Trace Decay - Darrin Bradbury - Winona Oak - Ted Z and The Wranglers

Trace Decay have released a very fine indie pop - rock song entitled 'Passivity', where their gliding vocals, smooth guitar work and layered synths make the most of this hook filled track.

From Darrin Bradbury we have 'Talking Dogs & Atom Bombs' the title track and one of eleven on the album. His lyrics are wry and so engaging and his delivery reminiscent of a younger John Prine on this sublime song, a real teaser if ever there was for an album.

Winona Oak  might be up in the millions in terms of song streams and hardly in need of our support but 'Break My Broken Heart' is just to good to miss out on, so we haven't.

Americana with a buzz was my first impression for Ted Z and The Wranglers and their new song 'Guests On Sunday Morning', it's also my second impression and that's good enough.
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Trace Decay - Passivity.

Arriving with their infectiously smooth sophomore single, Melbourne indie-poppers Trace Decay are anything but passive on their self reflective 'Passivity.'

Charming and brazen, Trace Decay’s infectious brand of melancholy pop is a unique blend of haunting spaces and melodic undertones. Expanding on their own brand of self proclaimed "slacker pop-rock", 'Passivity' delves into the regularities of routine, and the relatability of that constraint.

"It's a statement on how easy it is to fall into passive mode and how it can make one feel trapped in the humdrum pattern of day to day life. Passivity perfectly captures the inner workings of someone who has outgrown old patterns and seeks a new path," frontman Jordan De Pasquale explains.

Bursting onto the scene with their debut single ‘How Did it Come To This’, Trace Decay quickly gained attention with positive reviews on triple j Unearthed, a spin on triple j's Home & Hosed and praise from tastemaker Purple Sneakers. Combining sarcastic yet honest and heartfelt lyricism with their signature retro synths and catchy guitar hooks, Trace Decay's distinctive sound takes influence from acts like The Cure, Blur, The Magnetic Fields & Beach House.

Establishing themselves as formidable live performers, especially with the recent addition of their fourth live performance member, hometown fans at last night's single launch were lucky enough to catch a slew of unreleased tracks which ensure Trace Decay have plenty up their sleeves to keep things heating up right into Summer!

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Darrin Bradbury - Talking Dogs & Atom Bombs.

Like a more self-deprecating, decidedly morose John Prine, or perhaps a more jovial Guy Clark, New Jersey native Darrin Bradbury's songs are riddled with hilarious, obvious-once-you-hear-them observations on mundane everyday life.

The eleven songs on Talking Dogs & Atom Bombs, Bradbury's new release on ANTI- Records, leave listeners singing along with sometimes ridiculous, often dark, but instantly familiar tunes.

Produced by Kenneth Pattengale (The Milk Carton Kids), Talking Dogs & Atom Bombs is a collection of songs born from dealing with depression and the pressures of life in the only way Bradbury knows; by poking fun at it. "It's an album trying to combat depression, to laugh your way out of depression, and to be honest and accurate with that depression," Bradbury quips. "I try to write things that make me chuckle, and that chuckling is usually making peace with the existential dilemma of both the times and life in general."

With only one co-writer on the entire album-ANTI- label-mate, friend, and fellow esteemed Nashville musician, Jeremy Ivey-Bradbury's one-of-a-kind style is allowed to shine brilliantly, unobstructed by outside opinion. The tracking of Talking Dogs & Atom Bombs was completed in a similarly simple way; using the same combo of musicians for every song on the record. Aside from producer Pattengale's mellotron and vocal contributions and the aforementioned Ivey's bass and piano playing, only two extra musicians were called to round out the band; Alex Muñoz on additional guitars and Dillon Napier on drums. The only exception is the lone guest vocalist on the album, modern outlaw country queen and long-time supporter of Bradbury, Margo Price, who adds a sombre harmony to a track titled "The Trouble With Time."


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Winona Oak - Break My Broken Heart.

Swedish born, LA-based artist Winona Oak releases her new single “Break My Broken Heart” via Neon Gold Records / Atlantic Records. The single is accompanied by another stunning music video directed by Andreas Öhman  The song follows her runaway debut single “He Don’t Love Me”, which has amassed 6.5 million streams across all platforms to date.

Winona Oak about “Break My Broken Heart”: “You have to be brave to love someone with all your heart. But the biggest risk in life is to not take any risks at all. As long as we’re breathing, what’s one more scar?”

Born and raised in the Nordic forests of Sweden on a small crop of land called Sollerön - known as the Island of the Sun - Winona Oak is every bit as enchanting as her origin story. With a childhood spent encountering more animals than people, she grew up a trained horse acrobat and pursued creative expression however she could, writing poetry and songs from a young age. Born into a musical family, Winona sang throughout her youth and began playing violin at 5 years old and piano at 9 years.

After moving to Stockholm to pursue her passion for music, a leap of faith to attend Neon Gold Records’ writing retreat in the Nicaraguan jungle in 2017 led her to Australian electronic maestro What So Not. She would go on to co-write his next two singles "Better" and "Stuck In Orbit", eventually stepping into the spotlight as both the writer and featured artist on his 2018 single "Beautiful", which took home the 2019 AIR Award for Best Independent Dance Single at the Australian Independent Music Awards.

Last year, Winona Oak covered “Don’t Save Me” from fellow Neon Gold Records signees HAIM for the label’s 10 year anniversary compilation: NGX: Ten Years of Neon Gold. The minimal production allows Winona Oak’s ethereal voice to shine through, slower than the original and drenched in ethereal melancholy. Now signed to Neon Gold / Atlantic Records and published by Warner-Chappell, she closed out 2018 collaborating with The Chainsmokers on their viral hit single “Hope”, co-written by Winona and featuring her stunning lead vocals, and currently boasting 300 million streams across all platforms globally.


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Ted Z and The Wranglers - Guests On Sunday Morning.

The new single from Ted Z and The Wranglers, is entitled 'Guests on Sunday Morning' the track is a raucous Americana song highlighting twangy blues guitars, layered infused melodies and stomping percussion.

Ted Z and The Wranglers, of Southern California, deliver outlaw country-charged rock. Ted's catchy story-songs are fully-realized tales of love, regret, getting older and getting in trouble. The band stirs up it's Americana influences, featuring quick picking and bluesy slide guitar over galloping train beats and swinging shuffles.

The Wranglers are Collin Mclean (bass), Jackson Leverone (lead and slide guitar, vocals) and Jordan Lipp (drums). The band has honed it's sound on big stages and in biker bars alike. They get audiences dancing and bring them back for more.

Ted Z and The Wranglers were signed to Rip Cat Records in 2015. Their first label release, Ghost Train, was recorded at Yellow Dog Studios in Wimberley, TX and produced by Monty Byrom (Big House, Eddie Money). 2017 Winner Hard Rock Rising LA, Jam in The Van (2017) Headlined Sturgis Buffalo Chip (2018).

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/fyo͞oɡ/ - Kacy & Clayton - Maddee - Jay Elle - Michael Blakeman - Dominic Sen

Taken from there new Temp'rall Sho'gazing album we have a couple of songs from /fyo͞oɡ/ namely 'Better' and 'Blues After Hours'. The two tracks give a good feel for the whole, Katarina's vocals are exceptional and the musical arrangement polished, the compositions mixing Jazz and Blues and taking the material in differing directions is wonderful.

Kacy & Clayton return with a second song and video ahead of their album release, this time we have 'High Holiday' another genre spanning song which for convenience sake I will describe as up skilled Americana.

'Clouds' by Maddee is a gently paced soulful song with just a hint of the blues, her vocals are strikingly good, just right for this type of music.

Jay Elle brand of pop is refreshingly uncomplicated as witnessed by 'Sickly Sweet' a catchy and unpretentious piece that veers a little towards modern folk.

With some eighties synth rock vibes Michael Blakeman has shared 'Brazier To The Lake' a solid rocker with plenty of hooks throughout.

Finally today Dominic Sen has released a video for 'Hear Me, a song that is attempting to convey a deeper message whilst remaining a rather pleasing dance pop number.
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/fyo͞oɡ/ - Better / Blues After Hours.

There is a new album from New Orleans based Jazz/Blues duo “/fyo͞oɡ/” entitled “Temp'rall Sho'gazing”. The co-founders of fyo͞oɡ/ consists of Katarina Boudreaux and Sam Tepper who set out to create originals and perform music that grips the soul and imagination in the process. This release is comprised of 3 originals mixed with tastefully chosen cover tunes which are both experimental and sometimes unexpected.

Mainly falling in a more the old school Jazz and Blues tradition in song choices and original compositions, this album also touches occasionally into the funk territory and often times has a very gospel approach. Katrarina’s soulful and headstrong vocal style much like Billy Holliday or Ella Fitzgerald are nicely accompanied by Sam Tepper’s virtuoso blues/jazz playing on piano and keyboards that could be compared at times to the great Stevie Wonder.

"This is the first collaborative project I have embarked on. Sam walked in on a gig, and we've worked together ever since. The three originals are co-written, and it is the first album I have not played keys on (three previous studio albums)."

Katarina Boudreaux and Sam Tepper are the cofounders of /fyo͞oɡ/. New Orleans based, /fyo͞oɡ/ creates original music and covers music that grips the soul and imagination in the process. Katarina is a writer, dancer, teacher, and musician. Her novel "Platform Dwellers" is available from Owl Hollow Press. She is the current director of Noladancing. Sam Tepper is a genuine human being and virtuoso musician.



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Kacy & Clayton - High Holiday.

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 Mike Trask directed video for the song “High Holiday” was released earlier this week.  The song features the legendary musician Charlie McCoy on bass harmonica who is well known for his contributions to infamous recordings by Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Simon and Garfunkel, and more.  McCoy is also featured on "That Sweet Orchestra Sound," Carrying On's closing track.  Clayton has stated "I'd heard he was still doing sessions and got excited. One of my favorite things he's ever done was on Tom T. Hall's "In Search of a Song."

The music Kacy & Clayton make is inextricable from where they grew up. They 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.”

Of Carrying On, Jeff Tweedy said "When I first heard Kacy and Clayton, I was struck by how much detail and nuance they had absorbed from what sounded like a large swath of my record collection. When I told them that they were as good as the artists they were drawing from, I’m not sure they believed me. On this record I don’t hear those influences as much as I hear them taking the things they love so intimately and telling their own story. I think they’re a truly great band.”


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Maddee - Clouds.

Toronto-based artist, Maddee is today sharing her soulful new cut, ‘Clouds’ - listen here. Taken from the forthcoming debut six-track EP, ’Red Mind’, which is due for release this coming autumn, the new single finds the 20-year-old artist expanding on her previous sound to introduce a gripping network of jazz-indebted R&B and slap-back electronica.

Thematically, the ‘Red Mind EP’ deals with the ramifications of a negative relationship and the emotions that Maddee felt throughout that period, from love to infatuation and naivety. Speaking about ‘Clouds’, which features the co-production of Gray Rowan (Charlotte Day Wilson, The WAYO) and coasts along to the groove of off-kilter percussion and stuttering organs, Maddee says: “This song was written about getting over an unhealthy relationship. It’s about coming back to myself and my strength.”

Maddee cut her teeth initially with features on the ‘Colours EP’ from Toronto-based producer, Harrison - from here, she picked up slots opening for the likes of Lil’ Yachty, Willow Smith and Tennyson, alongside which she showcased across festivals including SXSW, NXNE and Field Trip. A pair of debut singles were released in 2017 (produced by Toronto’s Birthday Boy and Shagabond respectively), earning the buzz-building artist tips from tastemaker blogs, Majestic Casual and the attention of Red Bull Sound Select who handpicked her as one their spotlight artists.

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Jay Elle - Sickly Sweet.

My name is Jay Elle. I am a singer, songwriter, and guitar player. I write pop songs, most often appearing under the label “singer-songwriter.” The songs are a bit on the mellow side for the most parts these days. Since it’s only my guitar and myself at the moment you might say that the overall sound could also fit in the urban-folk category.

I play a nylon string Ovation guitar which gives me a fairly unique sound. Think of it as a reprieve from the digital world for a moment, a vacation island for your ears.

Sometimes you meet people who truly change your life. Certainly, make an unforgettable impression. This song is a trip down memory lane. A good one. A song can take you on a journey. I hope it will get listeners dreaming and revisiting their own pleasant experiences. I love the groove. It's meant to be relaxing while carrying you to your own memories.


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Michael Blakeman - Brazier To The Lake.

‘Brazier To The Lake’ will be in digital stores on the 9th of August. The ‘Future’ EP by Micheal Blakeman will be released 23rd of August.

Future is the experimental debut EP from Michael Blakeman. The Perth musician has re-directed his progressive energy into the circuits of the analog, the lead single Brazier To The Lake a synthwave revitaliser.

After spending years on various rock and metal projects, the EP is Michael’s first foray into the sounds of the 80s. Self-produced and recorded in his home studio, Future matches revivalist gore with an emphatic melancholic energy. The lead single Brazier to the Lake a dark and brooding march of operaHc drama and retro-futuristic voguing.

Fueled by the complexity and experimentation of metal music, composition and songwriting quickly became a large part of his musical focus. Michael's second love is technology, and it wasn't long before he learned how to combine them by pursuing audio production and sound engineering.

Fast forward to 2019 and Michael has released his first solo EP effort, Future. “This release was a huge step outside of my comfort zone,” says Michael. “I’ve been involved with music for a while, but nearly all of that time was spent playing guitar in various bands. I wanted to push myself by creating something of my own from the ground up. Earlier this year I became enamored with the classic Minimoog synth sound, so I decided to take a deep dive into the sound and aesthetic of the era it inspired.”

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Dominic Sen - Hear Me.

Lightyears clear of the cataclysm that spawned them, and the event horizon that almost unmade them, Dominic Sen, seventh and only surviving child of the supermassive black hole at the centre of “The Evil Eye Galaxy,” drifted around space in limbo ‘til they intercepted the radio waves of broadcasts from 1980’s and 1990’s Earth. Depicting a colourful and thriving pop culture, these songs of our civilisation drew Sen to the Sun like a moth to our humble intergalactic flame, and thus Sen arrived and fell in love with the meretricious myth of Earthbound stardom.

Channelling the pervasive and alienating sense of their own otherness, Sen works on our planet as an artist where they have created their debut LP. Visitor is a love story, a space opera, a thought experiment telling the tale of Tal Naata, a biologically human female coming from a distant and socially progressive civilisation to study Earth. Taking Tal Naata’s story as their prism, Sen casts our own primitive ideas of gender and social cohesion back at us in shimmering crystalline pop, a sound which hearkens back to those old transmissions which led them here.

Lead single ‘Hear Me’ documents the impasse in traditional gender dynamics on Earth between masculine desire and feminine self-definition. It is, in Sen’s words, about “the sobering reality of an experience gap between Tal Naata and her cis-male partner. It is impossible for him to fully know the hardships faced by women. He will never truly know the fear of walking home alone at night, never grasp the small ways in which his behaviour diminishes her complexity and wholeness.” As someone from a civilisation with no gender inequality, Sen attributes Tal no internalised misogyny. “It makes her acutely cognisant of the truth while still baffled that her gender alienates her from her partner more than the fact that she is a literal alien." The accompanying video represents the internal odyssey that Tal, and classical mythic heroines like her, have to undergo to assert and define themselves in environments that threaten their sense of autonomy.

‘Visitor’ will be released on Roll Call Records on October 18. It will be immediately available for pre-order, including as a limited edition LP in “Interstellar White” vinyl. Its hook-laden sounds are a thrilling homage to our recent past and their dance-inspiring concepts foretell a new transhumanist era. May Sen in their distant cosmic perfection continue to inspire and be inspired.


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Deux Furieuses - North Mississippi Allstars - Rev Rev Rev

We were introduced to Deux Furieuses just a month ago, and they are back with 'Civilians', the second song share from their forthcoming album 'My War Is Your War'. It's a striking rocker with plenty of punk determination and a potent riff that is impossible to ignore.

North Mississippi Allstars have shared a video for 'Up And Rolling' the title track from their scheduled October album release, and it's a gorgeous mixture of soulful blues and natural roots rock, it's also an almighty teaser for the album!

Rev Rev Rev new single 'One Illusion Is Very Much Like Another' is accompanied by an intriguing video, as the bands mix of psych and shoegaze is given a clever visual interpretation, that said, the song remains solid and stands on it's own feet.
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Deux Furieuses - Civilians.

Civilians is the second instant gratification track - following the John Kennedy Radio X premiered Year of Rage (July 2019) - to be taken from deux furieuses forthcoming second album ‘My War is Your War’ (out 18 October 2019 on Xtra Miles Recordings).

Civilians is inspired, as the band explain, by a "robot politician on TV denying what was clearly true", the brutalised riff tackling the demise of empathy for our shared humanity in a post-truth world.

Musically and lyrically, Civilians’ is indicative of the long-player ‘My War is Your War’. The forthcoming album expands on the punk duo’s debut album ‘Tracks of Wire’ by taking the predecessor’s post-punk and Riot Grrrl influences and injecting it with a darker, angrier rock sound.  It is an impassioned sonic energy that represents the alarming rise of social injustices and right-wing power since the debut’s release.

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, as evident on the new single Civilians, is a visceral and impassioned call to arms against the world’s inequalities and rising storms.

Civilians is produced by Rob Ellis (PJ Harvey) and mixed by Mark Freegard (The Breeders), it is released as an instant grat for anyone who pre-orders and pre-saves the digital album from 6 August.  The album ‘My War is Your War’ follows on 18 October (CD, vinyl and digitally), both released via Xtra Mile Recordings.


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North Mississippi Allstars - Up And Rolling.

North Mississippi Allstars are set to return with 'Up and Rolling' on 4th October via New West Records. The 12-song set was produced by Luther and Cody Dickinson and recorded at The Zebra Ranch, their family studio established by their father, the legendary Jim Dickinson in Independence, MS. The album also features guest appearances from Mavis Staples, Jason Isbell, Cedric Burnside, Duane Betts, and Sharde Thomas. 'Up and Rolling' finds North Mississippi Allstars getting back to their roots and recapturing the communal spirit upon which the band was founded.

In 1996, a photographer from Texas, Wyatt McSpadden, travelled to North Mississippi looking to photograph local musicians. Brothers Luther and Cody Dickinson had grown up just south of Memphis and cut their teeth playing experimental rock & roll together, as well as the roots repertoire pioneered by their father, Jim Dickinson, a legendary producer (Big Star, The Replacements) and session player (Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan). Their feet were firmly planted in the North Mississippi mud and music scene, and they were excited to show Wyatt around their community, to introduce him to the musical families of Otha Turner, RL Burnside and Junior Kimbrough. “Wyatt was so smooth nobody felt he was taking photos,” Luther recalls. “No one was self-conscious or posing. Wyatt had a cloak of invisibility."

A month after McSpadden took those photos, the newly formed North Mississippi Allstars made their Memphis debut, incorporating their father’s concept of roots music as a framework for improvisation and blending experimental/psychedelic excursions into Hill Country anthems. In just a few short years, their lives would then be forever changed with the release of their debut album  'Shake Hands with Shorty' in 2000. They wouldn’t see most of the photos for over two decades until McSpadden tracked the brothers down in 2017. Luther says, “The images stopped me in my tracks and blew my mind. The music that changed our lives was captured in these photographs. Cody and I wanted to set the music free and record an album to accompany these photographs illustrating what Mississippi music sounded like in 1996 - and what it sounds like now.”  'Up and Rolling' takes listeners on a tour of this vibrant and rural community: through the hills and along the back roads to Otha’s home, to Junior Kimbrough’s nightclub, and RL Burnside's house parties.

Along with their originals, they covered some of their favourite songs by these local heroes, with help from Cedric Burnside and Sharde Thomas, Otha Turner’s granddaughter. “She was only a child when she became his apprentice and heir to the bamboo throne of fife and drum music,” says Luther. “Now she’s the Queen of the Hill Country and my favorite singing partner.” In addition to duetting with him on RL Burnside’s raunchy 'Peaches,' she also sings with Luther on Otha’s 'Call That Gone.'

Mavis Staples keeps NMA marching on the freedom highway, singing on her family’s classic 'What You Gonna Do?', which originally appeared on The Staples Singers’ essential 1965 album.


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Rev Rev Rev - One Illusion Is Very Much Like Another.

The new single 'One Illusion Is Very Much Like Another' by shoegaze / psych band Rev Rev Rev, has just had a video shared.

Since the release of their self-titled debut album back in 2013, Rev Rev Rev – based in Modena, Italy – have repeatedly been hailed as one of the finest new shoegaze bands, clocking up airtime and praise from BBC 6 Music, NPR, Drowned In Sound, Clash Magazine and Bandcamp Daily.

The new album, produced by James Aparicio (Spiritualized, Cult Of Dom Keller, Dead Vibrations), marks also their signing on cult indie psych label Fuzz Club.
Veering away from the blistering psychedelic noise-rock that’s to be found on most of the album – as seen in the first single, ‘Clutching The Blade’, released back in March – ‘One Illusion...’ is instead a ritualistic shoegaze-y drone that explores repetition and texture over their usual sonic belligerence.


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Franke Swain - Isaiah Sharkey - Pauline Andrès

Franke Swain has a new video for her latest single 'Emergency Alarms' where her melodic and quite intimate vocals are supported by a gentle musical backdrop.

I realise not everyone has access to Spotify in which case Isaiah Sharkey and the recently released album 'Love is the Key' is worth searching out elsewhere, especially for lovers of refined and timeless soul music, RnB and blues, as this collection of songs is absolutely wonderful. Back in the day this guy would have been serious competition for the likes of Marvin Gaye through to Curtis Mayfield, and some! 

Pauline Andrès has released the wonderfully titled 'Hoping For The Best At The Springwater Supper Club' a refined and atmospheric piece of Americana that just exudes quality.
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Franke Swain - Emergency Alarms.

Frankie Swain has just released the emotive video for her new single Emergency Alarms.

Directed by Alan Dunne and produced by Stubborn Monkey Media, Emergency Alarms reflects on how important it is to reach out to friends in time of need. “It’s so important today that we reach out to friends and family or even sometimes strangers  to make sure we mind both ourselves and each other. Never forget what you mean to others as sometimes this can be your saviour. We have all been in the same place at some stage, so trust in others, you are never alone – make sure to reach out for the helping hand of friendship.”

Citing influences such as George Ezra, Ward Thomas and Passenger. Emergency Alarms follows the success of Frankie's first single “Hook, line and Sinker” which got a number of radio plays and playlists from all around Europe.

Emergency Alarms was written with PictureHouse songwriters Dave Browne and Yann O’Brien over the past year and has already seen support from Janice Long (BBC) and on RTE in Ireland.


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Isaiah Sharkey - Love is the Key (Album).

A native Chicagoan, 29 year old Isaiah Sharkey spent his early years living in Cabrini Green. Perhaps as a precursor to his future career, he lived with his parents in a row house on a street that is now named for Curtis Mayfield.

Coming from a musical household, Sharkey was introduced to music at the age of four. He decided he wanted to be a guitarist and asked his parents to purchase one. Shortly thereafter, Isaiah started learning music under the close instruction of his father, Michael Sharkey. He would learn about different musical genres/styles from gospel music, which came from growing up in the church, to jazz, R&B, blues, rock and funk music. It wasn't long after that Isaiah would become noticed by other musicians in the Chicago area for being a hot new talent. Soon after, he started doing concerts in the church as well as sitting in local jazz club jams.

At the age of 14, Isaiah, along with his father and brothers, released their first album entitled "Skyliner." This album displayed Isaiah's ability to play covers and some transcriptions from greats like Wes Montgomery and George Benson.

Subsequently, he started his recording career and served as a sideman for gospel artists such as Smokie Norful, Donald Lawrence and Vanessa Bell Armstrong. He also toured as lead guitarist with Ronald Isley and recorded two albums with him.

In 2009, Isaiah started working with artist D'Angelo on his third album, Black Messiah, which won the 2015 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album. Based on his work and contribution to the project, Isaiah received his first Grammy.

Isaiah also has worked, recorded, and toured with several world-renown and Grammy award winning artists including John Mayer, Patti LaBelle, Christopher Martin of Coldplay, Paul Simon, Corrine Bailey Rae, Mike Posner, Keith Urban, Brian McKnight, Boyz II Men, Lalah Hathaway, Raphael Saadiq, Chris Dave and the DrumHedz, Regina Bell, Ruben Studdard, Lupe Fiasco, Kelly Price, Faith Evans, Rance Allen, The Winans, The Clark Sisters and many others.

Isaiah Sharkey is poised to take center stage as he fuses together his background in rock, gospel, jazz, R&B, blues, and funk to create an original sound with an unmistakable dose of soul. His highly anticipated debut album “Love.Life.Live." was released in September of 2017 and earned him the iHeart Radio Artist of the Month Award in November for his single “It’s a Shame” featuring  DJ Jazzy Jeff.

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Pauline Andrès - Hoping For The Best At The Springwater Supper Club.

“Hoping For the Best at the Springwater Supper Club”, the new single from musician Pauline Andres, calls out to a distant love from the half-lit corner of a Nashville dive bar. Melodies capture daydreams of cigarette smoke aimlessly drifting away from the table’s ashtray. It pays homage to the notable local dive bar, the Springwater Supper Club. If the building had its own soundtrack, the single would embody the smooth, soulful twang that is embedded into every nook and cranny of the walls. “Hoping For the Best at the Springwater Supper Club” is out for release August 5.

“Hoping For the Best at the Springwater Supper Club” is one of several songs Andres wrote about emblematic Nashville dive bars. Surrounded by other gentrified bars of the city, The Springwater and its loyal patrons cling onto its charm, hoping to never see it fade under the spell of modern society. The gritty interior, the unreliable sound quality, and the rowdy bar stories all make it an oasis of authenticity for songwriters like Andres. Written at the Springwater Supper Club, the single oozes with lucid heartache and longing to be with someone hundreds, or even thousands of miles away. Thoughts of “what could have been” sway back and forth under neon lights as the whiskey sting settles in.

Musically, the single epitomizes the dark, cool, energy that swells behind the chipped walls and rickety floorboards of the Springwater. With oozing soul and leisurely tempo, trumpet, steel pedal, and dobro all stumble upon the open door, inviting themselves in to mingle with the classic Americana twang. Trumpeter David Peña adds a Mexican flare to the sound, further creating a sweltering, southern atmosphere. The pairing of uplifting trumpet with crooning steel pedal and Andres’ rugged vocals embodies both liveliness and serenity as day turns to night at the Springwater Supper Club.

Pauline Andres is an Americana artist born in France as a coal miner’s daughter in a family of Hungarian, Slovenian and Spanish descent. Andres has moved from London to Berlin, Paris to New York, and now Nashville, where she currently resides as a working songwriter and musician. Her latest release, Fearless Heart (2017) is the first of her endeavors since planting roots in Music City, and this summer she is set to release the first of her Dive Bar Tales, which features Dillon Napier (Margo Price band) and Andy Ellison (Jon Pardi, Brooks Dixon). Her single, “Hoping For the Best at the Springwater Supper Club,” sets the tone for a musical project that is all about capturing the essence of the local scene while telling stories of hope, longing, hard luck, and hard truths. “Hoping For the Best at the Springwater Supper Club encompasses all the ingredients that make the local alternative and Americana scene: heavy drinking, chain-smoking, pieces of broken hearts mixed with common trash on the floor, and it set for release August 5, 2019.


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David Wax Museum - Heather Newman - Babe Rainbow

David Wax Museum have released 'Equal In The Darkess' from their fifth album 'Line Of Light. Richly textured music accompanies the exceptional dual vocals giving off a beautiful folk pop vibe with more than a hint of Nashville running through the song.

If bluesy natural rock is your thing then Heather Newman is more than worth a listen, as the featured track 'Lonely On Beale' amply demonstrates. Taken from the new album 'Rise From The Flames' it's one of thirteen original songs, that consistently hit the spot.

Back in May we first featured Babe Rainbow who return now with 'Many Moons of Love' which is another gorgeous psychedelic pop song where the melody, vocals and harmonies sync perfectly on this very catchy piece.
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David Wax Museum - Equal In The Darkess.

David Wax Museum, fronted by David Wax and Suz Slezak, released "Equal In The Darkness," the second song to be released from their fifth studio album Line of Light. The album is now available for pre-order and will be released on August 23 via Nine Mile Records. The album was produced by Carl Broemel of My Morning Jacket and was the first full length album he produced in his newly built recording studio in his home of Nashville, TN.

"We've been blindfolding our audiences for experimental concerts we call Concert in the Blind. We perform the entire concert moving in and out of the crowd, whispering in their ears and playing with the fact that they can't see us," explains David Wax. "I wanted to write a song that spoke to this particular experience. I imagined harking back to those classic country duets where a man and woman are in conversation but recasting it with a metaphysical slant. I'm playing a big Mexican guitar from the Huasteca region called a huapanguera but strumming it with a traditional American folk groove."

Line of Light marks the band's return for their first full-length album in four years. It finds the duo tackling subjects both political and personal in a way they haven't explored in the studio before. With Broemel taking the band's folk-pop underpinnings and outfitting them with serious sonic force, the songs push deeper into themes of interconnectedness, spiritual longing, and deep personal reflection. Being artists from Charlottesville, VA, where they raise their two children, they found themselves responding to the political milieu we all find ourselves in at this moment. While not necessarily sunny, the collection shares a firm optimism in the human condition: there's light beyond the darkness. Line of Light shows David, Suz, and their collected accompanists on a sonic evolution - making music that rewards repeated listens.

"Ultimately, this record feels more like an expression of the mysterious alchemy of the songs, the studio, the producer, the musicians, and the time in our life," explains Wax. "There was a lot swirling around behind us in the studio while we recorded Line of Light."


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Heather Newman - Lonely On Beale.

VizzTone is proud to present the sophomore solo album from red-hot singer/songwriter/bassist Heather Newman, Rise From The Flames.

Heather’s 2017 VizzTone debut solo album, Burn Me Alive, spread like wildfire… gleaning rave reviews and going on to win TWO Blues Blast Music Awards – “Best New Artist Debut Album” and the “Sean Costello Rising Star Award.” Heather has also been nominated for a 2019 Blues Music Awards for “Best Emerging Artist,” adding even more fuel to the fire.

Now Heather Newman is ready to stoke that fire even further with her new release, Rise From The Flames. The all-original 13-song album tells Heather’s personal story of coming to terms with the end of a relationship and all that went with it, and realizations of her own self worth. This album gives an insight to the real life blues of this ragingly powerful up-and-coming musician.

Rise From The Flames features Heather Newman (vocals/bass/acoustic guitar), and her Kansas City-based band: Ryan Matthew (vocals/keys/percussion), Keith Ladd (lead guitar), and Adam Watson (drums), with guest appearances by MichaelLefever (saxophone) and Teddy Krulewich (trumpet).


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Babe Rainbow - Many Moons of Love.

Aussie psychedelic-pop band The Babe Rainbow released "Many Moons of Love" the final track from their upcoming full-length record 'Today' out September 6th via Danger Mouse's 30th Century Records. The Babe Rainbow have also announced a string of Fall U.S. tour dates this November. Tickets on sale now!

A sunny neo-psych collective from Byron Bay, Australia, the Babe Rainbow emerged in 2015 with a self-titled EP bearing a unique blend of cosmic nuggets. After signing to 30th Century Records, the band embarked on a West Coast tour with outfit Allah-Las. They recorded their 2017 full-length alongside Stu Mackenzie of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and in 2018 they released the follow-up, Double Rainbow.

"The Morning Song" is the first single lifted from the upcoming third full-length from the Babe Rainbow. A generous helping of folk pop, flutes and floating harmony, acoustic guitar, late 70's electronic fox trot, and the choir of the women of the wonderfolk. Just an optimistic announcement of a new cycle, fresh air.

The new album is more musical and ambitious than previous outings, produced by Sam Joseph from the Flightless Records / King Gizzard stable. It feels authentic to the Babe Rainbow but more diverse and sophisticated, like falling in love outwards, a perfect collection of pacific vibrations, brunch in Arcadia.

The Babe Rainbow's new album will be available everywhere September 6th on 30th Century Records.

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Talkboy - Chernobyl Sunshine Club - Reason Define

A band that continue to impress us is Talkboy who return for a fifth time here with their new single 'All Works Out'. This time the rock aspect of the band is more to the fore, with their ability to produce melodious material still underpinning the piece.

London's Chernobyl Sunshine Club have shared a video for 'Birthdayland' a creative mixture of Alt Folk and Indie Rock that combined result in a fabulous song.

There was a time when classic hard rock appealed to me and Reason Define and the song 'Reaper' has in part rekindled that enjoyment, the melodic female vocals are at the core of that attraction and a good few hooks along the way helps.
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Talkboy - All Works Out.

Hitting up the BBC Introducing stage at Reading & Leeds Festivals later this month and primed to take full advantage, fledgling six-piece Talkboy announce the arrival of their debut EP and share glistening new single All Works Out.

Joining forces with Leeds label Come Play With Me and LAB Records once more, the sextet’s latest offering showcases their trademark, gorgeous harmonies in full flow, shifting between playful songwriting and anthemic tendencies with aplomb, and expertly spotlighting the band’s unbridled potential ahead of their biggest shows to date.

With a full summer of festival appearances (incl. The Great Escape, Live At Leeds, Y Not) under their belts, alongside an array of impressive support slots (Our Girl, Another Sky, Bully), the Leeds risers continue to build on their early promise, with increased support across the BBC Radio 1 airwaves (Huw Stephens, Jack Saunders) and glittering praise throughout the tastemaker community.

Discussing their upcoming single, Talkboy detailed: “The song isn’t this blissful unawareness that everything will be alright in the end so just shut everything out. It’s more like, when stuff does go wrong, I’m here if you want. Being friends with someone is hard and something we are still learning how to do properly, but I think if you can just do the very basic thing of turning up and be there for whoever it is that you are close to, that’s a good start”.

Talkboy’s All Works Out is out 2nd August via Come Play With Me / LAB Records and will be available on all digital platforms.

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Chernobyl Sunshine Club - Birthdayland.

Chernobyl Sunshine Club’s eclectic sound has echoes of Beck, Elbow, The National, The Flaming Lips and Arcade Fire, and comes with a boldness to their quirk that captivates the senses and purges the soul.

With a "topical" band name, and cracking live performance reputation, the band embodies a lost tribe from radioactive wastelands with shamanistic group vocals and a towering, bald headed front man who flails his arms and plays keyboards.

Chernobyl Sunshine Club are a group of Londoners whose cinematic Indie/Alt Folk, inspired by video game soundtracks and film scores, is an euphoric blend of beats and riffs that unashamedly borrows from rock, metal and jazz and even classical music. Originators and musical explorers, Chernobyl Sunshine Club set out to prove that when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.

Chernobyl Sunshine Club formed in late 2016, hit the London club scene and recorded their debut single, 'When Death Was A Boy (2017).’ Frequently playlisted in the UK and US, it was followed up by single 'Pelagius (2018)' which earned support from Tom Robinson on BBC 6 music among others.


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Reason Define - Reaper.

US hard-rock outfit 'Reason Define' announce the arrival of their latest single and official music video for the explosively hook-heavy track 'Reaper'

Featuring a guest appearance from fellow Charlotte (NC) habitant and Never I frontman Jacob Peters - 'Reaper' is a fresh mix of the version featured on the all-female quintet's self-released 'In Memory' album unleashed earlier in 2019. Consisting of Paolina Massaro (Vocals), Caitlin Rutkowski (Bass/Vox), Sav Ruff (Guitar/Vox), Syd McVicker (Drums) and Shelby McVicker (Guitar).

The fast-rising Reason Define have drawn upon a myriad of influences to create music that brings together metal-edged guitar riffs, tension building dynamics and anthemic vocal lines. With an every growing army of fans around the world, the band possess the determination, talent and sheer ambition to reach greater heights of recognition outside their US homeland.


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Boy Scouts - Theo Bard - Lillimure

We have a couple of recent videos for Boy Scouts namely 'Expiration Date' and 'Get Well Soon'. There are seven other songs on her forthcoming album 'Free Company' due out at the end of this month. Whilst both songs give a good feel for the album, there are plenty more highlights in store ans some exquisite musical moments, I have a feeling this album will be getting plenty of attention.

'Forget' by Theo Bard is a fascinating song, where electronic textures weave around his distinctive vocals which at times seem like a further musical layer within the piece, it's also a tad addictive.

Lillimure has a new album out from which we have selected 'I Feel' and 'Lady In A Mirror' to share. Whether she is in Soul, Folk or Pop mode or even a mixture of all three, her music is melodic often very catchy and the attention to musical detail behind her refined vocals is notable.
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Boy Scouts - Expiration Date / Get Well Soon.

As Boy Scouts, Oakland-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Taylor Vick makes the kind of music that hits like good advice from a beloved friend. It's generously warm and inviting, built atop her open, searching voice, but it doesn't shy away from tough emotional truths.

Vick's songs survey the damage that can come from loving other people with curiosity and grace. Her new album, Free Company – her first for ANTI- Records set for an August 30th release - is her most vital and incisive work yet, a stunningly tuneful rumination on heartbreak and loss that is always galloping toward the horizon. So far, two singles have been released as tasters of the record to come.

Watch Taylor perform “Get Well Soon” on a couch floating through Los Angeles via balloons; the video was directed by Ramez Silyan (Lil Peep). Watch Taylor celebrate her birthday surrounded by friends in the new music video for “Expiration Date”. Her producer Stephen Steinbrink joins her in the clip, contributing harmony vocals to the song; Madeline Kenney (Hand Habits) directed the video.

The album’s opener, "Get Well Soon" reckons with the difficult epiphany that comes when you've worked overtime to help someone you love, only to realize they won't meet you in the middle and help themselves. "It's a hard thing to say. You're hoping somebody will eventually feel better, but there's also this weird new distance between you. You can't do anything else, but you still really hope that they're OK," Vick says.

With its jangly electric guitar chords and sky-high vocal melodies, "Expiration Date" tackles that universal human quandary of impermanence. "Everything changes all the time. Nothing will last forever," says Vick. "It's such a hard concept to grasp because we just get so attached to things and people and situations. But stuff can't stay how it is forever. That's also to be said about bad stuff that happens. It won't weigh you down forever."

Her tightest and most cohesive collection of songs, Vick recorded Free Company in a tiny studio her friend Stephen Steinbrink set up inside a rented shipping container--a unique spot that ended up being perfect for her. "It's a windowless little room, but that made me feel really comfortable," she says. "We did it in the comfort of a weird, atypical recording space."



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Theo Bard - Forget.

After first introducing himself to us with his beautifully composed debut EP ‘You Give’ in 2015, Theo Bard has spent the intervening years pushing his music further into electronic realms than ever before. Inspired by a new generation of songwriters augmenting their music with electronic sounds, he has developed a unique voice as both producer and songwriter and has returned to reveal his new brand of dark, experimental pop.

With a thunderous opening, new single ‘Forget’ is a haunting exploration of lost love that demonstrates Bard’s artistic prowess. Eerie synths and melancholic lyrics portray a sentiment that seethes with sincerity. Though distorted vocals are often devoid of expression, Bard injects them with the depth of emotion you’d expect from a song that laments the realisation that an ex has well and truly moved on. The processed effects only work to heighten the track’s unnerving atmosphere and perfectly complement the experimental instrumental. The sonic space that would typically be occupied by traditional snares and drums is filled with inventive alternatives (sampled from ice and snow), making Bard’s creative intention clear as every element of ‘Forget’ strives to standout.

Elaborating on his new release, he explains, “‘Forget’ is a dark, raw confessional about a traumatic experience. I was still in love with my ex-girlfriend when a big group of our friends were going away on holiday together. I wanted to be part of it. She was going to be there with her new man, but I didn't want to miss out and anyway, there were lots of other people I could hang out with. I could give them a wide berth and it would be fine, right? One night I woke to the unmistakable sound of their voices coming through the wall. I tried to cover my ears, wanting more than anything to 'unhear' the sound, but it was too late. Completely upset and spun out, I left the next morning, returning to London as fast as I could. All I wanted was to forget what I'd heard and what it meant. At the time, I was pushing my music in the direction of a new sound, telling people my new music was 'melancholic electronic' and I realised how perfect the story was for the new vibe. Once I had the concept of the song in my head it came out so easily.”


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Lillimure - I Feel / Lady In A Mirror.

We have a brand new album from Alternative Folk/Soul Pop Singer/Songwriter Lillimure. Lillimure has been writing and singing songs since as long as she can remember and is is proud to finally release her first debut full length album simply entitled “Lillimure”.

Lillimure never considered songwriting her career path until a life-altering gymnastics injury. After tearing a ligament in her wrist, she found that making music was the only thing that emotionally satisfied her. Previously releasing singles,including the songs "WDYTM" and also “Something” earlier this year, she is particularly excited to share this collection of work in its entirety now. Iit has been a dream of hers to have live musicians on every track, and to be able to work with the same musicians she plays with live also in the recording studio.

"This project has been a dream come true. From getting all the players on the track, to finalizing the art. This album represents different parts of my life in summation and I'm so excited for it to finally be out in the world. It is a continuation my musical journey, and I am thrilled to share."

Lillimure is a 20 year-old Indie artist from Westchester, New York. Her music follows her honestly through her experiences, creating an intimate vibe with the listener. Combining hip-hop music's fast-paced lyricism, folk music's storytelling, and soul music's intimate vocals, Lillimure offers a brand new, personal sound. She hopes her music can make people laugh, cry, and feel everything in between.

Her experience includes gigging locally and nationally in venues such as The Bitter End (NYC), Rockwood Music Hall (NYC), The Viper Room (LA) and The Bistro (SF). You may also have seen her at the New York Botanical Garden's 2019 Spring Uncorked Festival, and the 2019 Pleasantville Music Festival.


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Dry Cleaning - Bug Martin - Konrad Sheane

Dry Cleaning have released a video for 'Magic of Meghan' ahead of their debut E.P due out in a couple of weeks. Influences there may be but this band still carve out a unique style and sound, kind of indie pop meets garage rock with this song.

Classic Americana with plenty of humorous twists and the juxtaposition of still feeling fresh, somehow Bug Martin has the knack of mixing timeless and modern together, within this really fine new album 'Gutterball'.

Despite coming from the East Coast of Ireland Konrad Sheane is decidedly in touch with Texan rock on 'The Devil's Whiskey' and we are reliably informed that this is just one stopping off point for this musicians repertoire of styles.
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Dry Cleaning - Magic of Meghan.

London's Dry Cleaning today announce their much-anticipated debut EP - "Sweet Princess" - set for release August 16th on the It's OK imprint.

It continues a period of fervent activity from the band who despite having no music online, and have already seen significant interest as early headline shows and a tour in support of NYC's Bodega quickly marked out Dry Cleaning as possessing something entirely different to the rest of the pack - their wiry, excitable post-punk and new-wave paired as it is to surreal, detached vocal narratives in the form of a predominantly spoken word delivery.

Firm friends for years, the band (Lewis Maynard, Tom Dowse, Florence Shaw & Nick Buxton) only started making music after a karaoke party in 2017 inspired a collaboration. They wrote instrumentally to begin with and six months later Shaw, a university lecturer and picture researcher by day, joined on vocals with no prior musical experience. They recorded the six-track Sweet Princess EP before playing their first show only last year.

When they started they knew they wanted to make simple music, direct and uncomplicated. The musical influences were clear - the Feelies, the Necessaries, the B52s and Pylon as a starting point. The garage / rehearsal space had a huge influence on the sound as it was so small and intimate; anything unnecessary was to be left behind. A discussion among the four band members about how to make the prospect of performing as comfortable as possible for Florence (a first timer) ahead of the band’s first rehearsal as a four piece, led to her using her speaking voice. There were several references for this; Will Powers, The Anaemic Boyfriends and Grace Jones among others.

The video for "Magic of Meghan" was made by Sheffield based artist Lucy Vann. Vann investigates, records and reinterprets overlooked behaviours and occurrences in the everyday, in this case through moving image, but she also works with photography, writing, sound, objects and performance. Her work balances between a state of tedium and interest, and attempts to reveal something beyond the immediate surface of daily life.


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Bug Martin - Gutterball (Album).


Philadelphia-based roots man Bug Martin delivers twangy alt-folk stylings which evoke classic dust bowl Americana, injecting the genre with modern storytelling and more.

Bug Martin is a storyteller. Born in the basement of New Jersey, Bug is a singer-songwriter who explores inner space to create moody, twangy alt-music conscious of americana, blues, roots, and folk.

Bug's tunes evoke existential and confessional themes, often with tongue planted firmly in cheek. After spending several years germinating in Baltimore's bizarre arts scene where Bug wrote and recorded several self-released albums and EPs, a course has been set northbound once more to a new homestead in Philadelphia.

The new Gutterball, travels cross-genre relaying tales of hapless love and drunken wisdom stumbled upon along the way.

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Konrad Sheane - The Devil's Whiskey.

Konrad Sheane is a singer/songwriter born to a farming family on the east coast of southern Ireland. With an impressive two-decade drumming background, he moved to the UK to embark on his solo career.

His music is steeped in the blues with four on the floor bass drums, electronica and great pop hooks. Taking influence from a plethora of rock and blues legends, including artists such as Johnny Cash, Yelawolf, Pink Floyd, his style of blending blues and EDM influences shapes his sound uniquely making work both cinematic and syncable.

Konrad’s latest single, ‘Devil’s Whiskey’ has the ability to transport you from drinking whiskey at your local pub to speeding down a Texan highway on a Harley. The bold and repetitive chorus ‘suck on my gasoline,’ represents a punk/ anti-establishment notion of doing what’s right for yourself and disregarding others disapproval, scepticism, or criticism. Konrad’s husky yet sensitive baritone tells tales of his country upbringing, city life and lust for freedom, his voice digging crevices rich with heartbreak, homeland, and heritage.

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The Promised - Shannon and Susannah Davey - The Be Positives - Katrina Parker

The Promised debut single 'We Could Be In Love' has just been released. It's a vibrant and upbeat roots meets country piece where every element sparkles with style.

Shannon and Susannah Davey's song 'We've All Got Our Story' mixes folk and blues together so well, that at just over two and a quarter minutes duration my first instinct was to play it again (and again).

'Like Everyone' by The Be Positives is a striking rocker of a song, from a band who are certainly not trapped in any one particular genre, with this track they just happen to be in full garage rock mode.

Just a couple of weeks back we first featured Katrina Parker and the title track for her new album 'Stars.' We now have the only cover song on the album, the classic 'Ring Of Fire' and she really does take the piece in a very different and imaginative direction!
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The Promised - We Could Be In Love.

The Promised started out as a roots/country duo consisting of Jesse and Noelle Burch. The pair met in 2018 while performing with their respective bands at the Cloverdale Rodeo. A mutual respect for music sparked a writing session, where it became clear their musical chemistry was undeniable. Blending genres and experimenting with their different influences created a synergy for writing catchy and original songs.

Spending most of their time together writing for the next 4 months created an interesting dynamic, and in September of 2018, they were married, and their dreams of playing music together started to take shape.

The two teamed up with an incredible group of musicians from across western Canada and The Promised was born. They were accepted into the 2019 Breakthrough Country music project Top 12 with only one live show under their belt and after two rounds of competitions they were named 1st Place Grand Prize winners.

Working with Bailey Way Entertainment at the Warehouse Studios, their debut single “We Could Be in Love” was released July 29th, 2019. The Promised has a busy summer ahead playing at Sunfest on Friday, August 2nd and the Southern Alberta Music Festival August 10th.

With tight harmonies and a powerful sound, their music captures you within it's story. Their chemistry on and off stage is undeniable and their energy will keep you wanting more.


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Shannon and Susannah Davey - We've All Got Our Story.

Songwriter and author, Shannon Davey is a storyteller of great investigative spirit, together with his wife Susannah, Shannon and Susannah Davey are releasing We’ve All Got Our Story - a song of grit and integrity.

We’ve All Got Our Story is an eye witness account of the current ‘Poverty Street’ zeitgeist as observed walking the streets across Australia and northern America.

‘At one level it is about our attitudes to the poor but it goes deeper, to what is the heart of our contested civilisation.’ - Shannon Davey

Shannon’s musical DNA is from the ancestral, Irish convict blues memes of the Van Diemen’s hinterland, growing up on the high unemployment coast where gospel met surf culture. He spent decades grafting music in disadvantaged schools as a way up for kids.

In the wake of his book Spirit of Tasmania, Shannon has more to share as a songwriter, and uses the fuzzy slide of the ‘dirty south’, blues harp and aching vocals, alongside Susannah on mandolin and backing vocals with Col ‘Shore Break Barrel’ Clay on lead, to push a message of social justice, grass-roots power and life lived conviction.

We’ve All Got Our Story was recorded by megatoneproductions in Australia’s oldest Congregational Church, a small, privately owned, somewhat decrepit, 1833 sandstone chapel, home to a mass burial of convicts.

We’ve All Got Our Story’ is an anthem for our times, an ear to the engine room of the West, a ride on the horns of the crossroads dilemma, a cry for mercy in the wilderness of populism, a summary of the law and prophets, ... a justice boogie!

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The Be Positives - Like Everyone.

The Be Positives is a northern conundrum. Consisting of Mike Seal (Guitar, Piano & Vocals), Rob Hatton (Bass & Vocals), Simon Mayne (Lead Guitar & Vocals) and Callum Darley (Drums & Vocals), they were splayed across Merseyside to Sheffield, all sharing an affinity for McCartney, Dylan, Kinks and Nick Lowe, and later, converging on Manchester, they hankered for gigging at grotty pubs across the city. Now united, the four-piece invoke mad-pop affirmation through berserk instrumentation laced with smart lyricism.

Two of the members are also of the Slovenly Records garage-rock outfit Proto Idiot, who’ve been supported by the likes of Dork, Loud And Quiet, Louder Than War and VICE – the latter described them as “[sounding] like The Kinks, Soft Boys, and TV Personalities all at once—and they're stupid and stompingly brilliant”. The dim-witted moniker made way for The Be Positives’ nonsensical debut ‘Monkey (Cheetah)’, which received praise from Louder Than War – and now they return, accepting societal homogeneity through second-slice ‘Like Everyone’.

Of the same vein as Cut Worms, filled with Lemon Twigs-esque zest, second slice ‘Like Everyone’ flaps about with math-rock melodies and striking signatures –  you never know quite where you stand – aligning it both musically and conceptually, feeding into Mike’s howls of “we’re like everyone…”

The band elaborates; “Like Everyone was originally intended for Proto Idiot but the weird timing of it threw us and it got shelved. I'm glad we revived it for The Be Positives as it’s understated and simple, yet the concept behind it is far from…. It was also one of those rare occasions where a song falls out of the guitar fully-formed, which doesn't happen often. We’re like everyone…”

The quartet’s self-titled album encapsulates their varied musical influences, from their garage fueled opening track ‘Like Everyone’ to the Nilsson tinged mad-pop of new single ‘Monkey. The Be Positives certainly don’t attach themselves to one genre. Expanding on ‘Like Everyone’, the band said “The song was written very quickly on acoustic guitar in Mike and Callum's kitchen. It was originally intended for Proto Idiot. You could sum the theme of the song up by simply saying, we all make mistakes; we're all the same.”

The Be Positives release ‘Like Everyone’ on the 30th July and the debut full-length will be out on all platforms from the 3rd September 2019 via White Zoo Records.

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Katrina Parker - Ring Of Fire.

Many have thrown their hat into the ring with the unconventional country classic "I'm One Fire."

Folk pop songstress Katrina Parker is the latest to dig up the ominous textures of the fabled track. "It ended up taking a darker, more dramatic turn" Katrina notes. "A bit of a Westworld meets Deadwood meets The Andrews Sisters vibe."

The track is the only cover on Katrina's forthcoming desert folk pop-tinged LP Stars. Katrina Parker’s new album, Stars, reflects the duality of a childhood spent in rural North Carolina and an adulthood in LA, shifting between sinuous Southern roots and starry Laurel Canyon magic. Parker describes it as “Sparkling Desert Pop/Folk with a lot of warmth, a little bit of magic, and a touch of banjo.”

Producer Josh Doyle of 3 Theory Music knew it was important to not overwhelm the songs with ornamentation, leaving Parker’s rich and tender voice front and center. The resulting recordings are clearly made from a place of confidence, channeling the clear-eyed nuance of Gillian Welch, the emotionality of Hozier, and the deep-rooted Americana of Over the Rhine.

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