Sisyphes just shared 'Samsāra' and the Margate (England) band are impressive with this expansive, melodic and dreamy mixture of Shoegaze and pop sensibilities. === Another song released yesterday comes from Josh Kumra and it's entitled 'Pull Me Back In'. The singer songwriter has fabulously distinct vocals on what is a beautiful modern folk song. === We've already had the pleasure of featuring three tracks form her forthcoming album 'La Yarará' and now Malena Zavala has released another 'Memories Gone' and it's as gorgeous as the others, the album is out on April 17th, personally I can't wait.
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Sisyphes - Samsāra.
Based in Margate, Avantpop shoegazers Sisyphes are made up of former La Houle guitarist and songwriter Geoffrey Papin, Clémentine Blue (Tiger Lion), John Davies (Michael A Grammar, Traams) and Jimi Tormey (Gang).
Taking their cues from the likes of Stereolab, Broadcast and Julien Gasc, they deliver dreamlike pop songs with a touch of French synthwave. Lyrically their literary and philosophical influences shine through – gone are the days when shoegaze lyrics were just a conduit for vocal textures.
The band explain that “Saṃsāra is a Sanskrit word that means "wandering" or "world", with the connotation of cyclic, circuitous change. In short, it is the cycle of death and rebirth.”
Sisyphes’ name is taken from Greek mythology – the deceitful character who has been doomed to push a boulder to the top of a hill for eternity. While perhaps music and art could be categorized as similarly futile, these are the things that get us up in the morning to push our own personal rock once again.
New single ‘Samsara’ is available everywhere on April 3rd 2020 via A Certain Kind Records.
Singer - Songwriter Josh Kumra returns with a new EP, ‘Pull Me Back In’, out now via ferryhouse. Following up on the recently released singles; the soaring ‘Don’t Know Why’, the confessional ‘I Dare You’ and last year’s intimate ‘Stubborn Love’, the EP is an insight into Josh’s newly found creative freedom. Mostly recorded and produced by Josh in his own studio, the new body of work is an introspective journey through the emotions and mind of a young artist who found himself “falling short of the grand expectations everyone had of me and had almost lost my love for making music completely”, as he candidly concedes.
Whilst the title track ‘Pull Me Back’ is in the artist’s own words; “all about going there to come back, getting lost to be found. For me it's the song that takes the core of the other songs on the EP and brings them together in a simple but an unavoidable way.” Having topped the UK charts and performed on ‘Later… With Jools Holland’ before having released his debut album, the talented artist suddenly found himself with a major record deal and under pressure to capitalise on the sudden exposure brought by his collaboration with Wretch 32 on ‘Don’t Go’, the chart-topping single which reached #1 in the UK upon its release.
After the release of his debut album ‘Good Things Come To Those Who Don’t Wait’ and his international headline tour, Josh struggled with the idea of being the pop star people saw in him. The unexpected publicity meant losing the original idea of “writing music from my heart,” he confesses while talking about the vulnerability and sense of loss he felt. He left London for Tetbury, set up his own recording studio and started writing and recording new music in a safe space, one in which he could develop himself first before trying to please everyone else. A completely different creative process compared to “being sent around to hit makers on a daily basis, baring everything and anything personal to strangers in the hopes of writing a hit song,” recalls Josh on the dark side of the hit making machine.
‘Pull Me Back In’, is a remarkable collection of heart-wrench songs, one that is destined to set Josh as the bonafide singer-songwriter he is.
Malena Zavala has today shared blissful new track 'Memories Gone', taken from her forthcoming second album La Yarará, to be released April 17 on Yucatan Records.
Mazzy Star-style gothic chamber pop with a South American influence, ‘Memories Gone’ is about “mourning the loss of a memory that has faded away,” comments Zavala, who was born in Argentina but grew up in Hertfordshire. “I wrote it when making my first album, but I wanted to tie it all in with the Latino feel of La Yarará so I stripped it back to vocals and guitar added a ronroco arrangement. The ronroco is an Andean ten stringed guitar-like instrument that has a slight echo and somehow creates its own reverb, and I love the way it sounds on the track.”
The follow-up to her critically acclaimed 2018 debut album ‘Aliso’, ‘La Yarará’ cements Zavala as a songwriter with a unique perspective on where she’s from, where she’s headed and where her music can take us. The album draws from the various aspects, colours and shades of Latin music and culture: cumbia, Afro-Cuban, Afro-funk, Andean folk, Argentine folk, bolero-son, and reggaeton, all sung in a mixture of English and Spanish in Zavala’s passport-to-paradise voice.
Zavala recently unveiled a stylish and colourful video for the album’s sinuous title track, current single ‘La Yarará’, premiered by Notion Magazine. ‘La Yarará’ is the third single to be taken from the album following 'En La Noche' and 'I'm Leaving Home'.
After the release of ‘Aliso’ – described as “gently warped and beguilingly melancholy guitar pop” by The Guardian in their 4 star review - Zavala toured all over Europe and the UK supporting Lord Huron, Blanco White, and Men I Trust, before hitting the festival circuit. She then spent three months writing her second album in Tarifa, the southernmost point of Spain.
Zavala and her close circle of collaborators recorded ‘La Yarará’ in two weeks last September at Urchin Studios in London Fields, with Zavala producing and Dani Bennett Spragg (Baxter Dury, The Amazons) engineering.
“It’s a really beautiful, all-wooden studio, which was really important for the sound of this album,” says Zavala. “I wanted it to feel like Buena Vista Social Club. I wanted to play the room, to feel the walls and wooden floors.”
At the heart of the album is ‘Identity’, a song of rootlessness and yearning “that embodies the whole record. It’s about how I feel like I don’t belong to Argentina or England. I’ve just been travelling my whole life,” says Zavala. “So the whole concept is about how, wherever you go and whatever the experiences you have in the cultures you live in, they make up who you are and your character. So I had this idea of a person being about where they’ve been, not where they were born.”
Anna Burch new album 'If Your Dreaming' is released today. It comprises of twelve beautiful songs and is streaming in full below, her songwriting skills are notable and the musical construction of each track is imaginative on what is a really pleasing album. === Junk Drawer have just shared 'What I've Learned / What I'm Learning' a slow burning rocker that is both atmospheric and gripping. === Another new song release today this time from The Reverse with 'Kill Us All' where the lyrics intrigue to say the least, on this refreshing indie rock track. === The Sun Harmonic latest song offering is 'Sign On The Road' and it's a vibrant folk rock song that put simply, is rather catchy.
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Anna Burch - If Your Dreaming (Album).
When Anna Burch introduced herself on her 2018 debut Quit The Curse, it was with a concentrated wash of energetic, serotonin-boosting pop. Jangly guitars, blithe vocal harmonies and an occasional undercurrent of grungy fuzz all converged in seemingly straightforward songs that hid their complexities under sunny hooks. The impact of the songs was immediate and exciting, presenting narratives of confusion and upheaval with melodies so bright it was hard to do anything but smile. Two years later, Burch’s follow up If You’re Dreaming takes us down a different path than its predecessor, shedding some nervous energy in favor of a deeper exploration of an internal world.
After months on the road in support of Quit The Curse, Burch disappeared for a while. The long stretches of touring had been broken up by only a few weeks off here and there, and a month spent writing in Berlin between European dates. The time she did get to spend at home in Detroit was disrupted by several unexpected housing changes, adding to the transient feelings brought on by constant touring. When things finally stabilized, Burch encamped into a slow, thoughtful and intentional writing process for what would become the second album. Days were spent playing guitar, exploring unconventional chord changes, ruminating on song structures and allowing her subconscious to wander until lyrics materialized. Though about half of the songs were already written, this time was dedicated to taking a closer look at the loose ends of three years of ideas and seeing if there were common threads that held them together.
If You’re Dreaming was tracked with producer Sam Evian in his home studio in the Catskill mountains of upstate New York. Where the first album had been a rush of inspired songwriting followed by a drawn-out process of arrangement and mixing, Burch and Evian worked with self-imposed time limitations to establish a sharper focus and get to the core of the new songs. The work was swift but somehow more relaxed, locking into a groove of tracking the basic elements and then expanding on the arrangements with overdubs and auxiliary instrumentation. The end goal was to present not just an assortment of new songs, but craft an album that moved dynamically through an interconnected emotional arc.
With recurring themes of isolation, weariness and longing, these songs deliver that emotional arc with a delicate but uncompromising execution. Burch’s intrinsically catchy songwriting dials down the urgency of her debut a notch, taking a turn towards airy, jazz-voiced chords, floating reverb and an expansion of the sonic palate with unexpected instrumentation. The soft-rock bass grooves and understated saxophone lines of “Not So Bad” push an impressive pop structure into exciting new territory, and the sweetly melancholic “Tell Me What’s True” centers around muted electric piano, its languid but metered vibe recalling the gentler side of Carole King.
Junk Drawer - What I've Learned / What I'm Learning.
Having announced their debut album ‘Ready For The House’, out via Irish indie label Art For Blind for April 24th, Belfast quartet Junk Drawer are set to release the sprawling, opening tone-setter ‘What I’ve Learned / What I’m Learning’. Channelling the likes of Pavement, Thee Oh Sees and King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard and more the four-piece veer between slacker-rock, post-punk, krautrock and swirling psych across their at time chaotic, at times sanguine sound.
‘What I’ve Learned / What I’m Learning’ is the one track on the album where both main lyricists, brothers Stevie and Jake Lennox, sing lead vocals - a primer for what's to come on the rest of the record, as Jake's lucid psychedelia combines with Stevie channelling a hysterical, sardonic 'state of the nation' internal address that comes in moments of emotional volatility.
Stevie elaborates a little on the origin of the track: “The title comes from the Dunning-Kruger Effect - basically the less you know, the more you think you know, while the more you know, the less you think you know.’
The song also served as an important opportunity to open up on suppressed feelings with hitherto unexpressed candour: “It was the first time I wrote with a real purity of intent, allowing myself to let go of the irony, obfuscation and self-awareness that I felt obscured some of my previous writing, because of my complete loathing of heart-on-sleeve earnestness & sincerity. I was suffering from a lot of communication problems ,epilepsy and brain fog, and I didn't realise it until afterwards but it was an expulsion - as much of the album is”.
The Reverse are a North London band making a literate strand of indie-rock that encompasses 90’s alt, post-punk, alt-folk and a touch of the gothic, laced with quintessentially British style of delivering brutally caustic lyrics with a big slice of dark humour.
New single ‘Kill Us All’ is garage-blues guitar pop that recalls early 90’s purveyors of irreverent humour such as David Devant & His Spirit Wife and The Auteurs. In contrast to The Reverse’s last single ‘Crush My Chest With Your Hate’ which was an urgent post-punk assault on the UK’s growing anti immigration narrative, ‘Kill Us All’ takes a more minute look at human existence day-to-day. As frontman and observational lyricist Nathan Loughran explains: “‘Kill Us All’ contrasts the everyday and mundane in the lyrics "My head now hurts, I'm losing hope, breakfast's a pack of Wotsits and a can of Coke," with the stark recognition of our own mortality in the line "...and time will catch an kill us all." The song’s bass rolls, drums skip and the guitars sing to create a musical dissonance adding a juxtaposition to the darkly humorous lyrics.
‘Kill Us All’ is taken from The Reverse’s forthcoming album Which Way Out (24 April, Blang! Records). An album of both shade and light, the record moves from the occasionally vulnerable though to the outright visceral. Written about “both the personal and the political,” it includes songs that explore the vulnerability of falling in love and the fragility of the human existence through to the disturbing rise of the far-right with aim taken at The Sun, xenophobes, the Tories, Jeremy Kyle and everything in-between. All delivered with a sometimes snarling, often acerbic, and always unapologetically tongue-in-cheek style.
The Reverse have built up a live following by performing at festivals such as The Great Escape and supporting the likes of The Wave Pictures and Billy Bragg. In 2019 they performed at Standon Calling, signed a deal with Blang! Records and began sharing tracks from Which Way Out including ‘Nobody Likes You, Everybody Hates You’, ‘Nothing on Telly’ and ‘Abstract Heart.’ The latter single was one of Gary Crowley’s top songs of the year, leading to The Reverse recording a session for BBC Radio London, followed by a session for Dexter Bentley on Resonance FM. ‘Kill Us All’ is out as a digital single on 3 April, with The Reverse’s long player Which Way Out following on 24 April on Blang! Records (available on vinyl, cd and digital).
Songwriter Kaleb Hikele of the band shares: "Sign On The Road was written in one night, sitting on the piano bench as I watched a US election roll in. It's optimistic, uplifting and hopeful, with open ended lyrics that let you define your own meaning. Who knew we would need this song so badly in this isolated world we unexpectedly live in, the song is coming out just as my own city shuts down to quarantine and the irony of singing "I see this sign on the road" is heavy. I'm proud to give this song to those who need it the most today."Sign" is one of my favourite songs that I've carried with me on the road for many years now.
I've toured the song as a solo artist across the country and even recorded it as a demo with another band entirely called The Other Birds a while ago. It's taken so many years and experiences to finally sink in, to find the right place in time to be performed (with my current rock trio) and be recorded properly (live off the floor at a favourite studio of mine called The Chalet in Ontario). I'd been to The Chalet once ten years ago for my debut album and five years ago to record songs for "Winter", and I brought the same engineer from the Winter sessions to pay tribute to this past. Josh Bowman brought the perfect touch to this one studio day where we recorded all five songs live in a room together."
The Sun Harmonic is a solo folk act that grew into a rock and roll band and the main creative outlet for Canadian composer Kaleb Hikele since 2009. An eclectic songwriter and adventurous recording artist from Toronto's east end, raised in the small town of St.Thomas, Ontario. After a decade using his stage name, the artist was gratefully showcased by Canada's Walk of Fame in downtown Toronto and Festival Du Voyageur in Winnipeg 2020. Now a folk-rock trio, the group is ready to Rock and Roll more than ever.
HMS Morris return with 'Poetry' a couple of months after their very fine song 'Babanod'. The new piece builds in intensity, the vocals increasingly immersed in lush electro music are nonetheless wonderful. === oh!no?ok. return for a third time in a matter of months with 'Wheel Of Fortune' where the Salt Lake City band are in cracking form with this high octane rocker.
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HMS Morris - Poetry.
Hot on the heels of the well-received Babanod, released in early February, HMS Morris are now pleased to present Poetry. It’s the second in a series of singles due for release in 2020, and will be available from April 1st on Bubblewrap Records.
The song reflects the sliding scale of madness that results from unreciprocated obsessive love. Beginning with some light-hearted hypothetical quasi-stalking, singer Heledd Watkins then moves through self-criticism, recrimination, and finally a full-on banshee-wail of desperation.
Structurally the music is indebted to Ravel’s Bolero, a repeating ostinato rising steadily from very quiet to very loud – although in Poetry, HMS cover twice the volume in half the time, in acknowledgement of the limited attention span of the snapchat generation. Poetry will be available digitally from all the usual platforms.
Salt Lake City, Utah might be best known as the world headquarters for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That may change as a fertile counter-cultural underground music scene is slowly seeping into nationwide consciousness with artists such Neon Trees, Imagine Dragons, The Moth & the Flame, Sego, and Desert Noises. Up next, something weird and tuneful is poised to be Salt Lake City’s nice prime musical export. Self-described slacker rockers oh!no?ok. stake their claim to the mantle with the fearlessly catchy debut, randy warhole (or somethin).
oh!no?ok. is comprised of high school friends Ryan Osborn, Cole Miller, Jackson Ludlow, and local guitarist Nick Storey. The band is a year old, and has been working closely with locally-renowned producer Nate Pyfer (The Moth & the Flame, Kaskade, Sego). Lead vocalist Ryan and Nate laid the groundwork for the band’s music, though each member brings his unique flair, making the process a cohesive collaboration.
They play the kind of music you’d hear blasting forth from a suburban garage in the height of the alt-rock boom of the 1990s but they update this scruffy aesthetic with sleek but-not-too-polished production and a dose of raw skate punk. Their songs feature cleverly abstract lyrics, bold musical dynamics, experimental textures, adventurous arrangements, and sharp pop-rock hooks. This melding of tuneful and arty conjures an array of classic and current alt-rock innovators such as Weezer, Pavement, The Presidents of the United States, Butthole Surfers, and Spoon, FIDLAR, Car Seat Headrest, and PUP.
The Goldhearts have released their new E.P 'Be Strong, Be Brave, Be Bold' comprising of five tracks from which we have a video for 'Road To Roam' a song that gives a good feel for the collection of their timeless melodic indie rock. === Hannah Scott shares 'Shape' the London based songwriter is vocally powerful and passionate in what is a notable and stirring song. === From Pittsburgh we have Same with 'Bluish' a laid back indie rock song that subtly embeds some engaging musical hooks along the way. === Gentle and melodic folk accompanied by a well matched video ensures Carmanah and 'As I See You' quickly becomes a gorgeous, play me again sort of song.
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The Goldhearts - Road To Roam.
Waking from a three-year hibernation, The Goldhearts picked up where their debut album left off with the electrifying Be Brave and hook-laden Stars. Now proud to announce the release of their new EP, Be Strong, Be Brave, Be Bold is another stellar addition to the band members' collective discography, which dates back over 20 years, a handful of quintessential albums and literally countless touring miles across the globe.
Produced by Govinda Doyle (Angus and Julia Stone), Be Strong, Be Brave, Be Bold represents everything contemporary indie rock can be when built on the unshakable foundation of blistering '90s hooks. More importantly the EP is a celebration of overcoming the challenges that life presents the band as individuals and as women who write and play music.
If you know your Australian music history, it will be instantly apparent why The Goldhearts have such a knack for the '90s thing. Founded by members of beloved Brisbane band Dream Poppies (with a dash of Razel) The Goldhearts throwback to an era when the sincerity and power of punk rock had been tempered by pop sensibilities and artful songwriting... an era they were a big part of. Fast forward several years and a new EP transposes the best aspects of this heritage into a modern sound that balances the perfect amount of grungy indie with blissful coastal pop.
London-Based independent artist Hannah Scott is fast cementing her place as one of the country’s most exciting new songwriters, with her emotive songs and striking voice. Shape, the first single from her forthcoming album, showcases her powerful and personal storytelling. The song recounts how her maternal Grandmother refused to accept her Mother’s choice of husband, Hannah’s Father, threatening never to speak to her again should she marry him and staying true to her word for twenty years.
Co-written and produced with long-standing creative partner Stefano Della Casa (Ultra Music Publishing), Shape expertly combines organic, live elements with electronic sounds. The two artists have struck a perfect balance between Hannah’s traditional songwriting craft and Stefano’s unique cinematic production.
Recent highlights for the pair include being awarded funding by Help Musicians UK to go towards the production of the album, opening for Madeleine Peyroux to an audience of 2000 at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre and travelling across Ireland with Paddy Casey to open shows for him in Dublin and in a tiny Irish speaking village near Galway! Their music has also been featured on BBC Radio 2 including a live session with Dermot O’Leary, BBC 6 Music, BBC Introducing, The Guardian, MOJO and Clash Magazine.
"Pittsburgh’s Same cast a sepia tone across a ‘90s DIY-indebted style of indie rock. Their debut LP Plastic Western is at times range-y and raucous, but it also spends a lot of time being thoughtfully languid, dreamy in a night-under-the-stars kind of way." says the Alternative of the upcoming LP
From the first crackling notes of “It’s Lonely in Doggie Hell,” the opening track of SAME’s debut LP Plastic Western, the band locks into a groove that never really lets up. A quiet riff fades in from a distance then, like a radio tuning to find the right frequency, it’s quickly interrupted by a brief drum fill before a fuzz-filled bass line sets the tempo, intertwining over a languid beat. Just like that SAME sets off on a 12-song journey. But Plastic Western isn’t a sprint toward a finish line, it’s an album that takes its time to hang out, get cozy, and soak in all the weird sights.
It’s easy to play the influence game for SAME. At times, Plastic Western might sound like Weezer dripping in acid and fuzz. At other times, it feels like listening to the Pixies or Pavement in a meditative trance. But SAME—bassist/vocalist Jesse Caggiano, drummer Jamie Gruzinski, and guitarists Tom Higgins and Jake Stern—never wanted to sound like any other band.
“Originality and experimentation are things we talked about a lot early on—and still do,” says Higgins. He concedes that the “core influences do shine through,” but from the band’s earliest practices, there was a shared drive to push themselves to make music outside of any sort of box. “We didn’t want to pigeonhole ourselves into making a certain kind of music,” he adds. “A lot of people make a band and say ‘We want our band to sound like this other band that we like.’ We had all done that before. We wanted to actively stay away from that mindset.”
Like the rainforests from which their name derives, Carmanah is just as comfortable in muddy, bluesy funk as they are among light, soaring harmonies. With one album behind them and one ahead, the band is crafting a niche of its own somewhere between roots, rock and blues — a vintage blend of the intuitive and technical tied seamlessly together by Laura Mina Mitic’s dazzlingly versatile voice.
In recognition of the band’s passion for their home and the ways it bleeds into their music, producer Gus Van Go (The Arkells, Sam Roberts, Wintersleep) coined the term “West Coast Soul” to describe Carmanah’s unique sound.
The forthcoming album, Iris, was recorded between B.C. and Brooklyn as a moody counterpoint to and natural evolution from the band’s debut, Speak in Rhythms. That album’s two #1 CBC Music tracks, Roots and Nightmare, have set the tone for a new west coast sound. Now, with Iris, the band has built upon the first album’s strongest elements: its driving melodies, its contorting, energetic rhythms, its bountiful instrumentation, its lyrics that take you by the hand and lead you far, far from where you began.
The band — including guitarist and vocalist Pat Ferguson, keyboardist Mike Baker, bassist Jamil Demers, drummer Graham Keehn and backup vocalist Lo Waight — tours in a gutted and retrofitted vegetable-oil driven tour bus, an ambitious project that Ferguson has taken on himself in his backyard. The low-carbon approach is part of a broader ethos the band shares.
“I get really excited when I think about music as a way to spark action,” Mitic explains.
With stops at major festivals like Edmonton Folk Festival, Hillside Festival and Winnipeg Folk Festival, Carmanah has caught the attention of the B.C. music press. Jon Williams of The Zone 91.3 Victoria called Mitic “the Stevie Nicks of our generation,” while Vancouver’s Daily Hive recently ranked the band among B.C.’s top acts to look out for. Their music landed syncs including Heartland and Hudson & Rex.
“The thrill of making a connection with an audience — any audience — is what keeps me going,” says Ferguson. It’s already brought him and the band a long way, and today, Carmanah’s irresistible chemistry crackles each time the band takes the stage, electrifying one another as much as the audience itself
Kalbells share 'Mothertime' just a month after we featured 'Cool and Bendable'. The new song is fabulous, the vocals are warm and captivating whilst the intricate musical backdrop adds so much more. === We have the new single from Unruly Girls entitled 'She Grew Up In A Shotgun Row' and it's a fuzzy hook filled atmospheric rocker. === This nearly passed us by (it came out a couple of weeks back) nonetheless Grace Joyner latest single 'Fake Girlfriend' has to be shared, simple as that. === Electric Feat have just released an album from which we have 'Bring Something from the Night' the Athens, Greece band capturing rocks past and adding a few modern twists to many of rocks genres across the album.
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Kalbells - Mothertime.
Today, Kalbells—the project led by multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Kalmia Traver—is sharing “Mothertime,” the title track (and accompanying lyric video made in quarantine with a microscope) from her forthcoming EP co-produced with Jeremy Malvin (aka Chrome Sparks), releasing April 10th via NNA Tapes.
Following the lead single and video for "Cool and Bendable", “Mothertime” is about Traver’s mother and their relationship together. As Traver explains in her own words: “it’s about the bewildering beauty and uncanniness of the fact that we can keep growing & changing so much, cueing off each other across our two mobius-entwined lifetimes.”
In April 2015, Kalmia Traver (Kalbells, Rubblebucket) had just come out of an intensive 2-month writing retreat with 27 songlets in hand, 10 of which would become Kalbells’ debut album Ten Flowers. Jeremy Malvin (Chrome Sparks) loved what she shared with him then, and the two began regular co-production sessions in his studio in Brooklyn, where classical percussion ensemble So Percussion also worked. Drawing inspiration from the abundance of acoustic sound-makers all around, Jeremy performed marimbas, cactus shakers, and massive bass drums, while Kal layered flute arpeggios, penny whistles, and saxophones through tape echo to make smooth harmonic waves of rainbow velvet layer cake. They pretended to be an orchestra.
Lyrically, the Mothertime EP sees Kal processing themes she has been continually chewing on in the 6-year wake of surviving ovarian cancer and transforming a codependent relationship wither her long-time music partner Alex Toth (Tōth, Rubblebucket): resilience, yielding, beckoning creativity, self-exploration, and joy.
"She Grew Up in a Shotgun Row" is the new single from Unruly Girls, taken from their new album "Epidemic", to be released on April 21st, 2020 via Dirty Beach.
"She Grew up in a Shotgun Row" is dedicated to Kim Gordon, or better inspired by her, to tell the surreal story of a girl grown up in nasty and dirty suburbs, full of love and violence. The track is 100% adrenaline, with vocals from Ronit Bergman (Undone, Plastic Venus), layers of garage fuzzy guitars, massive synths, menacing feedbacks and a groovy, distorted, danceable drumming.
A lo-fi, dirty, noisy sound, that conveys a sense of delirium and decaying obsession.
The retro visuals contain original footage shot by Plastic Venus and friends, during the unforgettable underground music scene of the 1990s through the fascinating lens of the Israeli punk hardcore band, that “with their straining-nerve music made for generations to die by, built their faith, their story, their lives over the years.”
Where Grace Joyner’s EP Young Fools served as an introduction to songwriting and a chance to explore her musical muse while treading her own artistic path, her debut LP, Maybe Sometimes in C revealed what she has found along the way. Joyner weaves a beautiful and delicate balance between reflecting on the trials of young love and showing a remarkable commitment to self-development.
Teaming up for the third time with producer and engineer, Wolfgang Zimmerman (Band of Horses, SUSTO), Grace Joyner looks to further her musical journey with her sophomore album Settle In.
Reflecting on the development of the album, Joyner says: “I took my time with Settle In. This record covers a lot of ground for me. I took bigger risks in my songwriting process and pushed personal boundaries by exploring content around my romantic struggles, my family, and my relationship with the pursuit of music itself. In a lot of ways my love for music feels like a relationship—at times it feels like unrequited love and at times I have found it breaking my heart. But, ultimately, you can't choose what or who you love, and if you don't give it a fair shot you might never know what could have been.”
Since the project’s inception, Grace Joyner has toured across the country with appearances at SXSW and Savannah Stopover, sessions at Daytrotter and Breakthru Radio, and the sync of her single Dreams on The CW’s hit show Riverdale.
If you enjoy some quality psych-rock with 70s swing and proto-doom vibes without actually tipping over the line of retroism then this is your thing. Electric Feat will make you revisit the beautiful story of 70’s Rock in 10 lessons, from Alice Cooper’s craziness to Black Sabbath's darkish power & by passing by The Doors, Jimi Hendrix Experience's psychedelia. Brutal, mysterious, sweet, excited, smashing, their music will catch you from the beginning to the end of this wild ride. A big punch in the face.
Electric Feat, the fairly new heavy-rock quartet from Athens, Greece have recently released their self-titled debut record (pressed only on 180-gram limited vinyl) via Inner Ear.
Rock is dead, so let's go dancing in it's ashes. No more, no less, this is Electric Feat's first set of songs, recorded (almost live) at the cozy Diskex studio, with Sergios Voudris' (The Voyage Limpid Sound) invaluable assistance.
Rex are an Amsterdam based trio and they have just released 'Palaces' a beautiful track with hints of Nick Cave however the trio add so much more. ===Amaroun already has a reputation for creating music that is hard to categorise, not that it matters 'Talk' is just one very individual song and it's wonderful. === They describe themselves as a mountain rock band and somehow Whitacre give that description credence as new song 'Prodigal' amply demonstrates. ===Mats Wawa have a new album out called 'Rock Omelette' which comprises of ten tracks, described by their promo as a mixture of "AOR, slacker soul or just classic rock" it's all of that pulled together by the bands consistent catchy and highly melodic sound. === The Mowgli's are back with 'Weight On Me' and again the band are on top form with a colourful video accompanying this hook filled song. === Reliant Tom share 'Nevermind The Garbage' a song that opens gently and gradually adds musical layers and power and packs plenty of atmosphere and emotion. === We get to share the third song and video fromThe Claudettes just ahead of their new album 'High Times in the Dark', this time we have '24/5' which is a fiesty little rocker to say the least.
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Rex - Palaces.
Amsterdam-based trio Rex explore the darker side of life with style, sexuality and a touch of melancholy – combining post punk, new wave and even elements of Spanish rhythms. This month, they are set to release upcoming track ‘Palaces’.
Despite sharing the same influential interests from the likes of The Bad Seeds, Lou Reed and Leonard Cohen, the bands idiosyncratic sound stems from their own musical backgrounds. Frontman, and guitarist Jonathan Rex was born with flamenco in his blood, while Drummer Nout Kooij was raised as a die-hard punk, and Bass player Sara Elzinga was introduced to blues music before she could walk.
With Jonathan’s powerful vocals wrapped elegantly over heavy electric strings and a throbbing drumbeat, ‘Palaces’ dwells upon love and death and the overwhelming emotions that comes along with it. Discussing the song, Rex says: “The song embraces the sorrow of loss, and powerless felt when you lose someone close to you. It raises the questions of how to continue on with life and survive without them.”
Having gained cult status in their native city, the three-piece have also seen action in European cities such as London, Berlin, Spain, whilst touring and at festivals. This year will see Rex on the rising scale, as they welcome the release of their debut EP this spring.
Amaroun has a reputation for creating strong melodies with simple beats accompanied by scrupulous lyrical honesty. As a self- proclaimed emo kid of the noughties and a lover of many genres from Gospel to Grime & Hip Hop to Reggae, Amaroun is not easily categorised.
With a driving hunger to release music, and prolific writing prowess, Amaroun (aka Jay Brown) is releasing music each month throughout 2020. January saw the self-produced and genre bending track ‘Perish’ with the honey-like ‘Rosey’ following four weeks later. Now, March 27th will see the release of 'Talk', Amaroun's third record this year and first full studio recording. 'Talk', co-written with Charles Watson (Slowclub) and produced by Charlie Andrew (Alt J/ Matt Corby/ Maricka Hackman) is a song about the moment communication breaks down between two people –– “Whenever I sing this song it takes me back to those moments and makes me realise how important talking is to keep your connection alive” she says. “I have no regrets, I learnt
so much about what I wanted from these experiences and use them to inform my own self growth and how I approach the beautiful connections with people I have today”
Whitacre, the self-described “mountain rock” band hailing from Denver, CO., has premiered the new single, “Prodigal,” with Billboard. The single will appear on their new album, Seasons, to be released April 17th, 2020. Recorded at Third & James in Denver, produced by Joe Richmond (Tennis, Churchill) and mixed by Yuuki Matthews (The Shins), 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.
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 full-length album, Seasons, on the horizon, the four-piece, made up of Paul Whitacre on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Chase Perry on banjo, Mark Cunningham on drums and Joe Fishel on bass, are poised to break out nation-wide.
“At the risk of sounding a bit cliche, ‘Prodigal’ was a monumental song for the band. It was the first time we really collaborated on the writing process - every member contributed to the lyrics, the story, the melody, etc. It was a special moment to let others into the creative process for the first time, and it really set the tone for how we've written songs ever since,” frontman Paul Whitacre explains. “Every member of this band has a story of running away from 'home.' We've all lived through a time that we were doing the exact opposite of what we knew we were supposed to be doing. ‘Prodigal’ touches on the presence of hope and redemption, regardless of how low you are in life.”
A metaphor for the different phases of life, Seasons 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.”
Mats Mentzen Wang’s aka Mats Wawa is releasing new album Rock Omelette, the follow-up to 2018’s EP Scuzz. The young songwriter was unwittingly booked to a handful of showcase festivals in 2015, based on a few bedroom demos. And that’s how Mats Wawa was born – he needed a band. Now, four years later, Wang has matured, and so have his musical tastes.
Call it AOR, slacker soul or just classic rock – let the listener decide. Whatever you call it, the album is chock full of tunes. From a short rock opera about French & Moland (two Norwegian mercenaries imprisoned in DR Congo), via the song “Canned Heat” which sounds like…and to the first single “Sparkly Eyes”, some of the most beautiful blue eyed soul you’ll hear this year, with strings imported from 70’s Philadelphia.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that this record has become an eclectic collection of songs, as the following influences are named: Elton John’s Tumbleweed Connection, Laura Nyro, Lee Hazlewood, The Byrds and Jessica Pratt. Maybe that’s what Rock Omelette means. Still, the innocent naiveté that’s been Mats Wawa’s calling card, permeates the entire album, fronted by Wang’s characteristic voice which keeps it all cohesive.
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.”
Their latest single "Weight On Me" is a mid-tempo mashup featuring hints of psychedelia, Jazz & rock n roll. The song talks about the pressures of keeping up with everyday life and taking on the weight of the world around you while keeping your head on your shoulders. It is the latest addition to their catalog of releases that are undeniably infectious and wholeheartedly relatable.
For The Mowgli’s, as for any band, this whole experience is a journey - and not always an easy one. It tests your self-belief, your stamina, your relationships and your mental and emotional health. “Since this band started we’ve been through a lot of changes: gained members, lost members, been shuffled around labels and learned a lot about the music industry,” says Andy. “Now it feels like we’re really independent again, refocused on curating our live show, more in touch with the business of being this band.” He adds “Our sound has evolved but we always circle back to the basic themes: love, feeling good, excited for life no matter what the day delivers.”
Brooklyn-based experimental art-rock duo, Reliant Tom shares new single "Nevermind the Garbage" and announces a new forthcoming album 'Play & Rewind' out May 8th, 2020 via Diversion Records. We've partnered with Black Book Magazine to bring you the vulnerable and visceral new song. Singer Claire Cuny took inspiration from the tragic passing of her father who died suddenly in 2018 on the day of the band's last album release no less. Claire explains, "The song is about learning to return to a semi-normal routine by learning to manage the grief..."
Tracing their origins to a chance meeting at a DIY show in Brooklyn in 2015, the Brooklyn-based post-rock electronic band and experimental performance art Reliant Tom is centered around its core creative duo, Western Massachusetts-born, Brooklyn-based composer Monte Weber and Dallas, TX-born, Brooklyn-based choreographer and vocalist Claire Cuny. The duo’s collaboration is a seamless synthesis of their individual talents and interests – sound design, wearable technology, modern dance, and hook-driven, yet genre-defying songwriting.
“Reliant Tom gives me the outlet to explore both pulse driven works while maintaining the other musical elements which I find fascinating - timbre, aleatoric processes, and interactive technologies,” Weber explains. Adds Cuny, “Our ultimate goal with Reliant Tom is to be a multi-media performance experience that straddles the line between pop and experimental music - and philosophizing about what that even means, and is that even possible as ‘experimental pop’?”
Thematically, the duo’s two previous releases, 2016’s self-released, self-titled EP and 2018’s critically applauded, full-length debut effort Bad Orange, touch upon the pitfalls of digital communication and the generally blasé nature of modern social interaction – through the guise of avant-pop and avant-punk-influenced musical devices and arrangements featuring electric guitar, vocals, a hybrid electro-acoustic drum kit, synthesizers, and Weber’s Kontrol Instrument, which he developed while studying at the Paris-based Institute for Research and Coordination in Acoustics/Music as a way to make electronic music more tactile and immersive in its performance.
Slated for a May 8th, 2020 release through Chicago-based Diversion Records, Reliant Tom’s sophomore effort Play & Rewind is a decidedly bold and self-assured step forward: Cuny’s sultry and expressive vocals while being prominently placed front and center, effortlessly glide over lush yet spacious arrangements of shimmering acoustic guitars, atmospheric electronics and twinkling keys with the material possessing a cinematic air that recalls Dummy-era Portishead, Tales of Us-era Goldfrapp, Radiohead circa OK Computer and others. And while continuing to be tech-heavy in their means of sonic production, their thematic exploration of communication and interaction in the digital age takes a back seat. This time taking a more human approach, the material may arguably be the most mature yet accessible, most emotionally honest and vulnerable of their growing catalog.
The Claudettes new album is due out out on April 3 and is entitled "High Times in the Dark".
The band have already shared two songs from the new album, namely 'Bad Babe, Losin' Touch' and 'Declined'.
The latest song ahead of the album is 24/5 and as was the case with the last two songs, it's accompanied by a new music video.
As we have previously mentioned Johnny Iguana the bands piano player and songwriter commented "I believe it's definitely our best yet". It's produced by Ted Hutt (Violent Femmes, The Devil Makes Three, Old Crow Medicine Show, Lucero) and will be released on Forty Below Records.
Braids have just shared a video for 'Snow Angel'. Last November we said of Braids "the indie art rock band manage to achieve everything that genre bundle suggest, doing so fabulously" this new song proves that was no one off event. === Juniper Bush have released a video for 'Turn' where the Winnipeg band deliver a mixture of restrained shoegaze and psych rock with melodic grooves. === Lavinia Blackwall shares 'John's Gone' ahead of her debut album due in May, the song is a vibrant, catchy modern folk song. === Duo Forces have been around for twenty years and 'Say It Now' demonstrates how well their musicianship and song writing has developed, with this energised pop/rock track. === Mardi Lumsden has a brand new album out entitled 'Hiatus' and it's a gorgeous collection of songs from this very talented Brisbane, Australia folk artist. === This is the third song we have had the pleasure of featuring this year from Kluster B and with 'Graveyard' the bands ability to mix genres and styles in just one song is both fabulous and notable.
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Braids - Snow Angel.
Montreal-based indie trio Braids have announced their decision to push the release of their new album Shadow Offering to June 19th due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the meantime, however, they will continue to release new songs in the coming weeks. Today, they shared their new video for single "Snow Angel," a powerful opus that features singer Raphaelle Standell-Preston's most visceral performance to date as she leans passionately into her anger, diving deeper into frustrations and anxieties about her internal and external worlds.
Of the track, Braids said: "'Snow Angel' was written in the immediate wake of the 2016 US election, as our collective conscience took a sharp inhale. It's a diary entry of sorts - a snapshot of the mind grappling with our era's endless barrage of content and destruction, continents away and close to home. *This* moment, with our world in the midst of a pandemic, is admittedly a new context. But I can't help but sense the song speaks to feelings many of us are experiencing - uncertainty, angst, and a desperate desire to make sense of it all.
"For me, it was deeply therapeutic to write and sing this song; saying things out loud can help us to not feel so alone, can help validate our natural fears about the future of our world, and can bring to light some of the hard questions that many of us are asking ourselves. I believe that art can change our relationship to fear. We hope this song can offer you a moment of catharsis and relief, in the same way writing and performing it has for us."
"Snow Angel" first debuted on The FADER who stated "Producer Chris Walla (Death Cab For Cutie) lets the band breathe throughout the epic track, letting the energy ebb and flow as Raphaelle Standell-Preston switches her vocals between singing and spoken-word. The whole thing builds to a frantic final third in which the chaos and confusion is palpable."
Releasing through Secret City Records, Shadow Offering finds the band at their most personal, unabashedly flexing a new sense of confidence through songs that reach a higher level of artistry and collaboration. A luscious and expansive release, it leads us through a sonic tapestry of narrative. With heartbreaking honesty and precision, listeners traverse a nuanced and complicated world: one full of beautiful contradiction. Although the album directs itself at the failures of people to love and be loved, it also seeks to restore justice and attain blissful union. It's arc crests through the dark towards the light and learns how to dance with the dizzying rhythms of the heart. The songs bubble, sustain, dissolve, expand, and retract.
In their latest video for “Turn,” Winnipeg psych-rock/shoegaze four-piece Juniper Bush explore the fantasy of unrequited love through a dance. The tune appears on the band’s debut full-length record, Healing Through A Sonic Figure, which arrives next week on April 3 via Transistor 66. Reverb-smeared chords and Lizzy Burt’s angelic vocals evoke the emptiness of floating adrift through space, and the impending sorrow of a lust disguised as love.
As Burt explains, “The song’s lyrics express the fantasy of a better life with the object of one’s affection, the inner turmoil and intensity of a one-sided romance, and how patterns repeat despite life’s lessons.” In the video, a wedding dress is used to represent outgrown notions of love and tradition. As the video progresses, a figure dances with a plastic bag, while a chair remains distanced from the figure. The chair is used to represent inner wisdom and truth, and the space between fantasy and reality.
“It’s sort of a dance of self-deception and struggle to maintain a sense of self,” says Burt, who appears in and directs the video. “I appear curled up naked in the chair for a mere moment near the end of the video to signify growth and a new sense of truth and awareness from the experience.”
Comprised of Lizzy Burt (Basic Nature), Adrian Schroeder (Black Cloud), and Danny Hacking and Kyle Loewen (Holy Void and Surprise Party), Juniper Bush has been called a Winnipeg supergroup, merging the snarling psychedelia of The Black Angels, penetrative shoegaze of My Bloody Valentine (circa 1988), and the otherworldly alt-rock of The Cranberries into a concoction that’s both abrasive and sweet. Juniper Bush's upcoming Western Canadian tour is now cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. The band will announce rescheduled dates in the coming months.
Lavinia Blackwall is already a well-known name in many circles. Her work with prolific Glaswegian psych-folk outfit Trembling Bells having earnt her a reputation as one of the best voices in the scene, many critics having likened her singing prowess to that of Sandy Denny. Along with Trembling Bells she has released seven full-length albums and performed as the backing band to folk legends Bonnie Prince Billy and The Incredible String Band’s Mike Herron. Now she is striking out on her own with the release of her debut solo album Muggington Lane End which is out on May 1st.
Recorded live, the album is a mixture of wistful longing, joyful exuberance, wheeling psychedelia and classic songwriting. Listening to it, you wouldn’t believe that many of the vocals on the record were recorded in one take, though that’s the kind of faultless performance the classically trained soprano has become known for. Muggington Lane End began its journey back in 2018, with two tracks (Waiting For Tomorrow and All Seems Better) being recorded with former bandmates Mike Hastings and Simon Shaw. “They were in a previous incarnation of what I thought my solo project would be, called 'Orion's Belt'” explains Blackwall, however when she got together with partner and collaborator Marco Rea the project started to shift. “I realised I could get a fresh band together, seeing as Mike and Simon were very busy with their own projects”. Working with a new group of people breathed life into the project and the ‘Orion’s Belt’ moniker was ditched in favour of Lavinia Blackwall, perhaps an indicator that this would become the singer and multi-instrumentalist’s most personal work yet. “I don't think I've ever worked with a group so committed to working on arrangements, timings and feel. I just love it,” she says. “Marco is a fantastic producer, who pushes me to see things through, consider ideas I'd never have thought about and also just gets what I'm trying to do. We work so easily together”. A sentiment that translates audibly on record.
Lead single ‘John’s Gone’ harks back to 60’s style songwriting, telling the tale of an oddball named John in a style reminiscent of Beatle’s classic ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’. Lavinia’s storytelling skills are artfully showcased throughout the record, Muggington Lane End’s most common thread being the notion of dreaming and escapism.
Muggington Lane End may still incorporate elements of Lavinia’s work with Trembling Bells however it also feels like a step towards a more authentic voice from the singer, singing songs from her own perspective. “I love every song, performance and recording and am so proud of the work everyone has put into making it,” she says, and that love really shines through.
Hi, we’re Forces. I’m Jess and this [motions to the right] is Dave. Dave and Jess, Jess and Dave. It’s been that way for over 20 years. A time long enough that the lines between life, music and love have become beautifully blurred. We wouldn’t have it any other way. The name ‘Forces’ implies a literal “joining of forces” between Dave and I, each contributing our power into doing the thing we love to do most: making music, together. But, it’s also rooted in our love of joining forces with our musical community, and our passion for creating experiences for our friends to play and perform together.
Forces became a thing in 2017 after we closed the book on a whirlwind decade of recording and touring with our former band, The Golden Dogs. That trip took us all over the world and we had the privilege to support great artists; biggies like Sloan, Feist, Bloc Party, Libertines, Kaiser Chiefs, Thurston Moore and even the late great Roky Erickson (twice!). One thing that still astounds us is the number of amazingly talented people who grew through our band who continue to do great things and are still our dearest friends: members of Zeus, Taylor Knox, Wax Atlantic, and Brave Shores, to name a few. All of these musicians, including Dave and I, cut their rock teeth in the Golden Dogs.
When the band ended, we started exploring in the studio making what we thought would be the next GD record, but deep down we knew that it wasn’t. What we were making was dancier. It was groovier. We were growing new skin, wearing new hats, trying on ideas of all different sizes. It seems fitting the song that inspired us into a new artistic direction is a song about inspiration itself. ‘Step in a Sway’—our second single, but the first we recorded—felt to us like a true departure both in style and attitude. It was our foray into layering tracks with metronomic, percussive loops, as opposed to the traditional power-pop approach of recording we were used to, a bed-track with drums, bass & guitar.
In the studio, we were inspired by different production styles—the big beat and hypnotic grooves of Liquid Liquid and ESG, the thin guitar and funky bass of Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards, the alt pop of Miley Cyrus & Her Dead Petz, New Order’s approach to dance pop, and the layered hooks of the Cure. Forces is us embracing pure pop, and it feels right. Our rule is, if a song makes us want to get up and dance, then we’re on the right track.
Longstanding Brisbane folk artist Mardi Lumsden has today released her debut album Hiatus, a collection of dreamy folk songs filled with heart, soul and commentary on human nature.
The next step in an already long and illustrious career, Hiatus is an eleven-track delight showcasing Mardi's signature ability to weave heartfelt stories together using banjos, keyboards and electronic drums to create a unique genre of dream folk - a fusion of the ethereal atmospheres and textures creating a mixture of dream pop with acoustic-based folk. Recorded and produced by her husband Andrew Pennay in their converted church-turned home studio, tracks such as 'Juniper Trees', 'Someday' and 'Treasure Like This' are delicate, warm and truly uplifting.
The album's release is punctuated by the focus track 'Fiore', written under the inspiration of an Italian summer and the beauty of letting go of relationships. "It's about releasing your expectations and accepting that endings also mean new beginnings," Mardi explains. Her most recent single, 'Heading Home,' also featured on Double J's Tower of Song with Henry Wagons.
Previous success for Mardi Lumsden has included songs from her EP Wherever you go, there you are being featured on Australian TV shows such as Channel 7's Winners and Losers, ABC's Dance Academy and ABC's Time of Our Lives. Also recorded in a church-turned-recording studio (ARIA-winning producer Magoo's Applewood Studios), 'Classified' from the EP received the Q Song Award in the Folk/Ballad category and was nominated for Song of The Year as well as an Australian Songwriting Association award.
Kluster B (fka Kluster) are putting out their second album, b, on April 17th. A lot has happened in all the five members lives since the first album, civic (2018). The band was very shattered during the period that the music was written, being far apart from each other both geographically and emotionally, which resulted in turns within the music none of the members could have foreseen. A band crisis emerged, a crisis that was processed in the studio during the recording week, something that has left its clear marks on the record. In the end, the recording of b was an enriching experience for the band, coming out stronger than ever on the other side, with a new name and a new record. There was now nothing left to lose.
The band was founded by four friends and a virtual drummer in Malmö 2014, a real life drummer joined in shortly afterwards and the gang was complete. Since then, the quintet has been active on as well the Malmö indie scene as playing shows in Berlin, Copenhagen, Stockholm, supporting acts such as Frankie Cosmos, Omni and Nicole Sabouné. Debut album 'civic' was released in 2018 and Kluster received praise from Line of Best Fit, BBC Radio 6, major Swedish music magazines and more.
The band returned earlier this year with new singles 'Counterpart' and 'Love Must Conquer', two tracks taken from their upcoming sophomore album that will be released on April 17th via Rama Lama Records. Today, another piece of the puzzle that is Kluster B's second album is released in the form of new single 'Graveyard''.
Graveyard is yet another glimpse of Kluster's playful sound - a melting pot of broad influences such as pop, punk, noise, lo-fi, indie and jazz. Just like its precursors, Graveyard is a development of the sound we got to know on their first album. The interplay and paradox between the complex and simple is still there but the quintet have this time allowed themselves more time and space to experiment with almost jamming parts that creates a larger soundscape hypnotizing the listener.
Julia P. new song 'Walking On By' has a gorgeous country and bluegrass feel coursing through it along with a beautiful musical arrangement. === TodayBlackieBlueBird have released their new album 'Goodbye in July' comprising of eleven refined dream pop tracks each vying for attention. === Certain Animals make their fifth appearance on Beehive Candy in less that a year with 'Love, Space & Time' where their fabulous sixties vibes are once again enticing. === We have the full album from Jed streaming below, it's entitled 'Black Gold Texas Tea' and has nine creative instrumental tracks that cover a good number of styles and genres. === Brighton, England's The Brave Faces have released their debut single 'In The Dark' and it's a really impressive piece that more than suggests the band are one's to listen out for. === Bethany Ferrie has a new lyric video for the extremely catchy and melodic song 'Stayed'. === The Dream Syndicate return just weeks after sharing 'Black Light' with another superb song entitled 'The Longing' the band might have been around for thirty years but this is just so fresh. === Boxes new song is entitled 'Electric Lights' where the Manchester, England band demonstrate a clear talent and ability to create some absolutely stunning country rock.
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Julia P. - Walking On By.
It's never too late to start playing the banjo! Julia P. Hersheimer first got noticed in 1991 with her Twin Peaks Forever cassette. Thereafter many albums, EP's and projects followed. She shared the stage with Paul Weller, toured with dEUS and Daryll-Ann, was featured on the internationally acclaimed Eurosonic Noorderslag showcase festival, on famous Dutch festivals like Crossing Border and Lowlands, and on Dutch national TV.
In 2017 Julia P. released the ‘Summer EP’ to international acclaim - four sunny tunes about beaches and waves - and in that same year the ultimate Christmas tune ‘Christmas Is Calling’, which rode high in the alternative Christmas charts.
Julia P. always wanted to play the banjo. It took her 53 (!) years to finally buy one and take lessons.
New single Walking On By is the first banjo recording and it has a definite jingle jangle country/bluegrass vibe, somewhere in between Mumford & Sons and Gillian Welch. It is a song about the longing for long gone times when the sun always seemed to shine and life was peaceful and innocent.
Copenhagen's dream pop duo BlackieBlueBird return with their second album "Goodbye in July". BlackieBlueBird are the vocalist Heidi Lindahl and the composer Nils Lassen; together they create delicate torch songs of reverb and echo that captivate the listener with resonating guitars, wailing harmonicas, maudlin mandolins and a choir of lonely mermaids that sporadically embraces Heidi's golden voice. The echoes of love and longing, hellos and deceiving goodbyes live within her unique and clear vibrato.
BlackieBlueBird are now back with their second album "Goodbye in July" which leverages the dreamy romanticism but preserves the melancholy of their first work. Lead by the delicate and enchanting voice of Heidi Lindahl "Goodbye in July" comprises 11 songs of desire, love, life, and losses written by the experienced composer Nils Lassen.
The duo received great reviews worldwide for their debut album "Ghost River", where their sound has been compared to Nick Cave's "Murder Ballads" and Enya.
All songs are written and produced by Nils Lassen. The album is a cooperation among T&E Records, Poisonic, and Aenaos Records. "Goodbye in July" will be released on Vinyl, CD, and as a download on 27th of March 2020.
New single Love, Space & Time is a loving, psychedelic trip along the earliest childhood memories to the currently found feeling of unity of Certain Animals. Hhinting to Creedence Clearwater Revival, A reverberated intro easily glides into a droning riff which could have been taken from an unused B-side of The Beatles' Rubber Soul or Revolver.
Three-part harmony vocals smoothly narrate the cosmic fortune and innocence of early youth. Tastefully accompanied by a cowbell, the chorus blasts away with an exclamation full of ambition and perseverance, a driving force of the band. Love, Space & Time is a characteristic example of the new Certain Animals: polyphonic and melodic, but always with an edge.
Dutch band Certain Animals serves you melodic rock filled with vocal harmonies. The members aren't afraid to show which records they've been listening to. Musical titans from the '60s and '70s are spinning on their turntable on a daily basis. The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Electric Light Orchestra are regular companions in their musical life, but also the fuzzy and phasey sounds of contemporary bands like Tame Impala influence the music of Certain Animals.
Without being stuck in the past and with a critical view on the present, the band brings you their intriguing sound which makes for an energetic live show filled with intimate moments and explosive bursts of energy.
27th March sees the release of the debut album from Jed called "Black Gold Texas Tea". Jed is Jed Stephens a multi instrumentalist with a passion for electronic music of all kinds, his music is a mix of electro, techno, D&B, house and ambient.
He has been a song writer, producer and performer for many years, previous bands include Bass Bandits and Exchange, he is currently in the North West UK based Synthpop covers band Elektrio.
Jed's musical influences range from Sibelius and Bartok through to the Chemical Brothers and Orbital, via The Beatles, Kraftwerk, New Order, 808 State, Frankie Knuckles, Arthur Baker and Vince Clarke. Those old enough to remember The Beverley Hillbillies will recognise the derivation of the album title!
The music on the debut is modern electronic combining the best of elements of techno with the soundtrack feel of John Carpenter, Vangelis or Jarre. Using the best in modern electronic gear he creates stunning tracks which combine epic sounds with dance rhythms. His live show, complete with laser lighting rig, is stunning, a guaranteed dance fest for anyone who attends.
THE BRAVE FACES, Brighton post-punk/indie band, have released their debut single, ‘In the Dark’, with a video to follow.
Influenced by 80s post-punk, shoegaze and contemporary indie, THE BRAVE FACES push forward bristling melodies and sweeping soundscapes. Wiry, melodic guitars layer driving industrial drums. Their first single, 'In the Dark', features glimmering chords, dreamy synths and palm-muted melodies - providing a stark soundscape for the singer’s cold commentary. The backing singer’s reverberating falsetto adds to the overarching feeling of uneasy catchiness.
“In the Dark explores power within a relationship,” says the band. “They’re delivered from the perspective of someone offering up fumbled clichés as apologies, desperately trying to save face after the latest in a series of breaches of trust.”
‘In the Dark’ is the first of three tracks recorded by THE BRAVE FACES with Dave ‘Izumi’ Lynch (Toploader, Jake Bugg, The Magic Numbers) at Echo Zoo Studios in Eastbourne. THE BRAVE FACES will release their next two tracks, ‘Lots of Nights Out’ and ‘It Takes a While’, throughout 2020, alongside a string of live performances around Brighton and London. ‘In the Dark’ was mastered by sound engineer Pete Maher, who has previously worked with U2, Pixies and Nick Cave.
Starting from sending voice notes to her friends in her bedroom as a teen, it’s only in the past year that Bethany has started releasing music and gigging wherever she can. With just her and an acoustic guitar, Bethany brings her pop music to life with hints of Fleetwood Mac, Lewis Capaldi and Ed Sheeran setting her apart from her contemporaries.
About the track: “I had broken pieces of a chorus in my head for weeks. I was at a time in my life where I felt really alone and distant from everyone, and the song actually ended up taking a lot longer to finish because I’m not used to being honest with myself. It’s made up of a lot of little different things; different people, different headspaces.
I think when I was younger, with any kind of relationship with someone, I thought I’d have it forever. Now I’m much more hesitant, I have a voice in the back of my head saying, “okay, this is good. So when does it end?” It’s kind of the moment when you’re getting on with your day and then you see something or hear a song and it takes you back to a time or a person. It just takes that split second to send you back.
I have this little thing on my keyring that someone once gave me and I never took it off. It’s sort of like I still carry them around, but I forget it’s even there until I notice it. Having the guitar through the bridge puts me into that headspace of letting music fill an awkward silence. I kept it instrumental because sometimes you can say too much. I feel ‘Stayed’ is the start of me coming into my own sound as an artist
When The Dream Syndicate emerged in the early 80s, front man Steve Wynn declared, “We’re playing music we want to hear because nobody else is doing it.” He added, “I’ll compromise on what I eat or where I sleep, but I won’t compromise on what music I play.” Both were true, and although their template of Velvet Underground meets Crazy Horse may seem commonplace today (and let’s not forget, the Syndicate spawned many imitators), their raw twin guitar, bass and drums approach was not common during an era when slick, polished MTV bands ruled.
Thirty years later The Dream Syndicate have announced their third album for ANTI-, The Universe Inside, which will be released on 10th April. They have now shared the video for new single 'The Longing', a cryptic clip that explores yearning, memories and the passage of time.
“A friend of mine once said, ‘You ought to write a song about longing,’” lead singer and songwriter Steve Wynn explained of the song’s titling. “This was a few years back but it stuck with me and when I was listening to minutes 20 through 28 of the improvisation that became The Universe Inside I knew that the suggestion had finally found its proper home. This section of music - that followed in real time the part that became “The Regulator” - felt so mournful and lost and adrift and confused, much like longing itself. You think you know where it’s at? The longing is stronger than that. Our resident visual interpreter David Dalglish picked up on that feeling for a video that connected hauntingly to that feeling of distance and memory. And now? Suddenly it all feels very much of the moment. A chasm, sleepless for day and days, rootless, unsettled and alone. All that’s left is the longing.”
This album could have been called The Art of The Improvisers – The Dream Syndicate were in a Richmond studio after midnight working out ideas when Stephen McCarthy dropped by and became a catalyst for uncharted exploration. In one session, they recorded 80 continuous minutes of soundscapes. Wynn took that raw tape back to his NYC home and played the shit out of it and thought, “My god, there’s an album here, damn it!”
From the band - We're a country rock band based in Manchester, UK. We're a band all about those lyrics, harmonies and riffs.
We can't not make music, i'd be lost without it, inspiration include Luke Combs, Old Domino, Eric Church, Chris Stapleton etc (the list goes on) - we're country but with an English feel, there's a growing scene here in England and we want to be at the forefront of it!
The track Electric Lights is about going on a journey and the fear of being stuck in the same place or situation for too long.
