Native Harrow new song 'Something You Have' has something of a blues feel to it musically, the vocals add additional melody and some heartfelt beauty.
Silverbacks make their third appearance on Beehive Candy with 'Pink Tide' where a chunky rhythm supports some semi spoken vocals as the bands notable style of rock continues to impress.
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Native Harrow - Something You Have.
Devin Tuel may consider herself to be an artist meant for a different time but the singer-songwriter, residing in rural Pennsylvania, now finds herself inhabiting her own true place as she shares the first single from her debut Loose album Happier Now released under her nom de plume, Native Harrow.
Speaking about the single, singer and composer Devin Tuel says Something You Have is written "about a relationship where there is an unbalanced amount of focus on one person. Giving and giving, and giving more even after you’ve sworn not to. Some people seem to have a certain magic about them where they can do no wrong. They are never punished for being a bad friend, lover, child, sibling, etc. I really started protecting my heart and my time this year and at the same time ruminated on the desire I always have to experience emotion as someone else. I struggle with anxiety and bouts of the blues and I look at others from time to time and think, "wow I’d love to know what it’s like to feel this the way you do."
Native Harrow cuts out clear and vibrant narratives on fear, love, the open road, ill-fated relationships, and coping with the state of the world. “I wanted to share that I made it out of my own thunderstorm.” says Tuel. “I had experienced the high peaks and very low valleys of my twenties. I saw more of the world on my own, got through challenges, revelled in true moments of triumph… but all the while the world around me was growing louder, wilder, and scarier. Music for me is a place to be soft. This album was my place to feel it all.”
Happier Now will receive its European release via Loose (Damien Jurado, Courtney Marie Andrews, Israel Nash, The Handsome Family) on 2nd August 2019.
Silverbacks are continuing their fruitful studio partnership with Girl Band’s Daniel Fox with the propelling new track ‘Pink Tide’ that is out now.
“Pink Tide is a song about trendy and stylish revolutions that lack substance and never fully materialise. The chorus is inspired by a YouTube compilation I came across called 'Make Way for The Queens Guard!!!'.
It's pretty much the Queen's Guard yelling the video title every time a tourist impedes them from completing their duty. I told Kilian about the video before he went on a short trip to London and upon his visit to Buckingham Palace he shouted out the line. His moment of inspiration wasn't very well received so we made it into a chorus.
Musically, we had been messing around with the outro guitar riff for a few weeks which we initially attached to another demo, poorly named 'Mark E. Smith Eats His Purple Crayon'. In the end we realised that the riff deserved better, and we started writing what eventually became Pink Tide.”
Annabel Allum makes her fourth appearance on Beehive Candy more a less a year to the day since we last enjoyed a song from her. 'You Got It Good' is another typically emotion packed song, her vocals as earnest as ever and the music equally determined.
'Superclean' from Scott Lavene is accompanied by an engaging video full of low budget moments, that just add to the charm of this hook laden song,
Back in April we shared 'I With Mine' by Merival and now we have 'No Brakes' where the vocals are absolutely stunning as is the refreshing musical backdrop.
Spirit Family Reunion have just released the first taste of their forthcoming album with 'One Way Ticket' a wonderful American folk piece which just fills the room with Americana goodness.
Finally today, Grace Gillespie has released 'I'm Your Man' a song that sits somewhere between Indie pop, rock or even folk, it's might be hard to pigeonhole, but it's an equally addictive and pleasing tune.
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Annabel Allum - You Got It Good.
From playing local pubs in Guildford 6 nights a week, to acclaimed performances around the world, it’d be tempting to call Annabel Allum’s rise a whirlwind. However to do so would belie the steady growth and legwork put in by one of the UK’s most exciting up-and-comers. From single to single Annabel has evolved and added exciting extra facets to her trademark punky sound. Upcoming release You Got It Good, out via cult London label Killing Moon, is the latest peak in her canon of vital, snarling songs.
A common theme throughout her releases is the ease with which tracks boiling over with righteous anger can sit side by side with touchingly sentimental tracks dedicated to friends and family. You Got It Good, with its bouncy 90s style treads that tightrope with aplomb. Annabel explains the origins of the track:
"I wrote this song after a friend came to me in a very low state. This is the conversation I had with them. Sometimes we need to go through hardship to grow as people, and understand ourselves & the world around us better. To adapt & learn from negative situations allows us to appreciate life more."
Long marked out as one to watch, the swell of praise for Annabel Allum from all corners is resounding. Long-time championed by BBC Radio 1, she’s made the daytime playlist, had a live session at the iconic Maida Vale studios as well as performing on their SXSW stage, a festival which she’s now taken by storm twice. Other notable shows include a dream-come-true emotional performance at Reading festival, as well as The Great Escape; tours with Nadine Shah, Sleeper and Beth Ditto have been the perfect way to cut her teeth in the presence of esteemed artists.
Scott Lavene returns his new single Superclean, the latest track to be taken from his forthcoming album Broke that is set for release on 7th June on CD, LP and digital.
Speaking of his latest release, Lavene says “It’s a pop bop, a strut. I wanted to write a song that was less literal than others I write. I wrote it one morning during the recording of the album, in the kitchen of the producer who was letting me stay at his house. It’s about feeling good, a new chapter, eternal optimism, escape.”
Growing up in the eighties his first musical memories were the Stray Cats thrilling rush ‘Runaway Boys’ when he was at nursery before sparking off on The Clash on the Levis ads and Otis Reading, Beatles, Stones and all the classics before embracing the kind of eclectic musical trip that his own songs reflect.
‘I like everything from cheesy pop, hip hop, British music from sixties and seventies Ian Dury, to underground stuff like Suicide and the Membranes. When I first had a band I tried to be something I’m not, cool, hip. indie, like the Kills or The Strokes but I’m not cool and I don’t write songs like that. I’m just a fella from Essex and when I started writing stories and songs about my own life and what I’d seen it all clicked.’
To support the release of his new album Scott Lavene is heading out on the road with his newly formed backing band The Pub Garden.
The new track is shared in-line with news of her debut album, 'Lesson' (out August 2, 2019) which comes produced by Sam Gleason (Charlotte Cornfield, Omhouse). 'No Brakes' sonically finds Merival - who's previous collabs include members of Born Ruffians and Teen Daze - rubbing shoulders with the likes of Haley Heynderickx, Adrianne Lenker and Marissa Nadler; bewitching melodies are intertwined with icy vocals and carousel-like rhythms, all topped off with a slightly tongue-in-cheek video.
Anna is quite open about her mental health and 'No Brakes' explores the writing process when battling these demons. Lyrically, it encapsulates the insecurity that comes with artistry and the perception of 'bad art vs good art', and 'mental anguish vs stability' - whether an artist needs to be in a darker psychological place to conjure up 'good' or credible music.
Speaking about the track, Merival says: “The video for 'No Brakes' was a fun flip around from the track. Whereas lyrically we had a serious subject: depression, and does feeling worse make better art? — This topic was given a spin with contrasting musical elements, for the video we took a kind of goofy narrative and tried to lend some gravitas to the actions around it.”
Nepoer Folk Festival faves Spirit Family Reunion are set to return with 'Ride Free' their first album in four years. Fans will notice a wider variety of instrumentation on a number of songs, from electric guitar to a horn section on “Gradual Power,” though their signature harmonies, Maggie Carson’s banjo, and Stephen Weinheimer’s washboard are alive and well.
Banjo player Maggie Carson contributes lead vocals to the rousing old-time tune “When I Get Home” while washboard man Stephen Weinheimer sings vulnerably about a moment of self-doubt in “Moon In The Mirror.” The insightful “Gradual Power” finds the band exploring the cyclical nature of things. Nick Panken wrote “Come Our Way” towards the end of 2016, exploring the balance between individual action and acceptance on the course of events. The band continues its commitment to traditional folk music with a rousing interpretation of the cowboy classic “Whoopie Ti Yi To.”
Of the single, Panken says, “This is a song about self empowerment, solidarity among outcasts, a thirst for trespassing borders that uphold convention. Being alive is the only permission you need to be here. That is your one way ticket, and it’s as valid as the rest. Though our societies invent criteria that inflict very real suffering upon a multitude of beings, we are all entitled to claim dignified lives simply because we are here. Ultimately this is more real than any fabricated rule or restriction, and this song suggests that the validation you need is contained within you.”
Spirit Family Reunion has played Austin City Limits and headlined the Brooklyn Folk Fest; performed an NPR Tiny Desk Concert; joined tours with Hurray for the Riff Raff, The Alabama Shakes, and Levon Helm; and been streamed well over two million times on Spotify.
London based artist and producer Grace Gillespie is releasing her new single ‘I’m Your Man’, announcing her debut EP ‘Pretending’.
After “a very musically immersive experience” touring as part of Pixx’s live line up “getting to play alongside the likes of - Nilufer Yanya, Sorry, Cosmo Pyke and Trudy and the Romance”, South London based Grace Gillespie is exploring the world of psych-pop with her new solo material.
Releasing her take on a woozy, romantic ballad, a self-proclaimed “pyjama clad, songwriter living in a fictional apocalyptic world”, the track was born from Grace’s job hunt : “I could imagine an interview scenario where I was dressed up very sharply and was selling myself in an Elvis voice, shaking all their hands: look no further I'm Your Man.”
Originally from Devon, Grace was constantly surrounded by art: “Both my parents, my grandmothers, my grandpa, auntie and great aunt are all incredible painters, sculptors, print-makers.”
As a child, the most influential gallery she could visit was her own home, filled with visual art by her parents. She explains, “childishly, I liked seeing how the work that related to me – paintings that my mother or father had painted in the years before I was born or in the years when I was very young.”
“For me, all music - my own song writing as well as much of the music I have listened to throughout my life - is attached permanently to specific images and locations,” she continues, carrying on the artistic tradition.
‘I’m Your Man’ is available on all online platforms on 17th May, is the first track from Grace’s debut EP ‘Pretending’ out 28th July on Kaleidoscope.
Just a couple of songs today. First off we have Scary Hours with 'The Real Disease' a song with a message that is conveyed through thoughtful lyrics and some robust musicianship.
Gathering Of Strangers have shared an acoustic live session version of 'Lady' and although I am a little short on info about the band, the video and song stand on their own merit, this is refined alt rock.
Scary Hours - The Real Disease.
Scary Hours create unsettling and raw anti-folk, rich with socio-political humor and the confrontational spirit of punk and hardcore.
Band spearhead Ryan Struck is officially from Jersey, but his songwriting is chock full of references to work life in NYC. The term “Scary Hours” is actually pulled from the Wu Tang Clan track from their 97’ album Forever. It seemed appropriate considering the hours Ryan was working in the city and also references the late hours of a party, when everyone is most intoxicated and you’re not sure what you did the next day. Often Ryan would find voice recordings from those nights that he didn’t remember making and the bones of Scary Hours debut album, Live to Serve, were built on those memos.
Struck cut his teeth in various punk and hardcore bands through his teen years and early 20’s and is currently a sought after multi-instrumentalist who moonlights on bass with The 65’s and drums in Voice of Doom. Reluctant to coin himself as a solo artist, Scary Hours was conceptualized with the intent of writing stripped down acoustic songs, and while it contains some of the jingle and gloss of punk-tinged acoustic pop, Scary Hours debut album is more basement show than coffee shop - Elvis Costello meets Lawrence Arms or possibly a Bukowski-esque Bright Eyes.
MwS have shared 'Moonlight' a smooth, melodic and soulful song with that all important wow factor that makes the piece stand out.
'Sea Will Return You' is from the Southern California folk ensemble Eve & The Vagabond Tales. The vocals are beautifully melodic and the bands musical structure is wonderful and full of Americana refinement.
We don't often feature remixes however Future Rootz have created some really enticing music that is just crammed with quality and fresh creativity, it's just got to be shared, this really is exceptional!
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MwS - Moonlight.
Although the pair recount working with other talented musicians and producers, the scene is unquestionably stronger on the British Isles so a move was always on the cards. However, the whole plan was nearly derailed early on as the pair booked tickets into the UK on the very day we decided to leave the European Union. It’s a wound reopened recently with the uncertainty in the air around the subject and growing worry about the position of touring musicians in the UK.
"The Brexit decision made us feel a bit uneasy about heading to the UK only at the beginning... We have a lot of faith in London, which we know is a very open city that somehow needs people from all over the world. We knew that this was the place for our music so we had to make it happen regardless. In the last months though, there is a lot of worry around Brexit for touring musicians."
The duo first graced the airwaves with their debut EP ‘Swim’. Written and produced between the UK and Italy, with a carefully curated roster of different artists and producers.. The project has since racked up over 600K Streams on Spotify and had support from the likes of Complex, Clash, BBC 6 Music, The BBC Introducing Mixtape, Amazing Radio. They followed up with the beachy, pop-soul leaning ‘Island’. Produced by Grammy winning Aamir Yaqub (Ne-Yo, Rihanna, Will.I.Am) - Island was their first release solely created in the UK. Spotify got behind the track again, with support on their influential “Alternative R’n’B” playlist.
Looking forward to 2019, Giulia and Francesco are looking to take their art to the next level with a string of single releases and a full EP in the summer months. Their last singles were both supported on a number of official Spotify Playlists. This led to support from Jamz Supernova on BBC Radio 1Xtra and BBC Introducing London. The duo are looking to expand on their live presence this year, with live dates for Wilderness Festival confirmed, as well as a fast-selling London headline show. Although their next single is titled ‘Moonlight’ - it’s an exquisite piece of sunshine alt-pop, with a disco feel.
On the track, the duo state: “Moonlight was inspired by a dream Giulia had after watching La La Land. Most of the images come straight from the surreal atmosphere of dreams, where you can sometimes meet ‘your self’ and find the courage to break out of your comfort zone. The song is also an invitation to focus on the positive side of things in order to reach your full potential.
Eva & The Vagabond Tales, a folk ensemble based in Southern California and led by charismatic Russian-born Eva Mikhailovna, are set to release a new album, their second in May. Titled Uncharted Ocean, the album features ten original songs that combine western, old folk and ragtime traditions into a musical melting pot, creating a unique and alluring sound that transcends time and continents.
David Fleming of NPR describes their sound as having “the feel of old Europe.” Performing alongside Eva as The Vagabonds are Jake Pflum on percussion, Alan Arteaga on electric guitar, banjo and ukulele, Jasmine Capitulo on accordion and Benjamin Purper on bass. Produced by Charles Newman (The Magnetic Fields, The Bones of J.R. Jones), the album also includes Claudia Chopek (Father John Misty, Moby) on violin and viola, Christian Dupree (Jack Johnson) on cello, and Logan Coale (Natalie Merchant) on upright bass.
The song “Sea Will Return You” was released as a single digitally on May 10. Uncharted Ocean will be released digitally, on CD and on “Sea Green” vinyl on May 17. The band will play a special album release showcase at Hotel Café on May 15. The video was directed by Mikhailovna with the help of Pflum and aerial camera operator Miguel Galindo.
Says Mikhailovna: “This album combines songs from every season in my life. The songs were written over a period of ten years, and some of the instrument tracks we managed to salvage are so ancient that you can almost hear the hours trying to catch up with you as you listen to it. Layering the new crispy clear recordings on top of the older ones gave the album a lot of character.
A lot of these songs have a reoccurring theme of the ocean. There are songs about someone sailing away and never coming back, a mysterious lighthouse where you have to watch your every step, someone who would rather stay comfortable in shallow waters, and a song about memories sinking into the deepest parts of the ocean where nobody can find them. I liked the name “Uncharted Ocean” not only because of the ocean metaphors, but also because this album was like uncharted territory in my own life. This was my first time working with a producer, and my first time letting someone else enhance my songs, pushing them in directions I didn’t think they could go. “
Future Rootz is a collective of Chicago-based mixed media DJs who spin and remix global roots, tropical bass, world electronic and Latin house music. The collective produces events in Chicago highlighting local and international artists and DJs from all over the world. Future Rootz just released its first record as a label, What Goes Up (Remixed), on limited-edition vinyl.
What Goes Up (Remixed), which includes remixes by Maga Bo, Ron Trent, AfroQbano, Sound Culture, Sol Power Sound, Kevin Ford and Jose Marquez, is a companion piece to 2017’s What Goes Up.
True to its original intent as an evolving musical experiment, Chicago Afrobeat Project now angles its afrobeat roots sideways, pushing a vocal-heavy band that drips with slippery funk and rhythmic hiphop. After years working with Tony Allen, master drummer behind Fela Kuti and the creator of Afrobeat, the group’s grasp of the musical form is uncontested. It’s the deviation from tradition that continues to make the band’s sound contemporary and relevant.
With the addition of male emcee Legit and female vocalist Rhea the Second, tightly executed hip-hop verses scatter across the top of CAbP’s bubbling Afrobeat rhythms. Rhea’s soaring vocal melodies intersect with the full horn section, which at times will either punctuate to emphasize these vocals or intertwine with the vocal melody itself. The sound is rich, and there’s a lot to sink your teeth into whether you’re a fan of Fela or the burgeoning young Chicago hiphop scene.
The group began in 2002 as a collective of musicians sharing a common interest in West African rhythms. Quickly they realized that mixing Afrobeat with Chicago house, indie rock, hip-hop and jazz opened new avenues for experimentation.
Fast-forward hundreds of tour dates and five studio releases later, and the group has found ways of interpreting Afrobeat through American urban sounds. Through it all, CAbP has been at the center of the emergence of the North American Afrobeat scene. On its newest releases, What Goes Up Remixed (2019) and What Goes Up (2017), the band features special guest Tony Allen, as well as many Chicago vocalists and MCs.
Allen, once exclaimed by Brian Eno as “perhaps the greatest drummer who ever lived,” plays kit on all 10 tracks, recording his signature beats behind the band and vocalists. This collaboration makes Chicago Afrobeat Project the first American Afrobeat band to produce a full-length studio record with Tony Allen.
Taking the vocal helm on the album are Akenya (Noname, Chance the Rapper), JC Brooks, Kiara Lanier, Legit (Chance the Rapper), Ugochi, Oranmiyan and Rico Sisney/Maggie Vagle (Sidewalk Chalk). The band’s new vocal-laden approach makes the songs on What Goes Up concise and intentional, and markedly different from CAbP’s prior recordings.
A staple of the American live music scene for years, the band’s live show now combines its historically instrumental style with the new vocal approach. Crowds feed off the spontaneity of the soloists and enthusiasm of the band.
The Curls new single 'Lemon Lime' is a rhythmic psych/indie pop song with bags of originality. The fabulous musical arrangement competes with some slightly quirky but pleasing vocals, all coming together just right.
It's been over a year since we last featured Diamond Thug, this being their forth appearance on Beehive Candy. We have the new video for their recent release 'Tell Me', the band's distinct sound and quality continues to impress and appeal.
Jeanines emphasis on short to the point bursts of indie music are nonetheless very catchy, you just have to play each song twice, that's all!
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The Curls - Lemon Lime.
Chicago, Psych-Pop band The Curls have debut their new single "Lemon Lime". The track comes off their forthcoming album Bounce House due out June 7th, 2019 on Diversion Records.
The Curls hail from Chicago but seem to mentally reside in outer space or perhaps the lush palm tree lined hills of Hollyweird. An all-star cast of accomplished Chicago musicians led by songwriter Mick Fansler, the group blends genres like these health nuts blend their smoothies. As such, their music has been labeled Psych Pop, Art Rock, Nu-Angular Guitar and even Hardcore Experimental Power Adult Contemporary.
After being praised by Stereogum, Pitchfork, Under The Radar, The 405, and more, and following their 2017 album, Super Unit, The Curls have been avidly playing prominent music festivals including 2018's Pitchfork Music Festival and this year's SXSW, leading them to share stages with popular music greats like Tame Impala, Courtney Barnett, Maps and Atlases, and Post Animal.
Formed in a basement in Kommetjie, a small surf town on the southern tip of Africa, Diamond Thug combine Sub-Saharan rhythms with indie pop dreamscapes, with a vitality and energy bursting from the seams of each track that becomes juxtaposed with melancholic themes.
Lead singer Chantel Van T’s luscious vocals wash over layers of guitar, synth-bass and pounding drums with a certain quiet power. When Chantel was a teenager, she wanted to be a quantum physicist, which may explain some of Diamond Thug’s lyrical subjects.
The band’s debut album Apastron was set within the depths of space, with celestial bodies and laws of planetary motion being used as metaphors for earth-bound problems. New EP Gaiafy turns inward to human experience, pairing nihilism and existential crises with allusions to climate change.
The band tell us that new track ‘Tell Me’ is “an empathetic song, dealing with the acceptance that suffering is a shared experience of all of life, albeit to differing degrees. Through our suffering, we are healed and can offer our healing to others in the form of sharing experiences.”
Brooklyn's Jeanines specialize in ultra-short bursts of energetic but melancholy minor-key pop. With influences that run deep into the most crucial tributaries of DIY pop — Messthethics, the Television Personalities, Marine Girls, early Pastels, Dolly Mixture — they've crafted a style that is as individual as it is just plain pleasurable. Alicia Jeanine's pure, unaffected voice muses wistfully on the illusions of time, while My Teenage Stride/Mick Trouble mastermind Jed Smith's frantic Motown-esque drumming and inventive bass playing provide a thrilling rhythmic foundation.
"Winter In The Dark" and a lovely, jaunty cover of The Siddeleys' "Falling Off Of My Feet Again" provide great insight into what Jeanines are about. 60s-meet-80s melodies combine with timeless guitar jangle in a way that recalls everything from The Aislers Set and Saturday Looks Good To Me to more recent DIY pop groups like Parsnip and Chook Race. Album opener "Either Way," "Hits The Bone" and "Where We Go" hearken back to some of the most intriguing bands of the C86/C88 era, when bands like Jesse Garon & The Desperadoes crafted perfect pop gems enlivened by the inspiration of punk.
Gorgeous songs like "Where I Stand," "Too Late" and "In This House" are windows into Alicia's lyrical style and inspiration. She expands: "I'm kind of obsessed with mortality and how weird the passage of time is so I think my lyrics reflect that. I definitely lean into that kind of melancholy state of mind when trying to think of lyrics, while trying to avoid cliches!" The marriage of the minor-key melodies and melancholic lyrics is powerful and make Alicia's songs all the more memorable, especially so on songs like "No Home," with its echoes of girl harmony post-punk groups like Grass Widow and Household.
Clearly, with 16 great songs included, there is a lot at work here on this standout debut album. Jeanines have been compared to such cult pop icons as Dear Nora, Black Tambourine, and more recent acts like Veronica Falls and Girl Ray, but their dark, modal melodies and pensive, philosophical lyrics, along with Smith's versatile but ever-economical musicality, ensure them a place of their own in today's crowded but boisterously healthy DIY pop scene.
'Wild Things' is the debut single from Lookalikes a duo made up of Al Currie and Joel Skurrie. It's an impressive indie piece with plenty of depth, power and some fine vocals.
Diving At Dawn has shared 'The Humbling of a Good Man' an expansive sounding and well arranged song with plenty of melodic hooks and some excellent story line lyrics.
From Lord Sonny The Unifier we have the new album 'Final Notice!' which is accompanied by a short biography (see below) that adds some real insight into the album and it's final arrival. As for the music, well the collection strides across differing rock genres, expect plenty of imagination and a truck load of hooks along the way.
We shared a couple of songs from Nathan & Jessie last month and 'Worse Than Worse' makes for a fabulous third track to include, their infectious warmth and delicious vibes are hard to resist.
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Lookalikes - Wild Things.
Emerging from Melbourne’s vast musical melting pot, duo Lookalikes prove they are far from ordinary with their unique debut single ‘Wild Things’.
Surging with joy and oozing charm, the electric indie bop swoops in with an onslaught of groovy bass tones, folk-spiked guitar riffs, and gliding harmonies. The first glimpse into their upcoming EP, it’s refreshing to see their inception have such clarity and vision.
Taking pointers from Maurice Sendak’s famous novel, ‘Wild Things’ encourages the listener to stand up for what they believe in, and truly be themselves. “It's about strengthening your character and letting your walls come down in doing so. It’s throwing away the feeling of everyone being against you and throwing down your barricades to express yourself free of judgement,” singer Al Currie explains.
Lookalikes is the project of Al Currie and Joel Skurrie, both of whom have been heavily involved in music since a young age. Beginning their collaboration in 2016, the grand reveal of 'Wild Things' proves that their years of hard work has paid off masterfully.
With the launch of their live shows and debut EP still yet to come, there’s lots to look forward to from the pair; a promise these Lookalikes will be familiar faces in no time.
Featuring an orchestral accompaniment recorded over Skype (potentially the worlds first skype-orchestra), we have the new video to accompany the debut single ‘The Humbling Of A Good Man’ from Diving At Dawn (a new project from Pete Hobbs of The Boy Least Likely To).
Talking about the track, Pete explains "'The Humbling of a Good Man' is a soundtrack to everyday life. Dreams fall by the wayside, ambitions get cut to the quick and lives aren’t lived to the fullest. The song finds the protagonist at the end of a journey, the end of a dream, crash landing back into suburbia and trying to make sense of where he’s been and what’s to come”.
Released just this week, Pete goes on to explain the inspiration for the video. “The Humbling of a Good Man is a song about a guy realising that his dreams and ambitions aren’t going to be fulfilled and contemplating what his future will look like. For the video I moved the character slightly on into the future, hopefully showing that whatever happens in life there is always some light at the end of the tunnel.”
Brooklyn-based alternative rock band Lord Sonny The Unifier is lead by Gregory Jiritano. Jiritano began playing guitar at age 8, formed his first band band at age 12, and began playing in NYC bars at age 16. After the loss of his recording studio a fire in 2015, he had to throw in the towel - and his unfinished album - or regroup. He regrouped. Jiritano conspired with good friend Carmine Covelli to play drums, soon met Tyler Wood, a keyboard-wizard-freak and sound guru, Tyler swore by his good friend Derek Nievergelt on Bass, and thus Lord Sonny the Unifier was formed...and album completed.
"I began playing guitar at age 8 and so I cannot remember life without a guitar in my hands or very nearby. It was a $20 acoustic guitar my mother brought me back from Mexico. After moving on to an electric guitar, I joined a band at age 12 and miraculously we got gigs at schools, local fairs and church basements. At 16 I began playing in bars in NYC and the surrounding boroughs. 2 years later I began writing, and it was at this time I got very interested in the recording process and decided it would be best if I owned my own recording equipment in order to be a self reliant musician and to begin sonic experiments without restrictions, either by studio cost and time restraints or record label handicaps. It was also then that I decided it would be best to concentrate solely on my own songs and projects and not be distracted by playing other peoples music in other bands no matter how lucrative or exciting the prospect might be.
"And so began the real journey. I spent those early years working with John Schumann (who later started an effects pedal company called Schumann Electronics) I isolated this band in the mountains of Massachusetts and wrote and recorded using only modified analog effects and stringed electric instruments aided by John’s electronic wizardry often over dubbing up to 40 guitars. It was a time of extreme sonic experimentation. We worked for 6 years recording there on a 24 track 2inch tape machine using only analog outboard gear and stringed instruments…even the drum sounds were produced by stringed instruments.
"Unfortunately, none of this music was released and due to its’ extreme recording techniques we never performed live and we then went our separate ways. I moved the studio back to Brooklyn and began a solo project playing all the instruments and limiting the guitar tracks to 12 or so and after 3 years that recording was also complete. Misfortune again struck and as I was plotting its’ release and promotion the building the studio was in caught fire and burnt to the ground and everything I had purchased to pursue the dream of recording was gone. I now had no money to promote this just completed album and so it too was abandoned. I needed to regroup in order to plot the next step.
"The next step is this new release FINAL NOTICE! I decided to not purchase a new studio but rather to use ones available to me and to pay up front as in the end it would be a more expedient way to accomplish the recordings. I’d plotted with my good friend Carmine Covelli to play drums and soon thereafter met Tyler Wood who is a keyboard wizard freak and also a sound guru in the studio. It was he who swore by his good friend Derek Nievergelt on Bass and so Lord Sonny the Unifier was created.
Nathan & Jessie are chronic world travelers, drawing inspiration from all they’ve encounter on their wayfaring journey. They have played in dive bars around the California desert, in the streets of New Orleans, on the subways of NYC, and listening rooms rooms and performing arts centers across the globe including Mexico City and Paris.
Along the way, they’ve picked up awards for ‘Best Blues’ and ‘Best Country’ Song at the Temecula Valley Music Awards, recorded live sessions for Acoustic Guitar Magazine and Nashville’s WMOT Roots Radio, and played alongside folk luminaries like Handmade Moments and Dustbowl Revival.
Their sophomore release, You’re the Star, is the follow-up to their incredibly self-assured 2018 debut, That’ll Never Be Me. Many of the songs on the new LP were crafted late at night while on tour. Tired and cold, often with nowhere to go, fingerpicking and singing to a new city, Nathan & Jessie comforted each other with their music.
That warmth and sense of well-being can be felt in the resulting recordings. It’s if Django Reinhardt and Peggy Lee decided to pull their material from the Great American Songbook - it’s chock full of style, yet there is little pretense with these two. They are simply sharing their lives through their music and, fortunately for us, these two individuals lead their lives in a very unique way.
We have a pristine Americana song from The W Lovers to kick things off today, 'Time's A Liar' just exudes natural roots beauty, this duo really do have something special going on.
Ellie M has a powerful and fabulously distinct voice, her vocals on 'Losing My Mind' is both captivating and stunning, as is the song as a whole.
'Ceilings' the new single from Eleni Drake might have been written in just fifteen minutes, nonetheless it's lyrics are striking, and with a refined musical arrangement this is one of those pieces that just stands out.
I don't think it's to much of an exaggeration to describe Astrid Holiday's voice as simply outstanding, as is the new song 'Mirror', just watch the video and see if I'm overstating things.
Francine Honey rounds today's collection off with 'Stay' a song immersed in Americana richness, it's a fabulous taster for her new album 'To Be Continued'.
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The W Lovers - Time's a Liar.
We have the pleasure of sharing with you some of the most authentic music coming out of the Northwest. The W Lovers are a duo comprised of Fleur and Wesley Wood, who met while Fleur was on tour from New Zealand in 2011, and needed to purchase an amplifier for her North American leg - fate would have it that Wesley was working that day. The two started performing together in 2014, and have been perfecting their brand of rootsy Americana ever since.
Fleur and Wesley Wood have made their mark on the live music scene all over the American West, playing over 100 shows a year, since their inception in 2014. Their debut album, released in 2016, was accompanied by four music videos and a live ‘in-studio’ video from Deep Well Studios (WA), where the album was recorded.
The sophomore album 'This Little Town' - produced by Ryan Hadlock (Lumineers, Brandi Carlile), is set for release in May 2019 Based in Washington State and friends of the road, touring has taken them from from Washington to Colorado and through New Mexico, California and Oregon. They’ve also played internationally in Canada and New Zealand.
Studying people often involves standing to the side and observing in silence. A West London native, Ellie Morgan spent her gap year tending bar in W12's Bush Hall, watching and admiring the artists performing and passing through.
Though never a wallflower, this pensive 20 year old anthropology student is now ready to take centre stage herself. By chance, she met with musical conspirator Antoine Collin in early 2018. Both restless, an offhand remark about heartbreak instantly bound the two together. What better way to soothe the soul than with a song ... or five.
On-stage the pair known as "Ellie M" mix Jazz, Hip-Hop, Reggae and Pop influences into their own dark set drenched in noir and mindful escape. 'Losing My Mind' is the debut single of Ellie M and will be released on May 31st 2019.
Shine your spotlight on these residents of any comfortably dark corner and observe the stark sonic beauty that will fill up any room.
Supple jazz-leaning pop, Eleni’s new single ‘Ceilings’ cuts deeper than most. Wrote in 15 minutes, the new single features Eleni’s signature laidback beguiling, reverb laden vocals and frosty guitar parts. Taken from Eleni’s new EP due out later this month.
"A love song I didn’t ever see myself writing. This took a total of about 15 minutes to write from start to finish. I guess I was feeling overwhelmed by the amount of time I had spent with this one particular person, and they were also the first person I let into my life since my previous relationship. This person made me feel free, helped me experience certain things for the first time, and although for a short time, I felt happy too. I wanted to see them all the time, because of the exaltation they gave me."
Breaking through with her stunning debut EP ‘Blue’ at the start of last year, 2018 proved to be an extremely productive year for London-based singer-songwriter Eleni Drake. Having garnered a sync on Netflix series ‘Black Lightning’ with her single ‘Honey’, as well as working alongside a flurry of influential songwriters including John Foyle (Years & Years, FKA twigs), Freedo (Zara Larsson), Jez Ashurst (Tom Walker) and many more, the frontwoman now looks to cement herself in the new year with the announcement of her sophomore EP ‘’Songs On Sundays’.
Channelling a mixture of her initial influences such as Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald, and blending them with the contemporary soul sound of Jorja Smith, ‘Songs On Sundays’ aims to project the frontwoman in a more luxurious light. Keeping the production minimal and her voice the centre of attention, this new release looks to pick up where her debut left off and add a more diverse and captivating chapter to her growing catalogue.
"Mirror": is about someone who only thinks of himself, and because of that he doesn't notice or appreciate the beautiful things in life. "Snow white roses, such a pity you didn't notice a single one, and now they're gone.” - Astrid Holiday
Indie label, RoastingHouse Records based in Malmö, Sweden have just about finished the album with their artist Astrid Holiday.
This follows the great success in Asia with the previous single/MV "New Beginning" (710,978 YouTube views to date) released by S.M. Entertainment, Korea.
Astrid Holiday just released her single and MV, "Mirror" from her debut album.
To Be Continued… is an album that showcases Honey’s most striking and stirring compositions. "I'm so happy," she says. "I'm really proud of this record and how it all came together." Cut in Nashville with Grammy-nominated producer Neilson Hubbard (John Prine, Mary Gauthier, Jason Isbell) and first-call players like guitarists Will Kimbrough and Kris Donegan, pianist Dan Mitchell, bassist Dean Marold and legendary fiddler Eamon McLoughlin, To Be Continued… takes Honey's mix of Americana, Country, Rock, Canadiana and Blues to the next level, capturing the sound she's been chasing for years. "It's hard to articulate what you hear in your head and get it to come to life through other musicians," she says. But after getting Hubbard's name from singer-songwriter Gretchen Peters, she knew she'd found her man. "I looked up the songs he produced and went, 'That's what I've been hearing!'
Although she's made music since childhood — "I wrote my first song in 1976" — Honey never dreamed of making it a career. However, along the way, the down-to-earth artist has displayed extraordinary dedication to her craft. Francine’s debut self-produced album An Ordinary Woman came out in 2008 and was followed in 2014 by Re-Drawn, produced by Lang Bliss in Nashville. As a graduate of the Berklee College of Music Professional Singer-Songwriter Certificate Program, Francine regularly makes the nine-hour drive from Ontario, Canada, to song-writing workshops in Nashville, where she has been mentored by icons like Beth Nielsen Chapman (who contributes backup vocals to Honey's Snowflakes On My Eyelashes), Mike Reid (I Can't Make You Love Me), Mary Gauthier (Mercy Now), Verlon Thompson (Boats to Build), Gretchen Peters (Independence Day) and Jonatha Brooke (My Mother has 4 Noses).
Now, To Be Continued takes Francine’s listeners on a journey. Courageously drawing from her own life, Honey's latest songs run the gamut of emotion. Snowflakes on My Eyelashes channels the grief of loss; Can't Break Through to You examines PTSD; and the moving Marilyn documents a harrowing health scare. "That's a very tough subject and a very personal song," she confesses. "The room goes quiet when I play it. But I'll see someone wipe a tear from their eye, and know that song has touched someone." It's not alone: Stay is a finalist in TWO categories in the International Songwriting Competition (Americana and Sing Your Heart Out/Love Songs) and a semi-finalist in the Canada Songwriting Contest and Mamas Take Bad Dreams Away made the top five in the Canada South Songwriting Contest.
Equally laudable are cuts on the lighter side of the roster: The upbeat driving ode Open Road, the sexy come-hither blues of Honey (a semi-finalist in the Blues and Americana categories of the International Songwriting Competition) and the uplifting title cut that chronicles her romance with a friend who re-entered her life at just the right time. "
'Easy As You Care' by Paul Doffing is a beautiful example of how much singer-songwriters still have to offer in terms of creativity and emotional feeling, this really does suggest that his fourth album release is something to anticipate.
We've featured a couple of songs from Trudy and The Romance's debut 'Sandman' album due out later this month and 'That's Not Me' sees the band slow things down a little without losing any of their 50's Mutant Pop sparkle.
Back in 2017 we had the pleasure of featuring a few songs from Jade Jackson and her highly acclaimed 'Gilded' album. 'Bottle It Up' is the first of twelve songs on her second album 'Wilderness' scheduled for release on June 28th, and I have to say each and every track is on a par with the featured piece at the very least. Fans of the first album should love this and personally I think she will add a good few more of them when the new collection hit's the ground!
Paul Doffing - Easy As You Come.
Amidst the speed and uncertainty of modern life, Paul Doffing’s Running in the Dark calls for reflection on the forces that blind our vision and limit our happiness. Doffing’s fourth full-length release, Running in the Dark, is a 36-minute musical odyssey of self-exploration, human connection, and worldly realization.
Doffing, an American singer-songwriter and environmental advocate, explains, “My highest hope is that it is music that touches the listener’s heart. That it takes them somewhere and helps them feel something that maybe they forgot about, or even feel something they didn’t know about.” Doffing’s tone and delivery throughout the guitar-focused Running in the Dark carry a freshness that pushes the release toward the leading edge of the expansive songwriting tradition from which it originates. A notable evolution from Doffing’s previous efforts, Running in the Dark carries broader instrumentation with more focus on bass and percussion; palpably informed by the work of numerous songwriting giants from Leonard Cohen to Patrick Watson throughout.
With both the man and his music rich in sincerity and substance, Running in the Dark is abundant in meaning and sentiment. Doffing, who has considered music a companion since his early youth, has completed nearly 13,000 miles touring on bicycle through 22 U.S. states and 7 countries performing concerts along the way. Paul’s vast pedaled wanderings – paired with two years exploring Central America and Europe, guitar in hand– have culminated in the purposefully layered album that is Running in the Dark, which was written over a six-year span.
Doffing conveys, “There were times when I was making the album where I knew what I was trying to do and some when I didn’t, but I went to each thing that felt like it needed to be there and expanded upon it until it came alive.” Doffing allowed his intuition to lead the way in both the creation and subject matter of the album. Doffing delves into a wide array of themes on Running in the Dark, ranging from the delicate nature of emotion, to bountiful love and the contrasting deterioration of it, and the complex understanding of personal development through human connection.
Trudy and the Romance unveil new single ‘That’s Not Me’, the final teaser trailer ahead of fast-approaching debut album ‘Sandman’, out May 24th.
The track follows retro stomper ‘Doghouse’ around which Noisey profiled the trio as part of their hyped Hitlist series, proclaiming “from happiness to heartbreak, and all the way back again, each of Trudy & The Romance’s songs feels like a Richard Curtis vignette”. Collecting these colourful scenes together is their imminent and eagerly-anticipated debut feature-length, ‘Sandman’, which is out next month, full track listing revealed below.
Vintage ruminations on heartbreak accompanied by swooning backing vocals that play off of Olly Taylor’s arresting vibrato, ‘That’s Not Me’ is a fine example of the trio’s interstellar time-machine tunes. Excellently distilling their flair for dreamboat-pop with nods to Jonathan Richman, Louis Prima, and Brian Wilson’s wall of sound, it also takes influence from film composers Henry Mancini and Bernard Herrmann, and the golden age of Disney.
In celebration of the LP release the three-piece will be treading the boards at London’s Oslo venue, as part of a wobbly-kneed lap of honour tour through May. Their exhilarating live show ranges from hip-swinging rock’n’roll to show-stopping ballads, all delivered with a rag-tag punk ethos – garnering stateside approval with acclaimed sets at this year’s SXSW.
Recorded with producer David Pye (Wild Beasts), ‘Sandman’ draws the listener further into the trio’s vibrant world, and follows the latest escapades of central protagonist little Johnny and his inner turmoil. Rocking and reeling through dreamy harmonies and dazzling guitars it’s everything good pop music should be – catchy, clever and brimming with curiously wonderful characters in Trudy’s inimitable realistic-cartoon narrative.
On Jade Jackson’s second full-length album, Wilderness, she casts a light more focused on her own life than ever before. To be released on June 28th via ANTI- Records, Wilderness – like her debut record Gilded - was produced by Mike Ness, the SoCal punk rock legend has carefully helped her hone her craft and sound. “I don’t need a man’s hands to open the jar,” Jackson quips on the charming first single, “Bottle It Up”. Watch Jade and her love interest traverse the deserts of Joshua Tree in the song’s new video.
Gilded (2017) was a masterful, critically acclaimed introduction to her strong soulful stylings as told through the eyes of characters and storytelling, with Jackson keeping any hyper-personal glimpses at arm’s length. But for its follow-up, the singer-songwriter from the Central Coast of California decided to embrace the concept of building her songs from an autobiographical perspective.
Two days after her 20th birthday Jackson was hiking in nearby Sand Canyon when she leaped from a rope swing and fell 15 feet onto a rock – she sustained serious injuries and wasn’t sure if she’d be able to walk again. As she recovered, she realized she was depending more and more on prescription painkillers and after stopping cold turkey by destroying her prescription refills and flushing the remaining pills, her body and brain spiraled into depression. She also developed a control-related eating disorder that would haunt her for several years following. Jackson refers to her mind state during that time as “suicidal.”
“Needless to say, for the first time since I had written my very first song, I didn’t believe in my music anymore,” Jackson says. “Because of my depression I didn’t like myself, so I couldn’t possibly imagine someone else liking what I created. But even that couldn’t stop me from writing, and songwriting remained my therapy through it all.”
The theme of her new work deals heavily with those attitudes and feelings while focusing largely on other true encounters and relationships in her real life. Wilderness is a powerhouse of a record about the in-betweens and stepping stones we dwell in and leap across while coming to terms with our senses of self, and how melancholy can be a powerful weapon to wield—especially in the form of a roots-rock or country song. With Wilderness, Jade Jackson has braved the depths of her soul and figured out a course for survival—though she will be the first to admit that her journey still has miles to go.
“Wilderness as the title of my album is this in-between area I’m in right now as a musician. It’s the unknown—like when we’re touring, you don’t know where you’re gonna play, or sleep, what you’re gonna eat, if you’ll have monitors…there’s so much unknown at this grinding stage in the game. I am incredibly thankful for the way my career has started, but I’ve always had this urge propelling me forward. I know where I want to go—I can visualize it—but right now I’m walking through the wild, still picking up tools, still learning, and making my way.”
Just a couple of artists today starting with Holly Redford Jones and her superb new song 'Bonjour Madame', a sultry country rocker with plenty of feeling. It's our third feature for Cat Princess this year as their good humoured new song 'Rocko's Theme' takes us on a journey into some cinema day's of the eighties.
Holly Redford Jones - Bonjour Madame.
London-based songwriter Holly Redford Jones just released the slow-burner country-rock single "Bonjour Madame." The track displays Redford-Jones' toughness and grit, telling the narrative of the "every-woman" just trying to get by.
Holly Redford Jones defies convention and expectation. Raised in Chesterfield, UK, to a non-musical family, she began playing guitar at age 11. Redford-Jones attended her local high school and struggled to keep up in class due to dyslexia (she really did quit that French GCSE). Nonetheless, she went on to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Oxford “to make a point,” and, upon graduating, swiftly moved to London to pursue a career in music.
The genesis for "Bonjour Madame" was born whilst just about scraping by in London, working in bars and other assorted odd jobs. Both a cynic and a dreamer at heart, Redford-Jones became frustrated at the cycle of rent-paying with seemingly little time for music. Encumbered by the weight of creeping political and cultural shadows, Redford-Jones fantasised about an escape across the English Channel. Despite now splitting her time between the UK and US, her short-lived Parisian dream endures.
Redford-Jones has been compelling audiences in the UK since 2017 with her unassuming, yet striking presence and commanding voice.
Uppsala quintet Cat Princess formed at a New Year's party and debuted only days after playing at guitarist Robin's birthday party. Singer Nils joined the gang after the band heard him sing that same night. Just as spontaneous as the band's birth are their music. Today the new cut Rocko’s Theme is released, their most imaginative and strangest (in a good way) track to date. Rocko’s Theme is the third and last single from Cat Princess' long-awaited debut album Forbidden Items.
Rocko’s Theme follows singles Sweet and Silver Socks released earlier this year, and explores the life of fictional 80s action hero Rocko Morocco on his adventures as a man always on the run, delivered with a natural confidence. Sweet broke about a year of silence from the band since their retro banging single Fly on Your Wall, which was followed by the band's debut London show and a support slot for synth legends OMD. Silver Socks is a fine representation of the band's live intensity and one of the brightest cuts from the upcoming LP which took a majority of 2018 to make. The result is an eclectic art rock mix, equally put together by the bands' influences spanning from 80s new wave to contemporary greats.
The band about Rocko’s Theme: "At one point we decided that music, or at least our music, doesn’t have to be so god damn serious and poetic all the time. Rocko’s Theme is definitely a product of that mentality. Like the name suggests, Rocko’s Theme is quite a cinematic song. Musically we took a lot of inspiration from the funky, groovy songs in old blacksploitation movies. We also tried to write the lyrics kind of like an old movie. Not a good movie mind you. Rocko is a coked up 80:s villain who likes fast cars, speedboats and quick deals. He’s got friends in high places and if you make a wrong move you just might end up on the ocean floor. After finally going too far Rocko is on the run from the law...The rest you’ll have to find out for yourself.."
Hildur Höglind has shared 'Further Apart' a beautifully crafted electronic song accompanied by her tranquil and melodic vocals. 'Something New' is a gorgeous and refined pop song that just eases into our lives, the band Babe Rainbow share their name with a song by Melanie Safka. Casii Stephan has a new video for her song 'Letters' a feisty and stomping piece that's hard to ignore!
Hildur Hoglind - Further Apart.
Growing up in a family of musicians in the small village of Johannishus, Sweden, Höglind has gone from gigging in local clubs she was too young to be in at 15, to playing some of the biggest festivals in Sweden. In her new single, her aching, melancholic vocals float over the top of a cavernous backdrop of thunderous bass synths as drum samples tremor and oscillate.
Alt-pop artist Hildur Höglind is releasing new single ‘Further Apart’, taken from upcoming EP Take Off. The record has an affecting and emotional sound, with lyrics that are unafraid to broach heavier subjects such as mental illness and existential dread.
The new track is a tale of lost love. Hildur tells us it’s the story of “two people who are falling out of love with each other but are reluctant to end the relationship because there’s nothing obviously wrong with it.” Her aching, melancholic vocals float over the top of a cavernous backdrop of thunderous bass synths as drum samples tremor and oscillate.
With a lifelong interest in language and writing, it was when she picked up a guitar that Hildur found an outlet for her words. Literature will always have a place in her creative heart however, with last year’s Poems EP featuring musical interpretations of verse by Dylan Thomas and Edgar Allan Poe.
Cosmic conduits Babe Rainbow are overjoyed to present their latest peace offering, 'Something New'.
The song uncurls with a star shiner swagger, curiously exploring the bands place in sonic space while permaculturally rooted here on planet Earth.
Lifted from the forthcoming third long player, the band have already announced tours in Australia (May), the USA (June) and Europe (August / September).
Babe Rainbow’s charming eco-pop is out of time just enough to feel totally on time for a movement in 2019
The whole video was filmed in Tulsa and it was done by Tulsans. There's so much amazing talent in Tulsa and I'm so proud to have each person be a part of this video. People in Tulsa really helped us out to make sure this video could be the best version it could and I'm so thankful for each gift.”
Stephan states, “The star dancer, Dani Davis, is one of the sweetest young women I've ever met, yet when she dances, she's so fierce. I'm so honored that she could be a part of this video. She brought her A-game to each take and faced some of her own fears in the process. "
Stephan moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2014 with the intent to give up her pursuit of a music career. However, in 2016, she released a single, “I Like The Way,” which won an Independent Music Award for “Best Love Song.” In early 2017, she was named “One of nine Oklahoma musicians to watch” by the Tulsa World Magazine. Stephan also performed at MisFEST (short for Music is She), Tulsa’s first female-driven music festival that she helped found and produce. She was recently featured in American Songwriter Magazine as one of the artists contributing to making Oklahoma “the next big music scene.”
Another single, “GhostShips,” premiered on Atwood Magazine, who raves, “an incredibly dynamic performance that captures an intimate moment of raw, untethered emotion.” She received a genre nomination in the Pop category from the Hollywood Music in Media Awards and received an Honorable Mention Award by the USA Songwriting Competition. In 2017, she did not disappoint, as her band The Midnight Sun, performed an official SXSW Showcase opening for Hanson. Stephan returned as an official artist in 2019’s SXSW, performing at the Tulsa Music Night Showcase.
