably fits, perhaps it's becoming a lazy catch all, for anything from traditional roots music through to more modern country styles (and all places in between). It's therefore easier just to focus on the fabulous vocals, harmonies and uncomplicated acoustic backdrop, all of which are delicious, at the very least.


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

The Room In The Wood - Greedy Stars.

Background - Liverpool-based The Room in the Wood have announced 'Greedy Stars' as the second single off their self-titled debut album, complete with a new video edited by Helen Stringer. This LP represents the first time band members Paul Cavanagh and Dave Jackson have worked together since their post-punk band The Room split back in 1985. Reunited as The Room in the Wood, this past year has seen them write over 30 new songs. Together with collaborator and ace drummer Colin George Lamont, they developed and honed these ideas down to this 11-track offering.

Released via A Turntable Friend Records, this album comes hot on the trail of their 'Magical Thinking' EP. While this album is being released on vinyl, the CD and digital versions include 'Vermillion Sands' as a bonus track.

This album was recorded with Steve Powell (Michael Head & the Red Elastic Band) at his Liverpool Arc studio and features contributions by drummers Colin George Lamont (Mark Lanegan, Dave Gahan) and Jake Woodward (Peter Perrett).

This new material has been an exciting voyage of musical exploration in a new fruitful and prolific tandem. Jackson’s lyrical storytelling combines with Cavanagh’s exquisite guitar-stylings, making for a fine blend of post-punk pop, gritty blues-folk, and velvety ballads, variously influenced by Russian fairy tales, Francis Bacon, dead oceans, swimming pool bridges and unanswered prayers. This is eerie space-folk meets bluesy-glam-punk – an eclectic mix of styles, prioritising melodic storytelling and lots of strum and twang. FACEBOOK.

Classic cinema meets a far more modern musical style with 'Greedy Stars' a song that straddles genres, doing so with heart and feeling. Add in some thoughtful lyrical foundations, plus melodic hooks and the track makes a perfect tease for The Room In The Wood's reunion album.


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

The Callas With Lee Ranaldo - NewTown - Mother Mink

The Callas With Lee Ranaldo - Acid Books.

Background - The Callas' latest single with Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo, "Acid Books" is out this week with its taut, post-punk grooves and hypnotic, scuzzed-up guitar lines, The Callas will find favor with fans of The Velvet Underground, The Horrors, and Neu!.

Meet The Callas…Led by brothers Lakis and Aris Ionas, the pair helm a Greek-based art, film and music collective, as well as hosting art and music events at their studio/performance space in Athens–the Velvet Room. As a band, The Callas feature Aris on guitar/vocals, Lakis on bass/vocals, as well as Chrysanthi Tsoukala on drums/vocals and Marilena Petridou on percussion. In 2016, the group collaborated with Lee Renaldo (Sonic Youth) on a soundtrack for their film The Great Eastern, and they have teamed up once again on The Callas upcoming LP Trouble and Desire due out October 26th via Inner Ear Records/Dirty Water Records. Discussing their work together, Ranaldo explains:

"Our collaboration took off quickly and was such a natural fit - we speak the same language and the performances we’ve done together have been a total blast! I love the community of artists that they have gathered around them, and I hope we will do more collaborations in the future”.

Acid Books” is our first listen in on The Callas upcoming album and it’s a post-punk burner brimming with frenzied energy. Opening with a swirl of droning ambiance and the rhetorical question, “Do you sleep at night?”, the track quickly launches headlong into a fever of activity. With the anxious pulse of a hard-driving bassline to lead the way, and punctuated by terse outbursts of guitar, The Callas pack a tightly wound sonic punch. Narrated by a vocal interplay between the group’s male and female members, and featuring the tumult of a shout-along chorus, the band’s dense gravity of sound will have you pumping your fist in triumph even as it drags you in a downward spiral with its dark undertow. WEBSITE.

A low key introduction with spoken words is the calm before the storm on 'Acid Books' which erupts into punk infused rock and roll with a battery of hooks to dig in deep, as the band deliver their lively brand of post art punk.

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

Newtown - Heart of Stone.

Background - NewTown continues to journey into their own progressive acoustic music with this stylistic Tyler Childers song, “Heart of Stone.”

Following the release of “Naomi Wise,” “Heart of Stone” is about a woman who does what she has to do to survive when hard times strike. The choppy, image-filled poetic lines sung by NewTown’s Kati Penn Williams paint a picture that leaves a mystery as to whether the “Heart of Stone” is one of cruelty, strength or both. Her delivery is both wayward and delicate and fitting to the restlessness of the lyrics from Childers, who is quickly becoming an acclaimed Roots Country songwriter.

This song continues the release of singles off the band’s upcoming release, NewTown, Old World, a selection of material that expresses the group’s talent for adding modern elements to traditional music. “Heart of Stone” is an example of how NewTown and their contemporaries are transforming and rejuvenating traditional southern music for the modern age. It’s a skilled blending of the conventional and the current.

“After I heard the song the first time, I couldn’t get the melody out of my head the rest of the day, so that put this one at the top of the list for me,” says Kati Penn Williams. “We hope you enjoy our groovy arrangement of this one.” WEBSITE.

Following on from 'Naomi Wise' a song we featured at the end of May we now have 'Heart Of Stone' another gorgeous slice of traditionally based Americana. Expect superb vocals and a fabulous musical backdrop, something NewTown do with seeming ease.


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

Mother Mink - Coconut.

Background - The new single Coconut is a Pina colada oozing psych indie explosion from theatric electro popband Mother Mink. "Experiment and hit making is not two separate issues for us", says Mother Mink.

As usual, when Mother Mink releases new material there are dozens of fresh influences baked into the mix. This time, the inspiration comes from the tropical paradises but the band's sound is still distinct with rough drum loops, bit crushed synthesizers and Johan Axelsson’s sub baritone saxophone. And like that wasn’t enough, on top of this Mother Mink also spices things up with the charismatic singer Fanny Wistrands’s soulful voice.

Coconut is all about the exotic dream of the tropics. The tune is a comment on the blown up expectations of the perfect vacation that prevails in today’s western society. The tune is about how tourism really can destroy a country.

In the end, it’s a heads up to seizing the day and be happy with what you have! Happiness is all around you, not only on a tropical beach at the other side of the world. WEBSITE.

In Beehive Candy land we have been enduring something of a very sunny heatwave for the past few weeks, and a song such as 'Coconut' seems quite appropriate, with it's compelling summer charm. It might not be the tropics here, but I will settle for the sentiments of the bands song, a stay at home vacation is hot enough anyway this year. 


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

Tiny Eyes - Hannah Scott - ElectroBluesSociety feat Jan Hidding

Tiny Eyes - Just Saying.

Background - When your songwriting theme is love it can often feel like a road too well travelled. From the rose-tinted idealisation of new love, to the emotional tempest of love lost, we’ve heard the story retold in countless variations; we get the picture. Enter Tiny Eyes with his latest song ‘Just Saying’, the first single to be taken from his forthcoming debut album, released next year. ‘Just Saying’ is about the less documented side of our strongest emotion. 

It’s about the banal and the familiar, the quotidian journeys we go through with our lovers from sunrise to sunset, through mild annoyance to peaceable reconciliation, and then into bed again to repeat tomorrow. Featuring his partner Martha Bean on backing vocals, and made entirely at home on his trademark old 20’s piano with percussion patched together on a laptop, it’s a sonically adventurous ode to reality that endears itself to the listener through Tiny Eyes’ unique observational storytelling.

After cutting his teeth as the frontman of an angst-rock band for a few years, Tiny Eyes auteur Joel Evans met his partner (singer/songwriter Martha Bean) and found himself mellowing out. Feeling disconnected from the angst-ridden world of thrashing guitars his band drifted apart. It was around that time that he’d acquired an upright piano from the 1920’s. Taking to the instrument like a bird to flight, he quickly found a new musical voice and tonality that harmonised with his maturing tastes. 

Tiny Eyes is a one-man band from Leicester, a singer and producer who’s reared himself on the understated elegance of lovelorn balladeers from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. By turns evoking Lennon, Tom Waits, Elliot Smith, Flaming Lips and Andy Schauf, Tiny Eyes is a brilliant and unique new sound. Last year, the release of his brilliant and original self-titled debut EP set out his MO clearly: he is a narrative songwriter in the classic sense, employing clever turns of phrase and vivid imagery to weave imaginatively fertile and provocative yarns into his music. TWITTER.

'Just Saying' is one of those songs that establishes itself in the opening seconds, with a simple melody, desirable musical backdrop and vocals that are just so enticing and likable. It reminds me in part of Mercury Rev, but hey, any comparison to said band should be seen as a very positive complement.


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

Hannah Scott - Pieces Of The Night.

Background - Originally from Ipswich and the daughter of an artist, Hannah Scott draws much of the inspiration for her music from her affinity with Italy. A year living and working on an olive press in rural Tuscany, provided the backdrop to her early work and she has found her musical home with creative partner Stefano Della Casa who she met in London but may well have met years earlier when regularly passing through the train station Stefano was working in!

When Hannah and Stefano began making music together, they realised that they had an incredible connection, despite coming from very different backgrounds. Stefano had a difficult upbringing and a troubled early adult life, while Hannah was lucky to have a supportive, happy childhood. Hannah has had her own difficulties following the recent diagnosis of a form of arthritis which causes severe joint pain and fatigue. Both artists, firmly believe that their musical collaboration has provided an outlet to support each other through difficult times.

“Around the time of my diagnosis we had quite a lot of shows and Stefano literally had to help me on and off the stage! He still insists on carrying all our equipment when we’re on the road which makes us laugh because he ends up looking like a porter and people must think I’m some kind of superstar refusing to pull my weight!” -  Hannah Scott

Stefano adds, “I was going through a pretty low patch while we were writing this record with no job and very little money and I’ll alwaChys remember Hannah turning up on my doorstep bringing groceries, even though she could hardly walk.” - Stefano

Their musical journey has also proved fruitful. Previous releases were supported by Bob Harris and Dermot O’Leary on BBC Radio 2. They’ve also been featured by MOJO, Songwriting Magazine and as ‘New Band of The Day’ in The Guardian. Hannah has opened for artists including Seth Lakeman and 10cc.

Stefano has recently signed to Ultra Music Publishing and the pair are now working between London and Italy. The result of their work is a new album, “Pieces Of The Night”, a collection of songs that expertly combines organic, live elements, with classy electronica and stunning production. Lyrically, they’re honest songs about the human condition and human connection in an increasingly hectic world. The album ranges from stunning instrumental performances such as ‘Boy In The Frame’, to crystalline electronica soundscapes in ‘Pieces of The Night’. The two artists have struck a perfect balance between Hannah’s traditional songwriting craft and Stefano’s exquisite synth-rich production style. TWITTER. 

The melodic and distinct vocals of Hannah Scott are the focal point of 'Pieces Of The Night' the title track from the new album. The musical arrangement is carefully crafted, adding more depth and energy without distraction. It's also loaded with hooks, and typifies the quality and creativity the album is crammed full of.


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

ElectroBluesSociety feat Jan Hidding - All The Way Down.

Background - In December 2017 Cuban Heels singer Jan Hidding did a recording session with ElectroBluesSociety and here is the third track from that session. This time another original and new song. This new single will be released digital only and will be available on all major download and streaming platforms.

ElectroBluesSociety is a new duo mixing electronics with raw vintage live sounds. Both of the musicians have been active in the European blues/roots scene for more then 30 years and in this new project they like to mix that experience with current technologies and other musical styles. The musical input from this new duo ranges from Alan Lomax to Roxy Music and from Charlie Parker to Led Zeppelin. On stage you will find computers, a double bass, foot pedals, vintage amps, guitars, midi controllers, an old drumkit and lots of cables. All of this handled by the two band members.

JASPER MORTIER – drums, bass, mainly known as bass player but lately he found a new passion: playing drums !!  Over the last ten years Jasper worked with numerous great artists like Preston Shannon, ‘Sax’ Gordon Beadle, Monti Amundson, Philip Walker, Candye Kane, Melvin Taylor, Sherman Robertson, Terry Evans, Long John Hunter, Eddy Clearwater, Toni Lynn Washington, Paul Oscher, Doug Jay, Boo Boo Davis, Byther Smith, Boyd Small, and many others. Right now is is the bass player of the Jimmy Reiter Band.

JAN MITTENDORP – guitar, buttons, Since 1993 touring Europe with USA artists like:  Percy Strother, Smokey Wilson , Byther Smith, Burton Gaar, Roy Roberts, Larry Garner, Boo Boo Davis, Erskine Oglesby, Jody Williams, Roscoe Chenier, Clara McDaniel, Boyd Small, Billy Jones, Hosea Leavy, Percy Strother, Harrison Kennedy and many others.  In 2009 with Boo Boo Davis among others at Montreux Jazz Festival and Peer Bluesfestival. TWITTER.

We have featured ElectroBluesSociety just once before back in December 2016. I think it fair to say that the second feature has been worth the wait. 'All The Way Down' has the deep rich vocals of Jan Hidding where his natural blues singing is fabulous, the backing music is stripped back with a potent blues guitar and drums and just a small glimpse of electro sounds.

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

Team Picture - Edan Archer - Odetta Hartman - Natalie Holmes

Team Picture - EVE.

Background - The six-piece Leeds-based Team Picture have just shared the video for their ltd. edition 7" single 'EVE' - released on Come Play With Me. 'EVE' is a re-working of a track by fellow Leeds trio, Laminate Pet Animal. Recorded and released initially under the band’s alias, ‘Group Photograph’ for West Yorkshire-based label, Come Play With Me, the new video arrives hot off the back of their recent 6 Music-supported mini-album, ‘Recital’, and just ahead of a headline at Camden Assembly Hall on July 27, 2018 for Come Play With Me/War Child.

“We chose to mangle 'Eve' after sharing one side of a 7" with Laminate Pet Animal's original, excellent, version of the song,” says Team Picture frontman, Josh. “We didn't bother trying to recreate the original because we knew we had nowhere near enough bloopy and bleepy machinery, so we came at it as a re-imagining of the source material.”

Speaking about the video for ‘EVE’, visual artist and director of the clip, Theresa Steinmetz says: “The video references the important topic of mental illness using the routines of three women as the narrative. I worked with light, contrast and tempo in the footage to emphasise mood changes and frustrations. I wanted to bring up, and contribute to the conversation of depression, as it is a topic that’s often forgotten.”

On June 1, 2018, Team Picture released their acclaimed Matt Peel-produced (Menace Beach, Eagulls) debut mini-album, 'Recital' - the band supported the release with a debut headline tour, ticking off a date at Leeds' Brudenell Social Club, and further dates at The Great Escape, Liverpool Sound City,  and Hit The North. Since forming in 2016, the group have earned praise at Radio 1, Radio X, and 6 Music, alongside ticking off support slots with the likes of Parquet Courts, Psychic Ills, The Orielles, Wire, and Ulrika Spacek. We’ll have more new music and live dates from Team Picture to come later in 2018. WEBSITE.

Following on from the song '(I Want Your) Life Hack' which we shared last month and described as  "a creative song where power and eccentricity come together" we now have 'EVE' a piece that differs considerably. There is something of a core band sound that is present, however the tone is a little more sombre, but again intriguing and hypnotically attractive. 


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

Edan Archer - Bad Imitation Of Something Good.

Background - Florida-bred Nashville-based alt-country songcrafter Edan Archer has unleashed a brand new tune--a carefree Tom Petty-esque ode to being liberated from others' ideas and assumptions about ourselves. The song shines a bright rock n' roll spotlight on the absurdity of people trying to change each other. "Basically, this car ain't changing directions," explains Archer. "So, you can either stand back or get in."

“The sentiment behind this song is that 'to hell with it' feeling when you just accept yourself as you are. I came up with the phrase 'bad imitation of something good' to describe when others don’t really see you; they see a bad version of what they think you should be. Specifically, this song is about love and relationships, and priorities: does he see me as the feminine force of nature that I am, or does he see me as someone who can’t put the toothpaste cap on right?”

Archer's swampy sensibilities come through loud and clear, her voice is sultry as sweet tea and crackles like the ever-present heat lightning of her Everglades upbringing. All moonshine and honey, Archer combines rock and country with her roots in Appalachian folk as she gets gritty with guitar magic and casts spells with intimate ballads and finger picking, alternate tunings, and rich effects. There is more music on the way, so keep Edan Archer on your radar. WEBSITE.

'Bad Imitation Of Something Good' is a feisty and lively Americana song that mixes country and rock and roll together, whilst retaining the separate character of both genres. It's also sing along and catchy stuff.

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

Odetta Hartman - Widow's Peak.

Background - NYC artist Odetta Hartman releases her new album 'Old Rockhounds Never Die' through Memphis Industries on 10th August.

Following the release of first two singles 'Misery' and 'Sweet Teeth', Odetta has now unveiled new track 'Widow's Peak'. 'Widow’s Peak' begins as a dusty banjo dirge but soon opens up into a sublime wall of sound comprised of strings, drum machines and deep bass. A sonically diverse palette of sounds that only Odetta Hartman can conjure up. Odetta says about the track: “Sometimes lightning strikes and an entire song reveals itself in an instant. Sometimes I feel like a vessel, channeling stories from beyond, and this spooky tale certainly sounds like it came from another world. With the intention of playing a fiddle solo, I sound-checked the violin in multiple rooms. Thanks to a happy accident, we played back all of the test takes together and fell in love with the wall of sound. At the end, we featured a prayer call & street sounds from our walk through Fez. Of all the songs on the record, I am most proud of this composition.”

'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.
 
Our second feature in less than a month for Odetta Hartman and 'Widow's Peak' is a softer and much slower affair. The delicious and well described "cowboy soul" gently oozes through again adding distinction and hooks throughout.

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

Natalie Holmes - Hideout (Live Piano Session).

Background - Top 10 iTunes singer-songwriter Natalie Holmes has just unveiled a stunning live piano session video of her new single ‘Hideout’. Bristol-based singer/songwriter Natalie Holmes writes lilting, haunting and yet somehow invigorating pop, with honey toned vocals and an incredible depth to every song. An independent artist building her fan base entirely from scratch, she kick-started her musical career by uploading songs and now has over a million hits on YouTube, thousands of subscribers and a loyal following on social media. Although just into her twenties, Natalie has clocked up four successful EP’s: The Simplest Things, Child, Over & Out and her most recent release, Calm Places, all of which featured in the iTunes and Top 10 Singer/Songwriter Charts.

In 2016, Natalie was asked to accompany trance legends ‘Above & Beyond’ as the new female vocalist on their Acoustic II world tour, performing to sold out audiences at the Hollywood Bowl, Royal Albert Hall and Sydney Opera House to name a few. Since Over & Out, Natalie has been writing and making plans for her next solo release, taking time to hone her sound before making her comeback. On top of the A&B tour, the last 12 months have seen her travelling all over Europe, showcasing her existing material to a new audience and trialing new songs.

Described as one of the most consistently astounding new songwriters the music world has seen in ages, Natalie admits that her latest EP, Calm Places, marks a real milestone in her life, where she realised the importance of sitting back and taking care of yourself, making time for all the things and people you love. Listeners have said that she’s coming back with a new edge of maturity on every release, transforming her music into something truly new and unexpected. WEBSITE.

I have added the studio version of 'Hideout' alongside the live piano session, both are superb, it' no wonder the attention Natalie Holmes has received. If her material is new to you, enjoy exploring her previous EP's, and join the large crowd of folk looking forward to more.

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

Sonny Falls - The Ophelias

Sonny Falls - Easy To Lose.

Background - Chicago based indie rock band Sonny Falls shares the lead single "Easy To Lose" off their forthcoming LP Some Kind Of Spectre, due out 8/17 on Sooper Records (Nnamdi Ogbonnaya, Sen Morimoto). On "Easy To Lose" the band addresses the way a toxic situation can be all-consuming. It is about codependency in all forms, like addiction or an unhealthy relationship. The rest of their forthcoming album deals with the same themes. Over 10 tracks, Sonny Falls’ Some Kind of Spectre finds songwriter and frontman Ryan 'Hoagie Wesley' Ensley exploring the nuances and complexities of relationship; whether with a person, a drug, or even just a mindset.

While the album contains explicit references to heroin and the opioid epidemic, metaphorical lyrics create space for the listener to insert their own meaning. Hoagie makes obvious reference to particular issues that have plagued he and his loved ones, but the flexibility of interpretation also highlights the archetypal nature of human struggle. Despite the drastic differences between people in the world, there is space for empathy in the commonality that we all have Some Kind of Spectre.

Sonny Falls is the song-writing project of Chicago DIY veteran Ryan “Hoagie” Wesley Ensley. Disarmingly personal in his presentation, Consequence of Sound once described Sonny Falls as “the sound of a songwriter struggling to assert his own agency in a world that refuses to do him any favors.” Hoagie’s writing gives voice to a depleted notion of modern Americana saturated by fortuneless upbringing, tragic devotion, and the untold losses of the opioid epidemic. These themes recur honestly and without pretension in his writing; erected as dark windows into the soul of songs that nonetheless break glass to let the sunshine in. Dire narratives are beset by a survival instinct of unrelenting optimism, and are delivered with a graceful balance of honest guitar rock and soulful self-expression. The result is that special kind of timeless indie rock. Bands like Built to Spill and Neutral Milk Hotel are strong points of reference not only because of the familiar sonic territory but because, like those bands, Sonny Falls is a project that listeners might fall in love with forever.  

On 2018’s Some Kind of Spectre (Sooper Records), themes of codependency and addiction underwrite melancholic sing-alongs extruded through a foundation of blistering guitar rock. The rhythm section of drummer Calvin Schaller and bassist Jeff Perlman joyride with the signature lead guitar of Anthony Santoro to rocket the songs light years beyond the domain of singer-songwriter tropes. Notable horn and string arrangements feature prominently in the album and shine as a definitive symphonic element. The result is an epic of honesty presenting as the masterwork of a talent screaming to be heard. Bleak but optimistic, Some Kind of Spectre is an ambitious work of pop-rock brilliance that urges the recognition of Sonny Falls as an authentic and substantive voice in the landscape of American rock music, FACEBOOK.

'Easy To Lose' is a sturdy rocker, with bags of energy and vocals that ooze rock and roll credentials. The video adds a layer of good feeling to the song, with or without the images, this is one fine blast of natural rock music.


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

The Ophelias - Lunar Rover.

Background - The Ophelias have just shared the new track and video "Lunar Rover." 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, 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:
07/12 Kansas City, MO - Uptown Arts Bar
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 *
07/23 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
07/27 – Cincinnati, OH – We Have Become Vikings
* = w/ The Low Anthem.

We featured 'Fog' in May, 'General Electric' in June and now were in July 'Lunar Rover' makes it's timely arrival, increasing our anticipation even further for The Ophelias new album 'Almost'. Well three in a row is all down to the bands unique and fascinating creative works, which have consistently grabbed my attention. The latest song is another mixture of baroque meets low key rock, the vocals add more dimension and depth, this is very impressive and pleasing material.

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

Moderate Rebels - Atlanta Arrival - ilu

Moderate Rebels - Beyond Hidden Words.

Background - London-based “Anti-Music Collective” Moderate Rebels release ‘Beyond Hidden Words’, from their just-completed second album, due out in November on Everyday Life Recordings. Describing it as an ‘un-song’, Moderate Rebels say, “We’re not sure what this music is exactly. It arrived with us as a feeling, then a defiant chant, a repeating half hallucination set to building noise, an invocation of strong communal power and hope, through the confronting of the uncomfortable, and the taking of some personal responsibility for being part of that conversation… The sound of a dream, set to the dream of a sound.”

‘Beyond Hidden Words’ arrived as an experiment, as much Moderate Rebels material has, from posed questions: “Can 3 chords and ‘the truth’ still work in 2018?... At what point does repetition become psychedelic?... Once you lose track of structure and time in music, do you get any sense of the infinite?”

“We know ‘Beyond Hidden Words’ has become important to us, and we find it emotionally stirring, more so as we listen to it, and we do believe these to be the correct words for us to sing, to our bones, and perhaps that’s enough for now”.

“Some London gigs and a UK tour in November are being planned. We may play ‘Beyond Hidden Words’ and some other new songs for the whole 45 minutes at some. We’ve done it before with [MR’s first single] ‘God Sent Us’ and enjoyed it very much… None of us knew what was going on or what would happen. Once you get a taste for that kind of chaotic night… It’s addictive.”

Moderate Rebels follow their debut album ‘The Sound Of Security’ and ‘Proxy’ EP, both released in 2017. The collective’s previously stated approach to their songwriting is “to use as few words and chords as possible”. TWITTER.

We featured Moderate Rebels a couple of times last year including their debut album, and I think it fair to say they were one of my favourites bands of 2017. Returning with 'Beyond Hidden Words' the first taste of their second album due in November, and the bands ethos of using just a few chords and words remains intact, as does their ability to do so with imagination and fascination. The bonus personally is that I can remember all the lyrics, as I sing along (privately that is, you wouldn't want to hear me sing).

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

Atlanta Arrival - Colliding Stars (A Tribute To Björn Mertz).

Background - “On 17th May, we had to say goodbye to our dear son, brother, uncle, friend and drummer Björn Mertz. He was a fighter and an optimist, always determined to support his beloved ones instead of burdening them with his own stroke of fate. After months of battling cancer, it seemed like a miracle when he left the hospital cancer-free at the beginning of this year – still full of enthusiasm and joy of living. He enjoyed the time with friends and family and poured all his energy into his music, his one true passion. So, after our former band The Satellite Year split up, we composed an album that was supposed to be our next project.

Björn was about to go to a health resort, so we wanted to record the songs afterwards – but as if he had had a vision, he insisted on finishing the recording of the drums before his leave. And so he did: 9 songs in only 8 hours! At this time there was no way that anybody could have known that he was already developing a number of new tumours. While his friends believed that Björn was at the health resort as planned, really he was staying at the Uniklinik Homburg, a hospital, again fighting a battle against cancer with only his family by his side – and he did fight to the last. There is no rational explanation for what had happened during the last few weeks of his life or why this even had to happen. Similarly, there are no words for the pain and grief we feel. But should pain, emptiness and misery be the only things left? He himself would not have wanted this.

Therefore, it’s the deepest wish of his family and friends that Björn’s music and with it his unique spirit live on. We finished Björn’s favourite song of the album as well as a music video and kindly ask you to donate whatever you want and can afford to give, in order to support the German Cancer Foundation”. FACEBOOK, BANDCAMP.

A sad background with plenty of reasons to feature this music video regardless of the quality. However 'Colliding Stars' is a fine song that deserves to be shared on it's own merit. Only featuring music we like, enables Beehive Candy to be positive about all we share, and in it's own minor way hopefully that understanding provides a small tribute, to a drummer we never personally knew and clearly, a naturally talented musician. 


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

ilu - Graffiti Hen Ewrop.

Background - Hymns of heartbreak and poetic reflections on grief and loss all dressed in music, steeped in the infectious energy and experimentation of 70s West Germany (Neu! Can, Faust). ilu also possesses a modernist European perspective that at first seemed at odds with their organic song-craft, yet it all coalesces into one coherent moving sound. 

Krautrock, motoric grooves propel their songs, songs that are also informed by a love for spiky post-punk and its melancholic longing, evident in ilu's rain soaked chords that sit comfortably on these city rhythms. Splitting their time recording between Tallinn, Estonia and rural Wales, ilu will be releasing their debut single 'Graffiti Hen Ewrop' on August 3rd. This singular reclusive band are well worth the wait.

'Graffiti Hen Ewrop' - The lyrics came in one go, driving around a snowy Tallinn on Christmas day, throwing grief and sadness into the night that is falling around the city. "I had just lost my father a few months before moving to Tallinn and I was dealing with my grief and my own confusion that was crippling at the time. The album was written and recorded there in a small flat in Merivälja looking across the harbour over at the old medieval town, it is very much a journey back into the light”.

The rest of the recording and mixing were done under the guidance of Producer Tim Lewis (Coil, Julian Cope, Spiritualized) from his studio in rural Carmarthenshire, Wales. Mastering is by Iwan Morgan (Euros Childs, Gruff Rhys, Cate Le Bon, Sweet Baboo). TWITTER.

If you have been here often enough you may well have noted we have a thing about Krautrock. It's a very positive thing at that, and 'Graffiti Hen Ewrop' is one of those tracks that satisfies, as it also promises more! ilu have nailed it with this song.

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

Gaffa Tape Sandy - Mikey Collins - Polyplastic

Gaffa Tape Sandy - Meat Head.

Background - Rising garage rockers Gaffa Tape Sandy launch their punishing new single Meat Head, building on their brand of high-octane, adrenaline-fuelled rock ‘n’ roll delivered with a vital message.

“Meat Head was written as an attack on the type of mind-sets people harbour which involve believing that they somehow own or have the right to the body of another person”, the band stated. “The song is intended to be a pointed finger, an accusation and a vexed comment aimed towards reckless attitudes that exacerbate rape culture. It’s a topic we feel strongly about, and so wanted to perform with passion and indignation”.

With drummer Robin Francis’ viciously executed pre-choruses and bassist Catherine Lindley-Neilson’s fierce vocal delivery, the subject of the song can be widely felt within the performance just as much as the lyrics, adding to the wave of momentum surrounding the trio heading into the summer months.

One of NME’s 100 Essential Acts for 2018, the Bury St. Edmunds outfit have already toured across the UK with Indoor Pets this year and will be hopping all over the festival circuit with imminent slots at Latitude (BBC Introducing) and Y Not following raucous displays at The Great Escape and Live At Leeds. WEBSITE.

Feisty garage rock with plenty of punk attitude oozes throughout 'Meat Head' a sub three minute sonic blast of timeless and sincere "message attached" no nonsense rock.

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

Mikey Collins - Falling.

Background - "Falling" is the second single to be taken from the forthcoming debut album by Allo Darlin' drummer Mikey Collins. Hoick is due out via Fika Recordings on 17 August. The song is a bright, upbeat pop number with call and response vocals provided by Laura Kovic from Tigercats. It is about Mikey proposing to his wife, something he swore blind he'd never do.

The video was shot on a summer's day in London, bringing the track to life, adding colour and movement, featuring the dancer Dessy Adesuwa, who choregraphed the piece herself. As Mikey explains; "London always shows it's best side on a sunny day and we shot the footage in ten hours around Little Venice, Fitzroy Square and St James Park... much to the joy of many onlookers."

Mikey explains further about the song; "This is about the process of proposing to my wife. About how I changed my opinions on marriage and how I changed my mind from it being something that I never wanted to do to being something very important to me!"

With Hoick, Mikey Collins combines his love of solid grooves and joyous harmonies to create a fun and sonically varied record. Mikey played most of the instruments and mixed the record himself, with some assistance from Laura Kovic (Tigercats) on vocals and fellow Allo Darlin' member Paul Rains on lead guitar. The flicker of his previous band provided the building blocks of an upbeat, positive record, but Mikey wanted to add his own quirky, disco spin & sonic expansiveness, aided by co-producer John Winfield (who has worked with Jimmy Somerville), with the aim of making a record that people stood a chance of being able to dance to. To create this eclectic sound, Mikey draws on influences are as far flung as Dexy's Midnight Runners, Bruce Springsteen & Todd Rundgren as well as more current artists such as Night Works, Matthew E White and Father John

It was a real pleasure to share the first single from Mikey Collins and the second one 'Falling' is equally special and pleasing to feature. Once again we are treated to some refined pop sensibilities, the smooth delivery and upbeat lilt, is taken up a further notch by the dual harmonies, and the video really is "the icing on the cake."


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

Polyplastic - Next Slide.

Background - LA-based, post-punk band Polyplastic have released their new EP, Not No. Polyplastic is the project of Los Angeles natives Charlie Ellis and Emily Ibarra. 

Inspired by his time as a welder in North Philadelphia, Ellis’s songwriting is influenced by industrial and post-punk genres, marrying lyrical melodies with angular guitar lines and a driving rhythm section.

With a few bare-bones demos, the band started playing shows in LA and touring the US, supporting acts such as Wolf Alice, Ryley Walker, Draemings, and Tennis System. Polyplastic have released a few one off singles over the past few months, leading up to the release of their EP, Not No, due out June 29th. The band will be touring nationally, in support of the EP. TWITTER.

The single from Polyplastic's brand new EP 'Not No' is 'Next Slide' which exclusively includes 'Memphian Circles' as the B side. The band develop intriguing post punk orientated music where the vocals are just right for the genre adding depth and passion, whilst the musical backdrop is solid and robust.


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