Jackie - Whitacre - Shadowlands - Revolution, I Love You - Courteous Thief - Maija Sofia - Scott & Charlene's Wedding

Jackie have a new video for 'Lifetime In A Touch' a feisty rocker of a song with plenty of determined attitude. === They describe their music as mountain rock and you can hear why with Whitacre and the new song 'Peach' where the fusion of Americana, country rock and folk come together beautifully. === Just a few weeks after featuring Shadowlands they return with 'Pining For Time' another creative piece with dreamy vocals, analog synths, and plenty of atmosphere. === The new single from Revolution, I Love You is entitled 'Wait' and the lyrics are described as bittersweet, yet there is a dreamy vibe and plenty of energy to make the track a pleasing conundrum. === Courteous Thief is about to release 'Mountains And Sea' which is a really gorgeous folk pop song with a fabulous musical arrangement and wonderful vocals. === Just over a month since we first featured Maija Sofia she is back with 'The Wife Of Michael Cleary' and once again the folk singer-songwriter is outstanding, simple as that really. === I love the bands name and thankfully Scott & Charlene's Wedding also deliver a splendid song in the form of 'Back in the Corner' ahead of a new E.P and a few tour dates down under.
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Jackie - Lifetime In A Touch.

Before you ask, Jackie is not a rock band. Or a pop band. Or one of those alt-indie darlings that you just know has been packaged for FROSH week. If you must put them in a box, it’s best you just call Jackie a black sheep. Take, for example, the band’s debut single, New at Drugs, a propulsive slice of guitar pop that shimmers and warbles like a synth-led banger.

As the name suggests, that intersectionality may have something to do with its creation: buzzing on psychedelics and more than a little red wine, the group — singer/songwriter Jackie Mohr, guitarist Marc Girardin and drummer Max Trefler — caught the energetic vibe of producer Hawksley Workman, working quirky riffs that shouldn’t work but do under big, shiny melodies. “Like trying to play a D chord weirder than a D chord,” Mohr explains. “I honestly don’t remember it all so clearly, but I remember lyrics pouring out of me so fast.”

The rest of the songs that comprise the band’s upcoming EP flowed shortly after, and likewise contain a funky sense of wonderment and a nod to pop legends. It’s no wonder Mohr counts Chrissie Hynde and Michael Jackson as her favourite singers.

Jackie rises from the ashes of The Mohrs (you may have seen them share stages with the likes of Soundgarden, Jane’s Addiction and The Glorious Sons). Originally from Winnipeg, Mohr and Girardin have been playing together since they were teenagers. Moving to Toronto in 2012, the pair eventually hooked up with Trefler and released their debut rock album on Light Organ before renaming. “We changed our sound on this new EP, replacing bass with analog synth, and went back to having just us three as the core of the project,” Mohr explains. “After a few year hiatus we’ve come back as ‘Jackie’. More aware of where we want to take our place in music.

That transformation was partially fuelled by Mohr’s experiences as one of the few females in a male-dominated landscape. “I’ve never had a problem holding my own in this industry, or with men, but it really does make you question why there’s so little female presence,” she points out.


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Whitacre - Peach.

Whitacre, the self-described “Mountain Rock” band hailing from Denver, CO., will release the new single, “Peach,” tomorrow, November 15th, 2019. The band explains that the song is “A simple love song, about the promise of holding on no matter what.” Frontman Paul Whitacre elaborates, “All of us in the band feel like we've ‘outkicked our coverage’ with the girls we're dating/married to. Almost immediately upon getting married, I noticed this voice in my head saying that my wife would be better off with someone else. That's a really easy lie for me to believe. ‘Peach’ is a promise to my wife and a reminder to myself that no matter how bad the days get, we're sticking to the promise we made.”

Fusing elements of Americana, folk and rock with punk tinges, Whitacre has become one of Denver’s fastest rising bands, selling out shows with Mt. Joy, Wild Child, and Birdtalker, playing legendary venues such as Red Rocks and The Bluebird Theater, and amassing half a million streams on Spotify. With the release of their debut album, Seasons, on the horizon and a national tour planned in support, the trio comprised of Paul Whitacre (lead vocals, guitar), Chase Perry (banjo), and Mark Cunningham (drums) are poised to break out nation-wide.

Recorded at Third & James in Denver, Seasons, marks the first time the band recorded in a big space and they found creative freedom to experiment with new ideas, marking an evolution from their last EP, 2018’s Within The Mountains’ Shadows. A metaphor for the different phases of life, the album helped the band process the concept of there being something to use and learn from in each season and experience. The message of the album goes along with the band’s mission: “We have a burning desire to tell a story that isn’t often told in the music industry today. One of redemption and restoration. We want to reassure the broken-hearted that there is hope, we want to show the invisible that we see them and that they matter. We believe that doesn’t only happen in lyrics but in a melody as well. We believe in the power of music and that it is used to soften and heal hearts.”

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Shadowlands - Pining For Time.

When Shadowlands’ guitarist of four years announced he was leaving the band for personal reasons, band vocalist and lead songwriter Amy Sabin was grappling with the recent death of a close friend. With the first few songs from third album "003" already underway, she was struggling to find direction with this loss. Enter Amy’s identical twin sister, Angie. Despite performing together as kids, they had never played in a band together, or ever fully considered the idea. Whether through their shared experience, shared DNA, or some other connection, Angie instinctively knew that she was a candidate for the open guitar role. Through a series of late night texts over the vision and shared desire to keep the band alive, Shadowlands was reborn. The band played one of Portland’s most popular venues just one month after Angie joined, followed by their first Treefort Fest Appearance.

Amy’s music explores anxiety, fear, depression, and isolation. Sabin’s songs sometimes contain moments of joy and subtle irony, a reminder that life can be hopeful and at times requires levity to persevere. Warm analog synths, shimmery guitar, and intricate rhythms carry you through these emotions made real by Amy’s dynamic voice and heartbreakingly vulnerable lyrics. The band is rounded out by Amy’s husband Casey Logan on drums and Amy’s “band husband” (she jokes it’s an official title earned after 15+ years playing in bands together), Jesse Elizondo on bass.

Shadowlands will release "003" on November 22nd and the band will celebrate with a release show on November 23rd at the Fixin To in Portland Oregon and December 14th at the Highline in Seattle, Washington.

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Revolution, I Love You - Wait.

Revolution, I Love You's dreamy new single "Wait" was released today by Redeye USA. It's the first single from their upcoming album Black Feathers, which drops on February 7, 2020.

“Wait” is a bittersweet narration of the unwanted memories that cross our minds while we sleep. Its propulsive, off-kilter drums and swirling guitars build on top of a haze of synthesizers and feedback. This will be the first recording from Revolution, I Love You to feature drummer Jeff Ormsby.

Coming in 2020, Black Feathers will be Revolution, I Love You’s first full-length record since their 2011 debut LP, We Choose to Go to the Moon. Listeners can expect one more single before the release of Black Feathers.

Revolution, I Love You is Rob Lindgren (lead vocals), Jason Reynolds (guitar), and Jeff Ormsby (drums). Noisetrade described the band’s first record as “exactly what’s been missing in your life”, praising its “perfect mix of real-world instruments and digital flourishes”. The Philadelphia-based band has been a finalist in the International Songwriting Competition, performed at Toronto’s NXNE, and has a song included in the British National Library Sound Archive.

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Courteous Thief - Mountains And Sea.

Courteous Thief returns with the mezmerising new single 'Mountians And Sea', a refreshingly beautiful indie-folk balled that will serve as a go-to alternative to the 'Christmas song'. 'Mountians And Sea' will be released via CEG Records on Friday 6th December 2019.

Described as both contemporary new folk and acoustic indie pop, Courteous Thief (aka Gary Roberts) has been a regular on the live circuit, supporting bands and artists such as Turin Brakes, Chris Helm, Catfish And The Bottlemen, Mark Morris (The Bluetones) and Tom Hingley (Inspiral Carpets) as well as festival appearances with performances at some of the UK's top venues and festivals.

Accolades from past singles and releases has seen Courteous Thief being championed By BBC Radio Wales, achieving the coveted BBC Radio Wales Single Of The Week, BBC live sessions, interviews as well as hitting the airwaves on BBC 6 Music, BBC Introducing, BBC Gloucestershire and recently hitting the British Airways Playlist.

2019 will see new release “A Bed For Me” released in June on welsh label “CEG Records, with more live dates and new tracks on the horizon for late 2019 and beyond.  “Melodiously mesmerizing, harmoniously vibrant and warmly atmospheric folk-pop finery” (Nessi Hault, Carpe Carmina)

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Maija Sofia - The Wife Of Michael Cleary.

Irish art-folk virtuoso Maija Sofia (Trapped Animal Records) has today released 'The Wife Of Michael Clearly', the final single from debut full-length 'Bath Time' due for release November 22nd. This reflective period partly influenced by arguments for abortion on mainstream news in 2019 gave rise to a collection of mystical vignettes that examine the silencing and misrepresentation of women through the ages. A strong delivery on the promise that saw the Irish Times name her among their '50 People to Watch in 2019'.

Hot on the heels of first single 'The Glitter', 'The Wife of Michael Cleary' similarly tells the story of a misrepresented and silenced woman. This time Sofia turns her attentions to Elizabeth Cleary, a woman often referred to as the last 'witch' to be burned in Ireland. Her husband Michael Cleary burned her to death after becoming convinced she'd been switched with a fairy changeling.

Speaking on the track, Maija said: “I'm really interested in folklore, folk history and the strange shadowy underbellies of Ireland that exist concurrent to the sanitised Guinness and Shamrocks version. This is one of the strangest and saddest anecdotes in Irish history, the story disturbed me and I found myself working it into a song almost unconsciously.

“The recording of the song features the voice of Ronan Kealy (Junior Brother) who's work I love, and I love the sense of unease and vague hysteria that has come from our voices singing in slightly off-kilter harmony on the track.” As well as drawing on women from the history books who were silenced and misrepresented - Bridget Cleary, Edie Sedgwick and Mary of Nazareth - Sofia's forthcoming album 'Bath Time' also takes aim at the catholic church, an institution that normalises outdated views of women in Irish society.

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Scott & Charlene's Wedding - Back in the Corner.

Scott & Charlene's Wedding drop the first single from a surprise E.P 'When in Rome, Carpe Diem' due out on November 29th.

Live Dates are scheduled for:
Saturday, December 7 - The Grace Emily, Adelaide, w/ Fair Maiden & Purr
8pm - $10 presale / $12 door.

Sunday, December 8 - The Port Admiral Hotel, Port Adelaide w/ Dom and the Wizards & Susan Flashman 2pm $10 - door sales only Facebook event.

Saturday, December 14 - Meredith Music Festival.

Sunday, December 22 - Bedroom Suck Records 10th B'day! Thornbury Bowls Club, Melbourne w/ Lower Plenty, Jaala, Cyanide Thornton + more Facebook event

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Tiny Magnetic Pets - Winehouse - Julia Jonas - Martha Bean - Fenn Wilson - Unspoken Tradition - Walt Disco - The Adobe Collective

Tiny Magnetic Pets release their new E.P today entitled 'Girl In A White Dress'. Comprising of four vibrant electro pop songs this is both impressive and refreshing material from this deservedly and highly regarded band. === Released today we have the debut single from Winehouse called 'Pretty Lips', where the smooth musical backdrop has hints of jazz and the soulful vocals are just beautiful. === Julia Jonas latest single is released today, and is entitled 'Lift You High', it's a melodic and refined indie pop piece that precedes an E.P release at the end of this month. === We featured Martha Bean just a few weeks ago and now she has shared 'Circles' a gentle folk orientated song that resonates beautifully. === Fenn Wilson has just released a new album 'Ghost Heroin' where his striking and beguiling vocals are just wonderful, the opening song 'Lost My Way' is simply breathtaking, and he maintains that quality across the album. === New and creative bluegrass is the aim of Unspoken Tradition and 'Cold Mountain Town' suggests they are more than capable of doing just that! ===From Glasgow, Scotland we have Walt Disco and the potent new single 'Dancing Shoes' where the vocals are resplendent as the band add depth and power. === The Adobe Collective share a video for 'Blind' the bands music is described as cosmic desert Americana, which pretty much covers all the bases with this really fine song.
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Tiny Magnetic Pets - Girl In A White Dress (E.P).

An electrifying year for Tiny Magnetic Pets has seen the band playing festival dates and headline shows as well as recording their third studio album. The new EP  ‘Girl In A White Dress EP’ is set for release today on Happy Robots Records.

Lead track, the sumptuous Girl In A White Dress, is a song about re-connecting with your former carefree self - the person you were before becoming tied down with the realities of modern life. A fan favourite from their debut album, it was compared to St. Etienne & Stereolab. The band have taken the track’s driving motorik beat & mellotron strings and re-worked it in way in keeping with their punchy and invigorating live sound.

With its rolling melodic basslines Kicked Off In Ikea displays the band’s New Order influence. In a rare Jarvis Cocker-esque lyrical turn, this track is inspired by an event when a Black Friday sale went horribly wrong, ending in a near riot. It is a sly dig at modern out-of-control consumerism: “come for the sale but keep your soul…”

The second half of the EP takes a reflective turn. All The Mad Things is serene, ambient and quirky – layered vocal loops, spoken-word lyrics and trumpet show the band’s more experimental side. The mellotron-drenched instrumental Above & Overture closes the EP in style. Using entirely vintage ’70s instrumentation, this could be a lost soundtrack to an Antonioni film re-imagined for the 21st century.

In the last few years the band have gained strong support for their blend of electronic European pop. Founder of the Blitz club, Rusty Egan, has been an enthusiastic champion and remixed their track ‘Control Me’. As well as being reviewed and featured in Electronic Sound Magazine, The Irish Times, MOJO and more, they have supported Dave Keuning (The Killers) Michael Rother (NEU!), Wolfgang Flür of Kraftwerk (who collaborated on their last studio album) and they completed a 20 date UK tour with Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark in 2017.

Tiny Magnetic Pets are on tour in Ireland, the UK, Germany, Denmark & Holland in October-December as special guests of Midge Ure (1980 Vienna/Visage Tour) and over the same months will be back on the road with Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark for their Souvenir 40th Anniversary Tour.


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Winehouse - Pretty Lips.

Winehouse are set to release their debut single, “Pretty Lips” on November 15th. Pretty Lips is an indie late night drive song with jazz undertones, perfect for lovers of both modern and classic sounds. With its sweeping saxophone and smooth vocals, the track sonically emotes the feeling of reminiscing on past love.

Pretty Lips is one of four songs that Winehouse will feature on their debut EP, set for release in late February. The band gathers musical influences from classic jazz, funk, and rock artists, as well as more current sounds like Hippo Campus and Boy Pablo. The upcoming EP is a collection of experimental pop music that incorporates a modern sound with a nostalgic feel.

Winehouse is a band from Olympia, WA that is emerging full-force into the alternative pop music scene. In an age where music trends are ever-changing, Winehouse aims to create a timeless, experimental pop sound that everyone can feel. The band is known for delivering a captivating concert experience that bridges the gap between the stage and the audience. Through both their recordings and live shows, Winehouse hopes to promote artistic exploration and inspire listeners to dive head-first into a new world of music.


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Julia Jonas - Lift You High.

Sweden based artist and producer Julia Jonas is releasing new single ‘Lift You High’, taken from the forthcoming EP Air which sees her sharing her honest and at times challenging life experiences.

The new track combines introspection with the idea of perseverance and patience – whilst dealing with struggle, the overall message is one of hope.

Julia was born in Cape Town but grew up in Stockholm, Sweden. Having spent years of her childhood in a conflict-ridden country, later followed by the challenges of adapting to a society with little resemblance to her roots, music became her way of expressing herself and she started exploring and experimenting with sounds in her basement home studio as a means of escape.

These experiences inform the subject of the new single. She tells us that “the track reflects a feeling of loneliness and alienation when feeling pressured to fit in but having the strength to strive for diversity and tolerance despite it. Being quite obviously different in a world where people strive for uniformity creates very strong feelings of loneliness and exclusion.

In this case I was inspired by people with a sexual orientation that deviates from the majority. When your identity is the difference that separates you from the majority, you easily feel judged and rejected.”

Julia Jonas will release the single ‘Lift You High’ today. New EP Air will be available everywhere November 29th.

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Martha Bean - Circles.

About ‘Circles’ - A beautifully evocative release both lyrically and musically, ‘Circles’ was written and composed by Martha in Canada. The singer was inspired by watching fireflies dancing in the night sky, seeking partners. She was struck by how we all essentially follow a similar ritual. The song’s gently pulsing percussion and sweetly swirling strings give it a cyclical feel, which fits the Leicester artist’s radiant chorus – ‘Keep it Going Round and Around” – atop a lilting, picked guitar and perfectly deployed double bass.

About ‘Here Comes The Snowstorm’ EP ”Life rarely brings blocks of pure joy or pure despair. More often the emotions – hope and hopelessness; gravity and levity – all bleed into one another, and I hope these songs reflect that.” Martha Bean

Though united by a bittersweet theme, each of the five tracks on Martha Bean’s new EP stands alone, inspired by real events. Be it the eponymous tale in ‘Slippers to a Wedding’ (“We aren’t perfect – we have to laugh at each other,” says Martha); the emotional vision of a lonely widow captured on ‘Beneath the Shadows’; or the hopes and fears of a new mum expressed on ‘When I Hold You In My Arms’ (Martha became a first-time mother, to Leon, this February), the highs and lows of contemporary existence are all on show. Conveyed via spacious, ambient alt-folk topped by Martha’s skilled guitar picking and silky vocal, her songs evoke artists such as Fionn Regan, Phoebe Bridgers and Lisa Hannigan

Recorded and engineered at home by Martha herself (the versatile musician also played guitar, piano, mandolin and bass, as well as scoring all the string parts), ‘Here Comes the Snowstorm’ has already made an impact in 2019 thanks to two of its tracks – ‘Slipper to a Wedding’ and ‘When I Hold You in My Arms’ – being aired on Tom Robinson’s BBC 6Music show. Co-produced by Martha’s partner Joel Evans (aka Tiny Eyes), who also weighed in on percussion, synths and Wurlitzer piano, the EP features Joe Manger on drums, Rob Rosa (Maniere des Bohémiens) on violin, Mirka Hoppari on viola and Martha’s father John on cello.


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Fenn Wilson - Ghost Heroin (Album).

On November 14 Bellarine born and Melbourne based Fenn Wilson released his eagerly anticipated debut album Ghost Heroin, expertly navigating the bumpy road from darkness to catharsis.

Fenn continues to draw from his own rich life experience when crafting songs and also has a knack for tapping into raw emotions, which seem to bubble just below the surface while waiting to be summoned. His delivery of every single lyric and note is meticulous. Attention to diction drives home each song's message, clarifying intent.

'I'd put down my track and then Shannon Bourne would put down his track and then we had cello come in and then piano come in, and so it built and built and built...everybody was moving their way around the melodies that were already there.' Fenn Wilson

This album's title Ghost Heroin references the inescapable torment that often attaches itself to painful memories, but uplifting moments - such as the album opener/second single Lost My Way - illuminate dappled light within the shadows. The first single to be lifted from Ghost Heroin, Eye On You is pared-back, with a guitar-and-vocal arrangement that swells incrementally with the introduction of each additional instrument until those celestial chorus harmonies seal the deal.

'I can’t get over how good it is. It’s not often the elements of writing, performance, arrangement, orchestration and production coalesce into something you can actually describe as ‘perfect’ . This track (Lost My Way) is rare.'  Jonathan Alley, Triple R.


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Unspoken Tradition - Cold Mountain Town.

From their 2019 release Myths We Tell Our Young, Unspoken Tradition’s “Cold Mountain Town" is a love letter to the dynamic mountain city of Asheville, North Carolina and the growing pains it is facing in these changing times.

In an effort to acknowledge the city's historically rich musical culture, the band has released a  video containing archival footage of Asheville juxtaposed with the ongoing construction happening to meet the demand for tourism. The video, filmed at Zillicoah Beer Company and other locations around Asheville, was directed by Bob Peck and produced by Mountainwater Films for Mountain Home Music Company. It's also a song about the struggles of a hometown musician chasing a dream that might have turned out to be a myth.

“For the album Myths We Tell Our Young, we explore themes of mountain culture and how it is evolving. There is no better example than Asheville, NC,” says Ty Gilpin, Unspoken Tradition’s mandolinist, vocalist and writer of this song, in The Bluegrass Situation post. “I’ve lived and played music in this city for over 25 years and watched it change and grow while still holding strong to its rich appalachian music culture. This song is dedicated to artists that continue to struggle and survive in this ‘Cold Mountain Town.’”

Myths We Tell Our Young debuted at #5 on the Billboard Bluegrass chart, saw a chart-topping song with “Dark Side of the Mountain” and received praise from Bluegrass Unlimited saying, “They drive as hard as any of the older bands of yesteryear, but with a new approach that incorporates influences from various newer sources. They are at once part of the tradition and shapers of a new sound. Their sound is a virile, volcanic blast as the instruments and vocals jump out in a torrent of notes and words. It’s compelling and challenging all at once.

”

Unspoken Tradition is about new, original Bluegrass. Inspired by their own influences and the roots of traditional music, they bring a sound that is both impassioned and nostalgic, hard-driving but sincere. Their 2019 release from Mountain Home Music Company, Myths We Tell Our Young, debuted at #5 on the Billboard Bluegrass charts and has seen 5 top-charting radio singles, including a #1 spot on the Bluegrass Today chart for “Dark Side of the Mountain.” Their material is mostly original and reflects the ever-changing culture of Western and Central North Carolina where they call home.

The band has earned a fervent following in the Southeast, selling out shows in Asheville, NC as well as the legendary Station Inn in Nashville, TN. They have also performed twice on the coveted Watson (main stage) at MerleFest. With heavy airplay on Sirius XM’s Bluegrass Junction and ever-growing streaming numbers, Unspoken Tradition is a fast-rising voice of a new generation of roots music artists. Their debut recording, Simple Little Town (2013) saw quick success in radio and with tastemakers. Their follow-up release, Miles Between was featured on the nationally syndicated NPR show The World Cafe. Represented by Midwood Entertainment, Unspoken Tradition plays nationwide.


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Walt Disco - Dancing Shoes.

Glasgow based band Walt Disco have today shared the video for recently released single 'Dancing Shoes'. Directed by Dylan Moore, the video also encompasses a remix by rising Glasgow producer/DJ, TAAHLIAH. The band are also currently touring the UK with fellow Glaswegians The Ninth Wave, and will be joining The Joy Formidable for 3 dates at the end of November. Full details on dates further below.

Within the newly released clip, the main protagonist (portrayed by Walt Disco singer James Potter) is stuck in a loop of temptation, euphoria and madness, as he loses control of himself to three hedonistic apparitions invoked by his desire to escape reality. Poised delicately between the 80's New Romance sound and a more modern post-punk approach - 'Dancing Shoes' finds Walt Disco at their visceral best.

Oscillating between dream-like and nightmarish states, the character’s journey in the video appears to reflects the cyclical path of self-destruction on which many get lost along the road to excess; partnering aptly with the song's lyrical essence. “I wrote Dancing Shoes about a year and a half ago," singer James Potter notes. "It was during a time in my life where I was really struggling to deal with noticing pain and depression within my immediate family and found it difficult to talk about, so I used the writing of this song as therapy. It is very sad but I feel better now it’s written and hope others can take comfort from the song too.”

Recorded in Chris McCrory’s home studio (Fat White Family, Goat Girl, Catholic Action) around a similar time to when they recorded 2018-single 'Drowning In Your Velvet Bed', the new single has been a staple in their live shows for over a year and a half. Having gained notoriety for their drama-filled and unpredictable live shows, recently touring with the likes of Sports Team and opening for Interpol, Walt Disco’s blend of crooning vocals, angular guitars and dark shimmering synths is really something to behold.

Indebted to the rich history of Scottish 80s pop and post-punk bands they hold dearly, Walt Disco channel The Associates and Simple Minds, all whilst still firmly keeping one foot planted in the present day. They're a band whose influences derive not from just music itself, but much more so from love, glamour and androgyny. Their music is a gateway to a space of lust, loss and everything in-between.


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The Adobe Collective - Blind.

The Adobe Collective effortlessly embody what is rapidly becoming known as the “high desert sound”. Based in Joshua Tree, CA their surroundings reflect a kind of no-frills authenticity that is baked into their music - cosmic desert americana with flashes of psychedelia, country, and indie rock. At times hard hitting, at other times heartfelt and tender, rather than stick to a ready-made musical template, they let the rhythms of the California desert guide their creative path. This path is leading them to the release of All the Space That There Is via Love/Sands Records / JTM Music on January 10th. Founded in 2011 by husband and wife duo Tim & Faith Chinnock at their 1937 historic adobe house just minutes from the entrance to Joshua Tree Park, the current lineup includes Caleb Winn, Chris Unck, and Tyler Saraca.

Working out of Unck’s High Lonesome Studio, their third full length album All The Space That There Is, a self produced effort, was crafted in an un-rushed process through stream of consciousness musings from the past and present. “I’m always pleasantly surprised by how consistently seemingly unrelated thoughts can fit together to make a cohesive story out here in the desert,” Tim reflects. “Almost like the subconscious can see the through-line before the conscious mind realizes what is happening.” Unck adds, “With Adobe we’re always saying, ‘what haven’t we done?’ we want to look around and explore.” It’s a complex album filled with a sense of wonder — three-part harmonies here, lush synth layers, steel guitar flourishes, and epic drum swells there— meant to give a peek into the challenges and successes of making an authentic life in the American Southwest. All The Space That There Iswill woo you, take you in, then send you rocketing out into the cosmos.

Tim and Faith’s harmonies blend effortlessly — which makes sense since they first began singing together as high school sweethearts — as the band brings a unique energy and sound. Unck spent time touring the world opening for Pink with Atlanta based southern rocker Butch Walker, Caleb grew up playing rock ’n roll in Ohio and later joining the house band at legendary live music venue Pappy and Harriet’s, and Tyler who has played with other High Desert groups Desert Rhythm Project and Gene Evaro Jr. landed in the desert with his Boston based band Build A Machine and decided to stay even when his bandmates gave up the rent and skipped town. The Adobe Collective have a sound all their own but have been listed next to artists like Gram Parsons, Queens of the Stone Age, Cracker, and Donovan as acts that embody the high desert sound. This album further solidifies their place in the high desert music pantheon. -

As the name implies All The Space That There Is covers a lot of ground — especially sonically. Mid-tempo chill, up-tempo indie pop, stratospheric jams, flashes of psych rock, and even some good ‘ol country twang. “It was like a zen moment…an out of body experience,” say Unck about his simultaneous roles recording, co-producing, and playing lead guitar. “I suspend myself somewhere in between placing mics, pushing the record button, listening for the count off, and playing what comes to me. It usually reveals something super odd and then I get excited. I try to keep only what is exciting.” To further add layers of desert influence, the band called on Joshua Tree neighbor Nathan Sabatino (who is best known for his work with the Philadelphia band Dr. Dog) to mix the album. Sabatino’s warm touch is evident throughout and along with mastering by Los Angeles based Brian Lucey (mastered 7 Grammy winning records) this album shimmers.


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Flora Hibberd - FELIN - Michael Colton - Selkama

Having already shared a couple of tracks from her debut E.P we now have the complete set from Flora Hibberd entitled 'The Absentee'. Her gorgeous and distinct voice resonates through each song and the simmering atmosphere is contagious. === It's more than two years since we last featured FELIN and we catch up with the artist with the fourth single 'Money Honey' from her recently released album, as once again the feisty rocker is on top form. === Singer songwriter Michael Colton is about to release a new single entitled 'A Little Crazy', it's a fine country rocker packing energy and hooks galore. === Selkama recently shared 'All My Friends Are Growing Up' where the Finnish brothers deliver a melodic and perhaps a little melancholic but nonetheless lively and engaging song.
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Flora Hibberd - The Absentee (E.P).

Born in East London but currently residing in Paris, Flora Hibberd has been described as ‘intelligent and measured…there is a profound intuition in her work’ and her songs as ‘deeply rooted in the timeless lyricism of Dylan and Cohen.’ With influences as diverse as Nick Cave, Joan Baez and Jacques Brel, she moves effortlessly between acoustic folk traditions and the bruised indie of PJ Harvey, Jason Molina and Cat Power. Her powerfully emotive voice, evocative melodies and poetic lyrics combine beautifully to give her songs a deeply haunting and unforgettable quality.

Flora’s first two singles ‘The Absentee’ and ‘In Violence’ released in earlier 2019, were bold statements of intent and announced her as a powerful newcomer. The songs’ complex, dark melodic and lyrical beauty have left a longing for what The Absentee EP will offer. The EP packages the singles with two new gems, ‘As Long As There Is Night’ and ‘The Healing’ that will not disappoint.

About The Absentee EP, Flora states ‘The songs of this EP emerged over months and years, and were refined in bars, apartments and on the streets. The Absentee was written fifty metres below the English Channel, three years ago. In Violence was written in 2017 in the garden of the Musée Rodin. Their influences are too many to name; random encounters with poetry, art, music and language in all its forms have bled into my writing in ways of which I am often unaware. They are about real people and real events. But they are also about impossible people, and impossible events. My hope is that they find you here, on the blurred edge between reality and dreams, in the half-awake place where the familiar merges with the unknown. ‘

With this EP and in collaboration with producer J. C. Wright, bringing his 'spectacular’ arrangements and atmospheric brushstrokes, Flora Hibberd is laying down an impressive artistic foundation. The Absentee EP is out now, on ClearLight Records / Declared Goods.


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FELIN - Money Honey.

Following her previous single ‘LaLaLa’, the Stockholm based artist FELIN now releases the fourth single titled ‘MoneyHoney’ from her new album be released a week or so ago. This powerful track aims to make the listeners feel invincible and succeeds well. Surrounding her is a creative power-house collective that have the combined experience of writing for the likes of Adam Lambert, and having visuals published in Interview Magazine and Harper’s Bazaar.

“Money Honey is a modern Bonnie and Clyde story on speed about being madly in love, breaking all the rules and limits,” FELIN says about the track. “This song is loud and fast - just like the adrenaline rush when you do something forbidden. It’s one of the most playful songs on the upcoming album and I wanted to capture that wild romance feeling, when you feel like anything is possible.”

FELIN’s music is unapologetically cinematic, drawing from theatrical influences – the dark humour of Tarantino being one of note. Known for combining pop melodies and rock energy, FELIN has played the historic Rockpalast in Germany and supported The Chainsmokers last spring.


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Michael Colton - A Little Crazy.

Singer/songwriter Michael Colton is set to release a new single that takes his steadfast country rock/blues sound to new heights. Titled “A Little Crazy,” it’s an exhilarating track that both figurately evokes letting loose and enjoying the ride, and literally signals a pivot out of his comfort zone as he embraces a new direction in his songwriting.  Having garnered significant accolades for his more country inflected work in the past, Colton has streamlined his sound which seamlessly blends rock and blues traditions and is anchored by his striking vocals and magnificent guitar chops. Produced by noted film and television composer/producer Brett Boyett, “A Little Crazy” features Colton on vocals and guitar.   Producer Brett Boyett brought a groups of studio musicians to round out the production. Song will be available digitally on November 15 and an EP will be released in the coming year.

Says Colton: “I realize that the best times in my life came from the little moments of jumping off the beaten path. When you jump away from all the normal stuff and follow the weird little voice in your gut sometimes it’s a train wreck. BUT to make a song or really anything in life great you have to let go, follow that thing you were told was wrong.  Be free of everything.

The big difference between this and my past music is that I always had a firm hand in the production. This time I let go and gave producer Brett Boyett a lot of freedom.  He kept me focused on the story and took my singing, guitar playing and songwriting to a whole new level.

Colton burst onto the scene in 2010 with a striking blues-rock track titled “Sugar.” Following that up with a deep dive into the songs of Robert Johnson in 2012, Colton continued to hone his blues guitar cred.   With a flurry of single and EP releases beginning in 2016, he immediately caught the attention of outlets such as The Boot, Popdose, Huffington Post with an evolved sound that seamlessly combined elements of rock, country, R&B and blues that are anchored by his otherworldly guitar chops. Earlier this year, Colton released two EPs collecting some of the best moments from 2017 and 2018-- Qualified and California Blue.


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Selkama - All My Friends Are Growing Up.

When brothers Nicolas & Kim Flemström decided to start making music together they took the name Selkama, to honor their Finnish mother. Selkama is her maiden name. After playing music in different projects for a couple of years they wanted to start from scratch and do something together, just the two of them. After writing songs for a year in their hometown Stockholm they traded city life for countryside, as they went to a studio on a farm close to Trollhättan during winter 2018.

After two weeks of intense recording, starry skies, dinners to the sound of a crackling fireplace and coffee breaks, a record had been made. Nicolas personal songwriting combined with Kim’s harmonies and sense of melody makes for an emotional and dynamic record. Songs about loneliness, selfishness, friendship and love are accompanied by sonic landscapes, reverb - drenched pianos and two voices that sound like one.

The title track and first single of their debut album ’All My Friends Are Growing Up’ was released on November 6 2019. The record will be out in early 2020. The single ”All My Friends Are Growing Up” is the title track and first single from Selkama’s upcoming debut album. I’ts a melancholic song about loneliness and the longing for love. About daring to feel hopeful. If you find yourself on a train or in a car, just look out of the window and let the smooth vocals and crying instruments carry you away.

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Thyla - Faultress - HEBE

Thyla return just a few weeks after sharing 'Two Sense'. This time we have 'Lenox Hill', where the band are a little less post punk and a tad more indie rock, the melodic vocals supported by a solid rock backdrop ensuring once again that they stand well out in the crowd. === Faultress has released her '5 Myths' E.P. Having already featured four of the songs we now complete the set with a video for 'Icarus' and have also added the full collection below, needless to say the final song is also something beautiful. === HEBE has released a video for 'Hunting Me' the electro pop song gains considerable traction with her melodic and soulful vocals and well crafted musical arrangement.
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Thyla - Lenox Hill.

Brighton post-punk prospects Thyla continue their extraordinary rise with searing new cut Lenox Hill, the second track taken from the band’s eagerly anticipated sophomore EP Everything at Once set for release 24th January.

Racing to the forefront of the emerging indie landscape, the rising quartet returned last month with masterfully crafted lead single Two Sense, having already attracted glowing praise from all corners of the press (Pitchfork, Stereogum, NME, The Line Of Best Fit, Dork) and across the airwaves (BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music, Radio X, KCRW) following the arrival of debut EP What’s On Your Mind? earlier this year.

Detailing their newest effort, enigmatic frontwoman Millie Duthie explained: “Lenox Hill is the hospital I was born in, with the track inspired by my early years as a kid living in New York City. It’s an honest and emotional coming-of-age tale. Life can take so many turns and you can forget where you came from and what makes you you. The important stuff like family can get set aside in the pursuit of whatever it is that drives you. Lenox Hill is about realising you’re lost and deciding to go back to your roots to find the way again”.

The indie juggernauts have had a formidable 2019 on the road supporting the likes of Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, in addition to capacity shows at The Great Escape, Live At Leeds and Hit The North, and having just completed their first full-length UK tour, plans are already taking shape for a hometown EP release party early next year.

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Faultress - Icarus / 5 Myths E.P.

'Icarus' glides on the waxen feathers of Faultress's soaring voice. It is a song about those thoughts of ours that overreach, set to a soundscape of stunning synth production. Faultress's persona shines resplendent through her mythologic lyricism, mesmerising harmonies and spoken word segments. It is a poised and assertive performance from a musician with a masterly handle on the themes of her art.

5 Myths lyrically examines the myths surrounding the female experience of power, beauty, desire, mental health. All songs are produced by Joshua Davenport, and all except 'Marilyn' are mastered by Dom Howard (Submotion Orchestra). 'Marilyn' is co-produced by Bobby Broomfield (Does it Offend You Yeah) at The Rattle (collective of DIY artists), and mixed/mastered by Morgan Bosc at The Rattle.

Faultress is an extinct word for a female criminal, and this musical project is about wearing your unpolished faults and imperfections on your very female sleeve. As an artist, Faultress embodies the challenge to heterodoxy implied in her name, which she wields as a firebrand to write incisive and psychological songs that offer us a look into the complex fragmentation of feminine power, desire and mental health in a rapidly changing musical and cultural world.

Faultress's prime influence is Kate Bush, a soul she shares a love of theatricality with - Faultress has a playwriting MA from RADA - alongside a diverse set of influences that includes the likes of James Blake, Aldous Harding, FKA Twigs and Joni Mitchell. Her full banshee show is a six-part girl choir replete with synths and drums. In her solo shows Faultress plays piano and loop stations. With the release of her 5 Myths EP, she reveals herself something of a polymath: lyricist, musician, singer and storyteller employing the full spectrum of her skillset to make unforgettably charged music.

See Faultress live:
Nov 18th, The Harrison, London, Kings Cross
Dec 5th, The Ivy, London, Central.


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HEBE - Hunting Me.

Rising artist HEBE unveils the cinematic visuals for her recently released single ‘Hunting Me’. Out now as a self-release via Kartel, the soulful electro-pop number tackles her fears and anxieties.

Hailing from Amsterdam, the talented artist has been collaborating with some of the Netherlands’ finest musicians. Credits for the new cut see award-winning producer/mixer Huub Reijnders, drummer Martijn Bosman, pianist and vocalist Ruben Hein contributing to the harmonious contrast of warm, catchy vocals set to pulsating electro-pop drums and synths.

The single is the first offering from HEBE’s forthcoming debut album ‘Cards On The Table’, planned for release in Spring 2020. ‘Hunting Me’ tells the story of a vivid dream in which the artist faces her own demons; “I could feel these fears so clearly but couldn’t see or grab them. In ‘Hunting Me’ I try to make these fears tangible by giving them a face,” HEBE reveals.

Growing up in an artistic household - her father is a film and documentary director, while her mother is a theatre designer, and her brother a visual and lighting artist - this all added to HEBE’s fascination with music and the arts. After graduating from the Conservatorium of Amsterdam and influenced by both her contemporaries such as James Blake and BANKS - as well as by iconic songwriters Van Morrison and Bob Dylan, HEBE locked herself away in the studio to hone her sound, one which is both uplifting and melancholic at the same time.

‘Hunting Me’ gives us a small window into her unique sensibility and sound; just one piece of a puzzle which will cement her status as a bonafide songwriting talent.


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The Dockers - John Tiller - KEYS

From Sydney, Australia we have The Dockers with their new song 'Fake It', described as "cheeky and cheerful" it's also bright and rather catchy. === With earnest and gritty vocals  John Tiller delivers 'Battle Ready' with plenty of passion, his folk, Americana or whatever other tag might describe best, is beautifully produced. === Back in April we shared 'Black and White' from KEYS who return this week with 'Bad Penny' just ahead of a new album release. This time we have a gentler, psychedelic and dreamy piece with gorgeous vibes throughout.
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The Dockers - Fake It.

Party-starting rogues, The Dockers are excited to release their follow up single Fake It. A single for care-free wiggling and late night grinning.

Cheeky and cheerful, Fake It implores you to let go and just dance, the loose flow and jaunty rhythms are a wink and a nod to the gleeful abandon of troubles. In a dedication to keeping it simple and straightforward, front man and the face of a good (me, Murray Cooke says “basically every inner thought I had, and if I ever had a Twitter account or Tumblr account— these [lyrics] would be in it”.

The band was established in Campbelltown, western Sydney whilst working as lifeguards, the bands deep sense of irony and surrealist sense of fun attributed to snack bar sugar and chlorine. All members of the four-piece outfit are self taught multi-instrumentalists and display this in their live performances. Currently recording and playing gigs all over Sydney, they’ve headlined Valve Bar twice and played a killer sets at Red Bar, generating a ground swell for these high and dry lifeguards as their live recording of acoustic song Sweet Sunset has hit 10k views.

‘I was really into the cover of Twist and Shout. (I loved it that much that I couldn’t stop twisting and shouting)’ - The Music Producer

After the release of Moonshine and with Fake It to come, The Dockers party is only getting warmed up good for nothing but a good time.

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John Tiller - Battle Ready.

Folk-rock, singer songwriter, alt-country, Americana, call it what you like, the art of telling stories through music refuses to die. John Tiller takes influence from Manchester’s rich and diverse musical heritage, incorporating the working class spirit of his hometown, though not without strong influences across the pond.

He looks to his songwriting heroes Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell for their profound ability to pen thought-provoking lyrics and to give equal importance to both story and song. Though these songwriting giants undoubtedly cast a lengthy shadow, it is through their influence that John steps out into the light, and sets out on a path that is uniquely his own.

Tiller is all but surgically attached to his guitar, having lived the lifestyle of a restless wanderer, travelling and playing everywhere from Oslo to Sarajevo, Kiev to Auckland, where there’s an audience, there’s an opportunity to share his music. Fast forward to Autumn 2019, and John has recently completed the finishing touches on his forthcoming EP Battle Ready. A compendium of tracks that unravel intimate tales of the romantics, the nomads, the fighters and poets.

The narrator often ambiguous, unreliable. Tiller plays with timelines, narrative form and structure. What emerges is a connotative collection of songs, leaning heavily on allegory and metaphor. This music will find a home with anyone thoughtful, anyone who has experienced anxiety or weighty, life changing events. It is for those seeking shelter from the short term, quick fix nature of modern life. At times political, at times personal and heartbreaking, depending on the listener's perspective this short but powerful collection of songs will feel poignantly out of time, or perhaps timeless.


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KEYS - Bad Penny.

With such a gloriously iconic title, KEYS new album ‘Bring Me the Head of Jerry Garcia’ is not only a collection of road tested songs but also a bold new start for the band. It’s the curtains pulled back on a cold frosty morning to let in beams of exotic, vibrant Indian summer light that brakes over the horizon to fill your tired eyes with wonder.

Recorded over two days in Resolven Miner’s Welfare Institute  ‘Bring Me the Head of Jerry Garcia’ captures the KEYS live energy whilst still exploring new musical vocabulary, every note played being vital and of the moment.

The autumnal ‘Bad Penny’ is also announced today as the last single before the album release. The band launches the album at The Gate in Cardiff on 19th December with a big party with support from DD Darillo, Kidsmoke, HMS Morris.

Here are Matthew Evens the bands singers recollection of the creation of ‘Bring Me the Head of Jerry Garcia’

“The original intention and cod-manifesto for this album was “we don’t want anyone to like it”. It was an amusing and liberating stance and I recommend anyone to adopt this posture in the early stages of a project. We weren’t able to sustain that attitude but it certainly allowed us to take a few more risks, musically; and it definitely feels like the beginning of something, as opposed to some sort of conclusion.

To us, everything we’re doing is sounding really fresh and melodic. We’ve been playing these songs for years now and they still feel vital when we play them live. As always, we were listening to a lot of music during the production of this album. Bands like Hooded Fang, ESG, Ty Segall, White Fence, Women, Pavement, Scout Niblett… the list goes on.

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The Mowgli's - Arborist - Yr Ods - Sasha Bell

The Mowgli's have a new video for 'Fighting With Yourself' where Katie Jayne Earl takes on lead singer responsibility for the first time doing so with abundant charm and finesse. === The first single from Arborist new album 'A Northern View' is 'Taxi'. The video is a grand companion for this fabulous spoken word piece that conjures even more mental images, this really is breathtaking. === Described as off beat euphoric pop Yr Ods song 'Tu Hwnt I'r Muriau' is most definitely that, and the Welsh language once again shines, with or without your ability to translate. === From her first and just released solo album Sasha Bell shares a video for 'Castle Keep'. Having been part of many other musical projects often with a sixties feel, this song demonstrates her ability to move on, without losing any of the class and creativity.
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The Mowgli's - Fighting With Yourself.

The new video from The Mowgli's is entitled 'Fighting With Yourself'. The track narrates accepting change and not fighting against the tide. Sonically the song shines with 90's pop punk influences. 'Fighting With Yourself' is Katie Jayne Earl's first time stepping into the limelight as lead singer.

All of life is a journey and the best journeys are those taken with friends. For the 5 members of The Mowgli’s that road has seen their friendship tested and rebuilt numerous times. From their earliest Venice, California days as a 10+ revolving cast of characters to their current line-up, the core members have evolved from playing midnight warehouse parties to the stages of the largest festivals.

While there have been many highlights - appearances on late night TV shows, incredibly rewarding collaborations with charities and electrifying performances in legendary venues among them - there have also been tests: Losing band members, battling with the stress of constant touring and maintaining their friendship, trying to remain both grounded and optimistic when things go amazingly well and when they don’t. But there have been benefits of creating deep bonds and close relationships, not least the marriage of singers Katie Jayne Earl and Josh Hogan in 2017. “Being in a touring band is hard work,” says Katie, “but inspiring. It only works because people care about the band and we have a core who support us, people who have both been there since the beginning and joined along the way. Those supporters keep us motivated.”

The release of The Mowgli’s first major-label LP Waiting For The Dawn in 2013 saw immediate success with the hit single San Francisco. The record - which focused on the joy of bringing people together - immediately connected in a cynical world. The band quickly found themselves playing to sold out crowds in clubs around the US and inundated by requests for press, sponsorships and partnerships. Appearances at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Firefly, Osheaga, Bottlerock and many other festivals followed as did performances on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Conan and a stint as the SXSW House band for Andy Cohen’s Watch What Happens Live (Bravo)

The follow up LP, 2015’s Kids in Love (which spawned the feel-good single I’m Good) saw the band explore personal relationships including their own inter-band ones, and their third LP Where’d Your Weekend Go? which came in the Fall of 2016, often found the band working on songs together from their very inception - giving much of the record a relaxed and communal feeling.

Parting ways with their original label in 2017, The Mowgli’s released a pair of EPs: I Was Starting To Wonder (2018) and American Feelings (2019), each backed by national US tours and both exploring the “band experience” to a large extent. The first EP focused on travelling, missing home, looking for excitement in the daily churn of a tour, finding it in the back alleys and on the rooftops of America. The more recent EP American Feelings turned more towards relationships and connections, noticeable in Talk About It and Mr. Telephone which both harken to the lack of discourse and engagement prevalent in society today, especially with technology serving as both a facilitator and barrier. Says singer/guitarist Josh Hogan, “Communication is a very powerful tool. If we could learn to communicate in a healthy way, this place would be much less divided.”


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Arborist - Taxi.

“Taxi” is the first single to be taken from the breathtaking new album, A Northern View, by Northern Ireland’s Arborist. A stand-out, jolt-from-the-blue, set-piece, “Taxi” is a spoken word epic story inspired by Arab Strap, Belle and Sebastian and James Yorkston, who have made the droll Scottish storyteller’s delivery a constant. As singer-songwriter Mark McCambridge explains; “I wanted to do something similar with the Northern Irish voice. It’s a story about a claim from my Dad’s cousin and good friend through his youth, Henry McQuillan, that he conceived the idea of turning a famous Irish traditional song into a rock song.”

The video for “Taxi” stars Dublin actor Barry Ward who was recently in The Capture (BBC), Irish movie Extra Ordinary and has been the lead in Jimmy’s Hall by Ken Loach, amongst many other projects.The powerful video captures the intense mood of the song, with the light-relief pay-off at the end. It was shot in Belfast and created by London-based director Sam O'Mahony who said, "The song has such a strong narrative that I felt, rather than literally reflect the words, we would create our own piece of visual poetry to exist alongside the track without competing with it. Initially, we thought of just having Barry Ward representing Henry, but instead went slightly further and created a kind of time-jumping ballet in which Henry’s memories exist in various dimensions, moving past each other unaware until they are ultimately drawn together."

The single is available on all digital platforms now. There's also a remix by Domino recording artist Seamus Fogarty. Arborist will be hitting the road in Jan/Feb with critically acclaimed Canadian psych-folk second-cousins Kacy & Clayton.


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Yr Ods - Tu Hwnt I'r Muriau.

‘Tu hwnt i’r Muriau’ is a slice of off-beat euphoric-pop taken from Yr Ods new album laith y Nefoedd (which follows on 22 November on Lwcus T). Tapping into Yr Ods delicious style of juxtaposing neon-bright off-kilter pop tracks with a much sinister lyrical undercurrent, ‘Tu hwnt i’r Muriau’ is a song about brainwashing people to think just like you, and to come and live your life with you. It’s the sonic representation of what the band described as “kind of a montage vibe of someone going around the country preaching and gaining a following.”

To put it into a context, the theme of ‘Tu hwnt i’r Muriau’ is one that runs through the veins of the long-player laith y Nefoedd from which it is taken. A concept album conceived alongside award-winning Welsh author Llwyd Owen which tells the fantastical, dystopian tale of cults, post-Brexit Britain, nuclear war and bunker-raised virgins. All narrated by a failed alcoholic sci-fi writer and anti-hero T Lloyd Lewis, and with a subtext exploring Welsh youth, culture and confidence.

Yr Ods are instrument swapping musicians Griff Lynch, Gruff Pritchard, Rhys Aneurin and Osian Howells. Since forming in 2008 they have become one of the world’s most beloved Welsh language acts, making a genre-shifting, multi-faceted and left-of-centre fusion of imaginative indie-pop which recalls the quirky experimental charms of Gruff Rhys, Gwenno, H. Hawkline and Cate Le Bon, whilst remaining untouchably individual. Yr Ods have previously released two critically acclaimed albums Troi a Throsi (2011) and Llithro (2013) both released via Sain, they have toured the UK and Europe extensively and performed at big festivals including Maes B, Swn, Green Man and No 6, as well as achieving the career high of headlining National Eisteddfod of Wales alongside a forty-piece orchestra, and an audience of two-thousand fans.

‘Tu hwnt i’r Muriau’ was engineered and recorded by Yr Ods at the ‘old crack den’, mixed by Tom Loffman and mastered by Hafod Mastering.  It was released as a digital single on 8th November with the long-player laith y Nefoedd following on 22nd November (digitally and on limited edition vinyl and book box set), both released via Lwcus T.


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Sasha Bell - Castle Keep.

Sasha Bell has been involved with a handful of projects that have released some of the finest 60s-inspired pop records of the last two decades. Whether with the Ladybug Transistor, The Essex Green, or The Sixth Great Lake, she adds a special touch to her music that is dreamy, lush, and pastoral. Now, for the first time in her storied career, she’s stepping out under her own name, releasing her first-ever solo debut album, Love Is Alright, out now.

The Essex Green’s most recent album, last year’s superb Hardly Electronic, found them contemporizing their sound while retaining the pleasing elements of their distinctive retro sound. Love Is Alright also follows that pattern, blending a more contemporary style with touchstones from the past. Perhaps that’s not surprising, as her contributions had originally stemmed from what would become the album you’re holding now.

Yet Bell’s influential reference points for Love Is Alright are a bit different. Whereas her bands have generally focused on a more baroque pop element-par for the course considering they’ve long been a part of the Elephant 6 collective-the sounds found here touch upon 1970s fare. Vocally recalling Judee Sill or Melanie Safka, while the arrangements occasionally recall the work of Melissa Manchester, Carly Simon, and even the occasional nod to ABBA. Written over the past several years and recorded in San Francisco at The Studio Time Forgot and at Jason Quever’s (The Papercuts) studio, it’s an album full of sophisticated arrangements that is quite easy on the ears.

Love Is Alright is a journey through time, small moments writ large. Whether she’s singing about missing The Essex Green (“Candy Mountain”), stress management (“Molly’s Got A Talent”), reflections on relationship struggles (“Castle Keep”), a grandmother’s obsession with rare books (“The Library” ), or a tribute to a deceased bandmate (“Heavy Doors”, a eulogy to San Fadyl, drummer for The Ladybug Transistor, who passed away in 2007) Bell invites you into her world via a wistful musical diary.

After a rewarding career that has resulted in a discography of excellent music, Bell is now stepping into the spotlight on her own, and Love Is Alright is an unsurprisingly excellent first step forward, a step that isn’t surprising for those who have followed her career, and one that offers up a delightful, subtle, and sublime experience for the new listener.


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Lauran Hibberd - Robert Jeffery - Carroll - Dante Mazzetti - The Soft Underground

Lauran Hibberd makes yet another (and most welcome) appearance on Beehive Candy this time with 'Sweat Patch' a slacker pop come rock song, something she is just so good at creating. === From Australia we have Robert Jeffery and 'This Time' a slick rocker of a song. === We have to go back to 2016 for our only other feature for Carroll, well now we have 'Fern' a gently paced psychedelic influenced pop song accompanied by a very colourful video. === Ahead of a new E.P Dante Mazzetti shares 'Ugly' which is a beautiful song with a rich musical backdrop and notably distinct vocals. === Last month we shared a track from The Soft Underground ahead of their new album 'Anemoia' and I am pleased to say we have the album in full to hear below from this creative art pop duo.
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Lauran Hibberd - Sweat Patch.

Effortlessly charismatic and dripping in sarcasm, Isle Of Wight’s indie sensation Lauran Hibberd caps off her phenomenal year with Sweat Patch, the latest addition to her colourful patchwork of sparkling slacker pop.

Arriving hot on the heels of critically acclaimed debut EP Everything is Dogs earlier this autumn, Hibberd’s prolific songwriting and playful personality is encapsulated once more in her newest fizzing cut, and drops in the midst of her extensive UK/EU support tour alongside US punk rockers The Regrettes.

With substantial praise across the BBC Radio 1 airwaves (Annie Mac, Huw Stephens, Jack Saunders) and throughout the online community (The Line Of Best Fit, Dork, Clash, Gigwise), not to mention notable comparisons to contemporaries Courtney Barnett and Phoebe Bridgers, it’s evident the singer-songwriter has made quite the statement over the last twelve months.

Having produced a rousing display on Glastonbury’s BBC Introducing stage, in addition to a slew of supports with Hippo Campus and her own biggest headline gigs to date, Hibberd’s reputation on the live circuit has grown significantly, and with a second headline tour already lined up for February 2020, the newcomer looks primed to bring her unique performance to even bigger audiences.

Discussing her upcoming single, Hibberd revealed: “Sweat Patch is arguably a song about drugs, but it’s not like I’m trying to be cool about it. I’m pretty much frigid with anything unprescribed. But because of that, this song is based on my idea of that world. There’s loads of songs about getting high, not as many songs about watching and I guess analysing other people do it. I guess this is me, soberly sat in a room watching all of my friends take drugs. I guess there’s also a nod to the elephant in the room, A DUDE. There’s always a dude! And I guess this song stemmed from me being into this guy, but he was pretty much into other things more.”

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Robert Jeffery - This Time.

Following up on the solo debut of Don’t Give Them Any Reaction, Robert Jeffery returns with a single a that simultaneously furthers the range of his songwriting and deepens the scope of his classic rock references in This Time. Tracing the tropes of 80’s classicism with re-invigorating entendre and refreshingly modern values, This Time is reflexive and rocking. Jeffery’s attention to detail and desire to suffuse confident energies with widely relatable themes fosters a dynamic entanglement of Muse and Supertramp.

Recorded at Valleysound Studios with producer Pete Dyball (Kasey Chambers) the track can be interpreted in a number of ways with the core theme surrounding preoccupation with a person or object and how exhausting it can be.

‘Sometimes there is something or someone in your life who you just cannot get out of your mind. It may be because you admire them or it could be because you despise them. Either way, they are riding your train of thought without a ticket and you can’t kick them off.’ - Robert Jeffery

His songwriting style of pushing for loud, thundering guitar riffs was suddenly met with a desire to explore old-school styles, tones and melodies. These desires grew as the influence of groups such as The Beatles, The Beach Boys and Foxygen pushed his creative comfort zone out into new territory which was eventually revealed in his 2019 introduction Don’t Give Them Any Reaction which received national airplay across Australia’s Community Radio Network and was also featured on international stations KOR and Uckfield FM in the United Kingdom Robert works out of a home-studio in Coffs Harbour, NSW. It is there that he composes music and records demos to provide a guide for when he takes his songs to a producer to be recorded properly. This has allowed him to hone in on his on a sound over time and focus on performance when it comes to recording.

After a car accident in 2013, he found himself taking everyday life and music a little easier. Robert is working towards expanding his release catalogue and is currently putting together a band to play shows in the Mid North Coast area. He looks forward to jumping back into live performance and sharing his music with the world however he can.

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Carroll - Fern.

Carroll presents "Fern" The first single from their third LP, out 2020 on Shattered Orb Records The first line of the song "Fern" by Philadelphia band Carroll provides an apt metaphor for the band's sound: "I'm a fern with the leaves curled up / in the light I extend and unravel." Over the course of two critically acclaimed LPs and an EP, Carroll continues to compose blossoms of psychedelic pop that unfurl and bloom as you listen.

"Fern" is the first single from the band's forthcoming third album (out 2020 on Shattered Orb Records). Recorded in the band’s subterranean bunker in Philadelphia and at Berlin Studios in New Jersey, the band is taking their outrospective sonic palate to glistening new heights and some of the murkiest depths of their career.

After years on the road and stints opening for the likes of Dr. Dog, Whitney, and Jessica Pratt, the four members of Carroll are learning to stay in place. “I get used to it / ivy grows when I'm not watching,” sings frontman Brian Hurlow on “Fern.” The vividly colorful video by Karl Cooney reflects this sense of settled unsettling. A fruit bowl signifies mise en place but the band members' faces float on the surface of moving liquid, suggesting something more uncanny. Underneath Hurlow’s plaintive delivery swirl the dense psychedelic landscapes the band is known for.

The propulsive, liquid bass lines of Charles McClung are a second narrator throughout the course of the song and Max Kulicke continues to create micro-climates and sonic storms with his atmospheric guitar. The single’s tasteful and varied synthesizers seem to bubble up from beneath the understated beats of drummer Charlie Rudoy, an indication that the band is working on some of the most enveloping grooves of their career.


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Dante Mazzetti - Ugly.

Singer-songwriter Dante Mazzetti recently announced his new EP Hotel Vol. 2, slated for release on November 22nd. Keeping with the themes and story-telling from his July EP, Hotel Vol. 2 continues the tale of a troubled man finding a new life and new challenges. Through 4 new original tracks, Dante Mazzetti tackles a darker tone, infusing his sound with somber vocals and bluesy undertones.

In preparation for his upcoming EP release, Dante dropped the first single “Ugly” in September. A combination of jazz, blues, and a slight Latin flair, “Ugly” conveys a story of an unpleasant encounter. Dante once again shows off his diverse artistry, while maintaining his notable songwriting skills.

Reflecting on “Ugly”, Dante Mazzetti offers a clear explanation, "I purposefully wrote ‘Ugly’ to be able to be interpreted in different ways. I like to let the listener make the decision on how they want to receive the meaning. Some people hear it as being about a man who is sponging off of an aesthetically unattractive woman. I like to think of it as a song about a woman who is beautiful on the outside, yet has an ugly soul. I hope to inspire the listener to question the meaning of ugliness and to search for more in my songs than the surface understanding of the lyrics."

In July, Mazzetti made his official return to music with Hotel Vol. 1. With four new original songs, the record brought together acoustic folk and soul, laced with lyrical storytelling. The EP was the first volumes that brought together various unreleased songs in folk and Americana, but emphasize Mazzetti’s ability as a songwriter to express struggles and triumphs in life. For the artist, a piece of music is a living organism - always evolving, improving, finding new creative avenues to explore.

Mazzetti says, “The music on this EP is a mixture of accessibility and wild imagery. I’ve always enjoyed making music that goes off on a tangent but doesn’t fall off the cliff.  The songs are doors that open easily into bizarre worlds rather than places of comfort.”

Now, through the introduction of “Ugly”, Dante Mazzetti takes listeners on a different journey. Whereas Vol. 1 incorporated higher energy and excitement, Vol. 2 ventures into the slow tempo darkness. Dante Mazzetti’s new EP Hotel Vol. 2 is set for release on November 22nd and will be celebrated at Rockwood Music Hall on November 19th, with tickets available now.

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The Soft Underground - Anemoia (Album).

NYC-based art rock duo The Soft Underground have been hailed as modern descendants of the touchstone bands from Seattle’s 90’s alternative scene, garnering strong international press and plays including a buzzy endorsement from Alt Nation.

Spearheaded by Andrew McCarty and Charlie Hickey (both 26-yrs-old), the duo was formed in 2010 when the two musicians met and bonded over their love of the jangly melancholia. Riffing on their love of the The Smashing Pumpkins and other alternative 90’s bands, the two struck up a friendship and eventually began to hone in on a sound that mined deep into 70’s psych rock, falling somewhere between My Bloody Valentine and The Velvet Underground.

Anemoia is the bands third LP, following 2015’s Lost in Translation and 2018’s Morning World. The LP is a clear indication of their intent to constantly reinvent themselves musically, replacing standard guitar rhythms with more exotic instrumentation, implementing flutes, violins, synthesizers and pots and pans. Anemoia was recorded at Andrew’s house in Memphis, TN, affording them the laid-back, off-the-clock vibe they were looking to capture. As usual, the two worked together to craft the arrangements and instrumentals and worked to cast singers for each song - this time working with guest vocalists Sam Reed and Lisa Mac.

“Thematically, it’s a happy album,” McCarty reflects, knowing that their material often boasts an impenetrably moody veneer. “We tried to capture that state of euphoria where you can appreciate all facets of life, including the lows.”

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