Saturday, 13 July 2019

Jasmine Rodgers - Rod Picott - Union Duke - Mercvrial - Rose Ette

Jasmine Rodgers has shared a live video recording for 'Underwater' featuring Scott Matthews. It's a refined modern folk song and this production really is quite special.

Rod Picott has a voice just made for intimate Americana music as is witnessed with 'Mama's Boy' where his raw and personal vocals are so engaging.

Folk rock (perhaps with the emphasis more on rock) comes in the form of  'Ladidadida' by Union Duke a vibrant and hook laden song from beginning to end.

Two new singles for the price of none as Mercvrial share a couple of videos for 'Carnival' and 'Otherworld'. There both from their upcoming EP 'The Stars Like Dust' and the band deliver some fabulous shoegaze mixed with dream pop.

We featured the audio for 'Skin' by Rose Ette a couple of months back, however they now have a brand new video for the song, so I thought it's a fine tune, lets give it another play.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jasmine Rodgers - Underwater (featuring Scott Matthews).

Jasmine Rodgers releases Underwater, a live recording made at Kore Studios in May. Featuring Ivor Novello Award winning Scott Matthews, Underwater also features Danny Keane on cello. “I wanted to capture us all together in one room because I think the energy is different and more intense. I’ve been fortunate enough to support Scott on his last tour and I knew it would be really fun to do this. It’s a song with deep meaning for me and both Scott and Danny got it.” Filmed by Pavel from Ropo Films, the video is available to see here.

Jasmine Rodgers is a London born musician of mixed parentage and says this has nurtured a deep love of many different genres. Her solo shows feature her complex guitar picking styles and intricate vocals, effortlessly veering from folk to rock music, which is why Ivor Novello award-winning musician Scott Matthews invited her to support him on his latest tour (last one NCEM, York, 25th Jan 2019). Her song ‘Follow You’ was recently featured on Fatea Magazine compilation.

Her solo forays take her to more folk based territory, and last August she travelled up to Shetland to perform at a sold out show with Jenny Sturgeon (Jenny Sturgeon Trio, Salt House). Jasmine also has a solid fanbase in the Japanese anime world thanks to her work as frontwoman to British rock band Boa, who wrote and performed the soundtrack to award winning anime Lain Serial Xperiments.

Jasmine is currently working on new material set for release later this year and her recent collaboration with Scott Matthews and Danny Keane has culminated with a live video recording at Kore Studios.


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

Rod Picott - Mama's Boy.

Rod Picott's brand-new album is Tell the Truth & Shame the Devil. Many of the new songs were promted by a heath scare that rattled Picott through the winter of early 2019.

Fact is, physicans don't make telephone calls at night. If they do, you take it seriously.  "I've already called in a prescription," the doctor said when he called Picott one evening. "They're waiting for you. Your heart is about to either A) seize up or B) jump out of your chest and it will be messy. You don't have enough paper towels if B happens."

It took several weeks to chase down the devil causing the heart issue during which time Picott also underwent back surgery. In the end, the sum of his health issues informed Picott's new album profoundly in both the writing and the recording.

Along with hiis modest recording gear, Picott set about making an album as honest, raw and uncontrived as his spine would allow. Tell the Truth & Shame the Devil opens the door even wider on his typically vivid vignettes.

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

Union Duke - Ladidadida.

Webster’s Dictionary defines “Union Duke” as a raucous collision of alt-rock and twang, bringing crowds to their feet with songs from the heart.

Soaring harmonies, driving rhythm, and infectious enthusiasm have seen these five guys from youth to young manhood. With three albums, countless festival stages, and hundreds of thousands of kilometers in the rearview, the band is excited to be touring new music, filming videos, and winning new fans everywhere they go.

In the two years since their last record Golden Days, Union Duke has been steadily travelling and unravelling across the country, and they’re ready to share the lessons they’ve learned with a slate of new music. In the coming months, four new songs of love, distance, heartache and revelry will be finding their way into your ears, eyes and hearts.

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

Mercvrial - Carnival / Otherworld.

International collective Mercvrial release not one but two singles - "Carnival" and "Otherworld". Both come from the band's upcoming EP The Stars Like Dust out everywhere on August 9th.

Mercvrial is an eclectic group with shoegaze and dream-pop tendencies that imprint on the sounds of Ride, Slowdive, The Chills and other artists of the like that they embraced during their formative years. On their new singles - “Carnival” and “Otherworld” - we hear thick guitar beds provide backdrop to atmospheric vocals.

Their accompanying music videos take on inspiration from Rain Parade’s “This Can’t Be Today” and Prometheus respectively, using vintage footage of carnival and sci-fi scenes. The videos also nod to VH1’s TV show Pop-Up Video, where brief pop-up factoids and comments of the band and visuals appear throughout.

The Stars, Like Dust - the new EP from Mercvrial takes its name from the Isaac Asimov work of the same moniker. It explores the size and significance of human beings on a big rock hurling through space and the ensuing feelings of existential bewilderment. The Stars, Like Dust will be available on all platforms August 9th.



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

Rose Ette - Skin.

Rose Ette debut new first video "Skin" from their debut album "Ignore the Feeling" (Miss Champagne Records). “You said you were ready to listen, didn’t you?” Oh get a grip, he replied, keys already jammed in the ignition. I thought you meant something serious. He revs the engine up, neck bowed toward the wheel, not at you. Nu-metal blares from the radio and squashes the silence.

What good is rock and roll without a love story? Even in 2018, among the uneven power struggles and problematic dudes, someone is going to look across the room at someone else and wish they could stand over there, instead of standing here alone. Pretty basic aspect of the human experience, yeah? But somehow, though we can define our political stances in unambiguous terms, our affection remains a mercurial subject for words. On some days, it’s easier to argue with a GOP granddad over the existence of global warming than to face that someone across the room and tell them just what magnetic force draws you near.

“Oh, boo hoo,” say the stable, the pairs coupled in high school, the loveless bachelors in IT. But in the realm of Rose Ette – ostensibly modern-day Houston, spiritually Olympia or London from two or three decades back (respectively) – the mental hurdles that block both parties from honest and true bonds are real struggles worth fighting for. With their proper debut Ignore The Feeling, our four romantics (led by singer/guitarist Teresa Vicinanza capture those challenges in a bell jar; even manic obsessions and unwanted stalkers shine with the opal glow of Lush, or Camera Obscura, or any of your favorite C86 tapes from your lost (or invented) youth.

Don’t let these bottled sprites deceive you, though - even with the sweet perfumes of girl groups and C86 tapes long gone, Rose Ette still bear claws. Three years ago, their first EP Jungle featured the unpolished diamond of “AH AH”, a shredded telegraph from a much murkier garage (and, admittedly, a completely different crew). That tempered snarl still comes out here on “Awake”, a hefty slice of Speedy Ortiz-sized fuzz to remind everyone that the battle’s not yet over: “I’m awake, but I’m running out of time.” You can’t stage a head-on assault when old enchantments still grip the blade, after all.

Mind you, Rose Ette can fire back with charms of their own when they take the stage. Back in August, the gang picked up a limited run of Ignore the Feeling LPs before their day show at Athens Popfest. Right after their blissful set at Little Kings Shuffle Club, folks piled up at the merch table for a copy, and the line backed up to the patio. Our protagonists have allured many a crowd in the past three years, jumping on bills with Deerhoof, Fred Thomas, Dressy Bessy, and La Luz, to name a few. Like a heart possessed by either desire or stress (or both at once), these illusionists don’t stand still.

Of course, all love-weary prose aside, Ignore The Feeling simply snaps a deceptively rosy thumbnail of a band in flux. And while Rose Ette might stand up for the silenced lover, don’t expect Vicinanza and her crew to soften their own voice any time soon.


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

Friday, 12 July 2019

Kazyak - Bryony Dunn - Kacy & Clayton - Rebecca Binnendyk - Arche

Kazyak create a smooth, layered indie rock vibe with 'Smoke Jumper' there's a live feel that the video emphasises further.

'L.O.V.E.R.S' is released today as Bryony Dunn shares some vibrant, upbeat, feel good and pretty catchy modern pop.

Kacy & Clayton have just released 'The Forty-Ninth Parallel' as a taste of their October scheduled album 'Carrying On'. Their ability to mix genres with class is demonstrated here, it's Americana and more!

Rebecca Binnendyk shares 'Brick By Brick' a stylish contemporary pop ballad with something of a classic feel, her gorgeous vocals and refined musical backdrop are splendid.

Finally we have Arche with 'My Only' a beautiful indie pop song where the chorus is dreamy and the musical hooks are everywhere.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kazyak  - Smoke Jumper.

"Smoke Jumper is a floaty, high-powered jam where listeners will feel swept off the ground by a strong breeze. "

Kazyak  is  an  indie  rock  band  based  in  the Twin  Cities.  The  band  has  recorded  2  EPs (1 unreleased)  and  an  LP  (unreleased)  and  finds it's  source  in  a  deep  pool  of  experimental music.

The  live  lineup  includes:  Peter  Frey  (guitar), Andy  Wolfe(guitar),  Pat  Hayes  (synth,  piano), Tyler  Safranek  (bass),  and  Nick  Grewe (drums). 

The  band  finds  its  source  in  a  deep  pool of midwestern  music,  drawing  on  theabstract  side  of Bob  Dylan's  songwriting  and  lofty  sonic architecture  from  the  likes  of  12  Rods,  Fat  Kid Wednesdays,  Tiki  Obmar,  and  Halloween, Alaska.  The  group  has  shared  the  stage  with  many, including  LA  indie  rockers  the  Local Natives  and  Duluth-based  Trampled  by  Turtles,  and continues  to  collaborate  closely  with Minneapolis-based  engineer/drummer  Brett  Bullion.


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

Bryony Dunn - L.O.V.E.R.S.

I’m an independent singer songwriter based in the Surrey Hills who bakes, busks and looks after a dog, 6 chickens and 3 ducks when I’m not writing and performing punchy alt-pop songs. “L.O.V.E.R.S” comes out today along with a B-side called “On Loop”. “L.O.V.E.R.S” a brassy, sassy squeeler of a song, will have you chanting about your desire for a fickle hook up in no time.

I have had a lot of support for the track from BBC introducing with multiple radio plays and a live session on the 17th July along with other local radio support.

With her heart in the past and her eyes on the future, Bryony’s glistening left of centre pop music bristles with energy from across the solar system. The young songwriter’s thoughtful commentary on life, love and 21st century online existence was first explored through her debut EP Full Bloom and is now continued with the imminent release of her new single L.O.V.E.R.S.

Growing up in the countryside of the Surrey hills, immersed in her parents eclectic record collection, an untameable passion for music was ignited by the fires of Coldplay, Genesis, Fleetwood Mac, Kate Bush and Paul Simon. Bryony’s comfort zone was singing in school choirs and shows and one day as if pre-ordained, she was compelled to sit at the out of tune piano in the family dining room and start writing songs.

L.O.V.E.R.S is the current incarnation of a sound that is constantly evolving and mutating. The pop heroines Lorde, Taylor Swift, Florence and the Machine and Christine and the Queens are currently burning in her mind as she writes, records and performs her zesty new music.

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

Kacy & Clayton - The Forty-Ninth Parallel.

Kacy & Clayton will release Carrying On via New West Records on October 4th, 2019.  The 10-song set was produced by Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy and recorded by Tom Schick at The Loft, Wilco’s recording studio & rehearsal space in Chicago, IL. Carrying On follows the international acclaim for their previous records Strange Country (which Q Magazine called “A beautiful album that nudges a classic past into a brave future”) and 2017’s The Siren’s Song (described by Uncut as “Ageless and beguiling. A classic record for this or any other time.”).

The music Kacy & Clayton make is inextricable from where they grew up.  The second cousins sing about the kind of people you’d find in Wood Mountain, Saskatchewan (population very few).  Their sound is equal parts homespun, coming from a family and community where playing music is an ever present part of social gatherings, and the rare country, blues, and English folk rock they obsess over and collect.  It’s an arresting amalgamation of psychedelic folk, English folk revival and the ancestral music of Southern Appalachia.  For Carrying On, Clayton cites as influences: Bobbie Gentry’s Delta Sweete, Hoyt Axton’s My Griffin Is Gone, Cajun fiddle music, and the steel guitar of Ralph Mooney, who played on many of the records that defined the Bakersfield country music scene of the 1950s.  Sixties psych has also woven its way into these new songs; Kacy enjoys telling people that they live 250km from the mental hospital that coined the term “psychedelic.”

Having toured almost nonstop for the last two years, Carrying On was conceived and honed on the road and recorded immediately after a jaunt across Western Canada, mostly as live takes with the minimum of overdubs.  The songs having been tried and tested before audiences each night with Kacy & Clayton offering, “This album has, by far, the most intense and confident performances we’ve ever done on record and I hope that intensity will be felt by the listener.”


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

Rebecca Binnendyk - Brick By Brick.

Adult-contemporary pop artist Rebecca Binnendyk is on a mission to use her songs for greater good.  The Canadian singer-songwriter, who has delivered medical supplies to the Maasai tribe and taught sex education and music to young people in Uganda, plans to pair the promotion of her second album, I Don’t Belong To You, with raising money for Plan Canada,  a global organization dedicated to advancing children’s rights and equality for girls, and The Orchid Project (UK), which aims to abolish female genital mutilation which affects 3.9 million women and girls globally.

“The music is the platform, but the bigger picture and more important work is supporting women globally in social and economic ways,” says Rebecca. “I have a very deep love of people and this inner belief that anything is possible if you try. That’s very much the way I live my life.” The tango-infused title-track, “I Don’t Belong To You,” co-written with Ireland’s Mark Caplice (Eurovision) and Twin Monarch’s Rob Shiels (Taken, Ryan O’Shaughnessy) is a message of female empowerment, delivered in a sultry and strong manner that categorically says, “I am my own person.” It’s her “angry song,” she says, about men who use their wealth and power to take advantage of women and girls.

Produced by Steve Wingfield(Sandi Patty), with four co-writes with Irish duo Twin Monarch, most of the nine original songs on I Don’t Belong To You are relationship-focused, from the breakdown of a marriage in the sprightly pop of “Baby Back” to the unconditional love expressed in the ballad “I Like It When You Love Me.”

The first single, “Brick By Brick,” however, has a dual meaning. “When we were writing the song, Trump was talking about building a wall between the United States and Mexico, so we were discussing the division between cultures, races and even countries,” Rebecca says. “But it’s also about walls being built between people, inspired by a friend who hadn’t talked with his parents for years, because of a disagreement. The question we wanted the song to ask is can we accept our differences, forgive and move on?”


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

Arche - My Only.

Through their first video clip for 'My Only', Arche embarks us into a unique odyssey with the arch of « A ».

These kiddos who seem to come directly out of the nineties, built their universe through a weirdo aesthetic with a baseline composed by colorful gym suit, mismatched outfits and all kinds of vintage object.

Plunge into the colorful Arche’s universe where the carelessness borders the insolence.


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

Wednesday, 10 July 2019

Izzie Walsh - Phonettes - Party Hardly - Elijah James And The Nightmares

Back in March when we first featured Izzie Walsh I described her voice as "gorgeous" and her music "vibrant and pleasing". Today's release of 'Clouded Mind' reassures me that I wasn't overstating matters, as she shares another delicious slice of Americana music.

Amsterdam based singer-songwriter and film composer Daan Hofman has shared 'First delight' under the moniker of Phonettes. The song is hard to define, it's synth pop and yet it's also somewhere between Indie folk and pop, whatever it's original and catchy - that will do!

Party Hardly return to Beehive Candy for a fourth time with 'Rats In The Kitchen' another powered up alt rocker where the band lay out their message in a potent and uncompromising manner.

Elijah James And The Nightmares round off today musical sojourn with a video for 'Movie In Your Eyes'. The Liverpool indie rock band provide a creative musical backdrop and the impassioned vocals are wonderful.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Izzie Walsh - Clouded Mind.

Manchester singer songwriter Izzie Walsh has released her new single Clouded Mind, which is out now via Someone Great/PIAS.

Clouded Mind follows her recent single Sidelined, debut EP The Curse and successful single Take Me Back. With a unique sound that blends country, bluegrass, folk and Americana, Izzie Walsh has built an impressive organic fanbase over the last couple of years. Not only does she have two BCMA Awards and an Indie Week UK award under her belt, Izzie is also a former BBC Introducing Artist of the Week and recently performed on ITV’s Cold Feet.

With honest lyrics and a striking vocal, which are backed by an intricate and rhythmic melody, Clouded Mind is a modern Americana track which builds to an upbeat chorus. The track flits between the feelings of melancholy and hope, which matches the songs meaning of the different emotions and circumstances life can bring. Izzie says;

“This song is a message to say that, whatever your story, you have a chance to clear a ‘clouded’ mind from all the hurt, loss and hardship that life brings. Trust yourself, to know you’ll get stronger."

Izzie has been performing around the world over the last year, including a support slot with Curse of Lono, festival performances at the likes of Dot to Dot and Bluedot and her own sold out headline shows at Manchester’s Deaf Institute and London’s The Slaughtered Lamb. She also runs popular regular open-mic nights at the Bay Horse Tavern and Hatch in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

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

Phonettes - First Delight.

Phonettes is the project around the songs of Amsterdam based singer-songwriter and film composer Daan Hofman.

About two years ago he started writing material from scratch with only an analog synthesizer, two guitars and a computer. He sings, plays all instruments, and wrote and produced all the tracks of the upcoming EP Algorithm Love.

The songs of Phonettes are shaped by minimalistic beats with dreamy vocal choirs, pickin’ guitars and warm analog synth sounds, even flirting with laid back techno, but preserving the song as its beating heart.

This summer Phonettes is going back in time. New single First Delight is a new-wavish synthpop song, celibrating the spark of youth. On the outer borders of childhood, where we were high on life and restless from everything that was to come.

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

Party Hardly - Rats In The Kitchen.

Leeds indie outfit Party Hardly launch rousing new anthem Rats In The Kitchen, the second track lifted from forthcoming EP Modern Strife Is Snobbish, dropping later this summer.

Feverishly developing their eclectic style with aggressive punk overtones, the jangly rockers continue to impress with their politically charged output, cutting through their hometown’s fierce DIY scene with aplomb and attracting praise from all corners of the online community (The Line Of Best Fit, Clash, DIY, Dork).

“Rats In The Kitchen is a metaphor for the demonization of young people by the older generation”, states frontman Tom Barr. “Throughout history these views have seldom changed, with the irony being that our grandparents would have viewed our parents in exactly the same light. Also, we had rats in our kitchen this one time”.

Having already supported fellow indie risers The Magic Gang and Trudy and the Romance and gained BBC 6 Music airplay (Steve Lamacq), the foursome are primed to continue their ascent with a slew of live dates in the coming months.

Party Hardly’s Rats in the Kitchen is out 11th July and will be available via all digital platforms.

Live Date: 27th July – Hyde Park Book Club, Leeds.

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

Elijah James And The Nightmares - Movie In Your Eyes.

Elijah James And The Nightmares are an indie/rock band from Liverpool, UK. Drawing influences from Elliott Smith, Joy Division and Pixies, they burst onto the music scene in May 2017. Stepping on stage for the first time together in front of a capacity crowd to headline popular local venue, District and performing at Liverpool Sound City Festival. Since then the band have created a significant buzz around them, playing to large crowds in major cities all over the country and in September 2017 they also released their debut live EP ‘Live From Elevator Studio’.

Movie In Your Eyes is the bands sophomore single release taken from their upcoming debut double album ‘Because I’m A Giant’ which is due for release in September 2019. The single showcases an impressive sonic orchestral composition, comprising of over 15 different acoustic instruments. Combined, these instruments, along with Elijah James’s signature baritone vocal create a magnificent, intense and epic sound.

‘‘Movie In Your Eyes is a song about lost youth and gentrification. Focussing on the building on or demolishing of our favourite teenage hangouts, those places that contain our youthful ghosts and exist in our nostalgic anecdotes. It was inspired by my experiences of watching the old places I frequented as a teenager being knocked down and turned into modern, soulless, more profitable expansions. This single will be promoted alongside a cool, monochrome music video following the same themes of destruction and loss.’’- Elijah James

Movie In Your Eyes will be supported by a brand new music video. The video’s fresh concept features an overriding theme of skyscrapers and demolition. Set in monochrome, it will flick between concepts of brutalism, gentrification, and change supported by various clips of Elijah James And The Nightmares playing the single live. Like the song itself, it is frantic in parts, and smooth, slick and cinematic in others.


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

Tuesday, 9 July 2019

Basset - Zooni - The Switch

Basset have just released 'Waterloo' and I have to say I am mightily impressed. Their acoustic musical combination of instruments ensures they have a fresh and distinct sound and the vocals add vibrancy and energy, they are ones to watch out for, I would suggest.

Art pop band Zooni have just released their new single 'Cotton Blue' a gently paced song, where the musical arrangement is well structured with plenty of clarity for each musician and just right for the heartfelt vocals.

Finally The Switch have shared 'What If' taken from their upcoming album. The band have a refined musical approach, melodic and crisp the originality is notable, this album tease suggests their fifth full-length 'Birds of Paradise' will be a splendid affair.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Basset - Waterloo.

Basset is a young and rising all-acoustic group, consisting of vocalist Yasmine Shelton, songwriter/musician Sam Clark, and twin brothers Aaron and Noah Philipp-Muller. While they draw on folk traditions from both sides of the pond with their heavy use of fiddle, mandolin and cello, their original tunes also take inspiration from old blues music (hear Shelton’s powerful vocals), 50s and 60s rock, and their shared classical background. Their inventive style has earned comparisons to The Punch Brothers, Belle and Sebastian, and Of Monsters and Men. They recently released their debut single, “Dave and the Queen of Toronto”, and are set to release their debut EP in late June.

Basset often uses the old bluegrass method of gathering around a single microphone for their live shows, filling the room with their infectious love for each other and the music they play. There’s never a dull moment between tunes either, as audiences get a glimpse into the charming – and at times ridiculous – antics of this tight-knit group of friends.

The band was formed in Winter of 2016 while all members were studying liberal arts at Victoria College, at the University of Toronto. Sam and Aaron, both songwriters from a young age, were first year roommates and fast friends, frequenting open mics around the university with their acoustic arrangements, sometimes accompanied by Noah on the cello. Still in need of a lead singer, Sam turned to Yasmine. He had been bewitched by her a capella rendition of Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good” at an open mic at the college, and they had since become good friends.

Now a quartet, the band’s first gigs involved playing background music at college functions; however, the goal was always to develop their own original music. They quickly grew out of the university scene, and now, almost three years on and having left their college years behind them, the band has played some of Toronto’s premier music venues, including the Painted Lady and Lee’s Palace, as well as regular house concerts across the city. They have appeared at the Summerfolk music festival and Heartwood Concert Hall in Owen Sound, and developed a supportive network of industry professionals who view the band as a young act brimming with promise, sharing stages with The Lifers, NEFE, and Citizen Jane.

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

Zooni - Cotton Blue.

London-based art-pop newcomers Zooni have just released their new single ‘Cotton Blue’ via Square Leg Records.  Big nods to the likes of Alt J, Sufjan Stevens & Broken Bells in here >>

‘Cotton Blue’ follows the April release of their debut single ‘Pany’, which appeared on the Radio X Evening Playlist, was included on Spotify’s ‘New Music Friday’ and ‘Hot New Bands’ playlists, and was followed by a packed performance at The Great Escape Festival.

Discovered by Mercury and Brit award winning producer Charlie Andrew (Alt J, Nick Mulvey, Marika Hackman), the band - Peter Martin, George Godwin, Ben Clark, and Matt Glasbey - mix hypnotic beats with delicate piano, angular guitars, and haunting vocals.

Talking about the single, they explain "Cotton Blue is an introspective song about giving up on a broken relationship. It was written and demoed on a retreat to the Welsh countryside with the producer Jay Pocknell.”

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

The Switch - What If.

Following the outfit’s previous bodies of work “We’re Fooling No-One” and the Norwegian Grammy-awarded “The Switch Album”, they return with fifth full-length “Birds of Paradise”. Lead-vocalist Thomas Sagbråten and co-author of the bulk of the album says “We tried to make a musical universe with slightly different laws of nature than real life. A bit less gravitation. The air is thicker. It’s hyper realistic, but also unreal.”

From budding seeds to the overarching themes of this viridescent volume, the septet hones something every-bit stylistically varied, surrealistically inclined and tactile, like a brightly plumaged exotic bird lost in the upper stretches of the northern hemisphere.

Second slice “What If”, from the upcoming LP pays homage to the modern man-child’s fear for getting his sh*t together. Think early-Wild Beasts with the charm of Mac DeMarco’s “Salad Days”. It vaults clichés of dream-pop and works as the perfect announcement of the album, with its enchantingly artificial birds of paradise sounds in the final quadrant of the four-minute-feat from keyboardist Arthur Kay Piene.

“The other side of the divide between me and the world might not be worth the trip”

Peter Vollset, the lyricist of the band says “The lyrics are questioning the oft-repeated notion that “proper” adult life is boring and miserable and that protesting or postponing this is just childish and selfish. At the same time, the not quite proper adult narrator isn’t exactly a beacon of self-love and sunshine themselves, so who knows you know?”

Sound technician and repeat The Switch-collaborator Christian Engfelt (Serena Maneesh, Fieh, Band of Gold etc.) decided to make this his most meticulous work with the band yet, blowing by every self-imposed deadline in a year-long on-and-off series of recording sessions which resulted in an extraordinary sounding album; coherent and tight, but with great attention to detail.

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

Sunday, 7 July 2019

Harry Heart - Carrie Scrimgeour - Children of the Sün

Harry Heart has released his first UK single 'Montaigne'. Within moments it's clear that Harry has a fine voice however it's the vocal delivery that sets him apart and with a fresh indie rock backdrop, this is a fabulous song.

'Bigger Than Me' from Carrie Scrimgeour is a noteworthy singer-songwriter piece, the vocals are energised and driven, supported by a simple and sturdy musical backdrop.

Children of the Sün round things off today with the gorgeous song 'Emmy' a track that exudes memories of the sixties West Coast music scene, with just enough of a modern twist.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Harry Heart - Montaigne.

Harry Heart is one of those artists that come along very rarely in a lifetime. A dual resident and native to Sydney, Australia and East London outskirts of Walthamstow respectively. This young troubadour has come of age. Recently invited on his first ever UK headline tour, Harry captivated crowds at a total of 20 shows in just two weeks. The relentless tour-schedule proved to be worthwhile, resulting in BBC airplay and accumulating almost ​half a million streams across Spotify ​and​ Apple Music, driving the 26 year old into a creative frenzy, the fruits of which will fuel a series of upcoming Harry Heart releases in 2019.

The first single to be released since Harry Heart's foray into the UK is Montaigne.

Striking a perfect balance of confident, guitar-driven indie rock with a gentle desperation, evident in Heart's emotive vocals and powerful lyrics, fans of Heart's previous work will notice a common theme in Montaigne; brutal honesty.

“I learned a lot from [Michel de Montaigne]’s essays” Heart explains. “The concept that really resonated with me was showing all sides of yourself, good and bad. I channelled that idea in this song, honesty’s the best policy, people are over being filtered and refined”.

After releasing the 2018 EP First Endorphin, Harry toured Australia twice, and made his UK debut, while also performing at Australian Music Week and featuring on Apple's Best of the Week: Pop playlist. With the wheels now very much in motion, a new EP is on the horizon.

“Touring always helps improve the tracks before I step back into the studio. Lately the songs come in little waves, similar batches of tracks, so a new EP just made sense.”

Montaigne is the first taste of the forthcoming Hands in the Hive EP, to be released later this year. If the single is anything to go by, fans of the young East Londoner can expect a refreshing dose of sincerity driven directly from the giant voice and finesse guitar playing of Harry Heart.

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

Carrie Scrimgeour - Bigger Than Me.

Carrie Scrimgeour is a singer / songwriter based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Carrie has studied at the Academy of Music and Sound and the MGA Academy of Performing Arts. Carrie and her band have had tracks featured on Jim Gellatly’s New Music Podcast as “a band that’s going places”.

She has played top Scottish venues such as the O2 Academy in Glasgow, The Glasgow ABC and the Oran Mor. She has worked with West End star Kerry Ellis, singing at the Queens Hall in Edinburgh, as well as learning from Rachel Tucker, Adam Garcia and Jonathan Reid Gealt.

Upbeat and inspiring, her energetic, feel-good songs give a distinctly Scottish twist to a playlist that might include A Great Big World, Imagine Dragons and WILD. Her writing, infectious in its optimism, has shades of country rock and folk running through its veins.

“I want to give people something to smile about, and send a positive message about believing in yourself and knowing that, ultimately, everything will be fine.”

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

Children of the Sün - Emmy.

Children of the Sün releases their second single, Emmy, from their upcoming debut album. Children of the Sün brings back the best part of the vocal harmony hippie era of the 60´s and 70´s with their debut album Flowers.

The album is set for release the 26th of July on The Sign Records. Mixing blues rock with a warm feel good folk/country vibe, their sound is retro yet fresh. The band debut album holds strong influences from Janis Joplin, Free and Joe Cocker, still the band can be placed somewhere in the same atmosphere as The Allman Brother Band, Jefferson Airplane and Canned Heat. A reincarnation of the 60´s feeling of nature, soul and rock music can be found in Children of the Sün’s debut album.

Flowers holds seven songs playing for 34 minutes. Album cover is done by Maarten Donders  that previously provided artwork for bands as MaidaVale, Graveyard, Blues Pills and Chelsea Wolfe. Children of the Sün hailing from the deep woods of Värmland, Sweden brings both nature and freedom to their album.

The recording was done in ES Music in Karlstad, Sweden. Children of the Sün won the Swedish national music competition Livekarusellen in 2018. In 2019 the band was added to The Sign Records rooster, the label have among other released bands as Hällas, MaidaVale, Heavy Feather and Svartanatt.


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

Saturday, 6 July 2019

Touch the Buffalo - Vilde - Arkansas Dave

The second single from the forthcoming album by Touch the Buffalo is the title track 'Heart Is For', where the alt rockers deliver a sprightly and beautifully produced song.

Vilde returns for a third time this year with another notable song entitled 'Through The Fallopian', the vocals are once again a dominant focal point, however the musical backdrop adds some real depth to the track and the video takes that even further.

Arkansas Dave has just shared 'Diamonds' a song drenched in Americana vibes, the gentle pace and heartfelt vocals ensure this soulful track digs deep into our emotions.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Touch the Buffalo - Heart Is For.

“Heart is For” is title track, and the second single to be released off of Touch the Buffalo’s upcoming album, “Heart is For”.

Band Bio: The DC-Based indie rock band, Touch the Buffalo, is a wild, heart-pounding circus of sound. Their live shows are electrifyingly fun – the raw energy of their sound and catchy melodies may cause fits of dancing.

Since their debut show in December 2016, Touch the Buffalo has released a three track EP, entitled “Ulrich”, they’ve played festivals with headliners such as Good Charlotte, Gin Blossoms, Sugar Ray, and Jimmy’s Chicken Shack, and they’re set to release their first full length album in the Summer of 2019.

Band Members: Jon Johnson – lead vocals, ukulele, piano, Tyler Beard – backing vocals, guitar, piano, Jonathan Ibarra – drums.

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

Vilde - Through The Fallopian.

I was born and raised in Melbourne, now I live in Stockholm. I played in a lounge-pop band as a teenager for a few years in Australia. Big limitations on creativity. Pop focused. Had a good time for a few years, got airplay on national radio & won some lame awards that were apparently prestigious. Got quite boring though. So I started Kins. A 4-piece rock band, with ideally no concept other than “no more creative limitations”.

Which of course is a farce - there’s always creative limitations of some sort. In essence I’d just swapped them out for some fresh, new and fun limitations. That spent a few years morphing from a solo project into a band which we all came to hold dear. Eventually it had run its course & we moved on to other things. So I started Vilde. Still aimless of course I decided that a fun course of action would be to release one album per year.

Which brings us to the fallopian. This is single #3 of album number 3, here’s a few words I had to say about it. “From fetus to adulthood, our options expand. These days it's overwhelming just how much choice some of us have. It can be a strong catalyst for the manifestation of FOMO & apathy. I think it's important to consider that and to take an active mental step against it. 'Through the Fallopian' is emoted upon that, it's a song of optimism and love.”


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

Arkansas Dave - Diamonds.

After living in Austin, Texas for over a decade now, Arkansas Dave is now finding his stride. A year after the release of his debut album, Dave finds himself writing for his sophomore record and road testing his new material. 2018 proved that this rising talent made his indelible mark in Americana and Roots rock music.

Gracing the stages of the world-famous Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland to AmericanaFest in Nashville to SXSW in Austin, Arkansas Dave is looking to his future and how he plans to use the momentum he has gained since his debut.

“2018 was a good year for me. I released my debut album, toured across Europe for almost two months and gained memories & experience that has forever changed my outlook on my career. It’s given me more inspiration to write songs that really connect with my audience. After playing my record live, I feel that I need to add more originals to my set; so, I’m focused on writing new material that I can include in my live set – and towards the next record.”

In between playing shows and writing new songs, Dave has crafted his second official video from his eponymous debut album for his song, Diamonds. The video echoes the same warmth and nostalgia the song proclaims during the journey of the story. Shot on his property west of
Austin, Dave showcases his more sentimental side in this film. “We shot this video all in one day. Starting at the studio my wife and I have downtown Austin, then traveling out to our property close to Lake Travis. This is a very personal song for me, so I wanted to capture a different side of my personality; and shooting this video in my most comfortable environments really help set the tone of the film. I really enjoyed filming it.”

Arkansas Dave is back in the studio with plans on releasing individual singles while working on his next record. Cutting his first record in Muscle Shoals, Alabama at the renown FAME Recording Studios with the legendary Swampers; Dave now has the ability to record his second
album in comfort at home in Big Indie Studios in downtown Austin, Texas. With new music coming soon, you can expect good things from an invigorated, inspired songwriter looking to expand his sound and audience.

Gearing up for another set of shows in the UK next month, Dave will be in rare form performing solo in different intimate venues. Known for his high energy blues-rock shows with his band, Dave will be showcasing his songs this tour in the same way he wrote them – with only his acoustic guitar.


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

Friday, 5 July 2019

Heavy Heart - Deux Furieuses - The Ghosts - Curse Of Lono - Earth Girl Helen Brown

Heavy Heart have a new release entitled 'Cry Ice'. Combining melodic dream pop with hints of alt rock that gradually builds, this is a gently paced track that begs for a second listen.

'Year Of Rage' by Deux Furieuses is a high octane rocker that packs emotion and power as this duo combine to create some potent rock and roll.

The Ghosts have shared 'We Lie To Ourselves' accompanied by an imaginative video that works so well with the song. Musically there is a fresh indie rock feel, it's no surprise that the band are attracting plenty of attention. 

This is our second Curse Of Lono 'Live at Toe Rag Studios' feature, last month we shared 'Blackout Fever' and they return now with 'I'd Start A War For You', which is another refined and mellow Americana styled song.

Earth Girl Helen Brown return for a sixth time on Beehive Candy, this time with an E.P. called 'Uranus' plus a video for 'Oh! What A War' an epic twelve minutes of the band being as creative as ever. Whatever genre the band tackle (and they seem to cross over into plenty), their flare and musical ability is impressive and very engaging.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Heavy Heart - Cry Ice.

Drifting seamlessly into the spotlight with a combination of vivid songwriting and luscious dream pop, London alt-rockers Heavy Heart showcase their emotional sensibilities to perfection in entrancing new release Cry Ice.

Forming the final part of the band’s 2019 trilogy of singles, mixed and co-produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Gabe Wax (The War On Drugs, Palehound, Soccer Mommy). Cry Ice frankly and unflinchingly documents the breakdown of vocalist Anna Vincent and guitarist Patrick Fitzroy’s 7-year relationship. Whilst there is pain and sadness underpinning all three tracks, the message is one of bittersweet happiness; that what is left after everything has fallen away is friendship. And music. Always music.

Widely touted across the airwaves courtesy of BBC Radio 1’s Phil Taggart and BBC 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq, the rising quartet have become well-known for their dynamic and atmospheric live shows with slots alongside fellow emerging acts Another Sky, Big Spring and Honey Lung already ticked off in recent months.

Speaking on the ideas behind the track, the quartet stated: “Cry Ice is about the end of a love affair; the glacial, slow, final moments of it all. Specifically, the song is about two people dying together on the side of a mountain, frozen forever just out of reach of each other”.

Produced by Patrick Fitzroy and Gabe Wax, Heavy Heart’s Cry Ice is out now and available via all digital platforms. Live Date: 15 Aug – Notting Hill Arts Club, London.

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

Deux Furieuses - Year Of Rage.

Newly signed to Xtra Mile Recordings, the ferocious punk duo deux furieuses have announced the release of their new album ‘My War is Your War’ (18 October 2019), the long-awaited follow-up to their critically acclaimed debut album ‘Tracks of Wire’ (2016).

Following its first play on John Kennedy’s Radio X Xposure show last night, Year of Rage - the first single to be taken from ‘My War is Your War’ -  is released today and available across streaming services and as an instant free download on all album pre-orders here.

Year of Rage was penned on New Year’s Eve leading into the centenary of Votes for Women and celebrates the #MeToo movement. Its accompanying video features art direction from both Jimmy Cauty (The KLF) and Alannah Currie (ex-Thompson Twins aka Miss Pokeno), with the latter also making a cameo appearance in the video. Currie’s Feel the Rage blog inspired the red flag imagery on ‘My War is Your War’ album artwork. As deux furieuses expand:

“We are honoured to have artists/musicians Dan Donovan and Jimmy Cauty (The KLF) behind the lense for our new Year of Rage video. Artist Alannah Currie (Thompson Twins) and Jimmy Cauty opened up their Doyce Street studio to us providing art ideas, inspiration and red flags!”

deux furieuses are Scottish vocalist and guitarist Ros Cairney and London Greek drummer Vas Antoniadou. Since their beginnings in 2013 they have earned a reputation for uncompromising politically charged rock which has seen them championed by the likes of Q Magazine, Classic Rock, Louder Than War, and Radio X DJ John Kennedy, whose enthusiasm caught the attention of Frank Turner leading to the duo supporting him at the Roundhouse, London for Lost Evenings Festival 2017.

Raised on a fiery blend of Irish and Greek music, 80’s post-punk and 90’s alt rock, and bonding over a love of early PJ Harvey and Kate Bush, their music is a visceral and impassioned call to arms against the world’s inequalities and rising storms.

‘My War is Your War’ lyrically and musically expands on their debut album ‘Tracks of Wire’. It takes the post-punk and Riot Grrrl influences of the predecessor and injects it with a darker rock sound, an angrier sonic energy representing the alarming rise of social injustices and right-wing power since the debut’s release.


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

The Ghosts - We Lie To Ourselves.

The Ghosts formed when Alex Starling (Ou Est Le Swimming Pool) was introduced to New York trained jazz drummer Ian Palmer. They began to work with Alex Sharman and Dan Whiffin on what would become their debut album ‘The End’.

Written and recorded in two months the album received rave reviews in both the UK and abroad. The band signed deals in the US, Canada and Russia and began to tour extensively over the next few years.

After a break for Alex to work on writing projects and for Ian to perform a series of sell out concerts alongside legendary drummers Steve Gadd and Benny Greb, they have returned with ‘We Lie To Ourselves’. The single was mixed by Eduardo De La Paz (Arcade Fire, The National, Florence and The Machine).

The video for the single which features an animated mouse taking action against a prey-killing, corporate machine run by cats, has been nominated for the McLaren Award at this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival.


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

Curse Of Lono - I'd Start A War For You (Live at Toe Rag Studios).

Curse of Lono release new single I’d Start A War For You, taken from upcoming album 4am And Counting, recorded live at Toe Rag Studios, due out on July 12th. I’d Start A War For You was recorded with Grammy-winning producer Liam Watson (The White Stripes) and features a guest appearance from legendary pedal steel player BJ Cole.

Curse Of Lono’s forthcoming album '4am And Counting' consists of 11 mellow, rootsier versions of tracks off the band’s first two albums, recorded live at Toe Rag Studios in London with Grammy-winning producer Liam Watson (The White Stripes 'Elephant'), and mixed by Oli Bayston (Boxed In).

The album features guest appearances from legendary pedal steel player BJ Cole (Elton John, Dolly Parton, Pink Floyd, Massive Attack), and harmonica player Nick Reynolds (Alabama 3 and son of the mastermind of the great train robbery, Bruce Reynolds).

“We wanted to capture the vibe we get when we're jamming late at night,” explains frontman Felix Bechtolsheimer. “So we booked a couple of days in the studio, invited a few friends down and pressed record. Toe Rag Studios is an incredible place. There are no computers. There’s no technology to tempt you. We just played everything completely live like we do when we’re messing around in our rehearsal room, so what you hear is exactly what was played.”


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

Earth Girl Helen Brown - Uranus / Oh! What a War.

About "Uranus", by Earth Girl Helen Brown: Empty Cellar Records and the Earth Girl Helen Brown Center for Planetary Intelligence Band (E.G.H.B.C.P.F.I.B.) are pleased to announce the fifth installment of the E.G.H.B.C.P.F.I.B. seasonal planetary series, URANUS. Featuring Heidi Alexander, Jamin Barton, Eric Bauer, Emilee Booher, Brad Caulkins, Bart Davenport, James Finch Jr., Graeme Gibson, Tahlia Harbour, Doug Hilsinger, Warren Huegel, Josh Puklavetz, Sean Smith, Ryan Weinstein and mastered by Mikey Young.

In these times of many changes, URANUS considers the strain and repose of power which balances all things. The common English language word, power, refers to four quantitative properties of physics: energy, work, force, and power. In common use it is synonymous with strength, energy, electricity, vigor, and domination. A boundary between time (t) and energy (E) it is also the product of their division (P) and the great scale by which their separation is measured. How shall we manifest these interactions in our social and physical spheres from the atomic scale to the cosmogonic? F=ma, W=Fs, E=mc2, P=E/t so E=tP and t=E/P.

"Oh! What A War" from MARS / Four Satellites Vol. 1 by Earth Girl Helen Brown (Empty Cellar Records / In The Red) Recorded in Los Angeles by Ty Segall and Heidi Alexander:

Oh! What a War is a production of the Earth Girl Helen Brown Center for Planetary Intelligence Band (E.G.H.B.C.F.P.I.B.) with video synthesizer footage courtesy of Lefty Rybrow (Ryan Browne). The narrative is intended to provide a brief history of American armed conflicts over a 500+ year history however many armed engagements of the United States are not accounted for in this story nor are they in the common historic record. These blank spots are the result of numerous forces influencing the telling of history including discrepancies in the classification of such conflicts as war/not war such as the current global network of US special operations forces and any number of past conflicts funded by the American taxpayer without any official declaration of war.

The 12-year long Cold War-era civil war in El Salvador which claimed 75,000 lives with heavy backing by the Carter and Reagan administrations is one such example of a serious foreign engagement that does not make the official roster of American wars. If your war was not included, we apologize. For those offended by the content of this story please note that the raw timeline and subjects of this narrative were drawn from the common informational sources below. We hope that the lyrical suggestion that there is “really nothing left” of the American Indian does not offend those American Indian populations surviving and thriving today.

This is a lyrical device meant to reflect the relentless and brutal force of the US Military assault on the American Indian in a series of conflicts which dominate the early history of American war from 1775-1923 and which are regarded by many historians and academics as being genocidal in nature. We single out top military contractors as complicit as it is only those individuals and organizations that make war their business who profit off its propagation.  All others pay. We believe in peace.



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

Wednesday, 3 July 2019

Chloe Foy - A Permanent Shadow - Sandra Andreis - Cleargreen - Jens Carelius

Chloe Foy makes her third appearance on Beehive Candy with 'Without You'. Her ability to write, create and perform beautiful folk songs remains intact, the latest piece once again demonstrates this. In just one word I would describe her music as stunning.

From A Permanent Shadow we have 'Empty', a quirky, enjoyable and psych drenched song, with a suitably matched video, this one is very catchy.

The Porgy and Bess classic 'Summertime' is given a thoughtful reworking by Sandra Andreis a modern version without taking away the originals class, and it's accompanied by a intriguing video.

Cleargreen latest song is 'People' a bright and fresh sounding indie rocker, that is full of some rather deep digging hooks.

We have the new track from Jens Carelius entitled 'All I Know' accompanied by his previous release 'Lay Me Down'. Both make good use of sweeping synths, and Jens characterful vocals give plenty of originality and interest to each song, raising interest before his September full album release.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chloe Foy - Without You.

Chloe Foy writes a brand of melodic, homegrown music, bursting with colourful, lyrical and textural inflections evocative of much of the music she loves. Taking inspiration from classical music as much as wider transatlantic trends in folk and indie, Chloe’s songs comprise of carefully constructed arrangements that delicately compliment her cryptic lyrics.

Having performed at SXSW, Chloe has captured the attention of rapidly growing UK and US audiences. With the release of her singles ‘Asylum’, ‘Flaws’, and ‘In The Middle Of The Night’, she has accumulated over 9 million plays on Spotify, as well as earning the praise and airtime of the likes of NPR Radio’s Bob Boilen and the BBC’s Steve Lamacq. She has just been named a 2019 BBC Introducing “One To Watch” by Radio 3’s Late Junction. She spent summer 2018 touring in support of the mercurially talented Jesca Hoop (as well as singing backing vocals in Jesca’s band), before embarking on her first ever UK headline tour in the Autumn.

With her strikingly beautiful voice and emotionally direct songwriting, Chloe looks set to have an exciting 2019, with a debut album in the pipeline, a headline spring tour and a string of major festival appearances, including Green Man, already confirmed.

Talking of the new single, she says, "Without You is a song about grief and the loss of someone close to depression. So it talks of the struggles of the person who passes away and then couples that with the exploration of grieving and how it changes from being the worst thing in the world one minute, to possibly seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in the end, and how grief changes with the seasons. This was written a long time ago when I was very new to the grief and I’ve always played it live but never found the right setting for it on record. However, I recently re-imagined the arrangement and it’s taken on a new life."

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

A Permanent Shadow - Empty.

"Empty" is the debut single from Barcelona-based band A Permanent Shadow. With gnarly guitar riffs and new-wave nuances, the single pays homage to generations of misfits: from glam-rock icon David Bowie to eclectic synth-maestro Gary Numan. The song itself questions at what lengths will we go to in order to keep a relationship alive. When is it time to walk away?

Renowned short horror movie director Dani Moreno captures the concept of attraction-rejection using two dancers: one wearing black and one wearing white. Simplistic, yet effective, the characters push and pull until one finally gives in, fading into the background. CP, on the other hand, is scrutinised under the watchful eye of two doctors.

In reality, he’s strapped to a hospital chair, while in his mind he’s transported to a psychedelic journey through space and time. Lights and sounds literally explode from his brain as one side shouts to the other, “Empty!”.

A Permanent Shadow. A name that refers equally to areas of the moon untouched by sunlight, the after-effects of nuclear disaster and human skin peculiarities, for the band’s founder and lead singer, CP Fletcher, it represents melancholy, nostalgia and other sentiments usually traceable on the darker side of human life.


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

Sandra Andreis - Summertime.

Place a trip hop-esque soundscape in an episode of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks and there you have it – Sandra Andreis’ debut solo release, “Raising My Standards”: a set of updated jazz standards transformed into modern fighting songs for equality.

The first single “As Time Goes By,” a reworked version of the classic tune from Casablanca, was released on International Women’s Day (March 8th), and it was met with much acclaim in her native Sweden. The second single, "Summertime" was released on June 14th and is now followed by a poetic music video set in Morocco and Sweden.

“Summertime is such an iconic song from Porgy and Bess with deep roots in American spirituals and has been standard fare for decades and across generations. Updating it at a time when human rights, and specifically women’s rights, are once again being put to the test, in a way I had hoped I wouldn’t experience in my lifetime, feels important. My fight to ensure my daughter will never be forced to endure these inequalities continues.”

Andreis, more commonly known for her work as an actress in both film (Venice Film Festival award-winning The Reunion) and television (European hit series The Sandhamn Murders), describes her journey of creating this EP as a personal face-off with the gender norms pervading so much of music, especially the jazz of her youth.

“Just like children’s books and laws, music needs to be updated. Summertime is one of the most beautiful lullabies I know, and my version draws from the pure, raw female power that has born and bred generations.The original is sung by a woman comforting a child that isn’t her own, wishing for her to grow up under the best possible circumstances free from oppression.“Your daddy's rich and your mama’s good-looking.

My reworking of the lyrics is simple but effective – a woman is no longer reduced to her looks, taught that her appearance is crucial to her survival. I also grant the child in the song a voice, allowing her to demand attention.That constant and complex exchange between parent and child – to nurture and be nurtured.The difficulty in adapting to various roles over the course of a lifetime. There is something both beautiful and heartbreaking in that tension.”


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

Cleargreen - People.

Cleargreen is powered by a formidable young song writing partnership between Ali Staley (Vocals/Guitar) and Liam Mciver (Vocals/Bass) alongside two of the northwest’s most complete musicians in Josh Haworth (Lead Guitar) and Mike Wilcock (Drums).

With this unrelenting line up Cleargreen have started to cause some rumblings across the North and pricked up ears both abroad and down south in that there London. This band is a perfect combination of big songs and big musical personalities, always striving to uncover the classics of tomorrow. Having been listed Fred Perry's Top Manchester Bands you need to hear, as well as huge home town shows at Manchester 02 Ritz and a 500 capacity sell out at Rebellion, this band are going beyond. A list of summer festival billings keeps mounting as Cleargreen begin to feature on the biggest of stages more often than not now.

After the success of their last release, new single 'People' takes things up another level once again. The track talks about duality within people, the good and bad, and that people aren't necessarily one or the other. It also shows how we desire better lives for ourselves and how we are influenced by the people around us for better or worse. Musically it shows the bands strength to create strong hooks and melody lines and big choruses, borrowing from their influences of 60s Pop and recent bands such as 'Sticky Fingers' and 'DMAs' to make a shimmer piece of modern guitar pop.

The band are young and were started in 2012 by Ali and although there have been many line-up changes. The dynamic of the band completely changed properly in 2016 when Liam came into the fold and took on some of the song writing duties, giving the band twice the ammo. 2018 saw the addition of Josh and Mike as this line up finally finds its most symbiotic version upon which a really great English band may just be able to surface to the top again as has been the tradition of northern English bands from The Beatles in the 60s through to Oasis in the 90s and Arctic Monkeys in the 00s.


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

Jens Carelius - All I Know / Lay Me Down.

Jens Carelius has shared a new single, "All I Know", that is taken from the upcoming album entitled "Opsi" that is due for release on September 13th via Jansen Records. The album is named after his great-great-grandfather Fritz "Opsi" Doerries, the entomologist, and was inspired by his travels through Eastern Siberia in the late 1800s.

Behind the entrancing swirling synths there lies a deeper meaning within the lyrics of the song, explains Carelius: "‘All I Know’ is about how we choose to spend our short time on this earth.

The song starts with the clicking of a clock, as I wanted Opsi’s life and his own search to echo how we all live today, which is a totally different world than his. Opsi spent most of his life searching for something unknown and unseen. Never for the fame of it, purely driven by his genuine love for nature and wildlife."

The first taster of the record came in the form of opening track on the album "Lay Me Down". Carelius explained the meaning behind the song:

“During Opsi’s 22 years in Siberia, he had several visits to Germany, and the diary reveals details of a hidden love story that I’ve chosen to explore in this song. When you really miss someone, you forget about any trouble, pride, and drama that being with them stirs up. You just want that person and that love to be there, even though you know the ordeal it could bring.”


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

The Wildmans - Mollie Elizabeth - Jazmine Mary - Mariel Buckley

Photograph by Magnolia Ellenburg The Wildmans - Autumn 1941. The Wildmans will release Longtime Friend on July 11, 2025 via New West Record...